Este domingo no te pierdas la gran final del Alf a las 11:30
no faltes

Michael Winning

A day or so ago we put up a rather frightening pic of some RSPCA “officers” Paramilitary People, which got some comments.

Now I find theres lots of people upset with and aghast at the RSPCA, some of them write over here. I didn’t know that, I thought I was the only one, and a pariah.

The comments say about some other places containing browned-off folks who lament the turnning of this once-useful org into what its become. It does not seem a very libertitarian organisatin.

By Dr. Steven Best, 11/13/09

I.

The nonhuman animal advocacy movement is at a crucial crossroads where truly it is now do or die. In the early 1980s, a new animal rights movement glowed bright with potential; in just a few years, however, the light faded to black as corruption, opportunism, and bureaucracy snuffed out the promise of genuine change. As they evolved, it became increasingly obvious that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and other groups emulated the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to become corporate behemoths and mainstream machines. Increasingly co-opted and compromised, animal rights groups frequently worked with, rather than against, the exploitation industries in order to regulate, not eliminate, the ongoing nonhuman animal holocaust.

In the last decade, for instance, PETA pressured McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC to increase cage size and adopt “less cruel and more profitable” slaughter methods,[1] while HSUS aggressively campaigned for “humane meat” and “cage-free eggs.” These groups ultimately serve corporate exploiters’ interests and champion capitalist principles generally. But whereas PETA began as a grassroots organization in 1980, and continues to defend the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and to promote veganism, HSUS has been a bureaucratic welfare group since its inception in 1954, it consistently denounces the ALF, and has always capitulated to carnivorous culture as it barely gives support even for vegetarianism.

Lest anyone in either the industry or advocacy camps had any doubts, HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle put them to rest in a sycophantic July 2009 interview on Agritalk radio. Pacelle virtually apologized for being vegan in his private life and assured the flesh, vivisection, hunting, zoo, and circus industries that they had nothing to fear from HSUS, as his goal is to promote “decency and mercy toward animals” and not to close their operations.[2]

II.

In direct response to the wretched reformism and opportunism of bureaucratic “welfarism,” a new movement emerged to reconstruct nonhuman animal advocacy unequivocally as a struggle for animal rights, not “welfare”; for the total abolition of nonhuman animal slavery rather than its regulation; and for veganism, not “humane” animal-derived products of any kind. To a significant degree, the new vegan abolitionist movement has been shaped and defined by the work of Gary Francione, professor of law at Rutgers University. Beginning in the mid-1990s, Francione exposed the duplicity of “new welfarists” who use the term “animal rights” but pursue “welfarist” policies. These policies, Francione argues, are incoherent and dilute the meaning of rights; “welfarism” in any form, he insists, works to the benefit of industries and thus increases, rather than decreases, the demand for animal-derived products; it only aggravates, rather than alleviates, speciesism and the plight of nonhuman animals in horrific systems of exploitation.

Francione tapped and mobilized growing dissatisfaction with corporate reformism and sparked a growing vegan abolitionist movement. More accurately, he revived a vegan movement first created by Donald Watson in 1944, and was sustained by vegan societies such as in the UK and US. These societies maintained Watson’s broad and political vision of veganism not merely as a diet but rather as an ethical and political commitment to the abolition of nonhuman animal exploitation and, indeed, to all systems of oppression.[3] Francione wedded the pacifist ideals of ancient Jainism, Watson’s vegan viewpoint, and the philosophy of animal rights first systematically developed in 1983 by Tom Regan, merging these influences in a new matrix of pacifist vegan abolitionism.

Francione typically speaks as if he invented veganism, and sycophantic followers such as Roger Yates claim that a bona fide “animal rights movement” only began in 2006 with the ascendant influence of Francione’s work.[4] But Francione mostly returned to Watson’s original teachings, albeit often in diluted form that retains the ethical vision linking food choices to moral commitments to oppressed nonhuman animals, but without a consistent political commitment to working against all forms of oppression and exploitation. Abolitionist approaches toward speciesism began within the nineteenth century feminist-antivivisectionists, were deepened in Watson and emerging vegan societies, informed the hunt saboteur movements in the UK from the 1960s to the present, and were advanced in historically momentous ways in 1976 when Ronnie Lee founded the Animal Liberation Front.

While Francione advanced a forceful critique of “welfarism” and took animal rights philosophy to a new level, he has nonetheless proved to be bereft of political vision and incapable of forging a genuine resistance movement that can evolve beyond the marginalized position currently embraced by less than one percent of the human population. In Francione’s religious, tepid, and apolitical rendering, vegan abolitionism remains an elitist, white, Eurocentric consumerist lifestyle easily co-opted by capitalism and dominant ideologies. Moreover, Francione has spawned a cult-like following – “Franciombes” – who parrot his fundamentalist, rigid, bellicose, and Manichean positions; with slavish devotion to their Master and his hostile manner, Franciombes defame his critics in a style more suited to Machiavelli than Jains.

III.

The Guru and his disciples come together in a dance of doctrine and dogma. Like Christian fundamentalists, Francione and his followers believe they possess the Truth while all others struggle in error. As Francione argues there is literally “no alternative,” only chaos and ruin, except for their approach based on obedience to law, peaceful education, and focus on individuals and consumption habits over institutions and productive imperatives stemming from global capitalism. For them, the world is black and white, answers are cut and dry, and complexity is reduced to the Procrustean bed of either/or, rather than enlivened through the dialectical logic of both/and.

According to the pacifist party line, militant direct action (MDA) tactics such as economic sabotage are ALWAYS wrong and NEVER effective. Excusing themselves from the work of analyzing the complexities and unique specific situations, Franciombes fashion a handy a priori “truth” and apply it mechanically to every action that has happened or will happen. Their ignorance of history is matched only by their mental rigidity. For over three decades, in dozens of countries throughout the world, in countless thousands of actions, liberators and saboteurs have freed hundreds of thousands of captive nonhuman animals; permanently shut down numerous breeders, “fur farmers,” and vivisectors; and convinced countless numbers of individuals to find gainful employment in careers other than nonhuman animal exploitation, while inspiring people worldwide to join the animal liberation movement.

In all this, Franciombes see no value or gain and, despite operations closed forever, they can only repeat the baseless claim that all damaged property is rebuilt and all liberated nonhuman animals are “replaced.” This may happen in some cases, but in light of the many operations shut down for good, this clearly is a false claim; even when animals are replaced and property rebuilt and restored, rising insurance costs are enough to weaken and jeopardize the viability of small and moderate operations at least. Whereas dogmatic pacifists hide under the cover of ignorance and denial, corporate exploiters themselves have testified to the effectiveness of ALF actions.[5]

By vilifying sabotage tactics as “violent,” and by conflating attacks on property with assaults on people, Franciombes adopt the reactionary discourse and position of the FBI and the corporate-state-media complex. They needlessly and divisively pit education in opposition to illegal tactics (even open rescues), as if the two tactics were irreconcilably opposed rather than complimentary aspects of a revolutionary process.

Despite some talk of capitalism, commonalities of oppression, and alliance politics, Francione ultimately pushes a simplistic, single-issue “go vegan” approach pitched to a white, affluent, privileged, Western audience, with no intent to engage people of color, working class families, the poor, or China and India – the world’s most populous nations now in rapid transition from maintaining traditional plant-based diets to embracing Western diets rooted in consuming “animal products” including flesh, milk, and eggs.

Francione thereby reinforces the dismal elitist, classist, and racist stigmas attached to activists for nonhuman animals since the beginning of “animal protectionism” in the early nineteenth century, and he further isolates veganism and animal rights from progressive movements and the social mainstream. Unable to articulate a structural theory of oppression, exploitation, and ideological hegemony, and mired in Western dualisms and the construction of false oppositions such as between production/consumption, individual/social, and psychological/institutional, Francione exculpates the logic and global machinery of capitalism to lay the entire burden of blame and responsibility on individual consumers.

Certainly, humans do have agency and need to take responsibility for transforming their personal lives, such as by engaging the ecological and ethical imperative to go vegan. But politically and pedagogically it is also crucial for citizens to recognize the formidable power of the structural forces in their lives and the ways in which sedimented economic and political institutions pose profound obstacles to teaching, learning, and progressive ethical and social change. Psychological and ethical change is a necessary but not a sufficient condition of the large-scale social transformations needed for creating viable democratic and ecological cultures.

Internalizing the capitalist ideology of liberal individualism, this pseudo-abolitionist offers nothing but the most banal and tepid reformism which is no more effective in changing the overall social relations of domination than “welfarism” is in breaking the chains of speciesist oppression. Rather than advancing on Watson’s formulation, Francione offers a regressive and hollow version of a rich ethical political ideal opposed to all forms of exploitation and hierarchy.

IV.

Franciombes eliminate complexity and ambiguity from the social-political picture, and reek of arrogance, dogma, and condescension. They cling to the religious conviction that any approach to veganism, animal rights, or abolitionism other than what Francione has set in stone is false, reactionary, and “welfarist.” They promiscuously deploy the phrase “new welfarist” to discredit others in the movement, much as McCarthyites hurled the epithet of “communist” and post-9/11 patriots terrorize with the discourse of “terrorism” to discredit their opponents as irrational extremists.

Indeed, in McCarthyist fashion, upon receiving alleged death threats from supporters of confrontational or illegal direct action, Francione made reckless accusations and named names of anyone (including avowed pacifists) remotely connected to such a devious terrorist plot. Moreover, Francione routinely brands his opponents as “mad” or “insane,” as if disagreement with his divine teachings were evidence of psychological impairment and oblivious to the normalizing and ableist implications of crude dichotomies of sane/insane and rational/irrational.

Unable to grasp the root causes of hierarchical domination and ecological crisis, blaming individuals over institutions, Francione is hardly positioned to grasp the nature of the problems afflicting other animals and the planet let alone to offer potential solutions and viable tactics. And thus we get nothing beyond the hopelessly vague, liberal pseudo-panacea of “vegan education.” Apparently limited to blogging and podcasting to the choir, Francione & followers are bereft of politics, and, in fact, they lack even the most rudimentary elements of a theory and practice of education – more than a small problem for an approach seeking change through vegan education. Their outlook is utterly delusional in the conviction that veganism is the main vehicle and catalyst for individual enlightenment and, thereby, for social change. These pugilistic pacifists cling to a Christian-like faith that somehow, someday their insular polemics and feeble “education” efforts will transform the heart and soul of humanity and, thereby, change society as a whole. Oblivious to the threshold we are about to cross, they promote slow, incremental change amidst rapid, systemic ecological breakdown.

