Hello to the low-paid climate change bloggers, who are paid mostly by the Koch Brothers of Algonquin Oil Transmission, and also a little bit by Exxon.

The Corporations and Billionaires like the Koch brothers, Rupert Murdock, Roger Ailes, have used the Corporate owned media to control and twist the information that is presented to the public. Psychological research shows that the more that a statement or idea is repeated, the more that it is accepted as fact. These guys are using psychological techniques to manipulate the Public. In previous years it was called BRAIN WASHING. Remember subliminal advertising was banned years ago but it was created and used by those who were psychologically manipulating their viewers. They are still up to their "old" tricks, only they are more sophisticated now and they have no competition to call them on their lies. No competition to stand up and tell the truth as it really it. No wonder that false beliefs are so prevelant.

This is a brilliant piece of writing.

The short answer to the headline's question is, No. Those entities fighting to preserve and expand the status quo are fueling denial; it's that simple. And it's quite sad to see many thinking this article being a step forward, when in reality it steps backwards.

Capitalism is organized robbery, from the earth and from the majority of humanity. It always has been; it always will be.

Ms.Kahlek raises important issues like "Climate change is about an economic model that demands infinite growth on a finite planet." This is fundamental, but it is crucial to understand. It is also radical a statement because the implied follow up question is: "do we want capitalism or do we want a future worth living ?" The conservative wing of the capitalist class needs to stop debate well before that question is asked - as the answer for the overwhelming majority will be "a future worth living".

The problem lies with Ms.Kahlek‘s ostensible audience: liberals and progressives.
The liberal wing of the capitalist class, those to whom the Democratic Party’s base must seek succor, have been disowned by their capitalist masters. As a practical ideology (ideas that lead to real changes in policy) liberalism has been in decline for 40 years, and one honest liberal, Chris Hedges, has eloquently written about the “Death of the Liberal Class.”

When the working class was strong (organized), liberalism was the face of capitalism. Today the capitalist class has never been stronger, and they couldn’t care less about liberal ideas and institutions – like unions or science. Between the two parties working people in the US (and around the world) have two choices: cognitive dissonance (conservatives) or impotence (liberals).

The only way to win is not to play their game. We must organize outside the halls of power. In a more politically-aware time, those who seek the root of the problem, as Ms.Kahlek is doing, were known as radicals. For our very survival we must challenge the system, ideologically and practically. The decline of living standards is directly tied to the increase in global warming. The squeeze put upon working people around the globe has the same source as the global squeezing of nature’s ability to absorb carbon and other pollutants causing global climate change. That source is the intractable profit-maximizing, cost externalizing nature of capitalism.

Capitalism has created a rift between humanity and nature. Capitalism has created a rift between ourselves, through vast inequality, sexism, racism, nationalism and prejudice. The only way to repair that rift is to build a social and ecological revolution.

Yes, its cognitive dissonance, but how is it afforded? I mean, where does the autonomy come from to insist the world is other than it is, and NOT get beaned for it? In the conservative worldview, ultimately, 'might makes right': the mightiness of America is all the evidence conservatives need to know they are are the right track. They may, in their quieter moments, understand that climate change is real and human caused, but those are 'acceptable losses', 'you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs'. Conservatives know they are getting a few things wrong, but they are confident they are right about what matters, because why else would they be so powerful?

Of course, the 'free market' mythology is another one of the conservative myths: how wonderful to feel you 'did it all yourself'. Especially if you're living in a Red State, and hence have never paid your way by the Federal gov't, or if you're in the military industrial complex, which is the most powerful socialist entity in human history, with cradle-to-grave support most liberals would cry for. Perhaps you're associated with 'finance', with its government-granted ability to pretend a dime is a dollar, to hatch a $400 trillion derivatives bubble and have the governments of the world actually take it seriously. Yah, THAT kind of 'free-market'.

Conservatives are well-insulated from the consequences of their detachment from reality, which makes that detachment possible. As long as this situation remains, they will continue swallowing their myths. America spends a truly massive amount of money on its military, for a country not really at war. This purchases conservative denial, and allows them the warm-fuzzy blanket of denial to continue. Conservatives who invest are also 'rich', in the sense that the Fed will write whatever check is necessary to help them maintain that belief.

It is an odd kind of socialism, government -supported denial, maybe call it corporatism, that allows conservatives to hold so many idiotic beliefs, in full conflict with the reality all around them. That connection, between the government and the corporations, that gravy train, has to be attacked or conservatives will continue to find it rewarding to insist that up is down.

Superb article.

"Until we begin to challenge the economics fueling environmental degradation, we are no better than our climate denying counterparts."

Progressives have been doing so for a long time, with no help from the corporate media guardians of capitalism for all but socialism for the super-rich, and major conservative purveyors of cognitive dissonance propaganda

Industrial capitalism has become a global death cult. What's needed is a positive vision of a future that isn't based on accumulating consumer junk, but on sharing great experiences (with friends, family, lovers and local community).

GDP needs to go away, globalization needs to be shut down, and what we should have is a planetary race towards creating ever more joyous communities.

Forget socialism and communism, those will never get any traction in the public imagination. The way to beat capitalism is with the prospect of a life of superior fun, and fun doesn't need much stuff.

Beneath the pavement, the beach. We need a global party that never ends.