October 03, 2004
AUSTRALIAN LEADERSHIP FOOLISHLY IGNORED
Harry Heidelberg points out that the world is lagging behind civilised Australian opinion:
We are out on a limb on a number of fronts. In the Presidential Debate, John Kerry said only Britain and Australia were in the lead with the US on the invasion. In response, President Bush said 'you forgot Poland'. Australia out on a limb.
There was the United Nations vote objecting to the wall in Israel. We voted against that. It was us, America, Israel and the Federated States of Micronesia. The rest of the world disagreed. Australia out on a limb.
This week, Russia announced it would sign the Kyoto conventions on Climate Change. Think about that. A country infinitely poorer than our own, a producer of fossil fuels, says it will sign Kyoto. Australia will not. We are at one with the US, alone amongst our peers. Australia out on a limb.
It’s so sad. Someone -- maybe Harry -- should tell the world to shape up and get with the wise Australian agenda. (By the way, Russia was forced into Kyoto. If only they’d been able, like Australia, to act independently ...)
Posted by Tim Blair at October 3, 2004 03:48 AMOch! Them Aussies! And the Brits! Yanks and Polacks and Joos! If only we could get rid of them, wouldn't this world be a wonderful place?!?
Posted by: Rebecca at October 3, 2004 at 03:54 AMIIRC correctly, the majority of the world's population is impoverished and oppressed.
Unfortunately, Heidelberg probably wants that for Oz as well.
Andy,
You sorta beat me to it.
Bottom line: If Australia wants to end up as an economic basket case like Russia, by all means sign Kyoto.
By the way, who thinks Russia, China, India, and the others will adhere to Kyoto?
And if you throw away Oz' economic advantage which is it's main leverage, what then will you use to enforce Kyoto? Sanctions won't work then and the only course left will be war.
War mongering Greenies.
Posted by: JDB at October 3, 2004 at 04:51 AMHeidelburg seems to epitomise the national self-hatred that grips Austraian Leftoids.Like Philip Adama, he can never forgive Australia for not giving him and his ilk the respect thay feel they are owed.
Posted by: david at October 3, 2004 at 08:54 AMThose damned russkies!
First kiddie porn and now kyoto.
I liked them better when they were commies.
I liked them better when they were commies.
Well, you would.
Posted by: Quentin George at October 3, 2004 at 10:14 AMCome on, people. Russians signed a piece of paper in order to get some immediate political advantage. Anybody familiar with habits of Russian (or Soviet) government knows that they will stick to any signed treaty only if it is in their interest. They may even release fake figures to prove that they are abiding by Kyoto, while doing whatever they think is right for them. They have a long history of signing all sorts of agreements and treaties (anybody remember Helsinki Human Rights Accords?) never intending to be limited by them – and the gullible liberal West has a long history of breathlessly praising them for signing those treaties and turning a totally blind eye on what the Russians really do.
This time is no different.
I personally blame Micronesia for all the worlds problem.
They are behind it all. Bilderburg group? Run by Micronesia. Neo Cons. They started in Micronesia. And of course, non-Alcoholic beer originated in Micronesia.
Posted by: Andy at October 3, 2004 at 12:01 PMBloody hell, here in Geelong we miss out on everything, even manmade global warming. Records show that 10 of the past 13 months have produced below average monthly temperatures.
Posted by: slatts at October 3, 2004 at 01:14 PMPerhaps nothing could so purely demonstrate why Australia and the US are first world contries than our reluctance to sign the Kyoto agreement. Is called intelligence, and like China, we've got it.
Posted by: Annie at October 3, 2004 at 02:12 PMBy the way, who thinks Russia, China, India, and the others will adhere to Kyoto?
China and India will have no trouble adhering to Kyoto. They are not bound by it, since limiting their C02 emissions does nothing to achieve the Kyoto Protocol key goal of crippling the American economy. Besides, like Russia, their official figures on anything are not worth the paper they're written on.
Posted by: Clem Snide at October 3, 2004 at 03:28 PMThe Russians recognise no laws other than the ones that are expedient at the time.
My question to the ALP, and all the other boneheads in Australia who advocate Kyoto is this: Why? Start justifying it!
Posted by: Sheriff at October 3, 2004 at 11:29 PMAnd as any insecure, acne-ravaged teenager will tell you, it's far more important to be well-liked than to do the right thing.
That's it? The sole criteria for legitimacy is consensus? And these guys call themselves leaders. Sheesh.
Posted by: Cosmo at October 4, 2004 at 05:55 AMWell if Labor gets in, we'll sign anything. Might have something to do with being doped up on the Green's party drugs. Australia out on a limb.
Posted by: Lofty at October 4, 2004 at 07:35 AM