in the news
between veganism and your other values.
Party platforms are defined by the party
membership; just as activism can convince
members of the general public, activism
within a party can help to sway other
members, and ultimately the party as a
whole, towards a more animal-friendly
position. If vegans can alter the positions
of established parties, we can alter the
entire political landscape.
If changing hearts and minds behind the
scenes isn't enough for you, there's another
option: become a politician. If your instinct
is to say, ‘Hell no, I hate politicians’, then
you are exactly the kind of person we need
in politics. Running for government is
powerful, winning even more so. If every
seat, at every level of government, is
contested by a vegan candidate, it would
drastically change the conversation in this
country. In recent years, the xenophobic
right has largely managed this. They have
drawn substantial coverage despite
wielding little political power; with this
coverage comes more power. Vegans can
achieve the same with a message of
compassion rather than exclusion.
Political candidates, as a rule, are falling
over themselves to support agriculture,
in particular, animal agriculture. A vegan
candidate can help to elucidate what they
actually support: grinding up male chicks
for eggs, the slaughter of male calves for
dairy, the routine mutilations carried out
without anaesthetic across the industry,
and the breeding of many species to distort
their bodies, among the many other issues
that vegans know about and the public
closes their eyes to.
Politicians don’t want to support these
things; they want to support the fantasy
view of animal agriculture that we teach
our kids. An opposing vegan candidate
campaigning on animal issues forces main-
stream politicians to clarify their support
in a public way. If a vegan candidate wins,
the vegan viewpoint is elevated for, at
least, the duration of the political term.It's important to take a moment to
emphasise that, when talking about politics,
we're not talking exclusively about national
politics. State politics is just as, if not
more, important when it comes to animal
issues. Agriculture regulation, including
animal welfare legislation, is set at a state
level. Similarly, local politics has power
over approvals for animal agriculture
enterprises. Federal politics takes all of
the glory, and there’s certainly merits in
focusing federally when it comes to media
coverage, but vegans need to be active at
every level. That's the only way we will
see real change.
This raises the question of what positions
we should take. When we talk to politicians,
write letters, agitate in political parties or
run for elected office, what ideas should we
present to the world? In a world of political
games, the answer may seem simplistic,
but ultimately it’s the only one that makes
sense: advocate for what you actually
believe in. If we want to see a vegan world,
we have to advocate for that, and do so
consistently. Failing to do so, and telling
people what we think they want to hear,
not only weakens our own positions, but
also breaks the bonds of trust with those
to whom we are advocating. Ultimately, we
must be honest about what we believe.
Veganism is a powerful idea. As we can
see by all that is happening around us, it
is an idea whose time has come. But that,
by itself, is not enough. There are powerful
interests who want to maintain the status
quo. They have many friends in governments,
many of whom they have paid for, at all
levels across the political spectrum. If, as
vegans, we want to change this, if we want
to live in a more animal-friendly country
(and world), we need to actively engage.
The more passionate, intelligent, informed
vegans we have working for political
change, the sooner we will see meaningful
change for the better.Tim Westcott, Vegan AustraliaA
s vegans, it's easy to feel
powerless in a seemingly
impenetrable political system.
As politicians take hundreds of
thousands of dollars in donations
from animal agriculture (and more still from
food companies), and with government
policy reflecting this, it can be easy to
believe that our voices don't matter - that
we’re just screaming into the void. But our
voices do matter, and that void is receding
as veganism becomes more mainstream.
There are ways that we can make our
voices heard in politics, where we can
create meaningful change.
Politicians, despite their various
reputations, are merely people. Like other
people, they are generally interested in doing
what is right (although their perspective on
what is right may sometimes be twisted),
and like other people they are influenced
by those with whom they talk. Many vegans
tend to avoid politicians. We believe that
they will not listen to what we have to say,
but by not talking with them, we turn that
belief into a certainty. If you think the ‘oth-
er side’ has any such qualms, think again.
Politicians and candidates are frequently
out and about, talking to the public. The
lifeblood of a politician is their electorate,
and they have to be seen to be listening to
what their electorate has to say, whether
they are truly interested or not. For vegans,
this means that we're pretty likely to get a
fair chance to put our point across. If you
can't (or don't want to) meet with your local
representatives, a letter (which is much
more effective than an email, particularly
if it's handwritten) or phone call to their
electoral office, even if you only speak with
staff, is immensely valuable. Be sure to ask
for a response to show that you are serious
and engaged, and forcing them (or more
likely their staff) to put more thought into it
than is required for simply reading a letter.
If you want to step it up to another level,
joining a political party is a powerful and
practical step to take. For a vegan looking
to impact the political landscape, there's
a few options. Joining an animal-friendly
party increases their membership numbers,
provides them with money from your
membership dues, and supplies them
with your talent. If, however, you feel that
the political party better represents your
other views, it doesn't have to be a choiceChanging the
POLITICAL LANDSCAPE