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Sure, it's a silly law, sure, it probably won't survive constitutional review, and most definitely, true cruelty to animals is a crime. But this is also a rath

Sure, it's a silly law, sure, it probably won't survive constitutional review, and most definitely, true cruelty to animals is a crime. But this is also a rather predictable backlash against groups who aren't looking to correct occasional violations of regulations in the meatpacking industry, but shut down the industry as a whole - devastating local communities by getting rid of a ton of low-skilled jobs. Since we're not exactly making more low-skilled jobs these days, many of the people affected will be impoverished for life, taking their towns with them. Given that, it's not at all surprising that employees, employers, and local politicians are responding very aggressively. Any industry under the same threat would respond the same way.

hni 14y ago
> devastating local communities by getting rid of a ton of low-skilled jobs Why would those communities be devastated? People still have to eat, hence low-skilled jobs would still be required to produce other kinds of food in the same local communities.
- gyardley 14y ago
  Meatpacking remains labor intensive in a way that other forms of large-scale farming are not. Even if there was labor parity, they're not usually done in the same places. Meatpacking is usually done near transportation hubs, and ranching is usually on land that's not suitable for agricultural purposes.
mistercow 14y ago
>but shut down the industry as a whole - devastating local communities by getting rid of a ton of low-skilled jobs. The same arguments were thrown around when we were talking about abolishing slavery. The economy will adapt.
- gyardley 14y ago
  Oh, perhaps it will. But I'm not arguing about the ability of the economy as a whole to adapt. I'm arguing that the extreme-sounding response of the meatpacking industry, which everyone in the thread is flipping out about, should be completely expected given the motives of those doing the filming, and their attitudes towards the meatpacking industry - they don't want to reform it, they want to shut it down. While economies can adapt, people and industries get left behind. Whatever you feel about meat, this is just a simple attempt on the part of an industry and its participants to defend their livelihoods, and should be understood accordingly - it's a perfectly rational act. This is so gobsmacking obvious I'm amused by the downvotes. Half the country fought a civil war in defense of slavery. Are people seriously surprised meatpackers want to criminalize a little filming in defense of their own industry?

hni 14y ago

> devastating local communities by getting rid of a ton of low-skilled jobs Why would those communities be devastated? People still have to eat, hence low-skilled jobs would still be required to produce other kinds of food in the same local communities.

gyardley 14y ago
Meatpacking remains labor intensive in a way that other forms of large-scale farming are not. Even if there was labor parity, they're not usually done in the same places. Meatpacking is usually done near transportation hubs, and ranching is usually on land that's not suitable for agricultural purposes.

mistercow 14y ago

>but shut down the industry as a whole - devastating local communities by getting rid of a ton of low-skilled jobs. The same arguments were thrown around when we were talking about abolishing slavery. The economy will adapt.

gyardley 14y ago
Oh, perhaps it will. But I'm not arguing about the ability of the economy as a whole to adapt. I'm arguing that the extreme-sounding response of the meatpacking industry, which everyone in the thread is flipping out about, should be completely expected given the motives of those doing the filming, and their attitudes towards the meatpacking industry - they don't want to reform it, they want to shut it down. While economies can adapt, people and industries get left behind. Whatever you feel about meat, this is just a simple attempt on the part of an industry and its participants to defend their livelihoods, and should be understood accordingly - it's a perfectly rational act. This is so gobsmacking obvious I'm amused by the downvotes. Half the country fought a civil war in defense of slavery. Are people seriously surprised meatpackers want to criminalize a little filming in defense of their own industry?