Defenders of the Harvest

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Meerataila
Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
I saw a commercial for Defenders of the Harvest last night. Catchy name, I must admit. It appears to be an anti-Humane Society PAC run by some rich cattle and oil industry guy who wants to install in all of us the belief that the Humane Society is exactly the same as PETA and that those of us who don't eat meat are also against having pets. Ridiculous!

So of course looking that catchy little name up led me to more research, and pretty soon I was flooded with stories of not just animal cruelty but also attempts to censor the people who are telling us what is going on inside these industrial farms. Including constant attempts to pass laws criminalizing this whistle blowing and reporting.

Needless to say, this Big Ag propaganda attempt has backfired completely. Now I'm even more determined not to eat animal flesh and products. It's not just about the animals anymore. Now it's about freedom of the press and freedom of speech for humans. And any time someone doesn't want me to know something that might affect my decision making they've just made an enemy of me for life.

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  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
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    Catchy name- why not defenders of the slaughter?
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    Catchy name- why not defenders of the slaughter?

    Also catchy. But a bit too honest for their purposes.
  • BobbyDaniel
    BobbyDaniel Posts: 1,460 Member
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    I saw one of those ads, I think it was on MSNBC, and couldn't help but laugh at the end of it...some people are just shameless. That is worst than some political ads.
  • vegan4lyfe2012
    vegan4lyfe2012 Posts: 1,129 Member
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    I haven't seen any of their ads yet, but can I just say that I'm sick of the Domino's Pizza ad that shows their so-called "happy" cows that are tortured to provide mozzarella? Makes me sick.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    I haven't seen any of their ads yet, but can I just say that I'm sick of the Domino's Pizza ad that shows their so-called "happy" cows that are tortured to provide mozzarella? Makes me sick.

    On the one hand as a new vegan who was a cheese eating low carb meat eating fanatic I try not to go nuts about stuff like this. On the other hand, people who eat from the suffering of others should understand and acknowledge that.. I'm a supporter of if you can kill your own food or at least watch it killed in front of you, okay, you can eat it. I will make a different choice unless dying of starvation, but go ahead.

    On another hand: I'm very upset at how human and mostly immigrant labor used to harvest produce is treated and we vegans should do something about that. Cruelty to humans is at very least as unacceptable as cruelty to animals.
  • aedreana
    aedreana Posts: 979 Member
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    I haven't seen any of their ads yet, but can I just say that I'm sick of the Domino's Pizza ad that shows their so-called "happy" cows that are tortured to provide mozzarella? Makes me sick.

    And is anyone besides me old enough to recall Charlie The Tuna, an animated fish who was featured in a series of Star-Kist commercials, begging to be hooked and killed and canned and devoured? Or the Campbell's soup commercials with a singing animated chicken imploring you to purchase dead bird broth? They had one along the same lines featuring an animated shrimp too. Sickening, just sickening.
  • quagga2007
    quagga2007 Posts: 18 Member
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    There was a great (vegan) blog that featured nothing but images of animals "desiring to be eaten" that were used in advertising. It shut down in 2011, but is still up for viewing.

    LINK: http://suicidefood.blogspot.com/

    And yes, I remember the Charlie the Tuna ads.

    And if you are interested in the parallel issues of animals rights and social justice, I highly recommend you look at (and support) the Food Empowerment Project. Its well-researched "chocolate list" is famous (vegan, child-slavery free chocolate that you don't have to feel guilty about buying).
    LINK: http://www.foodispower.org/
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    There was a great (vegan) blog that featured nothing but images of animals "desiring to be eaten" that were used in advertising. It shut down in 2011, but is still up for viewing.

    LINK: http://suicidefood.blogspot.com/

    And yes, I remember the Charlie the Tuna ads.

    And if you are interested in the parallel issues of animals rights and social justice, I highly recommend you look at (and support) the Food Empowerment Project. Its well-researched "chocolate list" is famous (vegan, child-slavery free chocolate that you don't have to feel guilty about buying).
    LINK: http://www.foodispower.org/

    Thanks, I will check into it. One reason I haven't given in and bought any vegan chocolate is what little I've read on how it's harvested. But bananas are the same way. What the United States has done to banana growing countries is horrible. Probably not coincidentally, bananas are one of the few fruits I can always afford to buy. But that's because the value of the labor of American workers is stolen from us, too.


    I browsed, then checked the chocolate list. Well, it should keep me out of the Ghirardelli, at least, which is the one I've been most tempted to buy! But I might be able to part with the money for the Whole Foods 365 Dark Chocolate Bar once in awhile. I don't know whether to put up a frowny face or a smiley for that news!
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Catchy name- why not defenders of the slaughter?
    +1
  • quagga2007
    quagga2007 Posts: 18 Member
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    Thanks, I will check into it. One reason I haven't given in and bought any vegan chocolate is what little I've read on how it's harvested. But bananas are the same way. What the United States has done to banana growing countries is horrible. Probably not coincidentally, bananas are one of the few fruits I can always afford to buy. But that's because the value of the labor of American workers is stolen from us, too.

    There are probably issues with every single food that is sourced from tropical countries. It's just whether any group has seriously looked into the issue and communicated the issue to the buying public in the United States and other 'developed' countries.

    Can you clarify what you mean when you say "But that's because the value of the labor of American workers is stolen from us, too."? Thanks.
  • Gawanne
    Gawanne Posts: 105 Member
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    I haven't seen any of their ads yet, but can I just say that I'm sick of the Domino's Pizza ad that shows their so-called "happy" cows that are tortured to provide mozzarella? Makes me sick.
    The add that troubles me is the laughing cow one. I THINK it's the laughing cow because I turn off the TV the minute it comes on so I'm a bit vague. However it shows a whole bunch of cows and a bull happily eating the product their bodies have produced. I despair of our species, it's all about making money and sell, sell, sell and to heck with all the other species on the planet.