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Global Warming Scandal

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Having watched a program on E4 about the ‘The Global Warming Scandal’ I was gobsmacked, while I believe both sides of the argument tend to cherry pick the data, and that I believe that no-one has yet put all the environmental variables into a proper simulation of the environment (a simulation not a model) There was one point that I got out of this program. That the Africans are being suppressed from exploiting their own resources, coal and oil and that they are being denied their own industrial revolution and western prosperity. That they are forced to rely on unreliable Solar and wind-power for their electricity. And to this I want to rebuke.

First off the example of solar and wind power is presented from one of the worst and most incompetent installations of a solar panel I have ever seen. The presentation indicated that they had only the ability to run a refrigerator or a lightbulb. The first question you should ask is this, why do you need a light bulb in the day, the second is why only one solar panel, and then where is this an example of wind power. A very poor example altogether. But beyond this is another issue, and one that will completely underline the real purpose of this program. Economic viability!

Lets assume that these poorer countries did exploit their resources. The first issue is who will mine their coal, since these countries will either have to borrow money to finance the effort, or that some private firm will exploit this effort. This done, they will have to finance the building of power plants to burn the coal, building them near the major population centers is common. Or they will have to have a private industry build them.

Now one, any loan for these countries will require payment for loans, repayment in what ever resource the country might have, this falls squarely on the one resource that they were intended to exploit for the benefit of the country in question. Building the power generation facilities fall under this same problem.

Two, mining and generation provided by private industries will seek profit. And while mining will provide a re-sellable resource, it’s mostly not going to be profitable selling to the countries that need it. So power plants will either be small, located near large population centers, or non existent. And even if electricity were abundant in the cities, there would never be a power-grid built to supply electrify to this poor medical facility which was used as an example of poor solar installation. Because it would not be profitable! SO this would not solve the energy crisis for this instance.

Beyond this, the likelihood of a single lump of coal ever reaching an African power-plant is nearly zero. As the economics of energy predicates that the most willing to pay, will drive the price. And the western world will always be the ones to pay. This will drive the price of coal beyond the ability of the Africans to buy their own resources back from the mining companies.

Therefore the purpose of this program is to exploit African resources for the western world. Nothing else could be so clear. It completely removes creditability from this program. Forget the scientist’s and experts presented in this program, the underlining meaning is not to preserve the jobs and careers of Global Warming researchers (a poor point as they did not present any wealthy researchers), but to prevent the loss of jobs in the oil, gas and coal energy industries. To prevent any disturbance to the status quo in the wealthiest industry on the planet.

UPDATE:

Royal Society vice-president Sir David Read said: “People should not be misled by those that exploit the complexity of the issue, seeking to distort the science and deny the seriousness of the potential consequences of climate change.

UPDATE 2: ‘No Sun link’ to climate change is another nail in the coffin of this film.

Update 3: it just keeps coming Prominent Skeptics Organizations and their funding sources.

Update 4: The Truth About Global Warming

Troop withdrawal to take place during a Democratic Presidency

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Reposted from March 22, 2006 @ 13:15

It looks like the republicans and in particular GW Bush will dump the problem of withdrawing the troops from Iraq into the hands of the Democrats. This and the massive debt, discredited government services and wrecked economy will now be the fault responsibility of the Democratic party.

As the sole beneficiary of a divided and embittered country the Democratic party will have to set about undoing the damage and repairing the moral and spiritual values of the American people. Instilling trust and a belief in a free and independent representative form of government will be no small task in the face of such divisive tactics used by the NeoCon’s during the ‘Republican Years’.

Months ago I wrote about the republicans attempting to stage the collapse of the Federal Government during a Democratic Presidency and this could all be a next stage in their plan. Assuming I still have my tin hat on. But I believe that old adage that “You should not attribute to conspiracy, that which you can explain by incompetency”. And therefore I believe that George, and the republicans have discovered that they Have no plan, or ability to plan for anything related to Iraq. And are willing to wait for a Democrat to figure it all out.

UPDATE: Didn’t I say this a year ago:Bush policy to bequeath Iraq to successor

Tax Cut Reality Check

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Here is the real question, has any party in Irish history ever delivered real tax cuts after they have been elected?

While I voted in the last local elections in Cork a few years, my poor election memory has raised the the yellow card with regards to political promises. They never seem to happen.

So with that in mind, can you really believe any politician, or any party when they propose a tax cut?

Could it really only be an attempt to buy votes?

I’ll cash in that reality check!

NO, I don’t believe them.

and

YES, this is just idol political jockeying.

I guess we will just have to tighten our belts again.

