Once again, the United States - under the heroic leadership of Decider Bush and Deadeye Dick - finds itself isolated for no good reason (they, of course, hysterically claim that doing anything will "destroy our economy!!!!"). In this case, it's a climate change draft at the ongoing Group of 8 Summit in Germany. According to the Washington Post:
Bush administration officials, who raised similar objections in April, rejected the idea of setting mandatory emissions targets as well as language calling for G-8 nations to raise overall energy efficiencies by 20 percent by 2020. With less than two weeks remaining, said sources familiar with the talks, the climate document is the only unresolved issue in the statements the world leaders are expected to sign at the June 6-8 summit.
So, there you have it: American leadership under the Bush Administration specifically, and under Bush Republicans in general. That means NO leadership, of course, except to block what the overwhelmingly powerful consensus of scientists says must be done to stop catastrophic climate change in our lifetimes: slash greenhouse gas emissions starting immediately. But no, just as with Iraq, the Bush Administration isn't listening to anybody - except for its pals at ExxonMobil and its buddies in OPEC. As a result, the United States once again finds itself on the morally, scientifcally, scientifcally, and geopolitically wrong side of an issue.
Ah, life in the Bush Administration. How many more days until January 20, 2009? Can we survive that long? Can the polar bears?
So, maybe "conservative" doesn't have to be a synonym for "ignorant". At least in some countries...