this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2025
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Before I start, I will just say I am not opposed to being vegetarian or vegan, but am speaking to larger arguments about capitalism and how things are laid out. I think it's good to be vegetarian or vegan if you can.
I don't understand what is wrong with this argument as compared to other purchasing decisions in capitalist society. You can choose the boycott route, yes, and if enough people do, it might make an impact, but you aren't going to change the whole system by not consuming a particular product, or not buying from a particular retailer or the like. In particular, individualist choices that have no organization behind them mean little other than massaging one's personal conscience (it's like the "vote with your wallet" stuff that comes from rightist libertarian argumentation). Organized boycotts are more where you'll see real impact, though obviously better is actual regulation and systemic change.
That said, I think it's commendable to try to live ethically, even when it's treading water in an unethical system, but I also think it's understandable when some people struggle to do so in every way, against the inertia of the system and within the options they have available to them.
As an example of how annoying it can be (and this isn't even ethics, it's just health), I try to live gluten-free cause while I'm not celiac, I do have some digestive issues with gluten. But it limits what I can eat quite a lot, unless I can include stuff that is substitute. And if it's a substitute, it's almost certainly going to cost more because it's normally a glutinous food. Now add onto this a prospect like trying to eat vegetarian or vegan. That can run into the same kind of issues. We could say like "get over it and figure out how to do it anyway" but that starts to get into idealistic striving, where it's all about overcoming as an individual.
There are limits to this kind of perspective on things, but in general, I would say there's a significant difference between someone who is directly performing/instigating an unethical act (ex: landlords) and someone who is distantly reaping the benefits of it, who never asked for it to happen, and who has no control over whether it happens in the first place. If we count the 2nd one as inexcusable, then probably most people in the world should be considered horrible people for what they consume that has, at one stage of production and distribution or another, some links to imperialist and/or capitalist exploitation.
The argument doesn't make sense because it treats the situation like it's in a vacuum: there's a dead cow, might as well eat it.
This ignores reality. That cow was slaughtered to meet the demand for meat. By choosing to purchase meat you are responsible for that demand and so farmers will continue breeding cows for slaughter.
Less people buying meat = less cows being bred and slaughtered.
My problem with this thinking is enough people need to be vegan in a given community for the killing of animals to be reduced. Until enough people become vegan the killed animals would go in the trash. (For example) I believe coffee harvesting is unethical but I still consume coffee because I know my boycott efforts wont even be noticed by the bourgeois let alone lead to less slavery. What I know will make a difference is a socialist revolution which will hopefully eventually put an end to slavery. As long as there is capitalism the meat industry will live on and so will the supposed meat eater propaganda.
"I'm just one person so I won't make difference" - 1 billion people who could be making a difference.
Also I already said that without an organised boycotting effort no change can be done. Veganism is not very organised. For example in my small (very conservative) city if I were to go vegan I'd be the only one. The suppliers would not notice me not eating a dozen eggs and a few kilos of chicken/meat every month.
Organising, creating strategic campaigns, and creating communities is a crucial part of the vegan movement. What makes you believe that veganism and the animal rights movement is not organised?
There are many international activism organisations doing coordinated work. This ranges from on-street activism, education about health, sustainability and cooking, lobbying, organising protests (including protests against fur-farming which successfully outlawed it in multiple countries), various forms of agitation, working to improve accessibility of affordable vegan products, providing funding for new groups, and working intersectionally with feminist, queer, environmentalist groups, etc.
Here are some examples of bigger organisations/groups:
Veganuary: International campaign based around a 1-month 'challenge'. (25 million people took part in 2024, 27% of which stayed vegan afterwards, most others at least cut down by half).
We The Free: International activism organisation that has over 180 chapters in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
Vegan Hacktivists: Volunteer group of professional developers, designers, etc. working with and helping many animal rights and vegan organisations for free.
Animal Rights Map: Map that shows the location of animal rights groups around the world.
ProVeg International: Organisation mainly focused on industry, business, lobbying, vegan products, etc., but they also provide grants and funding for activist organisations and even small local groups.
There are also many activists who give talks in schools and universities, and more recently there has been an explosive surge in university campaigns that aim (and many have already succeeded) in making university cafeteria's plant-based, and other groups working on anti animal testing campaigns.
Plant-Based Universities: Extremely well-organised, very successful, focused on systemic change in the food system.
Allied Scholars for Animal Protection: More focused on education, agitation, research, and community. Mostly US-based, also supports campaigns in India.
Of course, like any sort of progressive movement, it's not likely that you'd find many existing groups in a "small very conservative" city. This does not mean that we should not try to organise and build up a community in these places. I was personally surprised to meet two people who have started successful activism groups and vegan communities in two quite rural, small, and very conservative towns.
Most vegans are very aware of the importance of community because it could feel quite isolating being the only vegan in your family or friend group. This is why almost every organisation/local group/chapter regularly hosts social events and tries to build up a welcoming and safe community for its members.
Also similar to other progressive movements, most of what you will come across will be in the global north, but that doesn't mean that the movement doesn't exist or is entirely irrelevant in the global south.
For example: there is an especially growing vegan movement in India, and recently China has started to have an organised movement as well. Many western organisations, such as some of the ones I linked above, also have active campaigns and independent local groups in the global south.
Middle East Vegan Society: Vegan advocacy, education, lobbying, certification in the Middle East and North Africa.
China Vegan Society: Vegan advocacy in China, yearly summit, community events, and provides two forms vegan labelling and certification to suit the conditions in China.
You can criticise many aspects of these organisations, campaigns, etc. because most of them are of course led by libs and anarchists, but that's not ground to dismiss the movement as a whole or veganism in and of itself. A lot of groups have marxist members and you'll probably find some small local ones run by MLs. There aren't many explicitly marxist vegan orgs, but I did find one in Germany and Switzerland. Here's the English "about us" page: https://mutb.org/international/about-us
I'll leave it at that for now because this comment is getting too long, but please feel free to ask about anything and I'll be happy to elaborate.
Going vegan is a boycott lmao
Same argument as before "I'm one person I can't make a difference" - 1 billion people not making a difference.
Yeah the fact that its a boycot is the problem. Its liberal individualist thinking.
Yeah try getting 1 billion people to go vegan. The argument you are making is literally a libertarian "vote with your money" type of wrong.
Your argument is literally "1 billion people won't go vegan overnight, so why should I?"