I agree mostly, except if we put a tight grip on energy carbon footprint on the western hemisphere, with a blind spot for the side effects of those policies and still ignoring the Eastern hemisphere; from polluting the same world; so that the western hemisphere can have cheaper manufacturing.
Well, at least we can give off massive "virtue signals", by going a bit greener. Besides, "out of sight, out of mind", is all the average US citizen can wrap their head around. So, if it's still pretty smoggy in China....?
There is definitely some bad actors that rather profit from it all and push their one time use solar panels made in ch!na that they have interest in, hence the lack of promoting less profitable energy renewable resources like Geothermal energy which is imo more safer than Nuclear, more reliable than solar and wind combined and has less waste than others as well. Being virtues just on the surface without looking at the bigger picture of, macro economics, policy side effects, and guaranteed end results for the cost of it all is not being responsible and sets up one for criticism and doubt on intent.
I wish there was someway I could give you a short answer or solution to these questions. I think you need to take a long hard look at the vast chasm between human nature and human ideals. I'll try to fill in some of the blanks. Best I can do.
To begin with, the US empire is more decadent exponentially, than ancient Rome could ever dream of being. The more we want, the less we're willing to do for it. It's fine to have ideals, but that's not workable with a belief system that's set in stone.
Politicians are all raging narcissists Some are more willing to appease or work for the people than others. But in the end, if you blow enough sunshine up their backsides, they'll buy into anything you try and sell them.. (And a little bit of graft on the side helps a lot).
Con artists, snake oil salesmen, grifters, and lobbyists, are all getting "better" by the generation. So, the average politician, who has been literally "sold" to you, really isn't qualified to objectively evaluate issues based in science. Some politicians aren't even remotely qualified to be in office. I would cite Marjorie Taylor Greene as the most salient example. But, she holds office by virtue of voters "belief systems', not from any critical thinking on their part.
Then go to the animal kingdom and ask yourself why the most aggressive male lion has the biggest range and the most females under his control. When you factor in human greed, you'll find why too much money, women, and land, are never enough. We're all wannabe alphas on this bus. Which is why psychopaths like Elon Musk are worshiped by so many people, We tend to live vicariously through them.
The short answer is, "we're not even close to as smart as we think we are". We're still living our lives predicated on our basic animal natures.
I could tell you that current inflation isn't Biden's fault, but would you believe me? The manufacturer gets it into his head to charge more for something, the shipper feels he should get a cut, the ripoff goes on down the line, and the end result is a nasty bill for the consumer.
Parasites are pervasive throughout the "food chain", casinos, real estate speculators, big pharma, oil companies, energy suppliers, to name just a few. You really can't dump it all on Biden, as easy and convenient as that might be. Stir in a little profiteering and price gouging, and you've got yourself into an inflation stew. You give a landlord any petty excuse like a small increase in water rates, and the next thing you know, your rent is increased by 20%.
If the elites use 1000x the carbon footprint as us just to meet to talk about being green annually what is this exactly if not hypocritical? What happened to leading by example and not by force?
Believe it or not, this was actually addressed in part by someone you apparently disdain, Barack Obama.!
When the big bailout happened, (it was caused by greed, and subprime mortgage lending), the car companies were pissing and moaning about how much money they were losing, (despite the CEO's 100 mil salaries, they were called to congress. They all came in private corporate jets. Obama basically told them that if they wanted to poor mouth in front of congress, take Southwest, or be prepared to lose your jobs. In the end, the fed took over, IIRC GM, and possibly Ford as well. None of that obviously meets your ideals, but as they say, "man's reach always exceeds his grasp".
And so it goes with all of man's endeavors, man himself always fails to meet "humanity" as we would imagine it to be possible.
Well, this drifted quite a bit, but of some things I'm certain. Show me a priest and I'll show you a pathological liar. Show me a politician and I'll show you a rampant narcissist. Show me a teacher, and I'll show you someone you feeds their own ego by knowing more than the ones they're teaching. It's not really possible to "help someone", without some form of ego gratification. Human nature always outwits itself.
As they say, "familiarity breeds contempt". and my dark, dark opinion of humanity in general, is born of familiarity.
Close for now. It's 2:47 AM EST and I simply have to have my dinner. The animal calls. I can tell by the growling in my stomach.