Billie Eilish Was Right, the Meat Industry Is Panicking, and a Calf Saw a Butterfly | Rising Anxieties

The latest episode of Rising Anxieties covers a week of predictable chaos in the animal agriculture world. Billie Eilish said what many of us were thinking — eating meat is inherently wrong — and the left proceeded to embarrass itself with a barrage of bad-faith counterarguments. Meanwhile, the federal government is finally going after Big Beef and Big Egg for antitrust violations (yes, really), industry insiders are losing sleep over animal advocates infiltrating their coalition, and one dairy farmer found cosmic meaning in a calf encountering a butterfly. Truly a week that had everything.

• Billie Eilish vs. The Left — Eilish said the quiet part out loud, and her own fanbase responded with “colonialism” and “no ethical consumption under capitalism.” The Vox article by Kenny Torella that broke it all down is required reading.
• The Meat Industry’s PR Problem — A poultry trade publication gently suggested that calling potential customers “city folk” might not be a winning strategy. The response was profanity-laced outrage. Checks out.
• Wolves in Farmer’s Clothing — Industry insider is very upset that animal advocates are forming alliances with farmers who practice slightly less horrific methods. The fact that it’s bothering her is, frankly, encouraging.
• DOJ and USDA Go After Big Beef and Big Egg — Antitrust investigations into the Big Four beef packers and major egg producers are underway, with a whistleblower program offering up to 30% of recoveries.
• The Herd Is Down, and It’s Your Fault — USDA Secretary blames the “radical left’s ongoing assault on ranching” for declining cattle numbers — not, say, droughts and wildfires, which she mentions separately as if climate change and its consequences are unrelated phenomena.

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode’s interview.

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