EMAIL SIGN UP!
Most Popular This Week
- One American Who Isn't For Sale
- Edward Snowden: Saving Us from the United Stasi of America
- Major Loss to Organic Farmers as Court Rules in Favor of Monsanto
- The Judicial Lynching of Bradley Manning
- Remembering Satyajit Ray’s Hirok Rajar Deshe: On Edward Snowden, Resistance and Inverted Totalitarianism
Popular content
Today's Top News
Obama's 'Beast' of a Limo Stands Out at Green NATO Summit
LISBON - The Portuguese hosts of Friday's NATO summit hoped to use the event to promote clean-energy and electric cars, but all eyes were on US President Barack Obama's diesel-guzzling "Beast" instead.
President Barack Obama steps out of his eight-ton armored behemoth of a limousine and is welcomed by his Portuguese counterpart Anibal Antonio Cavaco Silva (C) in Lisbon on Friday. The Portugese hosts of Friday's NATO summit hoped to use the event to promote the clean-living electric car, but all eyes were on Obama's diesel-guzzling "Beast" instead.
(AFP/Pierre-Philippe Marcou) As is usual when he travels, Obama's eight-ton armored behemoth of a limousine was flown out to Lisbon before the US leader's arrival, and it ferried him from the airport tarmac to his first meetings of the weekend.
Doubtless he didn't intend the Beast's roar to drown out his hosts' green message, but a US presidential motorcade and its attendant escort of Secret Service SUVs do attract attention, even at the most elite gatherings.
Earlier, Prime Minister Jose Socrates and his fellow Portuguese, the president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, had arrived at the summit in quiet, zero-emission electric cars.
"I'd like to underline the priority both our countries assign to renewable energy and electric vehicles," Socrates said, after meeting Obama, amid amused sniping from the Portuguese press at the mixed messages.
Portugal is proud of the lead it has taken in introducing what it says is the world's first national electric vehicle charging network, with 100 power outlets in 25 towns and plans to install 1,300 by next year.
The government was particularly keen for the press covering the summit to underline this, and a news release describing the recharging network was already on each of the tables in the media center as the global pack arrived.
Within the highly secure summit site, electric buses were put on to ferry journalists between venues.
In theory, at least, Obama was on side with the plan, remarking: "An area where I want to congratulate the prime minister and the Portuguese people is for the extraordinary leadership that you've shown in clean energy.
"The prime minister's leadership on electric cars will create new opportunities for American companies here in Portugal ... and this is an example of what Portugal and America can achieve together."
But there was no immediate reaction from the White House to criticism of Obama's rather less green form of transport, and the administration has in the past said that the president's security arrangements are non-negotiable.
Comments
Note: Disqus 2012 is best viewed on an up to date browser. Click here for information. Instructions for how to sign up to comment can be viewed here. Our Comment Policy can be viewed here. Please follow the guidelines. Note to Readers: Spam Filter May Capture Legitimate Comments...
52 Comments so far
Show AllOne day in my wildest of dreams I hope someone will have the balls to tell the Americans to stay home. The whole attitude that nothing gets done unless it is
the American way, stops the world from progressing.
Me, too.
It's reality. Nothing good gets done without America, but a lot of bad sure does. Nobody else is stepping up to police the world. Meanwhile China is running rampant, raping every poor nation of their resources. A somewhat corrupt sheriff with a good heart is still better than a town run by selfish outlaws.
Almost everything you say is wrong. Maybe that's why nobody but me has responded to you. What an abysmal mind set. Man are you ever lost!
I'm really impressed with what Portugal has done -- without the help of the U.S. Thanks to our method of "policing" the world is a less-safe place everyday. I hope you're not referring to Obama as the somewhat corrupt sheriff with the good heart, as he is thoroughly corrupt and from my view I don't see that Obama has any heart, anymore than the idiots before him. The first president of my adulthood was Carter, and the last president with a genuinely good heart. Our ongoing wars are for the purpose of raping poor nations of their natural resources. America's lead is emboldening the corporate rapists to undermine the social underpinnings in Europe and elsewhere -- these nations that have been ahead of us in many areas for quite a while now.
I believe most populations perfer being bought out rather than bombed out.
Sounds right to me.
It's an extension of the POTUS penis. It has to be bigger than anyone else's.
Good one!
