suffering reduction
On 4/6/2012 9:22 AM, Rupert wrote:
> On Apr 6, 6:10 pm, George > wrote:
>> On 4/6/2012 8:51 AM, Rupert wrote:
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>>> On Apr 6, 5:46 pm, George > wrote:
>>>> On 4/6/2012 8:27 AM, Rupert wrote:
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>>>>> On Apr 6, 5:16 pm, George > wrote:
>>>>>> On 4/6/2012 7:38 AM, Rupert wrote:
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>>>>>>> On Apr 6, 3:57 pm, George > wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 4/5/2012 10:17 PM, Rupert wrote:
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>>>>>>>>> On Apr 6, 5:53 am, George > wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> On 4/5/2012 8:19 PM, Rupert wrote:
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>>>>>>>>>>> On Apr 5, 11:15 pm, George > wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> On 4/5/2012 1:32 PM, Rupert wrote:
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>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Apr 5, 9:55 pm, George > wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 4/5/2012 12:53 PM, Rupert wrote:
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Apr 5, 9:33 pm, George > wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 4/5/2012 12:14 PM, Rupert wrote:
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Apr 5, 8:06 pm, George > wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 4/5/2012 4:43 AM, Rupert wrote:
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Apr 4, 10:17 pm, George > wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 4/3/2012 10:04 PM, Rupert wrote:
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ball has been talking a lot lately about how it could conceivably be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that some people would not reduce suffering by going vegan or would
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> possibly even increase suffering.
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [snip remaining self-serving wheeze]
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The first problem is "vegans" - all of them - always claim too much
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> merely by virtue of not putting animal bits in their mouths. Most claim
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to be living "cruelty free" lifestyles. Those few who are aware of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> animal CDs in agriculture abandon the silly "cruelty free" claim, but
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> fall back on something equally untenable such as "minimizing" or "doing
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the best I can", when in fact they're doing neither. In the end, as we
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> have always seen, they can do *no* better than to claim, "At least I'm
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> doing better than meat eaters", and as we have shown, even that is not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> *necessarily* true. So, the "vegan" claim to virtue is baseless.
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The second problem is that refraining from putting animal bits in their
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> mouths is *all* that the vast majority of "vegans" do. If they really
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> were interested in trying to achieve the greatest reduction in harm to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> animals they could, we'd expect to see some investigation into which
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> vegetable and fruit crops are relatively lower in terms of harm to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> animals, and a substitution of those in place of higher-harm produce,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> but *NO* such investigation has ever been done...nor does any "vegan"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> care to do it. Yet they *all* engage in what I long ago dubbed the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "irrational search for micrograms (of animal parts)." They'll expend an
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> absurd amount of time looking for the micrograms of squid ink in brined
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> black olives, or the milligram of anchovy in a bottle of Worcestershire
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> sauce, but not a bit of time getting high-CD produce out of their diets.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The irrational search for micrograms, in which *ALL* "vegans" engage,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> is the proof of the bankruptcy of their moral pose - and it *is* nothing
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> more than a pose.
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This leads to the sound conclusion that "vegans" aren't really
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> interested in harm reduction nor in respecting animals' "rights". All
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> they're interested in is a moral stance, one in which they can flatter
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> themselves with the belief they're "better" than others.
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You are engaging in sweeping generalisations about all vegans which
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> are obviously not defensible. Different vegans are motivated to be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> vegan for different reasons. It is not the case that all vegans engage
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in the "irrational search for micrograms".
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You have no rational grounds for thinking that vegans are not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> genuinely interested in harm reduction.
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I do, because when it is shown that they cannot validly conclude what
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> they do about the meaning of refraining from putting animal bits in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> their mouths, they just keep on making their discredited claims and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> doing nothing.
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What is it that you think they conclude about the meaning of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> refraining from eating animal products?
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I've been over all that with you before.
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Suppose they conclude that they've made some efforts to reduce the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> amount of suffering that takes place in order to produce their food,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and furthermore that they've done about all they can do in that regard
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> short of extreme measures. Isn't that a reasonable conclusion?
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> No, because it's not supported by the evidence.
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Why not?
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Already explained.
>>
>>>>>>>>>>> You have never given a satisfactory explanation of why my suggested
>>>>>>>>>>> conclusion is not supported by the evidence.
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>>>>>>>>>> I sure have.
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>>>>>>>>> You will not substantiate this claim.
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>>>>>>>> I already have done. You're just trying to waste my time.
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>>>>>>> You have not,
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>>>>>> I have, and you know quite well how. You're just trying to waste my
>>>>>> time; you can **** off instead.
>>
>>>>> As usual
>>
>>>> As usual, I'm right.
>>
>>> You certainly appear to be
>>
>> Yes.
>
> So, did you do anything worthwhile today?
Yes.
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