Kumbaya for a week, or so, and then back to “normal”
On Nov 1st, 2021 at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, President Biden said:
“We’ll demonstrate to the world the United States is not only back at the table but hopefully leading by the power of our example.”
23 days later, on 23rd Nov, here is the next statement from President Biden:
“Today, the President is announcing that the Department of Energy will make available releases of 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to lower prices for Americans and address the mismatch between demand exiting the pandemic and supply.”
That’s obviously part of the “example” that we were asked to observe.
One of the examples people of the world had been aware of even before President Biden went to Glasgow was Tesla. In all places around the globe where Tesla’s electric cars are available to purchase demand is extremely high. Demand is so high that it far outstrips the current production capacity. The company is building or expanding 4 massive factories simultaneously.
Even with that capacity, it will probably not be able to build enough vehicles to meet demand and convert the fossil fuel-based car and transportation industry into electric fleets.
Overcoming all the obstacles a startup car manufacturer faces, Tesla has become the undisputed leader in electric vehicle manufacturing and sales. It’s a true American success story and something everybody in the United States can be proud of.
You would think President Biden would use every opportunity to point to Tesla as one of the “examples’ he was talking about in Glasgow.
Here is what he said on November 18th, 2021 in Detroit:
“It starts here in Detroit. In the auto industry, Detroit is leading the world in electric vehicles. You know how critical it is. Mary, I can remember talking to you way back in January about the need for America to lead in electric vehicles. And I can remember your dramatic announcement that by 2035, GM would be 100 percent electric.
You changed the whole story, Mary, wherever — (applause) — wherever you are. There you are. You did, Mary. You electrified the entire automobile industry. I’m serious. You led — and it matters — in drastically improving the climate by reducing hundreds of millions of barrels of oil that will not be used when we’re all electric.
You know, up until now, China has been leading in this race, but that’s about to change.”
At the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show GM did not display even 1 electric vehicle.
Again at COP26, President Biden said:
It (Biden Administration) will incentivize clean energy manufacturing, building the solar panels and wind turbines that are growing energy markets of the future, which will create good-paying union jobs for American workers — and something that none of us should lose sight of.
The cost of solar installations per Watt has come down significantly over the last few years. That’s a global phenomenon. Still, the US, through protectionist measures started by 75-year-old President Trump and continued by 79-year-old President Biden, has managed to keep prices about 2.5–3 x higher than other developed nations. In Europe and Australia, the price per Watt is about $1 while it is between $2.75 — $3 in the US.
Why am I showing you these examples?
In my practice as a mentor and entrepreneur who helps people to invest in residential real estate so they can reach a point, I call the Time Freedom Point, where you no longer have to exchange time for money and can live your passion every day, credibility and honesty is of utmost importance.
I promise anybody who seeks my help that I only provide information and suggestions based on lived experience. I invest in the same properties in the same locations as I refer my clients to.
If there is a new opportunity for residential real estate investments, I research them and invest with my own money first before recommending it to anybody else.
I love to educate and explain why I do what I do and recommend because I want to raise the level of awareness of the people I interact with.
Part of my goal is to be a leader for those who want to follow me.
That only works with trust, credibility, honesty, principles, and good morals.
Soaring Eagles gives this definition:
Credibility is simply the quality of being believed or accepted as true, real, or honest. Personal credibility is about trust, respect, and being believable. A leader’s credibility is typically defined in terms of the degree of employee confidence, belief, and acceptance towards the leader.
Employees in the context of the statements President Biden made to the world when speaking in Glasgow or the folks in Detroit are the audiences listening to him.
I hope you can see where the reputation people from the USA have around the world comes from.
We are known as the people who try to get what we want through:
- Corruption — when we don’t like the leader of a country and send secret forces to overthrow him/her
- Aggression — when we make up stories about stuff (like Yellow Cake) to invade a country, ruin its infrastructure and kill millions of people while claiming that we are protecting our national security
- Revenge — when we invade a country and aim to change their thousand-years old system founded in religion we don’t like. Yes, a few thousand of our soldiers will die and we don’t really mean it when we declare that no American is left behind (see Afghanistan).
- Protectionism- when we declare that tools, machines, computers, etc. made in other countries are somehow secret systems to spy on us so we can’t allow them to be in our “open market” (see countless companies mainly from China, first and foremost Huawei).
We can’t change how the authorities we foolishly elected into positions of power represent us.
What we can do is give a good example on a personal level. That’s what I do every day and I hope you do as well.
Just don’t be surprised that we are all carrying the reputation our authorities trigger through their behaviors and actions when you go visit places around the world.