The Beijing Death Camps

[MACDRIVE]

The Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=528694&in_page_id=1811)

When we went inside, we saw about 70 cats being kept in cages stacked one on top of the other in two tiny rooms.

Disease spreads quickly among them and they die slowly in agony and distress. The government won't even do the cats the kindness of giving them lethal injections when they become sick. They just wait for them to die.


I am so full of emotion right now that I can't post a comment. :mad:

[TBi]

I am so full of emotion right now that I can't post a comment.

What's the difference between a post and a comment :)

All they need is a live webcam so you can watch. Maybe take bets on which one will die first. Maybe a pool where you can pick the date and/or time of day the cat will kick the bucket. Much better than big brother!

[MACDRIVE]

What's the difference between a post and a comment :)

All they need is a live webcam so you can watch. Maybe take bets on which one will die first. Maybe a pool where you can pick the date and/or time of day the cat will kick the bucket. Much better than big brother!

I'm not even going to ask you why you would post such an insensitive and cruel comment.

[TBi]

I'm not even going to ask you why you would post such an insensitive and cruel comment.

Because i am insensitive and cruel of course :)

[design-is]

All in the name of the Olympics...

So unbelievably cruel... can't they just move them to some woods or something? ship them out to the mountains? I understand there are too many and something needs to be done, but just boxing them up and leaving them to die is just plain wrong.

[Wild-Bill]

As a cat owner I can't even bring myself to click the link. This is just sick. Their country may be experiencing a huge growth rate (industry, tech, economy, etc...), but their social status is obviously still firmly planted somewhere in the dark ages.

I'd like to round those bastards up and stick them in cages and see how they like it. :mad:

[iBlue]

This is just sick. Their country may be experiencing a huge growth rate (industry, tech, economy, etc...), but their social status is obviously still firmly planted somewhere in the dark ages.
Pretty much my sentiments as well.

Gee, and they're surprised that US Olympians want to bring their own food.



What I don't understand is why the level of cruelty. If they need the cats to die, (cheaply), fine, use a toxic gas, something, ANYTHING that is faster than caging them up and waiting for them to die. :(

[Blue Velvet]

Our anthromorphising and sentimentality towards animals doesn't cut much ice in parts of China.

Still, animal cruelty exists everywhere... the Daily Mail will never miss an opportunity to take a pop at China, but won't pay much attention to experimentation on animals for drug and product testing, because to do so is to stand in the way of the almighty dollar represented by Unilever, Proctor and Gamble, etc.

Like rabbits blinded by the testing of shampoos, we are utterly blind to our own hypocrisy.


Edit: From a report by the American Anti-Vivisection Society in 2003...the most recent information available indicates that in the year 2000 over 25,500 (cats) were used in research and testing, and scientists report that 12,354 of these individuals experienced pain and/or distress...

So, to me this article, as sad as it is, is just more xenophobia dressed up as concerns over animal welfare.


Second edit: I was also reminded of this story (http://www.peta.org/actioncenter/ActionAlerts-item.asp?id=2385) about the London Olympics site that The Mail somehow overlooked. Funny that when it comes to our own back garden, we're less than concerned.

Hundreds of feral cats living at the site of the future Olympic Park in London—where demolition is already underway—are in danger of starving when their food sources are eliminated, being crushed by heavy machinery, or being buried under rubble when the buildings they live in are demolished.

Mother cats and kittens are especially vulnerable, as mother cats are extremely protective of their young and will remain with their kittens in the most dangerous areas rather than abandon their babies. Since most feral cats flee and hide when humans approach, it's virtually impossible to ensure that buildings are clear of cats before demolition begins.

Inexplicably, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is barring the Celia Hammond Animal Trust (CHAT), an animal rescue group, from accessing the site to trap and safely remove the cats—even though the trappers have all the relevant construction safety qualifications to allow them to operate on the site and are only requesting permission to access the road outside the site to set up feeding stations and traps. Preventing these cats from being rescued is essentially a death sentence for these animals.

[jb60606]

Send the cats to the US. I'd rather give a stray cat to my kid, than a lead poisoned Cabbage Patch Doll.

[takao]

hardly the single case.. i remember reading a report from istanbul where similar things happen except with stray dogs

also i remember something from a town in spain (or greece ?) where they had to take desperate measures to get hold of the stray populations as well

if you want it to be done more merciful i suggest spending money for lethal injections to them...

i sure hope you all enjoy your breakfast eggs ... in producing those it is considered success when through new experimental cages the death (through cannibalism) rate can be reduced to 15% from 35%
and those cages aren't in widespread use

[Eraserhead]

i sure hope you all enjoy your breakfast eggs ... in producing those it is considered success when through new experimental cages the death (through cannibalism) rate can be reduced to 15% from 35%
and those cages aren't in widespread use

Free range eggs for the win.

