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
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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