In regards to eating meat

[Diana]

ok, let's keep the discussion to 3d then

let us take an extreme example: those of the Inuit in the far north.

as far as I know, these traditional peoples (the Eskimos) eat primarily meat.

now, how STS are their hunting activities? as far as I can see, if they want to stay in that environment (a choice, yes) they cannot reduce their meat consumption to zero; there are just not enough calories in that place. Of course, in modern times, we can fly whatever food we want in, but let us consider the hundreds of years before that.

are these guys guilty of a STS lifestyle? or are they forced by circumstance to do what they do? and even then, is there karma involved in that?

You answered your own question. They have the choice to move somewhere else. This is the 21st century and not out of the paradigm to bring food in, move to another climate, or use technology to invent new ways to grow food--possibly harvest algae and seaweed products. As for other time frames, there is still a choice to migrate as a tribe to easier climates. If, say, an Inuit of 3,000 years ago gazed into the eye of a dying whale (or any other creature taken for food) and began to open his/her heart to the animal's suffering and wish to live, and then contemplated the subject, he/she would eventually come up with other solutions if they were desired.

So, yes, I would characterize it as STS (unless the Unuit are 2D). And if there is such a thing as karma, or a life review, they would face their decisions and the lives they took and have to balance it or forgive themselves (if subscribing to popular theories on those subjects).

I was in a book club years ago and we read a book about female circumcision in an African tribe. My contention was that no matter how hard, no matter how far out of my paradigm, I would have left that tribe and not been a party to that practice. I know that was easy for me to say, but I still think it.

We always have choices.