If you’re at all aware of what goes in farming in Australia you know it’s a massive horror show. From chicken macerators to pig gas chambers animals suffer massively to end up on your plate.

Every Australian I’ve ever spoken to describes themselves as loving animals, and is horrified at things such as whaling. Most of us even find activities like puppy milling or hunting upsetting.

In light of this; and the knowledge that a few decades ago whaling was a-ok, monkeys didn’t matter, and elephants certainly didn’t feel pain; what makes you confident that what you were raised to consider beneath consideration actually is?

Eating animals is neither necessary nor nice, so why do it?

  • NaevaTheRat@vegantheoryclub.orgOP
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    5 days ago

    This seems like half an argument from nature, which is a bit odd. I mean I don’t see you arguing against using antibiotics despite most humans since recorded history not using them or whatever.

    Tradition is a bad argument for anything. Either it is right or wrong to kill animals when we don’t need to. I’m sure you take a rather dim view of whaling because it is unnecessary, despite it being deeply entwined with many cultures and historically common. Or dog fighting or whatever.

    Why is eating cows different to whaling, fighting dogs, or using elephants in circuses. If we don’t need to eat them it’s only for fun we do.

    • CTDummy@lemm.ee
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      5 days ago

      I can see that, more to point out current social norms or “tradition” as you put it. If the majority of people are currently omni and they have no external reason to change; they won’t. Psychosocial factors/status quo might be what I’m appealing to?

      Well I’d assert that those cases are not all equal. Cattle in feedlots probably don’t live the same lives as dogs that fight each other; often to the death. Whales are important to their ecosystem (and we could fish them into extinction). It’s also just super wasteful to kill whales for oil/food when we have other ways of sourcing those materials. Elephants can practically never be sufficiently well kept by a circus (except a wealthy company maybe) and are incredibly social animals so there’s no way in my mind to keep them in a circus in a humane way.

      I think the main problem veganism/vegos face is PR/marketing. For example, I feel like far more people would become meatless for environmental reason rather than comparing “modern” farming to dog fighting. Which feels more like guilting than anything and puts the receiver immediately on the defensive. Factory farming and abusive farming practices in general can get fucked though.

      • NaevaTheRat@vegantheoryclub.orgOP
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        5 days ago

        But cows in feedlots necessarily die… I mean most fighting dogs don’t get chained to that eating fence. Or say broiler chickens, stuck in a shed and frequently having their own bones collapse under their growing weight. Even that aside, surely if I told you I intend to breed dogs, pamper them, then at 2 years old bolt gun them and repeat you’d be a little aghast? no?

        You’re a bit all over the shop and I don’t want you to feel like I’m not listening to you. So what do you want to talk about of the following:

        • environmental impact (whales are important to ecosystems)
        • waste (it’s wasteful to kill whales)
        • Quality of life/the repugnant conclusion
        • what it means to be humane
        • whether it is possible to eat meat without factory farming

        Or if there is another issue you’d rather talk about?

        • CTDummy@lemm.ee
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          5 days ago

          Yes they do, I don’t think I implied otherwise, my point was the way they live and are killed is different. The reason for doing so is a factor too. E.g. dogs that are killed in illegal dog fighting aren’t eaten after(not it would make it ok if they were), whales, etc. Cattle in feedlots can be reasonably expected to live humane lives and killed in a humane manner. The same cannot be said for any of the cases that you mentioned. Hence my elaborating on them for the sake of comparison.

          I’d be aghast if you were doing so recreationally. If we lived in a culture that ate dogs, probably not, depending on the manner in which they’re raised and killed. This sort of stuff is what I’m referring to feeling like “guilting” as it’s probably not super common for people who eat meat to be fond of boltgunning puppies.

          I mean I’m happy to discuss whatever you like; but my participation here is to answer the original question and provide insight as why I eat meat and address common point vegans discuss I.e. the condemning factory farming remark.

          • NaevaTheRat@vegantheoryclub.orgOP
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            5 days ago

            not it would make it ok if they were

            Wait, would it be ok to farm dogs in your eyes? Like does the reason for their death matter? Food or fighting it’s all pleasure since it’s not healthy or cheap to eat meat, nor is it environmentally friendly.

            You keep using the word humane, the dictionary definition of that word is: Characterized by kindness, mercy, or compassion

            That obviously can’t be what you mean, as it is not compassionate, kind, or merciful to kill someone when they don’t need to die. What do you mean by it?

            I’d be aghast if you were doing so recreationally

            Isn’t eating meat recreational? It’s not healthy, necessary, or environmentally friendly. The only reason to do so is that it is pleasurable. I.e. it is a recreational activity. Unless you are an Inuit or something that depends on hunting to survive.

            • CTDummy@lemm.ee
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              5 days ago

              Food or fighting it’s all pleasure

              That is your opinion and I disagree. I don’t think this country (or most of them) have enough arable land for everyone to convert entirely to meat free from my understanding. Also, it’s worth pointing that it’s not a simple morality issue either as it would require radically changing the world economy and food distribution. Especially in impoverished nations.

              Always with the dog examples huh. I don’t eat them because in the west we view them as social/companion animals. I’m sure if I came from a culture that was different, endured hardships(like starving to death) or even just viewed them differently, maybe I would too.

              That obviously can’t be what you mean, as it is not compassionate, kind, or merciful to kill someone when they don’t need to die. What do you mean by it?

              You know what I mean, without undue suffering or cruelty. You would consider it humane if we killed them at the end of their natural lifespan by that logic.

              Unless you have some way to rapidly switch billions of dollar of farming industry to purely plant based industries? Not to mention replacing the jobs/livelihoods of the entire farming sector. I think society is slowly drifting toward eating less meat naturally (although quicker would be better environmentally). I suspect however the a small token market for it will always exist and the less there is, there more likely that it can be done in a humane manner.

              Anyway this will be it for me, frankly the continual moving on from the points I address to ask questions feels pretty sealion-y. Add that to the fact that when I also addressed your examples in relation to feedlotting you say I’m “all over the place”. You also seem to not genuinely want to understand why people eat meat (which should be obvious when you gave your absolutist stance in the op). Then also continually trying to return to dogs for some reason makes it pretty convincing that you aren’t here for the reasons stated in the OP and instead are here to attempt change people opinions in a disingenuous, guilt tripping manner. Anyway all the best. I would put it to you that if you don’t want omnis in the vegan comm posing their opinions as questions, interrogating and passively accusing members of that community; you should probably refrain from the same behaviour.

              • NaevaTheRat@vegantheoryclub.orgOP
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                5 days ago

                It literally uses more ariable land to eat meat. Chickens, pigs they’re fed grain. Most cows are too, there isn’t enough pasture on the planet to meet the demand.

                Most impoverished nations are largely plant based, but neither of us live there. we’re talking about why you, an Aussie aren’t vegan.

                I’m sure if I came from a culture that was different, endured hardships(like starving to death) or even just viewed them differently, maybe I would too

                It’s very strange to me to suggest that whether or not it is right or wrong depends on the culture you are raised in. This has troubling implications for other acts. DV is very common in Australia, is it less wrong to beat your wife here than in Germany?

                Unless you have some way to rapidly switch billions of dollar of farming industry to purely plant based industries?

                we are not talking about entire industries, we are talking about you right now. Unless you mean to say you take some sort of economic catagorical imperative as a way of deciding how to act?