Naomi Klein: How Clinton Failed the Climate Megaphone Test
Arguing that Clinton's corporate ties makes her 'vulnerable,' the Canadian author and activist says that Bernie Sanders is 'a much better candidate.'
Naomi Klein, the Canadian social justice activist and best-selling author, declared in a new interview that, when it comes to climate, she does not trust Hillary Clinton.
In an interview preview aired Tuesday, Klein argues that Clinton's corporate ties make her a "vulnerable" candidate for the presidency and that Democratic rival Bernie Sanders is a "significantly better candidate."
"I think that Bernie Sanders could win in a general election," Klein told Mehdi Hasan, host of Al Jazeera's "UpFront."
"The logic of her candidacy," Klein said, "was because she had so much money. A lot of it was just, 'she's unbeatable--look how deep the pockets are.'"
"I don't trust her because as secretary of state, when she had a huge megaphone to make this an issue, to show that she understands the connections between human security and climate, she didn't use the megaphone."
The "irony," Klein explains, is the sources of that money and "the entanglement of the Clinton Foundation, with so many corporations and so many governments," is precisely what makes her "vulnerable."
"So, on the one hand, it's what supposedly makes her inevitable. And on the other hand, it's what I think makes her a very weak candidate and makes Bernie Sanders a much better candidate," she said.
Watch the preview below. The full interview will air on Al Jazeera's "UpFront" program on Friday, March 18 at 3:30 pm EST.
Hasan asked Klein if, given Clinton's eleventh-hour opposition to the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, would she trust the candidate on climate change as president. Klein, who authored This Changes Everything, which makes the case that capitalism is in direct conflict with environmentalism, replied: "I don't trust her on climate at all."
"I don't trust her because as secretary of state, when she had a huge megaphone to make this an issue, to show that she understands the connections between human security and climate, she didn't use the megaphone," Klein said.
Finally, when forced to say if she would choose between Clinton and one of the Republican candidates, all of whom appear to be climate change deniers, Klein admits that she would support Clinton, adding, "but it would be extraordinary important if she does become the candidate to put a lot of pressure on her from the outside."
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just three days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Naomi Klein, the Canadian social justice activist and best-selling author, declared in a new interview that, when it comes to climate, she does not trust Hillary Clinton.
In an interview preview aired Tuesday, Klein argues that Clinton's corporate ties make her a "vulnerable" candidate for the presidency and that Democratic rival Bernie Sanders is a "significantly better candidate."
"I think that Bernie Sanders could win in a general election," Klein told Mehdi Hasan, host of Al Jazeera's "UpFront."
"The logic of her candidacy," Klein said, "was because she had so much money. A lot of it was just, 'she's unbeatable--look how deep the pockets are.'"
"I don't trust her because as secretary of state, when she had a huge megaphone to make this an issue, to show that she understands the connections between human security and climate, she didn't use the megaphone."
The "irony," Klein explains, is the sources of that money and "the entanglement of the Clinton Foundation, with so many corporations and so many governments," is precisely what makes her "vulnerable."
"So, on the one hand, it's what supposedly makes her inevitable. And on the other hand, it's what I think makes her a very weak candidate and makes Bernie Sanders a much better candidate," she said.
Watch the preview below. The full interview will air on Al Jazeera's "UpFront" program on Friday, March 18 at 3:30 pm EST.
Hasan asked Klein if, given Clinton's eleventh-hour opposition to the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, would she trust the candidate on climate change as president. Klein, who authored This Changes Everything, which makes the case that capitalism is in direct conflict with environmentalism, replied: "I don't trust her on climate at all."
"I don't trust her because as secretary of state, when she had a huge megaphone to make this an issue, to show that she understands the connections between human security and climate, she didn't use the megaphone," Klein said.
Finally, when forced to say if she would choose between Clinton and one of the Republican candidates, all of whom appear to be climate change deniers, Klein admits that she would support Clinton, adding, "but it would be extraordinary important if she does become the candidate to put a lot of pressure on her from the outside."
Naomi Klein, the Canadian social justice activist and best-selling author, declared in a new interview that, when it comes to climate, she does not trust Hillary Clinton.
In an interview preview aired Tuesday, Klein argues that Clinton's corporate ties make her a "vulnerable" candidate for the presidency and that Democratic rival Bernie Sanders is a "significantly better candidate."
"I think that Bernie Sanders could win in a general election," Klein told Mehdi Hasan, host of Al Jazeera's "UpFront."
"The logic of her candidacy," Klein said, "was because she had so much money. A lot of it was just, 'she's unbeatable--look how deep the pockets are.'"
"I don't trust her because as secretary of state, when she had a huge megaphone to make this an issue, to show that she understands the connections between human security and climate, she didn't use the megaphone."
The "irony," Klein explains, is the sources of that money and "the entanglement of the Clinton Foundation, with so many corporations and so many governments," is precisely what makes her "vulnerable."
"So, on the one hand, it's what supposedly makes her inevitable. And on the other hand, it's what I think makes her a very weak candidate and makes Bernie Sanders a much better candidate," she said.
Watch the preview below. The full interview will air on Al Jazeera's "UpFront" program on Friday, March 18 at 3:30 pm EST.
Hasan asked Klein if, given Clinton's eleventh-hour opposition to the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, would she trust the candidate on climate change as president. Klein, who authored This Changes Everything, which makes the case that capitalism is in direct conflict with environmentalism, replied: "I don't trust her on climate at all."
"I don't trust her because as secretary of state, when she had a huge megaphone to make this an issue, to show that she understands the connections between human security and climate, she didn't use the megaphone," Klein said.
Finally, when forced to say if she would choose between Clinton and one of the Republican candidates, all of whom appear to be climate change deniers, Klein admits that she would support Clinton, adding, "but it would be extraordinary important if she does become the candidate to put a lot of pressure on her from the outside."