Medical Ethics, Military Moral Courage, and the Battle for American Food Production

On this Wednesday, August 9, 2023 broadcast, Kim Monson explores three critical fronts in the battle for American values: the dangerous expansion of physician-assisted suicide to include mental illness, a former battalion commander’s stand for conscience over career, and the troubling signs of corporate ESG ideology threatening America’s food supply.

The Slippery Slope of Medical Assistance in Dying

Start listening at 17:11 – Hour 1

James Lyons-Weiler, founder of IPAK-EDU and author at Popular Rationalism, sounds the alarm on Canada’s expanding Medical Assistance in Dying Act, which now threatens to include mental illness as grounds for physician-assisted suicide. He examines the case of a 47-year-old Canadian woman with anorexia who anticipates using the law once it expands to mental conditions.

Lyons-Weiler draws chilling parallels to past atrocities, noting that forced sterilization and euthanasia of disabled people was a hallmark of the Nazi regime. He argues that expanding death-with-dignity laws to mental illness destroys hope for people who could otherwise recover. The discussion reveals how financial incentives in healthcare could create pressure to eliminate those deemed burdensome, echoing the Nazi concept of “useless eaters.”

The conversation also highlights IPAK-EDU’s fall semester offerings, which include courses on immunology, genetics, and holistic approaches to wellness, providing intellectual tools for the curious at an affordable price.

“If the government is willing to sanction physician-assisted suicide because it’s a billable service, well then we’ve just lost all sense of morality in allopathic medicine.”

James Lyons-Weiler, Founder of IPAK-EDU

Standing for Conscience Over Career in the Military

Start listening at 38:29 – Hour 1

Brad Miller, former Lieutenant Colonel and battalion commander with the 101st Airborne Division, recounts his decision to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine mandate and resign from the military just months before earning his full pension. After 19 years, 3 months, and 15 days of active service, Miller walked away because he could not force his subordinates to take a vaccine against their will.

Miller questions whether national defense and readiness remain the Department of Defense’s actual priorities, given the actions being taken. He distinguishes between physical and moral courage, noting that while they often go together, they are fundamentally different. His upcoming IPAK-EDU course, Literature as Resistance, will examine dystopian classics like 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451 to help participants recognize and counter totalitarian tendencies in modern society.

“If you don’t understand just how bad things are or can get, then it’s not optimism, it’s just naivete.”

Brad Miller, Former Battalion Commander, 101st Airborne Division

ESG, Tyson Closures, and the Future of American Food

Start listening at 75:26 – Hour 2

Trent Loos, sixth-generation farmer and rancher from Nebraska, addresses concerns about pesticides and food safety while providing context on agricultural efficiency. In 1900, it required 10 acres to feed one person for a year; today it takes less than a third of an acre. This dramatic improvement came through technological advances, though Loos acknowledges legitimate questions about glyphosate’s effects on soil microbiomes.

The conversation turns to Tyson Foods closing four chicken processing plants, which Loos connects to the company’s pursuit of ESG scores over market fundamentals. He coins the term “Earth Starvation Gimmick” as an alternative meaning for ESG, arguing that corporations prioritizing BlackRock-style environmental mandates over supply and demand ultimately harm food production and employees alike.

Loos defends feedlots against critics, explaining that 70% of a market steer’s diet comes from grazing before the finishing phase, and that feedlots provide the most efficient conversion of feed to protein. He emphasizes that 98% of all foodborne illnesses result from improper handling after food leaves the farm, not from production practices.

“ESG doesn’t stand for what you thought it stands for. It stands for Earth Starvation Gimmick.”

Trent Loos, Sixth-Generation Farmer and Rancher