[iBlue]

Free range eggs for the win.
seconded. it's all we buy. I'll only eat organic free range meat now as well. (after that thing on TV)

[bartelby]

Organic free range eggs are teh awesome!!!


I'm just cooking up some organic free range wild boar!
I even saw photos of the little beggar when he was alive!

[.Andy]

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/7417/chickensjv2.jpg

[elcid]

Is it the fact that they are cats? If they were rats, would everyone still be full of emotion?


As far as the free range thing, ya its a good idea to a point. As a world population we have come way to far for everyone to switch to organic.

[MACDRIVE]

The bastards are too cheap to euthanize them; they'd rather let them die in cramped cages. I hate the Chinese government with a burning passion that goes beyond what words can say. :mad:

[iBlue]

Is it the fact that they are cats? If they were rats, would everyone still be full of emotion?


As far as the free range thing, ya its a good idea to a point. As a world population we have come way to far for everyone to switch to organic.
Yes. Cats are widely regarded as companions, and while it might not be fair that rats are not held with as high of regard, that's how it is. Cruelty to animals doesn't sit well with me in any shape or form but it stings a lot more that this is happening to cats.
I also realize my limitations on what I have the right to complain about. I don't always check the label for "not tested on animals" so this is partially hypocritical of me, but I'm aware of it. I still have a knee-jerk reaction when I hear of blatant animal cruelty.


And why is it that "we have come way too far" to switch to organic? Other than socio-economic reasons (i.e., cost of organic) there's no big obstacle in anyone's way preventing them from buying free-range/organic products. :confused: Besides, if it becomes the industry standard, costs should go down, I would think.

[MACDRIVE]

If I had my way, the whole entire country would be glowing in the dark. :mad:

[Blue Velvet]

If I had my way, the whole entire country would be glowing in the dark. :mad:


You'd nuke millions of people because of cruelty to animals? Get a grip. Your inflated sense of xenophobic outrage and proportion is lop-sided and wearisome.

As I've pointed out, cruelty to animals exists in your own country as well as many other parts of the world, yet this painting of China as somehow unique says more about you than it does about them.

[design-is]

<snip>

I agree with iBlue almost entirely. All animal cruelty is bad. It just takes examples of cats, which are especially close to our hearts, to hit the point home.

As I said before, sure, I understand they need to die. But even if they had someone systematically stamping on and crushing their heads (preferably not, but you get my point) then it would be better than letting them starve or die from disease slowly and painfully.

And free range organic is definitely the way to go. It should fall to the government to ensure it happens in an affordable, sustainable way.

I mean come on... how cheap can you expect food to be?! Organic prices are fair - good prices for good food. The cheap stuff is cruel to produce and tastes like it. Can't we just get rid of it all together?

I was also reminded of this story (http://www.peta.org/actioncenter/ActionAlerts-item.asp?id=2385) about the London Olympics site that The Mail somehow overlooked. Funny that when it comes to our own back garden, we're less than concerned.

Could this mean that the Olympics has become inherently evil? lol It seems to be a running theme against cats... a canine grand scheme prehaps?

[MACDRIVE]

You'd nuke millions of people because of cruelty to animals?

I believe that most animals are far superior to humans. You can keep locking my threads, but you can't change who I am or how I feel.

[shu82]

Haven't these people ever heard of Bullets? Well all of China is a slave labor camp anyways, but they have McDonalds!

[aLoC]

Encouraging people to give up the family pet? It's going too far.

I was in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics and I remember them putting up fences around empty lots, giving bridges a fresh lick of paint, etc. But nothing like this.

[ham_man]

And why is it that "we have come way too far" to switch to organic? Other than socio-economic reasons (i.e., cost of organic) there's no big obstacle in anyone's way preventing them from buying free-range/organic products. :confused: Besides, if it becomes the industry standard, costs should go down, I would think.
With 6.5 billion people and growing, fixed land and fixed resources (while evil artificial fertilizers and pesticides have taken productivity to new heights, organic ones cannot), you need only do the math.

At this point, "organic" is mainly just something to help the developed world feel better about trashing the planet.

[Iscariot]

The same thing is happening in Vancouver, only replace "cats" with "mentally ill homeless" and "cages" with "jail or the worst parts of town".

With 6.5 billion people and growing, fixed land and fixed resources (while evil artificial fertilizers and pesticides have taken productivity to new heights, organic ones cannot), you need only do the math.

At this point, "organic" is mainly just something to help the developed world feel better about trashing the planet.

Non-organic farming causes irreversable damage. It's up-front production at the cost of long-term sustainability. Organic farming and a diet of one-step nutrition with very little meat can feed everyone and stop the planet trashing.

