# "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 10, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043 "2008-07-10T21:00:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/1 "2008-07-10T21:00:24Z")
> [@](#): > > George Bush surprised world leaders with a joke about his poor record on the environment as he left the G8 summit in Japan. > > The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: “Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter.” > > He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock. > > Mr Bush, whose second and final term as President ends at the end of the year, then left the meeting at the Windsor Hotel in Hokkaido where the leaders of the world’s richest nations had been discussing new targets to cut carbon emissions. What a huge [asshole](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/2277298/President-George-Bush-'Goodbye-from-the-world's-biggest-polluter'.html) . ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/2 "2008-07-10T21:01:52Z")
I hope Angela Merkel brought her taser. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/3 "2008-07-10T21:05:03Z")
[QUOTE=brickbacon] What a huge [asshole](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/2277298/President-George-Bush-'Goodbye-from-the-world's-biggest-polluter'.html) . [/QUOTE] He was probably drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/4 "2008-07-10T21:05:27Z")
Gah? You can’t be serious…this has to be from The Onion (masquerading as a British paper), right? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/5 "2008-07-10T21:06:16Z")
After 8 years of president fratboy, you’d think I wouldn’t be shocked by his behavior anymore. But I am. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/6 "2008-07-10T21:07:42Z")
It’s totally unpresidential, but it does succeed as a joke, I suppose. I mean, I’m laughing pretty heartily at it, anyway. The imagery is amusing… ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/7 "2008-07-10T21:10:05Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] It’s totally unpresidential, but it does succeed as a joke, I suppose. I mean, I’m laughing pretty heartily at it, anyway. The imagery is amusing… [/QUOTE] “Yeah, we’re number 1! USA! USA! USA!” ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/8 "2008-07-10T21:11:32Z")
[QUOTE=Queen Bruin] “Yeah, we’re number 1! USA! USA! USA!” [/QUOTE] America, fuck yeah! ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/9 "2008-07-10T21:12:05Z")
[QUOTE=Queen Bruin] “Yeah, we’re number 1! USA! USA! USA!” [/QUOTE] I thought Dubya was talking about himself personally, rather than about his country. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/10 "2008-07-10T21:18:10Z")
[QUOTE=Kid\_A] Gah? You can’t be serious…this has to be from The Onion (masquerading as a British paper), right? [/QUOTE] Unfortunately not. See [here](http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/10/bush-to-g8-goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/) , [here](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/10/report-bush-tells-g8-lead_n_111966.html) , and [here](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/bush-to-g8-goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter-863911.html) . If it’s a joke, a lot of reputable news organizations are falling for it. ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/11 "2008-07-10T21:22:01Z")
[QUOTE=Maeglin] I hope Angela Merkel brought her taser. [/QUOTE] - Mon frère,\* you beat me to it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/12 "2008-07-10T21:23:28Z")
He’s wrong anyway…the US is number 2 now on the pollution scene. China has over taken us for the top honors… -XT ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/13 "2008-07-10T21:24:11Z")
I really look forward to having a President I can be proud of, I really do. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/14 "2008-07-10T21:26:55Z")
[QUOTE=Elenfair] \* Mon frère,\* you beat me to it. 😉 [/QUOTE] Not bad for an old man, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/15 "2008-07-10T21:29:28Z")
[QUOTE=xtisme] He’s wrong anyway…the US is number 2 now on the pollution scene. China has over taken us for the top honors… -XT [/QUOTE] On a per capita basis though we still rule the roost. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/16 "2008-07-10T21:33:21Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] It’s totally unpresidential, but it does succeed as a joke, I suppose. I mean, I’m laughing pretty heartily at it, anyway. The imagery is amusing… [/QUOTE] It made me laugh, too. I have suspected for a while that Bush has a wicked dry sense of humour that he hasn’t in his many years on this planet learned to control. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/17 "2008-07-10T21:36:05Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] It made me laugh, too. I have suspected for a while that Bush has a wicked dry sense of humour that he hasn’t in his many years on this planet learned to control. [/QUOTE] Dry humor suggests that he is appreciative of the irony of his comments. But his joke, in light of his policies, actually suggests that he is indifferent to the irony of his comments. Which makes him an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/18 "2008-07-10T21:39:47Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > On a per capita basis though we still rule the roost. Really? I always thought Canada was the worst per capita. Anyhow, I kinda laughed at Bush’s comments. I’d really have to hear the tone of voice to know whether it makes him an asshole. At the very least he seems aware of it and that has to be worth something. I’m not fan of his… ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/19 "2008-07-10T21:43:48Z")
If he were in a position where he couldn’t do much harm (like, say, Dan Quayle), I’d enjoy his stupidity a lot more. As it is, I’m gritting my teeth and waiting it out 'til November… ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043/20 "2008-07-10T21:50:14Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] On a per capita basis though we still rule the roost. [/QUOTE] Oh, you are just trying to make us all feel good! (sorry…inside joke. It reminds me of arguments in the past about the US vs Japan in industrial and economic output) -XT [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter/456043.md?page=2)