Steyer is firmly convinced that climate change can be solved within the confines of capitalism. The solutions of the staunch left he describes as “panic.”
He’s wrong. Capitalism’s core principle is to take more from the system than you put in, to get maximum profit from maximally small expense. Slavery is a prime example of capitalism. Monopolies and robber barons are a prime example of capitalism. Maximizing short-term profits over the long-term future of the planet is a prime example of capitalism.
We are panicked, because most of us don’t have thousands of lifetimes worth of money to insulate us from the effects of climate change, and we still see and experience the effects of climate change that Steyer has also seen first hand.
I agree that we need more regulation, but that’s because capitalism is the problem. You certainly can’t incentivize the changes needed with a carrot of money, because the capitalists’ aim is to take the carrot and laugh at you all the way to the bank.
There’s no way to avoid the stick of regulations, but if he wants an economic system that is more likely to promote the broader social good, it’s going to be socialism at a minimum. Until capitalists can demonstrate how their favorite economic system has any mechanism to self-regulate human greed, pointing only to regulation (which comes from legislators who historically can be easily bought by lobbyists) is just an indictment of that system.
Must be nice to be independently wealthy and delusional, but at least he is willing to fund groups who are trying to make a difference in spite of capitalism.
He’s wrong. Capitalism’s core principle is to take more from the system than you put in, to get maximum profit from maximally small expense. Slavery is a prime example of capitalism. Monopolies and robber barons are a prime example of capitalism. Maximizing short-term profits over the long-term future of the planet is a prime example of capitalism.
We are panicked, because most of us don’t have thousands of lifetimes worth of money to insulate us from the effects of climate change, and we still see and experience the effects of climate change that Steyer has also seen first hand.
I agree that we need more regulation, but that’s because capitalism is the problem. You certainly can’t incentivize the changes needed with a carrot of money, because the capitalists’ aim is to take the carrot and laugh at you all the way to the bank.
There’s no way to avoid the stick of regulations, but if he wants an economic system that is more likely to promote the broader social good, it’s going to be socialism at a minimum. Until capitalists can demonstrate how their favorite economic system has any mechanism to self-regulate human greed, pointing only to regulation (which comes from legislators who historically can be easily bought by lobbyists) is just an indictment of that system.
Must be nice to be independently wealthy and delusional, but at least he is willing to fund groups who are trying to make a difference in spite of capitalism.