More than refusal to believe, it is not my personal opinion that human beings are inherently “terrible” creatures. I also do not subscribe to the ideology which states that meat and dairy consumers or slaughterhouse workers are “evil”, either. There is little point in viewing meat and dairy consumers as the “enemy”, when clearly, they are not only pawns in the corporate scheme, but they are precisely the individuals that we need to reach. If there is any hope for the future of all life on this planet, especially that of human posterity, it is with the meat and dairy consuming masses waking from their apathetic coma.
As environmental and animal rights activists, the war that we are currently engaged in, is obviously an information war. Whom do you really believe needs to hear the messages that we are self-decidedly charged to provide? Explaining to vegans why people in the world need to go vegan, patting one another on the back at animal rights conferences and developing vegan communes isn’t going to change very much, now is it? The world will not become vegan simply because we want it to be so, whilst we spout anger at non-vegans. This is an uphill battle that will likely last generations, assuming that the human race actually has many generations left on this planet.
It is quite unfortunate that at the present stage of this information war, the greatest enemy of life has all the ammunition. They have the money, they have the media and they have powerful legislators snugly in their pockets. Induced apathy and societal propaganda are powerful corporate allies, both of which, are well fed by industries like animal agriculture. Seeing as “ignorance is bliss”, so to speak, it is simply easier for most people to accept what the current capital-based regime is peddling. The human condition will quickly sell out on truth to the corporate scheme for feel-good excuses, which exist to inform people that what they are doing, no matter how destructive, is indeed, “okay” or “acceptable”, effectively enabling them to continue in a “business as usual” manner without any remorse for their actions. Again, it is still my personal opinion that most humans are simply afraid, in a state of hopelessness, numb or oblivious, not inherently “bad”.
Obviously, I also believe that it is quite impossible to teach a human being that it is “acceptable” to kill anything, then expect that human being to personally place real value upon life. It is simply not logical to reach the conclusion that we can train someone to slaughter pigs each day, yet retain any true amount of respect for an animal. It is also quite shocking to hear many of the sentiments expressed by average citizens, pertaining to the loss of human children to starvation all over the world each day. There is indeed, a tangible level of “acceptance”, even to the point of “expectancy” in reply to the information. It is no coincidence that the current capital “machine” thrives on and encourages human apathy, even in regard to the extensive loss of human lives. This is, of course, all part of the plan. It is much easier for a nation to bomb another country for political positioning or its “resources” in future campaigns, when said nation’s citizens have been lulled so far into apathetic ruin to give a damn, is it not?
There is high merit in many of the writings and ideas put forward by great minds throughout history which state that whilst humans consume animal products, there will always be conflict among us. This philosophy actually becomes more realistically pronounced, the greater that human population expands. It is already, an undeniable environmental reality. Animal agriculture employed by such an inordinate number of human beings who now occupy this planet, has led to extreme ecologic degradation. It does indeed, as Socrates suggested to his students nearly two and one-half millennia ago, promote the corporate seizure and destruction of fertile lands in order to grow more grain, to feed animals that we label as “livestock”. This sobering reality has, countless times in the past, continues to and will ultimately lead to the forced displacement of indigenous peoples from their home lands. It will also continue to lead to war between nations over what we label as dwindling “resources” and it is only going to get worse as time moves forward.
It should be evident that if humanity is fighting over “resources” today, whilst allowing even humans to die of starvation and devastating the planet in the process, we sincerely need to alter our values. It requires that we begin to question what the future will hold. The only logical conclusion that can be reached points to the Earth having an exponentially greater number in human population, all vying for far less “resources” than we have available today, in the very near future. How valuable will a human life be in this future and on our current path, considering that the the loss of 18,000 children who died of starvation on the planet today is considered to be an “acceptable” statistic based on global “resource” consumption?
This is the version of capitalist structure that we live under at the present time, which is completely short-sighted, only concerned with growth, profit for itself and it has a great deal of control over what the average human being digests on an informational level. This is the real enemy of life and everything that activists hold dear, so try to consider that the enemy is not within the masses. They are merely “pawns” in the corporate chess match, along with the 18,000 children who died of starvation today. Everything that they hear is propaganda geared to induce “acceptance” and eventually, the path that corporate rule is leading humanity along, will end with the extinction of our species. In essence, the more that humanity grows through its animal product consumption, the more war, famine, environmental devastation and death we will surely see.
The road to hope for all life does not run directly through the general meat and dairy consuming masses, it runs along side them. As animal rights and environmental activists, we can not be like the 300 Spartan soldiers who gave their lives at the pass of Thermopylae for their country. In reality, if we were to wage actual war against all meat and dairy consumers in this regard, our numbers would be more closely equivalent to one soldier against the entire Persian army. Besides, it was not only 300 Spartan warriors who died at Thermopylae. Thousands of Greek citizens laid down their lives during those battles through August and September of 480 BC, no matter what movies tell you. Regardless, countless plant and animal species which fall to extinction each year, do not have the luxury of our acceptance in personal failure. We are not merely fighting against tyrannous rule or for our families and countrymen to have a certain level of freedom. We are fighting for the right of life to continue. Our war is waged for the posterity of all life on Earth.
Again, this is an information war and it must be fought in the arena that humanity has allowed the corporate scheme to generate around us. I firmly believe that when a human being fully accepts the realities surrounding him or herself, changes in a positive direction generally begin to occur. It is, for this reason, that I endeavor to see the masses as “sleeping allies”, rather than enemies. It is difficult to view them as enemies, whilst money holds a patent on “truth” in mainstream ideology. As individuals who have the ability to peer through the tapestry of utter fallacy woven by the powers that be, we have a responsibility to help the general public see. After all is said and done, the road to hope for all life on Earth can only be paved with the mortar of their awakening from silent slumber, so that they might one day, fight beside us.
Anthony Damiano
Founder of AELLA
Thank you Anthony. The right words with which to begin 2012 and to keep in mind when hopefully with increasing co-operation, more eyes are opened to the realities and more questionings awaken the need for changes NOW.