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| Fifth Column | ||
| China blasts US climate bill enabling penalties on trade partners | ||
| 2009-07-03 | ||
| China said Thursday it was "firmly" opposed to provisions in a new US clean energy bill that will make it easier to impose trade penalties on nations that reject limits to globe-warming pollution. "China is firmly opposed to such measures," vice foreign minister He Yafei told reporters in Beijing. "We are firmly against such attempts to advance trade protectionism under the pretext of climate change. It is not conducive to world economic recovery. It serves nobody's interests."
However, after the House of Representatives passed the legislation, Obama said he did not want the bill to be used to impose trade penalties on countries in the interest of curbing global warming, The New York Times reported.
The US Senate has still to vote on the energy bill. China has shown increasing concern in recent years about the consequences of global warming. But as part of ongoing global negotiations to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012, China has said the bulk of the responsibility for emissions cuts lies with developed nations. | ||
| Posted by:3dc |
| #11 If the US built 15 million cars each year, instead of importing 50%, would Detroit, Gary, the whole "Rust Belt" still look like ghost towns or have remained the richest, most vibrant, most industrialed patch on the planet? Would Silicon Valley be deindustializing w/ technical and production jobs flowing across the Pacific? Would the oil patch be a hollow shell or a vibrant sector of the economy if there was a sensible policy of producing domestic energy? Would the nuclear industry be vibrant, producing dozens of gigawatts of new capacity each year instead of being being tossed like used tissue between the English, French and Japanese? None of those things occured as a result of "laissez-faire economics." There were specific government policies put in place and still in place that led us down the road to ruin. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2009-07-03 23:18 |
| #10 Anyone remember 1992 and the phrase the "giant sucking sound?" Ed is right on the money. We've been SOLD OUT by Washington and the "laissez faire" free traders. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-07-03 17:56 |
| #9 If the US had the $700 billion/year of exported wealth stay in the US, providing capital for jobs and taxes, do you think the US would be in the economic bind it in in today? Would the people be in debt to their eyeballs, relying on credit cards to meet monthly budgets? Would governments up to their asses in red ink, paying for burgeoning welfare rolls, SSI and medicaid, soon unable to even borrow anymore? That $700 billion that permanently leaves the economy would have circulated 3 times each year in the economy or another 15% of GDP. Instead it goes provide 10% growth in China, jihad and indolent lives of luxury in Arabia, and retirement nest eggs in Germany. No thanks. I'd rather the money work for Americans. If the US built 15 million cars each year, instead of importing 50%, would Detroit, Gary, the whole "Rust Belt" still look like ghost towns or have remained the richest, most vibrant, most industrialed patch on the planet? Would Silicon Valley be deindustializing w/ technical and production jobs flowing across the Pacific? Would the oil patch be a hollow shell or a vibrant sector of the economy if there was a sensible policy of producing domestic energy? Would the nuclear industry be vibrant, producing dozens of gigawatts of new capacity each year instead of being being tossed like used tissue between the English, French and Japanese? The only industrial sector that has done OK is aviation. A sector that is directly dependent on military R&D dollars. With the rest of the economy in shambles, even that sector will be starved as revenue will no longer be able to even may for a strong defense. You go ahead and keep spouting laissez faire bull crap, thinking you can stay rich lending each other borrowed money while competitors eat our industry and 400 years of accumulated wealth. Maybe in another 10 years you will be selling your daughter to pay for the lifestyle you have come to expect. /sarc off |
| Posted by: ed 2009-07-03 17:50 |
| #8 Clarification: An "anti-warmist" is a true believer in global warmism & spares no effort in acting on those beliefs. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2009-07-03 17:40 |
| #7 Wait until the Chicoms figure out US anti-warmists are actually working for the constriction of the US economy and restriction of all world trade. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2009-07-03 17:39 |
| #6 You know, the Chinese have been dependent on the last ten years on the assfawktards in washington nickle-and-diming American manufacturing to death so they can be competitive while at the same time accepting IOU's from a deindustrializing US to pay for all the crap they want to sell us. I don't really have much sympathy for them OR the politicians. BOO HOO, So there was no honor among thieves? The Chinese are disturbed that they can't trust these immoral idiots that were betraying OUR trust? This ain't Chilkoot Charlie's, and "We Screw The Other Guy And Pass The Savings On To You" IS NOT A BUSINESS PLAN. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2009-07-03 17:31 |
| #5 the US can reindustrialize How dare the Chinese keep those 5 million unemployed in this recession. Those should be Americans out of jobs seeking politicians to 'redistribute' the wealth! /sarc off |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-07-03 17:18 |
| #4 So everyone else acts in the best interests of their country...We are the only ones that are idiots? Ah, the foolish of it all. We are and have been shooting ourselves in our collective feet for some time. China gets it, our govmint doesn't. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2009-07-03 15:00 |
| #3 The quicker the US terminates most trade with communist China, the quicker and less painfully the US can reindustrialize and recover it's economy. The Cold War would have turned out very differently had the US, instead of embargoing the Soviets, given the USSR as many concessions. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-07-03 14:55 |
| #2 Sheesh. America is getting lectured by the likes of China, Pravda and Putin on economics, trade and government. Nothing unusual there, but the horrible part is they are making sense for once. Even stranger, a tiny Central American country is teaching us something about the rule of law. It's a Bizarro World! One day, I will wake up and find it was only a dream. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2009-07-03 14:41 |
| #1 Heh. I agree, Dr. Steve. This should put a damper on the whole charade. If they won't buy our debt, We're fooked |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-07-03 14:18 |