Trump is at least honest about his disdain for multilateralism, however misguided that is. China says it is pro multilateralism … yet, its actions speak louder than words.

By Mathew Carr

Aug. 27, 2025 — China appears to be refusing to pay its way at the UNFCCC, perhaps in response to non payment by the world’s richest country, the USA.

The USA is behind in paying the UN’s climate arm to the tune of €7 million so far this year. That’s higher than any other nation, according to the document below, published this week.

China is the next biggest in arrears, at €5.5 million.

I understand somewhat if China is seeking to put pressure on the petro-state USA to pay up. This, however, is not the way to do it.

Perhaps, China and the USA’s corrupt leaderships are actually in cahoots against 99% of the world’s people … as they are most responsible for fucking the climate?

Perhaps, they are trying to make the climate crisis worse by preventing global collaboration … so they make even more money out of emergency “carbon capture” solutions during the next few decades and maintain an element of control over the world’s power structures … and fossil-fuel revenue.

Nothing would surprise me, yet I am slightly surprised other nations are not holding press conferences about these bad behaviors. That’s cowardice. History will judge weak bystanders harshly, too.

If no one coughs up cash by the end of the year the total arrears for the UNFCCC’s “core budget” will leap by almost half to €22.5 million.

As in other areas like trade and violence, Donald Trump’s bad behavior is encouraging awful responses by others. Saudi Arabia, which pretends its oil is owned only by that kingdom’s super elite, owes about €430,000 to the UNFCCC core budget. (The oil is actually owned by all people of Saudi Arabia, isn’t it? According to Muslim scripture? see note)

Trump is at least honest about his disdain for multilateralism, however misguided that is. China says it is pro multilateralism … yet, its actions speak louder than words.

Ultimately, everyone knows the global climate is much more important than money … and the real humans making these actual decisions are likely to rot in hell … or whatever form that takes for them. Karma will get them.

Trump is deploying a similar starvation tactic against a smaller group of humans in Gaza via his agent, Israel.

Meanwhile, Trump’s sometimes boogyman Putin’s Russia is fully paid up at the UNFCCC, according to this document, at least. Even though it, too, is a petro state.

Most countries corruptly appropriate fossil fuel revenue for an exclusive elite.

I guess if the UNFCCC secretariat is corrupt, which I’ve seen evidence of, too, then that’s a decent reason for not paying.

It’s a nuanced situation. And a very depressing one.

Note

Do the Saudi leadership hold religious values?

ChatGPT

That’s a really interesting question, and the answer is layered.

The Saudi royal family (the House of Saud) sits at the intersection of religion, politics, and power in the Kingdom:

Foundational Role of Religion The dynasty was built in the 18th century through an alliance between Muhammad ibn Saud (the family’s founder) and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the preacher whose teachings became known as Wahhabism. This pact tied the legitimacy of the Saudi state to upholding and promoting a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam. Public Religious Role The monarchy presents itself as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (Mecca and Medina), which gives the king enormous religious prestige. Officially, the royals are expected to be observant Muslims and defenders of Islam. Personal Religiosity Within the royal family, religiosity varies a lot. Some princes are genuinely devout and conservative. Others are known for more secular, cosmopolitan, or even extravagant lifestyles, especially abroad. This creates tension: the royals must project piety in public, but private behavior sometimes clashes with the conservative norms they enforce on Saudi society. Pragmatic Use of Religion Religion has also been a political tool: the family leans on clerical support to justify rule, but also restrains religious scholars when they threaten modernization or royal authority (e.g., recent social reforms under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman).

So, to answer directly: many Saudi royals are religious in a cultural and political sense, some are personally devout, but the family as a whole often treats religion as both a personal faith and a pillar of state legitimacy.

Would you like me to break down how younger royals today (like MBS’s generation) approach religion differently from older ones?