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Comment by dmitriid | Hacker News Reader

I hate to break it to you, but in general our treatment of animals is way better than a 100 years ago. Animal shelters? Animal cruelty laws? Etc.

That fish throwing contest? Oh, it's almost definitely older than 100 years (as are dog fights, dolphin slaughter, goose pulling, cock throwing and other wonderful traditions from around the world).

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That is one side of the scale. The other side of the scale has the meat industry in it (which is absolutely not like 100 years ago). As someone who used to work in a slaughter house, I am not convinced that today is better. I can see our children looking back in a few generations and think of us as barbaric. I thought of it as barbaric and surreal when working there.

The scale? Yeah, the scale is much bigger. Conditions for animals? Not much different than 100 years ago [1]. And I'd argue they are better in many cases (and in many countries).

[1] https://io9.gizmodo.com/utterly-disturbing-century-old-photo...

Those open-air stockyards in Chicago look like crap, and even then still miles better than what pigs go through today. At least they saw the sky for more than the few minutes just before their deaths.

There isn't extensive documentation on the welfare of animals in large farms in history, but if you knew what goes on today, you wouldn't even dare write that. Chicks sent to the shredder, cramped living conditions for the entirety of their lives, untreated medical conditions, anal rape-assisted insemination, halal and Kosher slaughters. Watch Dominion (2018) or just the trailer and see for yourself.

So, not that different than 100 years ago. Unless you count "seeing blue sky for a few minutes before death" as being better.

The last time farm animals had marginally better conditions was probably the Middle Ages, and even then I wouldn't be so sure. Especially not around bigger cities.

Ugh, I made the mistake of looking up “goose pulling”. WHY.

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