NationStates Jolt Archive

Some of you may have noticed the debate in the UN about dolphins. I was wondering, OOC, what people really thought about the issue of extending extra protection to dolphins, based on their sentience. To me, this seems remarkably unfair. Surely we should protect all animals (except humans, because they're special, nurrh) equally, regardless of their intelligence?

but who would vote for the two arsed slug protection act?

but who would vote for the two arsed slug protection act?

I will.

but who would vote for the two arsed slug protection act?

Well indeed. But just because slugs are less clever than dolphins doesn't mean they should be less protected, does it? After all, that would bring dangerous precedents into human life.

I think prioritising Dolphins isn't fair. Come on, they rape other dolphins (of the same gender, no less); we don't want to encourage that sort of behaviour.

Some of you may have noticed the debate in the UN about dolphins. I was wondering, OOC, what people really thought about the issue of extending extra protection to dolphins, based on their sentience. To me, this seems remarkably unfair. Surely we should protect all animals (except humans, because they're special, nurrh) equally, regardless of their intelligence?
Intelligent species don't appear that often, so it might be an idea to look after the ones we have. If someone wipes out some random species of tick, there are plenty of similar species left, but if we wipe out dolphins (or orang-utans, my favourite seemingly-sentient species) we might have to wait a few million years for something similar to appear again.

Well indeed. But just because slugs are less clever than dolphins doesn't mean they should be less protected, does it? After all, that would bring dangerous precedents into human life.

We already give humans far more rights than animals, simply because yes, we are more clever. Kill a human - bad, bad thing. Kill a garden slug? Nothing.

The precedent is already there.

Dolphins may have sapient-level intelligence, which would seem to nudge them into the 'human rights' category rather than 'garden slug rights' category.

I SAY WE NUKE THE BLEEDIN' BASTAHDS!
Its only a matter off time before they develop opposable thumbs, and then it'll be too late because, as every envriohack knows, dolphins are at least 1000000000000000 times smarter than people, inspite of being too stupid to avoid tuna nets.

Intelligent species don't appear that often, so it might be an idea to look after the ones we have. If someone wipes out some random species of tick, there are plenty of similar species left, but if we wipe out dolphins (or orang-utans, my favourite seemingly-sentient species) we might have to wait a few million years for something similar to appear again.
Let me extend this with a metaphor: you could argue that a child's nursery doodle has as much right to be called 'art' as a Van Gogh masterpeice (personally I can't stand Van Gogh, but most people seem to like him), but wouldn't you protest more at the destruction of a Van Gogh than at a parent binning their child's old doodles?

Some of you may have noticed the debate in the UN about dolphins. I was wondering, OOC, what people really thought about the issue of extending extra protection to dolphins, based on their sentience. To me, this seems remarkably unfair. Surely we should protect all animals (except humans, because they're special, nurrh) equally, regardless of their intelligence?
I'm fine with basing protection upon intelligence. After all, it's what separates us from the food.

I think its to do with cuteness (ever kill a kitten?) and how much they will act like a human (ever been to the circus?)

happy little bugger (http://davepics.com/Album/2003/12-18.Hawaii_HILX/Dolphin.jpg) :)

I have to say, that's the one that's always got me: dolphins can do quantum mechanics, but can't avoid swimming into nets. Very clever.

I think its to do with cuteness (ever kill a kitten?) and how much they will act like a human (ever been to the circus?)
I never thought dolphins were all that cute, they look rather ugly. (And yes, I do have a sense of what cute is, I have hugged a kitten once, so I can't be pure evil).

I SAY WE NUKE THE BLEEDIN' BASTAHDS!
Its only a matter off time before they develop opposable thumbs, and then it'll be too late because, as every envriohack knows, dolphins are at least 1000000000000000 times smarter than people, inspite of being too stupid to avoid tuna nets.
Agreed. A dolphin would kill you in two seconds flat if it ever got the chance.

I never thought dolphins were all that cute, they look rather ugly. (And yes, I do have a sense of what cute is, I have hugged a kitten once, so I can't be pure evil).

Agreed. Look at that pic PM posted: double chin, horrible little eyes, stupidly shaped mouth. I think dolphins are boring little pseudofish. Haven't got a scratch on hamsters.

