Itsi

Itsi recently wrote a very temperate and measured review of Drew’s article against veganism. In my desire to create meaningless local Inkhaven content cycles I have decided to contribute.

The worldview of Itsi Weinstock is very similar to mine. Last April he wrote an article on why vegans must move to San Francisco if they want to have any influence over the world (charitably, he also includes Washington DC, China, India, Brazil):

"I don’t think there’s a good reason not to pick up your life and move here unless you literally cannot. This is the most important moment in history if we are going to stop putting 100s of billions of animals through factory farms, the closest approximation to hell."

Yes! Exactly! Itsi gets it. Whether or not I eat a ham sandwich today is completely irrelevant! Sometimes I eat cheese toasties – who gives a shit? (God certainly doesn’t…) How will scorning sushi in tokyo alter the lightcone? How will it stop factory farming in the 3-4 years we have before Takeoff? Insulting Drew Schorno for enjoying Spaghetti Bolognese - in this day and age: why - it’s like telling Eskimos to turn their lights off to stop global warming!

Now, being charitable, Itsi will probably respond that at a local level, consequentialist-veganism builds a virtuous character, binds the vegan movement together, and ensures we all stay committed to the cause.

Spot on! I too deny myself things for no reason because it makes whatever I am doing seem more meaningful. When I was a high school teacher we used to stay up really late marking, past the point of diminishing returns. That was how we knew we were "In It Together" and Really^TM cared about the students.

I’ll even use some of Itsi’s teachings in class. Remember kids: even though God isn’t real we need to believe sin is a particle if we want to ensure 100% compliance rates. Increase negative utility? You’ve just earned Evil Points. Now you’re dirty. Better go fasting and running around looking for forgiveness, just like the Jains and Jews, forever.

What’s marginally worse than eating a ham sandwich that one time? Staying in your hometown as a smart, driven, animal-lover. Now that is a crime. You mean to tell me you haven’t considered how many animals you could save by abandoning your family and friends to go to Bay Area House Parties? What a dolt! Quick Quick! Jump on a plane and determine the fate of the universe!

And when you get here you can join the club, go to all the tasty vegan places, and we’ll all achieve 100% compliance rates together. We’ll create heaven/AI-utopia, avoid hell/animal suffering, and appease God/Rationality. Those who doubt us will have to be stopped: if it wasn’t for Itsi, think of how many potential vegans might have been deceived by the wicked weak & stupid Drew Schorno. I mean Jesus Christ! (?), think of all those sin particles they might have accumulated!

Postscript. I obviously agree with Itsi’s life plans and think he is doing God’s work. I’m not exactly sure why it needs a quasi-religious devotion to minimising meat intake irrespective of scope, but if it works for him and he can minimise splash damage to the Drews of the world, swell!