Do some news items make you think that humanity is irredeemable? ***warning - upsetting subject, related to treatment of monkeys***

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I heard the story on the news today about people paying to watch baby monkeys being tortured online.

It was so terrible, and makes me think that, as a species, we're fucked.

And, if enough people will make it financially viable to do that, I know what I think would be next (but I can't bring myself to type it.)

Sorry to those who think I'm overdoing it, but I find it incredibly upsetting.

The monkeys are part of the pet trade. You can buy them legally in the US and other countries.

The videos originally started on YouTube and then moved over to another channel. It does say it but I can’t remember it right now

@User5000 yea, I think torturing baby monkeys is worse than the appalling conditions of livestock.

Yes, I do think primates have elevated status, not that any mistreatment is acceptable. That's a false assumption.

Torture can be applied to almost anything but most people have a specific idea of 'torture'. Hitting someone round the head can result in severe pain if it's not strictly 'torture'. Most people imagine torture to involve intentionally inflicting as much pain as possible, with a degree of premeditation and sadism involved. Keeping scared animals in cramped conditions is severely neglectful and unacceptable but it's not torture. We don't have to label it torture to realise that it's still a serious issue.

People who are going on about farming have 100% forgotten them moneys because apparently only vegans are allowed to abhor animal cruelty. Anyone else, just be quiet because you're a hypocrite.

Honestly? I think I am more troubled by this because 1)the torture is the whole purpose, not a side effect, 2)people are actually getting off on it, 3)primates seem closer to human. I have a horrible suspicion that the sort of people who wank off to baby monkeys being tortured to death would aspire to doing so to videos of human babies. I hope there is the most thorough forensic investigation of their hard drives, as there may well also be children who desperately need safeguarding.

Incidentally, if anyone wants to do something about it, Monkey World in Dorset has an international reputation for rescuing abused primates. Every donation helps. Here

Agreed. I stupidly thought I could skim-read this thread, but my eyes still saw too much. I saw the headline on the BBC app this morning and didn't go further as I couldn't bear to know. But then I heard on the radio that the story involved sickening videos etc and looked for a MN thread about it to feel some kind of "support" as there's no-one in real life I can mention it to. I wished to God I hadn't. Stupid, stupid me. Time to log off. I hope you're able to put this out of your mind, if only a little.

@User5000 I think there is hideous cruelty in animal experiments as well. I did read that there is a high incidence of mental health problems amongst both animal lab workers and in abattoirs. That suggests to me that hurting other animals has a damaging effect on humans too. The people who set up this operation with the monkeys are beyond help, I think, and should be imprisoned for actual life or given the death penalty.

This isn't about eating meat. We've already forgotten the monkeys and gotten absolutely nowhere. The whataboutery makes me understand why people can't stand vegans. It's like nothing else matters... until we solve every issue in farming, any other cruelty is secondary

This is about the monkey news, not farming

The point is though, that everyone is appalled by the treatment of these monkeys obviously, it’s fucking sick, that goes without saying.

But there are animals going through brutal treatment and deaths every day because of farming and people could actually stop some of that by making some changes. They don’t want to because they’d rather do some virtue signalling that actually does nothing about monkeys. That’s because saying ‘oh poor monkeys, I cried for an hour’ and someone else saying ‘well I cried for 2 hours’ means they get to feel like a good person because they’re ‘so upset’ without actually doing anything to help animals suffering.

Now, people can eat what they like, but others will bring it up whether you like it or not because it does seem hypocritical.

@Soubriquet Thank you. But I can't understand how youtube allowed this to happen. Presumably they started a following there before they moved. How the hell did youtube allow this!

It is known that animal abuse is often a precursor to human abuse. Serial killers Fred West and Ian Brady abused animals in their childhood.

We are the most loathsome species that ever walked this planet. We deserve to die out. The planet will be better for it.

I’m actually quite amazed that this news story has finally been picked up by MSM. It’s been openly shown on all social media platforms for many years.

@NaNaNasAndAirGuitars I am a vegetarian. But I think people are upset about the monkeys because they were hurt for entertainment. With meat eating people don't watch it for entertainment. At least I hope not. I now wonder if there is some horrible group out there streaming that kind of content. Farms and abattoirs probably wouldn't allow it though.

It's not remotely hypocritical... and regardless, that requires a thread of its own. Mistreatment I'm farming is only vocalised when people speak up about other issues.

It's a valid issue, but it's wrong to divert conversation and using it in this way doesn't convert anyone to veganism

@user9630721458 I know, I get it. I suppose the difference is some people see animals being hurt for meat is justifiable. I don’t.

I think people want to just say ‘how terrible’ about these poor monkeys because it’s easy. No change to their life required. It’s obvious some people will call them out as it does seem hypocritical.

It's a valid issue, but it's wrong to divert conversation and using it in this way doesn't convert anyone to veganism

I agree. I was pointing out why some people will point it out.

I don’t see much point to conversation about these monkeys unless anyone is actually doing anything to help. People just want to feel good by saying ‘it’s so sad, I cried’....well yeah. It goes without saying unless your a sick fucker and I doubt anyone d is going to come on here and say ‘I love watching monkeys being abused’.

@SheIIy i do acknowledge that there is a difference between the monkeys and farming. I guess it's just hard for me to see so many people caring about abuse in one sense, yet contributing to it on a daily basis in another.

@user9630721458 I absolutely agree that the negative impact of farming/animal testing goes far beyond the obvious issue of animal harm. It isn't normal for anyone to be around those things willingly, whether for a job or otherwise. The people harming these poor monkeys should be very severely punished!

NAHALT

Also, there is much larger and more systematic evil going on in the world and always has been. This is horrible but fairly basic and small fry in comparison.

Not so relevant in the UK but the global pet trade is certainly an issue. Animal cruelty laws in other countries are not good enough. Not sure what can be done, or will be done

I read a blurb under one of the photos and it made me shout out loud. Just the absolute vileness if it all. What they did was absolutely sick sick sick. Wtf is wrong with them? Why would they want to do this? These are the kind of people who go on to kill people

Not so relevant in the UK but the global pet trade is certainly an issue. Animal cruelty laws in other countries are not good enough. Not sure what can be done, or will be done

Animal cruelty laws in the U.K. aren’t worth the paper they’re written on tbh.

Yes, I'd agree they aren't great either. Joke sentences but we seem to have those across the board.

I am very shocked by this. I thought social media was regulated for illegal content.

When I heard the story, I turned off the radio as soon as I heard what was being said. I know that, once threads have been started, you can't control them, but please don't post with graphic examples of what happened. There's no need.
And, whatever you think of eating meat, treating animals badly is a side-product of this. People don't eat meat in order to inflict cruelty. Morally, it's completely different.

Morally, it's completely different.

In your opinion.

An opinion shared by many of us. So aren't you clever 🙄

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