How do you feel about this quote?!
-Mahatma Gandhi
Answers: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
-Mahatma Gandhi
I like it. I cannot imagine a nation that would treat its animals well but its people poorly.
I think he was saying that a nation that treats its animals well has reached a point where they understand the interconnectedness of all things. So they would respect all living things and the environment which houses them. If we treat our animals as dumb beasts, if we abuse them it says a lot about our mentality.
There is another quote, I forget who by that states it doesn't matter if they think or reason but whether they can suffer. Something like that anyways. When we as a nation care about the suffering of animals, we have reached a state of understanding and moral accountability that would truly make us great. I think this is like a baseline of sorts. If we reach this point we are at a place where we care about the suffering of all creatures human and animal, we care about the environment, etc.
This is my interpretation anyways. I could be reading way too much into it.
The answer to that statement about America isn't too pretty.
I'd substitute the word animals with the word people
lo_mcg = I TOTALLY agree!
Dumping waste into the ocean doesn't kill animals that are near the point of that nation but other great distances as well. It all affects eachother. Very much so.
It is an excellent quote and very true.
Gandhi's muh man =)
i totally agree!
I believe the way a nation treats animals is just one important aspect . There are many other political, humanitarian, and environmental issues that should also be considered when "measuring" a nations greatness.
A far too simplistic statement.
Animal welfare is kind of a luxury of the wealthy countries. The only reason we have thought about it at all is because we aren't digging through the filth wondering what we are going to feed our children. So I think this is a totally apt statement, as greatness is not just a word which represents leadership but also wealth and power- even though I think there is too much influence on those things they are important.
I also like how this flies in the face on the common interpretation of greatness- you know how those Americans on TV are always banging on about how "america is the greatest country in the world." Despite the fact that there are higher levels of 'lifestyle diseases' like obesity and diabetes than in any other western country. There is no free health care; massive levels of unemployment, drug use and homelessness; and the US jails more people than even third world countries! They are the only western country with the death penalty and have an incredibly high rate of murders.
Maybe treating animals better would eliminate more than just the lifestyle diseases...