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[tpunk]

There's nothing funnier than people who know nothing about ecology trying to explain to me why they are against genetic engineering and why I should also be against it. I lose more and more faith in our unquestioning "community" each day. It's fun to pretend I think GE is good just to hear them try to explain themselves. Unfortunately, dressing

Comments

[sckot]

LEARN SOME SHIT BEFORE TRYING TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT WHATEVER IT IS.
Right on. Exactly why I'm studying history. I'm sick to death of people who are arguing about things without having any clue what they're talking about.

[tpunk]

yeah. it's a good lesson for all of us to learn. I just hate seeing it amongst the 'left' or whatever, though, because it always seems to come from such an evangelical standpoint, from people who are supposedly against such things.

We should make a list of the things you have to believe in order to be ONE OF US. Then we should choose our beliefs accordingly, and come up with a few half-assed defences of our new beliefs, and then preach preach preach until our voices are hoarse.

yeah!
kick it!

[sckot]

Anybody who can't stand to get slapped up by someone playing devil's advocate needs to think about why. (I need to be called on things too, of course, but some people act like they have a right to never have their beliefs questioned + buttons pushed.)

Lately, my city's big media has been shitting itself lately over graffiti (good site, but lame javascript stuff going on), but neglecting things like homelessness. It's infuriating. The city is acting like it seriously believes a couple guys with sharpies and spraypaint are going to destroy all of the Amway empire's big republican convention centers here.

[tpunk]

what's the deal with amway, anyway? They are some sort of cult empire, right? I know one of my cousins used to sell shit for them and he talked about it like it was a religion. hrm.

somehow reasonable arguments just don't seem so snappy...

[tripcord]

Truthfully, it is possible to have genetic engineering to be done in harmony with the environment, but the manner in which the corporations use that technology has been anything but, making agriculture more petroleum dependant and antagonistic towards ecological processes- degrading the conditions of our world locally and globally.

Re: somehow reasonable arguments just don't seem so snappy...

[tpunk]

Yeah, after reading a lot of the literature about GE, I do think there are possibilities for it, but I'm very wary of the regs that are currently in place which allow it to be field tested way earlier than it should be. I think there's also an emphasis on 'feeding the world' which I don't think is one of the really applicable merits that GE may show in the future.

[likexwhoa]

that thing about billy joel made me laugh very hard and hurt my mosh weary body. props to you and your bros.

[subliminaldecay]

LEARN SOME SHIT BEFORE TRYING TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT WHATEVER IT IS

It's impossible to be completely educated about everything, and people often find themselves caught in arguments where they have no idea what they're talking about. It's happened to me a few times, and I'm sure it's happened to you as well. Chances are, if you completely destroyed their argument with your good reasoning and actual knowledge about the subject, they learned something new.

I should also mention that it's very easy to be influenced by propaganda.. i.e. if someone likes to associate with the radical leftist community because they agree with most of the viewpoints that community shares as a whole, they feel like they have to agree with ALL of the common viewpoints, even the ones they aren't very well-educated about.

[tpunk]

I should also mention that it's very easy to be influenced by propaganda.. i.e. if someone likes to associate with the radical leftist community because they agree with most of the viewpoints that community shares as a whole, they feel like they have to agree with ALL of the common viewpoints, even the ones they aren't very well-educated about.

I'd say it's partially the fault of the person and partially the fault of the leftist community that this happens. It's really pitiful if people don't look into issues and find out what they think on their own, independent of whatever political/social community they are a part of. There's no excuse whatsoever for attempting to 'defend' beliefs which one is not educated about, simply because that's what one 'should' believe. In the people I see a lot in the radical/whatever community, it's because we were all misfits and now (regardless of claims to the contrary) really want something to fit into. It's just sad that 'issues' are pulled into this ridiculous 'crew' mentality.

[subliminaldecay]

I agree with you, and this is why I don't associate with the radical leftist community very often. I just wish there were more people that offered opposing viewpoints to give these kids something to think about and help them break out of the "crew mentality". Even if they got all pissy when you argued with them, chances are they went home and thought about what you said and decided to do more research and form some ideas of their own.

[prideorblood]

Wait a second here...that's why those girls were dressed as butterflies?! What the fuck! That's too freaking funny. I should have totally hit them with a fly swatter or rolled up newspaper as planned. *sigh*

ps- I love Al soooooo much.