When you are poor McDonald's is not just about food, especially for children. At their age it's an adventure. It's fun. They see Ronald McDonald on TV all day long. For all of them, parents and kids, it is about the memories, away from a small place they will never own. They live from paycheck to paycheck. Yes you save money compared to the poor eating at McD's, but children would never be able to follow your diet. They could if they were part of a bigger community. Not with their smart phones and facebook posts about eating cool stuff. Peer pressure. Maybe if they were Amish, and were grateful to God for the food they had everyday? But then they would see the food they would be killing too. Maybe something you don't want to be part of.mashers wrote: ↑02 May 2019I've been thinking a lot about this since reading your response. I think you're right in some cases, maybe even a large number, where for some there is literally nothing they can change in their lifestyle due to being of such limited resources. But I think that for some, this becomes an excuse. I realise this isn't always the case, but I think even in the situations you described earlier on, there are changes that could be made. I'm not from the US, but I would assume that the McDonald's menus are similar. Here in the UK we have a 99p menu, and there are chicken and vegetarian options. So even if somebody is relying on McDonald's for all their food, I think there are options available. Also, I would question whether relying on 99p/$1 menus is really cost-effective. Assuming three meals a day, that's £2.97 per day. That works out at £20.79 per week. Currently, I spend about £40 per MONTH on food. So eating at McDonalds every day is double the price. Eating a non-mammal diet on a budget is pretty easy to be honest. You just keep things simple. My diet consists mainly of oats, bread, cheese, poultry ham, eggs, fresh chicken and fish, and fresh and dried fruits. Because I eat pretty much the same thing most days, it's easy to just buy as much as I need for the week and stick to it. It's not only cheap, but I feel more ethical as they are simpler foods which aren't excessively processed.
Having children is also a choice. I know this is not going to be a popular opinion, but I believe that if people cannot raise children ethically then they should be questioning whether they should have them. This extends to people living on benefits with no intention (despite the ability) to work. Personally I believe that people who an excessive number of children are behaving unethically. What constitutes an "excessive" number is debatable, but I think more than three is too many. We are already overpopulating the planet and consuming too many of its resources. We don't need more of us than are required to balance out the death rate.
Going to work on a bus would seem to be an advantage compared to individual vehicles on the road, and walking or cycling is even better. But yeah, of course not everybody has the option of reducing their workload or not commuting, I get that.
Not trying to nitpick your post, I just think it's important to consider whether changes really are impossible, or if we just tell ourselves they are.
I don't know about amazing. I wish I could do more. But I'm trying to be a better inhabitant while I'm here, for whatever good it will do.
Regarding your diet. Maybe, just maybe you already tried (or bought?) the fancy salmon, the delicate sushi, the Petrossian's foie gras and caviar. You can tell the difference between an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon and a Californian Pinot Noir. It would not matter how you eat now because all of that data would've been part of your ROM. It cannot go away. You would still cringe a bit every time you see a poor man eating a nice turbot with red wine in a pint glass. The memory of past food will be enough for you not to care much about your everyday diet anymore. Another choice poor people cannot make because they cannot afford to have that memory 'built in'.
You cannot code humanity. The Chinese tried that already. The result? Millions of female babies ended up buried a few hours after their birth. It happened over and over again until the first boy was born. The result is obvious. Not enough women, too many men right now. Women being kidnapped into forced mariages all the time.
Yes you don't know the number, if 3 is too many, but 1 is fine. Maybe 2? 2 sounds fine. 2 sounds like a very ethical number. The State should nudge people to be ethical. Should someone come knocking on your door, telling you you better have 2 female children, in no less than 3 years, because the boy's quota has already been reached in your tiny house commune?
To be a true Nature lover is about making choices, even for others, 'for their own good'.