Articles Reflecting a Vegan Lifestyle From All-Creatures.org

War: The Ultimate Betrayal of Vegan Principles

From Den Den Peace
December 2024

To truly live by the principles of veganism, we must reject war in all its forms. Only by embracing peace and advocating for compassion can we hope to create a future where cruelty and destruction are no longer tolerated—a future where all beings, human and non-human, can thrive.

Art by Den Den Peace © 2024

War is a relentless force of destruction, its devastation spreading far beyond human casualties to encompass profound suffering for animals and irreversible damage to the environment. At its core, war starkly opposes the principles of veganism—a philosophy rooted in the rejection of exploitation, cruelty, and harm to all living beings.

Animals, often voiceless in the face of human conflict, bear the brunt of war’s cruelty. Beloved pets are abandoned, left to starve or succumb to injury and disease amidst chaos. Farm animals are slaughtered en masse or neglected as agricultural systems collapse. Wildlife, too, is caught in the crossfire; their habitats destroyed, their ecosystems irrevocably disrupted. The numbers are staggering: during the Gulf War alone, over 800,000 sheep and thousands of other animals perished in Kuwait. These silent victims of conflict reveal the grim hypocrisy of any claim to compassionate living that tolerates or supports war.

The environmental destruction wrought by war is equally catastrophic. Bombs obliterate landscapes, military operations lay waste to forests, and the earth itself is poisoned by toxic pollutants from chemical agents and weapons. The scars left behind linger for generations, as contaminated soil, poisoned water, and devastated ecosystems defy recovery. The infamous "Red Zone" in France, a remnant of World War I, remains uninhabitable more than a century later—a stark testament to the enduring environmental toll of war.

This obliteration of life and nature stands in direct opposition to veganism's commitment to harmony with the natural world and the preservation of habitats for all beings. Modern warfare, indiscriminate and brutal, spares no life—human or animal. The use of long-range weaponry and carpet-bombing campaigns ensures that all within a conflict zone, regardless of sentience, are imperiled. Such blind destruction of life is irreconcilable with the vegan ethos of compassion and respect.

At its heart, veganism champions non-violence—a life philosophy that rejects all harm. War, by its very nature, contradicts this ideal. It is not possible to uphold vegan principles while endorsing or remaining silent about actions that inflict widespread suffering, death, and environmental ruin. True commitment to veganism demands a rejection of all forms of violence, including war, and a resolute advocacy for peaceful, non-violent solutions to human disputes.

To embody the vegan ideal of "causing no harm," we must confront the inescapable truth: war is a direct affront to these values. As vegans, we have a responsibility to speak out against the horrors of war, to shed light on its impact on animals and the environment, and to champion peace as the only path forward. By extending our commitment to non-violence beyond our dietary choices to encompass a broader worldview, we can take meaningful steps toward a world that honors and respects all forms of life.

The call to action is clear. To truly live by the principles of veganism, we must reject war in all its forms. Only by embracing peace and advocating for compassion can we hope to create a future where cruelty and destruction are no longer tolerated—a future where all beings, human and non-human, can thrive.

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Posted on All-Creatures: December 9, 2024
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