Indulge to your heart’s content

1645: 

Materialism is rampant. Our thirst for the material satisfactions of life is insatiable. Great wealth is achieved by those with the most unquenchable thirst and the shallowest conscience. To get the things we want we need to make big bucks. We take trees out of forests, put people in slums and factories and enslave animals. The rich have made fortunes, for wherever there has been a benefit to be had, they’ve grabbed it.

Perhaps we’re all complicit in one sense, since we humans have made it our goal to dominate all other species. We think we can do as we please. Apart from a few viruses that we don’t yet control, all other life forms are subject to human whim. Anything useable is used. Anything in our way is got rid of. Violence and violation are used by us on each other. If anyone steps out of line we make war on them. If any useful animal, like a kangaroo, can’t be farmed, we hunt it instead. If any life form becomes an uncontrollable pest, like rabbits, we spread disease amongst them with the aim of eradicating them.

Humans will stop at nothing to be masters of the universe or at least to retain control of their world. Violence is employed without a second thought. And this control-through-violence is passed on from generation to generation, and initially the spoils of this 'war' appeals to young people who only have eyes for the advantages to themselves. And who is there to guide them? Older people are intimidated by youth, finding young people’s vitality and spontaneity so exciting they hardly dare to speak up or criticise them for any lack of responsibility or lack of independent thinking. Conversely, young people usually find their elders not worth listening to, uninspiring and unexciting. Instead they to their peers for support, which exposes them to peer pressure, group thinking and a lot of unthought-out behaviour. Thus we are as we are, and will remain so, unguided and drawn towards the quick results which come from violence and self-interest.

The Animal Rights movement is hopefully the one influence in our society which aims to initiate a change towards harmlessness. It is made up of people who are brave enough to ignore the quick-fix fashion and to make a bold stand against one of the greatest irresponsibilities of our time. Our message, concerning the abuse of food animals, may just be enough to reverse today’s indulgent trend, and bring back some sanity to our increasingly uncivilised society.