Butter is healthier than is margerine, and most of the water is removed from it. Suprizingly, lard has less of the bad cholesterol in it than does butter. But it is tasteless. It's great to use in place of vegetable shortening in recipes for many pastries such as pie-crust, and some types of cookies. Butter obviously has a wonderful flavor that is unmatched in many foods. I don't think for instance that I would add olive oil to smashed spuds, or melt it over sweet potatoes. Butter is a natural for those. And try making butterscotch from any type of oil. It just wouldn't work.
Butter is so yummy, but is hard on your body if used in excess. So enjoy the butter, but use it wisely. Rather than using it for everything you cook, make something that is truly buttery once in a blue moon, but make it so good that it will satisfy you for a long time.
Do the same with pork-fat, fatty beef, etc. Don't eliminate. Enjoy every now and again. And use olive oil that you really enjoy appropriately as well, say over green beans with a bit of dill, or over a tossed salad with bean sprouts and avacodo.
Yep, I agree, butter is a phenominal flavor. So if I'm going to use it, then I'm going to make it worth using. But I'm not going to do it very often.
Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North