Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, March 9, 2010
Animals / Chow Chinese Government May Ban the Eating of Dogs and Cats
Posted by Charles Mudede on Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 1:28 PM
CNN:
Dogs bark and whine behind high chain-link fences, some of them gnawing the wire so hard they bleed at the mouths while cats packed into crowded cages cower in fear if anyone approaches.If all of this is true, then the world is moving toward one culture that has its ground or foundation in Western standards.
This isn't a pet store — it's a meat market in Guangzhou, a city in southern China where eating cats and dogs is common practice.
At the Han River Dog Meat Restaurant in central Guangzhou, diners can choose from a long list of menu items, including dog soup, dog steak, dog with tofu and more. In the kitchen, the chef chops up meat for dog hot pot, one of the more popular dishes. Most customers like it spicy.
"Dog meat is good for your health and metabolism," explains Li, the hostess who declined to give her first name. "In the summer it helps you sweat."
Should cat and dog meat be banned?
But these local restaurants may have to find a new specialty. The Chinese government is considering legislation that would make eating cats and dogs illegal.
Professor Chang Jiwen of the Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences is one of the law's top campaigners. "Cats and dogs are loyal friends to humans," he said. "A ban on eating them would show China has reached a new level of civilization."
3
We eat cows and the are sacred to some people. Why should it be banned? just becasue Western cultures like to snuggle with them?
5
If the foundation of Western standards is wealth, then I agree with you. You gotta live in a rich country to see a hard distinction between pets and food.
8
I've always wondered why people get so squeamish about eating dogs and cats. What @3 said. Historically people have kept all kinds of crazy animals as pets. Just because white people like dogs and cats right now, no one else in the world gets to eat them? I can't say I give much of a shit either way, but I've always just found it to be an odd and arbitrary standard.
9
Italian celebrity chef fired for talking about how cats is a Tuscany delicacy - http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/…
I have taken a bite of dog stew and it's not that great (not because I feel squeamish). Cats probably won't taste that great since most of 'em probably have very little fat.
I have taken a bite of dog stew and it's not that great (not because I feel squeamish). Cats probably won't taste that great since most of 'em probably have very little fat.
10
It's Western in a deeper sense: the dominance of simple taxonomy and structure over the sort of crazy taxonomic excess illustrated by the Borges quote at the opening of Les Mots et Les Choses.
There's nothing special about dogs and cats except that they are kept as pets. The injunction is conditional: if pet then not food. One must decide. One can't have ib both ways. The animal either is or is not pet.
There's nothing special about dogs and cats except that they are kept as pets. The injunction is conditional: if pet then not food. One must decide. One can't have ib both ways. The animal either is or is not pet.
11
Not long ago, cattle in feedlots were fed dead dogs and cats (along with plenty of other shit... including actual shit) just before they were sliced up and sent to your local grocery stores.
I think they've stopped feeding cattle cats and dogs, but I'm pretty sure they still feed them to chickens on poultry factory farms.
I think they've stopped feeding cattle cats and dogs, but I'm pretty sure they still feed them to chickens on poultry factory farms.
12
As long as I can continue to make Julia Child's delightful "Roasted Human Infant" for special occasions I'm cool with this development.
14
If all of this is true, then the world is moving toward one culture that has its ground or foundation in Western standards.
...which is a good thing if people stop killing sharks just for their fins, stop eating dogs and cats, stop slaughtering dolphins, stop making women fourth-class citizens, stop poaching elephants and gorillas.
I know Western Civilizations has its own horrors, but it also has its victories over barbarism. Cultural relativism in this day and age is a hopelessly stupid concept.
...which is a good thing if people stop killing sharks just for their fins, stop eating dogs and cats, stop slaughtering dolphins, stop making women fourth-class citizens, stop poaching elephants and gorillas.
I know Western Civilizations has its own horrors, but it also has its victories over barbarism. Cultural relativism in this day and age is a hopelessly stupid concept.
15
@8,
Dogs are widely reviled in the third world, largely due to fear of rabies, but cats are often kept as pets. It's not just a white people thing.
Dogs are widely reviled in the third world, largely due to fear of rabies, but cats are often kept as pets. It's not just a white people thing.
17
@10 tell that to every farm kid who makes the mistake of giving a name to this year's chicks, calfs, lambs, etc.
19
"I say we stop eating mammals, but that's my two cents."
I'd say you're opinion is worth even less.....
I'd say you're opinion is worth even less.....
20
The world has been moving toward one culture that has its ground or foundation in Western standards for quite some time now.
Witness Sunday night's Grand Ejaculation of Western Culture: the Oscars. Hollywood came to finish what had begun several centuries before, back when the Greeks had that wacky idea about democracy.....
My point: Western culture has been the leading light of the world for millenia now - the people themselves have spoken this truth again and again. And actually, I'm okay with that. (See #14.)
Witness Sunday night's Grand Ejaculation of Western Culture: the Oscars. Hollywood came to finish what had begun several centuries before, back when the Greeks had that wacky idea about democracy.....
My point: Western culture has been the leading light of the world for millenia now - the people themselves have spoken this truth again and again. And actually, I'm okay with that. (See #14.)
24
"The world has been moving toward one culture that has its ground or foundation in Western standards for quite some time now"
Nice to see the Left is more for imperialism.....
Nice to see the Left is more for imperialism.....
25
I for one, love my dog-fur trimmed coat from ChinaBurlingtonChoadFactory.
