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Posted to alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,alt.food.vegan,alt.food.vegan.science,talk.politics.animals
George Plimpton George Plimpton is offline
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Default suffering reduction

On 4/6/2012 10:19 AM, Rupert wrote:
> On Apr 6, 7:05 pm, George > wrote:
>> On 4/6/2012 9:22 AM, Rupert wrote:
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>>> 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.

>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [snip remaining self-serving wheeze]

>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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".

>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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.

>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What is it that you think they conclude about the meaning of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> refraining from eating animal products?

>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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.

>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I sure have.

>>
>>>>>>>>>>> You will not substantiate this claim.

>>
>>>>>>>>>> I already have done. You're just trying to waste my time.

>>
>>>>>>>>> You have not,

>>
>>>>>>>> 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.

>
> What did you do?


Spent time with my son, focusing on his education (moral growth.)

You're too self-absorbed ever to become a successful parent.