"I do not want the government controlling my diet" — Glenn Beck
If the government were literally controlling our diet, the government would be doing a lousy job.
In re-watching the Jon Stewart segment on Glenn Beck's MLK parody, I came across the above quote. Beck, along with Basil Marceaux, believe things about government control and food that sounds scary, but simply aren't true.
Beck and his followers, who haven't traditionally been on the side of improving food safety, should know a few things about government and our diet.
While the government doesn't control our diet, it has controlled what goes into our diet. Corn and soybean subsidies influence our diet. Keeping sugar prices artificially high influences our diet. School lunch standards and what food gets sold on school property paid for with our tax dollars influences our diet.
Beck has seemed interested in fighting the government trying to fix these problems, but not on the government influence that has led to problems.
If Glenn Beck had said 35 years ago — "I do not want the government controlling my diet" — he might have been in step with progressives and liberals who wouldn't have wanted the changes we have had for the last 30-35 years.
This isn't to say that Beck and his followers are champions of high-fructose corn syrup, or that they cheer ever-increasing obesity levels. They may not see it as important as others in the battle, but unless they have some financial tie-in, they aren't rooting for high-fructose corn syrup.
Theoretically, if corporations were to voluntarily do a better job of growing food, making beef, spinach, tomatoes, and eggs more safe as they hit your grocery store shelves, Beck and his followers wouldn't object to this.
They would object if the government stepped in, even apparently with overdue inspections of major egg farms.
This isn't to say government is all-knowing and benevolent. Government action and inaction is part of why we are in the current mess.
One of Beck's 12 values is Personal Responsibility. Beck and his followers should address those corporations that don't take Personal Responsibility on food safety.
And Beck should pay attention to his first value: Honesty. Beck can't hide behind ignorance when he goes on the air and implies that the government wants to control his diet. Scaring people with deception isn't anyone's definition of honesty. And even if you give Beck the benefit of the doubt, he should be fighting what the government has done, and agreeing with efforts to change that.
Food safety and food quality are issues that shouldn't be polarized based on political leanings or parties — red and blue states people can agree on a lot. Glenn Beck should bring two things to the table that are currently missing: honesty and solutions for what he/his followers want to do to improve food safety.
The Daily Show segment airs in a repeat tonight at 11 pm Eastern on Comedy Central and is available on the Web.
Glenn Beck's 12 values, as listed below:
Honesty, Reverence, Hope, Thrift, Humility, Charity, Sincerity, Moderation, Hard Work, Courage, Personal Responsibility, Friendship
just remember one thing: People have been calling him crazy for years, and what he's been telling us to prepair for have happened. Sure government run stuff in America is messier than a sloopy joe sandwich, but his fear is that they will grow a pair and enforce it by law. Since his predictions so far have been acurate, I wouldn't call his fear irrational. And as far as diet goes, his thing is political policies, not the box of twinkies in your closet you bought some time ago and forgot about its existance, which is now worth more than you bought it for (lucky you). I recommend you do what I do: avoid overanalyzing articals and comments. it makes life much simpiler and easy to live with.
Posted by: Tim S. | November 29, 2012 at 04:38 PM
No communist or socialist society in the history of the planet Earth have tried to take away foods from its people. Sure people have been too poor to buy said foods, but no society has banned a food. The United States won't be the first country to break that trend, especially since its people are so in love with poorly made food.
Posted by: Chad | December 01, 2012 at 01:58 PM