New York Takes First Step Toward Abolishing Constitutional Rights

SEARCH BLOG: RIGHTS.

New York has taken the first step toward the elimination of a constitutional right.  Apparently, in New York, English has been replaced with double-think and double-speak.  The word "not" is double-spoken resulting in "not not."

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, "1984", first sentence

This is now "progress."  These are "progressives."  Remember this day.  First they limit the number of bullets.  Then they will tax the bullets 100%, 200%, 1000%.  Then they will require a permit to purchase ammunition.  Then they will make ammunition illegal.  But you will be able to keep your gun... as a memento of when you could actually bear arms.

"This is for your safety; this is for your own good."

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

The simpering moral midgets in New York will deserve exactly what they allowed their representatives to give them.

RELATED:

Obama And Biden: Don't Watch This Because You Might Want To Keep Your Guns

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The New United States Of Obama Flag

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Mark Steyn has an interesting perspective on this bit of symbolism:

I see the Obama campaign has redesigned the American flag, and very attractive it is too. Replacing the 50 stars of a federal republic is the single “O” logo symbolizing the great gaping maw of spendaholic centralization. And where the stripes used to be are a handful of red daubs, eerily mimicking the bloody finger streaks left on the pillars of the U.S. consulate in Benghazi as its staff were dragged out by a mob of savages to be tortured and killed. [read the rest here]

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, "1984", first sentence

2012 IS HERE

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Those Who Control The Past Control The Future

SEARCH BLOG: GLOBAL WARMING and GEORGE ORWELL

And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed -if all records told the same tale — then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.' And yet the past, though of its nature alterable, never had been altered. Whatever was true now was true from everlasting to everlasting. It was quite simple. All that was needed was an unending series of victories over your own memory. 'Reality control', they called it: in Newspeak, 'doublethink'. - George Orwell; Chapter 3, 1984 [source]

The following excerpt from Tom Nelson's blog of January 24, 2012:

GISS Make The Past Colder In Reykjavik « NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 

I have contacted the Iceland Met Office to get their view on the GHCN adjustments. Their reply could not be clearer :-
a) They were not aware these adjustments were being made.
b) They do not know why they have been made, but are asking!
c) They do not accept the “corrections” and have no intention of amending their own records.

It has become commonplace for climate data to be "adjusted" in a way that shows temperatures a century ago to be colder than they were recorded.  In this way, a modest 1° reduction at the beginning of the 20th century data becomes a severe global warming of 0.9° by the end of the century.

Just to put some numbers to this, here is a selection : [source]

Year	Last Week	This Week	Diff
1911	5.31	4.21	1.1
1941	5.28	4.09	1.19
1971	5.85	4.65	1.2
1991	6.12	4.92	1.2
2011	5.58	5.58	0

It appears that climate science, as well as economics, has data that can be adjusted and interpreted to fit the story that needs to be told. 

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People Of The Government, By The Government, For The Government

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Via Attack Machine:

"...it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary." George Orwell - "1984" 

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A Different English Language

SEARCH BLOG: POLITICS

It has been written many times that Britain and the U.S. are separated by a common language.  I think the same thing can be said of Washington, D.C. and the rest of the United States.

• National guard troops are to be deployed August 1 to help guard the U.S.-Mexico border.  No troops show up.  Washington interprets deployment as getting ready to send troops and guarding as watching what happens, but taking no action.
• President Obama promises no new taxes.  The Bush tax cuts are set to expire January 1.  Washington interprets tax cut expiration as going back to normal, not increasing taxes.
• President Obama tell U.S. senior citizens that they will benefit from the new health care plan.  Washington interprets that as a signal to take $500 billion out of Medicare funds for general health care.
• The jobless rate continues to stay above 9% nationally and just increased.  Washington tells us that it has saved or created almost 3 million jobs.

I can only surmise that Washington, D.C. has been the hub of an evolutionary event in the English language.

To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget, whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself -- that was the ultimate subtlety; consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. - George Orwell; 1984.

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Kagan Deserves Confirmation Because She Understands That The Constitution Is A Suggestion

SEARCH BLOG: GOVERNMENT

From The New York Times editorial:

She deserves confirmation as an associate justice.... 

