World Vegan Radio Interview with Dr. Steve Best

Below is an interview with Dr. Steve Best.  This is an excerpt from WKPFT World Vegan Radio in Houston.  The co-host who conducts this interview is Antenteh Roba, M.D.,  Founder and Executive Director of International Fund for Africa.


While many have differing, and often negative views of Best, I found his messages in this interview worthy of consideration.


I too agree that it is dangerous when free and "progressed" countries ban political thought if it is deemed "radical".  Steve Best has been forbidden entry into the U.K. due to his controversial views and outspoken advocacy regarding social justice and animal rights issues.  Shouldn't speech be protected not just when it suggests mundane ideas - but also "unpopular" ones as well?  But this gagging of contentious ideology is exactly what the U.S. is attempting to do too as explained in Muzzling a Movement: The Effects of Anti-Terrorism Law, Money, and Politics on Animal Activism by Dara Lovitz.  


I particularly like his insights on Animal Standpoint Theory and how we can learn so much from these most oppressed beings by viewing historical conditions through their lens of relentless human domination and marginalization.




Best also elaborates on his fears of the vegan movement becoming elitist in advocating to white, middle-class Western cultures as the rest of the world is rushing towards our gluttonous consumption habits. To which I provide just a handful of examples that illustrate how globally, our movement to end/reduce "meat" consumption has been pathetically ineffectual:




Rapid growth of pork production in Ukraine
//19 Jul 2011

In the first five months of 2011 the total pork production in Ukraine increased by 45% compared to same period of the last year.


US, Mexico sign trucking agreement - NPPC pleased
//07 Jul 2011
Mexico is the second largest market for the US pork industry, which shipped $986 million of pork south of the border in 2010. Since 1993 – the year before NAFTA was implemented – US pork exports to Mexico have increased by 780 percent.

From the Bangkok Post

Dairy Queen and Burger King speeding up expansion Two food chains under Minor Food Group Dairy Queen and Burger King aim to expand their businesses faster in the second half of this year to respond to the public's greater spending power. Beef export sales 38 percent higher led by Japan and Mexico Beef export sales were 6,493 metric tons higher last week led by shipments to Japan (4,200 MT) and Mexico (4,100 MT). Vietnam, South Korea and Canada also contributed to the United States’ higher export sales. Audio: Beef exports to Hong Kong booming U.S. beef exports to Hong Kong are reaching new heights in 2011. Through the first five months of the year, exports have more than doubled in volume to 50.8 million pounds and increased 140 percent in value to just over $100 million. Dairy Herd Magazine “The United States has reached a tipping point where dairy exporting is no longer an option but a necessity,” And here as Dr. Anteneh Roba mentions in the interview with Steve Best are the problems created in Africa due to the expansion of factory farming. Of course the consequences to human and nonhuman alike are incalculable. I wanted to call attention to these matters to explain my reasoning in not proclaiming "victory" to the proposed larger cages for hens that may (or may not) happen in a decade or so... I wanted to restate my conviction to the abolition of cages, factory farms and slaughterhouses all together.  I wanted to re-align myself with the reality that education and "welfare measures" will not influence the world towards a more compassionate diet in any quantifiable way.   We must become more outspoken in our personal lives and publicly/politically challenge the notion that everything and everyone on Earth is up for grabs as a "resource". We mustn't become complacent just because we have, "our family" has, "our community" or "our country" has become vegan. If indeed we are ever so fortunate to be ever be able to say these things at all - It will not be enough!    Acting individually and locally is a necessary start - but we mustn't settle until the world embraces all social justice issues. We, our nonhuman kin and the sake of the planet urgently depend on us to have this uncompromising goal - Or all is lost. "One cannot change destructive policies without changing the institutions and power systems that cause, benefit from, and sustain them.  An effective struggle for animal liberation, then, means tackling issues such as poverty, class, political corruption, and ultimately the inequalities created by transnational corporations and globalization." ~Steve Best  Journal for Critical Animal Studies, Volume V, Issue 2, 2007 For those courageous enough now, and to legions more in the future, who dare to expose and topple the underpinnings of the systematized oppression of the forgotten and disenfranchised - I for one, know you do so, because there is no other way.

Full radio show here at the KPFT archives
http://www.drstevebest.org/
http://drstevebest.wordpress.com/
International Fund for Africa
Globalization of Factory Farms at Brighter Green

Vegans Judged 5 Star In Compassion Rating System

For those who may have missed it here is A four-part video presentation and companion essay by James LaVeck titled Let's Not Give Up Before We Even Get Started

What the British anti-slavery movement can teach animal advocates about overcoming the politics of pessimism

In this essay the historical perspective of social struggle is examined.  It's used as a reference to compare today's "compromise" with advocates of "humane" meat to efforts of slave owners who warped language and used other cultural conditioners to maintain acceptance.  Nothing illustrates this shift more than Whole Food's deceptive 5 point animal "welfare" system.  And this essay exposes the con for what it is... 


I think LaVeck's words and powerful ideas stand on their own merit - But I would like to take this opportunity to interject a little project I've been working on regarding the notion of eating animals "compassionately".  


Whole Food's standards on the surface seem to successfully convince some consumers that their flesh choices are honest and pure... It involves human"e" 3rd party auditors and "experts" that define what would make a meal gotten from spilling blood tolerable to one's "sensitive" conscience.  Of course these steps to a "clean" conscience come with a price tag... And one can spend just a few minutes in front of a Save-A-Lot chain to see where and how most meat clients shop. This insures that WholeFoods will maintain their elitist brand of "compassion".


