demagogue on 20/11/2007 at 17:23
I think it was put on school menus because there's a movement to get students to understand traditional cuisine ... like they do in French schools ... and of course traditional cuisine usually tastes like crap to kids and popularly. French kids and the public increasingly hate smelly cheese, too. But some people feel very strongly that it's important to keep traditional dishes and eat it, and the flagging market just makes them more adamant to get it in schools. Tell the French to stop making "awful" cheese (to an American palate) and you get an idea of the inertia and contempt for American taste at work in Japan.
They're mostly whaling minke (fewer sei and bryde, and <10 sperm), which aren't in danger as other species, and are trying to sell the idea of sustainable whaling. It makes the endangered argument harder to sell.
When you mention that whales have a mystical quality, some Japanese will get defensive and say cows have a mystical quality in India and that doesn't stop you guys from factory farming them, surely worse than sustainably hunting a species in the wild. I don't like factory farming or whaling, so it doesn't do much for me, but it is a tricky argument for westerners to counter with a straight face
And, yeah, why don't we have a similar reaction for cod or blue fin tuna ... species really in danger, and where the threat is arguably much greater and harder to address?
Gillie on 20/11/2007 at 18:24
I do not real think that is a valid argument at all!
Factory farming is a different argument altogether. That too is appalling as is fish shortages..
The arguments are just not the same.
News item today. The fishermen are only allowed so much quota of fish as stated by the EU. They do not know what they catch when they trawl.
They can not land it because of set quota's
so thousands are thrown back dead. That is a crime.
As to Whaling. The Whaling stopped because they were becoming extinct and it will happen again.
Most of the rest of the World does not want it. It is Barbaric.
50 endangered Humpbacks for a start they are almost extinct.
"The Japanese whaling fleet is at sea again, heading down to the Southern Ocean to begin its annual whale cull. And this year their plans are bigger than ever, targeting 1,000 cetaceans including 50 endangered fin whales, 935 minkes and, for the first time, 50 threatened humpbacks.
Once again this slaughter will be justified in terms of gathering 'scientific' data about whale populations, even though 18 years of this have yet to yield any concrete results. And once again the whale meat will end up being sold commercially in Japan, despite the tiny and declining market, and minimal demand from the rest of the world."
Briareos H on 21/11/2007 at 09:01
Quote Posted by demagogue
I think it was put on school menus because there's a movement to get students to understand traditional cuisine ... like they do in French schools ... and of course traditional cuisine usually tastes like crap to kids and popularly. French kids and the public increasingly hate smelly cheese, too. But some people feel very strongly that it's important to keep traditional dishes and eat it, and the flagging market just makes them more adamant to get it in schools. Tell the French to stop making "awful" cheese (to an American palate) and you get an idea of the inertia and contempt for American taste at work in Japan.
Disagreeing there.
Traditional cuisine is only included in school menus insofar as standardized taste and nutritional values are respected. I never heard about any kind of school preparing strong tasting food to their kids. Traditional foods exist, but more along the lines of the regional "ratatouille" which most kids love or even the "hachis parmentier" which is like heaven in the form of potato mash and minced meat with cheese gratin and onions...
Also I have absolutely no idea where you got that "increasingly hate cheese" fact. The new generations (mine and younger) drink less wine in favor of stronger alcohols, alright. But when it comes to food, though a majority of the brainless (ie. majority of voice not voice of majority) tend to go to McDonald's everyday, normal people eat just as much delicious cheese as their parents did, if not more. Traditional and lengthy meals, on the other hand, tend to disappear : I am more than glad to eat nothing but some cheese and ham sandwich or paté at least once in a week.
Anyway, back to eating melted roquefort and chèvre on a toast with onions and salad.
Kuuso on 21/11/2007 at 14:17
I hate it when people use some adjective like cute or majestic (or any other useless one) and state it as a reason to preserve animals. Whales being majestic or not doesn't matter, they're still animals. Anywaysm a far bigger problem at the moment is the overfishing of tuna. Now, driving them near extinction is gonna have a way bigger effect on the sealife than whales.
Of course, hunting whales for culinary needs is a bit silly, but only if their numbers are not healthy. If there's good population of whales around, I see no reason why they couldn't be hunted like any other animal.
SD on 21/11/2007 at 15:27
Quote Posted by Kuuso
If there's good population of whales around, I see no reason why they couldn't be hunted like any other animal.
Some people would argue that cetaceans, irrespective of numbers (and none of them are particularly numerous, incidentally) are beings possessed of considerable intelligence, and that this should guarantee them basic rights, such as the right not to be brutally slaughtered by demented fuckwits.
Kuuso on 21/11/2007 at 15:44
Quote Posted by SD
Some people would argue that cetaceans, irrespective of numbers (and none of them are particularly numerous, incidentally) are beings possessed of considerable intelligence, and that this should guarantee them basic rights, such as the right not to be brutally slaughtered by demented fuckwits.
True, but it's very hard to draw the line on what animals are intelligent enough not to be brutally slaughtered by demented fuckwits (nicely put :joke:). What are the criteria for being intelligent enough?
Matthew on 21/11/2007 at 15:57
Being clever enough not to slaughter your own species on a daily basis?
