The system will defeat itself?
Global warming is arguably the most preeminent threat to modern civilization for anyone who is not wholly convinced that DNC staffers are being murdered in cold blood to protect the identities of an elite ring of pedophiles who meet in D.C. pizzeria basements and conduct spirit-cooking rituals all while insidiously allowing immigrants to implement Sharia law in small towns across America. Many are wondering when, if ever, the U.S. will attempt to even begin to address these sweeping issues that put the most vulnerable members of society at risk. While we can hope that some day the threat will be perceptively visible enough (mortality rates go high enough or a major coastal city ceases to exist) for politicians (read: corporations) decide to act, however this seems wholly unlikely with the current standings of most protection agencies on the reality of climate change. As the mask slips further of the face of the corporate entities who infiltrate our democratic institutions and reveals the cheeky grin of another Exxon Mobile exec, or the mottled face of another Goldman Sachs board member, I wonder the extent to which the latest stages of capitalism while truly quash any hope of an enjoyable future.
While my assertions are meant to be somewhat facetious, I unequivocally can say that capitalism is not equipped to deal with these looming threats. Hearing Janet Yellen assert that another financial crisis is “not likely within our lifetime” seems so insanely out-of-touch and arrogant that my only response can be “Wait, whose lifetime? You are extremely old compared to me.” This cocksure attitude would be empowering if our entire economy was not still recovering from the subprime mortgage disaster of 2008 and on the verge of repealing financial regulations put in place to curb any future meltdowns. We have heard this song and dance too many times for its validity to ring true. How much longer shall we wait for the ebb and flow nature of partisan politics to spasm us into a position to adequately address carbon emissions and warming? Even the most conservative estimates say there are only about 25 years left of current carbon production rates until irreparable damage is the status quo. And more alarming observations have recently shown that while carbon emissions are being curtailed or at the very least maintained, atmospheric carbon is steadily climbing, implying that the system has been saturated. A carbon tax has already passed us by, as many western European nations have shown. The corporate interests always pay the penalty, rather than abide by the law. It’s just that much easier, and the truly pragmatically capitalistic way.
Your may argue that capitalism will follow suit once the practice of preventing emissions may be economically viable, or once once other countries begin to pull their “own weight”, like this is some sort of elementary school principal’s office visit, where I have been found in possession of a rather impressive collection of beyblades, but will proceed to rat out the lower-income kid who sold them to me for pennies on the dollar, because hey, we’re all complicit here, and he’s coming down with me. As the result of the principal’s office visit is a lunch detention for the both of us sans beyblades, the result for the U.S. will be smug resolve as the world smolders around us. Capitalism doesn’t do group projects, at least ones with a deadline. I’m sure someone here will point out the World Wars and I will in turn thank the communists. In all seriousness, it feels as if the grand narratives of modernism are officially dead and gone. I don’t know if postmodernism did this, or the internet, but after witnessing the financial crisis and the failure of post 9/11 endeavors in the middle east, I find it hard to believe there will ever be a truly unifying cause in my lifetime. I’d like for our generation’s cause to be the ability to save our planet as we know it (see, not alarmist, realist and inclusive ’cause the climate could be changing but not due to human activity, checkmate) but corporate interjection into politics has hijacked the majority party and effectively invalidated half of the country’s view on the subject. And what’s worse is we could’ve hit reset and let the corporations wither, but the bail out all but proves that this sort of behavior will become commonplace and that the government is officially beholden to its masters.
Life in this era seems bleak, however their are signs of hope that I will continue to use as footholds when my grasping hands become weak. The most shocking thing about the 2016 election was the emergence of a leftist (by U.S. standards) politician that was also shockingly populist (h/t Noam Chomsky). Whether or not Bernie had a chance, his message rang true with the labor class and young people. This points to leftward movement in the future, although maybe not in conjunction with the democratic party. The number of “concerned believers” in climate change are above 50% for the first time ever in the U.S., a number that rose from 37% only two years ago (Gallup). The writing is on the wall, people believe the truth and politicians are bound to follow, even if slowly. I do not think we have time to lead the blind, however I also think support will shift exponentially in the next 10 years. Finally, as policies like single payer healthcare and minimum wage hikes become every day arguments, it indicates that a large portion of the U.S. population is currently floundering in the latest stages of capitalism. The country is primed for true change that hands power back to the workers and puts societal interests over corporate ones. Whether these ideologies coalesce remains to be seen, but we can be sure that time is most distinctly not on our side.
