Western civilization, like its analogs throughout history, is plagued by taboos of all sorts. We have taboos about how to relate with potential mates on first dates, taboos about the quality and quantity of information we share with colleagues, taboos about gender dynamics, class dynamics, and all sorts of other relationships. Many of these taboos have become so ingrained within the social consciousness that any challenge to them can be seen as an act of profanity and an indignity to witness. When this happens, there is – to borrow from Lacan – often some deep ideologic chasm waiting to be traversed.
This chasm operates beneath popular awareness and holding it up for analysis can be a revolutionary act. For example, spectators of mega-sporting events (e.g., the Olympics, World Cup, UFC, etc) can rationalize buying into their drug of choice, but they are generally blind to the ideologic chasm that operates beneath the culture of professional sport. As a result, critics who attempt to challenge the preeminence of competition or the culture of sport have a task of Sisyphean proportions ahead of them. Additionally, there’s a cultural taboo against even asking these questions. ‘Everybody knows competition drives us to personal excellence!’, they say. Meanwhile, the research negating their position is oppressed by taboo and complacency while our schools close, bridges collapse, and infrastructure decays. Layers and layers of taboo prevents us from taking responsibility for this situation or from effectively doing anything about it; but, as if this weren’t bad enough, our cultural tendency towards superstition and taboo doesn’t just mean pain and suffering for our ancestors, us, and our children – it also exacerbates and perpetuates cruelty towards animals.
At this years Oscars The Cove was recognized as best documentary. Although I first became interested in dolphins like most other children (i.e., via Flipper and SeaWorld), it was John Lilly’s groundbreaking research into dolphin consciousness that really got me concerned for their plight. Then came evidence they’re capable of reflecting and regulating their moods, and an impassioned plea for them to be considered ‘non-human persons’. Admittedly, I was sold on the idea that killing dolphins was a bad idea before I’d ever heard of the documentary, but I found it a thoroughly incendiary exposé and think it well worthy of your time. For those who haven’t seen it yet, in a nut shell The Cove describes the plight of porpoises and dolphins in Japan. It presents the Japanese in a less-than-endearing light, and following scrrenings of the film in “Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane film festivals,the councillors of Shire of Broome, Western Australia unanimously voted in August 2009 to suspend its sister city relationship with the Japanese whaling port town of Taiji, as long as Taiji continues its dolphin slaughter.” Sadly, Kucinich isn’t the only spineless politician to be found and the “decision was reversed in October 2009.” More recently, the “Japanese Coast Guard has arrested an anti-whaling activist of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for ‘vessel invasion’ after he boarded a Japanese whaling ship last month in the Southern Ocean.” So even if you make an Oscar-winning documentary exposing grotesque cruelty and ignroance, challenging taboos can still get you arrested.
Here’s someone who has made it their mission to represent the interests of Swiss animals:
• Are fish sentient beings? Can invertebrates suffer pain? These are the questions that regularly exercise the world’s top animal lawyer, Antoine Goetschel.
And here’s an unfortunate follow-up:
• Swiss voters have overwhelmingly rejected a controversial plan to appoint lawyers for animals.
What are we to make of this? Isn’t it the case that Western civilization has deemed itself Tyrant over all? Abusing animals doesn’t matter because it’s all in the interests of the Tyrant, and the Tyrant suffers no remorse over its actions because it is thoroughly sociopathic and solipsistic. So we blind ourselves to the cruelty behind our cosmetics, breakfast, clothing, pharmaceuticals – and apathy.
For those on the revolutionary path, on the other hand, acknowledging the agency and consciousness of animals has profound implications. As contrasted with the wanton profligacy of pop culture we’re obliged to inform our consumption and embody our ideals, but there’s also an understanding that the marginalized and oppressed segments of society need our assistance – and I would argue that should include our non-human neighbours. When an animal is in pain a conscious entity is in pain. Likewise for when they die. I don’t think that’s something to trivialize in any circumstance. Whether they be dolphins slaughtered in Japan, rabbits tortured in a lab, or agonized chickens on their way to become nuggets, their pain is a constant indictment of our collective inaction and apathy. Unfortunately, we still live in a world where calling attention to this systemic abuse is protected under a series of taboos. The chasm remains untraversed. But maybe The Cove brought society one step closer to an awareness of itself?
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