Republicans are making Democrats

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Prior to World War II, Americans were, much like they were before 9-11, mostly isolationist, self centered and generally ignorant of the world outside of the United States. The former, because they were turning away from Bloody World War I, and were trying to forget. The later was a forced ignorance of the world engineered by the Mass media owned and controlled by conservative big business, mostly sympathetic to GOP motivations. Years of manipulation with of the Idea that the media was ‘Liberal’ has convinced Americans that the isolation and selfishness was an American Ideal.

As an unexpected outcome of WWII, millions of Americans were introduced to the rest of the world, troops stationed all over the world, and even prisoners-of-war brought to the U.S. for internment influenced the population that there were people living in the rest of the world. People who did not share the american way of life. And Americans learned and gained an understanding, even a desire to know other cultures.

The current situation is a bit different, just as Pearl Harbor was different than 911, an unexpected difference is the decision to keep prisoners far away from the general population, partly to keep them from becoming ‘human’ and partly to keep them away from the U.S. Constitution, and the rights that it confers.

With control of the media the republicans have attempted to prevent interaction both with the truth, and any element that might make ‘foreigners’ less than the ‘evil’ monsters that the GOP needs to continue the war on the U.S. Constitution, for Iraqi oil, and to boost the Defense Industrial Complex. But keeping troops in enclaves (to prevent interaction with the Iraqi population) has lead to the uncontrolled situation that troubles Iraqi security, that prevents the Iraqi from learning about Americans, and from American troops from learning that Iraqi people are human also.

This isolation hasn’t worked, and soon American troops will be returning to the U.S. with a deeper understanding of the outside world, something the GOP did not want. And just as the U.S. became more democratic, more liberal, dare I say more international after WWII, so it will after Iraq. The Republicans are making Democrats out of Republicans, my father, a lifelong republican, is now thinking of voting Democrat. So will the pendulum swing from the GOP to the democratic party. Time will tell, the sooner the better.

Crying Wolf

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It seems like the Whitehouse can’t keep themselves from crying wolf. With a history of lying and fabricating evidence even if Iran is suppling arms in Iraq, who could believe them. Bush is still Crying Wolf, It’s time again to bring up impeachment again.

If you can’t trust the President and his administration, how can you trust them to lead the country. Just as in the Nixon era, it’s time for another potato farmer to bring honesty and trust back into the Whitehouse. Time for a leader that the American people, and the rest of the world, can trust to lead the last superpower on the planet.

Politics online

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In the category of ‘Dud’ with all the censorship, poor biased reporting, or just plain NO reporting on politics. How could this be surprising. Americans embrace politics online! Especially from the Mass Media in America, owned primarily by Big Business, who are the last to challenge the status quo. How would you ever hear the real facts about politics?

A Generation lost

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Crime statistics aside, much of the current crime has been committed by gangs. Gangs formed in the absence of alternatives in the infrastructure and jobs. Note also the glamorization of drugs and alcohol and the easy life. All these things are the results of neglect 10, 15 and 20 years ago of community infrastructures and youth facilities. Facilities still missing, and continuing to contribute canon fodder, in form of a lost generation, to the crime.

The old saying, the crows have come home to roost fits perfectly. And this will continue to happen until facilities, good facilities, youth centers, job training, and educational facilities. More funding for schools, and school facilities and good jobs, for students to look forward to working at, could provide alternatives to crime.

And of all things decentralization, of all things, could also be the facilitator of less crime. Rat studies years ago have noted that high population densities increase community violence. Decentralization of industrial jobs and government must lead to increased community infrastructure, schools, shopping and transport in more rural areas.

We are living in a generation lost, and it will not be mended by treating the symptoms, but by attacking the root causes. We will not save this generation until we save the next one.

The age of consent, should vote

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Here is a novelty, if the decision on the age of consent should be lowered, why not let the citizens most affected by the decision be allowed to vote on the subject. Why not lower the voting age to 16 and put the decision up to the people. That would let the TD’s and Dail off the hook for any hard decisions that might affect their reign.

Passing the buck to the church, given their way, everyone will not permitted sex, at all! What’s good for priests, are good enough for the general population. How normal is that, no thanks.

The reality of he situation is, some 16 year olds are criminals, having nasty sex, in defiance of the law. The real issue is really education, no one in this puritanical country wants to educate the kids about sex, sexual health, and the emotional issues associated with sex.

Time for this culture to growup and find out where babies really come from.

What will 500€ buy these days

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500€ that’s proximately what the surplus means to every man woman and child in Ireland today. What could you do with 500 Euros? Maybe buy a new government, or maybe add it with your neighbor’s 500 and help fix up the local medical facilities, or maybe your estate residents could help fund a rapid transit stop in your community. Maybe with the next budget, we the citizens of Ireland could vote for what we thought the budget surplus be spent on?

This Government is not in Business

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Interesting, almost everybody I’ve talked to knows that government is not a business. So why is the government hoarding it’s our money? We gave the government money to spend on maintenance and infrastructure build-out, to help people and make the future brighter and better. If they aren’t spending it, give it back, they obviously don’t need it.

