Re: Extropians and animal rights

From: Ian Goddard (Ian@Goddard.net)
Date: Tue Jan 12 1999 - 10:11:21 MST


At 10:10 AM 1/12/99 -0000, Samael wrote:

>>Sure, why not? If we OWN property then we can do anything with it
>>that we wish. Either the cow is my property and I can do as I wish,
>>or you (government, mob rule, whatever) give me a list of what I can
>>and can't do with the cow - then it's no longer my property.
>
>
>The problem being that lots of people feel that people torturing animals is
>in some way the same as torturing people. In fact, unless you in some way
>see people as not being animals, then it is the same. Admittedly, a society
>that sets itself up as either owners or owned must be definition see huamns
>as 'just plain better', but I have to admit that I'd rather not live in a
>society where people could torture animals in their own home if they felt
>like it.

  IAN: I agree. There's an interesting correlation
  between serial killers, like Jeffrey Dommer (sp?),
  and torture of animals, such that a high percentage
  of the most brutal serial killers first tortured
  animals, usually when they were kids. They see
  the similarity between humans and animals, but
  only in the worst ways imaginable. With this,
  we can see that the way person x treats animals
  is a measure of how person x could treat humans.
  A society that was particularly brutal toward
  animals would probably be more inclined than
  the less brutal society to effect various
  forms of brutality on the human animal.

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