December 22, 2009
— DrewM Writing in The Guardian, Mark Lynas doesnÂ’t think thatÂ’s a good thing but itÂ’s still an interesting story.
To those who would blame Obama and rich countries in general, know this: it was China's representative who insisted that industrialised country targets, previously agreed as an 80% cut by 2050, be taken out of the deal. "Why can't we even mention our own targets?" demanded a furious Angela Merkel. Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, was annoyed enough to bang his microphone. Brazil's representative too pointed out the illogicality of China's position. Why should rich countries not announce even this unilateral cut? The Chinese delegate said no, and I watched, aghast, as Merkel threw up her hands in despair and conceded the point. Now we know why – because China bet, correctly, that Obama would get the blame for the Copenhagen accord's lack of ambition.China, backed at times by India, then proceeded to take out all the numbers that mattered. A 2020 peaking year in global emissions, essential to restrain temperatures to 2C, was removed and replaced by woolly language suggesting that emissions should peak "as soon as possible". The long-term target, of global 50% cuts by 2050, was also excised. No one else, perhaps with the exceptions of India and Saudi Arabia, wanted this to happen. I am certain that had the Chinese not been in the room, we would have left Copenhagen with a deal that had environmentalists popping champagne corks popping in every corner of the world.
At least now I know where to send a thank you note.
Seems China isnÂ’t all that excited about letting their debtors commit fiscal suicide before they pay up. Kind of sad when the ChiComs have a better handle on the fundamentals of economics than the so-called leaders of the free world.
Lynas also writes about how the Chinese sent a minor functionary to represent them in a meeting that was attended by Obama and several other mere mortal heads of state. The arrogance!
See the Chinese think this is their world and they arenÂ’t going to put up with any of this international community crap.
Copenhagen was much worse than just another bad deal, because it illustrated a profound shift in global geopolitics. This is fast becoming China's century, yet its leadership has displayed that multilateral environmental governance is not only not a priority, but is viewed as a hindrance to the new superpower's freedom of action. I left Copenhagen more despondent than I have felt in a long time. After all the hope and all the hype, the mobilisation of thousands, a wave of optimism crashed against the rock of global power politics, fell back, and drained away.
I always used to laugh when lefties would complain about how America ‘rules the world’. It always seemed to me that if we were really as bad as they claimed we were, they’d really be unhappy. Well, if China does become the sole superpower, we going to see what a real despotic global power looks like.
Posted by: DrewM at
02:34 PM
| Comments (112)
Post contains 517 words, total size 3 kb.
Keep drinking the Kool Aid junior. Then lead us in another chorus of "Kumbaya".
Posted by: GarandFan at December 22, 2009 02:39 PM (ZQBnQ)
Posted by: Bob Hawkins at December 22, 2009 02:44 PM (OittC)
Because the American Left won't be running it when it's all said and done. Those idiots don't realize that after they've played their part, the Chinese government will just get rid of them like a pile of garbage (and charge their families for the bullet).
I'd love to see the outcome after some hippies try to stop a Chinese military power plant...
Posted by: Kratos (on the back of Gaia, scaling Mt Olympus) at December 22, 2009 02:47 PM (otlXg)
Posted by: John Galt at December 22, 2009 02:47 PM (Ylv1H)
That's a very important point. Look, when Obama tried to meet with the Chinese Premier, the Premier: (1) said "no" and left the conference, (2) after sufficient Obama whining, the Premier sent various deputy assistant adjunct chiefs of photocopying to meet with Obama, then (3) Obama had to bumrush his way into a meeting where China, India, and Brazil were cutting a side deal.
The Chinese dominated this conference. Flat-out. They know they own the U.S. right now and that there's nothing we can do to them.
Next conference -- of any sort -- will be all about placating the Chinese. The US gets sloppy seconds.
Plus, they know they are dealing with an American President who fundamentally isn't willing to stand up very vigorously for his country.
Why give up any concessions when you now own the concession factory?
Posted by: Robert_Paulson at December 22, 2009 02:48 PM (+deq6)
Posted by: somegoodman at December 22, 2009 02:48 PM (w3ciC)
It doesn't matter because in the end, there will be only chaos.
