For most of human history, bean juice wasn’t available. Also cheese, a nutrient rich food that can last years if properly stored. Tofu is good, but it can’t last more than a few months.
That’s still a reason why milk and cheese are popular, they kept our ancestors alive, and continue to be good sources of nutrition today.
I realize now that in my edit and re-edit I lost the thread.
Basically the reply was that cruelty was never the point (except for rich people, like hereditary nobility. They often revel in needless cruelty) the point was survival.
That’s less an issue to the modern Western world, but is still an issue in a bunch of areas.
Remember that we’re less than a century into even being able to have semi widespread veganism.
For thousands of years, vegetarianism either came with a serious risk of nutritional deficiency, or was supplemented with milk and cheese.
So rejoice that it’s even possible to remove animal products from your diet now. Just know that it’s still not possible for the entire world.
Until it is, dairy farmers will continue to mitigate and harms that they can, because a happy cow is a productive cow.
How is all of that less cruel than just drinking some bean juice?
For most of human history, bean juice wasn’t available. Also cheese, a nutrient rich food that can last years if properly stored. Tofu is good, but it can’t last more than a few months.
That’s still a reason why milk and cheese are popular, they kept our ancestors alive, and continue to be good sources of nutrition today.
You didn’t seem to acknowledge my question.
Our ancestors also did rape, pillage and enslave, we wouldn’t be where we are without that. Should we keep doing cruel things because of that?
Now we are in 2023, there is the option of purchasing products with much less suffering in the civilized world.
I realize now that in my edit and re-edit I lost the thread.
Basically the reply was that cruelty was never the point (except for rich people, like hereditary nobility. They often revel in needless cruelty) the point was survival.
That’s less an issue to the modern Western world, but is still an issue in a bunch of areas.
Remember that we’re less than a century into even being able to have semi widespread veganism.
For thousands of years, vegetarianism either came with a serious risk of nutritional deficiency, or was supplemented with milk and cheese.
So rejoice that it’s even possible to remove animal products from your diet now. Just know that it’s still not possible for the entire world.
Until it is, dairy farmers will continue to mitigate and harms that they can, because a happy cow is a productive cow.