When the history of these chapters of political and social upheaval is written, perhaps those who draft those records will refer to the speech of French President Emmanuel Macron to the joint Houses of Congress on Wednesday as being reflective of our age of enlightenment that tempers the ill-tempered voices and vices of the far right.
Single-handedly, President Macron razed the barren truths of those who profess the politics of self over serving others; greed not good; choose the chaos of cable news before climate; and adopt scepticism over science. And what’s more, Macron’s stinging rebuke of the tired triumphalism of Trumpism was delivered to repeated applause and ovation by the very American lawmakers who stand now as the sole defence against this populist narrative that is camouflaged as political discourse in 250 characters or less.
Over the course of his 50-minute address, Macron issued a clarion call for the return to the values of true liberalism over division, globalism over protectionism, and where nations stand together to advance the common cause of mankind rather than dig heels in the sand and say ‘no’.
Macron’s words show that there is a choice now between the rampant nationalism that feeds the egos of political strongmen and the values of democratic nations — where voices are heard rather than shouted down, and where tolerance is a tonic to the ill-tempered.
When it comes to trade, the prosperity of all should matter over the profits of the few, where trade should be open and free, where barriers are banished and tariffs tossed aside as remnants of regimes that wade in the shallows rather than swim in the tide of globalism.
We live in an age where our climate has changed, where weather patterns are changing, where our Earth is warming more now than ever before — and it is happening because of our effect on the planet. We have burned fossil fuels, generated carbon emissions, created the greenhouse effect. And time is running out for us to be able to make a difference.
Macron said he believed the United States would return to the Paris Agreement — our best bet yet in tackling climate change. Since US President Donald Trump has come to power, America has disavowed that pact and stands now as the sole opponent to the accord.
But every one of us must take note of Macron’s warning: “There is no Planet B”.
