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Comment by jillesvangurp | Hacker News Reader

Nice case of double standards. The practice of force feeding geese looks more cruel than it is. It's basically nothing compared to what we routinely do to chickens and other farm animals. Industrial chicken farming is infinitely more cruel compared to this.

We're talking about organically farmed birds that are kept such that they are fattened up and delicious (aka. in good health) in a way that is the complete opposite of the dystopian life of a chicken bred in cage that needs antibiotics just to survive their miserable life long enough to be slaughtered.

Banning Kentucky fried chicken or other fast food chains would be considered ludicrous. So, is this.

I eat meat and chicken but I'm well aware where it came from. I've had foie gras a couple of times. Not crazy about it but I appreciate it.

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Foie gras does not come from geese who are merely "fattened up". It comes from geese who have been made intentionally sick to make their liver swell up to several times it's normal (healthy) size.

There is such a thing a thing as more natural "animal friendly" foie gras which apparently takes advantage of geese's natural instinct to gorge themselves before migration, which results in a slightly enlarged liver, but still much smaller than the traditional foie gras. I've never been able to find any in a restaurant, though, so I just avoid foie gras and the restaurants that serve it.

I can't help feeling a similar way, a small group of wealthy people eating an obscure, traditional food is an easier target and makes for a much better story than addressing the elephant in the room that is mainstream factory farming.

It's very far from a "luxury" or "wealthy" item in France, it's something most families will have on their table at Christmas. I don't know where this false luxury stereotype comes from.

Right, well I guess I meant in the context of french restaurants in NYC.

That's true but then even in France it's not something cheap. It's exceptional and as you said, basically something you have once or twice a year.

Well its a rather expensive item in the shops. Affordable still, but paying 15-30 euros for a small box brings it into affordable luxury category IMHO. Its more expensive than exquisite french/italian cheeses with black truffles for example.

Same would go for ie Moet champagne, one can afford it but you definitely notice the price.

Something you have on your Christmas table? What's your definition of luxury?

>We're talking about organically farmed birds that are kept such that they are fattened up and delicious (aka. in good health)

A fatty liver is by definition the opposite of good health.

I'm not sure of the level of overfeeding that happens, nor the precise health implications thereof, but afaik foie gras originated from killing wild geese who had "over"-fed themselves as part of their regular pre-migration preparation.

I don't believe it is double standards to ban one thing and not another, if that was the case then progress would never be made with anything. Maybe banning the wholesale production of meat is a bit more complex than banning a few restaurants serving one particular cruel foodstuff? I have worked in chicken factories, and I can say without reservation that these places are not nice. I still eat chicken though.

Whilst battery farming is cruel and inhumane to the animals, it can be done in a better way.

However, foie gras can never be done humanely, it's a horrible practice where the animal has to suffer in order for a diner to have 5 minutes of gastronomic enjoyment.

Not quite true. There are ethical ways of getting foie.

https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_barber_s_surprising_foie_gras_...

I would argue that live plucking geese for goose down as is just as unpleasant for the goose as force-feeding. Some unfortunate geese even have to suffer through both.

i raise you "tobacco".

Also, there is some. Anthropocentric thinking going on. A person thinks they wouldn't want a funnel stuck down their throat and forced fed grain. Yet, the birds will line up for it and seem to really enjoy it(for one, they don't have a gag reflex)

That's also very similar to how baby birds are fed by their parents.

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