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Me and the lady were talking about this same issue last night. She eats the occasional chicken breast, but mostly sticks to fish and veggies, and i try and stay away from red meat.
I could never go vegan for ethical reasons because i think to do so would totally ignore the fact that by merely choosing to exist in the civilized world you have stated your position in terms of humans>animals. All modern civilization has advanced very much at the expense of the "natural" world and its animals. I have met too many vegans who believe that by simply avoiding animal products they can remove themselves from that legacy. I think veganism attempts to soothe a conscience that has no right to be soothed.
I've thought about choosing to not eat meat because i don't want to be part of factory farming and all that market driven brutality, but not all meat is produced under such conditions. Dead animals aren't the problem here. That is why i don't think avoidng meat is the solution. The problem is that the majority of america endorses the factory farm system every time they buy meat. People are always going to eat meat, and the factory system is always going to be in place until people decide they want better treatment for their meals and fork over the extra money for free range, antibiotic free goodness.
Another reason i don't care for veganism is that it is very difficult to eat well. It is like holo said, very time consuming and expensive. I worked at a natural foods co-op for a few years and aside from the fruits and veggies and some bulk stuff, all the vegan food was ultrasuperprocessed crap. Vegan cheese is a miracle of modern chemistry. It is not something the truly health concious person would want to eat on a regular basis. Not that i don't enjoy the occasional veggie burger or quorn(actually made from fungi) patty.
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