Bush to partners: 'Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter'

 

It was his final summit with the Group of 8, the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia as well as the United States. President Bush, the most senior member of the group, was attending his eighth summit, and for years he withstood pressure to take a firmer stand against global warming.

It was the topic on the minds of summit partners and demonstrators.

His final words to the likes of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."

That was the report from the British press, citing "senior sources" who said Bush made the private joke as he was about to leave Japan on Wednesday.

It stunned his partners, according to the Telegraph, which said:

He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock.

The Independent offered this analysis: "His remarks were taken as a two-fingered salute from the president from Texas who is wedded to the oil industry." (Two-fingered? Yes, that's the V-for-victory sign, but in Britain it means something else, too, when the palm is turned inward.)

A White House spokesman responded to our inquiry: "I don't have anything on this for you."

— James Gerstenzang

Photo: Yuri Kochetkov / European Pressphoto Agency

Comments

[anonymous]

His comment is an insult to the world, mother earth and the American people.

[Tina McGugan]

Just when you think he can't top himself for ignorance and stupidity, he does it, says something like this. The man is amazing, really amazing. There must be some dark psychological term for that meanspirited and twisted thing he calls a 'sense of humor'. How shameful that we (not me!) gave him two terms as our president.

[ann]

how freakin' hilarious! love the man....

[Tina McGugan]

Just when you think he can't top himself for ignorance and stupidity, he does it, says something like this. The man is amazing, really amazing. There must be some dark psychological term for that meanspirited and twisted thing he calls a 'sense of humor'. How shameful that we (not me!) gave him two terms as our president.

[Anonymous]

I think Bush realizes that his legacy has been ruined enough that he can go out in "lulz." He has stalled climate change initiatives and censored documentation on it. Mission accomplished indeed.

[Remav]

Just his way of saying he knows that the global warming hoax is only designed to scam the US into paying a tax on being the largest economic engine on earth. (Who is the biggest polluter on the other planets??? Afterall, they're getting warmer too!)

[Vim]

Hmmm... care to provide some kind of data to back up your claims Remav?

No, Bush is what is commonly known as a Sociopath. But worse than any normal sociopath, not only is he incapable of feeling compassion toward others or any normal feelings of morality, but he's driven by endless greed.

The frightening thought is that there are still people who support him despite his obvious drive and willingness to kill us all as long as he makes more money out of it.

[alendria]

Who is the biggest polluter on the other planets??? Afterall, they're getting warmer too!

I always find it odd how right-wingers will overlook research by thousands of scientists across many fields in immediate contact with their world for the *science of a very few people reporting on bodies tens of millions of miles away.

Psst. Light meters have been around since the late 1800s. Since the 50's, satellites have been monitoring the sun's brightness, sunspots, radiation, and whatnot. Then sun's output is quite steady (and you should be glad it is!)

*science here meaning cherry-picking 32 planets (one being Pluto which is a kuiper belt object in an eccentric orbit and hey, it's entering its summer) the other being a short warming period on Mars and some localized warming of an area of the surface of Jupiter.

Humor for the stiff shirts.

[Jesse C.]

This is beautiful... Finally someone in a position of power has the balls to stand up and tell all of you environ-MENTAL idiots, who choose deny 4 and a half billion years of climate evolution, to kiss our ass here in America.... WE WILL NOT SUBSIDIZE YOUR SOCIALISM!!! Hopefully we will continue to elect leaders who actually understand the world did not begin when they were born...
Read a book instead of worrying about the climate, an entity you CANNOT control.
Sincerely,
An American Citizen

[ZZMike]

Would anyone care to explain why the US levels of pollution are down, while those of Europe are higher now than before?

Of course not.

[TC]

The word is "satire," Tina McGugan. George Orwell would have to have loved this man.

[lolz]

Personally, I kind of laugh at the joke, but in that company, it probably wasn't the best way to depart. Bush will definitely leave an interesting legacy to say the least.

