Sunday, December 9, 2007

Bali's Bitter Beating


The United States turned its back on the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, declaring that America is not ready to pledge cuts in CO2 emissions; effectively putting the success of the conference in peril and future of the global environment in certain irreversible destruction.

Ignoring signs in its own homeland with the series of disastrous hurricanes, flooding, and the recent finding that it can no longer provide adequate fresh drinking water for its own citizens, environmentalists accuse the Bush Administration of subverting the UN negotiations and the spirit of the binding Kyoto Protocol that obligates 36 industrial nations to make modest cuts in "greenhouse" gas emissions.

The refusal of the United States to commit comes after the celebrated signing by Australia of the Kyoto Protocol, which many expected would trigger the concurrence of America. But Harlan Watson, the State Department's senior climate negotiator said they are working on what their domestic contribution would be during the Major Economies process which America will convene. The event is viewed by governments and ecological groups as a means of undermining meaningful solutions to what is becoming an irreversible environmental damage.


Simultaneous protest actions in 50 countries for effective measures against global warming, taking various forms and modes took place with one common denominator: that the Bush administration's inaction will wreck the global effort to save billions of lives from climate cataclysms. Washington has been largely chastised for its perceived indifference and non-committal stance at the UN Conference.
While a large segment of its citizens support climate change measures, its politicians and policy makers are afraid to impose lifestyle change for its populace, and distance themselves from the risk of tampering with that American comfort zone. They are in denial. They deny the world of their support and they deny their citizens the right to the truth!

The only thing that drives this denial is selfishness and greed. And America apparently has an inexhaustible supply of both! Yet watch them closely when they rattle off earthshaking eloquence about their moral good, or their Christian love and respect for fellowmen, or their insatiable and unwavering determination to get to the truth. All these are shallow pretensions and lip service to project their practiced facial expressions as sincere. Perhaps they are, sincere in their selfish interests and groundless greed.

Look at them dictate to other nations, accuse others without proof, and take the moral high ground when the basis of their attack stands on quicksand. Nations have learned tremendously from the practice of American foreign policy. But America has learned very little. It is not remote to find other nations or nationalities attempt, or succeed in its attempt, to duplicate what Osama bin Laden did that September 11, to wake American citizens to the stinking presence and repugnant actions of its government toward small helpless countries. But citizens, blinded by the mechanics of security think they are truly secure, and return to the ways of their old unchanging lifestyles; forgetting the demand for their leaders to account for the tragedies that strike at its heart.

If the Bush Administration continues on its path of denial, the successor to this now lowly regarded office will endure difficulties that will make governance unsustainable. Only honest and sincere adherence to the truth will save America and its citizens. Bush and the rest of the GOP clowns and hustlers can be sacrificed to secure peace.

Haaaarrrrwwk...Twooooph...Ting!

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