...or How Tony Blair Bet the Farm on George W. Bush and Got Stuck in a Great Big Cow Pat.
Fresh from refusing to help his "good buddy" (who helped make the morass in Mesopotamia a horrifying reality) with his plans to provide more aid to Africa, it now appears that Dubya's "fideologists" (those who investigate through faith) have refused to even honour the concept of climate change or man's responsibility for it.
I know. We were not exactly shocked when Dubya rejected Kyoto. And even when Whitman left the EPA we were hardly bowled over. When we found out last week that Cooney had "revised" scientific analysis with his own brand of "aw shucks, Texas oil expertise" we were enraged, but resigned.
Well, folks, you ain't seen nothin' yet...
Seems that Dubya was so grateful to his poodle and main man, Tony B, that he took the opportunity presented by the G8 get together to set him straight on some environmental principles. Like, namely, that there are none.
The Guardian reported today that Dubya has carefully and completely undermined all of Blair's attempts to bring climate change policies to the table. It's not fair to say that there is a slight disagreement, or that it's a question of degree. No, Dubya is sticking with "ain't no climate change, and even if there were, we ain't got nothin' to do with it". Years of compelling evidence mean nothing, unless you want to find out what colour of nail polish Terri Sciavo was wearing when she collapsed 15 years ago.
The documents show that Washington officials:
· Removed all reference to the fact that climate change is a 'serious threat to human health and to ecosystems';
· Deleted any suggestion that global warming has already started;
· Expunged any suggestion that human activity was to blame for climate change.
Not enough for you? Well how about this:
Washington also appears to be unsympathetic towards the plight of Africa, the other priority singled out by Blair for the G8 Summit in Gleneagles.
The documents reveal how the Bush administration has pulled out of financial pledges to fund a network of regional climate centres throughout Africa which were designed to monitor the unfolding impact of global warming.
Go ahead. Read the rest of it. It's just so... medieval. And yo, Tony B? How many knives can you get in your back before YOU collapse? Do us ull a favour and take Dubya down with you when you go. PLEASE.
We can only hope that these leaks are a sign of folks finally having given up on reasoning with Dubya's boys, and that more are likely to come.
Update [2005-6-18 23:2:44 by thingamabob]: 2nd try at a new title. First was "Clmate Change a Liberal Myth", second was "Dubya: Only God Can Change the Climate:; please let me know what works.
Update [2005-6-18 22:42:36 by thingamabob]: Changed the title since I wanted you all to read this. As far as I know, he hasn't been caught on tape saying it... YET.