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   mekka okereke :verified: (mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 22-Jun-2024 21:36:49 JST mekka okereke :verified:

   See? This is why I'm a so called "climate doomer."

   1) Because fixing the climate requires reducing anti-Black racism, and letting Black folk in the US vote, but the US just does not want to do that. There is no viable path to making progress on climate change without reducing anti-Black racism. None.

   2) Because so many people will see headlines like this, and not even recognize the problem with it. China is doing the right thing! But we frame that as a negative.

   https://www.dw.com/en/from-solar-to-evs-how-china-is-overproducing-green-tech/a-68782157

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     mekka okereke :verified: (mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 22-Jun-2024 21:36:47 JST mekka okereke :verified:

     in reply to

     There are fewer than 50 people standing firmly in the way of *the entire world* making faster progress on climate change. All of these 50 people are US citizens. All of them are politicians. They are the president, a few governors, but most of them are senators and representatives.

     No one else matters. No one.

     You cannot change the minds of these politicians. It's silly to think that you can. They. Don't. Care.

     But you can change these politicians, to get different minds making decisions. 👍🏿

     GreenSkyOverMe (Monika) repeated this.
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     mekka okereke :verified: (mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 22-Jun-2024 21:36:48 JST mekka okereke :verified:

     in reply to

     The US has politicians that want to make the exact same subsidy decisions that China did. The silly part: It's not even an *increase* in subsidies, or a cost to the economy, or an increase in taxes. It's just a *change* in what we subsidize, and it boosts the economy, and taxes can stay the same, and in some cases, decrease.

     The US has those politicians, and Black people try to vote for them. Try, but fail. 🤷🏿♂️

     The most effective "climate protest," is registering Black people in the US to vote.

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     mekka okereke :verified: (mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 22-Jun-2024 21:36:48 JST mekka okereke :verified:

     in reply to

     I'm not saying don't protest for the climate. I'll never tell people not to protest.

     I'm just saying, it's silly to vote for the wrong politicians, dudes who literally own coal mines, and want coal to increase, but then kayak up to their yacht and beg them not to do that.

     I'm just saying, voting for the wrong people, then throwing soup on paintings, is kinda silly.

     80% of people already want faster progress on climate change. Protesting to push that to 90% isn't going to change anything.

     GreenSkyOverMe (Monika) repeated this.
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     GreenSkyOverMe (Monika) (greenskyoverme@ohai.social)'s status on Saturday, 22-Jun-2024 21:38:53 JST GreenSkyOverMe (Monika)

     in reply to

     @mekkaokereke German FDP politician Christian Lindner also tries his hardest to prevent investment in renewable energy, laws that would prohibit oil/gas heating etc. He does not deny global warming, but money / the economy is more important to him.

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     mark (atleagle@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 22-Jun-2024 22:02:05 JST mark

     in reply to

     @mekkaokereke "unfair competition"

     Using massive govt resources to try to make the world a better place. The framing of competition sucks and you are 100% correct.

     I have taken stock beats because of China's "cheating" , but I have taken quite a few on the insider nonsense that exists within the US. Plenty of people are only against cheating because they weren't able to do it as well

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     mark (atleagle@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 22-Jun-2024 22:11:01 JST mark

     in reply to

     @mekkaokereke the reason I really hate our system, is that there are actually much fewer than these 50 people in the way. It's the national committee's policies that remove our choices and continue allowing bad policy. Democrats refuse to support primary challenges, so the only way to improve a dem is by allowing a republican to win a term. RNC is a trump mob money laundering firm now.

     We don't get to vote for who leads the *NCs, or participate in their policy unless we are already elite

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     mark (atleagle@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 22-Jun-2024 23:04:55 JST mark

     in reply to

     • brinnbelyea

     @brinnbelyea @mekkaokereke the first 2 years of Biden did produce several things that finally started turning against trickle down. So we did get some baby steps. I would just like more candidates like the squad, and less like Joe Manchin.

