news flash: complaining that people who say veganism can be expensive really just don’t know what veganism is makes you a privilege denier.
first of all, folks can be educated and still disagree with you.
second, saying that “most vegan meals are just vegetables” as proof that they are cheaper than meat alternatives tells us
- you live in a privileged world that is clueless of the cost of vegetables
- you do not know what it is like to not have access to fresh vegetables, or to much variety of vegetables.
- you clearly don’t have to factor in the cost (both financial and otherwise) that goes into procurring vegetables, keeping them fresh & edible, etc.
i’m not saying anything against veganism nor suggesting that there aren’t less expensive ways to eat vegan at times. but overall, yes, it is more expensive. we shouldn’t lie and say it’s not. we shouldn’t shame people for having to make very difficult choices with their money. and i really don’t have an ounce of respect for someone who will rail “i hate it when people say eating vegan is expensive, they must not really know what vegan means”. your reality is not everyone else’s, and your inability to hear what people are really saying when they say they cannot afford, or struggle to afford, to be vegan is called privilege.
Even if such vegans have personal chefs to serve their mushroom pâté on silver platters, the facts surrounding the consequences of meat consumption do not change. So, those clueless vegans care more about piglets than poor people. It’s easier to poke fun at them rather than actively address the actual problems with food choices. Frequent arguments like this one attract more attention, while they conveniently leave out any of the important reasons that change is needed. Pointing out that food costs money, and some people have it while others don’t, doesn’t really require much thought.
The class argument is more complex than it is made out to be here. While access is a very valid concern for too many people, it is not for many who use it. And some people making the expense argument also ignore that a widespread omnivorous diet contributes greatly to pollution, climate change, world hunger, and the declining value of farm labor. Meat production is very expensive, far more expensive than veganism, and much of the cost related to these issues falls on the poor. Why is more time spent arguing back and forth about the out-of-pocket cost of different diets rather than advocating for more accessible and affordable vegan choices (e.g. by buying them when available)?
A large part of the accessibility/affordability problem is that those who can become vegetarian or vegan don’t. Maybe comfort food is comforting for a reason, and people find change uncomfortable. We advocate change all the time when when we feel that individual choices result in the subjugation of some group. Meat production does just that, not only for animals, yet we routinely deny it. We purposely ignore the facts. Maybe those who are able to give up meat sometimes don’t because it does require a sacrifice. Many of us grew up within a culture that is tied to animal consumption, and some feel it is not on them to deny that culture for the sake of these other issues. When you first acknowledge the facts and still admit that the cause is not worthwhile, then there’s nothing more to add.
