You're Still Supporting Animal Exploitation

krishool (66)in #veganism • 6 years ago

How far should one take exploitation in relation to the treatment of human and non-human animals?

A phrase commonly used by Vegans is 'You're still supporting animal exploitation'.
However, considering how easy it is to be participating in animal exploitation, it's worthwhile examining the areas of one's own complicity before pointing out where others may do better as we all fall short of the mark in one way or another.

What's this, you have non-vegan friends? You're supporting animal exploitation.
Do you work at a place that serves meat and dairy?
Have you delivered a cheese pizza to someone?
Do you buy items from a store that sells non-vegan products?
Are you trying to improve the welfare conditions of farmed animals that are in horrible living conditions?
Have your cosmetic products been tested on animals?
Has coltan in your cell phone, laptops, pagers and other electronic products been mined from Congolese rebels using child labour?
Are your tax dollars used to support the military industrial complex and subsidize the cost of the meat and dairy industry?
Do you still wear leather and wool products you purchased before going Vegan?
Do you have backyard hens that you're looking after and you've decided to not let their eggs go to waste?
Do you use guide dogs?
Do you farm cows which you do not rape, kill, you treat as family and milk after their calf's have been fed?
Do you perform in equestrian sports?

You're Still Supporting Animal exploitation!

This is the fallacy of 'exploitation' paticularly in relation to Veganism. You can not escape the fact that in every form of activity that there is some degree of animal use.

The practice of Veganism is to minimise harm to as great an extent as possible, however, one is always participating in animal exploitation to an extent. This does not neccesarily imply harm. So many people get caught up on the strict adherence to Veganism that they forget the primary goal which is derived from the philosophy of Ahimsa/Non Violence: (in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jainist tradition) respect for all living things and avoidance of violence towards others.