After I DM this
Uphold Marxism-Leninism-Veganism!
I was talking to @[email protected] recently about how I feel so distant from many radical leftist vegans due to my tankieness, and he totally gets it, as we're both former anarchists.
She (context) said on a voice recording:
"You're so cute. I'm gonna try and get some sleep, and I'll speak to you soon. I hope you're okay; I hope you have a good day. I love you! Byebyebye!"
God damn, my face lit up. I feel so, oh my God, I don't even know how to describe this feeling...
Yeah, it's easy to not shop at the fast food restaurant and go to the grocery store instead, but regardless, I'm not sure if I could say there is a grand material difference between the two.
Either way, I couldn't imagine being inside a place like KFC and smelling all the murdered birds comfortably enough to be like "one order of soy nuggies pls π₯Ί" at the front register. I worked at a chicken restaurant a few months after I went vegan simply due to desperation and my father kinda pushing me into it. Never again, even as a customer.
r/vegan is awful in a lot of ways, and that includes their uncritical support of plant-based capitalism, but the conversation about plant-based capitalism is something I've thought about a lot, and it's a bit iffy to me. Not necessarily because I see PBC as a good thing in any way, shape, or form, hell no, but because of how I think about it in relation to material conditions.
On one hand, I truthfully don't feel a need to call out other vegans when I see them do things like consume Impossible products. However, that's just if the "consumption" is all there is to it. r/vegan, on the other hand, does more than that; they, fitting terminology considered, soy out over it.
r/vegan is absolutely horrid in how much they're focused on defending plant-based capitalism and the products that come with it more than they are about focusing on actual animal rights causes. However, I wouldn't split hairs with other vegans who do consume these products while simultaneously and rightfully not seeing Impossible as some majorly ethical savior of animals.
The reason why I don't is that the line of what counts as "plant-based capitalism" gets abstract, muddy, blurry, and overall seems more symbolic rather than material once you start raising certain questions. "Impossible" is unequivocally an example of a PBC company, but I feel like, so long as we live under capitalism, the difference between a "plant-based capitalist" product and just a "plant-based" product is often merely branding rather than something actually material.
For instance, a plant-based sandwich at a KFC is, on the surface, extremely questionable because KFC is a company that wears their carnism on their sleeve. However, even though KFC is more anti-vegan in its aesthetic, materially, going to a Walmart and buying plant-based foods there is doing the same thing in the sense of giving your money to a retailer that also sells the corpses of murdered animals and their secretions.
However, the point about animal testing is very important. Animal testing, especially for "unheard of" ingredients, is often required by the FDA to actually release a product with these ingredients. Like you said, plant-based burgers have already been made before Impossible even existed, and they didn't even have to experiment to make their food taste incredibly "meatlike." Impossible went ahead and did it anyway, even in instances where they didn't have to do such testing because those times went beyond FDA regulations.
That being said, the reason why I still wouldn't care to argue with vegans who may do something like, in passing, post a picture of them eating an Impossible burger is simply because I don't hold companies to certain ethical standards in a sense, and in relation to the system, I view the nature of their animal testing as different than, say, the nature of a hygiene company that routinely tests on animals, even though it's still morally repugnant. However, I would absolutely shit on people who uphold Impossible as some grand mark of progress for the animals.
Companies, whether they're selling a PBC product or not, tend to just be inherently at least some degree of awful under capitalism and the carnistic world we live in. Most companies that sell plant-based mock products are not ethically vegan, and most plant-based things you obtain are not going to be from ethical vegans. Why? Capitalism is such a huge part of so many of our lives, but only 1% of the world, maybe even less, is vegan.
All of this in mind, I would not be comfortable eating a plant-based sandwich at a KFC, and the ethical questionability and the literal price of many plant-based capitalist products certainly has made me iffy about consuming many of them as well. I'm looking to make my own things like seitan deli slices and whatnot at home instead.
The fact that you responded with a reiteration of the statement itself while glossing over the reason why I criticized your statement is 100% indicative of bad-faith concern trolling.
In the very first sentence of my response, I literally said, "What part of this post said or even implied in any way that they can't?" which is an unambiguous indicator that I agree that vegans absolutely can have garbage opinions on politics. Not only that, but I myself have literally made posts about vegans with shitty takes on politics on c/vegan on multiple occasions.
Also, I'd hope that you, as a leftist, would be able to interpret the difference between a statement at face value and the underlying implications of said statement. People on Hexbear post about concern trolling all the time, where people will utilize what is called a motte-and-bailey fallacy to make their statements seem a lot more innocuous. You are doing the same thing but for veganism.
In this case, "Vegans can have bad takes on things" is the motte, a "no-shit," generic common sense statement that anyone can agree with. However, the problem comes in because of the subtle strawman that anyone here is arguing that vegans cannot have bad takes on things. That is the bailey, and it's why your comment comes off as anti-vegan concern trolling.
Saying things like "Antisemitism is bad" as a motte and "Zionism is good" as a bailey is a super common example that, of course, anti-Zionists have argued against. It's the conflation of a generic, easy-to-defend statement with a statement that is a lot more divisive and controversial that creates the problem.
