> I am confused.
Probably as a result of a poor vegan diet. Your brain is probably starved of the nutrients it needs.
> The animals killed in slaughterhouses... don't they also eat vegetation before they are killed?
Yes, just like in the wild? And the vegetation they eat are vegetation that can be grown in poorer quality land.
> That vegetation doesn't need to be protected from insects?
Yes. And?
> The way you described it, it sounds like a cow appears out of thin air -- poof!
No. They don't. That's my point. Vegans make it seem like their "healthy" meals appear out of nowhere. Not only is a vegan diet the worst diet for humans ( no human can survive on it in the wild ), it's the worst for the environment
> It's the people who step on insects while they water the salad who are the true monsters
Really? Not the trillions of insects/rodents/etc killed by pesticides? Not the trillions of animals killed to clear the land for farming? Not the countless animals killed to harvest the vegetation?
> But how many insects does the cow step on before it grows up and gets killed?
You are right. Cows are evil, lets have some burgers.
Frankly, if you truly care about animals, then you should be arguing for a hunter gatherer diet. That's the most environmentally friendly and most humane diet on earth. Think about it. No farming, no raising livestock. Just gathering and hunting what is available. But I highly doubt you'd advocate for that since virtue signaling vegans don't care about the environment or animals. They care about attention
It is a fact that the hunter gather lifestyle is the best for nature. Then it's the current system. And the absolute worst for animals, environment and humans is the vegan diet.
But like a typical privileged vegan, you probably never set foot on a farm or knowing anything about agriculture. Good luck with that.