Why Climate Change will lead to Oppression
Climate Change will lead to oppression because it is a direct threat to civilization and potentially humanity. For instance, the worst human rights violations occur during wars and national emergencies.
Historically, governments and peoples respond to threats with oppression. Climate Change is a greater threat than anything humanity has faced since medieval times.
Thus, the level of oppression triggered by Climate Change will be great. In fact, the oppression triggered by Climate Change could rival; or exceed, the worst excesses of the 20th Century.
Why Climate Change will lead to Oppression and Dictatorship
Most dictators come to power or increase their power during catastrophes or chaotic situations. For example, Lenin used the chaos created by World War I to seize control of Russia.
Indeed, Climate Change will be a godsend for the future tyrant looking for a reason to impose martial law or suspend the constitution. For instance, climate-related disasters like mega-fires, hurricanes, and floods will lead to a breakdown of government and law and order.
Moreover, mass migration of refugees triggered by climate change will lead to calls for military responses. For example, calls to station troops on the borders or beaches to repel “invaders.” Hence, President Donald J. Trump’s (R-New York) hysterical reaction to the caravan could be a preview of greater outrages to come.
History teaches climate change will lead to oppression
Obviously, the best way to understand how Climate Change will lead to oppression is to examine how people responded to past threats to civilization.
An excellent place to begin is the reaction to Communism, which many people correctly viewed as a threat to civilization. In fact, fear of Communism led to oppression in almost every non-Communist country. In addition, almost every non-Communist dictator of the 20th Century used the threat of Communism to justify his tyranny.
A few examples of the horrors of anti-Communism include:
- The support German industrialists and military leaders gave to Adolph Hitler’s efforts to replace Germany’s democracy with absolute dictatorship.
- The Spanish Civil War and the Franco Dictatorship in Spain.
- Operation Barbarossa–Hitler’s brutal and ultimately disastrous invasion of the Soviet Union.
- The Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s that started World War II.
- The September 11 Coup and the Pinochet Dictatorship in Chile.
- The Indonesian Coup of 1965 that caused the deaths of a half a million people.
- The Argentine “Dirty War” of the 1970s and 1980s.
How Climate Change will lead to Oppression
A legitimate fear of Communism that spiraled out of control sparked all of these horrors. Moreover, many civilized people stood by and did nothing, or joined in the slaughter because of fear of Communism.
Disturbingly, fear of Communism triggered oppressive behavior in even the world’s most democratic countries. For example, anti-Communism inspired loyalty oaths, McCarthyism, and attempts to strip Marxists of citizenship in the United States.
In addition, the United States stood by or worse actively aided the overthrow of elected governments, human rights violations, and military dictatorship in the name of anti-Communism. In fact, anti-Communism drove America’s foreign policy for over 50 years during the Cold War.
Communism was obviously a monstrous evil but Climate Change is a greater and more destructive threat than Communism. Consequently, the oppression triggered by anti-Climate Change efforts is likely to be greater than that inspired by anti-Communism.
Will Climate Change Destroy Democracy?
One of worst anti-Communist excesses in America was the effort to strip Communists and Communist sympathizers of free speech and Constitutional rights.
Frighteningly, by self-styled conservatives who claimed to believe in freedom, small government, and the Constitution led the crusade to crush free speech. In addition, some of America’s best and brightest joined in the campaign to strip Communists of their rights.
Notably, U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy’s (R-Wisconsin) supporters included progressive icon Robert F. Kennedy and conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr. To explain, McCarthy became the symbol of anti-Communist excess with his clumsy witch hunt for Communists in every corner of the U.S. government.
Given this history, it is easy to imagine organized campaigns to strip Climate Change deniers of their free speech and Constitutional rights. Importantly, climate defenders will use the same logic that McCarthy’s admirers in the 1950s to justify their excesses.
Will Climate Change Destroy Free Speech?
In detail, the thinking of the 1950s Cold Warrior was “Communism threatens everything I hold dear. The Communists and their friends are spreading lies that undermine the fight against Communism. Therefore, I am justified in suppressing their free speech.”
Under these circumstances, the logic of the 21st Century Climate Warrior will be: “Climate Change threatens everything I hold dear. The deniers are spreading lies that undermine the fight against Climate Change. Thus, I am justified in suppressing the deniers’ free speech.”
Hence it will not surprise me when progressive Climate Change supporters try to strip deniers of their constitutional rights. Examples of such denial; could include filters to remove Climate Change denial propaganda from the internet and social media.
How Climate Change will Destroy Democracy
The anti-denial crusade in the United States will be gentle compared to what happens elsewhere.
In places like Latin America, we are likely to see military coups against elected climate change deniers, torture of deniers, and suspension of constitutional rights. Obviously, fascists, Communists, Marxists, technocrats, racists, and other authoritarians will use the fight against Climate Change to justify their oppression.
In fact, the popularity of Climate Change denial is a readymade justification for the anti-democratic elitist. The argument will be; “if those people are too stupid to accept scientific fact, they are too stupid to vote.” Therefore, it will not surprise me when educated American progressives engage in voter suppression against Climate Change deniers.
Climate Change will lead to oppression and war
Disturbingly, history teaches that other governments will actively support those evils if someone commits them in the name of opposing a greater evil.
Frighteningly, it is easy to imagine a future U.S. president ordering the CIA to overthrow an elected foreign leader who denies climate change. Nor is it hard to imagine Chinese or European leaders supporting that action.
A worst-case scenario will be countries using military force to fight climate change. For instance, a future Chinese leader could her order her air force to bomb coal-burning power plants in Indonesia if that nation’s government refuses to shut them down. In addition, it is easy to imagine future environmentalists lobbying the U.S. president to send in the Marines to shut down fossil-fuel burning power plants in other countries.
History teaches us that Climate Change will lead to oppression. Hopefully, Climate Change oppression will not be as bloody; or as destructive as anti-Communist oppression.