They are being told by ‘economic’ genius, that they should hold on to the surplus so that there would be funds for any crisis in the future. However the only known constants in the world are death and taxes. The government will ALWAYS have enough money, This government will always increase taxes when it needs it. It always allows energy, communications and transportation businesses to increase their rate at will, so we know that they will increase taxes should a crisis arise.

So why don’t we have a world class health system, why do we have high speed trains that can’t go high speed due to poor railroad tracks. Why do we pay taxes and get nothing back, except back talk from this government?

This week we will see how bad the hoarding will be. Who are they saving our money for, us or their ‘friends’?

History and Presidential ratings

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We really didn’t need to have yet another article about how poor president George Bush has been, as detailed here;He’s The Worst Ever by the Washington Post.

The real question is why, with all the historical information about what constitutes a ‘Good President’, how he was allowed, by congress, and the general public to become the worst President in history.

A more pressing question will be how will they redeem themselves? Will the public, having now decided on a new Democratic Congress, put an end to the ‘worst’ president, and impeach him.

Only history will tell, let’s hope we won’t have to wait very long.

Irish Mad dog

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Why does Ian Paisley look like a man with a mad dog on a leash with regards to the Stormont attack by Loyalist killer Michael Stone ? Why is this a great thing, appearing to be a real moderate by demonstrating to the public what a real Unionist looks like? What a great tactic to insure control of Stormont by implying that he is the only one to claim control of the radical unionist movement?

It seems to be entirely too convenient.

Post Bertiegate comes the silent lie

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Has any one noticed that the Irish Government has returned to the silent lie? That the Stardust does not need to be investigated, because no new evidence was found by the non existent follow up investigations that never happened. That the nursing home reports are never publish so long as the bathroom tiles are fixed?

The fact that the Irish freedom of information act will postpone any evidence from from coming to light about this corrupt and incompetent government does not make the problems go away. Except for the ministers, who can continue to be unresponsive to their responsibilities to the public.

Time for a change, will an honest politician restore the Freedom of Information? Or will we continue to be governed in the dark?

Or will the press begin to ask the hard questions, and not bow to the governments requirements not to questions their decisions?

Making illegality legal?

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The lame duck Republicans are attempting to make the illegal violation of the 4th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, legal!

Republicans who limped back to Washington for a lame duck congressional session last week found a host of marching orders from President Bush, but perhaps none more urgent than this: Before Democrats take control of Congress in January, they must pass legislation authorizing the National Security Agency’s domestic eavesdropping program.

The real question will be how, even with the biased right wing Supreme Court, will you justify further violations to the constitution. How will Bush and his fellow future prisoners GOP republicans lie to convince the American public that being illegal is, really Legal?

Weapon of philosophy

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Now that the Democrats are in control of congress, maybe we can do something that the Republicans were unwilling to do. Support the troops overseas.

And this is where I diverge from my usual subjects. Like Bernie Goldbach at IrishEyes I’ve had a previous life with the U.S. Government, both in the Military, and as a civilian.

Recently I have read about the soldiers in the field complaining about the weapons that they carry, in particular the venerable M-16. This is the mainstay of the U.S. Army (and troops elsewhere in the world) and is a unique Weapon of philosophy. And this is the nature of war, it often prescribes a weapons requirements.

The M-16, and bullet and cartridge that they use is designed for a type of war that is not the current norm. Let me explain, the M-16 utilizes a 5.56x45mm (.223 Remington) caliber bullet. This is a very small bullet, but it’s the reasoning behind this choice.

This bullet is intended to wound rather than kill.

The motivation behind this was the nature of warfare at the time. The thinking at the time, and the nature of the enemy lead military designers to the conclusion that a wounded enemy soldier consumed more enemy resources than a dead one. This follows that the enemy retrieves and cares for it’s wounded. It also is based on the idea that a wounded soldier would stop fighting and/or surrender if wounded.

This is not the current enemy, and the soldier in the field is finding this out, they are screaming out for the older and larger bullet of the M-14 a 30-06 (7.62x63mm). And while this is heavy and restricts the amount of ammunition that a soldier can carry, it has stopping power. A real killing bullet that is required for an enemy that chooses to die, and who will seek it out and will not be stopped by wounding and will not be deterred by the wounded. In the same issue, the M-16 has no penetration in a stone and mortar world or a metal car and light armored world, the M-14 will!

Hence the philosophy issue, warfare has changed, the weapons will have to change to prevent the soldier from loosing the battle before it begins. There are still plenty of battles before we withdraw from the mistake of Iraq. I only hope that the new congress will armor and arm, pay and support the soldier who defends the renewed democracy called America.