Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Monday, January 15, 2007
Wish you were here
Morning all!
So depressing what we’re doing to this planet. I read “Diet for a Dead Planet” this weekend, and then spent some time at a local animal sanctuary. It was a difficult juxtaposition, the thought of the unbelievable number of animals going through the slaughterhouses every day (is it 10,000 every 30 seconds?), and then spending time helping take care of the very few lucky ones that end up at a sanctuary instead. Sobering to realize that though I’m vegan, it is just one step among the many that need to be taken.
And recently read something John Robbins wrote about the “Animal Services”:
“Among the animals Wildlife Services agents intentionally kill are badgers, black bears, bobcats, coyotes, gray fox, red fox, mountain lions, opossum, raccoons, striped skunks, beavers, nutrias, porcupines, prairie dogs, black birds, cattle egrets, and starlings. Animals unintentionally killed by Wildlife Services agents include domestic dogs and cats, and several threatened and endangered species.”
These are 1.5 million animals are killed by Wildlife Services to assist the ranchers. The article is long, but if anyone was interested: http://tinyurl.com/y82gur
The voluntary human extinction is a great concept. I know many of us are on board. Of course bird flu might just take care of this for us, but it would be so much better to be smart about it…
(sorry for the rambling!)
Posted by Deb on from NoVa 01/15 at 08:56 AMGood morning Deb, good morning Mickey, good morning to each and every Expendable...It’s actually feeling and looking like winter here today, but of course that could all change by the afternoon. This brave new world we’ve moulded for ourselves is full of surprises.
I have yet to look through all the links suggested by the “Modest Proposal” but I’m all for it. The comparison to Hitler made me want to laugh until I realised that someone (who’s likely bred!) probably really asked that question.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/15 at 09:23 AMSome people have taken it upon themselves to jump start involuntary human extinction, starting with 2 year olds of “undesirable” ethnic background…
Posted by sk on from 01/15 at 09:51 AMsk that article’s quite disturbing. A classic example of psychopathy in action. I hope their cellmates keep them up all night, every night for a very long time.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/15 at 10:19 AMHello all...Deb, sk, Amelopsis. I do know people who believe that humans should get off the planet. Sometimes I agree with them.
Off topic, but it has been a pet peeve of mine that so few in the usa are willing to speak out against the war machine. “It provides jobs”, is the constant reply.
John Andrews at Thomas Paine’s Corner says, “...But vivisection is not the subject of this essay. Rather I would like to consider the tactics of the anti-vivisectionists, and pose the question: why do we not have similar groups equally committed to terrorising people who work in the arms industry, the slaves of real terror?...”News is reporting that 2 carrier groups are on their way to the region (Iran). usa still trying to provoke an incident and still holding the Iranian diplomats. Still no outrage in the usa.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/15 at 12:09 PMHello Expendables...it’s still drizzling in Astoria.
I love the fact that no one flinched at the voluntary human extinction link. Certainly, the links provided by Deb and SK are more frightening, huh?
Btw, Deb, in case I haven’t said it yet: Welcome to the Expendable Nation.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/15 at 12:56 PMThanks Mickey! I’ve quickly become addicted to the community you’ve brought together here!
RMJ, I think we’re all numb at this point. When shrub was re-appointed, I said “well, we’ll be going after Iran before this is over.” So my only surprise is that he waited until 2007 to start moving the machinery in place.
Not that it is any kind of excuse for the apathy and lack of outrage, in general. There is a big peace march going on at the end of the month, which natuarally I’ll be out of town for: http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?list=type&type=182
So, something is happening. Not quite at the level that would signify outrage, but I suppose better than nothing.
I was researching definitions of terrorism last night, and no surprise that it is generally accepted that a “legitimate” government’s actions are never terrorism…
Posted by Deb on from NoVa 01/15 at 01:11 PMOh my we humans are a deplorable bunch! I picked up on this from the article Deb linked:
“In 1997, following the advice of public relations and image consultants, the federal government gave a new name to the ADC—“Wildlife Services.” And they came up with a new motto—“Living with Wildlife.”