Ms. Kagan made it clear that justices need not always bow to the intentions of the Constitution’s authors. She said many of their ideas need to be reinterpreted in light of later advancements, citing search and seizure procedures and whether the First Amendment has anything to do with libel. She rejected the notion that constitutional interpretation is merely a robotic task of calling balls and strikes. [read more]

Ms. Kagan may be a fine lawyer.  Lawyers achieve grand reputations by winning cases on fine technicalities that often turn the intent of laws on their heads.  The question is whether we want a Supreme Court that judges the arguments of lawyers in the same fashion.

"...it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary." George Orwell - "1984" 

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Let It Snow

SEARCH BLOG: GLOBAL WARMING

I have a sister-in-law who lives in Reston, VA and is lamenting the fact that she just purchased a front-wheel drive vehicle instead of an all-wheel drive tank-like vehicle. I can sympathize somewhat after clearing 7" or 8" of the white stuff today. So, don't try to tell her that global warming is causing her snowy problems.


[Google Maps}

Weather is not climate, but.... Marc Morano sent a link to a recent Time article that claimed that the big storms in the Washington DC area were a function of the great Satan... global warming.

While the frequency of storms in the middle latitudes has decreased as the climate has warmed, the intensity of those storms has increased. That's in part because of global warming — hotter air can hold more moisture, so when a storm gathers it can unleash massive amounts of snow.

That might be true... if there is global warming and if there is a close relationship to temperature changes and snowfall. Over the past few years, there has been increasing reason to doubt the hysteria associated with those who want you to believe that the world is experiencing accelerated global warming and that the consequences are imminent and dire. Since the number of new high temperature records has fallen off [statewide, not micro climate/badly situated stations] and the only 2009 all-time extreme statewide record was for Maine... a new minimum of -50°F in January... the forces of alarm and hysteria now want everyone to subscribe to the notion that cold is hot.

NOAA has tracked snowfall records for over 100 years in the Washington DC area.

The biggest unofficial snow (before official records began) was in January 1772 when as much as 36 inches (3 feet) may have fallen in the Washington DC-Baltimore area. It has been called the Washington-Jefferson snowstorm because it was recorded in both of their diaries. [note: this was during a particularly cold period]

DC	Baltimore	Dulles
28" Jan 1922	26.8" Feb 2003	24.6" Jan 1996
20" Feb 13+14 1899	26.6" Jan 1996	22.8" Feb 1983
18.7" Feb 1979	26.5" Jan 1922	21.7" Feb 2003
17.3" Jan 1996	22.8" Feb 1983	19.3" Dec 2009
16.6" Feb 1983	22.0" Mar 1942	16.3" Feb 1979
16.4" Dec 2009	21.3" Feb 1899	14.1" Mar 1993
16.4" Feb 2003	21.0" Dec 2009	12.1" Dec 1979
15.0" Jan 1918	20.0" Feb 1979	12.0" Feb 1987
14.4" Feb 1958	15.5" Feb 1958	11.8" Feb 1967
14.4" Feb 1936	14.9" Jan 2000	11.6" Feb 1972
14.3" Feb 1900	14.3" Jan 1928	11.4" Dec 1967
13.8" Jan 1966	14.1" Dec 1960	11.1" Jan 1987
12.7" Feb 5-7, 1899	13.1" Feb 2006	10.6" Dec 1982

Gee, prior to this year, the early part of the 20th century seemed to be when the big snowfalls occurred [note that the Dulles airport may not have been recording much in 1899]. About 25" fell in Washington DC on Feb. 5-6.

[click image for larger view]

Maybe the stories of global warming are a bit overblown? Or maybe the Time argument is specious? Or maybe big snowstorms happen for other reasons?

"...it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary." George Orwell - "1984"

Don't you just love data that has not been altered and manipulated and algorithmed?

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Dutch Redefine Freedom Of Speech

SEARCH BLOG: DOUBLETHINK

Of course there is Freedom of Speech in the Netherlands. It is the right of free people to be able to speak their minds. It is more important that speech be protected than feelings for only through freedom of speech can a democracy ensure its freedom.

To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which canceled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget, whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself -- that was the ultimate subtlety; consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word 'doublethink' involved the use of doublethink. - George Orwell: 1984

"It is not exaggerating to say that the Geert Wilders trial is a defining moment in the history of Western civilization. One would have to go back centuries to find a court case with as much significance for the future course of the free world. If the farrago of “hate” charges against Wilders stick, and he is convicted, it will herald the end of the freedom of speech in the West, as a precedent will have been set that other Western nations (urged on by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which is the organization most responsible for the global assault on free speech) will be certain to follow." Read more....

