The Animal Rights movement in five words. Perhaps the five most profound words ever uttered.
They were included in a comment by a reader of the Armory. She was quoting one Peter J Long, who authored a book by that title, addressing the fact that all sentient life is equally valuable, equally entitled to exit. That every life has the same right to be on the Earth as any other.
I was moved by the beauty of the sentiment and struck by the power of those words.
Most people, all the world’s governments, and every major religion, reject that concept.
Animal Rights activists are at odds with all human societies and most of the human race.
We are enemies of every government on Earth.
That we value the lives of non-humans as much as we do humans sets us apart from most people. And it instills in us the ability to objectively evaluate human conduct toward our fellow Earthlings.
Animal activists are the baseline of human conduct, of human rights, of human treatment of one another. Animal Rights is synonymous with universal rights. If one subscribes to Animal Rights one already embraces human rights, already champions the oppressed in society, the disenfranchised, the poor, the weak, the infirm. Animal Rights cannot exist in a society that condones the oppression of anyone.
To support Animal Rights is to embrace universal rights. The recognition of human rights is a necessary precursor to embracing Animal Rights.
Which makes those who embrace Animal Rights the moral conscience of the human race. The moral compass against which all human actions must be judged.
The highest moral standard on Earth.
The worldview of Animal Rights advocates is truly revolutionary. Recognizing all sentient life as equally valuable is the most radical idea in all human history. More radical than any religion, more radical than any belief system, more radical than democracy, more radical than human rights.
Animal Rights is the pinnacle of human evolution.
A standard ignored by most of humanity.
Those who do not recognize the rights of animals are our enemies, be they friends, family, or strangers.
Author’s Notes:
• I am unaware of any other blog with the Armory’s mission of radicalizing the animal movement. I certainly hope I am not alone, and that there are similar sentiments being expressed by comrades unknown to me.
If you know of other blogs dedicated to animal rights and the defeat of capitalism, please comment with a link.
• Be sure to follow the Armory and share it with your Facebook friends and email contacts, as well as on Twitter, Google, and all other social media platforms. Our influence and effectiveness is dependent upon you!
• Natasha Sainsbury, of Good Karma Graphic Design, has joined Armory of the Revolution as Editor, and is responsible for the transformation of the blog’s appearance. Visit and follow her blog V Kind.
• If you are not already subscribed to the Armory, please do so before you leave.
There’s a button to Follow us in the upper right sidebar.
• Be sure to visit Armory of the Revolution’s new commissary and bookstore: The Supply Depot
You will find recommended reading on Animal Rights, revolutionary theory, politics, economics, religion, science, and atheism. There is also a section of supplies for animal liberationists, hunt saboteurs, and social revolutionaries. This is all brand new, and we will be adding lots more merchandise in the near future!
• Feel free to comment. I encourage open discussion and welcome other opinions. I moderate comments because this blog has been attacked by hunters and right wing trolls. I approve comments that are critical as well as those which agree with me. Comments that I will not tolerate are those that are spam, threatening, disrespectful, or which promote animal abuse and cruelty
Armory of the Revolution 
Reblogged this on Save Animals! Julesrs007- Blog.
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The “value” that humans place on other animals’ lives is mostly a learned behavior. If you present a baby or toddler with a rabbit and a carrot, his/her first instinct is to eat the carrot and play with the rabbit, not vice versa!
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Another great essay. Thank you.
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I’m finding some tension between the theory and the practice of the two statements below:
“If one subscribes to Animal Rights one already embraces human rights, already champions the oppressed in society, the disenfranchised, the poor, the weak, the infirm. Animal Rights cannot exist in a society that condones the oppression of anyone.”
And: “Those who do not recognize the rights of animals are our enemies, be they friends, family, or strangers.”
It’s hard to champion the oppressed, the poor, and disenfranchised when they are also the exploiters and torturers of animals. I can choose to love or forgive those who wrong me, but I have no right to to forgive the triumphant matador. That would be the bull’s choice if he had one. Similarly, it is hard to worry that slaughterhouse workers may injure themselves wielding their knives when their daily job is to transform the living into the dead.
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I do not believe championing the oppressed means to support their oppression of animals.
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The very idea that we, as a species, can place ourselves outside of the natural order AND consider ourselves “superior” to all other life, is the height of dissonance. We deliberately juxtapose ourselves against all else and create myths around the rest of existence to make it all seem inferior to us – while we destroy any chance of evolving as we should. The simple belief that we have reached the height of evolution as a species is going to be the reason for our disintegration, and eventual extinction – which is just around the corner. It’s too bad that we feel it’s fine and dandy to take everything and everyone else out in the process. A failed species, we deserve what’s coming.
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Monica,
Your comment seems to express an alternative myth? I guess we all need myths to live by. I am just wondering whether the one constructed by animal liberationists is the right one to live by. Though we may not stand outside the “natural order,” I do realize we are the ones who have decided what it is (now, you used the term “order,” which I find interesting). Each species is different from every other species. We are different from all other species. We are the one species with knowledge of millions of other species. We might be the only species in a position to do something beneficial for all earthlings. Your life is meaningful because of other human beings, first, though I acknowledge our sense of self is predicated on how we choose to relate and live with other lifeforms.
