The euthanasia death of Peanut, the Internet-famous squirrel, has fueled a dangerous spate of attacks across the net, with rare international responses. Russia has joined the fray and while criticizing euthanasia as symbolic of the greater concerns over the U.S. foreign policy.
The Peanut Death Controversy
Late October saw the taking of Peanut, the Instagram powerhouse squirrel of half a million followers, from his owner, Mark Longo, at the behest of the New York State Environmental Conservation Department. The killing was reported by authorities as preventive for rabies contamination fears, but new details surfaced after public outcry, contradicting each other. As a riposte, Peanut was said to have been negative for rabies while being reported, hence adding fire to the flames of protests online.
Reaction of the Russian Officials on the Row
Russian officials weighed in with more unexpected relevance drawing an equivalence between killing the squirrel Peanut and the bigger American foreign policy. She acknowledged via Telegram that “It’s somewhat reminiscent of the entire American foreign policy.” While definitely viral-her statement is the international dimension in the debate about the death of a squirrel.
Skepticism of American Government Action
The case sent ripples of the issue of overreach by government as many were wondering if the government really had cause to make the seizure. On November 4, Elon Musk and Joe Rogan on a podcast presented their opinions as they called the seizure of Peanut from the owner who had kept the squirrel for seven years a move that the government did not have cause for.
Many think that the euthanizing of Peanut exemplified classic cases of overreach in government, when the state and bureaucracy confront citizen rights. The public cry, especially from the online campaigns, shows the incident as the representation of government intrusions into private life.
Peanut Scandal and Politics in the United States
In a bitter twist of fate, Peanut’s death even picked currency during the campaign at the White House. Even as the U.S. authorities declared that action had to be made to avoid the outbreak of rabies transmission, results of the tests that proved that Peanut was rabies-free only spurred more conspiracy theories and enraged an enormous crowd of people. Critics have argued that the action was not taken for health interest but for unwanted control by the state.
Another aspect of Russian election is comparison to Saddam Hussein’s Execution.
Zakharova also quoted George Lobushkin, former press secretary for Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who said that “It’s somewhat reminiscent of the story of Saddam Hussein.” And while making this comparison it says Saddam Hussein and Alexey Navalny have been hanged for political reasons with the same theme: the people are incapable of stopping the flow of government power.
Rehashing Pet Ownership Debate, Public Outrage
A family pet squirrel, Peanut, died September 12, after Ohio Department of Agriculture euthanized her to quarantine a group of squirrels. Her death has ignited anew the public debate over pet ownership and the rights of animal owners in the United States. The government was framed as acting out of precautionary duty, but since Peanut had been a family pet for seven years, it was all the more emotionally charged for owner Mark Longo and his online following that followed Peanut’s saga.
The Role of Social Media in the Outrage
This, of course, is part and parcel of how popular Peanut is on social media sites like Instagram, where he is followed by more than half a million people. The squirrel was more than a pet in the classical sense-this was an icon of internet celebrity, overshadowing old-fashioned notions of pet ownership. Thus, his death soon became both an animal rights issue and a viral moment on social media platforms.
Legacy of the Peanut Squirrel
As this controversy unfolds, one thing is clear: Peanut’s legacy will live on in internet lore. What started as just the story of a pet squirrel broke out into an international debate involving controversies over government control, the rights of pet owners, and the reach of social media to shape global conversations.
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