I think Milkman's angle on things is relevant in a different way.

We don't need to form our morality to coddle, consider or otherwise care in the least about cultural or other reasons for doing stuff. However, when it comes to affecting change in a groups behaviour, those cultural traditions are a factor, whether we agree with it or like it or not. Bull fighting is really pretty small in that picture. Women's rights in a country like Saudi Arabia is a much bigger deal.

When we want to help out those we believe are negatively affected by what we see as immoral, we can't ignore the weight of cultural momentum holding it in place. We can easily say women should have equality and that it is morally the right position. When it comes to lobbying for changes or protections for human rights in those places though, identifying how to be least disruptive to existing culture is helpful. No, it's not our job to adapt their culture for them. However, if we want to see the change, we might have put in some of that work anyway when those we see as behaving immorally show no interest in doing it.

I've been to bull fights in Spain (when I was very young) and Mexico. Also cock fights in Mexico and Thailand, and water buffalo fighting in Thailand. Water buffalo fights are very different than bullfighting though: two buffalo bulls lock horns and push each other around to establish dominance until one tires out and runs away. Injuries / deaths to the "losing" buffalo are possible but pretty rare. Actually, it ends up being pretty similar to fights that males would do to establish dominance in nature without any human intervention.

Basically, I'm not strongly opposed to or in favor of any of those. Cruel and unnecessary? Sure. But nature itself is frequently pretty cruel also. I don't feel the need to support any of these activities by paying to watch or betting on outcomes, but I don't really begrudge those that do. Often a lot of cultural momentum to overcome if you want to put these things in the past (where they belong?).

Upvote because this video was well done in technical terms, and because it makes an argument against bullfighting (and arguably other similar practices) to those that support it without being too abrasive about it.

FYI, this bull probably was not going to a bull fight (yet). Its a spanish tradition in many villages to cordon off the town square and let a young-ish bull in there and have the folks 'play' with him. He does not get poked or killed at the end of it.

That said, that jackass was asking for it.

>> ^bluecliff:
wow. calling burqas fascist really tells you went to the best schools. Just a scare word for idiots to flock about.
wikipedia:
The word ‘Fascism’ is almost entirely meaningless. In conversation, of course, it is used even more wildly than in print. I have heard it applied to farmers, shopkeepers, Social Credit, corporal punishment, fox-hunting, bull-fighting, the 1922 Committee, the 1941 Committee, Kipling, Gandhi, Chiang Kai-Shek, homosexuality, Priestley's broadcasts, Youth Hostels, astrology, women, dogs and I do not know what else... almost any English person would accept ‘bully’ as a synonym for ‘Fascist’. – George Orwell, What is Fascism?. 1944.
And Orwell knew this in 1944!

Pot, meet Mr. Black Kettle

Anybody who has been to an average school let alone the "best" would know that quoting wikipedia as a source of your argument is a NO-NO.

>> ^bluecliff:
wow. calling burqas fascist really tells you went to the best schools. Just a scare word for idiots to flock about.
wikipedia:
The word ‘Fascism’ is almost entirely meaningless. In conversation, of course, it is used even more wildly than in print. I have heard it applied to farmers, shopkeepers, Social Credit, corporal punishment, fox-hunting, bull-fighting, the 1922 Committee, the 1941 Committee, Kipling, Gandhi, Chiang Kai-Shek, homosexuality, Priestley's broadcasts, Youth Hostels, astrology, women, dogs and I do not know what else... almost any English person would accept ‘bully’ as a synonym for ‘Fascist’. – George Orwell, What is Fascism?. 1944.
And Orwell knew this in 1944!


True, the word "fascist" gets used far too often, but when it comes to describing Islam, it's pretty accurate.

FYI, fascism is defined as: a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, [...] and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

It's not exact, but it describes Islam pretty well... then again, it describes Christianity too...

wow. calling burqas fascist really tells you went to the best schools. Just a scare word for idiots to flock about.

wikipedia:

The word ‘Fascism’ is almost entirely meaningless. In conversation, of course, it is used even more wildly than in print. I have heard it applied to farmers, shopkeepers, Social Credit, corporal punishment, fox-hunting, bull-fighting, the 1922 Committee, the 1941 Committee, Kipling, Gandhi, Chiang Kai-Shek, homosexuality, Priestley's broadcasts, Youth Hostels, astrology, women, dogs and I do not know what else... almost any English person would accept ‘bully’ as a synonym for ‘Fascist’. – George Orwell, What is Fascism?. 1944.

And Orwell knew this in 1944!

>> ^TheSofaKing:
I love this. I'd say Karma is a bitch, but everyone escaped with their lives... except the poor bull.

next time those fuckers will think twice about going though...

Not sure if bull fighting is technically a *sport, but this is what happens when animals fight back.
*eia

"...the word ‘Fascism’ is almost entirely meaningless. In conversation, of course, it is used even more wildly than in print. I have heard it applied to farmers, shopkeepers, Social Credit, corporal punishment, fox-hunting, bull-fighting, the 1922 Committee, the 1941 Committee, Kipling, Gandhi, Chiang Kai-Shek, homosexuality, Priestley's broadcasts, Youth Hostels, astrology, women, dogs and I do not know what else ... Except for the relatively small number of Fascist sympathisers, almost any English person would accept ‘bully’ as a synonym for ‘Fascist’. That is about as near to a definition as this much-abused word has come."

-George Orwell

This particular method is sometimes used as a benchmark to judge how fast you are as a sushi chef, mostly the showy ones.

If you weren't precise and took too much time filleting the fish, it would just sink to the bottom of the water tank.

It's similar to Spanish bull fights or American rodeo. The faster you kill the bull / faster you tie up the calf, the better.

I don't particularly enjoy watching half filleted fish swimming about right in front of my eyes, but for sushi chefs, they cut up fish for a living and this practice doesn't seem as cruel to them as rest of us feel.

Industry-Friendly != Fascism.

The word ‘Fascism’ is almost entirely meaningless. In conversation, of course, it is used even more wildly than in print. I have heard it applied to farmers, shopkeepers, Social Credit, corporal punishment, fox-hunting, bull-fighting, the 1922 Committee, the 1941 Committee, Kipling, Gandhi, Chiang Kai-Shek, homosexuality, Priestley's broadcasts, Youth Hostels, astrology, women, dogs and I do not know what else... almost any English person would accept ‘bully’ as a synonym for ‘Fascist’. — George Orwell, What is Fascism?. 1944

If its any consolation, that's not a real bull fight. Smaller towns and villages in Spain often have 'Fiesta Mayores', where they cordon off a plaza or an arena area and let a young bull, called a 'vaquillo' out, and the people can go in and pretend to bull fight with their sweaters or whatever. The young bull is not killed or even harmed, just messed with a bit. He gets returned to pasture to become an adult bull. I participated in one of these events, and let me tell you, in this particular kind of event, its not particularly clear that the bull is the victim when the damned thing chases you up the side of a chain link fence!
-Engels

If its any consolation, that's not a real bull fight. Smaller towns and villages in Spain often have 'Fiesta Mayores', where they cordon off a plaza or an arena area and let a young bull, called a 'vaquillo' out, and the people can go in and pretend to bull fight with their sweaters or whatever. The young bull is not killed or even harmed, just messed with a bit. He gets returned to pasture to become an adult bull. I participated in one of these events, and let me tell you, in this particular kind of event, its not particularly clear that the bull is the victim when the damned thing chases you up the side of a chain link fence!