January 19, 2010

If You Want It: Gary Francione Discusses the Current State of Abolitionism

No one can accuse Professor Gary L. Francione, outspoken advocate of abolitionist animal rights, of mellowing with time. Though he has been writing books about animal rights theory and promoting veganism for decades, his energy shows no signs of abating. As he says himself in our conversation, he feels like the Energizer Bunny: he just keeps going and going and going.

In this interview, Professor Francione discusses the current state of abolitionism, his new “The World Is Vegan. If You Want It.” campaign, and why he’s pushing for a leaderless movement of animal rights activists. Always enthusiastic and thought-provoking, Francione is a good antidote for those who feel poisoned by the ethical inconsistencies, hierarchical structures, and financial imperatives of mainstream animal advocacy.

News links:

• U.S. livestock industry struggling
• Austria: Experiment on Pigs Suspended
• Five fatal flaws of animal activism

Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (3.42 MB) and part 2 (2.31 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (10.3 MB) and part 2 (6.71 MB)