A Fresh Approach

WH officials are trying to explain the Paris Climate Agreement pull-out by saying that Trump promises a fresh approach.

My guess his approach will be from a perspective of paranoia. (Link to transcript of announcement.) What’s with that statement: The world won’t laugh at us anymore? He said: “The United States, under the Trump administration, will continue to be the cleanest and most environmentally friendly country on Earth.  We'll be the cleanest.  We're going to have the cleanest air.  We're going to have the cleanest water.”

As someone who appreciates fresh approaches, I have tried to keep an open mind. Albeit, in his announcement there is nothing concrete, not even a particle of policy or plan. 

His approach is isolationist, entrenched, submerged in paranoia. A visionary is one who looks beyond the current situation and envisions a new world based upon—wait, this is important—what’s best for EVERYONE. A new approach inspires innovation.

What if after the bombing of Pearl Harbor instead of interning the American Japanese, Roosevelt had appealed to them to join the armed forces. I know many did anyway. What might have been the result if George Bush after 9/11 hadn’t invaded Afghanistan and started a 20-year war, but instead appropriated the trillion dollars already spent but instead over the same period of time committed to building in Afghanistan an infrastructure, a criminal justice system. All of these initiatives would be counter-intuitive, adverse to quick results, not immediately beneficial, but in the long haul give America the upper hand. Sometimes we need someone who is far-looking, calculating the endgame.

I am not convinced Trump and his administration understand what a fresh approach looks like.