Cusack, Bernie’s prophet of doom: Only 10-12 years to stop climate change & ‘predatory capitalism’

Zachary Leeman is the author of the novel Nigh and journalist who covers art and culture.

Introducing Sanders in Exeter, New Hampshire, on Saturday, the 53-year-old actor threw out a doomsday scenario where the world only has a “10 to 12 year window” to reverse the effects of climate change and combat the “predatory capitalism” that is supposedly fueling it.

“The billionaires are getting nervous and all the corporate media is — they hate us, they don’t hate us, they’re confused. And it seems like every conceivable power structure on Earth is trying to kill or derail our movement, but we’re still here,” Cusack announced to the assembled Sanders supporters.

“We know this form of capitalism takes and takes; it takes whatever, whenever, however it wants. It’ll take our lives, it’ll take our labor, our spirit, our air and water, even our earth.”

Cusack’s climate change fear-mongering may have played to the crowd of Bernie supporters, but he isn’t flipping many votes, judging by the wider reaction on social media. 

“The self-awareness of @johncusack is undetectable with an electron microscope,” actor and director Nick Searcy tweeted in response to Cusack’s speech.

‘Full Metal Jacket’ actor Adam Baldwin questioned whether Cusack is suggesting war with China with his doomsday prediction, considering the country leads the United States in CO2 emissions.

Others criticized Cusack, who endorsed Sanders for president in February of last year, for his focus on criticizing capitalism and the “one percent of the one percent,” when he has himself become wealthy from his work in capitalist Hollywood.

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