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     brinnbelyea (brinnbelyea@fosstodon.org)'s status on Saturday, 22-Jun-2024 23:04:56 JST brinnbelyea

     in reply to

     • mark

     @ATLeagle @mekkaokereke

     The DNC is just making sure that we choose the right kind of candidate, a neoliberal, who understands that corporate America and investor needs come first instead of the kind of candidate who would help people. The DNC people know more about stuff than the voters do and have the right to do this, just ask them about it.

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     mekka okereke :verified: (mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 22-Jun-2024 23:05:32 JST mekka okereke :verified:

     in reply to

     • mark

     @ATLeagle

     Facts! I wish I could boost this multiple times!

     Describes the problem so succinctly.

     The filibuster is a necessary tool *for centrist Democrats* to prevent challenges from the left.

     Those candidates to the left are the ones that the Black voters really want.

     That's where the climate change results are. That's where the bike lanes are. That's where the affordable housing is. That's where the labor rights are. That's where the police reform is.

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     mark (atleagle@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 22-Jun-2024 23:06:38 JST mark

     in reply to

     @mekkaokereke the political theory that says people can vote for whoever they want as long as the elite control who is on the ballot is so cynical yet so true

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     mark (atleagle@mastodon.online)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 00:56:50 JST mark

     in reply to

     • P J Evans has moved to mas.to

     @PJ_Evans @mekkaokereke if you want to keep improving then you have to allow challengers. Otherwise we end up having to go backwards to have a chance to improve, or end up with a party of octagenerians that advanced society 40 years ago.

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     P J Evans has moved to mas.to (pj_evans@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 00:56:51 JST P J Evans has moved to mas.to

     in reply to

     • mark

     @ATLeagle @mekkaokereke
     You don't get all of it. It is not the job of the party to support challengers to incumbents (unless the incumbent is really really bad).

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     mark (atleagle@mastodon.online)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 03:52:52 JST mark

     in reply to

     • Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     @tob @mekkaokereke this perfectly points to the original premise of the conversation. People who were tired of the same old thing were energized by a chance to change things, even if they didnt thinknthe changes were a great idea. The people on the left who would like to change things can't get to the ballots

     The Dems needed Manchin on their team just to have ownership of committees. They choose to live on this slim margin instead of an actual progressive platform that may bring out more voters

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     Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm: (tob@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 03:52:53 JST Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     in reply to

     • mark

     @mekkaokereke @ATLeagle fair enough, everything is a matter of perspective.

     You could argue that the alt-right is a response to the fecklessness of mainstream Republicans to the perceived progressive shift by the Democrats.

     Not saying Dems shouldn't have shifted, not saying blue dogs presented a viable long term stance, just talking about the things that we know happened.

     Did electing republicans produce a more progressive outcome?

     No. No it did not.

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     Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm: (tob@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 03:52:54 JST Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     in reply to

     • mark

     @mekkaokereke @ATLeagle The wipeout of the blue dogs created space for the freedom caucus loons, which provided the core political support within the party for Trump's primary run.

     Refusing to acknowledge the political power of the white christianist vote does not make it disappear.

     A large number of people in this country live in depopulated states and don't want the future that you and I do. Whether that's reduced fossil fuels or an end to the carceral state.

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     mekka okereke :verified: (mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 03:52:54 JST mekka okereke :verified:

     in reply to

     • mark
     • Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     @tob @ATLeagle

     Correlation causation.

     The shift from "conservative" dems to rabid right wing republicans didn't *cause* the rise of Trump.

     Both of those things are symptoms of the rise of the alt-right, an explicitly white nationalist political movement. Trump was just "the alt-right candidate." He didn't create the movement. He was just the last puzzle piece.

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     mekka okereke :verified: (mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 03:52:55 JST mekka okereke :verified:

     in reply to

     • mark
     • Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     @tob @ATLeagle

     Selective memory makes Dems always remember when progressive candidates lose, but never remember when tepid, centrist candidates lose. 🤷🏿♂️

     They always remember when centrist candidates win, but never remember victories for AOC, Bowman, or other progressives, overcome huge spending gaps to win.

     We act surprised when the candidates whose policies are you really are supported by 80% of voters, win by landslides.

