Crosstalk: June 18, 2019

Several states where Crosstalk has broadcast outlets are listed in the top 10 states with the most beef cows.  This should therefore be of interest to many listeners because the American beef industry has long been a target of environmentalists and the animal rights movement.  

Joining Jim to shed light on this issue was Tom DeWeese.  Tom is the president of the American Policy Center. He’s one of the nation’s leading advocates of individual liberty, free enterprise, private property rights, personal privacy, back-to-basics education and American sovereignty and independence and protecting our Constitutionally-guaranteed rights.  He’s a former newspaper editor as well as the author of ‘Sustainable: The War on Free Enterprise, Private Property and Individuals’ and ‘Erase’ a political novel.

According to Tom, the goal of environmentalists and the animal rights movement is not to protect our environment.  Instead, it’s a determined drive for global power. To achieve that goal there must be the destruction of private property rights and the elimination of everyone’s ability to make personal lifestyle choices, and that includes your personal diet.

He believes the main force behind the attack on the American beef industry is the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the top 3 environmental groups in the world.  They work directly under the United Nations and their environmental program. The WWF also works with the World Resources Institute and the International Union of Conservation and Nature.   

Keep in mind that according to the WWF, in order to save the earth, one of the things that needs to be done is to reduce the consumption of beef.  They’ve managed to work their way into the cattle industry. As proof, Tom cited the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the largest beef association in America.  In 2010 they invited the senior vice president of the WWF to keynote their summer convention. From that point on, this idea of sustainable beef has moved into the industry.  

Tom also noted that cattlemen have to pay what’s called a beef ‘checkoff’ that helps fund their associations.  The ‘checkoff’ now has a WWF panda logo on it.

As this program moved along, Jim had Tom bring details on the following points:

–Why would the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association partner with individuals that are seeking to do them in?

–What is meant by ‘sustainable certification’?

–Tom’s 10 reasons why the meat industry doesn’t meet sustainable standards.

–Why are ‘country of origin’ labels being removed?

–Does ‘sustainable’ really mean a better, safer product?

–What can the average person do to make a difference?

This and much more is covered, along with input from listeners, on this edition of Crosstalk.