Category Archives: Sexism

Star Trek and the Issue of Sentience

VT ep 32 header

Star Trek is a vehicle for science fiction themes, and like many science fiction stories, it sometimes uses the future to focus on issues that touch us today. I look at the issue of sentience, as seen in respect of the character, The Doctor on the series Star Trek: Voyager. After a brief look at the way this pop-cultural icon addresses the issue, I launch into other considerations of sentience, highlighting moral inconsistencies and moral compartmentalisation and the way this relates to non-human animals.

Music intro from TV series Star Trek Voyager.

One correction: I used the term at one point “non-white” when I meant to say “people of colour”.

Here’s some excerpts of the series episode titled “Author Author”

Starts at 1.17

Starts at 0.45 secs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EASb1XYOtE

Thanks for listening šŸ™‚ Please subscribe to this site for future updates.

For more information:

Sentience, Speciesism and Rights | How To Go Vegan Podcast

Sentience: The Morally Relevant Characteristic Justifying BasicĀ Rights

 

 

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Abolitionist: What’s in a Word; The Rebranding of TAVS.

TAVS rebranding

I generally try to ignore and avoid faction fighting because it’s energy draining and time consuming and is frequently personality based, but I decided to address some of the issues that have arisen from recent claims by a small few that the abolitionist movement is “rampantly racist”, “sexist” and “hostile to people of colour”. If you are not involved in the abolitionist community you may wish to skip this one.

I discuss the history of the term “abolitionist” and why it is not racist to use it in relation to veganism and why it is not appropriating the term if we look at history. I talk a little about overt and structural racism, credentialism and tokenism.Ā  I ask the question, has the movement become more about the messenger than the message?

Please read my disclaimer about any pages, groups, sites, individuals, opinions, etc mentioned in this podcast episode or any episodes past and future.

Thanks to Vegan Ethos for her contributions relating to the history of abolition in particular.

For further info:

Prison State America: Inmates becoming corporate slaves in for-profit facilities

Intersectionality and Abolitionist Veganism: Part 1 | Vegan Ethos

Intersectionality and Abolitionist Veganism Part 2.

For a comprehensive look at the many issues I mention in this podcast episode, view the many excellent 30 minute programs by The Empire Files.

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VT Podcast Ep 8: Veganism and All Forms of Life

Chris Hedges
Chris Hedges

A reading of Pulitzer Prize recipient Chris Hedges’ essay ( posted Jan 4, 2015 )Ā Ā  “All Forms of Life Are Sacred“. His essay discusses veganism and the moral imperative.Ā  Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer prize recipient and his bio can be found here.Ā  He is also a regular contributor to Truthdig.com and his essays are posted each Monday.

Normally I discuss various issues in my episodes, but I decided there would be some value in reading this essay.Ā  Next time I will return to discussing issues as usual.Ā  I hope you enjoyed today’s episode šŸ™‚

I apologise for any poor pronunciation of any author’s name.

Disclaimer: Please note I do not endorse opinions of authors nor do I endorse individuals mentioned and I do not endorse any links, opinions or ads on external sites.

Please feel free to leave feedback / comments whether positive or negative as long as it is constructive and civil.

I look forward to your company again.Ā 

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VT Podcast Ep 7: Intersectionality and Abolitionist Veganism

Intersectionality VeganEthosEp 7 is targeted at a specific audience but I’m sure others will find it interesting.Ā  With the kind permission of the author of Vegan Ethos, I am sharing her recent blog post which you can view here:Ā  Intersectionality and Abolitionist Veganism Part 1Ā 

Here’s Intersectionality and Abolitionist Veganism Part 2

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Please note I do not necessarily endorse individuals, opinions, links or ads on external sites.

 

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VT podcast Ep 5: As a Logical Extension of Justice.

Muslim Lives Matter Trish RobertsDisclaimer: Friends please note, abolitionist veganism is about nonhuman animals only. As a logical extension of justice, we should also care about all forms of discrimination. Therefore if I am to highlight a particular issue, then I need to provide the historical background. This historical background I provided is an account of US interventions in the Middle East and the reason I supply this is because rarely is this addressed in mainstream media. It helps us understand the issue better and we can then draw out own conclusions. I’m not conflating veganism with politics. I am commenting on community and our attitudes. If we want to know why something is happening, we need to look to history. It is not “Americanophobic” as someone accused me of being recently. It is simply meant to provide an historical backdrop to the current anti-Muslim climate. If I criticise government in this, that is not an attack on US citizens. In this day and age, governments do not represent the people. Most governments all over the world now have been taken over by corporations. They are a kleptocracy. They do not represent the people. They represent corporations. Mainstream media represent and speak for corporations. So please don’t see view this as an attack on US citizens, because it is not.Ā  It is what it is. A backdrop to what I find to be a very distressing situation.

 

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Disclaimer: Please note I do not endorse opinions, links or ads of any individual or their sites.

