Before industrialization, all civilizations used domesticated animals in one way or another. If we didn't do that, then our ability to produce energy would be so low that we'd only be able to make food, shelter and crude tools. Medicine would consist of crude poultices and leeches; basic infections would be lethal. Humanity would only populate a small fraction of the earth's surface, would be at the mercy of predators like lions and tigers, and would have a life expectancy of the early 30's and 50% of our children wouldn't make it past 5.

*drum roll...*

We would never have progressed to the technology of smelting. There would be no bikes.

..

Let me put it this way. Vegans only exist because they're safely sheltered within a far more violent society. Enlightened Western societies are teetering on the very top of Maslow's Hieararchy, where luxuries such as 'living a moral code' are so commonplace that we can endlessly split hairs debating between the merits of different codes. If we were a pre-domesticated animal society, your debates would fall along the lines of 'do I escape the tiger by jumping into a tree or jumping off of a cliff?'

So... enjoy your veganism, but research cultural anthropology enough to realize that it's simply not feasible to be a peaceful, enlightened vegan without someone else being a vicious predatory carnivore protecting your camp. Bravo for having principles, but realize that our 'oneness' with nature makes things more complex than any human moral code is possible to anticipate.

BTW, if you can't tell, I read Transmetropolitan this weekend. I love Hunter S. Thompson, even when channeled by Warren Ellis.