No sure why people felt they need to turn this into a global warming debate above. Although I have no doubt we are impacting the environment, I also understand that even if the US went completely green in the next 5 years (very impossible) its not going to change the course of the global climate. (and yes, that opinion is backed by scientists).

So ride the green fad all you want, just don't expect it to save us 30 years down the road.

[raz0r]

Wow. Love how folks bash those who disagree with global vorms and cite science, but never mention the scientists who disagree with global vorms (or brush aside those scientists). And what TC said above.

[alendria]

TC, you are making a couple of errors in your reasoning.

Many scientists from many different fields all agree that the Earth's temp is rising faster than any time in the past many thousand years. Studies of ice cores, tree rings, archaeology, and so on. There are comparatively few scientists who say it isn't happening and the majority of those seem to have graduated from religious institutions.

But let's forget that for a moment.

Pollutants in water and air are measured and tracked relatively easily. Pollutants can be tied to a whole host of health issues. Even if we can't halt global warming, we can at least not poison ourselves. Besides. What you're saying is essentially that you should accept your lot in life. There are always going to be poor people so if you're poor, why try to save money or better yourself? For myself, even if it's ineffectual, I'd at least stand and fight. Better to try and fail than sit and do nothing.

[Yirmin Snipe]

Lighten up... Frankly I have more respect for him now than I ever did before. The global waming as a problem created by Man is nonsense... Amen to Bush, a shame I can't vote for him in November.

[Trott Felipe]

His comment is a culmination of all the harsh, bull**** media scrutiny. Come on, he had to start cracking some jokes at some point or another. Right or wrong, a man can only take so much before he flips the world two fingers with the palm inward.

[Mark]

I can see the founding fathers all turning over in their graves in unison.
They were among the most intelligent visionaries ever to walk the planet..... articulate, evolved, compassionate.... wishing freedom and betterment for their fellow man and woman. Here, over 230 years from the founding of our nation, we've had a president for almost 8 years with such primitive intelligence and awareness of human suffering that he leaves not only the G-8 leaders in shock, but most of the rest of us global inhabitants as well. Has anyone ever less 'gotten" it?

[Karma]

I am a liberal and think it was funny.

He is clearly having fun with them, big deal, even Clinton didn't give them what they wanted.

[RustyDJ]

Greatness - I would have loved to do the same to them.

Jesse C. You got it right!

[Hokudan]

To be great is to be misunderstood.
But I do not know anyone who achieves greatness by going out of their way to be misunderstood. Thus is the path of GW "Runs with scissors" Bush.

[mkahn]

It sure is comforting to know that the clown in chief has his finger on the button. He is sick.

[oncall]

No wonder the world thinks this country is full of idiots. We have a moron for a President.

[Monocle]

The World my friends is common air space. If you pollute it more than anybody else, then what is so funny about it? Isn't it really a silent death wish to show the middle finger not only to other nations you're sharing the planet with - but to your grand children, too...

What goes around comes around... I am afraid the joke is on you, America!

[Bruce T Garrick]

So 'senior soucres' claim this happened. I say it never happened and no one ever said it did. This paper made up the entire incident. There is absolutely no evidence this ever happened except some anonymous 'source' who is most likely the reporter. This why I don't read papers; when they cannot find something portraying the angle they want you to beleive they just make stuff up out of thin air.

[Mitch Keenan]

You know, hard to judge the context of the comment without being there or seeing a tape.

Nonetheless, the current environmental state of this planet, the number of plants and animals that are now extinct or near extinction from activities directly attributable to man; global warming, dying oceans and reefs, over fishing, toxic air pollution, increasing loss of rain forest, extreme over-population, poverty, war, plague.

We, as a species, are all responsible for the current condition of our planet. The excesses of the past several hundred years have brought us to an unfortunate place from which it will be more and more difficult to extricate ourselves.

