We sit down with Andy Tabar from The Bearded Vegans and Compassion Co today to talk about what it looks like to be practice anti-capitalist, anti-consumerist veganism.

In This Episode

Andy Tabar, from The Bearded Vegans and Compassion Co, asked us to have a discussion about our anti-capitalist stance on veganism where we say veganism should not be defined by consumption, to talk about what that actually looks like in practice. We had a GREAT conversation, it was so nice to be able to have such an open, back-and-forth dialog with Andy about this important and uncomfortable topic.

We start off with talking again about what capitalism is, why vegans should consider being anti-capitalist, and how a veganism defined by consumption is inherently pro-capitalist and therefore ineffective and oppressive. Then we give tips and guidance around how you can practice veganism in an anti-consumerist way. While some of this is a review of things we’ve covered before, this conversation also covered a lot of new ground and took us on a journey that we think y’all will really enjoy!

Some of our top tips:

Stop saying “vote with your dollar” immediately

Find ways to connect with your local community

Practice anti-capitalist/consumerist activities in your community (ex: Buying Nothing)

Support policies like Universal Basic Income that can give relief to those who need it NOW

Practice restorative justice in your daily life

…and more!

This biggest thing we can do is create a sense of support for all citizens. Capitalism only works when we are ok with some people being treated poorly for arbitrary reasons, so connect, give a shit, be kind, share, support, and empathize.

Joke in the Middle

What do you call an everyday potato? (Thanks to listener Tina for this one!)

Book Club Reminder!

Ishmael & My Ishmael on March 30th at 11:00 am PT (Eventbrite)

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