I am going to take a swag (scientific wild a** guess) at the gas mileage of the POTUSmobile, 8-12 miles per gallon??
Oh less I am sure, a giant heavy armored beast like that gets 5 mpg on a good day. The ultimate symbol of the profligate waste of the You Essen A.
Possibly a gal/ton. Tops. Highway.
Bush's contribution, after he stole the 2004 election. I'm getting old I remember the open cars and presidents who would shake your hand, not stand 30 meters behind a rope line.
Since Obummers nearly as popular as Bush was it's probably a good idea for him to stay with the tank. I don't see why it couldn't be electric it never goes more than 10miles but Bush was an oilclown. Maybe Obummer could have it changed,,, opps that would require change.. nevermind!
>^^<
Do they make bullet proof stretched rickshaws?
Summit Drivers Lost the Mean empirePie
The toxic blues for freedom screws
and chosen who s
meeting at the summit
just for you s
To fix the broken back.... to black
It’s the green back crisis
and please let toxic trade entice us
for more will not suffice us
since bust means more just like us
A summit for the dive
is like a Kermit without jive
so warm up slowly
in the pot while melting is for not
since downs are good for shorts
and only universal solvents
will turn green ....
but say...
Where is the mean?
American addiction to fossil fuels and its self-referential and egotistical love of projection of power is typically non-negotiable. Many countries have been left with little option but to recognize this fact. They no longer accept American policies at face value and are determined to move on towards actual solutions to their economies and their ecological footprints outside the sphere of American influence.
Real hope rests with smaller countries like Portugal. Having smaller economies with less to spare (and waste) their coping strategies will prove in being much smarter and pragmatic than those of the bigger economies. The bigger economies and its dominant super wealthy classes need not be as shrewd and judicious in the way they go about spending their wealth and using up resources. They can afford waste and frivolous consumption. In contrast, smaller economies by nature of their limited size and scope need to be smarter in the way they use up what little they have and is available to them.
Good post, I agree small and local is the future.
Anything the US does is "non-negotiable," and that goes double for Borax Obysmal. He can openly and brazenly display his hypocrisy to the whole world, and receive Nobel Prizes for it. He can condescend to other countries, like Portugal, for pursuing green energy alternatives, and feel no obligation to even imply that the US will in any way follow suit, since we follow no one's example. Arrogance and belligerence are the only principles we subscribe to or respect. I'm sure the Portuguese leaders fully understand this. If they don't, we always have plenty of Drones in supply to remind them.
I was going to say much the same thing. It seems that throughout its History the concept of "Negotiation" seems beyong the grasp of The US GOvernment.
If they DO negotiate out of some self interest (Ie they get their butts handed to them by Red Cloud ) they never honor their side of the bargain.
Hubris and arragance about sums it up.
They negotiate with Israel, don't they? "Please, let us give you 3 billion to freeze settlements for 90 days. Please?"
Did anyone else notice this bit?
"Within the highly secure summit site, electric buses were put on to ferry journalists between venues."
The NATO meeting site was 'highly secured', meaning that once again the public had no way to access the attention of the so-called leaders. More 'free speech' zones to keep popular opinion far away from the Corporate owned drones.
And the electric buses for the no doubt 'embedded' (read *prostitute* Corporate press) journalists are just a subtle social engineering to remind the Press that they are servants, unworthy of the perks of the Elite.
Think about it.
Non Serviam - I will not serve.
He should enter as the emperors of old, in a carriage hoisted on poles born by several stout slaves.
Portugal would be welcome to a place of honor at the end of one of the poles.
Welfare Cadillac
None of the Ceasars would stoop to hide in such a way, in Rome such things were unmanly!
>^^<
Carforce 0ne?
"The Bison has landed."
I wish the creator would drop into our dimension.
I think we are living in the creator's ant farm, and he and his buddies are sitting back, watching us and laughing their asses off. "Oh, look! The little bastards set off a few nukes. It won't be long now."
Please do not disparage ants, their society makes alot more sense than USA's.
I get it. Homo sapiens are to Bailouts
what your "Creator" is to Cop Outs.
Life is good. What an...blah, blah, blah!
There are no dimensions in infinity that are not presicely the moment of creation. It is always happening now.
I tend to think the Universal Source or principle is not some entity existing separate from what is in being.
My little input.
