Chinese people who eat dogs have the right to do so

In all fairness, they eat dog in a lot of other places, not just China: http://en.wikipedia.org... You could just as easily have said "Africans" or "Swiss". A few points: The Pro writes, "My argument is that they have the right to do so. It is prima facie morally permissible to eat dogs. Obviously, if a dog is killed inhumanely or tortured, it's absolutely wrong to eat them." There's so much wrong with this. . . 1. "Rights" are a political fiction --- even in the United States. They are merely the privileges supposedly "guaranteed" by a superior military force, propped up by monetary interests and their political alliances and figureheads. Therefore, whoever has superior force is able to dictate the privileges over the people beneath them. We're so indoctrinated in the U.S. that there are such a thing as "rights" we forget the "rights" we've been "guaranteed" have repeatedly been taken from us. And if you say "they have the privilege to do so", your whole argument falls apart because, obviously, privileges are bestowed upon the people by those who have the power to kill the people. If the U.S. political establishment says its not ok to eat a puppy and you'll get locked up and beaten if you do, then so be it. The people may be able to vote the anti-dog-eaters out of office and replace them with pro-dog-eaters like Rand Paul, but until that time, you're out of luck! To elaborate, a ruling political/military force has no natural obligation to honor the cultural practices of any people if they are repugnant to the majority. If you can justify dog-eating on the basis of cultural sensitivity, you open the doors to any and all "customs", regardless of how disgusting or unhealthy they are. For example, if people from a certain country immigrated here and it was their culture to eat their dead and make vests out of their skins, we have no reason to allow them to do so, because its nasty and we have guns and can shoot them if they try it. Similarly, we prefer dogs to pigs and chickens, so if anyone messes with a dog, we'll rightfully put them in front of a firing squad with no last words and no cigarette (at least in Utah, that is). 2. It is prima facie morally permissible to eat dogs? According to whom? Morality is always culturally conditioned and if our culture says dogs should be spoiled and lavished with gifts, our culture doesn't agree that it's morally permissible to turn them into lunch. On the contrary, people generally have stronger feelings for a mistreated dog than a mistreated adult. I know when I was 7, I'd watch Arnold Schwarzenegger murder people of all races, cultures and creeds and just laugh and laugh, but if I saw a dog get killed, I'd cry like a baby and go on a hunger strike. That's our culture, that's our morality, and if someone doesn't like it they can try and elect Rand Paul to legalize dog-killing-and-grilling, or get out. Move to Switzerland or Liberia! 3. Then the Pro says it's ok to kill a dog and eat it, so long as it is done "humanely". Why should that even matter? Where's your "prima facie" proof that is acceptable to eat a dog but "absolutely wrong" to kill them in an "inhumane" way? Let's say some Swiss guy wants to burn the dog with cigarettes for nine hours before he kills and eats it. He says it "tenderizes it". Shouldn't he be allowed to? That's his culture and we respect it, right? Let's say it's part of his religion, while we're at it. Freedom of religion to burn a poor St. Bernard to death with cigarettes so you can put him in your evening lasagna. Is that what you're arguing for, Pro? Let us know. Or is your "prima facie" and "absolute" not so "prima facie" and "absolute" after all? If someone wants to eat a dog, lock him up! We don't eat dogs in the U.S.A! We don't eat cats! We love those little fuzzy guys! 15% of internet bandwidth is devoted purely to watching videos and/or pictures of them doing adorable and meaningless things! Whenever I see a dog or a cat, I instantly want to pet it and feed a bit of my sandwich. I'd rather go without food than see a poor cat or dog hungry. Of course, it rarely matters because the little savage will just go up to your food and sneeze on it anyway. Then you have to give it to them!