So. A few things to consider, to add to this ethical confusion of yours.

Woohoo!

Is comparing the animal food industry to the Holocaust or any other type of genocide pretty hyperbolic? Is it really fair to say the life of one pig is equal to the life of one man when the man had the potential to not only live longer, but contribute so much more to his community?

With regard to the Holocaust, on the basis of treating sentient people, my perception is "not really," though imparting a bit less cognitive ability on animals in today's industry. On the other hand, by virtue of man's cranial development alongside our suite of tools via evolution (hands, bipedalism, etc.), it makes for a funny point comparing a pig to a man in terms of contributing to the greater good as it were. Boiling it down for what a pig can do for our man-made country sounds more of a moot point. In the realm of "What you do defines you," the man wins out - considering the blanket notion they'll live a productive life. A difference lies in the basis of what is valued as productive seeing as it's relative term with human connotations. As in, what's productive to a pig in its community is likely different to us. I get the thought this is splitting hairs, though.

Is it fair for vegans to decry the animal food industry on environmental grounds and then turn around and criticize the development of GMOs? The very development of GMOs will allow us to yield more food per acre and per gallon of water, allowing us to potentially reduce the amount of farm land used, giving us the chance to put that land to better use, up to and including letting it return to its natural state.

The GMO point, in truth, was more a side. This is the stance I take when wrestling with my eldest brother, the one who nudged me in this direction in the first place. I can't say I'm an expert in the field, so I'll abstain from making myself read as foolish. :)

Knowing that to exist is to consume and to consume is to destroy, do you think that you as an individual will eventually find peace both with yourself as well as the world around you by embracing vegan philosophy? There is a great difference between constantly trying to better yourself and burdening yourself with a sense of guilt, inadequacy, and powerlessness. Are you motivating yourself for the right reasons?

Ha. I just got through the One-is-All, All-is-One episode of FMA. (cough nerd moment, apologies) This, again, is something that I've fallen in line with reasoning - hence the silliness of my raising my own farm sentence. Frankly, a basis with which I'm thinking veganism in general is a bit silly compounded with our current theory of evolution. Which, mind you, I'm fully aware in this context nearly contradicts my comments above if taken at face value.

I do like how you point that idea out of what I'd be going through carrying mental weight. I've sustained the "eat less meat" initiative, witnessed by my grocery receipt, in part a remnant of the "down with the man" mentality against food industry. But, now if I'm out of my normal environment: back home with family, at an event with friends, going out to eat, then I don't limit myself so much, if at all. Of late, my mentality has shifted away from the previous ideal towards enabling myself to eat a proper diet. I've gone back to eating other animal products like eggs and yogurt, and I've drastically increased the amount of fruits and nuts I buy. Funny how it feels like going from one extreme forces me to temper myself to a mid-point between where I was and what I sought to achieve.

Personally, while I do not think I could live a vegetarian let alone a vegan life, I have high respect for people that do. Also, while I've known few vegans in person, the ones I do know are intelligent, articulate, and respectable, just like you are. That said, I have seen people online take veganism to unhealthy logical and philisophical extremes and I think maybe they would have done well if early in their attempts if people told them, "Do your best, but don't become obsessive."

Wowzers. I really do appreciate that. This rant (slash thoughts I've been having for a while) feels to be a bit its own counterweight. As my ol' Colonel always said "Everything in moderation". I'm coming to find its one hell of a catch-all motto.