More interesting points!

It’s a common justification among carnists that “they’re stupid, actually”

Yep, I’ve always countered it with the “village idiot” or “disabled” examples, but “small children” is much more effective! Will use that in future.

But you should understand that “checking the origin when possible” and “modest quantities” are…Well, you addressed my points before me.

The “when possible” does undermine my argument but “modest quantities” must count for something and as for “origin” I’m sure you’ll agree that in theory free-range chickens can have acceptably pleasant lives. In Europe the highest class (i.e. 3 times more expensive) free-range eggs do come at least come close to the farmyard-idyll idea of chicken farming.

So at that point the putative cruelty concerns mainly the abstract fact of animal exploitation for eggs or the (less abstract) slaughter. As I understand it, this is what distinguishes animal welfare from animal rights. Personally my priority is the former. I don’t claim to respect the latter, i.e. an animal’s inherent right to life or to be left alone. Although I absolutely respect those who do. Both positions are ethically coherent, as I see it.

Paying to make defenseless, innocent animals’ lives “a living hell.” And I feel at least to some extent like being aware of that makes it worse here.

Yeah, that’s fair. At least, there’s certainly a paradox here. Because, under the law, for example, you aren’t usually held responsible for something you’re not aware of. And then people often say that the first stage to solving a problem is to be aware of it - and yet by becoming aware of it you’re transformed from an innocent to a hypocrite. Personally, like many people, I can’t stand hypocrisy so I choose to self-flagellate when I see it in myself. Rather than channel my insecurity into criticism of non-hypocrites, as many omnivores seem to do. And yet then I risk being sanctimonious as well as a hypocrite. Tricky problem.

I choose to cut off at animals because that makes the line extremely crystal clear and indemnifies me against our creeping series of realizations that “oh, these animals feel pain, actually”.

Some interesting points you made there. Yes, I suppose this dividing line is a pretty rational choice.