Incredibly, as global ecological and social crises rapidly mount, Francione ignores the most crucial events of the day – human overpopulation, species extinction crisis, deforestation, global climate change, and the destructive growth imperatives inherent in the capitalist economy. The chaos theory model Franciombes use to buttress their collective hallucination of a “vegan revolution” is far more applicable to the exponential growth of flesh consumption in China and India. For every person who becomes vegan, a thousand flesh-eaters arise in these rapidly industrializing societies and elsewhere such as Brazil and South Africa. The Franciombe concern over “replacement” of liberated nonhuman animals seems to elude them as it applies to their own single-issue approach, which fails to realize that for every vegan convert they celebrate, armies of necrovores are continuously born and raised.

Francione’s approach is complacent, detached from reality, and irrelevant to the massive and complex struggle necessary to forestall biological meltdown and ecological catastrophe. Pacifist lifestyle veganism is another dead-end and groundless hope, totally inadequate to the unprecedented challenge of a planet in crisis. If once progressive, Francione’s approach is now clearly reactionary. It is a pseudo-abolitionist movement, bourgeois lifestyle veganism; it is a one-dimensional, single-issue, Eurocentric, white, elitist, consumerist, capitalist construct that vegans and abolitionists need to shed quickly.

Where Franciombes seek to trademark abolition and revile as mere “welfarism” any vision not their own, this group aims to blow the doors off their cultish theology in order to reinvigorate thinking, restore common sense, situate veganism in its broadest political context, and revitalize possibilities for revolutionary change. Our options are not confined to either the “welfarism” of HSUS or the pseudo-abolitionism and lifestyle veganism of Francione. There are other ways, such as history reveals and the future requires.

V.

We need a far richer and more radical concept of abolitionism that draws from and revitalizes the strength and power of the nineteenth century anti-human slavery movement that erupted in the US (and of course earlier in the UK). Unlike the pale imitation and caricature espoused by Franciombes, the version of abolitionism we champion is far more in tune with the radicalism, pluralism, and alliance politics (imperfect and impermanent as it was) of nineteenth-century abolitionism. But eschewing nostalgia and outmoded political models, this approach also draws from numerous other contemporary theories and political movements. We recognize the need for radical social change and we understand that the fight against speciesism, capitalism, the state, and hierarchy in all forms will be waged on many different fronts simultaneously. We seek to reinvigorate a movement sold-out by corporate opportunists and paralyzed by pacifists who sympathize with the latent “humanity” of oppressors and demonize the militant wing of animal liberation, a perverse inversion of loyalties and misguided sentiments manifested in the Stockholm Syndrome mindset evident in the mindset of fundamentalist pacifists who enjoin activists to respect the humanity of murderous oppressors as they demonize and vilify militant liberationists⁶

We cannot stop the speciesist and corporate war on nonhuman animals and the planet with blogging, leafleting, tabling, and recipe books alone. Capitalism is inherently destructive, and change will never come solely through education and persuasion, nor without a movement more powerful than the agents and institutions of omnicidal destruction. As radical pedagogy theorist Paulo Freire himself insisted – education can only be part of a much broader and multi-pronged movement of resistance, struggle, and change. Thus, like all priorl revolutions, human and nonhuman animals will not win liberation because oppressors suddenly see the light, but rather because enough people become enlightened and learn how to rock the structures of power, to shake them until new social arrangements emerge.

It is not only the content of Francione’s positions we challenge, but also the very form and method of his approach. We cannot progress in the struggle for liberation or hope to be politically relevant unless we abandon Francione’s dualistic, either/or logic for a dialectical both/and logic, one that abandons all bogus dichotomies and false separations. Thus, we need education and agitation, mainstream and militant tactics, peaceful resistance and confrontation and sabotage, and aboveground/legal and underground/illegal means of weakening speciesist capitalism.

We need more, not less, vegan education, of a kind that shatters the enclaves of white privilege in which Franciombes entomb abolitionism and reaches out to the poor, working classes, inner cities, less-industrialized nations, and, crucially, the emerging crisis flashpoints in the burgeoning population giants of China and India. And, despite one of his most persistent and vapid imposed false options, those who work underground to liberate nonhuman animals through raids can and do rescue other animals from “shelters.”

While we support the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front, and defend the importance of economic sabotage, we also recognize that property destruction is only a rear-guard and minor means of resistance that has to yield to a broad social movement. Still, it remains an important – sometimes seemingly the only – means of resistance against the capitalist property system, and merits support as we simultaneously work toward building political alliances on a global scale and in an unprecedentedly broad and inclusive way.

The pluralist and contextualist approach central to our position absorbs the partial value and validity of vegan abolitionism, but without the debilitating dogmatism and disabling rejection of effective tactics simply because they do not conform to an ancient code or utopian ideal that only serves to strengthen oppression and to reassure oppressors they have nothing to fear from an “opposition” movement.[7] It abandons single-issue fetishism and the complacency of class and racial privilege in favor of diversity, solidarity, and bridge-building with those most economically disadvantaged and politically marginalized. Only in this way, can the profound importance of veganism and animal rights be recognized and respected by a social majority; only in alliance with other struggles can its revolutionary potential be realized.

In the consumerist and privatized lifestyle form promoted by Franciombes, however, veganism is the opiate of the people, and Murray Bookchin’s polemic against apolitical “lifestyle anarchism” can be fruitfully applied to the vaporous lifestyle veganism championed by Franciombes and others.[8]

We endorse a form of abolition that (1) defends the use of high-pressure direct action tactics, along with illegal raids, rescues, and sabotage attacks; (2) views capitalism as an inherently irrational, exploitative, and destructive system, and sees the state as a corrupt tool whose function is to advance the economic and military interests of the corporate domination system and to repress opposition to its agenda; (3) has a broad, critical understanding of how different forms of oppression are interrelated, seeing human animal, nonhuman animal, and earth liberation as inseparable projects; and, thus, (4) promotes an anti-capitalist alliance politics with other rights, justice, and liberation movements who share the common goal of dismantling all systems of hierarchical domination and rebuilding societies through decentralization and democratization processes.[9]

VI.

We form this new group out of the need for a radical social approach to veganism and animal rights that transcends bourgeois liberalism; the need for a global Left that renounces speciesism and all other ancient and lingering prejudices and forms of oppression; the need for post-hierarchical worldviews and democratic and ecological societies; and the need for total liberation and revolutionary transformation.

Forget Francione …

We must link the liberation of other animals to human and Earth liberation, and build a revolutionary movement strong enough to vanquish capitalist hegemony and to remake society without the crushing loadstones of anthropocentrism, speciesism, patriarchy, racism, classism, statism, heterosexism, ableism, and every other pernicious form of hierarchical domination. Humanity may not succeed in this endeavor, but it is one that we must undertake. It is no longer the classical choice between “revolution or barbarism,” but now that of revolution or ecological collapse and mass extinction.

We have two goals. First, we aim to expose the fatal flaws in Francione’s approach, and provide a positive alternative to his apolitical, one-dimensional, and single issue form of abolitionism. This approach provides a greater openness, diversity, and flexibility of tactics in contrast to the dogmatic and artificially constrained options Francione leaves open for his extreme pacifist approach. Since this alternative model is richer, multidimensional, and far more political, it opens to an alliance politics with other progressive and radical causes and groups.

And as we promote alliance politics, it is crucial to find ways of building bridges and forming commonalities. And thus our second and quite modest goal is simply to open a space for new forms of thought and struggle that revolve around the ideal of total liberation and a new ethics and politics that transcend humanism – however broadly defined – and encompasses all sentient beings and the natural world. We must first and foremost forge channels of communication to link vegan and nonhuman animal liberation communities with human animal liberation and environmental communities, representing a politics for the 21st century. In this endeavor, we hope to make this site and possible others a rich storehouse of information and a valuable medium for discussion and debate.

We reach out to any and all people from any of these communities to contribute to this crucial endeavor. Clearly, this broad spectrum of thought and politics will not agree on all points, but it is more important to focus on similarities and shared concerns, such as arise from the devastating impact of capitalism on social, sentient, and natural worlds with mutual concerns of peace, justice, equality, democracy, rights, autonomy, and ecology.

Notes:

[1] For PETA’s approach, see “The Case for Controlled-Atmosphere Killing”.

[2] For a transcript of the interview, click here.

[3] For Watson’s seminal 1944 essay arguing for a broad ethical and political concept of veganism, see: ukveggie.com/vegan_news/vegan_news_1.pdf.

[4] Roger Yates, “Three Years Young”.

[5] Susan Paris, president of vivisection-industry front group Americans for Medical Progress, for example, admits the ALF has had a large impact on vivisectionists, writing, “Because of terrorist acts by animal activists like Coronado, crucial research projects have been delayed or scrapped. More and more of the scarce dollars available to research are spent on heightened security and higher insurance rates. Promising young scientists are rejecting careers in research. Top-notch researchers are getting out of the field.” Moreover, the August 1993 Report to Congress on Animal Enterprise Terrorism describes the effectiveness of ALF tactics:, “Where the direct, collateral, and indirect effects of incidents such as this are factored together, ALFs professed tactic of economic sabotage can be considered successful, and its objectives, at least towards the victimized facility, fulfilled.” Both quotations cited at animalliberationfront.com.

[6] For a vivid and grotesque example of the Stockholm Syndrome and the internalization of the capitalist superego, see Lee Hall’s scurrilous attack on MDA in her self-published screed, Capers in the Churchyard: Animal Rights Advocacy in the Age of Terror (2006). For critical dissection of the multitude of fallacies, errors, and abysmal scholarship informing this pacifist propaganda tract (which one could easily mistake for a political attack from a vivisection industry front group or the FBI), see the essays by Best and Miller listed in note 7. Also see the devastating critiques from UK activists deeply involved in the campaigns Hall distorted and denounced: Steven Best, Jason Miller, Joan Court, Janet Tomlinson, and Lynn Sawyer, “Presence of Malice: UK Activists Vs. Lee Hall”, Alison Banville, “Lee Hall: Unplugged and Unmasked”; and Lynn Sawyer, “On the Practice of Pluralism: A Response to Lee Hall and the London Vegan Festival Controversy.”

[7] On the importance of a pluralist and contextualist method, see Steven Best and Jason Miller, “Pacifism or Animals: Which Do You Love More? A Critique of Lee Hall, Friends of Animals, and the Franciombe Effect in the New Abolitionist Movement”, and “Averting the China Syndrome: Response to Our Critics and the Devotees of Fundamentalist Pacifism”.

[8] See Murray Bookchin, “Social Anarchism or Lifestyle Anarchism: An Unbridgeable Chasm”.

[9] On alliance politics in a total revolution framework, see the Introduction to Steven Best and Anthony J. Nocella II (eds.), Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth (2006, AK Press).

