It is not about being perfect but to reduce animal suffering where you can as we live in a non-vegan world where some things are only made with animal products.
Carnists are overlooking the fact that vegans are pushing for all vaccines to be made without animal products. Like when I went to my local pharmacy in Canada to get the Covid shot I asked for the covifenz plant-based vaccine but to my dismay they responded that it wasn’t available, so I had no choice but to pick Moderna instead and in February 2nd 2022 they discontinued that plant-based vaccine leaving the world with only the cruel options.
I’m tired of this “you must be perfect or you’re completely wrong, so stop trying to reduce harm” attitude from carnists as they don’t even apply these same unrealistic standards to themselves, that way thinking is problematic because if we thought that way about every issue nothing would improve because small improvements would be relentlessly attacked because they don’t fix everything.
that way thinking is problematic because if we thought that way about every issue nothing would improve because small improvements would be relentlessly attacked because they don’t fix everything.
That actually is a big problem in politics. Half-measures are often attacked and stopped because improving something isn’t enough. It has to be perfect.
Even worse, there are tons of people applying this kind of logic to themselves as an easy out to not do something:
“Oh, there is no candidate perfect for you? Why vote at all.”
“Oh, you cannot become fully carbon-neutral? Just continue polluting at your hearts content.”
“Oh, you cannot retire at 30? Just don’t save at all.”
“Oh, you are past your physical prime? Why workout at all.”
Maybe some day I’ll find an example so stupid even these people understand the flaw in their ways.
Sometimes meat eater here that has gotten into debates about this before.
Honestly, phrasing it as a “debate” is the wrong headspace entirely. You aren’t going to convince anyone to change any position they hold by arguing. This is a psychology problem more than a vegan one, as people dont like to be made to feel like they’re doing something wrong.
I grew up with boomer parents that served meat with every meal and the thing that got me to reduce my meat intake after moving out was twofold:
- exploring culinary options from other cultures that eat less meat.
- meat being really fucking expensive for someone fresh out of college.
Host a dinner party sometime and show people that the options aren’t just bland tofu flavored to resemble meat like they were in the 90s.
Also, dont expect to fully convert someone. Treat the times they order a dahl from an Indian place instead of a burger as a win.
I am vegan because of all the health problems caused by eating animal cells:
- visceral fat
- colon cancer
- diabetes
- overeating from lack of fiber
- reduced recovery time
Just to name a few.
I would prefer no animals be harmed but when making that the basis for a vegan diet it is much harder to convince people that don’t care about animal suffering. Also, there are so many arguments used as “gotchas” that it becomes counterproductive, like the vaccine example you gave.
Pointing out what’s in it for them is a much better approach than trying to convince people that animal consent is important.
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