As you have probably noticed, the media has jumped--- big-time--- on the "global warming" bandwagon this past week. Apparently people are getting a little too involved and "free-thinking" at the grass-roots level and are beginning to ask some embarrassing questions. I guess we could say, "better late than never;" but in fact, it is more like sowing confusion as usual.
However, like just about every other question the big-business controlled, dominated, and manipulated mass media is trying to obscure and confuse people as to the true causes of "global warming"... completely evading the main cause of global warming.
The media has now concluded that "humans" are responsible for "global warming," after finally acknowledging that "global warming" does, in fact, really exist.
Except for right-wing talk radio which still denies "global warming" as anything other than "natural," most of the media acknowledges what the scientists have been saying for years. It is kind of strange; right-wing talk radio hasn't found "global warming" to be an "act of God;" but, give these right-wingers time and I am sure they will come up with this "reason".
The question the mass-media refuses to ask is: Which humans are responsible for global warming?
Working people have had no voice in the decision making processes. So this leaves the blame squarely on the shoulders of the capitalist class which has insisted on the right to control production at every level.
In fact, it is modern industry that is to blame for global warming; but, it is the capitalist class that has called all the shots. All production has taken place in a globalized economic order dominated by capitalism. Even the socialist countries had been, and are, being forced to function within the constraints and limits imposed by capitalism to one degree or another.
There are those who point to the Soviet Union and say, "See, Communists did no better than capitalism when it comes to our living environment." Others are quick to point their fingers at China and the environmental mess being created there. However, when one looks closely at either example it is easy to see that the socialist countries warned of severe environmental consequences unless capitalist domination of the the international economic order comes to an end.
The Soviet Union urged scientific and economic cooperation in all spheres of human activity, including industrial production. The response from U.S. imperialism was to deny the Soviet's request for mutual cooperation and the Soviets were forced to industrialize on their own.
Same thing with China, except U.S. imperialism now seeks to move production to China in quest of cheap labor and is pushing China to rapidly industrialize without consideration for the environment in a way that directly contributes to global warming under the guise of pushing capitalism, and capitalist methods, down the throats of the Chinese in the very same way that American capitalists from the Rockefellers to Henry Ford to Bill Gates and the "new generation" of "venture capitalists" have shoved their form of capitalist industrialization down the throats of so many American communities--- large and small, urban and rural. Rapid industrialization for corporate profit requires cheap energy which can only be produced using "dirty" methods, cheap labor, without concern for the environment, and without consideration of the consequences involved with global warming.
In fact, as production is moved to sites of cheap labor and cheap natural resources this has meant greater pollution for our earth, not less. These so-called, "pollution credits" are a scam that only obscures the fact that there will be more pollution, not less; that "global warming" will intensify rather than being checked.
The Chinese seem to be re-thinking the direction they have been pushed by capitalist globalization but U.S. imperialism is not the "paper tiger" it was once thought to be, but rather, a very strong, controlling, manipulative, and domineering economic force in the world.
Globalization, capitalist globalization, sees everything in terms of corporate profits. To think that "global warming" is merely caused by "human activity" is very misleading, and intentionally so on the part of the mass media here in the United States.
The capitalists want to take credit for the "development of industry," but not for the consequences, of which "global warming" is one ill effect among many which includes exploitation, wars, and racism... to name a few.
Unless humanity, first and foremost working people, decide to take the initiative to bring "global warming" under control by exercising their right to own and control the means of production in a more environmentally and people friendly manner we will be doomed as "human beings."
It is nor right, nor just, that one small group of profit hungry capitalists has forced their will and their greedy ways upon the vast majority of humanity the overwhelming majority of whom are working people that the capitalists have exploited in the process of raping Mother Nature in order to create modern industries producing for profit rather than for human need and in the process have polluted and contaminated every aspect of our living environment to the point where water and air are being turned into commodities to be bought and sold and where capitalists are now even gambling with pollution as a "commodity" on the futures exchanges just as the Wall Street coupon clippers and the members of the Chicago Board of Trade "gamble" on droughts, floods, and economic hardships they create in the first place.
