Hillary Clinton hosted by the Arabs of the Arctic

One must admire Norway´s socialist Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and his government. They manage to make all the politically correct "progressive" noises about global warming and sustainability while at the same working tirelessly to cash in on the sale of fossil fuels 
from Norway´s territorial waters. 


Thanks to its extensive reserves of petroleum, natural gas and hydropower, Norway now has the fourth highest per capita income in the world. And the billions just keep rolling into the Norwegian coffers. 


The next "big thing" for these Arctic Arabs will be the extensive utilisation of the fossil riches that lie buried under the cold waters of the northernmost areas. But, because there are others who also are competing for access to these abundant energy resources, Mr. Stoltenberg and his  fellow socialists have adopted a clever PR strategy, part of which is to invite foreign leaders and celebrities to the Arctic areas in order to give them a chance to "witness" global warming  - and get the right kind of photo opportunities for the media. ("Progressive" liberal and leftist media always publish these photos showing how concerned the visitors - and the hosts -  are about the urgent need to "fight global warming"). 


The latest climate change tourist in Tromso was US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who before the trip had this to say about her discussions with her Norwegian colleague: 


This morning we spent time on issues in the Arctic, which we certainly will follow up when we get to the Arctic. We touched upon climate change mitigation through supporting initiatives that actually bring difference. The world failed to get to one all-encompassing global deal on climate change a couple of years ago, but we are making progress on some individual projects such as fighting short-lived pollutants that have a dramatic effect in particular in the Arctic. We discussed that with the minister of the environment present, preparation for Rio+20, and other similar issues.


However, in addition to those usual phrases on climate change, the Secretary also was quite clear about where her real interests were - she was there primarily to claim a stake for the US in the scramble for the Arctic riches:  

 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton boarded a research ship on Saturday to tour the Arctic, where big powers are vying for vast deposits of oil, gas and minerals that are becoming available as the polar ice recedes. 

The top U.S. diplomat took the unusual step of visiting Tromso, a Norwegian town in the Arctic Circle, to dramatize U.S. interests in a once inaccessible region whose resources are up for grabs as the sea ice melts with climate change.  

"From a strategic standpoint, the Arctic has an increasing geopolitical importance as countries vie to protect their rights and extend their influence," Clinton told reporters in Oslo before making the nearly two-hour flight north to Tromso. 

The Norwegians know that they need an ally against Russia, their main competitor in the Arctic waters, which is why they are prepared to give a piece of the cake to US companies. This was the real agenda during Hillary Clinton´s visit to Norway. All the talk about climate change and global warming was just window dressing.