Benny - I apoligize. After I wrote that I decided it was both unfriendly & in poor taste & intended to not submit it. I thought I had closed the window without submitting. Apparently I screwed that up. I’m sorry to have been hostile.
bouv and mr. jp, can you point to a reference that will explain why you say that bugs or lobsters can’t feel pain? Given all the evolutionary benefits for an organism to know when it’s being damaged, I find that claim really, really hard to accept.
Cite? Some experts disagree with you.
Or up to two minutes, according to the previous link.
Why can’t we? While I agree that we should be careful, humans are merely a particular kind of animal, so why should we assume there is a solid line between us and fellow members of our kingdom such that none of our characteristics apply to any of them?
Chickens (cocks) in Louisiana. But no longer in New Mexico. Yay!
So you did something that you now regret ?
I would be a lot more worried if you did not regret it.
In my case my father was a bit more enlightened, when I brought back a pair of pigeons, we solemnly cleaned them, roasted them and ate them together.
I’m often reminded of the Sidney Poitier film where he and his son smoke cigars.
General rule: killing to eat, or killing pests is Ok - killing for pleasure is not.
I think you know that - go find something else to feel guilty about
[sub]Sodding guilt gene, when will they wipe that out[/sub]
Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. :rolleyes:
Ok, I decided to do a little looking on my own. That article is a bit to polemical for me to trust it, besides which, although it rejects the idea that plants feel pain, it gives the idea far more consideration than it deserves.
It appears that there hasn’t been enough research to grant a firm conclusion, but the most recent study suggests that lobsters and other invertebrates most likely do not feel pain. Media sources don’t go into much detail, but the study was widely reported. This article from The Guardian and this one from CBS News are representative.
This journal article doesn’t address lobsters, but it does consider insects and cephalopods (squid and octopuses), and provides pretty convincing evidence that insects almost certainly do not feel pain, while cephalopods, the most complex and intelligent invertebrates, very likely do.
If bouv has a more comprehensive cite on lobsters, I’d still be very interested in seeing it.
Mostly they would be dead otherwhys ? (sic)
The core came from Afghanistan, mainly survivors from the Northern Alliances’s ire, and they were supplemented by suspicious looking nomads who were sold on.
Torturing people who have nothing to say makes no sense
LSLGuy –
I didn’t find your post hostile or anything, it was alright. Thanks!
I agree. I was responding to a poster who was stating a firm position by pointing out that some experts disagree with him/her.
Actually, for the cat’s own well being, I would think having it kept indoors all the time is much kinder.
CATS? They eat cats in Korea? I grew up in Seoul and have never heard of people eating cats. Must be some Pusan thing.
I do know that they beat dogs to death before popping them in the stew. The rationale I’ve heard is that the adrenaline released makes the meat more tender - I don’t think it has anything to do with sex-enhancing powers.
Nope. It’s all over the country. And it’s illegal. Dogs and cats are not food items according to the Ministry of Agriculture. It’s illegal here to sell as food any item not designated as such by said ministry.
The “rationale” for it is both: makes it more tender/tasty/healthful and makes for more stamina. If you’re interested, I can send you via PM links to the English pages of a couple of Korean animal welfare organizations that describe the killings of both critters, even in Seoul.
I Googled a bit (I can read Korean 
)and…color me surprised. One of the articles said something about how the average South Korean never sees the seedier side of the dog/cat eating business - I suppose that’s true, considering I never even knew cats were also eaten (the statistics seemed to indicate that cat eating is only about a tenth of the amount of dog eating that goes on). That’s really sick (the cruelty, not the eating part).
If the slugs/salt combination is illegal then every child I know will be behind bars.
There’s a whole myth created about it. Well, it’s more of a false history of the practice. The people selling the stuff will tell you it’s traditional here but it most certainly is not. The practice became widespread during or shortly after the Korean War.
The advertising genius was whoever decided to tout its “medicinal effects” for sex. I think it’s probably impossible to guess the number of species that have met their demise due to some human male’s drive to get some help in that area. Another thing: there is exactly zero scientific evidence supporting all of the so-called medicinal claims for chowing down on dogs. And, of course, the sellers aren’t bothered by the little matter of serving up cat stew while telling the consumer it’s dog soup. Want to know the source for the critters? Two places: illegal dog/cat farms and stolen pets.
As I mentioned above, the practice is illegal. The laws are not enforced in the slightest. In Korea, you can’t legally torture dogs or cats. But, by all accounts, you certainly can illegally torture them and have no worries about punishment.
There was a thread on this topic a few months ago. One side defined pain as the reaction to damage, another side said that in some life forms, this is a programmed reaction that does not involve a conscious recognition of pain as humans know it. However, it’s a hijack for this thread.
I had never heard they ate cats in Korea either (I’m Korean as well), but it seems like Monty is saying that it’s not intentional. Is that the case? From what I gathered in your post. it sounds like people think they’re eating dog but it’s actually cat.
Here is footage of a camel spider and a mouse in a bucket. I guess those guys were bored.
Edit: Don’t click the link if you’re squeamish.
Right. Eating cat is not intentional on the part of the person consuming the feline as they are purchasing (illegally, mind you) canine. It’s also quite well-known here among the population how the dog is treated to “create the desired result.”
I will refrain from posting my opinion of the people selling and of those consuming the “fare” as this is GQ and I don’t curse anymore.