File spoon-archives/marxism2.archive/marxism2_1996/96-07-10.220, message 6


From: LeoCasey-AT-aol.com
Date: Sat, 8 Jun 1996 13:02:38 -0400
Subject: Chicken Politics


Why did the chicken cross the road?

Noam Chomsky
The chicken didn't exactly cross the road. As of 1994, something like 
99.8% of all US chickens reaching maturity that year had spent 82% of 
their lives in confinement. The living conditions in most chicken 
coops break every international law ever written, and some, 
particularly the ones for chickens bound for slaughter, border on 
inhumane. My point is, they had no chance to cross the road (unless 
you count the ride to the supermarket). Even if one or two have 
crossed roads for whatever reason, most never get a chance. Of course, 
this is not what we are told. Instead, we see chickens happily dancing 
around on Sesame Street and Foster Farms commercials where chickens 
are not only crossing roads, but driving trucks (incidentally, Foster 
Farms is owned by the same people who own the Foster Freeze chain, a 
subsidiary of the dairy industry). Anyway, ... (Chomsky continues for 
32 pages. For the full text of his answer, contact Odonian Press)
     
Katherine McKinnon
Because, in this patriarchial state, for the last four centuries, men 
have applied their principles of justice in determining how chickens 
should be cared for, their language has demeaned the identity of the 
chicken, their technonogy and trucks have decided how and where 
chickens will be distributed, their science has become the basis for 
what chickens eat, their sense of humor has provided the framework for 
this joke, their art and film have given us our perception of chicken 
life, their lust for flesh has has made the chicken the most consumned 
animal in the US, and their legal system has left the chicken with no 
other recourse.



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