A common theme in the discussion on addressing climate change is that what’s most needed is systemic action. As I understand it, what people mean by that is government legislation to fund new infrastructure for transport and energy and, likely, regulate/cut fossil fuel based infrastructure currently in place.
And often in the conversation those advocating such systemic change as primary often, to some degree, speak against individual action in terms of altering consumption to lower carbon footprint.
Okay, but here’s the thing: For decades citizens of the US have been way too passive in their participation in the “democratic” process. Passive, apathetic, not interested, this is what has defined the citizens in the US. In fact, that word really isn’t used much. Rather the word consumer is used to define people because that’s what we allowed ourselves to be defined as.
Global corporate capitalism has slowly, steadily and completely redefined people’s identity and understanding of place as that of consumer. “A government by the people, for the people” is a fucking farce and has been for a very long time.
So, for those of you demanding systemic change to address the climate crisis, tell me, do you expect the government bodies that have been so completely bought and paid for to suddenly act against the entrenched corporate lobbies?
The vast majority of citizens gave up their power and responsibility decades ago. A broadly participating citizenry taking responsibility for government just walked away. It was replaced by a much, much smaller group of people that we now call “activists”. These are folks that, for whatever reason, maintained or developed an interest in “issues”. A very tiny minority trying to do the work of the full population that prioritizes working and having the “American Dream”.
It’s somewhere between willful negligence and naïveté to again pass the responsibility to “government” that we all admit is somewhere between corrupted and broken. If we expect that “our” government is going to fix the climate crisis then we damn well better be willing to step up in a big fucking way to reassert our control of said government. Voting is not enough, not even close. That’s the passive, do as little as possible bullshit that has gotten us into this mess.
If we’re going to deal with this it has to become central to our lives. All our lives. Anyone suggesting we can just sit back and let it be fixed by political parties under the influence is fucking delusional. However you slice it your attention and effort are now required. If you’re not interested in participating then I hope you’ll own your passive, apathetic non-contribution to the solution and your full participation in being the problem. 🌍