Live data from Hacker News

The art of butchery

aeon.co

21–30 of 45 posts

Re: The art of butchery

#21
post #2

I've long wanted to learn butchery. I wouldn't want to do it for a living, but it seems a good way to become familiar with how we're all put together (by taking an animal apart.)

Be my guest. This is a good start. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku5p1CcGn70

Was just about to post this. Jacques is the man; If you learn this, everyone you know will be infinitely inpressed.

Re: The art of butchery

#22

Weird, the second article of this kind I encounter within a day (the other was in German, though). Meat industry submarine? Because I think it's just meat eater apologism. The issues with eating meat don't change if you do the killing yourself or in an artsy way.

The idea of a humane killing is nonsensical to me, really.

Imagine a thought experiment in which you could either die painlessly, or live but be required to endure days or weeks of incredibly painful torture (for the purposes of the experiment let's say that it doesn't leave lasting physical/emotional damage).

I'd pick the torture. I assume most other people would too.

I think that should illustrate fairly well that the distinction between life and death is so much greater than that between joy and suffering.

Re: The art of butchery

#23

Weird, the second article of this kind I encounter within a day (the other was in German, though). Meat industry submarine? Because I think it's just meat eater apologism. The issues with eating meat don't change if you do the killing yourself or in an artsy way.

Yeah, except for that whole animal overpopulation thing that happened because we wiped out natural predators... because of the threat they pose to us. I kill things. I eat them. I don't care if you don't like it. The environment is better off for it.

Re: The art of butchery

#24
The premise that the lack of slaughtering/butchering manifests itself elsewhere does not seem to be supported by the evidence. In fact, what we often see is the exact opposite. The introduction of slaughterhouses correlate with increases in violent crimes.

"The findings indicate that slaughterhouse employment increases total arrest rates, arrests for violent crimes, arrests for rape, and arrests for other sex offenses in comparison with other industries."

http://oae.sagepub.com/content/22/2/158.short

Re: The art of butchery

#25

I went on a pork butchery course on Friday and it helped me fully connect the animal in the field to the meat on my plate. I'd seen it on TV before, but actually cutting up a pig and getting hands on really opened my eyes.

I find it really strange that people think the way to connect with an individual is to cut up their dead body. I understand the sentiment, but it seems like a far cry from any sort of real connection with "the animal".

Re: The art of butchery

#26
post #13

Weird, the second article of this kind I encounter within a day (the other was in German, though). Meat industry submarine? Because I think it's just meat eater apologism. The issues with eating meat don't change if you do the killing yourself or in an artsy way.

On one hand, I don't think this is some meat industry propaganda and there probably is a link between the disconnect of meat consumers and the act of butchering to the increase of meat consumption, but I don't agree with the core idea here: "The way I see it, it's not that there's a desire for the blood and gore, but rather we’re hardwired to deal with the blood and gore, and when that innate machinery goes unused –…

Agreed. At best, the article is an unsupported appeal to Nature.

Re: The art of butchery

#27

Weird, the second article of this kind I encounter within a day (the other was in German, though). Meat industry submarine? Because I think it's just meat eater apologism. The issues with eating meat don't change if you do the killing yourself or in an artsy way.

Yeah, except for that whole animal overpopulation thing that happened because we wiped out natural predators... because of the threat they pose to us. I kill things. I eat them. I don't care if you don't like it. The environment is better off for it.

This article and the comment both referred to domesticated slaughtered animals, so your reply isn't directly applicable. But can we assume you exclusively eat wild animals? Otherwise it's completely irrelevant.

Re: The art of butchery

#28

Weird, the second article of this kind I encounter within a day (the other was in German, though). Meat industry submarine? Because I think it's just meat eater apologism. The issues with eating meat don't change if you do the killing yourself or in an artsy way.

The idea of a humane killing is nonsensical to me, really. Imagine a thought experiment in which you could either die painlessly, or live but be required to endure days or weeks of incredibly painful torture (for the purposes of the experiment let's say that it doesn't leave lasting physical/emotional damage). I'd pick the torture. I assume most other people would too. I think that should illustrate fairly well that…

I'd probably pick the torture, too, but I think proponents of humane killing are comparing it with inhumane killing, so it's more like, would you rather choose to die painlessly, or endure weeks of incredibly painful torture before being killed. I'd probably choose the former in that case.

Re: The art of butchery

#29

Weird, the second article of this kind I encounter within a day (the other was in German, though). Meat industry submarine? Because I think it's just meat eater apologism. The issues with eating meat don't change if you do the killing yourself or in an artsy way.

The idea of a humane killing is nonsensical to me, really. Imagine a thought experiment in which you could either die painlessly, or live but be required to endure days or weeks of incredibly painful torture (for the purposes of the experiment let's say that it doesn't leave lasting physical/emotional damage). I'd pick the torture. I assume most other people would too. I think that should illustrate fairly well that…

I really doubt you or most other people can imagine what weeks of torture with death inevitably looming actually feels like. I think almost anyone would choose dying painlessly.

Re: The art of butchery

#30

The premise that the lack of slaughtering/butchering manifests itself elsewhere does not seem to be supported by the evidence. In fact, what we often see is the exact opposite. The introduction of slaughterhouses correlate with increases in violent crimes. "The findings indicate that slaughterhouse employment increases total arrest rates, arrests for violent crimes, arrests for rape, and arrests for other sex offense…

> The findings indicate that slaughterhouse employment increases total arrest rates, arrests for violent crimes, arrests for rape, and arrests for other sex offenses in comparison with other industries."

Industrial slaughter is vastly different to slaughtering your own.

And the correlation is easily explained - it's well-paid, difficult and unpleasant work, and it attracts men who tend to drink hard. Alcohol and crime correlate very well.

Post reply on HN