Hollywood is the propaganda arm of the White Empire (the West)
Hollywood has long served as the global stage for the Western narrative. Its glitzy productions and thrilling escapades captivate billions, drawing them into a world of make-believe. But beyond the shimmering lights and the carefully crafted scripts lies a deeper, more insidious agenda — one that seeks to maintain a facade of progress, while deliberately ignoring the real, existential issues of our time, such as climate change. In this sense, Hollywood is more than just an entertainment industry; it functions as a powerful propaganda arm of the White Empire, a tool that distracts, distorts, and denies accountability.
The White Empire and Climate Change
The industrial revolution, which began in the West in the 18th century, ushered in a new era of technological and economic progress. However, this progress came at a heavy environmental cost. Since then, cumulative carbon emissions have skyrocketed, with industrialized Western nations such as the United States and European countries contributing the lion’s share. According to historical data, the West is responsible for around 60% of all emissions since 1751, with the U.S. and the European Union alone accounting for approximately 30% each. Despite being industrialized for less than a century, nations like China and India have faced intense scrutiny for their emissions in recent years, even though their contributions to global carbon output pale in comparison to the centuries of pollution caused by Western countries.
Yet, the West continues to shift blame. In international climate negotiations, fingers are pointed at China and India — two countries that, despite their large populations, are relatively new entrants to industrialization. Moreover, India and China score relatively well on the Sustainability Index, despite their large populations. While their absolute emissions have risen as their economies have developed, their per capita emissions remain significantly lower than those of the United States and Europe. Furthermore, these nations have not built the kind of hyper-consumerist societies that define the “zombie consumer culture” of the West — a culture that is predicated on infinite consumption and endless waste.
Hollywood as a Tool of Distraction
While the world faces these harsh realities, Hollywood continues to churn out narratives that promote a shallow version of heroism, a distorted notion of justice, and the perpetual glorification of Western civilization. Films rarely tackle the systemic causes of climate change, and when they do, the narrative is often diluted into apocalyptic fantasies like The Day After Tomorrow and Don’t Look Up that absolve the real culprits. Instead, Hollywood encourages escapism, a sedative for the masses, so that the global populace remains distracted from the very real issues of environmental degradation, economic exploitation, and neocolonial greed.
This diversion is deliberate. The West, in its pursuit of maintaining global hegemony, does not want to address the fact that its naked greed and reckless industrial practices have ravaged the planet. In the words of Indi Samarajiva, “it is not our black and brown babies, it is their naked white greed” that has driven the planet to the brink of ecological collapse. But to admit this would require a fundamental rethinking of Western lifestyles, economic systems, and political priorities — changes that those in power are unwilling to make. Instead, Hollywood creates narratives that perpetuate the myth of the “advanced civilization,” reinforcing the illusion that the West is still the pinnacle of progress and enlightenment, even as its economic and environmental systems crumble.
A Ponzi Scheme on a Dying Planet
The White Empire is, in many ways, a Ponzi scheme. The system upon which it is built requires endless growth, endless resource extraction, and endless consumption to sustain itself. This system, which has already consumed much of the world’s resources and polluted its atmosphere, is no longer sustainable. Yet, it continues to expand, driven by the same imperial greed that once fueled colonial conquest. And just like any Ponzi scheme, this system benefits a few at the expense of the many. While the West enjoys the fruits of its centuries of industrialization, the global South — especially countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America — bears the brunt of the environmental destruction, economic inequality, and political instability that result from this system.
As the planet’s ecosystems collapse under the weight of climate change, this scheme is unraveling. Yet, instead of addressing the root causes of the problem, the West seeks to maintain appearances. Hollywood, with its endless superhero franchises and dystopian fantasies, is complicit in this charade. It serves as a tool of distraction, a glittering mirage that prevents people from seeing the truth: that Western civilization, far from being the pinnacle of human achievement, is a dying empire built on a foundation of exploitation and environmental destruction.
Facing the Truth
The time for make-believe is over. The climate crisis demands real solutions, not Hollywood fantasies. The West, and particularly the United States, must take responsibility for the role it has played in causing this crisis. It must acknowledge that its economic system, its consumerist culture, its meddling in and endless wars against countries in the Global South and its relentless pursuit of growth, have brought the planet to the brink of catastrophe. Blaming emerging economies like China and India, whose contributions to the climate crisis are dwarfed by centuries of Western industrialization, is not only dishonest but also dangerous. It diverts attention away from the real causes of the problem and prevents meaningful action.
We must move beyond the glittering illusions of the White Empire. Perhaps its time for Hollywood to jump the shark. Ratings are down and the jig is up.
