Aph Ko

While I agree with the author that there is overlap between white supremacy and the abuses of both people and animals alike, I disagree with the author’s suggestion that it’s largely the source of both. Along with discounting the current animal rights/veganist movements, the author also discounts the feminist movement suggesting black men can’t be part of the patriarchy but if they happen to be seen that way, it’s due to western white supremacy as well. She contends that any other show more view is a lazy, shallow view of the subject.

While I would acknowledge they all play a role in where we are in today’s American society, none of these views are inherent to white western culture as the author suggests but rather widespread in cultures the world over and have largely been throughout recorded history.

I tend to follow Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson’s thoughts in ‘Beasts: What Animals Can Teach Us About the Origins of Good and Evil’. It all began with gardening. He presents the idea that when our ancestors moved from hunter gatherers to settling, creating homesites and domesticating animals as being the real origin of ownership. Once they domesticated animals, it was easier to view ‘others’ in the same light.

I would suggest it is the author who has a narrow world view, looking almost exclusively at the US experience. Solely at colonial times through the present day. The author points out many issues with today’s society and accurately points out the lack of funding for people who want to tackle issues in structural systems while calling out by name other publications and documentaries she sees as missing the mark but offers no path forward or suggestions for tackling these hard issues. At work I was always encouraged to point out problems but was also told to offer a solution when I bring them up. show less