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January 7, 2008
Ethical
Helen writes:
I would guess that "ethical" eating here refers to cruelty-free and environmentally-friendly eating, as opposed to body-conscious eating. I don't think NPR has got healthy eating confused with good ethics.
I know you've always said that you don't like to attach a moral judgement to eating habits, but I guess I always assumed you were talking about healthy vs. non-healthy eating. Do you think that vegetarianism, for instance, should be regarded as an amoral practice?
Quite so. I completely agree. And I say, "Whatever," because I sincerely doubt that anyone much will take up more ethical eating, be it vegetarianism or locally grown or just being nicer to the waitstaff and tipping properly.
I am actually quite pro cruelty-free eating, and was a vegan for five years, hardcore, no honey, no leather, etc. For years I've had a long post about why I'm not anymore riding around in my head, and I haven't gotten myself in gear to write it. As it is, I eat mostly free-range organic dairy, and MR and I are mostly vegetarian, for a combination of health, environmental, and ethical reasons.
I have a very big issue with "lifestyle" anything. The basic idea being, a lot of folks get quite obsessed with being pure in their lifestyle, but they don't do anything productive to actually change the situation. It's all well and good to sit on the sidelines being pure and criticizing others, but actually taking effective action is quite another matter. Now if one can do both, one should win an award, or at least occasionally have a cute boy cook one a decent meal. But... most people don't. To me, it's the difference between refusing to buy anything that isn't union made and being a union organizer. It's lovely to buy a union made car. It does a lot more for the world to help workers organize. I happen to drive a union made car, but I wouldn't use that as an excuse for not organizing.
I am very much a do-er. Pragmatic to a fault, and it is a fault at times. I am not much of an idealist. I gave up being vegan because it was just too hard to do CR and be vegan while being as small as I am, hence needing very few calories to do true CR. Also, I seem to need high protein levels to do good CR without becoming insane with hunger. Erin can attest to the fact that frequently write him emails full of remorse and vegan nostalgia, and I have transitioned to organic, cruelty free eggs and dairy for the most part, but vegan I am not.
Now I suppose I could raise my own chickens on a farm, milk my own happy cows, hunt my own deer, etc. That would be quite consistent with my ethics, as I am not opposed to using animals but opposed to the concentration camp like conditions in which factory farming takes place. But I've made the calculation that I'm actually more useful to the world, and the causes I care about, by living on the grid, organizing workers, and eating eggwhites. If I were a better person, perhaps I would give up wine and eat more beans and rice protein powder. I despise rice protein powder, however, and I'm not willing to give up wine. My doing so won't end factory farming: it will just make me less happy. If I thought it would be effective, as opposed to a gesture purely aimed at easing my conscience, I might do it.
The thing about lifestyle activism is that it accomplishes little, compared to the effort it requires. It's all about making you feel better, vs. doing something about the problem.
So I'm not a vegan anymore. I wish I were. The price is too high. I can't end factory farming by going vegan... if I could I would. I'd be more effective if I went to work for PETA as an organizer, but the movement for animal rights just isn't at a point where my skills are useful right now. That's a long way off. Interestingly enough, I think the same is true of the movement to find a cure for aging. Visionaries, writers, PR people, and fundraisers who like talking to rich people all day are necessary. Populist organizers are cute, pleasant, good at cooking dinner and doing the cleaning so the boy can finish the book on time (or thereabouts) but not so much useful. It's not the right time. I'm doing what I'm best at, in the arena in which I calculate that I can make the most positive change. And CR helps me to do that, and hopefully will help me to do that for longer than I would otherwise. I know that CR has already saved me from many a burnout, from many a giving up, from the exhaustion that threatens to consume me at the end of twelve years of hardcore organizing. The irony never ceases to amaze me, but CR seems to give me the energy I need to keep showing up, day after day, eggwhite omlette after eggwhite omlette, coffee on the table and flax oil in a little vial, looking distictly illegal, yet unlikely to resist arrest.
More someday on the topic. It's a compromise. Negotiations and lovesongs, as Paul Simon once said, are often mistaken for one and the same thing.
And in the meantime, if you're out, tip well. At least 25%. I tend to tip 30% or more. It's a small way in which you can actually do something good for the world, namely another person who actually needs the money, and it improves your karma something fabulous. I attribute most of my good luck in life to the fact that I've always tipped well. And if you tip badly, you get hit by a bus. Then you have to decide: was it worth it to do CR?
Posted by april at January 7, 2008 10:20 PM
Comments
Thank you for addressing that. I just wanted to add, as an ethical vegan, that it's not all-or-nothing. Lifestyle changes are not as important as activism and organizing, but I think it's important to do what you can (including what you feel comfortable doing, and expanding what that is when you feel it's appropriate). If everyone cut their factory farm product-consumption in half, it would be excellent. April, you are the perfect example of this--just because it's not working for you to be all vegan, doesn't mean you don't eat far less factory farm product, and make more ethical decisions than everyone else---you do what you can and it DOES help, a little. This is worthwhile. I am for any lifestyle change in the right direction, even if the person never goes any farther; you compromise where you must. (Also, Zone-like ratios make me feel sick instead of satiated, but I appreciate your situation, and that you don't take it lightly).
I like the tipping comment, too--it doesn't make a difference overall, but it sure makes a difference that night to that server. That is worth something.
Posted by: Sara at January 7, 2008 9:37 PM
Sara makes excellent points... thank you Sara!
I suppose I am doing little lifestyle things. And I agree that it's not good to get discouraged by an inability, or unwillingness, to go "all the way." All of nothing thinking can really trip one up, especially when it comes to food. Unless of course that works for you, which it certainly does for some of my favorite people!
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Posted by: april at January 7, 2008 11:52 PM
I have to disagree with Sara. I think it is very important to live by your values its certainly not difficult to when you truly stand behind them.
Any action a person takes when their lives don't fall in line with those values become meaningless and incongruous and basically would make you a hypocrite.
Also check out:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com
Posted by: Another Vegan at October 28, 2008 7:21 AM