Personal Ethics vs. Economic Realities

One thing that's become very evident to me in volunteering at the PSPCA, in the course readings, and especially in Dara Lovitz's talk today is that when theory and praxis don't match up, it's often due to economics. Lovitz kept saying over and over, when talking about Prop 2, when talking about breed specific legislation and farm animal legislation, that it often comes down to which industry has the most money, and often companies such as PetSmart and PetCo, pet stores, and the agricultural industry, are too strong so that small non-profits interested in protecting the rights of animals aren't able to do much. Organizations like the PSPCA are able to help animals, to do some good, to put a dent in the problem but they really aren't able to make much change when going up against consumers that are set on buying pets instead of adopting them and lobbyists for the pet industry that have a lot of money.

Maybe this is really cynical, but it seems like we can debate ethics as much as we want concerning animal capabilities, rights, and interests, but in the end everything comes down to who has the most money. I guess that's why it's even more impressive when animal rights organizations win victories. And while I have a great respect for people like Lovitz and the work they do because it yields real, tangible results, I can't help but think that working within the system is never going to be a good way of creating sustainable change. I think Lovitz was completely aware of this, of how making cages bigger or eliminating the cages completely does nothing to stop the suffering inherent in industries that kill and use animals as tools. I'm more of an abolitionist when it comes to things like this (I also feel that way about the human prison system)-- in the end, putting band aids on problems instead of addressing the root causes that lie in economics, social attitudes, and communities, does nothing really to make things better and in fact helps to hold the system in place. It's frustrating trying to find a perfect solution and maybe there isn't one, but I think it's important to keep searching for answers and never be content with anything that feels like an easy fix.