One of the most eye-opening documentaries I've ever seen was, "Century of the Self". It was about the invention of consumer culture using the work of Edward Bernays, basic psychological manipulation. Bernays was Sigmund Freud's nephew and he became hugely wealthy as a result. Every single day of most American's adult life is spent watching television and being told CONSTANTLY that their armpits stink, their breath stinks, they've got a headache, they can't have a relationship, etc unless they buy this brand of soap, car, washer, dryer, electronic goo-gah, latest fashion... and Americans have become an extremely wasteful society of very lonely people as a result.
I saw that. Your remarks are so true. This materialistic capitalism is responsible for our sick society where Viagra & anti-depression drugs are the number one drugs sold. Then we’ve got the fact we’ve never faced our genocidal, racist past. Americans are so ignorant because that’s the way we’re taught to be. It serves the powerful.
Your exactly right. and its way deeper than that We are brainwashed before we can walk and talk the babies put in there little swing ..Walker or playpin in front of the hypnosis box cartoons even have the tools to start this process of wanting or having things then comes christmas all the china made plastic crap the repeated advertising theres not one celibate d Holliday that's not over commercialized the container ships alone must be 100s of thousands from plastic Santa's and fireworks all those little American flags . It's limitless the waste I've been a picker/ recycler for 10 plus years when I couldn't keep doing the grind once my children. Were gone I just couldn't keep working and seeing the damage being done since I started the waste has gone up 10× every fee years I see brand new stuff getting tossed out by the skids and food there's so much it could feed a small country because the places I get into is just in my little town. and the higher end upper class is mind blowing what just tossed in the Ben
George is the best writer in the UK media - always worth listening to. Thanks so much for this Rachel (your interviews are always excellent). Thanks also for the Louise Harris song (heart-breaking).
@@SamWilkinsonn some of it is, you chose where you spend your money. Buy local, share items, use less, use small business, waste less, circular economy.
Everyone must be on board. I use less energy than 100 of my neighbors 😒 all year around. I will forego heat/cooling to help keep our grid. Get everyone to give up a little comfort. Good luck.
“We are the world. The world is you and me, the world is not separate from you and me. We have created this world…It is not my problem or your particular problem, it is a human problem.” - Jiddu Krishnamurti (Social and other labels only feed division and conflict.)
Fantastic interview. Just wanted to leave a comment to say a big thank you to Rachel for the work you're doing with this channel - it is truly important and vital. In fifty years time you can look back and be incredibly proud of what you've accomplished.
Thank you for an excellent discussion. Some thoughts: at 28 minutes Rachel: “I guess it’s clear not many people are talking about these things otherwise we’d all be activists…” Yes, to a degree, however, many people do talk about these things, but their conversations are different from yours. Not all of them would agree with what you are saying. Not all of them have the facts. Not many of them at all are able to argue logically. Some disagree with how the facts are defined, for example colonialism is defended by many who believe the people who were oppressed were not human enough to have deserved better treatment, even today: this is how far too many Israelis see Palestinians. It’s how many Americans still think of native Americans and black people. The bottom line here is a lack of proper education, specifically, education in logic and how to formulate and analyze arguments. This is why Jordan Peterson is so popular: people don’t have the skills to recognize invalid arguments. These are essentially what reading and writing are all about, as one cannot properly read or write if one cannot successfully argue in the philosophical sense. At about the 60 minute mark George speaks about the difference between private and public luxury, and notes that there is neither enough resources nor space for everyone to enjoy private luxuries, and his answer is to have public luxuries instead, to share rather than hoard. This logic is similar to the problematic tactic many use in trying to sell a proper response to the climate crisis, by saying that it will allow for stunning economic growth in order to get people excited about it: it fails to recognize that this growth concept is exactly the problem. Similarly, the justification of luxury at all, private or public, fails to properly address the concept of luxury and whether or not luxury is justifiable even on the level of public luxury, because it may well be that the human population is too numerous even for us to enjoy public luxury. We need to ask the right questions: is luxury a good thing? Do we really need it? We need to be prepared to redefine luxury as the ability to stay alive, smell the flowers, see the blue sky or the stars, be in love. Luxury may equal sustainability, rather than its current definition, which is “excess.”
Hi Rachael, George: PLEASE take the time ( or with a team) to thoroughly CITE / link to all the Statements/ claims / annecdotes in this powerful interview. I'm largely supportive, but I care about ACCURACY and TRUTH, and i would not just accept / share this without some sources to point to. My experience in/with XR is of people who take Polarising actions and not enough informed empathetic conversations with peers or taking enough practical steps themselves. Yes absolutely, many smart direct actions are justified and have a positive effect, but many can polarise , antagonise and be arguably counterproductive. And yes, i criticise myself for not having enough smart conversations with peers, or arranging small scale actions where there is space for meaningful dialogue with others. Have a great day. ----
Amazing interview, this has truly lifted my spirits, that all is not lost to the evil of government and corporation greed and destruction. The song by Louise Harris was so emotional, I agree this needs to be No. 1 for Xmas.
Here is an example as to why a proper upbringing and elite education isn't worth as much as we've been led to believe. “After preparatory boarding school at Elstree School, he [George Monbiot] was educated at Stowe School, in Buckinghamshire. He won an open scholarship to Brasenose College, Oxford.” Yet he [George Monbiot] is unable to see the massive difference between social issues, such as marriage equality, women's liberation, born out of wedlock, etc. are all issues where liberals are pitted against conservatives; whereas, issues such as Capitalism, fossil fuel extraction, and climate change tend to be issues where the proletariat are pitted against the bourgeoisie. The ruling class is far less committed to protecting their views on women's liberation, gay marriage, or out of wedlock births, then they are to protecting their hold on wealth and power. It's not just a "bigger ask", it's a completely different ball game altogether. If that's an example of superior intellect, than I thank god I'm an idiot. The Soviet Union was not brought down by protesting citizens reaching a tipping point of consensus, but by the massive effort by the Western Capitalists throwing their wealth and power against the Soviet system. Again, a completely different ball game.
As a wise old hobo once told me: "You can't trust people who decided for themselves that ruling other people was a better idea than getting a job and working for a living."
Dear Jorge, thank you for your work, but I think there are other studies which suggest you don’t have to work that hard. Perhaps it’s only 3 or 4%, a critical mass of the population that can catalyze a paradigm shift socially. Keep up the good work, stay strong.
This is so insightful and educative. And wow, even just the opening statement: economic power turned into political power... I knew this was the issue in essence, but he explained so simply. And Rachel Donald asks such thoughtful informed questions! This is my favourite interview to date.