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New Climate Agency

SEARCH BLOG: NOAA

Not sure how this will play here and here.

From the Washington Post:

NOAA reorganization would provide more info on global warming

By Juliet Eilperin

Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 8, 2010; 12:11 PM

The Obama administration proposed a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Service on Monday, reorganizing the agency so it can provide Americans with predictions on how global warming will affect everything from drought to sea levels.

The initiative, modeled loosely on the 140-year-old National Weather Service, will provide forecasts to farmers, regional water managers and business operators affected by changing climate conditions. But it comes at a time when climate skeptics have become increasingly effective in attacking the credibility of global warming forecasts.

NOAA, along with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, ranks as one of the federal government's key agencies for monitoring the climate and conducting climate research.

"We currently respond to millions of annual requests for climate information, and we expect those requests to grow exponentially," said NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco in an interview, adding that in light of recent scientific advances, "the models will continue to improve, and we will be able to provide more and more information."

The move does not come with a designated boost in funding, but it will bring NOAA's climate research arm together with its more consumer-oriented services so they can operate, in Lubchenco's words, "cheek by jowl."

------ CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ------

George Orwell Predicted Climategate In His Novel 1984

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The underlying dynamics of the scientific malfeasance with regard to climate science and politics... popularly known as "Climategate"... was foretold in George Orwell's 1949 classic titled 1984. In the tome, the phrase was uttered: "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past."

For those of you who just thought "huh?", this is what he meant. The "truth" about the past [climate] is the basis for making decisions about future actions to address changes that have occurred moving from the past to the present. If you control the present system of measuring and analyzing climate, you can adjust the past with impunity. Having adjusted the past and controlling the present, then you set the agenda for future actions.

For those of you who have no idea what this is about, I recommend that you go to Watts Up With That? This is a link to the search on "Climategate." Somewhat hidden among all of the posts is this gem which is a fairly long .pdf file that really exposes the doublethink. For those of you who are familiar with Climategate, you will appreciate how Orwell's blueprint for a government and system that declares...

"it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary. This demands a continuous alteration of the past, made possible by the system of thought which really embraces all the rest, and which is known in Newspeak as doublethink."

So, if the past was warmer... it is now cooler. If the present is cooler, it is now warmer than ever. And the future... it is whatever we say it is. And you will believe it.

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Mexican Navy Special Forces To Be Arrested For Giving Criminal A Black Eye

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The Wall Street Journal reports:

Top Mexican Drug Lord Killed in Shootout

CUERNAVACA, Mexico -- Mexican Navy special forces killed one of the country's top drug kingpins in a shootout in the central city of Cuernavaca, notching an important victory in President Felipe Calderón's three-year-old clampdown on narcotics trafficking.

The death of Arturo Beltrán Leyva, who called himself "The Boss of Bosses" and was one of Mexico's three most-wanted drug lords, came after a four-hour battle Wednesday evening at a condominium complex in Cuernavaca, a retirement destination for Americans and weekend getaway for Mexico City residents.

Read more....

That's all well and good that a top drug criminal was taken out, but take a long, hard look at that picture above. Do you see the terrible abuse that was inflicted on the captured criminal? Can you imagine if President Obama had the authority to do something about that? I can.

Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

The three, all members of the Navy's elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called a captain's mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Read more....

Meanwhile, President Obama is trying desperately to save us from President Obama... er, Global Warming.

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, "1984", first sentence

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EPA Will Ban Natural Gas

SEARCH BLOG: EPA

Now that the silliness has begun at the EPA, it is time to take a serious look at how this will impact the lives of those living in the U.S.

We already know that gasoline-powered automobiles and coal-fired power plants have been targeted for extinction. But the EPA may be stomping through the CO2 thicket trying to flush out even more targets. So would you be surprised if natural gas is next?

Coal and natural gas are the most abundant sources of energy in the U.S. There are trillions of cubic feet of natural gas available. The problem is that once-clean natural gas is now the source of severe pollution. The EPA simply cannot apply one standard for coal-fired power plants and another for natural gas plants. They both produce CO2 as a by-product of combustion. This is the formula for the combustion of natural gas:

CH₄ + O₂ --> CO₂ + H₂O

See... CO2 !!! But that's not all. H2O !!! Yes, another greenhouse gas !!! Could it get any worse ???

