MICROEDITORIALS
ROLAND VINCENT
Special Editor, Ecoanimal & Socialism Questions
Except for token measures, expect no real relief for animals from the GOP.
Animal Rights is ALL about politics!
Just as slavery was all about politics!
The same political, social, religious and economic issues drove slavery as now drive animal exploitation. Slavery was defended as commanded by God from pulpits across the country. It was defended by Conservatives (then the Democrats) in state legislatures in the North and South. Powerful agricultural interests predicted economic collapse is slavery were to be abolished!
It is absurd to suggest that slavery would have been defeated by ignoring politics! It took politics, riots and war —with the clash of massive armies—to bring an end to slavery.
It will require more to establish Animal Rights!
Animal Rights is not compatible with politics as usual. We cannot bring about Animal Rights by supporting this Democrat or that Republican! Ridiculously unimportant issues cannot drive our votes or divert our attention.
Stunned hog on the conveyor of death. Who gave us the right?
Animal Rights will require the end of capitalism as we know it. Hardly a conservative position! You won’t find a single Republican who will agree! Nor will most Democrats. But those that will agree are ALL radicals and liberals!
Both Democrats and Republicans can be sell-outs to corporate lobbyists and their bagmen. The difference between the Democratic and Republican parties is simple: Republicans don’t have Liberals!*
And you don’t think Animal Rights is a political issue? If you vote for a Republican you are placing an enemy of animals in a position of power over them! You may be doing the same voting Democrat, but there is an excellent chance you will not be! Read on.
Democrats Can Be Scumbags, Too
For several years I have made it my mission to expose Conservative legislators for the enemies of animals that they are.
The task is not difficult. Their record of acting as enablers and apologists for the animal exploitation industries is public.
Conservative legislators are the mouthpieces for Big Ag, Big Pharma, and Big Oil, which murder billions of animals each year.
Democrat leadership: not the answer
Curiously, there are animal activists who consider themselves to be Conservatives. They may be Conservatives for any number of reasons: Don’t like to pay taxes? Don’t like people of color? Don’t like gay people? Want to carry their guns around? Don’t like abortion? Etc?
Whatever the reasons, they are more important to them than are the animals, because the party and politicians they support are working to hurt animals and to protect those who hurt animals.
A common retort I hear when pointing out these truths, is that Democrats do it, too. And that is their defense? Others are equally reprehensible?
Democrats can be as heartless as Republicans, true.
But Democrats have Liberals, whereas the Republican Party does not.
And it is Liberals, at least those on the Far Left, the real left, who are most likely to oppose business influence in government, business money in politics, business control of regulatory agencies, and business profiting on the exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals.
The Democratic Party is not the answer for animals.
The Left Wing of the Democratic Party —and the Left, in general—is the answer.
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* Broadly understood, meaning people who genuinely abhor conservative positions.
