> Very few people mistreat their dogs and cats in wealthy countries. Why shouldn't people in power treat regular people at least as well as regular folks treat their pets?
Because very few regular people will be their pets. These are the people who do everything in their power to pay their employees less. They treat their non-pets horribly... see feed lots and amazon warehouses. They actively campaign against programs which treat anyone well, particularly those who they aren't extracting wealth from. They whine and moan and cry about rules that protect people from getting sick and injured because helping those people would prevent them from earning a bit more profit.
They may spend a pile of money on surgery for their bunny, but if you want them to behave nicely to someone else's pet, or even someone else... well that's where they draw the line.
I guess you are hoping to be one of those pets... but what makes you think you're qualified for that, and why would you be willing to sacrifice all of your friends and family to the fate of feral dogs for the chance to be a pet?
I'm not suggesting that a few people become rich people's pets.
I'm saying it isn't inherent in human nature to mistreat other conscious beings.
If people were normally cruel to their pets, then I'd say yeah, this species just seems to enjoy cruelty and it is what it is. But we aren't cruel to pets, so the cruelty to workers does not stem from human nature, but other factors.
I gave one theory as to what causes the cruelty and that I'm somewhat optimistic that it'll run its course in due time.
>I'm saying it isn't inherent in human nature to mistreat other conscious beings.
I suspect (but not sure) it may be more inherent than is generally believed. Then again simple physical pain is easy to gauge and relate to, but passing some law is an academic process where one can distance oneself from the ill effects on the adherents of the law. Then there are more variations - people will be tribalistic, they will be kind to their own kind/family even sacrificing, but murderous to some one of another tribe. All in all the average human is bundle of contradictions if you were to analyze simplistically, though it will make good sense when viewed through the lens of evolutionary biology.
Because very few regular people will be their pets. These are the people who do everything in their power to pay their employees less. They treat their non-pets horribly... see feed lots and amazon warehouses. They actively campaign against programs which treat anyone well, particularly those who they aren't extracting wealth from. They whine and moan and cry about rules that protect people from getting sick and injured because helping those people would prevent them from earning a bit more profit.
They may spend a pile of money on surgery for their bunny, but if you want them to behave nicely to someone else's pet, or even someone else... well that's where they draw the line.
I guess you are hoping to be one of those pets... but what makes you think you're qualified for that, and why would you be willing to sacrifice all of your friends and family to the fate of feral dogs for the chance to be a pet?