Miscellaneous News (all depressing)
a) If, as an activist, you want to experience the sting of insignificance consult China. Raising animals for billions of people to eat with increasingly regularity, and doing so without regulation, leads to both public health nightmares and abysmal treatment of animals. Recent evidence of this combined threat was confirmed in a BBC report documenting the discovery of thousands of dead pigs in the Shanghai River. As the body count reached 5,000, public officials declared the water to be safe. The pigs may have been disposed of after freezing to death in a factory farm. The response seems to have been a collective yawn.
b) Several posts on Eating Plants have expressed grudging support for governmental regulation of harmful eating habits. Most notably, I’ve argued that if the government can get away with regulating sugary soft drinks—which have zero redeeming value—then this regulation might set a precedent for the future regulation of hamburgers or bacon when we become aware of the equally detrimental health consequences of these items. Well, it turns out (for now) that you cannot regulate soft drinks in New York. Bloomberg’s ban was recently overturned. Making matters more depressing, the largest opposition to the ban came from groups who suffer the highest rates of diabetes and other ill effects of huge sodas. Why? Turns out these groups were carefully targeted and financially supported by the soft drink industry. I’m sure Big Beef is watching very carefully. Story is here.
c) Finally, there is a national mystery meat in South Africa called “Biltong.” Very often biltong is labeled as being made of gazelle. What has consumers in South Africa in an uproar, however, is not that biltong is made of gazelle. Rather, it’s the recent revelation that biltong labeled as gazelle is actually made of horse meat. And that biltong labeled as antelope is actually giraffe. And that biltong labeled as ostrich is kangaroo. Seems that consumers are impassioned about what kind of sentient animal they are eating but stubbornly indifferent to the fact that their discrimination means nothing to the animals that end up in these little meat sticks.
On a personal note, as I travel from Los Angeles back to Austin, I find myself feeling as down as I ever have about the prospects of creating a friendlier world for animals, and as convinced as ever that, while the work we do is essential, there will be no celebrations in the course of our lifetimes.
Hope you at least enjoyed some of the many vegan restaurants in LA.
Ah, the pigs. Poor pigs. Been depressed about that too.
Ah humans. What a species we are!
It is all horribly overwhelming for sure. We must truly focus locally, helping to create a more compassionate sphere here at home. Opening as many veg cafes, restaurants & food/grocery stores as possible is key in creating the better paradigm. You are doing immeasurably wonderful, crucially important work during your time here on the planet, but step back, rest your soul, recharge, it’s critical.
I sometimes wish we’d hear a big, loud, galactic director’s “cut!” — and then a species like The Nox moves in and takes over the set.
Short of that, I also feel the angst. I agree with Tim, though, and I really do believe in the compound effect.
“I find myself feeling as down as I ever have about the prospects of creating a friendlier world for animals, and as convinced as ever that, while the work we do is essential, there will be no celebrations in the course of out lifetimes.”
i very often feel the same way. i know people speak about a tipping point but i have to say that i think it will take a major catastrophe, be it health, economic or environmental, for most people to ever change. i think about the horrific pig story and how little coverage it had in the media and also despair. except for perhaps dogs and cats, people really dont care about non-human animals while at the same time an infant was killed by a stray bullet in chicago and this story has made the front page of the paper 2 days in a row. i guess the torture, suffering and death of 5,000+ individuals is insignificant compared to the sudden, painless death of one individual because of the species of those involved. i am reminded of this quote by fellow chicagoian J Howard Moore:
“I am ashamed of the race of beings to which I belong. It is so cruel and bigoted, so hypocritical, so soulless and insane. I would rather be an insect … a bee or a butterfly … and float in dim dreams among the wild-flowers of summer than be a man and feel the horrible and ghastly wrongs and sufferings of this wretched world.”
It seems to be worse not better.
I do agree that when we look at what is going on at the top (governments, large corporations) it is incredibly depressing. But I truly believe that is not where the important change will happen. It has already started with the individual advocates who are working hard to educate as fast as they can. Each new vegan advocate will create positive change in some of the people around them who in turn will do even more. I have seen it in my own life. We need to keep growing in numbers, and educating, and making it easy for others to go vegan.
I also believe that we should stop putting so much effort in trying to change our governments and these corporations because, in the long run, it is futile. As long as the demand exists, they will not change.
I recently read about a town where many of the residents are trying to keep a factory farm from moving in. My first question to these people would be, are you vegan? Because as long as we continue to consume the products from these farms they will continue to come into our towns. Hopefully, people will start to make these connections.
This really is about our individual choices and as more of these stories come to light, more people will realize that we should not be exploiting sentient beings and that our health and our world is in danger unless we change.
