Animal-rights militants are understandably put out by new legislation restricting their right to dig up dead bodies and depict innocent people as paedophiles as part of their campaign to target any person or company which does business with vivisectionists.

The measures outlined yesterday will create a new catch-all offence which should make it easier to prosecute the extremists who are terrorising businesses out of Britain.
Yet the entire concept of animal rights has always seemed a curious one, given that such entitlements are normally won rather than freely given.

Animals have chosen to absent themselves from almost all major civil-rights struggles. History records no animals in the upper echelons of the chartist movement; the livestock of the southern states of the USA was absolutely nowhere when blacks were fighting against slavery. Indeed, dogs often sided with the police against civil-rights marchers in the 1960s.

Even the noblest equine families have been unable to muster up one horse ready to throw itself in front of the Queen's relatives on Derby day. On those rare times when animals do achieve high office - as Caligula's horse did on being made a senator - they do nothing with their power.

Even so, one must question whether the sort of clampdown unveiled yesterday can ever succeed. It may be that a political process akin to the Northern Ireland talks offers a possible model for the way forward.
There are reasons for optimism. It is notable, for example, that the animals themselves have refused to offer any support to the extremists purportedly acting on their behalf. It is unclear whether their non-participation reflects unease with the extremists' tactics or merely their failure as yet to reach the required level of political alienation.

Animals have suffered from a lack of articulate, moderate leaders to take their campaign to the next level. Many are known to favour campaigns of passive resistance, as anyone who has ever tried to shoo a cow from a country lane will confirm. But assuming they are ready to move to dialogue they must first disavow all terrorism, violence and grave-robbing.

Clearly the animals would have to compromise too. In return for not being injected with botox, rats, for example, would have to give an explicit commitment to stop spreading disease; while beagles would be allowed to quit smoking if they abandon fox-hunting. Even if all this is agreed, the path to peace remains tricky. One intemperate raid on a grain silo by militant ruminants and we could be back to square one.


The above rant to the capitalist community was uncovered at:  http://news.ft.com/cms/s/62a64ef4-73f6-11d9-b705-00000e2511c8.html

Visit  http://www.vivisection-absurd.org.uk for real information on the cruelty, futility and immense dangers to human health of animal testing.


Together, we will beat this scourge of the twentieth century. The vivisectors days are very much numbered.