Militant Vegan
A friend was describing her experience with militant vegans. How they make everyone feel bad from their moral high ground. I used to be one. With friends who thought the same, it was easy. I spent hours using philosophical jiu-jitsu to convert people.
Then I wondered - does this actually help? Eventually I had to drop the hat. My veganism was making a small dent. The crusade was over. Sure, less suffering was being caused in the world, but far too little to make a meaningful difference. Systems as large as factory farming don't shift from individual choices alone.
I now pick up a new thesis. Money helps animals more than arguments. I used to think paying to offset guilt was cheating. That you must live up to your principles directly.
But money can:
- Get farmers to use stunners for shrimp (yes, shrimp!)
- Convince major food companies to use only cage-free eggs
- Fund research to reduce wild animal suffering
That's living up to principles too. So no, I don't want you to become vegan. But if you can afford it, consider giving to charities that efficiently improve animals' lives.
