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Alpaca Suitcase's avatar

They would probably like to stop states from protecting themselves from the environmental ravages of big ag as well. Smithfield dumped all their pig shit in Virginia rivers before faffing off to Mexico, ignoring orders to clean it up.

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Spleen Victoria's avatar

If they wanted to “help farmers” they would be gagging to pass a Canadian style family allowance bill, a European style hot meals in schools program, and radically increase SNAP instead of trying to defund it. Because those things are AN AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDY.

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pat blake's avatar

I rarely eat meat and when I do, I feel disgusted with myself, that I could abet this cruel industry. Not that killing any animal is wonderful, but the lengths they go to to make it cruel is fucking mind-blowing.

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Politiquacks's avatar

As someone who raises sheep, goats, and chickens as humanely as possible, you probably have local farmers doing the same that you could support.

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Delmarva Peninsula's avatar

Republicans: We're Comically Evil®

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Anaid's avatar

They're just so fucking cruel

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Khavrinen's avatar

Someone should inform Republicans that not *every* law they try to pass has to be something that the majority of Americans are opposed to.

Not that they'll listen, of course...

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willi0000000's avatar

sorry Dok, but that Sarah McLaughlin song constitutes cruel and unusual punishment even for those monsters.

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Robert Eckert's avatar

Monsters libelz!

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chortlingdingo's avatar

God damn, Republicans are ghouls.

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marcus816's avatar

My wife (and I, but she is truly passionate about it) has fought for the humane treatment of pigs, and for laws like Prop 12 for years. She actually had a pig farmer ask her, “How do you know that the pig wants to lay down?”

My thought was, “The same way I know you wouldn’t want her to take sheep shears to your ‘nads.”

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Alpaca Suitcase's avatar

Thank you for reminding me of a favorite story.

https://joyoffishes.wordpress.com/about/

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marcus816's avatar

Thank you for sharing it with me.

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AlpacaDiddy's avatar

I've followed this for a few years, and it's truly some sick shit. What kind of Save-the-Whales - Green Energy - PETA-lovin' - tofu-eatin' tree-huggers would put the humane treatment of a pig above our national obsession with overeating? Why it's un-Murican! So what if they're trapped for months in an enclosure so small they can't lay down or turn around, it's cozy and profits are up! BACON!!

Not to miss an opportunity to stroke Big Ag under the guise of States Right's, when farm employees made public video-evidence of the routine horrific treatment & conditions, the State GQP reacted swiftly to solve the problem by making it illegal to film & report afore mentioned problem, and went after the employees!

One more really BIG thing that no one is talking about: As of June or so you can no longer purchase all the simple antibiotics farmers use to control worms & parasites without a prescription. That means all the cillin's (penicillin, amoxicillin) and yes even PAB's covid non-cure Ivermectin - are no longer something farmers can pickup OTC everywhere, or even order on-line. From now on it requires a scrip - from a vet - for routine maintenance that we do ourselves! This affects growers of horses, cows, goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas, chickens, etc., and is gonna have a HUGE impact on operation costs & eventually end-price. Although the big farms will no doubt be shielded somehow, this will just continue to punish small farms, family farms, and mostly The Poor Farm (that's me there!)

Being a farm animal myself, these issues trouble me. I mean my herd hears the rumors, and like every herd they want answers! And assurance from Management that feed & hay will continue at agreed-upon levels, and that use of shots & foul-tasting lotions, potions, and elixir's be limited to every 30-45 days. And the barn radio whacks, we want wifi!

My ol'man grew up on a farm, and while he was an asshole to most humans (including me!) he always taught us to respect all animals, or risk as he put it 'A Rap in the Snot Locker!'

Now there's some typical 50's-era parenting for ya!

Film at 11 :-)

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Biff52 Lost Canadian's avatar

Seems to me, most corporate farms would have a vet on staff to write all the scrips they'd need.

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AlpacaDiddy's avatar

I'm sure, cost of doing business - tax deductible, and I prolly got some of the facts wrong. I know some things remain avail OTC, but it affects a lot of other stuff that's used routinely without the need for an expensive vet call. Are they gonna insist on examining every critter next? My animals know that I'm an experienced Animal Care Professional (trained repeatedly by my wife!), and when they see an ex-IT guy approaching armed with a syringe while offering vague assurances, they react like any other intelligent being - THEY RUN LIKE HELL!

