Humans routinely limit the movement of members of other species, force them to do certain things, and claim ownership of them. To do these things to other humans is called slavery. Is out treatment of animals slavery? If not, why not? What's wrong with the position that people who own animals are slavers, and people who eat eggs or dairy products or go to the circus are promoting slavery?

Pretty sure my cat is living the fucking life on my couch right now.

There are differences, of course; the animals don't have a concept of money, but we do reward them for their work with food and shelter and medical treatment, the kinds of things that are important to them that would be scarcer if they were in the wild. We have animal cruelty laws in place to prevent abuses, and in fact organizations in place that will take animals away from abusive owners.

I'm not so sure you can draw an equal connection between the human symbiosis with domesticated animals and slavery, here.

I think it indicates that we are creatures of convenience. That, and cattle can't hold picket signs very well.

(March 26, 2014 at 1:08 pm)Esquilax Wrote: There are differences, of course; the animals don't have a concept of money, but we do reward them for their work with food and shelter and medical treatment, the kinds of things that are important to them that would be scarcer if they were in the wild. We have animal cruelty laws in place to prevent abuses, and in fact organizations in place that will take animals away from abusive owners.

I'm not so sure you can draw an equal connection between the human symbiosis with domesticated animals and slavery, here.

If we owned humans and rewarded them for their labor with food and shelter and medical treatment, and put cruelty laws in place to prevent abuses, it would still be slavery. The only real differentiator you note is that animals don't have the mental capacity to have a concept of money. Does that justify enslaving them?

(March 26, 2014 at 1:20 pm)alpha male Wrote: If we owned humans and rewarded them for their labor with food and shelter and medical treatment, and put cruelty laws in place to prevent abuses, it would still be slavery. The only real differentiator you note is that animals don't have the mental capacity to have a concept of money. Does that justify enslaving them?

I'm saying there's a different metric involved based on the capabilities and expectations of the organism in question. The reason we value money for our labor has nothing to do with the money itself, but with the value we place on it as a means by which we can continue to survive and obtain goods. Animals don't have that same value, but they do gain something they value from their labor, same as us.

Couldn't prove it by my two.

Do we enslave them or do they enslave us? Before Bebita passed on to the other side she was the ruler of my house. She dictated our lives and we merely existed to give her treats and do her bidding.

Why don't you ask the animals what they think about it.

Oh snap they don't give a fuck.

Animal slavery: Made possible by Good Christian Values.