But they do need the right to be respected. I think they re living beings just like us, and so they should be understood as much as we possibly can understand them. We shouldn t inflict needless pain on them, and we should curb some of our habits that cause them a lot of suffering. Peta, your organisation, people for the ethical treatment of animals, opposes what it calls speciesism and a, quote, human supremacist worldview. Can you sort of explain what that actually means? well, i think we have to get over ourselves as a species, as a human species. We ve sort of set ourselves up as gods, and we regard anyone that doesn t fit into the human species as sort of trash. I mean, as you said earlier, we might pet them, we might skin them. We decide. And yet animals are not like us, they are us. If we took elementary biology, we learned that we are one animal among many. It s a great, if you will, somebody said an orchestra of life, we each play a different instrument. That s rather romantic
Welcome to hardtalk. Thanks very much, stephen. Its a great pleasure to have you in the studio. Let me start by trying to establish a core principle. Is it your belief that animals should enjoy equal rights, the same rights as humans . Well, not the same rights, because, of course, they dont need the right to do some of the things we wish to do, like drive a car or vote, although they might do better than weve done sometimes. But they do need the right to be respected. I think theyre living beings just like us, and so they should be understood as much as we possibly can understand them. We shouldnt inflict needless pain on them, and we should curb some of our habits that cause them a lot of suffering. Peta, your organisation, people for the ethical treatment of animals, opposes what it calls speciesism and a, quote, human supremacist worldview. Can you sort of explain what that actually means . Well, i think we have to get over ourselves as a species, as a Human Species. Weve sort of s
Welcome to hardtalk. Im stephen sackur. We humans have a complicated relationship with animals. Some we pet, some we skin, some we eat. We destroy their wild habitats while we agonise about the loss of species diversity. It is not an equal relationship, its exploitative, but will it ever change . And if so, how . My guest is determined that it should. Ingrid newkirk is president and Co Founder of the Campaign Group people for the ethical treatment of animals. Is she the Human Ally Animals need . Ingrid newkirk, welcome to hardtalk. Ingrid newkirk, welcome to hardtalk. Thanks very much, stephen. Thanks very much, stephen. Its a great pleasure its a great pleasure to have you in the studio. To have you in the studio. Let me start by trying let me start by trying to establish a core principle. To establish a core principle. Is it your belief that animals is it your belief that animals should enjoy equal rights, should enjoy equal rights, the same rights as humans . The same rights as huma
jean noel barrot, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. how surprised were you by emmanuel macron s pretty extraordinary decision to call a snap election? well, obviously i was surprised, because it s a very unique way to take a democratic decision, when the political situation in a given country is so severe that it basically limits the ability of the country to act for itself. there are very few leaders in this world that would take such a democratic decision in the face of such important choices. such a democratic decision, you say. many french people, including people very close to emmanuel macron, would call it an almost crazy gamble. no, a majority of french people support this decision. and the reason is simple you re never wrong when you hand the power to the people. and with a situation where the majority was too thin to be able to reform in a political situation where, after the european elections or during the european elections, french citizens expressed some anger,
jean noel barrot, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. how surprised were you by emmanuel macron s pretty extraordinary decision to call a snap election? well, obviously i was surprised, because it s a very unique way to take a democratic decision, when the political situation in a given country is so severe that it basically limits the ability of the country to act for itself. there are very few leaders in this world that would take such a democratic decision in the face of such important choices. such a democratic decision, you say. many french people, including people very close to emmanuel macron, would call it an almost crazy gamble. no, a majority of french people support this decision. and the reason is simple you re never wrong when you hand the power to the people. and with a situation where the majority was too thin to be able to reform in a political situation where, after the european elections or during the european elections, french citizens expressed some anger,