Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
Naomi Klein’s new book, On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal, has one crippling flaw—it’s inspiring. At this moment in history, inspiring talk about solutions to multiple, cascading ecological crises is dangerous.
Despite my various friendly critiques here, it goes without saying that Naomi Klein is one of the most important figures on the radical left today. There are few other activists who are able to make radical arguments that are read by so many and taken seriously in the mainstream.
How did a man like Donald J. Trump get to be president? And how on earth can his dangerous agenda be fought? For those burning questions, a forthcoming book described as “the toolkit for shock resistance” could well be an indispensable resource.
Naomi Klein: “We are told that selfishness and short-sightedness is part of human nature, which prevents us acting. This is not true and it steers us away from an analysis of our [capitalist] system. In fact, the fight for survival is human nature.”
Climate change denial is often decried for its destructiveness. But energy depletion dismissal – and by Naomi Klein of all people – could have consequences just as bad.
