Why are pigs important to our society?

Well, plenty of ways. First of all, they're Excellent medical models due to their anatomic similarity to humans (at least in the body cavity, limbs are obviously quite different), their social behavior, and their large intelligence relative to other experimental species, barring the Chimpanzee. Along similar lines, pig organs have been implanted into humans for quite a few decades now, particularly hearts and heart valves but I believe kidneys and others have been used on occasion as well. Other than that, there's, you know, the obvious ham/bacon/pork chops... ...As well as being a symbol of many things, such as police officers, religious diet restrictions, the socialist elite (thank George Orwell's "Animal Farm" for that one), and the capitalist elite (I have no idea where that one came from). In the Middle East, they are a symbol of drastic uncleanliness, as opposed to the almost endearing uncleanliness they represent here in the States. Also, I hear that the Chinese character for "home" contains the radical for "pig" under the radical for "structure", or something similar, indicating that at some point in the etymologies of that character and the radical itself, the keeping of a pig was seen as synonymous with having one's own land and place of living. So it appears that Man's fate is as tied to swine as it is to our beloved dog and horse. I mean, you can't get much more intimate than sharing organs.