VEGAN UNDER POVERTY

This blog's mission is to dispel the myth that veganism is something only privileged middle-/upper-class people do, as well as discussing issues of poverty and veganism in general.

[working-class-vegan]

I have a confession to make. I’m super terrified of wasps.  Since I moved to Texas the amount of wasps I encounter has increased 5000% (okay, probably less than that but that’s what it feels like!), and it’s getting hot now which means they are increasing in numbers and VIOLENT WASP RAGE and I just need tips and tricks for how to avoid them / discourage them from coming anywhere near me ever. I don’t want them to die because I know, rationally, that they are useful and eat the bad bugs or whatever. I have an actual serious phobia, and I have literally jumped out of moving cars without thinking to get away from a wasp before. Like, I plan my whole day around when the wasps will be out, which means I don’t go out during daylight hours much unless I can make it swiftly from building to car and vise versa. I jump at every bird shadow, every tiny leaf in the wind while I’m outdoors from May to October. I never leave doors or windows open because “what if one flies in?”  So, short of therapy, what can I do? 

[one-thousand-antlers]

[irritable-belle-syndrome]

Oh yeah but vegans are just a bunch of white, privileged people, right?!

Don’t erase vegan POC.

[pinkcheesegreenghost-deactivate]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[redacuarela]

It’s a global social movement that benefits the entire animal kingdom, including humans. If you care about animals, the environment, food security, people in general, or pretty much anything else it just makes sense to be vegan and take power away from animal agriculture. It isn’t a fad that benefits rich white people. It’s a cross-culturally necessary form of activism.

[working-class-vegan]

There are Palestinian vegans. There are Native American vegans. There are Iranian vegans. By the most conservative estimates, 14% of the population of Brazil is at least vegetarian. 1 out of every 5 people in India is vegetarian, and a lot of those are also vegan. By sheer numbers, China has the most vegetarians out of any country in the would, and a lot of those people are also vegan. The first vegan I ever met was Vietnamese. 25% of the entire population of the world is some form of vegetarian. 

It’s ridiculous to judge something as “inherently Western” when looking at it from only a Western perspective. 

[hexepunk]

i am beyond sick and tired of omnis projecting their shortcomings and insecurities on vegans

you shouldn’t be worrying about where my produce comes from as a vegan if you aren’t worried about where your meat, eggs, and dairy come from, along with the produce that feeds them. you don’t worry about the people that have to butcher animals everyday, or the people that pick the produce to feed your food, until you need to prove that it’s us that aren’t doing enough, that we can’t be perfect when none of us have ever claimed to be.

stop shitting on people making an honest effort to not suck so much, because you know there’s something missing from yours.

[average-smoothie-enjoyer]

People who get fake upset at vegans about the exploited migrant workers who picked *our* vegetables sure are in for a ride when they find out who killed their cheeseburger.

[phytotitan]

Poc, indigenous, poor, disabled and neurodivergent vegans: I wish anti-vegans would stop pretending as if we don’t exist -

White, middle class, able-bodied anti-vegans: VEGANISM IS NOT INCLUSIVE

Poc, indigenous, poor, disabled and neurodivergent vegans: Well, actually there are plenty of non-white cultures that mainly eat plant-based foods and such foods are generally cheaper than -

White, middle class, able-bodied anti-vegans: PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EATING ANIMALS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS VEGANISM IS A COLONIALIST WESTERN PLOT

Poc, indigenous, poor, disabled and neurodivergent vegans: Um, no it isn’t. The western meat and dairy industries are actually colonialist as fuck and -

White, middle class, able-bodied anti-vegans: WHY ARE VEGANS SO INSENSITIVE TRYING TO CHANGE OTHER CULTURES AND FORCE PEOPLE TO STARVE SOME PEOPLE CAN’T GO VEGAN MY COUSIN HAS A RARE DISEASE WHICH MEANS HE CAN ONLY EAT RED MEAT

Poc, indigenous, poor, disabled and neurodivergent vegans: Well, veganism isn’t all or nothing and even if you can’t -

White, middle class, able-bodied anti-vegans: *continue to talk over and ignore vegans of colour, disabled vegans and poor vegans in their discourse while at the same time pretending to care about poc, indigenous people, the disabled and the poor simply so they don’t have to sit down and critically think for a few minutes about how their actions and choices are actually harming the very people that they claim to care about*

[taloumawvegan]

This❤️❤️❤️

[working-class-vegan]

Getting banned from Facebook might be a good thing because now I have no choice but to stop ignoring my blogs lol

[lauralot89]

So the current research says that 66 percent of millennials have no retirement savings, 63 percent have over $10,000 in debt, and 31 percent are still living with their parents.

