Far-right strongmen destroy ecosystems out of spite toward those who care, as Trump and Bolsonaro show
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/georgemonbiot. "Strongmen like Trump would destroy the planet out of pure spite – and Brazil shows we’re all in peril | George Monbiot | The Guardian." October 22, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues that far-right leaders like Trump and the Bolsonaros aren't just serving business interests when they wreck nature. They also enjoy hurting the people who care about it. Brazil's election is a test case: it has cut deforestation sharply under Lula, but a Flávio Bolsonaro win could undo that and endanger the whole planet.
Conclusion
Far-right strongmen like Trump and Flávio Bolsonaro are driven by a vengeful desire to hurt their opponents, not just by economic interest, and will destroy ecosystems out of spite; Brazil's election shows that this threatens the whole planet.
Premises
- Brazil's recent progress shows that environmental protection works: deforestation has fallen 71% in four years under Lula's policies, and zero deforestation by 2030 is possible if he is re-elected.
- Under Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation rose 59% and attacks on Indigenous people and forest defenders surged, because ecological destruction was treated as policy and even a kind of duty.
- Trump's rollbacks of protections for public lands, parks, forests and endangered species go beyond what lobbying by ranchers, loggers, frackers and miners would explain, and appear to target things valued by his enemies (greens, liberals, scientists, Indigenous people).
- Ecosystem destruction is an effective way for authoritarians to display power, leave a permanent mark, and hurt people who care, which the far right treats as its meta-target (e.g. the 'suicidal empathy' theme).
- Flávio Bolsonaro, like his father, represents the 'beef, Bible and bullets' ideology, is likely to win the runoff, and is backed by Trump, so his victory would threaten the Amazon, Atlantic forest, Pantanal, Pampa and Cerrado.
Assumptions
- Motives such as spite and a desire to hurt can be inferred from patterns of policy and rhetoric without direct evidence of intent.
- Spite is a better explanation of far-right environmental policy than economic interest or ideological conviction alone.
- The Bolsonaros' and Trump's behaviour is representative of far-right strongmen in general.
- Trump's lack of national park visits and his hostility to opponents indicate that he does not value nature in itself.
- Falling deforestation under Lula is attributable mainly to government policy and would reverse under Bolsonaro.
- The 'ruling class' acts as a cohesive group motivated by a wish to deny the poor a share of the planet.