WEEK 49 Nov 20th to 26th 2000

   "UNCONTROLLABLE" ANIMALS MUST GO

   The group of influential people in Norway, who want to exterminate all predators and "bothersome" animals, is about to gain the upper hand. After an announced survey designed to support official politics, every individual of two packs of wolves, frequenting the Osterdalen valley, will be shot. Commercial interests and supporters have long sought to complete the genocide of the Norwegian/Swedish wolf.
   Pelt farming is continuing and is enjoying financial support from public funds, in spite of the obvious ongoing torture. Foxes "live" their entire life in tiny cages, "running" miles a day on net, running their paws raw. As all animals in current society they're treated as commodities, not living beings, though even a bit worse than most others. A recent court ruling says that even if pelt farming is "morally questionable" it's not illegal.
   Another publicly selected board has concluded that all cats should be either castrated or sterilized within a five- year limit. Wild cats should be something confined to the murky past. The board states that the public increasing irritation "with the problems caused by ownerless cats should be addressed immediately". Owners will also be required to mark the ear of their cats, "to ensure and apply blame when a cat is causing irritation and unrest". Politicians and public servants would certainly claim that Norway is in the forefront among the world's nations in dealing with bothersome animals, and they would doubtlessly be correct.
   The only place animals seem to be allowed is as polite, groomed, well-behaved pets or meat supply… or in laboratories, where they under various pretences, are held captive and tortured, "to benefit humanity as a whole". Of course one might want to question whether such acts are really a benefit to humanity, whether they're not really exposing our disregard for nature, our disregard for life in general, whether it's human or animal.
   But not many seem to ask those important questions.
   Multibillion-dollar enterprises like medical companies and developers of fragrances and perfume all over the world are increasing the use of test-animals annually. Current human society has changed over 50 percent of the world to something unrecognizable by natural standards. The world oceans contain major "dead" areas, where there is little or no life. We're surrounded by industrial chemicals. Some would claim that we've made ourselves lab rats. Perhaps not so strange then that we're treating all life as something to be filed away in textbooks and history lessons.