Slaughtering Whales As an Expression of National Culture
If you listen to the Japanese government and the whaling industry lobby it serves, whales are plentiful and, besides, whalers are merely exercising a cultural prerogative. Sure. It’s kind of like origami or flower arranging, only you use an explosive charge packed into a harpoon tip.
…
Of course, using the word “culture” is a smokescreen anyway. This isn’t about culture. Like almost everything else in the world that stains the human spirit, this is about greed.
It’s just an Expression of National Culture. How many evil deeds are being commited in that name around the world!?!
I think the Inuits and other far northern people in the days before transportable goods could claim it as a culture, well a basic need. Japan can not claim that. For them it’s a desire.
Now our culture calls for at least one SUV or fancy car, and one run-about vehicle. Oops I hope not.
You have stated another truth. Culture or embedded desires can cause so much damage
ottmar and friendes, nowe we have the huntinge in our area…when i finde myself in these conversationes can be very challenginge…sad…they don’t want to argue and i don’t want them to do that…soooooooooooooooo…………………”waitinge for the worlde to change…” and “mo’ better blues” heales my minde for nowe…alwayes, Alice
traditional cultures who whaled, or hunted were strongly based themselves in preserving the equilibrium of nature i.e. for Australia the aborigines when killing their prey would seek to return something to the land. It seems that the Japanese have discarded all traditional methods, and prerogatives replacing it with supply and demand! to me it seems like a paradox. Like ottmar states alot of bad comes under the title of “culture”.
gah. that’s postmodernism and multi-culturalism taken to the extreme.
however, on the other end of the spectrum, how many “evil” deeds are committed daily in the name of cultural “diet” around the world?
i’m in no position to give an answer on higher moral grounds since i’m not vegan :( i’m just merely thinking out loud.
~C
P.S. speaking of whale hunts. check out this cool site from the awesome Johnathan Harris.
http://thewhalehunt.org