Bush tin ear has India in arms – but Texans should look in mirror on food costs

Blaming India for the rise in global food prices because Indians want a middle-class diet. Indians have responded that if we would stop overeating, U.S. liposuction bills and the food available would relieve all of sub-Saharan Africa’s hunger.

The chart at right will show you in clear detail who is to blame.

If’ you’re eating the U.S. average of 3,700 calories a day, you’re overeating and therefore, you’re to blame, as well as being a candidate for either liposuction, stomach stapling or a heart bypass. If you’re buying 3,700 calories, but not eating them all, you’re to blame for environmental destructiveness.

No, you don’t have to eat like an Indian. Look at the European dietary averages on the chart. If you just cut your meat consumption down to that level (and I have) from eight ounces of meat a day to four ounces, you’d lower the pressure on meat prices, corn prices, soybean prices, and the prairie environment.

As for the Texas farmers this would affect, enough Indians and Chinese will want a semblance of the American diet soon enough, and be able to afford it soon enough, that farmers won’t go broke.