New Yorker Article Claims We Need Gun Control, 'Draconian' Government To Prepare for 'Climate Apocalypse'
The left is nothing less than hysterical when it comes to climate change. Jonathan Franzen, a writer for The New Yorker, demonstrated that hysteria in a Sunday essay.
Franzen’s piece centers on the alarmist phrase “climate apocalypse.” It even features prominently in the subheading, which declares that “the climate apocalypse is coming.”
Why use such theatrical language?
The answer is simple: It’s a scare tactic.
If climate change will, indeed, bring about the apocalypse, who wouldn’t vote for every leftist policy aimed at stopping it?
So Franzen’s essay becomes, predictably, a paean to Democratic talking points.
“Any movement toward a more just and civil society can now be considered a meaningful climate action,” Franzen writes.
“Securing fair elections is a climate action. Combatting extreme wealth inequality is a climate action. Shutting down the hate machines on social media is a climate action.”
All of this sounds pretty good until you realize that no one was up in arms about “fair elections” until Donald Trump was elected president and that “extreme wealth inequality” is a phrase common to Democratic politicians.
In other words, “meaningful climate action” sounds a lot like “what Democrats want.”
Franzen doesn’t stop there.
“Instituting humane immigration policy, advocating for racial and gender equality, promoting respect for laws and their enforcement, supporting a free and independent press, ridding the country of assault weapons — these are are all meaningful climate actions.”
Again, Franzen tries to tie climate change to his own agenda. The meaning of “humane immigration policy” and “racial and gender equality” are unclear, but if his other ideas are any indication, they likely just refer to more leftist policies.
And let’s not forget about banning “assault weapons” — a made-up term with a nebulous definition.
What do all these issues have to do with climate? Nothing.
Franzen’s essay isn’t really about climate change; it’s about government control.
Don’t take my word for it, though. Franzen is refreshingly explicit in his call for increased federal authority.
“The first condition is that every one of the world’s major polluting countries institute draconian conservation measures, shut down much of its energy and transportation infrastructure, and completely retool its economy,” he writes.
This is why the right is wary when it comes to climate change proposals like the Green New Deal. We don’t hate the planet: We just don’t believe in “retooling” the entire economy.
Franzen even admits that the new economy would ruin our way of life.
“Overwhelming numbers of human beings, including millions of government-hating Americans, need to accept high taxes and severe curtailment of their familiar life styles without revolting.
“They must accept the reality of climate change and have faith in the extreme measures taken to combat it.”
There it is: A leftist urging conservatives to “have faith” in the government. Forgive me for my pessimism, but history hasn’t been too kind to people who had faith in their central governments.
Conservatives will not be so quick to turn over their rights and liberties to the government just because some people believe it’s the only way to save our planet.
Big government will not save us, and ramping up the apocalyptic rhetoric won’t convince us otherwise.
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