COP17 – The Age of Stupid

I have just recently watched this movie, “Age of Stupid”. The message in the movie was clear but it was too gimicky for me – flashbacks from a future damaged by the stupidity that has produced climate change and hasn’t got the sense to attempt repair. I wanted to put the movie on my blog but I had nothing much to say about it. And then this week (December 5,6,7,8,9 Democracy Now has been at the “Conference of Polluters”, go to the website to download the progs. What is clear is that the conference is being stupid. Whilst small island nations arrive and tell the world that climate change is drowning them, no-one is listening – listening with regards to climate change means deep listening means change. When Africa says it is feeling climate change, no-one deep listens – only the intellect registers it on the surface. When the science committee says you have to act now there is no deep listening to the science. Meanwhile the West who have caused most of the pollution do not have the respect to send senior delegates and then they block meaningful accords. The Age of Stupid politics run by the 1% – the Polluters. On December 9 we saw a clip of the clearest example of absolute stupidity:- James Inhofe was originally supposed to be at the climate talks representing the US, but he sent this video. Such a level of arrogance and rudeness, despite the ignorance he showed in what he said. Galactically stupid! At least in the same programme (Democracy Now on Dec 9) a student stood up and told them like it is:- All my life I have listened to people saying there is no point to such talk. Anjali Appadurai was being unrealistic. So how about all the compromising that people have done? How has that helped? Party lines have forced me personally to support crass positions. In general people have subverted their ideals because they are being unrealistic. They are not being unrealistic. they are being used as a scapegoat. Pick on the extremist so that we ignore the 1%. How often do we actually say the 1% are the problem? Mostly we don’t we cloud our talks in euphemism. It is time to stand up and stop playing their games. Withdraw. In a strike we withdraw labour because they profit from that labour. That right has effectively been withdrawn by globalisation. but they still want our money – withdraw it. they still want their credibility – withdraw it. They don’t represent us. We do not live in democracies. Withdraw. How much are the Labour party and the Democrats held together by activists? Withdraw. Maybe we vote for the Democrats and Labour but don’t do their work. Let Occupy save peoples’ homes, Occupiers used to be grass roots Democrats – withdraw. Stick with Occupy. Anjali is not unrealistic, they just tell us she is. It would be easy for business to cut their emissions. It would be easy for business to participate in a green economy. they just have to accept less profit. Businesses are top-down structures. The CEO says control the emissions, and they are controlled. That is the end of it. We are unrealistic if we think that, by putting on a suit going to work doing what the boss says getting our salaries, paying for our mortgage, saving for our pension and living without problems, this way of life is still going to work. We will get screwed and dumped. There is a crisis caused by banksters, and they take our pensions. And that is now. In 50 years it will be worse. Do you think your children’s pensions will be safe? You are being unrealistsic. Anjali – keep the straight talk. Occupy keep the straight talk and consensus. Let’s stand up with the straight talk. No more euphemisms.