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     mekka okereke :verified: (mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 03:52:55 JST mekka okereke :verified:

     in reply to

     • mark
     • Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     @tob @ATLeagle

     And that's not what enabled the rise of Trumpism.

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     Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm: (tob@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 03:52:56 JST Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     in reply to

     • mark

     @ATLeagle @mekkaokereke The loss of those blue dogs enabled the rise of Trumpism, including climate denialism, which directly led to (among other things) the overturn of Roe v Wade.

     As a practical matter, your sacrificial model of politics is a complete failure.

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     Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm: (tob@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 03:52:57 JST Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     in reply to

     • mark

     @ATLeagle @mekkaokereke The premise here is that the DNC (ok... not them. The *real* DNC that controls everything in smoky backrooms) is the reason there isn't a progressive anti-coal candidate in WV to replace Manchin?

     At the start of this decade, voters replaced a lot of conservative democrats (so called "blue dogs") with rabidly right-wing Republicans. In no small part a response to electing a black President (thanks DNC!).

     The result was a dramatic rightward lurch in our politics.

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     mark (atleagle@mastodon.online)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 05:23:28 JST mark

     in reply to

     • Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     @tob @mekkaokereke I don't like this tone. Clichés on a character limited platform??? Omg

     Please don't shift the topic, this isn't twitter. The ballots I speak of would be on the 2 party system. Yes, people could start their own party, but that isn't what we were talking about. Progressives can't get on a dem ballot, because the party simply won't allow new faces.

     Get rid of the suppression, energize voters, and WV can elect the republican they want, as there will be 65 dems in the senate

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     Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm: (tob@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 05:23:29 JST Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     in reply to

     • mark

     @ATLeagle @mekkaokereke The Dems need Manchin because there's not enough progressive votes in Texas and Florida.

     There's nothing behind your cliches.

     "People who were tired of the same old thing were energized to change things."

     Which people? Tired of what? Energize in what way? Change things how?

     Why can't people on the left get on ballots? All you need is the requisite number of signatures.

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     Jake Hildreth (acorn) :blacker_heart_outline: (horse@infosec.exchange)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 08:26:02 JST Jake Hildreth (acorn) :blacker_heart_outline:

     in reply to

     • Aviva Gary

     @mekkaokereke @Aviva_Gary People (read: rich, white) will just move to the poles and talk about how sad they are that so many people had to die.

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     Aviva Gary (aviva_gary@noc.social)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 08:26:03 JST Aviva Gary

     in reply to

     @mekkaokereke I suspect you are like me...

     There will be people and a civilization but the form that takes might be completely different from what we might think it is in the future

     Not sure this is doomerism but I wish more people understood all the problems are connected and your problem is my problem and we should try to fix it and we can start by going after one problem

     like eating an elephant (local expression) 🤔

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     mekka okereke :verified: (mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 08:26:03 JST mekka okereke :verified:

     in reply to

     • Aviva Gary

     @Aviva_Gary

     Yeah, I don't think the world will end, or civilisation will completely collapse, or anything. I just think we'll be sitting there at 3.5 degrees of warming, on our way to 4 degrees, and just... sorta accepting it?

     Accepting flash floods, crop failures, wet bulb disasters, climate migration, regional government instability, and generally increased mortality.

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     Karuna V (karunax@paktodon.asia)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 13:54:15 JST Karuna V

     in reply to

     • Oggie

     @Oggie @mekkaokereke
     A phenomenal growth is expected in EVs over the next few years - and the fact that the Govt has no plans to expand the electricity grid to cater for the increased charging needs means an accompanying demand in solar charging at home. Current "capacity" is nowhere near enough. https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/energy-utilities-resources/library/ev-charging-power-and-utilities.html

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     Oggie (oggie@woof.group)'s status on Sunday, 23-Jun-2024 13:54:16 JST Oggie

     in reply to

     @mekkaokereke The framing in the headline is something. 'overproducing' makes it seem like there is a set amount that should be created, and more than that is inherently 'too much', because the concept of more than the minimum is crazy.

