A ringleader in a global monkey torture network exposed by the BBC has been charged by US federal prosecutors.

Michael Macartney, 50, who went by the alias “Torture King”, was charged in Virginia with conspiracy to create and distribute animal-crushing videos.

Mr Macartney was one of three key distributors identified by the BBC Eye team during a year-long investigation into sadistic monkey torture groups.

Two women have also been charged in the UK following the investigation.

Warning: This article contains disturbing content

Mr Macartney, a former motorcycle gang member who previously spent time in prison, ran several chat groups for monkey torture enthusiasts from around the world on the encrypted messaging app Telegram.

  • MilitantVegan@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Taste is subjective, and it changes in response to what you eat. The vast majority of people are used to what are called hyper-palatable foods - foods that are scientifically formulated to be addictive. Every food that is not hyper-palatable tastes flavorless by comparison.

    If you get used to eating real food - that is, real plants in their whole, generally intact forms - then hyper-palatable foods end up tasting disgustingly salty.

    Point is, plants taste perfectly fine.

      • MilitantVegan@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        You’re missing the point. Why does your fleeting sensory pleasure justify the murder of innocent sentient beings? And why does it justify the healthcare burden, environmental harm, and pathogenic outbreaks that you impose on everyone?

        • Mastengwe@lemm.ee
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          7 months ago

          Because it’s a freedom I have to eat what I want, regardless of how it makes you feel.

          This is something that YOU need to deal with. Not me.

          • MilitantVegan@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            Freedom extends only as far as it does no harm to others. As I already showed, animal ag and animal consumption is full of harm to everyone. Were I in power I would do everything I could to make healthful plant foods more accessible, and everything possible to disrupt animal ag or even get it shut down. And you can bet I will support representatives who do the same.

            Fuck your parasitic freedom.

    • gimpchrist @lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      You must have never had okra before. Or dulse. One is disgustingly bitter, one is disgustingly salty. Not all plants taste perfectly fine.

      • MilitantVegan@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Okra did not taste disgustingly bitter to me (genetics play a large role in taste perception). And I used to put a small amount of dulse into all my meals because it is salty, a little goes a long way, and it’s one of very few natural sources of iodine.

        Sounds like a skill issue. The better you get at cooking plants, the better they taste. That and finding the right ones for you.

        • gimpchrist @lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Sounds like you just like to be better than all of us as some kind of ascended plant eating freak… you go right ahead and enjoy your fucking plants with no feelings… I’m sure plants enjoy living too, weirdo. Is life more fun for you when we both insult each other? Is life more fun when you are acting like you have all of the answers and we’re all wrong? Is it fun to police people’s eating habits on planet earth? You’re such a fucking weirdo. There is no skill issue, I’ve been a chef since I was 14 in restaurants across the world… sounds just like you hate everybody and you have to argue to feel better