[Apemanblues]

This is clearly awful, but (as has already been said) it is no more awful than animal testing for cosmetic products (how many more brands of perfume and shampoo do we really need? I mean honestly?) or intensive factory farming. Issues that don't really concern the bigots over at the Daily Mail.

Besides, cat owners generally bug me. Not the cats, just the owners. I don't own a cat, so I don't see why they should be in MY garden. They are the selfish and lazy persons pet of choice. If less people owned cats then not only could the wild bird population breathe a sigh of relief but the over-fishing of our seas could be eased at the same time.

There. I'm done.

[elcid]

With 6.5 billion people and growing, fixed land and fixed resources (while evil artificial fertilizers and pesticides have taken productivity to new heights, organic ones cannot), you need only do the math.

At this point, "organic" is mainly just something to help the developed world feel better about trashing the planet.

Wow, couldn't have said it better. There is a reason that cows and chickens are kept in small spaces with no room. We don't have the room. In order to let chickens roam around the country side we would have to cut the tillable land. Unless you think farmers are going to allow other farmers cattle just to wander around.

We used to be organic farmers. All of us. But for some reason feeding the people of the world too priority. And I say we have come to far because it is just like oil. Sure oil is bad to burn, but we have no option. The entire economy depends on it.

I believe that most animals are far superior to humans.

Ya, not sure how to respond to that other than you are a cat person. A dog person would never arrive at that conclusion. And I am glad you hold no public office. Or I hope you don't.

[TBi]

I believe that most animals are far superior to humans. You can keep locking my threads, but you can't change who I am or how I feel.

You believe animals are superior to humans? So lets say you are stuck in the middle of a desert with a small ration of food with a few of your friends and a few of your lovely pets. You can't feed them all. Who would you let starve to death? The pets or your friends?

[pdham]

Wow, couldn't have said it better. There is a reason that cows and chickens are kept in small spaces with no room. We don't have the room. In order to let chickens roam around the country side we would have to cut the tillable land. Unless you think farmers are going to allow other farmers cattle just to wander around.


Thats true only if you think it is necessary for every person (virtually) in the developed world to eat meat almost three times a day. If we didn't shovel meat into our bodies as fast as it can be killed we could practice far different methods of animal farming.

We used to be organic farmers. All of us. But for some reason feeding the people of the world took priority. And I say we have come to far because it is just like oil. Sure oil is bad to burn, but we have no option. The entire economy depends on it.

If feeding the people of the world is a priority we aren't trying too hard...

[Apemanblues]

If feeding the people of the world is a priority we aren't trying too hard...

Definitely not. We even throw away millions upon millions of tonnes of the stuff each year, half of which is completely edible when discarded.

When I say 'we' I mean 'we' in the rich countries, of course.

[clevin]

Im not gonna say its no big deal

But when US has a population of 1.5billion, Im sure many of you guys will lower some standard as well.

[elcid]

Thats true only if you think it is necessary for every person (virtually) in the developed world to eat meat almost three times a day. If we didn't shovel meat into our bodies as fast as it can be killed we could practice far different methods of animal farming.


Again that pesky problem of radically changing society. If only we walked more we wouldn't need so much oil...etc.

We prolly ate more meat in the past and we could sustain the world. The problem is that humans are going to hit a critical point, if we haven't already, and a lot of humans are going to die. Because we are intelligent (unlike cats, cmon) we do not want to accept that we are just animals and are under the same laws of population control.

And ya, surprisingly enough it is hard to get food if you live in the middle of a desert. But getting food to African countries is a lot more difficult than just sending on a boat and off loading it.

[Iscariot]

Wow, couldn't have said it better. There is a reason that cows and chickens are kept in small spaces with no room. We don't have the room. In order to let chickens roam around the country side we would have to cut the tillable land. Unless you think farmers are going to allow other farmers cattle just to wander around.

We used to be organic farmers. All of us. But for some reason feeding the people of the world too priority. And I say we have come to far because it is just like oil. Sure oil is bad to burn, but we have no option. The entire economy depends on it.

Factory farming, especially of livestock, is very quickly leading to topsoil erosion and desertification. Mass urbanization is also a huge contributor. Organic farming may not always be responsible farming, but the premise is a call to ecological responsibility, and organic farming typically retains a greater amount of topsoil health. As a note, if humans consumed less meat and more vegetables, it would be possible to feed everyone with organic farming. It's our collective greed for the decadence of meat, the ease of processed foods, and four-bedroom mansions in the suburbs that has lead to these unsustainable slash and burn methods.

I believe that most animals are far superior to humans. You can keep locking my threads, but you can't change who I am or how I feel.

Speciesism of any stripe is counter-productive to a harmonious relationship with nature.