As my current girlfriend is Chinese, I have had some interesting insights into how china works and what chinese people have lived through.
Chinese people don't lose anything in making food. They have lived for many, many generations with little food, not enough food, and not regular enough supplies of food. So they eat more animals than we would consider (including dogs, cats, and about a million others you wouldn't even think of) and they tend to eat ALL of them.
There is no real rules against animal cruelity in China, so over many years techniques have been developed for the slaughter and processing of these animals that would not be up to our standards here.
Remember also that outside of the cities, many chinese still do not have things like fridges or ice boxes, so most of their food is "bought live" and killed at home, or killed at the market place where they buy it.
The life experience is totally different.
PETA is famous for shocking videos and revealing situations that would offend western (specifically American) eyes. They don't, however, propose any alternatives that are workable or attempt to make things better. They don't have a solution how to feed millions of chinese that would be without enough to eat, but they sure can protest and make a fuss.
If you are not bringing a solution to the table, protesting is just blowing hot air and making yourselves look important.
I don't condone what the people in these videos are doing, I don't think it is right, but I also don't think that it is representive of the entire chinese experience, no more than your local puppy mill is a good indication of how dogs are normally bred for commerical sale.
Alex
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