I've been a vegan for 17 years and I can tell you one thing Americans don't give a shit. They well not eat less meat. They don't give a fuck that they are killing the planet and they sure as fuck don't want you to tell them that. I've traveled over seas quite a bit and I see people from other countries seem genuinely interested in veganism but Americans don't give a fuck and give even less of a fuck when you tell them you're a vegan.
I've got you even better. For the past 15 years I haven't used a car to commute, and man do vegans NOT like the fact that their aesthetic lifestyle choice is meaningless compared to reliance on fossil fuels. Other countries have policies that genuinely reduce car culture, but holy fuck as soon as you suggest not living in the suburbs, vegans are up in arms about how America is just too big for such a thing to be possible.
"Aesthetic life choice" my ass lol. I am fortunate enough to not have to rely on a car (don't even have a driver's license) but suggesting others can when public transport in the US is that bad is just silly. Veganism is something you can actually easily practise though that has a meaningful impact on both the environment as well as animal well-being. This is not about "aesthetics": it's about making life on earth easier for everyone - both humans as well as animals alike.
Veganism is not an "aesthetic lifestyle choice" nor is it "meaningless" in reducing emissions. Reducing reliance on cars is good (where possible), doing both is better. Some people's living situations do necessitate using a car and not everyone has the money to pack up and move to a place with good public transit.
I'm not interested in veganism but I am interested (and practicing) massive reductionism, near vegetarianism.
I think that sliding scale of reduced meat consumption is the ONLY move that can be made. (Surprise? Lol)
Americans will accept reduced meat as alternatives are around, but it needs to be a "here's a new fun thing" not a "stop doing that"
Realistically, pushing veganism is simply a bad choice in America. Instead, we should be pushing a simple reduction in meat consumption. Just educate people and encourage them to REDUCE meat in their diet.
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Take away the government subsidies that make our meat artificially cheap, doing that alone will naturally raise meat prices and lower the average person's meat intake.
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Consider throwing a carbon tax on the types of meat with the greatest environmental impact, why not?
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If we want to be more equitable we could only tax the "luxury" meats (like goose, veal, lamb, oysters, or expensive beef cuts that are usually only purchased by upper class people anyway).
There are a lot of ways to skin this cat (lol), and I think we've sufficiently demonstrated that most Americans are WAY too resistant to cutting all meat out of their diet.
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South Africa might be the only country that's worse, chicken is a vegetable here lmao 💀. We're also really obese, just like the good old USA
I reduce my meat intake but I'm not going to act holier than though and pretend it has anything to do animals.
When you tell me you're vegan you're telling me that's your identity as a person and no one wants to listen to you after that. It has nothing to do with what veganism is.
Reduction isn't talked about nearly enough. It is only a start, but it is a start.
