Pres Bush describing "progress" in China (bikes vs cars)

In an interview with Bob Costas during the Olympics, President Bush was contrasting China today vs his first visit back in 1976... back then, everybody rode bicycles.
So progress in China is measured by the near-elimination of bicycles as a form of transportation, replaced by cars and smog that's unbelievably-bad (as seen during coverage of the Olympic men's road race).

I admit to making a possibly-incorrect assumption though- that assumption being that air pollution is actually worse today than it was in 1976. We didn't hear about serious air pollution in China back then, but then again, we didn't hear that much about China at all back in the day.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

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"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote

In an interview with Bob Costas during the Olympics, President Bush was
contrasting China today vs his first visit back in 1976... back then,
everybody rode bicycles.
So progress in China is measured by the near-elimination of bicycles as a
form of transportation, replaced by cars and smog that's unbelievably-bad
(as seen during coverage of the Olympic men's road race).

I admit to making a possibly-incorrect assumption though- that assumption
being that air pollution is actually worse today than it was in 1976. We
didn't hear about serious air pollution in China back then, but then again,
we didn't hear that much about China at all back in the day.
--------------------------------

China is much more industrialized today than it was then. While cars
contribute a great deal to air pollution, so do all of your manufacturering
plants. In some ways, we reap the benefit of them making everything since
they get to deal with the horrible air polution and we only get the acid
rain.

Obviously, Bush as weak notions of what good progress is, but then again, so
do most Americans.

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
In an interview with Bob Costas during the Olympics, President Bush was contrasting China today vs his first visit back in 1976... back then, everybody rode bicycles.
So progress in China is measured by the near-elimination of bicycles as a form of transportation, replaced by cars and smog that's unbelievably-bad (as seen during coverage of the Olympic men's road race).


I caught that interview too, and had the same reaction that you did. I
guess "Progress" is in the eye (or lungs) of the beholder.

Art Harris

You must remember that Bush is of the "Big Business (especially Big Oil,
in his case) Anti Environment Party. So naturaly the reduction of
bicycles would be seen as positive progress in his eyes.

I find it really hard to believe sometimes that it was really the same
political party that created the National Park service in the first
place for the preservation of nature.

What went wrong?

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It's Chris wrote:

You must remember that Bush is of the "Big Business (especially Big
Oil, in his case) Anti Environment Party. So naturaly the reduction
of bicycles would be seen as positive progress in his eyes.

I find it really hard to believe sometimes that it was really the
same political party that created the National Park service in the
first place for the preservation of nature.

What went wrong?

Do not forget that they also created the EPA.

It's Chris wrote:
You must remember that Bush is of the "Big Business (especially Big Oil,
in his case) Anti Environment Party. So naturaly the reduction of
bicycles would be seen as positive progress in his eyes.

I find it really hard to believe sometimes that it was really the same
political party that created the National Park service in the first
place for the preservation of nature.

What went wrong?

The Republican Party also used to believe in fiscal responsibility,
small government, privacy rights of individuals, states rights, family
farmers, small businesses, religious freedom and small "c" conservatism.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
“Mary had a little lamb / And when she saw it sicken /
She shipped it off to Packingtown / And now it’s labeled chicken.”

Tom Sherman wrote:
It's Chris wrote:
You must remember that Bush is of the "Big Business (especially
Big
Oil, in his case) Anti Environment Party. So naturaly the
reduction
of bicycles would be seen as positive progress in his eyes.

I find it really hard to believe sometimes that it was really the
same political party that created the National Park service in
the
first place for the preservation of nature.

What went wrong?

The Republican Party also used to believe in fiscal
responsibility,
small government, privacy rights of individuals, states rights,
family
farmers, small businesses, religious freedom and small "c"
conservatism.

Both parties have gone corporate, the Republicans more so.

Remember that Hillary Clinton spent some 6 years on the Wal-mart
board, ending in 1992 when Bill ran.

On Aug 11, 8:13*pm, (It's Chris) wrote:
You must remember that Bush is of the "Big Business (especially Big Oil,
in his case) Anti Environment Party. So naturaly the reduction of
bicycles would be seen as positive progress in his eyes.

I find it really hard to believe sometimes that it was really the same
political party that created the National Park service in the first
place for the preservation of nature.

What went wrong?

Printer's error. About 1950 both the Republicans and the Democrats
used the same printer for all their stationary, busness cards etc. An
early computer error (Blown vaccum tube) caused the spell checker to
reverse the party names in the print runs

When the parties got their new stationary it was cheaper just to agree
to change the names then to reprint the stationary. Most people never
noticed the difference.

John Kane Kingston ON Canada

On Aug 11, 8:54*pm, joe wrote:
It's Chris wrote:
You must remember that Bush is of the "Big Business (especially Big
Oil, in his case) Anti Environment Party. So naturaly the reduction
of bicycles would be seen as positive progress in his eyes.

I find it really hard to believe sometimes that it was really the
same political party that created the National Park service in the
first place for the preservation of nature.

What went wrong?

Do not forget that they also created the EPA.

Best thing Nixon ever did

John Kane Kingston ON Canada.

John Kane wrote in news:40b38004-c210-48f0-8668-
:

On Aug 11, 8:54*pm, joe wrote:
It's Chris wrote:
You must remember that Bush is of the "Big Business (especially Big
Oil, in his case) Anti Environment Party. So naturaly the reduction
of bicycles would be seen as positive progress in his eyes.

I find it really hard to believe sometimes that it was really the
same political party that created the National Park service in the
first place for the preservation of nature.

What went wrong?

Do not forget that they also created the EPA.

Best thing Nixon ever did

John Kane Kingston ON Canada.


The best thing Nixon ever did was to stop his operatives from contesting
the 1960 election results in Cook County, Illinois.

Barry Harmon