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The harsh realities of modern animal agriculture through the lens of the foot and mouth disease outbreak in britain in 2001. It challenges the public's perception of farming and raises awareness about the ethical concerns of treating animals as mere commodities. The text also discusses the impact of previous outbreaks like mad cow disease and the growing trend towards vegetarianism.
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As an epidemic of foot and mouth disease swept through Britain in the spring of 2001, the public was treated to the grisly spectacle of animals being shot by the thousands, and their corpses stacked up and burned. On one evening television program, a tearful farmer said: "We're so sorry to see our lambs die-they should be the symbol of spring, of new life. But now they die due to this awful disease." Before you start feeling too much sympathy for that farmer, ask yourself one question: What would have been the fate of the lambs if there had been no outbreak of foot and mouth disease? He would have taken these little symbols of spring away from their mothers, packed them into trucks, and sent them to slaughter. The symbol of new life would become dead meat. Then the farmer would have happily banked the check that he was paid for doing this. (He'll still get his check-the government compensates farmers whose animals are killed to prevent the spread of disease.) The earlier outbreak of mad cow disease taught the European public
increase the protein in their diet, they are fed ground-up slaughterhouse remnants. Now, with hecatombs of animal corpses on the vening news, millions of people have seen indisputable evidence of the fact that modem animal agriculture is based on treating animals as things, mere means to our ends, with no other reason for existing. Many of these people have been contacting animal groups and vegetarian organizations, seeking alternatives to animal products. Going meat-free is the right decision to make, and better late than never, but the wonder is that it has taken so long for people to understand the real nature of the animal industry today.