In 1776, the United States declared its independence from an oppressive colonialist power and began pursuit of its unique destiny. In 2026, 250 years later, the United States continues to pursue its independent path. However, its independence is being challenged by an international organization which functions in a self-generated delusion in which it believes it is capable of functioning and is entitled to function as a global government. This delusion goes beyond “mission creep” to “mission leap”. The UN’s basic mission is to maintain peace, at which it has been less than a “howling success”.

The UN’s selected vehicle for achieving global governance is the issue of climate change. The UN established the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) as the focus of its efforts. It’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) periodically reviews and assesses relevant research and issues Assessment Reports (ARs) summarizing these assessments. The reports of the IPCC Working Groups are the “summarized” in a politician generated report known as the Summary for Policymakers. The nuanced Working Group reports transition into crisis projections in the Summary for Policymakers process.

Based on these crisis projections, the UN declared the imperative of achieving “Net Zero by 2050”, which supposedly imposed obligations on the UN member states to reduce CO₂ emissions on that timeline. The process was to be based on “Common but Differentiated Responsibilities”, imposing the most aggressive emissions reductions on the developed nations. The process culminated in the establishment of the Paris Accords, which the UN intended to become treaty obligations, though they ultimately did not.

The US announced its intent to leave the Paris Accords in 2025, in part in recognition of the fact that numerous developing nations, including China and India, were not reducing their emissions but rather rapidly increasing them. The US further announced its intent to exit from the UNFCCC in 2026. The US will not participate in the IPCC development of the next Assessment Report (AR7). The US has also announced its intention not to fund the UN Green Climate Fund or the fund to compensate member nations for “Loss and Damage”. 

The UN is currently “demanding” annual funding of $1.3 trillion from the developed nations to developing nations experiencing “climate damage”. The programs this would fund would likely be the subject of massive fraud and misallocation, as the UN has clearly demonstrated its inability to properly manage such programs.

The UN has also established international “courts”, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, in an effort to tighten its control over the actions of its member nations, limiting their sovereign independence. The International Court of Justice recently issued an advisory opinion on the obligations of member states regarding climate change, based on the assumption that climate change represents an existential threat. The ICJ advisory opinion states that the obligations of member states regarding climate change are enforceable, though it is unclear how this enforcement might occur. The US is not a participant in the International Court of Justice.

Clearly, US independence is a continuing process, 250 years after the original Declaration of Independence.