By Paul Chesser
Last fall I alerted Spectator readers to the start-up nonprofit Alliance for Climate Education, which spreads the global warming alarmism gospel to students one school assembly at a time.
It turns out that the slick ACE lecturers are more than just preachers; they are recruiters too. After they dazzle teens with hip talk, animation and jokes, they work to sign them up for their anti-consumption (Americans are to blame) cause, often collecting cell phone numbers and email addresses without parents’ knowledge.
Earlier this month ACE visited Northampton (Mass.) High School, where a teacher persuaded colleagues to let students skip final period classes in order to attend their assembly. One student reported on the presentation by ACE’s Julian Rodriguez-Drix:
He dealt with issues of climate change in a positive and non-judgmental way by raising students’ awareness of the problem at hand and the methods by which they are actively polluting and contributing to global warming. The presentation explained how climate change has been caused and continued by social influence and our culture of consumption. Students learned how their seemingly minimal consumption is connected to huge companies, large usage of fossil fuels, and incredible amounts of waste. Julian clearly summarized his message in his statement, “We’re all wrapped up in [an] economic cycle that just leads to garbage.” He also discussed “super-sized” American living, excessive use of non-renewable resources, and the results of pollution in an urgent, but humorous, manner.
It all makes for one entertaining guilt trip — for students to lay on others. The Left is so clever in not offending their recruits: “It’s not your ‘minimal consumption’ that’s causing the problem — it’s those large corporations and fat Americans that are the problem!” And then they continue living their own privileged lives.
Of course, they pretend otherwise. ACE trainers like Rodriguez-Drix belch greenhouse gases driving across several state lines to give their talks, when a simple Webcast would deliver the message and serve as a good example of energy efficiency. But when asked how he would “Do One Thing” (an ACE campaign) to fight climate change, he came up with the innovative idea to turn off his lights (video). Wish I’d thought of that one.
The US Chamber of Commerce spent a mere $39 million on lobbying in Washington in the past three months. Lobbying for the promotion of global warming skepticism, the denial of healthcare, the further deregulation (if that’s even possible) of the financial “industry”, blockage of the right to unionize, the lowering and elimination of minimum wage laws, maintenance of tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas, and protection of the “right” of corporations to bribe politicians. Money well spent: all minority positions, all adhered to by our government.
Why is this happening? Undoubtedly it is because there has been a big gap between what the upper crust in the financial world has been telling us publicly to bolster our confidence, while they privately conceal what they really believe.
Many economists see the problems getting worse with fears of a series of new asset price bubbles and a rerun of the financial crisis.
More dire analysis now coming to the surface. The centrist website Market Watch’s Paul Farell reports on the thinking of Hong Kong’s respected contrarian economist Mark Faber.
Listen to this. It is not coming from some leftist gone rogue. “The future will be a total disaster, with a collapse of our capitalistic system as we know it today.”
No, not just another meltdown, another bear market recession like the one recently triggered by Wall Street’s “too-greedy-to-fail” banks. Faber is warning that the entire system of capitalism will collapse. Get it? The engine driving the great “American Economic Empire” for 233 years will collapse, a total disaster, a destiny we created.”
A total disaster? If so, why is that? It follows what Carl Herman of the LA County Non Partisan Examiner calls “the largest transfer of wealth to any financial/political elite in global history.” And of course he’s not the only to have pointed that out.
Is your name David Swanson? You know, David Swanson, the guy who wrote what you posted? Without crediting. Why do you do that Rob? It is unethical.
My God!, you sincerely detest/hate successful people that make money after busting their butts to make a living after coming from nothing. Just an observation from a self made man.
Three stooges.
That’s right Rob, call people names when you are busted for plagiarism. You follow the playbook to the letter!
I never claimed I wrote anything. You just don’t like the message so you’re trying to kill the messenger. Notice Dan and his minions haven’t censored or deleted any of it? Grow up, and try and learn something for once. And what names have I called YOU beseides innocuous everyday ones like wing-nut? If that offends you then boo effing hoo. Dan lets it go because it’s tame and anyway he allows it so if you can’t deal with a little bit of heat take it up with him.
Now, my friends, we see why there is a problem in America. With a mindset from a certain individual posting on this site I now know the statement I consistently hear about “the dumbing down of America.” Hopefully we change.
Really Paul? I’m the one who has a rigid narrow and petty mindset and the likes of me will be America’s downfall?? And your kind will be its saviors?
Let me just say I won’t be holding my breath for your kind to do anything except piss and moan about Liberals.
We are all the same. You continue to use “your kind”, “People like you”, etc. Yes, in my opinion you mindset is petty as well as rigid in an extreme far left side It’s like you have that monkey on your shoulder that you wish to pass on to someone else. Don’t send that guy to my house, give him to your worst neighbor. Remember as I said before, you point a finger at someone there are three pointing back at you.
