Center For Consumer Freedom = bullshits

[aquaphase]

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/about.cfm

Not sure if anyone else has heard of these folks (been getting propaganda from them for a while). I just took a gander at their "about" page. Quite the shocker.

[ChrisLovesYou]

Remember: even an ugly baby can be named "Tiffany."

[sam]

That is some entertaining shit in "Additional Links".

[Dogatron]

reading that makes me think of the guy in thank you for smoking.

some of their cartoons are hilarious

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/cartoons.cfm/page/3

truth is the only side you should back and you know both the food cops and these guys sometimes bend the truth to their own interests. I'd like to think that both sides need to co exist in order for both their versions of truth to add up to a real truth at some middle ground

[James]

At the end of the day, though, people are ultimately responsible for themselves. The irresponsibility of the major chains and their "food" would be a non-factor if people just ignored them. Supply and Demand wins again.

[sam]

You can't make informed decisions without the truth and you can't make the right decision when other people and companies control all your options.

[James]

You can't make informed decisions without the truth and you can't make the right decision when other people and companies control all your options.

Oh, but you can always find new options. It might be difficult, but you can. For me, I make sure my veggies are home grown. When I buy a house, I'll grow them myself. It all depends on how important it is.

GROW YOUR OWN!!!!

[KathrynTheGreat]

Does that mean you're against vegetarians?

Of course not! As a matter of fact, we think they're just great, be they baked at 450 degrees until golden brown or simply sauteed in a nice Burgundy wine sauce and served over a bed of arugula. The point is, everyone should have the right to make their own choices about what to eat and drink -- whether it's a garden salad and bottled water, or a prime rib steak and a cocktail. We respect your personal choice. All we ask in return is the same. Besides, you can't tell me you've never tried Vegetarian-On-A-Stick before.

[sam]

Does that mean you're against vegetarians?

Of course not! As a matter of fact, we think they're just great, be they baked at 450 degrees until golden brown or simply sauteed in a nice Burgundy wine sauce and served over a bed of arugula. The point is, everyone should have the right to make their own choices about what to eat and drink -- whether it's a garden salad and bottled water, or a prime rib steak and a cocktail. We respect your personal choice. All we ask in return is the same. Besides, you can't tell me you've never tried Vegetarian-On-A-Stick before.

Yes, this is clearly a display of respect.

[ChrisLovesYou]

I think thatkillthisvegetariansis good.

[Dogatron]

You can't make informed decisions without the truth and you can't make the right decision when other people and companies control all your options.

Oh, but you can always find new options. It might be difficult, but you can. For me, I make sure my veggies are home grown. When I buy a house, I'll grow them myself. It all depends on how important it is.

GROW YOUR OWN!!!!

I started growing my own tomatoes, chilis, blackcurrants and about a dozen herbs last year after being sick of the lack of choice in the supermarket. The only herbs they have here are crappy weak ones that have been grown in a polytunnel and wilt when you take them home. Also the flavour in polytunnel grown food is nonexistent. This year I'm adding to what I grew last with broadbeans and more varieties of tomatoes which take up the whole greenhouse. Maybe I'll be in the country this time to get more of the harvest.

[Rebecca]

In a perfect world, everyone would be educated about healthy living and aware of their options and they would make lifestyle choices accordingly. Unfortunately, there are fast food chains that specifically target poor people with dollar menus, and you have poor people working multiple jobs that literally don't have time or money to go home and prepare a healthy meal. There are places where a grocery store isn't easily accessible and people do their shopping at convenience stores. There are people who don't know any better bringing home greasy crap for their kids to eat on a regular basis, and those kids don't exactly have consumer freedom. I saw a McDonalds ad recently that portrayed their food as a part of a healthy, active lifestyle. It's deliberately deceptive, and that's another reason why I think more regulations should be placed on the fast food industry.

[James]

I didn't know much about healthy living until recent years, but I educated myself. Certainly McDonalds isn't going to do that. One's education is one's responsibility, and yeah, there are a lot of uneducated and lazy people out there who will continue to supersize their meals in their march toward disease and a shortened life.

The point is, I educated myself and made it a priority to do so, or else I would be one of those people, too. But I can't do it for anyone else. Sure, I could rant and rave and bang the drum about "food miles" and "organic" and "home grown", but the reality is people need to come to this realisation on their own, and in collectives.

The problem you talk about is actually a sympton of a greater problem; consumer culture. The single mother that has to work multiple jobs to live because she works at Wal-Mart, which is the only employer in town, and then to the night shift at KFC...she can eat free at work at night and who would turn that down? Doesn't have the time to eat healthy during the day because lunch break is only 30 mins, and what's in just about every Wal-Mart? McDonalds! So a daily diet of KFC and McDonalds, raising a kid, or kids, on similar things because that's all she knows...too tired to cook at home, and might not even know how....

But I still don't buy it, that there's nothing that can be done. There's always a way out of a situation if one wants it bad enough. If people want to change their dietary habits, they can. They might have to work harder to do it (I do, even though I live in a place that's considered a bit more healthly than most of the UK, it's still hard). It's just a matter of priority.

Regulation might work but getting the government to do it is another story altogether. Since they're typically reactionary, it would take a full blown outbreak of diabetes, heart disease, or a major e coli death situation (hundreds) to warrant any action. But fast food lobbyists are lining the war chests of politicians (both sides) so....

I wish "Fast Food Nation" was required reading. If I won the lottery, I'd buy thousands and thousands of copies and hand them out to people.

[Dogatron]

did you watch Jamie Oliver's school dinners? I think that should be shown in every school.

I was trying to look for the clip in The Corporation about Regulation but I guess it's an extra on the DVD. Anyway I was looking on youtube and found someone uploaded the 'shareware' version of the whole documentary so if you've not seen it yet then definately check it out, it's by far my favourite documentary as I think it represents the views of all sides quite well.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... orporation

[James]

did you watch Jamie Oliver's school dinners? I think that should be shown in every school.

I was trying to look for the clip in The Corporation about Regulation but I guess it's an extra on the DVD. Anyway I was looking on youtube and found someone uploaded the 'shareware' version of the whole documentary so if you've not seen it yet then definately check it out, it's by far my favourite documentary as I think it represents the views of all sides quite well.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... orporation

Yes, I've seen it, and I think it's truly enlightened. But it also brings to light something else. They've instituted these changes and kids aren't eating them, because they'd rather have chips and burgers, and when they are shown the facts of how much healthier the school lunches are now, the normal response is "I don't care".

I think that has a lot to do with the problems in America as well. People say they want to eat healthy, but the obviously don't, or else the Big Mac wouldn't sell at such a high level. McDonalds, and all restaurants, are in it for the business. If people left off beef and started eating Hummous and Pita, you can bet McDonalds would follow suit. So I put it down to the will of the people and whether they really care about what they eat vs how it fits in with their lifestyle. Some things, you just have to make important.