In choosing to pull out of the accord, Trump has unilaterally handed over the future of America to the Chinese and the Russians. By most standards, this would be considered treason.
Because of Trump's attempt to deflect the news cycle away from the investigation of his collusion with Russia in the election (and continued daily corruption and violation of U.S. law and the U.S. Constitution), he joins the only other two backward nations not part of the accord - Syria and Nicaragua.
In doing so Trump embarrasses the nation and all Americans. He goes against every scientific organization in the world, every National Academy of Sciences in the world, virtually every climate scientist, more than 100 years of peer-reviewed, unequivocal published research, and basic physics.
Trump also stands alone against American business, his own Defense department, every scientific agency, the CEOs of every major corporation in America, and the vast majority of Americans in every U.S. state, and virtually every nation in the world.
In announcing this gross negligence, Trump showed that he is both incredibly stupid and willing to destroy the future of all Americans. He lied repeatedly during his announcement.
He claimed that man-made climate change is not happening. That is a bald-faced lie. He knows that their is virtual unanimity among climate scientists. He knows that every business leader has told him it is real. Even his own Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, former CEO of ExxonMobil, historically one of the biggest funders of climate denial lobbyists, has told him the evidence for it is undeniable.
He claimed that "the Paris Accord is a BAD deal for Americans." That too is a bald-faced lie.
He claimed that "the accord was negotiated poorly by the Obama administration and signed out of desperation." Again, a bald-faced lie. The agreement was negotiated over many years by nearly 200 countries with the United States in the lead.
He claimed that "it frontloads costs on the American people to the detriment of our economy." A bald-faced lie. The agreement is actually easier for the United States to implement and accomplish because we've already been taking steps (many of which Trump has dishonestly set back). Countries like China, which has a much greater burden to implement, will now have free reign to take even more U.S. jobs in the growing future energy industries.
Trump has without a doubt disgraced the United States with this move. He has endangered national security, endangered human health, endangered the environment, sent future jobs overseas that could have been here in America, destroyed our future economy, and sentenced to death hundreds of thousands of American children.
[Graphic source: https://www.redbubble.com/people/theaesthetic/works/20838237-no-trump?p=poster]
7 comments:
David I understand that his incompetence hurts the USA but your readers should also remember that it will take a toll on all humanity
I keep asking myself who Trump was trying to appease by doing this? Large corporations opposed to removing the US from the Paris Climate Agreement include the likes of even Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips. The Mayor of the very city Trump cited as someplace that would benefit joined sixty other mayors in promptly announcing that he would unilaterally step up efforts to meet the agreement's requirements. Rex Tillerson, along with former Goldman Sachs President Gary Cohn, have both stated that climate change is real and that the US benefits by honoring the agreement. Coal is economically non-viable, making it a moot point. And emerging clean alternative technologies are booming... wind-turbines in Texas, solar and geothermal in Nevada, new storage technologies, and Tesla.
So exactly who are the "Americans" that benefit by throwing US investments in an inevitable future under the bus? Other than bolstering investments in Russian Arctic-LNG shipping, Chinese solar cells, Danish wind-turbines, or Japanese battery and tidal-power technology, I fail to see any kind of economic logic.
Indeed, Pablo. Trump has been a danger and embarrassment not just to all Americans, but to the world.
To the question of who Trump is trying to appease, it comes down to three rationales:
1) He hates Obama. Obama's intellect and the admiration for him by non-racist Americans and the world ticks Trump off because it reinforces just how ignorant, stupid, and dishonest Trump is. Everything he has done so far has been an attempt to "stick it" to Obama and destroy Obama's legacy. This is how Trump works, and has always worked. He's an infantile narcissist who seeks to destroy anyone who makes his stupidity stand out.
2) His most ardent supporters are racists, bigots, and profoundly ignorant of reality. Chock it up to the Fox News effect. Most of his supporters want to undo the social network that helps the poor and non-whites because it makes them (his supporters) feel more superior. So Trump keeps throwing them bones to keep them satisfied and stupid.
3) The Russians own him. It's almost certain that the Russians have been bankrolling Trump's businesses for several years, if not a decade or more. His own sons bragged that they didn't need American bank loans because they were getting plenty of money from the Russians, and that "there's a lot of Russian money rolling in." Trump denies what his own sons have admitted. Kushner is up to his ears in Russian money, not to mention other unethical and probably illegal and treasonous activities. At least 18 people in Trump's campaign had questionable contacts with the Russians, and his racist Attorney General (Jeff Sessions), among others including Kushner, blatantly lied to Congress about these contacts. Trump has several times taken action to block the investigations by the FBI, the states, and Congress. Then there is the rumor that the Russians have a video or something else on him, which seems highly likely. This latter might be part of the motivation, but Trump's lifelong dishonesty, hubris, narcissism, corruption, and scamming contractors and the public (not to mention his racism, bigotry, misogyny), along with his pathological tendency to lie about everything, certainly is motivation enough for him. He isn't happy unless he is 1) scamming someone to line his own pockets, and 2) being "idolized."
With respect to "who are the 'Americans' that benefit," keep in mind that Trump has repeatedly (his entire life) shown he is incapable of integrative thought. He didn't think through this "decision" any more than any other statement he's made. The speech he gave was essentially him mouthing Bannon's words, making up lie after lie while ignoring virtually every reputable, knowledgeable person in the world. This is true for this issue and every other issue. His own staff says he can't handle more than three bullet points on one page for any issue. Worse, in anything that involves actual paragraphs they have to make sure to insert his name in the text of each and every paragraph in an effort to keep him reading. In short, he is profoundly stupid.
As such, Trump is a disgrace to the entire country and to the world. The people who voted for him - which combined with the absolute dishonesty, gerrymandering, and voter suppression tactics of the Republican party - are a disgrace as well. They have handed the fate of the American economy over to the Chinese, the Russians, and even the Saudis. This is treason.
Note to commenters: Please read the post and learn basic facts prior to commenting. Only comments that reflect a fact-based argument are acceptable. In other words, if you can't provide factual support for your position, your position isn't valid on its face. Period. Spammers and trolls are never acceptable.
David your comment regarding his jealousy and hatred for Obama are paramount in this decision. His main goal is to undo any policies that were agreed upon by an Obama Congress or put in place by him through EO. 45 is not smart enough or sane enough to think any deeper.
All other reasons are as a result of Bannon and the other Racist, misogynistic bigots that has chosen as his closest confidants. They are actually making the decisions.
As far as Russia- again, this is another way to take our eye of the real problem. If he had chosen to stay with the Accord we would be focusing on Russia. Another Bannon, Kushner, et al decision. Sad.
Your comment is spot on, Susan. He's too ignorant and intellectually lazy to bother learning anything; he is focused on giving a middle finger to Obama because Obama is everything the moron never was or will ever be.
All honest people must focus not only on his antics but on the Republican party, which spawned him with their constant dishonesty on every issue. The Republican party has been destroying America for the last two decades, especially since Obama was elected as it gave them the opportunity to raise their racist and bigoted voters. The Republican party counts on their followers being so blinded by bigotry and ignorance that those followers will continue to vote against their own self-interest while the Republican party rapes them and hands the proceeds to the 1%.
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