Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

bbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 111 posts

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#91

Post by pintxo »

magduf wrote: post #65
mcguire wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

" "I'm a bit nervous but happy that we can start whaling," one whaler told AFP news agency before setting sail. "I don't think young people know how to cook and eat whale meat any more. I want more people try to taste it at least once." " I don't know that whale meat is economically viable.

""I'm a bit nervous but happy that we can start selling tobacco," one tobacconist told AFP news agency before opening shop. "I don't think young people know how to chew and smoke tobacco any more. I want more people try to smoke it at least once."" If schools were giving out free samples of tobacco, marijuana, heroin, meth, etc., and urging kids to try it, how well would that go over?

Some of the kids might actually like that and start asking for more. Regarding whale meat, I am not so sure.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#92

Post by ceejayoz »

kamfc wrote: post #90
Grue3 wrote: post #10

Faroe Islands and Norway catch more whales than Japan [1] but for some reason don't receive nearly the same level of outrage. [1] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whales_Nordic.png

What?! If I don't know about it, just imagine how many "average" people like me who are out of the loop when it comes to ocean animals. How can the world powers come together to sign a ban on this? This is awful.

> How can the world powers come together to sign a ban on this?

They did. Japan, Norway, etc. ignore it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Whaling_Commissi...

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#93

Post by ceejayoz »

BowBun wrote: post #11

I see nothing wrong with sustainably farming whales like any other animal. Certain species have been endangered and those should be protected, but responsible consumption of traditional foods is an important way to preserve culture.

I'm pretty uncomfortable with hunting animals as intelligent as whales and elephants.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#94

Post by sithadmin »

cygx wrote: post #79
sithadmin wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What point are you trying to make? Let invasive species flourish uncontrolled? Cull the human population?

The latter, presumably: Culling humanity for its own good is generally considered immoral, while it is deemed acceptable in case of nonhuman animals. That mismatch requires justification.

>That mismatch requires justification.

Only when looking through the lens of fringe ideologies. The overwhelming majority of humans don't subscribe to moral ideologies that ascribe equivalent moral standing to humans and nonhuman animals.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#95

Post by cygx »

sithadmin wrote: post #94
cygx wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The latter, presumably: Culling humanity for its own good is generally considered immoral, while it is deemed acceptable in case of nonhuman animals. That mismatch requires justification.

>That mismatch requires justification. Only when looking through the lens of fringe ideologies. The overwhelming majority of humans don't subscribe to moral ideologies that ascribe equivalent moral standing to humans and nonhuman animals.

It also took quite a while for people to come up with the concept of universal human rights, we're still bad at overcoming tribalism, and basing morality on majority vote isn't necessarily the best idea.

That aside, you're right that I also do not assign equal moral standing to humans and nonhumans. However, that does not mean that the same arguments that make me reject culling humans don't also apply to other animals to some degree. I would argue the ethically most defensible approach would be nonlethal fertility regulation.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#96

Post by moate »

vectorEQ wrote: post #14
BowBun wrote: post #11

I see nothing wrong with sustainably farming whales like any other animal. Certain species have been endangered and those should be protected, but responsible consumption of traditional foods is an important way to preserve culture.

agree 100% - it's difficult with some industries to enforce this, but it's important not to dismiss culture and keep it alive.

Nah, that's the whole thing about "culture". It's not real. It's not tangible. It's a personal feeling.

My father grew up in northern Illinois (where I was born and lived until a teen) and bemoaned the tearing down of the confederate monuments in the south, to which I rolled my eyes. Meanwhile parents strongly celebrated a Scottish heritage generations removed and comprising about 10% of my actual ancestors.

Cultures change. They evolve. They eat themselves, absorb other cultures, and sometimes fade from existence. It's all as important as you want it to be.

That said, if your culture needs to kill whales for funsies, I'm going to go ahead and personally say your culture isn't something I support and would prefer went away.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#97

Post by JadeNB »

sandworm101 wrote: post #66
Grue3 wrote: post #10

Faroe Islands and Norway catch more whales than Japan [1] but for some reason don't receive nearly the same level of outrage. [1] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whales_Nordic.png

That another country is also evil doesn't make what Japan is doing any better. They both need to stop. There is increasing evidence that whales have a huge role in climate change. Their poop feeds plankton which in turn absorbs carbon. And their physical bodies when they die sink, moving significant amounts of carbon to the bottom where is stays in that ecosystem far away from the atmosphere. If the Japanese and Norw…

> That another country is also evil doesn't make what Japan is doing any better.

For ease of reference, the non-Latinate name for this flavour of the tu quoque fallacy seems to be 'whataboutism' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism).

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#98

Post by sabertoothed »

theseadroid wrote: post #6
sabertoothed wrote: post #3

Shame on you, Japanese government. Shame on you.

It's not like that Japanese government is consuming the whale meat. So why only blame it? seems deliberately missing the target.

Because I did not want to blame the whole people for it. But those in charge.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#99

Post by mcguire »

dTal wrote: post #87
mcguire wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

" "I'm a bit nervous but happy that we can start whaling," one whaler told AFP news agency before setting sail. "I don't think young people know how to cook and eat whale meat any more. I want more people try to taste it at least once." " I don't know that whale meat is economically viable.

I don't understand the sheer bone-headed stubbornness of Japanese whaling, given that nobody even likes or eats whale. Who is pushing so hard for this, in the face of international condemnation? And why? Don't tell me it's "traditional" - modern whale hunting bears no resemblance to its "traditional" roots. Do people really care so much about seeing whale on shop shelves, even though they don't actually care to eat i…

In the US, I suggest we'd blame the whaling industry and its lobby.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#100

Post by mcguire »

raverbashing wrote: post #86
mcguire wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

" "I'm a bit nervous but happy that we can start whaling," one whaler told AFP news agency before setting sail. "I don't think young people know how to cook and eat whale meat any more. I want more people try to taste it at least once." " I don't know that whale meat is economically viable.

It seems every day the older generation becomes a worse threat for the younger generation

Yeah, they should have been glocked before they could breed...?
Post reply on HN