Is bullfighting the sickest spectacle on earth?

I've been researching Spanish culture for Spanish class and I came across a bullfight on YouTube. If you skip to 5:05 in the vid, you'll see the ending for the bull isn't swift but rather torture! I used to think of bullfighting as just a cultural difference, but surley this sort of macabre torture can't be allowed in the 21st century, not in Europe anyhow.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLDWjPdCCTs&feature=related

Have you actually read the book? I defy you to read the book and come away without at least some sentiment of sympathy for the (once) great sport of bullfighting.

Anyway, of course you should here the point of view of the alleged rapist. Thats why we have courts of law.

I never said alleged rapist. You misunderstood. If someone rapes someone else and it is known that they did rape them, looking at the situation from their perspective would be pointless as they would have no justifiable reason to do it.

Whats the justifiable reason for bullfighting?
Tradition? Well thats a weak argument
Maybe because the bull fighter needs money? In the past this may have been the case but now bullfighters are well paid and there are several other jobs they could do
Self defence? Yeah right, from an animal that never attacks on the wild unless provoked, an animal that has been kept locked up all night in the dark to make it angry.
Entertainment? Again no defence. This is the 21st century and entertainment like this should be left in the past. You want to watch sport? watch football or f1 (both very popular in spain, perhaps more than bullfighting). You want to see some violence? Watch boxing.
I cant see any justifiable reason for bullfighting. I havent read the book but i will if i come across it.

I'm not attempting to defend bullfighting here at all. I'm merely defending the right of the accused to defend themselves, no matter how unjustifiable their alleged crime seems to be to certain observers. You have every right to hold the opinions you do on bullfighting, but at least give them the chance to put together an intelligent and articulate case for their defence before you make up your mind for good. You can only be said to have an "informed" opinion once you have actually listened to both sides of the argument.

This. What's more sickening is that people are devoting their whole lives to saving bulls, donkeys, dogs, etc. People are starving to death and dying of curable disease all over the world, yet they are ignored in favour of bulls? That's sick.

I don't think that is the general attitude in the UK, and for good reason: there is a clear difference between fully conscious, self-aware humans and animals. There is no coherent moral argument why animals should be treated differently from plants: both feel pain, neither are conscious (according to the most up to date scientific research). So where's the difference? Because animals are cuddly?

Bullfighting has been banned in a few regions of Spain. Get your facts right.

What do you mean neither are conscious.
Ofc animals are bloody concious.

Definition:
knowing and perceiving; having awareness of surroundings and sensations and thoughts.
consciousness - awareness: having knowledge of

I would love to see the source of this apparant "most up to date scientific research" that seems to be applying that animals are as aware as plants, seriously?..

Anyone who lives around animals / has close bonds with their pets can see their more than a mindless beings and most def concious of themselves,others, memories & feelings.


I hate how humans have this false sense of superiority, ignorance plays a huge part.
Like how I see it, some humans think lowly of other cultures/languages because they do not understand them, the same goes for animals, once you understand their language which in their case usually body language you unlock a deeper understanding/connection.

Yes we are more capable and intelligent than alot of creatures, But I do not see how this gives us the right to abuse them.
We share this world, we do not own it.

As for bullfighting, yes it is sick but no isn't the sickest spectacle on earth like others have said theres much worse going on in this world.
Just another unnecessary cruelty among thousands of others.

It is easy to assume that because a rat and a person act the same in similar circumstances, they have the same kind of subjective experience. But can we really say this for sure? The only way to tell would be to compare what happens in the brain, and as it turns out, the area of the brain associated with conscious thought doesn't even exist in animals. A rat is no more "conscious" than my **** ing laptop.

What is your definition of conscious thought? I'd be interested to see your source for this assertion that animals have no 'area of the brain' for conscious thought. What about intelligent animals such as dolphins and primates?

Rats respond to the stimulus of pain in the same way as humans The mechanism is obvious, pain triggers distress and agitated behaviour in both humans and animals. If this is so, why think that rats' experience of pain is any different to that of humans?

I've been researching Spanish culture for Spanish class and I came across a bullfight on YouTube. If you skip to 5:05 in the vid, you'll see the ending for the bull isn't swift but rather torture! I used to think of bullfighting as just a cultural difference, but surley this sort of macabre torture can't be allowed in the 21st century, not in Europe anyhow.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLDWjPdCCTs&feature=related

Cultural relativism aside, I feel there must be something inherently wrong with you to find pleasure out of the pain and suffering of another living being.

Don't try and ban some country's entertainment or cultural tradition unless they actually have an impact on your life. I bet that the people who complained about bullfighting went to a fast food joint afterwards and happily munched on a mega burger, oblivious to the fact that the cattle used to produce the meat was treated in abysmal conditions. But since they got a tasty treat out of it, they didn't care as much. It's always about double standards. Often animal rights activists are not really interested in the fate of animals, but are just embittered individuals who hate their own kind. People complain about bulls being killed when members of our own species live in crushing misery. Help them before you help the bull or the panda bear and stop whining about the rights of animals when sentient beings don't even have those.

For the record I don't feel superior to animals, in fact self consciousness is a bit of a drag, but since we're lucky enough to emerge on top of the food chain, we should take advantage of it.

It's disgusting. Enough rubbish about how animals aren't equal to humans, what a stupid thing to say. Would you like it if your pets were treated this way? The only good thing is if a bull decides to get its on back. I really hope they abolish bullfighting.

.

Especially when you consider who invented slavery.

and you're applying to Balliol?

It's nice that you shoved aside cultural relativism. Audiences don't go to see the bull suffer. If they wanted to do that they would give it LSD and release it in a stadium full of glass shards.

The point is to see the art with which the bulfighter evades the bull. The killing and maiming is all just a throwback to archaic times, which I agree should be done away with.

But again, jumping on the barbarian bandwagon a little too easily.

Are you even aware of the savagery of what you've written?