Not eating it is much easier than stealing it.

Indeed. But also less effective.

I consider vegans neutral. They neither help nor hinder the industry of animal products. I love this quote by Desmond Tutu:

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

Or, more controversally, stop paying for meat. I personally have no ethical problem with shoplifting meat. To buy meat is unethical because it supports the meat industry. To shoplift is to punish and deter those causing harm.

The only thing that stops me from shoplifting meat is I cannot be bothered to study the art of it and then take on the risks of getting caught.

Certainly that’s the case in the US. It would be suicide for US republicans adhere to their conservative values and drop subsidies, which would outrage all the farmers whose vote republicans rely on. (edit) So the survival of the republican party inherently forces them into hypocricy.

But why don’t the dems nix meat subsidies? No farmers vote for dems, so no loss there. But I suppose there would be enough meat-eating dems who would abandon their own party. Just like in California a politician tried to push a fuel tax and got voted out by both parties.