The
biosphere is collapsing and dying as natural ecosystem loss, abrupt climate
change, and grotesque inequity have so diminished natural capital that we find
our well-being threatened by reduced material expectations, a state of perma-war, and escalating authoritarian
fascism. Charlatan madman Donald Trump – aka #CreepyDonald – is a deranged,
authoritarian wannabe-tyrant seeking to demagogue environmental collapse; and
whose racist xenophobia, militant violence, and anti-science hate threaten
America’s and the world’s final demise. It is the duty of every fair, decent,
tolerant, freedom loving American to resist the rise of GOP authoritarian
fascism and commit to peaceful, equitable, and ecologically sustainable advancement
for all.
It’s really
quite simple: diminished economic prospects and social cohesion are the direct
result of environmental decline. -- Dr. Glen Barry
Earth
Meanders, Deep Ecology Essay
July 23,
2016
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Donald Trump is creepy |
Human
industrial growth has dismantled the ecological systems upon which healthy
economies and societies are based.
Planetary ecological boundaries required for a habitable Earth have been
surpassed as the human family finds itself in a state of ecological overshoot. Loss
of natural ecosystems and a stable climate are already causing much conflict, suffering,
and reduced opportunity for material advancement. Worsening environmental conditions
threaten our liberty too as demagoguery flourishes.
Over the
past 130 years the human population has grown from one to seven billion people,
many of whom are living highly consumptive lifestyles, as others are mired in numbing
abject poverty. This growth has come at the expense of destroying natural
ecosystems. Massive economic expansion was easy when based upon liquidating
ancient old-growth forests, bottom trawling bountiful oceans, and intensively over-exploiting
soil. Now many of these natural resources are nearly exhausted.
Natural
capital has perilously declined to such an extent that further widespread growth
in material consumption is no longer possible. At least 90% of old growth
forests and stocks of large ocean fish have already been harvested, and 50% of topsoil
has eroded; as natural ecosystems that sustain life are destroyed for
short-term profit. Abrupt climate change already routinely causes severe
deprivation and dislocation.
CONVERGING
GLOBAL CRISES THREATEN BIOSPHERE COLLAPSE
A number of other threats are converging, greatly diminishing the global
condition, and imperiling progress on environmental sustainability. Grotesque
inequity – whereby one billion people live on under $1.50 a day as similar
numbers live opulent lifestyles – is the norm and worsening. As is often the
case during hard times, many are returning to millennia old religious myths that
teach that those who believe differently are bad and should be killed. Remote-control
christian militarism and radical islamic terrorism are rife, as murder in the
name of god is again in vogue.
A state of
perma-war has arisen. Eternal tribal conflicts have been exacerbated by a
scramble to exploit the last bits of natural capital; which incidentally power
the biosphere, providing the ecosystem habitats which make Earth livable. Rather
than thinking freely and coming together for global ecological sustainability
and lasting human advancement, we seek to murder each other in the name of god
and country, as in reality we pursue natural resources at advantageous terms.
These
converging global mega-crises are compounded by outright ignorance and
anti-intellectualism by those that should know better, but rather seek to
enrich themselves based upon the suffering of others.
It’s really
quite simple: diminished economic prospects and social cohesion are the direct
result of environmental decline. The expectation in much of the world that each
generation will be materially better off can no longer be sustained by
plundering remaining resource-rich ecosystems. Sadly, such simple and
unquestionable truths are opaque to the many people who have lost their ecology
ethic, and live vacuous lives in pursuit of more stuff, or scramble daily just
to survive.
Our one
shared biosphere is threatened with imminent collapse and death, as together we
are all faced with nothing less than the end of being.
THE RISE AND
FALL OF #CREEPYDONALD
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Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist |
Against such
a backdrop of ecological, social, and economic decline; innumerable charlatan
demagogues are rising, as is often the case when times are hard. Selling
various brands of snake oil, they promise to make us safe, rich, and great
again; if only they are given absolute power. While tyrannical forms of government
are nothing new, and despite immeasurable human suffering during previous bouts
of authoritarianism, our present condition of environmental scarcity has
created the conditions for fascism’s resurgence.
Madman Donald
Trump is the most obvious example of a deranged authoritarian, demagoguing reduced
expectations brought about by environmental decline. Trump's scapegoating of the
less fortunate, overt nationalism, racism and misogyny, and continuous threats
of violence are classic fascism. Trump’s denial of incontrovertible climate change is ignorant and simply unforgivable charlatanism. His entire demeanor and agenda for America will worsen environmental decline and
social discord. Mocking the disabled, saying he would date his own daughter, demeaning women and minorities, and Trump's supporters' Nazi salutes are downright creepy. Given Trump’s affection for derisive monikers, I have taken to
calling him #CreepyDonald.
#CreepyDonald’s
complete cluelessness regarding the root causes of decline indicate that he is really
interested in absolute power, which once given, may never be able to be
revoked. While concerns over security, jobs, and the deleterious impacts of
uncontrolled mass migration are not without merit, the solutions are highly suspect.
Trump’s agenda wastes time and diverts resources necessary to protect and
restore nature to avoid biosphere collapse. Further division, conflict, and over-development
are not the answer.
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Mocking those with disabilities is creepy |
In the rise
of #CreepyDonald we are witnessing the fall of America as a free and great nation
(albeit imperfect and always striving for self-improvement). #CreepyDonald’s authoritarian
tyranny is neo-fascism and if he seizes power will result in the fall of tolerant
and decent liberal democracy in America. Nothing less than centuries of social
progress – such as mostly ending slavery and achieving racial and sexual
equality – are threatened by fascism’s return.
No matter
the threat; dark, violent authoritarian fascism of the sort espoused by #CreepyDonald
and the GOP in America, and countless other neo-fascists globally, is never the
answer. #CreepyDonald is unfit, unstable, and unacceptable; and his
anti-science, anti-intellectualism ensures global unsustainability. At this critical juncture in history, Donald
Trump must not be allowed to seize power.
GREEN
LIBERTY IS THE ANSWER
Continuous
expectations that each generation will be better off materially are no longer
possible unless we replenish natural capital through a sustained program of
ecological protection and restoration. Equitable economic advancement depends
upon achieving a steady state economy, as we remain free by firmly rejecting
authoritarian fascism.
Ecologically
sustainable economic advancement requires skill and knowledge, and profound
empathy and sharing with the less fortunate. Building a just, verdant, and
equitable world depends upon returning to the land to grow products and
services of lasting benefit that meet basic needs from creative self-expression
with our minds and bodies.
Humanity
finds itself hurtling through space on a 3.5 billion year old organism – called
Earth by some, Gaia by others – which is collapsing and dying. We will only
survive and thrive by coming together in common purpose to sustain natural
ecosystems, remain free, and more equitably share nature’s bounty. To start
we must #DumpTrump and firmly destroy all other threats to our liberty and
ecology.