Rethinking Revolution: Veganism, animal liberation, ecology, and the ‘left’
The political 'left' is oblivious to the fact that a new movement has emerged that is of immense ethical, political, and ecological significance. That movement is the animal liberation movement. Because animal liberation, and the inseparably related concept and practice of veganism, challenges the anthropocentric, speciesist, and humanist dogmas entrenched in radical and progressive traditions, leftists as a whole have ignored or mocked rather than engaged these important new movements, and most environmentalists are equally antagonistic and clueless.
STEVEN BEST: Unlike the corporate-state-security apparatus, the entire spectrum of the Left is oblivious to the fact that in the last few decades a new movement has emerged that is of immense ethical, political, and ecological significance. That movement is the animal liberation movement. Because animal liberation — and the inseparably related concept and practice of veganism — challenges the anthropocentric, speciesist, and humanist dogmas entrenched in radical and progressive traditions, leftists as a whole have ignored or mocked rather than engaged these important new movements, and most environmentalists are equally antagonistic and clueless. The vital importance of veganism and animal liberation has yet to be recognized, and both deserve a prominent role in the decisive politics of the twenty-first century…
While different from other social movements in key ways, both environmentalist and animal advocacy movements were a break not only with narrow class politics of the “old Left,” but also with the anthropocentrism and humanism of the “new Left” and “new social movements” as well. The animal liberation movement has kept radical resistance alive and is growing in numbers and influence globally— despite mass conformity, state repression, and corporate blowback, and the corporatization and co-optation of mainstream animal advocacy groups…
Despite the many historical, ideological, and institutional modes of oppression linking human, animal, and environmental concerns, there have been no significant attempts in practice to forge an alliance of unprecedented depth, diversity, inclusivity, and power that would unite human and earth liberation struggles with vegan and animal liberation movements. Fault lies equally on all sides; except for rare historical figures who grasped the systemic nature of oppression and occasional writings on the topic of overlapping systems of oppression, both the Left and animal advocacy movements have ignored each other at best, or expressed intense mutual disdain and hostility.
Similarly, despite the crucial relevance of veganism for resolving a wide range of environmental and social problems relating to diet-based diseases, resource scarcity, agribusiness domination, and expropriation of small-scale farmers and indigenous peoples from their land, no significant alliances have been organized around common concerns apart from rare efforts such as from vegan-oriented social/food justice groups. Even amidst the startling political energies that erupted during the Occupy Movement that spread throughout the United States during 2010–11, anarchists, social justice groups, environmentalists, vegans and animal rights activists failed to capitalize on the unprecedented opportunities for dialogue, interaction, and bridge building over common concerns, such as the catastrophic effects of global agribusiness…
Human, animal, and earth liberation are interrelated projects that must be fought for as one, as we recognize that veganism is central to peaceful, healthy, ecological, and just societies. Given their symbiotic, holistic, and interlocking relationship, it is imperative that we no longer speak of human liberation, animal liberation, or earth liberation as if they were independent struggles, but rather that we talk instead of total liberation. SOURCE…
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