Paris Accords Withdrawal: A Win for Bannon (and a Confirmation for Merkel)

Via WaPo:

The Paris pact was a particular passion for Bannon, who spent the past two weeks consumed by the climate deal, including working feverishly from the West Wing after returning early from Trump’s foreign trip, according to two White House officials familiar with the discussions. He pressed his case directly with the president — arguing that the Paris accord was a product of globalism and unpopular with Trump’s base — and also worked with Pruitt to tilt the talks in that direction, providing political ballast to the policy and legal arguments made by others on his side.

This really is all about a kind of neo-isolationism.

Really, all is accomplishes is undercutting the prevailing global order and the US’s role therein.  It is a confirmation of what German Chancellor Angela Merkel said over the weekend:

“I experienced that in the last a few days, and therefore I can only say that we Europeans must really take our fate into our own hands, of course in friendship with the United States and in friendship with Great Britain and as good neighbors wherever it is possible, also with Russia and also with all the other countries,” Merkel said.

 

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Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a retired Professor of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. al-Alameda says:

    Angela Merkel was dead on; America, for the foreseeable future (probably the next 42 months) is not a reliable partner.

  2. Just 'nutha ig'nint cracker says:

    Say what you will; At least isolationism is a conservative principle. Maybe a stupid one in this case, but still a step up from the nonsense that passes in the RWNJ echo chamber for principled stands and conservative beliefs.

  3. Gromitt Gunn says:

    Time to relearn my very rusty Deutsch, so I can keep speaking the language of the Leader of the Free World.

  4. HankP says:

    @al-Alameda:

    I agree, and while domestic policies can be reversed in a few elections this will not be corrected for a long, long time.

  5. An Interested Party says:

    I agree, and while domestic policies can be reversed in a few elections this will not be corrected for a long, long time.

    Our presidential elections of the past few cycles seem to have winners who are the total opposite of the person who came immediately before them…if that pattern holds, we’ll have a really smart, quite capable person following the Orange Mange who will hopefully be able to correct the damage this buffoon is creating…

  6. gVOR08 says:

    @An Interested Party: Only if he has a Dem Congress.