Past 8 Years have been Hottest on Record, probably Hottest since Time of Christ

Murdoch’s pundits like Andrew Bolt no qualifications to speak of was published by the IPA as an expert all spent decades telling us the planet was “Cooling”

The past 8 years are the hottest on record. So concludes The UN’s World Meteorological Organization. In 2022, the average surface temperature of the earth was 1.15 degrees C. [2.07 degrees F.] higher than the average surface temperature of the earth in 1850-1900. So this is the eighth year in a row that average annual temperatures have been at least 1 degree C. [1.8 degrees F.] higher than the average in the late nineteenth century

Source: Past 8 Years have been Hottest on Record, probably Hottest since Time of Christ

ExxonMobil outed for hiding accurate global warming predictions

ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest international oil and gas companies, accurately predicted rising global temperatures but downplayed climate change for decades, new research shows.

Source: ExxonMobil outed for hiding accurate global warming predictions

Barack Obama Describes Mass Indonesia Killing

Former US president Barack Obama (L) walks next to Indonesian President Joko Widodo (R) during their a visit at the Botanical Garden adjacent to the Presidential Palace complex in Bogor on June 30, 2017. Obama is currently on a 10-day family holiday in Indonesia that will take take him to Bali and Jakarta, the city where he spent part of his childhood, officials said. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / ADI WEDA (Photo credit should read ADI WEDA/AFP via Getty Images)

This week, Indonesian President Joko Widodo acknowledged the “staggering mass slaughter” that took place 57 years ago.

Source: Barack Obama Describes Mass Indonesia Killing

Israel Fascist? – scheerpost.com

Fascism is a system as is Democracy its reality can be factually and statistically measured by comparative analysis to other sovereign states. The discussion here however is not an attempt to do that

In Israel, you are more likely to be killed as a Jew or as an Israeli than you are outside of Israel. And it’s because of Israel being a garrison state, being in a state of perpetual war with its neighbors, not just the major wars of ’67, ’73, and in Lebanon in 1982. But every few years there’s another war in Gaza and thousands of Jews, Israelis have been killed over the past few decades. So Israel is no longer what it was meant to be by the early Zionist movement. And that’s why this increasing alienation between diaspora and Israel. And I’m very critical, by the way, of American Jewish leaders. We mostly talked about the Israel lobby, but the American Jewish leaders have an opportunity to speak out against what Israel is doing and to say that this is against the values of American Judaism, and they very rarely will. AIPAC released a statement which was very supportive of the new government, and they have without, with a few exceptions, a Jewish voice or peace and some other groups, they have not wanted to step foot on this. This is a landmine for them.

Source: Israel Fascist? – scheerpost.com

If Even Ken Roth Can’t Criticize Israel, No One Can

Ken Roth, the ex-head of Human Rights Watch, recently had his hiring at Harvard vetoed by administrators. Because when it comes to criticism of Israeli apartheid, even a notorious friend of the powerful like Roth can’t get a pass from the establishment.

Source: If Even Ken Roth Can’t Criticize Israel, No One Can

Ukraine war: life on Russia’s home front after ten months of conflict – Pearls and Irritations

Russia, Saint Petersburg - December 13, 2022: New Year decorations on Nevsky prospect.

One of the biggest lessons from my trip is the huge gap between representations of Russia in the west and what you see when you arrive there. This gap in perception is likely to increase because of the lack of people currently travelling there from the west and the suspension of professional and academic links.

Source: Ukraine war: life on Russia’s home front after ten months of conflict – Pearls and Irritations

It Turns Out Hillary Clinton, Not Russian Bots, Lost the 2016 Election

A new study of Russia-based Twitter posts by New York University researchers buries the liberal canard that Russian bots played any significant role in swinging the 2016 election for Donald Trump.

Source: It Turns Out Hillary Clinton, Not Russian Bots, Lost the 2016 Election

False Equivalence: Biden’s Documents | The Smirking Chimp

The task for Biden and the White House will be to keep an even keel by not getting distracted by this commotion, and continuing the important business of governing the nation. Over the long term (meaning during the next two years of run-up to the 2024 election), the contrast between the House Republicans’ zany partisan escapades and Biden’s seriousness of pubic purpose will offer the most potent means of avoiding all false equivalences. Classified Documents,

Source: False Equivalence: Biden’s Documents | The Smirking Chimp

Judge rejects Donald Trump’s ‘absurd’ attempt to dismiss writer’s rape lawsuit | SBS News

Trump New Accuser

Justice in America comes after you have already lived your life. Only then you will be judged and your sentence adjusted according to your age. However, that’s only the case for the rich and incorporated. For the rest, black brown and middle-class judgement comes quick and fast until and if you find yourself on death row. Will Trump ever be tried, judged and sentenced in a hand-picked MAGA-biased judicial system??

