Global Warming As A Satirical Weapon

Manipulating the Chardonnay Set

In his dystopian novel, 1984 George Orwell describes how the State had become perpetually at war.  Or, more accurately, the State maintained a facade or pretense of perpetual war in order to justify and maintain totalitarian controls over its citizens.  

The reigning ideology was socialism; the resultant system was called English Socialism (or Ingsoc).  Orwell's brilliant perception, on display in this novel, still leaves us in disbelief today.  How did he see things so clearly?  One of the reasons--probably the prime reason--Orwell's novel is still breathtaking is that it speaks accurately about corrupt regimes and corrupt politics in today's world, well over a half-century later.

One "tell" is the way Western leaders and politicians attempt to paint a picture of  perpetual crisis.  Serious dangers and threats are on every hand.  You, the voter, must support us else we will all be engulfed in a conflagration of suffering.  More often that not, folk buy into the narrative of  the calamity-of-the-day--which is entirely understandable and expected.  We are wired for grand narratives, of fights against good and evil, of waging war against evil and overcoming by means of commitment, courage, and resolve.  Ever since the Fall, mankind has been "wired" thus.

But our present situation is ideally made for hucksters.
 Think about how presidential candidate, Donald Trump has painted the present state of America in the most apocalyptic of colours.  Think about how Hillary Clinton has hectored the nation with images of inequity, injustice, exploitation, and evil on every side.

In New Zealand we have similar phenomena.  We are constantly assailed by politicians (usually on Opposition benches) telling us that we are in crisis as a nation, and that we need a new government that can move and govern in "crisis mode".  The media love it.  Sensational headlines and faux crises attract eyeballs and sell newspapers.  And the Chattering Classes also thoroughly enjoy it.  There is nothing like sitting at the cafe, sipping on chardonnay, and beguiling one another with tales of impending doom and horror proclaimed in the media just that day.  Shivering at the threat, and yet speaking boldly against the evil is the Devil's parody on true courage and holy causes.  The chardonnay warrior can go down to his house at the end of the day affirmed in his own courageousness and self-righteousness.

Liam Hehir writes:

Many of our opinion-makers seem to be of the view that New Zealand is in the grip of a great crisis. Looking back through the news this year, we have seen the proclamation of a manufacturing crisis, an agriculture crisis, a regional economy crisis, a trust in politicians crisis, a healthcare budget crisis, a mental health crisis, an income inequality crisis, a wealth inequality crisis, an obesity crisis, a teacher recruitment crisis, a log-supply crisis, a water crisis and a casual racism crisis.

This is to say nothing of the Auckland housing crisis, which absorbs at least three-quarters of public debate these days. This crisis is so bad the opposition wants to declare a "state of emergency" over the matter. Previous states of emergency have been declared over the destruction of our second city in 2011 and the worst strike in our history in 1951 – which gives you a good idea about how serious some people consider this crisis to be.

With the country in the grip of so many crises, you could probably expect us to be at the brink of secession, civil war, economic collapse or irresolvable constitutional impasse.  [Stuff]

Of course none of the "crises" listed above are genuine calamities.  They are faux crises, or social problems exaggerated beyond measure to pander to the self-righteousness of politicians and culture warriors.  They are also an attempt to win acceptance and support for a replacement regime, together with a whole host of new rules, regulations, controls, statutes and laws.  Sharkey needs manufactured crises to make people sufficiently afraid, so as to justify Sharkey taking control of the Shire, with the people's support and approbation.

The end result is that everyone feels better, safer, and, above all more righteous.  Hehir puts these faux-crises into perspective this way:

We seem to have some kind of emotional need to be outraged or fearful about things. So when there are fewer catastrophes to fret about, we just lower the threshold. We elevate the difficulties we face to the status of a crisis so we can be happily miserable.

Remember the summer of the shark? That was the year the media worked itself into a frenzy over shark attacks after an 8-year-old boy was attacked in Florida? When further attacks were reported, an "epidemic" was declared, despite the fact the number of incidents fell squarely within the normal range.

We stopped worrying about the shark menace when, just a couple of months later, hijacked planes slammed into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. All of a sudden the "shark crisis" was put into perspective.  

Ironically, the best way to combat this sort of nonsense is, more manufactured crises.  Just as inflating the currency devalues its worth, so the more crises-du-jour we have, the less believable they all become.  Our modern hucksters need to be confronted not with less faux crises, but more of them--many more.  That's how the global warming "crisis" has gone up in a puff of smoke, as it were.  It was too big.  It created too many crises.  It touched far too many human activities.  It became a joke (amongst the righteous cynics) or wearisome amongst the Chatterers.

Free people can now "weaponise" Global Warming and use it to good effect.  Imagine the chardonnay-sippers at the after-work happy hour.  The discourse is grim.  Brows are furrowed.  "This housing crisis, it's terrible!"  Nods all around.  Consolation sips aplenty.  Suddenly someone pipes up: "Hey, the housing crisis is nothing.  Have you forgotten about Global Warming?  We are all going to die"  How's that for a sarcastic reality check!  It's a rare case when more is less.

What a wonderful tool Global Warming has become--a profoundly ironic weapon--to confront the idiocy of a superficial society shivering and simpering over a new crisis every day.