Corporate greed over sensible policy again was brazenly flaunted as the operating principle of our “forward-looking” leaders in Washington DC, as John Kerry just announced that the U.S. would not be party to a binding agreement fighting climate change, issuing from the upcoming UN climate conference next month in Paris.
President Obama, a man who is certainly never shy about aggrandizing himself and using any and all slippery language to give a flattering portrayal of his presidency for the history books, has at times crowned himself as the “environmental president.”
But there is little doubt where his loyalties lie and what his priorities are. The man has become the “drill, baby, drill” standard bearer of Sarah Palin’s ignorant, short-sighted vision for an America awash in oil and an Earth shrouded in a steamy blanket of CO2.
The oil and gas industry loves these guys, despite occasionally public grumbling.
Mr. Kerry’s announcement was not only baffling, it was fiercely obnoxious, again showing what it means to deal with the biggest baddest bully on the block. The stated purpose, the recognized agenda, the very raison d’être of this critical meeting of the world community is unambiguous: The EU, for example, made its position very clear in September, stating that the bloc “is pressing for a global, fair, ambitious and legally binding international treaty that will prevent global warming from reaching dangerous levels.” (My italics.)
But America is an exceptionalist nation, deemed by historical destiny to somehow float above all others. Things like international agreements, existential threats, the laws of physics and nature itself, apply to everyone except the United States of America.
We make our own rules and create our own reality.
Thus, those other non-entities which comprise the other 195 nations in the world hosting the 96% of the world’s population who are not blessed to be Americans, should be honored that Mr. Kerry, as the personal ambassador of our environmental president, even takes the time out of his busy schedule to show up for some nice photo ops and to shake hands with the rest of the irrelevant world leaders who are attempting to do something constructive about a rapidly worsening crisis.
“Yes, Mr. Kerry and Ms. Merkel. That’s looks great. How about if you shake hands and smile? Perfect! This will be right on the front page of our news website tomorrow!”
