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.