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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: FlamingCobra on February 24, 2013, 02:20:06 am

Title: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: FlamingCobra on February 24, 2013, 02:20:06 am
Germany's development minister has suggested that horsemeat mislabelled as beef should be distributed to the poor. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21559451)
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: The E on February 24, 2013, 02:31:52 am
To put it in context:

This was something first reported on by "Bild", a tabloid known for, shall we say, embellishing the truth somewhat. Their report was about a member of parliament who said that Nestle and the other companies involved in this meat affair should not throw away the mislabeled food, but rather bring it back on the market for a reduced price.

What this is, essentially, is Bild taking quotes somewhat out of context and making it a bigger deal as it actually is.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on February 24, 2013, 03:39:39 am
I still don't get what people have against eating horsemeat... where I come from it's just sold in the butchery, along with cow, pork, sheep and everything else.

And I'm against destroying food on principle, I'd much rather it be distributed to the poor. People living under a bridge, spending their day begging on the streets, in the hope of gathering enough for a single sandwich that evening - offer them a free lasagna, and I'm confident that they couldn't care less what animal it came from.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on February 24, 2013, 04:24:38 am
Yeah, I was going to post the same story but once I got past the headline it was obvious that the guy was actually making a quite sensible point that it was a complete waste to throw away food that people could use.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: BlueFlames on February 24, 2013, 04:31:42 am
I still don't get what people have against eating horsemeat... where I come from it's just sold in the butchery, along with cow, pork, sheep and everything else.

While there is a social norm against eating horsemeat that is arguably arbitrary, I can see raising a stink about being sold horsemeat, under the pretense that you were buying something else.  Not only have you fallen victim to false advertising, in that case, but poor regulatory enforcement as well, as one of the early steps in meat production inspection should most surely be, "Are you butchering the right animal?"
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: deathfun on February 24, 2013, 05:02:47 am
Quote
involved in this meat affair should not throw away the mislabeled food,

Anyone ever heard about a Sharpie?
Cross out the part that's mislabeled, and add over it the proper one
Bam. Problem solved

Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Dragon on February 24, 2013, 06:04:30 am
Isn't food supposed to have a breakdown of contents on the side? If somebody can eat beef, but can't eat horsemeat for some reason, then this could be a health hazard for such a person.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on February 24, 2013, 06:59:04 am
I can see raising a stink about being sold horsemeat, under the pretense that you were buying something else.  Not only have you fallen victim to false advertising, in that case, but poor regulatory enforcement as well, as one of the early steps in meat production inspection should most surely be, "Are you butchering the right animal?"
Fully agree there, manufacturers should be honest about what they're putting in their food. My post was more aimed at the "oh god there's horsemeat in it what do we do with it now" attitude - it's not like horses are poisonous or anything...
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on February 24, 2013, 07:28:36 am
/me has eaten donkey here in China.

/me thinks donkey is ****ing delicious.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: castor on February 24, 2013, 07:33:09 am
My post was more aimed at the "oh god there's horsemeat in it what do we do with it now" attitude - it's not like horses are poisonous or anything...
Farming horses for meat doesn't seem to be a big industry. Who knows where these animals come from, and what was pumped in them..
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on February 24, 2013, 08:02:18 am
It's not an industry but it does exist as one. They could be perfectly fine.

The big worry is that there are certain drugs which can be used on horses which won't enter the food chain. They're never supposed to be used on horses which will be eaten by humans.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Cyker on February 24, 2013, 08:46:18 am
Yeah, that is the real problem - Horse meat itself is fine; Apparently they sell it in supermarkets in lots of countries!

No, the problem is that it was supposed to be beef but is somehow mixed with horse meat which isn't listed as an ingredient and probably isn't rated for human consumption. That has exposed a big ugly truth - We only have it on faith that what's on the tin is in the tin, so to speak.

It's like the long running joke about hotdogs - supposed to be pork but who knows what goes into one of those! : :lol:
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Mikes on February 24, 2013, 09:11:51 am
Hilariously.... as BSE (Mad cow disease) was in the news a few years ago everyone wanted to buy horsemeat over here.



Also, one of our comedian who commented on the issue put it best:  pigs? Much more intelligent than horses.... but ugly! So of course no one minds eating those!

But Horses? Budgies? Cats? No way!!! Can't eat *cute* animals!!! :P Poor pigs just ain't cute enough.



