Essentially it's pragmatist Vs idealist; In my experience the pragmatic approach e.g. wearing an old leather belt instead of throwing it away, eating with non-vegan people etc. helps to reduce the 'abnormal/extreme' preconceptions of vegans held by alot of people. Anything that negates the media-induced 'us-them' mentality is a good thing.
I agree with this. It's about the barrier to entry, if it's a binary option then only 5% of people can be Vegan but when you allow a lower bar to entry then 80% of people can be Vegan. That would have a much greater impact on animal welfare worldwide and would therefore be the right choice if you genuinely would do anything to reduce animal harm as much as possible. In addition to that, once people are partially Vegan and become comfortable with that label it becomes a hell of a lot easier to eventually go full Vegan. In the same way it's easier to lift the meat goggles and learn more about the animal impact once you've already stopped being part of the problem.
Yes. Fellow pragmatists here. I don't believe in cultivating an absolutist way of thinking. It's not healthy. I don't expect perfection from myself or others. Just sincerely trying your best is good enough for me. An idealist would say there is no such thing as doing your best. You either do it or don't.
@James Parker My line is flexible; though my answer would be no to both, but the likelihood of such a scenario occuring in the UK makes it not worth thinking about in the first place. In fact, your question follows a similar extreme/abstract nature to common questions such as 'if you were on a desert island?' or 'what about cavemen?'. Why let improbable-scenarios hold you back from positively affecting the attitude, and potentially behaviour, of current non-vegans?
@@fuyopon Personally I don't find it hard to be Vegan but that's because I'm the kind of person who finds self-control easy and also because I'm privileged enough that it can be easy for me. For clarity, I am 100% Vegan and I'm very strict about it with myself. I would disagree that it is like the "virgin" label. The very definition of Veganism is that you do the best you can "as far as is possible and practicable" and NOT that you achieve perfection as that is only possible if you were to cease to exist. I call myself Vegan yet undoubtedly end the lives of many insects, either directly or indirectly, as I go about my day. As is true of EVERY Vegan.
@@fuyopon What I mean is that for the general public, being asked whether they would eat next to people who were eating human babies and dogs, isn't the best way to get them on board. They'll probably take offense at the suggestion that their behaviour is even comparable to those suggested; resulting in 1 more person sided against veganism.
As a non vegan who watched that video, Richard really turned me off to the idea of veganism because of the way he presented the info. So he kind of deserves to get criticized by others, especially vegans who want to spread their message.
@@Goat.Cheese He didn't soften your ego when he told you that slaughtering animals unnecessarily is very bad. You poor thing, you are the real victim here aren't you? He said things as they are in an honest way. Do you want him to kiss your ass or something?
Emily okay, so get this: i like dog fighting. i also really like kicking dogs. but one day, i met this dude who told me that he doesn't kick dogs or participate in dog fighting, because he believes it's immoral. but he was just honestly kind of annoying and presented the information in a way that bothered me, so it really turned me off from the idea of not kicking dogs. 🤷🏼♂️ so therefore i think he deserves criticism, and i'm gonna keep kicking dogs and making them fight, simply because that one guy rubbed me the wrong way. edit: just for clarification this is a hypothetical extension of the logic that you are using. just clarifying because i don't want someone to see this and think i actually abuse animals.
I hope all these comments don't turn you away from veganism all the way.. Every small step is important and great... Noone is perfect and striving for perfection is just stupid especially because it turns so many people away from even trying to eat less meat 😭😔
@@filipjosefsson4860 flestir veitingastaðir eru með vegan máltíðir í boði og það er til fullt af vegan "kjöti" og mismunandi jurtamjólk og öðrum vegan vörum í búðum, væntanlega er meirihluti fólks ekki vegan en já
Lol this is false, unfortunately. I work with a wildlife biologist and she’s a die hard vegan. However, she served in the Peace Corps back in the day, and didna stint in Iceland. She’s told me about how difficult it was to find vegan foods in Iceland, because their diets are pretty simple. Luckily that’s probably changing now, but to say that Iceland wouldn’t be a challenging environment is extremely ignorant قمر
I was just there last March and was so surprised by the plant-based restaurants available. The grocery stores had so many plant milks and many vegan options. It was great!
I went vegan 5 days ago!💚 Edit: Woah, didn't expect to even get one like lol thanks! Also, thanks to all of you congratulating and complementing me! Your comments have made me cry. My mental "health" is a literal hell right now. You have no idea how much you are helping someone with writing these comments. I love you all so much! 💚 Edit 2: Still vegan and I love it! It’s sooooo easy!
Please dont strive to be like that. People like that guy push people away from veganism because of the hash, judgemental attitude. You dont have to compromise, just be nicer than that guy.
@@Goat.Cheese How was he not nice? And what do you know about what works and what doesn't? Are you a social psychologist? Some of the most effective activists are honest and candid in their approach. Vegan Gains has been credited with turning many people vegan and Joey Carbstrong is truthful and uncompromising. Wishy washy vegans don't make for good activists because they make people feel comfortable with exploitation. I've been vegan for 23 years. I've seen all the approaches and I know what works. Back in the 90s it was Meat is Murder, then animal organisations promoted so called humane meat and now we are back at honest, no compromising activism because the watered down, "in bed with the exploiters" method did the animals a disservice. People don't need to be made to feel good about their exploitative ways. They need their cognitive dissonance disrupted, not nurtured.
I remember first seeing you when you were suffering from acne. I empathized with you so very much because I suffered so much from acne in my teen and early 20s. It wasn’t until I was almost 24 and went vegan that I saw a drastic improvement. I wanted to reach out to you so badly (perhaps I possibly did on one of your videos) and beg you to change your diet... and then you did. I’m so happy you have shared your knowledge with so many other young women. I was elated to see on the same journey. I know how incredibly debilitating acne can be. You are a shining light for so many others 💛
@@jeffk464 no no, the religion of the left is climate change and by tearing up the earth and growing plants that won't feed a society they are somehow supposed to "fix" climate change? I dunno they got so insane I stopped caring what they have to say
While I actually agree with a lot of the points Richard made, the way he framed his opinions is pretty abrasive to non vegans. It doesn’t make his views wrong or extreme or invalid, but to make progress sometimes you have to adjust the way you speak about your views to meet people halfway. I’ve been vegan for almost 7 years and I’ve definitely chilled out over time (not with staying vegan, I have never once “cheated”) but with how I speak about veganism and handle it around friends and family. My more easy going attitude has been much more successful in encouraging people in my life to move towards veganism than my more abrasive “extreme” earlier ways. Just my two cents, though! Also, ETA, the food desert/traveling thing is a hard one. I try to understand different people’s circumstances and acknowledge my privilege, but I’ve also been vegan for extended periods of time with very little choice/variety due to a lack of vegan options (working on a cruise ship and essentially eating plain rice and beans and lettuce for lunch and dinner for 6 months straight) and I made it work. People joked when I boarded telling me my veganism “wouldn’t last long”. But there was no other option for me as an ethical vegan, so I just did it. Was it pleasant? No. Did I get sick and tired of my diet? Yes. Was I just fine? Yes.
In a world where everyone is crazy, are you really a crazy person if you're called a crazy person by the others ? Or are you the only sane one ? I think Richard makes a lot of sense, people are just not ready to hear it.
Anyone else feel that a lot of the comments felt weirdly homophobic? Commenting on his voice, his demeanor, etc. Like he is stereotypically gay and it seemed to trigger people in the comments.
@@shadycatz85 Yes, I responded to a homophobic comment on Mic's video - not the original Jubilee video - and the homophobe didn't like it one bit. It looks like we'll be responding to each other's comments for a while. I know I shouldn't engage the troll, but homophobic jokes piss me off.
@@shadycatz85 of course. Ad hominem is a norm when there are no arguments. Everything Richard said is perfectly logical. It's the hard truth but it is the truth.
Hey Mic, Richard here, I just wanted to say thank you so much for making this response video! I'm so glad we agree on so much, I have been watching you ever since I first went vegan. You actually said a lot of what I said, which ended up cut out of the video. I think you're amazing as well! I practically just screamed in excitement while watching this the whole time. Maybe I'll eventually learn to calm down, the urgency of the matter just gets me fired up haha. Again, thanks for making this, I look forward to all your future videos! 💜
Hey Richard, the points you made in the video were valid. Don't get upset by mean comments in the original video comments section. Some people are just not ready to hear the truth.
You killed it out there dude! The people talking trash in the comments were simply looking for a reason to confirm their bias. Thankyou for speaking out!
Hi! Elizabeth from the video :) I decided to hop on over like the rest of my peeps. I understand a lot of vegans are confused and maybe upset by my answers so I'm hoping to clarify some of the things that were said. My approach is not to be “passive” or make people feel “comfortable.” It is to make them receptive, which definitely won’t happen if they feel judged. I can appreciate Richard’s points of view, but we have different approaches and that’s ok! I also was not implying Iceland is a food desert but was speaking from a personal experience working with an NGO. I was not in control of where I’d be assigned to go or what food would be available. The NGO provided the food and transportation and I was probably about 95% vegan during this time-I still considered myself vegan because my ethical intentions never changed. For some of the time I worked in greenhouses which were great because they make fresh fruits and vegetables available in an environment that would be otherwise impossible to grow produce in. So to address mic’s point- I do believe doing that work was worthwhile because it promoted projects that would make fresh produce more largely available in the country in the long term. In our compassion toward animals and our planet, let’s not forget that a large chunk of humanity struggles to feed themselves and their families. They will resort to what is practicable and possible for them- instead of condemning that, we need to help shift the food supply chain and mindset toward a vegan norm. & Thanks for the video!
Thanks Elizabeth!! This comment was very insightful and I fully understand your position even though my approach is more like Richard's. There's more than one right way to activism. You do you
@@ASMRyouVEGANyet Fair enough but I reckon some people speak out of ignorance, denial or in an attempt to provoke someone; rather than on the spot personally analysing their core beliefs.
I lived on powdered potatoes for months while deployed in a war zone, there were no vegan options in the military ration packs, I served for 14yrs & although I have been told there are v.ration packs, I never saw them & concluded they are like the Mr. Snuffleupagus, they exist but nobody has ever seen them... Oh & the drama of being a SGT who didn’t eat animal products...
There have been vegan military folk from time to time in the comments at vegan YT over many years; they said it was difficult to eat vegan in the military, but not impossible, and that having to wear leather boots was the worst aspect.
Being vegan in Iceland is much easier than she makes it out to me. Also norway, finland and sweden have absolutely amazing vegan products. 😂 I live super remotely and my nearest tiny store has so many vegan products.
I've been north of the arctic circle in Alaska, and I have to say, I'm really not sure I could sustain myself as a vegan up there. It was an eye-opening experience. Thankfully I don't need to deal with this dilemma as I don't live there.
By being on the more lenient side, I was able to be an example to someone close to me. My friend is now vegan. I don't claim I did it; ultimately it was her decision. However, by not being extreme about it, my example means more to those around me.
Ro Ku I think we need people doing both. Like being lenient can definitely work, but on the other side for me personally it was people being confrontational and not coddling me that caused go re-evaluate and go vegan
Define Extreme and lenient are you the kind of lenient "vegan" who would buy meat for a friend? Would you say it's Extreme to not want to sit a table with dog meat or pig meat? Extreme and lenient doesn't mean anything because it was considered extreme to free a human slave because it was considered property.
@@joannot6706 and TheBlueClue Sometimes it comes down to your personal empathy and knowing who which would be suited to the person/people you're dealing with. Open hostility and shaming might work for one person and being the living example might work with another. In my case, the people I'm around would simply shut down and shun my ideals if I pushed it too hard. Standing firm in my own ethic is fine, and speaking to the health concerns of certain family members is the toe in the door. I don't know how many people here were raised vegan or how many switched overnight vs by increments, but we should have an honest look at ourselves and how we came to be vegan now.
I just thought of something, people, tell me if I'm crazy: how about instead of thinking of it as buying meat for someone else, casually eating with someone else eating meat in front of you, we thought of it as actually slaughtering the animal for someone else to get them their meat, or watching someone casually slaughtering the animal in front of us and proceed to eat it as we eat the veggie burger? In my head, like in OP's I would guess, the former SEEMS not so bad, while the latter is obviously something we wouldn't do/wouldn't be able to stand, but really, what is the difference?
I think you can be nice and understanding while being firm with your message and not shying away from telling people your opinion. In my experience that's the best way to go most of the time.
I'm sorry but Richard is all about "keeping his own conscience clean" - NOT about creating the best outcome for as many animals as possible. If he was less militant he would be able to convert more people, hence more animals suffer with this kind of approach compared to someone with the approach of Elizabeth. (I am a vegan and absolutely despise animal cruelty, but will still eat dinner with my family. I bring my own food but enough for everyone to taste. This has led the family to lower their meat consumption when I'm visiting. This is one of many possible examples of why not excluding yourself from situations where animals are being consumed can be a more fruitful kind of activism. The opposite just turns people off to veganism in general.)
