India's Prime Minister was Teaching but was Obama Learning?

Doug Ross:

The Calcutta Telegraph offers a compelling and detailed view into the diplomatic machinations of Copenhagen. We're forced to turn to India's media outlets because state-run media in the United States continues to ignore the week's biggest stories from the climate summit (e.g., "Obama snubbed by Chinese premier at meeting", Economic Times of India).

In a last ditch effort to salvage a deal, Obama walked into a room unannounced where the leaders of China, India, Brazil and South Africa were meeting.

When Obama entered the room, there was no chair for him. Obama himself was reported as saying that there weren’t any seats......At the “accidental” five- nation meeting, Prime Minister Singh told Obama that international review of voluntary mitigation action was unacceptable as he was answerable to Parliament. Any international review of India’s voluntary mitigation actions would go against public opinion, he said.Wen also had similar views, while Lula voiced concerns over imposition of trade barriers on developing countries under the garb of environment protection... The group stuck to its stand on review of voluntary mitigation action, which it said would be an intrusion on members’ sovereignty.

In short, India's prime minister gave Obama the "Acting Presidential 101" class: leaders of democracies are accountable to the people.

It is a shame that leader of the free world needs to be schooled by the Prime Minister of India. You would think it self evident that politicians are accountable to the people who elected them. But accountability doesn't appear to be one of Obama's strong points and I've seen no indication that he gives a flip about the will of the people.

We could have avoided all of this had so many people not have been willing to elect a complete unknown who had never done or accomplished anything simply because they believed that his election would be "historic". They may in the end be right, but for all the wrong reasons.