——————————————————————————————

Dr. Steve Best is TPC’s Senior Editor of Total Liberation. Associate professor of philosophy at UTEP, award-winning writer, noted speaker, public intellectual, and seasoned activist, Steven Best engages the issues of the day such as animal rights, ecological crisis, biotechnology, liberation politics, terrorism, mass media, globalization, and capitalist domination. Best has published 10 books, over 100 articles and reviews, spoken in over a dozen countries, interviewed with media throughout the world, appeared in numerous documentaries, and was voted by VegNews as one of the nations “25 Most Fascinating Vegetarians.” He has come under fire for his uncompromising advocacy of “total liberation” (humans, animals, and the earth) and has been banned from the UK for the power of his thoughts. From the US to Norway, from Sweden to France, from Germany to South Africa, Best shows what philosophy means in a world in crisis.

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The people behind the ALF Press Office and the Negotiation Is Over blog must be getting really frustrated, because they have teamed up to form yet ANOTHER organization – this one dedicated to countering the great pro-research materials that FBR and other groups have developed. Here is the missive that was cross-posted on the ALF website and the NIO website:

Dr. Steven Best, Philosopher
Dr. Jerry Vlasak, NAALPO Press Officer
Jason Miller, Thomas Paine’s Corner, NAALPO Press Officer
Camille Marino, Negotiation Is Over

In January 2006, 16-year-old Laurie Pycroft formed the “Pro-Test” movement in the UK to rally public support for vivisection in the face of vocal animal rights opposition. The group’s young spokesperson, Tom Holder, came to the US in 2008, funded by a vivisection industry front group, to start Speaking of Research, a “media” network that promotes animal “research.” In March 2009, Dr. David Jentsch founded a Pro-Test chapter at UCLA and, with Holder’s support, a new movement of aggressive vivisector- activists was born.

Deploring the research community’s inadequate response to aggressive anti-vivisection campaigns, Pro-Test activists advocate fearless defense of their agenda and have initiated a new offensive in the ongoing science wars. In alliance with the Americans for Medical Progress, a vivisection industry front group, and with the aid of a million dollar bankroll, Pro-Test forces have rallied their base, organized spirited protests, spread their message through newspapers ad and billboards, and promoted disinformation generally.

While the Pro-Test movement is still small, it must not be underestimated. In the 1980s the animal rights movement thought it had shut down the fur industry, only to witness its vigorous resurgence a decade later; anti-vivisectionists must not make the same mistake and need to attack every new tactic and campaign, every novel threat. In October 2009, amidst a glaring neglect of critical attention two leading total liberation blogs, Thomas Paine’s Corner (TPC) and Negotiation Is Over (NIO), joined forces with Dr. Steven Best and the North American Animal Liberation Press Office (NAALPO) to create the Alliance for Progressive Science (APS).

APS was formed to attack Pro-Test on both scientific and ethical grounds. APS exposes the powerful economic interests driving the vivisection complex and 17th century research paradigms, during a 21st century era of advanced nutritional science and hundreds of sophisticated technological alternatives to nonhuman animal research and testing. Through the concept of “progress,” APS emphasizes both the moral bankruptcy of vivisection and its antiquated and unscientific nature, combating the stereotype of animal rights as “anti-scientific” and “anti-progress.”

APS champions a new research paradigm that is “progressive” in its embrace of animal rights and development of new technologies that promise qualitative leaps in science and medicine. APS emphasizes that the vivisection industry, not the animal rights community, is the true terrorist menace and the real obstacle to moral and technological progress, in that it clings tortures and kills up to 100 million nonhuman animals a year, it operates with fallacious research models, it prostitutes science and the public interest to profit and the capitalist interests of pharmaceutical corporations.

To maintain critical focus on the new propaganda tactics of the vivisection industry, NIO is establishing a network of bloggers committed to publishing regular articles on the Pro-Test propaganda front to advance a new model of science, medicine, and progress. We urge fellow activists to join us; to become regular readers of NIO and TPC; to follow our reporting on Pro-Test tactics and campaigns; to research, write, and publish on our pages your own essays; and to advance a new concept and practice of science and medicine that relegates vivisection to its rightful place – in the dustbin of history.

APS does not compete with, but rather compliments, existing anti-vivisection activism. APS seeks to put down the new tactical fronts and propaganda efforts designed to erase two centuries of anti-vivisection activism and to expand the vivisection industry and Big Pharma to unprecedented levels of killing, influence, and profit. Please review our upcoming website and more detailed statement of purpose in our critical manifesto for a progressive science. We look forward to your thoughts and hope we can work together to stop Pro-Test, abolish vivisection, and take the giant strides in science and medicine that the vivisection industry, universities, pharmaceutical corporations, and government so effectively blocks.

Coming soon: www.allianceforprogressivescience.org

]]> http://cgirod.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/idealists/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:04:38 +0000 Pastor Curt http://cgirod.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/idealists/

Carrie Feldman and Scott DeMuth are in jail this morning.  Their crime is refusing to testify before a grand jury that is investigating  an Animal Liberation Front action at the University of Iowa in 2004 that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to a research facility.

They are both involved in animal activism.  They are both from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.  They were both promised a form of immunity that provides an exemption from claiming the 5th amendment.  They both may know something about the events of 2004.

They both refused to speak, as a matter of principle.

They oppose the concept of the grand jury investigation. Grand juries do not utilize a judge, or allow defense attorneys to accompany them.  The prosecuting attorney asks questions and they are required to answer.

They do not believe that, under these conditions,  they should be forced to divulge what they have heard, seen, or know.

They are guilty of idealism. 

Since when did that become criminal? 

 Perhaps it is time that we take a closer look at the justice of our grand jury system.

]]> http://vint4ge.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/oum-le-petit-dauphin/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:43:46 +0000 vint4ge http://vint4ge.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/oum-le-petit-dauphin/

Ce jour ne ressemble pas à un mardi, depuis ce matin j’ai l’impression d’être vendredi, c’est très étrange.
Nous sommes allés passer plusieurs jours dans le chalet des parents de Kate, ce n’était pas prévu mais une fois en route nous nous sommes arrêtés pour faire 2-3 courses et on a décidé de s’acheter des pyjamas et brosses à dents, comme ça, sur un coup de tête, pour pouvoir dormir et rester. Ces quelques jours furent un grand retour dans le passé puisque c’est dans ce chalet que sont stockées la plupart des affaires de jeunesse de Kate. Nous avons bien entendu fouiller dans le tas et retrouvé de vieux magazines, bandes dessinées (Alf, Oum le dauphin qui m’a rappelé la vieille pub Galak, …), discuté de vieilles séries*, on s’est rappelé le bon vieux temps quoi.

Ensuite la tante Geert nous appris à jouer aux échecs à trois. En buvant de la myrthe avec des gâteaux au chocolat. C’était comme si nous avions 7 et 8 ans et qu’on était là gardés par la vieille tante pendant les vacances. C’était plutôt agréable, en fait, et j’ai parfois un pincement au coeur pour tous ces gosses qui ne connaîtront jamais ça : le bonheur des choses simples.

Et le blog No cats on the blog est bourré d’images absolument vint4ge.

* La série Agence tous risques (The A-Team) fait d’ailleurs l’objet d’une adaptation cinématographique par Joe Carnahan, avec Liam Neeson et Jessica Biel.

]]> http://socialissuesandstuff.com/2009/11/15/comicstars-gegen-killerspiele/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:33:33 +0000 Sebastian http://socialissuesandstuff.com/2009/11/15/comicstars-gegen-killerspiele/

Das Vorwort hat Prof. Dr. phil. Rita Süssmuth, Kuratorium der Ronald McDonald Kinderhilfe:

Hallo liebe Kinder, meine Damen und Herren.

Immer mehr Jugendliche, und sogar schon Kinder(!), werden heute von vermeintlichen Freunden dazu gedrängt, Killerspiele zu spielen, Killerspiele, hören Sie!? Gemeinsam mit der Bundesfamilienministerin, die als Schirmherrin der Aktion “Keine Macht der Freiheit” den Film “Komikstars gegen Killerspiele” unterstützt, möchte ich euch deshalb aufrufen: Hände weg von Killerspielen! Lernt wie Kevin, in entscheidenden Momenten Nein! zu sagen, aber auch nur dann, wenn eure Eltern was sagen, Lehrer, sonstige Respektspersonen oder markenüberladene Imagefilme unter dem Vorwand eines wichtigen Anliegens, dann wie gehabt Jawohl! Denn am besten seid ihr immer noch ohne Drogen, ich meine Killerspiele, Drogen waren gestern das Problem. Deshalb im Ernstfall einfach Nein! sagen.

Die Sonne geht auf in einer deutschen Vorortsiedlung, die idyllischer kaum sein könnte: Kein Dreck auf den Straßen, die Hecken sind ordentlich geschnitten und Falschparker werden erschossen. Im großen Einfamilienhaus der Familie Rufangst erwacht das Leben in Form der sich öffnenden Tür zum Zimmer der kleinen Conny. Eine Hand greift zum Sparschwein auf ihrem Tisch und nimmt es mit. Was passiert hier? Diebstahl?
Auf dem Spielzimmerboden liegt ein Comic der Schlümpfe, das sich, wie von Zauberhand, von alleine aufschlägt. Papa Schlumpf tritt gähnend aus seinem Haus und blickt starr vor Schreck in die Wirklichkeit: “Eieiei, Connys Sparschwein ist weg! Schnell Freunde, Conny ist bestohlen worden, wir müssen sie aufwecken!” Kraft ihrer guten und herzenslieben Phantasie oder so springen sie aus ihrem Comic, was nicht unbemerkt bleibt: Auch Alf hüpft aus einem Bild auf Connys Nachtschrank, Gott weiss, warum Conny ein Bild von Alf auf ihrem Nachtschrank stehen hat, gerade im Jahre 2009, wenn’s wenigstens in Pog-Form wäre, aber nicht einmal Pog wird sie noch kennen, kennt überhaupt noch jemand Pog? Sogar Garfield macht sich Sorgen um Connys Sparschwein, aber aufgrund des Garfield ohne Garfield-Memes wird er hier keine Rolle mehr spielen, was gut so ist, denn er wäre zuständig für Dutzende unfassbar unkomische Lasagne-Witze, aber eine wundervolle Allegorie auf einen Überwachungsstaat ist das, wenn sich ein Detail in einem Zimmer verändert und alles sofort zu Leben erwacht, um dem auf den Grund zu gehen, nun gut, weiter: Die Chipmunks, in der CGI-Version aus dem Jahr 2007 stoßen hinzu und gemeinsam schaffen sie es, auf Connys Kermitwecker zu drücken, was ist dieses Kind eigentlich für ein Merchandise-Opfer?, und sie so zu wecken.
“Mein Sparschwein! Mein Sparschwein ist weg!”

