Open Thread: Does the Environmental Agenda Have Parallels to Communism?

July 28th, 2011 10:14 AM

Global warming, aka climate change, is the scapegoat for everything from record snowfalls to disastrous tornadoes. As such, it is also the perfect route for governments to closely control their citizens by regulating the smallest of details, like which lightbulbs they are allowed to use, to supposedly fix the problem.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus, who grew up under totalitarian rule, is speaking out against what he sees as the latest government attack on democratic freedom, environmentalism, which he argues closely parallels the thefts of freedom under communism. Do you agree with him? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Earlier this week, both Klaus and Australian Greens party senator Christine Milne spoke in Australia on global warming, offering a clear juxtaposition between their two ideologies.

As Klaus explained in his speech to a group of climate change realists,

I feel threatened now, not by global warming -- I don't see any -- (but) by the global warming doctrine, which I consider a new dangerous attempt to control and mastermind my life and our lives, in the name of controlling the climate or temperature. [...]

They don't care about resources or poverty or pollution.

They hate us, the humans. They consider us dangerous and sinful creatures who must be controlled by them.

I used to live in a similar world called communism. And I know it led to the worst environmental damage the world has ever experienced.

[Global warming alarmists] want to change us, they want to change our behaviour, our way of life, our values and preferences. They want to restrict our freedom because they themselves believe they know what is good for us. They are not interested in climate. They misuse the climate in their goal to restrict our freedom. Therefore ...what is in danger is freedom, not the climate.

While he sees clear parallels between the erosion of freedoms associated with global warming legislation, Milne's speech instead drew parallels between anti-carbon tax Australians peacefully protesting to the crazed Norwegian gunman, Anders Breivik, and called for an investigation of those in the media who were also anti-carbon tax.

Klaus argued politicians globally, like Milne, are attempting to ignore and silence their critics in favor of greater power and control over them through green laws. Do you agree with him?