Global Warming Glasnost

Wall Street Journal ^ | December 4, 2003 | Editorial

[OESY]

President Bush could kill two shibboleths with one stone were he to pick up the phone and tell Vladimir Putin what an asset the Russian President has in Andrei Illarionov. It could encourage Russia to finally ditch the Kyoto Protocol, as well as serve as the start of a much smarter global warming policy in the U.S.

[Always Right]

Actually, it is in our best interest that all the other countries sign up for this idiot treaty.

[kaylar]

The problem with that is two fold : One , if our trading partner's economies go in the toilet, they'll drag us down too. And two : Once they get their 55% ratification, Kyoto turns from a protocol into a treaty, and part of international law. At that point (at least in theory) it is legally binding on all nonexempt countries, even those that have not signed or ratified. (I heard that the Third World dominated UN GA is to monitor and enforce compliance.) At least theoretically, the USA would then be vulnerable to economic weapons : The EU may slap tariffs on all noncompliant/nonexempt nations, for example.

It's like the ICC, which claims that it is now the ultimate court in the world, regardless of national law. Sooner or later, a US citizen will be kidnapped and forced to stand trial before the global kangaroo court, on the basis of the ICC's claim that it overrules national law, including our Constitution. When that happens , all hell may break loose, and G-d help us if there's an algore or another WJC/HRC in the WH.

I hope Putin kills Kyoto once and for all. Its actual target (like the ICC) is national sovereignty. And I will never forget Chirac stating, in fall of 1999, "Kyoto is an essential part of global governance".