5- DeCoriolis- Animal Advocacy’s Stockholm Syndrome

Introduction to Animal Advocacy’s Stockholm Syndrome

• Authors: Andrew deCoriolis, Aaron S. Gross, Joseph Tuminello, Steve J. Gross, and Jennifer Channin.

• Context: Discusses the shortcomings of Effective Altruism in addressing factory farming and animal rights.

Effective Altruism in Animal Protection

• Effective Altruism has increased support for farmed animal visibility and funding.

• Gratitude is expressed for help received from Effective Altruist supporters.

• Critique: Effective Altruist strategies in farmed animal advocacy are inadequate.

Concerns Regarding Factory Farming

• Recognizes the multidimensional suffering in factory farms.

• Emphasizes shared goals with Effective Altruists aimed at reducing animal suffering.

• Noteworthy focus on the plight of broiler chickens and impact of genetic suffering.

Consequences of Effective Altruist Funding

• Large Effective Altruist funding creates new dynamics in the farmed animal movement.

• Risk of the movement being co-opted by factory farming interests.

• Advocates fear of being manipulated into supporting the factory farming industry.

Incremental vs. Systemic Change

• Importance of distinguishing between two types of incremental suffering reduction:

  • Change that entrenches the status quo.

  • Change that challenges industrial farming.

• Concerns regarding the current focus on easily measurable improvements rather than systemic changes.

Critique of Current Strategies

• Effective Altruist campaigns are often short-sighted, neglecting the ultimate goal of ending factory farming.

• Collaborative involvement with corporations criticized as ineffective advocacy.

• Stance against accepting factory farming as a permanent entity needing only reform.

Misguided Metrics of Success

• Warning against celebrating minimal improvements when they serve corporate interests.

• The factory farming industry's capacity for co-opting advocacy is recognized.

• Effective Altruists need to challenge their assumptions about success in campaigns.

Vision and Goals in Animal Advocacy

• Emphasizes that suffering reduction must align with a broader vision to challenge factory farming.

• Need to articulate critiques and avoid legitimizing the factory farming system with superficial changes.

Rethinking Effective Altruism

• Questions the presumption that current factory farming practices are untouchable or necessary.

• Calls for more imaginative and critical engagement with social movements around factory farming.

• Suggests that downplaying broader visions weakens the effectiveness of advocacy work.

Call for Diverse Approaches

• Encourages exploring community organizing and other methodologies that challenge the status quo.

• Critiques the trend of simplifying metrics used by Effective Altruists which may ignore essential nuances in advocacy efforts.

• Advocates for greater inclusion of varied perspectives in determining what effective activism looks like.

Conclusion: Future Directions for Animal Advocacy

• The importance of connecting short-term improvements with the long-term goal of systemic change.

• Emphasizes the necessity of maintaining a powerful vision against the challenges posed by factory farming.

• Calls for collaboration, critical examination of assumptions, and a broader vision for successful advocacy.