How to silence a lentilist!
Discussion
Yes, today I think I might've started a fightback against the car-ignorant lentilists on my politics course, and it was a moment to savour 
Basically, I'd put together a presentation about how democracies weren't as effective as they used to be. The first thrust of the argument concerned apathy amongst voters as a result of not having to protect it against Fascists and Communists any more, and I used declining voter turnout and party membership as an example.
The second - the PH-influenced one, truth be told - was about the rise of career politicians, ie people who had their own interests and agendas - and their own power - held above their job that they're supposed to do, ie represent their constituency even if they disagree.
The debate deepened and it got on to environmentalism. The lentilist started ranting about people's 'selfish' rights to use their 'gas-guzzling MPVs that are killing the planet, torturing babies, starving Africans' etc. So I presented her with something along the lines of this:
Me: "If the government were committed to a policy of environmentalism, they would do as Brazil has done and opted out of the oil-based economy. In Brazil, petrol engines run on Sugar Cane-methylated Gasohol, diesel engines run on Oilseed Rape Oil, their emissions are natural and it's totally renewable to the point where you could grow it in a field and make impoverished farmers rich. Over here, on the other hand, you get arrested for using it because the government can't tax you on environmental grounds, because the economy is so dependant on the tax, and it is in the interests of the oil companies to do so as it keeps the oil sectors of the economy booming, so the government is to blame for the use of, and pollution from petrol, not the SUV drivers."
Lentilist: "Errrrrrrrrrr... But, er, but - those alternative fuels still give off C02, which is THE GREENHOUSE GAS!"
Me: "So does breathing. That's an argument against deforestation if anything."
Lentilist: "Does it?"
Me & Tutor: "Yes! Are you going to suggest taxing breathing?"
Lentilist: "oh."
I'd now like to point out that this particular lentilist is on the York Students Liberal Democrats committee, a member of the Environmentalist society committee and the captain of our university challenge team. Someone who will probably, in the future, speak out against car use and the like. And she didn't know of any other greenhouse gases than C02, she didn't know breathing gave off C02, she didn't know there were alternative fuels for cars, she didn't know you got arrested for using them over here, and she didn't know that the only reason why she probably didn't know was that it gave the powers-that-be, the self-interested career politicians (which she will no doubt become) an excuse to scoop vast amounts of revenue to go on polluting the environment - in the name of environmentalism, whist extending policies that represent nothing other than control-freakery.
Only wish I'd recorded it...
Feel great now!
Basically, I'd put together a presentation about how democracies weren't as effective as they used to be. The first thrust of the argument concerned apathy amongst voters as a result of not having to protect it against Fascists and Communists any more, and I used declining voter turnout and party membership as an example.
The second - the PH-influenced one, truth be told - was about the rise of career politicians, ie people who had their own interests and agendas - and their own power - held above their job that they're supposed to do, ie represent their constituency even if they disagree.
The debate deepened and it got on to environmentalism. The lentilist started ranting about people's 'selfish' rights to use their 'gas-guzzling MPVs that are killing the planet, torturing babies, starving Africans' etc. So I presented her with something along the lines of this:
Me: "If the government were committed to a policy of environmentalism, they would do as Brazil has done and opted out of the oil-based economy. In Brazil, petrol engines run on Sugar Cane-methylated Gasohol, diesel engines run on Oilseed Rape Oil, their emissions are natural and it's totally renewable to the point where you could grow it in a field and make impoverished farmers rich. Over here, on the other hand, you get arrested for using it because the government can't tax you on environmental grounds, because the economy is so dependant on the tax, and it is in the interests of the oil companies to do so as it keeps the oil sectors of the economy booming, so the government is to blame for the use of, and pollution from petrol, not the SUV drivers."
Lentilist: "Errrrrrrrrrr... But, er, but - those alternative fuels still give off C02, which is THE GREENHOUSE GAS!"
Me: "So does breathing. That's an argument against deforestation if anything."
Lentilist: "Does it?"
Me & Tutor: "Yes! Are you going to suggest taxing breathing?"
Lentilist: "oh."
I'd now like to point out that this particular lentilist is on the York Students Liberal Democrats committee, a member of the Environmentalist society committee and the captain of our university challenge team. Someone who will probably, in the future, speak out against car use and the like. And she didn't know of any other greenhouse gases than C02, she didn't know breathing gave off C02, she didn't know there were alternative fuels for cars, she didn't know you got arrested for using them over here, and she didn't know that the only reason why she probably didn't know was that it gave the powers-that-be, the self-interested career politicians (which she will no doubt become) an excuse to scoop vast amounts of revenue to go on polluting the environment - in the name of environmentalism, whist extending policies that represent nothing other than control-freakery.
Only wish I'd recorded it...
Feel great now!
well done! keep it up.
and I especialy like this bit
"The second - the PH-influenced one, truth be told - was about the rise of career politicians, ie people who had their own interests and agendas - and their own power - held above their job that they're supposed to do, ie represent their constituency even if they disagree."
I wonder waht all the lentilists thought about that. I recon they probablythought yeah, so whats the problem?
>> Edited by pesty on Monday 7th February 15:47
and I especialy like this bit
"The second - the PH-influenced one, truth be told - was about the rise of career politicians, ie people who had their own interests and agendas - and their own power - held above their job that they're supposed to do, ie represent their constituency even if they disagree."
I wonder waht all the lentilists thought about that. I recon they probablythought yeah, so whats the problem?
>> Edited by pesty on Monday 7th February 15:47
To add to your arguement about CO2 you could have said that the plants used to make bio-fuels absorb ~ the same amount of CO2 from the atmosphere while they are being grown as they release when they are burnt.
But like you said, why remove our middle-east oil dependancy and give the uk's massive and disfunctional farming industry a reason to exist when there is tax to be made.
But like you said, why remove our middle-east oil dependancy and give the uk's massive and disfunctional farming industry a reason to exist when there is tax to be made.
nicecupoftea said:
groomi said:
Good work my son, may the torque be with you
"Your lentilist mind control techniques will not work with me..."
"We aren't the PHers you're looking for, we can go about our business"
- I've got this image of a piss-take of Star Wars with a bunch of scameras with arms and legs confronting a TVR with PHers dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker in it 
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