Prabhupada: All rogues and thieves, drunkards and fourth-class character, meat-eaters, they are the government. How you can expect good government for the benefit of the people? This is Kali-yuga. Unfortunately we have on the heads of government all men of the low-grade character. (Conversation, Puri, Jan 25, 1977)

God Loves Meat?

All are sons of God

One who is pandit, one who is learned, sees all living entities to be on an equal level. Therefore, because a Vaishnava, or devotee, is learned, he is compassionate (lokanam hita-karinau), and he can work in such a way as to actually benefit humanity. A Vaishnava feels and actually sees that all living entities are part and parcel of God and that somehow or other they have fallen into contact with this material world and have assumed different types of bodies according to different karma.

Those who are learned (panditah) do not discriminate. They do not say, "This is an animal, so it should be sent to the slaughterhouse so that a man may eat it." No. Why should the animals be slaughtered? A person who is actually Krishna conscious is kind to everyone. Therefore one tenet of our philosophy is "No meat-eating." Of course, people may not accept this. They will say, "Oh, what is this nonsense? Meat is our food. Why should we not eat it?" Because they are intoxicated rascals (edhamana-madah [Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.26]), they will not hear the real facts. But just consider: if a poor man is lying helpless in the street, can I kill him? Will the state excuse me? I may say, "I have only killed a poor man. There was no need for him in society. Why should such a person live?" But will the state excuse me? Will the authorities say, "You have done very nice work"? No. The poor man is also a citizen of the state, and the state cannot allow him to be killed. Now, why not expand this philosophy? The trees, the birds, and the beasts are also sons of God. If one kills them, one is as guilty as one who kills a poor man on the street. In God's eyes, or even in the vision of a learned man, there is no discrimination between poor and rich, black and white. No. Every living entity is part and parcel of God. And because a Vaishnava sees this, he is the only true benefactor of all living entities.

God likes cows - alive

In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna advises go-rakshya, the protection of cows. This is essential because if cows are cared for properly they will surely supply sufficient milk. We have practical experience in America that in our various ISKCON farms we are giving proper protection to the cows and receiving more than enough milk. In other farms the cows do not deliver as much milk as in our farms; because our cows know very well that we are not going to kill them, they are happy, and they give ample milk. Therefore this instruction given by Lord Krishna—go-rakshya—is extremely meaningful. The whole world must learn from Krishna how to live happily without scarcity simply by producing food grains (annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]) and giving protection to the cows (go-rakshya). Krishi-go-rakshya-vanijyam vaishya-karma svabhavajam [Bg. 18.44]. Those who belong to the third level of human society, namely the mercantile people, must keep land for producing food grains and giving protection to cows. This is the injunction of Bhagavad-gita. In the matter of protecting the cows, the meat-eaters will protest, but in answer to them we may say that since Krishna gives stress to cow protection, those who are inclined to eat meat may eat the flesh of unimportant animals like hogs, dogs, goats and sheep, but they should not touch the life of the cows, for this is destructive to the spiritual advancement of human society.