Animal testing is barbaric!

[lestatdark]

Player1x3 said:

PETA pals? Pahahahahahahaha, oh man, thanks for the laugh

I hate PETA with a passion. I'm no pro-animal apologist nor "Free all the animals" as your OP PS3 said, go back and read my early replies on this thread. i just hate this kind of arrogant thinking "We rule this planet and every other animal is below us". 

We DO rule this planet. How can you even try to argue otherwise? Which other species is as dominant and has a higher say so than humans in this planet.? We can do whatever we want, to whomever we want. Weather is that good or rational for humans is another story, but it does demostrate our power in this planet. AS for animals below us, that really depends on what kind of aspects are you looking at. Humans are superior in most of them, but not all.

Humans are compassionate? Yeah, indeed they are when they want to. Want to measure the amount of compassion versus violence in the entire human history? Because there's a clear winner there, and it's not the one that starts with a C. Humans are the only species that kill their own kind for fun, humans alone are responsible for the extinction of thousands of species that range from mammal, plant life and even some cases in the Monera realm, not only in centuries past but also recently.
There has been a distinctive push towards saving the large number of endangered species that we have in the past years, but go do a bit of research to learn just how "effective" it has been. We have reduced entire species to a point we're it's extremely hard to have a viable population sample to breed in large enough numbers to sustain themselves in the future without any kind of assistance. We basically have limited species such as the pandas, siberian tigers or the iberian lynx to only survive in specially created reserves that must be mantained and monitored constantly. 

Actually, you would be quite suprised. I blame the media for the image most people have in this world. All the news broadcast, newspapers, magazines, radio messages all of them mostly (almost exclusevly) are broadcsting tragic, sad and dangerous events in the world, but almost never the good. They are trying (and doing a damn good job at it) to scare people as much as they can and make them paranoid so they can be dependant on thier goverment and taxes. There are actually a lot more good people in this world than bad. The other thing is that bad news usually effect people a lot deeper than the good news. A bad even can scar you for life, but godd event wont last as near as that long. So its not suprising that you have such image of the world. I dont blame you. This actually reminds of one coca-cola comercial I've seen on TV few weeks back. Its not directly related to this topic but you get the idea

http://youtu.be/9dHOzw5KSlE

And while it is true that humans have put an end to a lot of animal species, they still remain the only one that CARES for OTHER species, fed them, give them shelter, protect them and heal them. No other animal cares that much for other species as humans. But the thing is, humans are probably one of the most individualistic species on the planet. Trying to judge them based off of few individuals would be stupid and counter productive. Humans put, by far, the most effort in both killing and protecting other animals.

Again, you're using conflicting terms for the top of the food chain terminology. Killer Whales also kill humans for fun, along with other species. There's a large number of species that can and do hunt humans.

Yes, and which party is more succesful? When both species are predators of one to another, which is is higher on the food chain? The one that is more succesful in hunting and kiling its prey. And no one is more succesful than humans in that :)

You must really tell me what kind of technology do you have in your country that allows you to say, without doubt, that humanity can survive any kind of general extinction event, as there a vast number of scenarios that humanity doesn't stand a figment of chance, such as supervolcanic eruptions that would cover the atmosphere with enough ash to block out the sun and rise global temperatures to unsustainable levels, any kind of meteor impact similar to the one in the end of the cretacic period, or global nuclear warfare. And let's not talk about the extreme scenarios, such as the dissapearance of the magnetic field. For all of our technology, we are still just as vulnerable as we ever were.

I didnt say WE WOULD survive, I said WE ARE MOST LIKELY to survive than other animal species on the planet (excluding roaches and some other insects, who are too insignificant for any kid of natural process)

Actually, I would have a laugh at anyone trying to eat a Tucan. Their meat is inedible even with a lot of seasoning XD. Again, please stop trying to peg me as any kind of pro-animal activist. I hate those guys with a passion because they're a bunch of hypocrites, just as much as the "Humans rule!" attitude. 

I believe we should have a balanced look and try to see our place in the natural world. We're indeed the most intelligent species, but we missuse that intelligence, as I had pointed out before. It's true what you say, humans can do pretty much whatever they want, yet we're seeing the results of that mentality aren't we? 

Why do you bring the media here? I hardly pay attention to them. Instead, I urge you to look into history books and overall human history, especially for the past three centuries. Unless you're also saying that our history is somewhat manipulated and everything was rosy and peachy. 
I'm not discrediting the good work made by a lot of individuals, corporations and institutions all over the world, wether it's human aid or overall enviroment aid, but so far, the bad has outweighed the good. It's not media, it's human nature, during our history we, as a species, have taken the "we can do as we want" route more than "let's try to see what's the better alternative for all, not just ourselves". Heck, you yourself pointed it out.

Again, as I said, human arrogance outweighs human compassion. I know a lot of people who are compassionate to all and those are the people that renew my faith on humankind every day, but go down any road and you'll see lots of examples of the contrary side of humanity. 

Actually, your last phrase couldn't be any more wrong. Insects are amongst the most significant part of nature's evolution and processes. Not only they are paramount to processes such as polinization, horizontal gene transfers in plants (which basically allows for crops to grow on any kind of enviroment and this is what allowed early humans to become sedentary in the first place), soil renovation, methane decomposition and a various amount of processes that are essential to any ecossystem. The Insect realm's importance in the ecossystem is only surpassed by the Monera realm (which is the pillar that keeps every other realm alive). 

There's a golden rule in biology: The further you go down the microscopic scale, the bigger the importance of that organism becomes.