Veganism is political. It always has been. Every time a vegan speaks up for animals, they're making a political statement about who deserves moral consideration. Every time we push for cage-free laws or ag-gag bans, we're engaging in politics. How can we expect real change for animals if we don’t get political? The meat industry certainly understands this. They don't pretend their work is apolitical. Meanwhile, as we debate whether animal rights should be political, 80-100 billion land animals and trillions of aquatic animals are suffering.
NATALIE FULTON: The standard wisdom in animal rights has always been that veganism is for everyone: conservatives and liberals alike. That we should keep the tent as big as possible. After all, animals trapped in cages don’t care about your political affiliation.
But here’s the problem: veganism is already political. It always has been. Every time a vegan speaks up for animals, they’re making a political statement about who deserves moral consideration. Every time we push for cage-free laws or ag-gag bans, we’re engaging in politics.
The meat industry certainly understands this. They spend millions lobbying Congress, funding candidates, and fighting animal welfare initiatives. They don’t pretend their work is apolitical – so why should we?…
The dream of a bipartisan animal rights movement is seductive. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if concern for animals transcended the political divide?… Unfortunately, the data tells a different story about animal rights. A 2018 Gallup poll found that only 2% of Republicans identified as vegetarian, compared to 11% of Democrats.
It’s worth noting that historically, major social movements weren’t neatly divided along today’s partisan lines. When we look at policies, the pattern continues: Republican-dominated states are rushing to ban cultured meat, while Democrat-led states are more likely to pass animal welfare reforms.
Even in Pro-Animal Future’s polling, we found that conservatives (especially the men) were much less likely to support our policies… In the US Senate, there are only two vegans, and they’re both Democrats.
This doesn’t mean there aren’t conservative vegans. There absolutely are, and they play a valuable role in reaching audiences that progressives can’t. But pretending that both sides are equally receptive to animal rights is wishful thinking…
When we avoid political engagement out of fear of alienating conservatives, we pay a price… Most importantly, the animals pay the price for our caution. Every day we wait for perfect consensus is another day billions of animals suffer in torture factories…
So how do we make veganism more political without completely alienating conservatives? 1) Focus on systemic change, not identity – Talk about corrupt industry practices, regulatory capture, and corporate welfare rather than making it about conservative vs. liberal identity. 2) Connect with conservative values – Principles like personal responsibility, fairness, family values, and skepticism of big government can align with veganism when framed properly…’
The question isn’t “Can veganism be bipartisan?” The question is: “Can we afford to pretend that politics doesn’t matter when animals are being tortured by the billions?”
While we debate whether animal rights should be political, 80-100 billion land animals and trillions of aquatic animals are suffering in systems designed to maximize profit at the expense of their most basic needs. The mechanisms that keep them trapped are political: subsidies, regulations, lobbying, campaign contributions… The animals are counting on us, and the time for political action is now. SOURCE…
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