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| author | Joe Carstairs <me@joeac.net> | 2026-06-03 17:04:59 +0100 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Joe Carstairs <me@joeac.net> | 2026-06-03 17:04:59 +0100 |
| commit | 58dd472a345b6347168029d01f718268f8284dfd (patch) | |
| tree | fb8a97818dd032b669a038bd130902df285ada3d /chapter1.md | |
| parent | e88522f091dfc1bc4a6aef094bb1e7ef5c6e379f (diff) | |
chapter 1: adds line breaks to separate topic sentences
Diffstat (limited to 'chapter1.md')
| -rw-r--r-- | chapter1.md | 70 |
1 files changed, 44 insertions, 26 deletions
diff --git a/chapter1.md b/chapter1.md index 75862b6..6196385 100644 --- a/chapter1.md +++ b/chapter1.md @@ -181,36 +181,54 @@ minutes commuting to workâso why do we only pay attention to the latter?' [@climate-change-class-war, p. 16] Because they have mis-diagnosed the root causes of the problem, they too often -go on to propose incredible solutions. The worst is simply to cut consumption. -Most of the world's people can't afford to cut back. A little better is -proposing market-based policies like carbon taxes. But there is no credible -route to implementing and sustaining an effective carbon tax, because it is -against the interests of almost everyone. The route green rhetors almost -universally promote is: listen to the science, then act rationally. This denies -the evident fact that society is driven by the private interests of those who -have power, not collective interests; and this is also true of science itself, -which, as we have proven time and time again, is up for sale to the highest -bidder. The spectre of the 'science denier' or 'science fraudster' as the -bogeyman behind all resistance to the collective interest serves only to hide -the real enemy: the powerful private interests that pay him. +go on to propose incredible solutions. + +The worst is simply to cut consumption. Most of the world's people can't afford +to cut back. + +A little better is proposing market-based policies like carbon taxes. But there +is no credible route to implementing and sustaining an effective carbon tax, +because it is against the interests of almost everyone. + +The route green rhetors almost universally promote is: listen to the science, +then act rationally. + +This denies the evident fact that society is driven by the private interests of +those who have power, not collective interests; and this is also true of science +itself, which, as we have proven time and time again, is up for sale to the +highest bidder. + +The spectre of the 'science denier' or 'science fraudster' as the bogeyman +behind all resistance to the collective interest serves only to hide the real +enemy: the powerful private interests that pay him. Then, the rhetoric fails to properly identify an audience that can make a -difference. In line with its scientistic ideology, it pretends to speak to the -universal human citizen, as if we all have shared interests. But in fact, it -speaks only to the professional-managerial class (PMC). The whole point of the -rhetoric is to fight the interests of capitalists, so of course it doesn't speak -to them. Nor does the condemnation of indulgent over-consumption and the demand -for cutbacks have any way of resonating with the working class. +difference. + +In line with its scientistic ideology, it pretends to speak to the universal +human citizen, as if we all have shared interests. But in fact, it speaks only +to the professional-managerial class (PMC). + +The whole point of the rhetoric is to fight the interests of capitalists, so of +course it doesn't speak to them. Nor does the condemnation of indulgent +over-consumption and the demand for cutbacks have any way of resonating with the +working class. Yet this rhetoric doesn't even work for the PMC, because it has already failed -to identify a credible route change. The exhortations are addressed to the -universal human collective, or nebulous imaginary entities like 'countries': cut -carbon emissions! Give 'developing countries' money to stop chopping down -rainforests! Fund research! But these recommendations don't come with a credible -route to making them happen. It fails to diagnose why these things are hard to -do, i.e. identify the vested interests that are preventing change, and show how -to fight these vested interests and win. +to identify a credible route change. + +The exhortations are addressed to the universal human collective, or nebulous +imaginary entities like 'countries': cut carbon emissions! Give 'developing +countries' money to stop chopping down rainforests! Fund research! But these +recommendations don't come with a credible route to making them happen. It fails +to diagnose why these things are hard to do, i.e. identify the vested interests +that are preventing change, and show how to fight these vested interests and +win. The action that PMC people have taken so far (alternative consumption, political protests, banning plastic straws, holding COPs, setting targets) have not been -effective. The result is that PMC people feel powerless. +effective. + +The result is that PMC people feel powerless. + +In summary, |