KEY POINTS The judge says Ms Carroll can proceed with lawsuits alleging she was raped by Mr Trump in a department store a quarter century ago. It’s because Mr Trump’s challenges were without merit. He was upholding a temporary New York state law letting adult victims of sexual abuse sue their abusers.

Source: Judge rejects Donald Trump’s ‘absurd’ attempt to dismiss writer’s rape lawsuit | SBS News

Old Dog Thought- Racism, The Domino Theory, American Influence in our Inglorious past

Fighting Fake News with REAL,14/1/23 Racism in Australia, American and Australian Historic Shame in the Pacific 1965,

Joining the War Club: Australia’s HIMARS Purchase – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Another needless, fatuous endeavour; another irresponsible drain on the public purse; another expression that the military-industrial complex Down Under is thriving in all its insidious stupidity. But Australia’s purchase of HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) batteries from the United States can be put down to loneliness – or the feeling of being left out. And history shows that loneliness in the context of weapons and harm involves a need to acquire more means to do further harm.

Source: Joining the War Club: Australia’s HIMARS Purchase – » The Australian Independent Media Network

The Test cricket docuseries: Usman Khawaja on race and breaking down cricket’s inner sanctum

Fresh from scoring his career best total of 195 runs, Usman Khawaja has opened up about Australian cricket’s race problem.

Racism by White Australians. It can’t be denied it’s an integral but shameful fact in Australian culture.

“Did you grow up supporting the Australian cricket team?” asks Usman Khawaja, before nodding his head in understanding when I, a fellow Pakistani-born Australian, admitted that I didn’t.

Source: The Test cricket docuseries: Usman Khawaja on race and breaking down cricket’s inner sanctum

Income mobility: Australia provides more opportunity than the US to scale the income ladder

New Treasury research shows that Australian adults in their early 40s are significantly more likely than their US counterparts to climb from the bottom rungs to the top of the income ladder.

Social Fact: However it doesn’t indicate the level of opportunity and equality that exists moving forward. Better than America is a meaningless standard in 2023.

America may bill itself as the land of opportunity, but new treasury research says Australians are more likely to climb the socio-economic ladder from poverty to relative wealth.

Source: Income mobility: Australia provides more opportunity than the US to scale the income ladder

What To Do About America’s “Labor Shortage?” Easy. Pay People More. | The Smirking Chimp

In Australia LNP logic dictated cut welfare and wages and force them into the opportunity of 2-3 jobs to live.

If we want more people to take jobs and we wish to live in a decent society, the answer is to pay people more.

Source: What To Do About America’s “Labor Shortage?” Easy. Pay People More. | The Smirking Chimp

Past eight years the hottest on record: World Meteorological Organisation report

An island north of Athens on fire in 2021, as Greece grappled with its worst heatwave in decades.

And during this period Andrew Bolt an IPA world climate expert told us the planet was cooling.

The warmest eight years have all been since 2015, with 2016, 2019 and 2020 constituting the top three, says the WMO report.

An exceptionally strong El Nino event occurred in 2016, which contributed to record global temperatures.

Though temperature changes between years are often small, since the 1980s every decade has been hotter than the one before it, as predicted by climate change modelling.

Source: Past eight years the hottest on record: World Meteorological Organisation report

With Electric Vehicles, 90% of Americans would see Transportation Costs, CO2 Emissions Plummet

It’s simple do the math

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A new University of Michigan study has shown that today, 90% of Americans would see lower transportation costs and lower CO2 emissions if they switched from a car with an Internal Combustion Engine or ICE to an electric vehicle (EV). They were only looking at the cost of running a car, so they did not include the cost of buying an EV, which is anyway plummeting. A Chevy Bolt can be had for as little as $19,500 with the $7500 Biden tax credit. The study is Jesse Vega-Perkins et al 2023 Environ. Res. Lett. 18

Source: With Electric Vehicles, 90% of Americans would see Transportation Costs, CO2 Emissions Plummet

Stop ‘Caving to Fossil Fuel Industry,’ Experts Say as 2022 Confirmed Among Hottest Years on Record

This aerial view shows cars that fell into a large sinkhole

“These latest data are in line with long-term global warming trends that will continue to worsen unless heat-trapping emissions are slashed drastically—far more than what the United States and other major emitters are currently doing.”

