7-18-08, 9:52 am
Original source: The Guardian, Australia
In last week’s Guardian article on the Garnaut Report it is claimed that 'To meet the climate change crisis society must find and adopt new economic and political policies and a philosophy that is based on the needs of humanity as a whole. That philosophy is Marxism.'
But what precisely is the Marxist philosophy that is referred to here? Marx and Engels recognized that 'man himself is a product of Nature which has been developed in and along with its environment.' (Marx: A criticism of the Hegelian Philosophy of Law)
There is an inseparable link between human beings and nature. They are interconnected and the actions of people have their consequences in the natural world. That is what we are witnessing today in climate change. The hole in the ozone layer is a direct consequence of CO2 emissions by man. In turn, the hole in the ozone layer has led to climate changes.
Cause and effect
It is a classic example of cause and effect. Unless emissions are substantially reduced and then stopped altogether, the quantitative changes could lead to qualitative changes in the earth’s atmosphere, resulting in earth becoming uninhabitable for humankind and the other life forms inhabiting the planet.
This may seem to be so obvious that it is not worth repeating. Unfortunately these philosophical truths have not been understood by most political figures including many in the communist movement. There grew up the false idea that we could 'control' nature and be its 'master.' This is a repudiation of the concept of 'man himself [being] a product of Nature.' that Nature is the mother and father of us – not the other way around.
Although arriving at this conclusion about 150 years ago, neither Marx nor Engels and other communist philosophers developed this concept. They concentrated on applying Marxist philosophy to human society and the necessity to change the existing capitalist order.
New world outlook
Even though Engels wrote about a 'new world outlook', the emphasis was given to this concept as it applied to society rather than to the total relationship encompassing humanity and nature.
For its part, capitalism has never recognized or accepted the unity of Nature and society. Capitalist societies regarded natural resources as their private property that was there to be used and exploited for profit. Nature was savagely abused, exploited and desecrated and this attitude is not going to change.
To understand today’s society it is necessary to understand its roots in nature and to never isolate one from the other.
Unless this truth is recognized and applied humankind will lurch from one mistake to another even though, in the short term, climate change is mitigated and humanity pulled back from the edge of disaster. This is part of a 'new philosophical outlook' that must be adopted by humanity – applying Marxism and not distorting it in a one-sided way.
Kenneth Cameron, an American Marxist, makes a similar point in his book, Marxism – A Living Science. He writes: 'Although they [Marx and Engels] laid the foundation for dialectical materialism, its development was left almost entirely to Engels, Marx being occupied by Capital and his work with the [First] International. They clearly intended, however, for both aspects of their ‘world outlook’ to be considered together. … The importance of this emphasis on the scope of their total ‘outlook’ is especially clear today when the natural sciences are revealing new links between nature, people and society.' (p 162)
Advantages of socialism
This does not lessen the necessity of using the economic, social and political advantages of socialism to usher in a 'new world outlook' in human society if it is to survive.
The advantages of socialism include:
# The education of all in society in the values and truth of Marxist philosophy as it applies to both Nature and society.
# The long range planning of the use of resources taking into account the consequences of their use, using all the accumulated knowledge of science in making decisions.
# The public ownership of production enterprises and processes with production devoted to the needs of society as a whole. This is the only way to eliminate personal greed from the profligate use of resources and the abuse of nature in the production process.
# The eventual elimination of separate classes and the adoption of a 'new world outlook' which recognizes the 'common good' are alone capable of unifying society.
# Priority for the education of citizens in all branches of science and the phasing out of anti-scientific and obscurantist religious ideas and theories together with attitudes of confrontation, wars, violence and arrogant superiority.
International scheme
In his report Professor Garnaut says: 'An emissions trading scheme must be able to coexist and integrate with international emission markets as well as other financial, commodity and product markets in the domestic and international economies.' He claims that: 'Australia … can play a role in the emergence of an effective, international agreement'.
He has, thereby, recognized that climate change is a world-wide issue and that Nature has been changed by man’s activities over many decades.
The damage to the atmosphere that encircles the earth is creating floods and droughts, and is melting the Arctic and Antarctic ice caps resulting in the submergence of some island countries as the sea’s level rises. There are many other consequences. Everyone suffers these consequences in one way or another; no one can escape.
What solution?
The question is: what solution is both necessary and possible not only for Australia but internationally as well? Scientists have presented the facts and a number of schemes offering a solution are on the table. But, the recent G8 summit meeting of the world’s leading industrial countries and the major emitters came up with virtually nothing. Climate change sceptics are still in control!
Very few nations have adopted carbon emission trading schemes. Not even the US and Britain have taken that step. Russia and China made it clear at the G8 summit that they are not ready to join an international scheme saying that the developed industrialised nations have to accept a bigger load as they are the much bigger emitters.
In a list of 20 emitter countries per head of population China ranks 16th while India is ranked 20th. The US heads the list with Australia in third place after Canada. (Source Wikipedia)
No scheme will work if it is based on the national interests of any one country or group of countries. Nor will it work if it panders to capitalist market forces and the profit interests of the corporate world. This is the fatal flaw in the Garnaut Scheme. It is a corporate plan.
It could be inferred from the Garnaut Report that trading schemes based on 'market forces economics' are to be imposed on the rest of the world whether they like it or not. There is a certain arrogance in the Report and in remarks by some commentators. Such expectations will not be fulfilled.
Equals
Only a comprehensive emissions agreement negotiated by equals under the auspices of the United Nations and which is based on the interests and needs of all countries is going to be internationally acceptable. Any scheme based on the selfish needs of more powerful countries and the greed of corporations is not going to work.
By their unrestrained exploitation and rape of the earth’s resources, the corporations are mainly responsible for the current spiraling consequences of climate change. Those who have caused the crisis cannot be expected to now reverse their behaviour and put things right.
That is why 'a new world outlook' which accepts the interconnections between humanity and Nature and adopts objectives and principles of mutual benefit and the equality of all nations is the way to go. Capitalism cannot but socialism can.
From The Guardian, Australia
