>>794052>name the trait>just go ahead and find a trait that humans posses that sets them apart from animalsthe trait is the state of being human. it's simply that. just like white supremacists use superficial genetic traits to draw a distinction between themselves and non-whites, the same rationale can be used to place a, perhaps irrational, innate value on humankind over non-humans.
it only makes sense to disassociate with a creature that is not like your own kind. now, here's where the fucking alien hypotheticals come in, people will chime in with shit like
>yeah but what if a race of highly intelligent alien life form came to our planet and determined that humans are tasty as fuck>and furthermore, they determined that humans are not of sufficient intellect to be granted moral consideration>would you be okay with them eating us?and to that I would say that they can fucking try, humans will put up a fight, and if we can't fight, then our demise is merely the natural order of things. rules of nature, bitch. that's just how it goes, the weak are eaten by the strong. humans aren't the only species to eat others, so why are you not holding animals of a lesser intellect to the same standards that you would impose on us? oh, because they're not as intelligent, right? why does that matter? do you think that if a cheetah had the appropriate intellect to understand the pain that it inflicts upon the gazelle in the process of hunting it, that it'd defy its own nature to abstain from eating meat?
>oh but that's bad faith because humans are omnivores, the cheetah doesn't have a choiceyeah but would the cheetah still not be mortified of its own existence as a killing machine? and besides, do you not consider plants to be worthy of preservation? what if a plant is destroyed by the pillaging of its fruit? what if the plant simply feels a great deal of pain from the pillaging of its fruit? what if the plant would object to he pillaging of its fruit on the basis that it gathered the resources necessary to bear that fruit of its own accord and does not authorize its theft by you? yes, I'm getting sort of ridiculous here, but bear with me, the point is this: at some point, a line has to be drawn. where do you draw that line? at some point, some amount of suffering is taking place, as it is the very nature of survival to pillage from other lesser creatures their resources.
at best, as the 'apex predators' on this planet, we have a moral responsibility to care for the lesser beings that bless us with their bounty. we can do this by making them as comfortable in life as possible, and killing them in humane ways when their time comes. in regard to the alien analogy, this is the only thing we as humans could do, attempt to appeal to our captors and forge an accord with them, in the hopes of attaining better treatment. currently, animals have no way of doing that, so if you want to get all misty eyed about the fate of animals, then fine. that is a noble cause, but there's really no way you can escape the nature of being a 'taker' in terms of your existence on this planet and the need for sustenance. well all take blood, water, and the resources of other beings. it's fact.
food for thought: your pet cat or dog or horse or whatever is not your equal. that animal is your dependent, and exists to be your pet because humans have developed the predilection for pet ownership. they have no say in how their living quarters are furnished, or even where they are allowed to reside. they have no say in whether or not to receive injections or suppositories from vets, and they don't have a choice in what they eat. some dogs get their tails and ears clipped to embody a certain aesthetic as deemed necessary by their owner (which they don't get a say in), and so it is true for some cats who are declawed without their consent. the point being that animals will always be subservient to the human race; all that changes is their role, whether it be as a pet or as a carcass to be cut up for its meat. if you really gave a shit about the animals, you'd take time to reconsider whether or not this subservience in itself is in the animal's best interests, but most vegans who are pet owners probably have never considered the thought of what life would be like for their pet if left to their own devices, outside of the evolutionary circumstances that have been pushed upon them by humanity.