The Off Topic Topic

[The Larch]

Ide! 

The answer to that diatribe is that the Black Angus breed exists only because of human intervention, and if humans stop finding them useful then it should indeed dissappear. It's the same argument that pro bullfighting activists use over here regarding "fighting bulls", which are also bred on purpose that way.

Because it is better to not exist?

Because it's not a naturally occurring animal, it's a variety that was bred that way by humans. There will still be plenty of cows around.

That doesn't answer my question though - which seems fair enough to ask when the message that "meat is murder" exists.

It is a bit of a circular argument, as if you claim that if mankind stopped eating beef then cattle breeds designed mostly for meat like the Angus would dissappear then you can counter argue that if mankind had never started eating beef in the first place then these breeds wouldn't exist.

[merithyn]

It is a bit of a circular argument, as if you claim that if mankind stopped eating beef then cattle breeds designed mostly for meat like the Angus would dissappear then you can counter argue that if mankind had never started eating beef in the first place then these breeds wouldn't exist.

Except that we can't go backwards.

[The Larch]

It is a bit of a circular argument, as if you claim that if mankind stopped eating beef then cattle breeds designed mostly for meat like the Angus would dissappear then you can counter argue that if mankind had never started eating beef in the first place then these breeds wouldn't exist.

Except that we can't go backwards.

Thing is, they're artificial breeds. If they disappear because they've exhausted their usefulness we shouldn't feel bad for it.

[Josquius]

Given what happened to most large land animals cows as a whole probably wouldn't be doing so well were they not farmed.

[garbon]

It is a bit of a circular argument, as if you claim that if mankind stopped eating beef then cattle breeds designed mostly for meat like the Angus would dissappear then you can counter argue that if mankind had never started eating beef in the first place then these breeds wouldn't exist.

Except that we can't go backwards.

Thing is, they're artificial breeds. If they disappear because they've exhausted their usefulness we shouldn't feel bad for it.

So we should feel bad for killing them...but not for preventing them from breeding and thus removing them from existence?

[lustindarkness]

Evolution, survival of the fittest, and all that. If those cows have not developed bigger brains, hands and lazers on their heads, oh well.

[mongers]

Novels?

What are they doing? Translating AARs into novel format? Those are going to be some crazy alternate history soap operas.

Pot meet kettle.

[garbon]

Novels?

What are they doing? Translating AARs into novel format? Those are going to be some crazy alternate history soap operas.

Pot meet kettle.

Yeah, that should be his briar patch.

[The Larch]

It is a bit of a circular argument, as if you claim that if mankind stopped eating beef then cattle breeds designed mostly for meat like the Angus would dissappear then you can counter argue that if mankind had never started eating beef in the first place then these breeds wouldn't exist.

Except that we can't go backwards.

Thing is, they're artificial breeds. If they disappear because they've exhausted their usefulness we shouldn't feel bad for it.

So we should feel bad for killing them...but not for preventing them from breeding and thus removing them from existence?

Who said anything about feeling bad for killing them?

[jimmy olsen]

It is a bit of a circular argument, as if you claim that if mankind stopped eating beef then cattle breeds designed mostly for meat like the Angus would dissappear then you can counter argue that if mankind had never started eating beef in the first place then these breeds wouldn't exist.

Except that we can't go backwards.

Thing is, they're artificial breeds. If they disappear because they've exhausted their usefulness we shouldn't feel bad for it.

Then why should we feel bad for eating them.

[The Larch]

It is a bit of a circular argument, as if you claim that if mankind stopped eating beef then cattle breeds designed mostly for meat like the Angus would dissappear then you can counter argue that if mankind had never started eating beef in the first place then these breeds wouldn't exist.

Except that we can't go backwards.

Thing is, they're artificial breeds. If they disappear because they've exhausted their usefulness we shouldn't feel bad for it.

Then why should we feel bad for eating them.

I haven't made that argument. That's the strawman that the mother in the joke used. His son never said that he became a vegetarian because eating meat is morally wrong or anything. For all we know he could have turned vegetarian for a number of other reasons.

[Eddie Teach]

Who said anything about feeling bad for killing them?

It's part of the logic of the cartoon- if you feel bad about killing the individual, you should feel bad about killing the type. And both vegetarianism and the notion that assimilation is genocide are more prevalent on the leftist fringes.

[The Larch]

Who said anything about feeling bad for killing them?

It's part of the logic of the cartoon- if you feel bad about killing the individual, you should feel bad about killing the type. And both vegetarianism and the notion that assimilation is genocide are more prevalent on the leftist fringes.

As I said in the previous answer to Tim, all that argument is a strawman from the mother in the cartoon, the son never makes a reasoning about why he has become a vegetarian.

[garbon]

It is a bit of a circular argument, as if you claim that if mankind stopped eating beef then cattle breeds designed mostly for meat like the Angus would dissappear then you can counter argue that if mankind had never started eating beef in the first place then these breeds wouldn't exist.

Except that we can't go backwards.

Thing is, they're artificial breeds. If they disappear because they've exhausted their usefulness we shouldn't feel bad for it.

Then why should we feel bad for eating them.

I haven't made that argument. That's the strawman that the mother in the joke used. His son never said that he became a vegetarian because eating meat is morally wrong or anything. For all we know he could have turned vegetarian for a number of other reasons.

It isn't a complete strawman though in the sense that many people have actually said that / protested the inhumane treatment.

At any rate, sure if you want to discount that assumed reasoning in the joke than sure her response doesn't make any sense.

[crazy canuck]

Anything that threatens my supply of good beef is evil.