You’re right, I guess what I mean is the former is what I feel it’s going to take, and the latter is about a far as most people think is necessary and are willing to go.
But I’ll repeat my admission, that I do not know or really have a strong knowledge of what it will take to recover planetary equilibrium. I’m just not very optimistic.
Well, I agree volunteerism isn’t going to get the job done, because too few people will (or can!) volunteer to dramatically reduce their own impact. It’s going to take government action — mandates and funding and a move toward a stronger government presence in power and transportation services and housing — to bend the curve. And government action is likely to fall short as long as one of the two major parties pretends there is no problem to be solved.
While Paris burns, a giant is preparing to blot out the sun.
I’m crushing your head!
Meanwhile in Paris, Russians thought to be linked to the incitement of violence in protests.
France has also opened an inquiry into possible Russian interference in the gilets jaunes movement following reports that Moscow-based social media accounts have targeted protestors.
The Alliance for Security Democracy claims around 600 Twitter accounts known to promote Moscow’s views have begun using the hashtag #giletsjaunes. Le Drian confirmed an investigation was “underway” but added: “I will not comment before the investigation has reached conclusions.”
Not if his polling is anything to go by.
Looking at the alleged demands, it has certainly turned into a Russian salad, as we say in Portugal. Which seems to be the point of Russian foreign politics for a while now (as opposed to actual corruption), it meshes well with the ongoing social-economic mess of the west.
This will probably be another European crisis that “easily” goes away, but nothing will change and the elections are very, very soon…
I would not doubt if Russia shipped in or hired people to spread dissent.
They don’t need to do that when all they need is twitter accounts stirring up a frenzy. The French are perfectly capable of carrying out the actual chaos on their own.
The French have a long and proud history of protesting and blaming the state for everything, so I didn’t want to place too much importance on the role of social media in fueling the protests, and I’m still doubtful after reading the article, which goes quita a bit too far in calling the protests “a beat born almost entirely from facebook”.
But just one look at the comments (brougt to you by facebook!) underneath at the very least highlights the utter toxicity and idiocy that these platforms spread. Apparently the neo liberal devil Macron is also a far left globalist and the increased tax revenue will be used to bring more muslims into France.
It’s a good thing BuzzFeed is here to spread rumors and allegations born out of rumors in other media, old, new and social, so that fake news doesn’t spread.
As to the “toxicity and idiocy”, it is still far, far away from the levels Brussels manages to do with the guise of “sound policies”.
Are we now comparing facebook posts to legislation?
In terms of damage to social-democratic values, equality, fairness, solidarity, human rights and so forth, pretty much. People are protesting and voting for proto-fascists because of the real effects of something. Words alone don’t get anyone away from the TV, a 10 year crisis full of reforms helps a bit.
Trump isn’t the first to characterize France’s protests as a populist uprising against environmentalism. Last week, The Wall Street Journal editorial board called the protests a “global carbon tax revolt” against “green piety.” A piece for Forbes suggested that similar chaos could unfold in the United States if politicians pursue aggressive climate action. Writing in The Spectator, Brendan O’Neil praised the Yellow Vests for taking a stance against “eco-elitism.” “This is a people’s rebellion against the onerous consequences of climate-change policy, against the politics of environmentalism and its tendency to punish the little people for daring to live relatively modern, fossil-fueled lives,” he wrote.
France’s violent protests are indeed a response to a climate policy—specifically, a planned increase of the country’s already steep taxes on fuel, which would have a huge impact on France’s working class. But the Yellow Vests aren’t protesting all climate policy, or even taxes on carbon dioxide. They’re protesting a tax hike that came on top of several other regressive economic policies.
So it’s wrong to claim that the protesters oppose climate action. In fact, they want the opposite—they say so themselves.
Edit: Tangentially related:
You know, if the second post on this thread hadn’t mentioned the wealth tax I wouldn’t have known about it. NPR, NYTimes, etc gloss over the details. Googling “ISF france” didn’t even give the wiki link in English a few days ago, but rather the French. The narrative seems to be “the people aren’t willing to sacrifice for the environment”. It really makes me wonder if it’s a blind spot, or purposefully directed.
Yeah, there is this common idea that NPR and the NYTimes are left leaning when really they are wealth/elite leaning. It’s not surprising to me that they would mislabel and bury any protest about a wealth tax being repealed.
Also, because I found it too amusing not to link:
NPR is for certain. I mean, it’s pretty obvious. I can listen to the start of an NPR “news” story and as soon as I know the subject, I can predict where it’s going. It’s almost like a drinking game, and it’s fun because it’s so easy.
The coverage isn’t that better here, you don’t want to be mean to the job creators or they’ll do stuff, this time for real. Or speak ill of the euroland, lest they worsen the treaties even more.
Reality is like that, and it does have a liberal bias.