This is an article few will enjoy. One I didn’t really want to have to write.
But it has become crystal clear that the industrialized, fossil fuel dependent capitalist system, which still runs the show on our planet, has defeated the international socialist movements. Although much credit for their collapses goes to these movements themselves, weighted down by their own practices of authoritarianism, patriarchy and lack of authentic worker’s democracy.
If you think that’s a good thing, perhaps you should think again. Our market driven industrialized capitalist systems running most countries today has indisputably brought on the climate crisis the world now faces. Demonstrating either lip service or zero interest in facing up to the potential deadly problem they have created.
An Accelerating Crisis
It’s apparent that some time in the last 5 - 10 years we have crossed a significant crossroads, with the onset of climate disasters of immense proportions causing killer heat waves, fires that burn for months, extended droughts, and massive flooding all over the planet.
This Summer parts of the U.S. experienced their hottest summer on record. Temperatures in numerous cities in the South reached 110 degrees and higher for most of the Summer. Just today the real feel temperature in Rio Dr Janeiro reached 137 degrees! Europe has suffered through these killer heat waves for the last ten years, one year causing 60,000 heat related deaths. Even Northern Russia has experienced them.
Rome Burns While the Media Promotes Trump
It won’t take long for the water and food crisis to set in, in many areas they have already started. Any scientist or meteorologist willing to tell the truth would paint a picture a lot more dire than I can. Meanwhile, the corporate media here in the U.S. has made Donald Trump it main news focus, a deranged, demented bigot with an authoritarian, narcissistic Adolf Hitler complex indicted four times and seeking a return to the presidency. His agenda: destroy our Democracy and his many perceived enemies.
Add to that major wars going on in Ukraine and the Middle East involving nuclear powers that could end civilization a lot sooner than global warming and there’s not presently much to be optimistic about.
Why Capitalism is Incapable of Addressing Global Warming
There are multiple reasons why privately owned industrialized enterprises are incapable of meaningful action in response to global warming and protecting the environment.
Profitability, or lack thereof, is number one, two and three on the list. Unless the government is paying for such efforts, there is no apparent profit. No profit, no motive.
It’s an example of how capitalism works, or doesn’t work to be more correct. It’s why such a piss-poor job is done on limiting toxic by-products of industry and why environmental destruction is so common — the less done to limit it, the more profits that are made. So any industry dependent on exploiting the environment as a ready made interest in not minimizing such damage.
“Socialism” for the Corporate Classes Only
You can bet your life, corporations buy as much government influence as they can in this area to limit regulations and conservation requirements. Some in fact call it a form of “socialism” exclusively for the corporate class, when lax regulations lead to toxic contamination or environmental damage that must be cleared up with public funds. These are the same corporations that decry and condemn socialist policies which benefit the working classes and the poor.
Things Maybe Different with Fossil Fuel Suppliers
Their liability is much more direct in that they produce a product directly responsible for the climate crisis we face. And probably have the greatest interest in supressing green energy competitors. They also may be the single most powerful interest influencing government.
One question that arises is, “Did they have direct knowledge” of the coming climate crisis caused in large part by their product. However, even assuming they have been aware of this causality of their product, there is much doubt that a lawsuit could prevail or get too far in the courts. We mostly want the convenience and lower costs of fossil fuels.
But if solid evidence is uncovered that their scientists informed them as to the causality of their product to the climate crisis, that could change the dynamics with enough pressure on government to levy a huge fine or special tax on them and use it to finance efforts to neutralize global warming trends.
Unbalanced Capitalist Expansion: How it Exacerbates Climate Crisis
It is also market driven capitalism’s nature to seek constant expansion, increased profits extracted from labor exploitation and unequal foreign trade advantages to grow and survive.
No where has this constant unfettered expansion been more destructive that on our environment. What attention is paid to reducing the environmental destruction such development creates has been minimal and has mostly had to forced upon these industries.
