The call to "de-fund the police" has gained momentum as the protests grow into a second week. The demand includes taking the funds that most city and state budgets apply to policing and divert a portion of those funds to social provision- "community based programs" such as affordable housing,food, arts, you name it. This is the justice piece, the re-distributive piece, and commentators are calling on climate justice advocates to support these demands in solidarity.
What could possibly be problematic with this approach? Well...I believe it actually sends the dangerous message that fixing the climate crisis is simply a matter of budget priorities. That there is an equivalence between this "social justice" issue (racist cops) and the climate justice issue. This is how Alec Connon puts it in a piece for Commondreams:
"Climate activists could do well to remember that every dollar we spend on funding the police is a dollar not spent on mental health programs, social workers, rehabilitation programs, education, the arts, and funding local Green New Deal programs"
See the equivalence? In actuality, Bernie's GND proposal was 19 trillion dollars and we all know that is just the tip of the iceberg. Even he failed to articulate the radical change that will be required, which has nothing to do with moving a few dollars around in city budgets. Alec explains how city budgets are "moral documents" but this entire framework is the liberal vision of a kinder, gentler "democratic" capitalism with progressive taxation and moral budgets. This vision falls far short of what will be required and you might as well be straight-up honest (radical)about it. The climate clock keeps ticking as the protesters keep marching.
All the talk of "Just Transition" and "non-reformist reforms" simply dances around this question of honesty in messaging. Those better-budgeting types of demands make those of us calling for structural change look like bomb throwers, unrealistic and unhelpful. But we are just being honest.
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