@Dr Grey i am very familiar with the mantra of trying to stop people from making progress - i got the same attacks for many years - yet dozens of corrupt elected and appointed officials have resigned and/or been indicted because of my audits - and not one person that attempted to direct or criticize me could show me one example of themselves making progress by 'their techniques' - which ranged from doing nothing to actually working to protect corruption ... this is me - libionline.net/index.html - ever met anyone that's gotten a city's entire executive staff indicted? beaumontgate.org/ who are you dr. grey? let's see your fabulous progress by playing defense in any arena ? what i have come to realize is that evil doesn't prosper because evil outnumbers the good - evil prospers because of traitors within .... and although i plan to get my phd in the study of subservient people that aide and abet evil when it's to their detriment - i care for my health with diet and exercise and never ever ever use the medical industry ... p.s. everyone over 40 lost all rights to criticize the younger generations many many decades ago - the world could not be in a worse condition and the ONLY person to blame in inside of your mirror ...
As the only vegan in my family and raising 4 boys, my initial attempts to force everyone to choose my new way of eating (since I'm the one cooking) caused months of frustration and contention. It was tearing my family apart. I decided to let them choose for themselves and kindly and consistently educate them instead. Everyone, even my husband who was extremely against it at first, is eating far fewer animal products. It's not perfect, but I'm trying to allow for agency, love and respect while still adhering to my beliefs. I will be vegan for life. Hopefully my family will come along: not out of resentment from being forced, but out of love and understanding and a reverence for life. I didn't learn this way of life until late in my 30's... hopefully through my example my children will save far more animals♡
Veganism can look so different from parent's point of view. Although it seems like they tried to have a diversity in the people that were invited I was actually disappointed that there were no people with parental responsibilities in the video. My kids and my husband went vegan with me but there are other issues that come along with vegan parebts that can interfere with always buying vegan products or being able to afford or even having the time to research certain things. I can run for a quick errand cause I ran out of shampoo and the store doesnt have the cruelty free shampoo I usually get so I end up buying whatever is there.
Hi! I loved reading your post. I feel the same way. I'm the only vegan in my house (two sons, a hubs and a sweet dog), though my children cannot consume dairy. Anyway, I prepare their chicken and pork roasts, but my children didn't eat beef until one was 10 and the other was 5. They rarely eat beef because they don't like how it makes their body feel. As a result, they are seeing for themselves how eating animals affects them. We do not eat much processed food (Yes, they go trick-or treating and eat candy & go to bday parties like other kids...they just eat much less junk than their friends) and, because we eat at home for 90% of our meals, I'm able to supply them with a table full of fruits , nuts & veggies that they like (they're pretty picky about veg, though they are obsessed with raw radishes and raw cauli. My little guy even eats the cauli core. When he does this, I call him my little vegan caveman and we laugh
As a new vegan, a lot of these are hard. Especially the allowing another person to eat meat around you or buying it for them. I see it as wrong but...I'm the only vegan in my circle.
Whatever you decide to do, stay vegan yourself, that is the most important. If you're uncomfortable with buying meat for someone else, maybe use analogy to make them understand why you won't do it. If they are against pollution for example, ask them if they would pollute in your name if you asked them to do so. You can think of more extreme examples if you want.
Regarding the question of sitting around people eating meat. It is better for animals to be around people eating meat because they will be more likely to change if they see that there are alternative and I can guarantee that you will probably have a discussion about the vegan diet and you'll be able to drop facts about meat that they probably don't know that the meat industry don't want them to know. If you find it disgusting to see other people eat animals and you don't want to stay around, it's really fine, I get it but not doing it supposedly because it would somehow hurt animals to do so is not true.
@@joannot6706 It's really a complicated topic isn't it ? On one side you can normalize to them the fact of being vegan, have a discussion on veganism, drop some facts,... But on the other side you're also normalizing the fact of eating animal products. ... ... Which is already normalized so after all is it really a good point ?
Kerbi delsol For sure. I feel like I can never go back. I’ve seen too much evidence of the horror of meat, egg, dairy industries and I can’t be a party to that.
People can't stomach Richard because there's no comeback to what he says, and people start attacking him personally, not his arguments. He's just an unapologetic vegan, and the fact that he's queer probably goes hand-in-hand with his very strong and brave attitude. He owns it, he's proud of it, and he is not prisoner of other people's opinion of him. He hurts your feelings by throwing facts and truth at you? Grow up. Of course it's easier for some people to go vegan (depending on your social class, background, ethnicity, country, culture...) but the audience of this video is us: 15-35yo people living in developed countries with easy access to education/knowledge.
His arguments would only work on those concerned with the “ethics” of meat consumption. Being plant based myself (for health reasons)...I found Richard to be quit the cringy stereotype of the typical bleeding heart vegan. If anything, I think listening to him will make more people crave meat in the hopes of sending him a mental jab.
"People can't stomach Richard because there's no comeback to what he says, and people start attacking him personally, not his arguments." Its almost like you missed the part in the video in which one of the women literally told him that if you refuse to sit with people that are eating in a certain way you are limiting the opportunities to expose people to starting the vegan lifestyle via a simple food choice to begin with. Richard simply is going out of his way to turn people off, isolate himself into an echo chamber with other vegans to the exclusion of anyone else. And, as I pointed out elsewhere on this thread, the words that he uses are manipulative. Vegan is good but being emotional and irrational about it is not. That turns away more people than it brings in.
@@MilitantSoyBoy Hey man, I really like the way you handled and expressed yourself (especially the "Homophobic Free Tuesdays" example hahaha). Are you planning to start making videos again? I would certainly watch them!
I watched this a week ago. And I completely agree with how you feel about Elizabeth , she’s actually in another viral vegan comparison video can’t remember what it’s called but i really think she’s more of a flexitarian and Dosent seem to fully get the ethical stances . I actually LOVE Richards tactful responses , I commented that on the original video defending him and he replied ! He makes his own activism videos !!
I have the same problem with my husband. I’ve tried explaining that it’s an ethical choice but he really doesn’t understand it. At least he stopped asking though.
If she really loves you, she'd want you to be who you are and not who she wants you to be. Specially if you're striving to be a better version of yourself, a version of compassion and selflessness.
I hope your spouse can come to understand what a moral hazard this is putting you in; a good spouse would not want their partner to experience this, and I assume it is a fault of understanding on her part that she can overcome. Not to become vegan if it's not in the cards, but to accept that you are and that this means not participating in certain things anymore. Good luck!
Bullied? I’m a vegan and my buddies used to constantly bust my balls but it’s not the same as being bullied. It’s just buddies giving each other a hard time and in fun… Then again I’m a former boxer so if they get crazy they know it’s probably not going to end well for them. When my buddies would give me a hard time, I would just look at their meals and say “let’s start a dead pool and bet which of you is going have a heart attack first.” They always stopped after that. Sadly one of them passed away last year...After that one of the guys who would give me the hardest time started a plant-based diet.
That's terrible, it sounds like he's working around extremely closed minded, even brainwashed people. I know it's not this easy but if I were him I'd certainly be looking for a different job with more open minded people
People are shitty to me constantly about being vegan. I can't catch a break. And it means that my boyfriend can't bear to go fully vegan because he can't bear to go through that. Hope things get better for your husband!
@@Ali-vj6or don't necessarily think it's unreasonable to call it bullying. I once took my own homemade vegan cheese to a wine and cheese night, and the hosts publicly ridiculed me for it and everyone joined in laughing at me. Sounds kinda like bullying to me.
I like Richard. It was brave of him to stand firm in his beliefs even when all the others disagreed. I think people who are offended and/or angered by him need to take a look at themselves and ask why they have such a strong reaction to someone politely stating his opinions..It's not like he was going round spitting on everyone and yelling in their faces😂
I’m a vegan from the middle east, I wish I was there to answer some of their questions. I have a lot of different perspective from some of the people here.
I’m a straight white male father from the UK. My views would have been different too. This is why I think it’s important for us to join the fray and share our experiences on TH-cam. I often think that Mic has got it all wrapped up, but this video has given me food for thought.
She is right, I was in rural Iceland and there are parts of Iceland where you cannot find enough vegan food to properly nourish yourself. And it’s easy to say “just bring extra cans of legumes and what not but when I went to Iceland we wouldn’t have Been able to because Hear me out. When I went to Iceland it was summer. The temperature dropped to-1 degrees at night which means we had to Bring snow boots, jackets, sweaters and pretty much everything you would wear to go skiing. That takes up space, a lot of it and you can’t just pack a bunch of extra food. The cars aren’t all big in Iceland and we had a decently sized SUV and my siblings in the back were crushed by 2 personal suitcases and 2 large suitcases that were in the trunk. On top of that everything In Iceland is crazy expensive (as in 25$ for fish and chips expensive in Reykjavik so imagine how much stuff like renting a larger car costs). It is clear that she isn’t isn’t talking about “I can have meat once a week or even on e a year” but she is still following the Vegan montra or causing as little harm as possible practical. In some places in Iceland you can’t even eat grass.... THERE IS NONE!!! So I think she is right in some cases it is very very hard and impractical to be vegan even though the movement is spreading the option is not available everywhere.
@@MilitantSoyBoy hey I realized I was already subscribed to you. nice. I subbed after your raw alignment vid. Thanks for the reminder. I'm off to watch your vids now. :)
@@Goat.Cheese Bullshit. If someone has an ego so fragile that they can't hand the truth, they will never be vegan. To be vegan you need the humility and strength to recognise the error of your ways.
@@Goat.Cheese It's a lie spread by people who lose when veganism grows. Don't believe bullshit. Non compromising vegan activism turns the most people. Check Alex Bez's (Amazing Vegan Outreach) video on the pledge.
I made the mistake of subjecting myself to the comments section when I tried watching the video (I just never finished it cuz I went to watch something else).
Ive been vegan for 3 years. Been with my omnivore boyfriend for 2. Its taken time, but hes at least pescatarian and eats vegan 75% of the time. I refused to ever cook or buy animal products for him. Since I make his dinner every night and often his breakfast and lunch, he eats almost all vegan. Since i cooked him yummy meals, he realized he didnt need animal products. I slowly educated him about all the science behind plant based diets.
Literally just making a video on this this weekend. I am defining veganism and plant based for people so that they can tell the difference. It really is a big problem that I see when people don't understand that they are not the same thing.
I don't agree with the "I'm better" philosophy. If you have that view you are closed minded and not open to expanding your views. Even saying you are the best person that you could be is self defeating and self limiting. Being humble is where it's at.
I think it’s not about being humble, it’s about being honest. It’s not about passing judgement on people, it’s about judging behaviours. It is honestly and truthfully better to follow ethical standards than not to. Denying that is opening the door to chaos and mayhem. I personally want to live in a world where ethics matter.
Please never, ever substitute anyone's food without their knowledge and consent! I understand that you were playing a well-intentioned prank on a friend and probably would know if they had an allergy, but seriously that could really hurt or even kill someone. Refuse to buy it, prepare it, or dine with them all you like, but never, ever substitute/change someone's food without their knowledge. As someone with severe/lethal reactions to some common ingredients, it is terrifying. Even if a person ends up okay after an attack, epipens and subsequent medical treatments are really expensive! Swapping out food is something I've seen a lot of people joke about or actually follow through with, and it doesn't seem like people consider the risks (especially if they don't suffer from allergies or think that allergies are only ever hives or upset stomachs). I enjoy your videos and sincerely hope that I didn't offend you Mic.
Jubilee's viewers think they're so woke and tolerant for watching videos with a great diversity of people, meanwhile falling into the same trap of speciesism similar to racists or sexists. Their toxicity really shows here
@Rick Vis Good point. Maybe consider it like this: animals don't want to die. They feel pain like us and this is because they want to avoid death. Pain is inherently bad, and we can respect this fact by not inflicting pain onto animals. On the other hand, plants don't suffer because they can't even run away from predators so it doesn't make sense for them to even have evolved pain in the first place. So in this way, it isn't really possible to discriminate against plants. (Fruits are even "intended" to be eaten). If somehow it was proved that broccoli can indeed feel pain, vegans would stop "discriminating" against broccoli and leave it be. Even if it was somehow proved that every single plant feels pain, well then still being vegan is the better outcome because the 70 billion land animals we kill each year eat more plants than 7 billion humans. Either way, it's a service to plants to eat them directly instead of feeding it through an animal's body. It reduces the number of plants grown and "killed" so it's a win-win
@Rick Vis "but plants also don't want to be eaten". How do you know they don't want that? How can plants want anything without a brain to do the wanting? Is it because they "react to stress and produce chemicals to prevent being eaten"? Well, plenty of inanimate things react too, like my phone. If you're to claim that reacting is what makes things "want", then my phone "wants" to be alive also. Dead frog limbs can still react too, and those certainly aren't alive. "if you believe all species should be treated equally than that means a bacteria should be treated equally to a cow since they are both species". Nobody is advocating for equal treatment of all species. Where did you get that from? All we want is to grant equally consideration to the plight of each species. If someone has as much apathy for a cow as they do for bacteria, that's odd. You're 100% right though that there exists some vague hierarchy and non-human lives do only matter some fraction compared to ours, but it's still a fraction nonetheless. If someone is only worth 20% of my life, I won't kill them. Nor at 5%, nor 1%. Hope that clears that up.
