The Crowbar

Ultra-hardcore liberals like former Jimmy Carter speechwriter James Fallows are on the defensive as of late. On his Atlantic blog, Fallows submits to his readers some screen-captured headlines as proof-positive that the “dominant narrative” about Obama’s failed Asian trip is wrong because he wants it to be wrong. 

For example, there’s this screen capture:

However, Fallows implication that this somehow indicates success on Obama’s part is embarrassingly easy to debunk.

Firstly, the article changed significantly since Fallows’ screen capture. This is what it says now:

BEIJING — The Chinese government announced Thursday that it had set a target to slow the growth of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, a day after the Obama administration set a provisional target for reducing United States emissions.

The Chinese offer, which focuses on energy efficiency, contrasts with the strategy of the United States and most other nations to reduce total emissions. China has resisted demands from American and European negotiators to adopt binding limits on its emissions, arguing that environmental concerns must be balanced with economic growth and that developed countries must first demonstrate a significant commitment to reducing their own emissions. [bold mine]

BEIJING — The Chinese government announced Thursday that it had set a target to slow the growth of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, a day after the Obama administration set a provisional target for reducing United States emissions.

The Chinese offer, which focuses on energy efficiency, contrasts with the strategy of the United States and most other nations to reduce total emissions. China has resisted demands from American and European negotiators to adopt binding limits on its emissions, arguing that environmental concerns must be balanced with economic growth and that developed countries must first demonstrate a significant commitment to reducing their own emissions.

LOL. Yeah, that’s REAL success for ya! China hasn’t jumped on the green bandwagon, it’s just promised to increase it’s efficiency which happens to coincide with reducing emissions. But, then there’s this:

It was unclear whether the timing of China’s announcement was coincidental, though the Chinese have been preparing an opening position ahead of international talks on climate change in Copenhagen next month. In the past, Beijing has tried to avoid looking as if it has been directly influenced by American decisions.

LOL again. So China was going to do this anyway and it had little or nothing to do with Obama’s useless trip. 

But, we’re not done yet. The Atlantic Wire box on Fallow’s blog had a link to this report: Environmentalists Fume Over China Emissions Pledge which says that while it’s technically a tactical “win” for Obama, it’s pathetic compared to what the commie-environmentalists want:

Treehugger’s Daniel Kessler laments the odd strategy. “[I]ts emissions will actually increase over time because its economy is expanding so rapidly. As the world’s Number 1 Polluter (but far down when it comes to per capita emissions), China’s goal is not enough,” he writes. “It should be noted, however, that China is making massive investments in renewable energy and increasing its standards for efficiency.”

The Chinese pseudo-communists see right through the commie-environmentalists. The communist Chinese will never murder their economy in the name of environmentalism, they will only reduce emissions when it’s to their advantage. How foolish our government must appear to them.

The other screen-captured headlines Fallows submits are of a similar nature. I guess even a Rhodes Scholar can’t eek out a good defense of Obama’s Asian Flop.