Advantage-taking

1649: 

The example set, mostly by young people when they ‘go vegan’, is noticed. It’s hard not to notice whenever there’s food around, whether it’s at work or at home. The general effect can be profound, and all without a word being spoken. The omnivore is likely to feel or even show their embarrassment at the self discipline shown. And this ‘example’ can have the most powerful influence on omnivores, who might consider making their own first steps in the same direction, towards diet and food shopping but, more deeply, their lifestyle habits, their life-long attitudes and their capacity for altruism.

The impact on anyone who is still using animal products is to shake the foundations of ‘normal behaviour’. And then to question their own contribution to Society’s animal-exploiting conventions.

         

Veganism is just one of today’s ways of countering the wrongness of stealing from the powerless. Colonial powers steal from poorer nations to enrich themselves, and humans in general steal from animals for much the same reasons. But isn’t it true that our thefts comes back to haunt us? Once-powerless countries grow up and strengthen themselves, and then begin to commercially outstrip their former masters, endangering long-established economies. Similarly, powerless animals used for food now become dangerous to their masters, but not as directly. Instead, they adversely impact on the health of the humans who eat them.

This must be Nature’s way of restoring balance or showing how harsh the consequences of stealing and taking advantage of the weak.