Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Abrupt Climate Change and The Failure of Democracy

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, June 8, 2015

Abrupt Climate Change and The Failure of Democracy

Click here to access article by Christopher Black from New Eastern Outlook.

The deadly and destructive effects of abrupt climate change continue to be felt across the planet and still the response of national governments is to do nothing except issue press releases expressing sympathy for the victims and empty promises of local aid.

This Canadian author and international criminal lawyer is a genuine humanitarian in contrast to directors in the ruling capitalist classes who use humanitarian concerns to justify military operations against other countries. In this article he expresses concerns about the lack of any serious effort on the part of governments to do anything about climate change. However, due to his thorough indoctrination in the capitalist ideology of liberalism, he seems to be totally confused as to the reasons for the "failure of democracy" to do anything effective. He confuses the ideology of capitalism with the inherent dynamics of the system which requires growth to exist.