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Ecoauthoritarianism (also known as an eco-dictatorship[1]) is a political ideology which attempts to reconcile both environmentalist and authoritarian tendencies. It is justified by the belief of the inevitability and necessity of a strong central government to preserve the environment.
In 2010, political scientist Mark Beeson defined "ecoauthoritarianism" as "the decrease in individual liberty as governments seek to transform environmentally destructive behaviour."[2] Unlike ecofascism, ecoauthoritarianism can be utilized by both the left and right wing[citation needed].
Proponents of ecoauthoritarianism generally tend to critique democratic measures by which environmental sustainability can be preserved, citing that an authoritarian governmental system would be consequentially more preferable than the preservation of individual liberties and human rights through liberal pathways.[3] The common denominator in ecoauthoritarian thought is the focus on environmental sustainability and the belief that political plurality is incompatible with the attainment of this sustainability.[4] Though other regime types are imaginable, the majority of scholars suggest a meritocratic system. Instead of a democratic rule, politicians would be chosen according to their expertise.[citation needed]
Within green political thought, ecoauthoritarianism is marginal. Ecoauthoritarianism was inspired by The Limits to Growth and its conclusion that there are physical limits to growth and that without dramatic changes in all areas of life, Earth is doomed to become uninhabitable.[5] Newer ecoauthoritarian thought underlines the tradeoffs and illegitimacy of unsustainable politics in a democracy.[6] It emphasizes that democracy cannot be an absolute, since sustainability is a precondition for everything valuable. It shows how the overexploitation of resources, given its consequences, must be considered as violence and that in fact, many issues cannot be subject to democratic decision making nor should they be subject to democratic decision making. There are many instances where the state already interferes and where interference is essential for public safety.[7]
Ecoauthoritarian thoughts are gaining traction recently, as some people[who?] believe democracy is an inadequate system to ensure ecological stability.[8] Especially, the recent leaps taken by the Chinese government are seen by some scholars as evidence for the superior potential of autocratic governments when it comes to implementing good environmental governance.[9]
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