What do we expect of ourselves? What do we expect of others? Do we understand and give proper weight to the ways that ‘institutions’ (norms, habits, rules, rituals) shape what we see and what we think is ‘right’?
This all comes from a shockingly stupid piece of commentary fifteen minutes or so ago on “Test Math Special” – the radio commentary on BBC. Jonathan Agnew told listeners that the two protestors who ran onto the oval at Lords were intent on “wrecking the Test.” It was an “attack on the Ashes.”
For fuck’s sake. I mean, honestly. I UNDERSTAND that commentators cannot be seen to be sympathetic to protestors, that there are rules (written and unwritten) about this. But (deep breath) FOR FUCK’S SAKE THERE IS A MARINE HEATWAVE OF ABSURD PROPORTIONS. THE CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITTEE JUST BASICALLY ADMITTED THAT THE UK GOVERNMENT ISN’T EVEN PRETENDING TO PRETEND ANYMORE.
(and here I will wrestle my hand away from the capslock).
There is a heatdome in Texas, people are dying. Beijing is baking. Everything is CLEARY falling apart.
And when brave (yes, you can argue ill-advised, unstrategic, whatever) protestors try to get more publicity for the entirely reasonable (and in fact embarrassingly reformist and inadequate) campaign to stop the UK government from allowing yet more gasoline to be thrown on the fire… you don’t even try to contextualise what is going on. And you seem incapable. You idiot (in the traditional Greek sense of someone not wanting to escape from ignorance.)
Aaaand breathe (which I can do because I am not near any of the wildfires)… Aaaaand breathe.
Educated people. Freedom of information, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech. Thirty five years of warnings from scientists about what was coming. And now that it IS coming, we get this. We get desperate, terrified protestors trying to do non-violent direct action on a purely symbolic level. And we get this moronic shite (I know my vocabulary is inadequate) from well-paid broadcasters. Have they no shame? Have they no self-knowledge? Have they no grandchildren who will reproach them?
Okay. I can’t go on. The Committee on Climate Change (total lack of) Progress Report is here. Read it and weep/shake with terror.
On CCS – well, the Australian Government, a wholly-owned subsidiary of fossil fuel interests, is passing a law that lets carbon dioxide be exported to… well, beyond the limits of the legal responsibility of the Government. That will definitely help reduce emissions, oh yes.
The nutjobs and fools are in charge. We let “them” wreck everything. We are at the beginning* of the Age of Consequences.
(It’s been going on for ages. It’s just that rich white people haven’t usually been on the receiving end of those consequences).
marchudson.net 
spot on! commentary re sooo many media pundits:
excerpt: ‘ … you don’t even try to contextualise what is going on. And you seem incapable. You idiot (in the traditional Greek sense of someone not wanting to escape from ignorance.)’
excerpt: ‘And we get this moronic shite (I know my vocabulary is inadequate) from well-paid broadcasters. Have they no shame? Have they no self-knowledge? Have they no grandchildren who will reproach them?;’