Even so, their 5 tier "kindness" system deserves a closer look.  If one were to imagine two shoppers at a register - One with a high rated #5 welfare chicken carcass among the top honored to be killed, and the other customer with a bird who's "value" scores only a 1 or 2.  What oh what are we to think of her?!?  Is she not "as kind" as the other?  Couldn't she have done without the $12 jar of imported pomegranate jam to compensate for the taking of this poor, poor chicken's life in a more friendly way?  I know it's absurd - but stay with me please...


Doesn't this WholeFoods 5 tier welfare standard also attempt to reflect consumer kindness or lack thereof?  And if so... If we could have visual models defining "conscientiousness",  might they not look something like this?


Let's say there was a 

And if the legend could show that red was reserved for those who would be genocidal maniacs...
Then dark green would symbolize those who'd never take a life unless absolutely necessary. That bar would be raised to uphold vegan standards.


This could even be illustrated with the good old fashioned grade-school "gold-star" system:

Now somewhere in between those who have total disregard for life... And those who champion to save lives, are those who would use war as offense, war as defense, pleasure killers - like hunters or hit men.  There would also be people who in their considerations would privilege humans exclusively to that "life right".   And others... Who would not condone taking any life unless it was under the extreme urgency of survival to do so.  Yep again.  That would be the 5 star vegans!


Now, I'm not judging anyone harshly without some reasonable position to make these claims.  Killing without necessity is never kind!  Besides... I'm not WholeFoods putting levels of "value" or price tags on other's lives, and then assigning some type of false "conscientiousness" rating to it.


So does it make any sense for a society to encourage anything less than the highest criteria?  Shouldn't our culture be demanding the most elevated standards to live by? Shouldn't we be encouraging non-violent, inclusive kindness to all beings - Rather than making pitiful excuses to permit the middle of the road compromises?  More importantly... If you are not vegan - Shouldn't you expect this from yourself?  And if not - Why not??? 


In truth... There is no "5 star" prize for being vegan.  It is the very minimum one can do to lead a compassionate life... No bravery required.  You don't have to be an ALF liberator or an "animal rights" activist.  The very minimum of true kindness mandates someone who doesn't want to take anyone's life, for any reason.  And in my book... Buying 5 star "compassionately" slaughtered animals in Whole Foods fails that test miserably. 


Please do not buy into the humane myth.  No being, no matter how happily he or she is killed wants to die.  You already know those rules... Please live by them.

Animal Rights Debate With Ag Rep - Compassion vs. Utility

Unforeseen demands in my personal life will briefly restrict my on-line activities... I know there are comments previously left that I have not responded to yet... I know my friends will bare with me as I regroup.  


But in the meantime I want to post this very important news about an event that will take place (tomorrow) on the morning of July 14th.  


Two of the most effective advocates I can name, Gary Loewenthal and Colleen Patrick-Goudreau will be interviewed by animal agriculture spokesperson Trent Loos on his show Loos Tales.


For those who might not know (and where have you been?) - Gary Loewenthal is one of the founders of Compassion 4 Animals and the very successful Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale is his brain child. 


Vegan cookbook author and speaker, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau hosts the ever popular Food for Thought podcasts that is a gateway for those who want to learn how to be Compassionate Cooks.


Our movement not only has the power of truth on it's side, but some of the most articulate, passionate and thoughtful advocates we all could ever hope for... Gary and Colleen are the finest among them.


This interview will be posted here after 10AM and will be available for one week afterward.


I think it's unanimous, that we all hope reason and all it's rewards makes it's presence known and understood for the good that it is.  


On the other hand, Mr. Loos will endeavor to convince his audience that the issues of animal killing are not all that serious... He will compare activists to Hitler and say we are  "driven by guilt". He will use words like "respectful harvest" and reduce lives to the "production" purposes he (profitably) sees fit.  He will suggest that the old social norms are acceptable and ought not to be challenged.That has always been the carnist's mantra.  But the very idea that this "first" debate is occurring proves that to be all wrong.  

This discussion on the severity of animal killing will only escalate in the future, as this topic is brought to the light of critical thinking minds.   In academic halls, public libraries, shopping malls and employee break-rooms - May the conversations be civil with human enlightenment as it's goal, as the voices of the invisible are finally heard! 

Sheryl Crow's Blood Money & Paul Seymour's Un-Leather Boots

Okay, so did you hear? Sheryl Crow announced that she is using some of the profits made by her performance at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo to help "wild" horses.  It doesn't seem to matter to Ms. Crow that captive horses and other nonhumans are used for bull riding, tie down roping and steer wrestling.  
 :

Nope, Ms. Crow doesn't care. And why should she? Even the U.S. Air Force Thunderbird Fighter jets are in on this battle against the beasts!


And heavens! So even is the Christian Cowboy Church!  


War machines and leather! Now that's a match made in hell. :( 


For a more in depth study of these western "legends in their own minds" I highly recommend this revealing post written by veganelder called  Cows and "boys".


And if all this glory to the mud, blood and beer weren't enough - Did you know the U.S. Senate approved (for the 7th consecutive year), the "National Day of the American Cowboy" to be July 23rd - Surprise! Surprise! This is also the first day of rodeo "action" at the "Daddy of 'em All"! How pathetic is that? 


I wish humans would realize that the best way to give horses (and all sentient beings) the respect they deserve is to leave them out of our personal wants, demands and controls.  And it certainly means (Ms. Crow) not using one group of victims as leverage for or against the other.  That only betrays them all!


"I won't hurt another soul for pleasure or reward". ~Paul Seymour