This my friends is unreal: (H/T to HotAir)
With the U.S. secretaries of energy and commerce in China this week, much of the attention focused on the standoff over emissions reductions or small breakthroughs in clean-tech cooperation.
But yesterday, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said something amazing—U.S. consumers should pay for part of Chinese greenhouse-gas emissions. From Reuters:
“It’s important that those who consume the products being made all around the world to the benefit of America — and it’s our own consumption activity that’s causing the emission of greenhouse gases, then quite frankly Americans need to pay for that,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke told the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.
The idea that rich-country consumers should pick up the tab for some of China’s industrial emissions has been gaining currency lately—but not from within the Obama administration. The argument is that many of China’s factories churn out cheap stuff for the West, not for domestic consumption, so those consumers are actually responsible for the emissions. China, of course, loves the idea.
This could just be another area for trade tensions with China over the environment. The House climate bill includes a provision for mandatory “carbon tariffs” on dirty imports from countries such as China, which might be illegal under international trade law and which have riled up Beijing. President Obama and Senate leaders have frowned on hardline trade measures.
But Secretary Locke’s statement could open up a new can of worms—right when China’s actions on energy and the environment are proving so crucial to mustering support among wavering senators for the administration’s big cap-and-trade bill.
via Commerce Secretary: Americans ‘Need to Pay’ for Chinese Emissions – Environmental Capital – WSJ.
Of course, when the Wall Street Journal brought this to light the Secretary’s staff tried to backpedal:
“Secretary Locke has been very clear on emphasizing the importance of fair trade as a part of the United States’ relationship with China. He believes U.S. companies should not be disadvantaged by Chinese imports not bound by responsible policies to reduce carbon emissions. China and the US must work together to ensure a level playing field and reduce our carbon footprints. The Secretary’s trip to China demonstrated his commitment to fair trade and his belief that both the United States and China can benefit from shared investments and cooperation in clean energy that will lead to commercial and environmental benefits for both countries.”
Yeah, sure he does. It should also be noted that Locke is also Chinese-American. You ask, “What does that have to do with anything?” Quite a bit. First it was with John Yoo, who was South Korean, now this guy here. Does anyone else see this damned pattern; besides me? It is worse than when America was hit in 1941 by the Communist Japanese. Except this time, they’ve come from within. Because of our generous open door immigration policy, we have allowed the communists in the front door.
Communists are communists and the damn Democratic Party has made a deal with the devil and that devil is communism. This socialist Government is going to destroy freedoms, bankrupt our Country and put us on the path to destruction.
Others: Right Pundits and Gateway Pundit