Bead 14: I lied through my teeth for the Paris Accord

I get all my best advice from John Oliver.  For example, recently I was wondering how a little old nobody leftist like me could get through to our President as regards the Paris Accord.  Trump seems to be waffling on this one, dragging his decision out across days of front-page headlines.  It's like he's begging us to tell him what to do--and believe me, I want to.  But how?

All I had to do was recall last week's episode of Last Week Tonight, entitled Stupid Watergate.  In it, John Oliver revealed the twin secrets to gaining the ear of Trump.  You have to: 1) pander to his narcissism, and 2) keep it real, real simple.  Evidently, several White House officials have observed that, in order for a security briefing to be absorbed in its entirety by our Commander-in-Chief, it needs to fit on a single page, and contain visual aids like maps and photos.  Also, it needs to make obsessive use of his name.  Evidently, the goal is to plug "Trump" into as many paragraphs as possible to hold the actual Trump's attention.

Today, while reading another top story about The Most Powerful Man in the World's ambivalence on keeping the world inhabitable, it finally clicked for me.  I need to offer Trump a little guidance!  And thanks to John Oliver, I know just how to do it.

Here is the letter I just submitted to https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact.  I admit, it's super-creepy.  I hope it won't cost me my blog followers, Facebook friends, and real friends.  But I just had to try it.  You should, too!  It was actually quite fun.

Dear President Trump,

When I think Trump, I think big time.  I think success.  Before we elected you as President, you dominated the world of business.  Now you dominate the world. 

Everybody knows it, even if they won't admit it:  You are breathing new life into our nation.  You are a visionary, and Make America Great Again is the vision that will save us all.  Now more than ever, I am proud to be an American--proud for the world to see us come into our birthright as the political, military, and economic force we were always meant to be.

Right now, you are in the middle of a big decision.  You are weighing whether to keep your promise to unburden us from the Paris Accord, or heed the advice of businessmen, other world leaders, cabinet members, and your daughter Ivanka to stay party to the agreement. 

A month or two ago, I might have put in my two cents for you to get us out of the Accord.  But I've started to see things in a different way.  If we leave the Accord, we don't get viewed as stronger.  We get viewed as weaker.  Those of us who voted for you will personally be pleased that you kept your word, but I fear the rest of the world will cut us out of the grown-ups' table.  

Already, China is poised to become the new leader in climate policy.  I don't mean they are about to get the most kudos from environmentalists.  I mean they are about to get the most recognition from other nations, and a bigger piece of the pie.  Even if "global warming" was cooked up in Beijing, the notion of it has gripped the whole world.  A lot of money can be made off of notions.  China knows this.  And we know this, too.

The worldwide notion of global warming has turned solar and wind energy into a major market sector.  I've lived in Kentucky, and I have seen how environmental laws can wreck an industry.  But I also know that above everything, pulsing overhead and keeping our lights on, is the market itself.  It's fickle, and sometimes it doesn't make sense.  But if we want to keep running the show, we have to follow where it leads.

President Trump, I know that tomorrow you will announce your decision.  Perhaps you've already made it, and aren't reading any more letters.  I pray that something will move you to read mine.  You are a great businessman and a great leader.  I pray that you will see that staying in the Paris Accord will further your vision to Make America Great Again, rather than diminish it.

God Bless,

[Bekah]