Cannibalism and the Hunger Crisis

[karisma]

Should cannibalism be promoted as a way to help solve the food crisis- especially in third world countries? I obviously don't mean making it acceptable to go hunting for humans, but say people are starving literally to death, or if people die from disease or accident, should we promote eating them?

 

[LittleNipper]

Should cannibalism be promoted as a way to help solve the food crisis- especially in third world countries? I obviously don't mean making it acceptable to go hunting for humans, but say people are starving literally to death, or if people die from disease or accident, should we promote eating them?

What happens as the result of a disaster is one thing, to make it a governmental policy would be a disaster in itself.

 

[cantata]

Should cannibalism be promoted as a way to help solve the food crisis- especially in third world countries? I obviously don't mean making it acceptable to go hunting for humans, but say people are starving literally to death, or if people die from disease or accident, should we promote eating them?

I think that any organisation that promoted cannibalism, even with the best intentions, would not be taken seriously. People have strong moral objections, for better or worse, to eating human flesh.

There are also health risks associated with cannibalism.

 

[The Nihilist]

NO! Jesus Christ!

 

[Sitswithamouse]

Absolutely no way.

 

[karisma]

There are also health risks associated with cannibalism.

I think that those diseases are really only risky when you eat the brain or spinal cord. Besides, other mammals (cattle, deer, etc) can carry prions as well, and people still eat them.

 

[cantata]

I think that those diseases are really only risky when you eat the brain or spinal cord. Besides, other mammals (cattle, deer, etc) can carry prions as well, and people still eat them.

True.

But the social implications would be severe, nevertheless.

 

[coyoteBR]

"A Modest Proposal", all over again?

 

[Aeris]

I agree with LittleNipper if it happened as a result of a disaster or occasionally in third world countries due to lack of food (if it happened on a regular basis it would be quite disturbing) then thats one thing, but I cant say that I agree with promoting it for any reason, theres got to be a better solution than that.

 

[Isambard]

Should cannibalism be promoted as a way to help solve the food crisis- especially in third world countries? I obviously don't mean making it acceptable to go hunting for humans, but say people are starving literally to death, or if people die from disease or accident, should we promote eating them?

I see no moral dilemma in eating humans who died of natural causes. And to those who say that this will lead to other things, remember you tread on a slippery-slope which is false as there are a number of societies both past and present in which cannibalism has been part of the culture.

That said, eating humans who died of natural causes is problematic in a pragmatic sense. Eating someone who died of hunger would yield little nutritional value. Ditto for someone who died of disease as you risk infection.

A better option to solve the hunger problem in the long-run would be to allow nature to run its course.

 

[Bombila]

Aside from the possible health problems, the fact that most people will normally die of starvation rather than turn to cannibalism indicates how big a taboo it is. Yes, some people, and some cultures, have overcome it to some degree at various times, but like most mammal species, we're pretty hardwired not to eat each other most of the time.

I remember a woman telling me about what she thought was the biggest faux pas she'd ever made. A friend and friend's new fiance were attending a party she was having. Among small talk it came out that the fiance was a pilot. "Oh, really?" quoth the hostess "I'm a white knuckle flier myself, expect to crash in the woods anytime and end up eating my seatmate or something."

Dead silence followed, conversation languished, the couple soon left. After which another person at the party, in somewhat shocked tones, said "Don't you know who he is?" Turns out he was a pilot who crashed up North years ago and was believed to have eaten some flesh off the nurse he was flying with, who had died in the crash.

I leave you with this fine set of lyrics: The Reluctant Cannibal, by the inimitable Flanders and Swann...

http://www.justsomelyrics.com/1653493/Flanders-And-Swann-The-Reluctant-Cannibal-Lyrics

 

[cantata]

I see no moral dilemma in eating humans who died of natural causes.

No, nor do I, personally, but I think encouraging the breaking of the taboo in most cultures would be problematic.

And to those who say that this will lead to other things, remember you tread on a slippery-slope which is false as there are a number of societies both past and present in which cannibalism has been part of the culture.

But not as a solution to starvation. Cannibalism as ritual treatment of the dead is a different kettle of flesh altogether.

That said, eating humans who died of natural causes is problematic in a pragmatic sense. Eating someone who died of hunger would yield little nutritional value. Ditto for someone who died of disease as you risk infection.

That too.

A better option to solve the hunger problem in the long-run would be to allow nature to run its course.

LET THEM STARVE, mwahaha.

 

[LouTheWicked]

NO! Jesus Christ!

Well, Christians symbolically eat his flesh and drink his blood.

 

[Gremlins]

One major problem with this idea. It kills people. I'm sure that everyone's heard of Mad Cow Disease. That was caused by cows being fed dead cows, which for some reason makes these wacked-out proteins called prions cause your brain and spinal chord to go all spongey. Tribes in Papua New Guinea who practiced regular cannabalism were found to suffer from a similar condition.

 

[wanderingone]

Should cannibalism be promoted as a way to help solve the food crisis- especially in third world countries? I obviously don't mean making it acceptable to go hunting for humans, but say people are starving literally to death, or if people die from disease or accident, should we promote eating them?

Not sure eating diseased corpses would solve the problem- it might kind of kill more people?

Personally if we stopped running agri business for the benefit of people who already have enough food those who don't wouldn't be so hungry.

But no.. we shouldn't promote it, we already have poor people's babies and body parts being snatched up for the benefit of others, lets not offer up their corpses for the next gourmet meal and make it okay to finish people off for someone else's next meal (and you know that's where it would go)

 

[Nathan Poe]

What happens as the result of a disaster is one thing, to make it a governmental policy would be a disaster in itself.

Ah -- just like religion!

 

[Steezie]

This has already been suggested.












**snicker**

 

[MoonlessNight]

It seems to be the completely wrong way about going about things. It reminds me of "The Cold Equations" where the policy to prevent excess weight (which would doom the mission) on emergency cargo ships is to kill stowaways and throw them out the airlock, rather than having stricter methods of keeping them off the ship in the first place. Or the huge government program in A Canticle for Leibowitz to help everyone commit suicide after the nuclear war that the government knows (and doesn't seem to be particularly adverse to) is going happen.

In short it's attacking things from the wrong end. It's supposed to be an emergency measure, but to put in practice would require enough of a structure for it so as to be an expected occurrence. It's not so simple as to say "use that energy on preventing hunger in the first place" but it's my general sentiment. If you create a plan for fixing the "worst case" scenario, who really cares when you get to the worst case especially if it's not you who has to deal with the mess.

 

[karisma]

I remember a woman telling me about what she thought was the biggest faux pas she'd ever made. A friend and friend's new fiance were attending a party she was having. Among small talk it came out that the fiance was a pilot. "Oh, really?" quoth the hostess "I'm a white knuckle flier myself, expect to crash in the woods anytime and end up eating my seatmate or something."

Dead silence followed, conversation languished, the couple soon left. After which another person at the party, in somewhat shocked tones, said "Don't you know who he is?" Turns out he was a pilot who crashed up North years ago and was believed to have eaten some flesh off the nurse he was flying with, who had died in the crash.

Unbelievable. Foot-in-mouth. :o

 

[karisma]

One major problem with this idea. It kills people. I'm sure that everyone's heard of Mad Cow Disease. That was caused by cows being fed dead cows, which for some reason makes these wacked-out proteins called prions cause your brain and spinal chord to go all spongey. Tribes in Papua New Guinea who practiced regular cannabalism were found to suffer from a similar condition.

It's pretty rare though, and really only a problem if you eat the brain or spinal cord.