Listener Feedback: From critique to encouragement

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MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Finally today, the last Friday of the month. Time now for Listener Feedback.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Jeb Rice is a physician in Fishers, Indiana. He has a critique of a Culture Friday segment in which we discussed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s comments on the so-called “warmth of collectivism.”

JEB RICE, MD: I love John Stonestreet. I love the way he thinks. But I did not believe he articulated the problem with collectivism effectively. 

The problem with collectivism is that humans were created to respond to incentive, and collectivism removes incentive. When that incentive to do well or the incentive to work hard or the incentive to succeed, every study that's been done shows when those incentives are removed, people do not do well. 

Humans need incentive. God knows that as Christians, our incentive is to honor Jesus by doing our jobs with excellence. And when incentives are removed, then no one does their job with excellence and society fails at that point. 

Thanks for what you guys do.

Medical doctor?! Well, that’s spoken like an economist, I love that!

BROWN: Well several people commented on our report on the change in U.S. nutrition guidelines.

BRONSON ARMSTRONG: This is Bronson Armstrong calling from Orlean, Virginia. I really enjoyed today's podcast reporting on nutrition and health. Of particular interest was the observation towards the end where Mary noted the debate on Ortica protein; solely plant based or whether we could get it for meat from animals. 

I see the origins of that debate consistent with Scripture. Genesis, one, verses 29 and 30, we are given plants with seeds to eat as food. In addition, after the flood in Genesis nine, verses three and four, we are given meat from animals to eat. Both are good sources of protein, and yes, I do enjoy a good steak. 

NATHAN HOWELL: This is Nathan Howell. I'm a Professor of Environmental Engineering at West Texas A& M. I appreciated in the story how you went and examined the viewpoints of multiple physicians, cause I think that illustrates something that's that's really true, that there is a lot of debate about what exactly nutrition should be for what kind of people, and how do you advance the various nutrition goals that exist...

I am not a physician or a health expert, I can't speak to the health differences on plant and animal based proteins, but I do think it's important that people know that there are environmental differences in plant and animal-based protein, and there's there's hardly any way to get around the fact that more resources of every kind are required to generate animal protein than plant protein. 

The health differences may be independent of this, but in any decision there's trade offs, and if there's been a concern in the environmental world for a long time about more people getting a higher level of living and thereby demanding more protein, and specifically animal-based protein.

EICHER: Alright, well thanks to you both. I’m with Bronson though on that; I do love a good steak too.

BROWN: Well this next listener really loves a great value on his plate, sending in this comment about our team report on Wednesday on the government’s $3 dollar meal:

SCOTT ROBERTS: Hey, this is Scott Roberts. I was very impressed with all the different people doing the doing the work to see, to actually prove what the health and human services are saying. Good job, guys.

Finally, we always like to hear about what parts of the world The World and Everything in It is reaching. This month we hear from Sarah Coors:

SARAH COORS: Hi, World News Group. I just wanted to thank you for your very professional and well-rounded news reporting. I work in Asia, and it helps me keep in touch with what's going on in America, but also how it impacts the rest of the world, and also how what's happening around the world is is impacting my home country. 

So thank you so much for all that you do, for your just heartfelt and very personal touches to all the stories. It really makes me feel like I'm part of part of the family. Thank you so much. Blessings to you in this New Year. 

EICHER: Well, good to hear from you, and blessings to you as well. 

BROWN: And thank you to everyone who wrote and called this month. 

We’d love to hear from you as well. If you’d like to comment on a recent segment, send us a recorded message or email to: editor@wng.org.

EICHER: And if you need to, you can phone it in. The number is: 202-709-9595. And that is this month’s Listener Feedback.

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