HeadingNorth Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Killing an animal is no better or worse than killing an animal. Where and how it is done, really do not make much of a difference in this context. The cultural difference is that in Japan it often happens while the customer watches - or even, during the eating process - whereas in Britain, it almost always happens well away from the customer' eyes. (Oysters don't look alive at the best of times, so you don't feel like you're eating them alive even if you know, in your head, that you are.) That isn't an issue of cruelty - if it is an issue at all, it is one of voyeurism perhaps. The average smallholding farmer, who is in the regular habit of picking up one of his own chickens, wringing its neck and popping it in the oven that same day, would struggle to understand why we're even discussing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddywolf Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 The thing that strikes me is the exitement and joy the people in the video have, treating it almost like entertainment. Yes here we cook lobsters alive, but we dont watch it, or have the fish die out of the water infront of us. It seems like half the fun is watching the things die not just having it served fresh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anywebsite Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 The thing that strikes me is the exitement and joy the people in the video have, treating it almost like entertainment. Yes here we cook lobsters alive, but we dont watch it, or have the fish die out of the water infront of us. It seems like half the fun is watching the things die not just having it served fresh. What difference does it make whether you see it being killed or not? You're still having animals killed for you because you enjoy eating meat, you just don't see the messy bit. I think everybody that eats meat should kill their own at least once. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2011/may/27/mark-zuckerberg-kill-animals-meat What's really sick is pretending the meat you eat was never alive, becoming so separated from the process that you lose any understanding of it & pretending that you're not involved because it's just a steak that you bought packed in plastic & ready to cook. Worse than that is wasting meat, maybe if you kill it yourself then you're less likely to waste it & have more respect for the animal. It is also the ultimate in fresh meat, if it's still wriggling. Was watching Rick Stein the other day, he had no problem eating a scallop fresh out of the water, still moving, it looked delicious. There seems to be some anthropomorphism in western society with animals. The Japanese usually only eat very simple animals still live, invertebrates, fish, shellfish, etc, they don't even have a properly developed nervous system, never mind any concept of pain or cruelty. Europeans often eat similar kinds of animals live, or at least 'very fresh'. It's almost as ridiculous as being cruel to lettuces. It's not practical to chase chickens round the restaurant, or anything larger that might possibly have any kind of feelings. As has already been explained, the people in the video are watching a dead squid twitch when they pour on soy sauce, they aren't enjoying any kind of cruelty at all, it just shows that it's fresh, not that it's still alive & suffering in some way. It's doubtful whether a live squid would understand cruelty at all, but you're really stretching it with a dead one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harleyman Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 A Phillipino pal of mine buys a live goat at the market, brings it home then cuts it's throat. It's dead very quickly. I dont see anything wrong in it. That's their culture and the way they do things in the Phillipines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halibut Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 How is it any worse than taking fish out of the sea and leaving them to suffocate on the floor of a boat? Isn't the real problem here that in the 'west' we are so far removed from the food chain? When we buy meat or fish its usually prepacked, sealed and precisely measure out into nice clean trays - all the blood and skin removed so that its unrecognisable as part of the animal's body. Why is it any more 'civilised' to have someone else take care of the killing and butchering? Post of the thread so far - spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halibut Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 What difference does it make whether you see it being killed or not? You're still having animals killed for you because you enjoy eating meat, you just don't see the messy bit. I think everybody that eats meat should kill their own at least once. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2011/may/27/mark-zuckerberg-kill-animals-meat What's really sick is pretending the meat you eat was never alive, becoming so separated from the process that you lose any understanding of it & pretending that you're not involved because it's just a steak that you bought packed in plastic & ready to cook. Worse than that is wasting meat, maybe if you kill it yourself then you're less likely to waste it & have more respect for the animal. It is also the ultimate in fresh meat, if it's still wriggling. Was watching Rick Stein the other day, he had no problem eating a scallop fresh out of the water, still moving, it looked delicious. There seems to be some anthropomorphism in western society with animals. The Japanese usually only eat very simple animals still live, invertebrates, fish, shellfish, etc, they don't even have a properly developed nervous system, never mind any concept of pain or cruelty. Europeans often eat similar kinds of animals live, or at least 'very fresh'. It's almost as ridiculous as being cruel to lettuces. It's not practical to chase chickens round the restaurant, or anything larger that might possibly have any kind of feelings. As has already been explained, the people in the video are watching a dead squid twitch when they pour on soy sauce, they aren't enjoying any kind of cruelty at all, it just shows that it's fresh, not that it's still alive & suffering in some way. It's doubtful whether a live squid would understand cruelty at all, but you're really stretching it with a dead one. Another very sensible and intelligent post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anywebsite Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Should complain about the Koreans instead, you know it's fresh when you have to chase it across the table: http://youtu.be/oNy8MUPOAtQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampster Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I've always thought older kids as part of the national curriculum should be taken to an abbatoir to see the processes involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaFoot Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Should complain about the Koreans instead, you know it's fresh when you have to chase it across the table: http://youtu.be/oNy8MUPOAtQ As much as I'd struggle to eat that, I'm not sure it suffers any more than any other creature we eat. Once it's in the mouth, a chew and it's dead. Just as fast as, for example, boiling lobster I'd have thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaFoot Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I've always thought older kids as part of the national curriculum should be taken to an abbatoir to see the processes involved. I dare say a lot more parents would have to learn to cook veggie dinners! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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