Childhood indoctrination

[Forbinator]

That is a right - the right to life.

Other than that, why should we when they are a source of food?

Not only are they an excellent source of food but I hear that human meat just tastes much better if fed a vegan diet before processing.


All kidding aside, I do appreciate the contribution to a cleaner planet which anyone who eats veggie (vegan or not) makes by eating lower on the food chain. Frankly though, if we're concerned for the well being of animals, the greater contribution we could make would be not to utilize so much land to our own purposes. It is loss of habitat that prevents survival of a diversity of species. So the number one contribution we could make toward the well being of other species would be to bring down the human biomass on the planet - a lot. Preserving habitat for other animals gives them a chance to live in the way they have evolved to live, which seems more fulfilling on the face of it. If we're content to winnow down the planet's diversity, it'll just be us, our pets, roaches, mosquitos, rats and whatever other animals that are able to thrive in the conditions we create around us.

Agreed, but the two approaches are interlinked. We are wasting so much land to produce plant-based food to use to fatten up animals, who shit out 85% of it. Let's feed our food directly to humans, rather than filtering it through animals whose populations are artificially increased for that purpose. Much of the deforestation today is to make way for more and more cattle grazing, as well as crops that will be fed to enslaved animals. 80% of the world's soy is fed to animals!

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They also breed and raise the animals for the sole purpose of becoming food... There wouldn't be near the number of cattle or chickens in the world today if we weren't raising them for food.

I'm just saying, baby steps. I don't foresee a world in which enough people convert to vegetarianism/veganism to put an end to animals being eaten... But I do think change is possible within the industry, with carnivores joining the cause. Letting chickens be free range vs. crammed in a tiny box or an overcrowded coop, unable to stand due to their large breasts, for instance. This would make life better for the chickens, even if they still get eaten in the end, and the meat tastes better. I'm more concerned about the quality of life for the animal, than it being slaughtered and eaten. I think that's a good hurdle to start on rather than trying to convince people "meat is murder."

Both approaches are necessary together, that is, both welfarism and abolition. If I were being wrongly imprisoned, I would need my family to campaign for two things: 1. my release (abolition) and 2. improvement of the conditions in which I am imprisoned (welfarism).

Only doing option 1 means I get beaten and raped in prison, and only doing option 2 means I have to accept wrongful imprisonment and basically concede defeat.