Take a look at this chart.

23.2% of the U.S. electricity is produced at power plants producing these dangerous pollutants from dirty, filthy natural gas. What's worse is that most of the natural gas comes from right here in the U.S. !!!

Sure, natural gas may produce less CO2 per equivalent energy from gasoline or coal, but CO2 is CO2. Walk the talk!

It is time the EPA pushed forward with the latest "Chinese solution" ... wind turbines manufactured by our largest creditor.

We can have non-polluting power subsidized by Chinese manufacturing at worker-friendly facilities using the latest clean-air methods [must see]... and get rid of hundreds of thousands of those pesky birds and bats that pollute our view of the sky. Of course, we will have to ignore those wind turbines, but we'll get used to them as "background noise."

What could be better than that?

We strongly urge the EPA to take action to save us from warmer temperatures and filthy energy.

No doubt our government will somehow have to come up with cash for all of us to convert our home heating and electricity for cooling to more natural methods.

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, "1984", first sentence

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Another Health Care Insurance Penalty Clause

SEARCH BLOG: HEALTH CARE

The Democratic Party was busy this weekend trying to push through the Senate version of the Health Care bill that has ignited the passions of those who would actually have to pay for the free ride it offers.

So, just to be fair, Sen. Harry Reid made sure that there would be a tax penalty for not having insurance, unless you get the free ride... and don't pay taxes... and are already a burden on the rest of the social support system.

From Keith Hennessy via several sources:

Reid bill: 16M uninsured U.S. citizens pay a penalty tax. 8M uninsured illegal aliens do not.

Posted on November 21st, 2009 by kbh in featured, health, taxes

Under Leader Reid’s amendment, in the year 2019 about 16 million U.S. citizens would be uninsured and be forced to pay a penalty tax of almost $800 per year. About eight million illegal aliens would be uninsured and would owe no penalty tax. Both groups would get their health care through a combination of out-of-pocket spending and use of uncompensated care in emergency rooms and free health clinics.

This seems unfair.

You should read more....

It only seems unfair if you are a working class American who believes in choice. If you are a Democratic Party politician who is looking for more votes, it seems quite fair... and even more fair right after the amnesty program and automatic citizenship process are implemented.

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, "1984", first sentence

Pay up or get ....

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U.S. Constitution - 28th Amendment

SEARCH BLOG: CONSTITUTION

28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

Congress shall honor and refrain from any legislation contrary to the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

10th Amendment - The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Examples of, but not limited to these, legislation contrary to the 10th and 28th Amendments would include:

• Seizure of property, goods, and incarceration without due process or compensation including forced purchase of unwanted services or products or penalties and incarceration for failure to do so [House health care bill]
  
• Declaration of a state of emergency and granting of extraordinary powers to the Federal government and its agencies based on theoretical and unproven possible harm caused by otherwise lawful activities [House climate bill]

Those who would argue that such actions are permissible do not do so on the basis of Constitutional powers, but a generic and amorphous application of the Interstate Commerce Clause. Somehow, a bit of legislation intended to ensure that consumers ... and states ... don't get shafted by predatory practices, gives the Federal government the authority to regulate what gets purchased, by whom, for how much, and what will be done to them if they don't pay for what they don't want.

Sounds like a good Mafia scheme or...

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, "1984", first sentence

The citizenry is getting angry and the Congress isn't listening.

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Meaningless Nobel Prize

SEARCH BLOG: NOBEL

OSLO — The Nobel Committee announced in Oslo that it has awarded the annual peace prize to Barack Obama, just nine months into his presidency, “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

The award cited in particular Mr. Obama’s effort to reduce the world’s nuclear arsenal. “He has created a new international climate,” the committee said.

Read more....

So, the president who ignored the growing Iranian threat of nuclear weapons and expanded the Afghanistan war without a clear strategy is awarded the same peace prize that Al Gore got for creating hysteria about CO2.

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, "1984", first sentence

ADDENDUM

Opinion from The New Republic

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Moral Superiority Or Stupidity?

SEARCH BLOG: TERRORISM

From The Times

September 2, 2009

Grieving mothers still wait for answers on Beslan massacre anniversary

Read full story....

The same mentality that brought our 9/11 tragedy brought this horrific tragedy to Russia. But let's step back from those events and focus on how we might be giving the perpetrators of such events too rough an interrogation.