Instead of all those robotic insects and other "miracles" of modern technology meant to kill or maim innocent civilians, I propose the Pentagon spend those billions on developing one of those SiFi gadgets that would send life-like images of the President of the U.S anywhere in the world. The President could be safe in the Oval Office conducting business with all those world leader through his/her "ghost image," and saving trillions over time on Air Force Ones, helicoptors, tank limos, security, etc.
Indeed, shadre, i agree. It may be cheaper to project a holographic image!
Agence France-Presse: "Earlier, Prime Minister Jose Socrates and his fellow Portuguese, the president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, had arrived at the summit in quiet, zero-emission electric cars."
The reason that Socrates and Barroso can arrive at this type of public event in unarmored quiet electrical cars, and not an armored "beast," is because their nation does not commit the atrocities that AmeriKKKa has. These men, unlike Barry, have no reason to believe that everybody is out to get them.
Tom Joad, i agree.
Shades of ancient Rome. America is now OPENLY psychotic. at a self-destructing speed.
Father: Hurry up! Do it NOW!
Child: But Daddy, I wanna stay home! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Father: HURRY UP! Do it NOW!
"The prime minister's leadership on electric cars will create new opportunities for American companies here in Portugal ... and this is an example of what Portugal and America can achieve together."
Well, at least there's no more pretense of being for the American people - as long as "American" companies are doing well, wherever they are, all's right with the world ....
Obama is a liar. Just as big a liar as Bush. Witness the announcement we will be in Afghanistan for another 4 years (and counting). His defense of BP Gulf disaster. Guantonomo still open. His opposition to repeal of DADT. He might as well enjoy the perks of POTUS as he is not being re-elected. I ain't voting for him. We contributed over $300 to his campaign, for what? To see practically everything candidate Obama said going to the wayside? Obama is another Republican neo-con in Democratic clothing. I Don't like being conned. My husband calls him the Trojan Horse. I call him the "flim-flam man". In other words, a fraud.
As Nader has pointed out, evidence of Obama's fraudulence and duplicity was available for all to see before the election, his voting record, the corrupt people he was associated with, etc. If you were too dumb to believe the lies of yet another Democrat presidential candidate, and on top of it contribute $300 to his campaign, you deserve what you got.
I would ask politely at this point what your next move is now that you know the truth about both parties? There are much better places to park $300. There's a hell of a battle brewing in Vermont, for example, over single payer. The insurance cabal will be out in force. If Vermont were successful that might give Brown in CA the cajones to take on the battle there. I believe that if an effort like this were successful in one state it would start changing the game nationwide politically, and even in the type of candidates we see coming forward. Let the Dems and the Repubs have their corporate money. I heard that Obama's "grassroots" giving, in the end, was no more that Bush's, in any case, and that little tidbit was found out pretty early in the game. Everything with Campaign Obama was smoke and mirrors. But it worked. It was hard not to be impressed by the incredible number of people that would turn out to hear him speak. I cannot imagine these crowds are going to be there in 2012.
It's not really all that bad. The "beast" is a diesel they could run it on biofuel. Oh, well, i guess there is the fact that they could have, should have (it was a conference to promote clean energy after all) and blatently did not.
Absolutely right.
I wish people would stop with the 'electric cars will save us' bit.
Unfortunately, electric cars are much worse for the environment that bio-diesel cars are. Batteries are nasty nasty things and require metals mined in environmentally sensitive areas (nickel from Canada or lithium from the Andes mountains) or in areas that are in political upheaval (the DRC). An accident involving a Toyota Prius requires a HazMat team for clean up, due to the chemicals involved in the batteries and because of the high voltage.
A bio-diesel powered Fiat 500 gets 72 mpg on the highway. Bio-diesel is non-toxic. Bio-diesel is carbon neutral, and doesn't require mining for exotic metals and caustic chemicals.
Obama showed up in a vehicle with the right engine, he was just burning the wrong fuel.
So I guess Obama decided not to participate in "Cash for Clunkers," eh?
LOL ..
It's not about the MPG's, the status, or our energy policy, it's about safety. Protection both within the armored car, and protection that accompanies it outside the car. Of greater significance is what is he doing on energy policy, and what steps can we take as a nation to encourage better energy conservation. Attack real issues, straw men fall easily, burn quickly, and give off more smoke than heat or light.
doesn't matter until the USA develops green tanks.