WE BID ‘ADIEU’ TO THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT
President Trump Announces US Withdrawal From The Paris Climate Accord, at zerohedge.com. Jerry Brown, Bill DeBlasio, Al Gore, Bernie Sanders, and Barack Obama respond to Trump pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord. If these five are for the Paris climate agreement, it must be nothing more than a socialist scheme for redistributing US tax payer money to the rest of the world. This agreement fits the world view of these gentlemen. Getting out doesn’t.
Obama Responds To Trump’s Withdrawal From Paris Climate Agreement, at zerohedge.com. First let me say this. President Obama. Since you didn’t send this treaty to the Senate for ratification, you had to know that the next President could get us out of this ‘agreement’ just as easily as you got us in to it.
Now here is what the former President said in his statement: “….the private sector already chose a low-carbon future. And for Nations that committed themselves to that future, the Paris Agreement opened the floodgates for businesses, scientists, and engineers to unleash high-tech, low-carbon investment and innovation on an unprecedented scale.”
Mr. President. The private sector didn’t choose “a low-carbon future”. Government ‘invested’ in green energy because the private sector wasn’t. The private sector doesn’t invest in technology that isn’t productive. Government ‘investment’ is nothing more than Politicians using taxpayer money to subsidize a non productive activity they think is a good idea (which means it fits their socialist world view). Once government money was available for the taking, crony capitalists, like Elon Musk and Jeffry Immelt, got in line for their share of tax payer dollars. Crony capitalist companies chose unproductive activities that were “made profitable” by tax payer dollars (Read-The Hidden High Cost Of Green Energy). So of course they’re against the US getting out of the Paris Agreement.
More from the former President: “…But even in the absence of American leadership……I’m confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we’ve got.”
First. It is OK if states, cities, and businesses want to freely choose this course of action. As long as they aren’t forced by the Federal Government or subsidized by the Federal Government.
Second. Getting out of the Paris Agreement is not the absence of American leadership. Getting out is American leadership. Leadership in America doesn’t come from political decrees. It comes from individuals coming up with new and better ways of producing output. A perfect example of American leadership is fracking. Fracking has broken the OPEC cartel because of the increased supply of oil. It has also helped lower US CO2 emissions because it has made natural gas so inexpensive that power plants are using natural gas instead of coal to produce electricity (If the purpose of the Paris Agreement was to lower carbon emissions they should be celebrating what fracking has accomplished). Here is an excerpt from an article I wrote titled; “Free Market Fracking Trumps Government Solutions When It Comes To Producing Energy.”
“Market forces are more powerful than the hoped for results of central planners. The most recent example of this is the boom in oil and natural gas production, created by hydraulic fracturing [ fracking], which is taking place on private land in spite of Government policies. Our politicians shut down some Government lands to oil exploration, and made the process of getting permits for exploration on remaining lands more time-consuming [costlier]. They used their power, and our tax dollars, to promote and invest in, “green energy”. Green energy was going to create new jobs and lead our economy into the future; do you remember Van Jones the Green Jobs Tzar. As always, the plans by our best and brightest politicians, must be obedient to economic forces. Green energy has, and is, going bankrupt, in spite of being propped up by Government. Government tried to make carbon based fuels more expensive through regulation, and green energy more affordable through tax payer subsidies; And with all this Government intervention, the economic reality that green energy produces less energy at a higher cost, and carbon based fuel produces more energy at a lower cost, can’t be overcome.”
Elon Musk Leaving Trump Advisory Councils following Paris Agreement Withdrawal, at techcrunch.com. Having crony capitalist Elon Musk on a Government advisory council is like having the fox advising the farmer on how to make the hen-house more secure. (Read Here – Gov. Subsidies Helped Musk Attain $13.3 Billion Net Worth)
Studying The Climate Doesn’t Make You An Expert On Economics And Politics, by Ryan McMaken, at mises.org. Excerpt from the article: “…the Paris Climate Agreement isn’t a scientific study. It’s a political document that lays out a specific public-policy agenda…..to people who know nothing about economics or political institutions – public policy is like a magic trick. A group of politicians get together, declare that they’re going to solve problem X, and then problem X is magically solved, so long as everyone supports the “solution”…….what if the cure is worse than the disease?”
THE REST OF THE MUST READS
To Lower Healthcare Costs, Try Freedom, by Julian Adorney, at mises.org. Quote from above. “Market forces are more powerful than the hoped for results of central planners.”
The ‘Logic’ Of Protectionism Leads To An Absurd Conclusion: total Economic Self-Sufficiency At the Individual Level, by Mark J. Perry, at carpediemblog. Free trade increases wealth. Mercantilist protectionism decreases wealth.
Why Do Half-Measures Work For Markets, But Not for Socialism? by Ryan McMaken, at mises.org. Even as Venezuela fails as it adopts more socialist solutions, true believers say it isn’t true socialism. When a socialist country adopts some market solutions it helps lift more of their people out of poverty.
Auto Bloodbath: Lowest Domestic Auto Sales In Three Years Despite Record Inventories and Incentives, at zerohedge.com. Is the auto bubble about to burst?
Spying On You, Spying On Me, Spying On The President, by Andrew Napolitano, at lewrockwell.com. Once you allow government surveillance outside of our fourth amendment rights. It is almost impossible to recapture the pit bull of government you let off the chain.
Voter Fraud? 5,500 Non-Citizens Discovered On Virginia’s Voting Rolls, at zerohedge.com. Now this is how you break the law to influence the election!
CARTOONS
AUSTRIAN ECONOMICS ADDICT 