Saturday 26th June 2010
When we look into the “me-first” world, obviously food features. When it comes to food we are controlled largely by it. Our food habits haven’t been changed , maybe since childhood, because it might never have occurred to us to change them. Maybe it has occurred to us and we’ve turned away. Or maybe we did change, but not enough. Or maybe you’re vegan. The vital changes were made. You’re currently on track. In terms of food maybe you have sacrificed some of your me-first world to become vegan.
For vegans things do move on quickly. Once the food is established, you’re happy with it, feeling good, etc then maybe it’s time to move on. The cross roads are where veganism remains food-oriented or it branches off into activism. And then, if we actively advocate for animals, is our activism driven by the no-force principle?
Maybe, to take this matter up, is offensive not only to animal eaters but to many vegans as well. Because if our food is non-violent so should the thoughts our food helps to generate.
So, if we are NOT advocating non-violence how can vegans be useful to non-violent animals. It might sound bizzar but are the animals not in a superior state of mind and itn’t it our job to aspire to their incredible levels of peace and harmlessness?
So, if our veganism doesn’t aspire to non-violence then the question is why not?
To routinely practise non-violence in this violent world is quite a challenge. If we don’t attempt to be non-violent our bank balance might improve but our self-esteem won’t.
Probably most vegans feel on the outer sometimes, but they do have power in the form of a powerful feeling that comes from daring to defy authority. Vegans risk the danger of making a stand, on principle, even though it could be the hardest principle to stand up for.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Hoodlum omnivores
Imagine the embarrassment in years to come, when we remember how we stood by for so long, participating in enslavement. This is no casual, accidentally picked up habit, this is daily repetition of the guilt and shame and loss we feel, not only in complicity to murder but, for heavens sake, in the eating of the poor creatures we have so sadly abused.
Today, when plant-based foods are known to be so perfect for us, the whole thing of farming and killing animals seems so obviously crazy. Vegans probably feel that the worst trouble for us is in reminding ourselves we live as fearlessly as we do amongst such a big bunch of hoodlums. These ‘hoodlum’, weird-habited humans comprise around 99% of all humans on the planet. They are locked into the ‘me-first’ attitude in so many important ways, the most dangerous of which is in their inability to see things from any other vantage point than their own.
Today, when plant-based foods are known to be so perfect for us, the whole thing of farming and killing animals seems so obviously crazy. Vegans probably feel that the worst trouble for us is in reminding ourselves we live as fearlessly as we do amongst such a big bunch of hoodlums. These ‘hoodlum’, weird-habited humans comprise around 99% of all humans on the planet. They are locked into the ‘me-first’ attitude in so many important ways, the most dangerous of which is in their inability to see things from any other vantage point than their own.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Breeding controls
Existing animals should have their lives restored by us. But certainly, we can’t allow the billions alive today to breed indiscriminately, since we need to have their numbers (whole populations in fact) drastically reduced and as quickly as possible. If we keep large numbers of animals alive and then let them breed without fertility control the cost would be enormous and ever increasing … and we know what happens … the more the number of ‘useful animals’ increases the more their dollar-earning potential will tempt the unscrupulous human. It’s always going to be a temptation for meat addicts to go back to animal farming, at a later date – most humans are not to be trusted around ‘useful’-animals any more than paedophiles can be trusted around ‘useful’ kids.
Without fertility control the animal-liberation-solution is absurd or at least untenable. Even as it is, the cost of caring for the present-existing, remaining animals could be an intolerable drain on society. But retiring the animals still alive today is probably a relatively minor problem in the greater scheme of things, since people do love being around animals. Any government would find many ‘potential animal refuge workers’ ready and willing (and probably for low wages) to volunteer to work at these animal retirement centres. The whereabouts of sanctuaries would fit in where animal farms left off, on land no longer used to farm animals.
The details, however, concerning reproduction, must include the possibility of denying the animals reproduction rights or in some way controlling birth rates. This is probably a difficult issue.
