I was watching Sky News a few days ago, and there was a segment going on, where a man who is a vegan, started talking about the new £5 notes that the UK's Royal Mint have produced this year.

Apparently animal products are part of the ingredients in the new versions of the £5 note, and he was complaining about it saying that its inconsiderate towards vegans, or anyone else with strong animal ethics. Im not a vegan myself, but the segment did get me thinking about things.

He was more or less saying that he wanted to have a clear conscience when using money. Because he can purposely buy clothing that is not from animals at all, use toiletries that have not been tested on animals or have any animal products in, and he can go to restaurants and order purely from the vegan options. "But when it comes to money, i have no control over that. If i go to a cash machine and withdraw money from it, i have no control over what £5 notes i receive.....so the royal mint could of been more considerate towards us there".

Well to be honest, inless you go and live a primitive life in the middle of a brazilian or african forest like tribes people, then it is impossible to live a life where you never ever ever receive money, nor release yourself of possession of it....a civil world cannot exist without the existence of money. So he doesnt need to burden his conscience there, the £5 note will still be made, regardless of what lifestyle he lives, and it will continue to go in circulation, from person to person.

Its not like the meat and dairy and furrier industry where its a case of, they only exist because people choose to buy those products. Even in a civil world....if everyone chose to abstain from meat, diary and animal products, those industries would cease to exist. But while there is civil societies, money will always exist, it cant exist without it.

There was a vegan restaurant in the news who are refusing to take the five pound note....its up to them at the end of the day. Most places take card anyway so there's no need to have cash anymore.
It's a bit ott if you ask me though.

Tallow, apparently.

Thought you'd left this board anon. how are you?

I'm tempted to say 'never', but that would seem rather sad; one hopes it'll happen one day.

I'm reasonable, thank you anon, but failing to remain free from the insincere, commercial onslaught that is fuqqing xmas.

You ok?

Yeah I'm good. missing uni, it's a lot more fun than having to work.
I'm afraid I get rather drawn into the whole christmas craze because I have a niece. just enjoy buying things I guess lol.

That's good to hear.

I'll get more into it with a week to go or so, or once I've had my little Britten Ceremony of Carols ritual, but I just can't feel xmasey for more than a week or so...plenty.

The buying of things is what makes it such a pain-in-the-butt...it's impossible to avoid, even for atheists...

It is a bit ridiculous. They advertise for Xmas meals in August in some restaurants.
best thing to do is buy online saves you from the mass hordes of drooges in the shops.

AUGUST?? Geez, I thought John Lewis putting up trees in October was grim!

That's true, but the best thing, I think, is to buy in January...

Even the sales start before January these days. I was in ikea the other day and their sale starts on boxing day (which no bugger should have to work imo)
im so hungover on boxing day all I want to do is sleep and watch crap tv. why would you want to queue outside next at 3am on boxing day when you can spend the time with your family. madness lol

People will always convince themselves they need more stuff, especially when it's apparently cheap.

Yes, that's how I like to spend Boxing Day, & many others; I can't think of many things worse than battling through reams of desperate people all in pursuit of some new Samsung Snickers smartblet whilst texting on another...

It's baffling really.
I'm annoyed as well that we aren't going away this year, my partner and I usually go abroad to get away from the depression that is new year but because my work is open from the 27th to the 29th it means we can't. so its a UK new year this year :(

lol.

I've little time for vegans. Vegetarianism is such a Western luxury - I imagine it's laughed at in many countries where crops are scarce.

We're hunters, we're designed to eat meat, & if you were to put veggies or vegans on an island with no vegetables or crops but animals a-plenty & a family to feed, they'd be killing & eating them before you could say 'tallow'...

we're designed

orly?

Vegetarianism - certainly in the mass-produced, pre-packaged, foodie craze form of the West - is largely a Western luxury, but abstaining from meat/animal products is a tradition that goes well beyond the West (or modernity, for that matter).

Our dietary needs evolved to be pretty adaptive, though. There's nothing about human physiology that requires us to eat meat, but we are able if there are no other options. Still, the "stranded on a desert island" hypothetical is a little silly, as... well, we're not. By that same logic, I'm guessing most people would murder, steal, etc... out of necessity, as a last resort - and that doesn't mean we should just say "eh, fck it" and do those things within society.

I didn't mean it in a godly way.

Sure we're not dependent on meat for survival, but having recently seen those horrific reports of the famine in Yemen, it's clear that murdering each other is not something people automatically resort to in such circumstances. Methinks they'd kill a goat though.

Another beautiful day, I hope you are not dumb.

>>1
Errr... wasn't that his point, though? Money will exist, so give some consideration to those who have to use it and don't use animal products?

I have little patience for whiny vegans. It's the lifestyle you chose, so shut up and deal with it.

Exactly, maintaining an ideology is supposed to be difficult. You can't just expect people to cater to you.

Here's that very same vegan appearing on Good Morning Britain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1oz84qnHIg

All the queer Vegans can send your five pound notes to me!

Isn't vegan already an adjective?

Only if we can make the delectable Tulsi Gabbard World President.

Stand up! No fear! Bring down your Zionist manipulators!

im leaving this planet after banana poisoning

I think I'm going to go with hanging myself, it's no hassle I have a vegan rope and can tie a good noose, and last time it was like being put into a sleeper hold, I did it so my toe was just scraping the floor after I kicked out the step stool