Criticism of veganism from an insider

Когато през късната есен на 2014 г. избрах да променя начина си на хранене се притеснявах как ще реагират роднините, приятелите и близките ми. Беше ме страх от количеството спорове, които предстоеше да проведа, за да защитя осъзнатия си избор да не ям месо. Oчакваното от мен се случи, но не то беше страшното. Неприятностите дойдоха, когато ми се наложи ежемесечно да споря не с кого да е, а с моите съидейници – вегани и вегетарианци.

I was surprised by the amount of nonsense I had to listen to from them. Let me try to give a brief overview.

Pseudoscience

If there is one thing that has made vegans famous, it is the amount of pseudoscience they pour on their opponents during debates. In a discussion with them, you hear all sorts of myths and legends, from the fact that meat rots for years in the human body, to impressive spiritual experiences and the treatment of deadly diseases by drinking lettuce and parsley juice. The crazy claims do not stop there. A large part of vegetarians and vegans support the claim that vaccines are poison, and GMO foods cause cancer and kill us. Some advice that you can get as a new vegan is - do not consume "chemistry", coffee, alcohol, soy, salt, any kind of fat, gluten, and why not become raw foodists. The very claim not to consume "chemistry" is extremely inadequate (everything you eat is chemistry), and the other components would not harm the human body in any way. On the contrary, salt and fat play a huge role in the normal functioning of our bodies.

Another tip is to stick to what is natural and organic. Interestingly, the vegan/vegetarian diet itself is not natural and organic. We have no records of people lying on the grass all day and eating greens until they faint. People survived because they consumed meat. Meat is a quick source of calories, protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12. Thus, vegetarianism and veganism are becoming the diet of modern civilization. Today, people do not have to think all day about how they will get food, because in developed countries food is cheap and abundant. This gives us the time and opportunity to show empathy for the animals we consume. Technological progress and the free market allow us to survive not only without meat, but even without consuming animal products.

The lack of proper education and the desire to attract as many people as possible to your idea can lead you to utter quite logically untenable theses.

Останалото, което ядете трябва да е Био/Органик. Вегетарианската и още повече веганската диета са ограничителни в своята природа. От момента, в който избереш да не ядеш месо и животински продукти, ти вече си ограничен. Това, което правят моите съмишленици е още повече да ограничават този режим на хранене. В резултат, доста често моите всеядни приятели ми казват, че не могат да си позволят да бъдат вегетарианци, защото не разполагат със средставата да се хранят с Био/Органик храна. Без да осъзнават, вегетарианците/веганите превръщат този начин на живот в недостижима форма на перфекционизъм, от която могат да се възползват само и единствено хора, които имат финансови възможности, а самата веган диета е просто поредната холивудска мода.

The fight against GMO foods is also very confusing. As someone who is actively interested in science, I have formed the opinion that biotechnology and GMO foods do not pose a threat to human health. On the contrary, they have the potential to contribute in a positive direction for all of humanity. What puzzles me is the fact that many vegetarians and vegans openly declare themselves against GMO technologies, without realizing that more research affecting the safety of such foods means more animal testing. In this case, completely unnecessary. And the very goal of veganism is to reduce as much as possible the unnecessary suffering inflicted on animals. Again – a contradiction.

Deprivation of animal products as a panacea for all problems

I myself, by stopping animal products, felt many positives in terms of health. However, this is not a reason to advocate for the people around me not to go to the doctor and to deny medicine, but simply a way to set a positive example for my loved ones. The call not to get vaccinated, not to go to the doctor and to treat ourselves with grandmother's potions is dangerous. Denying all the progress of science and medicine is a manifestation of enormous narrow-mindedness and ignorance. If someone has chosen to treat themselves with smoothies and ginger and do some strange detoxes, then this is their choice. Turning this choice into a mandatory practice and way of life is irresponsible.

When you stop eating animal products, you won't feel much different. Vegetarian/vegan diets practiced in a proper and sensible way are safe for human health and that is absolutely enough. We don't need to attract like-minded people by claiming that these same diets are a panacea for everything, because they are not and never will be.

Hatred of freedom

It's no secret that many vegetarians are left-wing in their political views, even without realizing it. You'll more often hear a vegetarian/vegan advocate for restrictions than for freedoms. The most current and well-known example is the proposed meat tax. The mass of vegetarians vehemently support and defend this measure, without realizing that such a tax has the power to worsen the conditions in which animals live on farms.

Even PETA, which supposedly presents itself as one of the greatest defenders of animals, supports this tax. More extreme and less well-known, but no less innocent, are the proposals that not every person should have the right to create a generation, and that both men and women should be castrated. Instead of creating their own generation, people should be almost obliged to adopt other people's children. Gary Yourofsky is one of the most famous defenders of veganism. There is hardly anyone who has not watched or at least heard of "Thebestspeechyouwilleverhear". In his video, Gary claims that the entire planet Earth belongs and is owned by animals.

Hence the question, aren't humans animals? Moreover, the idea of property is a human concept. Cows, pigs, gorillas, lions, ants - they have no idea what we call property. Later, in his video, Gary even goes further and explodes, shouting "FuckHumanRights". In numerous interviews, Yourofsky even claims that the consumption of animal products is the reason why people hate, kill, steal, rape and what not. Here again, attempts are being made to sell veganism as a panacea not only for a purely health problem, but also for problems that affect the whole of society. In general, let's all become vegans so that world peace can come.

Such fanaticism would have a bad effect in practice, but even if it were not a reality, it would harm the vegan movement. Vegetarians and vegans, as people who recognize the freedom of animals, should be the most fierce and passionate supporters of that same freedom for people. Bans, fortunately for us, have never worked, and never will. The key to attracting as many people as possible to the idea of a life without meat or at least with minimal meat consumption is more education with the relevant science, not more taxation, bans and regulations – educationnottaxation!

In conclusion, being vegan illustrates the desire to reduce unnecessary suffering inflicted on animals. Nothing more, nothing less.

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