For anyone to think that capitalist entrepreneurs will solve the issues associated with "global warming" because markets will be found for environmentally friendly products is the epitome of naivete.
To the extent that capitalists can be considered a part of the human race "global warming" is the result of "human" activity; but careful examination of the source of "global warming" can only lead thinking people to conclude that "capitalist globalization" is the main culprit when it comes to "global warming." There is nothing to indicate that the capitalist class who has been calling all the shots and making all the decisions is really serious about doing anything to end global warming.
It is ironic that Wal-mart is pushing consumers to buy (pun intended) into the concept that we are all responsible for "global warming" by getting us to toss out our incandescent light bulbs they have been selling to us as they made a nice hefty profit, and now want us to buy from them the new fluorescent bulbs telling us how much we will cut back on "global warming;" again making a hefty profit.
If these new fluorescent light bulbs can really be effective in combating global warming, why aren't they being distributed at cost, without profit, through non-profit cooperatives?
In fact, Wal-mart is one of the leading companies behind the push of China to electrify through coal power in order to make the products Wal-mart obtains so cheap but sells at such exorbitant profits... one only has to look at where these new fluorescent bulbs are being produced.
Only when production takes place in a planned way when industries are brought under public ownership and control in order to meet the needs of people without regard to corporate profits will we be able to combat the "global warming" that has been brought on by the capitalist decision-makers who are in a the position to be the decision-makers by virtue of their ownership of the mines, mills, factories.
Labor creates all wealth. It is human beings--- workers, using tools shaping natural resources into the products we use. There is no reason why a small group of capitalists should continue to be allowed to profit from this labor and call all of the shots and make all of the decisions that affect us all behind the closed doors of corporate board-rooms.
That the mass-media would even dare to suggest that it has been "human" activity that is responsible for "global warming" without even the pretense of looking at which humans have been in control and remain in control is an affront to the intelligence of the rest of us.
It is good the mass-media has finally brought "global warming" to the front page. We just need to study and read between the lines like any other issue. I am sure there is a very good reason why the capitalist class would like to continue to do our thinking for us on the issue of "global warming" like on all other issues. And, I am sure it is because they don't appreciate the finger being pointed at themselves.
When you trot on down to your local Wal-mart store to buy your new Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFB's), ask the manager how much profit Wal-mart is making off these bulbs? Also, ask where they are being produced? And what kind of "clean energy" is providing the power to the plants where the CFB's are being produced? You might even consider asking about wages and working conditions in the plants where the bulbs are being produced, and the conditions of workers in the coal mines.
It would seem to me that if Wal-mart sells all these CFB's they should be able to raise the wages of Wal-mart "associates" considerably... maybe even provide them with health care benefits.
I bet even Public Radio and Television won't be asking any of these questions as Wal-mart has become a major "contributor."
We still have a lot to talk about when it comes to "global warming." We had better consider that aspect of "global warming" that is so intrinsically interrelated with "capitalist globalization."
Here in Minnesota state legislators are allowing the most "green plant" in the nation--- the Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant, which employs two thousand workers to go down the tubes; while, in the name of creating a few hundred jobs by promoting a "new generation" of coal fired power plants touted as "clean" when in fact they will belch more total pollutants and contaminants into our streams, rivers, lakes, the air we need to breath, and soak into the soil where our food is grown than the "old" plants.
Really; do we want to continue to allow these capitalists and the politicians they buy to continue to do our thinking and make these kinds of decisions relating to "global warming" for us?
The time has come to consider public ownership of industries as the real solution to "global warming." Albert Einstein advocated this solution long ago, as did Charles Steinmetz the scientist responsible for getting electricity into our homes and powering industry... it is no wonder that both these scientists were socialists.