The criminals did something to deserve their punishment, the geese didn't.
I don't know, I've never met a goose that wasn't a complete jerk. And if a human defecated like that in public, you'd better believe he'd be in for some punishment.
Foie Gras seems to be one of those things that looks really shocking to humans, but isn't any different than fattening up a farm animal because of the way the goose's anatomy works. Factory farming in general is questionable and kind of gross, and I think that is the bigger issue that needs to be addressed. At the same time, as it has been said, animals aren't people, and while cruelty is unnecesary it is a contradiction to consider them innocent and lacking free will in an attempt to excuse the cruelty of nature while granting them humanity. Deep down, the animal rights movement is really about ourselves (what isn't?) - the vestiges of animality are in every one of us, and if we can't respect animals it is much easier to dehumanize our fellow man. Like any argument, things devolve into two extremes, where animals are either saints more deserving of help than humans (an animal is without
sin, after all) or just another resource on the earth to be mined for industrial use.