Since the economic downturn in 2008 standards have dropped. Money rules. Politics is increasingly without ethical standards and where has morality gone? Or for that matter, manners? Down the plug hole (Brit speak for drain).
I won’t dwell on boring politics but look at Egypt. The USA give Egypt $1.3 billion (1,300,000,000) of American taxpayers hard earned money, annually, for defence and when the Egyptian military shoot up protestors who are behaving in a legal manner, and kill over 600 of them, Obama scratches his head and gives the Egyptian government a slap on the wrist by cancelling military manoeuvres, Pure double standards and a total lack of ethics. You are a failure Obama and a fake. You gave us hope and now we see the reality. Americans were conned. Mind you, America is lossing its influence in the world because it has no money. It’s debt is killing the country.
I have been “slagged off” (Brit talk for being heavily criticised) for writing an article about Grumpy cat at the beginning of her financial exploitation. It is got much worse since then. Movies recently and now more – coffee!
There is no doubt that there are two camps: those that see nothing wrong with using Grumpy Cat to make money. Lots of dosh (Brit word for money). The owner of Tardar Sauce, Tabatha Bundesen, justifies the exploitation of her cat by saying she gives some money to charity. B*lls*t. She may give 5% of nett profit to charity but what the hell. It is a public relations exercise. No more, no less. It is just a way of justifying the exploitation. There are those who see exploitation and something wrong about it. The whole thing reeks of exploitation to me.
Now there is more superficial stupidity. We now have a drink named after Grumpy Cat. It is an extension of the American hyped-up version of cappuccino coffee. The Americans created so many different types of this Italian coffee, it boggles the mind. You walk into Starbucks and face total confusion. “Just give me a bloody coffee”, you want to say.
Now we have a Grumpy Cat coffee: Grumppuccino. In American English, it sucks because it is the exploitation of a disabled, deformed cat. Humans are at it again…..
Here are some quotes from the animal welfare act, I think the exploitation of poor ‘Grumpy Cat’ would cause concern to the RSPCA if she lived in our country:
‘Cats are territorial and become very attached to places. They are naturally frightened of unfamiliar places and smells’
Do not force your cat to interact with people or animals that it does not like, and make sure it can avoid them’
‘Ensure that cats in your care are handled properly and are not stressed or endangered by other adults, children or animals’
‘Try to minimise fear and stress in your cat’s daily
life. By doing so you will decrease its risk of
certain illnesses’
And off topic a bit but this is what we’ve said all along to those people who think squirting water etc at cats is acceptable, here in black and white it says punishment is not acceptable!
‘Never shout at or punish your cat. It will not understand and will just become more nervous or scared.
You should only use positive reward-based training, and avoid harsh, potentially painful,training methods’
Well folks I’m sorry to say I’m on a bit of a downer at the moment and poor Tardar as done nothing to lighten my spirit, neither has the ethics of the British government 🙁 We have the bedroom tax supposedly to ease the housing crisis and to free up council properties for families; nothing wrong with that on face value until you think of all the people who were given a council property years ago because they had a family and they paid their way they made their home there and they are now being turfed out to live God knows where!!
Next year I believe (not certain so please don’t quote me) that we are to allow 164 million Romanians and Somalis into the UK to live where if we have a housing crisis?? I don’t claim to be politically aware I just see whats in front of me and ask why the hell would the Government do this? We are an island and we are sinking!!! Somalia isn’t even in the EU 🙁
I’ve worked all my life yet I am living in fuel poverty and I am relying on my health holding out to keep working until I retire and until I can pay my mortgage off yet what scares me (a lot) is that if my health failed or I lost my job the government in this country would rather see me homeless living in a filthy hostel rather than pay the interest on my mortgage until I got back on my feet. Those of us that just require a little support get treated like scroungers and 2nd class citizens. It costs the local government a bloody fortune to pay for a hostel then they would have to house me as well so why not just help me stay in my own home??? They would pay housing benefit to keep someone housed but not the interest on someones mortgage I don’t get it a never will 🙁 Rant over.
Tardar Sauce (stupid name) Its simple – if she were my cat I would protect her, not make money from her misery only my closest friends and family would be a part of her life. Her poor excuse of a family are a disgrace parading her in front of all and sundry man handled like something in a freak show ‘hey look at her face she’s grumpy!’ This whole Tardar circus is out of control and if it were happening here in the UK I feel sure people would cry out in anger and the RSPCA would step in and her have her re-homed out of sheer distress and cruelty to the animal(because is is cruelty!!) yet in the States its accepted which I find unbearably sad.
Good point Leah. The last para of your comment makes me wonder if the owners of Tardar are close to breaking the law (under British law and standards).
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 is quite clear. If Tardar is suffering because of all the handling and travelling etc. then it would be a breach of the Act.
Absolutely Michael all that travelling and mauling no wonder shes flipping grumpy and she must be distressed because as was said earlier this doesn’t constitute natural cat behaviour 🙁
Thanks Leah. I get a bit of stick for these posts so it is nice to get support too!