- It’s millions (not billions or zillions), and we didn’t evolve from apes and monkeys as we know them. We evolved from common ancestors. Chimps and humans share a common ancestor that (while probably more chimp-like than human-like) was different from both of us. Whatever the conditions were that gave favour to the random mutation that eventually lead to our intellect, simply haven’t repeated themselves in the chimp line.- In the old days animals were slaughtered with a rock, stick, knife or axe — guns would be a relatively new way to kill things (as history goes).- Animals have instincts, and we have instincts, and we are animals.- Our moral capacity is not a moral obligation. It is the side-effect of a set of tools grown into us over a long period of time. I’ll certainly not argue that we’re the same as all other animals, but the difference between us and chimps is much much smaller than chimps and… dogs? Dogs and frogs? Frogs and bees… etc. What we’ve accomplished with our differences is the evolutionary equivalent of saying “Look at how evolved fish are, they are fantastic swimmers. Much better swimmers than us. Maybe we’ll evolve into fish one day.”

frankly I dont accept that we are just advanced monkeys/apes. we are distinct the fact that we have reasoning ability free will etc and ability to build on previous knowledge and convey complex knowledge to each other, build sky scrappers, make robots that go to mars that self regulate, the ability to change ourselves and ability to learn and alter our understanding based on those findings. but one has to honest for that to be beneficial. while monkeys are what still monkeys? have they changed in the past billion years? don’t they still just breed eat sleep and convey just a very limited vocalizations that pretty much mean the same as those vocalizations from a zillion years ago?

if apes and monkeys are still here and suvive very well, why the need to evolve into something else? and why is the cro magnum man and neaderthal gone? why is he not here if his evolution was meant to increase survival yet the monkeys are doing just fine yet these intermediates are gone? anyway the sooner we recognize our godly qualities that animals dont have such as capacity for self sacrificing love, sense of justice, ability to build on knowledge and its application (called wisdom)and self awareness that trensends our limited phyical boundaries (ability to think about others we don’t even know and concern for them, awareness of the problems we have and ability to look for answers that sorta thing ability to ask questions and yes even worship something or someone). we have moral capacity animals have instincts.

rosa

What a twistedly serene world you must live in to divide everything into “good” or “bad”.

It’s interesting to me (in a self-centered sorta way) that no matter how deep I went into vegetarianism and veganism (again, was a veggie for 8 years), no matter how PETAized I was, I never could convince myself it wasn’t the natural order of things to kill and be killed for food.

You make it seem like we should pity the poor carnivore who is just not mentally evolved or dietarily capable enough to not eat meat.

You’re right that we have an obligation of stewardship towards the environment, but not – as I’m guessing you intend – because it needs us. Quite the contrary, we have an obligation to maintain its health because we need it.

It’s self-important to the highest power to assume that the Earth needs us in any way to take care of it. It did quite fine without us for all but the blink of time we’ve been here – and should we ever fuck it up so deeply that we are not able to live on it, then it will do fine once again.

What many do not realise is that humans are not obligate carnivores. The real carnivores are not ablet to digest many foods except meat and yes they do not have opposable thumbs to kill their prey humanely. Has it occurred to the writer of this silly piece that by virtue of being humans with presumably, brains and opposable thumbs we have a duty of care towards all creatures on our planet and the obligation of stewardship towards the environment, not to mention a choice to do good to these creatures or to kill them. Hopefully we will choose to do good, that is why we have the power of choice and intelligence and oppposable thumbs, right?

If it wasn’t Walmart I was shopping at, it would just be their competition. France’s Carrefour, Germany’s Metro, Beijing’s Hualian … and I’m sure soon enough England’s Tesco. The business model is out. There’s no going back.

I know lots of people shop there, but I don’t and tell everyone I know not to. My reasons are many, but on a strictly personal level it is this…I was raised in a comfortable life by entrepeneurs of a small business. As an adult, I have worked for large companies, but ultimately found my place with a small business. I feel it is only right to support fellow little guys. I avoid Starbucks, and buy my coffee for the coffee hut down the street. No Pizza Hut, instead a delicious pizza from the neighborhood restaurant who knows my name and just how I like it. You get the idea.

Google…I agree the relationship is a shaky one. I’m not 100% sold that it was a good idea for them to bend their standards, but I also understand why they did, and don’t necessarily think it’s totally bad.

And thanks for clarifying that I’m a girl Not that it mattered.

@Kate: There isn’t one. That’s the problem (IMnotsoHO) with Thea’s argument. They can’t be compared. Go back to my Damn Google, Buncha Commies post and you can see what was said about the topic.