Hi there. I'd just like to start off by saying I have absolutely no idea how Steemit works but it seems to be all the rage within the anarchist community at the moment, and I'm very much an anarchist.
But I'm also a vegan.
In fact, I believe that that to be anarchist you must also be (or are open to being) a vegan, and vice versa.
If we apply the true definition of the word anarchy, we see that it means to be free from masters or rulers. However, no where in this definition does it state that only humans should be free from external rulership. I'd argue that anarchy, then, in its truest form, means that all sentient beings should be free from rulership.
Cows, chickens, pigs, goats, lambs, fish, dolphins, whales.....All of these precious beings deserve to be free from human rulers - just as we humans deserve to be free from the 'authority' within 'government'.
The truth is, our perceived 'authority' (yes, I'm going all Larken Rose with the quote marks for 'government' and 'authority') over the animals is just as nonsensical as the 'authority' we believe 'government' have over us.
'Your stance on animal rights today is a reflection of your stance regarding slavery in the past' - me. (Just a cool quote I came up with one day and decided to chuck it in the blog ;-)
We see ourselves as an 'authority' over the animals because we believe we are intellectually superior. But, if intellectualism is going to be used as an argument, then why are we not torturing and murdering disabled human beings who are unable to express themselves in an intellectual capacity? I recognize I have no 'authority' over a disabled human being because I simply do not have any more rights than they do - their mental state is entirely irrelevant.
In our capacity to suffer, we are all the same. The cow strives for freedom and life just as much as you strive for freedom and life. It is the one universal bond that connects all sentient life forms: to be free from suffering. And make no mistake about it, slavery is suffering.
I could write a post breaking down all of the arguments for veganism (I will save that for another day), but I really wanted to drive one simple point home: You are either for slavery, or against it. As Mark Passio said, there is only one great divide in humanity: Those that believe in the legitimacy of slavery, and those that don't.
If you're reading this blog and you're an anarchist, I simply ask that you extend your philosophy of freedom to the animal kingdom. We ALL deserve to be free from rulers.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
In Lak'ech
Good stuff. Over the past couple hundred years, we've been outgrowing racism and sexism and now, some of us have also stopped justifying the violation of others because of age and species too. Still a long way to go but I'm optimistic in the long run. Thanks for doing your small part.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. When we look at all injustices throughout history, it usually stems from a superiority complex. The powers that shouldn't be in govt and other institutions believe they are superior to the rest and, similialrily, but to an even worse degree, we believe we are superior to animals and therefore try to justify our actions.
We are superior... we're more evolved and capable of producing more value... but that doesn't mean that we should violate those beneath us in the evolutionary ladder. If anything, our greater power should come with greater responsibility. In other words, we should know better. A lion will violate the nonagression principle on a regular basis because his biology compels him to and he doesn't know any better. We don't have that excuse.
I disagree that we are superior. If creatures such as bees, for example, died out, our society would collapse. Having intellectual authority over others and being able to create technology does not make us superior; it simply makes us more evolved.
I agree with us having more responsibility for being higher up the evolutionary ladder. We should be the caretakers of this planet. Instead, we're destroying it.
@mckeever While of course i agree that no animals should be harmed in anyway and they are the own sovereign entity , i still eat chickens because you never answer my question on facebook and you vegans just avoided me at all costs .
The question is this where do i get the most important hormone for a human being to be healthy from a plant . Cholesterol & collagen.
Cholesterol is one the most important chemicals you need to live your body produces 2,000 milligrams a day just to maintain it's self.
Lack of cholesterol causes Alzheimer's , heart attacks, & a hormone imbalance .
As i told you guys b4 i became STERILE when i went completely vegan as i later learned i didn't have enough cholesterol to produce the sex hormones that i needed.
I was eating coconut oil by the gallon and plenty of avocados with zero effect on conversion to sex hormones. I went over 30 days with zero sperm and stopped it with some chicken bacon & eggs cooked in butter and a few days later i had regular sperm.
Now my body can not produce enough of cholesterol it's self to maintain my hormone levels.
So do you condone me or ridicule me for not being as evolved as your guys simply because want to be healthy?
I believe this is the way to live properly as it has given me everything i could have ever wanted in the shortest time possible, i would like an opposing viewpoint about my blog.
https://steemit.com/weightloss/@ultramari0/how-to-lose-1-5-lbs-of-pure-fat-a-day-just-for-steemit-users-only
I don't think you've ever messaged me on Facebook, @ultramari0. I think you have misinterpreted the article; this isn't an article about vegan health. Most vegans make the switch for moral reasons, and that's what this article briefly touches on. Your body naturally produces cholesterol, so you don't need it from external sources. Perhaps check out www.nutritionfacts.org for all the info on vegan health and nutrition. Everything you need is on there.
@mckeever you are guilty of logical fallacy of Non Sequitur & red haring (Not answering any question's & changing subject to morality)
Allow me 2 reintroduce myself i am Mario Gallardo we are in multiple groups together aka Mark Passio what on earth is happening / Discussion.
No we have never sent private messages to each other but when ever the pro vegan group members such as James Stewart & Kris Nelson & Jan esp spoke about pro vegan i was always there for months trying to find answers.
I was helped by Aaron Kozel & Andrew Beal & Jan irvin to show the contradictory evidence of vegan-ism.
So you clearly can't read i stated that my body can't produce cholesterol on its on that's why i'm doing this . I have been to that website already and its worthless mainstream media information.
Example they are pro sugar in fruits : http://nutritionfacts.org/2016/08/09/what-about-all-the-sugar-in-fruit/
Sugar (insulin) is the main cause of most diseases.
So are you going to answer my question now?
It's clear I'm going to get nowhere with you due to your hostile attitude and thinking that fruit is bad for you. Fruit is one of the best foods for human consumption. Physioligcally, we are almost identical to chimps and bonobos, and 95 percent of their diet is fruit. Without sugar, you will DIE. You NEED sugar to survive and there is absolutely nothing wrong with eating fruit. How can I be guilty of changing the subect when the very subject of this post is about morailty, not health. I don't know why your body doesn't produce cholesterol; I'm not a doctor. Go and see one maybe. I'm not your doctor and I don't have the answer to your questions.
@mckeever what hostility are you talking about??? I should be dead than as i removed the poison sugar from my body months ago lol. You must never have heard of ketone's b4 as that is what you body runs on when you stop eating sugar and start burning fat.
Your body also can convert both protein and fat to glucose and does this through a special mechanism called gluconeogensis. So you don't have to consume glucose, sugar or carbohydrate directly to get glucose to the brain.
I answered your mortality question right of the bat and moved on to my question's and you still brought it back to the answered question , that's y you were in the wrong if you said idk right away that would not have been my response.
As you say your not a doctor but are still recommending people take a course of action the will result in genetic suicide for people like me.
What is the moral implications of putting a chicken above a human life? Darwinism? A world were you decide who can breed and who can't?
I think that you have a missconception of anarchy. Please read the Kenneth Waltz´s and Platon´s theory about anarchism it could help you.
I will check that out. My view has always been that anarchy = freedom from external rulers. No politicians, kings, queens, emperors, slave masters etc. Absolute individual sovereignty. 'I'm the master of me, you're the master of you'. The same concepts of sovereignty can be applied to the animals - they are not ours to own and we are certainly not their masters.
Totally agree. I'm a raised anarchist... Yet veganism isn't a thing in my family... It makes no sense, to be free while enslaving others... It is not freedom, it's just top of the hierarchy.
Im a little late to the party but this post is on point very well done! Some of the comments are ridiculous, good on you for putting this out there!!!