On Apr 6, 11:47*pm, George Plimpton > wrote:
> On 4/6/2012 12:16 PM, Rupert wrote:
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> > 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:
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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.
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> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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?
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> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Already explained.
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> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You have never given a satisfactory explanation of why my suggested
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> conclusion is not supported by the evidence.
>
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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.
>
> >>>>>>>>>>> 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
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> >>>>>>>> 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.

So, what moral lessons were you trying to teach your son?