1070:
Humans have always been advantage-takers and
inferior-bashers, whether in the name of racism, speciesism or religious
superiority. In particular circumstances, we are hardwired in favour of separation
and inequality. It is so much easier to exploit animals if we think they are
inferior to us.
Just look at the way most of us treat new people who are
different to us, by practising ‘separation’ on them. We don’t admit to this,
and in fact we might even appear benevolent or compassionate to show off our
liberal credentials. But in our private feelings we still practise separation,
to mark our difference between us and them. We do the same thing with animals,
in the belief that they are ‘brutish’ and insensitive to pain. This allows us
to exploit them and feel no pity for them.
Separation-beliefs are integral to hierarchical systems – if
we are on top of the pile we consider certain humans and absolutely all animals
as inferiors, allowing a markedly different treatment from that we lavish on
‘nearest and dearest’. We often show more respect for our companion animals at
home than the human next door; but we show far less respect for wild animals
and zero respect for the animals we eat.
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