We're all conditioned to some degree. Most of us assume the leadership has some sensible method of doing their jobs. Most people go along to get along, especially regarding issues with such huge scope as global warming, we acquiesce to being led. When officially recognized science is compromised by political wishful thinking--one must appease those who control funding if one wants to do science--our leaders are operating in a fantasy world when they meet to negotiate how we will make this transition. They might even feel good about blowing hot air, smiling, speechifying and exchanging lobbyist contacts. But we the people are left holding the bag. The Great Waves of Change are here, I can hardly believe this revelatory book I read a few years ago described in such clear terms the debacle I'm now watching in real time, our total lack of preparation for what's coming at the level of policy. Great Waves of Change are here and we are not prepared. I'm now a student of the Steps to Knowledge, we've been given this to prepare, to reorient us, to help us shake of the influence of our conditioning and wake up from acquiescing to being led by a system that has revealed itself to be blind, ignorant, and intent on suicide, all to protect wealth.
This is an excellent interview! George really got into how society is structured, and how it impedes progress on addressing the global warming problem.
A really powerful song to open with. Perhaps this could become a standard feature of each episode - a song or poem or even a piece of art. It was great to hear George talking about the politics and economics of our time with a clarity that is not all that common. The tipping point is an important idea and one which those opposed to change are well aware of. They play on those baser characteristics which are founded in fear by conjuring up this vision of a green transition just being for the rich (ironic in the extreme, I know) and the problem is that this vision is fed by the way in which green development is introduced. That is, in the usual capitalist way of early (and mostly well-off) adopters who pave the way for mass production that is more affordable. This is compounded by the introduction of public measures such as 15 minute cities and ULEZ which for all their benefits are generally implemented in a top down way that allows detractors to play on a sense of powerlessness and play up the inevitable flaws that are part of such schemes. Where there is power in local authorities with a will to change there should also be a consideration of the systemic nature of change that is at the root of Green development. We have to sell the benefits to those on low or no incomes; lay out the road of hope that bears some early fruit as well as longer term providence. Lofty ideals are needed but cut little ice with those on the bread line.
Great to see George back to doing what he does best, a fantastic discussion! his talents are totally wasted in this meander into our food system, a subject that takes a lifetime of dedication to in order to properly understand, it’s clear he’s beginning to realise this hence him being so reluctant to sit down with Niki yoxall, he is slowly regaining my respect of him
It’s incredible that he no longer has time to talk about ‘the most important technology in the world.’ His understanding and prescriptions for food systems have been shown to be deluded. There would be a lot of power in his admitting to a temporary mistaken turn to the ecomodernist dark side and asking forgiveness from those he’s branded cruel fantasists.
George does properly understand food. It needs to modernize if we want to both feed the population and do so in a sustainable manner. The dogmatic division into 'organic' and 'industrial' is helping no-one. Instead of quarreling between 'organic' and 'ecomodernist views', let's see how we can use the best of both worlds; the fertilizers and pesticides that actually do least harm (instead of allowing some rather harmful simply because they are traditional, while banning everything synthetic on principle), let's discuss how we can use the fruits of modern gene editing techniques - allowing much more clean, rapid crop development than traditional breeding - but whilst setting up a clear framework that eliminates undesired use (e.g. pesticide increase) and monopoly power. Then we may actually have a fighting chance.
@@OmeSees This sounds like a sensible middle of the road approach but it doesn’t account for the approaching contraction in energy availability. Modern and industrial systems are only possible with absurdly high energy use, which doesn’t get much more absurd than with precision fermentation. Monbiot pushing this whilst smearing advocates of ecological approaches is the definition of unhelpful. The emergency in food systems is that they must soon(5-15yrs?) work with little exogenous energy. Local agroecological approaches must therefore be fundamental and not, as Monbiot insinuates, the nostalgic yearnings of a cruel right wing elite.
'we are a society of altruists governed by psychopaths' we need 'private sufficiency and public luxury' EVERYTHING George and Rachel discuss here can be brought together NOW, within the next 6 months, given some seed funding, and showcased in the round, in the real, tangible 360 degree walk in using a people's pub partnership - where we can all aspire to private sufficience and public luxury by joining together in creating a popular national movement for Saving Britain's Pubs a national trust for pubs - where we crowdfund £10 million where 1 million people each buy a £1 share - to buy closed pubs, we engage each pub's local community in its future operation, retrofit every pub to operate fossil fuel free - develop closed loop, sustainable supply chains at each pub - no global brands - and make great pubs great again - by the people, of the people, for the people - A showcase for a people powered green new deal. Job done.
Laudable sentiment but it's just another distraction from what has to be done - the abolition of the social system of wage-labour and capital because it's inherent dynamic - capital accumulation- is at the root of all the current existential predicaments and suffering and waste of human potential in general. You can replace all the current leaders with "good guys" but it won't have any impact if this social system is retained.
What's important is that we live our life as a good person. It's important to our self-respect. Making lots of money and economic growth in money terms isn't the purpose of our lives. It's what we're told to do, but it's wrong.
I am a big fan of George Monbiot, and on almost every point, I am in complete agreement. But I would dispute the idea that the dissolution of the USSR was one of those 25% tipping points. The Soviet Union was dissolved because its leadership was bribed by an even more powerful system, the capitalist west, to abandon state ownership of the means of production and embrace neoliberalism. The result was a human and economic disaster that was far worse than even the absurdly fictionalized narrative of supposed Soviet evil we in the west were marinated in for decades. The USSR was dissolved in defiance of rather than because of popular will. The referendum held at the time returned something like an 85% vote in favor of maintaining the Soviet Union, yet Yeltsin and the heads of Ukraine and Belarus went ahead with the breakup anyway. It took decades for Russia under Putin to get back on its feet while Ukraine, with the help of a Washington-engineered coup and Nazi-infested proxy war, is a corrupt basket case. Sometimes, those "popular" tipping points are engineered by western-directed fake NGOs such as the National Endowment for Democracy, USAID, the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, Freedom House, the Open Society Foundation, etc. none of which exists to promote real democracy, but rather to promote regime-change in the intetest of steering target countries' policies in line with the Atlanticist and multinational corporations' geopolitical interests
1:02:59 I suspect that part of George's reluctance is also that he knows that it's likely to be futile to have an discussion with someone about a topic when the other person makes there living from it. As Upton Sinclair said, it's hard to get someone to understand something when their livelihood depends on them NOT understanding it.
