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China bans consumption and trade of wild animals

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21–30 of 131 posts

Re: China bans consumption and trade of wild animals

#21
post #4

That's great. But do they have any wild animals left in China?

China has a population density only 4 times the density of the US and half the one of Germany. It has a vast amount of wildlife. Why wouldn't they have any wild animals left?

There's also the fact that upwards of 80% of that popoulation is eastward of a line running roughly from Peking to Canton.

Re: China bans consumption and trade of wild animals

#23
post #11

It can be banned, sure, but I don't see the superstitious side of the consumption being curtailed. When you have a market for rare 'natural wondercures' being sought out, it only takes one mutation in a virus to spread on from another mammal to humans, add to that China's population density. A recipe for disaster.

You really think people in China haven’t been scared out of doing risky things like eating wild animals?

No more so than expecting westerners to be scared out of all the dangerous things we do.

Even to the extent that most of us don’t smoke or have lots of unprotected one night stands with strangers, there’s enough who do that they and their illnesses are still a major part of our health systems.

Re: China bans consumption and trade of wild animals

#24
I can't see how this can be successfully enforced without a massive education campaign and actual enforcement by authorities, including moving the so-called "wet markets" (which are outdoor butchers that are very important to the food supply chain in many areas of China) into modern indoor facilities for improved food safety.

Older people in China (the so-called lost generation) are set in their ways: remember that in traditional Chinese medicine, the medicinal value of an animal is directly proportional to its rarity. This of course creates perverse incentives to kill the last living members of endangered animals already under threat from poachers.

China has plenty of laws including a constitution that defends practicing free speech and religion, but in reality laws mean nothing if there's no enforcement.

Re: China bans consumption and trade of wild animals

#25

I can't see how this can be successfully enforced without a massive education campaign and actual enforcement by authorities, including moving the so-called "wet markets" (which are outdoor butchers that are very important to the food supply chain in many areas of China) into modern indoor facilities for improved food safety. Older people in China (the so-called lost generation) are set in their ways: remember that i…

Traditional Chinese medicine was on its way out, and China embracing science-based medicine -- until Chairman Mao introduced "barefoot doctors" as a cheap substitute for real doctors when the Chinese health care infrastructure found itself woefully understaffed.

Re: China bans consumption and trade of wild animals

#26

I can't see how this can be successfully enforced without a massive education campaign and actual enforcement by authorities, including moving the so-called "wet markets" (which are outdoor butchers that are very important to the food supply chain in many areas of China) into modern indoor facilities for improved food safety. Older people in China (the so-called lost generation) are set in their ways: remember that i…

This very important. Both the PRC and USSR constitutions, on paper, arguably provide better freer basic law than that of the US but in practice it’s just words on paper.

However, also in practice the faction in power gets to capriciously enforce what it wants selectively, usually to solidify standing. So mr Xi and mr Stalin (née Jughashvili) get to purge all want-to-be usurpers.

Re: China bans consumption and trade of wild animals

#27
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You really think people in China haven’t been scared out of doing risky things like eating wild animals?

No more so than expecting westerners to be scared out of all the dangerous things we do. Even to the extent that most of us don’t smoke or have lots of unprotected one night stands with strangers, there’s enough who do that they and their illnesses are still a major part of our health systems.

Eating of meat and sugar are responsible for much more. No need to vilify those whose vices you don't share.

Re: China bans consumption and trade of wild animals

#29
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No more so than expecting westerners to be scared out of all the dangerous things we do. Even to the extent that most of us don’t smoke or have lots of unprotected one night stands with strangers, there’s enough who do that they and their illnesses are still a major part of our health systems.

Eating of meat and sugar are responsible for much more. No need to vilify those whose vices you don't share.

General public isn’t scared of those things, so they would’ve made a poor example.

Re: China bans consumption and trade of wild animals

#30
post #26

I can't see how this can be successfully enforced without a massive education campaign and actual enforcement by authorities, including moving the so-called "wet markets" (which are outdoor butchers that are very important to the food supply chain in many areas of China) into modern indoor facilities for improved food safety. Older people in China (the so-called lost generation) are set in their ways: remember that i…

This very important. Both the PRC and USSR constitutions, on paper, arguably provide better freer basic law than that of the US but in practice it’s just words on paper. However, also in practice the faction in power gets to capriciously enforce what it wants selectively, usually to solidify standing. So mr Xi and mr Stalin (née Jughashvili) get to purge all want-to-be usurpers.

Not for long. The American Constitution is being eroded every day. We're becoming (arguably have become) a full fledged banana republic.
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