PETA has launched another attack campaign against Humane Farm Animal Care’s Certified Humane® program. We wish they would stop picking on farmers who are trying to do the right thing for farm animals, but we know this is part of their fundraising efforts every year. In September 2017, PETA went...
certifiedhumane.org
I was p!ssed off when I read the above article.
Scientists do not necessarily labor away in search of truth for the betterment of humanity.
Scientists frequently tell us what we want to hear when we need to hear it. Opinions are bought and paid for. Just like a desparate wh0re, they will do and say anything for a buck. There is only one difference, wh0res around the world do what they need to do in order to survive to the next day. The scientists frequently do what they do to enjoy nice homes, cars, and vacations.
I challenge anyone to show me one single chicken on any farm that lives a humane life. Show me just one farm chicken who enjoys the same freedoms as a wild bird.
In the specific case, this "Humane Farm Animal Care Scientific Committee" is a nonsense. What has science got to do with what is ultimately more a question of ethics and philosophy? I think it is a misuse of the term "scientific" regardless of the scientific credentials of those on the committee. The opinions are a nonsense - they respond to PETA's case by conceding most of the points!
However, in the general case, I think your criticism of scientists is unfair.
I actually think scientists do generally labour away in search of truth for betterment. Of course, there are good and bad scientists, those who are less noble and so on, but the scientific culture, its structure, e.g. the peer review process before publication, has much better alignment with truth and ethics that the culture in other parts of society (e.g. politics, media). It means that even if many scientists were to be hopelessly narcissistic and selfish and focused on personal gain, the system will still deliver fairly good results. Of course, there are many bad and dishonest scientists. But, comparing to other professions (politics, lawyers, police, military, big business) it is relatively more noble.
"Scientists frequently tell us what we want to hear when we need to hear it." Hm. Scientists have been telling us findings about climate change for quite some years now that people don't like and don't want to hear.
"Opinions are bought and paid for." It happens of course, but the best scientists, the best Universities? Rarely. Usually these are lower quality scientists or from less well regarded institutions, or even pseudo scientists altogether.
"The scientists frequently do what they do to enjoy nice homes, cars, and vacations." The average scientists earning $50,000 a year is a smarter person (higher IQ) or just as smart someone earning $100,000 as a regional sales manager or an actuary. That scientist earning $50,000 a year in a public University could have easily gone into the private sector and earned more, they chose not to do so. Of course, scientists are working for homes and cars just like most people are. But not more so than other professions, and if anything less so, in my experience most scientists don't live flashy lives.