Two things are needed for representative government. 1. The citizens need to let go of bigotries. As long as 40% of us do not benieve a different 40% deserve to participate in the prosperity of the nation we will never unite in a common message enough to avoid corrupt elitism in politics. 2. The citizens need to participate in the democracy more often than a vote every 4 years. Actively tell your representatives how you wish to be represented on all decisions you care about. And hold them accountable for representing the citizens properly, with early terminations or prosecution for things like insider trading and taking bribes. Citizens actively participating, and if there is any good citizen for leadership we need to work to raise that person up into office. If things are going well the citizens tend to get apathetic and stop participating, which allows a slow creep toward corruption. Sure now after the representative democracy is corrupted we blame the politicians and the corporations buying them. But how did it get this way? Without the citizens being on a united front participating in government and democracy, it will fall into corruption like any other system. Also when criticizing representative democracy too much remember that the only other systems humanity has ever created for governing a nation is Dictatorship or Monarchy. The alternatives to the fight agaist corruption in Democracy, is to just give the country to the corrupt.
The tobacco, oil, chemical industries use the process of Crisis Management in the same way as companies who have a reputation to uphold. We can learn from that.
If the King of a country, who claims to be “one of the first environmentalists”, can’t make progress or support the many citizens of his country who share his purported claim to care for the environment, then he is either lying or he has no influence with the oligarchs. I am of course speaking about King Charles.
i broadly agree with George, (i studied for a degree in environmental science in the early 80's which included the political, social and economic factors that are involved) his point about governance and democracy between 1945 and 1975 in the uk is a good one but the benefits we gained then were underpinned by industries which payed little heed to environmental concerns. The proof of this for me is that the River Tees in north eastern England became a dead river being used to dispose of industrial and chemical waste. If you fell into that river you would be poisoned before you could drown. But the wealth created that went back into the local economies allowed the building of libraries, leisure centres, theatres etc which were without question of benefit to the local population. You can't get something for nothing.....
The key factor is we the regular folks are useful for development... Esp if we believe we are free.. which creates a obsessed culture with success, competition, and also in defeating less free powers . The elites, have always used strategies of playing both sides .. To ultimately create a stimulus for development.. we are all expendable, literally, if we take a good look at the history of exploited humans.. and covered up with blatant lies .. so, yea it's important we identify these elites, more important we stop buying their shit, plastic packaging, poisoned food, The media themes we allow to deceive the masses.. problem is we are all depending on the elitest infrastructure And we are unable to protect ourselves Ultimately from the real evil.
I've considered myself a get to the damn root talk type of what I've been told to be a human , And it's a smack in my face that we the people get these old bad programmed sad ass politicians out of where they are surely not even close to doing their job .why just as you all said we the people many more then the sick pitiful beings at the top of the period, Damn
Thank you for these interesting arguments! I would like to understand everything you say, so I ask you to keep a slow paced rythm of speaking. Than would be amazing!
I massively respected George up until I met him back in '07. I was explaining the problem with our growth based capitalism due to our using bank credit as money and he completely did not get it, just dismissed it and banged on about carbon credits, i.e what the bankers want. Sadly he is part of the greenwash that has hobbled the green movement for years now.
24:40 "what hasn't changed throughout history is the inequitable distribution of resources" I would encourage you to read the book The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber. For most of human history, people dwelled in cooperative systems even when within large civilizations, which had multitudinous and various creative ways to counteract and overcome unequal distribution.
"a society of altruists governed by psychopaths"... Though I find this formulation by Monbiot quite brilliant, my own formulation would be more pesimistic: obedient mediocrity governed by sociopaths (see the evil of mediocrity by Hannah Arendt, the case of Adolf Eichmann)
...haha, well done George :) In the seventh circle every day is exactly the same... some other bits of value to note... the gatekeeper to the seventh circle is the 'Infamy of Crete', i.e. the Minotaur, so the seventh circle is considered analogous to the labyrinth of the Minoan underworld. It is more broadly, the 'Circle of Violence' consisting of three rings, each of which hold those that are violent against nature, those that are violent against works [of art generally, but not specifically], and those who are violent against themselves and against their neighbours, destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again whilst marching over burning sands. In a modern world so influenced by Randian objectivist thinking and it's 'all against all' mentality... the seventh circle fits very well.
The host got it when she said " you can't have a military on fossil fuels". Can we afford in our world not to have a military? I'm on the side of everybody who wants to stop using fossil fuels, but can we? I guess if only militaries use them that's still going to be much, much better than 8 billion people driving cars, eating meat and taking planes to go on vacation.
You could not get through your day without fossil fuels. They represent 80% of global energy use and growing. They create plastics found in everything you own, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, fire retardants, rubber and a myriad of other products and materials. Ending fossil fuels would generate mass starvation.
If you realize that the moment the very first human appeared in the world, our current situation became an absolutely inevitable consequence of the very existence of such a being, these discussions about whose fault it is become pointless. Assigning fault is inherent to our nature, and it is our nature itself that is at fault. But since we can understand our nature, therein lies the solution.
The most important thing to do is work out a new story that positions us within the sacred connects us to nature and gives us access to the transcendent .... Modernizing religion ... Seems to be the only thing powerful enough to hit everything simultaneously. We need a sacred religion that we Live and work in everyday that we don't just go to on a Sunday morning, but it's alive in our hearts and it's healthy and can grow as our ultimate understanding of the universe continues to evolve.... Listening to Eric Weinstein speak on his podcast to Sir Roger Penrose opened a portal to just how deep we are exploring the very fabric of reality itself.... The idea that there is a social activist , a climate activist, feminist activist we know they all intersect but we need to knit this all into a cultural tapestry that we can live within that can have a pulsating heart beat where wisdom and knowledge are not strangers... This will take some time ... And I feel the opportunity will be when it breaks , because we know this can't last the direction we're heading has no future and it won't be the movies where in one day we descend into a zombie apocalypse, but the breakdown will happen over time and in waves and when it starts in earnest the window of opportunity for these new ways will open ... Let's hope we are ready and can grab the opportunity with both hands...
I agree with the discussion here generally, Sadly all social revolutions end with some form of power corruption were the original voices are lost. We are in the midst of a carbon pulse. Its not going away anytime soon.
So what if we are "a society of altruists governed by psychopaths"? We voted them in. And we keep doing it. Again and again and again. Psychopaths will be psychopaths, though I think you'll find they are mainly sociopaths not psychopaths... Do we hold no responsibility for electing them and then not holding them to account?
Government is subservient to capitalists in capitalism, so electing a person to represent you, is a fake idea when they can only represent capitalists. Being governed by sociopaths, is being governed by capitalists and their ideology. The rest of us are not represented at all. The role of government becomes that of a salesperson, selling the policies of capitalists, and the people still think that they themselves are to blame. Stop that. When profits for the wealthiest are the main goal of government, the people get f***** over. Again and again. The trap, is thinking you have had any say in the matter.
