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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 12:16 PM, Rupert wrote:
> On Apr 6, 8:07 pm, George > wrote:
>> On 4/6/2012 10:19 AM, Rupert wrote:
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>>> 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:

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

>
> So you think I shouldn't have children then?


Probably not.