Farmers (and by extension the people who pay them) are exploiting animals.

I don’t think I used the term brainwashed in my comments so not sure why you’re attacking me for that, but if you are really continuing to harm animals only because someone used a word you don’t like that’s cause for some introspection.

(◍•ᴗ•◍)

I agree with basically everything you’re saying if I understand it correctly, other than “The option to not eat meat in terms of human history is basically brand new” which is easily disputed by Buddhism being over 2500 years old.

Downplaying the ethical view that exploiting others is wrong and should be avoided as a “dietary preference” comes off as a little disingenuous.

Being human, the humane one, the one who sees themselves in others? There is nothing more human than being humane to animals and abstaining from exploiting them.

Which is compounded by 95% of researchers being meat eaters which is an inherent bias.