Ecomodernists and Fascism
In this post I’m going to show how many accusations of environmentalists being anti-human would tar the accusers more. I’ll build up to the point by describing the accusers first.
Let me start by saying I love reading Steven Pinker’s books and wrote about him and them in my upcoming book, especially Better Angels of Our Nature (2011), which Bill Gates described as “the most inspiring book I’ve ever read,” and Enlightenment Now (2018), which Gates described as “not only the best book Pinker’s ever written. It’s my new favorite book of all time.”
Quoting from my book, Sustainability Simplified,
In these books, he claimed that while wars and violence still happen, we live in the most peaceful time in history and that today’s peace results from the Enlightenment values of “reason, science, humanism, and progress.” I began with skepticism but found he backed these claims up conclusively. I was impressed. Regarding the environment, he acknowledged problems, but promoted a movement called “ecomodernism,” that promotes applying those Enlightenment values to keep solving problem after problem. He writes, “Industrialization has been good for humanity. It has fed billions, doubled life spans, slashed extreme poverty, and, by replacing muscle with machinery, made it easier to end slavery, emancipate women, and educate children. It has allowed people to read at night, live where they want, stay warm in winter, see the world, and multiply human contact.” He goes on to state that “the tradeoff that pits human well-being against environmental damage can be renegotiated by technology.”
He wrote critically about environmentalists. Read his work for full details since I don’t want to mis-characterize his writing, but I wrote:
Pinker described [environmentalists] as seeing using energy “as a heinous crime against nature, which will exact dreadful justice in the form of resource wars, poisoned air and water, and civilization-ending climate change. Our only salvation is to repent, repudiate technology and economic growth, and to revert to a simpler and more natural way of life.” They are a “quasi-religious ideology . . . laced with misanthropy, including an indifference to starvation, an indulgence in ghoulish fantasies of a depopulated planet, and Nazi-like comparisons of human beings to vermin, pathogens, and cancer.”
Right off the bat, Calling the other side “a new religion” demeans yourself. Even leaving that point aside, I criticize mainstream environmentalists plenty. I see their characterizing acting more sustainably as burdensome and deprivation poison culture with unfounded beliefs, but describing talk of things like overpopulation as quasi-religious ideology, misanthropic, ghoulish fantasy, and Nazi-like?
If industrialization is so helpful, how to industrialists and industrialism fair in that association?
Let’s see who is friends with Nazis, Mr. Pinker and Ecomodernists
Henry Ford and cars
It’s obvious to start with Henry Ford. Here are a few stories. You can find plenty more, plus videos, etc.
- Henry Ford Pioneered Modern Industry, Made America An Economic Power, And Was A Fervent Anti-Semite: The dark truth of Henry Ford’s Nazi sympathy and anti-Semitism looms over his legacy as an influential American industrialist.
- Hitler’s American Friends: Henry Ford and Nazism
- How American Icon Henry Ford Fostered Anti‑Semitism
- Henry Ford’s Anti-Semitism Was Not a Footnote – The Atlantic
This list barely scratches the surface. Should we consider cars Nazi-like and therefore eschew them?
Charles Lindbergh and planes
It’s obvious to continue with Lindbergh. Here are a few links. You can find plenty more, plus videos, etc.
- How Charles Lindbergh Wrecked His Legacy Pushing Anti-Semitism And Neutrality Toward The Nazis: Charles Lindbergh was a hero for his feats of aviatistorieson but ultimately lost that goodwill once he started pushing bigoted conspiracies to keep America from fighting Hitler.
- This Day In History: Charles Lindbergh urges Congress to negotiate with Hitler
- Charles Lindbergh, the Nazis and American isolationism
This list barely scratches the surface. Should we consider planes Nazi-like and therefore eschew them?
The Koch family and oil
If cars and planes are Nazi-like, how about oil? Let’s look at the Koch family:
- Father of Koch Brothers Helped Build Nazi Oil Refinery, Book Says
- Jane Mayer Reveals History of Koch Family and the Nazis
- Koch Brothers: ‘Dark Money’ Says Koch Father Helped Nazis
- New book: Father of politically active Koch brothers built a refinery for the Nazis
Should we consider oil Nazi-like and therefore eschew it?
More oil-fascism connections
Why stop with the Koch family?
- The Untold Story of the Texaco Oil Tycoon Who Loved Fascism
- How Texaco Helped Franco Win the Spanish Civil War
- The Oilman Who Loved Dictators: How Texaco Supported Fascism
Fascists coercing women to have more babies
I already posted about what rulers awarded medals to women for having more babies: Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, and Putin top the list.
More cars
This pattern is too easy. Let’s look up more cars, not even going for Volkswagen, Porsche, or Mercedes. Just sticking with iconic American car companies:
- The Nazi Party: General Motors & the Third Reich
- Hitler’s Carmaker: The Inside Story of How General Motors Helped Mobilize the Third Reich
- General Motors and the Nazis – Yale University Press
Doof
How about doof?
- Mark Thomas discovers Coca-Cola’s Nazi links
- Coca-Cola collaborated with the Nazis in the 1930s, and Fanta is the proof
- How John Harvey Kellogg was wrong on race
- World War II — brought to you by Nestlé’s candy
- Nestle pays $14.6m into Swiss banks’ Holocaust settlement
Maybe Ecomodernists and Pinker Shouldn’t Throw Stones
Maybe ecomodernists should look in their own closets before denigrating others. Or maybe for consistency they’ll tar industry and large families with the brush they’re using for environmentalists.
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