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by _dain_ 1484 days ago
Yes. Really.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDXB0CY2tSQ

2 comments

I'm looking at it from the perspective of what I consider truly hellish. Is suburban sprawl bad, sure. But let's be honest, how does any of what was shown in that video compare to a warzone, a slum in an underdeveloped country, or some polluted Superfund site?

When I think "hellscape", I think of this, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agbogbloshie

Hyperbole is a literary tool - please don't pedantically pick at my word choice. It doesn't lead to interesting discussion.
If you're going to use provocative words you should be prepared for some pushback when people challenge the appropriateness of the terms you've chosen.
Well - there's been an excessive discussion focused on my usage of the term "hellscape" and seemingly no pro-car discussion to my actual comment. It feels quite nitpicky to swoop in to criticize a specific term used without actually discussing what that term was contained within.
I'm not even particularly pro-car. One does not have to disagree with your broader perspective in order to be critic of your word choice. I see your frustration as something that comes with the territory. When you use hyperbole in your rhetoric you risk people taking issue with the specific allusion and proceeding to refute it. Probably because refuting that hyperbole can be seen as diminishing the rest of your argument.
The real Hell is a place of infinite and everlasting torment, so all Earthly comparisons are by necessity hyperbole.
Thanks for linking that - it's quite a well put together run down of how big the contrast really is.