The Animals' Gaolers

1522: 

These huge populations of 'domesticated' animals - what is happening to them?  Well, obviously nothing is happening for them, that’s for sure.  To their minders (the farmers) animal health and welfare doesn’t seem to be of much concern, unless it affects the economic viability of the animal.  As soon as Daisy is no longer able to produce enough to earn her board and lodging, she’s sent off to the abattoir.

There is no relationship between the consumer and the animal except as it is between slave-master and slave, which amounts to no relationship at all, leastways not a pleasant one for the animal.  Perhaps her slavery is even more pernicious than human slavery ever was, since unlike her human counterpart, she has no way of dealing with the torment of her situation.  She has no ability to plan any sort of escape.  Her every ‘now’ moment must be empty, especially as her minders are crueller and more indifferent than ever before, since they themselves are ever more desperate to extract all they can from their animals, to keep themselves in business.

The difficulty the farmer has of turning a profit is compounded by the vast numbers of consumers demanding low-priced foods.  That means providing accommodation at the very lowest cost per animal.  If customers want low prices, they’re likely to buy imported goods if they’re cheaper than the home-produced variety.

         

Where does the finger of blame point?

Everyone who spends money on animal food and clothing is responsible for the situation.  But apart from the evils of slavery and our buying and eating animal-based foods, there’s the prospect of ethics (and fashion) nagging at the outcome, and eventually interfering with supply; which is when the customer starts to suffer from unfulfilled cravings.

So, by 'putting off until tomorrow what should be done today', and remaining uninformed about ‘methods of modern animal husbandry’, the ordinary consumer isn’t alerted let alone challenged.  They’re not so very different to the shareholder of an arms manufacturer, who doesn’t want to know what the weapons will be used for.  There is no interest in the provenance of the goods and services they buy, if it might seem to make them complicit with immoral business. And so there’s no wish on their part to share the responsibility for what goes on behind the scenes.