The Carbon Tax

An additional tax placed on carbon commodities does nothing to sort out the issue of how to stop damaging the environment stemming from modern production methods, our current way of life and most importantly what is revealed by the ensemble of social relations between human and humans and humans and nature which is that without people's empowerment, the road to progress is blocked. The carbon tax does not address the actual production process, who controls production, the aim of those in control, and the relations of production, especially those between the working class and those to whom workers sell their capacity to work and control the means of production and distribution.

Production under imperialism today, at a time a neo-liberal agenda prevails, is characterized by anarchy and violence. Opportunism is the name of the game and not only can nothing be consciously planned but, worse still, nothing can be brought under control on the basis of the imperialists' striving for hegemony on every front. In contrast, the central feature of a modern pro-social economy would be to meet the needs of people and protect the environment as a matter of course, something which can be achieved on the basis of scientific planning and a modern pro-social outlook that upholds social responsibility as a matter of course. Nobody can argue that this is what we have now.

Without economic planning imbued with a modern outlook of social responsibility, the environment cannot be saved nor the well-being of the people met. The cartel parties even boast that the economy is best left to the market where an invisible hand manages supply and demand and other issues. What they are saying in practice is that the people should leave the economy up to the most powerful private interests and their striving for control so as to make obscene windfall profits. What best serves their private interests for maximum profit further fuels the raging competition and wars with each other and the people to build their empires.

How can people humanize the social and natural environment when those in control are completely devoid of social responsibility because it conflicts with their private interests to squeeze maximum profit from the natural resources and their workers?

The environment in itself is not any kind of consideration to the oligarchs in control; life has proved that point decisively, especially in the development of the war economy and the constant waging of wars. The environment only becomes a consideration if the oligarchs can make oodles of money from it and become green billionaires like former U.S. vice-president Al Gore. Their outlook and aim are not to protect the environment and humanity from destruction but to become rich and build their empires in competition with other oligarchs.

Being forced to choose between a carbon tax or not is another one of those false choices the people are given, such as rival candidates of the cartel parties in elections where the people have to give up their own thinking, interests, agenda and voice. The Marxist-Leninist Party calls on the working people to reject that and instead initiate discussion which provides society with a different aim and renews the political process so that the people's claims on society are heeded. The material conditions have long since been brought into being by the working people to enable the economy to provide for their needs. The material conditions for the alternative in the form of an educated working class and modern processes of production and modern science and technology exist. The alternative is already in existence. Make the demand for social responsibility towards the people's well-being and to humanize the social and natural environment as the guide to action in Alberta ring out loud and clear. Do not take no for an answer. Do not permit those who do not uphold social responsibility to usurp power through electoral fraud!


This article was published in

Volume 49 Number 10 - March 23, 2019

Article Link:
The Carbon Tax


    

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