@Rick Vis It has these mechanisms but that doesn't mean there's someone behind the steering wheel necessarily, it could just be running on auto-pilot. But if ya still would prefer to value the life of plants in that high regard, that's totally fine. The best way to reduce the murder of plants is to choose the products that involve the least amount of plants in total. Ethics is vague, but that shouldn't be a scapegoat. At the very least, we can all agree that the murder of innocents is wrong across the board or else we wouldn't have laws for that sorta thing. Be the improvement you'd like to see :)
I went Vegan because I wanted to be the best I can be. All I cared about originally was the dietary aspect, how it could improve my life and make me healthier. I learned that eating meat wasn't necessary, which then lead to changing my ethical outlook afterwords. Honestly, I don't think it matters which route you take if it still leads to the best destination possible. You still win from a health and ethical standpoint as a byproduct.
Totally. The animals don't care if you're vegan for ethics, they just don't want to end up as food, which also end up as leather. Then again isn't there such a thing as slaughtering cows just for leather and then they become meat? Correct me if I'm wrong as I only found that out a little bit recently. Whatever reason you're vegan for is ok, a lot people end up doing it for ethics (for the animals) anyway.
@@IsmelinaCafuir Exactly. Animals don't care lol. To the best of my knowledge, the majority of leather goods are merely a byproduct of meat production. May as well make every dollar you can I suppose. I still have leather products from before, but I don't purchase them anymore.
@@nickstair6355 same here I don't buy anymore. Whatever i owned i either gave it away or kept it, depending on need. Like shoes, I don't have other nice shoes and I'm not financially "blessed" to buy stuff so I'm forced to keep it, but leather bags I let go.
I feel like Richards responses were the most relatable and admirable. How good it is that he has good people in his life that respect his veganism enough to make the accommodations for his company.
I think that Richard is spot-on, and I have a lot of respect for him holding his ground, and I don’t think that anyone should be pegged as annoying for sticking to their beliefs, I mean, what if his beliefs were religious, would we criticize him then? That said, I can relate much more with Elizabeth and I understand her views. I live in a small remote community where no one is vegan, and nobody in my family is vegan, not even my partner. He was raised a Seventh Day Adventist vegetarian but is not practicing and he eats mostly vegetarian at home but sometimes eats fish and will eat meat at restaurants. I’ve been able to get him off eggs and butter at home just for health reasons, and we’re working on cheese next. Just an aside, when I was in the military years ago, the only things available living in a tent in the deserts of Saudi Arabia were MREs and C-ration type food and I had to wait out my enlistment before I could become a vegetarian. At this stage and situation in my life, I figure that if I personally am vegan, then that’s enough.
Thank you for making this video! Everyone on the comments were saying Richards privilege was showing bc of the food desert thing! So glad you made this with your awesome responses
Its interesting how most of the world limits their animals eaten out of shear necessity and the practicality of eating plants, but when people from wealthier areas talk about it, its somehow a privilege?
Yes!!!!! I took it, not even knowing it! We eat 1,095 meals each year. If a 'friend' won't even eat 1 of those without animal products ....then they're not a friend. Period.
Richard just seems like a young liberal from some coastal city, where he’s surrounded by likeminded people, and can dedicate a lot of his energy to one or two causes. I’m also guessing he’s been vegan for less than two years. I was over 30 and already a working wife and mother. I did cook and buy animal products for my friends and family, because I felt like my veganism was personal to me. Now, years later, I’ve become more firm with my boundaries and no longer buy, store, or prepare animal products. I also left my meat-eating husband (for other reasons), so I have a completely vegan home now. Some friends have complained, but it is what it is.
@@MilitantSoyBoy Richard you were AMAZING. It is sad that you were alone on a line as often as you were considering everyone there claimed to be vegan 😪 IMO you were not confrontational or rude or argumentative 🤷♀️ you just stated your truth and answered the questions. You are not responsible for molly-coddling other's desires to keep eating animals and I'm sure, by now, you realise you are not the actual cause of the negative comments you received on this or any other occasion. People's own biases caused those comments and that will remain the case whether you speak out or not, so, keep speaking out so eloquently and passionately 💖 (I'm old enough to be your mother, hence the "motherly" advice that you probably don't need because you quite clearly "got it" long ago 🙃)
I am not yet vegan, I am making the transition. I have to say, I actually like Richard. I gotta respect his convictions. Really, really like that. 😁I’m really impressed by him, actually. It almost seems like he’s maturing as the video progresses.
Dude, the Navy has the best food and variety in the entire military. Good food prevents mutiny. It should be no problem to meet any dietary needs even while being on a ship for months.
I feel so bad for Richard. He just takes the morals and ethics that the world should have in the context of the society we are in. I find myself tiptoeing around omnivores trying to convince them to try this vegan meal or not annoy them with my vegan ideas but I respect Richard because he isn't doing that. I think people are uncomfortable with what he said because it is so out of line with our carnist society, but really if you listen to him he's got amazing ideas. I liked what most people said in this video, but feel bad that Richard was bullied in the comments 😥
I love how in Mic's comments, we are hugely supportive and many vegans even admire how bad a$$ Richard is. Because I've been a nice / chill / nonjudgmental vegan for years now, and who has gone vegan because of it? Not one person.
@@aprilcaddell6335 yes! The movement needs people speaking the truth unapologetically. If we tiptoe around the fact that animals are being tortured and murdered for a sandwich it isn't doing anyone any favours, especially not the animals. And the seeds Richard plants will stick in people's minds even if they resist in the first place. I'm so shy I struggle IRL to speak my mind, but I don't hold back on Facebook/social media 😆 💚💚💚💚
Hey Mic- kudos! nice positive take on the diversity of views here. We get so much hostility from nonvegans (no matter where we are on the spectrum of questions asked here), that we could do with a lot less hostility from other vegans on our minor differences.
Not everyone in my house hold is vegan, we don’t cook with any animal products in the house, the leather that we own was purchased prior to the conversion to a plant based lifestyle. However I agree with Elizabeth on being respectful of others as well and not imposing our beliefs on them. With that being said, the non-vegan person in our household often request the meatless items and embraces vegan meals. I feel that by showing respect towards my non-vegan family member I am giving them the time and space they need to come to their own decisions about becoming Vegan.
It's great to see these issues aired and shared! My gratitude and respect to all involved. One of the necessary consequences of veganism as an ethic is that very tricky balancing act - impossible to get right all the time - in which we have to decide whom to harm, hurt or offend in some situations. For me, veganism is the ethics of love, where love means sincerely wanting Other to thrive, to live with dignity and freedom. "Other" of course includes all life forms, all living systems and beings. But these things take time. We cannot become vegan through and through at the flick of a decision, and each of us, for an unfathomable complexity of interlocking reasons, develops at different rates with uneven emphases on particular aspects of what it is to live as a vegan.
I live in an Island in the Caribbean. No Whole Foods,Thrive Market, Vegan Cuts and whatever else have you. There is limited availability of certified vegan packaged foods (snacks, cheeses, ice cream, yoghurt etc.) and those that are available are mostly sold at high-end gourmet stores for at least 3 to 4 times the cost of what they are valued at your US retailers. Despite this, I've been an ethical vegan for over 6 years. The agricultural/planting customs and culinary culture of eating a lot of fresh veggies, root crops and legumes regardless of diet (omnivore/veg) makes, imo, being vegan pretty easy and reasonably affordable for middle to even lower income people. However, in terms of ensuring that all aspects of living (clothing, personal hygiene/cosmetics, household items and appliances, vehicles etc.) are all vegan, this is much, much more impractical due to poor availability, lack of full information or transparency from manufacturers and suppliers, lack of understanding about veganism by the majority of the public and in business and of course, the higher costs for more ethical options, which realistically, most people here just cannot afford. "As far as is possible and practicable" is a matter of cultural relativism and other forms of relativism. Everyone everywhere should do their best. As the world keeps changing and veganism gains more traction across the globe, we all get better and better.
As much as people claim to hate "staunch" and "confrontational" vegans, they will hate on us, bully us and make fun of us just as much if we compromise our beliefs. Since going vegan, many people have tried to "catch me" doing non-vegan stuff (But isn't that a leather jacket?! No, actually it's a pleather jacket I bought 3 years before going vegan. Sorry to disappoint your low expectations!) I think we actually will get more (grudging) respect, if we stay true to our ethics, like Richard in the Jubilee video.
Vegan is defined as an ethical term so IMO your only vegan if you are doing it at least partially for ethical reasons. Really this is just nitpicking though, if you don’t eat animals you aren’t part of the problem and that’s what counts. #plantpower 🍎🥦🍠😄🙏🏼
I agree with you literally 100% of the time. It’s wild. This never happens. I was going to say thanks for being you, but I really mean thanks for being me.
That bit about the liberation pledge should be alarming to all of us. Its reminds me of the Scientologists idea of a "suppressive person". Once a person is a Scientologist they may only talk to other Scientologists and anyone else is against their church and labeled a SP, that person is then shunned by family and friends completely. Replace the word Scientologist with vegan in this instance and the liberation pledge becomes a pledge to a fucking cult. Its very disturbing.
what? That makes no sense? What’s a religion got to do with an ethical stance? Are you saying you’re part of a religious cult because you don’t support child brothels and wouldn’t enter one with your friends, if they were going in? Are you also part of the religious cult who doesn’t support eating dog meat and won’t sit with people in a dog meat restaurant? I think it’s safe to say it would be a lot more disturbing if you weren’t part of those ‘religious cults’
I love when people from first world countries talk about the struggles of third world countries. Talking about the capacity of someone to keep a vegan diet in extreme poor conditions. For example in my country the basic diet for the poor population (which is the majority ) is corn, beans and rice, yes all vegan...but imagine living only on that. They have their own animals, if fortunate enough or will choose animal products over other things if they have the opportunity. Even government programs gives them soy to cook and they throw them away.
ICELAND FOOD: Despite the cool climate and restricted growing season, a variety of food crops are grown, such as potatoes, turnips, carrots, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower. Other subtropical crops (such as tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers), cut flowers and potted plants are grown in greenhouses heated with geothermal energy (which Iceland has in abundance)-in some cases artificial light is required to supplement the shorter daylight hours at these northern latitudes. Even bananas and grapes can be grown in this way-but not usually on a commercial scale.
I think that instead of saying "go vegan" and "become vegan" vegans could also say "return vegan" since technically we were all born vegan. Also that way people we connect more because it sounds more inclusive. #returnvegan
I think about these kind of "angles" myself. Shame I didn't do a psychology degree. Tell me more. Surely it's guiding people how to become more constructive members of society than picking a fight with immoral demons.
If all vegans where like Richard, less people whould go vegan. I much rather support a plantbased diet of like 95% plants, this makes the diet so much more practical, and I'd argue - easier to succeed with in terms of health. I think a plantbased diet has a better chance to be adopted by more people and therefore decrease animal explotation more on a global level.
His problem is not his logic . But his attitude . He looks rude and arrogant to the average viewer . The kind of " SJW Savior of the Universe " most people despise . I saw the video around 1 week ago . Could not finish it . Because I could not tolerate him .
hilomona if you watched the original video . Read the comments. Most people found Richard annoying and loved Elizabeth. . There were comments about how Richard is seen as the “ classic Vegan “ most “ regular “ People despise. The reason why most “ normal “ people won’t ever accept moving to a Vegan lifestyle. A lot of people doesn’t like to be preach for things they consider “ normal “ or acceptable for most of society.
@@MariaRodriguez-hb4ix That's because they identify with the person who is least adamant about a lifestyle they are ambivalent about. This is basic psychology. Richard's explanation of veganism is the most accurate; if a bunch of not-really-woke omnis do not accept it, that is not Richard or veganism's problem. Most people, almost everyone at this channel for example, validates Richard's perspective, and we were all "normal" omni carnists once.
