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LAST TEMPTATION OF BUNZL
Philosophy professor Martin Bunzl:
I spend most of my waking hours worrying about how to reduce my output of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
If that’s all you’re doing, problem solved.
Yet my behavior seems to march to a different drummer.
It sure does; Bunzl craves a HumVee and is the ashamed owner of the world’s filthiest hedge trimmer (“a behemoth when it comes to producing carbon dioxide”). How does Bunzl think his vile urges might be controlled?
Don’t clutter my world with things I should not have. Don’t dangle them in front of me, creating desire, only to then try to have me renounce them. Just ban the damn two-cycle hedge trimmer and let me be done with the matter.
Via Paco, who - in the manner of sane people everywhere - generally doesn’t buy something if he doesn’t think he should. Although visitors to Seville, Spain, are encouraged to spend, spend, spend at Paco’s latest money-spinning venture:
(Pic by Corey H.)
I want to know who he
bribedmade a generous donation to for this.Posted by Spiny Norman on 2008 01 05 at 12:25 PM • permalinkThat’s right, Tim! Your pesetas or euros will go much farther at Casa Paco’s (How much farther? Well, ultimately, all the way to Paco’s Bank & Trust in the Cayman Islands).
Note the historically authentic, antique-mildew-blood-and-sand decor. A packet of Beano comes with every meal. And don’t forget to try our sangria zombies!
But, hey, you don’t have to take my word for it; check out these testimonials:
Francisco Franco: “The worst thing about being dead is missing out on the Caudillo Specials at Casa Paco.”
King Juan Carlos: “Why don’t you just shut up and eat!”
George Santayana: “A meal eaten at Casa Paco’s is doomed to repeat itself.”
Luis Buñuel: “For a surreal meal, you can’t beat Casa Paco’s!”
#4 paco
“A meal eaten at Casa Paco’s is doomed to repeat itself.”
That, and the “antique-mildew-blood-and-sand decor” has put me off my feed. Thanks.
=^0
p.s. How does one get a park in Manila named after one’s self? (My #3)
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2008 01 05 at 01:43 PM • permalink#3 and #8 Spiny: No bribery involved at all, I assure you. The bureaucrat with whom we were negotiating just turned out to be a, er, numismatist . . . Yeah, that’s it . . . a numismatist. Out of gratitude for his final sign-off on the deal, we showed our appreciation by making a small gift of collectible currency (mostly, old tens and twenties, unmarked).
11
Out of gratitude for his final sign-off on the deal, we showed our appreciation by making a small gift of collectible currency (mostly, old tens and twenties, unmarked).
Yes, I witnessed the
briberyDONATION myself.(mostly, old tens and twenties, unmarked)
Well yes, if you don’t count the picture of President Paco on those old tens and twenties as “unmarked”, that is.
#11 paco
“Numismatist”
Hmmm… I see. It all seems so reasonable when you put it that way.
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2008 01 05 at 02:12 PM • permalinkNice work, Lyle!
Bunzl is what my great-grand-mother would have called an “educated fool”. All that book-larnin’ gone to waste on a jackass.
It’s no surprise that Bunzl has involved himself in Climate Change.
Posted by Harry Bergeron on 2008 01 05 at 03:25 PM • permalinkThe good Professor owes it to himself to purchase a one way ticket to North Korea or Cuba.
Life there will be just grand for him, threatened with the awful temptation of illuminating a room at night he’ll be comfortable knowing that electricity isn’t availble for “ordinary” citizens.Posted by Hank Reardon on 2008 01 05 at 05:08 PM • permalinkI spend most of my waking hours worrying about how to reduce my output of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Sealed garage. Length of rubber tubing. Car. There you are, professor, problem solved. If you were really enthusiastic, you could substitute the evil 2-stroke hedge trimmer for the car (I think that is what you philosophers call an ‘ironic reference’).
Don’t thank me, professor, it’s all for the planet.
Bunzl is the kind of intellectual responsible for marxism. ‘To each according to his need..’ meant ‘as long as you don’t have any serious needs’.
