Individual consumer shaming for society-level problems is usually corporate PR to defend from interventions. The classic example is the invention of the “litterbug” when companies introduced disposable but not easily reusable or compostable packaging and trash was piling up in much larger quantities. There were movements against using the packaging itself. The “litterbug” PR campaign successfully changed the narrative to make this litter an individual problem to shame people for rather than a problem with capital. Similarly, there were many movements against cars in the beginning. It was considered outrageous when “chauffeur’s” would hit pedestrians, there were calls for entire bans. There were multifaceted PR pushes to instead shift blame to pedestrians while giving cars exclusive use of the streets, pushing pedestrians to the side and calling them “jaywalkers” if a car hit them. Both of these cases also involved heavy lobbying/bribery of the political class, same as today.
Comment on take their money and arrest those responsible
1984@lemmy.today 2 days ago
At some point, you realize that ordinary people are not responsible for any of these big “problems” (some doesn’t even exist).
Corporations and governments are responsible for all problems we have. They create them with their laws and their greed for power.
TheOubliette@lemmy.ml 2 days ago
r1veRRR@feddit.org 2 days ago
Responsibility comes not from fault, it comes from power to affect change. We do have the power. No individual person has, sure, but we all have a little bit of impact. You people fully understand that concept for racism or sexism, so why are you pretending it’s different here? Instead of looking at who has more power, why are you never asking yourself who has less power? You have the power of entire fucking families in the poorest countries in the world. You know, the people you pretend to care about when we talk about the GLOBAL climate change problem? Weird how the global-ness leaves your body the second we talk about responsibility…
Seriously, there’s a really good chance everyone here it in the global top 10%. And just like the local top 10%, we OVERCONSUME!
1984@lemmy.today 2 days ago
Compared to India or Africa, yes. Countries with higher standard will have access to more different foods, better technology etc etc. I dont feel guilty over that at all. I was born in this location on earth so I just live here normally.
If I’m born in Africa in my next life, I will live a life with whatever resources they have available.