Red meat politics: GOP turns culture war into a food fight

[pppolitics]

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Conservatives last week gobbled up a false news story claiming President Joe Biden planned to ration red meat. Colorado Rep. Rep. Lauren Boebert suggested Biden “stay out of my kitchen.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted out a headline warning Biden was getting “Up in your grill.”

The news was wrong — Biden is planning no such thing — but it was hardly the first time the right has recognized the political power of a juicy steak. Republican politicians in recent months have increasingly used food — especially beef — as a cudgel in a culture war, accusing climate-minded Democrats of trying to change Americans’ diets and, therefore, their lives.

“That is a direct attack on our way of life here in Nebraska,” Gov. Pete Ricketts, a Republican, said recently.

The pitched rhetoric is likely a sign of the future. As more Americans acknowledge the link between food production and climate change, food choices are likely to become increasingly political. Already, in farm states, meat eating has joined abortion, gun control and transgender rights as an issue that quickly sends partisans to their corners.

[...]

https://apnews.com/article/business-cultures-climate-change-environment-and-nature-government-and-politics-fb2a32e232053326f6f1ebfaadcc2e40

[pppolitics]

The read meat issue is toxic.

Democrats need to stay far far away.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

It's honestly a smart move on the GOP's part. Banning, restricting, or taxing meat consumption would be a spectacularly unpopular policy, the kind that swings elections. It's not actually on the table, but if the Republicans can convince people it is, they'll get a lot of votes. Cold-blooded and based largely on lies, but smart.

[ملكة كرينجيتوك]

The read meat issue is toxic.

Democrats need to stay far far away.

They really just need to incentivize lab grown meat and meat analogues. This way we cut down on the collective carbon footprint of industrial meat production without making it sound like we need to stop eating meat altogether.

We as a country absolutely need to eat less red meat, but there’s gotta’ be a smarter way to make that happen than heavy-handed government regulation.

[Crumpets]

All just a diversion to distract Americans from Gov. Abbot's move to force Texans to drink a glass of crude oil at their weddings in order for the state to recognize their marriage. He's not actually doing it, but if Democrats can convince people he is, it would be seriously damaging to his electoral prospects.

[President Johnson]

The modern Republican Party is just about culture wars and has no interest in actual debate of issues. The saddest part is that it still works to mobilize enough people.

[Person Man]

I heard Republicans were trying to ban condoms?

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Love to be governed by the great statesmen the Founders envisioned for our country. Love to have intellectual debate about pressing issues.

[GP270watch]

   Manufactured nonsense to not address America's real issues.

[DINGO Joe]

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but Rs are complete idiots who have no grasp on reality.

[Person Man]

  Manufactured nonsense to not address America's real issues.

They don’t think the public should have any meaningful input on policy.

[S019]

Of course Americans are far too addicted to their meat to prevent good policy, that would actually help significantly slow down climate change, from passing. This isn't the only case where the stupid beliefs of the American public actively serve as a hindrance to good policy.

[MABA 2020]

All just a diversion to distract Americans from Gov. Abbot's move to force Texans to drink a glass of crude oil at their weddings in order for the state to recognize their marriage. He's not actually doing it, but if Democrats can convince people he is, it would be seriously damaging to his electoral prospects.

Nice idea, unfortunately you need a massive propaganda network to help spread it :/

[Agonized-Statism]

Imagine all the juicy puns we could cook up with this story

[Big Abraham]

Imagine all the juicy puns we could cook up with this story

I'd say they'd be quite rare, but never well done.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Imagine all the juicy puns we could cook up with this story

This is a statement with no credibility. Where's the beef?

[GP270watch]

Imagine all the juicy puns we could cook up with this story

I'd say they'd be quite rare, but never well done.

 Hah!

[OSR stands with Israel]

Of course Americans are far too addicted to their meat to prevent good policy, that would actually help significantly slow down climate change, from passing. This isn't the only case where the stupid beliefs of the American public actively serve as a hindrance to good policy.

I’m a vegetarian but people should have the freedom to eat meat if they want .

[Damocles]

Of course Americans are far too addicted to their meat to prevent good policy, that would actually help significantly slow down climate change, from passing. This isn't the only case where the stupid beliefs of the American public actively serve as a hindrance to good policy.

Most people don’t know how to cook vegetables

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but Rs are complete idiots who have no grasp on reality.

If you think it's only one party doing this, you haven't been paying attention.

[Person Man]

Ironically, this is like abortion in India. “Modi wants to ban meat”.

[Red Velvet]

The modern Republican Party is just about culture wars and has no interest in actual debate of issues. The saddest part is that it still works to mobilize enough people.

Cultural war and Identity politics is the only way Republicans can maintain themselves relevant since it has never been so evident that their policies are deeply unpopular with the majority of the people.

That’s why they need to focus on silly non-issues, like outrage about Mr. Potato Head becoming Gender neutral or not. Who cares about a piece of plastic when there is much more real stuff to be outraged about? It’s all just for the spectacle and fabrication of a narrative that mobilizes people, since their actual agenda doesn’t.

And Democrats are okay with it as well because it justifies their existence as the “progressive” option even if they’re just a bunch of hacks appropriating valid issues but to serve only the interests of the elites (from the party, companies, etc), by stealing the agency of unprivileged minorities and erasing their demands (ex: defunding the police; stop financing bombing of Palestine, etc) to convince them that the concerns of people in positions of power will translate  for more equality down below. But it never will.

Just like it doesn’t work for economics (trickle-down economics is a myth created by elites FOR the elites), the woke friendly speech that is more outraged about supposed injustices committed against the powerful, like the Lori Lightfoot situation, is a representation of the same false logic but on a cultural sense:

“If there’s so much representation on the top, that’s good because it inspires people down below to achieve the same things”. That speech is cool because it’s what people WANT to believe, they want to ignore the very simple fact that there are infinite structural obstacles to prevent social mobility.

It’s more comfortable to act like inspiration will solve everything because it’s a false presentation of change that stimulates people to believe real change isn’t necessary. People like to think that way because real change is uncomfortable and often inconvenient to some.

People in power need to do actual stuff for the people they’re supposed to represent. Just existing in a bubble isn’t real representation neither it is “progressive” to push for a more politically correct speech that just changes the cover for the sake of optics while the structural problems keep existing. Some people get more outraged by a random person something “non-woke speech” than with the actual oppressive structures!

We are conditioned to care more about unimportant vain stuff than holding people in power accountable and pressing them for change, because we’ve been brainwashed by the discourse of media that is created to distract people instead of mobilizing them, so that elites can stay untouched.

I believe in movements created by regular people and collective groups on the ground (what happened last year as a reaction to the George Floyd murder), not on corporatist disguised concerns designed to protect politicians and powerful companies just because “Wow their speech sounds so progressive! Things are actually changing for better!”. While the same people who use this politically correct speech to protect their standing keep oppressing the people they claim to represent on paper.

US bipartisan system and the higher consideration elites have for their standing over the country is leading them to cultural war hell in which the two sides are opportunists governing to themselves only.