thanks for your message. 
i think that indeed vegan advocacy doesn't have much to show for after several decades - at least not in terms of the number of vegans. But I do believe in some virtuous cycle between advocacy and alternatives, where the two can reinforce each other (more awareness means higher purchases of PB products means easier awareness...). 
I hope you can find a role in the movement that fits you and that has impact! :)

thanks, i tend to agree. I guess emotional appeals are often lacking, and so is rationality. Though there are people for whom either can work. One just needs to find them, and tailor the message and communication style to them - but it's easier said than done :)

thanks for these interesting musings. it seems to me that building such a kind of simulation is the path we are on, ever getting more digital, ever more able to create things that make us more comfortable. one day we may be able to upload our minds to a system, experience good things only, and have no more need for our bodies. it seems difficult to do that for all individuals on the planet though.
alternatively, conceivably we are already living in a (non ideal) simulation, where only we are real and other beings are part of the programming. that would mean that the suffering we see and cause around us is not real. I'm not counting on it but sometimes I hope it is like that.

thanks Janika. I understand the dilemma. sometimes even just with social media posts, it's the easy ones that go far and the ones that are deeper, more meaningful, more challenging... that don't. 
(is there a video online somewhere of you chicken song?)

glad to hear that :)

it can be crazy-making :-)

sorry, with the "you complain that..." i was addressing imaginary vegans-who-don't-get-the-WAS-thing, not you :)

I'll read your article first before going into this further. Definitely an interesting question.

hi vasco, i can see the parallel too yes, often thinking about vegans: you complain that meat eaters don't see the suffering, but you yourself can't see the suffering in nature...

As to animal farming being beneficial re increasing the welfare of the creatures you mention: I'm not sure about the experiences of those small animals. If it's a matter of increasing their numbers, I hold more of a person-affecting view re population ethics so more doesn't mean better for me. Thirdly, i feel the suffering of farmed animals is so clearly terrible that i'd need a lot of certainty on this before I'd think it's a good thing for other organisms. But i saw you posted something on this - which i still have to read.

i find this very interesting. so would you say you come by the idea of avoiding animal products mainly by reason alone?

99% yes for me.
This is like 50% of the yearly global budget for farmed animals. A lot can be done with this money, and it's not too outrageous an amount that it wouldn't be absorbed efficiently. Speciecism aside, the bang for these bucks could be incredible. 
Moreover, if among the spillover effects of this was lower consumption of animal products, this would be an additional win for public health (at least in countries where too much animal products are eaten).