"Santino, a 31-year-old male at Furuvik zoo in Sweden, may be the first animal to exhibit an unambiguous ability to plan for the future, a behaviour many scientists argue is unique to humans."
It would seem that the "scientists" have never studied squirrels.
Squirrels, apes who make digging sticks BEFORE they find termite mounds, birds that use pointed twigs to "fish" for insects in holes in trees. I like the tagline of one gun rights poster: "The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense." A little research never killed anybody, only their fallacious arguments.
In the Middle Ages, some thought it great sport to castrate men who had given some sort of offence, such as slighting,or scoffing. These "sports" found their entire families murdered in return, only then realizing that it is what they were doing, after a fashion, to the person they castrated. Our govt' not only fancies themselves zookeepers, but scientists as well.
What strikes me is that the bigger picture is actually stated, then ignored:
"In this situation, he is trying to get the crowds to move on."
The metaphor is delicious. A zoo is a completely artificial environment specifically designed to repress the natural behaviors of its "constituents", in order to achieve a utopian showcase that can be peddled to other, "higher" beings. The zookeepers profess to have their charges' best interests at heart, yet the whole show is predicated on forcibly keeping them from doing what they naturally would--and last I checked, the animals certainly have no choice in who "rules" them. One might even conclude that the animals might get along just fine without being ruled at all. (Gasp!)
This sound familiar?
And so when I read the upfront admission that Santino just wants to be left alone, I had to grin.
Consider: He's an intelligent being, held, forcibly, against his will, corralled into dependency, and exploited as a cosmetic attraction for the amusement of others. After some period of time, he gets fed up enough with this to start not just huckin' rocks, but to stockpile.
This is a simian threeper.
The reaction of his self-anointed masters is predictable enough: castrate the uppity peasant and make sure everyone around knows about it; publicly "study" his behavior for the pretense of impartial interest in the flock; use any "lessons learned" to further stifle any future behavior that might rock the SS Utopia's illusion of a natural equilibrium.
And, of course, conclude from his behavior that it is the "crowds" that must be his natural target. This invention enables selling further subjugation on the grounds of "safety".
Finally, how telling is it that the one thing that actually has a chance of getting him to stop huckin' rocks naturally--set him free and leave him alone like he wants--is not even an item for consideration. It is "...absolutely, totally, and in all other ways, incontheivable."
"Being agitated isn't good for him," said Osvath.
Get that? What is agitating him is not the question. It barely even registers as an explanation for the behavior, but it has no place whatever in the masters' solution. The crime of "being agitated in Utopia" is prosecuted, by definition, without question.
If I mailed a T-shirt to Santino that simply had "III" on it, how long do you think it would take them to figure it out? :-)
Saw this story earlier and felt both sorry for the animal, and disgust at the "keepers."
I'm reminded of the recent story where the chimp ripped off the face of a visitor - can't remember if it was a man or a woman.
At the time I wondered deeply just what sort of indignities and outrages that person had perpetrated against that animal, and how much it was actually an act of self defense.
A big deal was made out of the fact that it was given inappropriate drugs just before the incident, but nobody mentioned the idea that this might only be a faint hint of the abuse and horror this creature had probably endured to that point.
Self defense is not only a basic human right. It is the basic right of all living beings.
See, that's why I don't stockpile ammo. I like having testicles.
ReplyDeleteWow. So many metaphors, so little time. Anybody wonder how much of the government fancies itself zookeepers?
ReplyDelete"Santino, a 31-year-old male at Furuvik zoo in Sweden, may be the first animal to exhibit an unambiguous ability to plan for the future, a behaviour many scientists argue is unique to humans."
ReplyDeleteIt would seem that the "scientists" have never studied squirrels.
Squirrels, apes who make digging sticks BEFORE they find termite mounds, birds that use pointed twigs to "fish" for insects in holes in trees. I like the tagline of one gun rights poster: "The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense." A little research never killed anybody, only their fallacious arguments.
ReplyDeleteIn the Middle Ages, some thought it great sport to castrate men who had given some sort of offence, such as slighting,or scoffing. These "sports" found their entire families murdered in return, only then realizing that it is what they were doing, after a fashion, to the person they castrated. Our govt' not only fancies themselves zookeepers, but scientists as well.
ReplyDeleteWhat strikes me is that the bigger picture is actually stated, then ignored:
ReplyDelete"In this situation, he is trying to get the crowds to move on."
The metaphor is delicious. A zoo is a completely artificial environment specifically designed to repress the natural behaviors of its "constituents", in order to achieve a utopian showcase that can be peddled to other, "higher" beings. The zookeepers profess to have their charges' best interests at heart, yet the whole show is predicated on forcibly keeping them from doing what they naturally would--and last I checked, the animals certainly have no choice in who "rules" them. One might even conclude that the animals might get along just fine without being ruled at all. (Gasp!)
This sound familiar?
And so when I read the upfront admission that Santino just wants to be left alone, I had to grin.
Consider: He's an intelligent being, held, forcibly, against his will, corralled into dependency, and exploited as a cosmetic attraction for the amusement of others. After some period of time, he gets fed up enough with this to start not just huckin' rocks, but to stockpile.
This is a simian threeper.
The reaction of his self-anointed masters is predictable enough: castrate the uppity peasant and make sure everyone around knows about it; publicly "study" his behavior for the pretense of impartial interest in the flock; use any "lessons learned" to further stifle any future behavior that might rock the SS Utopia's illusion of a natural equilibrium.
And, of course, conclude from his behavior that it is the "crowds" that must be his natural target. This invention enables selling further subjugation on the grounds of "safety".
Finally, how telling is it that the one thing that actually has a chance of getting him to stop huckin' rocks naturally--set him free and leave him alone like he wants--is not even an item for consideration. It is "...absolutely, totally, and in all other ways, incontheivable."
"Being agitated isn't good for him," said Osvath.
Get that? What is agitating him is not the question. It barely even registers as an explanation for the behavior, but it has no place whatever in the masters' solution. The crime of "being agitated in Utopia" is prosecuted, by definition, without question.
If I mailed a T-shirt to Santino that simply had "III" on it, how long do you think it would take them to figure it out? :-)
Saw this story earlier and felt both sorry for the animal, and disgust at the "keepers."
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of the recent story where the chimp ripped off the face of a visitor - can't remember if it was a man or a woman.
At the time I wondered deeply just what sort of indignities and outrages that person had perpetrated against that animal, and how much it was actually an act of self defense.
A big deal was made out of the fact that it was given inappropriate drugs just before the incident, but nobody mentioned the idea that this might only be a faint hint of the abuse and horror this creature had probably endured to that point.
Self defense is not only a basic human right. It is the basic right of all living beings.
Oh, I'm a good old rebel ape
ReplyDeleteNow thats just what I am
And for this gawking nation
I do no give a damn.
...
Oh, I'm a good old rebel ape
Now that's just what I am
And for this castration
I do no give a damn.
I'm glad I chunked rocks against 'er
I only wish I'd won
I ain't asked any pardon
For anything I've done.
I ain't asked any pardon
For anything I've done...
(He's one of us, a three bananer.)