This is an interesting choice of words. What “Wildlife Services” actually does is kill any creature that might compete with or threaten livestock. Its methods include poisoning, trapping, snaring, denning, shooting, and aerial gunning. In “denning” wildlife, government agents pour kerosene into the den and then set it on fire, burning the young alive in their nests."
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/15 at 01:56 PMAh yes, Empress...the home of the brave putting our tax dollars to good use.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/15 at 02:10 PMI heard an Idahoan hunter on a radio interview last week discussing his proposal to kill ALL of the Canadian (because you know they carry passports) wolves which had been introduced as a result of the (at the time almost)extinction of the wolves native to the area. This fellow reckons that Canadian wolves are altogether vicious heartless killers who kill for fun, not just for food. He went on to recount the scene of destruction he’d found of a dead calf and a mother elk who was not dead but unable to do anything to survive her injuries....nature at it’s best/worst....and then finally the other shoe dropped. He rents lodges to hunters! The wolves have been very successful in building their numbers, hence the qty of elk populations are reduced…
The answer is of course to kill the terrible and evil canadian wolves.
Upon consideration this isn’t much of a story since I’ve got no links or specifics, but it stuck with me due to the vapid tone of the man’s voice and the utter passion with which he sought to gain support for the purging and destruction of the wolves, not to mention the absolute sarcasm with which he asked the interviewer if they wanted to come and pick them all up in response to the question if there wasn’t an alternative to killing them all that might satisfy them.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/15 at 02:21 PMWe learn from childhood that it’s okay to step on bugs and it’s no big deal if we see a dead pigeon or sparrow or even a cat in the street. We walk past butcher shops with bloody carcasses hanging in the window. We hold chicken legs in our bare hands and rip the flesh apart with our teeth. Then, of course, there’s the glorification of war and all the movies and games that demonstrate that it’s okay to kill if the targets are bad. It’s a miracle anyone born and raised in such a hateful culture has compassion for anything.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/15 at 02:26 PMEvery spring the volume of roadkill I see disturbs me greatly.
I always say / think something to mark their passing.
Same goes for the truckloads of chickens and pigs on their way to meet their untimely and undignified ends. It’s not worth much, but for what it’s worth I’ll always do it. (and I swear that everytime I do this for the truckloads of pigs, one or two of them meet my gaze through the oval holes in the side of the truck...I wish I could do something other than bid them farewell and a wish that their inevitable end be a peaceful one)Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/15 at 02:42 PMSpeaking of the “hateful culture”, the news is broadcasting a tape of young girls beating up another young and smaller girl. Bullying has been a major problem in our culture and especially our schools for a long time. From the Halls of Congress to the hallways in the schools, it is all about beating up the smaller guy. Maybe my friend, Peter the Socialist, is right. He says that every country should have nuclear weapons. Maybe that is the only way that small countries can be protected. MAD, Mudge says it is MAD. It is. I agree, but maybe if Iraq had had a nuke 650,000+ people would still be alive.
Big marches are planned to protest the government. If my circumstances were different maybe I would go to Washington and march with the crowd but I never would delude myself into thinking that it would change anything. GWB says he is going to stand by his principles. How’s that for a comment. He is going to stand by his principles. I heard him say that.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/15 at 02:56 PMRMJ I’m sure that he’ll keep his principles at arms length (assuming he fully understands what they are and can identify them!).
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/15 at 02:59 PMMargaret Thatcher once said: “A world without nuclear weapons would be less stable and more dangerous for all of us.”
It sounds like some kind of a test, doesn’t it?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/15 at 03:00 PMIt certainly does. “Ask any 6 year old to answer if the following statement is true or false”.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/15 at 03:07 PMHere’s another classic...this one from Nancy Reagan:
“I believe that people would be alive today if there were a death penalty.”
