Global Agreements are Useless; or, Why I’m Cynical About Everything

So, the G8 nations (Group of 8, the world’s leading economic powers) have agreed on a proposal to cut greenhouse gases in half. Sounds good, right? Only problem: their target date is 2050. You know, 42 years from now. When every single person responsible for this vote is long dead, or at the very least happily retired and completely senile.

Pose for the cameras, talk about Doing Something For The World, and then set a timeline that ensures nothing actually has to happen while you’re still in office. The only way we can change politics is to actually do something different. This one’s greenhouse gases, but the exact same principle applies for ending the war, doing something about poverty, combating gangs, or basically doing anything meaningful with regard to politics anywhere in the world. Your elected leaders are self-serving assholes, your fellow countrymen are brainwashed and probably stupid to boot, and the media (who is supposed to keep an eye on them) doesn’t bother reporting on anything more meaningful than paparazzi shots of some washed-up singer’s pooter.

Time to buy guns, folks.