“Acceptable Toxicities”
Instead these industries influenced government agencies (the EPA) to apply “acceptable” and “safe” standards of toxicity and poisons expelled into the environment or contained in their products. All in the name of maximizing profits no matter what rivers, soils, lakes or forests are destroyed in the process.
Bribe and Prosper
Large mega corporations have the resources to buy political protection in most cases. That typically goes along with their endless expansions which swallow up and contaminate our no so limitless natural resources. There is no such thing as ecologically neutral industrial expansions.
That would greatly reduce profit margins. Which in turn has led to even more dependence on fossil fuels based on their low costs and profitability and little concern about the extensive destruction of the environment and living species. Deforestation of the planet itself has also hastened the onset of the climate crisis. As disappearing forests and rain forests once absorbed large amounts of green house CO2 gases, the price for much of industrialization’s alleged progress.
Facing up to the Facts
Most recent technological progress is attributable to
capitalist, fossil fuel driven industrialization. Which has shown to be unsustainable.
These same forces are driving the climate crisis
towards our destruction.
The failure to acknowledge and do enough to combat it amounts to criminal insanity.
Market Capitalism Tolerates no Other System
The ruling capitalist elites are, and have always been, diametrically opposed to any other economic way of doing things and wealth sharing systems like socialism, except when they themselves are on the dole. They otherwise do their best to destroy or undermine them.
This is a major contributing factor leading to perpetual conflicts, wars, oppression of human rights and the birth of fascism in many instances, as opposed to the international cooperation any attempts to counter global warming would require.
If there is a bright side, many in Europe have awakened to the threat posed by global warming and the vital importance of using green energy sources. But it hasn’t been enough to stop our planet from crossing the line into more frequent weather-related disasters. Some steps have been taken here in America, but they are insufficient for this late stage of the crisis.
There is every reason to believe we have reached a more advanced stage of climate crisis, one that is accelerating rapidly. To express it mathematically, it doesn’t take long to square the number 2 before it grows exponentially. That seems to have begun recently with climate instability.
Other Reasons for Burying the Danger
Key individuals in the capitalist classes, their militaries and the political rulers of most nations have long ago been made aware of the emerging climate crisis by their scientists. And likely are briefed on it regularly. This includes the failed socialist systems in China and Russia.
It has been concealed as much as possible over the many years it has been known. So long it may be too late to reverse.
Behind the scenes there is already great apprehension, I suspect, in ruling circles. Those who are privy to the information fear the oncoming of massive public anger, chaos and panic that will eventually emerge as well as calls for their dismissal and worse. So they have another reason to continue to sit on the problem instead of acting. The outright fascist denial and long delay in fully revealing the crisis are also an obstacle to getting people to believe this life threatening problem actually is real and exists in America and across the planet.
What Can We Do?
If I can offer a ray of hope, it is this. The worst of global warming has begun within the last ten years. Aggressive measures such as planting billions of trees and escalating a switch over to green energies might turn things back in a relatively short time (perhaps 25 years) to controllable levels. But that’s a big “if”.
The other necessary steps rest with us. We must find a way to motivate large numbers of people to do mass work about the crisis and flood our capital to demand our leaders, both Democrats and Republicans, to take and finance the steps necessary, both domestic and foreign, to truly begin taming the climate crisis. Fundamental change is rarely led from above, and both for better or worse (in the case of fascism), change comes from below. Don’t bet your life that capitalism will save us absent enormous pressure.
It’s Up to Us to Fight for our Lives!
What ever forces in the Universe, or God if that is your belief, that has given us the Earth, it is our oasis from the endless of space to protect, whether its from our own negligence that threatens it’s life or some stray comet or meteor.
Our very survival as a civilization is at stake.
And most certainly the future lives of our children.
Recommended Reading:
The Real Relationship Between Capitalism and the Environment
Capitalism and the Global Environment
Capitalism and the Environment