Comments on: The factors of oppression http://loveallbeings.org/blog/the-factors-of-oppression/ Living Opposed to Violence and Exploitation Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:25:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: harryhebert http://loveallbeings.org/blog/the-factors-of-oppression/comment-page-1/#comment-300 harryhebert Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:16:55 +0000 http://loveallbeings.org/?p=347#comment-300 Good post. Thanks. This seems to be a method of backtracking to determine which catergory of causes created these effects. Sadly, I think that most speciesists are merely perpetuating the beliefs and practices of their parents, grandparents, teachers, etc. It seems that much of it is learned behavior. Good post. Thanks. This seems to be a method of backtracking to determine which catergory of causes created these effects. Sadly, I think that most speciesists are merely perpetuating the beliefs and practices of their parents, grandparents, teachers, etc. It seems that much of it is learned behavior.

]]> By: benhweaver http://loveallbeings.org/blog/the-factors-of-oppression/comment-page-1/#comment-288 benhweaver Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:00:08 +0000 http://loveallbeings.org/?p=347#comment-288 Good post! I agree that motivation, capability, and justification all feed on each other to create oppression. I think this also highlights one potential hurdle for the animal rights movement that other liberation movements have not faced. We can critique the justification: speciesism. We can undermine the motivation: by showing how a vegan life holds the key to increased personal happiness and fulfillment. But how be we undermine the capability--the unequal power distribution? In the past, oppressed groups like people of color, women, GLBTers, and the working class have been able to reduce unequal power distributions by organizing and TAKING power for themselves. But the animal rights movement is chiefly organized by human beings--most other animals seem hard up to organize and collectively resist their oppression. Is there any way to aid animals in actually empowering THEMSELVES. . .so they are not solely dependant on the benevolence and wisdom of certain human beings for their liberation? Please consider the previous paragraphs mere excited, insomniac, late-night speculation. Cheers! Good post! I agree that motivation, capability, and justification all feed on each other to create oppression.

I think this also highlights one potential hurdle for the animal rights movement that other liberation movements have not faced. We can critique the justification: speciesism. We can undermine the motivation: by showing how a vegan life holds the key to increased personal happiness and fulfillment. But how be we undermine the capability–the unequal power distribution?

In the past, oppressed groups like people of color, women, GLBTers, and the working class have been able to reduce unequal power distributions by organizing and TAKING power for themselves. But the animal rights movement is chiefly organized by human beings–most other animals seem hard up to organize and collectively resist their oppression. Is there any way to aid animals in actually empowering THEMSELVES. . .so they are not solely dependant on the benevolence and wisdom of certain human beings for their liberation?

Please consider the previous paragraphs mere excited, insomniac, late-night speculation. Cheers!

]]> By: Lui http://loveallbeings.org/blog/the-factors-of-oppression/comment-page-1/#comment-286 Lui Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:05:36 +0000 http://loveallbeings.org/?p=347#comment-286 Hi Victor, I found Nibert's book, which I've read twice, very interesting and insightful. However, I'm still struggling with the issue of oppression being, at it's root, a systemic phenomenon. Individual prejudice must have existed prior the systemic exploitation or that exploitation would not have occurred in the first place. Someone, or some "others", must have been deemed inferior to set the system in motion, no? I do feel that now (or for several thousands of years) that this system of oppression is in firmly in place "we create these ideas to justify our exploitation of non-humans for psychological or material gain" but they would have had to be deemed inferior, in one way or another, by individual humans first or the idea would have never occurred to anyone to exploit and oppress them. Therefore, I have a problem understanding the *root* of oppression as a systemic phenomenon, but I do feel that the problem has evolved to be systemic phenomenon, which still makes Nibert's analysis helpful. I hope that all makes sense. Thanks for posting. Hi Victor,
I found Nibert’s book, which I’ve read twice, very interesting and insightful.
However, I’m still struggling with the issue of oppression being, at it’s root, a systemic phenomenon. Individual prejudice must have existed prior the systemic exploitation or that exploitation would not have occurred in the first place. Someone, or some “others”, must have been deemed inferior to set the system in motion, no? I do feel that now (or for several thousands of years) that this system of oppression is in firmly in place “we create these ideas to justify our exploitation of non-humans for psychological or material gain” but they would have had to be deemed inferior, in one way or another, by individual humans first or the idea would have never occurred to anyone to exploit and oppress them. Therefore, I have a problem understanding the *root* of oppression as a systemic phenomenon, but I do feel that the problem has evolved to be systemic phenomenon, which still makes Nibert’s analysis helpful.
I hope that all makes sense.
Thanks for posting.

]]>