Your Agenda Insight: Animal Rights and Wrongs

Should animals have more rights? If we increase their rights, what happens to human rights? Your Agenda Insight Essayist Jordan Peterson gives us his take.

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[pfreddyp]

@kristopheraugust Yes, that is an option. Privatization works in the sense that those interests are owned and therefore, the incentive exists to protect those interests. It's just a shame that that seems to be the only answer. Whereas, we all receive enormous benefit from the oceans and one can't even begin to put a price on that benefit. It should be managed by the public, for the public and that includes the seals.

[elicitwildly]

@XKS99 Great points.

[XKS99]

@pfreddyp

I guess that's your (and to be honest very typical of your type) way of conceding the point.

[pfreddyp]

Most human being are capable of reason, this is true. You just happen to not be one of them.

[pfreddyp]

Here's a scenario to ponder. Humans fish cod in the North Atlantic. Seals eat cod in the North Atlantic. The seals no when to say when, we don't and therefore we have practically fished out the cod. What do you do?

Manage the fishery better and aggressively restock the cod or, kill the seals for competing for your food source?

[pfreddyp]

Let me re-phrase my point on honey bees. If we humans don't respect the honey been to the point that it doesn't survive then we humans won't survive. So, it's in our collective interest to protect the honey bee.

And who's to say which animals we can do without. Nature is so chaotic that if you lose one species it could tip the scales on a dozen more species.

[XKS99]

@pfreddyp

A nuisance? What if I smashed the windows of your car/home? Would you go tralalalala "oh it's just a nuisance". Please. Raccoons are doing what their instincts make them, just as the laws of physics dictate the behaviour of tornados. It is equally ridiculous to extend rights to animals as it is to tornados. Human beings are capable of reason, hence they have rights. Abusing animals should be discouraged of course, because of the dehumanizing effect it has on people.

[pfreddyp]

@XKS99 Nope, never had a raccoon tear apart my roof. No animal has ever violated my rights. I'm sure it happens though. More of a nuisance than violating YOUR rights, though. As for tornadoes and hurricanes; what are you talking about? What the hell kind of leap of logic is that from what I wrote?

[XKS99]

@Rationalific

I think it's shameful that you're comparing minorities to dogs and worms.

[XKS99]

@pfreddyp

Isn't a raccon that is tearning apart your roof violating your property rights? Shall we give rights to tornados and hurricanes as well then?