A current events quiz.
Which of the following scenarios demonstrates a citizenry that exercises it’s sovereignty?
A) United Airlines threatens to fire staff unless they get public money in light of coronavirus. The US government gives it public money, then the airline promptly lays off of 3,400 workers.
C) None of the Above.
Well, A is totally wrong, and B is getting closer, but the answer is still C.
To its credit, the French government is demonstrating that it understands its proper relationship over the corporation. In theory, it is standing up for the greater good of clean air and water for the French people over profits by the airline.
But take another step back and think about the actual crisis that we face with climate collapse. If we are to take it as seriously as we should, the tough love approach of the government—an approach that truly takes the health and safety of its people seriously—would look more like this:
French government to corporation: You may have money to help in this emergency, but you must first develop a plan of how you will cut your flights in half within a year without going bankrupt and then by half again the following year. In addition, we cannot abide the enormous carbon footprint of air travel, therefore you will need to make plans for the shuttering of or complete transformation of your business.