Kidding aside... as others have noted, the problem here was that it said beef on the label but they sold something else entirely.
As there have been several meat related scandals the last years where meat that was way past it's expiration date was still sold in processed food products... the next question one has to ask next is of course: If it says beef on the label, but really is horse... what else could be wrong with it?

Otherwise.... Lasagna "Black Beauty", why not? ;)
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: yuezhi on February 24, 2013, 10:51:30 am
Most headlines I come across mention bute, some kind of growth drug.

/me has eaten donkey here in China.

/me thinks donkey is ****ing delicious.
and dog?
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Nuke on February 24, 2013, 11:00:22 am
my view on feeding the homeless:

feed the dead ones to the live ones.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Mikes on February 24, 2013, 11:19:48 am
my view on feeding the homeless:

feed the dead ones to the live ones.

Soylent Nuke?
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on February 24, 2013, 12:19:46 pm
Most headlines I come across mention bute, some kind of growth drug.

/me has eaten donkey here in China.

/me thinks donkey is ****ing delicious.
and dog?

Dog is okay. A bit fatty. Not bad in a stew. (And before people get upset, pigs are smarter than dogs yet most people don't give a **** about eating pork or bacon).

Seriously though, donkey is ****ing delicious. It's like the most tender beef you ever ate. Only meat I've ever tried that is better is Yak. Yak ****s on Kobe beef.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: NGTM-1R on February 24, 2013, 12:34:19 pm
But does it make good hamburger? Because I did that once. Heresy that it was, using Kobe beef that way, but hey, you get some from a restaurant friend...
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on February 24, 2013, 01:05:31 pm
Yak hamburgers are ****ing amazing. It's better as a steak though.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: NGTM-1R on February 24, 2013, 01:53:22 pm
A shall make a note of it, though it's deeply unlikely I'll ever get my hands on yak meat.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: BloodEagle on February 24, 2013, 03:14:25 pm
But Horses? Budgies? Cats? No way!!! Can't eat *cute* animals!!! :P Poor pigs just ain't cute enough.

To be perfectly fair, if human children tasted like bacon we'd be eating them.  :P
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Suongadon on February 24, 2013, 03:18:49 pm
To be perfectly fair, if human children tasted like bacon we'd be eating them.  :P

Who says they don't?
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Ghostavo on February 24, 2013, 04:03:49 pm
Long pig...
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: el_magnifico on February 24, 2013, 04:11:16 pm
To be perfectly fair, if human children tasted like bacon we'd be eating them.  :P

Who says they don't?

See the dangers on this? When you start eating weird things, you don't know when to stop... :shaking:

 :p
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Mikes on February 24, 2013, 04:20:43 pm


Everything that is weird to you...  has been perfectly normal to eat for someone, somewhere, at some point in history. :p
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Nuke on February 24, 2013, 04:28:51 pm
there are still cannibals in the world.

that said i would eat people before i eat cats.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: el_magnifico on February 24, 2013, 04:47:04 pm


Everything that is weird to you...  has been perfectly normal to eat for someone, somewhere, at some point in history. :p
I know, I was just being silly. It's my understanding that historically horses where first hunted to be consumed as food, before being domesticated.
I've mixed feelings on this, as I used to be a horse rider, yet I know they're edible and I know the world is hungry enough as it is to be selective of what you eat.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: MP-Ryan on February 24, 2013, 09:36:40 pm
Only meat I've ever tried that is better is Yak. Yak ****s on Kobe beef.

Try bison sometime.

Never had yahk, but I imagine they're similar.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Suongadon on February 24, 2013, 10:56:36 pm
Yak steak is like 5 deliciousnesses above Bison steaks.  I think Bison makes a better burger though.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: MP-Ryan on February 24, 2013, 11:45:07 pm
Yak steak is like 5 deliciousnesses above Bison steaks.  I think Bison makes a better burger though.

Bison has almost no fat content, so it makes a terrible anything if it isn't ground up and mixed with egg/cheese/something with fat content first.  We make our burgers with cheddar and BBQ sauce mixed in with the meat.  Mmmm mmmm.  Elk and moose aren't bad either, but bison has less of a gamey taste to it.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on February 25, 2013, 01:26:57 am
Yak steak is like 5 deliciousnesses above Bison steaks.  I think Bison makes a better burger though.