Wouldn't you?

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Biff52 Lost Canadian's avatar

I stopped eating pigs over this issue a long time ago. Only two animals left to take off my list.

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marcus816's avatar

Same.

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Bitter Scribe's avatar

Next the Republicans will impose "ag-gag" laws on the entire nation. These are laws that make it a felony to get a job on a farm or in a slaughter plant with the intent of videographing what exactly happens to the animals. Some of those of the state level have been tripped up by the First Amendment, but as we all know, the Constitution becomes a minor inconvenience whenever it might prevent Republicans from doing whatever they want.

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Aileen's avatar

So just so I'm clear, Republicans are now the party that wants to force women to have babies they don't want and can't afford and in rarer circumstances force women to continue doomed pregnancies where the nonviable fetus will only suffer horribly and die immediately upon birth, cutting off military aid to Ukraine so Russia can just take over a major democracy right next door to our NATO allies, being fucking awful to trans kids and their families, making sure domestic abusers and troubled teenagers have unfettered access to weapons of war, ignoring climate change except when one of their states gets wiped out by a tornado, drought or hurricane and then it's time for the feds to step in, penalizing teachers for teaching accurate US history or hanging a pride flag in their classrooms, and now, just because they're still too likable, they're pro animal cruelty? And their plan to stay in office is... gerrymandering and voter intimidation at the polls?

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OrdinaryJoe's avatar

Make America Ghastly Ghoulish Again

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marcus816's avatar

Well, to be fair, they’ve always been pro animal cruelty.

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Biff52 Lost Canadian's avatar

And just to be clear, poor people are also animals. So are the rest, but especially the poors.

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Mx.le Maerin's Luxury Comedy's avatar

By George she's got it.

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Katherine Harris's avatar

That’s them!

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Ellen_D's avatar

Vegan recipes, anyone?

Post your favorites, I'll start with a link to last night's dinner. Hubby doesn't like feta so we just left it out.

https://wapo.st/3EZBQPX

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Ellen_D's avatar

If you're going to make this, try to find butter beans, they really are yummy.

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Gary Seven in Space's avatar

Love it, will do!

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bcb's avatar

I gave up eating meat decades ago, but I am still stuck buying medicine with gelatin in it (some of my medications are patented so I can't shop around to see if there is a generic brand without gelatin). I also haven't been able to figure out how to completely stop eating milk or eggs without a serious risk to my own health. And I buy meat products for my cat, who definitely can't give up meat.

Would this bill also (perhaps inadvertently) legalize cockfighting/dogfighting, since the bans of those are at the state level?

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Anaid's avatar

I've found flaxmilk to be a great option for me. I don't know how available it is, I can only get it at one supermarket chain...

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Hops: 86/47 or bust's avatar

I would fully support legislation that required that primary schools fully explain food production in this country. That would include trips to stockyards and slaughterhouses, and production lines where chicks are fed into grinding machines. Showing how veal is produced would also be required. And while we're at it, maybe a visit to cosmetic testing labs, where rabbits and other animals are routinely tortured.

Humans fucking suck.

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Pandora's avatar

I also wouldn't mind a trip to the county landfill so they can see what happens to all of that trash that magically disappears from the curb each week.

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Hops: 86/47 or bust's avatar

Consumption is what fuels this country. That's the USA in a nutshell. Simplistic but true. And upper management does not want you to know the details of how stuff enters that stream, and how it ultimately exits it. How meat products are produced, or where all our trash goes, is kept as invisible as possible. All that is required of us is to buy and discard. It's a process that's become way more efficient over the years, and by efficient I mean manipulatively successful. Although the rabid consumption of raw materials is unsustainable long term, it's the callous, sadistic treatment of animals fueling this process that really infuriates me.

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ShrillKitty's avatar

The best measure of the ethics and morals of a society is its treatment of the voiceless and vulnerable.

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Bagels of Doom's avatar

notice how they treat women, children, and livestock the same way with the same value.

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willi0000000's avatar

next republican dominated house bill DAWACAL* . . . it's only logical.

* Declare All Women And Children As Livestock

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