We must create spaces for celebration, however small and alone, to give hope for others as they build theirs. But I also feel the desperation of our trying to stop the juggernaut, the inertia of human madness that does so much harm. Being aware of what is happening at any give moment to others at any given place feels like learned helplessness. It’s not so much that we are failing to accomplish our tasks, but that too many others are succeeding in theirs—harm. Has anyone tried to figure out what the critical mass of a social movement has to achieve before arriving at the tipping point of change?
I actually regularly go through “down” periods (as anyone with half a brain would who cares about animals and listens to the news), and while it sounds trite, I try to remind myself that with the God-awful stories like the pigs, there comes some uplifting tidbit that reminds me of how somewhere, some person is doing something amazing for animals. Here in Toronto, for example, where I live, is a woman who has almost single-handedly started Toronto Pig Save. Basically, groups of people stand almost everyday in the same spot on a Toronto expressway where dozens of transport trucks pass by all day enroute to one of Canada’s largest pig slaughterhouses. The people talk to the pigs in the trucks and feed them veggies and fruit… but equally if not more important, they hand out leaflets to people in passing/stopped cars and try to educate them (often with the pigs in plain view directly ahead) on how these animals are raised and slaughtered. Yes, it’s grass roots… but boy, has the Canadian pork industry taken notice. The good that is coming from this is exponential. Yes, the s*** is still flowing in China (China is especially depressing when it comes to animal welfare), but then you look at Anita Krajnc, and you (I do, anyway) realize how one person’s selflessness can really impact animals in a big way.
Wow this is so beautiful and amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Anita Krajnc, a friend of mine, is truly a visionary leader in the animal movement. I only wish that a visionary in every city would pick up on her example, and start a “Pig Save” (by the way, we now have “Chicken Saves” and “Cow Saves” in the Greater Toronto Area!). I see great potential if this movement goes global – it’s a peaceful, loving, educational approach that actually works in changing minds and hearts.
I believe the tipping point comes at 10%. Approximately 2.5% of the population is now vegan.
It appears from all my reading/viewing et.al., that indeed Man has damaged the Web of life to such an extent that this wrong will haunt us until we will exterminate ourselves by overpopulation threats, disease,war and – well why not – pestilence!! But WE cant help but Carry On Regardless, even in the face of this pessimistic scenario because it resides ( for some reason) in OUR DNA! We’ll go down with the SHIP of LIFE knowing we DID all we could to prevent the stupidity, greed and indifference to the magnificence that is LIFE itself! At least WE have enoyed the sheer bliss of appreciating it in all its wonder and glory!
The bad news is what keeps us going, we can’t give up hope – even it it is just in our little corners of the world. It is good that poor pigs in China made the news; maybe it will make people think even more about the care for animals and then look to their plate. Progress may be slow, however, slow and small is not useless. Thank you James for putting yourself on the front lines, you inspire more than you know.
Whenever these feelings threaten to overwhelm me I think of quotes like this one from Cloud Atlas when an abolitionist is asked why is going to give up everything to fight against slavery when he’ll only be an insignificant drop in the ocean. The response is “what is an ocean but a collection of such drops.” That book provided a glimpse of two harrowingly possible dystopias where all that’s left for humanity is “kindness and tears.” Unfortunately for animals (and the majority of humans) on this planet dystopia has already arrived. The key is to continue following the heart.
Sorry you’re going through a rough patch; I think it’s inevitable with any kind of advocacy. That’s one of many reasons I prefer direct action to advocacy. Every day, I work to create a friendlier world for animals, even if that world is small, and the world outside gets worse.
It’s probably going too far to say everyday is a celebration, but we get frequent feedback, frequent affirmation from the animals themselves of what a good thing we have going.
Hope the information here cheers you up a bit.
http://www.cok.net/blog/2013/03/google-confirms-veganism-on-rise/
In my own world, there was a couple who were good friends, but were “die-hard” carnivores in my opinion. They moved, lost touch…just talked to them…both are now vegans. Wow. Would have never seen that coming.
A Gallup report published in October 2012 by the Williams Institute reported that 3.4% of US adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. According to 2012 Gallup polls for Vegans and Vegetarians, it is 2% and 5% respectively. (http://www.gallup.com/poll/156215/consider-themselves-vegetarians.aspx)
That being said, there are more vegetarians and vegan combined than gay persons, so I have often wondered why we are not getting as much attention, and why change is happening at a slower pace.
We can’t give up hope.
That’s the end of the story.
What took you so long? Yes grim resolve about the essential nature of changing the human animal relationship is needed
Stop. Rage. Reflect. Grieve. Continue on. I don’t know any other way either. All I know is that we can’t ever give up on the thought of a better world or the work it takes to create it. You’re right though… The end of the trials won’t be seen in our lifetime.