Do you think you are closer to the mainstream of America or am I? (Neither one of us is in The middle, that’s for sure, so I’m asking which do you think is CLOSER).
I think Paul is far closer, I think people see through this global warming garbage and also believe the government needs to be reigned in. If you Rob, think you are closer to mainstream America I would like to hear your rationalization. About the kill the messenger quip, first off I think it is totally wrong. I think the collapse of the housing market/financial market was due to far too much government interference. Not some evil rich people trying to swipe as much as they could get away with. The only problem with the free market is it can be manipulated by government, and when that happens, only bad things happen. So when your message starts with a premise that I disagree with, the rest of it is mute. Now, maybe next time you will read the article and sum up your take and actually write what you think, instead of what others have already written.
Hal – you are simply willfully ignorant about the realities of the economic collapse. It’s sad that people in this day and age can be that ignorant.
And I didnt ask you a question- I asked Paul.
Rob, you have your opinions and I have mine. I have never put my finger in the wind as politicians do on a daily basis. I live my life believing that I can excel in any venture as long as I work hard. I don’t like anyone telling me what to drink, eat, smoke, purchase, wear, think, speak,drive, sit nor bow to a boss that I cannot see. My Great, Great Grandfather came here for a purpose. Get await from restraints on his religion and other items knowing that America was a “free” country to be whomever you wanted to be with no consequences as long as you were legal. He learned the language required at Ellis Island, worked hard, prospered and my grandfather followed, my father, and now I follow their footsteps for which I’m damned proud to follow. That my friend is why I think and speak as I do. It’s called Freedom and literally only in America. You asked a question and I gave you my honest answer. Finally, if you take that as “mainstream” so be it. Are you more mainstream that me? Only the voters in November, 2010 will tell as I have stated so many times I’m getting nauseated. Take these statements for what it they are worth, which is probably worth not much in today’s society. Take care my friend.
I agree that the whims of the American public (probably many publics) go back and forth. In actuality they consist of about a third- they are the swing voters who unfortunately for better or worse usually are the ones who decide who actually win elections.
My whole point, mostly anyway, is that many on the Left have many commonalities with Libertarians on the Right. And if we were ever able to set aside certain differences we could be a much stronger force for what we both want for ourselves and this country.
Whe you all demonize the Left, you are simply being VERY useful to many of the very forces you say you are against.
Quit using “you all.” A liberal (far left) is not a libertarian. All people have commonality. We have the right to survive. The right to breath, talk, and legally have a life without someone coming to our door and telling us our carpet is to dark, light bulbs not proper etc. etc. People I know want people in office that have ethics, will read/see/investigate the facts before making decisions that effects millions of Americans. As of right now, that is not the case, nor do I have an answer or a candidate on the horizon. By the way, your word “force.” As stated numerous times that you take lightly, it’s called VOTING!! For once in you sheltered life go for it, find a candidate and push the envelope. Quite complaining.
http://www.rwor.org/Constitution/constitution.html
To seize power, the revolutionary people
must meet and defeat the enemy
In a country like the U.S., the revolutionary overthrow of this system can only be achieved once there is a major, qualitative change in the nature of the objective situation, such that society as a whole is in the grip of a profound crisis, owing fundamentally to the nature and workings of the system itself, and along with that there is the emergence of a revolutionary people, numbering in the millions and millions, conscious of the need for revolutionary change and determined to fight for it. In this struggle for revolutionary change, the revolutionary people and those who lead them will be confronted by the violent repressive force of the machinery of the state which embodies and enforces the existing system of exploitation and oppression; and in order for the revolutionary struggle to succeed, it will need to meet and defeat that violent repressive force of the old exploitative and oppressive order.
Before the development of a revolutionary situation—and as the key to working toward the development of a revolutionary people, in a country like the U.S.—those who see the need for and wish to contribute to a revolution must focus their efforts on raising the political and ideological consciousness of masses of people and building massive political resistance to the main ways in which, at any given time, the exploitative and oppressive nature of this system is concentrated in the policies and actions of the ruling class and its institutions and agencies—striving through all this to enable growing numbers of people to grasp both the need and the possibility for revolution when the necessary conditions have been brought into being, as a result of the unfolding of the contradictions of the system itself as well as the political, and ideological, work of revolutionaries.
All the party’s work—everything it does—is aimed at making revolution, and advancing to communism. As noted above, there would need to be a crisis in society and within the government itself for a real chance at revolution to open up. But a real revolutionary vanguard can’t just passively wait for that to happen; it must hasten the development of such a situation through its ideological and political work, “preparing minds and organizing forces for revolution†and working to actively shape the “political terrain†on which a future revolutionary situation might emerge.
