There is nothing I like more than a good debate! It brings the animal out in some people, whilst other people (who you normally can't get to shut up) clam up totally!

Had an interesting one today and thought I would put it up here to see what other peoples views are. This one went on for 2 1/2 hours and had EVERYONE around involved! Might just have been the large quantities of beer talking, but here we go..............


Firstly, consider the following statements:

"I need to go and buy some food for the cupboards"
"If you have no money, what are you going to buy food with?"

Secondly, consider this fact:

"The human body can sustain itself for a few days without the intake of food" - basically, if you do not eat for a certain period of time, you will die.

Lastly, consider the following extracts from the UN Human Rights Declaration:

Article 3
Everyone has the right to life

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Article 25(1)
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food

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So, the burning debate is this - is the food industry as a whole, infringing on our human rights by making us pay for food that is essential for life and sustaining our health? Remember, if you do not buy food and eat, you die. Even if you want to grow your own food, you still have to buy seeds or purchase livestock to get you started......

Sounds like you need a better beer that kills off the brain cells faster. :wink:

eww can you imagine what they would make us eat if the govt were paying our food bills? It would be liver n onions, n lentils n mash..give me a box o pringles anyday :roll:

So, the burning debate is this - is the food industry as a whole, infringing on our human rights by making us pay for food that is essential for life and sustaining our health?

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Interesting point..
Can't comment on other countries but in this country a large portion of people either a) have a job, b) have a pension, c) get benefits.. so have money to buy food so if we have the ability to pay we do.. If we didn't pay for food it would destroy the economy - who would pay the farmers for doing their job of feeding us, where would food be sold - if its not sold theres no profit so no way of paying for people to work in shops/supermarkets/restuarants..

And does this also cover drink - which is also vital to life - where would water companies get money to mantain pipes, dams, blah etc. And most important of all - alcohol - would that be supplied free too, hmm, actually I'm begining to warm to this idea.... :wink:

give me a box o pringles anyday

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Texas bbq or plain I hope.. (and theres nowt wrong with liver and onions!)

Dunc said:

Can't comment on other countries but in this country a large portion of people either a) have a job, b) have a pension, c) get benefits.. so have money to buy food so if we have the ability to pay we do.. If we didn't pay for food it would destroy the economy - who would pay the farmers for doing their job of feeding us, where would food be sold - if its not sold theres no profit so no way of paying for people to work in shops/supermarkets/restuarants..

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Your comments are fair and just, Dunc. However, you have brought up an interesting issue here - human conditioning. We are taught from a very young age and all the way through our lives that we have to earn money to buy food and keep a roof over our heads. We are aware of the economy and aware of people who do certain tasks to grow, store and sell food to us.......for a wage which enables them to buy food.

Indeed, the same can be said about water. A large percentage of this planet is covered in the stuff and the ecological system produces vast ammounts world-wide every day (obviously some more than others). So why do we have to pay for it when it is also essential for life?

By the way, I'm not suggesting that someone actually takes up this issue seriously (!)........just interested in their views.

Forget everything that you have been taught throughout life and ask yourself again - should we have to pay for food when it is one of the basic requirements for our survival?

Food is grown; you have the right to plant seeds, nurture them, harvest them and live off your efforts. You do not have a right to live off other peoples efforts. i.e. if you require money to buy food you've got to earn it one way or another - if you live in a society which has a safety net (benefits) provided by statute... lucky you!

The UN Declaration of Human Rights is a human construct. Planet Earth and reality isn't.

We are taught from a very young age and all the way through our lives that we have to earn money to buy food and keep a roof over our heads

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That is the product of hundreds of years of conditioning and will never change.. Its an idealist (unrealistic?) situation what the UN states.
I could go and live in a cave (I mean properly not just at weekends like I do now!) and live off the land, but every bit of land is owned (at least in the UK) by someone either having bought it or acquired in one way or another... I figure some farmers wouldn't be too pleased to see me running willy nilly around their land killing their sheep with my trusty homemade axe or bow and arrow, although, if I do say so myself, I reckon I would look rather fetching in 'caveman' clothing!

Forget everything that you have been taught throughout life and ask yourself again - should we have to pay for food when it is one of the basic requirements for our survival

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If we did that then we would need to grow our own food.. or at least create something to exchange for food - no human has ever grown crops or killed animals to feed others - they do it to feed themselves(+family) and only if they get something in return will they part with such precious food..

The UN Declaration of Human Rights is a human construct. Planet Earth and reality isn't

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Well said!

yeah yeah, wouldn't it be lovely if we could all do things we are good at (farming, medicine) without having to be paid as an incentive, just because we all know that we will never get hungry or ill because the people who grow food give it out freely becasue they know that if they ever need medical care or teaching for their kids then that will also be given out freely...

...etc.

...lovely...unrealistic...just imagine the chaos - i guess money was invented for a reason then!