From Earth Day 2014 to May Day 2014... ten days of mass mobilizations and actions; but, will this connection be made?
Check
out this article I wrote published by Canadian
Dimension Magazine on their web site:
http://canadiandimension.com/articles/5890/
Climate
change and the military-industrial complex
Alan
Maki | January 26th 2014 | 2
This
letter was written in reply to our recently published interview with
Noam Chomsky about climate change.
You can read the original
Chomsky interview
HERE
:
http://canadiandimension.com/articles/5874/
The
one important aspect of climate change the Left keeps missing is the
fact that Wall Street’s very lucrative military-industrial complex
leaves the largest carbon footprint of any industry.
So,
why have the peace and environmental movements, along with most of
the Left, failed to make this important connection?
I’m
surprised neither Chomsky nor Canadian Dimension brought this
important connection forward in this interview.
How
much of what is produced from the Tar Sands will be consumed by the
Military-Industrial Complex?
One
aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class carries three million gallons of
aircraft fuel. Fuel for just 80 aircraft. The U.S. typically deploys
six of these aircraft carriers during manoeuvres, conflicts and wars.
This alone is one heck of a carbon footprint and we still have to
figure out what kind of carbon footprint is created manufacturing
these aircraft carriers and planes.
And
this example is just the tip of the melting iceberg.
Consider
all the mining and manufacturing which goes into producing for
militarism and wars – what kind of carbon footprint is created in
preparation for wars, by wars and rebuilding in the aftermath of
wars?
There
is a point to be made about global warming and militarism and wars
which leads me to conclude that the most effective way to fight
global warming and climate change is to fight for peace by “beating
swords into plowshares.”
For
some reason all these foundation-funded peace organizations and
environmental organizations don’t want to acknowledge that the
Military-Industrial Complex bears primary responsibility for global
warming and climate change. Perhaps because the “great
philanthropists” funding the foundations profit so handsomely from
militarism and wars?
If
changing out light bulbs contributes to ending global warming and
climate change, can you imagine the contribution peace would make
towards this effort?
It
seems our environmental and peace movements could use what the great
labour leader and working class revolutionary, William Z. Foster,
advised “a good strong dose of anti-imperialist education,”
connecting all the dots.
Alan
Maki is the Director of Organizing for the Midwest Casino Workers
Organizing Council and also one of the founders of Minnesotans for
Peace and Social Justice.
2
comments
We
are so indoctrinated in “support our troops ” and the culture of
military domination that we don’t even discuss peace and total
nuclear disarmament with China and others.
It seems that “jobs”
and the wealth of our industry and industrialist/stockholder class
is more important than survival of the species.
#1.
Posted by Herbert A. Davis in davisherb@wisper-wireless.com on
January 27th 2014 at 8:58am
Thanks
as always, Alan, for telling the truth. The graphic of the American
soldier watching oil wells burn pretty much sums up what’s leading
America to ruin. Here’s hoping Canadians will wake up to the
damage being done in the Alberta oil patch and by the lethal
material it is producing, and rise up against the corporate
behemoths which are systematically buying that great nation.
#2.
Posted by Anthony
Noel in
North Carolina, United States on January 28th 2014 at 10:47am