Some philosopher said once "Agriculture is civilization, cattle farming is savagery". What do you think?

Question

There are a couple of things you should know to understand this philosopher:

He is considered one of Argentina's Nation Fathers.

Agriculture farming was more linked to european immigration, and cattle farming (extensively of course, as still is in Argentina) was more connected to gauchos and indigenous people, in his words, savages.

Almost 200 years ago, cattle farming was extensively spread through the nation, and very inefficient, unlike grain farming.

Grain farming also required a lot more people to work and produced much more development for the society.

Answer 1

That is a rather interesting quote; I don't believe I've heard it before.

I suppose if you take the worst aspects and the worst offenders in the cattle industry and threw an alien in there, they would think it incredibly cruel. Fortunately, not many farms exist that are cruel. Cattle is the paycheck, why would someone abuse their paycheck? To many farmers, it is much, much more than that too. Farming is a job you never leave and never take a vacation from. It is a way of life. How many other people have jobs like that?

I don't think the Cattle Industry is cruel or savage. There are a few in there who manage to ruin it for the rest of us. It's like that with everything though. We only hear about the bad and never the good people doing an honest day's work.

My own beef cows are pasture raised. They don't go to feedlots, live in their own **** or get abused. If you abuse a steer, you produce adrenalin, which alters the flavor of the meat. My steers are raised in the same pastures as my cows. About two months before they are ready for the auction or to be slaughtered, I move them into a smaller pasture and feed them grain and hay. When they are ready to go, we calmly load them on the trailer and take them to their destination. I admit, sometimes, the people working at the auction house could be a little easier on the animals, but they don't sit there for days, only hours. If for some reason they are there for more than that, they are fed and watered. At the slaughterhouse, we unload the animals into a pen and ID them. They don't hang around there for days either. They are usually killed before we even get our trailer door shut. The slaughterhouse won't accept animals days in advance. All of them in my area are like that.

Ignorant people who know nothing of the industry think all we are in it for is the money. Isn't that what they do their jobs for? If we are only in it for the money, wouldn't it be to our advantage to treat our animals well?

Answer 2

I think that after 9 hours if your question only got 3 lame answers it means the general public is ignorant of what "cattle farming" is.

If some aliens came and raised people like we raise cattle.. there would be an outrage!

VERY FEW cattle are "pasture raised".. mostly females who are kept for breeding... while the steers (castrated males) are sent to feed lots where they stand around for months in mud... or on hard packed dirt.. walking in their own p**p for months.. confined in a small space.. no stimulation.. no grass... no nothing.. very sad.. then they are transported to the slaughter yard to be starved for a few days before the pathetic end they meet...at a young age too.

dairy cattle often are kept in a barn all day.. all night.. their calves removed from them so we can collect more milk from them.. their calves live in a space smaller than our bathroom.. crippled by not being able to stand.. then they become "veal"  (I personally refuse to eat veal)

indeed it is savagry.. so is "chicken farming" but thats another question...

- for the record I do eat meat.. but we have free range hens for egg production.

Answer 3

I think he/she was a vegetarian.

Answer 4

Hope he choked on his steak as he said it!

Answer 5

"Agriculture is civilization, cattle farming is agriculture."

Answer 6

I live on a working cattle property in Australia. Cattle farming destroys the environment and is unspeakably cruel. If you carnivores out there could hear the screams of anguish  from cows after their calves are removed for processing into big macs and sausages, I doubt if any of you who have a conscience would ever eat meat again. I don't, and I agree totally with "some philosopher".

Answer 7

mandB addesses only one certain type and aspect of livestock practice, and obvioulsy has never been on a dairy farm, has not seen livestock farming in the midwest and  needs to expand his so called expertise on a subject he condems.  I bet he has on leather tennis shoes, belt and a owns coat or two.  animal husbandry is a large aspect of agriculture and is done correctly more than it is incorrectly.  Livestock always has been and always will be a major part of agriculture.  He also shows that he is a part of the "general public" he talks about.  also why no one anwered is becuase people take agriculture for granted and the ones who do care dont usually waste their time (with this exception) answering stupid questions like this (becuase it the question and one ignorant answer pisssed me off)

Answer 8

we're meat eaters, what are we going to do?

Answer 9

I agree with buck & ally's mom. Outsiders do not see that most of the cattle raisers do treat their animals very well, like myself. All of my animals are treated with the upmost respect. You do have to understand. They have a purpose on this earth, which is to feed us. that is not savage, but survival. Although they have this purpose, they can still have a good life (grazing in lush pastures in spring,summer and fall, getting the best hay in the winter along with extra grain as a treat. Even getting an occasional garden hose shower when they are hot in the summer.) They only see the large 'feed lots' as they drive by...that is an exception, not the rule. If they would come to the country & visit for a while..they would be surprised how humane a cattle operation can be.

From your nation's father's viewpoint...I could see why he would make that statement, but it is different now, at least in America.

P.S. - I liked your old "name" better - Bumper Crop

Answer 10

That guy dosen't deserve to be called a philosopher. I think he's just an idiot whiner.

Answer 11

He was ignorant!

Answer 12

I think that the philosopher is wrong, cattle farming is just as much civilization as agriculture (especially if you don't use cattle prods and such).  We farm and have cattle it is really fun, we have about 40 head cow-calf operation as well as a lot of acres of corn and soy beans.  Also, I love your avatar,  I am a HUGE John Deere fan!

Answer 13

MandB knows little on this subject. There may be a few farms that do this (which seems doubtfull to me) but this is definately not the norm. I live right smack dab in the middle cattle raisin' country and I'm here to tell you that beef cattle are indeed pastuered.

Answer 14

I think that all life on this planet is savagery.

its just a perspective thing as to what you think is more savagery than others. have you thought how many more wheat plants you have to kill to get the same amount of food that you would get from one cow ? (the cow does not need to kill the grass to get enough food)

I don't like eating meat, and I am allergic to wheat and many other plants, so, maybe I should not be answering this question.