Posted on 05/29/2012 8:24:42 AM PDT by JerseyanExile
“These tigers are THE key hard currency resource for these areas, and in some places the only hard currency resource.”
How silly of me, to forget that these peoples didn’t survive before eco-tourism came to their hovels. “Every tiger killed is an economic blow to the people, and one that cannot be afforded.”
Seems your MBA must have been from an urban institute with more than the usual share of the socialism infected Academented on the faculty. As a soi dissant management expert, shouldn’t you know that most ecotourism dollars stay in the hands of the tour operators, NOT the peasents on the tiger’s menu?
Do do consider the logic flaw in your conflation of a citizen using lethal force to defend his property or his life with an Indian peasent with no gun, forced by far away liberals and ‘crats to be risk on a daily basis being eaten by tigers so than rich Americans and Eurotrash can safely view the man eaters.
The peasent is disarmed! And, if he did have a gun and shot a threatening tiger, said peasent would be jailed and his family left to starve.
Much like American are forced by the treasonous in agencies to quarter wild beasts on their land, suffer the beasts to “eat out their (land owners) substance”, and all the while having to pay taxes on lands effectively devaluated by takings without compensation.
Your argument seems to be that tourism based on keeping man eating beasts is OK.
It is not.
Since you appear to be unaware of large cat behavior, when such cats learn what wolves in America were taught by the Settlers “nearly every man and boy carried a rifle” to avoid man, men women and children walked the land unmolested by wolves. Yet there were wolves, but the surviving wolves knew their place in the food chain.
Teach the same lesson to the “Lions of Gir forest” and assorted other ambulatory, unharvested, fur rugs why they must fear men, and the local poor inhabitants will be safe.
Your precious Urban eco-tourists can still watch a tiger which knows its place on the food chain by viewing a staked out animal under a blind. That is how man got a clear sight, followed by a clear shot at, such beasts throughout history.
Walking up on a large cat is a tad difficult due to their hearing, sense of smell, vision, etc. Please don’t bother to mention viewing from a howdah, as that works for cats accustomed to the dangers of man as taught by gunpowder just as well as as it does for the enviro-approved “fearless, wild, beast”.
PS It works for camera shooters as well as for real shooters.
“Animals are more valuable than people! Tiger life worth more than human life!”
That’s a no-brainer. Absa-freakin-lutely!!
How silly of me, to forget that Americans didn't survive before indoor plumbing and electricity came to their hovels. See - we could do this all day. Just because someone could 'survive' before a better level of existence came around doesn't mean they should stay where they were before.
Seems your MBA must have been from an urban institute with more than the usual share of the socialism infected Academented on the faculty. As a soi dissant management expert, shouldn’t you know that most ecotourism dollars stay in the hands of the tour operators, NOT the peasents on the tiger’s menu?
Most of the ecotourism Dollars do stay in the hands of the tour operators and the government, however, there is still a portion that goes to the local communities that wouldn't have been there. Such amounts may seem small to you, but for them it is a big difference. It doesn't take an MBA to realize that ...just plain common sense. Scratch that ...not common sense, just an iota of functional intelligence.
Do do consider the logic flaw in your conflation of a citizen using lethal force to defend his property or his life with an Indian peasent with no gun, forced by far away liberals and ‘crats to be risk on a daily basis being eaten by tigers so than rich Americans and Eurotrash can safely view the man eaters.
It is a sign of tepid cognitive acuity to always project one's local realities to those of other people in different circumstances. All this talk of liberals and 'crats snatching guns ...the gun laws in India go back to colonial times, when after the 1857 mutiny the British made some crazy regulations to try and prevent it happening again. This has led to the Indians setting up an NRA style organization (National Association for Gun Rights India) to fight for their rights. As for getting eaten by tigers ...the local communities are more concerned about their crops failing due to lack of money for fertilizer, or their kids dying due to lack of money for medicine to worry about the distant possibility of death-by-tiger (as I said, death by dog bite is a FAR higher probability than all big cats GLOBALLY combined). This is why those same local communities support tiger tourism that brings them much needed funds - but I am sure you, GladesGuru, knows what is best for these communities than they do themselves, right? You are so terribly intelligent that, even though the communities (that you claim are being decimated by tiger attack) want tiger tourism to continue and are themselves against the poachers, that you know what is best for them.
Much like American are forced by the treasonous in agencies to quarter wild beasts on their land, suffer the beasts to “eat out their (land owners) substance”, and all the while having to pay taxes on lands effectively devaluated by takings without compensation.
There is a big difference between a land-owner in America suffering under the heavy boot of over-legislative government, and a poor Indian or African community that is IN SUPPORT of increased tourism AND more stringent anti-poaching legislation. In the first case the American land-owner would rather the government shove off. In the latter the community knows that even if the tour operator/government takes 95% of the revenues, there is still 5% flowing in (which for them is a lot), PLUS the fact that the tourists will buy locally made souvenirs and the like. In Kenya, for instance, entire Maasai communities are maintained by tourists buying beaded artwork and hand-dyed clothing. But I am sure the lions that those tourists come to see should be killed off ...you know so much. More than these communities that are in support of the measures.
Your argument seems to be that tourism based on keeping man eating beasts is OK.
Do you know how rare man-eating is? In the last 8 decades tigers have killed 16,000 people in total. Sixteen thousand in 80 years. In India, cars kill 130,000 people per year. One hundred and thirty thousand. And as I said, dogs kill more than lions, leopards, tigers, jaguars, and pumas ...combined. We should also kill the dogs then?
Since you appear to be unaware of large cat behavior, when such cats learn what wolves in America were taught by the Settlers “nearly every man and boy carried a rifle” to avoid man, men women and children walked the land unmolested by wolves. Yet there were wolves, but the surviving wolves knew their place in the food chain.
Hilarious! I go to the Sweetwaters Tented Camp at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya every year, where there is some sponsorship for Chimps and Rhinos I do since it is supported by private donations. I have worked with lions. Based on your comments on how local communities are being destroyed by 'man-eating' felines, even though those communities WANT those same 'murderous' cats, it is you I would say who doesn't know about big cats. Again, I ask, just how prevalent do you think man-eating is, and how high a danger do you think it is?
Teach the same lesson to the “Lions of Gir forest” and assorted other ambulatory, unharvested, fur rugs why they must fear men, and the local poor inhabitants will be safe.
Yet you know big cats? If you did you would know they absolutely fear humans. In Kenya, for instance, the Maasai normally walk in the park armed only with a stick (not a spear even), and the lions flee the moment they smell him. Even before seeing him. There is actually an interesting video on youtube of some Kenyan natives walking to a lion kill, making a pride of lions scatter simply by walking up, and walking away with the meat. The only lions that will not flee are mothers protecting cubs (and in Kenya killing one of those is considered self-defense and not charged), and man-eaters. Your favorite man-eaters, however, are extremely rare. There is a far greater chance of dying of an infected thorn injury (literally greater) than a man-eater. They are that rare.
Anyways ...bottom line. The communities want the tiger tourism, and they are against the poachers and welcome the stringent laws. I would say the local Indian communities know what is best for them in India than you.
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