5 ms·

> The current generation of politicians around the globe seem content to ignore any sense of responsibility either globally or locally. Absolutely, they are be

> The current generation of politicians around the globe seem content to ignore any sense of responsibility either globally or locally. Absolutely, they are because the people who vote them in are as well. Look, at the end of the day, no one is willing to make the sacrifices necessary. At a deeply unconscious level we realize this, but our conscious self has to rationalize it. We cannot admit to ourselves that we are this terrible at an individual level, so obviously it must be someone else's fault: * That handful of climate change deniers who somehow stop >99% of us from taking action. * Those evil capitalists who would bend over backwards to charge us more for environmentally friendly products if we were actually willing to pay for them. * Those careless politicians who could make their career on a long-term issue like environment if that were the deciding issue for people's votes. * Those evil white colonizers who set this all in motion centuries ago. * That other country who is emitting more pollution than my country is And so on. Because at the end of the day I am the victim in all this. I did my part. I stopped using plastic straws. But I am not willing to make any meaningful sacrifice towards this, and I know this makes me a terrible person.

NeedMoreTea 7y ago
> Absolutely, they are because the people who vote them in are as well. That's too simplistic. I get a choice of the red team, or the blue team, neither of whom are much better than each other in this regard, but actually have a chance of being elected. I can vote for the yellow or green teams, but they haven't a hope in hell of forming a government. Maybe they'll soon be able to carry the balance of power. Not soon enough for me, so... Who do I vote for? Yet electors (in the UK) poll as seeing climate as more important than Brexit (66% IIRC), and that government should be taking far more substantial action, and across the political divide. n.b. Just about no one voted Cameron in to get a Brexit referendum - that was Tory internal shenanigans to manage their extreme fringe, and a fairly fringe issue until it got blown out of proportion. That fringe are now running the country, unelected, without manifesto. Or other countries where they elect whoever because the alternative made themselves unelectable, was too arrogant, complacent, or there was a scandal, etc. Hence the point about we are where we are - we can only start from there. Events will increasingly force the issue, regardless of the excuse(s) the business or politician wants to hide behind.
syshum 7y ago
That is the biggest failing in the Authoritarian Movement on Climate with things like the Green new Deal in the US Sacrifice is not the solution, it cant be, and never will be accepted Technology and capitalism is the solution, we must innovate our way out of the problem, not lower peoples standard of living.

NeedMoreTea 7y ago

> Absolutely, they are because the people who vote them in are as well. That's too simplistic. I get a choice of the red team, or the blue team, neither of whom are much better than each other in this regard, but actually have a chance of being elected. I can vote for the yellow or green teams, but they haven't a hope in hell of forming a government. Maybe they'll soon be able to carry the balance of power. Not soon enough for me, so... Who do I vote for? Yet electors (in the UK) poll as seeing climate as more important than Brexit (66% IIRC), and that government should be taking far more substantial action, and across the political divide. n.b. Just about no one voted Cameron in to get a Brexit referendum - that was Tory internal shenanigans to manage their extreme fringe, and a fairly fringe issue until it got blown out of proportion. That fringe are now running the country, unelected, without manifesto. Or other countries where they elect whoever because the alternative made themselves unelectable, was too arrogant, complacent, or there was a scandal, etc. Hence the point about we are where we are - we can only start from there. Events will increasingly force the issue, regardless of the excuse(s) the business or politician wants to hide behind.

syshum 7y ago

That is the biggest failing in the Authoritarian Movement on Climate with things like the Green new Deal in the US Sacrifice is not the solution, it cant be, and never will be accepted Technology and capitalism is the solution, we must innovate our way out of the problem, not lower peoples standard of living.