Gemeinsam finden sie heraus, wer dahinter steckt: Kevin, Connys älterer Bruder, dick, verpickelt und stets World of Warcraft T-Shirt tragend. “Warum hast Du mein Sparschwein geklaut?” – “Ich habe es nicht geklaut, ich habe es gerettet! Sieh dich doch um. Überall Phantasiefiguren, die zu Leben erwachen, das gleiche wäre deinem Sparschwein auch passiert, am Ende in dem Augenblick, in dem Du es zertrümmerst, und das wäre sehr hässlich geworden.” – “Oh… und ich dachte, Du wolltest Dir von dem Geld Computerspiele kaufen.” – “LOL? Kein Mensch kauft sich Computerspiele, die zieh ich mir.” – “Aber… ist das nicht verboten?” – “Ja, aber das ist hier nicht das Thema, das kommt erst im nächsten Indoktrinationsfilm der Industrie, hier geht es um Werte ^^” – “Ach so, und was ziehst Du Dir hier?” – “Im Moment Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, hier guck mal:

(Direktlink)

Conny? Conny, warum bist Du denn so blass?” – “D… D… Daaaaddyyyy!”

Nachdem Conny heulend aus dem stickigen Zimmer mit zugezogenen Vorhängen gerannt ist, bleiben nur Kevin und die Comic”stars” zurück. Die Initiative ergreift Papa Schlumpf: “Freunde, habt ihr das gesehen? Mit sowas spielt man heute? Warum nur? Wir haben die Kinder über Generationen amüsiert, und heute vertreibt sie sich die Zeit mit solch einem Schund. Wir müssen etwas unternehmen!” – “Aber was?”
“Kevin, hör mal: Wir können das nicht zulassen.” – “Aber ich will doch dazugehören, wenn ich nicht solche Spiele spiele, finde ich nie Freunde… oh, moment… vergesst das. Aber ich kann nicht aufhören, es ist das einzige, was ich kann!” – “Aber das stimmt doch nicht. Hier, wir haben eine Zeitmaschine, wir werden dich in deine Vergangenheit führen und Dir zeigen, wie glücklich Du früher einmal warst, komm, steig ein!” – “Ein… DeLorean?” – “Ja, genau… nein, Du Idiot, eine HoiPoi-Kapsel von unserem Freund Son Goku aus dem Manga Dragonball, elende Japaner, die uns den Markt abgraben, aber so Technikzeug, das können sie. Auf geht’s ins Jahr 1998!”

Unsere Freunde landen im Jahr 1998 im Wohnzimmer der Familie Rufangst, der gerade einmal 6-jährige Kevin kommt gerade aus der Schule. Er hockt sich direkt vor den Fernsehr und schaltet Pokémon ein. Es ist Alf, der die Initiative ergreift, in dem er beim Anblick der schnellen Bildabfolge mit den unfassbar vielen Farben in einen epileptischen Anfall verfällt und sich auf dem Boden wälzt. “Seht nur, Alf tanzt”, rufen die Schlümpfe und stimmen ein Lied an, das ist unvermeidlich, denn in diesen Drecksfilmen kommt irgendwann immer ein Lied.

(Melodie vom Schlumpflied, Ansage des Sprechers (Tief versteckt in einem Wald etc.), gesprochen von Tommie Pieper, gleichzeitig Stimme von Alf, na Gott sei Dank ist der ausser Gefecht)

“Seht nur, die Serien,
seht nur, die Cartoons,
sie laufen in den Ferien,
ja genau, sie tun’s.

Doch Vorsicht vor den Killerspielen,
Vorsicht vor Gewalt,
sie wollen nur darauf abzielen,
dass ihr viel Geld zahlt.

Drum lest wieder Mickey Maus,
lest den ganzen Tag,
geht mal wieder aus dem Haus,
in unseren Freizeitpark!”

“Ja, Kevin, das war ein sehr schönes Lied, aber um ehrlich zu sein, wollten wir Dir damit auch etwas sagen. Sieh nur, wie glücklich Du damals warst. Schön vor dem Fernseher im hellen Wohnzimmer, nicht im dunklen Jugendzimmer. Willst Du nicht diese Zeit zurück? Kommen, wir reisen in deine mögliche Zukunft, ins Jahr 2016.”

Alf, die Schlümpfe, der Kermitwecker und die dankenswerterweise ruhigen Chipmunks reisen zusammen mit Kevin ins Jahr 2016, wo (oder wann?) er längst nicht mehr zu Hause lebt, sondern? Genau, garnicht mehr, er ist tot. Er ist kurz vor seinem Abi Amok gelaufen, und Schuld waren alleine die Killerspiele. Papa Schlumpf wendet sich väterlich, wie auch sonst, an Kevin: “Sieh mal. Deine Familie weint immer noch um Dich.” Am Küchentisch sitzen Kevins Eltern, der Vater ist besoffen, die Mutter pariert, äh, püriert, es gibt Kartoffelpüree. Daneben sitzt Conny, sie ist jetzt Emo und die Arme sind verritzt. Die Schule musste sie nach dem Amoklauf verlassen, sie hat ein freiwilliges soziales Jahr gemacht und dann noch ein unfreiwilliges asoziales. Jetzt schläft sie sich durchs Dorf, um den Ruf der Familie wieder herzustellen. “Oh nein… was habe ich nur getan? Was ist passiert?” – “Lass uns in hier einmal ins Internet schauen, wie das ablief. Moment, ich hole schnell mein iSchlumpf raus. Hier…. Amoklauf… Wahnvorstellungen… Comicfiguren… Naja *hust* ist ja auch egal. Es waren jedenfalls die Killerspiele, alleine die Killerspiele. Du musst damit aufhören!” – “Ja, gut, aber nur unter einer Bedingung: ihr müsst mir jetzt auch mal in meine Welt folgen, ich zeige euch eines meiner Spiele und danach entscheiden wir gemeinsam, wie es weitergeht.” – “Einverstanden!”

Sie fliegen zurück ins Jahr 2009, das Jahr, in dem sie Kontakt aufnahmen und landen in Kevins Zimmer. Er “loggt sich in das Spiel ein” und kraft der Comicfiguren finden sie sich mitten in einem Level von Counterstrike wieder.
“Kevin, was hast Du vor?”, fragt Alvin Chipmunk völlig zurecht, denn Kevin kontert: “LOOOOL, das war alles eine Falle! Los, Freunde, knallt sie ab ” Und mit einem Mal tauchen aus allen Ecken Terroristen auf und schießen die Comicstars über den Haufen. Zuerst erwischt es Theodore Chipmunk, der noch versucht, sich hinter eine Polygonkiste zu retten, schafft es aber nicht mehr. Alvin und Simon starren erschreckt auf die Leiche ihres Bruders, als eine Granate zwischen ihnen landet und sie in unappetitliche Einzelteile zerfetzt. Blutüberströmt kreischt ein Schlumpf, nein, nicht blutüberströmt, es ist Papa Schlumpf, er kann nicht fassen, dass Clumsie versucht hat, sich auf die Granate zu schmeissen, sie war größer als er. Es sind nur noch 99 Schlümpfe am Leben, ihre gesamte Existenz ist damit in Frage gestellt, weswegen ihr Serienuniversum zusammebricht und sie alle in ein schwarzes Loch zieht. Nur noch Alf ist übrig, der es schafft, noch 5 Terroristen mittels Headshot mitzunehmen, wobei er nach jedem Treffer “Haha!” ruft. Ist er etwa ein Cheater? Der Verdacht liegt nahe, denn er hat ja nicht einmal eine Waffe. Doch dann erwischt es auch ihn, mit einer Salve aus der AK 47 mitten in die Brust wird er erlegt, das Fell hätte einen guten Bettvorleger abgegeben, wäre es nicht durchsiebt worden.
“Yeah”, freut sich Kevin, “endlich Ruhe! Nur: Wie komme ich jetzt wieder aus dem Spiel raus? Jungs? Juuuungs!”

Terrorists win.

]]> http://thebirdinmymouth.com/2009/11/13/invading-the-folson-st-fair/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:35:43 +0000 houndstoothlarry http://thebirdinmymouth.com/2009/11/13/invading-the-folson-st-fair/

]]> http://anarchypress.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/alf-%ce%bc%ce%b5%ce%be%ce%b9%ce%ba%cf%8c-%cf%84%ce%bf%cf%80%ce%bf%ce%b8%ce%ad%cf%84%ce%b7%cf%83%ce%b7-%ce%b2%cf%8c%ce%bc%ce%b2%ce%b1%cf%82-%cf%83%cf%84%ce%b7%ce%bd-%cf%86%ce%b1%cf%81%ce%bc%ce%b1/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:57:37 +0000 anarchypress http://anarchypress.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/alf-%ce%bc%ce%b5%ce%be%ce%b9%ce%ba%cf%8c-%cf%84%ce%bf%cf%80%ce%bf%ce%b8%ce%ad%cf%84%ce%b7%cf%83%ce%b7-%ce%b2%cf%8c%ce%bc%ce%b2%ce%b1%cf%82-%cf%83%cf%84%ce%b7%ce%bd-%cf%86%ce%b1%cf%81%ce%bc%ce%b1/

Μιά «βόμβα» τοποθέτησαν μέλη του ALF -Μεξικό, στην φαρμακευτική εταιρία NOVARTIS στη πόλη του Μεξικό στις 4 Νοεμβρίου. Μαζί  με τη βαλίτσα υπήρχε και σημείωμα που έλεγε: «κόψτε τους δεσμούς με την HLS (εργαστήρια πειραμάτων σε ζώα). Στην ανάληψη ευθύνης τονίζεται , η αδυναμία, παρά τα μεγάλα ποσά που έχουν ξοδευτεί από το κράτος,  των συστημάτων ασφαλείας και παρακολούθησης να  εντοπίσουν τις κινήσεις μας μέχρι τη τοποθέτηση της «βόμβας» .

Αυτή η βόμβα δεν αποτέλεσε απειλή για τη σωματική ασφάλεια κανένος, αφού ήταν μια απάτη.

Αφού αφήσαμε το «δώρο» μας, περιπολικά και οχήματα  των μπάτσων απέκλεισαν το σημείο, δημιουργώντας χάος στους δρόμους γύρω από το κτίριο της εταιρίας που βασανίζονται ζώα. Ο τύπος απέκρυψε το γεγονός, αλλά ή ανάμνηση ενός «ύποπτου» αντικειμένου θα μείνει μέχρι την επόμενη πραγματική βόμβα. Το κάναμε μια φορά και δεν θα διστάσουμε να το επιστρέψουμε να ανατινάξουμε την ιδιοκτησία τους.