@@yetao5801 When the richest think they have the most merit, they think they have the right to govern in their own interests, not the interests of the whole (they do not see a difference). Governments have to operate in a context where most stuff is owned by the richest, and wealth equates to political power. It would not matter if some genius ethicist was elected, they still have to operate in a context where the majority of a nation's wealth is owned by people who come to behave like sociopaths (or they actually are sociopaths). Take a look at ISDS treaties of various sorts, and see that if a government acts in the interests of the majority, at the expense of the richest, governments get sued for losses in an undemocratic corporate court. Even if governments wanted to act to ameliorate climate damage and poverty, the cannot, when the result is paying compensation to the mega corporations. Capitalism captured governance.
I must respectfully disagree at 56:07. At least in the U.S. there is a giant buffer, a class of young professionals who are very comfortable, usually tech professionals or weapons contractors. And they operate as a pseudo middle class. The billionaires keep them happy, and it makes everyone else think "why is everything going wrong for me? When they are so comfortable and happy?"
Excellent teaching points about sooo many things in this I review...but ...I still have no hope...because ..well of a lot of reasons ...but...partly because.....dragging up raw materials to make renewables..won't help anything .We should allow this in places with no sewage treatment and no running water ...etc ..things like that... " Do" ...renewables..but..who thinks that our cultures .especially in the West ..will give up PROFESSIONAL SPORTS .as just ONE example of our ridiculously frivolous cultures Can you imagine .guys...saying..oh..okay ..Indo not need mass produced sports entertainment..?? NOT.
Given your stance on so many issues, all relating to human excess, I would love to know your particular living situation. Care to share? I find there are so many hypocrites who point the finger at others yet live in extravagance in terms of relative world measurements. If you’re living in a 400 square-foot modest one room rental, with incomes in the world averages of $5000 and without any of our modern in particular electronic, conveniences, a.k.a. mobile devices, electronics, nice clothing, lots of food, heat, energy, then kudos to you for setting this amazing example. If otherwise, I think your comments are misguided and full of BS.
U know how u get depressed, get beat up to young, loose people's, grow up with strangers , it's not a medicine thing , it's a how you treat other's! or haven't thing , 💝
Great. I cried during the song except the ending was quite annoying and seemed self indulging. Now that you have had George Monbiot on please try and get David Cromwell and David Edwards of Media Lens on
I would like Planet Critical to remain gentle, and non-violent, as it claim to be. At minute 41:20 you say that we are governed by unsensible people, and I think this is not gentle o non-violent. Every judgment is violent. Do you agree?
Politics is represented as a team sport. Over-simplification of issues and the resulting polarisation can be laid at the door of the right wing media and their dark money donors.
31:50 "from peaceful protests in this country you can get 10 years in prison"? can anyone explain? I'll have to research that claim because it seems ridiculous indeed!
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill allows police to condition, ban and dissolve protests for ambiguous reasons. The Public Order Act widens police powers and criminalizes "locking on", obstruction of major transport works and interference with key national infrastructure with up to one month of prison. Which is bad enough! I can't find the 10-year imprisonment, though.
Government of, by, and for the ambitious, selfish and ruthless competitive, negative and zero sum game winners. Which is why the system produces, strengthens and rewards megalomania and psychopathy. Evil works it is fantastically successful, for a while, but it will always fail in the long run, but by that time the damage it has done along the way is incalculable.
We need to know who funds all the 55 Tufton Street right-wing think tanks who have been advising the Conservative government for the past 13 years. These think tanks are regularly invited onto the BBC and other MSM to pontificate on economic affairs but who funds them? Keeping the donors to these think tanks secret when their advice is so influential in government is anti-democratic. What if they're funded by the Kremlin or China or some other superpower - is that okay or democratic?
We do seem to be in a bit of a dilemma, we in the west enjoy a very present lifestyle but unfortuneatly this is not sustainable going forward. The question is what do we do about it, well to me I would say we all need a carbon account, a bit like a bank account, which will limit are carbon usage without impinging our lifestyle completely, that would be a start.
George talks about ‘consent’ but isn’t it also about ‘trust’? You vote for a party based on a certain level of trust. The problem is that our rules and regulations are also setup based on trust, which is a form of naivity. @52:00 about the multicrisis: I agree on that one, but over-population is the mother of all crises. And population growth is made possible by…fossil fuels!
What about a collective of voters whose only voting principle is how much wealth the candidate is willing to forgo. I can trust a candidate on food stamps.
One of the most eye-opening documentaries I've ever seen was, "Century of the Self". It was about the invention of consumer culture using the work of Edward Bernays, basic psychological manipulation. Bernays was Sigmund Freud's nephew and he became hugely wealthy as a result. Every single day of most American's adult life is spent watching television and being told CONSTANTLY that their armpits stink, their breath stinks, they've got a headache, they can't have a relationship, etc unless they buy this brand of soap, car, washer, dryer, electronic goo-gah, latest fashion... and Americans have become an extremely wasteful society of very lonely people as a result.
I saw that. Your remarks are so true. This materialistic capitalism is responsible for our sick society where Viagra & anti-depression drugs are the number one drugs sold.
Then we’ve got the fact we’ve never faced our genocidal, racist past. Americans are so ignorant because that’s the way we’re taught to be. It serves the powerful.
Your exactly right. and its way deeper than that We are brainwashed before we can walk and talk the babies put in there little swing ..Walker or playpin in front of the hypnosis box cartoons even have the tools to start this process of wanting or having things then comes christmas all the china made plastic crap the repeated advertising theres not one celibate d Holliday that's not over commercialized the container ships alone must be 100s of thousands from plastic Santa's and fireworks all those little American flags . It's limitless the waste
I've been a picker/ recycler for 10 plus years when I couldn't keep doing the grind once my children. Were gone I just couldn't keep working and seeing the damage being done since I started the waste has gone up 10× every fee years I see brand new stuff getting tossed out by the skids and food there's so much it could feed a small country because the places I get into is just in my little town. and the higher end upper class is mind blowing what just tossed in the Ben
SPOT ON, JOHN !!! 👍🤔
Thank you both for your work.
Seconded
'a society of altruists governed by psychopaths' get the t-shirts printed.
Amen. Bumper stickers. Flyers. Street banners. Print this message everywhere till it gets through, breaks through, and changes the world.
I do like that one as well
I love that line!
I'll buy that
I would wear one
George is the best writer in the UK media - always worth listening to. Thanks so much for this Rachel (your interviews are always excellent). Thanks also for the Louise Harris song (heart-breaking).
