...[D]elegate after delegate took aim at the United States, with South Africa saying [the United States'] intervention was "most unwelcome and without any basis," and Uganda saying "We would like to beg them" to relent.
Then the delegate from Papua New Guinea leaned into his microphone.
"We seek your leadership," Kevin Conrad told the Americans. "But if for some reason you are not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us. Please get out of the way."Finally!! The world has stood up and said, "
Enough is enough!" The United States has a responsibility like every other country - actually, a larger responsibility - to help the world in reducing carbon emissions. But was this cry for help and leadership loud
enough for the Bush Administration to hear? Probably not.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said the U.S. welcomed the positive steps outlined in the roadmap but had "serious concerns" about the different responsibilities that will be shouldered by developed and developing nations.
"The problem of climate change cannot be adequately addressed through commitments for emissions cuts by developed countries alone," Perino said.
"Negotiations must clearly differentiate among developing countries in terms of the size of their economies, their level of emissions and level of energy utilization, and sufficiently link the character or extent of responsibility to such factors," Perino said.America's only hope - the
world's only hope - is that this cry for help was heard by the
one presidential candidate who is going to control the Executive Governmental Branch for at least the next 4 years.
A turning point may come a year down the road following the U.S. election of a new president, who many environmentalists hope will support deeper, mandatory emissions cuts in contrast to President Bush, who favors only voluntary approaches to reining in greenhouse gases.And still signs of the Bush Administration fighting with it's role as leader:
The United States is opposed to the 25-40 figures, and delegates say its position is also shared by Japan, Canada and Russia.
James Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, rejected blame, saying: "Every country has a negotiating position, not just the US."
"We will lead, the US will lead, and we will continue to lead, but leadership also requires others to fall in line and follow.""...we will continue to lead..." That one gets me. ROTFLOL!! I'm sorry to say this, but we haven't been leading anything except soldiers into battle for the past 6 years. If a issue that comes before the president doesn't have something to do with power, money and/or oil, Bush has had nothing to do with it. And that includes issues like the Kyoto Agreement and other global issues. The only reason why Bush is involved in the Bali Road map is because the world said, basically, "shit or get off the pot!" and the head of the U.S. delegation, Undersecretary of State Paula J. Dobriansky folded.
IMHO, Bush is
still not going to have anything to do with the Bali Road map. It will be entirely up to our next president.
I can't wait to say:
"The United States has
finally listened to the peoples of the world."
But, what I can say right now is:
"The peoples of the world have spoken... Are
you listening?"
Sass
Sources:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gBTCrOwOrOXV9BkLBDRmtO3XWbHQD8TI50E80
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hAgCbG3KOc_xNNAeqlSJwPAmYhTw
