Watch Out For Movement Snatchers

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The price of liberty, and even of common humanity, is eternal vigilance.

~ Aldous Huxley

The vegan and animal rights movement is in danger of being overrun by movement snatchers.

While there is a large number who have already done this, I do not believe that we have reached a state where it is not saveable.

We need to be in a state of constant vigilance, otherwise this movement will be snatched away by those who want to use it for their own gains.

(While a number of organisations over infiltrated this movement and watered down its message, this article is about the individual(s) who are using this movement for their own benefit).

A Movement Divided

The easiest way for the movement snatchers to gain control, is through the standard divide and conquer.

Politicians do it all the time, and this is what is happening now.

We have an animal rights movement that is divided between the “animal welfare” animal rights activsts, and the actual animal rights activists.

Those on the “animal welfare” side of the divide are always claiming they are being picked on, or bullied by those who have an actual animal rights message.

The more divided this movement becomes, the easier it is for external forces to convince one side that they are doing the right thing.

Enter The Professional “Activist”

The misnomered vegan strategist (formerly vegansapiosexual), hit the nail right on the head when he said that this movement is made up of professionals, and civilians.

To him, the professionals are those who are employed by or lead the organisations that form part of this movement.

Therefore, civilians are everyone else.

Though, since that time, we have seen a growing number of, shall we say “freelance” professionals.

These are people who are making money from this movement for doing nothing more than being themselves.

These “freelancers” originated on Youtube where they would get money for the ads played on their videos. (This was at no financial cost to the viewer).

With the monetisation changes that happened there, and YouTube aiming for more advertiser-friendly content, their earrings dropped.

So, they moved to Patreon.

Here, they don’t have to actually produce anything meaningful.

They encourage monthly contributions by making the contributor believe they can offset their inactivity in activism by supporting them.

For example, one Patreon performer has this on their sales page.

If you are unable to commit much time to Animal Rights, I highly encourage supporting myself (Or even another Activist you believe in) on Patreon! 🙂

Devaluing The Movement

The rise in professional “activists” has had unintended consequences, or maybe intended.

The movement is losing its educators and philosophers.

Any comment that seeks to challenge or inspire the movement to positive change it met with cries of being divisive.

And the person making the comment is branded an outlier or troublemaker.

By doing this, the movement snatchers continue to create a market for themselves by focusing on the lowest common denominator in people.

And, that is the desire to be part of a community.

They Don’t Want You Informed

By deliberately conflating animal rights with animal welfare, and resisting any change, these professionals are keeping you in an uninformed state.

With an informed movement, the status quo is always changing and improving.

This is the last thing that the professional activist wants.

So, they work hard at keeping you distracted, and uninformed.

The more they get you marking time, they more likely it is that you buy what they are selling.

This could be getting you to donate money to support them or attending one of their training sessions.

The less you know, the better things are for them.

What To Watch Out For

It is hard to know who is a movement snatcher, and who isn’t.

After all, they aren’t going to advertise what they are doing.

Thankfully, there are a few signs to watch out for.

Individual movement snatchers will paint themselves as being better than everyone else.

This is usually by events attended, their popularity on social media, or any other vanity metric.

They then use this vanity metric as a baseline comparison point to your vanity metric.

If your level is lower, which it will be, you are encouraged to support them financially to make up for the shortfall in your own activities.

By saying things like…

If you are unable to commit much time to Animal Rights, I highly encourage supporting myself (Or even another Activist you believe in) on Patreon! 🙂

or

Thank you so much for contributing to my work. Your backing enables me to give the animals my all and I truly appreciate your support ✊?

How To Protect Yourself

Before you throw your hands up in despair and think that all is lost with this movement, don’t.

You are still able to save yourself, and this movement, from the movement snatchers.

The first step is to never let anyone make you feel less of a vegan because you aren’t doing, X, Y or Z.

The next step is to believe in, and value the contribution you are making.

If you choose to stay at home and read to your kids instead of going a cube, or jumping a fence, so be it. Everyone else has to accept that and get over it.

No one should be able to make you believe that what you are doing isn’t enough.

The only person who can answer that question is you.

You make the decision of what you can and cannot do. Not someone else.

And, if you are feeling the need to “invest” money in someone else, invest the money in yourself.

That will be the best investment you ever make.

And surely more valuable that supporting someone else.

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Watch Out For The Movement Snatchers

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