Whaling ye or neh?

[Geckko]

There is a bit of a stoush going on in the Pacific with Jpaanese whalers facing off against Greenpeace and asorted others.

linky thingy

What do people tend to think?

 

[plindboe]

I don't see why not. Unless the species are endangered.

 

[Ed]

I don't see why not. Unless the species are endangered.

Agree.

 

[Kevin_Lowe]

I vote no, because I'm uncomfortable with killing something as smart as a whale. I feel dolphins, bonobos, whales, chimps and some of the smarter birds should be off the menu for moral reasons.

ETA: I didn't vote for being opposed to commercial fishing, but I do have some fairly serious ecological concerns about how commercial fishing is conducted at the moment.

 

[Leif Roar]

I vote no, because I'm uncomfortable with killing something as smart as a whale. I feel dolphins, bonobos, whales, chimps and some of the smarter birds should be off the menu for moral reasons.

Ah, but as smart as which kind of whale? Take the minke whale; hunting commercially by Norway and making up a large part of the Japanese scientific (or possibly "scientific") hunt. It does not live in social groups, it does not have any kind of "song" or language, it does not have any advanced sonar-interpreting wetware. Nothing in its behaviour suggests extraordinary intelligence.

Are those okay to kill? If no, why not? If yes, which particular species of whales is it not okay to kill?

 

[tkingdoll]

If it's OK to kill a chicken, why isn't it OK to kill a whale?

 

[plindboe]

I vote no, because I'm uncomfortable with killing something as smart as a whale. I feel dolphins, bonobos, whales, chimps and some of the smarter birds should be off the menu for moral reasons.

What moral reasons? Does smartness make one more worth? Is a clever person more worth than a person with mental retardation?

 

[varwoche]

I vote no, because I'm uncomfortable with killing something as smart as a whale. I feel dolphins, bonobos, whales, chimps and some of the smarter birds should be off the menu for moral reasons.

ETA: I didn't vote for being opposed to commercial fishing, but I do have some fairly serious ecological concerns about how commercial fishing is conducted at the moment.

I feel much the same way (except that I'm unaware of smart birds). On a related note, I'm especially glad that Puget Sound orcas have now been classified by the feds as endangered.

 

[Freakshow]

I vote no, because I'm uncomfortable with killing something as smart as a whale. I feel dolphins, bonobos, whales, chimps and some of the smarter birds should be off the menu for moral reasons.

ETA: I didn't vote for being opposed to commercial fishing, but I do have some fairly serious ecological concerns about how commercial fishing is conducted at the moment.

I can't believe I am going to do this.........

But I agree with Kevin.

I have said before that I draw a line, and above it are creatures that seem to have some sort of self-awareness. Humans, some other primates, some ocean mammals, maybe some others (such as some of the smarter birds, which you mentioned). Below that line are animals that are just organic machines running on instinct: chickens, cows, fish, lobsters, shrimp, crab, pigs, etc.

We can do what we wish with animals below the line. We have to leave the animals above the line alone.

 

[Freakshow]

I feel much the same way (except that I'm unaware of smart birds).

http://www.alexfoundation.org/index2.htm

http://www.alexfoundation.org/alextheparrot.mov

 

[Manny]

I also agree with Kevin, with the provisos that I remain unpersuaded of the intelligence of parrots (I don't believe that they really pine for the fjords, for example), I could be persuaded to allow the harvesting of some cetaceans and I'd definitely add elephants to the no-kill list.

 

[Freakshow]

I also agree with Kevin, with the provisos that I remain unpersuaded of the intelligence of parrots (I don't believe that they really pine for the fjords, for example), I could be persuaded to allow the harvesting of some cetaceans and I'd definitely add elephants to the no-kill list.

I am not unpersuaded of the intelligence of parrots, but I am unconvinced. Big difference.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Whales are too intelligent not to hunt. Look around this thread: they've already got their agents posting pro-whale propaganda to soften up the humans before the invasion!! We've got to get them before they get us, but it might be too late, because they walk among us....

Oh, wait. That's Cylons, not whales. My bad.

 

[aerocontrols]

Whales are too intelligent not to hunt. Look around this thread: they've already got their agents posting pro-whale propaganda to soften up the humans before the invasion!! We've got to get them before they get us, but it might be too late, because they walk among us....

Oh, wait. That's Cylons, not whales. My bad.

They can walk among me anytime

 

[T'ai Chi]

I'm all for native people who use the whole whale, etc. to help survive hunting them, if populations are at OK levels for doing that. Not sure about others doing it.

The wierdest thing is I googled for whale hunting, etc., and came across some posts on www.[b]jref[/b].com. Coincidence?

 

[Mark]

If it's OK to kill a chicken, why isn't it OK to kill a whale?

Why not gorillas and chimps, then?

 

[tkingdoll]

Why not gorillas and chimps, then?

Yes, that's what I'm asking. Why not? You didn't answer my question so perhaps you need me to rephrase it:

Why is it OK to kill one species of animal but not another?

 

[Mycroft]

What moral reasons? Does smartness make one more worth? Is a clever person more worth than a person with mental retardation?

Let's be honest; if an institutionalized retarded person were killed the loss to society would be less than if a brilliant scientist were killed. That doesn't make it morally acceptable to kill the tards, but neither is there anything wrong with making evaluations based upon intelligence.

 

[Mycroft]

Whales are too intelligent not to hunt. Look around this thread: they've already got their agents posting pro-whale propaganda to soften up the humans before the invasion!! We've got to get them before they get us, but it might be too late, because they walk among us....

Oh, wait. That's Cylons, not whales. My bad.

I thought the whales were allied with the monkeys? Is there a fracture in this alliance?

 

[Mycroft]

I'm all for native people who use the whole whale, etc. to help survive hunting them, if populations are at OK levels for doing that. Not sure about others doing it.

The wierdest thing is I googled for whale hunting, etc., and came across some posts on www.[b]jref[/b].com. Coincidence?[/QUOTE] Special pleading for native populations?