Why Conservatives Often Fail to Prioritize Environmental Conservation

Looking beyond the connotations of conservative and conservation which share a common root, one can see the essential overlap in their meaning: preserving things as they are. Yet, when it comes to the Republican Party of the United States (GOP), the approach to environmental conservation is surprisingly different. The GOP is not genuinely conservative, particularly when it comes to environmental policies. They are not only indifferent to environmental concerns but actively work to exploit and degrade the environment for short-term profits, with plans to destroy it further for long-term gains.

The Republican Party's War on the Middle Class

The root of the GOP's approach to environmental conservation lies in their war on the middle class. Since the New Deal era with the creation of the middle class by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1930s, and more notably with Lyndon B. Johnson's expansion of the middle class to include African Americans in the 1960s, the GOP has sought to concentrate power and wealth in their hands. Their ultimate goal is to transform America into a feudal society, with the elite at the top and the poor at the bottom, with nothing in between. Despite these aims, they continue to exploit the middle class, siphoning money from those who can least afford it.

Exploitation of the Middle Class

The GOP leverages various mechanisms to milk the middle class dry, including:

Outrageous Medical Bills: High medical costs contribute significantly to the financial strain on the middle class. Taxes on the Poor: Heavy taxation on those who cannot afford the complex tax loopholes used by the wealthy. Usurious Student-Loan Debts: High-interest loans that burden many for years to come. Reverse Mortgages: Weapons allowing the wealthy to prematurely claim the equity of middle-class homes.

Eventually, their plans reach a point where even essentials like food, fuel, and rental units are controlled, leading to a scenario where the poor cannot afford even these necessities. By degrading the planet and destroying its capacity to sustain life outside their gated or domed communities, the GOP hopes to profit from a dystopian future where the environment is further destroyed and the poor are financially incapable of survival.

Rejection of Scientific Consensus

The GOP's rejection of the science behind climate change is a significant turning point. Their rhetoric and actions have severe global impacts, particularly on countries facing issues like rising sea levels, droughts, wildfires, and tropical storms. This international influence extends beyond environmental concerns, affecting social, economic, educational, and industrial systems worldwide.

Dystopian Views and Profit Motives

Beliefs held by the GOP about pollution, habitat destruction, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss shape their policies. They see these as opportunities for profit, rather than threats to public health and the environment. Deliberate pollution, contamination, and destruction of natural resources are viewed as stepping stones to controlling and profiting from a resource-scarce future. Regulatory fines for environmental damage are considered acceptable costs when weighed against potential long-term profits.

Case Studies: Coercive Exploitation of Resources

One illustrative example is the case of Bolivia, where an American company was granted the sole contract to provide water. In this arrangement, water was priced at approximately 25% of what the local poor could afford with their daily earnings. Unauthorized water collection by the poor was met with violence and legal sanctions. Similarly, in the southern United States, a power company has prohibited the installation of solar arrays, ensuring a monopoly on energy provision.

In both these cases, the GOP's approach to resource management reveals a pattern of exploitation and coercion, designed to maximize profits at the expense of the environment and the poor.

Conclusion

Far from being indifferent to the environment, the GOP's actions are aimed at systematically destroying it. This serves to enhance their short-term profits while preparing for a dystopian future where the environment is no longer viable for the majority of the population. For the wealthy elite, the ultimate goal is to extract every last resource from the environment, thereby ensuring that the poor are economically disempowered.