It’s up to the rest of the world now. We can’t put climate action on hold for four years in hopes that a new administration will take over in 2029 that will lead the world in the transition away from fossil fuels.
The world has gotten very used to US leadership since the end of WWII, but that era is over. Maybe it should have ended a long time ago, but now it must. The US can’t lead anymore, we lack the competency, efficacy, and morality to lead the world. Someone else is going to have to captain the ship.
I think it’s important that America’s replacement not be just the next most powerful nation. I think it’s time for democracy to go global. We need the nations working together, instead of a single nation dominating the world through military might and economic control. The violent hegemonic orders of the past must be replaced with a global democratic order, based on inclusion, cooperation, and the consent of the governed.
Edit: I realized that I need to explain what I mean when I say that someone other than the US needs to take the leadership role in the transition away from fossil fuels. Climate action in an individual country is a very good thing, and very necessary, but climate change is a global problem. It’s great that countries are taking steps to reduce their own GHG emissions, but unless such action is taken everywhere it’s not going to be sufficient. GHG emissions have to reach net zero everywhere, not just in a few, relatively wealthy European countries. That will require cooperation and collaboration between nations, and I think that will require leadership. The US cannot be relied upon to lead that effort, so someone else is going to have to.
On hold? That’s very optimistic of you.
Trump repealed 112 environmental regulations in his first term, during a pandemic, without preparation, rolling us back to the Bush Administration in multiple categories.
I think we’re going to go backwards again, most likely at a faster rate than his last term.
It may need to be the EU. I know the EU isn’t a nation, but as a block perhaps Europe has the power and influence to lead the effort. Maybe a new entity needs to be established, a global union of nations. Or maybe a union of continents. Maybe each continent should establish its own union of nations (I think every continent already has some kind of union of one type or another) and then have a global union of continents. I don’t necessarily know the best course of action, all I know is the US cannot lead.
I think the real problem that no one in the US is prepared to deal with is we are the bad guys in almost every situation. Once you peel off the thin veneer of freedom and supposed rights you are left with a militaristic corporate oligarchy. One that regularly uses and abuses human beings.
It is no surprise we played both sides before being involved in WWII. Powerful influential people from the US helped bank roll the Nazi party.
Then when this poison tree bore fruits the Nazi came to the US and other countries asking that we take the Jews.
The same people who backed the Nazi party in the US said hell the fuck no and doomed the Jews to die.
Then we go in killing a shit ton of innocent civilians and declare we are good guys. That’s right the people who helped create the Nazi and deny the Jews safety are the good fucking guys. Unfucking believable.
The truth behind the US is so ugly no one can truly face it. This is just one story in the book of fuckups we have perpetrated around the world.
It’s up to the rest of the world now. We can’t put climate action on hold for four years
Incredibly ignorant US-centric thought. What the actual fuck do you think we’ve been doing the last decade while you’re driving about in your tiny-penis truck?!? 😂
I’m very aware that other countries have been taking climate action, much more than the US, in many cases. I didn’t say the rest of the world needed to start doing anything related to climate, as if they had been up until now doing nothing, I said they needed to take LEADERSHIP. And if you’re going to claim that the world hasn’t been looking to the US for leadership on climate action, you’re either an idiot or a liar.
True, although most countries also didn’t improve as much as they should.
We’re in an economical prisoner dilemma here…
And when a country says, “fuck it, we’re going for short term profits”, the upcoming cost due to climate change will get distributed to pretty much every country.
Just like the bailout shit. Profits for cooperations, costs for the public.
Same shit again, just on a larger/worldwide scale
although most countries also didn’t improve as much as they should.
Its even worse than that. Literally nobody has done as much as needs to be done.
And far too many (at least in my country) seem to be saying “we are such a small drop in the ocean compared to (insert larger country here), so why should we go first?”.
It’s frustrating to see how badly we’re fucking our children and grandchildren through laziness, denial and greed.
