Inviting in the Vandals: The Just Stop Oil Protests

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the recent attacks conducted by the Just Stop Oil activists and offer a moral and political evaluation of both the group itself and people supporting them. Among the topics covered: How the media justification of the soup attack on a Vincent van Gogh painting encourages further attacks; How to morally assess the protests conducted by the Just Stop Oil activists, especially in light of their harmful consequences; Why we should worry that these protests might become more violent; Why the wealthy fund and sanction Climate Emergency Fund, thereby indirectly supporting Just Stop Oil; How violent environmental groups are the logical endpoint of the environmental movement; Why Just Stop Oil and other similar violent groups cannot view themselves as heirs of the civil rights movement. Mentioned in this podcast is Ayn Rand’s essay “The Sanction of the Victims” from her book The Voice of Reason. The podcast was recorded on November 2, 2022. Listen to the discussion below. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Watch archived podcasts here. https://youtu.be/jIeRQb_G2-o Podcast audio: