Opinion
Bush administration puts bottom line above environment
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Also by Bassey Etim:
- Usual sources a minor concern (November 19, 2009)
- Precedent poor excuse for use of [sic] (November 5, 2009)
- Keeping The Badger Herald honest (September 16, 2009)
- Reader input keeps Herald honest (October 1, 2009)
- Off-hand comments unnecessary (October 15, 2009)
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Despite a principled battle against international talks regarding the environment, the Bush administration finally agreed to join a non-binding meeting to address global warming. Rest assured, they had plenty of good reasons not to get together with those European fear-mongers.
So our delegation may have walked out a few times, but the Canadians totally invited former president Clinton! Bush deputies then threatened to boycott the meetings if Clinton was allowed to speak. (I'm being serious here.) In the face of the grave threat he poses to the administration's goal of convincing the world global warming is a hoax like Bigfoot or WMDs, it's great to see we've got our priorities in line.
Don't talk to Clinton unless he can save us foreign aid cash.
Don't listen to Clinton if not flanked by at least one Bush.
Let those Euro-pansies whine about their precious mother earth on their own time.
The Bush administration has been cold on the Kyoto protocol, in which developed nations are encouraged to cut greenhouse gas emissions, since 2001, when President Bush disavowed the Kyoto treaty, claiming it would hurt U.S. economic interests (see: ExxonMobil). This makes perfect sense. I mean, why hurt our economy now when someone else can fix that whole environment thing later? If you're still not totally convinced this system can work, check out the astounding performance of the social security program.
Some might say that the Bush administration's refusal to participate in any tangible efforts to improve the earth's environment has had a negative impact on our global standing. Detractors even suggest the United States has been left behind by the global community on this issue as we are perceived as unflinching and unfailingly self-interested, unwilling to lead the world on one of the most important issues of our time due to inconvenience and a lack of political expediency.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli responded to these criticisms by insisting U.S. supremacy to every country on earth. (And slightly deviating from the truth. Just a tad though.)
"I'd say there's one country that is focused on action, that is focused on dialogue, that is focused on cooperation and is focused on helping the developing world. And that's the United States."
So stop being such an unpatriotic left-wing prick or a Canadian. The good ol' U.S.A. is way better than Europe. Especially when we don't even try.
I, on the other hand, completely understand the Bush administration's flawless logic on this issue. Why even have these "talks" if they're not formal or binding? And why have formal talks when the United States is already doing more for mother earth then those European schmucks can even comprehend?
Former President Clinton apparently doesn't get it either. At Friday's meeting in Montreal, Clinton said President Bush is "flat wrong" in his assertion that Kyoto would harm the U.S. economy.
This isn't the first time the Bush administration has been accused of ignoring professional opinions in favor of political gains. The FDA overruled its own scientists in concluding the morning-after pill should not be available over the counter, and the Justice Department's civil rights division won't even let staff members give recommendations to political appointees anymore.
I applaud the Bush administration for keepin' it real, G. Who cares what non-neo-conservatives think anyways? Those misguided liberal pawns are just relics from a nonpartisan bureaucracy. After all, how can you get an agenda through if every decision maker on every level doesn't completely agree with you?
Thank goodness our chief climate negotiator Harlan Watson was able to see through this petty attempt by the rest of the world to trick us into a serious dialogue about improving the environment.
"If it walks like a duck and talks like duck, it's a duck," Watson said before storming out of the meeting.
The global community then displayed its shameful inability to comprehend the subtleties of the American hubris as one of the delegates responded, "I don't understand your reference to a duck. What about this document is like a duck?"
Unfortunately for liberal earth-lovers, the Bush administration won't use the same logic when considering global warming. This year is on pace to be the hottest in recorded history, Greenland's icecaps continue to deteriorate, ocean water levels rise at a quickening pace, and increasing ocean temperatures are suspected to have played a role in the intensity of this hurricane season. If it walks and talks like a duck, it is a duck right?
Not so says President Bush, who claims the verdict is still out on global warming. Whenever Judge Bush finally does receive it from the jury, he'd better be prepared to accept the consequences of his inaction. My guess is that he — like others who refuse to recognize any argument that might hurt their bottom line — is comforted by knowing they won't be around for the worst of global warming.
Bassey Etim (etim@wisc.edu) is a sophomore majoring in journalism and political science.
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I agree Etim, so what do you suggest we do about the sun. I’m not sure how we can stop it from doing all this warming you are worried about but damn it’ if you have an idea about how to stop the sun from going into warming cycles and cooling cycles then I am all for it. As for Kyoto, when you bring in China and India and the developing world who use less and pollute more then I will be on board for that as well. Maybe we can cripple the global economy and we can all go back to living in caves and burning wood to heat our glorious rock dwellings. High taxes drives down growth and increases unemployment. Look at France and Germany as examples and wonder why some in the world who dislike the US so love Kyoto. Say Middle Eastern states who would like us to have less money to ship to Israel.
As for Exxon/Mobile, BP and other Oil companies they have helped my 401K retirement plan go up by roughly 10% this year. So, you will have a hard time convincing me that the selling of Oil is by itself a bad thing. Unless of course you are talking about the French and the severly undereported Oil for Food scandal.
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Merry Christmas Ms. Elizabeth Burmaster,
Everyone has a right and freedom to worship & celebrate as they wish, after all - we live in the United States of America - not Russia or China.
Please don’t be swayed by overpowering individuals or interest groups. When people are in despair, lonely, and have no one to turn to, are you giving them the hope that there is some greater Being/Higher Power than us who listens and cares about our every need and heals the broken hearted - if they only BELIEVE, everything else simply falls in place. It may not fall in place the way we want or expect, but usually in way for greater and at a better time than we could ever imagine.
Don’t close the door on believers or our children. When their loved ones are ill or they have family fighting for our country over seas. Do we just hope they come back or that the sick regain their health by shear luck. I don’t think so. We pray like hell, that God watches over them daily, and keep them safe in His loving arms, and for those who are away from home - that they come back safely as soon as possible, and that this entire world knows true PEACE!
GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL OF YOUR LOVED ONES! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MAY THE PEACE OF CHRIST FILL YOUR HEART!
A concerned neighbor,
Catherine Oberbeck St. Louis, MO.
None of the websites for Ms Burmaster seem to be available, so I’m hoping you have the courage to print this. Thank you!
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Let’s see, in 1997 when Clinton was President, the Senate vote against Kyoto was 95-0. Oops, guess you forgot to mention that!
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Mars is also warming up.
Q. What can we do about that?
A. About as much as we can do about Earth - nothing.
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Well said, Mr. Etim, and good luck in journalism and politics. You’re on the road to making a positive difference.
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So China and India and how many others are exempt from any restrictions?
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Last poster has no idea what she is talking about. You should leave journalism forever.
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Why is President Clinton a guest of Canada at this environmental shindig? I don’t mind him speaking out for what he believes in, but shouldn’t he leave U.S. delegation and representation at these things up to the current administration? He had his 8 years in the limelight. It’s time to step down - no matter how bad he’d like to see the 22nd Amendment repealed.