Originally Posted by Libertine

Let me start of by saying that I am in fact not a republican (I'm actually in favour of a form of social liberalism somewhat similar to that of John Rawls, as described in A Theory of Justice, but I doubt you have any idea what that even means). I am also, at present, a vegetarian. (And no, I don't need to look up the meaning of hypocrisy, but that's just because, unlike you, I did finish high school.)

Now, it seems clear you didn't quite understand my argument, so let me reiterate it in a form that may be easier to understand for the likes of you. The laws we currently have concerning animal welfare are inadequate, and perpetuate a system which thrives on animal suffering. The bulk of this suffering is caused by mainstream, large scale factory farming, which is a fundamental part of contemporary meat production. Yet, in terms of animal cruelty, it is on par with such practices as force-feeding geese and clubbing baby seals to death for their fur.