Veg*ns are privileged, white people.

Volundarkvioa · 4日前

Having a choice over what you eat, be it meat or be it vegetables, is a privilege. It is a privilege not of white people but of those above the poverty line. Access to money = access to choice. Now are white people proportionally more likely to be affected by socio-economic privileges that allow them to have this choice? Yes. But that's also partially because of size group. Non-hispanic white people make up about 64% of the US's demographics. The next runner up, black people/African-Americans/etc. are at about 12%. Source

We should understand that some people have it harder. Excluding foreign nations, in the United States we have a good portion of "food deserts", areas that not only tend to have a higher rate of poverty, but also have less access to fresh produce (the main food items come from liquor stores or fast food franchises). These populations also tend to be more predominantly black and/or latino.

However the argument that "veg*ns are privileged, white people" is fallacious at best. It is a misunderstanding of statistics and not factoring in how population size by race in the United States can be an order of magnitude difference between race. It is also a misunderstanding that race = income level. We can definitely discuss psychology and how race or sex (or other variables, like too ethnic of a name/not enough of an Anglicized name) can affect job opportunity. But on the front of access to food, that is one largely based off of socio-economic levels. Those of us in higher brackets above poverty (be it middle class or higher) are privileged, regardless of our skin, our age, our creed, our sex, or any other factors.

The_kinder_cook · 3日前

India has the world's largest vegetarian population with ~33% of their country's population identifying as vegetarian. India's population is ~1.25 Billion

The U.S. has less than 3% of the population identifying as vegetarian. US population is ~318.9 Million.

Please do the math and tell me if you still agree with your initial statement.

You can rephrase this to say Veg*ns (in western culture) are privileged, white people and even then I wouldn't agree with you completely, but I could understand your point.

Fillanzea · 3日前

I am aware that there are lots of people who have a hard time being vegan or vegetarian for various reasons, or for whom it may be impossible. Generally I try not to push my own food choices on anybody, or to shame people for their food choices. I think I try to be both realistic and optimistic - "It CAN be expensive if you buy a lot of processed meat substitutes, but there are great cheap meals you can make, like lentil soup" - but I also try to be sensitive to people who (for whatever reason) don't want to hear it.

But I'm kind of nonplussed when I see people arguing against being vegetarian because it's a thing that privileged white people do. As if it proves that all vegetarians are hypocrites or people who are too naive to be worth listening to. I am privileged enough that being vegetarian is accessible for me, just like I'm privileged enough to donate a little money to charity; if I think those things will do some good, I can do them without imagining that everyone can and must do the same.

bigtitch · 3日前

I think some Rastafarians might disagree with you.

birdy111 · 3日前

You're kidding, right? You realize most animal-free diets/staples/practices come from Asia? And that veganism has been around for centuries? And that for all of human history — including right now — meat has been a sign of privilege? And that the very fact you can buy a pound of meat for a few dollars indicates you live in one of the most privileged societies in the world?

Stop reaching — you'll pull a muscle.

InsaneChef · 4日前

i became a vegetarian originally because i was really poor.

napoleonderdiecke · 3日前

Then again, having enough money to buy meat is a bigger privilidge

Danibaldi · 3日前

I've thought about this, I think to be in a position where you can choose what you want to eat is a privilege. There are plenty of people in the world who don't have this luxury. I think you take it a bit far by saying "vegans are white people" and that there's more than enough non-white vegans to say that they're more than just an exception to the rule. But I agree with you that to be a vegan, you need to have a certain amount of privilege, and that white people are on average (and very unfortunately) more likely to have this privilege.

However, I don't think this makes veganism/vegetarianism any less necessary. Being able to spend your time trying to invent something is a privilege, as is spending all your time trying to produce art or music. But it doesn't mean it's not worth doing. And I think veganism/vegetarianism is something that is definitely worth doing. I think, at the end of the day, the world would be a better place if everybody was a veggie of some description - the fact that some people can't afford to do that doesn't mean I should give up and eat animals too.

foreverrrjayy · 3日前

As a black female and broke college student who happens to be vegan, I am a contradiction to this statement.

PumpkinMomma · 4日前

My husband and I became vegetarian and vegan as poor teenagers. We still spend about half as much on food as almost everyone I know.

DkPhoenix · 4日前

[removed]

TheIronMark · 3日前

being able to cut meat, and meat products, out of your diet generally is a privileged act.

Oh, who the fuck cares? Jesus, get off the computer and go outside.

dogcatsnake · 4日前

I'll probably get downvoted for this, but I agree to a certain extent. It has to do with education and ease of cutting out animal products.

I do okay, but I always say, if I were rich, it would be so easy to be vegan. I could go to my favorite (somewhat pricey) vegan restaurant every day for every meal and would be healthy and happy. As it is, I can't afford to do that. Think of how easy it is for, say, Beyonce to be vegan. She has someone cook for her every meal! Doesn't matter to her!

vegetarian

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