Something to cheer everyone up and I know it cheered me up greatly:
http://thevegantruth.blogspot.ca/2013/03/a-compilation-of-long-term-vegans-our.html
It’s a compilation of longtime vegans and it’s amazing to read of the changes that have happened over the last 30+ years, plus to read of so many other like-minded people. There’s much joy, hope and light in the world and we all can foster it to grow more and more. It’s worth it!
Norm Phelps writes about hope and optimism in his book Changing the Game: Why the Battle for Animal Liberation is so Hard And How We can Win It.
This excerpt has buoyed me when one of those inevitable waves of despair hits.
“Antonio Gramsci, a radical opponent of Italian fascism, wrote from prison that activists need, ‘pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.’ By ‘pessimism of the intellect,’ I take Gramsci to mean that we must not entertain unrealistic expectations of quick and easy success. Expectations that are not grounded in a realistic assessment of the challenge we are facing will prove illusory, and when they fail to materialize on schedule, we can easily fall victim to disillusionment. Danish existentialist Soren Kierkegaard called despair ‘the sickness unto death.’ Disillusionment—which is the despair of the activist—will kill a social cause quicker than all the attacks by all of its enemies combined. And the quickest route to disillusionment is to base our commitment to the animals’ cause on fantasies in which the barriers to success vanish when the magic wand of Truth is waved before them. “
“ The real world has never yielded easily to truth. Gandhi recognized this when he created the strategy of satyagraha, nonviolent resistance. Gandhi coined ‘satyagraha’ from two Sanskrit words, ‘satya,’ meaning ‘truth,’ and ‘agraha,’ meaning a trait of character that takes in both determination and perseverance. Truth prevails only when its advocates remain determined in the face of challenge and persevere when victory is nowhere in sight.”
“ By ‘optimism of the will,’ I understand Gramsci to mean almost precisely the quality that Gandhi was summoning with satyagraha: determination and persistence in service of truth. The depth and endurance of our commitment must flow from the importance we place on achieving the goal, not from our intellectual assessment of our prospects for success. Because social justice movements defend the weak against the powerful, a rational, dispassionate assessment will always predict their defeat. When David fought Goliath, the smart money was all on Goliath. Social justice movements always look like losers until the moment when they are knocking on the door of victory. Then the experts announce with great authority that their success had been inevitable all along.”
“ But none of that matters. If a goal is truly worth achieving, it is worth fighting for whether we appear to be winning or not. Commitment and strategy obey different laws. Strategy must be guided by external circumstances and honest assessments of the prospects that any given tactic holds for success. A good strategy is one that works. Commitment must well up from within and express an unshakable belief, not so much that the campaign can be won as that it is worth winning—that it matters. Strategy reflects the world outside; commitment expresses the world within. Strategies should feel good when they succeed; commitment should feel not just good, but necessary, inescapable, without regard to success or failure. Strategies should change with experience and circumstances. But unless we decide that the cause is not worth winning, commitment should never change.”
Yes.
So many thanks for posting this Charlie! I could go into a long (and depressing) list of why what you wrote comes to me at just this perfect time… But none of those instances seem quite so debilitating any more. I am as they say… Refortified! And the spirit is made whole again! I deeply appreciate your good timing in passing on these wise words. With full commitment I hope all who read will rise to the challenge and press onward for the justice that only satya can bring!
Very nice. Thank you, Charlie.
I think I’ve mentioned the 2001 book DOING DEMOCRACY by Bill Moyer [not Moyers] in the Eating Plants blog before. Today, I noticed a section titled “Believing in the Power of Social Movements.”
In it, Moyer talks about how to overcome logical reasons for believing in a movement’s failure (reasons include “we’re treading water,” “the powerholders are too powerful,” “the movement is always reactive instead of proactive”).
He also discusses symptoms and solutions of social activists’ “culture of failure,” overcoming aversion to success, avoiding self-fulfilling negative prophecies, and adopting a realistic view of failure and success.
This part is pertinent to today’s post by James and the resulting comments [everything below is a quote from Moyer]:
To a large extent we create our own reality by the way we interpret existing conditions. Just as we can see a glass that is either half full or half empty, we can see our movement as halfway toward success or half dead. If we believe our movement is failing — whether because of “logical” reasons, because we’ve bought into the culture of failure, or because we have an aversion to success — we can create the following unhealthy movement conditions and possibly produce a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure.
1. Discouragement and despair lead to movement dissipation. Because they believe that their movement is failing and they are powerless, many movement participants and leadership become increasingly discouraged, hopeless, despairing, and burned out. These conditions contribute to a high movement dropout rate and to lower levels of energy available to carry out programs.
2. There is a reduction in recruitment of new members. The depressed state of the movement discourages new people from joining. Groups then sit around as their numbers decline and ask despairingly why there aren’t more people present. But who wants to join a group with a negative attitude and low energy, in a state of collective depression?
