Danny ChenWhen communism fails, why will collective climate action win?
Communism advocates for the abolition of private property, in which all products and services are owned and controlled collectively by the people. It emphasizes that the resource distribution should be based on individual needs rather than the ability to pay.
The idea is great, but 1 major problem is unsolved: Resource Distribution. People who do not have the capability to pay has the same rights to enjoy the product/service based on individual needs. The design of the system encourages the free-riding of the whole human society until it is not functional.
In history, people have tried dictatorship to control the free-riding problem under communism, which in the long-term will face severe social revolution. Our planet Earth has limited resources, and people have limited time. As our global population grows, we need a mechanism to allocate our limited resources and time efficiently and effectively. This is where the capital market fits into our human society. It encourages infinite competition that maximizes the outcome of resource allocation.
In the long term, people within the same capital mechanism benefit from the whole system. It is imperfect and has limitations. One of the side effects is Wealth Inequality.
Wealth inequality pushes our society to another extreme with the free-riding problem. People from the top 1% of the wealthiest control the majority of resources globally.
When it comes to problem-solving, most people lack the capability and willingness to engage. Not to mention that the problem such as climate change that has never been included into our society and capital market before.
Most rich people practice their whole lives to win more profits. And now, we ask them to cover additional external environmental costs plus all the free-riding costs from the rest of 99%.
Is it fair? And is it sustainable?
Most governments have already justified the wealth inequality problem with the taxation policy. Often, it costs a huge amount of money. Is it fair for them to use their private assets to pay for other people's problems?
If the rest of the 99% take the free-riding climate problem for granted, does it help to solve the climate problem in the long term?
No.
And that’s why we need a collective climate movement with different responsibilities.
Notification: Communism targets private property(assets used to generate wealth and exploit labor), not personal property (items for individual use like clothing, homes, and personal items).
