Charles P. Pierce: This Is More than Another Line on John Kerry's Resume

[babylonsister]

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a34761781/john-kerry-climate-envoy-joe-biden-cabinet/


This Is More than Another Line on John Kerry's Resumé
The very creation of his new position—Special Envoy for the Climate Crisis—is a signal that the climate crisis is now a national-security crisis.
By Charles P. Pierce
Nov 23, 2020


Secure in the knowledge that the Colorforms lawsuits brought by the opposition will continue to be objects of ridicule among federal judges and courthouse coffee-shop operators, Joe Biden began to roll out his Cabinet picks on Monday. Mostly, this was Biden's putting together a national-security team with whom he was most comfortable. (The closest recent parallel to Biden and his Secretary of State-designate Tony Blinken probably is George H.W. Bush hiring James Baker.) No Team of Rivals stuff here. The Blinken choice is as Establishment as it gets.

However, some of the other choices are more innovative and, therefore, more intriguing. Alejandro Mayorkas is the first Latino and the first immigrant to head the Department of Homeland Security, which is a giant departure from the current, Stephen Miller-infected regime. Serious study has to be done about reforming ICE and the Border Patrol, which have been allowed to run riot over the past four years. (I first heard of him as the U.S. attorney who successfully prosecuted Heidi Fleiss, the so-called "Hollywood Madam." ) An immigrant from Cuba, Mayorkas worked as a deputy at DHS during the Obama administration and also was involved in that administration's outreach to Cuba. His confirmation to the DHS post was a bit stormy; the Republicans boycotted his confirmation hearing, so we should all keep an eye on that.

John Kerry's appointment as the Special Envoy for the Climate Crisis is an extraordinarily hopeful sign. Hell, the very creation of the position is an extraordinarily hopeful sign. (Kerry already has been proclaimed the Climate Czar by our nation's headline writers.) In accepting the position, Kerry said:

America will soon have a government that treats the climate crisis as the urgent national security threat it is. I'm proud to partner with the President-elect, our allies, and the young leaders of the climate movement to take on this crisis as the President's Climate Envoy.

Kerry's appointment—which, since it is a position on the National Security Council, doesn't need Senate approval—pretty well cinches that the U.S. will rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, which Kerry helped fashion during his time as Secretary of State in the Obama Administration. And his appeal to young people, who currently make up the energetic base for action on the crisis, shows that he's been paying attention to the people paying closest attention, not unlike his former Massachusetts colleague in Congress, Ed Markey, another septuagenarian who won re-election to the Senate because of his career-long involvement with environmental issues. It's more than another line on Kerry's already impressive political CV. It's a loud warning signal that the climate crisis is now a national-security crisis. Which is about time.

[Botany]

1. Gore, Kerry, and Clinton we were robbed of their talents.

BTW this time no more Mr. Nice Guy! String up those election cheaters by the balls.

[CaptYossarian]

5. We'regonna need a lot more dental floss for that.

I'll add it to my shopping list.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. This is a most excellent and very timely move by our own President-elect Biden!

Hand in glove is the phrase that comes to my mind with Kerry's appointment. The perfect fit, the perfect match.

[Vinca]

3. I'm so happy about the Kerry position. Climate change has been his real passion for years.

It's so good to see intelligent, honest, caring human beings filling roles in the new administration. The sooner Steven Miller, Betsey Devos, Ben Carson, Mike Pompeo, et al go down the road the better.

[Hekate]

4. This is very pleasurable reading indeed.

[Bayard]

6. Excellent!

Very happy about this pick!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. The Pentagon has been warning for some time that climate crisis is a national security crisis.

I don't know for a fact, but it's a fairly sure bet that John Kerry was involved in educating the Pentagon thusly.

[Lock him up.]

8. K&R

This is important! SOS John Kerry will lead and win the fight to save life-on-earth as we know it.