To think Westerners shouldn’t be dictating what other countries should or shouldn’t eat?

[Theyearthatneverwas]

apple.news/A8N_rA-cwQlCwbNyIVsSxaA

This has always annoyed me. If you eat beef/chicken etc. what makes you think you can decide what animals should or shouldn’t be considered food? I think such attitudes have colonialism connotations. I am not talking about animal welfare here, just the idea of what and shouldn’t be considered as food.

I wouldn't choose to eat certain animals because I've grown up and been socialised as having them as pets or because I'm scared of them, but there's absolutely no difference between eating eg a dog and a pig. Other people are brought up and socialised to eat no animals, certain animals and not others,
or any animals and that's fine.

I couldn't give a crap of people want to east dog meat specifically, for me it's more the way they're treated. I guess the same is for animals over here, but I don't support that either

YANBU, but I can't imagine it's healthy to eat a carnivore, especially one that's lived on the streets

I agree with you both. I just think this couple could have concentrated on campaigning for the welfare of the animals involved and not to take them off the menu thereby imposing their own beliefs on other cultures.

YANBU

The daily mail and co would riot if other cultures tried to dictate what meats we were allowed to eat, just imagine the headlines if pork was banned because some people think it’s disgusting to eat pork

I absolutely think animal welfare needs to be improved, but I don’t think we’re entirely innocent in that respect either tbh.

Totally agree, and take that to a macro scale of climate change and food systems and the constant drive to plant based. It comes from a place of privilege.

Many many countries would never feed their population with a reliance on plants alone and it totally ignores the economic infrastructure of tiny family based farms with 1 or 2 animals Vs handing that off to what would have to be large scale scrolling leading to less independence and stability both financially and food security.

It’s ridiculous and ivory towers.

*cropping not scrolling!

I am not talking about animal welfare here,

The issue with dog meat farms is almost exclusively about animal welfare. I don't really care if people want to assume I have colonial aspirations; I will continue to contribute to campaigns to put an end to dog meat farming because the suffering caused to those animals before they are eaten is disgusting. Some of the animals are rescued still wearing the collars and tags put on them by their owners, when they were much loved pets, before they were stolen.

Anyone attempting to defend it should be ashamed of themselves.

what makes you think you can decide what animals should or shouldn’t be considered food?

Dunno. Is it something to do with global pandemics?

Yanbu op! I’m ‘forrin’ and when I was at uni (in Ireland) my housemates were rude and racist about the food I cooked - and I wasn’t even eating dog

It’s hard to separate the animal welfare issues around this though. In principle I think people should be able to eat what they want to, but in reality most animals in this world are treated like garbage by humans

Yeah, OP, I tend to agree overall. I would argue that there are cases where there are issues around endangered animals or similar problems where it is an issue - whale meat for example, endangered fisheries, etc. Those are questions beyond what a specific culture regards as edible.

Also in some cases like chimps I think you could reasonably raise ethical questions around consciousness. And of course some people make that argument about a lot larger section of animals.

But the differentiation between pets and food animals is not really particularly logical. I have as much issue with the way pigs and chickens are farmed as with dogs.

@FOJN

I am not talking about animal welfare here,

The issue with dog meat farms is almost exclusively about animal welfare. I don't really care if people want to assume I have colonial aspirations; I will continue to contribute to campaigns to put an end to dog meat farming because the suffering caused to those animals before they are eaten is disgusting. Some of the animals are rescued still wearing the collars and tags put on them by their owners, when they were much loved pets, before they were stolen.

Anyone attempting to defend it should be ashamed of themselves.

Surely the response to such despicable treatment of animals would be to campaign to improve this/stop the cruelty but not to stop the eating of that particular animal. There is still lot of work to be done in this country in for example poultry farming. You don’t see other cultures dictating to us that we should therefore stop eating chicken etc. It’s the connotations of this attitude that irks me.

It’s the connotations of this attitude that irks me.

Would you be irked to know I vehemently oppose many cultural practices of other countries, FGM, breast ironing, forced/child marriage to name a few. I don't mind saying so because I'm not afflicted with the racism if low expectations.