Δράση του ALF Γκουανταλαχάρα Σεπτ/ο9

Η δράση αυτή έγινε για να τιμήσουμε τη μνήμη του συντρόφου Barry Horne που αφιέρωσε τη ζωή του ενάντια στην εκμετάλλευση των ζώων.»

Δημοσιεύτηκε από Αναρχικούς, αναρχικές μέσα και έξω από σχολεία και σχολές

]]> http://thomaspainescorner.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/the-cnn-com-%e2%80%9cblogger-bunch%e2%80%9d-discussion-animal-liberation-v-vivisection/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:01:47 +0000 thomaspainescorner http://thomaspainescorner.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/the-cnn-com-%e2%80%9cblogger-bunch%e2%80%9d-discussion-animal-liberation-v-vivisection/

by Camille Marino

November 12, 2009

Simulposted with Negotiation Is Over

In lieu of the scientific debate that the vivisection community has consistently and adamantly refused to engage in, CNN.com aired a discussion focusing on animal liberation v. animal experimentation on November 11, 2009. Interestingly, neither J. David Jentsch nor Dario Ringach chose to appear, confirming that they have no desire to discuss their atrocities with a mainstream audience. It is obvious from this “Blogger Bunch” forum, however, why one-sided propaganda campaigns are embraced by UCLA Pro-Torture.

Click HERE to watch…

The panel included:

• Dr. Ray Greek MD, President, Americans For Medical Advancement. His books include Sacred Cows and Golden Geese: The Human Cost of Experiments on Animals and What Will We Do If We Don’t Experiment on Animals? Medical Research for the 21st Century
• Peter Young, Founder and Publisher of Voice of the Voiceless. He is an animal liberationist, seasoned activist, and speaker.
• Michael Conn, Vivisector at the Oregon Health & Science University and author of The Animal Research War.
• Tom Holder, Founder of Speaking of Research and spokesperson for Pro-Torture for Science.

While there were no actual opening statements, arguments, or rebuttals, Michael Conn’s comments were the most problematic and deceitful. If one were to award points for evading subject matter and long-winded factually-deficient diatribes, then, without question, Conn would be the uncontested winner. Tom Holder adhered to his standard industry lines which have already been addressed here. And, while Dr. Ray Greek and Peter Young attempted to cultivate a factual debate about issues, unfortunately, their adversaries were unwilling or unable to do so.

Some Major Issues

1) The first questions posed: (1) why do “researchers” experiment on nonhuman animals who react differently than humans? and (2) why are the same cruel experiments continuously repeatedly? I suspect that they are playing the law of averages, waiting for an isolated result that will provide fraudulent data. But I guess I’ll never know the answer for sure because…

Michael Conn — reminiscent of Sarah Palin — decided he didn’t like those questions. He decided to speak about something else entirely: If you do not have polio or if you have ever taken a drug, then you have benefited from vivisection. He proceeded on an insufferable and irrelevant tangent about how “you owe a debt to animal research” if you have ever used a pediatrician, veterinarian, pregnancy test, vaccine, or had a stroke. Constructing his strawman argument, Vivisector Conn essentially confirmed what we already knew — that nonhuman animals were tortured with ruthless efficiency and packaged for profit in every perverse way imaginable. But he wholly evaded the real issue of whether or not those sadistic experiments were valid. Fortunately, there was a scientist on the panel…

Dr. Greek, a physician, spoke of the fact that drugs react differently in nonhuman animals than they do in people. “Animals simply cannot predict human response and, yet, that is exactly how people who earn their livlihood from using animals sell that animal use to society and that’s just fraud, plain and simple… Of course you can grow things using animal eggs, etc. But that’s not the issue. The issue is whether they predict human response and they just don’t.”

This 5-year-old male Rhesus macaque, known as Frak, is part of a U. study to test a neurally activated prosthetic arm. After the study, Frak is to live out his days in a primate sanctuary. Frak is among several research animals an animal-rights group alleges are being mistreated in violation of federal law at the U. following an eight-month undercover investigation. (Photo courtesy of the University of Utah)

2) Tom Holder – he wants people to believe that “conditions in labs are spectacularly improved” from the fifties and sixties. And, as always, Holder advances an image of well-cared for and nurtured animals in a comfortable laboratory environment, he refuses to acknowledge that these victims are imprisoned and terrorized regularly. They are tortured, drugged, mutilated, and murdered at the hands of sociopaths in white lab coats. Yet Holder concludes that if you are against “animal research” then you are against “animal health and human health”.

Peter Young cites an investigation into animal abuse at the University of Utah which was in the news as the debate aired, November 11, 2009. “Dr. Conn and Mr. Holder are lying to you. These pictures you see are not outdated. Every single time anyone cracks that veil of secrecy and goes into a lab they come out with horrific images every single time… EVERY SINGLE TIME.” The Salt Lake City Tribune reports the following:

 

“PETA leaders contend their evidence reveals “flagrant disregard” for the animals’ well-being and violations have become “business as usual” at the U.

“The ongoing lack of veterinary care means that animals who were already doomed to live and die in laboratories are suffering much more than they have to,” said Kathy Guillermo, PETA’s vice president over laboratory investigations.

The group plans to release video images it says show mice dead from neglect, dying mice bloated with ulcerated tumors, rabbits and cats with surgically implanted devices on their heads and spines, and U. lab staff, their faces blurred, casually describing deplorable conditions for the research animals.

“Betcha if you squeezed that, that would pop,” a lab worker says, holding up a mouse with a bulging abdomen to the camera.

“How would you like to be sitting in a little square box with half your skin missing and your eyeball hanging out for a week, just shivering in trauma?” another mouse-lab worker says.”

 

3) Michael Conn then says “the U.S. government does not tolerate bad actors.” He also has the audacity to make the statement that the USDA overseas animal experimentation, therefore, ethical, well-trained professionals provide the utmost care ensuring humane treatment. But USDA Inspector Dr. Isis Johnson adamantly disagrees with the vivisector and discusses the futility of the Federal Animal Welfare Act. The following is an excerpt from Matt Rossell’s Letter to the Editor of “The Scientist”:

“Conn maintains that diligent inspections were conducted by USDA and other internal oversight committees. Compare Conn’s claim with the fact that the USDA inspector at the time, Dr. Isis Johnson Brown, was by my side at a press conference, having quit in frustration after her supervisors at the USDA failed to support her efforts to enforce the minimal requirements of the Animal Welfare Act. Every news agency in Portland was on hand, and the following is part of what she had to say:

“While working for the United States Department of Agriculture as the inspector in Oregon for the Federal Animal Welfare Act, I was dedicated to providing the animals the protections, minimal as they are, that are stipulated by law. This is no easy task. As Oregon’s only inspector, I was responsible for the oversight of over 120 facilities throughout the state. I barely had time to visit each facility as required, which for some facilities was no more than once every three years. If that wasn’t enough, I soon found out that my own supervisors were working against me at every turn. The research institutions I visited, including the Oregon Primate Center, were not happy to see me coming once they realized that I was going to hold them to the law. This reaction I expected. What was surprising to me was my own supervisors were disappointed and unsupportive of my efforts to simply enforce the bare minimum standards in the Code of Federal Regulations. The USDA has a good ol’ boy relationship with the research industry and the laws are nothing more than smoke and mirrors. More than once, I was instructed by a supervisor to make a personal list of violations of the law, cut that list in half, and then cut that list in half again before writing up my inspection reports. My willingness to uphold the law during my site visits at the Primate Center led to me being “retrained” several times by higher-ups in the USDA.Understand that the laws I was attempting to enforce require no more than minimum standards— food and water, shelter from the elements, a clean cage that protects from injury and “adequate” veterinary care— that’s about it. At the Primate Center, the attending veterinarian tried to march me through as fast as he could. Only when I specifically asked to see a husbandry task, like cage washing, would he grudgingly show me. I would spot check records on paper but for the most part, I had to take the attending veterinarian on his word about procedures and veterinary care.”

Simply revealing the truth was what caused the “public relations nightmare” Conn describes as being so difficult for the primate center to deal with.”

4) Dr. Ray Greek challenges Michael Conn to a debate: “I’ve offered to debate Drs. Ringach and Jentsch many times; they’ve always turned me down. The animal experimentation community does not want an open dialogue on this, they want to propagandize to the general public. Michael, if you’re so convinced that you’re right on this issue, let’s have a public debate.” But, whereas Jentsch and Ringach have refused the challenge, Michael Conn ended the discussion as he began it — by evading Dr. Greek’s offer and, instead, giving a literary critique of one of his books.

FOR THE RECORD, DR. GREEK CHALLENGED THE VIVISECTION COMMUNITY TO A SCIENTIFIC DEBATE TWO MORE TIMES IN THE LAST 24 HOURS, AND NOT ONE “RESEARCHER” IS WILLING TO DEFEND THE MERIT OF ANIMAL MUTILATION IN A PUBLIC FORUM.

Camille Marino, TPC’s Editor of Vegan Agitation, is an animal liberationist, an extraordinary agitator and activist, and is the founder and editor of Negotiation is Over. In her words, “It’s time to stop waving signs at cars or trying to enlighten the apathetic. The fight for the rights of non-human people is urgent and requires us to act outside the box.”

Thomas Paine’s Corner wants to periodically email you links to the most recent material and timeless classics available on our diverse and comprehensive site. If you would like to receive them, type “TPC subscription” in the subject line and send your email to willpowerful@hotmail.com

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To support or undertake animal rights and liberation activism in the Kansas City area, visit Bite Club of KC at http://biteclubkc.wordpress.com/.

]]> http://101changos.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/y-hablando-de-sarcasmo/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:44:21 +0000 101changos http://101changos.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/y-hablando-de-sarcasmo/

Como olvidar a Alf, este extraterrestre pasado de lanza. A continuación, una parte de un capitulo pa recordar…

]]> http://alfkenro.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/difunde-la-palabra/ Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:53:00 +0000 alfkenro http://alfkenro.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/difunde-la-palabra/

Cuando he visto esto en un blog, me ha encantado, y que se me ocurre, publicarlo, no solo en este blog, sino donde se me vaya ocurriendo.

A difundir la palabra de la ciencia. O como bien he leido, menos educacion para la ciudadania, y mas pensamiento critico.

