Pastafarian wins right to wear strainer in driving licence photo

[Malthus]

How can it be a "strawman" if it is the argument he's actually, you know, making?

Please *do* try to keep up.

I'm having no problem keeping up with the fact that the quotes you are arguing against are made up by you, not by him. 

It is most entertaining.  The fact that you insist, even using underlining for some weird reason, that he is making them when it is obvious they are yours makes it even funnier.

*pops even more popcrn*

He's making the exact same arguments. Yet you insist on dragging out your usual default accusation of "strawman!" like it was a winner.

The fact that you don't recognize this is funny, but sorta sad as well.

[grumbler]

What most will get out of a stunt like this is that this guy is an attention whore.

Agreed.  Most people cannot accept that someone with a differing opinion could just have a differing opinion.  They insist that the person with a different opinion is "making a fool of themselves" or "an attention whore."  By delegitimizing opposing opinions they avoid having to think about their own opinions.  It is sad that most people are so anxious to avoid thinking about their own opinions, but I suppose that is just human nature.

[grumbler]

He's making the exact same arguments. Yet you insist on dragging out your usual default accusation of "strawman!" like it was a winner.

You still don't get it, do you?  If you were arguing against his arguments, you would be quoting his arguments, not yours.  Who brings up "an Orthodox Jew or a committed Sikh" first, and puts silly words in their mouth?  That wasn't Viking.  That was you.

The fact that you don't recognize this is funny, but sorta sad as well.

Please keep up this amusing contest.  Add in these kinds of side insults if you think it will help your cause, by all means. 

[Malthus]

What most will get out of a stunt like this is that this guy is an attention whore.

Agreed.  Most people cannot accept that someone with a differing opinion could just have a differing opinion.  They insist that the person with a different opinion is "making a fool of themselves" or "an attention whore."  By delegitimizing opposing opinions they avoid having to think about their own opinions.  It is sad that most people are so anxious to avoid thinking about their own opinions, but I suppose that is just human nature.

There is a slight difference between "having a differing opinion" and "insisting on his right to wear a pasta strainer on his head while being photographed for ID". 

The latter guy is "delegitimizing" himself by deliberately playing the fool.

[Malthus]

He's making the exact same arguments. Yet you insist on dragging out your usual default accusation of "strawman!" like it was a winner.

You still don't get it, do you?  If you were arguing against his arguments, you would be quoting his arguments, not yours.  Who brings up "an Orthodox Jew or a committed Sikh" first, and puts silly words in their mouth?  That wasn't Viking.  That was you.


Please keep up this amusing contest.  Add in these kinds of side insults if you think it will help your cause, by all means. 

Dunno what you are going on about. No-one but you appears to think that Viking and I aren't arguing about the exact same thing. You are just wasting electrons blathering about imaginary "strawman arguments".

I swear, if there were really as many "strawmen" about as you appear to see, we could start a revolution with 'em. 

[The Minsky Moment]

It's not the purpose of stuff like this. Rather, it is about convincing the general (largely secular in the EU) public that allowing cretins like an Orthodox Jew or a committed Sikh to have their way and flaunt the general rules is equally silly as allowing the Pastafarian to do so.

We certainly can't have people flaunting their strange fashion preferences in public.  That would be against the general rules of the general public.

[mongers]

Hmm, I though the point the guy was making, wasn't against the people wearing special hats, but aimed at society's willingness to give such people special treatment. 

Though I'm not against Sikh wearing their turban's, in this instance it doesn't seem a problem, but when someone's special hat or headgear gets in the way of them functioning well socially or endangering others then it should be challenged ie no headgear that gets in the way of them being identified and certainly none that interferes with their ability to drive and see other road uses.

[Slargos]

Religious concerns should not supercede secular concerns. This guys "religion" is no less silly than anyone elses. The only attentionwhoring jackasses and idiots here are the people that are demanding to wear religious garb in ids, and this guy is a hero for pointing out how stupid it is.

[The Minsky Moment]

It's not about convincing the true believers . . .. It is about convincing the believers in belief.

Seems to me the only point this guy gets at is that in pluralistic society, confessional status can be established by any form of belief honestly held.  Ok, no surprises there.

But the point is wholly undermined by the fact that this guy doesn't honestly hold the belief he purports to confess.  So at the end of the day, all he proves is that he is an obnoxious schmuck with too much time on his hands, and that the authorities wisely made the call to allow him to make an ass of himself rather than waste further resources litigating.

[Malthus]

So at the end of the day, all he proves is that he is an obnoxious schmuck with too much time on his hands, and that the authorities wisely made the call to allow him to make an ass of himself rather than waste further resources litigating.

Sounds like a Slargossian "hero" all right.   

[Slargos]

  its hilarious how bent out of shape you folks get about religious concerns all the while protestinghow secular you are   

[The Minsky Moment]

I suppose there are many different kinds of heroes.

However, a guy that dedicates his life to arguing with the Austrian DMV over his right to be photographed with a kitchen implement on his head is unlikely to break my top 100.

[Slargos]

Noo. I suppose yor kind would not rate the pursuit of justice and freedom very highly.   

[Malthus]

its hilarious how bent out of shape you folks get about religious concerns all the while protestinghow secular you are   

Yeah, we are probably lying about that.

[Admiral Yi]

Seems to me the only point this guy gets at is that in pluralistic society, confessional status can be established by any form of belief honestly held.  Ok, no surprises there.

But the point is wholly undermined by the fact that this guy doesn't honestly hold the belief he purports to confess.  So at the end of the day, all he proves is that he is an obnoxious schmuck with too much time on his hands, and that the authorities wisely made the call to allow him to make an ass of himself rather than waste further resources litigating.

The government typically doesn't test the sincerity of anyone's belief.