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Comment by Galicarnax | Hacker News Reader

Lions, sharks and birds, even if they have consciousness, do not have intelligence. They cannot choose whether to cause harm/pain/death to anyone or not. Humans do have that capability, and to get food could have figured out something better than imprisoning other animals in boxes all their lives.

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Perhaps. Homo sapiens ancient history is about 300,000 years though, so if we are just getting to this concept in the last 200 years, you might be a little over optimistic about the chances of your argument is going to have to override instincts developed through millions of years of evolution in the near future.

(also lions and sharks - ^^ this guy just called you dumb)

Would you say buying pre-packaged meat is an instinct? I haven't had a hard time overriding that instinct in my lifetime.

In my country we're not allowed to roam the countryside with a rifle or a bow and arrow to hunt our own, and if we were I wouldn't enjoy it. So yeah if I want to eat meat I guess it is.

I applaud your conviction, but I've grown up eating meat, and I'm not in a minority.

There is no arguing here against eating stuff that has meat-like properties (nutritional content and perhaps even taste). The issue is whether we have to torture billions of mammals and birds for that. I don't think it matters for your instinct if the stuff you eat comes from a killed animal or not, as long as it tastes and supplies the same.

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