@Ahimsa42 Thanks. I mentioned hiking boots as an example of a particularly difficult problem. These boots have to fit absolutely perfectly. I walk very long distances and have never had a blister. I live in Australia and have found that an Italian boot brand, which is very expensive, is the only brand I've found that fit me. Shopping for a product like this online is pretty much impossible. As time goes by, there will be more choice. I wear 'old-fashioned' hiking boots for a set of reasons unique to me.
@@nematoaddd There was a fellow who for years posted comments at vegan YT lamenting the lack of vegan welders gloves. There aren't vegan food deserts so much anymore as vegan manufactured product deserts. I went to four different hardware stores and searched online to see if there was a vegan brand of welding gloves I could recommend to that user, and there wasn't. It was only recently possible to get vegan ballet shoes, so I hope things are changing across the manufacturing sector, not just in food.
Wasn't thinking it through and bought some leather hiking boots - thanks for walking me through this. Cancelled the order and now the cognitive dissonance is gone! Originally became vegan for health reasons - although I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do. Thanks for all of your help on my journey! You are changing the world with your work.
Mic, I take issue with your statement that one can easily replace leather shoes with vegan ones. I have size 15 feet and have yet to find a source for any non-leather footware, other than shower shoes/flip flops. And people tend to stare when I wear shower shoes to the theater. But, when I find such a source and need more shoes, I'll switch without a fight.
Shoes are my issue too. I have a horrible heel spur and cannot find vegan shoes I can wear that don't cause me horrible pain, pain to where I end up not being able to walk sometimes for weeks at a time. and surgery as of now is not an option so what am I supposed to do ya know? We just have to do the best we can.
Yeah shoes are hard. I live in Canada and walk pretty much everywhere, which means in winter I can easily walk in the snow for 1h30 a day. I have yet to find vegan winter boots that are warm enough, completely waterproof, comfortable and durable. I've had the non vegan ones I wear now for about 8 winters and they're still in good shape but I really don't know what I will do when I'll have to replace them.
@@abidonovan1971 Check out Wills Vegan Shoes, they do fantastic quality shoes and they have hiking and winter boots. They only go up to size 12 though, so not a solution for Stephen.
Thanks for another good video. I find myself generally agreeing with you. Your point about accidental bullying I found perceptive. One thing which nobody mentioned and I could share: I have several times accompanied people to a meal where I sit at the table and partake of the conversation etc. but simply sip green tea or nurse a chilled club soda, not eating anything. My siblings, sister in law, her mother, a cousin, my niece and her friends, my school friend and his family... people who know me understand. Sometimes I even carry bananas and nuts to munch in the taxi or at some other point in the outing. Nobody minds. A couple of times I've discussed with the hostess when invited and when she asks what I would like I request some plain fruit as the easiest and most fuss free thing. One friend I remember asked what I'd like to munch with tea and I said bananas and in fact the third person, non vegan, was also pleased to join me with a banana and then I opened the packet of plain cashew nuts I'd got from Goa which we all enjoyed. There are people who urge me to have something at a restaurant but usually I manage to avoid it though occasionally I join them and have some vegan option. Though it's much easier because I'm extremely reclusive now, many months go by without sharing a meal with anyone. Yes in the past I've gone off the rails for some milky dessert or something, or been lacto vegetarian for three days at a sumptuous food filled destination wedding (here in India it's not that difficult to be lacto vegetarian) but now I don't think I would make those exceptions except perhaps for a bite of someone's birthday cake. The Guardian article ends, interestingly, saying of vegans, "But as their numbers grow beyond the margins, perhaps the worst thing they could be is right."
Haha wow, I had to pause and comment even before Mike's rebuttal: did she literally bring up Iceland, one of the most developed countries in the world?
I’m glad you tackled this video because it was really interesting to watch, but could also be considered a “source” that people might reference when discussing veganism.
Saying I am vegan for health and not ethics is like saying "I am against slavery because if I will not own slaves I will get off my ass and do my own work which will keep me active and prevent me from being lazy."
Your friend didn’t want to be “judged” at her birthday, but I’m sure she’d be happy to go to the other friends birthday and turn her nose up at vegan birthday cake. Carnists can be so hypocritical.
I’ve been vegan for several years now and I can confidently say that when I first started out I was militant and honestly at some times rude to the people in my life who weren’t vegan trying to convince them what they were doing was wrong. Once I chilled out some and checked my privilege, lots of people in my circle started going vegan/vegetarian. Leading by example works. Being kind to animals AND being kind to others will make people way more likely to follow your lead. While Richard has the rhetoric most vegans can agree with he makes the lifestyle seem so unapproachable and at the end of the day if you’re turning people away from veganism, how much good are you really doing?
Sorry should watch this channel more consistently; best one for me right now, tx Mic, super busy and belated Happy New Year. I took part in an experiment of this sort a while ago and was surprised at people's reactions. …..
I love it when I go out in the winter in my "leather" jacket and all of my friends are like "Aren't you vegan? Why are you wearing leather?" It's nice to be able to tell them that it is indeed vegan. Levi's makes some really nice faux leather jackets. I'm finally throwing out the old leather boots this year as I have finally found a faux pair that looks just like them
I love Richard! What an amazing young man of conviction. I go out of my way to let people know I’m vegan. And a healthy vegan at that. I love my vegan brothers and sisters. If you ever feel like you’re in the minority or misunderstood, remember there are lots of us who get you. Stay strong, stay vegan for life.
I fully agreed with the girl who mentioned food desserts. Mic, you were wrong on that point. That one picture aside, food desserts are very real and a lot of the time the only food available in those areas are of the, "fast" variety. I also love the fact that she's trying to make it more accessible to omnivores. We want people on our side, and the best way we can get people on board is with kindness and understanding.
I am vegan. I was an omnivore for the longest time and you know what? It was people like Elizabeth that gave me a push towards the better direction. Dudes like Richard made me believe that vegans were a militant, judgemental, uptight bunch that try to guilt trip you into changing your diet. At the end of the day, Elizabeth does more good than harm to the cause than Richard. If I seem flaky to my community but my attitude causes more people to become vegan, then that has a direct result in less animal byproduct and meat consumption overall. Let Richard do his thing but that does not mean that he is likeable in case he decides he wants to persuade others to become vegan🙄
11:40 - Online I have sort of been bullied, offline not really. I mean I have had people teasing, but not really bullying in the sense of beating me up or physically attacking me for being vegan, and even then I'm usually good at avoiding being teased, so people don't usually tease me for long. I got teased a lot when younger. So usually I work out how to avoid getting teased, but I do feel hostility from non-vegans at times, but I'm not sure if that is because of me, or because I'm vegan. I'm not sure. But I generally naturally avoid confrontation with people, unless I think they're open minded, or won't get offended. I try to get people to watch documentaries or videos instead of argue, unless I know they can control their temper.
Some misconceptions. *Vegan definition:* A person who does not eat or use animal products. (Application not ethics) *Veganism definition:* A lifestyle choice rather than just a diet. (Ethics not application) *ism definition:* A distinctive practice, system, or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement. Don't mix vegan and veganism to mean the same thing. Because they are not. 17:39 "Vegan is an anti-discrimination, anti-oppression movement. - I would not consider you vegan if you are racist etc." No veganism, not vegan. Vegan is what you eat, veganism is a philosophy. Keep your mental gymnastics out of my diet please.
Your second definition is incorrect: Veganism is a lifestyle choice that includes but is not limited to diet[as a means of refraining from animal exploitation]. That's the standard understanding, per the originator of the term. If you refrain from animal foods but not from other products of animal exploitation, and have no intention to refrain from these, you are not a vegan and do not practice veganism. I am not writing this for you, so much as for others reading who may be confused by what you wrote.
Great video! I think it could be enriched with a little introduction to nihilism (in relation to the last question: "is someone better person if he is vegan?"). I got inspired on the topic by CosmicSkeptic. (I'm vegan, but I think that nihilism can give us some perspective and depth to better understand the topic).
Essentially it's pragmatist Vs idealist; In my experience the pragmatic approach e.g. wearing an old leather belt instead of throwing it away, eating with non-vegan people etc. helps to reduce the 'abnormal/extreme' preconceptions of vegans held by alot of people. Anything that negates the media-induced 'us-them' mentality is a good thing.
I agree with this. It's about the barrier to entry, if it's a binary option then only 5% of people can be Vegan but when you allow a lower bar to entry then 80% of people can be Vegan. That would have a much greater impact on animal welfare worldwide and would therefore be the right choice if you genuinely would do anything to reduce animal harm as much as possible.
In addition to that, once people are partially Vegan and become comfortable with that label it becomes a hell of a lot easier to eventually go full Vegan. In the same way it's easier to lift the meat goggles and learn more about the animal impact once you've already stopped being part of the problem.
Yes. Fellow pragmatists here. I don't believe in cultivating an absolutist way of thinking. It's not healthy. I don't expect perfection from myself or others. Just sincerely trying your best is good enough for me. An idealist would say there is no such thing as doing your best. You either do it or don't.
@James Parker My line is flexible; though my answer would be no to both, but the likelihood of such a scenario occuring in the UK makes it not worth thinking about in the first place.
In fact, your question follows a similar extreme/abstract nature to common questions such as 'if you were on a desert island?' or 'what about cavemen?'.
Why let improbable-scenarios hold you back from positively affecting the attitude, and potentially behaviour, of current non-vegans?
@@fuyopon Personally I don't find it hard to be Vegan but that's because I'm the kind of person who finds self-control easy and also because I'm privileged enough that it can be easy for me.
For clarity, I am 100% Vegan and I'm very strict about it with myself.
I would disagree that it is like the "virgin" label. The very definition of Veganism is that you do the best you can "as far as is possible and practicable" and NOT that you achieve perfection as that is only possible if you were to cease to exist.
I call myself Vegan yet undoubtedly end the lives of many insects, either directly or indirectly, as I go about my day. As is true of EVERY Vegan.
@@fuyopon What I mean is that for the general public, being asked whether they would eat next to people who were eating human babies and dogs, isn't the best way to get them on board. They'll probably take offense at the suggestion that their behaviour is even comparable to those suggested; resulting in 1 more person sided against veganism.
The Jubilee audience is really toxic
Every video without fail they find one person and attack their appearance, personality, etc.
As a non vegan who watched that video, Richard really turned me off to the idea of veganism because of the way he presented the info. So he kind of deserves to get criticized by others, especially vegans who want to spread their message.
@@Goat.Cheese He didn't soften your ego when he told you that slaughtering animals unnecessarily is very bad.
You poor thing, you are the real victim here aren't you?
He said things as they are in an honest way. Do you want him to kiss your ass or something?
Emily
okay, so get this: i like dog fighting. i also really like kicking dogs.
but one day, i met this dude who told me that he doesn't kick dogs or participate in dog fighting, because he believes it's immoral.
but he was just honestly kind of annoying and presented the information in a way that bothered me, so it really turned me off from the idea of not kicking dogs. 🤷🏼♂️
so therefore i think he deserves criticism, and i'm gonna keep kicking dogs and making them fight, simply because that one guy rubbed me the wrong way.
edit: just for clarification this is a hypothetical extension of the logic that you are using. just clarifying because i don't want someone to see this and think i actually abuse animals.
I hope all these comments don't turn you away from veganism all the way.. Every small step is important and great... Noone is perfect and striving for perfection is just stupid especially because it turns so many people away from even trying to eat less meat 😭😔
@@Goat.Cheese Don't be mad at vegans for pointing out injustice, be mad at yourself for causing it.
Iceland is not a food desert and veganism is actually quite popular here
No its not wtf
@@filipjosefsson4860 flestir veitingastaðir eru með vegan máltíðir í boði og það er til fullt af vegan "kjöti" og mismunandi jurtamjólk og öðrum vegan vörum í búðum, væntanlega er meirihluti fólks ekki vegan en já
Lol this is false, unfortunately. I work with a wildlife biologist and she’s a die hard vegan. However, she served in the Peace Corps back in the day, and didna stint in Iceland. She’s told me about how difficult it was to find vegan foods in Iceland, because their diets are pretty simple. Luckily that’s probably changing now, but to say that Iceland wouldn’t be a challenging environment is extremely ignorant قمر
I was just there last March and was so surprised by the plant-based restaurants available. The grocery stores had so many plant milks and many vegan options. It was great!
@@rebeccagypsysol i literally live here and am vegan
I went vegan 5 days ago!💚
Edit: Woah, didn't expect to even get one like lol thanks!
Also, thanks to all of you congratulating and complementing me! Your comments have made me cry. My mental "health" is a literal hell right now. You have no idea how much you are helping someone with writing these comments. I love you all so much! 💚
Edit 2: Still vegan and I love it! It’s sooooo easy!