Out of interest, where did you find Yak steaks? I've only ever eaten them in Yunnan.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: yuezhi on February 25, 2013, 01:37:42 am
See the dangers on this? When you start eating weird things, you don't know when to stop... :shaking:

 :p
fries from Mcdonalds come to mind :p
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: BloodEagle on February 25, 2013, 03:30:36 am
To be perfectly fair, if human children tasted like bacon we'd be eating them.  :P

Who says they don't?

See the dangers on this? When you start eating weird things, you don't know when to stop... :shaking:

 :p

Truth in Advertising: Girl Scout Cookies.  ;)
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Luis Dias on February 25, 2013, 06:05:15 am
I approve of the politician's idea.

Better to give the food than let it rot.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Nuke on February 25, 2013, 09:42:04 am
most of the weird things ive eaten are things that i shot.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Suongadon on February 25, 2013, 10:39:53 am
Yak steak is like 5 deliciousnesses above Bison steaks.  I think Bison makes a better burger though.

Bison has almost no fat content, so it makes a terrible anything if it isn't ground up and mixed with egg/cheese/something with fat content first.  We make our burgers with cheddar and BBQ sauce mixed in with the meat.  Mmmm mmmm.  Elk and moose aren't bad either, but bison has less of a gamey taste to it.

Yup. I was being lazy. We usually do pepper jack or mutz (**** yeah Vito's!). Been meaning to try cutting it with ground beef someday, but that's more effort than I can be bothered with most days.

Yak steak is like 5 deliciousnesses above Bison steaks.  I think Bison makes a better burger though.

Out of interest, where did you find Yak steaks? I've only ever eaten them in Yunnan.

Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, and then I found out people raise Yak in the US for food and was happy. Except its hilariously expensive and has to be shipped :(.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Woolie Wool on February 25, 2013, 09:41:45 pm
But does it make good hamburger? Because I did that once. Heresy that it was, using Kobe beef that way, but hey, you get some from a restaurant friend...

A restaurant in my city sells Kobe beef burgers. Expensive as hell, but delicious.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: NGTM-1R on February 25, 2013, 11:00:11 pm
To be perfectly fair, if human children tasted like bacon we'd be eating them.  :P
Who says they don't?

If your bacon tastes like human, it has gone bad.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on February 26, 2013, 03:45:09 am
Given that pretty much any animal who eats a human has to be killed cause of the danger that it will come back for more, I'm of the opinion that humans must taste like Pringles.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Lorric on February 26, 2013, 06:57:04 am
Given that pretty much any animal who eats a human has to be killed cause of the danger that it will come back for more, I'm of the opinion that humans must taste like Pringles.

Probably the opposite actually if we're being light hearted about this. Not many animals develop a taste for human flesh, so I guess we must taste pretty bad, especially when we're probably a lot easier to bring down than their preferred prey, at least when it comes to land predators. But there are always a few who like food most do not. Other creatures have fantastic natural physical abilities. Ours is we don't taste very nice :D

Anyway, what flavour of pringles were you thinking of?  :)
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: The E on February 26, 2013, 08:08:53 am
Humans are decidedly not easy prey. Individual humans, sure, but the thing is, if you kill one there's a probability of several of them banding together to hunt you down in return, which will end badly.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Lorric on February 26, 2013, 08:19:41 am
Humans are decidedly not easy prey. Individual humans, sure, but the thing is, if you kill one there's a probability of several of them banding together to hunt you down in return, which will end badly.

This is very true, but how would an animal know this? Animals aren't stupid, but how many would actually see this to know? They certainly don't have any qualms about going into a herd and seperating out a victim, and are pretty much programmed to single out the weak. And humans are poor physical specimens.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Aesaar on February 26, 2013, 08:28:01 am
The animal doesn't need to know.  Animals who develop a taste for human flesh don't tend to live long enough to breed, and therefore don't pass it on to the next generation.  Same reason humans usually dislike bitter tasting things: natural poisons tend to taste bitter.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Lorric on February 26, 2013, 08:38:52 am
The animal doesn't need to know.  Animals who develop a taste for human flesh don't tend to live long enough to breed, and therefore don't pass it on to the next generation.  Same reason humans usually dislike bitter tasting things: natural poisons tend to taste bitter.

