Re: baby elephant situation in thailand
you have obviously never heard of buddhism, daoism, and jainism -- all eastern religious/philosophical traditions that maintain a strong reverence for the environment and for animals and have for hundreds and hundreds of years . that is far longer than the west has shown any interest in conservation or animal rights or even recognizant of the necessity of either. it is not "hard wired into our genetic code." if it were, we'd do a lot more. every westerner would be a vegetarian or at the very least shun fur and animal experimentation. every westerner would recycle and drive the most fuel-efficient vehicle possible.
furthermore, you needn't attack me for posting a news item. i didn't state an opinion on the matter, but rather provided the link since it is a follow up of sorts to the news item about moz's interest in the situation. additionally, your calling the thai people "little more than half-human half-monkey" is extremely insulting and not at all necessary.
i am not taking a stand on this issue because i sympathize with both sides. i realize that thailand is a less industrialized nation and because of this fact, things are done differently there. they are at a stage in their development that we left behind not too long ago and therefore many of their practices seem crude and inhumane. however, i love animals and think any mistreatment of them is a tragedy. it's a difficult thing to bear. in any case, while i understand that circuses are probably a valuable part of the thai economy because they are a tourist attraction (as well as being part of the culture), but there really is no excuse for beating the tar out of an animal. at the very least, their practices could be modified. is this a realistic expectation? i think it could be if someone stepped in with some guidance.
> Well, what do you want? Thai people are really little more than half-human
> half-monkey themselves.
> If you’ve ever been to that region of Asia (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam) you’d
> know that the inhabitants of those countries, even in urban centers, live
> barely above animal level themselves.
> Travelling to these countries is a nightmare for anyone who feels even a
> small amount of compassion for animals. I know.
> It’s a sad but true statement that the white race is the only race to show
> a generalized compassion towards animals. Western civilization may have a
> less than perfect track record – but only in the West will you find a
> consistent and sizeable movement organized to help prevent ecological
> destruction and spare animals inhumane treatment. It is hard wired into
> our genetic code.
> Outside of the West these movements only exist to please Western powers or
> Western pressure groups, or are organized by Westerners.