For more info:

GRITtv: Chris Hedges: Islamophobia is RacismĀ 

 

Video: Jeremy Scahill & Noam Chomsky on Secret U.S. Dirty Wars From Yemen to Pakistan to Laos

Manufacturing the Terrorist Threat: From the 1970s to the Obama Era

Black Prophetic Fire: Cornel West on the Revolutionary Legacy of Leading African-American Voices

Chris Hedges: Weā€™ve Decapitated More Civilians Than ISIS EverĀ Has

Should war on ISIS Violence Begin At Home : Russell Brand

Democracy Now reports on Islamic State (ISIL/ISIS)

Destabiliziation in Latin America

Israeli soldiers told to ‘cleanse’ Gaza – Channel 4 News exclusive

Noam Chomsky: Israel’s Actions in Palestine are “Much Worse Than Apartheid” in South Africa

“A Slaughter of Innocents”: Henry Siegman, a Venerable Jewish Voice for Peace, on Gaza

Results on search “Gaza” Democracy Now

Interview with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now with General Wesley Clark (2007) :Ā  Objective:Ā  Take out 7 countries in 5 years: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Iran

American imperialism and the rise of Islamic extremism in Syria and Iraq (Nov 2014)

In U.N. Speech, Noam Chomsky Blasts United States for Supporting Israel, Blocking Palestinian State

Black Lives Matter: Ferguson Erupts After Grand Jury Clears Officer in Michael Brown Killing

Viggo Mortensen (Nov 2014) Helps Mark 10 Years of Howard Zinnā€™s “Voices of a Peopleā€™s History

Stop the Violence from Ferguson to Gaza: 90-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor Arrested in St. Louis

Ā 

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Vegan Trove Podcast Episode 2: Speciesism and Other Forms of Discrimination

Welcome again friends. šŸ™‚ In Episode 2, I briefly touch on some of the topics covered in my 1st podcast. I explore some quotes, articles and interviews and include some of the audio.

Excerpt of transcript of Russell Brand / Paxman interview on BBC’s Newsnight:

Jeremy Paxman: Well, how do you have any authority to talk about politics then?

Russell Brand: Well, I donā€™t get my authority from this pre-existing paradigm which is quite narrow and only serves a few people. I look elsewhere for alternatives that might be of service to humanity. Alternative means alternative political systems.

Jeremy Paxman: They being?

Russell Brand: Well, Iā€™ve not invented it yet, Jeremy. I had to do a magazine last week. Iā€™ve had a lot on my plate. But I sayā€”but hereā€™s the thing that you shouldnā€™t do: shouldnā€™t destroy the planet, shouldnā€™t create massive economic disparity, shouldnā€™t ignore the needs of the people. The burden of proof is on the people with the power, not people who like doing a magazine for a novelty.

Jeremy Paxman: How do you imagine that people get power?

Russell Brand: Well, I imagine there are sort of hierarchical systems that have been preserved through generationsā€”

Jeremy Paxman: They get power by being voted in. Thatā€™s how they get it.

Russell Brand: Well, you say that, Jeremy, but likeā€”

Jeremy Paxman: You canā€™t even be asked to vote.

RUSSELL BRAND: Itā€™s quite narrowā€”quite a narrow prescriptive parameter that changes within theā€”

JEREMY PAXMAN: In a democracy, thatā€™s how it works.

RUSSELL BRAND: Well, I donā€™t think itā€™s working very well, Jeremy, given that the planet is being destroyed, given that there is economic disparity of a huge degree. What youā€™re saying, thereā€™s no alternative. Thereā€™s no alternative, just this system.

Jeremy Paxman: No, Iā€™m not saying that. Iā€™m sayingā€”

Russell Brand: Brilliant.

Jeremy Paxman: ā€”if you canā€™t be asked to vote, why should we be asked to listen to your political point of view?

Russell Brand: You donā€™t have to listen to my political point of view. But itā€™s not that Iā€™m not voting out of apathy. Iā€™m not voting out of absolute indifference and weariness and exhaustion from the lies, treachery, deceit of the political class that has been going on for generations now and which has now reached fever pitch, where we have a disenfranchised, disillusioned, despondent underclass that are not being represented by that political system. So, voting for it is tacit complicity with that system, and thatā€™s not something Iā€™m offering up.

Jeremy Paxman: Why donā€™t you change it then?

Russell Brand: Iā€™m trying to.

I touch on the problems of large animal charities ignoring the solution to animal “cruelty” and more importantly the solution to abolishing animal use (Veganism),Ā  and I expand on a topic I broached last week about the ecological disaster that is animal agriculture and its contribution to species extinction and climate change and how green groups ignore its contribution and why, and I touch on a number of diverse miscellaneous issues.

This 2nd podcast is again a tad long (approx 45 minutes) but I think you might find it interesting.Ā  Episode 3 will (hopefully) be in the next 2 or 3 weeks if time permits (Iā€™m very busy till the new year).

As well as subscribing to this site for updates, please join ā€œVegan Troveā€ on Facebook for future podcast updates :)

Disclaimer: Although I mention various individuals or sites in my podcasts, please note I do not necessarily endorse these individuals, or opinions, links or ads.Ā  Please view my disclaimer:Ā  http://www.vegantrove.com/disclaimer/

Please note episodes are now available on iTunes.
Thanks for listening. I look forward to having the pleasure of your company next time.Ā  :)

For more information:

Russell Brand’s “The Trews

On the Environmental Disaster of Animal Agriculture | UVE Archives

Recommended booksĀ 

My LiveVegan Page: Another Facebook Casualty?

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