Toddling Into Oblivion

An American official has described the Copenhagen fiasco as an "important first step" towards further profiteering; so naturally the Glorious Successor has hastened to describe the Copenhagen fiasco as a "vital first step" towards doing more of the nothing and/or worse than nothing which is what passes in the Glorious Successor for an idea of what ought to be done. According to Britain's leading liberal newspaper, "the deal said little on the major sticking points of the last few days - whether or not the US or China and other heavy polluters were serious about curbing their emissions." (Hint: they aren't.) The Glorious Successor did decline to call the result "historical", for which small mercy we must be duly grateful; but since the New New Labour attitude to history is generally to keep it from being taught while apologising for selected bits of it, there is room for debate as to how far the Glorious Successor's unwonted display of modesty resulted from any actual contact with the phenomenal world. "This is the first step we are taking towards a green and low carbon future for the world," Gordon said, flourishing his independence of the White House as well as his historical knowledge by ignoring the very existence of the Kyoto treaty. Still, he has just about registered the fact that "what we really need is a legally binding treaty as quickly as possible", so long as it is legally binding on the right people, and so long as it binds people like the Glorious Successor only without undue commitment to their taking appropriate action in a manner which does not interfere with the right to self-prioritisation of their own interests, their own expendables and their own goals.