Re: criticising Arundhati Roy

[raghu <mraghu01@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 4/15/07, Patrick Bond <pbond@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"The vulgar, hands-on racism of Old Imperialism is outdated. The
cornerstone of New Imperialism is New Racism. The tradition of 'turkey
pardoning' in the US is a wonderful allegory for New Racism. Every year
since 1947, the National Turkey Federation presents the US President
with a turkey for Thanksgiving. Every year, in a show of ceremonial
magnanimity, the President spares that particular bird (and eats another
one). After receiving the presidential pardon, the Chosen One is sent to
Frying Pan Park in Virginia to live out its natural life. The rest of

Speaking of turkeys, I saw this awful tidbit recently:
----------------

Turkeys reared for meat are hatched from eggs laid by special breeding
stock. Male breeders (called stags) have been selectively bred for size
and are now too broad-breasted and heavy to mate naturally. Because of
this turkey breeding is dependent on artificial insemination (AI). AI
also means that turkeys can be reliably produced in the right numbers
when required.

Breeding stock are kept in single sex pens. Males are kept in flocks of 30-50 birds at a stocking density of 1m² per bird. Hens are kept in larger flocks at a density of 345cm per kg of bird.

AI completely frustrates the natural mating instincts of turkeys and is distressing for both males and hens. Male turkeys are milked of semen at least once a week and the hens inseminated using a length of tubing inserted into the birds vagina.

http://www.vegsoc.org/info/turkey.html

-raghu.