Japan, where people enjoy a good cut of whale, is pushing back against international anti-whaling rules, which are allegedly nothing more than “eco-imperialism.” According to the Japanese, it would be as if people in India who believe cattle are sacred would impose punishments on nations that eat beef.
Notice how the various sensitivities we are supposed to have–honoring cultural relativism, respecting the environment, not oppressing anyone, being tolerant of eveyone’s practices and beliefs–can be set against each other. Can you think of other examples?
From Anna Fifield, Japan vows to resume Antarctic whale hunt for ‘science’ next year – The Washington Post:
Critics of Japan’s whaling practices are guilty of “eco-imperialism” for trying to impose their beliefs on countries that hunt and eat whales, Japan’s pointman on the issue said Wednesday.
Japan is now embarking on a campaign to demonstrate the scientific merits of its controversial Antarctic whaling missions, after the International Court of Justice this year declared its purported research program was just a cover for commercial hunting.
A new proposal would see Japan’s catch target slashed to 333 minke whales a year, about one-third of its previous goal, and would set a 12-year time frame for the previously open-ended program.
Critics of whaling needed to drop their “zero tolerance” stance and recognize that different countries have “different codes,” said Joji Morishita, Japan’s commissioner to the International Whaling Commission.
Take people in India who don’t eat beef, Morishita told reporters in Tokyo.
“What if they start promoting their habit on the rest of the world, and are promoting an anti-McDonald’s, anti-beef steak movement throughout the world with economic sanctions,” he said. “People can see the stupidity of this if you talk about beef, but what’s the difference between a cow and whales?”
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