A Psychological Approach to Climate Change. By CJ Davidson
And so it begins…again.
Another “debate” ensues to challenge common sense and reality. After watching the tiniest and poorest islands disappear into the Pacific Ocean, after watching the Atlantic Ocean put New York, New Jersey, New Orleans and Wales underwater you’d think the Climate change debate would be settled. But that conclusion would take both sides using rational thought, concrete instances and solid scientific data using scholastic, empirical studies on both sides.
What’s that? You haven’t heard much about those tragedies? Go figure.
Without debating the obvious “slant” of mainstream media that cowers to the whims of the purveyors of filthy fossil fuels, there simmers an obvious question to ask…
“How much of the planet is the Oil/Gas industry willing to destroy before reality kicks in…If ever?”
If never, we would most certainly conclude this suicidal/murderous and therefore, we must ask the next question…
“Is suicide and mass murder within the psychology of the Oil industry?”
I’ll try to illustrate a simple psychological profile of the Oil Industry, giving itself “personhood” for our purposes here. Using a few common media instances and not so cerebral and boring, we can profile this beast into a simple, single-celled organism with 2 words…Blind Greed.
Although greed has been used a motivating factor in the financial sector, those on the other end of the greed barrel would not reckon it favorable at all.
At the height of the cold war, I recall an old college days song by Sting, “Do the Russians love their children too?” suggesting if we launch thermal nuclear strikes against each other, triggering nuclear war around the world, they and their children, their bloodlines, money, favorite vodka would all be gone. Nothingness.
This seemed to eventually sink in (after 74 years) when the Soviet state crashed in 1991. With 80% of its gross national product going for nukes and weapons, the economy and government crumbled like week-old dog shit in the wind. It appeared common sense and self-preservation prevailed and we all didn’t have to die…for now.
Capitalism Wins…For now
Reaching deeper into TV Land, we recall an old Star Trek episode (I’m not a Trekie, so I can’t name the episode. My brother could) where a Starfleet Captain was relieved of duty based on an obvious suicidal-murderous decision that would kill him and every member of his crew. “Under Article OU812, Section 5150, if a Starfleet Commander is deemed mentally incapacitated, emotionally or psychological UNFIT for command based on IRRATIONAL ACTIONS, ORDERS or PERFORMANCE, he can and will be relieved of his command, placing the second in command in control.”
The suicidal commander was over-ruled by RATIONAL RULES. These rules were non-negotiable and concrete. The insane have no place calling the shots in a “civilized” society. End of discussion.
As a child I was naïve enough to consider this a general rule in life. When the irrational mind goes haywire, the rational mind(s) step in and corrects the human “deficiency” (mental illness). This logic was undisputed in my world and still is.
But there is a problem. There are no rules for our homeboy, Oil. That “person”, Oil, who lives among us on what’s left of the planet, is not applicable to the same rules we all follow. Oil Dude operates unfettered to do as he wishes. Again, without debating corruption, we’ll stick to the psychological profile.
As a child of wealthy parents Oil has known no repercussions for it’s actions. Whether it’s purchasing the government for oil, overthrowing governments for oil or force-feeding a nation oil for one-hundred years, hoarding/sabotaging energy alternatives, manipulating energy markets….there are no consequences for its actions. Period.
Without RULES & REGULATIONS, “punishment” or “penalties” to influence decisions, the thinking of a human being becomes omnipotent and delusional. Everything our buddy Oil does will never be challenged and therefore must be the right decision. “The market must like us because we have owned it for over 100 years.” Without opposition, the ego of this person grows exponentially to dangerous levels of sociopathic schizophrenia behavior.
And now on to the boring premises…
Quoting “Delusion of Grandeur” by John M. Grohl, PSYD
“A delusion of grandeur is the fixed, false belief that one possesses superior qualities such as genius, fame, omnipotence, or wealth. It is most often a symptom of schizophrenia, but can also be a symptom found in psychotic or bipolar disorders, as well as dementia (such as Alzheimer’s).
People with a delusion of grandeur often have the conviction of having some great but unrecognized talent or insight. They may also believe they have made some important discovery that others don’t understand or appreciate. ”
Wikipedia describes Megalomania as, “a psycho-pathological disorder characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, or omnipotence. “Megalomania is characterized by an inflated sense of self-esteem and overestimation by persons of their powers and beliefs.”[1] Historically it was used as an old name for narcissistic personality disorder prior to the latter’s first use by Heinz Kohut in 1968, and is used these days as a non-clinical equivalent.[2][3] It is not mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)[4] or the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD).
Having done our quick, unprofessional analysis of our newly personified fossil fuels fellow, (or any corporate giant) can we determine that the captain of our ship, our lives and our planet is in sane, capable hands? If the answer is no, we MUST ask the following question: “Is suicide and mass murder within the psychology of the Oil industry?”
Without anyone to challenge this self-destructive behavior, it is most likely this irrational course of climate change denial will dominate the media and the actions of our bribed governments indefinitely. In the end, we will be forced to suffer the inevitable climate disasters on a global scale and most of us have accepted this already without question.
The UK & New York floods this year MAY have opened the eyes of the irrational minds of all, but it is doubtful since they have essentially painted themselves into a corner. After all the denial propaganda, The Oil Industry would not only have to reverse its course on oil/gas drilling but it would have to eat crow and admit the obvious impending Armageddon looming.
The IMMENSE cost of admitting Climate Change would most likely cause a feeding frenzy of litigation that would, ultimately break all five (5) oil conglomerates to the size of a Mom & Pop Snack Shop. After learning what they have done to us and themselves, we can understand their frustration, desperation and failure they have wrought upon us and them. We all accept the consequences of nature we are all eventually facing in the grand scheme of things. There’s no gong back.
Indeed, most of us take comfort in knowing that as the planet goes so does the oil industry…we all die. Of course, this answers the earlier question, “Do the oil industry executives love their children or grand children too?” Obviously not. Can we call that
irrational? Possibly.
Most CREDIBLE scientists predict the entire planet underwater within 100 years from now. As the oceans have swallowed Europe, high atop their Swiss chalets, we can picture the grand kids of current oil executives, atop the roof of their under-water, clinging desperately to their billion-dollar homes, shouting to their oil exec neighbors stranded atop their chalet helipads…“It’s all YOUR FAULT!”