Welcome in the happy family!
congrats
@@pomodorino1766 thanks! Happy to be here!
Awesome!!!
Keep it going!
Richard doesn’t bother me. I don’t feel he’s being ‘confrontational’ at all. He’s non compromising ...something I would like to strive for.
He doesn't bother me at all. I agree with him, especially about having a clear message. I'm sick of hearing "I'm 80% vegan."
@@alexiswinter7056 Yep. There's no such thing as 80% vegan
Please dont strive to be like that. People like that guy push people away from veganism because of the hash, judgemental attitude. You dont have to compromise, just be nicer than that guy.
@@Goat.Cheese How was he not nice? And what do you know about what works and what doesn't? Are you a social psychologist? Some of the most effective activists are honest and candid in their approach. Vegan Gains has been credited with turning many people vegan and Joey Carbstrong is truthful and uncompromising. Wishy washy vegans don't make for good activists because they make people feel comfortable with exploitation. I've been vegan for 23 years. I've seen all the approaches and I know what works. Back in the 90s it was Meat is Murder, then animal organisations promoted so called humane meat and now we are back at honest, no compromising activism because the watered down, "in bed with the exploiters" method did the animals a disservice. People don't need to be made to feel good about their exploitative ways. They need their cognitive dissonance disrupted, not nurtured.
Same.
*Ahh yes, here for my weekly dose of vegan sass and irrefutable science.*
Miss your videos!!
I remember first seeing you when you were suffering from acne. I empathized with you so very much because I suffered so much from acne in my teen and early 20s. It wasn’t until I was almost 24 and went vegan that I saw a drastic improvement. I wanted to reach out to you so badly (perhaps I possibly did on one of your videos) and beg you to change your diet... and then you did. I’m so happy you have shared your knowledge with so many other young women. I was elated to see on the same journey. I know how incredibly debilitating acne can be. You are a shining light for so many others 💛
Yes, its a cult. You must think like us all. Its the religion of atheists.
@@jeffk464 no no, the religion of the left is climate change and by tearing up the earth and growing plants that won't feed a society they are somehow supposed to "fix" climate change? I dunno they got so insane I stopped caring what they have to say
Mirella Francino
Well that’s a way to see it. But science can be irrefutable? e.g. the three postulates of the cell theory.
While I actually agree with a lot of the points Richard made, the way he framed his opinions is pretty abrasive to non vegans. It doesn’t make his views wrong or extreme or invalid, but to make progress sometimes you have to adjust the way you speak about your views to meet people halfway. I’ve been vegan for almost 7 years and I’ve definitely chilled out over time (not with staying vegan, I have never once “cheated”) but with how I speak about veganism and handle it around friends and family. My more easy going attitude has been much more successful in encouraging people in my life to move towards veganism than my more abrasive “extreme” earlier ways. Just my two cents, though!
Also, ETA, the food desert/traveling thing is a hard one. I try to understand different people’s circumstances and acknowledge my privilege, but I’ve also been vegan for extended periods of time with very little choice/variety due to a lack of vegan options (working on a cruise ship and essentially eating plain rice and beans and lettuce for lunch and dinner for 6 months straight) and I made it work. People joked when I boarded telling me my veganism “wouldn’t last long”. But there was no other option for me as an ethical vegan, so I just did it. Was it pleasant? No. Did I get sick and tired of my diet? Yes. Was I just fine? Yes.
Thank god I’m not crazy . It was weird to see how many vegans disliked Richard . I very much agree with Richard.
In a world where everyone is crazy, are you really a crazy person if you're called a crazy person by the others ? Or are you the only sane one ?
I think Richard makes a lot of sense, people are just not ready to hear it.
That's exactly what I thought when I watched Mic's response, so glad he agreed with me.
Anyone else feel that a lot of the comments felt weirdly homophobic? Commenting on his voice, his demeanor, etc. Like he is stereotypically gay and it seemed to trigger people in the comments.
@@shadycatz85 Yes, I responded to a homophobic comment on Mic's video - not the original Jubilee video - and the homophobe didn't like it one bit. It looks like we'll be responding to each other's comments for a while. I know I shouldn't engage the troll, but homophobic jokes piss me off.
@@shadycatz85 of course. Ad hominem is a norm when there are no arguments. Everything Richard said is perfectly logical. It's the hard truth but it is the truth.
Hey Mic, Richard here, I just wanted to say thank you so much for making this response video! I'm so glad we agree on so much, I have been watching you ever since I first went vegan. You actually said a lot of what I said, which ended up cut out of the video. I think you're amazing as well! I practically just screamed in excitement while watching this the whole time. Maybe I'll eventually learn to calm down, the urgency of the matter just gets me fired up haha. Again, thanks for making this, I look forward to all your future videos! 💜
Hey Richard, the points you made in the video were valid. Don't get upset by mean comments in the original video comments section. Some people are just not ready to hear the truth.
@@jimdelsol1941 Thanks!! And I'm not upset, they just don't understand speciesism.
we stan 💕💕💕
Thank you for being a passionate earthling. You are amazing and the animals are thanking you for it! Keep fighting for equality!❤️
You killed it out there dude! The people talking trash in the comments were simply looking for a reason to confirm their bias. Thankyou for speaking out!
Hi! Elizabeth from the video :) I decided to hop on over like the rest of my peeps. I understand a lot of vegans are confused and maybe upset by my answers so I'm hoping to clarify some of the things that were said.
My approach is not to be “passive” or make people feel “comfortable.” It is to make them receptive, which definitely won’t happen if they feel judged. I can appreciate Richard’s points of view, but we have different approaches and that’s ok!
I also was not implying Iceland is a food desert but was speaking from a personal experience working with an NGO. I was not in control of where I’d be assigned to go or what food would be available. The NGO provided the food and transportation and I was probably about 95% vegan during this time-I still considered myself vegan because my ethical intentions never changed.
For some of the time I worked in greenhouses which were great because they make fresh fruits and vegetables available in an environment that would be otherwise impossible to grow produce in. So to address mic’s point- I do believe doing that work was worthwhile because it promoted projects that would make fresh produce more largely available in the country in the long term.
In our compassion toward animals and our planet, let’s not forget that a large chunk of humanity struggles to feed themselves and their families. They will resort to what is practicable and possible for them- instead of condemning that, we need to help shift the food supply chain and mindset toward a vegan norm.
& Thanks for the video!
Thanks Elizabeth!! This comment was very insightful and I fully understand your position even though my approach is more like Richard's. There's more than one right way to activism. You do you
@@pipersolanas3322 I appreciate that
I can never stand the comment sections on videos like this. People are so ignorant and quick to hate vegans.
A lot of them would probably own human slaves if it was legal.
@@lloydchristmas4547 hahaha, ^ now that is called being quick to judge!
"People are so ignorant" My thoughts exactly. Being on the internet is kind of like being engulfed in an ocean of morons.
@@adamlee3333 not really. I've done outreach with so many people and they will say slavery is okay if that's your culture.
@@ASMRyouVEGANyet Fair enough but I reckon some people speak out of ignorance, denial or in an attempt to provoke someone; rather than on the spot personally analysing their core beliefs.
I lived on powdered potatoes for months while deployed in a war zone, there were no vegan options in the military ration packs, I served for 14yrs & although I have been told there are v.ration packs, I never saw them & concluded they are like the Mr. Snuffleupagus, they exist but nobody has ever seen them... Oh & the drama of being a SGT who didn’t eat animal products...
Did you feel pretty good on the potatoes, or did you feel like something was missing? Thanks for doing that, by the way!
And that's what real veganism is. Good on you, dude.
@micthevegan maybe your next video could discuss this topic diplomatically and fairly (as always) - Vegans in the military
What a great service to your long term health. Congratulations.
There have been vegan military folk from time to time in the comments at vegan YT over many years; they said it was difficult to eat vegan in the military, but not impossible, and that having to wear leather boots was the worst aspect.
Being vegan in Iceland is much easier than she makes it out to me. Also norway, finland and sweden have absolutely amazing vegan products. 😂 I live super remotely and my nearest tiny store has so many vegan products.
I've been north of the arctic circle in Alaska, and I have to say, I'm really not sure I could sustain myself as a vegan up there. It was an eye-opening experience. Thankfully I don't need to deal with this dilemma as I don't live there.
@@ma3xiu1 Are you claiming to know better than someone who lives there?
Representing Northern countries like ice laden Game of Thrones' North is a dead giveaway she has no clue about Iceland or Norway.
@@AK-np4rp Someone who lives where? I'm talking about Alaska, I've never been to Iceland so I can't comment on the situation there.
@@ma3xiu1 Ok, I retract my comment then
By being on the more lenient side, I was able to be an example to someone close to me. My friend is now vegan. I don't claim I did it; ultimately it was her decision. However, by not being extreme about it, my example means more to those around me.
Ro Ku I think we need people doing both. Like being lenient can definitely work, but on the other side for me personally it was people being confrontational and not coddling me that caused go re-evaluate and go vegan
Define Extreme and lenient are you the kind of lenient "vegan" who would buy meat for a friend?
Would you say it's Extreme to not want to sit a table with dog meat or pig meat?
Extreme and lenient doesn't mean anything because it was considered extreme to free a human slave because it was considered property.
@@joannot6706 and TheBlueClue Sometimes it comes down to your personal empathy and knowing who which would be suited to the person/people you're dealing with. Open hostility and shaming might work for one person and being the living example might work with another. In my case, the people I'm around would simply shut down and shun my ideals if I pushed it too hard. Standing firm in my own ethic is fine, and speaking to the health concerns of certain family members is the toe in the door. I don't know how many people here were raised vegan or how many switched overnight vs by increments, but we should have an honest look at ourselves and how we came to be vegan now.
I just thought of something, people, tell me if I'm crazy: how about instead of thinking of it as buying meat for someone else, casually eating with someone else eating meat in front of you, we thought of it as actually slaughtering the animal for someone else to get them their meat, or watching someone casually slaughtering the animal in front of us and proceed to eat it as we eat the veggie burger? In my head, like in OP's I would guess, the former SEEMS not so bad, while the latter is obviously something we wouldn't do/wouldn't be able to stand, but really, what is the difference?
I think you can be nice and understanding while being firm with your message and not shying away from telling people your opinion. In my experience that's the best way to go most of the time.
I was literally the only one defending Richard. He was totally respectful, people are just butthurt because they can‘t handle someone speaking truth.
Thanks for defending me haha
@@MilitantSoyBoy always man, thank you so much for putting yourself out there! :)
tsurello same here people were being dumb for no reason
I'm sorry but Richard is all about "keeping his own conscience clean" - NOT about creating the best outcome for as many animals as possible. If he was less militant he would be able to convert more people, hence more animals suffer with this kind of approach compared to someone with the approach of Elizabeth.
(I am a vegan and absolutely despise animal cruelty, but will still eat dinner with my family. I bring my own food but enough for everyone to taste. This has led the family to lower their meat consumption when I'm visiting. This is one of many possible examples of why not excluding yourself from situations where animals are being consumed can be a more fruitful kind of activism. The opposite just turns people off to veganism in general.)
Yeah he's awesome, he's so nice about being militant. That's tough to pull off.
i like richard - he's wearing a shirt that let's everyone know that he plays offense, not defense - and that's how you make progress ...
I love the way you put that
@Dr Grey based on what evidence? Were you alive during the Civil rights movement? Nah, bye.
@Dr Grey It's actually the only thing that has worked but....... go off, I guess.
@Dr Grey i am very familiar with the mantra of trying to stop people from making progress - i got the same attacks for many years - yet dozens of corrupt elected and appointed officials have resigned and/or been indicted because of my audits - and not one person that attempted to direct or criticize me could show me one example of themselves making progress by 'their techniques' - which ranged from doing nothing to actually working to protect corruption ...
this is me - libionline.net/index.html - ever met anyone that's gotten a city's entire executive staff indicted? beaumontgate.org/
who are you dr. grey?
let's see your fabulous progress by playing defense in any arena ?
what i have come to realize is that evil doesn't prosper because evil outnumbers the good - evil prospers because of traitors within .... and although i plan to get my phd in the study of subservient people that aide and abet evil when it's to their detriment - i care for my health with diet and exercise and never ever ever use the medical industry ...
p.s. everyone over 40 lost all rights to criticize the younger generations many many decades ago - the world could not be in a worse condition and the ONLY person to blame in inside of your mirror ...
I love this analogy, I did wear the shirt for a reason.
