Unfortunately, action on climate change seems to be a case where the right has, effectively, won. Human activity is making the earth warmer. Quickly. Most people don’t buy into the notion that it’s a big conspiracy. But the consensus does seem to be that doing something about it would be too hard, or would destroy the economy, or maybe we should study it more…
As I noted at the discussion thread, I find both the above comment and further observations on climate denialism and a “both sides/open question” framing in the mass media to be “true enough.”
On a practical level, a rational left-liberal response to this predicament might be to set down markers, remain open to unexpected alterations in the political terrain, and carefully prepare for the eventual crisis, which will probably arise “too late” from multiple perspectives: It’s the same stance that any radical oppositional perspective requires of the oppositionalist who is unable to describe precisely how the politician or administrator can employ – actually implement – whatever recommendations.
The further problem, however, is that most on the “liberal left” are as incapable of coping with climate change as those who openly call it a “hoax.”
Climate change is a typical, perhaps the typical, product of democratic capitalism as a world system. The idea of the fundamental disruption of the environment itself, a kind of “crack in the world,” stands as that system’s ultimate externality. Ecological catastrophe appears to be, equates with, the inevitable destination of democratic capitalism because full comprehension of the problem of externalities requires practical, effective acknowledgment of ultimate, primary, and determinative transnational social-collective ownership of the means of production. In other words, avoiding climate catastrophe requires of democratic capitalism that it embrace its own absolute contradiction – catastrophically.
The neoliberal right and left – “conservatives” and “liberals,” as per the plain Sunday questions – each respond with their own versions of denial, and modern political science can produce reams of literature explaining why neither group, on this question members of the same group, will ever overcome the challenge before it overcomes them instead.
I knew you agreed with Curtis White. You just didn’t want to admit it, and no matter how you respond to this comment, let it be known that like a good little whateverIam, I have my fingers in my ears now, so it doesn’t count and it won’t change anything. Go Apocalypse! That would be a good team name. If Upland had a professional soccer team, you could call them the Upland Apocalypse.
I agreed with Curtis White before Curtis White agreed with Curtis White, but I disagree with how Curtis White goes about agreeing with my agreement with him, not on account of any potential significance of my personal agreement or disagreement, but in relation to the implications and conclusions to which his self-disagreement misleads him to mislead us.
OK. I didn’t really have my fingers in my ears, and that was funny on your part.
The only think missing was an acknowledgement of how well I played the liberal role in the denial. You also could have presented things as a half-time speech for the Upland Apocalypse. Lose one for the Tsar!
Yeah that works.
Upland has kind of boring local team names – well actually the highly rated Upland High School team is the “Highlanders,” and I have to like that – but the nearby Rancho Cucamonga Quakes play at the Epicenter. So that’s not too far off. Still tend to like to win though, I have the impression.
Shouldn’t you be training teas today?
Weekend off. Back at it the next two.
I needed a good laugh, Czar, at Kevin’s imcomprehension, Jonathan is not that bad trying to extract logic from that, of course the names of Maurice Strong and Soros, and his lacky, Fenton, never come up, in a very ‘don’t talk about the war,’ sense,
neither does the ‘hiding the decline’ in the Medieval period, or the heat Island problem, regarding proper readings.
“Hahaha – only the other side ever indulges in moronic conspiracist crap! Hahaha – I’m so smart and objective – it’s only the liberals in denial! Hahaha!”
Like that?