Notes from the edge of civilization: Dec. 17, 2023

Junk science. Rewriting history. Christmas miracles. And GOLD!

They say you are what you eat, but be careful not to gobble up garbage science. It’s so important to be able to look at research with a critical eye to understand whether there might be hidden incentives behind a particular outcome. If something looks fishy, it probably is.

Take, for example, a new study published in JAMA just two weeks ago that made headlines around the world, showing the health benefits of a vegan diet vs. an omnivorous diet. On the surface, the study seemed to have controlled for important variables such as genetics by enrolling 22 sets of adult twins (who by definition share the same DNA).

One twin was instructed to follow a vegan diet while the other followed an omnivorous whole-food diet. The study found that at the end of eight weeks, the twins who ate the vegan diet had lower LDL cholesterol, lower insulin, and lower body weight. Thus, the researchers concluded a plant-based diet is better for the heart and for overall health and longevity.

But what the headlines left out is that the vegans consumed far fewer calories (hence the weight loss), less protein, and less vitamin B12 (which is essential for good health). They also reported less dietary satisfaction, which would indicate that the diet is likely not sustainable in the long run.

Most importantly, the lead researcher, Stanford University professor Christopher Gardner, may have serious conflicts of interest. Science journalist Nina Teicholz explains:

Gardner, who says he’s been “mostly” vegan for some 40-plus years, happens now to be the director of the Stanford Plant-Based Diet Initiative (PBDI), which was launched in 2021 with a 5-year grant by the meat-replacement company, Beyond Meat.

Funding the twin study itself was the eponymous foundation of Kyle Vogt, a member of the “vegan-mafia,” as some in the media have dubbed it, a group of Silicon Valley tycoons who invest in vegan-focused companies. Vogt spent north of a million dollars on the 2019 “Game Changers” movie, promoting a vegan lifestyle by documenting the accomplishments of vegan athletes; he also funded a Netflix docuseries on the Stanford twin trial, called “You Are What You Eat,” with a release date of Jan 1 (preview here; perfect timing for diet season!).

Beyond Meat was beyond excited to announce the results of the study, which is a pretty good indication the conclusions may be a bit suspect. The company’s press release let the cat out of the bag when it disclosed the contents of the meals provided to the participants for the first four weeks of the study: “each twin followed one of two diets: a healthy vegan diet (including lots of Beyond Meat!) OR a healthy omnivore diet (including eggs, chicken, fish and dairy).”

We humbly leave you, dear reader, with this fine example of vegan sausage, without comment of course.

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At 2021 bill called the Defense Authorization Act requires the removal of Confederate symbols from military institutions by January 2024. With just days to spare, Arlington National Cemetery plans this week to remove a Civil War memorial to Confederate soldiers.

When it was erected in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson called the statue an “emblem of a reunited people.”

I am not so much happy as proud to participate in this capacity on such an occasion: proud that I should represent such a people. Am I mistaken, ladies and gentlemen, in supposing that nothing of this sort could have occurred in anything but a democracy? The people of a democracy are not related to their rulers as subjects are related to a government. They are themselves the sovereign authority, and as they are neighbors of each other, quickened by the same influences and moved by the same motives, they can understand each other. They are shot through with some of the deepest and profoundest instincts of human sympathy. They choose their governments; they select their rulers; they live their own life, and they will not have that life disturbed and discolored by fraternal misunderstandings.

Sadly, much has been lost in the ensuing 100 years since that speech. We all know the adage of forgotten history dooming us to repeat it, so today in the interest of not offending a vocal minority who clearly misunderstand the reasons to respect the vanquished, it would seem we Americans want to return to a time when the nation was divided, brother fought brother, and family fought family.

Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And that process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.

— George Orwell, 1984

Are we all ‘preppers’ now? Seems like the hot Christmas item this year, at least for a certain group of shoppers, is an ounce of gold! Santa baby, hope you got over to Costco before they sold out.

According to Business Insider:

The company sold $100 million worth of one-ounce gold bars in its most recent quarter, CFO Richard Galanti said Thursday during an earnings call.

When asked what consumer trends Costco was seeing this holiday season, he quipped, "They're buying gold."

Galanti previously said the company sells out of its gold inventory "within a few hours" of the products being listed online.

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Speaking of Christmas gifts, our latest podcast guest has a suggestion:

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Also on Collapse Life this week:

• A must-watch documentary called ‘The Great Taking’ sketches out a roadmap to our inevitable financial collapse, and who is behind it.

• What’s so chilling about the phrase 'meet the moment' is how hollow, anodyne, and sterile the words are.

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Finally, speaking of Santa and gold, everyone knows the jingle of the Salvation Army bells — it’s a staple at Christmas. Well, turns out someone was feeling mighty generous because a gold coin — worth approximately $2000 — made its way into a Salvation Army collection kettle in Vermont this year, making it a very special Christmas, indeed.

Maj. Keith Jache of the Salvation Army said he unwrapped a $5-dollar bill with tape on it to find a gold coin that was appraised and verified as real.

“We were overly happy and overly blessed to receive it,” said Jache. Although he doesn’t know who dropped the coin in the collection bin, he said moments like this make it all worthwhile.

“We stand out here in all kinds of weather and we try to raise as much funds as we can so we can help the most people,” he said. God bless that anonymous stranger.

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