YABU. Dog farming is abhorrent.

@Theyearthatneverwas

apple.news/A8N_rA-cwQlCwbNyIVsSxaA

This has always annoyed me. If you eat beef/chicken etc. what makes you think you can decide what animals should or shouldn’t be considered food? I think such attitudes have colonialism connotations. I am not talking about animal welfare here, just the idea of what and shouldn’t be considered as food.

A lot of Chinese don’t even eat dog and most of those protesting at Yulin etc. are Chinese. We should support them, not look smugly on and say, well, we eat pork! What’s the difference. There’s actually a huge difference 😡

These aren’t farm-raised dogs, which is what they do in South Korea. Many are stolen pets or strays grabbed from the streets, I know of a woman who found her dog on a stopped meat truck. Many rescued from those trucks have had collars.

I agree with you OP. Any animal is fair game to be eaten. Humans are an apex predator so we eat carnivores and herbivores. We should not be dictating which animals can and cannot be eaten. However, we should agree with international treaties and such common animal welfare standards and also if a species is off limits for a time due to being endangered or over harvested/fished.

Not sure how abuse of women with FGM, breast ironing etc is in any way comparable or relevant to the questions of animal treatment. Women are categorically more important than animals.

They can eat what they want as long as they don’t start a global pandemic and ruin everyone else’s lives. Oh wait...

Not sure how abuse of women with FGM, breast ironing etc is in any way comparable or relevant to the questions of animal treatment.

It's not relevant to the treatment of animals but it is relevant to the question of whether "westerners dictating" what are acceptable standards of humane behaviour is colonialism.

@FOJN

Not sure how abuse of women with FGM, breast ironing etc is in any way comparable or relevant to the questions of animal treatment.

It's not relevant to the treatment of animals but it is relevant to the question of whether "westerners dictating" what are acceptable standards of humane behaviour is colonialism.

Which is not what this thread is about. Nice try derailing it though.

Which is not what this thread is about. Nice try derailing it though.

The thread is about "westerners" applying their standards to the cultural practices of other countries. The OP said she wasn't talking about animal welfare but unfortunately that is the main issue with the dog meat farming. I doubt we'd hear about it otherwise. The issue is not pursued solely by "westerners", there are many animal welfare organisations in the countries where dogs are eaten that campaign for an end to the practice.

Not a derail, simply pointing out that the OP is incorrect to assert that animal welfare doesn't need to be included in this discussion. Meaningful debate is impossible if the starting point is a false premise.

I think it's more the skinning them alive, keeping them in hideous conditions, stealing beloved pets etc that's the issue.

I don't eat any animals, partly because seeing the fear in their eyes and hurting them anyway is just wrong IMO. I just can't do that.

The Mirror headline is about taking dog meat off the menu, but the couples life work is volunteering with animal charities.
I don't think anyone should eat any animal.
But I also do think humans have a special responsibility to domesticated animals. We have bred dogs to trust us and be companions for 1000s of years. Eating them is betraying that trust that we have created.

I would look to bush meat causing an ebola outbreak and pangolins possibly causing this current pandemic as a reason why the world stage should be able to prevent certain cultural food practices. I don't think it's limited to western countries thinking it's a bad idea.

@FOJN

Not sure how abuse of women with FGM, breast ironing etc is in any way comparable or relevant to the questions of animal treatment.

It's not relevant to the treatment of animals but it is relevant to the question of whether "westerners dictating" what are acceptable standards of humane behaviour is colonialism.

That wasn't the question though. The question was purely about a diet. It even specifically said it's about "just the idea of what and shouldn’t be considered as food."

No. We have no right to dictate what they can eat to anyone unless animal is endangered at least in that particular area.

(We should, however, demand international standards of welfare. )

No. We have no right to dictate what they can eat to anyone unless animal is endangered at least in that particular area

It’s not us vs them. The majority of Chinese don’t even eat dog (surveys have found this) and most domestic activists are Chinese trying to effect change.

Those of us who care should support them, not lump them into one mass group of ‘dog eaters’ and pat ourselves on the back for our ‘understanding’ (when in reality, most Westerners know shit about the situation)