Strongmen like Trump would destroy the planet out of pure spite – and Brazil shows we’re all in peril
If Flávio Bolsonaro is elected, Brazil’s ecosystems will face collapse. The ruling class would rather burn the world than share it with the poor
TL;DR
- A segment of the economic elite appears to have a perverse delight in destruction, contributing to environmental devastation.
- Leaders like Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro implement policies that harm ecosystems, partly as a response to lobbying but also driven by a desire to hurt perceived enemies.
- The ideology in Brazil, characterized as "beef, Bible and bullets," involves violence, ultra-conservative evangelism, and the expansion of cattle ranching, a major driver of deforestation.
- The author expresses concern that people are electing leaders who subscribe to a psychopathic belief system that advocates for the destruction of those who care.
- The potential election of Flávio Bolsonaro in Brazil threatens multiple ecosystems, representing politics as an "orgy of destruction."
- The ruling class may prefer to destroy everything rather than share resources, and they use various media to present their destructive perversity as common sense.
- Raising awareness about the relationship between exploiters and the exploited is presented as the only defense against "suicidal gullibility."