[Destro]

This time I will use the "It's Bush's fault" line. Hear me out. Russia did not want to sign this. We all read dozens of articles where the Russians were saying how bad this was. The EU was pressuring Russia - sign or else. Why did we not make a deal with Russia? Protect each other? The State Dept. has failed this president and this country.

This is a failure in diplomacy from the White House - as distracted as it is these days with other events.

...shakes head.....so many failed opportunities.........

[Destro]

Colin Powell -- are you asleep? Russia’s approval of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change was hailed today as a triumph for European Union diplomacy.

[COEXERJ145]

It is called a "bride". Russia has been sucking up to the E.U. for ages. They'll play ball with whomever they think will give them the most goodies. Right now that happens to be the E.U.

This is not a failure for President Bush or the Dept. of State but don't let the truth get in the way of another good Bush bashing.

[Paleo Conservative]

This time I will use the "It's Bush's fault" line.

I don't think it will hurt President Bush at all. The goals are unrealistic, and I seriously doubt any of the countries signing it will meet those goals. After all Kerry's wife owns a Gulfstream V. Are we supposed to give up our SUVs so Kerry can fly in his wife's personal jet?

[DSBull]

Actually Bush is not only a brave politician but he is a genius. He refused to sign this, despite the outcry from around the world and in this country. This is bad law and we shouldn't sign it. I would agree that we might have looked better siding with Russia and giving them an ally but Russia is trying to milk money out of people, they will not keep any bargain.

[spyone]

What are you talking about. The reason it hasn't been ratified to date is because of Bush diplomacy. US and Russia relations have taken a setback in the last month due to Putins constitutional moves and US interference in the Caucasus. Putin putting the squeeze on Bush and or Kerry. It puts him in a better position.

[enviros_kill]

The Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP) issues an excellent weekly summary of energy, science and green-inspired totalitarianism. The August 7, 2004 report related very telling observations from Putin's economic adviser:

START EXCERPT
As during an earlier conference on climate change in Moscow, the economic adviser of President Putin, Andrei Illarionov played a prominent role. During a press conference after the meeting, Illarionov complained that the Russians have repeatedly asked their foreign partners who advocate the Kyoto Protocol and who insist that Russia should ratify the Kyoto Protocol, to answer a number of specific questions. But they did not receive any reply for a year.

Illarionov: "Instead of getting replies to our questions, we kept on hearing that replies did not matter. What was important is that whether or not Russia trusts Britain, the European Union and the countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol and that have been exerting unprecedented pressure on Russia to ratify it. This is why it was so important for us to arrange a real meeting and a real discussion of real problems with the participation of foreign scientists who have different views ...."

After having complained about the behavior of the British delegation, headed by Sir David King, who - unsuccessfully - tried to exclude certain 'undesirable' scientists from taking the floor, Illarionov went on to criticize the ideological and philosophical basis on which the Kyoto Protocol is built:

"That ideological base can be juxtaposed and compared with man-hating totalitarian ideology with which we had the bad fortune to deal during the 20th century, such as National Socialism, Marxism, Eugenics, Lysenkoism and so on. All methods of distorting information existing in the world have been committed to prove the alleged validity of these theories. Misinformation, falsification, fabrication, mythology, propaganda. Because what is offered cannot be qualified in any other way than myth, nonsense and absurdity."
END EXCERPT

The green 'boot on a face' is only a different color than the Nazi or Communist version. Ironically, the Russian economist recognizes this while the MSM and the EU commie-light Kyoto-backers ignore it.