Better to let thousands of children die than frighten one terrorist with fake drowning. Better to punish the interrogators than the perpetrators. The Scots have set a fine example: let them all go free... for humanitarian reasons.

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, "1984", first sentence

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The Climate Data Shuffle

SEARCH BLOG: WEATHER

I wrote to Joe D'Aleo, one of the primary writers at ICECAP, with the following after reading so much about this summer being the hottest in 25 or 50 or 2 million years:

Joe,

I don't know if you track weather in this fashion [shown on my blog]:

SE MICHIGAN LOCATION - SINCE 2-1-08, THERE HAVE BEEN 170 MORE DAYS BELOW NORMAL THAN ABOVE


INCLUDES JULY 2009 PARTIAL DATA. Data from www.weather.com.

Joe reacted with some frustration:

NCDC says the only state B[elow] N[ormal] this year so far is ND. It is in their 'adjusted' data set, the 25th warmest ever year to date.

... Thanks to Anthony's [Watts - Watts Up With That?] favorite Tom Peterson, they yanked the U[rban] H[eat] I[sland] adjustment in 2007, never had a UHI adjustment in [the] global [dataset].

And for the global, the last year, stopped using satellite data in their ocean data set, which resulted in an instant jump up especially in the S[outhern] H[emisphere]. When the ARGO buoys showed cooling, they had to be 'recalibrated'. In the climate world, models are the truth, when data disagrees, it must be faulty. If it agrees, no problem (even with 90% poor to very poor siting).

The oceans in June for the globe were [claimed to be] the warmest ever (in 130 years), the land and sea 2nd warmest, even though UAH had June [the] 15th coldest, [and] RSS [Remote Sensing Systems, Santa Rosa... the] 14th coldest in 31 years....

My observation to Joe was:

The problem is that the "baseline"... what is average or normal seems flexible as well as the recorded temperatures. They [NCDC] seem to be able to screw with the data, but then argue that the data is sacrosanct, but so-called "anecdotal" information such as my tracking of local temperatures are deemed unreliable.




"And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'"
- George Orwell, 1984, Book 1, Chapter 3

hmmmmmmm.

The issues that remain are: were adjustments made, why were or were not adjustments made, how were the adjustments made, and were the adjustments thoroughly considered or even justified in the manner they were done?

Others are looking into this... very respected and qualified others. I'll keep you posted as I learn more as I'm sure will Joe D'Aleo at ICECAP.

Regardless, Senator Levin [MI], in his email to me, strongly defends the alarming scenes of future climate destruction based on very questionable data and models. [you should read that linked communication]. I'm sure Sen. Levin has been briefed by experts on at least one side of the controversy and believes what he has been told.

After all, millions of others trust experts... not only in areas of science, but wherever those who grab the mantel of an expert ply their trade. If science were a game of how many people believed something and that was sufficient as scientific proof, we'd accept the simplest explanations.

Simply, easy answers are always satisfying and convincing to the uncritical... daresay I unskeptical?

ΔCO² → Δ° ... not quite the same as E = MC² .... Both are short, but the latter is not really so simple and easy. Neither is reality!

Always ask: "what's in it for them" and then follow the money. I don't believe money is the object for Sen. Levin; he is a convert. Somehow, he even believes the "accounting" accompanying the proposed legislation. But there are too many politicians who are invested heavily into schemes that will profit grandly from our tax money and economic hardship.

My position and response:

Dear Sen. Levin:

Thank you for your response. There is more than ample evidence that the scenarios in the message prepared for you below are incorrect and based on very faulty science and analysis.

I will be doing what I can to dissuade popular support for this effort. The economic and political consequences of this legislation for the U.S. will be onerous.

Sincerely,

Bruce Hall

There is no reason to be duplicitous with the senators. Our Congressmen need to hear clearly the reasons and reasoning behind opposition to what they have been told is popular or obvious.

Perhaps they might listen for no other reason than, if they follow the money, it leads to those with a vested financial or power interest in the passage of the legislation in question... not necessarily to those who seek real, scientific answers. Real answers are more important ultimately... even if those answers are slightly more complex and difficult than ΔCO² → Δ°. And the correct course of action may well have little or nothing to do with schemes to limit CO² through massive government programs.

But maybe our Congressmen do not want to know the real answers. That's a more difficult course than the simple, easy answers. And that's a more difficult situation for those of us seeking real answers before starting unnecessary solutions.

RECOMMEND YOU READ THIS and THIS.

