this post was submitted on 02 Nov 2024
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397
wacky world (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 54 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

Here's a unpopular opinion: invading your neighbours being wrong aside, I feel like eating dog meat isn't morally any worse than eating a pigs or cows. (Assuming they're not someone's pet).

I'm vegetarian, and feel it's unhelpful and judgy to get mad at people for eating meat, I just think people give countries where dogs are eaten way too much crap. To the point I even think it's subtly racist to judge other cultures for eating dog meat (again, I think we certainly should judge Russia and North Korea for invading).

Dogs are cute, but heck cows are too, so like don't get riled up about people eating one, if you happy eating the other.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

I don't think that's the issue really. Generally dog is not a premium meat, for meat reasons. Historically you hear of people resorting to eating dog meat when times are very tough. Edit given the chance, people don't ranch dogs.

Not that military rations are ever great, but the idea that a country is using a "poor" meat in what should be a streamlined process of making MREs speaks to the instability in north korea.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Nah, I have personally read plenty of online outrage, and heard in person, numerous times people making moral judgements about eating dogs.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's practical, or good eating. Nor am I making comment on North Korea. Just take issue with people having a go over the morality of eating dogs.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

I'm saying that's not the issue for a military, which would give no such shits.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

Fair enough, this was just a convenient place to get on my soap box lol

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Or the "Russian sources" are just being racist because dog meat isn't even a good candidate for rations as carnivores, by their very nature, are resource inefficient to raise for meat.

Even if you assume they're 100% kibble fed it's pretty suspect.

Now what might be funny is if dog is treated as a luxury meat and the rations were either a special treat or fake dog...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I feel the same way. I'd try dog meat if it was offered.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I had it when I was in China in 2015. It's not that good. Chicken, pork, or beef are way better.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It's pretty easy to overcook, and it can be quite gamey

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

Gamey is exactly how I would describe the sample I tried

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I think it's generally a culture thing; you don't eat your beasts of burden (oxen, horses, etc) and you don't eat your animaux de compagnie. Not just because they're useful and you would more than likely have a connection to them, but generally speaking, these are very lean animals, barely any fat on them, plus the fact that unless you know what you're doing and make the slaughtering of your animal quick and painless, endocrines get released into the muscle tissue, making the meat bitter.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

I think it's generally a culture thing

Precisely, and we live in a multicultural world. No one has to eat dog, just not make moral judgements about other cultures who do. I'm my opinion.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Didn’t hear about that last part yet but I’m mad that it’s plausible

[–] [email protected] 29 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Yeah, I doubt that's true, probably just more of a reflection of the racism within Russia.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I mean if there's one group of people that historically eat dog meat… it’s definitely 🇰🇵

[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Watched a short, surreptitious filmed documentary on North Korea and they confirmed that dog was on the menu. It’s on the pricier side but cheaper than exotic and premium meats

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Do they actually mass produce it to the point where it’s canned? Are there dog farms for this purpose?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

I cannot answer for North Korea. I have doubts about independent verification being possible.

~~ South Korea has documented evidence. Here is one photographers photos of a dog farm. https://www.sophiegamand.com/dogmeatfarm ~~
Edit: Sorry, that farmer had fighting dogs, not meat dogs.

Given that North Korea can mass produce artillery shells, I don't doubt they can mass produce canned food of amy type they can access.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Dogs would be more expensive to farm chickens, cows and pigs. They eat meat, so you need to produce meat to produce meat. It doesn’t seem like a sensible thing for North Korea to be doing to feed its soldiers rations.

In time where food is scarce it makes sense, but to actually farm them. They would have to be farming them as a ‘luxury’ product, in which case they aren’t going to be using it for rations.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

In the USA, we often feed dogs grains. I don't know that dogs would cost more to raise as livestock than cows. Cows eat a lot.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah but cows produce so much more meat. The calculation of cost to raise versus amount of meat obtained is definitely in favor of the cow.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

They also produce much more meat. They also eat indigestible (to humans) food. Cows stomachs can eat and gain calories from grass in a way humans or dogs can’t, for dogs and humans grass is fibre and doesn’t provide many calories.

Cows are great in this case for food security, ground that would struggle to produce much grains or vegetables can still produce grass. If you feed your cows a lot of grains the food security aspect is nullified. Even feeding dogs grains for a country like North Korea that struggles with food security is not a rational unless the dogs provide a benefit like guard dogs etc. During World War Two many people in UK cities killed their dogs when rationing was put in place (not to eat) purely because it was suggested the pets would consume food that could have been human food.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

I personally hope it's not true simply because I like dogs so much. And I don't think if it's more expensive than other meats that it would be given to rank and file soldiers.

That said, I could see it being something special some of them brought from home (I know some us vets who would take what food from home they could, it didn't last long but it was something from home)

I could also see it being like a perk of sending the soldiers to another country. Like "yeah, these guys are fighting over there but they get these cool perks!" but given I have very little information about the north Korean military, I have no idea if either of those things would even be an option.

Regardless, it's 100% not a standard military ration.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I don’t recall them mentioning anything about it being in cans. Definitely an option at restaurants and “upscale” delis, but the time spent in stores was often spent speaking to people, rather than reading labels. As an aside, culture’s closer to Chinese than South Korean. More curt, less formal.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

There is a video going around the interwebs of a Russian soldier freaking out because they were eating it too until someone in the group translated the label.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Well… what was the translation?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

It was " dog meat." I forget the name of the breed, but you can look it up. Apparently, it is a breed specifically raised for food and can also be found in South Korea (e: on the menu).

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Invading aside (which is wrong and makes sense to be mad about), may I ask why would you be mad about people eating dogs?

(Presuming here you think eating dogs is a moral wrong, beyond animals in general).

I just don't think it's cool to judge other cultures on what they eat.

I think no one should be judged for what they eat. I don't eat meat, and think in general it's nicer not to do so, for environmental and empathetic reasons, and if pressed would encourage others (not unsocilited). I dislike vegetarians/vegans who go out and tell meat eaters they're doing something morally abhorrent, and judging them.

But equally, I dislike meat eaters telling dog eaters that what they're doing is somehow worse

It isn't, and I'm sick of western society pretending like it is. Just feels icky

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

This is almost certainly false and meant to demonize North Korean people. Just because you’re under a dictator doesn’t mean you’re immoral or a bad person. I know this doesn’t explicitly call them that, but the implication of someone eating an animal that is commonly kept as a pet in the US is that they’re “barbaric” or “lesser than”. That being said, dog meat is probably more expensive than several other meats, so it’s probably false anyway.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago

Republicans: Minorities are eating people's dogs!

Normal response: No they aren't, and if a culture does eat dogs it's no worse than other kinds of meat.

Liberal response: We're gonna get the actual dog-eating minorities!

Stop letting them define the terms of discourse, stg.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Circle of lies, more like

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago

Well, the last thing is a likely lie. The rest are factual statements.