So I stumbled across this blog today: Libertarian Girl

I've seen it before... maybe. At least I think I did. If its the same one that was claimed to have actually been run by a man! Oh my, in women's linens....  It's all over the blogosphere look it up. All kinds of people exacting their internet anger. Told you so! A beautiful woman couldn't be a libertarian. Libertarians are conservative righ-wingers in disguise! They lie and cheat! Exactly how people get on these off topic tirades I'm not sure.

But on current review of the site, I have to say I'm pretty sure its legit. There's now some realistic pictures posted but no real personal info. And I can see why. With the same kind of stupid banter that occured when the site was claimed a hoax, why would SHE (if it really is a SHE) want anyone to know her real identity? I don't post any real personal info cause well... it doesn't matter. I have to say what I have to say. Doesn't matter if I am old, young, green, black, tall, short, beautiful, or ugly. Maybe that matters to most of the world but that's one of the problems about this place.

So she had something to say about veganism and well I had something to say about veganism. Now I haven't made that a topic of a blog yet because I want you paying attention. The second I say VEGAN, I might as well tell you I'm a witch. You'll get all kinds of preconceived notions about me and become blinded by your own bias. Just like what happened to "her", the second something doesn't fit the picture of what you think a libertarian is, you'll use it to tear aparty every argument or statement I've ever made. You're a liberal in disguise! Right.... And to think I thought being libertarian had something to do with making the personal the political. To make a cohesive logical life choice.

Now I was going to write about it some point. When I could really put together in a logical manner the "how and why" I am an elective vegan and how I think that is relevant to libertarianism. But given the lame comments to "her" post, I had to pitch in. I had to respond to the fact that we have conscious brains to make conscious decisions.

So here is what I had to say. Take it or leave it. This is life from my perspective:

I hate to state the obvious, but whether plants feel “pain” is much less relevant. Veganism is still the more compassionate choice because you can either eat the animal (that ate the plants) or eat the plants (and far fewer than are shoveled through say a cow). For example, 11 lbs of grain are fed to a cow to produce 1 lb of “meat”. Don’t tell me you really think that broccoli has the same consciousness as a pig (who have been described as smarter than dogs).

Who knows at some point we may learn plants' ability to sense pain (pain makes no evolutionary sense since they can’t run away). And you will rejoice. HA HA stupid vegetarian do-gooders! But the fact remains far less killing is involved by eating plants directly. To live means something else might not. We are not gods. We cannot escape nature. But to use some kind of black and white argument without logic separating human “meat” from animal “meat” makes no sense. To live without making conscious choices makes no sense.

And unless I missed it Michael, I didn’t see any mention of the proposed governmental response. Can’t libertarians exist making choices about their own lives without the government imposing the decision? Sure, I hear what you are saying, the subject gets sticky when you consider animal “rights” in regards to the human legal system.

But without some concrete logic as to why its ok to do WHATEVER you want to animals but not ok to do any harm to another human, it fails libertarian principles in my mind. Unless you bring god into it, I can’t see the magically line drawn at humans. What about a fetus? Does that count as a human or is it sill in the lower castes?

This is an incredible libertarian dilemma. If you want to just say “animals are different” without a logical and universal reason why, its sounds a whole lot more like “Animals taste good to me and damn you for making me justify myself!”. We did that to people of other colors, of other classes, of other genders, of other mental capabilities and now it’s time to face this conundrum.

The law and the Constitution is a pact amongst humans. The question of animal rights and libertarianism will be interesting. I’m not saying what the government’s role should be (if any). What I am asking is what is preventing you, the person with free choice, from making the choice that causes less harm and suffering to those who cannot speak out for themselves in a court of law. What is stopping you from extending freedom besides your tongue.

And to how this sounds like anarchy? You’ve really stumped me there….

The Green Libertarian
February 7th, 2010