Eternal Night: Ecosocialism and the Specific Ecological Threat of Trumpism

Abstract

Abstract

The election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States was a shock (though perhaps for different reasons) to a great many of us. There is no doubt that his presidency, as well as the policies he will present, sign, and order pose unique challenges for many ostensibly disparate groups. Despite these challenges that are unique to a Trump presidency, the aim of this article is to argue for the position that Trump is not uniquely worrisome in every respect. This is not to say that Trump is not a deeply troubling president. On the contrary, I want to argue that in terms of the environment, the Trump administration simply does not pose a specific threat, but is merely a more bellicose outcropping of a generalized neoliberal regime. Such a regime is composed of both Democrats and Republicans, who take as their primary assumption the acceptability of capitalism and its ability to resolve the grave environmental issues we face today. This is, of course, not to argue that there are no differences between Democrats (compared with a Hillary Clinton administration specifically) and Republicans of the Trump variety. However, I argue that we must begin to reevaluate our assumptions about capitalism's ability to resolve environmental issues, and thus to reimagine a different possible social organization. I will conclude, then, that while we must fight to win some interim goals, we also must imagine an ecosocialist future if we are to respond more adequately to environmental degradation for the long term.