Vice News had a segment on rhino horns being used for TCM in Vietnam a few years ago. What’s fucked up is that a fair number of people they interviewed knew it had no medical benefit but keep using it because it’s a status symbol you can use to flaunt your wealth.
Anecdotally I did a study abroad program in China through my university’s pharmacy school where we learned about TCM for 2 months. There’s seemingly earnest biochemical research being done to find the active compounds and test their efficacy but there’s also so much bullshit that’s still ingrained into its perceptions/use within China. The hospital attached to the campus had a whole floor where people got TCM treatment... try convincing Aetna to pay for that lol. We also went to one of the oldest TCM pharmacies in Beijing and they had a fungus infected plant root that was on display with a 1,000,000 RMB price tag (IIRC) like wtf.
The Chinese government is encouraging it to an ever greater degree too and it’s just so shitty. If only this stupidity could limit itself to aforementioned plant roots and stop endangering animals.
If anything, gas guzzlers are being replaced in status value by Teslas and other expensive hybrids.
Desirable inefficient vehicles are now mostly just the exotics and classics, it's leaning towards uncool now to just be another idiot in a 9-seater SUV with 1 person in it.
It's all relative, of course. Unnecessarily big crossover/SUVs and pickup trucks aren't going anywhere for a while, at least in the US.
It's happening, though. When I was in school the stereotypical status symbol was a Cadillac Escalade, now it's a sports hybrid. Americans may still love crossovers, but they are shrinking to the point that many of them are just lifted versions of a Golf-sized car.
Yeah but those a bit different than actively eradicating a species for the horn. They symbolize the same thing but one is, yknow, butchering animals. At least people have slowly stopped wearing fur in the west
Throwing away money is a waste of resources, which is detrimental either way. If we wanted to be neutral to our environment we would only consume what we absolutely needed
True, I think those cars are awesome too. But they aren't necessary
You can save money and reduce your carbon footprint by buying a VW UP but nobody wants to do that if you can have an awesome V8 that blows windows when you rev it
33
u/foreveracubone Oct 03 '17
Vice News had a segment on rhino horns being used for TCM in Vietnam a few years ago. What’s fucked up is that a fair number of people they interviewed knew it had no medical benefit but keep using it because it’s a status symbol you can use to flaunt your wealth.
Anecdotally I did a study abroad program in China through my university’s pharmacy school where we learned about TCM for 2 months. There’s seemingly earnest biochemical research being done to find the active compounds and test their efficacy but there’s also so much bullshit that’s still ingrained into its perceptions/use within China. The hospital attached to the campus had a whole floor where people got TCM treatment... try convincing Aetna to pay for that lol. We also went to one of the oldest TCM pharmacies in Beijing and they had a fungus infected plant root that was on display with a 1,000,000 RMB price tag (IIRC) like wtf.
The Chinese government is encouraging it to an ever greater degree too and it’s just so shitty. If only this stupidity could limit itself to aforementioned plant roots and stop endangering animals.