]]> http://proyectonaschy.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/dvd-noviembre/ Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:17:27 +0000 Serendipia http://proyectonaschy.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/dvd-noviembre/ http://alfkenro.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/casa/ Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:25:02 +0000 alfkenro http://alfkenro.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/casa/

Hay cosas simples, cosas que no sirven para nada, y cosas que dan satisfación personal.

Resulta que tengo un radiador que pierde agua, el problema, que es una gota cada mes, con lo que no me he dado cuenta hasta que no ha estropeado la tarima.  Al ver esto, mi primera idea fue, poner un papel debajo de cada radiador para detectar fugas. Y solo tenia el que había localizado. Bueno, pues lo primero que se me ocurrio, es apretarlo. Que es lo que haces cuando hay una fuga, pues lo aprietas mas. Pues no, esa no es la solución sigue perdiendo agua. Siguiente paso cambiar pieza, nada, siguiente paso, usar  mas teflon, nada, usar estopa. Mas nada, y encima no me gusta el olor. Vuelvo a quitar la estopa, pongo teflon, añado masilla tapaagujeros (que se usa para fugas) nada. Al final me compro un detentor, para analizar como van las piezas porque algo se me escapa. Me pongo a jugar con el en la mesa, lo monto lo desmonto, y voila. La solución, resulta que una de las piezas se ajusta en el sentido de las agujas del reloj, y otra en sentido inverso. Como primero pones una, no te das cuenta de que. despues de montar la unión. vas a apretar una en sentido inverso. Como piensas que la otra al apretarla bien, piensas que esta bien puesta. Pero al poner la segunda resulta que aprietas en sentido opuesto. Y como no tengas sujeta la primera pues, la desenroscas sin darte cuenta. Bueno, parece que el radiador ya no gotea, con lo que no tengo que dejar un vaso debajo de el.

Que he aprendido, que internet no vale de nada, buscando reparación de radiadores, no viene nada de ese pequeño detalle, que es el truco de todos los radiadores. Algo tan simple como sujeta pieza, apreita pieza. En fin. La gente hace manuales, ridiculos, y no se fijan en lo que realmente es importante.

]]> http://cinefagos.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/estrenos-en-dvd-lanzamientos-del-9-al-15-11-2009/ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:09:24 +0000 Briony http://cinefagos.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/estrenos-en-dvd-lanzamientos-del-9-al-15-11-2009/

 

Pocos son los lanzamientos en DVD con los que nos encontramos esta semana. En la sección LARGOMETRAJES cuatro son los títulos que se nos ofertan: la comedia romántica “Un conejo sin orejas”; el thriller “Anamorph” protagonizado por Williem Dafoe; el drama “Máncora” y la comedia “Superfrikis”.

Mientras que la primera temporada completa de “Las guerras clon” es la única propuesta encuadrada en el apartado SERIES DE TV, CINE DE SIEMPRE nos ofrece varias alternativas el drama “El placer” de Max Ophüls; la genial “Simón del desierto” del maestro Luis Buñuel con Claudio Brooks y Silvia Pinal encabezando el reparto; “Barba Azul” protagonizada por John Carradine y la primera y segunda temporadas de la conocida serie de televisión “Alf”.

LARGOMETRAJES

UN CONEJO SIN OREJAS (10/11)

Título original: Keinohrhasen

Nacionalidad: Alemania

Año: 2007 

Duración: 115 min.

Director: Til Schweiger

Reparto: Til Schweiger, Nora Tschirner, Matthias Schweighöfer, Alwara Höfels, Jürgen Vogel, Rick Kavanian, Armin Rohde, Wolfgang Stumph, Barbara Rudnik, Yvonne Catterfeld.

Nora Tschirner interpreta a una tímida profesora de preescolar cuyo cuadriculado mundo se desmorona cuando, tras montar un tremendo escándalo en una boda, un paparazzo es condenado a 300 horas de trabajos para la comunidad y tiene que cumplirlas precisamente junto a ella. El problema es que el paparazzo en cuestión, Ludo (Til Schweiger), fue compañero suyo de colegio y se dedicaba a hacerle la vida imposible. Claro que, bien pensado, quizá ésta sea una ocasión perfecta para ajustar cuentas con él siempre y cuando el amor, tan meticón él, no se entrometa.

ANAMORPH (11/11)

Título original: Anamorph

Nacionalidad: EEUU

Año: 2007

Duración: 103 min.

Director: Henry Miller

Reparto: Willem Dafoe, Scott Speedman, Peter Stormare, Clea DuVall, James Rebhorn, Amy Carlson, Yul Vazquez.

Un asesino en serie comienza a cometer brutales crímenes dejando una impronta difícilmente olvidable. Los cuerpos de sus víctimas son transformados en reflejos de grotescas obras de arte. El criminal basa el aspecto de sus crímenes en el concepto artístico de la anamorfosis, una técnica pictórica que manipula las leyes de la perspectiva para crear dos puntos de vista diferentes de una misma composición. En una de ellas lo creado toma una forma proporcionada y clara.

MÁNCORA (11/11)

Título original: Máncora

Nacionalidad: Perú

Año: 2008

Duración: 100 min.

Director: Ricardo de Montreuil

Reparto: Jason Day, Elsa Pataky, Enrique Murciano, Phellipe Haagensen, Liz Gallardo, Andrés Arellano, Anahí de Cárdenas.

Santiago (Jason Day) es un joven limeño que tras el suicidio de su padre hereda todas las deudas de éste, así que decide huir de sus demonios internos. Su destino será Máncora, una isla al norte de Perú. Allí también irá su hermanastra Ximena (Pataky), una joven y hermosa fotógrafa, que llega inesperadamente junto a su marido Iñigo (Enrique Murciano). Así empieza una espiral de exceso, descontrol, drogas, sexo y celos.

SUPERFRIKIS (11/11)

Título original: Bickford Shmeckler’s Cool Ideas

Nacionalidad: EEUU

Año: 2006

Duración: 79 min.

Director: Scott Lew

Reparto: Patrick Fugit, Olivia Wilde, John Cho, Reid Scott, Matthew Lillard, Cheryl Hines.

Patrick Fugit es Bickford, el clásico friki con la misma vida sexual que un ficus. Es un joven asocial y misántropo que prefiere esconderse del animado mundo universitario y dedicarse a escribir la “Teoría sobre el Todo”, un libro de ideas geniales y diversas teorías filosóficas sobre la vida en general. Un buen día, Sarah, una sexy, fumeta y ninfómana chica del campus, le roba el libro y descubre que sus ideas pueden provocar orgasmos mentales. El libro empezará a cambiar de manos y de paso, cambiará la vida de todos aquellos que lo lean. A su vez, Bickford se verá obligado a enfrentarse al mundo real para recuperarlo.

SERIES DE TV

LAS GUERRAS CLON (10/11)

Serie de televisión que cuenta lo que ocurrió entre “Star Wars Episodio II: El ataque de los clones” y “Star Wars Episodio III: La venganza de los Sith”.Los caballeros Jedis Anakin Skywalker y Obi-Wan Kenobi continúan su viaje a través de la galaxia en medio de las Guerras Clonicas, la reunión familiar con villanos, como el Conde Dooku, el General Grievous y Asajj Ventress. Un nuevo papel importante en la película es Ahsoka Tano, la joven Anakin femenino aprendiz.

CINE DE SIEMPRE

ALF (10/11) Paul Fusco y Tom Patchett,1986

Un pequeño extraterrestre del planeta Melmac se estrella con su nave en la Tierra. Los Tanner, una típica familia americana, le acogen en su casa, escondiéndole no sólo de las autoridades sino también de vecinos, amigos y parientes, pues creen que la vida del simpático Alien (al que llaman Alf) correría peligro de conocerse su existencia. Pronto los Tanner lo empiezan a considerar uno más de la familia, pero también comenzarán los problemas de convivencia, pues Alf es un ser egoísta, comodón y poco educado que sólo piensa en sí mismo, en comer y en ver la tele.

EL PLACER (11/11) Max Ophüls, 1952

Tres historias sobre el placer. En la primera, un extraño hombre acude a un popular baile de máscaras en París y baila hasta caer extenuado. Un doctor lo atiende, descubriendo con sorpresa que tras la máscara se oculta un anciano. Cuando el doctor lo lleva a su domicilio, la esposa del viejo le narra al galeno la triste historia del bailarín. En la segunda historia, un famoso artista se enamora de Josephine, su bella modelo. Él sólo pinta retratos de ella, y alcanza el éxito, pero su historia de amor tiene un final trágico. En el último de los cuentos, Madame Tellier, que regenta un prostíbulo, es invitada por su hermano Joseph a la primera comunión de la hija de éste. Lla dama cierra el negocio durante un fin de semana y acude al evento religioso en compañía de sus pupilas a la granja lejana de Joseph. Tras una emotiva ceremonia, donde las mozas son la admiración del pueblo, regresan de nuevo al ejercicio de su oficio con el regocijo de todos los hombres que, desesperados, las echaban en falta.

SIMÓN DEL DESIERTO (11/11) Luis Buñuel, 1965

El estilita Simón se ha mantenido en penitencia de pie sobre una columna por más de seis años. Un rico devoto le obsequia una mejor columna y Simón realiza el milagro de devolverle las manos a un mutilado. Durante varios días, Simón continúa en penitencia mientras el diablo se le aparece tratando de tentarlo.

BARBA AZUL (12/11) Edgar G. Ulmer, 1944

Un peligroso asesino, apodado Barba Azul, tiene aterrorizados a los habitantes de París. A todos menos a Lucille, una modesta costurera que, desoyendo el clamor popular, decide salir a dar un paseo nocturno por la ciudad. Gracias a ello conocerá a Gaston Morrell, un titiritero que le ofrecerá trabajo como modista en su espectáculo de marionetas. La llegada de Lucille a la compañía provocará los inevitables celos de Renee, la amante de Gaston. Lo que ninguna de las dos conoce es que Gaston posee una cara oculta que desearían no conocer jamás.

 

Briony 

]]> http://futurrouge.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/liberation-animale-hommage-a-barry-horne/ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:09:29 +0000 Futur Rouge http://futurrouge.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/liberation-animale-hommage-a-barry-horne/

(source : La Terre d’abord 06/11/09)

Plutôt qu’une « vegan day » fondée sur la cuisine, nous aurions bien plutôt besoin d’une journée en hommage à Barry Horne, comme symbole de l’activisme au service des animaux. En fait, la date de sa mort est déjà l’occasion de nombreuses libérations, en raison du caractère particulier de celle-ci (il y a déjà un communiqué d’une libération cette année, à l’occasion de cet « anniversaire », dans l’Etat espagnol).Voici une présentation de la vie de Barry Horne (également racontée dans une chanson d’Active Slaughter
). Cette présentation est également en ligne dans les archives activisme.