     It's priming people to certain mindsets right from the get go, via implication that there is an absolute set appropriate amount of 'green stuff's to worry about.

     carl marks repeated this.
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     𝓐𝓷𝓭𝔂𝓣𝓲𝓮𝓭𝔂𝓮 𓀤 (andytiedye@sfba.social)'s status on Monday, 24-Jun-2024 04:19:19 JST 𝓐𝓷𝓭𝔂𝓣𝓲𝓮𝓭𝔂𝓮 𓀤

     in reply to

     • mark
     • Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     @mekkaokereke @tob @ATLeagle What can be done about it? The courts are no help anymore. My friends who live and teach school there are despairing and talking about moving.

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     mark (atleagle@mastodon.online)'s status on Monday, 24-Jun-2024 04:19:19 JST mark

     in reply to

     • Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:
     • 𝓐𝓷𝓭𝔂𝓣𝓲𝓮𝓭𝔂𝓮 𓀤

     @andytiedye @mekkaokereke @tob expanding the Supreme Court and restoring the voting rights act would have been good. Amazingly, voting access is seen as too partisan of an issue, and nobody had the pull to shove it through 3 years ago when it would have really helped

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     mekka okereke :verified: (mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io)'s status on Monday, 24-Jun-2024 04:19:20 JST mekka okereke :verified:

     in reply to

     • mark
     • Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     @tob @ATLeagle

     "Not enough progressive votes in Texas" that's just not true. There are more than enough progressive votes in Texas. Texas voter suppression is next level.

     This is exactly my point. Climate activists could be focused on this as well as protests. Both are important.

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     𝓐𝓷𝓭𝔂𝓣𝓲𝓮𝓭𝔂𝓮 𓀤 (andytiedye@sfba.social)'s status on Monday, 24-Jun-2024 05:59:08 JST 𝓐𝓷𝓭𝔂𝓣𝓲𝓮𝓭𝔂𝓮 𓀤

     in reply to

     • mark
     • Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:

     @ATLeagle @mekkaokereke @tob Manchin and Sinema made those impossible.

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     mark (atleagle@mastodon.online)'s status on Monday, 24-Jun-2024 05:59:08 JST mark

     in reply to

     • Tom Bellin :picardfacepalm:
     • 𝓐𝓷𝓭𝔂𝓣𝓲𝓮𝓭𝔂𝓮 𓀤

     @andytiedye @mekkaokereke @tob yep. I suspect there were others that were happy with the result and with letting those two take the blame

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     Bernd Paysan R.I.P Natenom 🕯️ (forthy42@mastodon.net2o.de)'s status on Monday, 24-Jun-2024 06:00:45 JST Bernd Paysan R.I.P Natenom 🕯️

     in reply to

     • Dallas (Join Something IRL)

     @1dalm @mekkaokereke The US and Germany currently produce a total of 1.1% solar silicon, less than Vietnam. China's “overproduction” (which is still not enough) is exported, as well.

     Under Biden, fossil fuel extraction by the US increased quite a lot. That stuff ends up in the air. Yes, Biden also does something. But nowhere near a net positive effect.

     As said, the US should outspend China. Increase the taxes on whatever burns fossil stuff. Increase more. Spent that on renewables.

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     Dallas (Join Something IRL) (1dalm@deacon.social)'s status on Monday, 24-Jun-2024 06:00:46 JST Dallas (Join Something IRL)

     in reply to

     @mekkaokereke

     I agree with your general premise, that climate justice is directly connected to anti-racism.

     But there are a lot of reasons to be more optimistic than you are here:

     1) Our current president gets it. He signed the largest pro-climate spending bill of any nation in the world ever. We need to do more faster, but it's not nothing. Biden is worth supporting.

     2) By every reasonable metric we are making positive progress on the problem. We need to do more faster.

     3) China's over production isn't for the West so it doesn't matter how we frame it here. They are over producing and sending the products around the world. The cost of oil is one of the biggest things keeping poor nations poor. Every kilowatt of renewable power helps to alleviate that disparity.

     4) Every kilowatt of renewable power installed reduces the political power of those 50 people you cite (and they are certainly not all Americans).

     mark repeated this.