3. Stuck in “protest” mode, activists are less able to work on strategies for achieving positive changes. When activists believe that their movement cannot achieve change, they are more likely to become stuck in the rebel role of protester and resister, unable to balance this role with strategies and programs to bring about positive change and alternatives. One peace center staff member said in a workshop, “I never think about success. I guess I don’t think it is possible.”
4. Feelings of anger, hostility, and frustration lead to activities, including acts of violence, that turn the public against the movement. Many movement participants begin by saying a healthy “no” to unjust conditions, but over time—as they become more informed about just how bad the conditions and powerholders are—they often become frustrated, hopeless, and angry. As they come to believe that their movement activity is having no effect, some turn to acts of desperation, without realizing that such activities hurt the movement by alienating the public.
5. Activists are unable to acknowledge and take credit for successes. By believing their movement is powerless and failing, activists are less able to either recognize successes when they actually happen or give the movement credit for them. Instead, they allow powerholders to take credit for movement success. Obviously this deprives them of a major source of energy, enthusiasm, empowerment, and hope for the future.
BE WILLING TO OVERCOME FEAR OF SUCCESS; STRIVE FOR PERSONAL/POLITICAL MATURITY
Allowing yourself and your movement to be successful requires personal and political maturity. The change from acting on an unrealistic model of failure to a realistic model of success requires a major emotional and cultural leap. Redefining your view of yourself and your social movement occurs at many levels, including mental, emotional, spiritual, and cultural.
1. Mental. Activists need to change the way that they interpret the information their receive from their experience and consciously decide for themselves whether their movement is failing or progressing. As they give up the psychologically “advantages” of the roles of victim and lone hero, they must identify themselves as empowered citizen-activists in a movement that is creating real social change.
2. Emotional. Activists need to make the emotional changes required to transform themselves from victim to empowered citizen-activist. For example, they need to stop acting with self-righteous pride, anger, or rage. Instead, they need to focus on their highest values.
3. Spiritual. Each activist needs to be committed to the inner journey of self-knowing and self-acceptance. Awareness and active exploration of the deeper dimensions of being human give us strength and appreciation of the goodness and potential that resides within all of us and our society. Social change has to include deep changes—not only in our society, but also within each activist and movement organization—that are consistent with the goals we seek. Our means of achieving goals are the ends in the making.
here is an uplifting recorded message for vegans which i found to be inspiring: http://kirschnerskorner.wordpress.com/2012/08/29/kirschners-korner-radio-a-message-for-vegans-recorded/
This post and the comments should be a must-read for all vegans. On a day when the plight of non-human predators and the existence of Ted Nugent and his pig-hunting ways are getting me down, this is just what I needed. I’ll be collecting signatures today to help save Michigan wolves, so…thought into action. Forward!
I was just thinking the same thing Rebecca! What a great response to a very important post. A must read! And what wonderful people! Even when we disagree in the details, it’s nice to see the support and coming together for the larger picture.
“Compassion hurts. When you feel connected to everything, you also feel responsible for everything. And you cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound with the destinies of others. You must either learn to carry the Universe or be crushed by it. You must grow strong enough to love the world, yet empty enough to sit down at the same table with its worst horrors.” – Andrew Boyd
Have faith!!! It can definitely be overwhelming sometimes, but just in the last week Justin Timberlake did a tofu skit on Saturday night live singing about Vegans and on the radio yesterday morning the radio guys brought up veganism. The more main stream publicity the better. My father in law was a vegetarian 40 yrs ago and there were no fast food wise options. Now 40 yrs later we there are plenty of options. I think in 40 yrs there will be an abundance of options for Vegans too. It will evolve.
a list of long time vegans with their stories of how and why they became aware:
http://thevegantruth.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-compilation-of-long-term-vegans-our.html
here is sth to have great hopes for:
Josh Tetrick, founder and CEO of Hampton Creek Foods, isn’t the first person to try to convince people to eat fewer animal products (after all, someone manufactured the Tofurky that I eat every Thanksgiving), but he’s not satisfied with what’s already out there.
“Let’s face it, a lot of vegans have low standards,” Tetrick said — and he’s a vegan himself.
His point: There are plenty of meat and animal product substitutes available, but people usually eat them because they’re vegan/vegetarian, not because the food is particularly good. Tetrick, on the other hand, is hoping to create plant-based foods that are actually better than the animal products they replace. And his company just launched its first product, Beyond Eggs.
watch the video:
http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/13/hampton-creek-foods/
then here are two companies who are working on meat alternatives:
http://www.beyondmeat.com/
http://sandhillfoods.com/
We may get depressed and hopeless here and there but the movement IS growing. Melanie Joy is saying the same thing – in the past 5 years she has seen such a change…..
if WE give up then who is there to spread the message and do the work??
no matter how hard we can’t and we must not give up!