Né en 1952, Barry Horne est une figure de la libération animale, de par son engagement, notamment au sein de l’ALF et de l’ARM. Sa mort le 5 novembre 2001, dans le cadre d’une grève de la faim, est célébrée à la manière qu’il l’aurait souhaité, avec des libérations d’animaux dans plusieurs pays.

Barry Horne a commencé l’activisme à 35 ans, sous l’influence de sa compagne. Devenu végétarien, il a participé à des sabotages de la chasse, avant de tenter en 1988 de libérér Rocky, un grand dauphin gardé en captivité alors depuis 20 ans (le plus souvent seul) à « Marineland », dans la ville anglaise de Morecambe.

L’opération menée par 5 personnes échoua en raison de la difficulté technique de l’opération, mais il s’ensuivit une vaste campagne, amenant Marineland à accepter de vendre Rocky, qui fut alors « acheté » grâce aux fonds rassemblés par les activistes. Rocky fut libéré non loin des Bahamas et put rejoindre des groupes d’autres dauphins.

Barry Horne continua son activisme, en rejoignant le front de libération des animaux, libérant 82 bébés beagles et 26 lapins de HarlanInterfauna, une entreprise fournissant des animaux aux laboratoires. Le groupe mit également la main sur les listes de clients, tant des sociétés que d’universités. Un vétérinaire sympathisant de l’ALF enleva les tatouages fait sur les animaux et ceux-ci furent placés dans des foyers d’accueil de sympathisants. Deux activistes furent condamnés à 9 et 18 mois de prison pour cette action.

Barry Horne participa ensuite à l’attaque d’une conférence sur la vivisection, et se radicalisa. Il fut alors un activiste de la Milice pour les Droits des Animaux (ARM), qui n’applique pas la politique de l’ALF de ne pas attenter à la vie humaine.

On considère que Barry Horne est lié à une série d’actions à la bombe incendiaire à Oxford, Cambridge, York, Harrogate, London, Bristol, ainsi que Newport and Ryde sur l’île de Wight. Il fut arrêté en 1996 après avoir placé deux bombes incendiaires à Bristol. Il se doutait qu’il serait arrêté, mais il considérait que la situation exigeait un engagement sans faille. Il fut condamné à 18 années de prison.

Barry Horne a alors multiplié les grèves de la faim, dont une allant jusqu’à 68 jours. Elles furent très dures, Barry arrivant même à des situations où il hallucinait et ne se souvenait même pas pourquoi il faisait grève de la faim. Le soutien fut à certain moment vraiment massif, tant en Angleterre que dans le monde (notamment aux USA et en Suède). Les revendications concernaient à chaque fois l’arrêt de la vivisection, la social-démocratie anglaise (le Labour) ayant notamment trahi sa promesse d’une enquête à ce sujet. La dernière grève de la faim lui fut fatale, et depuis, la date de sa mort, le 5 novembre 2001, est prétexte à de nombreuses actions activistes dans le monde.

]]> http://anarchypress.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/%cf%83%cf%8d%ce%bb%ce%bb%ce%b7%cf%88%ce%b7-%cf%86%ce%b5%cf%81%cf%8c%ce%bc%ce%b5%ce%bd%ce%bf%cf%85-%ce%bc%ce%ad%ce%bb%ce%bf%cf%85%cf%82-%cf%84%ce%bf%cf%85-elf-%cf%83%cf%84%ce%bf-%ce%bc%ce%b5%ce%be/ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:54:13 +0000 anarchypress http://anarchypress.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/%cf%83%cf%8d%ce%bb%ce%bb%ce%b7%cf%88%ce%b7-%cf%86%ce%b5%cf%81%cf%8c%ce%bc%ce%b5%ce%bd%ce%bf%cf%85-%ce%bc%ce%ad%ce%bb%ce%bf%cf%85%cf%82-%cf%84%ce%bf%cf%85-elf-%cf%83%cf%84%ce%bf-%ce%bc%ce%b5%ce%be/

Υπάρχει η πληροφορία της σύλληψης στο Μεξικό ενός 16χρονου, που επιχειρείται να συνδεθεί με ενέργειες του Μετώπου Απελευθέρωσης της Γης. Στις 27 Οκτωβρίου ένας 16χρονος αγωνιστής συνελήφθη το βράδυ. Οι μπάτσοι ανακοίνωσαν ότι προσπάθησε να ξεφορτωθεί μια τσάντα που περιείχε 4 εμπρηστικούς μηχανισμούς (καθεμία με 2 μολότοφ), 1 μολότοφ, 1 ζευγάρι πλαστικά γάντια, 1 κουκούλα, αναπτήρα και διάφορα σκίτσα για το περιβάλλον.

Μεταφέρθηκε στην αστυνομία όπου τον φωτογράφησαν και κρατήθηκε εκεί. Αρνήθηκε να μιλήσει.

Τα ΜΜΕ, την άλλη μέρα, έγραψαν ότι είναι ύποπτος για 6 επιθέσεις με εμπρηστικούς μηχανισμούς από το ELF, ALF και οικο-αναρχικούς.

 Πιο αναλυτικά για:

- Καταστροφή JCB στις 22 Μαρτίου από το ELF

- Εμπρησμό με σοβαρές ζημιές σε McDonalds στις 12 Μάη από το ALF

- Καταστροφή φορτηγού με εμπρηστικό μηχανισμό του κυβερνητικού ινστιτούτου Sistema Intermunicipal Water and Sewer στις 19 Μάη από το ELF

- Απειλή για τοποθέτηση βόμβας από οικο-αναρχικούς στο Ομοσπονδιακό Παλάτι και σε εκκλησιαστικό ίδρυμα στις 7 Ιουλίου, κατά τη διεξαγωγή του Συνεδρίου Βορειοαμερικανικών Κρατών.

- Τοποθέτηση εμπρηστικού μηχανισμού σε πολυτελές όχημα σε συνοικία του Ζαποπάν στις 18 Αυγούστου από οικο-αναρχικούς

- Εμπρησμός 7 πολυτελών αμαξιών σε έκθεση αυτοκινήτων στις 26 Σεπτεμβρίου από οικο-αναρχικούς

(Οι προκηρύξεις ανάληψης ευθύνης υπάρχουν στο http://www.elfpressoffice.org/actions2009.html, για τα McDonalds (+ βίντεο) στο http://www.directaction.info/news_may12_09.htm

Σύμφωνα με τα ΜΜΕ ο Ντιέγκο Α., ο συλληφθείς, δήλωσε ότι είναι αναρχικός και ότι ανήκει στο ELF, και ότι ευθύνεται για τις 6 επιθέσεις. Αλλά σύμφωνα με το μεξικανικό περιοδικό για τα δικαιώματα των ζώων Rabia y Acción (Οργή και Δράση), αυτό είναι αναληθές.

Στις 29 Οκτωβρίου πέρασε από δίκη αλλά το δικαστήριο δεν βρήκε αρκετές αποδείξεις ώστε να τον καταδικάσει και αφέθηκε ελεύθερος.

(Δημοσιεύτηκε από Αναρχικό Πυρήνα ΞΑΝΑ ΣΤΟΥΣ ΔΡΟΜΟΥΣ)

]]> http://anarchypress.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/%ce%bb%ce%af%ce%b3%ce%b1-%ce%bb%cf%8c%ce%b3%ce%b9%ce%b1-%ce%b3%ce%b9%ce%b1-%cf%84%ce%bf-alf-animal-liberation-front/ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:56:19 +0000 anarchypress http://anarchypress.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/%ce%bb%ce%af%ce%b3%ce%b1-%ce%bb%cf%8c%ce%b3%ce%b9%ce%b1-%ce%b3%ce%b9%ce%b1-%cf%84%ce%bf-alf-animal-liberation-front/

Στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες, οι αρχές προειδοποίoύν τα φαρμακευτικά εργαστήρια και τις επιχειρήσεις βιοτεχνολογίας για τον κίνδυνο επιθέσεων από τουςαγωνιστές για την απέλευθέρωση των ζώων.  Tο Ομοσπονδιακό Γραφείο Ερευνών (FBI) αντιμετωπίζει τους αγωνιστές ως «οικοτρομοκράτες».

Στην Αγγλία, επίσης, ορισμένες ομάδες  επιτίθονται ενάντια σε όσους εκμεταλλεύονται τα ζώα . Το Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), το μεγαλύτερο εργαστήριο στην Ευρώπη όπου πραγματοποιούνται πειράματα σε ζώα, βρίσκεται εδώ και  χρόνια στο στόχαστρο . Για να επιτύχουν την απελευθέρωση των ζώων που θυσιάζονται στον βωμό των ερευνών, οι οικομαχητές προσπαθούν να εξωθήσουν το HLS στη χρεοκοπία, παρενοχλώντας τους μετόχους, τους πελάτες και τους προμηθευτές του.
Η χρήση  βίαιων πρακτικών για την  προστασία των ζώων ξεκινάει τη δεκαετία του 1960.  Το 1963 ιδρύθηκε στη Νότια Αγγλία η Οργάνωση των Σαμποτέρ του Κυνηγιού (HSA). προσπαθούσαν να παρεμβληθούν ανάμεσα στους κυνηγούς και στα θηράματά τους, για να τα σώσουν και για να παρακινήσουν την κυβέρνηση να απαγορεύσει το κυνήγι. Στη συνέχεια, επέκτειναν τη δράση τους στα εργαστήρια όπου πραγματοποιείται ζωοτομία και στα καταστήματα γουναρικών. Ονομάστηκαν Band of Mercy (Ομάδα του Ελέους)». Τρία χρόνια αργότερα, οι «παράνομοι»επέλεξαν ως ονομασία τα αρχικά ALF. «Εκείνη την εποχή, τα απελευθερωτικά μέτωπα πολλαπλασιάζονταν στη Λατινική Αμερική και στην Ιρλανδία

