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>meat is just a nice, tasty hunk of protein that comes wrapped in plastic and styrofoam from the grocery storeand is in no way related to that adorable cow vide

>meat is just a nice, tasty hunk of protein that comes wrapped in plastic and styrofoam from the grocery storeand is in no way related to that adorable cow video I saw on Instagram Honest question. Are people this ignorant? I grew up around ranches so the source of meat is blindingly obvious to me. Are people really seeing beef in the grocery store as magic that comes from nowhere?

the_gastropod 8y ago
I don't think people are necessarily that ignorant. But the dirty business of slaughtering animals has been hidden away from public eye extremely well. There's a certain "out of sight out of mind" aspect to it. If, to eat meat, people had to kill the animal themselves, what proportion of meat eaters do you think would continue the practice? I obviously don't know the answer, but I suspect it would be far less than 100%.
- icebraining 8y ago
  If the urban dwellers like me suddenly had to kill their own prey, I agree we'd see a surge of vegans. But on the other hand, I think that's also because that disconnect allows people to think about cows as "cute". The people I know who grew up raising and killing their own animals have a much more utilitarian view of the matter. It could be that the alienation brought by modern slaughter is the keystone in bringing about a substantial reduction in the number of eaters of animals; now that would be ironic!
  - sayno3 8y ago
    Speaking of disconnects, I find it ridiculous that people fret over manufactured ethics that one can easily assimilate for social gain, (read:own) while those same ethics would eventually lead to a situation where one has to perform the same act (ending life for the sake of life, either in the form of animal population control or human progress). All the while having absolutely no problem in participating in much larger systems that perpetuate much worse. To me, hearing people talk about ethical animal consumption is like hearing Dr Mengele talk about fracking versus coal, and obviously feeling superior while talking about it. People can't even treat other people half decently.
  - feintruled 8y ago
    Fascinating thought. Echoes Seamus Heaney's poem The Early Purges about farm life, especially the line "living displaces false sentiments" and "'Prevention of cruelty' talk cuts ice in town/Where they consider death unnatural" https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-early-purges/ https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-early-purges/

the_gastropod 8y ago

I don't think people are necessarily that ignorant. But the dirty business of slaughtering animals has been hidden away from public eye extremely well. There's a certain "out of sight out of mind" aspect to it. If, to eat meat, people had to kill the animal themselves, what proportion of meat eaters do you think would continue the practice? I obviously don't know the answer, but I suspect it would be far less than 100%.

icebraining 8y ago
If the urban dwellers like me suddenly had to kill their own prey, I agree we'd see a surge of vegans. But on the other hand, I think that's also because that disconnect allows people to think about cows as "cute". The people I know who grew up raising and killing their own animals have a much more utilitarian view of the matter. It could be that the alienation brought by modern slaughter is the keystone in bringing about a substantial reduction in the number of eaters of animals; now that would be ironic!
- sayno3 8y ago
  Speaking of disconnects, I find it ridiculous that people fret over manufactured ethics that one can easily assimilate for social gain, (read:own) while those same ethics would eventually lead to a situation where one has to perform the same act (ending life for the sake of life, either in the form of animal population control or human progress). All the while having absolutely no problem in participating in much larger systems that perpetuate much worse. To me, hearing people talk about ethical animal consumption is like hearing Dr Mengele talk about fracking versus coal, and obviously feeling superior while talking about it. People can't even treat other people half decently.
- feintruled 8y ago
  Fascinating thought. Echoes Seamus Heaney's poem The Early Purges about farm life, especially the line "living displaces false sentiments" and "'Prevention of cruelty' talk cuts ice in town/Where they consider death unnatural" https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-early-purges/ https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-early-purges/