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Comment by coldtea | Hacker News Reader

>You're missing the point by bringing up irrelevant things like "fun."

They are only "irrelevant" if one only makes decisions based on single one-track brain criterion: "healthy or not".

Which you tried to impose upon this conversation, but as it has been repeatedly pointed out, it's not the be all end all.

>The reality is this: alcohol is worse than water and alcohol is bad for you.

The reality is I could not care less.

>yeesh. the fact that you're posting silly poems instead of constructing a solid argument is proof enough.

An argument for what? That alcohol is healthier than water? That was never the point.

In fact, if we take it strictly, TFA is about alcohol. Why even bring up water in this thread?

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There's no point in considering criteria that cannot be quantified.

The point is that alcohol is unhealthy. Unhealthiness is a relative term. Relative to the default, that is, water.

Anyway, you don't seem to have any evidence that alcohol is healthy compared to its downsides other than a silly notion of fun, something that's not exclusive to alcohol.

What does alcohol give you that water cannot? Nothing.

Social activities? Doesn't require alcohol.

A buzz? Doesn't require alcohol.

Going to a bar? Doesn't require alcohol.

Etc.

> There's no point in considering criteria that cannot be quantified.

Sure there is. You claimed that alcohol has no benefits over water. We don't need to quantify absolutely everything to dispute that absurd claim, but point out that the benefits exist.

> The point is that alcohol is unhealthy. Unhealthiness is a relative term. Relative to the default, that is, water.

Again - not true. Water cannot save you from cardiovascular disease. And water doesn't provide any sort of stress relief, taste, or enjoyment unless you're dehydrated.

> evidence that alcohol is healthy compared to its downsides

From the Harvard article I posted: "More than 100 prospective studies show an inverse association between moderate drinking and risk of heart attack, ischemic (clot-caused) stroke, peripheral vascular disease, sudden cardiac death, and death from all cardiovascular causes. (4) The effect is fairly consistent, corresponding to a 25 percent to 40 percent reduction in risk."

"For a 60-year-old man, a drink a day may offer protection against heart disease that is likely to outweigh potential harm (assuming he isn’t prone to alcoholism)."

> What does alcohol give you that water cannot? Nothing.

Not true and already covered.

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