King Canute, whom the WSJ compared to Barack Obama, stepped into the ocean and ordered the tide to recede. When it didn’t, he realized the impotence of mere mortals – even kings – in comparison to the world in which we live.
King Canute has a message for King Obama
Friday’s Wall Street Journal featured an editorial titled “King Canute at the G-8.”
Unfamiliar with King Canute? He was the Viking king of England, Denmark, Norway and Sweden a thousand years ago.
According to legend, he stepped into the ocean and ordered the tide to recede. When it didn’t, he realized the impotence of mere mortals – even kings – in comparison to the world in which we live.
“Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings,” Canute said, “for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth and sea obey by eternal laws.”
As the Jounal points out, the leaders of the G-8 have yet to learn what Canute learned a thousand years ago. They still think they can order the world to cool, to warm, to fetch the sticks they throw.
Especially the one known throughout the land as King Obama. Verily.
President Obama’s G8 Global Warming Pact is non-binding. Got that? It’s non-binding. So non-binding, in fact, that Russia, which actually signed the treaty, has already said it has no intention of abiding by it.
Attendees at the recent G8 meetings in L'Aquila, Italy dined on polar bear tartare
This week, the global warming circus raised its tent at the G8 meetings in L’Aquila, Italy. According to the media, the world’s wisest leaders have saved the world by signing a new global warming pact.
Luckily, ABC News’ Jake Tapper cut through the crap and revealed a side of the story that’s absent from most reports and buried in others:
“The climate change provision sets a non-binding goal for a 50% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050, using 1990 levels or later years as a base, with a goal for developed countries of 80%. The document pledges cooperation to limit the rise in global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit.”
“But achieving this is far more difficult than writing it on a piece of paper as a pledge, particularly with developing nations balking at the goal and complaining that the industrialized world hasn’t followed through with aid and technology to help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Got that? It’s non-binding. So non-binding, in fact, that Russia, which actually signed the treaty, has already said it has no intention of abiding by it.
Arkady Dvorkovich, the top economic advisor to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, “For us the 80 per cent figure is unacceptable and likely unattainable. We won’t sacrifice economic growth for the sake of emission reduction.”
He might as well have been speaking for India and China who aren’t G8 members and who have already said, “Thanks, but no thanks. We’re with Russia on this one.”
So on one hand, the solution to global warming was all smoke and mirrors. On the other hand, the leaders of the G8 did manage to have some very nice dinners and treated their bloated staffs to very nice Italian vacations.