As the only vegan in my family and raising 4 boys, my initial attempts to force everyone to choose my new way of eating (since I'm the one cooking) caused months of frustration and contention. It was tearing my family apart. I decided to let them choose for themselves and kindly and consistently educate them instead. Everyone, even my husband who was extremely against it at first, is eating far fewer animal products. It's not perfect, but I'm trying to allow for agency, love and respect while still adhering to my beliefs. I will be vegan for life. Hopefully my family will come along: not out of resentment from being forced, but out of love and understanding and a reverence for life. I didn't learn this way of life until late in my 30's... hopefully through my example my children will save far more animals♡
I know people in your shoes and I know it's not easy. Hang in there, the animals appreciate your passion and dedication. 🌱💚
Veganism can look so different from parent's point of view. Although it seems like they tried to have a diversity in the people that were invited I was actually disappointed that there were no people with parental responsibilities in the video. My kids and my husband went vegan with me but there are other issues that come along with vegan parebts that can interfere with always buying vegan products or being able to afford or even having the time to research certain things. I can run for a quick errand cause I ran out of shampoo and the store doesnt have the cruelty free shampoo I usually get so I end up buying whatever is there.
Hi! I loved reading your post. I feel the same way. I'm the only vegan in my house (two sons, a hubs and a sweet dog), though my children cannot consume dairy. Anyway, I prepare their chicken and pork roasts, but my children didn't eat beef until one was 10 and the other was 5. They rarely eat beef because they don't like how it makes their body feel. As a result, they are seeing for themselves how eating animals affects them. We do not eat much processed food (Yes, they go trick-or treating and eat candy & go to bday parties like other kids...they just eat much less junk than their friends) and, because we eat at home for 90% of our meals, I'm able to supply them with a table full of fruits , nuts & veggies that they like (they're pretty picky about veg, though they are obsessed with raw radishes and raw cauli. My little guy even eats the cauli core. When he does this, I call him my little vegan caveman and we laugh
As a new vegan, a lot of these are hard. Especially the allowing another person to eat meat around you or buying it for them. I see it as wrong but...I'm the only vegan in my circle.
Anna LA same for me. I’m not new to it, but my partner eats a standard American diet, so we eat drastically different things. We make it work.
Whatever you decide to do, stay vegan yourself, that is the most important.
If you're uncomfortable with buying meat for someone else, maybe use analogy to make them understand why you won't do it. If they are against pollution for example, ask them if they would pollute in your name if you asked them to do so.
You can think of more extreme examples if you want.
Regarding the question of sitting around people eating meat. It is better for animals to be around people eating meat because they will be more likely to change if they see that there are alternative and I can guarantee that you will probably have a discussion about the vegan diet and you'll be able to drop facts about meat that they probably don't know that the meat industry don't want them to know.
If you find it disgusting to see other people eat animals and you don't want to stay around, it's really fine, I get it but not doing it supposedly because it would somehow hurt animals to do so is not true.
@@joannot6706 It's really a complicated topic isn't it ? On one side you can normalize to them the fact of being vegan, have a discussion on veganism, drop some facts,...
But on the other side you're also normalizing the fact of eating animal products. ... ... Which is already normalized so after all is it really a good point ?
Kerbi delsol For sure. I feel like I can never go back. I’ve seen too much evidence of the horror of meat, egg, dairy industries and I can’t be a party to that.
To me, as a Brit, Richard comes across as very polite. He's not Earthling Ed, no, but he's really not a knob.
Thanks, I thought I was pretty nice to everyone too haha.
Amanda Earlam Most of us Americans are just too wrapped up in feelings and treading lightly. It’s pretty ridiculous to say the least
Earthling Ed is vegan jesus
People can't stomach Richard because there's no comeback to what he says, and people start attacking him personally, not his arguments. He's just an unapologetic vegan, and the fact that he's queer probably goes hand-in-hand with his very strong and brave attitude. He owns it, he's proud of it, and he is not prisoner of other people's opinion of him. He hurts your feelings by throwing facts and truth at you? Grow up. Of course it's easier for some people to go vegan (depending on your social class, background, ethnicity, country, culture...) but the audience of this video is us: 15-35yo people living in developed countries with easy access to education/knowledge.
Arjun Wijayaratnam thissss
th-cam.com/video/OMd6EUXAYNg/w-d-xo.html
His arguments would only work on those concerned with the “ethics” of meat consumption. Being plant based myself (for health reasons)...I found Richard to be quit the cringy stereotype of the typical bleeding heart vegan. If anything, I think listening to him will make more people crave meat in the hopes of sending him a mental jab.
Arjun Wijayaratnam 🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️❤️
"People can't stomach Richard because there's no comeback to what he says, and people start attacking him personally, not his arguments."
Its almost like you missed the part in the video in which one of the women literally told him that if you refuse to sit with people that are eating in a certain way you are limiting the opportunities to expose people to starting the vegan lifestyle via a simple food choice to begin with.
Richard simply is going out of his way to turn people off, isolate himself into an echo chamber with other vegans to the exclusion of anyone else. And, as I pointed out elsewhere on this thread, the words that he uses are manipulative.
Vegan is good but being emotional and irrational about it is not. That turns away more people than it brings in.
Richard is right and he should say it
Thanks, I will.
@@MilitantSoyBoy Keep it up!
I liked Richard. He knows what he knows and stands by it.
Thanks!
@@MilitantSoyBoy Hey man, I really like the way you handled and expressed yourself (especially the "Homophobic Free Tuesdays" example hahaha). Are you planning to start making videos again? I would certainly watch them!
Orion Music Network I'm uploading a response video today.
@@MilitantSoyBoy Awesome! I will watch out for it!
I watched this a week ago. And I completely agree with how you feel about Elizabeth , she’s actually in another viral vegan comparison video can’t remember what it’s called but i really think she’s more of a flexitarian and Dosent seem to fully get the ethical stances . I actually LOVE Richards tactful responses , I commented that on the original video defending him and he replied ! He makes his own activism videos !!
And here I am again, thanks for the support!
MilitantSoyBoy of course ! I’ve watched a few of your videos now and I love them !
The Earthling Ed bit had me cracking up
Alexis Goldner forreal ! He was on point with that 😂
My wife asked me to buy her a rotisserie chicken the other day. I refused, and it caused a bit of consternation. It's hard, for sure.
Yes, i feal this same pain. My wife always wants me to buy milk and other animal products. Creates tension when i refuse.
I have the same problem with my husband. I’ve tried explaining that it’s an ethical choice but he really doesn’t understand it. At least he stopped asking though.
If she really loves you, she'd want you to be who you are and not who she wants you to be. Specially if you're striving to be a better version of yourself, a version of compassion and selflessness.
@@superlawman2010 Pick up some plant milk instead haha
I hope your spouse can come to understand what a moral hazard this is putting you in; a good spouse would not want their partner to experience this, and I assume it is a fault of understanding on her part that she can overcome. Not to become vegan if it's not in the cards, but to accept that you are and that this means not participating in certain things anymore. Good luck!
My husband went plant based a few months ago, and has been bullied constantly at his job for it.
That is so disappointing to hear. My heart goes out to him. What environment does he work for that they think it's okay to treat him that way?
Bullied? I’m a vegan and my buddies used to constantly bust my balls but it’s not the same as being bullied. It’s just buddies giving each other a hard time and in fun… Then again I’m a former boxer so if they get crazy they know it’s probably not going to end well for them.
When my buddies would give me a hard time, I would just look at their meals and say “let’s start a dead pool and bet which of you is going have a heart attack first.” They always stopped after that. Sadly one of them passed away last year...After that one of the guys who would give me the hardest time started a plant-based diet.
That's terrible, it sounds like he's working around extremely closed minded, even brainwashed people. I know it's not this easy but if I were him I'd certainly be looking for a different job with more open minded people
People are shitty to me constantly about being vegan. I can't catch a break. And it means that my boyfriend can't bear to go fully vegan because he can't bear to go through that. Hope things get better for your husband!
@@Ali-vj6or don't necessarily think it's unreasonable to call it bullying. I once took my own homemade vegan cheese to a wine and cheese night, and the hosts publicly ridiculed me for it and everyone joined in laughing at me. Sounds kinda like bullying to me.
I like Richard. It was brave of him to stand firm in his beliefs even when all the others disagreed. I think people who are offended and/or angered by him need to take a look at themselves and ask why they have such a strong reaction to someone politely stating his opinions..It's not like he was going round spitting on everyone and yelling in their faces😂
Yeah, I definitely don't do that.
Exactly !
Not being able to step out of your own beliefs to consider others is definitely not a polite way to live life.
I’m a vegan from the middle east, I wish I was there to answer some of their questions. I have a lot of different perspective from some of the people here.
I’m a straight white male father from the UK. My views would have been different too. This is why I think it’s important for us to join the fray and share our experiences on TH-cam. I often think that Mic has got it all wrapped up, but this video has given me food for thought.
She is right, I was in rural Iceland and there are parts of Iceland where you cannot find enough vegan food to properly nourish yourself. And it’s easy to say “just bring extra cans of legumes and what not but when I went to Iceland we wouldn’t have Been able to because
Hear me out. When I went to Iceland it was summer. The temperature dropped to-1 degrees at night which means we had to Bring snow boots, jackets, sweaters and pretty much everything you would wear to go skiing. That takes up space, a lot of it and you can’t just pack a bunch of extra food. The cars aren’t all big in Iceland and we had a decently sized SUV and my siblings in the back were crushed by 2 personal suitcases and 2 large suitcases that were in the trunk. On top of that everything In Iceland is crazy expensive (as in 25$ for fish and chips expensive in Reykjavik so imagine how much stuff like renting a larger car costs). It is clear that she isn’t isn’t talking about “I can have meat once a week or even on e a year” but she is still following the Vegan montra or causing as little harm as possible practical. In some places in Iceland you can’t even eat grass.... THERE IS NONE!!!
So I think she is right in some cases it is very very hard and impractical to be vegan even though the movement is spreading the option is not available everywhere.
Hats off to Richard.
Nope. Dont emulate that guy. He turns non-vegans off from going vegan due to his militant mindset
Thanks!! 🙌
@@MilitantSoyBoy hey I realized I was already subscribed to you. nice. I subbed after your raw alignment vid. Thanks for the reminder. I'm off to watch your vids now. :)
@@Goat.Cheese Bullshit. If someone has an ego so fragile that they can't hand the truth, they will never be vegan. To be vegan you need the humility and strength to recognise the error of your ways.
@@Goat.Cheese It's a lie spread by people who lose when veganism grows. Don't believe bullshit. Non compromising vegan activism turns the most people. Check Alex Bez's (Amazing Vegan Outreach) video on the pledge.
I made the mistake of subjecting myself to the comments section when I tried watching the video (I just never finished it cuz I went to watch something else).
I will pray for your recovery!
@@tamcon72 thanks
We love and support richard in this household. Keep speaking up my fave.
Thanks, I will!
Ive been vegan for 3 years. Been with my omnivore boyfriend for 2. Its taken time, but hes at least pescatarian and eats vegan 75% of the time. I refused to ever cook or buy animal products for him. Since I make his dinner every night and often his breakfast and lunch, he eats almost all vegan. Since i cooked him yummy meals, he realized he didnt need animal products. I slowly educated him about all the science behind plant based diets.
Literally just making a video on this this weekend. I am defining veganism and plant based for people so that they can tell the difference. It really is a big problem that I see when people don't understand that they are not the same thing.
I don't agree with the "I'm better" philosophy. If you have that view you are closed minded and not open to expanding your views. Even saying you are the best person that you could be is self defeating and self limiting. Being humble is where it's at.
I think it’s not about being humble, it’s about being honest. It’s not about passing judgement on people, it’s about judging behaviours.
It is honestly and truthfully better to follow ethical standards than not to. Denying that is opening the door to chaos and mayhem.
I personally want to live in a world where ethics matter.
Please never, ever substitute anyone's food without their knowledge and consent! I understand that you were playing a well-intentioned prank on a friend and probably would know if they had an allergy, but seriously that could really hurt or even kill someone. Refuse to buy it, prepare it, or dine with them all you like, but never, ever substitute/change someone's food without their knowledge.
As someone with severe/lethal reactions to some common ingredients, it is terrifying. Even if a person ends up okay after an attack, epipens and subsequent medical treatments are really expensive! Swapping out food is something I've seen a lot of people joke about or actually follow through with, and it doesn't seem like people consider the risks (especially if they don't suffer from allergies or think that allergies are only ever hives or upset stomachs).
I enjoy your videos and sincerely hope that I didn't offend you Mic.
This is the least comments I've ever seen on a new video, what a shame, Mic is such a cool guy!
@Canadian Girl It's just because my other subscriptions already have 100 comments after 3 seconds
Guy became a vegan because of his environmental views. Well in my book that's also an ethical reason.
Jubilee's viewers think they're so woke and tolerant for watching videos with a great diversity of people, meanwhile falling into the same trap of speciesism similar to racists or sexists. Their toxicity really shows here
Yes.
