T.I.H.™: PEOPLE

This is bound to be a frequent subject...hell, our blog subtitle basically requires that we hate people, but, despite my extreme cynicism (to the MAXXXX), I am still astonished by the idiocy of people on a fairly regular basis. I just don't understand how people can be so fucking stupid, time and again. I'm probably overly judgmental of people, but so what...that's my right.

Anyway, today's people-hater column is about the "environmental" wienies who eat organic food because it's "better" for them. Let me give a little background. My family is quite a bit to the left of the run-of-the-mill leftists. They are not communists, but probably socialist. They are very aware of the impact that their lives have on the earth. They are, in this vein, very environmentally conscious. I am significantly less so, but I take a lot of my environmental awareness from them. Like for example, just buying organic for organic's sake can be stupid. Did you know that in Peru they are clear-cutting old growth rain forest to plant "organic" coffee plants because the FDA's rules state that you have to prove five years of non-utilization of pesticides for an organic label...However, if it's virgin land, there's no such requirement. So these environmental yuppies are actually doing worse for the world because they insist that their beans be marked "Organic". I know a bunch of people like this, and it bugs me, a lot...It's like the Apple fanboys or someone who will only drive BMWs, they think they're better...IT'S ALL ABOUT MARKETING, YOU FUCKING IDIOTS.

Anyway, the NY Times has an article about organic vs fairtrade vs local-grown flowers. The line that pushed me to rant: "Why would [organic flowers] matter? We’re not eating them." I fucking hate people. I fucking hate people. I lost my copy of the study that proved beyond a reasonable doubt that organic was "better" for you. I'll buy organic if it's not that much more expensive, but I'm not convinced that's it's 200% better for me than non-organic foods. If I buy organic it's because I prefer that my consumption has a minimal impact on the world, not for some selfish asinine reason that has been drummed into my head by green marketeers. (I'm plenty selfish on other fronts, lest you worry).

I heard a story on the radio today about Greenpeace taking it to the [French] auto manufacturers because of the greenwashing of their vehicles. They are selling the same cars with the same motors that they sold 5 years ago, but now these cars are "green" and they're saving the world and they're "stopping global warming" (which is the environmental cause du jour, nothing more, nothing less IMHO). Greenpeace wants them to make actual strides for environmental cleanliness. And here I part ways with Greenpeace. While I have environmental sensibilities, I also think that the free market is a wonderful thing. I hate people who buy big H2-like SUVs, but if there's a market for it, then the auto makers should make them. I would like to see the market disappear, but how where the fuck does Greenpeace get off saying that a public company, like GM (or whomever), should be forced to stop making a profitable vehicle. My weakness is high-powered station wagons (necessary specs). Some of these people want a world to exist where no vehicle has over 100hp...Fuck that.

Enjoy your whale meat. (yes, I know it's Sea Shepherd Conversation Society members who were being held on the Japanese whaling ship, but this cracks me up to no end). I don't like whaling, but I find it delightfully ironic that they the Japanese whalers offered to feed the protesters whale meat.