We need to stop giving priority to profits and investors.
you say that as if it’s a choice
Our entire legal and political system is geared to protecting short term corporate earnings & profits, regardless of the real costs.
@@SamWilkinsonn some of it is, you chose where you spend your money. Buy local, share items, use less, use small business, waste less, circular economy.
Everyone must be on board. I use less energy than 100 of my neighbors 😒 all year around. I will forego heat/cooling to help keep our grid.
Get everyone to give up a little comfort. Good luck.
Love listening to George's clarity and humanity
He is a war monger who wants us to continue the slaughter in Ukraine and elsewhere. Not a nice guy.
“We are the world. The world is you and me, the world is not separate from you and me. We have created this world…It is not my problem or your particular problem, it is a human problem.”
- Jiddu Krishnamurti
(Social and other labels only feed division and conflict.)
Krishnamurti is absolutely right.
Congrats Rachel for yet another great episode! You're killing it.
Fantastic interview. Just wanted to leave a comment to say a big thank you to Rachel for the work you're doing with this channel - it is truly important and vital. In fifty years time you can look back and be incredibly proud of what you've accomplished.
Hopefully, it will be less time than that 😮
George Monbiot, we're not worthy. He speaks for me.🙏🙌❤❤❤❤
Thank you for an excellent discussion. Some thoughts: at 28 minutes Rachel: “I guess it’s clear not many people are talking about these things otherwise we’d all be activists…” Yes, to a degree, however, many people do talk about these things, but their conversations are different from yours. Not all of them would agree with what you are saying. Not all of them have the facts. Not many of them at all are able to argue logically. Some disagree with how the facts are defined, for example colonialism is defended by many who believe the people who were oppressed were not human enough to have deserved better treatment, even today: this is how far too many Israelis see Palestinians. It’s how many Americans still think of native Americans and black people. The bottom line here is a lack of proper education, specifically, education in logic and how to formulate and analyze arguments. This is why Jordan Peterson is so popular: people don’t have the skills to recognize invalid arguments. These are essentially what reading and writing are all about, as one cannot properly read or write if one cannot successfully argue in the philosophical sense.
At about the 60 minute mark George speaks about the difference between private and public luxury, and notes that there is neither enough resources nor space for everyone to enjoy private luxuries, and his answer is to have public luxuries instead, to share rather than hoard. This logic is similar to the problematic tactic many use in trying to sell a proper response to the climate crisis, by saying that it will allow for stunning economic growth in order to get people excited about it: it fails to recognize that this growth concept is exactly the problem. Similarly, the justification of luxury at all, private or public, fails to properly address the concept of luxury and whether or not luxury is justifiable even on the level of public luxury, because it may well be that the human population is too numerous even for us to enjoy public luxury. We need to ask the right questions: is luxury a good thing? Do we really need it? We need to be prepared to redefine luxury as the ability to stay alive, smell the flowers, see the blue sky or the stars, be in love. Luxury may equal sustainability, rather than its current definition, which is “excess.”
Hi Rachael, George: PLEASE take the time ( or with a team) to thoroughly CITE / link to all the Statements/ claims / annecdotes in this powerful interview. I'm largely supportive, but I care about ACCURACY and TRUTH, and i would not just accept / share this without some sources to point to.
My experience in/with XR is of people who take Polarising actions and not enough informed empathetic conversations with peers or taking enough practical steps themselves.
Yes absolutely, many smart direct actions are justified and have a positive effect, but many can polarise , antagonise and be arguably counterproductive.
And yes, i criticise myself for not having enough smart conversations with peers, or arranging small scale actions where there is space for meaningful dialogue with others.
Have a great day.
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It is always a pleasure to listen to George, he is a great communicator.
Amazing interview, this has truly lifted my spirits, that all is not lost to the evil of government and corporation greed and destruction. The song by Louise Harris was so emotional, I agree this needs to be No. 1 for Xmas.
Beautiful song. Well done.
Here is an example as to why a proper upbringing and elite education isn't worth as much as we've been led to believe. “After preparatory boarding school at Elstree School, he [George Monbiot] was educated at Stowe School, in Buckinghamshire. He won an open scholarship to Brasenose College, Oxford.” Yet he [George Monbiot] is unable to see the massive difference between social issues, such as marriage equality, women's liberation, born out of wedlock, etc. are all issues where liberals are pitted against conservatives; whereas, issues such as Capitalism, fossil fuel extraction, and climate change tend to be issues where the proletariat are pitted against the bourgeoisie. The ruling class is far less committed to protecting their views on women's liberation, gay marriage, or out of wedlock births, then they are to protecting their hold on wealth and power. It's not just a "bigger ask", it's a completely different ball game altogether. If that's an example of superior intellect, than I thank god I'm an idiot. The Soviet Union was not brought down by protesting citizens reaching a tipping point of consensus, but by the massive effort by the Western Capitalists throwing their wealth and power against the Soviet system. Again, a completely different ball game.
Great interview! It’s wonderful to hear thoughtful questions answered with kind and historically based understanding
I will always seek out Georges interviews.
Thank you so much for your time and effort that goes into putting this together.
As a wise old hobo once told me: "You can't trust people who decided for themselves that ruling other people was a better idea than getting a job and working for a living."
Good job Rachel on getting Monbiot. He's an A-lister within the climate movement.
I think this is might be one of my favorite interviews from your podcast so far. Excellent work and thank you!
A great conversation , thanks!
Dear Jorge, thank you for your work, but I think there are other studies which suggest you don’t have to work that hard. Perhaps it’s only 3 or 4%, a critical mass of the population that can catalyze a paradigm shift socially. Keep up the good work, stay strong.
This is so insightful and educative. And wow, even just the opening statement: economic power turned into political power... I knew this was the issue in essence, but he explained so simply. And Rachel Donald asks such thoughtful informed questions! This is my favourite interview to date.
We're all conditioned to some degree. Most of us assume the leadership has some sensible method of doing their jobs. Most people go along to get along, especially regarding issues with such huge scope as global warming, we acquiesce to being led. When officially recognized science is compromised by political wishful thinking--one must appease those who control funding if one wants to do science--our leaders are operating in a fantasy world when they meet to negotiate how we will make this transition. They might even feel good about blowing hot air, smiling, speechifying and exchanging lobbyist contacts. But we the people are left holding the bag. The Great Waves of Change are here, I can hardly believe this revelatory book I read a few years ago described in such clear terms the debacle I'm now watching in real time, our total lack of preparation for what's coming at the level of policy. Great Waves of Change are here and we are not prepared. I'm now a student of the Steps to Knowledge, we've been given this to prepare, to reorient us, to help us shake of the influence of our conditioning and wake up from acquiescing to being led by a system that has revealed itself to be blind, ignorant, and intent on suicide, all to protect wealth.