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Hi Jerry! I pretty much said what I meant, about humanity being the species that created the myth of superiority. If we are truly “the one species with knowledge of millions of other species,” then we wouldn’t have created the myth that we have some right to subjugate and exploit all else. We would be much more careful and integrated with nature, living sustainable lives, rather than that of arbitrary consumers. The big picture is that we have overrun just about every ecosystem and animal and claimed them as our own, which is highly unsustainable, in the long run. If we were so knowledgeable about the animals, we would see that they live out their lives within the framework of the natural world. We don’t. We are the only species that has succeeded in “conquering” nature, as if that is a good thing, to our detriment – in the long run. There’s nothing natural about towering skyscrapers crowding everyone else out, trawling and wiping out huge swaths of sea life, an unending flow of vehicles, microwaves everywhere that disrupt the natural functions of insects and birds and bats, I could go on and on…We are now seeing the results of that ongoing onslaught against all things natural. The garbage and poisoning of our oceans, waterways, soil. Can you even wrap your head around the billions of animals we sacrifice to our myth every year in factory farms, the “culling” of all of our predator species – which results in the “culling” of overpopulated herbivores? We do that. No other species does, because they live in the natural order. I get the feeling that you are equating the term “natural order” with the food chain argument. That’s not what I meant by natural, because we have battery cages and gestation crates cattle lots and huge slaughter assembly lines, and big guns and traps that are decimating our fellow animals – which is anything but “natural.”
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Monica,,
A great response. Thank you.
Rich
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Monica,,
A great response. Thank you.
Rich
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Thank you, Monica. I am confident–based on your reply–you don’t own animals, though you may be one of those liberationists who “rescue” non-human animals for “companionship.”
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See, there’s the thing. We would never use the term “own.” A guardian is one thing. An “owner” is another.
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Monica,
… and the carnist would never use the word “murder” in regard to the animal flesh he eats, because he is an “omnivore,” and in spite of his supposed “moral agency,” he elects to do as the lion does, because he claims no “superiority” above any other critter, so he indulges in bacon.
Interesting, we, humans, object to our eating of animals, yet any other critter that elects to do so is simply doing what is natural. What is natural for man, anyway? Is it pretending to be a “guardian” to another species?
Don’t pretend you aren’t in control of your pet. If you truly believed what you were proclaiming in your first post, you’d be advocating for the end of all animal domestication. Instead of “rescuing” animals, you might fight for legislation to end all animal domestication (oh, I’m sorry, guardianship).
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Humans evolved as herbivores and scavengers. We have no need to eat animal flesh. We alone amongst the world’s species have the ability to empathize with other sentient creatures and modify our conduct to do no harm to them.
The problem with attempts to end animal ownership is that such would be anathema to capitalism and the bought and paid for legislators who we would be uselessly petitioning. The best answer for animals is for chaos, vigilantism, and social revolution.
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What we call “empathy” has been observed between some other species, not just humans. However, we have the potential of moral agency. We, alone, can modify our behavior so that it is less harmful or destructive to habitats and other earthlings. No other members of another species is sitting around talking about ways to make the world a more peaceful place for all earthlings.
Yes, we don’t need to eat animals, but, obviously, this is beside the point for many humans. There are a lot of things we don’t need, but, again, this is beside the point with many humans.
Unfortunately, your advocacy is ignored and detested by the masses.
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My concern with this sentiment is that it does not consider human nature which at it’s core has aspects of greed and narcissism. And whilst the philosophy that all beings are equal is a righteous one, just as George Orwell quoted in Animal Farm “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” ― And it is for this reason, that oppression of some animals (including humans) may be necessary to liberate others without a voice.
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I don’t consider it oppression to take direct action against those who enslave and murder animals.
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Claire,
I realize you and I know equality of opportunity and conditions for self-actualization is what we mean by “equal,” as it pertains to humans, because we aren’t all endowed the same (we aren’t all “equal”). Humans have the knowledge and technology to affect so many different lifeforms. Some animal activists believe we are morally obligated to leave “nature” alone and strive to do the least amount of harm to her (yes, nature is comprised of habitats and personalities). Other animal activists seem to think we ought to “uplift” some species we think are “cute” or find “adorable” (I deem this sentiment prejudicial). From my perspective, it isn’t enough to say all or some lifeforms ought to be treated “humanely,” but this is what most liberationists and vegans practice, contrary to what they may preach.
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Prejudice, hate, greed, and worship of evil are going to be the ruination of the world as we know it now. Those who have learned to forgive their enemies and spread love will find eternal life. Those who abuse the defenseless, the vulnerable the weak, the oppressed ARE the evil and are led by an EVIL leader, and until we lose this need for power and money, it will ALWAYS be those who love the most who will be hurt. If we all would take a step back and think about it, ANIMALS ARE GREAT TEACHERS OF HUMILITY, AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, but I am afraid the humble are outnumbered by the Evil ones unless there is a great tragedy!!!!!!!!
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Some humans believe that they have a “divine right” to eradicate those who,they believe, have no value to them.That is the definition of a sociopath.In that case,you are a danger to any sentient being who,unfortunately,crosses your path.
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