@@ASMRyouVEGANyet not to mention how they single out people in nearly every video to bully, especially with Erin and now Richard
@Rick Vis Good point. Maybe consider it like this: animals don't want to die. They feel pain like us and this is because they want to avoid death. Pain is inherently bad, and we can respect this fact by not inflicting pain onto animals. On the other hand, plants don't suffer because they can't even run away from predators so it doesn't make sense for them to even have evolved pain in the first place. So in this way, it isn't really possible to discriminate against plants. (Fruits are even "intended" to be eaten).
If somehow it was proved that broccoli can indeed feel pain, vegans would stop "discriminating" against broccoli and leave it be. Even if it was somehow proved that every single plant feels pain, well then still being vegan is the better outcome because the 70 billion land animals we kill each year eat more plants than 7 billion humans. Either way, it's a service to plants to eat them directly instead of feeding it through an animal's body. It reduces the number of plants grown and "killed" so it's a win-win
@Rick Vis "but plants also don't want to be eaten". How do you know they don't want that? How can plants want anything without a brain to do the wanting? Is it because they "react to stress and produce chemicals to prevent being eaten"? Well, plenty of inanimate things react too, like my phone. If you're to claim that reacting is what makes things "want", then my phone "wants" to be alive also. Dead frog limbs can still react too, and those certainly aren't alive.
"if you believe all species should be treated equally than that means a bacteria should be treated equally to a cow since they are both species". Nobody is advocating for equal treatment of all species. Where did you get that from? All we want is to grant equally consideration to the plight of each species. If someone has as much apathy for a cow as they do for bacteria, that's odd. You're 100% right though that there exists some vague hierarchy and non-human lives do only matter some fraction compared to ours, but it's still a fraction nonetheless. If someone is only worth 20% of my life, I won't kill them. Nor at 5%, nor 1%. Hope that clears that up.
@Rick Vis It has these mechanisms but that doesn't mean there's someone behind the steering wheel necessarily, it could just be running on auto-pilot. But if ya still would prefer to value the life of plants in that high regard, that's totally fine. The best way to reduce the murder of plants is to choose the products that involve the least amount of plants in total.
Ethics is vague, but that shouldn't be a scapegoat. At the very least, we can all agree that the murder of innocents is wrong across the board or else we wouldn't have laws for that sorta thing. Be the improvement you'd like to see :)
I went Vegan because I wanted to be the best I can be. All I cared about originally was the dietary aspect, how it could improve my life and make me healthier. I learned that eating meat wasn't necessary, which then lead to changing my ethical outlook afterwords.
Honestly, I don't think it matters which route you take if it still leads to the best destination possible. You still win from a health and ethical standpoint as a byproduct.
Nikolai Domek Agree 100%
Totally. The animals don't care if you're vegan for ethics, they just don't want to end up as food, which also end up as leather.
Then again isn't there such a thing as slaughtering cows just for leather and then they become meat? Correct me if I'm wrong as I only found that out a little bit recently.
Whatever reason you're vegan for is ok, a lot people end up doing it for ethics (for the animals) anyway.
@@IsmelinaCafuir Exactly. Animals don't care lol.
To the best of my knowledge, the majority of leather goods are merely a byproduct of meat production. May as well make every dollar you can I suppose.
I still have leather products from before, but I don't purchase them anymore.
@@nickstair6355 same here I don't buy anymore. Whatever i owned i either gave it away or kept it, depending on need. Like shoes, I don't have other nice shoes and I'm not financially "blessed" to buy stuff so I'm forced to keep it, but leather bags I let go.
I live in the arctic circle (North of Norway) and we have a ton of vegan options as well as locally grown vegetables
When I watched this, the ad was for leather conditioners lol talk about barking up the wrong tree
Yes, so often I click on a channel like this one and there's an ad for mail order steaks or something like that. Talk about wasting an ad.
Yes, that irony happens too often!
I am always glad when this happens because i know they just wasted money on me.
@@missoats8731 Yeah, when it happens to me I watch the whole ad to make sure they paid for it.
@Jaxon Basra wow vegan level up 😋
I feel like Richards responses were the most relatable and admirable. How good it is that he has good people in his life that respect his veganism enough to make the accommodations for his company.
Thanks, I do feel pretty lucky.
Love this! Made me think. Love your channel! 🙂
I think that Richard is spot-on, and I have a lot of respect for him holding his ground, and I don’t think that anyone should be pegged as annoying for sticking to their beliefs, I mean, what if his beliefs were religious, would we criticize him then?
That said, I can relate much more with Elizabeth and I understand her views. I live in a small remote community where no one is vegan, and nobody in my family is vegan, not even my partner. He was raised a Seventh Day Adventist vegetarian but is not practicing and he eats mostly vegetarian at home but sometimes eats fish and will eat meat at restaurants. I’ve been able to get him off eggs and butter at home just for health reasons, and we’re working on cheese next.
Just an aside, when I was in the military years ago, the only things available living in a tent in the deserts of Saudi Arabia were MREs and C-ration type food and I had to wait out my enlistment before I could become a vegetarian. At this stage and situation in my life, I figure that if I personally am vegan, then that’s enough.
Create a better world by going and staying level10 vegan!! 👻
Don't worry, I went vegan 4 days ago!
Don't worry, I went vegan 5 days ago!
@@rosemooncrystal3687 Hi five!!
@@rosemooncrystal3687 4 or 5 days ago. Do you remember?
Love your username, hahaha
like that you addressed their points fairly
Thank you for making this video! Everyone on the comments were saying Richards privilege was showing bc of the food desert thing! So glad you made this with your awesome responses
Its interesting how most of the world limits their animals eaten out of shear necessity and the practicality of eating plants, but when people from wealthier areas talk about it, its somehow a privilege?
I was really happy to see it too!
Looking forward to your video discussing the liberation pledge.
Yes!!!!! I took it, not even knowing it!
We eat 1,095 meals each year.
If a 'friend' won't even eat 1 of those without animal products ....then they're not a friend. Period.
Richard just seems like a young liberal from some coastal city, where he’s surrounded by likeminded people, and can dedicate a lot of his energy to one or two causes. I’m also guessing he’s been vegan for less than two years. I was over 30 and already a working wife and mother. I did cook and buy animal products for my friends and family, because I felt like my veganism was personal to me. Now, years later, I’ve become more firm with my boundaries and no longer buy, store, or prepare animal products. I also left my meat-eating husband (for other reasons), so I have a completely vegan home now. Some friends have complained, but it is what it is.
I frikkin love Richard! I'd like to hang out with him.
Let's hangout!
@@MilitantSoyBoy Richard you were AMAZING. It is sad that you were alone on a line as often as you were considering everyone there claimed to be vegan 😪 IMO you were not confrontational or rude or argumentative 🤷♀️ you just stated your truth and answered the questions. You are not responsible for molly-coddling other's desires to keep eating animals and I'm sure, by now, you realise you are not the actual cause of the negative comments you received on this or any other occasion. People's own biases caused those comments and that will remain the case whether you speak out or not, so, keep speaking out so eloquently and passionately 💖
(I'm old enough to be your mother, hence the "motherly" advice that you probably don't need because you quite clearly "got it" long ago 🙃)
@@lellyt2372 I love everything about this comment!
@Dr Grey it's okay to argue sometimes. That's how we grow.
Same!
Thank you so much for this video!!! My family has been influenced by me, and others via them. You help us all learn.
I am not yet vegan, I am making the transition. I have to say, I actually like Richard. I gotta respect his convictions. Really, really like that. 😁I’m really impressed by him, actually. It almost seems like he’s maturing as the video progresses.
Dude, the Navy has the best food and variety in the entire military. Good food prevents mutiny. It should be no problem to meet any dietary needs even while being on a ship for months.
I feel so bad for Richard. He just takes the morals and ethics that the world should have in the context of the society we are in. I find myself tiptoeing around omnivores trying to convince them to try this vegan meal or not annoy them with my vegan ideas but I respect Richard because he isn't doing that. I think people are uncomfortable with what he said because it is so out of line with our carnist society, but really if you listen to him he's got amazing ideas.
I liked what most people said in this video, but feel bad that Richard was bullied in the comments 😥
Definitely, only in a society of violence will someone who preaches non-violence be seen as a threat. So glad we agree.
I love how in Mic's comments, we are hugely supportive and many vegans even admire how bad a$$ Richard is. Because I've been a nice / chill / nonjudgmental vegan for years now, and who has gone vegan because of it? Not one person.
@@aprilcaddell6335 yes! The movement needs people speaking the truth unapologetically. If we tiptoe around the fact that animals are being tortured and murdered for a sandwich it isn't doing anyone any favours, especially not the animals. And the seeds Richard plants will stick in people's minds even if they resist in the first place. I'm so shy I struggle IRL to speak my mind, but I don't hold back on Facebook/social media 😆 💚💚💚💚
Hey Mic- kudos! nice positive take on the diversity of views here. We get so much hostility from nonvegans (no matter where we are on the spectrum of questions asked here), that we could do with a lot less hostility from other vegans on our minor differences.
Not everyone in my house hold is vegan, we don’t cook with any animal products in the house, the leather that we own was purchased prior to the conversion to a plant based lifestyle. However I agree with Elizabeth on being respectful of others as well and not imposing our beliefs on them. With that being said, the non-vegan person in our household often request the meatless items and embraces vegan meals. I feel that by showing respect towards my non-vegan family member I am giving them the time and space they need to come to their own decisions about becoming Vegan.
It's great to see these issues aired and shared! My gratitude and respect to all involved.
One of the necessary consequences of veganism as an ethic is that very tricky balancing act - impossible to get right all the time - in which we have to decide whom to harm, hurt or offend in some situations. For me, veganism is the ethics of love, where love means sincerely wanting Other to thrive, to live with dignity and freedom. "Other" of course includes all life forms, all living systems and beings. But these things take time. We cannot become vegan through and through at the flick of a decision, and each of us, for an unfathomable complexity of interlocking reasons, develops at different rates with uneven emphases on particular aspects of what it is to live as a vegan.
I live in an Island in the Caribbean. No Whole Foods,Thrive Market, Vegan Cuts and whatever else have you. There is limited availability of certified vegan packaged foods (snacks, cheeses, ice cream, yoghurt etc.) and those that are available are mostly sold at high-end gourmet stores for at least 3 to 4 times the cost of what they are valued at your US retailers. Despite this, I've been an ethical vegan for over 6 years. The agricultural/planting customs and culinary culture of eating a lot of fresh veggies, root crops and legumes regardless of diet (omnivore/veg) makes, imo, being vegan pretty easy and reasonably affordable for middle to even lower income people. However, in terms of ensuring that all aspects of living (clothing, personal hygiene/cosmetics, household items and appliances, vehicles etc.) are all vegan, this is much, much more impractical due to poor availability, lack of full information or transparency from manufacturers and suppliers, lack of understanding about veganism by the majority of the public and in business and of course, the higher costs for more ethical options, which realistically, most people here just cannot afford. "As far as is possible and practicable" is a matter of cultural relativism and other forms of relativism. Everyone everywhere should do their best. As the world keeps changing and veganism gains more traction across the globe, we all get better and better.
Richard seems like an alright guy. Strong-willed more than anything else.
Thanks!
The Earthling Ed impression IM SO DEADDDDD OMGGG 💀😭😭😂
I like your slight sass. Right on sir. You are an inspiration .
As much as people claim to hate "staunch" and "confrontational" vegans, they will hate on us, bully us and make fun of us just as much if we compromise our beliefs. Since going vegan, many people have tried to "catch me" doing non-vegan stuff (But isn't that a leather jacket?! No, actually it's a pleather jacket I bought 3 years before going vegan. Sorry to disappoint your low expectations!) I think we actually will get more (grudging) respect, if we stay true to our ethics, like Richard in the Jubilee video.
Aww thanks.
@@MilitantSoyBoy Thank you so much, Richard, for standing up for the animals and for Veganism! You inspire me to do the same-all the best to you :))))
Tyra you were definitely not annoying!!! I love what you had to say!!!!
Vegan is defined as an ethical term so IMO your only vegan if you are doing it at least partially for ethical reasons. Really this is just nitpicking though, if you don’t eat animals you aren’t part of the problem and that’s what counts. #plantpower 🍎🥦🍠😄🙏🏼
Who says vegan is defined as an ethical term?
@@darrishawks6033 The person who coined the term.
@@darrishawks6033 Was your question meant be a joke? If not, let me introduce you: www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism
I agree with you literally 100% of the time. It’s wild. This never happens. I was going to say thanks for being you, but I really mean thanks for being me.