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Taxing Carbon Imports

SEARCH BLOG: EPA and ECONOMICS

It was only meant to be sarcasm. I never thought anyone would take it seriously when I wrote:

The EPA, with the strong leadership of the Obama administration and the Democratic Party controlled Congress, are about to impose a vast new panoply of regulations and economic burdens on the United States in the name of climate control. The U.S., however, is only a minority producer of human-generated CO2. The two fastest growing economies have become the largest producers of CO2, China already is the world's biggest man-made CO2 producer (2007) and India is coming up fast, and are also becoming the largest suppliers of goods consumed in the United States. They will have no comparable restrictions on producing CO2.

Consequently, in the spirit of fairness and cooperation and saving the planet, it is incumbent upon the EPA to ensure that ANY PRODUCT PRODUCED ANYWHERE THAT IS BROUGHT INTO THE UNITED STATES MEET ALL U.S. CO2 REGULATIONS, LIMITATIONS, AND PERMITS PERTAINING TO PRODUCTION AND BE CHARGED ALL EQUIVALENT TAXES, FEES AND PENALTIES FOR CO2 PRODUCTION.

It was sarcasm because the EPA is on a fool's errand regarding CO2 regulation in the U.S. and because the obviously stupid bureaucracy enforcing taxes and fees on products produced elsewhere based on some theoretical CO2 pollution confounds human reason and intelligence.

Little did I realize that Henry Waxman had already taken it upon himself to promote such stupidity. H/T Dr. John Ray

From Financial Times:

Chinese official warns US on protectionism

By Alan Rappeport in New York

Published: April 21 2009 19:29 | Last updated: April 21 2009 19:29

A top adviser to the Chinese government on Tuesday warned that a proposed US border tax on carbon sensitive materials “smells of protectionism” and could spark retaliation from developing countries.

During a speech at New York University about how the US and China can forge a closer partnership, Tung Chee-hwa, vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the Chinese government’s official advisory, said that a proposed “border adjustment” programme could be challenged through the World Trade Organisation and that he was “distressed” by the new bill introduced to Congress.

The programme in question was introduced earlier this month by two powerful Democrats in the House of Representatives. The bill includes aggressive climate targets to be met through a green house gas emissions cap and trade programme, where companies would be eligible for rebates to compensate for cost they incur. More controversially, the US government would be able to levy import taxes on foreign manufacturers to cover carbon contained in US-bound products.

“This is particularly unfair to China,” Mr Tung, who was chief executive of Hong Kong from 1997 until 2005, said.

In March, Steven Chu, US energy secretary, told Congress that a carbon border tax would help “level the playing field” with countries with looser carbon standards.

The legislation, introduced by Henry Waxman, California Democrat and chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Edward Markey, Democrat from Massachusetts and Chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, aims to cut green house gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 and by more than 80 per cent by 2050, from 2005 levels.

The draft proposal would require electricity suppliers to get 25 per cent of their power from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, by 2025. It would establish a national renewable energy standard and an energy efficiency standard aimed at cutting power demand by 15 per cent by 2020 and natural gas demand by 10 per cent.

On Tuesday Mr Tung said that China was taking its own aggressive measures to combat climate change but that he was concerned about the US taking a more protectionist stance.

“The lesson from 1929 was that we went to protectionism and the whole world collapsed,” he said. “China and America are on the same boat.”

A vote could on the border tax bill could come as early as June, with the Senate expected to make its proposal in the autumn.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009

This guy is dumber than he looks. Only Californians could love him.

Henry Waxman via Moonbattery.

You are now entering The Twilight Zone... the twilight of many things.

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, "1984", first sentence

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The Clocks Are Striking Thirteen

SEARCH BLOG: POLITICS

UPDATE

The post below was prior to the rescue of the captain of the Maersk Alabama. The end of the post pointed out that our tradition in dealing with pirates did not include FBI negotiators. The rescue was not a result of the FBI negotiators, nor a direct command given by President Obama because he was personally aware that Capt. Phillips' situation had progressed from "in danger" to "in imminent danger." Rather, the Navy officer in charge took standing orders allowing discretion to shoot the pirates if the hostage was in "imminent danger" and did so.