Socialism is the perfect theory that just has insuperable performance problems.Never blame the individual, always blame the implementation.
Just look at their god-like leaders - Castro, Mugabe, Boy Wonder Sung-ill, Stalin etc etc.They NEVER learn…
Clearly the professor couldn’t think his way out of a paper bag.
Where do useless professors go to die? University climate change departments.
Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2008 01 05 at 06:08 PM • permalinkI am not alone in loving Hummers. An effective tax will have to take into account all variety of Hummer lovers, the strength of their preferences and the size of their wallets.
No, you are not alone in your love of hummers, dear Professor.
Not quite sure I want the tax man involved with them, though…
Posted by Mr. Bingley on 2008 01 05 at 07:20 PM • permalinkThe mead at casa Paco is a little pricey though. Never ending supply though, Im assured his contacts for obtaining the stuff never spend long enough in jail for safecracking to ever restrict the supply.
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2008 01 05 at 07:49 PM • permalinkPedro partied last night.
Pedro is now a sick puppy, gazing at a world that unaccountably has a reddish tinge and is grey around the edges.
Rum is the Devil’s invention.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2008 01 05 at 10:20 PM • permalinkBunzl’s dilemma was originally written about by St Augustine in his famous words “I see the better course, and approve of it, but I follow the worse”, referring to his use of prostitutes as a young man. Had he been a 21st century lefty wankademic instead of a 5th century churchman, I suppose he would have deported prostitutes wholesale, cut his own balls off, or both.
This is really depressing - we have people in positions once regarded as fairly exalted, who don’t know that the absence of sin without temptation is meaningless. Virtue is achieved only through self control. That’s why in the Genesis myth, the Tree of the Fruit of Forbidden Knowledge isn’t in a locked enclosure.
Of course, this presupposes that the professor even cares about virtue. I suppose someone so morally lazy really doesn’t. Virtue for him comes in saying the right things.
38. squawkbox
“..I suppose he would have deported prostitutes wholesale, cut his own balls off, or both..”
Nah if he was a true lefty hed be nuts deep in poontang telling us he was only doing it to educate us on the dangers, and we should get our nuts cut off. And “deportation” would be remarkably similar to “have them all sent to my room” for the same reason.
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2008 01 06 at 12:59 AM • permalinkDave S - I think you’re right when you suggest he doesn’t care about virtue. There are plenty of people who will argue to the death about what moral choices we should make, as individuals or groups, but Bunzl represents an increasing number of people who hate the very idea of making choices, making decisions, and taking the responsibility when their decisions turn out to be wrong - in short, the whole awkward idea of being human.
The scariest line on that whole page is the very last one:
“Martin Bunzl, a philosophy professor, directs the Initiative on Climate Change, Social Policy and Politics at Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics. ”
This is exactly the sort of thing that people mean when referring to the self-serving nature of climate scaremongers. The whole global warming thing is an excuse to give people silly jobs and silly grants that wouldn’t have existed 10 years ago and shouldn’t exist today. What the hell is a philosophy professor doing running a program on climate change? It’s just another excuse to suck on the public teat because they control the purse strings.
(This situation, of course, now reinforces the idea in their heads that man-made global warming just has to be true. The alternative is too scary to contemplate, given that it’s the excuse by which they make their living.)
This Bunzl probably thinks A Clockwork OrRange is an optimistic uptopian tale.
paco, how’s this -
Edvard Munch: Try the tapas, they’re a scream!
or this -
Bill and Ted: Excellent! (air guitar)
Posted by Steve Skubinna on 2008 01 07 at 06:59 AM • permalinkBunzl’s piece had to be the most contemptible, hand-wringing burst of moral self-indulgence I’ve seen since… since… since Kofi frickin’ Annan got asked abut Rwanda.
As the spineless creep parades his neuroses over his piston-envy, I’m suddenly deeply grateful for Ann Coulter’s bon mot -
Liberals go to therapy. Conservatives go to church.
Posted by Renegade Lawyer on 2008 01 07 at 09:18 AM • permalink
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Hey, dude! Don’t clutter my world with nutty professors, OK?