The Exploitation of Animals for Purposes not Related to Food
“He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.”
Immanuel Kant (22 April, 1724 – 12 February, 1804), German philosopher of the Enlightenment Era.
Animals and fish are exploited by humans because there are easily accessible, there are many, they present no serious resistance when they are manipulated and exploited, and because their flesh tastes great when it is used as food (Ref. 1).
In addition, the strong believe that we need the animal proteins for our growth is another incentive for exploiting them. We are all told and believe that animal protein must be an essential part of our diet. However, as we discussed in the Vegetarian/Vegan requirements section we can get enough protein from plants.
At this point, let me give you a list of the profit generating businesses originated from the exploitation of animals.
- Restaurants, fast food and other animal based food industries.
- Scientific research (the medical value of such research is not so significant to justify such sacrifices, because animals and humans are anatomically ,physiologically, and in many cases scale different) and teaching.
- Non-food related industries, such as upholstery for car seats, home furniture, fashionable clothes and furs, jewelry, soaps, and expensive perfumes.
- Entertainment organizations (i.e. circuses, and other shows).
- Sports like events such as hunting, bullfighting, and dog, and rooster fighting,
- Hard labor activities for carrying heavy loads for long distances (Ref. 2), and
- Puppy mill businesses (Ref. 3).
For all the above, land animals, and fish are exploited and killed in great numbers. It is estimated that more than 100 billion land animals, and over 2 trillion fish are killed yearly (References 2, and 3). Both numbers are astronomical, and should frighten anybody with common sense.
Unfortunately, not many of us know (or think) about these numbers. But, even we know, we are so much brainwashed (the idea that animals are there to be killed, is so deeply embedded in our brain), that such happenings seem to be natural. We can overcome brainwashing to understand that we do not need animals for food to survive.
Humans are killing animals for their gastronomical pleasure, profit, and entertainment reasons, ignoring the suffering (fear, agony, and pain) they induce to these unfortunate innocent and powerless creatures. This exploitation is contributing to serious and costly health and environmental problems and may even endanger our own human existence.
Concluding remark
Although, these animal exploitation are profitable business opportunities, they are contributing to the origination of serious and costly health and environmental problems and constitute the biggest human mistake ever made because they endanger our own existence.
References
- “The case for Vegetarianism”, Philosophy for a small Planet, By John L. Hill, Rowman &Littlefield Publishers, Inc. (1006).
- “Elephant Company”, Vicki Constantine Croke, Random House, (2014). In this article published in the September/October 2017 of “ALL ANIMALS”, a publication of the Human Society of USA), it is reported a bizarre case of 84 Great Danes puppy mill case.
