Those in Glass Greenhouses...
Remember back when Jean Chretien lectured the Americans on the benefits of running surpluses? Remember how upset everyone got? Remember how everyone said it would be different once Paulie took over?
Well it is.
Our Prime Minister has gone from lecturing the US in areas where Canada excels, to lecturing the US in areas where we're failing miserably. And, not surprisingly, the Americans aren't very happy about it.
For those who are new to this story, Martin took the podium at the climate change conference and blasted the Americans for not signing the Kyoto accord. Here's the funny thing - even though we've signed the Kyoto accord, the US has done a better job at Greenhouse gas reduction than we have. So, I presume, Martin was urging the US to:
1. Sign Kyoto
2. Ignore it
3. Fly across the country in a gas guzzling jet, in order to get a photo op with Bill Clinton
Oh, and as an added bonus, comes the news that it was McKenna who requested the meeting and that the Americans claim it was very constructive. Now, I can't possibly think of a reason why the Liberals would try to make it seem like they're at odds with George Bush, and I can't possibly imagine that a Liberal would leak something, so this whole added wrinkle is quite perplexing. I also know that Frank McKenna takes his job as ambassador very seriously and doesn't consider it a stepping stone to the Liberal leadership, so he would never engage in a cheap partisan stunt like this.
So you can see how I'm perplexed by this whole thing.
Well it is.
Our Prime Minister has gone from lecturing the US in areas where Canada excels, to lecturing the US in areas where we're failing miserably. And, not surprisingly, the Americans aren't very happy about it.
For those who are new to this story, Martin took the podium at the climate change conference and blasted the Americans for not signing the Kyoto accord. Here's the funny thing - even though we've signed the Kyoto accord, the US has done a better job at Greenhouse gas reduction than we have. So, I presume, Martin was urging the US to:
1. Sign Kyoto
2. Ignore it
3. Fly across the country in a gas guzzling jet, in order to get a photo op with Bill Clinton
Oh, and as an added bonus, comes the news that it was McKenna who requested the meeting and that the Americans claim it was very constructive. Now, I can't possibly think of a reason why the Liberals would try to make it seem like they're at odds with George Bush, and I can't possibly imagine that a Liberal would leak something, so this whole added wrinkle is quite perplexing. I also know that Frank McKenna takes his job as ambassador very seriously and doesn't consider it a stepping stone to the Liberal leadership, so he would never engage in a cheap partisan stunt like this.
So you can see how I'm perplexed by this whole thing.
posted by calgarygrit at
9:10 p.m.
11 Comments:
GW - Y'all see Clinton last night at that save the rain forest thing?
Flunkie - Yes Sir...
GW - You see who was with him on the podium? Hilary Clinton for Gawd's sake, an she wuz wearin a tie.
Flunkie - Sir that was the Prime Minister of Canada.
GW - Who?
Flunkie - The leader of Canada Mr President.
GW - What was he doin dressed up like Hilary?
Flunkie - The conference was in Montreal Sir.
GW - Then what was he doin in Brazil?
Flunkie - Montreal is in Canada Sir.
GW - Remind me where Canada is again...
By
Anonymous, at 8:43 a.m.
Of course the alternative to Martin is Prime Minister Harper rushing down to Washington to perform twenty chin ups on George W.'s zipper amid the cheering throngs of syncophantic weasels from the CPC.
By
Don, at 9:25 a.m.
Yes, what we need is an NDP prime minister. That will solve all of our problems. I can just imagine it. Taxes rise to 100%, and the government redistributes the funds according to everyone's needs. Place all our children into institutional daycare a la North Korea. Blame all of society's problems on the wealthy. Vilify evil capitalism. Harper would just take us all to the dark ages, where women stay barefoot and pregnant, and will allow more people to (ugh) keep more of their own money. How diabolical.
Socialism; a beacon of hope for all around the world; just look at its glorious examples.
By
Anonymous, at 11:45 a.m.
Here's the funny thing - even though we've signed the Kyoto accord, the US has done a better job at Greenhouse gas reduction than we have.
Not true.
The statistic of 13% emission rise in USA compared to 24% of Canada does not hold water when you compare the sizes of the countries. USA is 10 times as much populated as Canada, and their number of industries is atleast equally more numerous, if not more.
For Canada, a little increase in emissions is needed to raise 1%, for USA they can produce 10 times more pollutants to raise their emissions by 1%. The USA remains the world's largest polluter.
By
mezba, at 11:52 a.m.
Mezba; Yeah...but don't you think per capita numbers make the most sense because the US is so big?
I mean, if we were running 500 billion dolar deficits, sure it wouldn't be as bad as the US in numerical terms, but we'd be in a much worse situation.
By
calgarygrit, at 12:17 p.m.
"Of course the alternative to Martin is Prime Minister Harper rushing down to Washington to perform twenty chin ups on George W.'s zipper amid the cheering throngs of syncophantic weasels from the CPC.
By Don, at 7:25 AM"
Um, EW.
Almost as nasty of the footage I saw today of Paul Martin bent over kissing Clinton's ass. GROSS.
~B
By
Unknown, at 2:12 p.m.
This mini-debate over who is doing worse at paying attention to their emissions is essentially missing the point, which is this: Canada is not living up to its own international obligations and thus has little credibility when it comes to slagging other countries for their own environmental problems. We signed a treaty (Kyoto) and we are systematically flouting it in almost every regard. Which is worse: the country that doesn't sign a treaty, or the one that does it and then voluntarily ignores it?
By
RGM, at 2:59 p.m.
Bush's zipper, Clinton's ass and all this talk of emissions...
This is the ssm thing right?
By
Anonymous, at 6:22 p.m.
even though we've signed the Kyoto accord, the US has done a better job at Greenhouse gas reduction than we have.
I keep seeing this all over the place yet I haven't seen any proof to back it up. Are you sure you're not relying on the findings of some right wing astroturf report to make this claim?
By
Robert McClelland, at 10:23 p.m.
For fucks sakes, Bart. You're getting as bad as the right whingers. Martin never even mentioned the US in his remarks at the conference.
By
Robert McClelland, at 10:45 p.m.
Robert - you have to watch a clip vs. reading the text. He did, quite specifically, tell the US to listen to the global conscience.
By
Candace, at 2:35 a.m.
Post a Comment
<< Home