There are those who will mourn the pirates as victims of the "West." They will argue that the pirates were doing the only thing they could to defend themselves against the hostile force of a freighter carrying humanitarian food to African nations... including Somalia. And then there are those like Nick Davis who will argue:

Anti-piracy expert Nick Davis told Sky News: "They (the pirates) will learn from this. They're not going to stop piracy in any way, shape or form. They will up the ante, they will get better organised.

"The only people that would have been shot here are the foot soldiers. They're not the people that make the decisions and have the controlling interest.

"It's now going to fall back to the chain of command in the Somalian network of piracy, both ashore and in different countries, as to how they want to up the ante."

I guess arranging "protection" makes Davis an "expert." More likely it makes him an opportunist. Now he warns about the "ante" being upped. I think the Navy just upped the ante and the other side folded.

Perhaps it is time a few predators paid a visit to the "chain of command."

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Forgive my confusion... and I'm certain there is a good answer... but what is the FBI doing negotiating with pirates off the coast of Africa?

Somali pirates in talks with elders and FBI over US hostage Robert Phillips

US warships track lifeboat containing pirates and captured captain

* Xan Rice in Nairobi
* guardian.co.uk, Sunday 12 April 2009 13.27 BST

Crew members of the Maersk Alabama

Crew members of the Maersk Alabama arrive in Mombasa, Kenya after overpowering Somali pirates and regain control of their ship. Photograph: Sarah Elliott/EPA

Negotiations between the FBI, Somali elders and four gunmen holding a US ship captain captive on a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean continued today as foreign helicopters circled a notorious pirate lair.

The lifeboat, which is being closely tracked by three American warships, is reported to be drifting closer to land, which US military officials fear would allow the pirates to escape with hostage Captain Richard Phillips.

His container ship, the Maersk Alabama, was briefly hijacked more than 300 miles off Somalia's east coast on Wednesday, but the all-American crew of 20 quickly regained control. Phillips, a 53-year-old former taxi driver, offered himself to the pirates as a hostage in order to safeguard his crew.

The pirates, who are armed with AK-47s and handguns, fired at a US Navy vessel that approached yesterday, but nobody was hurt and the boat withdrew. They have reportedly demanded safe passage back to Somalia and a ransom before Phillips is released.

What is the mission of the FBI?
The mission of the FBI is to uphold the law through the investigation of violations of federal criminal law; to protect the United States from foreign intelligence and terrorist activities; to provide leadership and law enforcement assistance to federal, state, local, and international agencies; and to perform these responsibilities in a manner that is responsive to the needs of the public and is faithful to the Constitution of the United States.

What authority do FBI Special Agents have to make arrests in the United States, its territories, or on foreign soil?
In the United States and its territories, FBI Special Agents may make arrests for any federal offense committed in their presence or when they have reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed, or is committing, a felony violation of U.S. laws.

Concerning arrests on foreign soil, FBI Special Agents generally do not have authority outside the United States except in certain cases where, with the consent of the host country, Congress has granted the FBI extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Which host country has made this arrangement? Okay, negotiating... not arresting, but how does the FBI get involved in a military operation during which pirates have shot at a navy vessel?

When does the UN come in and investigate the captain of the Maersk Alabama for international crimes and set up a multi-billion dollar relief fund for Somalian pirates?

On 16 February 1804 LT Stephen Decatur led 74 volunteers into Tripoli harbor to burn the captured American frigate The Philadelphia. British Admiral Lord Nelson called the raid "the most daring act of the age". Boatswains Mate Ruben James volunteered to go on the raiding party. James was seriously wounded during hand-to-hand combat. Despite his wounds, or perhaps because of them, James put himself between an attacking pirate and the commander of that raid, Decatur, who remained uninjured thanks to James. Ruben James recovered from his wounds and continued to proudly serve his Navy for another 32 years. Lieutenant Stephen Decatur's exploit in destroying the captured frigate USS Philadelphia, and Captain Richard Somers attempt with the fire-ship USS Intrepid to blow up enemy vessels in Tripoli harbor, set valorous examples for the young naval service.

In 1805 Marines stormed the Barbary pirates' harbor fortress stronghold of Derna (Tripoli), commemorated in the Marine Corp Hymn invocation "To the Shores of Tripoli." First Lieutenant O'Bannon is remembered for heroism in the battle for Derna. O'Bannon's Marines were the first U.S. forces to hoist the flag over territory in the Old World. The "Mameluke" sword, carried by Marines officers today, was presented to O'Bannon in 1805.

We have changed.

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, "1984", first sentence

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