As a millennial who has no debt, a 401(k) and an IRA, and who is having a house built, I just want to say something to counter all the negative messages bombarding my generation about how lazy and entitled we all are.  Do you know what’s the difference between me and those statistics?

Sheer dumb luck.

That’s it.  I didn’t do anything differently than anyone else.  I didn’t make better choices or go into the right major or any of that nonsense.  I was just lucky enough to be born into a family with parents who could put enough into my savings that, when combined with scholarships, allowed me to graduate from college without any debts.  I had pretty much no savings by the time I got my degree, but starting from nothing is still easier than starting with a negative balance.

I got hired within two months of graduation, and I’ve been with that company for going on six years.  Again, nothing but dumb luck.  My major, creative writing (one of the stereotypical ‘useless degrees’) has nothing to do with my career.  They just needed employees and I happened to interview at the right time.  And I was lucky enough that the job was in an area where I could live at home, rent-free, developing the savings that put me in a position to sign a contract on a house.

I was privileged and lucky.  That’s it.

Sure, I worked hard in school.  I gave it my all in my job interview.  I’ve put in effort to get where I am.

But people without the head starts I had have worked much harder.  I didn’t have to claw my way out of debt and poverty to get where I am.  If I had to do that, I wouldn’t be here.  I’d be another statistic for the boomers to dismiss.

You’re not doing anything wrong.  You aren’t the ones who broke the economy.  I haven’t figured out some correct, adult way of doing things that you haven’t.  I just happened to start the game with some of the cheat codes.

You are all doing the best you can, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

[working-class-vegan]

Baked Buffalofu

This is kind of like buffalo “wings,” but with tofu instead! I don’t know about you, but I hate cleaning up an oily mess after frying stuff, so I prefer to bake it instead. I have made this about 4 times in the last week and a half as it has become very popular in my house. So first off, drain and cut up your firm/extra firm tofu in any shape you desire. Then...

Dip it in a bit of hot sauce making sure all sides are fully covered. I used Frank’s Red Hot, but you can use any kind you like. Then...

Coat the saucy tofu in a mixture of flour, corn meal, tapioca or corn starch,  salt and spices. You can use whatever spices you like. A good base would be just some garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper. I happened to have a smoky maple spice mix that I got from the clearance section of my grocery store, so I added that to it a few times to great effect. It’s really up to you. Then...

Put it on a baking pan. As you can see from the top left corner, I put mine on the same pan with my baked fries*. Set oven to 400F and bake for 17 - 20 minutes or until the outside is crisp. Then...

[I forgot the picture for this part, but I assure you it’s the most fun!] Put them in a bag or any container with a lid, pour a bunch of hot sauce on them and shake them up gently until they’re fully covered in sauce. Alternatively, you can just put them in a large bowl, pour the sauce on, and stir it around until they get nice and saucy. Then...

Eat and enjoy! One block of tofu can serve 2 people. Serve with a vegan ranch or blue cheese. I’ll post a recipe later for a dill dipping sauce I made with these.

*The baked fries are super simple too, and if you cut them thin enough they should get done at the same time as the tofu. Just cut them into fry shape, put them in a big bowl and toss them with a little oil, salt, and whatever spices you might want on them, and bake them right alongside the tofu.

[acti-veg]

You guys are kidding yourselves if you think it’s only the right-wingers writing and spreading “fake news.” I’ve spent six years on this website advocating veganism and watching social justice advocates formulate and spread posts with 50k+ notes which are either unchecked, biased or just outright, blatant lies. Confirmation bias is a hell of a drug, and if you think you’re immune then you’re probably part of the problem.

[working-class-vegan]

Why do so many leftists say that vegans don’t currently change anything about the world or improve conditions for animals/the environment/etc. and will only be effective if every last human being on earth becomes vegan, and then get mad if someone says that socialists/communists/anarchists/(insert leftist label here) don’t affect any positive change in the world because they’re just a few “fringe” groups and there just aren’t enough of them?

I believe both statements are false, but it’s just so hypocritical and I’m so tired of it. Like, we get it, you just don’t care and want to make your apathy seem logical.

[jumpingjacktrash]

becoming vegan because factory farming is unethical is like deciding that since walmart and amazon mistreat their employees you are now going to get everything you need out of dumpsters

[acti-veg]

Ah look, another popular post about veganism from someone who doesn’t appear to even know what vegans actually believe. Vegans don’t boycott animal products because we oppose factory farming, we do it because we oppose all animal exploitation and believe it to be fundamentally unethical. So to use your example, it would be more like boycotting amazon and Walmart so that you’re not actively funding the indusries you directly oppose. What an absolutely wild concept.