Free them we must. Our energy can’t be better used than in the work of dis-enslaving these presently farmed animals.
Without fertility control the animal-liberation-solution is absurd or at least untenable. Even as it is, the cost of caring for the present-existing, remaining animals could be an intolerable drain on society. But retiring the animals still alive today is probably a relatively minor problem in the greater scheme of things, since people do love being around animals. Any government would find many ‘potential animal refuge workers’ ready and willing (and probably for low wages) to volunteer to work at these animal retirement centres. The whereabouts of sanctuaries would fit in where animal farms left off, on land no longer used to farm animals.
The details, however, concerning reproduction, must include the possibility of denying the animals reproduction rights or in some way controlling birth rates. This is probably a difficult issue.
Free them we must. Our energy can’t be better used than in the work of dis-enslaving these presently farmed animals.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Animal Rights by law
Animals, especially when they’re around humans, certainly need their rights to be legislated. The story of domesticated animals and their offspring is all about loss, loss of dignity and loss of life. The only change they need is to win the right to live outside slavery. Needless to say, out of respect for them, we should atone, or at least leave them alone … but, as it happens we’ve done so much damage to them over the generations that we can’t simply liberate them. Now we also need to protect them. Domesticated animals wouldn’t be able to survive on their own. Importantly we owe them ‘safe passage’, to live out their lives in a sanctuary or refuge … retired in other words. At the very least they are entitled to an unmolested life.
Since we know that neither animal muscle tissue or animal by products are essential for a healthy life, there are no arguments left to support non-vegan living.
Since we know that neither animal muscle tissue or animal by products are essential for a healthy life, there are no arguments left to support non-vegan living.
Loss
Tuesday 22nd June 2010
However loss feels we’ve got to get used to losing if it’s a matter of losing something-to-get-something-else. Whichever way it feels to us, we somehow have to take on the world of loss.
For instance, what does it mean to lose friends? Or lose friends’ acceptance? (Two particularly difficult losses for people who are moving toward becoming vegan). Perhaps on the up-side is loss of addiction, even loss of weight (if one is overweight). Whatever we lose, in order to make changes, at whatever level or cost or discomfort, the loss and consequent change might be worth it. Anything’s better than inaction or doing something that lowers self respect. If we aren’t doing what needs to be done, perhaps involving some loss or some change, life won’t seem so lively!.
There’s a lot of ‘good cause’ out there, to get involved with, and this particular cause of Animal Rights needs as many of us as possible since it’s going to be a major job, liberating animals.
Vegans want to get domesticated enslaved animals out of gaol. To rehabilitate them. We want them to have a life free of their slave masters. We believe they have a right to a life and that right needs to be written down so we don’t forget it or ignore it. Just as with the issue of human slavery it must be written into law for future generations. Some people will lose out, by no longer being able to exploit animals to make a living. But their loss is really their gain, since they won’t have to ignore their compassionate feelings in order to make essential money.
However loss feels we’ve got to get used to losing if it’s a matter of losing something-to-get-something-else. Whichever way it feels to us, we somehow have to take on the world of loss.
For instance, what does it mean to lose friends? Or lose friends’ acceptance? (Two particularly difficult losses for people who are moving toward becoming vegan). Perhaps on the up-side is loss of addiction, even loss of weight (if one is overweight). Whatever we lose, in order to make changes, at whatever level or cost or discomfort, the loss and consequent change might be worth it. Anything’s better than inaction or doing something that lowers self respect. If we aren’t doing what needs to be done, perhaps involving some loss or some change, life won’t seem so lively!.
There’s a lot of ‘good cause’ out there, to get involved with, and this particular cause of Animal Rights needs as many of us as possible since it’s going to be a major job, liberating animals.
