Response To Kurt's: Vegetarianism and Culture

I see your point that politics, economics, and the other provisions mentioned do in fact hinder one's ability to be vegetarian. With regards to culture, I think you touched base on the hidden vegetarians that will come out of their closet when norms have shifted. This change of theirs is very much contingent upon the active increase of the populous who are openly changing before norms have shifted. These are the individuals who are making a change because their sense of duty supersedes their personal sentiment. However, the individuals who are waiting seem to be held back by personal sentiment that is subservient to societal norms and this makes them robots not individuals with free expression. They are hindrance to change because they add strength in numbers to non vegetarians. I am not saying they are wrong; rather, I contend that they prevent the norms from shifting because silent support is simply empty since there is not an apparent tangible force (strength in numbers).