The Wall Street Journal reports today that the world’s elite, gathering in Davos this week, are amazed at how little they know about the economy. There is even talk about how capitalism itself is a failing business model. One participant, who is giving a business leadership seminar there, is quoted as saying:

The capitalist myth is lovely and youthful. It kicked off the industrial revolution, but maybe we need a new one.

Instead of looking for new government quick-fixes, business and government leaders need to discover (I wish I could say, rediscover) what is real capitalism–free-market capitalism–in theory and practice.

Today’s problems can be traced to the government side of the mixed economy, as well as a perverted capitalist ethic in the boardroom.…

“The anti-Big Oil political campaign, which harks back to 18th century’s ‘a right to do an independent business’ (Tarbell) against Standard Oil, is anti-consumer and pro-elitism…. Human betterment via economic and energy freedom is the moral imperative. Political capitalism (of which ‘Big Oil’ is also guilty) is the foe.”

The headline exclaims: “Big Oil’s Climate Ads Have Propped Up Fake Promises and False Solutions for Past 25 Years, Report Finds.” The subtitle of the article by Dana Drugmand: “First-of-its-kind analysis of hundreds of climate-related advertisements from BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell suggests that oil companies are continuing to mislead the public on climate.”

Well, it is fundraising time for Inside Climate News. And no, this report, coming on top of many similar ones, presents nothing knew. It is more of more of the same.…

“Where do we go from here? We need to start by agreeing that COP28, like other COPs, was a complete failure…. We’ve been doing this for 30 years now.”

“The problem is power…. extractive colonialist capitalism.” (Peter Kalmus, 2023)

Two years ago, climate scientist and uber-alarmist Peter Kalmus lashed out at the outcome of the United Nations’ annual climate conference. COP Out: Wrapping Up a Useless Climate Summit That Should Fool Nobody” is a suitable view for how little was accomplished then–and how the climate movement has spiraled backward in the face of energy and political realities.

Given the growing disparity between means and ends, and just a lot of political waste to show for it, is it time to dissolve the UN IPCC processes? Time for the climate alarmists to admit that the cure is worse for social justice, the living space, and freedom than the “problem” of global greening from carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment?…

“… has the entire ‘Climate Change’ and Net Zero agendas now moved far away from true environmentalism? And has it forgotten the true sustainability principles of ‘People, Planet and Profit’ to become primarily focussed on one ‘P’ (profit)?” ( – Adrian Hayes, below)

The transparent failure last month of COP30 has been acknowledged by the realists and downplayed by the hangers-on and funding-needy NGOs. Despite the futile, wasteful cause, plans for COP31 have begun.

But realism has become mainstream. And hard questions are being asked. Consider this from Adrian Hayes:

Trigger warning! I’ve spoken at a COP conference two years ago (COP28) and know there’s a lot of good stuff, and developing technology, that takes place on the fringes. But as COP30 finished last week in Brazil, it yet again caused an accusation of hypocrisy.…