Morning Comrades!
Much, if not the entire conceptual backbone to this project was always to not tackle the mundane but focus on what is important. I am sure many of you remember the various takes I have done on the old “Everybody Talks About The Weather” posters but seeing that this week alone, we are facing the direct results of climate change here in Europe, a few words, indeed, about the weather.
As always and as with every week, let’s start with the pleasant part of this newsletter, Weekly Jams 149 is out now for everyone to enjoy.
Another 3hour jam session across too many genres with no fillers and just bangers. It is interesting how the week played out musically, mostly because I was either in our kitchen or food truck every day so the music choices are not entirely mine, well, they are but I did try and not drive my colleagues crazy, but you’ll catch on to that when you go through this one. Enjoy.
Also, I am leaving the online tip jar open this week for anyone that wants to say thanks but doesn’t want to sign up for a monthly subscription to help navigate this jungle of bills, lawyers and feeding the spawn. A massive thank you to everyone that donated last week, my thanks are beyond words at this point.
Climate Crisis
Well, looks like the scientists were right once again, even if their predictions in regards to the timeline was a little of in regards to climate change becoming a genuine threat, yup, they were right.
For those readers unaware or you are not living in Europe, the Western part of this continent is already in and / or bracing for a week of temperatures that are a genuine threat to health as well as being extremely destructive to their environment. Several hundred people have already died in the south west of Europe, there are massive wildfires, draughts as well as unfathomable threats to every harvest across the continent.
A few thoughts on it all. There is no doubt in my mind that the radical change in climate around the world is man-made and a direct effect of our economic concept called capitalism. Any social construct that is based on growth within a habitat with finite resources will leave nothing but destruction, destitution and inequality. Unless we change our material relationship with our habitat this will not be a “crisis” but a reality. Additionally, this is a systemic reality of capitalism and no amount of individual feel good action propagated by the exact tools of planetary destruction will change this.
The word “crisis” is wrong to use here in any case, as crisis’ are momentary events of problems and this change in climate is not over when this heat wave over Europe dissipates, on the contrary. The mid- to long term effects of this change in climate are truly horrifying and that’s unfortunately on the tip of the iceberg, pun absolutely intended.
Additionally, and yes, this reality affects us this week, but the effects of a human-unfriendly ( that is putting it lightly ) climate change has already been a deadly reality for millions of people in the Global South, that have been screaming for decades that we, especially, here in the Global North West have to address these issues as we imposed this reality on them. If you think that Europe literally building fences around its borders and letting thousands of people drown in the Mediterranean yearly has anything to do with the fact that “our” lives here is better than elsewhere, please re-think the reality that if your home becomes unliveable, you will leave and try to go somewhere where you can live. That has been a species wide reality for hundreds of thousands of years. The issue of migration due to climate change, and the Global North Wests Capitalistic response ( read, racist and deadly as fuck ) is not some niche, anti-capitalist topic either, this is from the World Bank directly:
The fact is, as long as we allow the one percent, their puppets in our respective governments with their death squadrons called the police to continue with capitalism the life we know and knew will be no more, and we will kill off this planet within generations. Important to note that it is not the Communists that are saying we should try a different approach in regards to our relationship with the planet but the Climate Scientists, who, as usual, are right when it comes to these things. As it stands I tend to believe scientists over politicians etc - but when even proto-capitalist pr machines like the Guardian are reporting on this recommendation from said scientists, things, must, indeed be bad.
This brings me to my last point, for now in any case, in regards to this reality. Within marxist and communist theory ( and action ) even the realities of climate change are addressed through the lens of class, and they are not wrong. However, and considering the pace of destruction it is no longer adequate to “seize the means of production” - a crucial if not the most crucial step towards the liberation from capitalism but to also re-think and re-do said means. To be clear, climate change and destruction will absolutely remain and continue to be the biggest threat to our collective existance no matter who owns the “means of production”. Luckily for all of us this is already being discussed, attempted and worked on by people smarter than me and whilst I am as scared of the coming years I will not give in to despair.
Here are some most excellent resources on how we, collectively, can ensure not only the end of the dictatorship of capitalism but also a future that is sustainable for all living creatures on this planet, and the planet itself.
These aren’t in any order of importance, but, if you are going to go through these, do yourself a favour and start here.
Obviously, there is heaps and heaps more but I found these to be great starting points in regards to not only understanding what is happening but what to do about it. None of this is theoretical anymore, capitalism is already deep into its death throes and will take us all with us unless we get up, get together and say fuck no. Yes we will seize the means of everything and then we need to urgently do the gnarliest 180 this planet has seen. A tall order to be sure, but absolutely doable.
Let’s start today.
Thank you for your time, attention and support, yours without compromise,
V.