Apparently, one bullfight and you're an expert on the niceties of bovine suffering. Try looking up some facts about what you were watching.That's why the picadors do what they do. The whole point is to weaken and disable the bull, ffs!
The foie gras analogy is an irrelevant bit of whataboutery. Does the force-feeding of ducks and geese for food make the torture of a bull OK somehow? Of course not. It just means I'm somewhat hypocritical - as is anyone who eats meat. All of which alters the substance of the argument not one jot. What I do know is that I wouldn't go to watch the gavage for kicks and then dress it up as if it were some sort of high cultural moment.
I have chosen not to go to a bullfight because I know them objectively to involve animal torture and needless killing - indeed, that is their raison d'ętre. I don't need to watch one to know I don't want to. I am able to read about and watch things and make judgements accordingly. Equally, I've never watched a human being tortured, but I don't have to to know it's wrong.
At least when the Romans did this stuff the animals had a chance of taking some of the buggers with them. Indeed, the Spanish fighting bull was considered the most dangerous of all the animals in the arena due to its strength, speed and sheer ferocity. This is why the picadors are necessary. In a fair go between some dago ponce in tights and a fit bull, there'd only ever be one winner.
Last edited by Burney; 05-02-2017 at 10:48 AM.