Excellent article. I know a love many vegans (and vegetarians) but I am a carnivore. I agree somewhat that Veganism is a social justice movement but think this is a more complicated psychological problem than most believe it to be. My best friend is a vegan, and we've discussed it a lot - it's caused me to reflect on the 'feeling' (and it is a feeling) that a meal is not complete unless it contains both meat and vegetables.

Like many social justice movements, they're strongly tied in with the affluent middle class. Not always, but mostly. A movement comprised of people with the economic ability and mental space to consider diet choice will cause alienation amongst those people who don't. For many people eating meat is tied up with family bonding, it's ingrained into their understanding of relationships, what a happy home is about and a core part of who they consider themselves to be. I'm not defending that position, I'm just saying that's a key part of it that many activists miss. You're not overturning cruelty to animals as they see it, you're overturning internalised models of how the world 'should' be. Throw in the economic arguments and the tendency of vegans to be excellent culinary artists (my best friend's Mum was a professional chef) and you have a problem that can't be resolved as easily as making a moral argument.

I think about it a fair bit - and I find the inconsistencies in my own process fascinating. You might get some insights into carnivores and their thoughts on my latest story (I suspect that's why you've popped up in my recommended reading). There are a few vegetarians and carnivores going at it in the comments section - because I do love a good controversy from time to time :o)

https://medium.com/lucid-nightmare/the-uncomfortable-argument-for-eating-your-own-dog-ccd4d6bd9a82