Look, I oppose policies of putting down unwanted animals in shelters. I find the policy to be quite disturbing. But if you, as an animal rights activist who makes the issue your main and most important issue, are successful in winning the battle against it, and no-kill shelters become the law of the land, what have you done for anyone or anything else? Nothing.
I submit to you that were you to put economics first, you would easily win that battle right along with every other progressive battle.
Why is that?
The US government is the currency-issuer and it takes “money’ to shelter animals, feed them, look after them, and to medicate them. When you understand the reality that the dollars required come from the US government and only the US government, you will then realize that as long as there are enough real resources available to build a mass of high-tech, large capacity shelters; enough pet food to feed every stray and unwanted dog, cat and other animal; and enough vets and medicines to ensure the health of every stray and unwanted dog, cat and other animal, then there’s no need for any animal shelter to put to sleep stray and unwanted animals. You win your fight by default and you also save human lives in the process.
See how that works?
What doesn’t work is orphan politics. The so-called “left’ is consumed by orphan politics; a collection of people who categorize themselves by defining core political issues and then segregating themselves: “Animal rights is my main issue” , “Racism is my main issue” , “Climate change is my main issue” , “GMO labeling is my main issue” , and so on. Each group then enters an orphanage dedicated to a particular political issue, where that group remains indefinitely. So, what I call “Orphan Politics’ is precisely the reason why “the left’ does not actually exist. Orphans have no real family nor home to speak of, and so orphan politics does not give rise to unity.
If economics is not made the foundational issue on which all other issues rest for those who consider themselves to be on the “left’, there will be no unity” unity being the fundamental requirement for defeating Neoliberalism” and so, the “left’ will continue its non-existence and its ineffectiveness.
Why?
Everyone on the so-called “left’ needs to eat, needs a home, needs clothing, needs to survive right along with everyone else, or else you will not be left alive in order to address your preferred issue. This requires dollars. Dollars also fund everything from no-kill animal shelters to reversing climate change. Those dollars only come from the federal government though fiscal policy that targets these issues. So-called “tax dollars’ do not pay for anything. Every time the federal government spends, it literally spends dollars into existence. This is the main issue; it is the foundation upon which all others rest.
Orphan politics cannot work, it will never work, forget about it. Stop this nonsense. Come out of the orphanages, close them down, and unite.