Meat was definitely different back in the day.
Dad was hunting a lot and we grew up on a farm.

I always thought it was weird to eat pigs or boars when we pet cats and roll our eyes at the Chinese for eating dogs when we eat deer. And so on. Melanie Joy calls it carnism.

So I'd say I'm an ethical vegan — when I was eight I used to say I'd like to stand on my head when I'll be eighty.
I don't see differences between animals and humans. We're primates belonging to the same kingdom, Animalia.
Historically we ate animals to survive, hence why we're omnivores, but our anatomy proves to be more closely related to that of herbivores. See comparative anatomy.
Dairy is addictive because of the casein. It's worse on the body than eating a whole ribeye steak. This is the main reason why vegetarians can't shift to a plant-based, vegan diet.
In the old China Study by Dr. Colin Campbell (I say old because China's changed its diet significantly over the decades), a diet absent in animal protein is advised for better health.