Hmmm, so you're saying the very taste for human flesh is being bred out of them? I suppose it would also mean those animals would be teaching their hunting techniques to their young, and those techniques would not involve hunting humans.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Luis Dias on February 26, 2013, 08:50:58 am
Well the first is a Darwinian straightforward narrative, while the second is not such a straightforward hypothesis. Animals teach their young how to hunt, and they do it on animals, not humans. However, humans are flesh too, so try not to be caught between a bear and a wolf.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: SF-Junky on February 26, 2013, 10:32:45 am
I still don't get what people have against eating horsemeat... where I come from it's just sold in the butchery, along with cow, pork, sheep and everything else.

And I'm against destroying food on principle, I'd much rather it be distributed to the poor. People living under a bridge, spending their day begging on the streets, in the hope of gathering enough for a single sandwich that evening - offer them a free lasagna, and I'm confident that they couldn't care less what animal it came from.
The problem with this comment is that it's just like: "Oh, we have a lot of crap here no one of our spoiled middle-class citizens wants to eat anymore for some reason. What do we do with it? Oh well, let's give it to the poor. It's good enough for them."

That's why it is just disgusting. Our Minister of Mental Depletion stroke again (not that I'd expect anything else from this guy).
Why don't we feed the stuff to FDP members on their party meetings? Would help saving the FDP a lot of money which is really important for them as they experience somewhat of a member drain as I heard lately. :D
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: SypheDMar on February 26, 2013, 03:12:45 pm
I nearly stopped eating meat, but if I hear that someone is about to throw away a lot of good meat, I'm gonna ask for them. Doesn't matter if it's horse, beef, chicken, or donuts.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: el_magnifico on February 26, 2013, 04:08:46 pm
I still don't get what people have against eating horsemeat... where I come from it's just sold in the butchery, along with cow, pork, sheep and everything else.

And I'm against destroying food on principle, I'd much rather it be distributed to the poor. People living under a bridge, spending their day begging on the streets, in the hope of gathering enough for a single sandwich that evening - offer them a free lasagna, and I'm confident that they couldn't care less what animal it came from.
The problem with this comment is that it's just like: "Oh, we have a lot of crap here no one of our spoiled middle-class citizens wants to eat anymore for some reason. What do we do with it? Oh well, let's give it to the poor. It's good enough for them."

That's why it is just disgusting. Our Minister of Mental Depletion stroke again (not that I'd expect anything else from this guy).
Why don't we feed the stuff to FDP members on their party meetings? Would help saving the FDP a lot of money which is really important for them as they experience somewhat of a member drain as I heard lately. :D

While I find the morality of your concerns to be solid and your intentions to be quite laudable, I'm not sure I share your viewpoint. If the poor are offered the horsemeat and some of them freely and knowingly choose to eat it, then that's a mutually beneficial agreement between two parties, and it shouldn't be bound to outsiders' opinions. Do keep in mind this is not "a lot of crap" they are being offered, but completely edible food that's currently decaying somewhere just because of a cultural taboo.

EDIT: Added "and knowingly".
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Luis Dias on February 26, 2013, 08:33:13 pm
It's sad, really, that the people who are desperately in famine are incapable of appreciating Junky's perfectly reasonable moral disgust.

They should be all thinking right now that it's a terribly cruel idea and that such meat should be put to flames instead.

If not for their sake, for the sake of the middle class' valuable souls.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on February 26, 2013, 09:36:32 pm
Well I think the issue is that they said it should be available to the poor. They should have just said that it's freely available to anyone who wants to eat it and not made a judgement over who might want it.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Woolie Wool on February 28, 2013, 09:21:09 am
Humans are decidedly not easy prey. Individual humans, sure, but the thing is, if you kill one there's a probability of several of them banding together to hunt you down in return, which will end badly.

Every introduction of humans onto a new landmass has corresponded with a massive die-off of large animals, despite said humans having been Stone Age hunter-gatherers when they showed up. This is likely not a coincidence.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Luis Dias on February 28, 2013, 11:15:37 am
To imply humans are "easy prey" is preposterously silly. We are almost gods to this planet.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Klaustrophobia on February 28, 2013, 12:41:13 pm
i believe the point was a human without tools is stupid easy prey.  we have no natural defense mechanisms and are comparatively slow and weak.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: yuezhi on February 28, 2013, 02:05:24 pm
i'm expecting a certain trekkie to wander in and comment on this sudden development.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: el_magnifico on February 28, 2013, 02:27:43 pm
i'm expecting a certain trekkie to wander in and comment on this sudden development.
Ha! Human meat. Too soft. Not nearly as good as targ meat!

Ka'plah!

