Do you think you'll raise your children to believe in Santa, HN?
> Do you think you'll raise your children to believe in Santa, HN? I'm sorry, is this meant to be a defense of smug superciliousness?
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What You Can't Say (2004)
151–160 of 308 posts
Re: What You Can't Say (2004)
#152Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's difficult to overstate the power of propaganda. I think an apt comparison here is the public's opinion of the Iraq war during the build up. The media told people what to think, and, by and large, they thought what they were told, or were cowed into silence. Not that it mattered-- millions protested anyway, and were ignored. To be blunt, the majority of people didn't even have the capacity to say "but this is wro…
The media told people what to think, and, by and large, they thought what they were told, or were cowed into silence. Not that it mattered-- millions protested anyway, and were ignored. Which is it? Were we cowed or did people make up their own minds to the extent that millions protested and (presumably) millions more disagreed? And why characterize the people against the war as freethinkers, while assuming those who…
"millions protested" is not a majority by a long shot. "millions" can be less than 1% of population. Even when 5 million people protested and 10 million silently disagreed, that still leaves 95%. Which is more than enough to qualify as "by and large", even after subtracting those who really gave some thought to the issue and then agreed.
Re: What You Can't Say (2004)
#153Here are some things I think future societies will condemn us for: 1. Prison. Almost every modern penal system focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation. I think that as our understanding of the brain improves, we'll be able to find the causes of violent behavior and cure them. Punishment will become cruel and unusual. 2. Eating meat (and other animal rights issues). Even if they're not conscious, most tasty a…
I'm split on #2. I love meat. I will not stop eating meat. Not only because I trust my personal "instincts" as tuned by millions of years of evolution to inform me to some degree what I need to consume to be effective far more than any conscious decision I might make, (e.g. that I think we're rather "young" in our understanding of how nutrition impacts the body), but because when confronted by that "animals have feel…
Yes, I'm taking the bait. I'm sorry but this reeks of rationalization. Let's just have a look at some of your assertions:
- we don't understand how nutrition affects the body. True, but there are societies that are vegetarian and have been for centuries. Apparently veggies are healthy!
- You are a predator? I don't know you but I'm willing to bet it's been a while since you hunted down, killed, and ate an animal in the wild.
- "The system has worked" - with that kind of reasoning you could justify anything from rape, manslaughter, ostracizing, etc. Being civilized means rising above unhealthy instincts.
I think you should probably just stick with "it tastes good". Can't argue with that.
Re: What You Can't Say (2004)
#154Earlier quoted context omitted.
I didn't; I've always showed my child the non-sense others believe without cause. Now 20, she has a solid grasp on reality and a firm bullshit detector.
Letting your kid believe in Santa for a while is far more powerful learning experience than showing it that others believe in this nonsense: not only can't others' beliefs be trusted, your own beliefs can't be either.
There are better ways to teach that than by showing them you're a liar. Telling them Santa is real is IMHO wrong; that's not a debatable point, that's my opinion. I don't support teaching delusions to kids whether it's Santa or God.
Re: What You Can't Say (2004)
#155Here are some things I think future societies will condemn us for: 1. Prison. Almost every modern penal system focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation. I think that as our understanding of the brain improves, we'll be able to find the causes of violent behavior and cure them. Punishment will become cruel and unusual. 2. Eating meat (and other animal rights issues). Even if they're not conscious, most tasty a…
This essay was one the things that made me decide to become a vegetarian a year ago.
Good on you. I think you're on the right side of history.
Re: What You Can't Say (2004)
#156Capitalism.
Re: What You Can't Say (2004)
#157Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Social media, at it's core, glorifies groupthink, rewarding you handsomely with stars and likes when you say the right thing. In time, you start thinking of what you should be saying, and then you start wondering what you should be posting so that you're perceived as a certain type of person. And when you start down that path, it feels like you become a bit more intellectually subs…
This happens here too. The downvote is a pretty big deal for such a tiny button. I'll admit to writing comments I never posted because I knew people would eviscerate me for going against the groupthink. It doesn't change my thoughts... I just don't say them "out loud".
I don't think I've ever done, that, actually. More often I realize I'm not sure enough of what I'm saying or I'm not sure it hasn't been covered by other commenters. Maybe it's a personal quirk, but I find it easier to go against groupthink in writing.
Re: What You Can't Say (2004)
#158Here are some things I think future societies will condemn us for: 1. Prison. Almost every modern penal system focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation. I think that as our understanding of the brain improves, we'll be able to find the causes of violent behavior and cure them. Punishment will become cruel and unusual. 2. Eating meat (and other animal rights issues). Even if they're not conscious, most tasty a…
I'd add:
4. Criminalization of drug use and possession.
5. Private funding of politics.
Re: What You Can't Say (2004)
#159Here are some things I think future societies will condemn us for: 1. Prison. Almost every modern penal system focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation. I think that as our understanding of the brain improves, we'll be able to find the causes of violent behavior and cure them. Punishment will become cruel and unusual. 2. Eating meat (and other animal rights issues). Even if they're not conscious, most tasty a…
And you base your opinion that future societies will condemn these on... what? There's also a significant proportion of the population that would pick abortion, gay marriage and atheism. And they have better demographics.
Re: What You Can't Say (2004)
#160Here are some things I think future societies will condemn us for: 1. Prison. Almost every modern penal system focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation. I think that as our understanding of the brain improves, we'll be able to find the causes of violent behavior and cure them. Punishment will become cruel and unusual. 2. Eating meat (and other animal rights issues). Even if they're not conscious, most tasty a…
I'm split on #2. I love meat. I will not stop eating meat. Not only because I trust my personal "instincts" as tuned by millions of years of evolution to inform me to some degree what I need to consume to be effective far more than any conscious decision I might make, (e.g. that I think we're rather "young" in our understanding of how nutrition impacts the body), but because when confronted by that "animals have feel…
Just because you are a predator, just because it may be "natural," doesn't make our current system of meat production morally acceptable.
I generally am sympathetic with what you're saying, however, I'm mostly pescatarian due to the issues you completely overlook.
So, without getting into the arguments about whether or not humans ought to eat meat (for argument's sake, let's assume we were carnivores, and could not survive without eating mammalian flesh).
I cannot think of a moral framework, besides the laughable "other mammals are not conscious," that would justify the inhumane conditions our mammals we feed on are kept in. Solitary confinement, often not seeing the sun their entire lives, fed corn in buckets rather than they would feed on naturally. For what? So we save a dollar or two on each burger or pork chop we eat? When you really stop to think about it, it's abhorrent.
It may be natural to eat meat if you are a predator, but i see no reason why it's natural to torture. And i think that is what the future will look back on and be ashamed of.