Seriously? *shrugs*. I guess it couldn't hurt...
Posted by: Kratos (on the back of Gaia, scaling Mt Olympus) at December 22, 2009 02:52 PM (otlXg)
Posted by: George Orwell at December 22, 2009 02:52 PM (URwO+)
Posted by: markytom at December 22, 2009 02:54 PM (t2+FC)
Posted by: Johnny I, @eastviewphotog at December 22, 2009 02:55 PM (7qFIY)
Posted by: huerfano at December 22, 2009 02:55 PM (cSlAY)
Posted by: tachyonshuggy at December 22, 2009 06:39 PM (yUybe)
Because the Chinese, while understanding the need to preserve pandas for tourism and PR reasons, would like nothing better than to harvest polar bears for their gallbladders and penises. And as much as Western Leftards love totalitarianism, they love poley bears more.
Posted by: stuiec at December 22, 2009 02:56 PM (Ate22)
Posted by: somegoodman at December 22, 2009 02:56 PM (w3ciC)
other city states, having endured decades of domination by Athens, were thrilled
when she was overthrown by Sparta. Then, after only a few years of Spartan
rule, they couldn't wait to put Athens back in charge.
Posted by: Rich Johnson at December 22, 2009 02:56 PM (ADTlc)
Anyone who doesn't realize this is in for some big disappointment.
China is for China, no matter what.
Posted by: Miss Marple at December 22, 2009 02:57 PM (4DwVn)
Posted by: Barry Obama at December 22, 2009 02:57 PM (wNMFv)
Posted by: Neo at December 22, 2009 02:57 PM (tE8FB)
Posted by: drunk and suicidal America at December 22, 2009 02:57 PM (wAQA5)
China and Russia reminding us that the world isn't made up of just Euro-pansies and wanna-be Europansies. The world is really turned upside down when I find myself happy they won the day.
The time of the Eloi is fast approaching an end.
Posted by: Mark in Portland at December 22, 2009 02:59 PM (+45yf)
Posted by: Dr. Spank at December 22, 2009 03:02 PM (mGSN1)
Posted by: Seriously at December 22, 2009 03:03 PM (wNMFv)
Posted by: B+ at December 22, 2009 03:06 PM (hIOnV)
We're available if the Chinese need any "help".
Posted by: 10.2% Funemployed at December 22, 2009 03:07 PM (H8eTR)
Posted by: somegoodman at December 22, 2009 06:56 PM (w3ciC)
The other main difference is that the ChiComs would look on AoS morons as a band of hippies, because we believe in free speech and limited government and other pansy stuff like that.
Posted by: stuiec at December 22, 2009 03:07 PM (Ate22)
I think the day Obama was sworn in the Chinese changed their one hundred year plan to the fifty year plan.
Posted by: bulwark at December 22, 2009 03:08 PM (jvrmc)
You mean to say that nations don't have permanent allies, only permanent interests? Color me shocked! I just thought, drawing on my many years of government-education, that nations all strive to do the "common good" because liberals tell them so.
Posted by: Kratos (on the back of Gaia, scaling Mt Olympus) at December 22, 2009 03:10 PM (otlXg)
Posted by: Johnny I, @eastviewphotog at December 22, 2009 03:11 PM (7qFIY)
Posted by: nevergiveup at December 22, 2009 03:12 PM (0GFWk)
Posted by: wherestherum at December 22, 2009 03:12 PM (gofDd)
Tom Friedman will be licking the boots of his Chinese masters, right up until the moment they put a small caliber executioner's round behind his ear.
And people look up to that statist dill-hole?
Posted by: Kratos (on the back of Gaia, scaling Mt Olympus) at December 22, 2009 03:13 PM (otlXg)
Posted by: Edge at December 22, 2009 03:13 PM (MBh6O)
Posted by: somegoodman at December 22, 2009 03:15 PM (w3ciC)
Easy for you to say. You have those gorgeous Asian features, while they'll just put a ginger-kid like me down as a mercy killing.