This: One of the most thoughtful, considerate, and eloquent post I have ever read.
Nothing more to say! Hard task though.
This is an excellent interview! George really got into how society is structured, and how it impedes progress on addressing the global warming problem.
A really powerful song to open with. Perhaps this could become a standard feature of each episode - a song or poem or even a piece of art. It was great to hear George talking about the politics and economics of our time with a clarity that is not all that common. The tipping point is an important idea and one which those opposed to change are well aware of. They play on those baser characteristics which are founded in fear by conjuring up this vision of a green transition just being for the rich (ironic in the extreme, I know) and the problem is that this vision is fed by the way in which green development is introduced. That is, in the usual capitalist way of early (and mostly well-off) adopters who pave the way for mass production that is more affordable. This is compounded by the introduction of public measures such as 15 minute cities and ULEZ which for all their benefits are generally implemented in a top down way that allows detractors to play on a sense of powerlessness and play up the inevitable flaws that are part of such schemes. Where there is power in local authorities with a will to change there should also be a consideration of the systemic nature of change that is at the root of Green development. We have to sell the benefits to those on low or no incomes; lay out the road of hope that bears some early fruit as well as longer term providence. Lofty ideals are needed but cut little ice with those on the bread line.
Extinction Rebellion does not recruit any members, we only offer an alternative framework for a regenerative culture.
Moderated interviews would be an excellent addition to this channel.
I agree, I've lived it for 60 years, hate what I've seen in cultures and politics, its sick.
George!
It's hard to deny, in spite of all the understories!
Thank you
Great to see George back to doing what he does best, a fantastic discussion! his talents are totally wasted in this meander into our food system, a subject that takes a lifetime of dedication to in order to properly understand, it’s clear he’s beginning to realise this hence him being so reluctant to sit down with Niki yoxall, he is slowly regaining my respect of him
Yes, he is so wrong on factory food. Chris Smaje is correct but George is a good guy too
I share the same thoughts 👍
It’s incredible that he no longer has time to talk about ‘the most important technology in the world.’ His understanding and prescriptions for food systems have been shown to be deluded. There would be a lot of power in his admitting to a temporary mistaken turn to the ecomodernist dark side and asking forgiveness from those he’s branded cruel fantasists.
George does properly understand food. It needs to modernize if we want to both feed the population and do so in a sustainable manner. The dogmatic division into 'organic' and 'industrial' is helping no-one. Instead of quarreling between 'organic' and 'ecomodernist views', let's see how we can use the best of both worlds; the fertilizers and pesticides that actually do least harm (instead of allowing some rather harmful simply because they are traditional, while banning everything synthetic on principle), let's discuss how we can use the fruits of modern gene editing techniques - allowing much more clean, rapid crop development than traditional breeding - but whilst setting up a clear framework that eliminates undesired use (e.g. pesticide increase) and monopoly power. Then we may actually have a fighting chance.
@@OmeSees This sounds like a sensible middle of the road approach but it doesn’t account for the approaching contraction in energy availability. Modern and industrial systems are only possible with absurdly high energy use, which doesn’t get much more absurd than with precision fermentation. Monbiot pushing this whilst smearing advocates of ecological approaches is the definition of unhelpful. The emergency in food systems is that they must soon(5-15yrs?) work with little exogenous energy. Local agroecological approaches must therefore be fundamental and not, as Monbiot insinuates, the nostalgic yearnings of a cruel right wing elite.
Song was painfully exquisite.
Sobbed.
Thank you.
'we are a society of altruists governed by psychopaths' we need 'private sufficiency and public luxury'
EVERYTHING George and Rachel discuss here can be brought together NOW, within the next 6 months, given some seed funding, and showcased in the round, in the real, tangible 360 degree walk in using a people's pub partnership - where we can all aspire to private sufficience and public luxury by joining together in creating a popular national movement for Saving Britain's Pubs a national trust for pubs - where we crowdfund £10 million where 1 million people each buy a £1 share - to buy closed pubs, we engage each pub's local community in its future operation, retrofit every pub to operate fossil fuel free - develop closed loop, sustainable supply chains at each pub - no global brands - and make great pubs great again - by the people, of the people, for the people - A showcase for a people powered green new deal. Job done.
Laudable sentiment but it's just another distraction from what has to be done - the abolition of the social system of wage-labour and capital because it's inherent dynamic - capital accumulation- is at the root of all the current existential predicaments and suffering and waste of human potential in general.
You can replace all the current leaders with "good guys" but it won't have any impact if this social system is retained.
New monetary system based on energy and material accounting is needed.
@@yetao5801 abolition of money (buying and selling) is the patently obvious path to take.
Agreed - the next election is such a waste of time
What's important is that we live our life as a good person. It's important to our self-respect. Making lots of money and economic growth in money terms isn't the purpose of our lives. It's what we're told to do, but it's wrong.
I am a big fan of George Monbiot, and on almost every point, I am in complete agreement. But I would dispute the idea that the dissolution of the USSR was one of those 25% tipping points. The Soviet Union was dissolved because its leadership was bribed by an even more powerful system, the capitalist west, to abandon state ownership of the means of production and embrace neoliberalism. The result was a human and economic disaster that was far worse than even the absurdly fictionalized narrative of supposed Soviet evil we in the west were marinated in for decades. The USSR was dissolved in defiance of rather than because of popular will. The referendum held at the time returned something like an 85% vote in favor of maintaining the Soviet Union, yet Yeltsin and the heads of Ukraine and Belarus went ahead with the breakup anyway. It took decades for Russia under Putin to get back on its feet while Ukraine, with the help of a Washington-engineered coup and Nazi-infested proxy war, is a corrupt basket case. Sometimes, those "popular" tipping points are engineered by western-directed fake NGOs such as the National Endowment for Democracy, USAID, the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, Freedom House, the Open Society Foundation, etc. none of which exists to promote real democracy, but rather to promote regime-change in the intetest of steering target countries' policies in line with the Atlanticist and multinational corporations' geopolitical interests
Putin's Russia needs to join the USSR on the ash heap of history.
Great interview.
Governments after the French Revolution marketed Democracy the same as the Caesars marketed Christianity.
1:02:59 I suspect that part of George's reluctance is also that he knows that it's likely to be futile to have an discussion with someone about a topic when the other person makes there living from it.
As Upton Sinclair said, it's hard to get someone to understand something when their livelihood depends on them NOT understanding it.
thank you
This is truly "1984' + 39. Big Brother lives.
57:50 what we in the west call a modest lifestyle is what the majority of the world call luxurious.