Your comment is superfluous and lacking in depth, so that's why I interpret it as concern trolling, not because I disagree with the statement itself.
I'm gonna go to the store and stock up on some beans, vegetables, and other goods. Around $50 should suffice right now.
Thanks to all who helped me get through last month. I have two job interviews next week, and I feel very confident about at least one of them, so we'll see how it plays out.
I have Cash App, Venmo, and PayPal. PM me for those!
In this context, the political divide isn't just about disagreements over policy or ideologyβit's about fundamental differences in how we value and protect the rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their identity or background. The challenge is not just to bridge the divide through understanding and communication but to confront and dismantle harmful beliefs and practices that have real-world consequences for marginalized groups. This isn't just a matter of disagreement; it's a matter of justice and human rights.
As our society progresses in understanding various issues such as climate change, mental health, social science, and LGBTQ+ rights, we must adapt and evolve our perspectives based on new information and evidence. This growth is not an attack on tradition but rather a recognition that what may have once been accepted as normal can actually be harmful to certain individuals or groups.
It is crucial for everyone, regardless of political affiliation, to acknowledge the importance of recognizing and addressing harm caused by outdated beliefs or practices. Instead of viewing these changes as a threat to tradition, we should embrace the opportunity to create a more inclusive and just society. This requires a proactive approach in advocating for the rights of all individuals and continuously reevaluating our own beliefs and actions in light of new evidence and understanding.
The political divide extends beyond policy and ideology, reflecting differing values in upholding the rights and dignity of all individuals. The task at hand involves not only fostering understanding but also actively addressing harmful beliefs and practices harming marginalized groups. This issue transcends disagreement; it's a matter of justice and human rights.
Progressives recognize that evolving understanding is crucial, as new facts emerge that challenge past beliefs. Vegans exemplify this, acknowledging the sentience of animals and their capacity for emotions. Despite industries and individuals choosing to exploit them, knowledge and awareness must drive change for a more compassionate society.
What can I say that hasn't already been said? 
Topical song title amirite? 
Fuck that party, 
ftw
because I clearly am privileged and don't understand how much the marginalized need the godsent revolutionary leader, Kamala Harris, who will purge society of all reactionary and bourgeois tendencies and definitely not further those tendencies instead.
As a teenager, this album touched me very emotionally for some reason.
If I had discovered Paramore later in life, I know for a fact that they would not have hit even close to the same for sure, but they still stuck with me well into adulthood.
For me, this one is nostalgic to the point of tears honestly.
I'm corny, I know. 
I had this meme idea for a long time when the "Yes Chad" meme was a lot more relevant, but I never posted it anywhere. Since I was listening to them tonight, I might as well.
It's like these libs believe that Kamala is entitled to our vote.
If I didn't vote for , then I simply would not vote! It's not "PSL or Kamala;" it's "PSL or sit on my ass at home."
I know libs don't understand nuance, but it still is so frustrating that they put this framing on me where they assume that I have any actual interest in a Kamala president over a Trump presidency.
Not only that, but this person called Claudia de la Cruz a "clowny leftist with no choice of winning" (which isn't the point of a third party vote; let's be real), but I just told the lib, "You call her clowny, but you are literally guilt tripping and insulting me just because I won't vote for someone who is actively greenlighting a genocide on Palestinians." and then I blocked.
Whether Trump or Kamala wins, I'll enjoy social media outrage from either side, but it seems like what I'll see from liberals in the case of a Trump election will be more entertaining. I truly think libs are beyond being redeemed, and that even goes for the more "progressive" types who appropriate the label of "democratic socialist" like Bernie and AOC. I don't adhere to lesser-evilism, so I'm not gonna pretend that this one-party state with two parties has one side over the other functioning in a way that could especially benefit me.
Revolution, the only solution
The armed response of an entire nation
Revolution, the only solution
We've taken all their shit, now it's time for restitution
"Politically Lying, Unholy, Cowardly Killers" seems rather topical at the moment!
What I mean by this is that I've talked to tons of libs, usually white, who'll look at and/or interact with me as a black, androgynous transfem, and they'll say shit like, "I really hope Kamala gets in office for real, though. I don't agree with her position on Gaza, but Trump's gonna do so much damage if he gets elected for a second time!"
And I just nod my head along to it. I don't say a word of explicit agreement or disagreement. If I said that I disagree and that I'm not voting for Kamala, then in usual lib fashion, they'll see it the same level of absurdity as me saying, "I'm a black non-binary transfeminine Trump supporter. I'm like an even more colorful spin on Blaire White! MAGA! You mad, woke liberal SJW mob?" 
They're so out of touch that they can't fathom why, to any degree, a person like me would be so opposed to supporting the "99% Hitler" party, and 99% is even charitable. That's why they always assume that any leftist who's not voting for Harris is just a cishet white dude who doesn't understand the plight of the marginalized, and if you're not a cishet white dude and you reveal to these libs that you don't support Harris, you'll have many scratched liberal moments, of course. Speaking from experience!
rizzlord