And I thought my end would come from whatever evil creatures Miss'80sbaby's spawned...
Posted by: Kratos (on the back of Gaia, scaling Mt Olympus) at December 22, 2009 03:15 PM (otlXg)
Posted by: CoolCzech at December 22, 2009 03:16 PM (QECjC)
Kevin Rudd banged his microphone in outrage? Ooooh, I'm scared.
What's he gonna do next? Sneer at the paperboy.
Posted by: Dack Thrombosis at December 22, 2009 03:16 PM (P33XN)
Posted by: nevergiveup at December 22, 2009 03:16 PM (0GFWk)
Posted by: Johnny I, @eastviewphotog at December 22, 2009 03:17 PM (7qFIY)
You'd think they would have taken the hint when a bunch of Chinese school children laughed our Treasury secretary out of the room.
We're nothing but a punchline to them now.
Posted by: Blazer at December 22, 2009 03:17 PM (+FzLa)
Is there a word that means ironic - but like multiplied by a thousand?
Here you have the leader of the capitalists whose embarrassed and ashamed of the whole capitalist system and who is trying to demonstrate his socialist creds to last vestiges of communists - let's call them CINOs - communists in name only who are refusing to let the capitalist become a socialist because they already know it won't work!
I am telling you for certain, the end is near.
Posted by: Hussein the Plumber at December 22, 2009 03:17 PM (r1h5M)
The Chinese would like to be rid of them now... They're not productive, and America needs to be productive and consuming if they are to keep generating 25+ million new jobs per year required by the 100 year plan... Except for Taiwan, I trust the Chi-Comms more than our Left... for the most part, China has been capitalist for 4,000 years, versus the Lefts desire to recreate its European feudalistic roots, not so much...
Posted by: phreshone at December 22, 2009 03:17 PM (1AnxB)
Posted by: wherestherum at December 22, 2009 07:12 PM (gofDd)
+100
Posted by: conscious, but incoherent at December 22, 2009 03:18 PM (Vu6sl)
Posted by: wherestherum at December 22, 2009 03:19 PM (gofDd)
Posted by: Ted Kennedy's Gristle Encased Head at December 22, 2009 03:19 PM (+lsX1)
Posted by: CoolCzech at December 22, 2009 03:20 PM (QECjC)
Posted by: Johnny I, @eastviewphotog at December 22, 2009 03:20 PM (7qFIY)
Posted by: CoolCzech at December 22, 2009 03:22 PM (QECjC)
Posted by: nevergiveup at December 22, 2009 03:23 PM (0GFWk)
Outright death vs. having my blood forcibly extracted to feed your vampire coven?
Life sucks. At least in the end, there will be only chaos.
Posted by: Kratos (on the back of Gaia, scaling Mt Olympus) at December 22, 2009 03:25 PM (otlXg)
Here's how it worked: While I was doing a military liason assignment at the American embassy I met a colonel in the Chinese army and we knocked back a few drinks from time to time. The guy's now a top aide to the Chinese premier.
Now, the Chinese know--as we do--that drastic CO2 curbs will kill the U.S. economy. But then we won't be able to pay our creditors--the Chinese. So it's in both our interests to avoid CO2 schemes.
So about a month ago I got a call from Crawford suggesting that we try a back-channel approach....
Posted by: sf at December 22, 2009 03:25 PM (xz5dP)
54 Who'da thunk?
Posted by: CoolCzech at December 22, 2009 07:22 PM (QECjC)
The chinese did--they have a plan after all
Yes and the scary thing is - they are wicked smart.
Posted by: Hussein the Plumber at December 22, 2009 03:26 PM (r1h5M)
Posted by: Ian S. at December 22, 2009 03:26 PM (pg/HS)
??? Oh...I'm going to be ill now (unless I'm still missing the interpretation).
Posted by: Kratos (on the back of Gaia, scaling Mt Olympus) at December 22, 2009 03:26 PM (otlXg)
Posted by: exdem13 at December 22, 2009 03:28 PM (lYKj1)
Posted by: Ted Kennedy's Gristle Encased Head at December 22, 2009 03:29 PM (+lsX1)
Posted by: Johnny I, @eastviewphotog at December 22, 2009 03:34 PM (7qFIY)
Conference ovah.
