David Frum: The founding of this country was all wrapped up in our industrialist myths. He says it's perhaps not surprising that as we emerge into the early 20th century, some of our central figures become business leaders. We're amplified with the rise of the media ecosystem, which is able to really elevate their stories, he says. And I think it really reaches its apotheosis in Jack Welch.
Many on the left say that the growing climate crisis is the inevitable result of unbridled capitalism – industries seeking profits above all else. In “The Big Myth,” Naomi Oreskes (who brought us “Merchants of Doubt”) points to a concerted effort from American business groups to propagate the myth that only markets free of government regulation can generate prosperity and protect political freedom.
“If we actually had appropriate regulations, appropriate rules of the road, we wouldn't be in this position of having to beg corporate leaders not to destroy the planet,” Oreskes says.
This myth has grown so pervasive that American citizens now put more faith in CEOs than in religious leaders, according to David Gelles, author of “The Man Who Broke Capitalism.” What should be done to change the narrative?
Guests:
Naomi Oreskes, Professor of the History of Science, Harvard
David Gelles, Reporter, The New York Times
Kate Khatib, Co-Director, Seed Commons
For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts
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