I’ve gone to Judson Memorial Church to hear Dr. Richard Wolff live, and listen to all of his weekly Economic Updates. I’m terrified by climate change, yet the global economic system (colluding with governments) insists upon the greater threat being carbon based “stranded assets.”

Meanwhile capitalist, neoliberal “fixes,” like hedge-funded wind and solar, put the profits of their investors first while denying/ignoring their external costs. “Fixes” designed to disenfranchise invaded communities openly deny the potential consequences engraved in binding contracts. Furthermore, they often disregard community needs by opting for new construction in remote areas rather than relying on existing infrastructure of plumbing, sewer, and vacant buildings/rooves close to established population centers.

When remote, more pastoral community members close to new industrial sized project sites cry foul, they are labeled backwards and selfish by “green” proponents who dominate the narrative with slander. Worse, otherwise well meaning opponents to climate change, remotely, by into that narrative.

By contrast, a cooperative paradigm would not tolerate disenfranchisement of “the locals” because the “fix” would have to benefit their community. Moreover, in the absence of immediate pain brought on by external forces, smaller, distant communities are more likely to voluntarily address concerns, like climate change, that seem deceptively remote.

In a broader sense, while life on this planet pleads for global solidarity to cooperate with built in, natural, ecological forces, the capitalist system continues to fiscally reward those who compete and “win” while denying responsibility for the “losers” it blames.

Ultimately, a capitalist system hinders empathy while seeking reward from perceived virtue.