But I still want to launch Algore out of Clown-Cannon.
Chinese invented gunpowdah, round-eye.
Posted by: Meow, Tse Tung at December 22, 2009 03:35 PM (F71c5)
This may end up being the Chinese century, but only if the West self-immolates. China has serious demographic problems, they are greying even faster than Europe, thanks to the one child policy. They are going to have millions more old people by 2020, and will start declining before they really even peak. The aggression of 30 million unmarriageable men will need to be vented somehow in the next few decades.
That's not even mentioning how censorship and a lack of meritocracy means China will not capitalize on many excellent ideas that would help them compete. They are stuck stealing technology from us because the Communists don't trust their population with the free exchange of ideas that would unlock their potential.
The Chicoms ape our actions but they don't understand why they're successful.
Posted by: Delicious Lead Paint at December 22, 2009 03:35 PM (5Ykni)
Posted by: In Exile at December 22, 2009 03:37 PM (Dw6L6)
It doesn't matter because in the end, there will be only chaos.
Well, I'm kind of okay with that. I mean, what good could possibly come from world leaders agreeing on anything?
Posted by: Mama AJ at December 22, 2009 03:38 PM (Be4xl)
I get it now.
Forgive me. I'm just a moron and usually when I see the term "bang" or "banging" here, well, I always assume it has a sexual connotation.
Posted by: Kratos (on the back of Gaia, scaling Mt Olympus) at December 22, 2009 03:38 PM (otlXg)
I am certain that had the Chinese not been in the room, we would have left Copenhagen with a deal that had environmentalists popping champagne corks popping in every corner of the world.
Wait a minute. Don't champagne corks pop because of the expanding carbon dioxide bubbles???
Posted by: wth at December 22, 2009 03:41 PM (wAQA5)
Who would have ever thought that China would be saving our ass.
Maybe would should just let them take over the US. Be better than the people taking us over now.
Posted by: lan sing at December 22, 2009 03:41 PM (cEOZd)
Posted by: Trimegistus at December 22, 2009 03:42 PM (APcbm)
Posted by: Johnny I, @eastviewphotog at December 22, 2009 03:43 PM (7qFIY)
Never mistake their motives for indirectly doing so.
Posted by: Soap MacTavish at December 22, 2009 03:44 PM (554T5)
Even though we snub him we really, really, like your new Presidebt Obamavich ...
... especially his idea of Unilateral US Nuclear Disarmament !
Posted by: Meow, Tse Tung at December 22, 2009 03:44 PM (F71c5)
Posted by: lan sing at December 22, 2009 03:45 PM (cEOZd)
#67 DeliciousRedPaint
The PRC does have those limitations. All the more reason for them not to go along with the self-emasculating West, and further hurt themselves in the long run.
Posted by: exdem13 at December 22, 2009 03:46 PM (lYKj1)
Remember, the Chinese aren't very far removed from a REAL revolution, unlike ourselves. They know what kind of misery and death results from a breakdown of society and takeover by the marxists, they've experienced Cloward-Piven up close and personal and decided they don't like it, at all. And don't think they're doing anything that benefits the U.S. out of the good of their hearts, they know Wee Wee is an incompetent empty suit and will let us tread water until the clown is out of office, but they'll be breaking our kneecaps when they know we're back on-track.
And quit sucking their cocks, they're completely fucked up, with no real respect for individual rights or real value for life.
Posted by: Dang Straights at December 22, 2009 03:50 PM (B/Le8)
Posted by: kilgore trousertrout at December 22, 2009 03:50 PM (T1boi)
Just wait till the environmentalists find out their dogs cause more CO2 than an SUV.
So Michael Vick is really a greenie?
Posted by: Mama AJ at December 22, 2009 03:50 PM (Be4xl)
Posted by: Evil Red Scandi at December 22, 2009 03:51 PM (erlfI)
It would have made news! Maybe one of those free hookers just for funzies.
