In Rome, Italian police broke up a circus that makes you wonder about our progress as a species. The circus entertained Italians by having teenage girls swimming with piranhas and fending off snakes.
Reuters is reporting that one 19-year-old Bulgarian girl was forced to swim with flesh-eating piranhas in a transparent tank while her 16-year-old sister was forced into a container where the circus staff tossed snakes at her. The younger sister was injury by one of the snakes. The circus originated in Naples.
For the full story, click here
Please are treating this as a slavery case. The girls were paid around $150 per week and were forced to sleep in a trailer that was previously used to transport animals.
Not all ‘men’ are slime, Thingum Bob – disproving your statement.
“In Rome, Italian police broke up a circus that makes you wonder about our progress as a species.”
Mankind has not evolved an inch from the slime that spawned him.
Very creative! The Foo flies pies-in-face today, ladies and gents!
Ah Mespo – I am familiar with book but I have not read it. I will.
As for the board(s) – I find more often than not, correcting the flaws I find when looking in the mirror occupies much of my time 🙂
VC:
I am sure you have read Desmond Morris’ tome “Naked Ape.” What a wonderful story and so illustrative of Morris’ points. Zoologically, we have quite a bit in common with our Simeon cousins, not the least of which is our penchant for mischief. One need only look at this board for proof.
DW:
I’ve heard a lot of people try to express what you said, but none actually got to the point as you did. At the very least, you provide a insight has been missing by merely claiming – ‘media pass’ or ‘media bias.’ Perhaps you’ve actually hit on the beginnings of a scientific, socio-political and possibly socio-religious relevant rationale.
‘Lower Species Exemption’
Perhaps there is virus that can actually transform the higher species into the lower species – that would explain Duke Cunningham.
Then of course the opposite is possible – not unlike Cinderella – perhaps the lower species can imitate the higher species, but not for a prolonged period of time. That would explain exterminator turned former Congress-person Tom Delay or Congress-being Jack Kingston who has an avocation of pointing out that Obama’s middle name is Hussein.
‘Lower Species Exemption’
I think it has legs.
Vince,
‘he passed on the opportunity…essentially uncivilized.” 🙂
Continuing the discussion on chimpanzee/human similarities, have you ever noticed that we give a ethical pass to chimpanzees when they do something abhorrent, like kill another chimpanzee in the wild?
They get from us a kind of “lower species” exemption from the usual moral judgements.
The same kind of exemption that Mr Bush and the Republicans have been enjoying from the media for many years.
“Well, they are only Republicans..we expect that kind of behavior from them.”
My theory is that somehow the GOP have wrangled a “lower species” exemption from the punditry and even the American people. !
Insidious, the lower species exemption! We might as well elect a bunch of hooting simians to Congress than another crop of Republicans.
They couldn’t do worse a job, and certainly wouldn’t get any media criticism.
And K Street would be happy: they would be purchasable with mere bunches of bananas.
Many years ago, working as an Insurance Agent (full-time college student at the time) I had cause to visit a home, in typical suburban – middle class (ah nostalgia – remember the middles class?) neighborhood, in order to collect premiums and adjust policies.
Stepping through the front door I froze as I heard the sound of what I could only perceive as a human being in incredible distress. Although I was veteran of the military and a highly experienced medical corpsman – I froze like a deer in the headlights. Moments later the source of the sound became clear. It was another family member. A chimpanzee. He wasn’t any chimp, he was a TV and movie star and his performances were in fact the family’s livelihood.
It was evening time when I called on the family and when they queried me about dinner – they wouldn’t take no for an answer and insisted I join them. When offered the opportunity to sit by my hirsute new friend, I couldn’t resist. We became fast friends in what was one of the most bizarre and enjoyable evenings in my memory. He demonstrated his feats of strength, great sense of humor and communicated with eyes that almost spoke.
Eventually, as is not uncommon, he was no longer able to remain docile or tame and could no longer live captivity. However, without hesitation, I can assure you he passed on the opportunity to run a traveling Circus in Rome, because it is essentially – uncivilized.
I haven’t had any doubts about our progress as a species for over thirty years.
We share 98% of our genetic makeup with chimpanzees.
Draw your own conclusions.