President Trump Pulls U.S. Out of the Paris Climate Accord

[adurso]

I most certainly am. Unlimited individual rights are incompatible with a civilized society. Your "right" to take whatever you want, to beat up someone who has insulted you, to refrain from funding schools for other people's children, to kill someone who has done you wrong or to buy a 20mm machine cannon just because you want one are already taken away from you.

Are you a-ok with a factory upstream from you dumping their crap directly in the river you swim and fish in, or do you think they should be subject to regulations that keep the river reasonably clean? If the latter, you, too, are in favor of governmentally imposed regulations and restrictions.

A civilized society must always balance individual interests against common interests.

Americans can own a "20 mm machine cannon"; it is merely a matter of satisfying National Firearms Act requirements, paying a two hundred dollar tax, and finding one for sale.


People who use Second Amendment issues as examples should be more familiar with the actual rules.

 

[Storker]

Americans can own a "20 mm machine cannon"

Sorry. I forgot that his board doesn't have an international audience.

 

[Joneill]

I most certainly am. Unlimited individual rights are incompatible with a civilized society. Your "right" to take whatever you want, to beat up someone who has insulted you, to refrain from funding schools for other people's children, to kill someone who has done you wrong or to buy a 20mm machine cannon just because you want one are already taken away from you.

Are you a-ok with a factory upstream from you dumping their crap directly in the river you swim and fish in, or do you think they should be subject to regulations that keep the river reasonably clean? If the latter, you, too, are in favor of governmentally imposed regulations and restrictions.

A civilized society must always balance individual interests against common interests.

I think most folks understand and would agree that some basic level of government regulations and restrictions are required for our society to function efficiently and to keep the peace - However, the issue has become the US goverment over-reaching into areas they really don't belong (business and personal) as well as the stunningly inefficient way they function. Over time (I'm blaming all poltiticians here), it has become more regulations and more money needed to feed the beast...

 

[kelemvor]

Americans can own a "20 mm machine cannon"; it is merely a matter of satisfying National Firearms Act requirements, paying a two hundred dollar tax, and finding one for sale.

heh.. That's the real trick isn't it. Since manufacture and import are prohibited, unless you can find an old 20mm machine cannon, good luck. Here's a real world example. I want an AA-12. Currently manufactured. Even if I paid the $200 tax and got the sheriff's approval (it's also required and he is not required to grant said approval) how would I buy one? I can't because they didn't exist before the NFA and they can't be made or imported for civilian use. What if I wanted and had the money for an F-16 fighter or modern tank? Same situation, I couldn't get it.

I don't really want those things (except the AA-12, that would be fun!) but the current laws are not really compatible with the US constitution. The laws surrounding arms in the US have become perverted over the years and made a big mess.

That has nothing to do with the Paris climate agreement except to highlight that the two situations are alike in one way. They are both incompatible with current laws.

 

[Altamira]

Trump waived his presidential salary. I glad he bailed on the Accord. The progressive's and globalist can't fix border problems but they can fix the climate.

I think if you do some fact checking, you will find Trump did not actually waive his salary. He is being paid, but has pledged to donate his salary to charity, the first installment being $78,333 to the National Park Service. However, this charade is costing the taxpayers more money because we have to pay Trump his $400K salary, then he donates the money to a charity, and no doubt takes a nice tax deduction on his income taxes (which we will never see) for the donation. So we pay him a salary, and then we pay him again in the form of a tax deduction. By donating his salary, he is costing our government (us taxpayers) more money. If he really was looking out for our country, he would take a $1/year salary and then donate his own money to charity. In addition, he can continue to brag how generous he is to charities, a lie that would undoubtably be exposed if he were ever to release his tax returns. But, don't hold your breath on that one.

 

[Jared0425]

I still don't know how that costs the taxpayers more money if it stays within the government. The point of tax deductions is paying less money due to the fact that you are giving away more money so technically that person is still on the losing side of things. I agree DT traveling habits are starting to look worse that BHO's but there are other things the past administration did that made that look like a drop in the bucket.

There is absolutely no way 2 of the biggest polluters will take the lead on this issue. I myself have a polysci degree and know damn well that those 2 would benefit from the US involvement in the agreement to no benefit for us.

@Storker, I know you come from Europe where your government controls many aspects of your everyday life. Remember that we fought 2 bloody wars with the British to keep a relatively weak federal government that stays out of our lives and has a pretty strict checks and balances system in place to give them a moment of pause before making decisions to impact our nation.

The statistics we are using to refute the PCA are not made up or false. I've written a 18 page paper arguing against it last semester where I spent hours of research on it. I don't mind us cutting carbon emissions as long as I does not handicap our industry and I think I speak for almost everyone here when I say I we don't tolerate pollution of the environment. We are all divers here and know how fragile our waters are with pollution.

 

[covediver]

The Paris Accords are like the synopsis of Sunday's sermon, "the preacher spoke about sin, he was against it." An expression of goals, feel good internationalism, but little of binding substance. Now states and municipalities are posturing to claim leadership in the climate change fight, which is great and well within the constitutional design. Personally, I believe climate is changing, it always does. I don't think we can do anything about it and that it is the ultimate human hubris to believe we can. But it makes great fundraising for NGOs....

 

[Altamira]

@Jared0425. The reason that Trump's salary/charity donation scam diminishes our treasury income is that we pay Trump's salary, and then, theoretically, would receive less income in taxes because of the tax deduction he takes for charitable donations. Of course, that assumes his charitable deductions meet the minimum IRS guidelines, and that he pays any taxes at all.

 

[BDSC]

If he really was looking out for our country, he would take a $1/year salary

He's not allowed to. He has to take the entire amount but can then donate it which he has.

 

[adurso]

Sorry. I forgot that his board doesn't have an international audience.

You were addressing an American regarding the Constitution.

Carry on.

I forgot this was the internet.