Source: Stop ‘Caving to Fossil Fuel Industry,’ Experts Say as 2022 Confirmed Among Hottest Years on Record

British Genocide in Kenya: the Case for Reparations – CounterPunch.org

Uncovering the brutal truth about the British empire | Mau Mau | The  Guardian

Aftermath of British Colonialism not taught. The Germans had a far far better record.

In 2022, Kenya is back in the news for seeking justice for another brutal British act. With nearly 56 million, Kenya is a dynamic East African country. It now has a literacy rate of 78% but its per capita income is barely $1,879, ranking lowly 144 in the world. Many argue that many of Kenya’s current problems are a legacy of British colonialism.

Source: British Genocide in Kenya: the Case for Reparations – CounterPunch.org

Old Dog Thought- Murdoch says he’s not a climate warming denier but for decades his lackey Andrew Bolt and the IPA told us the planet was cooling. They even published a book.

Fighting Fake News with REAL 13/1/23, Dutton, An Opportunity Comparison, Remember the IPA, Andrew Bolt and the “cooling” Planet,

Katina Curtis: John Howard-era Cabinet documents reveal some familiar arguments | The West Australian

Cabinet documents from John Howard’s era reveal parallels in the debate over Indigenous recognition and the Voice to Parliament, but public sentiment has moved on.

Two decades ago, the Coalition argued it shouldn’t pursue any treaty with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people because it would be divisive, open to legal challenge and wouldn’t have any impact on real world disadvantage. Sound familiar?

Source: Katina Curtis: John Howard-era Cabinet documents reveal some familiar arguments | The West Australian

Tucker Now Says Woodward-Bernstein Was A Deep State Sting On Nixon | Crooks and Liars

Remember MAD well Murdoch has turned Fox News into a version of MAD

Tucker Now Says Woodward-Bernstein Was A Deep State Sting On Nixon A World Without Mad Magazine | The New Yorker

Source: Tucker Now Says Woodward-Bernstein Was A Deep State Sting On Nixon | Crooks and Liars

Far Right Israeli Government bans Palestinian flag, just as Apartheid S. Africa Banned ANC Flag

The Israeli parliament or Knesset on Tuesday approved the first reading of a law banning the raising of the Palestinian flag, pushed by the fascist wing of Israel’s new government. This measure includes a ban on Palestinians in Palestine waving their own flag while under Israeli military occupation.

Source: Far Right Israeli Government bans Palestinian flag, just as Apartheid S. Africa Banned ANC Flag

New Stock Listings Open the Door to American Investment in the Israeli Occupation

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, July 1, 2022.

NYSE is partnering with an Israeli exchange, making it easier for Americans to invest in companies supporting Palestinian human rights abuses.

Source: New Stock Listings Open the Door to American Investment in the Israeli Occupation

New Study Blows Up Myth That Russian Bots Swayed 2016 Election for Trump – scheerpost.com

A New Study Blows Up Myth That Russian Bots Swayed 2016 Election for Trump However, one of the paper’s authors warned that “it would be a mistake to conclude that simply because the Russian foreign influence campaign on Twitter was not meaningfully related to individual-level attitudes that other aspects of the campaign did not have any impact on the election.”

Source: New Study Blows Up Myth That Russian Bots Swayed 2016 Election for Trump – scheerpost.com

Washington’s “Democracy Promotion” Fails Spectacularly in Venezuela – CounterPunch.org

Why doe we accept so many proxy wars set in motion by America since WW2?

The Los Angeles Times reports that “the audacious gamble by the U.S. government to…restore democracy” suffered a “spectacular failure” in Venezuela. What this State Department stenographer masquerading as a newspaper considers a “democratic” setback consisted of failing to impose unknown US security asset Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s president.

Source: Washington’s “Democracy Promotion” Fails Spectacularly in Venezuela – CounterPunch.org

U.S. military agreement setting Australia up as launching pad for war

An agreement authorising the U.S. militarisation of Australia needs to be terminated before our nation is dragged into war, writes Bevan Ramsden.

