Category: Uncategorized
Trump is America’s Military weapons salesman while China sells them, consumer, goods that Americans really need (ODT)
Seibt is promoted by the Heartland Institute. The Koch bros Institute seems to miss an essential point. Neither Science nor those arguing the reality of man-made Climate Change being real are declaring it’s “all” only man made. However, the accumulated effect human activity has had on the accelerating the rate of change can’t be discounted as the trigger and only humans can alter that over the long term.
Righteous anger is a valid response to call for a stop on CO2 emissions. Given the history of denial, which has only recently seen a psuedo shift by denialists like the Kochs and remains neither scientific or rational but purely political, economic and self-interested the anger stems from concern for the common good of the planet. Seibt on that basis is a red herring just as Dr Bjorn Lomborg and his Coppenhagen Climate Council was when also financed by the Koch Bros to distract from the evidence science has and continues to accumulate for over the past 60 years. Today proving the negative influence CO2 emissions have on the planet’s changing climate. (ODT)
“I don’t want to get people to stop believing in man-made climate change, not at all,” she told the Washington Post on Monday, while acknowledging she found the idea that human activity alone was responsible for the warming planet “ridiculous.” The outlet’s profile of the young activist, whom it not-so-subtly dubs “the anti-Greta,” proceeds to paint her as a puppet of the Heartland Institute, which is “paying [Seibt] to question established climate science” – as if she would never have done so on her own.
Rather then give Seibt the benefit of the doubt, at least one other outlet pounced on WaPo for not being harsh enough on the German activist. Motherboard accused the outlet of “amplifying climate change denialism” from a “noted propaganda factory” that “can routinely be found peeing in the public discourse pool on behalf of its corporate donors.” Imagine what hell would break loose if anyone used such terms to describe Saint Greta…
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation is on the slide, once again reporting a loss – $306.7 million for the September quarter – in stark contrast to its $186 million positive result at the same time last year.
Whistleblowers understand the conflict between the higher and lower path. It is a conflict of the conscience. Higher commitment requires the partisan to become impartial. The Senate trial required impartiality. Mitt Romney understood. Charles Grassley did not.
Listening to Senator Grassley, I heard what I have heard many times before. Grassley argued as opponents of whistleblowers argue. He diverted from the truth rather than commit to the truth.
Corruption inverts more than the truth. Grassley failed the Ukraine whistleblower. He failed the witnesses who supported the whistleblower. In his most important vote of all, he failed himself. He failed the test called whistleblowing.
via Senator Grassley reveals the extent of President Trump’s corruption
For example, in 2020 our gas output will probably outstrip that of Qatar which gets $26.6 billion in tax while Australia gets only $600 million. ExxonMobil Australia has a total income of $42.3 billion over the past five years. It has not paid one cent in income tax in this country.
McConnell is refusing legislation to make sure that they spend it in ways that will really lock down their systems. He’s refusing legislation that puts Russia on notice of sanctions for continuing to do it. He’s refusing to acknowledge publicly that Russia IS interfering in the 2020 election.
It’s hard to come to any conclusion other than McConnell is welcoming Russian interference because he’s counting on it to keep the White House and Senate under Republican control.
via Moscow Mitch Is Holding the 2020 Election Hostage for Trump and Putin | The Smirking Chimp
The New Silk Roads – or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – were launched by President Xi Jinping in 2013, first in Central Asia (Nur-Sultan) and then Southeast Asia (Jakarta).
One year later, the Chinese economy overtook the U.S. on a PPP basis. Inexorably, year after year since the start of the millennium, the U.S. share of the global economy shrinks while China’s increases.
China is already the key hub of the global economy and the leading trade partner of nearly 130 nations.
While the U.S. economy is hollowed out, and the casino financing of the U.S. government – repo markets and all – reads as a dystopian nightmare, the civilization-state steps ahead in myriad areas of technological research, not least because of Made in China 2025.
China largely beats the U.S. on patent filings and produces at least 8 times as many STEM graduates a year than the U.S., earning the status of top contributor to global science.
via No Weapon Left Behind: The American Hybrid War on China, by Pepe Escobar – The Unz Review
An unregistered lobbyist, a ministerial breach of the Lobbying Code of Conduct and a $2.6 million grant awarded during the election campaign minus pesky guidelines. Jommy Tee and Ronni Salt clear the pigs for take off.
The deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, struck a pre-election deal with an unregistered political lobbyist and former Howard Government adviser, Andrew Gibbs, for a $2.6 million airport upgrade ahead of the launch of the Regional Airports Program (RAP). McCormack’s direct intervention mirrors Senator Bridget McKenzie in using taxpayers’ money for electioneering purposes. He also breached the Government’s Lobbying Code of Conduct.