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/15 at 03:10 PMIt really is depressing what the supposedly superior human race does to the planet and its flora and fauna. And then certain politicians encourage people to have even more children without the slightest attention being paid to the effect this will have on ever scarcer resources and - on other species.
‘Hi’ to Deb, Amelopsis, sk and Rosemarie from a rather smoky Daylesford - it will be in the vicinity of 104F today.
Mickey #15: did Margaret Thatcher really say this?
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 01/15 at 03:56 PMRosemarie #5: ‘it has been a pet peeve of mine that so few in the usa are willing to speak out against the war machine. “It provides jobs”, is the constant reply.’ Almost the same old in Australia unfortunately. I am reading Noam Chomsky’s ‘Failed States’ at the moment - from cover to cover after having read chunks of it. Quite an eye-opener - as is this great blog run by a ‘cool observer.’ Thanks, Mickey!
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 01/15 at 04:16 PMI am not advocating that everyone be given a nuke. BUT, I don’t see any possibility of lasting Peace and Justice in a world where there is such an imbalance of power. To argue that only the usa and a few friends should have nukes, seems to me to be arguing that we are either more humanitarian and responsible or that our lives are more valuable than others. The best solution would be to disarm any nation that has ever used nuclear weapons. That won’t happen. In all of my years working in schools and observing kids on the playground and in classrooms, I never saw a bully who reformed on his own. It always took some kind of intervention from someone with more power and more strength. Just for one moment picture a world in which Chavez and/or Castro had nukes. Would the world then be a safer place? I don’t know. Maybe. Meantime, the so-called peace people in the usa are not even dealing with the issue of weapons. They have been deluded into thinking that it is only GWB who is the problem. I know that those who are here at Mickey’s “get it”, but what about all of the rest of the people.
Amelopsis #14...I like that one, “He is keeping his principles at ARMS length”.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/15 at 04:17 PMHi Helga..we were symultyping. Maybe I am extra frustrated today. The usa is going to be flying drones along the usa/Canadian border. It has been announced that parts for drones will be manufactured in my little, tiny town. No one cares. The only usa citizen who was openly assassinated by the usa government was assassinated with a drone. No one cares. I keep saying that instead of drones, we should be manufacturing wind mills, but no one cares.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/15 at 04:24 PMRMJ I understand that the drones fit right in with Harper’s plans, I believe MacKay anounced it while no one was listening a short while back. I’m sure the police will love it since the most they’re likely to find are folks running pot over the border in forested areas; let’s hope the drones aren’t armed and ready to fire.
At least the US’s plans for ‘training’ in the great lakes using live ammunition have been quashed.
Captcha says “control”
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/15 at 04:32 PMAmelopsis...they are not listening here either. It was an under-reported news story. One funny news story from yesterday was that the Post Offices in the Albany area were open, even though it was Sunday. The purpose was to issue passports. Seems like everyone who can is jumping ship.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/15 at 04:45 PMInteresting, Canadians are also flocking to get their passports. That’s because in 1 week’s time they’ll be required for entry to the US. Actually I think that US citizens will also be required to show them upon attempting to re-enter the US.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/15 at 04:53 PMIn the United States of Paranoia roadblocks have been set up 75 miles inside the border. Travelers are re-checked there. Checked and re-checked, sounds like a case of OCD to me.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/15 at 04:58 PMRosemarie #21: I could not agree more with you:
‘I keep saying that instead of drones, we should be manufacturing wind mills, but no one cares.’And I hope JOS is safe in Chicago:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/americas-weather-turns-wild-out-west-killing-14/2007/01/15/1168709679809.htmlCaptcha press: Danny Schechter puts the US press corps(e) under the microscope here:
http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/views07/0112-25.htmPosted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 01/15 at 06:15 PMhello everyone, just got online today and dropping in to say hello!
Posted by michael on from exile 01/16 at 01:12 AM
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