Vegans want to get domesticated enslaved animals out of gaol. To rehabilitate them. We want them to have a life free of their slave masters. We believe they have a right to a life and that right needs to be written down so we don’t forget it or ignore it. Just as with the issue of human slavery it must be written into law for future generations. Some people will lose out, by no longer being able to exploit animals to make a living. But their loss is really their gain, since they won’t have to ignore their compassionate feelings in order to make essential money.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Reason to change ‘me-first’
In the process of change, if we can feel safe about changing, it might help. If we feel confident not to land ourselves in serious trouble, then we’ll change. Coincidentally, aside from the benefits accrued to ourselves from change it may also have been made for all the best reasons too.
Changes may be being motivated by self-interest but they can also serve as examples of ‘sustainability’ and ‘universality’. In their effect. But don’t we want more? More than doing the world some good? More than just doing ourselves some good? Surely we can be progressive, model citizens but attitudinally regressive simply by continuing our allegiance to the ‘me-first’ club. Attitude can be a million miles from respecting non-violent principles. (In the end, this is surely one of the main overall aims for humanity, to study the nexus between violence and non-violence, and come to a proper respect for each.)
The ‘me-first’ is in all of us. But it’s prevalent in certain activities, eating in particular. We eat for pleasure and comfort. “Don’t touch my food”, says the omnivore, to someone like a vegan. But vegans don’t ‘touch-on’ the subject of food for idle reason. We are suggesting that the most ‘me’-centred activities, like eating delicious but harmful animal foods, are so ripe for change that our very potential is being wasted like rotting fruit fallen from the tree. We are, most of us, victims of self-perpetuating, harmful habits. (These are seductive habits with ugly provenance, and I’m thinking of those connected with the brutality of ‘things’ being ripped out of bodies of fellow, sentient beings).
‘Me-first’ doesn’t mean ‘me-last’. More like ‘me-second’. (I won’t mention here the need humans have to atone for sins past!!). We need to step back from the dominator species while contemplating other tiny matters affecting us which incidentally probably don’t afflict non-human animals, matters of addiction, material insecurity and being vulnerable to peer pressure. Me-second lets us address habit change as a vital everyday process of life. It’s our growing-up tool.
Specifically, the habit changes we’re talking about here should come about not only because they’re causing us harm but because they harm animals. A habit change from omnivore to herbivore starts with boycotting. All the time animals are being enslaved and we’re buying their ‘goods’ we’re party to it ALL. We encourage their incarceration to support our own habits. Only by boycotting can we make a sufficiently strong statement - enough both to save our own souls and eventually the whole world. But just for now it’s the boycott, on a daily basis, that lets us be taken seriously. We don’t need people to see what’s in our shopping baskets but we do need people to pay attention to what we have to tell them. But we’ve got a couple of things to do before we earn the ‘privilege of speech’. Before we are, in their heart of hearts, taken seriously.
How do we achieve this? Yeh, yeh, we shift the emphasis from ‘me’ to ‘the other’. Nice idea: impossible dream?
But if it is a dream, what exactly is it a dream of ? Is it a dream about ‘me’, us humans, our kids’ futures, or is it a dream of freed animals no longer caged? What sort of world is it that we want?
Changes may be being motivated by self-interest but they can also serve as examples of ‘sustainability’ and ‘universality’. In their effect. But don’t we want more? More than doing the world some good? More than just doing ourselves some good? Surely we can be progressive, model citizens but attitudinally regressive simply by continuing our allegiance to the ‘me-first’ club. Attitude can be a million miles from respecting non-violent principles. (In the end, this is surely one of the main overall aims for humanity, to study the nexus between violence and non-violence, and come to a proper respect for each.)
The ‘me-first’ is in all of us. But it’s prevalent in certain activities, eating in particular. We eat for pleasure and comfort. “Don’t touch my food”, says the omnivore, to someone like a vegan. But vegans don’t ‘touch-on’ the subject of food for idle reason. We are suggesting that the most ‘me’-centred activities, like eating delicious but harmful animal foods, are so ripe for change that our very potential is being wasted like rotting fruit fallen from the tree. We are, most of us, victims of self-perpetuating, harmful habits. (These are seductive habits with ugly provenance, and I’m thinking of those connected with the brutality of ‘things’ being ripped out of bodies of fellow, sentient beings).
