According to Jeffrey D. Sachs, America's democracy is "broken," because corporatocracy - an economic and political system controlled by corporations or corporate interests - is the name of a "corrupt, cynical" game in US politics. Campaigns for presidential and congressional candidates are funded by corporate companies, which help elect those, who serve their interests. And the corporatocrats also ensure that gullible voters - brainwashed by far-right media outlets they financed - cast a ballot for their candidates.

Due to low turnout, participation has hovered between 48% and 57% in US presidential elections since 1980. Republicans benefit hugely from the abstention of nonvoters, who are more economically liberal than their GOP peers - supporting government health insurance and more federal spending on schools etc. Apart from voter apathy in the face of two unpopular candidates in the 2016 presidential election, political marginalisation of ethnic minorities and social groups was another reason that propelled Donald Trump to power. He has been terrorising the country and the world with mendacity, fraudulence, ignorance, incompetence etc,

The author says Trump’s "policies embody mean-spirited priorities that are widely backed" by the GOP in Congress: "slash taxes for the rich at the expense of programs to help the poor and working class; increase military spending at the expense of diplomacy; and allow for the destruction of the environment in the name of 'deregulation'.”

Trump's latest move - withdrawal from the Paris agreement on climate change - is more damaging to America, than to the planet, because politically the US is isolated, while the rest of the world demonstrates an extraordinary unity and steps up its efforts to reduce global warming. As green economy is booming, driven by plummeting renewable energy costs, there is hope that climate change doesn't get out of control.

The author points out that people who either own or run energy companies - they happen to be "mega-poulluters" - have invested much political capital into advancing their goals, donating hundreds of millions to campaigns. Once elected, their stooges "gut the federal programs for education, training, the environment, civilian science, diplomacy, housing, nutrition, and other urgent civilian priorities." This creates a vicious cycle of voter suppression - especially in Republican strongholds, because the poor - facing an array of newly-enacted barriers to the ballot box - are being disenfranchised.

Given the uncertain future awaits Trump regarding investigations into his campaign team's dealing with Russia, climate change is the last thing on his mind. He is soon 71 and there is nothing he can do to overcome his ignorance. Most people say his rationale doesn't make sense - the US had been taken advantage of. The Paris agreement would “punish” Americans by instituting “onerous energy restrictions” that would stymie economic growth. He claimed that meeting the accord’s greenhouse gas emission standards would cost the United States close to $3 trillion in lost gross domestic product and 6.5 million industrial jobs. He also lied about the agreement being unfavorable to US interests that other countries were laughing at America. However his withdrawal apparently can’t actually be finalised until near the end of Trump’s term - if he sits it out. Much depends on his political fate, which may not be as certain as his supporters anticipated. A lot can happen between now and 2020, and his successor can always repeal the withdrawal.

