Military reduces use of live animals in training

[Catherine]

It is not a total victory, but it is a first step in the right direction.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/...ining.html

The military kills a lot of animals for various reasons, in particular to train medics. Once they admit that the realistic manikins are better for training there really is no excuse to keep killing animals.

It may take time, but some day they will stop the carnage.

[LPC]

Yes, it is a step in the right direction. We must never belittle partial success. We must be glad that things are going the correct way, albeit slowly.

A total ban, one would hope, will follow soon, once they realise that manikins and computer simulations of human physiology (which these days are extremely realistic) are a much more reliable guide than animals. A pity it has taken them all these years to realise that a monkey's biology and psychology is not the same as a human's! Similar, but certainly far from the same.

It is also a pity that moral considerations have not even been taken into account. If they had been, the deliberate shooting and blowing up of cats and monkeys would never have been allowed in the first place.

Sadly, the USA is not alone in using animals for deliberate maiming, so that they can be used for medical practice. The UK and other countries also have a bad record in this area.

[Tobi]

This is very good and positive news, and I'm glad to hear it.
But no, the battle's not won yet. Not until the military ceases harming any animal.

[Catherine]

I find partial successes are better than we realize. It means that they admit that they have alternatives.

They will never admit that they have been wrong. It will take time before they realize that no animals need to be harmed ever again.
That is okay. I would rather they stop using animals and maiming them for practical reasons(like a better alternative) than to not stop at all. If they start debating whether it is morally wrong or not, they will get caught up in the issue and never actually change anything. It could take years to debate the morality, but very little time to choose a better "product".

If it saves animals I will take what I can get.

[LPC]

Yes, you have made an important point.

[LPC]

Update regarding the UK and Denmark:

In February this year, the UK Ministry of Defence was strongly arguing for the retention of the shooting, stabbing and blowing up of pigs: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/pig...in-3157055

However, following the adverse publicity caused by this and other articles, the few NATO countries still shooting pigs have decided to call it a day (although it is to be confirmed): http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nat...gs-3200504

Quote from the second article: "Following shocking pictures published by the Daily Mirror, they admitted the practice has come under 'significant ­scrutiny' and may have to be 'completely eliminated'." (Italic stress mine)

[Catherine]

Once again public opinion wins where common sense should have prevailed. The military does not want to have the people too strongly against them so they will spare the pigs. They should have had enough sense to know that killing pigs like that was wrong and not really helpful to training medics anyhow.

I am sure they could get their medics to intern for a while in some inner city emergency ward. They will see plenty of wounds.

I don't know how the medics could even work on the pigs. The first rule of medicine is "Do no harm". If you don't start from that point you are on the wrong path.