The $100 million RAP was announced in the pork-laden 2019-20 Budget, just ahead of the election. It provided grants to upgrade infrastructure and deliver improved aviation safety and access at regional airports.
Pigs might fly: electioneering an airport at Cohuna – Michael West
Welcome to Australia the man above wasn’t (ODT
It is a question I am often asked. It is as though Australians can’t deal with the truth. They need a bedtime story, a happily-ever-after.
But where is the happily-ever-after for a people who die 10 years younger than other Australians? When you are among the most imprisoned people on Earth? When you have the country’s worst health, employment and education outcomes, where is the good news?
Yes, individuals – myself included – can do well. But don’t let that fool you. Adam Goodes did well and was still laid low.
via Indigenous Australians must tell the truth, so don’t ask us for fairytales
We will soon see how far Trump will go in abusing the pardon authority. He appears to be preparing to do far worse than handing out clemency for cash. The judge who sentenced Roger Stone to almost four years in prison accused the dirty trickster of lying to “protect the president.” When Trump pardons Stone, Paul Manafort and others implicated in the Russia scandal, he will cap the most troubling cover-up in American history.
via Why Trump Must Be Criminally Investigated for His Use of the Pardon Power | The Smirking Chimp
This passion for technology is newfound and insincere. In truth, our government has a long history of undermining climate technologies.
In the three years to 2016, the government ripped just shy of $1bn from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena), the body charged with helping early stage technologies through to commercial launch.The funding of a feasibility study for a coal power station in Collinsville and the foreshadowed gift of $11m to extend the life of the 42 years old Vales Point coal power station in the Hunter, demonstrate just how reluctant the Coalition is to let go of last century’s energy technologies.
One of the most promising and critical new technologies is the rapid maturation of the electric vehicle, but who can forget the government’s pushback against EVs during last year’s election?
MAGA is what Trump claims the Reality
Officials who have been engaged in the management of the bilateral “special relationship” between the U.S. and Britain believe that the rift between the two countries, fueled solely by Trump’s taking personal affront whenever anyone disagrees with him, is wide and growing. If Trump is reelected it is quite likely that by 2024 the United States will have no friends left in Europe
Barr’s Message: Threats To Kill Witnesses To Help Trump Will Be Rewarded
No matter what sentence the judge gives Stone, Barr’s already sent the message, “Threatening witnesses to help Trump won’t be punished.”
via Barr’s Message: Threats To Kill Witnesses To Help Trump Will Be Rewarded | Crooks and Liars
The Vermont senator was alone in saying he would back whoever won a plurality of delegates – with others open to superdelegates tipping the balance for another candidate at the convention
via Debate shows Bernie Sanders could win most votes but be denied nomination | US news | The Guardian
Far from being the Christian that invited media into his church to film him praying and far from espousing the values of Christianity, our current Prime Minister thrives on division, spin and lies. This failed marketing man is a danger to all Australians — “divide and conquer” may be a well-worn cliché, but this is exactly what Scotty from Marketing does on a daily basis. A caring government is one that seeks to unite its citizens and work to build a better society for all, sadly we have a PM that seeks to feather his and his mates’ nests with his hideous politics of division.
The public is being misinformed about the true fate of koalas following the devastating effects of drought and fires, writes Sue Arnold.
IS THERE A CONSPIRACY to hide the fact NSW koalas are on the verge of extinction? Not in 2050 as WWF continues to predict, but in plain sight now.
Given the ongoing evidence of misinformation across mainstream and social media, one could be forgiven for thinking that a U.S.-style misinformation campaign is in full swing.
In reality, the legacy of the bushfires and drought make it almost 100 per cent certain that NSW koalas are facing looming extinction, save for a few small colonies. The only significant colony remaining is in southwest Sydney.
via Mainstream media is hiding the truth about koala extinction
Once more – this is my 2020 New Year Resolution:
“I will do everything in my power to enable Australia to be restored to responsible government.”
*’fora’ for the pedantic!
via The enemy is at our door! – » The Australian Independent Media Network
“Amazon Empire” is a compelling, succinct summary of what enormous success means in the capitalist landscape as we currently know it, one that clarifies our essential part in that success and the frightening fact that there is no way to truly opt out of feeding its bottom line without completely going off the grid. You can decide not to order any products from Amazon or subscribe to any of its services, yet if you’re reading this you’re probably utilizing in some aspect of the Internet’s infrastructure that feeds back into Amazon.
olddogthoughts 
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