Dear Mr. Spotnitz,
I’m writing regarding the seal hunt, not to say that the initial fan shouldn’t be bothered by the matter; I have no strong opinion, but, based on what I’ve seen in the media, the people who tend to carry out the seal hunt are either native Americans carrying out traditional subsistence living (they eat the meat, too) or working class or poorer non-natives in Eastern Canada. What I would say is that one should also realize that there are deplorable things carried out the world over and that one should adjust one’s reaction proportionately and take into account all of our collective hypocrisy on such matters.
For example, I saw a film over a week ago called The Cove about the Japanese slaughter of dolphins. While the film makers were right to point to the corruption going on to pretend dolphin meat was whale meat, to lie to consumers about its safety when it actually has unsafe levels of mercury, and the manipulation of the Japanese government to rig the international system to allow it to continue this practice, I also felt that many viewers were engaging in a persecution of “the other.” “I don’t eat dolphin meat, so why should they?” I realized that, as I sympathized with the goals of the film maker, I also sympathized with the working class fishermen trying to earn a living. More importantly, I reflected on my love of fast/unhealthy food the the cruelty carried out against non-dolphin animals, which Food Inc. admirably pointed out.
Essentially, it’s easy to point out the cruelty of others when one’s living or economy isn’t based on that cruel act.
More to the point, we should all be more concerned about those acts committed by people who live perfectly comfortable lives and who don’t need to do cruel things to survive. For example, the multiple wars waged by the U.S. and other nations — not simply in the Cold War, but even in the last few years. Was there any need for Dick Cheney to ensure Haliburton and other contractors deals when he knew it would so poorly serve U.S. troops abroad in under supplying them, overcharging them, and endangering their lives (as was the case for body armor or electrical wiring that shocks troops taking showers). Or how about Congress giving companies like Blackwater more authority than the U.S. army in Iraq or even in the wake of Katrina, and, in exchange, allowing them the right to escape prosecution for shooting innocent Iraqis, including Maliki’s body guard, while on drunken binges?
What about the occupation of Palestine by well off people living in the West? I saw on the news a story about a Canadian couple who sold their Toronto home so that they could live right up against the illegal wall that Israel is building; what this means is that inevitably, Israel will expand the periphery to further protect such settlers from potential “terrorists.”
Again, I didn’t mean to suggest that the fan did not have a right to express concern for what may very well be a cruel act against animals and to even act upon that certainty to coerce people (by withholding tourist money) to do the right thing; one thing I’ve learned is that change for the greater good often involves ugly confrontation. However, I would ask that he or she be honest about the cruelty carried out all around the world, including the West, and that he or she react proportionately and evenly. It seems odd to ban visiting Canada, and then, as Morrissey (former Smiths singer) continues to do, visit Israel or even America, which is still engaging in extraordinary rendition, refusing to give prisoners (most of whom are innocent) in Guantanamo Bay the permission to simply stay in better conditions in maximum security prisons in America. And it’s not like all those wolves Sarah Palin is shooting from planes are happy to die, either.
Anyway, take care,
Iqbal
Toronto, Canada
P.S. I don’t want to seem a nationalist, so I will say that there are many terrible things that the Canadian government does. One is participating in bombing many innocent Afghans, which American Sarah Chayes, who works among the inhabitants there, says is contributing to the people’s desire to join the Taliban — in addition to the regime’s corruption and the lack of aid in non-capitalistic terms.
A second, which I just found out about last month, was that Canada is exporting asbestos to countries like India, where very poor workers get very sick using it. The corporations in Canada use the excuse that the buyers are warned to only use it in safe conditions, but they know that, unofficially, things don’t work that way. It’s an unacceptable thing that our government is allowing.
A third is the Harper government moving to the right of even the U.S. to show its pro-Israeli credentials in fully supporting the attack on Gaza last winter.
