Sleepy Time Time

Now that decarbonization is woke we can sleep our way into the catastrophe. A flood here, a fire there, wake me when it's over. A conversation between Times Opinion deputy editor Patrick Healy and columnist David Wallace-Wells, where they try to parse the new climate "political" landscape, is instructive as to the liberal panic around this dreamscape. Although they avoided the word capitalism they did use the term spectacle. Although not in the Debordian sense. More like "it's a show you know". Wallace-Wells begins by claiming the U.S. is "neck deep in de-carbonization" then immediately contradicts himself by admitting how paltry the investment and progress actually is. And of course he gages "progress"by the number of EV's out there on the road. Healy posits the theory that Trump senses that "climate voters are on the ropes" ( there was virtually no mention of it during the capmpaigns) and he is using the moment to finish them off. Sorry 350, but it's for the best. Wallace-Wells tries to salvage some bit of hope by claiming conservatives may, following the LA fires, want to see "more done on the adap[tation and resilience side by government investment". More fire hydrants perhaps? That should save us. That and "fuel thinning", that is, white workers chopping down millions of acres of tinder-dry brush ( brown ones are all to be deported). Yes. Brilliant idea. Another source of "hope" for these liberals is that Trump recognizes a resource crisis and then wants to expedite the sourcing of critical minerals. And get rid of those pesky "permitting problems". So we can have unlimited electricty forever. Awesome. The fact is these liberals are also asleep to the fact that, as Naomi Klein observed, the Right is right; capitalism cannot solve the crisis that it created. Because the Right understands this inconvenient truth, it suggests sleep. A widely accepted alternative to all the anxiety (and thoughts of limits and relinquishment) that consciousness brings.