(I bet you, you weren't expecting that. :p )
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Ghostavo on February 28, 2013, 02:28:49 pm
i believe the point was a human without tools is stupid easy prey.  we have no natural defense mechanisms and are comparatively slow and weak.

Humans are one of the best (if not THE best) endurance runners on the planet. Humans hunted by literally exhausting wild game to death.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Klaustrophobia on February 28, 2013, 03:51:56 pm
endurance doesn't help much when you need to out-sprint something that wants to eat you.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: yuezhi on February 28, 2013, 10:31:03 pm
i'm expecting a certain trekkie to wander in and comment on this sudden development.
Ha! Human meat. Too soft. Not nearly as good as targ meat!

Ka'plah!

(I bet you, you weren't expecting that. :p )
Indeed i wasn't. I was expecting the one with scales! :mad:
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: el_magnifico on February 28, 2013, 11:04:52 pm
That one!? :eek2: He has no honor!

Spoiler:
OK, I'll end this now before I derail the thread. :p
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on March 01, 2013, 02:31:40 am
endurance doesn't help much when you need to out-sprint something that wants to eat you.

True, but Ghostavo is pointing out the other evolutionary advantage we have over pretty much any other animal. Everyone remembers the big brain, but possibly even before it, we had a major advantage when it came to hunting.

In fact I seem to remember reading a theory once that humans evolved tool use not just in order to make us better at hunting our prey but in order to prevent other animals poaching our kills.

While I'll agree with you that without tools and alone a human is very easy prey, the simple fact is that humans were rarely alone and without tools.
 It's only recently that humankind have become so assured of their mastery over the animal kingdom that we don't constantly have a weapon within easy reach to deal with any large predatory animal stupid enough to **** with us.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: deathfun on March 01, 2013, 06:42:30 am
I disagree that we lack natural defense mechanisms
Adrenaline for example.

(Important one here being #5 regarding the boulder)
http://www.cracked.com/article/114_5-superpowers-you-didnt-know-your-body-was-hiding-from-you/

EDIT: That was in response to
i believe the point was a human without tools is stupid easy prey.  we have no natural defense mechanisms and are comparatively slow and weak.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on March 01, 2013, 07:27:47 am
I don't think anyone is saying we lack defence mechanisms. What we're lacking is offensive weaponry or any form of natural defence like a shell or poisonous flesh, etc.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Lorric on March 01, 2013, 07:49:10 am
Yes, I was talking about a human without any tools. Just your bare hands, just what nature provided you with.

I'd like to know how this piece of human garbage would have got along if he hadn't had his gun:

http://kenthomas.us/?p=408

I think there's a distinct possibility he'd have lost this mortal struggle to the raccoon. Or how about if he hadn't shot the raccoon twice before it got to him? Not so tough without your weapon, eh?

Oh how I wish the raccoon had won. I was moved by the raccoon's desire to live.

EDIT: I have read that article before, deathfun.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Ghostavo on March 01, 2013, 08:47:22 am
I don't think anyone is saying we lack defence mechanisms. What we're lacking is offensive weaponry or any form of natural defence like a shell or poisonous flesh, etc.

I find the "natural" distinction somewhat arbitrary. Somehow when it's our behavior it's "unnatural" or "artificial" and when it's other animals' behavior it's "natural"...

Are we also going to complain about the Hermit Crab's lack of "natural" shell for instance?
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Luis Dias on March 01, 2013, 09:29:41 am
Every animal species has their own arsenal of strategies and tools. We have legion of those. That's why we transcend the animal kingdom in such a fundamental manner, and why we feel it is so natural to describe what we do as being artificial instead of natural. You are basically saying that if we strip humans from what it makes them so powerful then they are weak. It's an insanely silly tautology.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on March 01, 2013, 10:16:53 am
Are we also going to complain about the Hermit Crab's lack of "natural" shell for instance?

I think it's perfectly acceptable to say that unless it's found a shell to hide in that a hermit crab is very vulnerable.

Like a hermit crab, if left without the tools we use for offence and protection, a human will rapidly attempt to get new ones. You don't see a shark doing that.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Ghostavo on March 01, 2013, 10:24:30 am
Are we also going to complain about the Hermit Crab's lack of "natural" shell for instance?

I think it's perfectly acceptable to say that unless it's found a shell to hide in that a hermit crab is very vulnerable.

Like a hermit crab, if left without the tools we use for offence and protection, a human will rapidly attempt to get new ones. You don't see a shark doing that.

