@mirjamsterdam @danirabbit
well I wouldn't think the vast majority of people are specifically trying to, but it I think it does factor into the popularity of veganism. If it weren't morally compelling then it would've remained an obscure offshoot of the vegetarian society, but now (as annoyed veggies will tell you) the vegetarian options on the menu are replaged by vegan ones.

Plant-based eating is seen as the ideal in regard to health and environmentalism, loosening the standards may be a good thing in these contexts, but veganism is really qualitative not quantiative. The principle of animal liberation is incompatible with arbitrarily picking and choosing bits of animal exploitation to partake in based on, say, taste preference. So I think to refer to what is really plant-based eating or vegetarianism as 'veganism' is to benefit from what's percieved to be stronger moral position, while actually doing damage toward an understanding/cultrual norm of actual underlying principles.

Either way "putting into practice the principles of animal liberation by abstaining from enaging in animal exploitation" is a real mouthful it'd be nice if one day we could just 'vegan' and have that be understood, people appropriating the term isn't helping matters.

@danirabbit
Neither are eggs and milk.

Of course, you could stick to strict definitions of vegetarianism or plant-based diets, I don't really see the imperative.

I get this is a strange take, but from my perspective vegetarianism isn't so different from 'flexitarianism', in that they both lean on plants heavily but arbitraily include some animal products according to personal preference.

But all that aside, veganism isn't (just) a diet and there's no half-measures, you either do it or you don't.

@danirabbit
I don't actually hate this but it's just reinventing the idea of vegetarianism.

& maybe that does need some rejuvinating & maybe that'll do some good in the world, still it's really not veganism.

I don't think it's cool to benefit from the moral associations of veganism without the hard work (being an animal use abolitionist).

I guess vegetarianism is kinda lame nowadays (now we say plant-based or plant forward or 'vegan'), & part of that is because veganism makes it look obsolete, but you can't just take the name without doing the work.