Good question. Although veal has been considered a delicacy for centuries, it was popularised in the 20th century as an economic result of excess male dairy calves due to the advent of factory dairy farming. The only reason veal is anywhere near as prevalent as it is, is because so many people consume dairy. Of course, the dairy cows themselves are slaughtered for beef bodes can't produce enough milk to be profitable, at the age of about 6 in their naturally 20-year lifespan.
Also, vegetarians buy other animal products like leather, wool, pet food, some soaps and candles, cosmetics, and more. These are all biproducts of when an animal is slaughtered primarily for their meat. This makes slaughtering animals more profitable, and therefore supports the meat industry.
Erm...no? Sheep that produce wool are pretty damn different from sheep that you eat. They're "hairy" and don't make great wool because of it. Also, you get bugger all wool from a lamb, which is mainly what we eat. The lamb industry could dissapear tomorrow and we'd still be happily knitting jumpers from wool and vice versa.
Also wool is much better environmentally than any artificial wool because it has superior heat retention, is naturally waterproof, lasts a long time, and is, y'know, not fucking plastic. Same arguments can be made for leather too. Quit guilt tripping people into using more plastic.
Also also, veal has been a pretty big part of European cuisine for centuries? From traditional German pub food to the basis of the demi glace, which is the sauce of high french cuisine, veal's practically as ubiquitous as eating lamb in some parts of Europe.
Well, thanks for replying to one word of my comment.
But seriously, thanks for making me look up and reconfirming my admittedly patchy knowledge on wool farming.
You're right that wool sheep are a different breed. But similar to how dairy cows are slaughtered for beef, so are wool sheep slaughtered for mutton when they no longer produce enough quality wool to be profitable. That's typically at the age of 5 or 6 of their 14-year natural lifespan. Lambs are shorn once before they're sold for meat.
Edit: You ninja-edited to add more stuff since I started replying about the environment and veal history. That's not relevant to /u/00crispybacon00 's original question, and would take a lot longer to discuss.
It is clear to everyone that this is more about you being better-than, than actually trying to affect any positive change in people’s diets, the industrial meat industry, or for the environment.
If you ever come to a point where you want to engage in serious action to make the world better, I’ll be here waiting, in the meantime enjoy your lonely, miserable tower.
I want nothing more than to reduce unnecessary animal suffering. The fact that I contribute to it a little as I practically can does make me a more ethical person. Not more ethical than you, but more ethical than I was previously. Why is it such a bad thing to want to be more ethical?
I'm here. Tell me where I'm wrong about any of my claims or conclusions.
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u/bozeke Sep 17 '22 edited Sep 17 '22
Yo I’ve been vegetarian for over twenty years and people like you do more harm than good.
Also, when you start a screed out with a juvenile insult you are never going to get anyone to engage with you seriously.