Posted by: Johnny I, @eastviewphotog at December 22, 2009 07:43 PM (7qFIY)
Did someone say hookers?
Posted by: Tiger at December 22, 2009 03:56 PM (Fbdn3)
Posted by: Elin Woods at December 22, 2009 04:01 PM (7qFIY)
Posted by: Drew in MO at December 22, 2009 04:04 PM (6nSB8)
Posted by: OregonMuse at December 22, 2009 04:05 PM (89RxY)
Having seen the Insh'allah School Of Hazmat Handling up close, I will tell you that it isn't just the Chinese who don't give a fuck about such trivialities.
Posted by: Hatchet Five at December 22, 2009 04:07 PM (6Nv5B)
my, they (the Chinese government) certainly are full of themselves these days.
let's see where they are in 20 years when Bejeing is a ghost town surrounded by desert.
(if you didn't know, the Gobi Desert is encroaching into northern China at an astounding rate, check it out yourself.)
We may be broke in 20 years, but they will be starving, then we'll see who's walking around all puffed up.
suck sand you commie bastards!
Posted by: Shoey at December 22, 2009 04:22 PM (MaNzU)
Sure, but unlike the hippies we'll be shooting back. They may still win, but unlike the hippies we'll get some respect.
Posted by: Ace's liver at December 22, 2009 04:27 PM (XIXhw)
Agreed. I'm old enough to remember when we were going to be overwhelmed with Japanese industrial might. They don't make much of anything in Japan these days, not even babies.
Posted by: Ace's liver at December 22, 2009 04:29 PM (XIXhw)
Oh, I'm sure we'll soon see droves of moonbat greenies angrily burning Chicom flags in front of Chinese embassies all over Europe. Right? Yes, it's due to happen any second now...
Posted by: Donna V. at December 22, 2009 04:30 PM (PxAtf)
Actually, it might happen. You don't mess with a man's religion lightly.
Posted by: Ace's liver at December 22, 2009 04:31 PM (XIXhw)
When it comes to overlords, Chinese are preferable to muzzies. It could be worse.
Posted by: Rodent Liberation Front at December 22, 2009 04:36 PM (dQdrY)
Posted by: RTH615 at December 22, 2009 05:08 PM (Rytlc)
I don't think that they'd do anything before the 2010 elections and if they think that The One can get reelected, they ain't gonna do anything to jeopardize that gift before 2012.
The Chinese have always been dead serious about taking Taiwan and I really don't think that they have given up on that dream.
Posted by: Rayj at December 22, 2009 05:12 PM (YcjCJ)
And no one should be allowed to collect a govt paycheck for more than 15 years.
Posted by: JorgXMcKie at December 22, 2009 05:27 PM (wZQ1D)
Posted by: Ace's liver at December 22, 2009 08:31 PM (XIXhw)
Oh, but blaming the Chinese goes against another major tenet of Leftism: that only Evil White Men can be imperialist, capitalist pigs. The cognitive dissonance involved in displacing AmeriKKKa with non-white, non-Christian, (nominal) Communists as the world's number one villians will cause Western leftists severe pain. How can they hate a culture that isn't their own?
Posted by: Donna V. at December 22, 2009 06:29 PM (PxAtf)
In the last 20 centuries, China has had the world's largest economy for 18 of those periods.
Starting about 200 years ago, England, and then the U.S. passed them.
Can you say "reversion to the mean"?
I knew you could. I weep for my country & my children.
Posted by: proudvastwingconspirator at December 22, 2009 08:24 PM (cMFbL)
Posted by: mrkwong at December 22, 2009 10:45 PM (G8Eo0)
Like to see some figures on that. Pax Romana was unsurpassed in infrastructure, communications and political organization which allowed shipping and trade to flourish (an unknown to the insular Chinese). Add the public works engineering projects and urban municipal services, the creative public taxation of Imperial Rome, the annexed grain fields of Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor, and an extremely professional army to enforce the rules and collect.
That Mediterranean culture created vastly greater wealth and was much more dynamic socially and economically than ancient China ever was.
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Posted by: tachyonshuggy at December 22, 2009 02:39 PM (yUybe)