Two things are needed for representative government.
1. The citizens need to let go of bigotries. As long as 40% of us do not benieve a different 40% deserve to participate in the prosperity of the nation we will never unite in a common message enough to avoid corrupt elitism in politics.
2. The citizens need to participate in the democracy more often than a vote every 4 years. Actively tell your representatives how you wish to be represented on all decisions you care about. And hold them accountable for representing the citizens properly, with early terminations or prosecution for things like insider trading and taking bribes. Citizens actively participating, and if there is any good citizen for leadership we need to work to raise that person up into office. If things are going well the citizens tend to get apathetic and stop participating, which allows a slow creep toward corruption.
Sure now after the representative democracy is corrupted we blame the politicians and the corporations buying them. But how did it get this way? Without the citizens being on a united front participating in government and democracy, it will fall into corruption like any other system.
Also when criticizing representative democracy too much remember that the only other systems humanity has ever created for governing a nation is Dictatorship or Monarchy. The alternatives to the fight agaist corruption in Democracy, is to just give the country to the corrupt.
The tobacco, oil, chemical industries use the process of Crisis Management in the same way as companies who have a reputation to uphold. We can learn from that.
Great episode
If the King of a country, who claims to be “one of the first environmentalists”, can’t make progress or support the many citizens of his country who share his purported claim to care for the environment, then he is either lying or he has no influence with the oligarchs. I am of course speaking about King Charles.
i broadly agree with George, (i studied for a degree in environmental science in the early 80's which included the political, social and economic factors that are involved) his point about governance and democracy between 1945 and 1975 in the uk is a good one but the benefits we gained then were underpinned by industries which payed little heed to environmental concerns. The proof of this for me is that the River Tees in north eastern England became a dead river being used to dispose of industrial and chemical waste. If you fell into that river you would be poisoned before you could drown. But the wealth created that went back into the local economies allowed the building of libraries, leisure centres, theatres etc which were without question of benefit to the local population. You can't get something for nothing.....
The key factor is we the regular folks are useful for development... Esp if we believe we are free.. which creates a obsessed culture with success, competition, and also in defeating less free powers . The elites, have always used strategies of playing both sides ..
To ultimately create a stimulus for development.. we are all expendable, literally, if we take a good look at the history of exploited humans.. and covered up with blatant lies .. so, yea it's important we identify these elites, more important we stop buying their shit, plastic packaging, poisoned food,
The media themes we allow to deceive the masses.. problem is we are all depending on the elitest infrastructure
And we are unable to protect ourselves
Ultimately from the real evil.
The only "new" fuel source is a system based on "sucking each other out of existence."
Let's see how that works for everyone.
I've considered myself a get to the damn root talk type of what I've been told to be a human ,
And it's a smack in my face that we the people get these old bad programmed sad ass politicians out of where they are surely not even close to doing their job .why just as you all said we the people many more then the sick pitiful beings at the top of the period,
Damn
Thank you for these interesting arguments! I would like to understand everything you say, so I ask you to keep a slow paced rythm of speaking. Than would be amazing!
Humanity needs a “roadmap” for how to live…
Yay George!
I massively respected George up until I met him back in '07. I was explaining the problem with our growth based capitalism due to our using bank credit as money and he completely did not get it, just dismissed it and banged on about carbon credits, i.e what the bankers want. Sadly he is part of the greenwash that has hobbled the green movement for years now.
Since George began personally mining uranium then he's failed to realize just how dismiss economics is as a "science."
oh dear, 20 seconds in and it`s all gone Pete Tong for George! Hellooo George, you ARE the media
24:40 "what hasn't changed throughout history is the inequitable distribution of resources" I would encourage you to read the book The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber. For most of human history, people dwelled in cooperative systems even when within large civilizations, which had multitudinous and various creative ways to counteract and overcome unequal distribution.
"a society of altruists governed by psychopaths"... Though I find this formulation by Monbiot quite brilliant, my own formulation would be more pesimistic: obedient mediocrity governed by sociopaths (see the evil of mediocrity by Hannah Arendt, the case of Adolf Eichmann)
...haha, well done George :) In the seventh circle every day is exactly the same... some other bits of value to note... the gatekeeper to the seventh circle is the 'Infamy of Crete', i.e. the Minotaur, so the seventh circle is considered analogous to the labyrinth of the Minoan underworld. It is more broadly, the 'Circle of Violence' consisting of three rings, each of which hold those that are violent against nature, those that are violent against works [of art generally, but not specifically], and those who are violent against themselves and against their neighbours, destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again whilst marching over burning sands. In a modern world so influenced by Randian objectivist thinking and it's 'all against all' mentality... the seventh circle fits very well.
The host got it when she said " you can't have a military on fossil fuels". Can we afford in our world not to have a military? I'm on the side of everybody who wants to stop using fossil fuels, but can we? I guess if only militaries use them that's still going to be much, much better than 8 billion people driving cars, eating meat and taking planes to go on vacation.
You could not get through your day without fossil fuels. They represent 80% of global energy use and growing. They create plastics found in everything you own, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, fire retardants, rubber and a myriad of other products and materials. Ending fossil fuels would generate mass starvation.
"If a tree falls" by Bruce Cockburn.
Dear Louise. Why do you insist that the UK 🇬🇧 is a democracy. Democracy in name only is no democracy!
If you realize that the moment the very first human appeared in the world, our current situation became an absolutely inevitable consequence of the very existence of such a being, these discussions about whose fault it is become pointless. Assigning fault is inherent to our nature, and it is our nature itself that is at fault. But since we can understand our nature, therein lies the solution.
The Drilled Podcast by investigative journalist Amy Westervelt also covered the ATLAS network.
2 of my favourite people, just havin' a chat
The most important thing to do is work out a new story that positions us within the sacred connects us to nature and gives us access to the transcendent ....
Modernizing religion ... Seems to be the only thing powerful enough to hit everything simultaneously.
We need a sacred religion that we Live and work in everyday that we don't just go to on a Sunday morning, but it's alive in our hearts and it's healthy and can grow as our ultimate understanding of the universe continues to evolve....
Listening to Eric Weinstein speak on his podcast to Sir Roger Penrose opened a portal to just how deep we are exploring the very fabric of reality itself....
The idea that there is a social activist , a climate activist, feminist activist we know they all intersect but we need to knit this all into a cultural tapestry that we can live within that can have a pulsating heart beat where wisdom and knowledge are not strangers...
This will take some time ... And I feel the opportunity will be when it breaks , because we know this can't last the direction we're heading has no future and it won't be the movies where in one day we descend into a zombie apocalypse, but the breakdown will happen over time and in waves and when it starts in earnest the window of opportunity for these new ways will open ... Let's hope we are ready and can grab the opportunity with both hands...
