Review of Food, Inc. (2008) by Allen B — 19 Nov 2010

"Green" alarmist propaganda disguised as factual documentary. Though aspects of it are interesting, the movie is disjointed, and, ultimately, the solutions it proposes are both unreasonable and unnecessary. Always buy locally and organic? Sure, let me just get my wallet out of my gold-encrusted limo.

What these people don't seem to realize is that we have a massive, ever growing population made up of varying economic classes that must always be kept fed, and in order to do this simply and cheaply, animals must be bred and "harvested" on a grand scale, often in small quarters and in less than stellar conditions.

These creatures are not pets; they are food, born and bred so that we as a species can continue to thrive on this planet. Yes, it's brutal, and yes, it's bound to bring a tear to your eye at the injustice of it all, but this is the way life has evolved on this planet. Life is suffering. The bigger, stronger, smarter creature will always dominate and consume the lesser, and there's no greater, more powerful creature on this planet than man. At least for the moment.

It's important to remember that we consume not out of joy or pleasure, but out of necessity, so that we may survive. Sure, we have to be smart about it and not over-consume, or poison, or pollute our environment, but don't lecture me on the "evils" of economical chicken and cattle farming, or the dangers of mass producing cheap, genetically altered corn products so the 2/3rds of the human population unfortunate enough to have been born in poor, underdeveloped countries can have something to eat, or the sorrows of lazy, overweight dimwits unwilling to buy food not listed on a McDonald's dollar menu.

The "green" movement is a product of the wealthy. It's a movement by rich people for rich people, full of high hopes and good intentions but little feasibility in a world made up mostly of poverty, starvation, and disease. Be realistic.