Marxist Animalism

From one of the articles mentioned above.

I don't think that's right, we don't enter into social relations with animals, but then that does not mean that we should not have ethical concerns about them. It's just that these concerns can only arise from a singular direction only, from us. In much the same way that we have relations with future generations etc…

In my catch up of the news, came across this, as just to confirm my previous comment. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/03/eating-less-meat-curb-climate-change

It is perhaps the case for flexitarianismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-vegetarianismBut i live in a society where eating insects is not a fad but  daily part of diet and eating frogs is not just a joke about the French. And when it comes to vegetarianism, i doubt even the most dedicated will not consume as varied greens as here too…diverse plants and leaves off various trees, and every meal is served with them as side dish for a balance of nutrients, i suppose, since it is often a free resource , picked  off a bush from around a corner. But i lived in cultures where pork and beef were both very scarce on the menu for hundreds of millions of people and instead chicken and goat (usually called mutton) were the usual subsitutes.We cannot expect one size fit all especially across all the different regions of the world ….but i'm betting those tobacco users will struggle to continue their habit  as the cash-crop farming for it disappears. But i'm told you can grow your own, as well as rolling your own http://www.tobaccoseed.co.uk/Growing_Tobacco.htmlBut maybe also maybe back to dandielion tea and chicory coffee as plantation workers desert the fields. After the American civil war 40% left the cotton fields, and those that stayed only did so out of fear and uncertainty, something socialism will not be offering. It took Jim Crow laws to ensure they stayed where they and were also designed to drive ex-slaves back to their home plantations. The Vagrancy Act provided that "all free negroes and mulattoes over the age of eighteen" must have written proof of a job at the beginning of every year. Those found "with no lawful employment . . . shall be deemed vagrants, and on conviction . . . fined a sum not exceeding . . . fifty dollars." The Enticement Act made it illegal to lure a worker away from his employer by offering him inducements of any kind. Its purpose, of course, was to restrict the flow (and price) of labor by forcing plantation owners to stop "stealing" each other's Negroes. i have argued this before on other threads that many common products will become relatively rare luxuries for the occasional feast-day and i think meat will return to its earlier state but some foods will simply disappear…or become very localised and seasonal, just as it was before. Xmas was the only time i had chicken and mandarin oranges as a kid., poooor wee soul…but there were plenty of local gooseberry bushes around and various berries to pick wild …gone now too. And stealing apples from gardens was a sport not a crime…. ramble ramble ramble… the good old bad days

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-science-predictions-prove-too-conservative/Just to draw attention to this statement by Scientific American regards the IPCC

A report published in 2013 by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) shows that emissions from global livestock production accounts for 14.5 percent (not 9%) of total man-made greenhouse gases in the atmospherehttp://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-s-appetite-for-meat-swells-along-with-climate-changing-pollution/ Livestock-related emissions and associated issues are not in the spotlight of international climate negotiations, partly because of the difficulty of measuring the emissions accurately. The result is a lack of awareness on the subject among global policymakers.When it comes to pigs and poultry their wastes emit another type of greenhouse gas called nitrous oxide, which is nearly 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. China's livestock production contributed to more than half of greenhouse gas emissions in its agricultural activities, releasing emissions equivalent to 445 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2005—the latest data available. That only takes into account direct emissions. When considering carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels in facilities that raise and process animals for food, as well as greenhouse gas emissions associated with feed production and meat transportation, the overall climate impact of the livestock sector would be bigger.(We do have a carbon footprint on grain production but they seem to be highlighted by the livestock industry as in this example –  file:///C:/Users/AP-Lenovo/Downloads/TopPaddock%20-%20Greenhouse%20gas%20emissions%20from%20grain%20production.pdf )We can throw figures and facts about all we want but a gradual transition of the world to a practically meat-free diet is desirable on the long term and people in a socialist society will be debating and discussing such a prospect and how it can be achieved. The defence of meat eating does not require any contribution from the SPGB, the meat industry is quite capable of producing its own defence. What our position should be emphasising is once again to show there exists an alternative to the status quo, which is viable and feasible and rational. The contrary position of uncritically accepting that eating meat is a personal choice decision, and not a social question where we can make a generalised hyopothesis on what should be done based on currently known data, is i think is as faulty as those seeking change to vegetarianism as a lifestyle decision. I see no problem with taking a position (albeit covered with various caveats)  that a world socialist society would in consideration of various environmental concerns aim towards reducing meat eating as much as it could. And reiterate an earlier ethical position from i think the 20s that once we begin to care about and start to value our fellow humans, we will begin to treat animals also with more concern and compassion. I speak, btw, not as a vegetarian, much less a vegan, in case people wonder if i am or not. In fact the more processed the food personally the more i like it…bring on that new Soylent Green …not the people stuff but the goo full of nutrients and chemicals and stuff needed to live.http://www.soylent.me/

Well, I think the party position (as such) would be that vegetarianism/veganism  is not a question of individual morality, but will have to be a decision of the democratic production within socialism.  I'd suspect that there will be some meat, it's a way to use scrub lad that we can't otherwise farm.  And I have an ace plan for sealing off the Medditerranean and turning it into a genetically modified whale farm (we could use the fur as well).

I was going to simply dam the Straits of Gibraltar and drain the Mediterrean into the Atlantic Ocean and then use the Nile, the Rhone and all the other rivers run through the newly re-claimed land as irrigation for further agricultural land. Probably be too salty soil at first though, come to think of it. Might have to lie fallow for a generation of two. Grazing cattle will usually consume twice as much salt as those fed high-concentrate diets. Part of the explanation may be that lush forages are generally high in potassium and low in sodium . The body has to maintain a sodium potassium balance, which may stimulate salt intake. Salt is an excellent means of delivering ionophores to grazing cattle.

This US legal decision may be of interesthttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30338231

Following that logic neither would the severely physically handicapped nor the mentally ill could be deemed full human being but i am sure in the complete judgement that question is probably addressed. The right-wing anti-abortionists would also have a problem with this brief definition of a human in their claims that foetuses are people, too. In fact, even children in many regards do not meet this standard.