Human oppression and animal exploitation, though interconnected, are fundamentally different in nature. Unlike the oppression faced by oppressed human communities, animals are exploited, tortured and killed for food, clothing, entertainment, and more, solely for human purposes with no regard for their well-being. Moreover, throughout history, various movements have independently progressed, such as the abolition of slavery, the fight for women’s rights, and the civil rights movement. Similarly, animal liberation can progress alongside human oppression, as history shows that social justice movements do not need to wait for each other to achieve progress. It is essential for the animal liberation movement to progress independently in order to address the unique and urgent need to dismantle human supremacy and free animals from exploitation at the hands of humans.
ROLAND AZAR: The idea that human liberation and animal liberation must advance together suggests that the freedom of one is inherently linked to the freedom of the other… Promoters of collective liberation argue that addressing these interconnected systems of oppression simultaneously can lead to a more comprehensive and just society. However, while this perspective seeks to merge different struggles against oppression, it fails to acknowledge the distinct and immediate need for animal liberation and the fundamentally different nature of human oppression and animal exploitation…
Human oppression encompasses systemic discrimination, social inequality, and human rights violations… Human rights violations include political persecution, censorship, wrongful imprisonment, and atrocities caused by conflicts, wars, and genocides driven by cultural and ideological differences. These forms of oppression are systemic and pervasive, affecting millions of people worldwide and perpetuating cycles of disadvantage, exclusion, and killing…
Unlike the oppression faced by marginalized and oppressed human communities, animals are exploited for food, clothing, entertainment, and other purposes. Animals are bred into existence as commodities, controlled, used, and killed solely for human purposes, with no regard for their well-being… These animals suffer not for our survival or necessity, but for mere financial gains, taste pleasure, entertainment, and fashion. Animal liberation is a movement focused on freeing animals from exploitation, cruelty, and enslavement at the hands of humans…
Human oppression and animal exploitation are fundamentally different. Human oppression often involves systemic discrimination, social inequality, and human rights violations, while animal exploitation involves the physical and psychological suffering of non-human beings for human benefit. Recognizing these differences is essential for understanding why both movements can and should progress independently…
Throughout history, various movements have independently progressed, such as the abolition of slavery, the fight for women’s rights, and the civil rights movement. Each of these movements advanced without waiting for other injustices to be addressed first. Similarly, animal liberation can progress alongside human oppression, as history shows that social justice movements do not need to wait for each other to achieve progress…
The belief in human supremacy over animals is widely held, even among oppressed human populations. This pervasive ideology often leads to the justification of animal exploitation, reinforcing speciesism and perpetuating the cycle of cruelty and exploitation… Breaking speciesism and rejecting the belief in human supremacy over animals is a transformative step towards a more just and equitable world… It is essential for the animal liberation movement to progress independently in order to address the unique and urgent need to dismantle human supremacy and free animals from exploitation at the hands of humans. SOURCE…
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