I agree with the discussion here generally, Sadly all social revolutions end with some form of power corruption were the original voices are lost. We are in the midst of a carbon pulse. Its not going away anytime soon.
So what if we are "a society of altruists governed by psychopaths"? We voted them in. And we keep doing it. Again and again and again. Psychopaths will be psychopaths, though I think you'll find they are mainly sociopaths not psychopaths... Do we hold no responsibility for electing them and then not holding them to account?
Government is subservient to capitalists in capitalism, so electing a person to represent you, is a fake idea when they can only represent capitalists.
Being governed by sociopaths, is being governed by capitalists and their ideology. The rest of us are not represented at all. The role of government becomes that of a salesperson, selling the policies of capitalists, and the people still think that they themselves are to blame. Stop that. When profits for the wealthiest are the main goal of government, the people get f***** over. Again and again. The trap, is thinking you have had any say in the matter.
Elections may be the wrong way to go about it. Governance skill merit-based system needed.
@@yetao5801 When the richest think they have the most merit, they think they have the right to govern in their own interests, not the interests of the whole (they do not see a difference). Governments have to operate in a context where most stuff is owned by the richest, and wealth equates to political power. It would not matter if some genius ethicist was elected, they still have to operate in a context where the majority of a nation's wealth is owned by people who come to behave like sociopaths (or they actually are sociopaths).
Take a look at ISDS treaties of various sorts, and see that if a government acts in the interests of the majority, at the expense of the richest, governments get sued for losses in an undemocratic corporate court. Even if governments wanted to act to ameliorate climate damage and poverty, the cannot, when the result is paying compensation to the mega corporations. Capitalism captured governance.
Born in 1945, I've witnessed the decline over the years. 🤔( "Green Fire", geoff nelson hill, bookshops UK/US )🌈🦉
What's the title of the book "fog of democracy"? How to spell the authors name, Christopher whi?
I must respectfully disagree at 56:07. At least in the U.S. there is a giant buffer, a class of young professionals who are very comfortable, usually tech professionals or weapons contractors. And they operate as a pseudo middle class. The billionaires keep them happy, and it makes everyone else think "why is everything going wrong for me? When they are so comfortable and happy?"
THIS is “key” …. Will IT fit on a T-shirt???
“PRIVATE SUFFICIENCY, PUBLIC LUXURY… THE TRANSFORMATION OF SOCIETY”
When you write the laws you can do whatever you want
Excellent teaching points about sooo many things in this I review...but ...I still have no hope...because ..well of a lot of reasons ...but...partly because.....dragging up raw materials to make renewables..won't help anything .We should allow this in places with no sewage treatment and no running water ...etc ..things like that...
" Do" ...renewables..but..who thinks that our cultures .especially in the West ..will give up PROFESSIONAL SPORTS .as just ONE example of our ridiculously frivolous cultures Can you imagine .guys...saying..oh..okay ..Indo not need mass produced sports entertainment..?? NOT.
Given your stance on so many issues, all relating to human excess, I would love to know your particular living situation. Care to share? I find there are so many hypocrites who point the finger at others yet live in extravagance in terms of relative world measurements. If you’re living in a 400 square-foot modest one room rental, with incomes in the world averages of $5000 and without any of our modern in particular electronic, conveniences, a.k.a. mobile devices, electronics, nice clothing, lots of food, heat, energy, then kudos to you for setting this amazing example. If otherwise, I think your comments are misguided and full of BS.
U know how u get depressed, get beat up to young, loose people's, grow up with strangers , it's not a medicine thing , it's a how you treat other's! or haven't thing , 💝
Become self reliant, work local to create local safety net.. and get ready for the fight.. already in play
How do you find out about what lobbyist are pushing for on governments
The Ragged Trousered Philantropist is a perfect example, 👏👏👏
Great. I cried during the song except the ending was quite annoying and seemed self indulging. Now that you have had George Monbiot on please try and get David Cromwell and David Edwards of Media Lens on
I would like Planet Critical to remain gentle, and non-violent, as it claim to be. At minute 41:20 you say that we are governed by unsensible people, and I think this is not gentle o non-violent. Every judgment is violent. Do you agree?
Politics is represented as a team sport. Over-simplification of issues and the resulting polarisation can be laid at the door of the right wing media and their dark money donors.
Sheep will dobwhat the shepherd ductates! We must change the shepherds!
Is legalised #RentSeeking at the core of our existential crises, George?
31:50 "from peaceful protests in this country you can get 10 years in prison"? can anyone explain? I'll have to research that claim because it seems ridiculous indeed!
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill allows police to condition, ban and dissolve protests for ambiguous reasons.
The Public Order Act widens police powers and criminalizes "locking on", obstruction of major transport works and interference with key national infrastructure with up to one month of prison.
Which is bad enough! I can't find the 10-year imprisonment, though.
That's a great idea. Make tee-shirts!
Please interview Fred Harrison
Government of, by, and for the ambitious, selfish and ruthless competitive, negative and zero sum game winners. Which is why the system produces, strengthens and rewards megalomania and psychopathy. Evil works it is fantastically successful, for a while, but it will always fail in the long run, but by that time the damage it has done along the way is incalculable.
We need to know who funds all the 55 Tufton Street right-wing think tanks who have been advising the Conservative government for the past 13 years. These think tanks are regularly invited onto the BBC and other MSM to pontificate on economic affairs but who funds them? Keeping the donors to these think tanks secret when their advice is so influential in government is anti-democratic. What if they're funded by the Kremlin or China or some other superpower - is that okay or democratic?
Interview Dane Wigington,this man is unreal.
What a tragic shame you helped to destroy Corbyn when you could have been part of the change.
📍52:58
Hate to break it to all but economic power dominates public discourse since at least the industrial revolution.
We do seem to be in a bit of a dilemma, we in the west enjoy a very present lifestyle but unfortuneatly this is not sustainable going forward. The question is what do we do about it, well to me I would say we all need a carbon account, a bit like a bank account, which will limit are carbon usage without impinging our lifestyle completely, that would be a start.
Wolf!
Anarchy in the UK. See UKL’s The Dispossessed.
George talks about ‘consent’ but isn’t it also about ‘trust’? You vote for a party based on a certain level of trust. The problem is that our rules and regulations are also setup based on trust, which is a form of naivity.
@52:00 about the multicrisis: I agree on that one, but over-population is the mother of all crises. And population growth is made possible by…fossil fuels!
What about a collective of voters whose only voting principle is how much wealth the candidate is willing to forgo.
I can trust a candidate on food stamps.