KYOTO NO-NO

I’m a little perplexed by the hysterical reaction of the foreign, especially European, press to Bush’s decision to ignore the quixotic Kyoto agreement. No other industrialized country has yet ratified it. The Senate has already voted 95 – 0 not even to consider ratifying it. Bush’s statement is simply the recognition of the bleeding obvious. Of course, in diplomacy, you’re not supposed to tell the truth, at least not bluntly. But it’s refreshing when someone does. Bush’s first moves abroad – telling the North Koreans and Palestinians where to get off, insisting on missile defense, dropping Kyoto – all remind me of very early Thatcher. Her predecessors had all played the internationalist game, hob-nobbing at summits, talking grandly about the future of the planet, issuing communiqués no-one intended to abide by, and so on. Thatcher walked into her first European summit, asked for a rebate for Britain from the E.U., demanding “our money back,” and wouldn’t budge till she got her way. Her international peers were appalled at her vulgarity. But Thatcher thought that foreign policy was about pursuing your national interest. So, it appears, does Bush. They’re both right – and deeply refreshing.