‘Me-first’ doesn’t mean ‘me-last’. More like ‘me-second’. (I won’t mention here the need humans have to atone for sins past!!). We need to step back from the dominator species while contemplating other tiny matters affecting us which incidentally probably don’t afflict non-human animals, matters of addiction, material insecurity and being vulnerable to peer pressure. Me-second lets us address habit change as a vital everyday process of life. It’s our growing-up tool.
Specifically, the habit changes we’re talking about here should come about not only because they’re causing us harm but because they harm animals. A habit change from omnivore to herbivore starts with boycotting. All the time animals are being enslaved and we’re buying their ‘goods’ we’re party to it ALL. We encourage their incarceration to support our own habits. Only by boycotting can we make a sufficiently strong statement - enough both to save our own souls and eventually the whole world. But just for now it’s the boycott, on a daily basis, that lets us be taken seriously. We don’t need people to see what’s in our shopping baskets but we do need people to pay attention to what we have to tell them. But we’ve got a couple of things to do before we earn the ‘privilege of speech’. Before we are, in their heart of hearts, taken seriously.
How do we achieve this? Yeh, yeh, we shift the emphasis from ‘me’ to ‘the other’. Nice idea: impossible dream?
But if it is a dream, what exactly is it a dream of ? Is it a dream about ‘me’, us humans, our kids’ futures, or is it a dream of freed animals no longer caged? What sort of world is it that we want?
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Thinking about ‘going vegan’
As vegans we pass on information to help people delve deeper into some of the more interesting matters of life. In this information dissemination process vegans are looking for keys to communication. We know what we want to say but we probably don’t yet understand how to say it.
The aim surely is to stir, to question, to make others a little troubled and then persuade them to go for broke. And the aim surely is to have a good time stirring and interacting with people and being sometimes on the very edge of risk. But the overall aim is to get the balance just right.
For omnivores, something happens in their contemplation zone when we speak ‘vegan’. They’re hearing things, noticing things, computing “What would it mean for ‘me’, to change, to be in line with ‘this idea’ ”? Specifically, “What would it feel like?”
Contemplating going vegan ranges from revulsion to positive inspiration. If it’s somewhere in the middle and we’ve gotten to that point - of considering it, facing it, finding out what this whole business is going on about, then what?
Perhaps that’s the critical point where we decide to go on and move back. That’s when a bit of instinct comes in handy, when we decide to ‘instinctivise’, to de-intellectualise our situation, to let go of our brains for just long enough to hear the almost-hidden reasoning behind our decision. It might be like quietening the din on the brain for long enough to hear a gentle roar in the background, coming from the heart region, strongly advising us to make ‘that particular change’.
The aim surely is to stir, to question, to make others a little troubled and then persuade them to go for broke. And the aim surely is to have a good time stirring and interacting with people and being sometimes on the very edge of risk. But the overall aim is to get the balance just right.
For omnivores, something happens in their contemplation zone when we speak ‘vegan’. They’re hearing things, noticing things, computing “What would it mean for ‘me’, to change, to be in line with ‘this idea’ ”? Specifically, “What would it feel like?”
Contemplating going vegan ranges from revulsion to positive inspiration. If it’s somewhere in the middle and we’ve gotten to that point - of considering it, facing it, finding out what this whole business is going on about, then what?
Perhaps that’s the critical point where we decide to go on and move back. That’s when a bit of instinct comes in handy, when we decide to ‘instinctivise’, to de-intellectualise our situation, to let go of our brains for just long enough to hear the almost-hidden reasoning behind our decision. It might be like quietening the din on the brain for long enough to hear a gentle roar in the background, coming from the heart region, strongly advising us to make ‘that particular change’.
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