Despicable: Japan to Resume Commercial Whaling

[RonDawg]

So you and my friend "Leftie" are incensed and call it "racist" that I used the word "Asians"? Come on. By the way I highly respect the Japanese people, their country, and their culture. We in the west could learn a lot by following their customs and ways of life... .

The issue is when you said "That is the problem with the Asian race." You are making a HUGE and frankly offensive generalization with that.

And as mentioned already (thank you jonathanfields) it's not something that is even demanded by most Japanese themselves. It's an industry that requires significant government subsidies to survive. So it would be wrong to even place the blame on the Japanese people.

[johnlocke]

Free the cows!!!

[WetEV]

These are the countries that still harvest whales: Faroe Islands, Norway, Iceland, and Japan.

The USA as well. Or more precisely, the Inuit and the Makah.

[LeftieBiker]

Adopting the term "harvest" means buying into the idea that whales are an agricultural resource. The whales are "killed."

[WetEV]

Adopting the term "harvest" means buying into the idea that whales are an agricultural resource. The whales are "killed."

As are carrots.

[LeftieBiker]

Do you consider yourself a carrot? Have any pets? Are they agricultural resources? I'm sure you are smart enough to understand the semantic issue. If not, here it is: devaluation of one's victims by referring them them as objects or crops.

[alozzy]

It's easy to take offense to this decision, but upon objective reflection it really is no different than the slaughter of other intelligent, domestic animals - like pigs, as one example. The more we identify with another species, the less likely we are to see it as a food source which is why primates and dogs are generally safe around humans.

So, if Minke whales are indeed no longer endangered, then it's pretty hypocritical to take offense if one is not a vegetarian or vegan. I freely admit though that I am a hypocrite, due to my cultural biases, as I disagree with the hunting of whales - yet I DO eat meat, including pork.

Of note in the article:

According to Japan's Asahi newspaper, whale meat makes up only 0.1% of all meat sold in Japan.

So, as with most things like this, the real problem is the small minority of a$$holes that feel they have a right to eat any animal they like. Without them, the whale hunt wouldn't be economically viable...

[LeftieBiker]

It's easy to take offense to this decision, but upon objective reflection it really is no different than the slaughter of other intelligent, domestic animals - like pigs, as one example.

There are similarities, obviously, but it is not "no different." The closest land analogy would be the hunting of wild gorillas for food, not the raising and slaughter of pigs. I could write a long post explaining why, even though it should be pretty obvious to those who think seriously about it, but after 9 days of the flu I'm short of both energy and patience.

[WetEV]

Do you consider yourself a carrot? Have any pets? Are they agricultural resources? I'm sure you are smart enough to understand the semantic issue. If not, here it is: devaluation of one's victims by referring them them as objects or crops.

I don't consider myself a whale or a cow.

[LeftieBiker]

Ah, one of the "Humans are Unique and Special" crowd. Got it.