Olara']Agreed. A dolphin would kill you in two seconds flat if it ever got the chance.
I'm not sure if you are commenting on the intellligence required to kill, or the intelligence required to realize when to kill.
Either way, what I've said is Gruenberg's fault, because it was his poll idea what gave me the idea. Is it so wrong that merely being exposed to other people makes me dangerous?

here is something about whales http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=whales_suck

the title does have a point if your a sailor because dolphins (allegedly) help people who are lost at sea

So have dolphins already come to the conclusion of helping us? (ever seen hitchhikers guide to the galaxy:D )

happy little bugger (http://davepics.com/Album/2003/12-18.Hawaii_HILX/Dolphin.jpg) :)
Bugger is right. Dolphins are the rapists of the open ocean.

http://www.sexwork.com/family/dolphinrape.html

Bugger is right. Dolphins are the rapists of the open ocean.

http://www.sexwork.com/family/dolphinrape.html


Heh. Dolphins are playful. :) Considering that they ejaculate at a force hard enough to injure (I've heard it compared to a shotgun blast), it's a good idea not to take them up on their offers. :)

Wow, I wish I could do that.

Wow, I wish I could do that.

...how verifiable is that? That's some pretty fast semen.

it seems we have found out what the military has been doing with all those dolphins :eek:

Bugger is right. Dolphins are the rapists of the open ocean.

http://www.sexwork.com/family/dolphinrape.html
You see? Dolphins don't care about us, why should we care about them?

Olara']You see? Dolphins don't care about us, why should we care about them?
Maybe they care too much.

Don't let them fool you. Dolphins are out to kill us all, they are just bidding their time.

So other than the fishing net issue, is there a particular concern that dolphins are endangered?

Nobody eats them. They're hard to keep in the home aquarium. Why are we concerned?

It might be simpler to mandate dolphin-safe nets than pass some kind of world ordinance on the general principle that dolphins are smart and therefor need protection..

We should protect all species, because if you destroy any species you fuck up the ecosystem.

so long and thanks for all the fish.

I think the dolphins are developing WMD's... Better to strike now than let them do it first! Lets just n0000000kerize the Oceans. That would be a lot of fun, and plenty of tzunamis that would allow us to send humanitarian aid and feel like a good person!

It's a win-win!

We should protect all species, because if you destroy any species you fuck up the ecosystem.
The ecosystem always comes back in the long run. We just might not be here to see what replaces the mammals that replaced the dinosaurs is all.

Bullshit. Dolphins are evil.

http://evildolphin.tripod.com/evildolphininiraq.JPG

Bullshit. Dolphins are evil.

http://evildolphin.tripod.com/evildolphininiraq.JPG
Interesting. Well if there is an image out in the world that is hosted by tripod I suppose that dolphins must be evil. You have convinced me to join you in your views, which I already shared anyway.

Dolphin poo doesn't smell good.

Dolphin poo doesn't smell good.
Thanks, I'll continue my long quest to not go looking for any.

OMG, tripod is still around?

Seriously, I really haven't been near dolphins to conclude anything as of yet, but I nevertheless picked yes because I'm stupid. XD

ANywho....

Thanks, I'll continue my long quest to not go looking for any.

After intense thinking for about three minutes I finally thought I had found a sentence that would perfectly fit the previous post in terms of intelligence and informativenes. All in all an equally useless thing to say.

And to be honest, I think I really succeeded.

Nobody eats them.

Are you kidding? Mmmmh...the other white meat.

a large bottlenosed dolphin is a predatory mammal about 2 to 3 times the mass of a large tiger... just something to think about when considering hanging out with them.

Dolphins are teh secks. We should definitely protect them from human interference. It may be just one species, but it's a start.

As for them being too dumb to avoid swimming into fish nets and stuff... well, it's sort of the equivalent of blindfolding a human, trying their arms to their sides, then getting them to walk around and laughing at them for being stupid enough to trip over one of the fifty trip wires that you're continually setting up in front of where they're walking.

a large bottlenosed dolphin is a predatory mammal about 2 to 3 times the mass of a large tiger... just something to think about when considering hanging out with them.

...Except they're usually a lot nicer toward humans than tigers are.

...Except they're usually a lot nicer toward humans than tigers are.
we don't seem to match their prey animal parameters

Have you guys ever killed a fly?
I have.

The point is that we do make a distinction between different animals.

So is every life worth exactly the same? Obviously not.
And it's not size either (ie the pure amount of living material), otherwise we'd rather kill people than elephants or whales.

So it's gotta be intellect at some level - personally I think a dolphin loses a lot more when it gets killed than a fly.