But like Luis Dias was saying, that's a silly way of putting things. It's like saying without water, sharks are vulnerable to predation!
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Mongoose on March 01, 2013, 01:20:40 pm
Like a hermit crab, if left without the tools we use for offence and protection, a human will rapidly attempt to get new ones. You don't see a shark doing that.
Thank God.  :shaking:
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: deathfun on March 01, 2013, 05:56:13 pm
I don't think anyone is saying we lack defence mechanisms. What we're lacking is offensive weaponry or any form of natural defence like a shell or poisonous flesh, etc.

i believe the point was a human without tools is stupid easy prey.  we have no natural defense mechanisms and are comparatively slow and weak.

I was just responding to what Klaus said, I just forgot to "Insert Quote"
My apologies for the ensuing confusion



EDIT: It's natural for us to grab something nearby to defend ourselves with, whether it be manmade or from nature. That's instinct, that's natural. It simply becomes an extension of ourselves when we pick it up
Quote
just what nature provided you with.
In response to that^ (Lorric quote)

EDIT: Man I'm all over the place today
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: karajorma on March 01, 2013, 06:46:09 pm
But like Luis Dias was saying, that's a silly way of putting things. It's like saying without water, sharks are vulnerable to predation!

And I said something similar even before him.

While I'll agree with you that without tools and alone a human is very easy prey, the simple fact is that humans were rarely alone and without tools.

Quite frankly I don't even understand why this discussion has dragged on this far, it's a pretty simple point. Without access to tools humans are rather vulnerable to predators. Similarly it's pretty obvious that humans are very rarely in a position where they don't have access to tools. What's left to debate?
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Luis Dias on March 01, 2013, 08:16:04 pm
EVERYTHING! WE WILL DEBATE! WE WILL BE UNREASONABLY CONFRONTATIVE AND VIOLENTLY AGREEING WITH ONE ANOTHER WHILE PRETENDING TO BE IN THE MOST IMPORTANT DISCUSSION OF OUR LIVES!

CAN YOU FEEL THE FORCE SURROUNDING YOU? MAKE IT SO, HARRY POTTER!
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Nuke on March 01, 2013, 09:43:54 pm
the line between predator and prey is kinda fuzzy, sometimes the wolf eats the man. what ultimately made us beast of prey is the ability to turn any resource in the environment into a weapon. but occasionally that fuzzy line still gets us, even to this day.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Scourge of Ages on March 02, 2013, 11:25:46 pm
Yes, I was talking about a human without any tools. Just your bare hands, just what nature provided you with.

I'd like to know how this piece of human garbage would have got along if he hadn't had his gun:

http://kenthomas.us/?p=408

Lol, he had a gun and STILL took that long to even drive off the 'coon. A real man just uses his fists, or a knife if he's a pansy or fighting something BIG. For bonus points, he'll just BEAT THEM WITH (http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-ways-to-humiliate-nature-thanks-to-old-mens-magazines/) THEIR OWN KIND. (http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-ways-to-enjoy-nature-according-to-insane-old-magazines/)

(http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/4/6/3/114463_v1.jpg) (http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-ways-to-enjoy-nature-according-to-insane-old-magazines_p2/)
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: yuezhi on March 03, 2013, 07:20:21 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21324523

well now there's an easy solution: give it to the french.
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Al-Rik on March 05, 2013, 05:32:54 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21324523

well now there's an easy solution: give it to the french.

Or use a powerful merchandise to sell it to kids:
http://todamax.kicks-ass.net/2013/my-lidl-pony/
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: yuezhi on March 05, 2013, 09:00:59 pm
i don't know, these days ponies you hear about are human enough :p
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: BritishShivans on March 06, 2013, 07:49:37 am
don't start that crap here man

it will bring only pain
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Wobble73 on March 06, 2013, 07:50:29 am
i don't know, these days ponies you hear about are human enough :p

Too right, anyone seen Dance pony Dance! The advert by the Three network here in the UK!
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Luis Dias on March 06, 2013, 07:57:28 am
Why is this thread still alive?

Oh darn, shouldn't have cliced the post butt...
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Nuke on March 07, 2013, 02:47:45 am
because im too lazy to lock it
Title: Re: Germany Says Poor Should Eat Horsemeat
Post by: Nuke on March 07, 2013, 02:48:26 am
damn it, you just woke up my work ethic
click
**** it died again