Activists' pressure slowing animal imports

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Some leading scientists are warning pressure from animal rights activists is reducing the number of animals being brought into Britain for research.
All ferry companies and all but two airlines have stopped importing animals destined for research laboratories.
Former science minister Lord Drayson said that without such research "it is not possible to develop new medicines".
But animal rights group Peta said 90% of drugs that passed animal trials failed when given to people.

Every year some 15,000 animals - mostly mice - are shipped in from abroad - usually because they have particular traits that make them useful for the study of certain conditions. They account for 1% of the animals used in UK laboratories.
Lord Drayson, who was a minister under the last Labour government, said animal research was "regrettably" necessary and that people would "suffer and die" without it.
"If we do want to have access to medicines, and I believe that we do - more than 87% of the general public consistently over the last 10 years in polling have said that they support animal research for medical uses. And so unfortunately we do have to do this."
However, Alister Curry from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) said researchers should work harder to come up with alternatives to animal testing.

(Source: BBC News)

[Orlov]

Middle class animal rights kiddies are once again idealistically standing in the way of scientific research that has the potential to improve human progress in years to come.

[milkmiku]

Middle class animal rights kiddies are once again idealistically standing in the way of scientific research that has the potential to improve human progress in years to come.

Yes, these groups seem to have a habit of doing more harm than good.

[RedSonRising]

Middle class animal rights kiddies are once again idealistically standing in the way of scientific research that has the potential to improve human progress in years to come.

Let's not forget that Pharmaceutical industries and the methods they take towards distributing what they deem as medicine is hardly beneficial to working people or constructive towards "human progress". And I'm no lover of PETA, but animal testing can be quite cruel at times.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Middle class animal rights kiddies are once again idealistically standing in the way of scientific research that has the potential to improve human progress in years to come.

Methods using computers have been devised which are more accurate when testing than what is gained from testing on animals. A animal is not a human being so hence the effects are often different.Techniques which use computers use data which are completely related to human biology; this produces results far more accurate than animal testing.

I don't understand the fascination using animals anyways... there are plenty of murders and rapist which would do a lot of things to get out of jail a little early.

[Vyacheslav Brolotov]

I think that there should be some humane treatment of animals, but humans come first whether you like it or not. These people who protest animal testing till they drop are just young, disgruntled, middle class liberals with nothing better to do.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

I think that there should be some humane treatment of animals, but humans come first whether you like it or not. These people who protest animal testing till they drop are just young, disgruntled, middle class liberals with nothing better to do.

Really? Of course humans will come first, but all who want to safeguard animals from obsolete testing are middle class... how do you figure?

[Leftsolidarity]

Middle class animal rights kiddies are once again idealistically standing in the way of scientific research that has the potential to improve human progress in years to come.

Yes, everyone against animal testing is:

1)Middle class
2) A kid
3) Idealistic


Fuck off.

[Vyacheslav Brolotov]

Really? Of course humans will come first, but all who want to safeguard animals from obsolete testing are middle class... how do you figure?

Hey. Why are you attacking me? I am not the only one who said it.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Hey. Why are you attacking me? I am not the only one who said it.

...one other person...?

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Yes, these groups seem to have a habit of doing more harm than good.

No, they have a habit of protecting those who are unable to protect themselves from tortures tests which serve little practical purpose.

[NewLeft]

Anything we disagree with is middle class and liberal. :rolleyes: Fuck animal testing.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Animal testing doesn't really bother me, honestly.

[NewLeft]

Animal testing doesn't really bother me, honestly.
Can we test on you.

[Ostrinski]

Honestly if what TheGodlessUtopian said about computers being more efficient animal testing does seem kind of arbitrary, although the politicization of it all still seems gimmicky. But I agree a lot of animal testing is cruel.

Also, there is something to be said about the bourgeois character of animal rights activism, as it doesn't relate at all to the class struggle. If you want to be a vegan or whatever you like to do then fine, but the politicization of it is liberal.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Animal testing doesn't really bother me, honestly.

I suppose you have never seen the inhumane conditions the animals are kept in or the videos of chimpanzees being strapped to devices which simulate car crashes. It is barbaric. Had these tests actually produced results (i.e created conditions which improved humans) I wouldn't object to such a degree, but, as they do not and are detrimental I see little value in continuing them.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Can we test on you.

Um, no? Am I the equivalent of a lab rat now? :rolleyes:

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Um, no? Am I the equivalent of a lab rat now? :rolleyes:

Well the only way to be sure is to check: do you have a tail? What about cute little ears? No...hmmm, than I hate to break it to you but you aren't a lab rat (though that can change with this experimental new surgery...).

lol

[Ostrinski]

Um, no? Am I the equivalent of a lab rat now? :rolleyes:Well according to some of the nutters out there you as a human are below a rat in terms of worth.

[Grenzer]

Animal testing doesn't really bother me, honestly.

This.

I'm not sure why everyone gets so worked up about animal rights at times, it seems awfully moralistic. With that said, I am against arbitrary inflictions of pain against animals, why not, after all?

I would say the characterization of self styled animal rights activists as consistently bourgeois in nature is incorrect. A good portion of the time it does seem to be true, but we should take a more nuanced view and avoid unscientific stereotypes. The entire realm of discussion around environmental policy seems to have two sides. The first claims that we should avoid excessive exploitation because it's illogical; we should strive for sustainability because it's the only logical option. The other side is against exploitation because of some abstract idea that humanity doesn't have the right to.

It's this latter argument that I dismiss as being dangerously idealistic. There seems to be a general consensus that perpetual rights don't exist; that instead what constitutes "rights" reflects the current material condition of society. Seems like a bad idea to suspend ordinary logic in this case and insist that animals have rights in the same way that humans do, but I don't really care that much either way. Maybe I'm just an asshole, but when someone starts complaining about eating fish because "the fish are feeling pain," I really just don't care.

[Princess Luna]

My stance on animal testing really depends on what is being tested. Cancer drugs, yes under almost all circumstances. Perfume, no under almost all circumstances.

[9]

I am one hundred percent in favor of testing any product on animals when the alternative is testing on people, and I have a really serious problem with anyone who isn't.

However, on a factual level, I am genuinely curious...


Some leading scientists are warning pressure from animal rights activists is reducing the number of animals being brought into Britain for research.
All ferry companies and all but two airlines have stopped importing animals destined for research laboratories.
Former science minister Lord Drayson said that without such research "it is not possible to develop new medicines".


Do animal rights activists really have that much sway in the UK...? I may very well be totally ignorant, but it sounds sort of far fetched to me.

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

As the OP, I should probably throw in my two pennies
I am against aniaml testing in principle but ath the same time I like having some of the drugs we get as a result. I would like there to be an alternative to animal suffering, but you rarely hear a viable alternative to it, would like to hear one if anyone here has thoughts or knows of one?