Busybodies vs. Fun

[The Cid]

That impolite company that almost entirely consists of annoying college students protesting about how higher education is a right and demanding my signature for their stupid petitions. Especially the ones who start by asking about political orientation, then assuming I agree with their leftist bull after I say "I am a classical liberal".

People in Wyoming must be pretty nice. If I went into Cambridge and told some hippie in a Che Guevara t-shirt that I was a "classical liberal" before disagreeing with his every opinion, that guy would try to kick my ass.

[collegestudent22]

It's pretty rare for there to even be a strong liberal here, though - this is a campus where people regularly proselytize and hand out New Testaments to passing students. This is the bluest part of the state, and it is still pretty red (although mostly libertarian). It's only happened twice to me. It's actually more common to get into these discussions with my extended family, because a few of them ALWAYS want to talk politics, and are very left. But that is far more polite.

Also, Che Guevara t-shirts prompt me to only ask one thing of those wearing them - how many people did you murder today in support of the "glorious revolution"?

Also, interesting conflict for leftists - prevent global warming with wind energy, or save the endangered animals?

[The Cid]

Also, interesting conflict for leftists - prevent global warming with wind energy, or save the endangered animals?

I swear, we should banish some people to a land where they're not allowed any power but solar power, no modern technology that requires the use of limited resources such as lithium, no synthetic medicine, no medicine that was tested on animals, and make them stay there until they apologize and join the rest of society where we move forward.

[spikegirl7]

Those things are endangered? We got a lot of them around here, they either roost here or come for the fish. Them and bald eagles.

This is also something I wonder, do these people see the conflict in Hydroelectric dams? Zero carbon emission electricity vs fish spawning.

Also, California is trying to pass a bill that would institute Mattress Police. Loose sheets means crimes are taking place!

..... Don't they have better things to do with their time? Have we eliminated all violent crime, government debt, and rebuilt all the infrastructure that needs it?

Fitted sheet laws? REALLY?!?

Also, on the cigs, a bunch of companies are filing lawsuits against the FDA because they say it infringes on their free speech. I don't smoke (am allergic, in fact), but I hope they win this one.

[The Cid]

This is also something I wonder, do these people see the conflict in Hydroelectric dams? Zero carbon emission electricity vs fish spawning.

That's not a conflict. Build the dams. Anyone who complains needs to be sent to my island for luddites that hold our society from making the progress it wants to make. They can come back once they've seen the error in their ways and have apologized profusely. I'm sick of everyone pretending that new medical treatments and new forms of power are somehow moral gray areas.

[collegestudent22]

But the fish? And the birds? How can say that human progress is more important, other than for the reason that it actually is? Seriously, though, I'm fairly certain that the environmentalist movement consists mainly of people that just hate the fact they are human. That's the only explanation I can think of for the romanticization of peasant life over modern society.

[The Cid]

That's the only explanation I can think of for the romanticization of peasant life over modern society.

Don't forget the people who think that certain forms of progress are an affront to their personal religious beliefs. It's not always about the animals.

[collegestudent22]

Yeah, but I don't see the Amish telling me I can't use technology they disapprove of. Though I assume here that you are talking about religious nuts, here, like Shariah Muslims and Westboro "Baptist"? If that's the case, I would agree with you - although that form of self-hatred is slightly different.

[Deacon]

This is also something I wonder, do these people see the conflict in Hydroelectric dams? Zero carbon emission electricity vs fish spawning.

The solution is obvious: the human race should remove itself from the planet.

That's more sad than funny only because there are environmentalists who actually champion that.

[adciv]

I propose we put forth an advertising campaign to convince the environuts to sterilize themselves or commit suicide. Preferably that latter. There's already a precedent for sterilization.

Yeah, but I don't see the Amish telling me I can't use technology they disapprove of. Though I assume here that you are talking about religious nuts, here, like Shariah Muslims and Westboro "Baptist"? If that's the case, I would agree with you - although that form of self-hatred is slightly different.

Funny thing. The Amish are one of the leading users GM crops, among other things.

[spikegirl7]

Many of the extremist green people actually DO sterilize themselves. Bravo, say I, remove yourself from the gene pool. I really do love hydroelectric power, clean and efficient power that require only a small amount of labor to keep going. IMO if you want to argue against it, you can build them and kill a few hundred fish; or build a carbon-spewing plant and kill millions with rising ocean temps.

Also, just got a look at the new cig packs (the rep came by), I don't think ANY smokers will be dissuaded by these things.

[collegestudent22]

or build a carbon-spewing plant and kill millions with rising ocean temps.

Assuming, of course, that the link between total atmospheric CO2 and temperature is causal (I have seen evidence that CO2 actually lags behind temperature a few hundred years - and ocean temps lag as well) and that a few degrees either way is going to spell doom for the environment (it certainly hasn't in the past, where it has been both significantly colder and warmer).

Also, just got a look at the new cig packs (the rep came by), I don't think ANY smokers will be dissuaded by these things.

Frankly, if they go much further, I might be persuaded to START smoking. Not only would it help the corporations that are being unfairly targeted by government force, it would kill me sooner, so I wouldn't have to survive to the point of total tyranny.

[The Cid]

Germany's clearly on the verge of moral collapse. Kids are going to be able to shoot virtual demons in graphics that the world passed by over a decade ago.

[collegestudent22]

Not free speech (as long as it doesn't reference anything bad about the government, the people, or the history, and is not deemed generally bad) in Europe! What will the world come to?!

[Deacon]

or build a carbon-spewing plant and kill millions with rising ocean temps.

Assuming, of course, that the link between total atmospheric CO2 and temperature is causal

Further assuming that the CO2 put out by said plant is anything more than an ant bite on the toe of someone who's been subjected to millennia of mortar fire by volcanoes and other sources.