Capitalism and the Climate
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A fairly longish eco-socialist essay that vehemently condemns capitalism as the cause of the climate crisis.
It’s Time to Call it What It Is: A Capitalism-Induced Ecological Crisis
For sure the author isn’t 100% there as much as we would like but it is a promising text, in my view.
“…this humanity-equals-greed myth is a mask designed to cover up the fact that capitalism rewards and reproduces only the worst qualities of human nature, while it starves and deprives our best qualities— our natural instincts toward caretaking each other, toward solidarity, mutual aid, and building community. Most of us, humans, possess these good qualities as well, but these cooperative human qualities are not financially or politically rewarded under capitalism…”
“…we must be brave enough and honest enough to seek the truth— to understand that capitalism is not inevitable. It is but one type of economy with distinct features and characteristics, and it can be replaced, just as it was instituted. It will not be easy. It will require nothing short of a global political, social and economic revolution. But if we cannot summon the courage and the international solidarity to embark on this journey together, then capitalism will devour us—all of us. If we cannot collectively envision and design a future beyond capitalism, then there will not be a future that includes us…”
Just had a quick sdquint at this – of course she ends up with the argument that we need to get together with everyone seeking ‘justice’ etc. so we know where that leads nowhere. Have you thought about contacting her Alan – bet she hasn’t heard of us!
On Dissident Voice some of the authors offer their e-mails or websites which I do when I wrote forit and have had the occasional response. She doesn’t unfortunately and she only has this and another article.
I would have to hunt her down and I would feel I was trolling or harassing her by doing so.
I think the WSM has to be the Big Tent, the movement for all the single issue activists to coalesce around, to muster under our banner as our D of P puts it. The umbrella as I like to say.
Fellow workers can both act in self-defence on specific problems that they believe they face and also still campaign for socialism.
Trade unionism is an example that we have long said was compatible with membership. I would also add environmental concerns.
I know it gets murky in a grey area of what is reformism when it comes to climate and pollution.
Some members have drawn attention regards proposed government legislation to restrict trade union action that can involve us in taking a position against government policy, likewise, we can equally take a position in relation to environmental laws or lack of.
Another interesting but mixed-message article
“We need to develop an economy whose main goal is not growth but secure sufficiency for all,” concludes Josh Farley. “Our planet is too small to achieve much more than sufficiency…”
What does that really mean? We are also for a steady-state economy but one that has provided for the global population.
But it touches on our own goals.
“…Your main experience is the core economy, the economy of reciprocity and gifting and providing for your close kin and community, which is totally outside the market.”
“Mainstream economists argue that humans are inherently selfish, that we always act in our own self-interest and can’t cooperate, which is absolutely absurd,” Josh Farley argues. “Humans are the most cooperative species ever to evolve…”
The debate on the environment is no longer simplistic but has become very nuanced, and that is to our advantage.
Climate nationalism
Tanzania’s Energy Minister Januari Makamba has joined Uganda’s parliament in criticising a European Union parliament resolution calling on the two countries to stop developing their oil and gas projects in the East African region.
He stated that Tanzania like many other countries in the world is entitled to use its resources the same way industrialised countries do for their people.
Another article on degrowth (and referring in passing to Saito subject of another topic on the forum.)
“Degrowth is also not a recession: recessions are unintentional, while degrowth is planned and intentional. Recessions make inequality worse, degrowth is about making sure everyone has their needs met.”
“This policy is a great example of what we call in our book, The Future is Degrowth: A Guide to A World Beyond Capitalism, politics of “public abundance”: an economy where everyone has enough to meet their needs, and more, based on public services and community-run commons.”
Getting closer to our vision but still trapped in the prison of prices and money – the exchange economy
People in Florida and other parts of the USA are dying, suffering and homeless. We must also pay attention to other parts of the world
https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-didn-t-lee-county-212720533.html
New York water reservoirs. An interesting articles on New York date reservoirs
MediaLens comments on the climate crisis
‘On The Highway To Climate Hell’ – The Climate Crisis, Activism And Broken Politics
“As history has revealed time and time again, real change comes from below. The same will be true if we are to mitigate the worst effects of climate breakdown and societal collapse.”
This is what Wikipedia has on him:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Oliver
He seems a bit of a controversialist (eg over covid restrictions). Not surprising that he has a slot on GB news (“the Farage channel”) given what we know about it and the audience it seeks to cater for, to make profits for those who have invested capital in it, from propagating views these might not necessarily agree with and probably don’t. But it’s a niche market no other profit-seeking enterprise is seeking to profit from.
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