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The Rubber Room - Not Safe for Work / Re: Sick cat killing pics

« on: November 22, 2008, 10:42:14 PM »

That said...

I believe that animals are property, and no one should ever be punished for torturing them.  And this genre of pictures should be legal as well, as should any conceivable combination of 1's and 0's.

Anyone who initiates aggression against a person for torturing animals is committing a crime, and it is as much in my interest to bring them to justice as any other criminal.  You don't get to dictate how other people behave just because you feel emotional about something!  Rights come from economic necessity, not your subjective sense of repugnance or pity!

Just so you know, property is abstract. Doesn't really exist outside of our heads.

Alex, if animals are property and humans are animals, then it follows that humans are property.  Obviously not the case, you say.....or is it?  Should I be punished for torturing a human?  

In the case of pets, I view it as more of an implied contract. I give them food and shelter and they give me companionship, protection, cuddles, whatever it is you get out of having a pet.  I can say that I own them, but it doesn't mean anything to them, only to other human animals.  Who owns a wild animal?  Doesn't a wild animal have as much of a claim to it's liberty as you do to yours?  Ah, and what about a wild human? Can I own one of those?  

The whole basis of your argument that it is not criminal for a human to torture an animal is based on the concept of animals being "property" that one can dispose of as one wishes.  However, if you consider each animal to be a rational agent acting in their own self interest, then torturing an animal that one owns would be breaking the implied contract and I have as much interest in bringing that contract violator to justice as you do.

Torturing an animal that one does not own, i.e., someone who enjoys destruction for it's own sake, personally I would have no problem removing those genes from our collective gene pool.  Like Boom.