President Donald Trump has pull the US out of the Paris Climate Accord, that did not come as a surprise as it was expected. President Trump has a penchant for doing the unthinkable. Is this decision in line with his promise of making America great again?
Can America be truly great without it playing its customary leadership position in the world? This i doubted greatly. His decision has alienated the U.S historical allies-France, Germany, Britain, Canada, Japan and the European Union.
The US now joins two other countries, Nicaragua and Syria not to affirm the Paris Climate Accord. Nicaragua’s case is unique in the sense that it felt the Paris Climate Accord did not go far enough to address the danger of climate change, hence its refusal to sign on.
President Trump rebuffed the advice of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and even Trump’s daughter, Ivanka not to jettison the Paris Climate Agreement, rather he pitched his tent with senior advisor Steve Bannon and EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt sold him on the preposterous fallacy that the U.S. is unfairly treated in the deal and that pulling put will lead to massive job creation.
In the aftermath of his withdrawal from the Climate Accord, the CEOs of Tesla and Walt Disney-Elon Musk and Robert Iger respectively- have withdrawn from the White House business advisory councils. “Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world,” Musk said in a Twitter post. He is a member of the President’s Strategic and Policy Forum, a business advisory group, and Trump’s manufacturing jobs council.
Iger wrote on Twitter that “as a matter of principle, I’ve resigned from the President’s Council over the #ParisAgreement withdrawal.” Uber CEO Travis Kalanick quit the council in February over the Trump’s immigration policies.
It’s an “epic blunder,” said David Arkush, managing director of Public Citizen’s climate program, the group founded by former Green Party candidate Ralph Nader. Erich Pica, president of Friends of the earth, called on all nations to impose sanctions on the United States in response to Trump’s decision.
It’s like the US is abdicating its role on the international stage, leaving the leadership role to Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor. After Trump’s failure to reassert America’s commitment to come to the defense of fellow NATO members, Merkel said it is time for Europeans to “really take our fate into our own hands.” China is also stepping up its role on the international stage by expressing total commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.
Perhaps, President Trump did not fully understand the important roles the US play in the global affairs. Even if pulling out is the sensible and right thing to do, the manner it was done was a slap to its allies. America’s greatness is not self-derived but by the collection of friendly countries it can call on when the waters get murky. The seat of the presidency mustn’t be equated with that of the CEO acted on “The Apprentice”.
Trump said he no longer wanted world leaders to be “laughing at us,” what does he think they are doing now? There is nothing bad in putting America first or making it great again, but doing it in a ludicrous and egocentric manner will accomplish the opposite.
