Animal Advocacy Should a Meat-Eater Advocate for a Vegan Society?

[Second Summer]

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the emphasis animal activists place on the assumed need to practice personal veganism so as to advocate public veganism. [...]

[...]

One of these thought-provoking readings was Norm Phelps’ book “Changing the Game,” particularly those sections which dealt with the distinctions between movements that focus on private morality and those that focus on public policy. He listed regressive campaigns such as prohibition, the war on drugs and the anti-abortion movement as belonging to the former, while highlighting progressive campaigns like the civil-rights movement, second-wave feminism and the LGBT struggle as belonging to the latter.

“The public generally sees animal rights as belonging to the private tradition,” Phelps wrote, after pointing out the population of vegetarians and vegans in the United States has not grown or shrank over at least the past dozen years, fitting with the pattern he established of movements associated with the private tradition failing. “They believe this in large part because we place so much emphasis on personal dietary decisions and comparatively little emphasis on institutional and societal attitudes toward animals.

Read more: Should a Meat-Eater Advocate for a Vegan Society? (Jon Hochschartner in Counterpunch, 7. March 2014)

 

[mary1]

It's not so much that meat eaters *can't* advocate for veganism. It's that they aren't very convincing if they aren't walking the walk. :-/

 

[Blobbenstein]

If someone like Bill Gates wants the world to move towards veganism, and new food technologies, I think that is ok, but if someone wants to advocate veganism in the present, then it's best if they are a veg*n of some sort.

It's like some Greens go on about bikes, yet drive around in cars all the time...they should get out and ride up a steep hill on a rainy day, if that is what they expect other people to do.

 

[ledboots]

I don't like it when environmentalists are meat-eaters. It makes no sense. I email these guys sometimes pointing this out.

 

[shyvas]

I don't like it when environmentalists are meat-eaters. It makes no sense. I email these guys sometimes pointing this out.

Good for you.

 

[Clueless Git]

S'a bit like the local burglar nominating himself as spokesman for the local neighbourhood watch.

 

[Second Summer]

It's not so much that meat eaters *can't* advocate for veganism. It's that they aren't very convincing if they aren't walking the walk. :-/

I guess if they are full-on meat-eaters, then yes. But what if they just make some effort to reduce their animal food consumption? If they are putting more of their efforts into changing institutional and societal attitudes toward animals, with a goal of incrementally creating a vegan world some time in the future, then maybe it doesn't matter that they're not actually vegans now? Maybe that is a better, more effective way to spend their energy?

Edit: I'm not advocating this myself, just trying to make sense of the article.

 

[ledboots]

I guess if they are full-on meat-eaters, then yes. But what if they just make some effort to reduce their animal food consumption? If they are putting more of their efforts into changing institutional and societal attitudes toward animals, with a goal of incrementally creating a vegan world some time in the future, then maybe it doesn't matter that they're not actually vegans now? Maybe that is a better, more effective way to spend their energy?

Edit: I'm not advocating this myself, just trying to make sense of the article.

I'm glad when omni environmentalists reduce their meat consumption and come out publicly about less meat being better environmentally. A few of my daughter's friends went veg mostly for reasons like this.

 

[mary1]

Oh, I am not saying omnis shouldn't get involved in AR. I would love it if they did!

When I say they are not very convincing, I mean that it's clearly hypocritical and therefore, their message is more easily dismissed by people who don't want to hear their AR message.

 

[Mischief]

Actually, I think that if someone who has himself reduced his meat consumption but is not veg*n advocates for a vegan society, that might be more convincing to more omnis than a vegan advocating for it.

 

[prioritarian]

Oh, I am not saying omnis shouldn't get involved in AR. I would love it if they did!I mean that it's clearly hypocritical and therefore, their message is more easily dismissed by people who don't want to hear their AR message.

IMO, it's unfortunate that some vegans tend to assume that people who eat animal products live an unethical lifestyle (e.g. are more hypocritical than the average "vegan"). It's possible to consume some animal products and live a lifestyle that is more or less compatible with the ethical underpinnings of veganism. In fact, many AR/AW organizations and activists now shy away from using the term vegan because they disagree with it's exclusivity -- hence the rise of veg. I personally favor the use of "veganish" because it's even more inclusive and lacks the ethical vagueness of flexitarian/plant-based/veg.

 

[prioritarian]

they should get out and ride up a steep hill on a rainy day, if that is what they expect other people to do.

I do and I do expect others to do so. And it sometimes angers/hurts me to see vegans drive their motorized couches to vegan restaurants.