What is Eco-socialism?
Eco-socialism is an ideology centered around the belief in a green, eco-friendly socialist future. Eco-socialism recognizes that capitalism, and its exploitation of the world's natural resources for the purpose of profit, is the main driver behind not only environmental collapse, but mass poverty and war.
Ecology on its own defines the relationships between living organisms and their environment. While ecology examines the fast decline, it does not accurately explain why or provide a valid solution. Socialism provides a framework to analyze the conditions that perpetuate ecological disaster. A system that requires solutions to benefit an ever shrinking capitalist class will cause even well researched solutions to fail.
Precedented Times
"Terrible things are happening outside. At any time of night and day, poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes ... Families are torn apart: men, women and children are separated. Children come home from school to find their parents have disappeared."
I wish I could say that we lived in unprecedented times. I wish I could say that we had learned from history instead of allowing it to repeat in all the worst ways. I wish I could say that the great evils of our past are forever buried in their graves along with the men who committed them. But if I said that, it would be ignoring an unfortunate truth— that the above quote, while all too reminiscent of current events, is not a recent statement about what is happening in America today. It was taken from The Diary of Anne Frank.
When I first learned about the Holocaust back in middle school, one of the things that struck me most was the complacency of the average person in 1930’s Germany. Like many kids, I had grown up with media about everyday people standing up against the forces of evil. I believed in the Luke Skywalkers and Frodo Bagginses of the world. Hearing that so many people did nothing to stop the atrocities happening right before their eyes ignited a flame of anger within my childhood self. I was certain that if something like that happened in our society today, I would stand up and fight. I was certain that I would be joined by my friends and family, that we would form a united front and prevent evil from rising again. I was certain that we knew better than those who failed to stand up in the past.
Trump's Tariffs: Bad Idea, Worse Execution:
What even is a tariff?
A tariff is a tax put in place by the government on goods from a specific country or territory. This tax is paid by the importers of the goods. This usually means that the importer will either eat the cost of the tariff and have lower profit margins (which encourages businesses to work elsewhere to keep higher profit margins) or raise the costs of goods to keep the same profit margin. Contrary to the common misconception, the government of the country receiving the tariff does not pay the tariff. Like all taxes, the money made goes to the government. Tariffs increase the prices of goods and make the government money. Tariffs are just a hidden tax and therefore increasing tariffs and increasing taxes have virtually the same impact on the average working-class individual.