McCartney attacks China over fur

RBM

RBM

CAGiversary!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4476664.stm

Sir Paul McCartney has vowed never to perform in China after seeing horrific undercover footage of dogs and cats being killed for their fur.

 The former Beatle also said he would boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics after viewing the footage taken in a fur market in Guangzhou, southern China. The film shows animals being thrown from a bus, and into boiling water.

A Chinese official said boycotts were not justified, and blamed US and European consumers for buying the fur.

In the film, dogs and cats packed by the dozen into wire cages little bigger than lobster pots are pictured being thrown from the top deck of a converted bus onto concrete pavements. The screaming animals, many with their paws now smashed from the fall, are then lifted out with long metal tongs and thrown over a seven foot fence.

Some are senselessly beaten by laughing and smiling workers. All are then killed and skinned for their fur - many are believed still to be alive as their skins are peeled away.

"This is barbaric. Horrific," said Sir Paul. "It's like something out of the dark ages. And they seem to get a kick out it. They're just sick, sick people.

"I wouldn't even dream of going over there to play, in the same way I wouldn't go to a country that supported apartheid. This is just disgusting. It's just against every rule of humanity. I couldn't go there."

Campaigners estimate that over two million dogs and cats are killed for their fur in China every year. China also farms animals such as mink for their fur and makes over half of the world's fur products.


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So, there you have it. Hopefully, anyone who might consider giving their loved one an article of clothing with fur (fur trim, fur lining, or of course, a fur coat) this holiday season will care enough to see where it was made... and then envision how that fur was...harvested. As the spokesperson for China said....it's the consumer who supports the practice with his dollars that allows the practice to continue (not that the brutal practice reflects anything on the fur traders themselves...of course not!)

 
I saw another article blaming retailers for not doing stricter background checks. A reporter interviewed an owner or someone heavily involved in the chinese fur industry (can't remember) and he said it was common for them to sell dog fur but just label it something else to make it sellable. Essentially the coat you have may not be from the animal you think it is.

Though as for the joyfully sadistic treatment of animals, that's hardly a chinese problem. There's well documented cases of that in the u.s., particularly with chickens. Things such as spitting in their eyes, ripping heads off, kicking them like footballs, crushing them into boxes etc. have all been documented, most notably suppliers to KFC. Then there's the whole inadequacy of the process, using the minimal required electricution resulting in not all being killed, meaning many have their throats slit or are put into boiling water while still alive.
 
[quote name='RBM']blamed US and European consumers[/QUOTE]

I hope this doesn't become a trend.

As a whole, I'm not a fan of fur. I don't like the idea of dogs or cats being brtualized or abused (and as an aside, typically find myself far more disgusted with people who brutalize animals than people who brutalize other people). You'd think they'd be more "humane" (using the term loosely) and just put a bullet in the head like cows. Of course, cow treatment is also under scrutiny.

However, something like this doesn't surprise me. China is, more or less, the asshole of the world.
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']The wrong two Beatles died first.[/QUOTE]

Lennon was a pompous elitist asshole. I have no qualms with him dying.
 
Dogs and cats are simply viewed differently in some parts of the world. In some they're primarily food and resources, in others they are exclusively pets (experiments notwithstanding). China is inbetween, leaning to the pet side but definately not exclusively in many areas.

It's especially repugnant to us due to the position dogs and cats have in our country but, in the end, it's no worse than what we do to pigs, which most scientists believe are more intelligent than dogs and cats anyway.

Lennon was a pompous elitist asshole. I have no qualms with him dying.
Click to expand...

I think his point is he thinks the chinese should continue the above practices, or at least that no one should bother them about it. If you remember this is the same guy who thinks its perfectly fine to wipe out apes, as long as there are plenty to experiment on.
 
[quote name='capitalist_mao']Lennon was a pompous elitist asshole. I have no qualms with him dying.[/QUOTE]

I never said I wouldn't prefer them all dead.;)

Besides it's a quote.
 
Why is he only attacking China when there are serious animal abouse issues in every country? Has he seen any video of what goes on in US slaughter farms? The things they do to the cows and other animals are as worst if not more so then what is being done to these cats and dogs. I saw one video of a cow being hung by its hind legs. It was still alive and moving around trying to get free. The worker came up to the cow, stuck a sharp knife into its stomach and cut the cow open. You can see all blood and guts spill out. It was pretty disgusting. I can't help but to think that there is a bit of racial bias underneath his criticisms. He shouldn't just single out one country.
 
[quote name='capitalist_mao']Lennon was a pompous elitist asshole. I have no qualms with him dying.[/QUOTE]


yeah imagine all the people living for today, what a dick. Its pretty easy to bash someone on a board especially somone who is dead. Why dont you grow a pair cause right now you seem like a pompous elitist asshole and I have no qualms with blocking you
 
[quote name='Ikohn4ever']yeah imagine all the people living for today, what a dick. Its pretty easy to bash someone on a board especially somone who is dead. Why dont you grow a pair cause right now you seem like a pompous elitist asshole and I have no qualms with blocking you[/QUOTE]

The pot called the kettle black.
 
[quote name='theboogeyman']Has he seen any video of what goes on in US slaughter farms? The things they do to the cows and other animals are as worst if not more so then what is being done to these cats and dogs.He shouldn't just single out one country.[/QUOTE]

I think the difference lies in the level of sensitivity to prevention of cruelty. Many people criticize the processes used in the housing and slaughter of animals in factories in America, but we do have guidelines to minimize the inherent pain and suffering...now, the footage you've mentioned shows that there are definite lapses and much room for improvement. However, that's a far cry from having no guidelines whatsoever and completely disregarding the suffering of animals.

I'm guessing that McCartney & his wife's strong reaction to this particular footage was due to the chinese workers actually smiling and laughing as they work. If the factory worker you mentioned had been cracking a joke while he disemboweled that poor cow, that would've provoked a lot more public anger...which is not to say that no American factory worker has ever whistled merrily as he began butchering a conscious cow, chicken, or pig...but no footage of such has leaked out into mainstream media (plus, those animals aren't as cute and fuzzy as cats and dogs.)
 
[quote name='theboogeyman']Why is he only attacking China when there are serious animal abouse issues in every country? Has he seen any video of what goes on in US slaughter farms? The things they do to the cows and other animals are as worst if not more so then what is being done to these cats and dogs. I saw one video of a cow being hung by its hind legs. It was still alive and moving around trying to get free. The worker came up to the cow, stuck a sharp knife into its stomach and cut the cow open. You can see all blood and guts spill out. It was pretty disgusting. I can't help but to think that there is a bit of racial bias underneath his criticisms. He shouldn't just single out one country.[/QUOTE]

Well, in the u.s. they aren't following the guidlines. In china the guidelines are minimal if at all. Only recently have any laws been considered.

Basically, one government has laws preventing it, one does not. Though chickens are not covered by any of the welfare laws that livestock such as cows and pigs are.

But I think you miss something that's pretty obvious. A dog or cat being treated this way will get a much bigger reaction than a cow or pig, simply because of how we view them.

no American factory worker has ever whistled merrily as he began butchering a conscious cow, chicken, or pig...but no footage of such has leaked out into mainstream media (plus, those animals aren't as cute and fuzzy as cats and dogs.)
Click to expand...

I don't know about cows and pigs, but there is footage of them doing that to chickens. Not exactly whistling, but having fun while torturing them.
 
[quote name='Msut77']I never thought someone could hate Lennon.

Maybe not like but hate?

Oh well there had to be someone out there.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but he did marry Yoko. She is one annoying hypocrite.
 
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