Yes - there is abuse of some kind in most every relationship, No matter what we do each day, somebody somewhere gets hurt.
If we eat meat, we are damaging the ozone by contributing to cows farting, (not to mention hurting the poor brainless bovines themselves.) If we eat vegetables, we are contributing to topsoil erosion, and destruction of natural habitats (where do you think they get the water from for irrigation?) or even to the oppression of 3rd-world peoples.... (who picks the fruits and veggies you eat?). If we drive a car to work, we are contributing to pollution. If I take that job, somebody else won't get it. If I buy that blender at a yard sale, someone else will miss out on the deal. If I stay home tonight and work on my computer, my partner may be hurt that I didn't go to a movie with him.... If I don't have babies, my mother may be hurt that she is the only one on her block without grandchildren... If I DO have babies, I'm contributing to world over-population. If I don't get married, I'm hurting my parents by "living in sin".... The list is endless. Even killing yourself will hurt others - family and friends who will miss you and blame themselves for not preventing your self-inflicted demise.
Every step of the way, we make decisions for things in our lives, and hope that we can minimize the amount of damage we cause to the environment, and the amount of hurt we cause to other humans. But we can't eliminate it entirely.
The bottom line is accountability. How accountable is each person prepared to be for his or her own actions.