Μέσα από τις επιθέσεις και τις απειλές, το ALF επιδιώκει την αύξηση του κόστους της ασφάλειας των εγκαταστάσεων, έτσι ώστε να γίνει οικονομικά ασύμφορη η εκμετάλλευση των ζώων.
Στο όνομα του αγώνα τους, αρκετές εκατοντάδες άνθρωποι είναι έτοιμοι να περάσουν στην παρανομία. Ο απολογισμός της δράσης τους : σπάσιμο της βιτρίνας κρεοπωλείων, εμπρησμοί σφαγείων και καταστημάτων γουναρικών, παρενοχλήσεις εις βάρος τσίρκων και ζωολογικών κήπων, επιθέσεις σε εκτροφεία βιζόν και απελευθέρωση των έγκλειστων ζώων, καταστροφή εργαστηρίων ζωοτομίας και των εκτροφείων που τα προμηθεύουν με τα ζώα, παρενόχληση του προσωπικού τους μπροστά στον τόπο κατοικίας τους, πετροβόλημα των παραθύρων τους και φθορές στα αυτοκίνητά τους, εμπρησμοί φορτηγών ψυγείων των σφαγείων. Στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες και στη Βόρεια Ευρώπη, το ALF αναλαμβάνει συχνά την ευθύνη για ενέργειες αυτού του τύπου.
Έπειτα από τριάντα χρόνια αγώνων, το ALF  έχει επιτύχει σημαντικές νίκες έπειτα από εκστρατεία άσκησης πιέσεων στις συνεργαζόμενες επιχειρήσεις.
Σήμερα, είναι σχεδόν αδύνατον να βρει κανείς ένα γούνινο παλτό στη Βρετανία. Τα τελευταία χρόνια οδηγήθηκαν σε χρεοκοπία πολλά εκτροφεία γάτων και σκύλων που τροφοδοτούσαν εργαστήρια ζωοτομίας. Τον Ιανουάριο του 1994, το Πανεπιστήμιο του Κέιμπριτζ αναγκάστηκε να εγκαταλείψει το πρόγραμμα του εργαστηρίου νευρολογικής έρευνας που απαιτούσε φριχτά πειράματα πάνω σε πιθήκους (κόβεται ένα τμήμα του κρανίου των πιθήκων, χωρίς να χορηγηθεί καμία αναισθησία στα ζώα και εμφυτεύονται ηλεκτρόδια στον εγκέφαλό τους για να μελετηθεί η λειτουργία των νευρώνων.
Το πείραμα διαρκεί έξι ώρες ημερησίως, πέντε ημέρες την εβδομάδα. Οι υποστηρικτές αυτών των πειραμάτων επικαλούνται την ομοιότητα που υπάρχει ανάμεσα στον πίθηκο και στον άνθρωπο.
Οι αντίπαλοί τους ανταπαντούν ότι ακόμα και αυτή η ομοιότητα δεν είναι δυνατόν να δικαιολογήσει, την οδύνη των ζώων)
Συντονιστής αυτής της εκστρατείας ήταν ο Μελ Μπρότον, φίλος του Μπάρι Χορν, ο οποίος εξέτισε ποινή τετραετούς φυλάκισης για κατοχή εκρηκτικών. Μέσα σε τέσσερα χρόνια, το συνηθισμένο εργαστήριο μετατράπηκε σε φρούριο, ενώ το κόστος λειτουργίας του πέρασε στα 32 εκατομμύρια λίρες, από 24 στην αρχή. Ολα αυτά ήταν απαράδεκτα για το διοικητικό συμβούλιο του Κέιμπριτζ, το οποίο παραιτήθηκε από τη συνέχιση αυτού του προγράμματος.
Ο κυριότερος εχθρός των οικομαχητών, οι περιφραγμένες με συρματοπλέγματα εγκαταστάσεις του HLS που θυμίζουν φρούριο και τις οποίες παρομοιάζουν με στρατόπεδο συγκέντρωσης, εξακολουθούν να λειτουργούν. Πρόκειται για το μεγαλύτερο κέντρο ζωοτομίας στην Ευρώπη. Διαρροές αποκαλύπτουν ότι στο HLS πραγματοποιούνται ιδιαίτερα οδυνηρά πειράματα. Χαρακτηριστική είναι η περίπτωση του πειραματισμού με αέρια CIC πάνω σε σκύλους, ο οποίος πραγματοποιήθηκε το 2003(«The Observer», Λονδίνο, Απρίλιος 2003), δεκαπέντε χρόνια μετά την απαγόρευσή τους. η δοκιμή ενός φάρμακου για τα οστά για λογαριασμό μιας ιαπωνικής εταιρείας, οπότε και έσπασαν τα πόδια σε 37 σκύλους. …

πηγή:  adespotoi.blogspot.com

(δημοσιεύτηκε από Ε. από συλλογικότητα anarchy press)

]]> http://alfkenro.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/cuenta-atras-hacia-kazasjtan/ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:35:53 +0000 alfkenro http://alfkenro.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/cuenta-atras-hacia-kazasjtan/

Me voy unos 15 días a ver otro pais, bueno es por trabajo, pero este es de los sitios que si tengo algún día libre pues seria interesante ver.

Otra cultura, un idioma que no entiendo, ver si en un mundo perdido, soy capaz de encontrarme XDDD.

]]> http://pagosparavadiar.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/quando-a-vida-imita-a-tv/ Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:50:24 +0000 Edu http://pagosparavadiar.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/quando-a-vida-imita-a-tv/

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Algo a declarar Alf?

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]]> http://anarchypress.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/%cf%83%ce%b1%ce%bc%cf%80%ce%bf%cf%84%ce%ac%ce%b6-%cf%83%ce%b5-%cf%86%ce%ac%cf%81%ce%bc%ce%b1%ce%ba-%ce%ba%ce%b1%ce%b9-%ce%b1%cf%80%ce%b5%ce%bb%ce%b5%cf%85%ce%b8%ce%ad%cf%81%cf%89%cf%83%ce%b7-%ce%b5/ Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:52:46 +0000 anarchypress http://anarchypress.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/%cf%83%ce%b1%ce%bc%cf%80%ce%bf%cf%84%ce%ac%ce%b6-%cf%83%ce%b5-%cf%86%ce%ac%cf%81%ce%bc%ce%b1%ce%ba-%ce%ba%ce%b1%ce%b9-%ce%b1%cf%80%ce%b5%ce%bb%ce%b5%cf%85%ce%b8%ce%ad%cf%81%cf%89%cf%83%ce%b7-%ce%b5/

Το Μέτωπο Απελευθέρωσης Ζώων (ALF) ανέλαβε την ευθύνη για την απελευθέρωση 50 ελαφιών από φάρμα της εταιρείας Venison Deer (http://www.venisondeer.com) στο Μαρουγκάν, στη Σεγκόβια.

Μεταξύ άλλων αναφέρουν στην ανάληψη ευθύνης:

“Τη νύχτα της 30ης Οκτωβρίου πήγαμε στην πόλη Μαρουγκάν για να ξαναδώσουμε την ελευθερία στα ελάφια από τα οποία ο επιχειρηματίας Javier Martinhad την είχε στερήσει. Για πάνω από 3 ώρες κόψαμε το συρματόπλεγμα, και σαμποτάραμε ένα όχημα παντός εδάφους και την ηλεκτρική γεννήτρια. Αφού ξηλώσαμε παραπάνω από το μισό φράχτη, οδηγήσαμε τα ελάφια στην απόδραση. Ξέρουμε ότι τουλάχιστον 50 κατάφεραν να ξαναπάρουν την ελευθερία τους και μέχρι το πρωί πολλά περισσότερα θα καταλάβαιναν ότι δεν υπήρχε φράχτης. Πάντως, αν έμειναν κι άλλα μέσα, θα ξαναεπιστρέψουμε.

Η απελευθέρωση αυτή έγινε στα πλαίσια των δράσεων στη μνήμη του συντρόφου Μπάρι Χορν, που έδωσε τη ζωή του στις 5 Νοεμβρίου 2001 κατά τη διάρκεις απεργίας πείνας για την απελευθέρωση των ζώων.”

Δημοσιεύτηκε από Αναρχικό Πυρήνα ΞΑΝΑ ΣΤΟΥΣ ΔΡΟΜΟΥΣ

]]> http://hitthewave.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/long-haired-german-shepherds-alf/ Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:24:01 +0000 zaosan http://hitthewave.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/long-haired-german-shepherds-alf/

My relationship with these marvellous dogs, dates back to 1980. A friend of us Marios told us that a friend of his had just separated with his girlfriend and had to give away a nice GS puppy. We went to this house and it was impossible to leave without this fluffy puppy. We named him ALF. He grew up to one of the most beautiful, relatively blond GSDs I’ve ever seen, being at the same time kind, brave and extremely clean.

Η σχέση μου με αυτά τα υπέροχα σκυλιά χρονολογείται απο το 1980. Ο φίλος μας ο Μάριος μας είπε πως ένας φίλος του είχε μόλις χωρίσει με την κοπέλα του και ήθελε να δώσει ένα όμορφο κουτάβι λυκόσκυλο – προφανώς το είχε αγοράσει για την πρώην. Πήγαμε να το δούμε και ήταν αδύνατον να φύγουμε χωρίς να πάρουμε μαζί μας αυτό το φουντωτό κουτάβι. Το ονομάσαμε ΑΛΦ. Μεγαλώνοντας, έγεινε ο πιό όμορφος , αρκετά ξανθός Γερμανικός ποιμενικός παλαιού τύπου που έχω δεί, όντας ταυτόχρονα καλός, θαρραλέος και ιδιαίτερα καθαρός.

In i984, our friend Dimitris D. was forced to stay for long periods in the USA, so we proposed him to bring his beauty TOSCA (Bella). We couldn’t have hoped for a better bride for Alf, and in the picture below you cas see her pregnant just a month before giving birth to a litter of 9. Unfortunately Alf was no longer alive due to Kala-azar and to the the totaly unsupportive behaviour of a vet.

Το 1984, ο φίλος μας Δημήτρης Δ. χρειάστηκε να πάει γιά μεγάλο διάστημα στις ΗΠΑ γιά δουλιές κι έτσι του προτείναμε να μας εμπιστευτεί την όμορφή του ΤΟΣΚΑ (Μπέλλα). Δε θα μπορούσαμε να φανταστούμε ιδανικότερη σύντροφο γιά τον Αλφ και στην φωτο απο κάτω τη βλέπετε έγκυο, ένα μήνα πρίν γεννήσει 9 κουτάβια. Δυστυχώς ο Αλφ δεν ζούσε πιά εξαιτίας του Καλα-αζάρ και της ανεκδιήγητης συμπεριφοράς του κτηνιάτρου .

As Dimitris would claim back his Bella upon his return, we decided to keep the male puppy you see below, baby ARGOS.

Μιά κιο Δημήτρης επιστρέφοντας θα μας έπαιρνε την Τόσκα, αποφασίσαμε να κρατήσουμε το κουτάβι που βλέπετε από κάτω και που ονομάσαμε ΑΡΓΟ.

To be continued

]]> http://alfkenro.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/actualizando-el-ordena/ Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:20:11 +0000 alfkenro http://alfkenro.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/actualizando-el-ordena/

Hace un mes actualice el ordena.

Con lo que me busco fondos de pantalla.Este me ha hecho gracia, pero siempre me pongo otro tipo de fondo, que me canse menos.

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