Have you guys ever killed a fly?
I have.

The point is that we do make a distinction between different animals.

So is every life worth exactly the same? Obviously not.
And it's not size either (ie the pure amount of living material), otherwise we'd rather kill people than elephants or whales.

So it's gotta be intellect at some level - personally I think a dolphin loses a lot more when it gets killed than a fly.

My thoughts exactly.

Who the fuck would want to kill an elephant or a dolphin? And who wouldn't want to kill a mosquito or a gnat?

And who wouldn't want to kill a mosquito or a gnat?

They're the only species I wish would be endangered.

They're the only species I wish would be endangered.

Endangered? Why not extinct?

My thoughts exactly.

Who the fuck would want to kill an elephant or a dolphin? And who wouldn't want to kill a mosquito or a gnat?

There's much better eating on an elephant or dolphin than on a mosquito or gnat.:)

I wonder what dolphins taste like.

My thoughts exactly.

Who the fuck would want to kill an elephant or a dolphin? And who wouldn't want to kill a mosquito or a gnat?

Well, at least with mosquitos, it's self-preservation to kill them. Mosquitos are the most dangerous animals in the world.

There's not really any reason to kill elephants and dolphins in general... maybe certain individuals that have gone bonkers, or if a disease suddenly wiped out all the cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, etc. on the planet all at once.

Hm, maybe how much protection we give to animals should be rated on a scale of how dangerous they are to humans in general vs. how endangered they are.

I wonder what dolphins taste like.
They taste like really good tuna fish.

Mosquitos and flys are vital parts of ecosystem in many places. Birds eat them, and other animals eat birds, and so on and so on. You can't just destroy one specie without effecting to the rest.

Mosquitos and flys are vital parts of ecosystem in many places. Birds eat them, and other animals eat birds, and so on and so on. You can't just destroy one specie without effecting to the rest.

Oh sure, I'd never think of wiping out the mosquito species (however tempting), but I'm just saying that a person would be quite justified in swatting a mosquito or fifty. It's not as if that'd make a dent in the mosquito population.

On a scale of Danger to Humans vs. Level of Endangerment for how protected a species should be, mosquitos rate a 'screw you'.

Endangered? Why not extinct?

This is the question my reply was meant to act like an answer.

This is the question my reply was meant to act like an answer.

Yeah, I totally threw out the ecosystem argument. I just hate mosquitoes. :p

My thoughts exactly.

Who the fuck would want to kill an elephant or a dolphin? And who wouldn't want to kill a mosquito or a gnat?
I’d kill an elephant or a dolphin just to say I did it.

I’d kill an elephant or a dolphin just to say I did it.

Get right on that, but don't blame me if a pack of elephants gangbangs you in a dark alley somewhere.

Get right on that, but don't blame me if a pack of elephants gangbangs you in a dark alley somewhere.
I’m more worried about getting arrested and the cost of a weapon capable of taking down an elephant, not to mention a round trip to Africa, but yeah, I’ll watch out for that.

:) Goodbye and thanks for all the fish :)

Huh...ya'll don't go killin'em off now! I haven't had the chance ta meet one IRL. Ya'll be kind to a Good Ol' Southern boy, ya Hear?

Huh...ya'll don't go killin'em off now! I haven't had the chance ta meet one IRL. Ya'll be kind to a Good Ol' Southern boy, ya Hear?

Ugh, somebody please kill me now.

*BLAM*

Anything else?

A list of truely intellegent animals:
-human
-dolphin
-elephant
-octopus
-parrot
-most primates
-ants.

These creatures seem to be intelligent. To be a sentient being is to be intellegent, right? These creatures should not only be protected, they should be given citizen status! Exept for ants; it is about impossible to keep from killing them because you can't see them half the time.

Rats and pigs are pretty clever.

Before we consider protecting species that may or may not be intelligent first we must consider once very important detail before they can be deemed as worthy of extra protection. Sure the animal may or may not be intelligent but that really isn't important. What's really important is their capability to wage war on us. If indeed they do possess the ability and willingness to inflict significant harm upon us, then maybe it would be in our best interest not to piss such a species off. Or if they know and can communicate with creatures which possess the ability to harm us, then maybe we should consider not harming them either. Other than that though I don't see why we should give them extra consideration for protection. And besides dolphins are delicious http://67.18.37.17/1424/192/emo/icon_biggrin.gif