Cult of Climastrology: Aviation Is “a continued pattern of privilege for the very few”

People, meaning Warmists, scoff when I note that ‘climate change” is almost solely about far left politics, and not science. Yet, virtually everything surrounding this “issue” relates to Leftist policies, and most of the Believers are Leftists. People such as those at the New Internationalist Blog, who are very much a smattering of Progressives, Marxists, and Socialists (the Soviet Union/China types, who are really authoritarians, versus the textbook definition). These are people who want “social ownership” of the energy sector, meaning, 100% government control. Quite frankly, there are so many wacky Leftist phrases in this article and the excerpts that almost the whole thing would need to be placed in bold

Stop Aviation, Stop Co2lonialism

….

Though the particular effects of projects such as the tar sands pipelines may only have been a threat in recent years, the drivers behind these projects have much deeper roots. The reason that the negative impacts of climate chaos are distributed in the way they are is linked to three intersecting processes: capitalism, colonialism and patriarchy. Not only are these systems are premised on massive inequality that take hierarchy, be it based on wealth, race or gender, as a necessary condition to function, but they have an insidious way of trying to convince us that this oppression is the natural order of things and that ‘there is no alternative’.

Capitalism, with its need for never ending economic growth, requires ever increasing amounts of natural resources and energy, which always leads to increasing pollution and waste. That is why the only time in recent history CO2 emissions have decreased globally is during the financial crisis. Capitalism relies on exploitation. Exploitation of labour and of nature. Colonialism was a key driver of the shift to capitalism, with much of industrialization being made possible due to slavery. Similarly, as Siliva Federici shows, the evolution of patriarchy was key in in the expansion of capitalism and colonialism. This happened in various ways: from relegating women to the domestic sphere, which allowed for men’s labour to be exploited in industry; to taking away women’s power over their reproduction, meaning birth rates could be controlled for the good of state and capital; to the horrific violence that occurred to hundreds of thousands of women through the burning of ‘witches’. All of this oppression reinforced the power of the state and capital, and the techniques for doing so – for example torture and burning of witches – were often put on trial in one setting e.g. the colonies and then brought back to Europe – and vice versa.

Anyone get the idea that these people hate capitalism? Interestingly, capitalism allowed these folks to create a blog, using software and a platform (web hosting) created by capitalism, all while they use capitalism to advertise their wares, such as the New Internationalist web-shop. Are they giving the merchandise away free, or at least selling the products to consumers, er, comrades, at prices the comrades can afford individually?

It’s in this context that the climate justice movement, including the fight against aviation expansion, needs to stand in solidarity with those most affected by climate change. And with the big NGOs clearly needing to decolonize themselves, with organizations like AVAAZ forcefully attempting to silence the Wretched of the Earth bloc at the most recent climate march in London, it’s down to the grassroots to show real solidarity.

The links between aviation and continued co2lonialism couldn’t be clearer. Not only is aviation the fastest growing source of CO2 in Brittan, which means more and more extraction, but the gulf between those who do and don’t fly couldn’t be wider. Globally, a mere 5 per cent of the population has ever taken a flight. So those arguing for expansion are doing so for the benefit of a tiny elite. Even within the Brittan, 70 per cent of flights are taken by just 15 per cent of the population. Aviation is a clear example of the North-South divide. Communities in the global South suffer twice: first from extraction and then from the effects of climate change, whilst the global North primarily uses aviation as a form of leisure or to expand processes of capital accumulation.

And, if you fly, you are one of the Big Shots with Privilege, and should stop it right now. Or, better, yet, be forced by Government to stop it right now. That’s what they really want, along with a destruction of capitalism. Even though they practice it themselves.

For all you Warmists, you’ve been warned. If you fly, you’re part of the problem. Stop flying now.

BTW, what the heck is “Brittan?” It wasn’t a typo. It’s written that way 5 times.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach.

Share this!

Enjoy reading? Share it with your friends!