Old Communists Go Green

Did you know the former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev was an environmental activist? You might not, since he hasn't enjoyed as much publicity since Soviet communism went belly up and he was no longer the Marxist media darling anymore.

Nevertheless, Gorbachev is a global warming disciple. He ambled off to join the other "still respectable" socialists when he lost his job at the helm of one of the most repressive regimes in human history.

Why would he join the green movement? Especially after the environmental disaster we learned the Soviet Union was (and I'm not just talking Chernobyl, but the massive pollution and toxification of rivers and landscapes in the Eastern Block?

Here's what Vasko Kohlmayer at the Intellectual Conservative has to say:

It is not at all surprising that Gorbachev – like so many others on the Left – has found environmentalism so attractive given that it in a furtive way tends toward the very essence of socialism. It is precisely this covert quality that makes this brand of activism so palatable to true believers in the post-communist era.

Environmentalism’s socialist tendencies are already inherent in its starting premise, which is that this world is headed for destruction because of the way modern societies conduct their life and affairs. The principal culprits are the business enterprise – whose relentless pursuit of profit has ecologically devastating consequences – and the masses whose excessive and irresponsible consumption exacerbate the already precarious situation. The only way to avert the looming catastrophe, then, is to rein in the greedy businessmen and direct people’s behavior in environmentally conducive ways. This naturally can only be done by a government properly equipped for the great task at hand. The net result of environmental activism is thus an empowered state exercising close oversight over the business and private spheres. In Marx’s parlance, the means of production – and indeed nearly all aspects of societal life – are placed under state control. This is nothing if not socialism rising, and since it also happens to be something Gorbachev has been striving for all of his life, it should come as no surprise that he has been an enthusiastic proponent ever since Marxism-Leninism became a byword for failure.

The whole piece is a good read. Check it out here.