This work of “hastening while awaiting†requires that the party strain against the limits of the objective political situation it faces—working to transform the situation to the maximum degree possible at any given time and doing so in relation to, and maintaining its tense alertness toward, any possible openings for revolution. To do this, it leads a whole ensemble of revolutionary preparations, with the party’s press and the spreading of communist theory, especially as concentrated in the body of work, method and approach of Bob Avakian, as the mainstays of that activity.
Proceeding on the basis of its revolutionary orientation and objectives, the party must mobilize mass resistance to the system’s outrages; it must engage the masses as broadly as possible on the biggest questions of the revolution; and through all this it must recruit new members as widely as possible (based on the high standards outlined in the Principles of Organization, below). As a key part of this, the party works to mobilize people from all sectors of society, and in particular the backbone of the revolution—those at the bottom of society, with nothing to lose but their chains—around the slogan “Fight the Power, And Transform the People, For Revolution.â€
The party comes at everything it does from the standpoint of the international proletariat and the people of the whole world. This basic stand and orientation is proletarian internationalism. It is based on the understanding that the proletariat is an international class; that imperialism is a single integrated world-system, even as it is riven with contradiction and antagonism; and that the communist revolution is a single world process, even as it takes place in many particular countries. This means doing all you can to make revolution in any particular country while politically supporting this same orientation and outlook and working to advance the cause of communism all over the world.
*sigh*
So you have had people coming ot your door and asking you those questions? Really? THAT would suck. No wonder you’re so paranoid.
You think there’s anyone in politics with ethics? Well maybe one or two on each side, buuuuut other than that…….. NOPE.
Obama is in the WH because the Powers That Be ALLOWED him to be there, just as they DIDN’T allow Kerry the office back when, despite the popular vote. The function of POTUS is not to do the People’s bidding any more than MSM’s function is to inform the populous of what its government is up to. If Mr. Obama were, by some fluke, to actually act on behalf of America’s citizens, he would be summarily assassinated. Period. And he of course knows this. Thus his timidity in all things “reform”.
Just as there was no real ‘Health Care Reform’, there will be no real ‘Finance Reform’, and any other ‘reform’ (Immigration? R U kiddign me? Employers LOVE illegal workers!!) that arises will be as meager and as ineffectual as can possibly be.
In France, the government fears its people, therefore the people’s bidding is done. In America, ‘We the People’ fear the government, therefore we have the calamity we now enjoy. And, because we so relish our creature comforts and can’t be bothered with the plight of others, including our own children, this calamity will continue for the foreseeable future, up to and including our roads being unpassable, our water undrinkable, our food inedible and our ‘money’ utterly worthless.
If change comes at all, it most certainly will NOT emanate from the White House, or Congress, regardless of who resides there. Nor will our ‘elected officials’ have anything to do with it; their ‘job’, truth be told, is re-election to jobs they don’t actually DO.
What people in this country have GOT to understand, and pronto, is that our government regards US as the enemy, and it will do everything in its power to keep us cowering in fear, enslaved to chronic debt, isolated, uneducated and, above all, POWERLESS to control our world. Only when people realize the massive hoaxes perpetrated on them by their government (e.g. the “War on Terror”, the “War on Drugs” et al)and understand its function is NOT to represent “We The People” in any way, shape or form, only THEN will things change. Folks MUST accept their ‘elected officials’ as being the rapacious sociopaths they indeed are, who care not a WHIT about your little problems.
Until that glorious(and dubious)day of awakening, expect all manner of anger, violence, and bizarre behavior. Expect seeming irrationality on the part of your neighbors. Expect a lot of suicide missions near or into federal buildings by desperate people. But DO NOT expect YOUR/ANY elected officials to change a dammed thing. You are fools if you do.
I will leave it there other than to say that there are some disgruntled Americans out there today. That is a factual statement be you Republican or Democrat.
Yes, and you think that voting in more Republicans is the answer. The statement above works just as well if not more when Repubs are in control.
Get it yet?
Never said the candidate had to be a republican. A person with common sense that will for the first time in my lifetime, tell it the way it is with no thought of worrying about the next four years after the first day in office. Unfortunately, I doubt that candidate will ever be found before I pass on to “the big guy” in the sky.
Oh then WHO may I ask should we or you vote for?
Don’t you see the futility of participating in a system that has become comepletely corrupt and incapable of attending to the needs of the middle class?
You advocate for that, and yet you do not provide any real answers other than “Vote”. That is not an answer or a solution to this problem.
Your right not to vote is OK as long as you have a reason. Absent a reason and a viable candidate arrives that you agree with then VOTE! But don’t ever sit back and tell/chastise others what is wrong with the candidate elected when you had no part in the transaction. Somewhat like “Monday Morning Quarterbacking.” Any idiot can do it. Example if you believe in abstinence you will never have children and then you wonder why you don’t have children? Duh!!