Bunker billionaires on a burning planet
Even more so several tipping points might have been reached in the next 25 years. The seventh edition of the Global Environment Outlook states: “The world is approaching a series of climate-related thresholds from which there may be no return. Infiltrated“The Greenland and Western Antarctic ice sheets could collapse, causing sea levels to rise 10 metres. Thawing permafrost could release massive amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, supercharging warming. “The Amazon rainforest may wither into a savannah, depriving the planet of one of its most important carbon sinks. Nearly every warm-water coral would disappear, devastating undersea ecosystems and threatening fisheries around the world. “Even ocean currents and the Jet Stream could be affected, throwing the climate into disarray.” Capitalism is a system in which breakthroughs in science and engineering also contain means of destruction: nuclear power for energy or bombs; genetic programming for healing or genocidal bio-weapons.Even remote and isolated Amazonian or Inuit tribes have been infiltrated by this pervasive logic - and also its results, such as microplastics. ExacerbateThe dual nature of capitalist development - both progress and also the threat of future mass extinction - is best understood in the way that the constant expansion of capitalism has created the ecological crisis we are starting to suffer today. Capitalism is a totalising economic system which dominates our thinking, making it hard to imagine alternatives. Its logic - its mode of operation, its culture and politics - have created a new ‘common sense’ that forms the basis of human society in every country. And this is not just a bad economic model which needs some reform to improve it. No, we live in something far worse because it is a system that appears to have no escape, in which any attempt to fix the problem seems to only exacerbate it or cause new problems. SinisterThe logic of destruction rooted in capitalism is so pervasive to those in charge then we have to call it what it is - a death cult. Why a cult? Well, because you don’t know you’re in a cult. You think the rituals, the mythology, the excessive demands of the leaders and the detrimental impact on your life is normal.Death cults - such as Jonestown and Heaven's Gate - are usually small and the tragic suicides of their members are put down to vulnerable people being manipulated by charismatic psychopaths.But what if the cult was global? What if the death drive threatened all of us? The high priests of the capitalist death cult take many human forms. Some of the most vocal and sinister prelates of this ministry are the tech bros in places like Silicon Valley and Texas.SupremeTheir relentless drive for profit maximisation through innovation has created new tools for late stage capitalism that are literally accelerating climate death. Anything from the many forms of crypto and blockchain to the massive data centres powering Artificial Intelligence.The energy consumption of these new forms of technology alone are accelerating global warming just at the time that we needed to find ways to reduce energy consumption and refocus it on improving the still under-developed areas of the world. But beyond the sheer scale of energy required, these new technologies threaten to steal people’s livelihoods, threatening to replace millions of jobs globally with no plan for a transition to other forms of work.Altman, Thiel and Musk are supreme examples of the utter lack of ethics of capitalism. But these are only representatives of one church within the death cult.ElectedThe fossil fuel companies, fast fashion micro-seasons, built in obsolescence devices,cars and aviation, the constant building of housing that serves only the property portfolios of the richest people.These are all aspects of economic activity under capitalism driven by profit, which are degrading the environment in the interests of shareholders. There is no meaningful global transition towards renewables, or ending deforestation. Capital demands too much, it dominates the reality of economic life, no matter how many treaties get signed by politicians. It is an ourobouros - never-ending and self-consuming. The death cult nature of capitalism is precisely that elected politicians and business leaders - even if they wanted to - cannot escape the logic of capitalism which is precisely the cause of these devastating problems.PollutingFor greenhouse gases (GHG) they have cap and trade and carbon credits, market based solutions that don’t stop pollution or excess GHG production.The 2015 Paris Accords - hailed as a break though - only pledge to make renewable energy competitive with fossil energy production over time. Every year politicians and business leaders go to COP and every year weak and insufficient agreements are made and then effectively ignored.Why? Because strong and thriving private sector growth and profit are seen as essential to national development and economic security.These polluting companies make billions, they provide jobs, pay into pension funds and sometimes pay taxes.HavocYes politicians know they have to do something about species extinction on Earth, but it cannot seriously affect the bottom line of these companies. This is also why they give massive subsidies to fossil extraction and air travel companies, you have to keep the wheels of industry moving even if the gears of destruction wreak havoc on us all. As the Bible says: “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain" (Deuteronomy 25:4).Capitalism is a system that has outlived its use. It should have been overthrown a long time ago. But capitalists are powerful, and they bend their every will to making sure they stay in charge no matter the cost. BunkersFor them being rich and powerful from the exploitation of people and planet is more important than survival on Earth - the ultimate death cult thinking.They know that the world is being plunged into ecological crisis and collapse but they think it is worth it to profit maximisation. They seem to believe their children will be protected through their wealth.The rich are building bunkers to live in when society collapses. They know the direction of travel.They know their economic system is causing crises but they cannot imagine using their wealth or power to stop this. EthicsSo their only choice is to either escape on a spaceship or live underground in the hope that the climate apocalypse will somehow blow over and then their descendants can return to the surface. This isn’t a conspiracy theory - it is actually happening.Next time a far right culture warrior focuses on refugees and the cost of hotels, ask them to consider what the tech bro billionaires are doing with these bunkers? Musk spends billions on X to turn it into a far right platform waging war on Muslims and refugees - a distraction from the real problems facing us. Global warming will kill Christians and Muslims alike. It has no consideration for creed or ethics. SustainableThe rich might be able to escape the worst ravages of a dying planet for a little longer but what shall it profit them if the basis of human civilisation collapses but their families can live for a few decades underground eating freeze dried foods? The death cult logic traps the politicians and business leaders in its grasp and provides no way out - they can literally imagine - even plan for - the end of the world before the end of capitalism. What are we to make of the drive to blot out the sun to slow down global warming? As someone on social media pointed out, they would rather fight the sun than make meaningful changes to an economy driven by profit and extraction.Thankfully the rest of us can imagine a world beyond capitalism - and we can campaign to make it happen. We can imagine a society based on a democratic plan of the economy, where we produce for need not market share, where we aren’t reckless about the future but prioritise a sustainable life on a healthy world. RiseWe can have a society built on universal provision of services, where the economy is collectively owned and there is no rich or poor, there is enough for everyone and we measure progress on human happiness not on individual wealth accumulation at the expense of others. Even if runaway global warming makes life on earth much more difficult and precarious, an ecosocialist society is the only realistic way to ensure the best possible conditions for survival.The climate crisis is not separate from the decline in living standards or the genocidal violence in places like Gaza or Sudan. It is all linked.The fight for humans to live, to breathe, to have the best quality of life possible, is a fight against all the powers and principalities of imperialism, colonialism and capitalism.Our current economic system is a nexus of doom for life on Earth and that can be hard for people to accept because it can only lead to revolutionary consequences. But that is the reality we face, and the challenge of our times which we must rise to meet.This AuthorSimon Hannah is the author of Reclaiming The Future: A Beginners Guide to Planning the Economy, (Pluto 2024); A Party with Socialists in it: A History of the Labour Left and System Crash: An Activist Guide to Making Revolution. He is a union activist and a member of Anti-Capitalist Resistance.
