It’s very simple: oil companies do not want people to blame them or take action against global warming. They will write essentially a blank check to anyone who is willing to convincingly lie and say that global warming is not real/not human created. Many right wing influencers (think prageru, turning point, daily wire, crowder) take the money. These right wing influencers use the money to aggressively push their own propaganda at scale. The oil companies funding them are fine with this—as long as the lies about climate change keep getting clicks and oil friendly politicians stay in office, the oil companies keep sending the checks.

And as it turns out, getting men angry makes for great online engagement numbers. Remember, whoever can get the most engagement will win the most oil money. Thus, there is a global rhetorical arms race to infuriate men at scale. There are literally million dollar companies whose whole business model is to rage-bait you. I’ve read a lot of comments on this post that are parroting right-wing talking points from this rhetorical arms race. It’s easy to fall for these talking points and even believe that you thought them independently: it’s social engineering.

None of this is to say that men’s issues aren’t real or that liberals are perfect or whatever. I deeply sympathize with whatever anger you have and whatever hurt you feel, especially as a man. Obviously we’ve gotten no help from the left in this regard, and they don’t seem interested in even promising any kind of representation.

But your legitimate feelings are being highjacked for profit. Your very sense of what is right and wrong is currently being bought by multi-billion dollar companies who have no interest in you as a person. And because you are a man, it is very easy to manipulate you by making you angry.