Introduction
The class politics of heatwaves is very real and very dangerous, but that doesn’t stop the billionaire press from promoting its agenda.
Every time you think the idiocy has hit rock bottom, it discovers a new level. It turns out there’s an even deeper hole you can dig for yourself than climate-science denial: heat-stress denial.
Heat-Stress Denial
Across the billionaire press last week, columnists and leader writers minimized the health impacts of the heatwave, particularly in schools. Expect more of this next week, when temperatures are forecast to soar again.
An editorial in the Telegraph (which represents the newspaper’s view) titled “Hot weather alarmism treats the public like children” maintained that “unlike in the seventies, when people were largely trusted to look after themselves, officialdom now feels the need to lecture the public about the risks of hot weather at every opportunity”.
Consequences of Denial
Extreme heat warnings are issued and weather maps are “painted in an alarming red”. Outrageous! Instead of issuing warnings, the government should just trust people to “take the appropriate precautions”. We should all “learn to live” with it.
This is quite right, after all, what happened to the bulldog spirit of ignorance and needless death? Cricket, warm beer, excess mortality: these are the markers of national character.
Conclusion
The class politics of heatwaves is a very serious and dangerous topic. The billionaire press must stop minimizing the health impacts of heatwaves and start promoting awareness and action to mitigate the effects of heat stress.