That bit about the liberation pledge should be alarming to all of us. Its reminds me of the Scientologists idea of a "suppressive person". Once a person is a Scientologist they may only talk to other Scientologists and anyone else is against their church and labeled a SP, that person is then shunned by family and friends completely. Replace the word Scientologist with vegan in this instance and the liberation pledge becomes a pledge to a fucking cult. Its very disturbing.
what? That makes no sense? What’s a religion got to do with an ethical stance? Are you saying you’re part of a religious cult because you don’t support child brothels and wouldn’t enter one with your friends, if they were going in? Are you also part of the religious cult who doesn’t support eating dog meat and won’t sit with people in a dog meat restaurant? I think it’s safe to say it would be a lot more disturbing if you weren’t part of those ‘religious cults’
I am a vegan living in a village in Iceland and it's almost easier then eating vegan in England!
I love when people from first world countries talk about the struggles of third world countries. Talking about the capacity of someone to keep a vegan diet in extreme poor conditions. For example in my country the basic diet for the poor population (which is the majority ) is corn, beans and rice, yes all vegan...but imagine living only on that. They have their own animals, if fortunate enough or will choose animal products over other things if they have the opportunity. Even government programs gives them soy to cook and they throw them away.
I like Richard, he is direct and tells it straight like it is! We are the animals voice!
If Richard has a TH-cam channel I would love to watch it
MilitantSoyBoy
His comment was just 6 or so above yours on my feed :-)
I'm here!
@@MilitantSoyBoy yay :)
@@MilitantSoyBoy subscribed 😊
ICELAND FOOD: Despite the cool climate and restricted growing season, a variety of food crops are grown, such as potatoes, turnips, carrots, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower. Other subtropical crops (such as tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers), cut flowers and potted plants are grown in greenhouses heated with geothermal energy (which Iceland has in abundance)-in some cases artificial light is required to supplement the shorter daylight hours at these northern latitudes. Even bananas and grapes can be grown in this way-but not usually on a commercial scale.
I think that instead of saying "go vegan" and "become vegan" vegans could also say "return vegan" since technically we were all born vegan. Also that way people we connect more because it sounds more inclusive.
#returnvegan
I think about these kind of "angles" myself. Shame I didn't do a psychology degree. Tell me more. Surely it's guiding people how to become more constructive members of society than picking a fight with immoral demons.
I thank you for doing this important work that is so very needed.
What the heck does someone’s eyebrows have to do with ANYthing, really?? So annoying when people do that 🙄
Exactly! Homophobic attacks.
I love Richard.
He reminds me of Gary Yourovsky.
The difference between the comment section below Jubilees vid and this one makes my heart smile
This vegan fam is the best ha
If all vegans where like Richard, less people whould go vegan.
I much rather support a plantbased diet of like 95% plants, this makes the diet so much more practical, and I'd argue - easier to succeed with in terms of health. I think a plantbased diet has a better chance to be adopted by more people and therefore decrease animal explotation more on a global level.
His problem is not his logic . But his attitude . He looks rude and arrogant to the average viewer . The kind of " SJW Savior of the Universe " most people despise . I saw the video around 1 week ago . Could not finish it . Because I could not tolerate him .
hilomona if you watched the original video . Read the comments. Most people found Richard annoying and loved Elizabeth. .
There were comments about how Richard is seen as the “ classic Vegan “ most “ regular “ People despise. The reason why most “ normal “ people won’t ever accept moving to a Vegan lifestyle. A lot of people doesn’t like to be preach for things they consider “ normal “ or acceptable for most of society.
@@MariaRodriguez-hb4ix That's because they identify with the person who is least adamant about a lifestyle they are ambivalent about. This is basic psychology. Richard's explanation of veganism is the most accurate; if a bunch of not-really-woke omnis do not accept it, that is not Richard or veganism's problem. Most people, almost everyone at this channel for example, validates Richard's perspective, and we were all "normal" omni carnists once.
@@MariaRodriguez-hb4ixHow are you calling Richard an SJW when you're so fragile you can't finish a Jubilee video.
So excited to have seen some of the people in the jubilee video commenting on this video!!
Fascinating. Thought provoking. Thanks. My problem - Hiking boots! (not hightop hiking sneakers, but steel instep rock hopping 'bulletproof' boots.)
@Ahimsa42 Thanks. I mentioned hiking boots as an example of a particularly difficult problem. These boots have to fit absolutely perfectly. I walk very long distances and have never had a blister. I live in Australia and have found that an Italian boot brand, which is very expensive, is the only brand I've found that fit me. Shopping for a product like this online is pretty much impossible. As time goes by, there will be more choice. I wear 'old-fashioned' hiking boots for a set of reasons unique to me.
@Ahimsa42 I wish they were cheaper. Hiking boots are the toughest thing about veganism in my 5 years so far.
@@nematoaddd There was a fellow who for years posted comments at vegan YT lamenting the lack of vegan welders gloves. There aren't vegan food deserts so much anymore as vegan manufactured product deserts. I went to four different hardware stores and searched online to see if there was a vegan brand of welding gloves I could recommend to that user, and there wasn't. It was only recently possible to get vegan ballet shoes, so I hope things are changing across the manufacturing sector, not just in food.
Wasn't thinking it through and bought some leather hiking boots - thanks for walking me through this. Cancelled the order and now the cognitive dissonance is gone! Originally became vegan for health reasons - although I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do. Thanks for all of your help on my journey! You are changing the world with your work.
Mic, I take issue with your statement that one can easily replace leather shoes with vegan ones. I have size 15 feet and have yet to find a source for any non-leather footware, other than shower shoes/flip flops. And people tend to stare when I wear shower shoes to the theater. But, when I find such a source and need more shoes, I'll switch without a fight.
Shoes are my issue too. I have a horrible heel spur and cannot find vegan shoes I can wear that don't cause me horrible pain, pain to where I end up not being able to walk sometimes for weeks at a time. and surgery as of now is not an option so what am I supposed to do ya know? We just have to do the best we can.
Yeah shoes are hard. I live in Canada and walk pretty much everywhere, which means in winter I can easily walk in the snow for 1h30 a day. I have yet to find vegan winter boots that are warm enough, completely waterproof, comfortable and durable. I've had the non vegan ones I wear now for about 8 winters and they're still in good shape but I really don't know what I will do when I'll have to replace them.
@@abidonovan1971 Check out Wills Vegan Shoes, they do fantastic quality shoes and they have hiking and winter boots. They only go up to size 12 though, so not a solution for Stephen.
@@Flyig_Walrus Maybe try orthofeet, they have a Vegan section.
Stephen, a quick google brings up vegetarian-shoes in the UK (They might ship to wherever you are), they do size 15.
Thanks for another good video. I find myself generally agreeing with you. Your point about accidental bullying I found perceptive.
One thing which nobody mentioned and I could share: I have several times accompanied people to a meal where I sit at the table and partake of the conversation etc. but simply sip green tea or nurse a chilled club soda, not eating anything. My siblings, sister in law, her mother, a cousin, my niece and her friends, my school friend and his family... people who know me understand. Sometimes I even carry bananas and nuts to munch in the taxi or at some other point in the outing. Nobody minds. A couple of times I've discussed with the hostess when invited and when she asks what I would like I request some plain fruit as the easiest and most fuss free thing. One friend I remember asked what I'd like to munch with tea and I said bananas and in fact the third person, non vegan, was also pleased to join me with a banana and then I opened the packet of plain cashew nuts I'd got from Goa which we all enjoyed.
There are people who urge me to have something at a restaurant but usually I manage to avoid it though occasionally I join them and have some vegan option. Though it's much easier because I'm extremely reclusive now, many months go by without sharing a meal with anyone. Yes in the past I've gone off the rails for some milky dessert or something, or been lacto vegetarian for three days at a sumptuous food filled destination wedding (here in India it's not that difficult to be lacto vegetarian) but now I don't think I would make those exceptions except perhaps for a bite of someone's birthday cake.
The Guardian article ends, interestingly, saying of vegans, "But as their numbers grow beyond the margins, perhaps the worst thing they could be is right."
Haha wow, I had to pause and comment even before Mike's rebuttal: did she literally bring up Iceland, one of the most developed countries in the world?
I’m glad you tackled this video because it was really interesting to watch, but could also be considered a “source” that people might reference when discussing veganism.
Saying I am vegan for health and not ethics is like saying "I am against slavery because if I will not own slaves I will get off my ass and do my own work which will keep me active and prevent me from being lazy."
Excellent video! I enjoy how you show various perspectives and how you agree or disagree.
was with you until you said a chicken burrito was the same as buying a slave
It's very interesting to hear your opinions on this in comparison to Unnatural Vegan's video. You both make some great points and have made me think
Your friend didn’t want to be “judged” at her birthday, but I’m sure she’d be happy to go to the other friends birthday and turn her nose up at vegan birthday cake. Carnists can be so hypocritical.
I’ve been vegan for several years now and I can confidently say that when I first started out I was militant and honestly at some times rude to the people in my life who weren’t vegan trying to convince them what they were doing was wrong. Once I chilled out some and checked my privilege, lots of people in my circle started going vegan/vegetarian. Leading by example works. Being kind to animals AND being kind to others will make people way more likely to follow your lead. While Richard has the rhetoric most vegans can agree with he makes the lifestyle seem so unapproachable and at the end of the day if you’re turning people away from veganism, how much good are you really doing?
"This has been Mic the Vegan on how to eat vegan in a food desert" That cracked me up. The more obscure the better!
Sorry should watch this channel more consistently; best one for me right now, tx Mic, super busy and belated Happy New Year. I took part in an experiment of this sort a while ago and was surprised at people's reactions. …..
I love it when I go out in the winter in my "leather" jacket and all of my friends are like "Aren't you vegan? Why are you wearing leather?" It's nice to be able to tell them that it is indeed vegan. Levi's makes some really nice faux leather jackets. I'm finally throwing out the old leather boots this year as I have finally found a faux pair that looks just like them
I love Richard! What an amazing young man of conviction.
I go out of my way to let people know I’m vegan. And a healthy vegan at that. I love my vegan brothers and sisters. If you ever feel like you’re in the minority or misunderstood, remember there are lots of us who get you. Stay strong, stay vegan for life.
Very interesting video!💚😊
I fully agreed with the girl who mentioned food desserts. Mic, you were wrong on that point. That one picture aside, food desserts are very real and a lot of the time the only food available in those areas are of the, "fast" variety. I also love the fact that she's trying to make it more accessible to omnivores. We want people on our side, and the best way we can get people on board is with kindness and understanding.
I am vegan. I was an omnivore for the longest time and you know what? It was people like Elizabeth that gave me a push towards the better direction. Dudes like Richard made me believe that vegans were a militant, judgemental, uptight bunch that try to guilt trip you into changing your diet. At the end of the day, Elizabeth does more good than harm to the cause than Richard. If I seem flaky to my community but my attitude causes more people to become vegan, then that has a direct result in less animal byproduct and meat consumption overall. Let Richard do his thing but that does not mean that he is likeable in case he decides he wants to persuade others to become vegan🙄
11:40 - Online I have sort of been bullied, offline not really. I mean I have had people teasing, but not really bullying in the sense of beating me up or physically attacking me for being vegan, and even then I'm usually good at avoiding being teased, so people don't usually tease me for long. I got teased a lot when younger. So usually I work out how to avoid getting teased, but I do feel hostility from non-vegans at times, but I'm not sure if that is because of me, or because I'm vegan. I'm not sure. But I generally naturally avoid confrontation with people, unless I think they're open minded, or won't get offended. I try to get people to watch documentaries or videos instead of argue, unless I know they can control their temper.
Some misconceptions.
*Vegan definition:*
A person who does not eat or use animal products. (Application not ethics)
*Veganism definition:*
A lifestyle choice rather than just a diet. (Ethics not application)
*ism definition:*
A distinctive practice, system, or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement.
Don't mix vegan and veganism to mean the same thing. Because they are not.
17:39 "Vegan is an anti-discrimination, anti-oppression movement. - I would not consider you vegan if you are racist etc." No veganism, not vegan. Vegan is what you eat, veganism is a philosophy.
Keep your mental gymnastics out of my diet please.
Your second definition is incorrect: Veganism is a lifestyle choice that includes but is not limited to diet[as a means of refraining from animal exploitation]. That's the standard understanding, per the originator of the term. If you refrain from animal foods but not from other products of animal exploitation, and have no intention to refrain from these, you are not a vegan and do not practice veganism.
I am not writing this for you, so much as for others reading who may be confused by what you wrote.
Great video! I think it could be enriched with a little introduction to nihilism (in relation to the last question: "is someone better person if he is vegan?"). I got inspired on the topic by CosmicSkeptic.
(I'm vegan, but I think that nihilism can give us some perspective and depth to better understand the topic).
Do you mean moral nihilism, as in cultural relativity? Are you hip with utilitarianism?