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Any futile severance of anti-war agenda from the climate movement needs our criticism. (Photo: Diem25)
The Green New Deal Needs an Anti-war Message
Advocates of a Green New Deal must reckon with the fact that our very ability to implement these ambitious climate-saving programs requires the basis of peace
May 15, 2019
"I have taken the conservation of our natural resources as the first lesson that points to the necessity for seeking community freedom."
-Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1912
The Green New Deal can only succeed as an internationalist campaign--and that means listening to many other, non-ecological concerns expressed by populations most impacted by global warming.
Wars, financial crises, and transnational economic pressures weigh more heavily in the conversations of people from South of the Tropic of Cancer (including Central America and the Middle East) and those below the Tropic of Capricorn (such as Argentina, where global warming remains the last concern of a depressed, insolvent citizenry witnessing the creeping return of militarism.)
To successfully realize global Green reconstruction, and the employment it could generate, we must also pressure States to preserve peace.
Advocates of a Green New Deal must reckon with the fact that our very ability to implement these ambitious climate-saving programs requires the basis of peace.
We should be wary, then, of rhetoric that 'green-washes' war, as when Obama insisted that drone aircraft proved 'more ecological' than earlier bombers.
We should be wary, as well, of the Singaporean regime's pride in its solar-powered city-state, walled off from the conflict that surrounds it.
Green activists will be late to only now attack these inner contradictions, though they must. Any futile severance of anti-war agenda from the climate movement needs our criticism.
To successfully realize global Green reconstruction, and the employment it could generate, we must also pressure States to preserve peace: conflict zone with harsh sunlight may be perfect for the installation of solar panels, but their inhabitants are far too busy fighting for their survival.
So let's have a more internationalist Green New Deal. All our struggles remain related and interdependent.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Arturo Desimone
Arturo Desimone is an Aruban-Argentinean writer and visual artist, currently based between Argentina and the Netherlands. His articles on politics previously appeared in Open Democracy, CounterPunch, El Anden, and various literary journals. For more info see his blog www.arturoblogito.wordpress.com. He's also a member of the thematic DSC 'Military and foreign policy 1'
"I have taken the conservation of our natural resources as the first lesson that points to the necessity for seeking community freedom."
-Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1912
The Green New Deal can only succeed as an internationalist campaign--and that means listening to many other, non-ecological concerns expressed by populations most impacted by global warming.
Wars, financial crises, and transnational economic pressures weigh more heavily in the conversations of people from South of the Tropic of Cancer (including Central America and the Middle East) and those below the Tropic of Capricorn (such as Argentina, where global warming remains the last concern of a depressed, insolvent citizenry witnessing the creeping return of militarism.)
To successfully realize global Green reconstruction, and the employment it could generate, we must also pressure States to preserve peace.
Advocates of a Green New Deal must reckon with the fact that our very ability to implement these ambitious climate-saving programs requires the basis of peace.
We should be wary, then, of rhetoric that 'green-washes' war, as when Obama insisted that drone aircraft proved 'more ecological' than earlier bombers.
We should be wary, as well, of the Singaporean regime's pride in its solar-powered city-state, walled off from the conflict that surrounds it.
Green activists will be late to only now attack these inner contradictions, though they must. Any futile severance of anti-war agenda from the climate movement needs our criticism.
To successfully realize global Green reconstruction, and the employment it could generate, we must also pressure States to preserve peace: conflict zone with harsh sunlight may be perfect for the installation of solar panels, but their inhabitants are far too busy fighting for their survival.
So let's have a more internationalist Green New Deal. All our struggles remain related and interdependent.
Arturo Desimone
Arturo Desimone is an Aruban-Argentinean writer and visual artist, currently based between Argentina and the Netherlands. His articles on politics previously appeared in Open Democracy, CounterPunch, El Anden, and various literary journals. For more info see his blog www.arturoblogito.wordpress.com. He's also a member of the thematic DSC 'Military and foreign policy 1'
"I have taken the conservation of our natural resources as the first lesson that points to the necessity for seeking community freedom."
-Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1912
The Green New Deal can only succeed as an internationalist campaign--and that means listening to many other, non-ecological concerns expressed by populations most impacted by global warming.
Wars, financial crises, and transnational economic pressures weigh more heavily in the conversations of people from South of the Tropic of Cancer (including Central America and the Middle East) and those below the Tropic of Capricorn (such as Argentina, where global warming remains the last concern of a depressed, insolvent citizenry witnessing the creeping return of militarism.)
To successfully realize global Green reconstruction, and the employment it could generate, we must also pressure States to preserve peace.
Advocates of a Green New Deal must reckon with the fact that our very ability to implement these ambitious climate-saving programs requires the basis of peace.
We should be wary, then, of rhetoric that 'green-washes' war, as when Obama insisted that drone aircraft proved 'more ecological' than earlier bombers.
We should be wary, as well, of the Singaporean regime's pride in its solar-powered city-state, walled off from the conflict that surrounds it.
Green activists will be late to only now attack these inner contradictions, though they must. Any futile severance of anti-war agenda from the climate movement needs our criticism.
To successfully realize global Green reconstruction, and the employment it could generate, we must also pressure States to preserve peace: conflict zone with harsh sunlight may be perfect for the installation of solar panels, but their inhabitants are far too busy fighting for their survival.
So let's have a more internationalist Green New Deal. All our struggles remain related and interdependent.
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