We do need leaders that have the acumen, intelligence and ability to lead us in a direction which may restore some of what we have destroyed and to help us learn and desire to live in a manner that is more inclusive of "ALL" living things and respectful to all this planets inhabitants - that includes republicans and democrats.

Oh Yes, you hair shirt wearing, liberal, emotional "thinking", granola eating, limp wristed, carbon dioxide expelling,air wasting crybabies have it figured out!! After all- President Bush and Vice Presidednt Cheney and Halliburton, Enron and Blackwater executives don't really have to BREATHE the same air or DRINK the same water as we do. They have a secret stash hidden in the bottom of the White House and get together in secret to breathe the special air and drink the special water.
It's all been for OIL!! WOOOooooooo Bush just wants to poison us all and have wars for fun. Why don't you hand wringing, tofu sucking,bottom feeders with Bush derangemnt syndrome move to CHINA, INDIA, ZIMBABWE, DARFUR, and suck down some of their fresh, clean, and enjoy their fee thinking ways.
Foodfuzz

[Mark Woolley]

It seems there is a lot of bitterness in this world right now. Peace is the only answer. Bush is bad. John Lennon had the right idea

[John-for-Obama]

What can you expect from a poorly-educated, non-reading, non-TV-watching dunk? How the Americans can hold their heads up high with an ignorant fool like this in charge is beyond me.

Think, think, think what could have been achieved if the GOP had not stolen the 2000 US election. Mr.Gore would have been President and the world would have had 8 extra years of fighting climate change. All that is lost. Another reason for hanging heads in shame.

McCain will of course be marginally better. But Barack? Now THERE's a wonderful prospect!! Yes we can! So brilliant that we even write songs about him: http://willobamawin.com/

[Smithee]

Absolute piece of trash, this guy. Total, absolute trash.

[souleymane]

It is true - empty containers make the most noise!
How is it, that so many obstinately ignore that our individual and collective wellbeing and survival depend on healthy ecosystems and a healthy planet?!

[American Citizen]

Even if you ignore the OVERWHELMING amount of research that suggests that pollution is nothing to be simply laughed off...

Even if you ignore the tremendous failures of this administration to use concern over global warming to invest in new technologies and industries...

Even if you think this sort of thing is funny in certain company...

Can we AT LEAST agree that it is probably a bad idea to tell the rest of the world to kiss our ass? What benefit does the US get from this sort of behavior? How on earth does this help us on the international stage (you know, something we sort of need to keep us safe, to establish/maintain trade, etc etc etc)???

This guy simply does not get it. I hope the rest of the world knows that Americans don't all share his contempt for...well, everything.

I kind of doubt this ever happened. The British press is worse than the American press when it comes to reliability, and there are no named sources. Most of their newspapers are like our National Inquirer. Not to say that Bush wouldn't have enjoyed doing such a thing.

Hey, why don't we come together on this!

If going green won't help anything in the near future, and drilling for more oil in the U.S. won't help anything in the near future, then why can't we just agree to do both? Obviously oil will run out eventually, and in the meantime we can work towards developing other energy sources. We obviously are in a transition period where neither option is viable in and of itself.

It's illogical to not do a thing, just because it won't help right away. And no one is getting anywhere by ruling out either choice.

And it wouldn't hurt to put in a few more nuclear power plants. If France can do it, why can't we?

[bill]

Hmm, should we be surprised. I hope our foreign friends will please remember that a good half of the country (including myself) didn't vote him into the white house. And the other half was too afraid of the 'evil liberal democrats' (who have been neithter evil nor particularly liberal for quite some time).

[BLF112761]

Whether global warming exists or doesn't exist, land-raping Republicans, evil liberals, yadda yadda yadda - none of these topics are the issue here. What IS at issue is that a world leader - OUR representative in the global village - made such a callous, crude, tactless, ignorant remark. He is a disgrace to the office of president, and to our wonderful country.