I’ve heard about climate change before I went vegan.
Climate change is, uhm, that thing that will happen, uhm, when I am old and, uhm, it really isn’t that serious.
I had no idea that global warming was a serious threat to the animal kingdom. Sure, I’ve heard about it a few times on the news, but it was just that, one of the many news I’ve heard.
And what do you do when you hear the news at 19.00? You wait for the clock to turn 20.00 so you can watch a movie or a reality show, and forget about the world.Â
No one has time to think about the future of our species.Â
Of course, we are aware that the world is burning and people are drowning, but what can we do? It’s the billionaires who are doing it… right? The politicians are guilty… right? It’s them, not me… right?
Our ego wants us to be innocent bystanders who have no power or influence. The truth is quite different.Â
The truth is that you, a customer, support companies like Amazon whom you claim to hate. You, a customer, are the one who is paying Jeff Bezos and the death industries. Every purchase you make is a vote that says you want more of it.
Understandably, this makes you uncomfortable, but the truth is rarely lovely. If you buy meat, you support the murder of non-human animals. If you buy from H&M, you support sweatshops.Â
Why would this be any different?Â
If you buy from Amazon, drive an SUV and travel by plane, you are as responsible as all the billionaires and presidents you blame. The corporations are just giving you what you want, what you pay for.Â
That’s why it is so important to take responsibility for our actions. It’s the least we can do.
Stop playing the victim and join me in making capitalism more ethical and eco-friendly. Because, sweetie, socialism ruined my country and I ain’t going back.
The only way we can change the way our society currently functions is by changing what we consume and purchase. I don’t dream of utopia under socialism. I dream of a world where everyone has at least an opportunity to succeed, even if the outcome is not guaranteed.Â
But I digress.
The point I want to make is that the person driving the vehicle off the cliff is us. No one is forcing you to fly to Argentina for vacations, just like no one is forcing you to live in a house with 5 bathrooms or to buy seventeen pants from New Yorker every month.
You chose to do this. You chose to pollute Earth. You chose to not do better and remain climate hypocrites.Â
And same as you, the multibillionaires are choosing to not pay their workers, buy superyachts, and avoid paying taxes. It is not right, and they should be punished for the wrongdoing, but they are not villains.Â
We are all the bad guys.
Sure, their bad choices may affect more people, but you are the one who is giving them the money. You are the one who is supporting their actions by purchasing from their companies.Â
I wouldn’t be calling you out were you honest. Personally, I am not against buying from Amazon, but that’s because I know how business works.Â
If billions of people stop buying from Amazon and switch to purchasing from small businesses, what do you think will happen? Those small businesses will become big corporations. That’s right.Â
It is impossible to not have billionaires and corporations unless you live under a dictatorship where, guess what, the dictator takes everything, while you are sharing carrots.Â
And I know how badly you dream of this happy, hippy world where all of us run around holding hands, eating salads and driving bikes, but that’s not how the real world works. Most people want to achieve their goals and decide their own future.
You don’t want to live like this either. Because if you truly hated capitalism and rich people as much as you claim, you would go live in the woods.Â
If you were an honest person who walked the walk and truly desired to be free of capitalism, you would be wearing clothes made from leaves, lived in the forest in a teeny tiny cabin, refused vaccines and medicine, drank stream water, ate dirt and berries, and never bought anything ever again.Â
But you are doing the opposite.Â
You hate wealthy people but still, you buy from chain stores and big brands, and you go to concerts to see people who are earning millions, and you use social media that is owned by billionaires, and you travel and do every fucking thing you claim you hate.Â
You are an egocentric liar who believes that rules should only apply to those you don’t like. It’s always like that, isn’t it? You care about performance and status, not about actually being a moral person with values.Â
People like you, socialists who wear Gucci and drink Starbucks, have done less than the wealthiest 1% in the world to help the poor and save the environment.
I hate that I have to defend people who couldn’t give two fucks about the rest of the world, but that is my standard. I hate liars and I care about facts.Â
I care more about your average person being honest than about a billionaire because they don’t even exist in the same reality most of the time. It upsets me that you, a person who actually knows how it feels to struggle, are being dishonest.Â
They should pay their taxes, and they should be held responsible for their exploitation. Trust me, I know they are not my friends. They are not even friends with each other. It’s all a game for them – most of them at least.
That’s why I want us to be better. Sadly, that will not happen if we remain climate hypocrites.
Just accept the responsibility because it will be us, you and me, who will change entire industries. If we change what we demand, they change what they produce. That’s capitalism; not perfect but so far the best system we have.
So go on, get angry in the comments and roast me because that’s the only thing you know how to do.Â
On the other hand, if you liked what I said, please make sure you are following me on Pinterest and Instagram.
Tanja