[working-class-vegan]

Becoming vegan because animal exploitation is unethical is like deciding that since Walmart and Amazon mistreat their employees, as do the vast majority of other employers, we should all be working to abolish this exploitative capitalist system.

[commonvegan]

Vegans aren’t trying to equate human oppression to animal oppression. Vegans aren’t trying to say that animals are better than humans. We’re just trying to point out that if you care about those who are disadvantaged, why don’t you consider extending that empathy towards animals? You don’t have to stop caring about humans. You can care about both.

[working-class-vegan]

We’re not supposed to judge poor people for getting the tiny amounts of joy they can out of life such as splurging on a $5 Starbucks coffee, and rightly so, but when I, a poor person, splurge on a $5 box of Gardein porkless pockets maybe once a month at the most suddenly it’s “Wow, veganism is so expensive. If you think poor people can be vegan you’re an asshole.”

[working-class-vegan]

Our society thinks poor people aren’t allowed to have comfort or ethics, and it’s wearing me the fuck down…

[aependell]

I would judge a poor person for spending five bucks on a Starbucks coffee, just as much as I would judge a poor person for spending $5 on vegan food.

[working-class-vegan]

Hey, everyone! Look at this pathetic edgelord lol

[why-bless-your-heart]

HOSPITALS. ARE. ALREADY. REQUIRED. UNDER. LAW. TO. PROVIDE. LIFE. SAVING. EMERGENCY. CARE. REGARDLESS. OF. ABILITY. TO. PAY. OR. EVEN. CITIZENSHIP.

Stop acting like Americans have no access to emergency healthcare unless we socialize medicine.

[kyidyl]

IF. YOU. GO. AND. CAN’T. PAY. YOU’RE. STILL. THOUSANDS. IN. DEBT. THIS. IS. NOT. ACCESS.

[jamaicanblackcastoroil]

This hospital in my city just threw out a homeless man

[bankuei]

The hospital which took me in after I collapsed from the fist sized tumor over my heart, released me after refusing to diagnose it as cancer, which would have forced them to give me some kind of treatment. The doctor at the county hospital which took me in looked at their tests and said, “this is CLEARLY cancer, why didn’t they diagnose it? We can’t let you leave.”

Hospitals find ways when they want to, to avoid helping people when they want to.

“Oh that’s illegal, you should sue” “ with what money and how will I get the time and energy when I’m busy recovering from chemo?”

People who can’t afford treatment also can’t afford to protect their rights.

[landunderthewave]

Absolutely this: “People who can’t afford treatment also can’t afford to protect their rights.”

[julianunes]

“People who can’t afford treatment also can’t afford to protect their rights.”

[dansoldlife]

let it sink in “People who can’t afford treatment also can’t afford to protect their rights.”

[crazy-pages]

Can we also talk about how fucked up it is that the US makes you fund your own legal defense of your rights? Like, if you’re lucky and have the right type of case and win and the judge is kind, maybe they make the opposing party pay your legal bills. But to even begin defending your rights you need to pony up massive amounts of cash and that’s fucked up.

[working-class-vegan]

Don’t forget that a lot of people are dying from non-emergency medical issues. If you can’t afford preventative medical care, tests, treatments, and procedures, you’re much more likely to develop issues that can become fatal. Can’t afford the tools and medications necessary to manage your diabetes? It could very likely end up killing you. Can’t afford to get that rotten tooth that’s causing you so much pain removed? It can abscess and the infection can easily spread to your brain and kill you. (I’ve had 2 teeth abscess on me and had to pay hundreds of dollars before they would pull them because it’s considered “cosmetic,” not emergency, even though the pain was literally keeping me up at night.) Caught the flu and can’t afford a hospital bill because your employer already fired you for too many sick days, so you decide to keep drinking cough syrup and tough it out? You might not be so lucky considering thousands of people die from the flu every year. Have a severe allergy to a specific type of food or bee stings, but can’t afford to pay $300 per Epipen? Better never leave your house or you’re dead too. Can’t afford a regular pap-smear? Then they won’t catch the cervical cancer in time, it will spread to the rest of your body, and you will die.

Not to mention that lots of people who get cancer choose not to undergo treatment because the thought of putting their family into hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt is worse than just dying.

[blogging-phelddagrif]

controversial topics should be stuff like “is cloning good” or “should we fuck aliens” and not whether people deserve to be poor or deserve healthcare