The other day I was doing an innocent internet search on "horses" and I came upon a topic I didn't know about and certainly didn't want to see: Chinese Horse Fighting.
Horrified, I read on about Chinese Horse Fighting and I was reminded of dog food in China:
Are my American sensibilities too tender for the reality of the world spinning around me?
Am I culturally uneducated and unappreciative of the mores and memes of cultures different than mine?
Or do I value the human condition most when its kindness and caring is applied beyond the species to give a better and gentler life to animals that require our support and not our sport?
Chinese spectators smile sadistically at the inhumane spectacle of two beautiful horses savagely attacking one another. With ears back, eyes rolling and nostrils flared in fury, the enraged horses pummel each other with their hooves and bite and head-butt each other in a horrifying fight, sometimes to the death.I don't understand how such beautiful animals can be so cruelly used for careless deaths.
Men, women and children watch, and a roar of approval goes up as one horse delivers the equivalent of a double-uppercut to its opponent with its hind legs. The cruel "sport" of horse fighting has been outlawed almost worldwide, but it still thrives in countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea and here in China, as these disturbing images of a "tournament" prove.
Are my American sensibilities too tender for the reality of the world spinning around me?
Am I culturally uneducated and unappreciative of the mores and memes of cultures different than mine?
Or do I value the human condition most when its kindness and caring is applied beyond the species to give a better and gentler life to animals that require our support and not our sport?
Horrifying. I think that any 'sport' that involves one real animal fighting another is abhorrent. It is absolutely cruelty to animals of the worst kind. (Battle robots, on the other hand...)
It is sickening, Gordon. Why not have "battle bots" as horses if you must use an animal meme? Or, why not have those watching the Horse Fights fight it out? Give them a taste of their own blood they're shedding...
Even a good spirited aibo fight would be preferable - but they seem to prefer a ball game.
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/06/19/robocup19_wideweb__470x313,0.jpg
Great link, Gordon! I'd love to have one!
Check ebay. I've been wanting one for years now. They show them on display at Disney Land and Disney World but Sony decided a couple of years to discontinue the series - they are AIBO robots. Elizabeth says she hates them because she has an unnatural fear of robots (too many horror movies seen as a child) but I may yet get one in the long run. :) They're about $1,200 on average now.
I wonder why Sony stopped making them, Gordon? It seems they'd be more popular now than ever.
As always, it's all about the bottom line.
http://news.cnet.com/Sony-puts-Aibo-to-sleep/2100-1041_3-6031649.html
:(
Sad news, Gordon. I thought the Aibo line was a direct path to future profitability. I hope the disinterest in the product doesn't slow down future robotic enhancements.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/03/takara-tomys-ducky-the-healing-partner-robotic-dog/
The emerging followup?
Definitely! Love it! We need more robot everything. I can't wait for the fully functional robotic horse. No biting and no fighting!
I had no idea about it either, shocking.
Katha --
Horse fighting, cock fighting, dog fighting -- what other animals are set against each other for the kill for "fun and profit?"
it's a brutal society where animals must fight each other for entertainment...but lets not forget the Roman Coliseum in the Western Culture... it seems we have "moved on"..but then we have Hollywood to satisfy some of our blood lust.
That's a good point, Linda. We haven't really come very far at all when it comes to equally caring for every animal.