Beyond Vegism Was:not vegan but fregan!!

[Guest guest]

> Priscilla Pelkey (spiggy) wrote

>i think the idea of fregan defeats the purpose of being vegan. its all

>economics, supply and demand. if the demand goes down, because of people

>refusing to eat meat, for a while there will be animals that die in vain,

>but eventually as enough people go vegetarian (or vegan) theyll get the

>hint and raise fewer animals. however, if theres always a fregan around

>to consume the meat that would be thrown out, the demand will never go

>down.

 

erm... I am not convinced by that argument at all.

 

Surely the purpose of veganism is to avoid contributing to the exploitation

of non-human animals which in practical terms means not buying animal products

and thereby not providing a financial incentive for the continued exploitation.

 

Eating stuff from skips can not contribute to either supply or demand

or to the economic situation (except land fill tax perhaps ;-)

Producers will only supply/produce when there is an economic demand

ie. when people want something AND will pay for it.

 

If nobody is aware of the removal and consumption of stuff from skips then

it simply adds a short excursion through someones intestines before the

stuff ends up back in the ground/ocean which is where it was going anyway.

In no way does it add to demand. No producers increase supply so that there

is enough waste thrown away to meet the demands of freegans

or any other kind of skip diver.

 

However, if people see 'vegans' eating skipped non-vegan food then it

certainly

does send the wrong message and it is very difficult to explain the issues to

somebody who hasn't yet even accepted that buying animal products is

avoidable and unethical. And that assumes you would even have the opportunity

to explain - if you pass somebody in the street while eating Walkers Crips

you are basically advertising Walkers regardless of if you got them out of

a bin.

 

>i have some friends who call themselves fregans and they use it

>as an excuse to eat wahtever they want and give in to their cravings

>for flesh and still try to pretend theyre doing soemthing good. my opinion

>of this fregan crap isnt very high.

 

I know a few fregans and I have been known to consume the occasional

skipped milk chocolate digestive or two. I don't know any body who

considers themselves vegan who eats skipped meat although I do know

people that eat skipped meat. Most vegans would be revolted by the idea

of consuming flesh but perhaps not so worried about a couple of dodgy

ingredients in a bag of crisps that is on its way to land fill and should never

have been produced in the first place.

 

So. If veganism is about reducing / eliminating exploitation and suffering

of our

fellow beings (both non-human and (I hope) human too) then there are

far bigger concerns than simply what somebody eats. Remember it is

the industries of exploitation that we seek to end, the end product is

in many ways irrelevant.

 

If I eat a road kill hedgehog it makes no difference

to the amount of suffering in the world (probably reduces it since I won't

go an eat some crap over packaged convenience vegan ready meal instead)

- but I guess I wouldn't be considered vegan.

 

On the other hand, if I was driving the car that killed the hedgehog than

clearly I have increased the suffering in the world.

 

Or, to go one step further, if I was eating the fair-trade organic vegan

chocolate,

that had been flown half way round the world at great expense to the

environment,

and which had been delivered to my local supermarket in a lorry that ran

over the

hedgehog (and contributed to global warming / increased rates of asthma in

children)

- then clearly I have contributed to the general crap and exploitative nature

of the world but at least I'd still be vegan and 'pure'.

 

....

 

 

Was that a rant or what?

 

Let me just make it clear. I am not actually advocating eating road kill flesh

or skipped meat. I am just trying to point out that there is more to living a

cruelty free life than being a 'pure' vegan. Exploitation of animals can not

be separated from exploitation of people and the planet. Avoiding contributing

to the shit happening in the world is not simply a mater of reading the

ingredients.

 

.....must stop now! ;-)

 

 

Now what was I doing signing up to vegan-network?

I haven't been on one of these discussion groups for about six years or more.

Can't even remember how I came across it now. Thought it might be nice

to have a glimpse of life out of my usual social cycles...

 

>---- " charlie_elise " <charlie_elise wrote:

 

Hi charlie - fancy meeting you here. Saw your name, so read the fregan thread

and could not resist a rant ;-)

 

--

Ben (devils advocate for hire)

www.stewardwood.org - Vegan ecovillage in Devon - 01647 440233