"Independent" are at it again

Image via WikipediaAmazing! This year it would appear that the so-called Independent newspaper have really got the animal rights bug, especially when it comes to the soft target of animals in captivity. They got a taste for attacking animal circuses in a big way after being fed a lot of information, misinformation and disinformation from animal rights groups in the lead up to a debate in Parliament over the use of wild animals in circuses. Then without any sense of irony whatsoever, two of their journalists wrote two gleaming reviews for two nostalgic documentaries in the Time Shift series ("All the Fun at the Fair" and "When the Circus Came to Town") that looked back a the impact of the travelling fairs and circuses in the UK. The paper has been criticized before for changing from a broadsheet to a tabloid and for furthering radical ideas from the left. It is Rouster's opinion that left/right politics really aren't the issue when it comes to discussing animal rights and animal welfare. However, many animal rights philosophers have tried to pervert leftist ideas towards Animal Rights ideology. In order for one to really do this, you have to first accept that animals are eligible to have rights in the same way as humans do. The Independent clearly took the bait with gusto when it came to their campaign and petition to get wild animals banned in circuses. But when these two documentaries put across the very true point that the travelling exhibition and show institution were practices regularly built up through the working classes to provide entertainment for the working classes, it predictably hit the right nerve in a different way.

Feedback on the June 23 "debate"

Image via WikipediaRecently the below letter was sent to me in response to the "debate" held in the House of Commons over a proposed ban on wild animals in circuses. Readers of this blog may be aware that David Konyot wrote a piece describing his feelings towards this rather sad example of British politics called "Democracy?" There were also the essays written by Dominic Lawson, "A Commons Circus of Animals and Fools" and Andrew McKie's "There is no Logical Reason to Ban Animals in Circuses". Both of which went against the grain being enforced by the sensationalist press and rabid animal rights brigade to present the real facts of the issue. 

Here a circus person, who wishes to remain anonymous due to genuine fear of Animal Rights targeting, wished to make their point. It is a heartfelt response that reminds us of those whose heritage and culture are affected by the opportunistic backbench politicking Prichard and his supporters engaged in on over the early summer period: 

MP Mark Pritchard who led claimed the government whip had tried to stop the debate. Labour MP Denis McShane and Lib Dem MP Don Foster asked him to explain and elaborate - which he did at great length – although what the whip said or didn’t say had nothing to do with animals in circus.

PeTA - Nothing to laugh about?

Image via WikipediaPeople for the ethical Treatment of Animals is perhaps the world's most vocal animal rights organization. And the philosophy they preach is undeniably that of Animal RIGHTS as opposed to Animal WELFARE. For the unreconcilable differences to these two philosophies please consult a list of "Important Essays" on the sidebar. As animal rightists they are famed for the slogan "A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy". In fact, their militant stance that puts animals at least at the same level as a "retarded human child", is representative in the way their campaigns shamelessly juxtapose scenes of real and apparent animal suffering with that of humans i.e. comparing factory farming with

The Mystery of the Muddy Feet: The Aftermath

"Astley's Legacy" contributor Gail Wilmot wrote about her online experience with a supposed expose of circus animal abuse back in July by one of the Pony Box members.  The true story was an egregious example of using the political football of animal circus to tell a tall tale. Gail's own investigation resulted in her contacting the Kentucky Horse Council who confirmed that the photograph posted by the "heroic" exposer of animal abuser was taken from an entirely different incidence being described. It now looks like this whole episode has reached something a satisfactory conclusion. However, what with a recent ongoing undisclosed animal circus issue with the Press Complaints Commission that reveals bad journalism on the part of major national UK paper, one cannot help but be concerned about how much unjust propaganda is freely banded about animal circuses as the moment.  Please see the below link to the official respnse by the Pony Box website: 

Ponybox Letter Of Correction For Abused Circus Horse Story

 

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• Circus owners speak of 'horror handler' treatment (elephant.co.uk)

The Public Voted with their Feet - Brian Boswell Responds!

As reported on here, the British ex-broadsheet newspaper laughingly known as "The Independent" has waged a campaign against UK animal circuses this year. This included a very easy to corrupt online petition and a regular series of one-sided articles that barely pretended to consult the views of those who worked in or supported animal circuses. However, readers on here might be interested to know that South Africa's equivalent, "The Independent on Saturday", has also published material concerning the debate. They published letters from Animal Rights advocates who criticized the South African family circus, "Brian Boswell's Circus". Fortunately this paper is willing to show a greater sense of fairness than its more radical UK cousin and agreed to publish the following letter sent by Brian Boswell himself. This letter is a brilliant demonstration of the argument in favour of animal circuses, addressing its critics and educating those who occupy the vast middle ground in the facts surrounding the debate... 

The Cult of TV Celebrity by John Dineley

I find Charlie Brooker a very good albeit irreverent pundit on the media.  He has produced a number of series on this subject, particularly television and has latest series showen in the UK on BBC 2 “How TV Ruined Your Life” was broadcast earlier this year.

The six part series examined the influence of the television media and how it has become all pervasive and in many ways misleading peoples vision of the real world.  The episode entitled “Knowledge” examined the rise of news presentation and the documentary and how it has been distorted since scholarly and seminal works such as Clark’s “Civilisation” and Bronowski’s “Ascent of Man” were produced in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.