Actually it's a bit ratty now, but it was fur dammit! My own fur-trimmed coat motherfuckers!
Actually it's a bit ratty now, but it was fur dammit! My own fur-trimmed coat motherfuckers!
26
I really don't mind them doing so at all, but that doesn't change the fact that every time I saw a cat not obviously tended by an owner in rural China I wanted to scoop it up, hold it, and take it home with me. Then I would keep pedaling and try not to think too hard. Sigh.
27
Boo-fucking-hoo, Mudede. Call me an ethnocentrist, but Western Culture does have some things right.
28
Well, Western Anglo-Saxon culture is better for the rest of world. Especially 19th century toilets like Africa and Asia. There's a good reason why Anglos ultimately control everything.
29
Well there's the urban legend of Southeast Asian refugees adopting dogs from animal shelters only to eat them later.
30
"Witness Sunday night's Grand Ejaculation of Western Culture: the Oscars."
this is probably the best thing I have read all day. Thank you for that.
this is probably the best thing I have read all day. Thank you for that.
31
@14
Cultural relativism is not an excuse for cultural characteristics, it's an explanation of them. I'd be leery to accept the idea that our "victories over barbarism" excuse the imposition of western thought and practice over the rest of the world, not to mention those oh-so-meaningless indigenous societies. The nonchalant acceptance of our own customs as right as mandated by their prevalence is ignorant. at best.
Interesting how the so caricatured progressive minds here simply vanish when the discussion is pushed a little deeper. But hey its fun to ejaculate on the rest of the world right?
Cultural relativism is not an excuse for cultural characteristics, it's an explanation of them. I'd be leery to accept the idea that our "victories over barbarism" excuse the imposition of western thought and practice over the rest of the world, not to mention those oh-so-meaningless indigenous societies. The nonchalant acceptance of our own customs as right as mandated by their prevalence is ignorant. at best.
Interesting how the so caricatured progressive minds here simply vanish when the discussion is pushed a little deeper. But hey its fun to ejaculate on the rest of the world right?
32
@14
Cultural relativism is not an excuse for cultural characteristics, it's an explanation of them. I'd be leery to accept the idea that our "victories over barbarism" excuse the imposition of western thought and practice over the rest of the world, not to mention those oh-so-meaningless indigenous societies. The nonchalant acceptance of our own customs as right as mandated by their prevalence is ignorant. at best.
Interesting how the so caricatured progressive minds here simply vanish when the discussion is pushed a little deeper. But hey its fun to ejaculate on the rest of the world right?
Cultural relativism is not an excuse for cultural characteristics, it's an explanation of them. I'd be leery to accept the idea that our "victories over barbarism" excuse the imposition of western thought and practice over the rest of the world, not to mention those oh-so-meaningless indigenous societies. The nonchalant acceptance of our own customs as right as mandated by their prevalence is ignorant. at best.
Interesting how the so caricatured progressive minds here simply vanish when the discussion is pushed a little deeper. But hey its fun to ejaculate on the rest of the world right?
33
No, what would show China has reached a new level of civilization would be respect for human rights, freeing political prisoners, allowing dissent, freeing Tibet, and not executing prisoners and selling their bodies to traveling freak shows. A ban on eating cats and dogs is actually just a cheap attempt at propaganda.
34
Personally... im just glad it's an Asian country who eats dogs.. imagine USA who slaguthers animals by the billions because their people inhale their food and are own for obesity instead of moderation... now that would suck... ANYWAYS those Chinese Animal rights activist can only hold up signs and send letters... i've seen some go as far as causing a riot.. but they only end up in jail time. Thats communist for ya. I understand its the OLD GENERATION, thats why if you look at the ratio of the popuatlion and compare it too how many ppl eat dog.. its a small percentage.. the old generation neeeds to be educated that DOG MEAT IS NOT MEDICAL food!!!! China needs change.... Hurry old ppl so the modern new generation can take over.
35
Personally... im just glad it's an Asian country who eats dogs.. imagine USA who slaguthers animals by the billions because their people inhale their food and are own for obesity instead of moderation... now that would suck... ANYWAYS those Chinese Animal rights activist can only hold up signs and send letters... i've seen some go as far as causing a riot.. but they only end up in jail time. Thats communist for ya. I understand its the OLD GENERATION, thats why if you look at the ratio of the popuatlion and compare it too how many ppl eat dog.. its a small percentage.. the old generation neeeds to be educated that DOG MEAT IS NOT MEDICAL food!!!! China needs change.... Hurry old ppl so the modern new generation can take over.
36
its not just WHAT they are eating it is HOW, these cats and dogs are often rounded up and stolen from compounds, parks and many have collars on their necks. There are also plenty of chinese people who want this banned and many who are also disgusted by this but the cheap products being sold to the world which is what has made China raise up its economic power comes at a price somewhere and here it is in the inhumane suffering and torture of animals. They are used as cheaply as possible and this means they are tortured to get their fur or meat. it is truly hell on earth and i dont know how one could do that job. Our world is constantly evolving from womens rights, to human rights and now its time to evolve again for animal rights. We are conscious and can do things better. We are in modern times and dont need to wear fur to stay warm. We can be loving people and show that in what we wear, eat and buy. Quality of life is inside the heart. If you could see in front of you the killing to make your fur coat and were asked would you like this beautiful animal to live or the coat? i dont think you could stand to watch the horrific killing just to wear the coat. ask yourself these things when you shop. Be conscious, being ignorant is bliss but being conscious evolves humanity.
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