Source: U.S. military agreement setting Australia up as launching pad for war

Wars and more wars: the sorry U.S. history in the Middle East – Pearls and Irritations

A wall pockmarked by shrapnel, a sad testimony to years of conflict.

The macro view of US military global involvement is not a major topic in Western Media, why?

The American republic morphed well over a century ago into an empire of many endless wars. With U.S. troops still in Syria, Iraq, Somalia and numerous African countries, with over 800 military bases in more than 70 countries and a war budget of roughly one trillion dollars a year, it’s no surprise that one of our main exports is weapons and that arms merchants call the shots in Washington. Presidents come and go, but the wars don’t: they drag on. And when a president does manage to extract the country from one of these military quagmires, as Biden did in Afghanistan, he gets nothing but grief.

Source: Wars and more wars: the sorry U.S. history in the Middle East – Pearls and Irritations

Old Dog Thought- We still operate under the model of the East India Company and the right to invest in piracy

Fighting Fake News with REAL, 12/1/23, The Shovel Pell is Dead, Sydney Cemetaries, Israeli Occupation makes it to the American Stock Exchange, Australia/America Military Agreements are open to private Investment,

‘No Say Day’: the Last Day Youth Voices are Represented in Parliaments Around the World – » The Australian Independent Media Network

According to Sky News’s Andrew Bolt the youth of the world should have no say. Children need to be trained to obey their elders.

Public opinion is widely in favour of fairer political representation for young people. According to The Body Shop’s largest-ever global survey**, two thirds of people agree that the age balance in politics is wrong.

Source: ‘No Say Day’: the Last Day Youth Voices are Represented in Parliaments Around the World – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Vote No Because Climate Science Isn’t Settled And Greta Isn’t An Expert… – » The Australian Independent Media Network

It would be wrong to suggest that the Liberal Party is racist. Ok, they’re being led by Peter Dutton who did walk out on the Apology, but he acknowledged that he shouldn’t have done that because people keep bringing it up and he has to argue that it’s only the African gangs who are calling him racist. And it was the Liberal Party who argued that the Apology wouldn’t solve the practical issues and wouldn’t help to close the gap and that practical solutions like sending in the Army is the way to improve the lives of the ordinary Indigenous man and by helping men you’re also helping women so don’t you dare say that we’re sexist.

Obviously, when you see that the Liberals opposed the Apology and now are questioning the Voice to Parliament on the grounds that they would do nothing to actually improve things and that they’re largely hollow gestures, you have to ask why the Coalition haven’t done a lot more about improving things.

To be fair, the Coalition has only been in power for twenty of the past twenty-six years.

 

Source: Vote No Because Climate Science Isn’t Settled And Greta Isn’t An Expert… – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Contrary to the NYT, the Problem in An Aging Society is Income Distribution – CounterPunch.org

This means that the reason older people are unable to retire in these countries is not the aging of the population, but the political decision to not provide adequate support for the elderly population. In short, the problem is political, not demographics.

Source: Contrary to the NYT, the Problem in An Aging Society is Income Distribution – CounterPunch.org

Five key insights into how the modern right-wing media and the Republican Party work together | Media Matters for America

photo of Fox News in a TV next to the capitol building, red background

Here are some key takeaways:

Source: Five key insights into how the modern right-wing media and the Republican Party work together | Media Matters for America

Reduce consumption, or face reality of civilisational collapse – Pearls and Irritations

Blow up Earth globe tied with rope.

To commence the transition to a steady-state economy for the world, we do not need to “convince humans that they should not strive for better material living conditions”. To the contrary, through some redistribution of wealth and income, both between and within countries, a steady-state economy could allow better living conditions for the vast majority of people. Together with that redistribution, policies to provide Universal Basic Services would reduce the desire for endless growth in consumption.

Source: Reduce consumption, or face reality of civilisational collapse – Pearls and Irritations

Putin’s faltering Ukraine invasion exposes limits of Russian propaganda – Atlantic Council

Putin’s faltering Ukraine invasion exposes limits of Russian propaganda

In a world of relative truth, this article would be regarded as mere Western propaganda. Not, however, in a rational world based on evidence and reasoned analysis. Even if provoked Putin made an inexcusable human error.

As the Russian attack on Ukraine approaches the one-year mark, it is increasingly clear that Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade was one of the biggest geopolitical blunders of the modern era. The Russian dictator initially expected a short and victorious war. Instead, Putin’s faltering invasion has transformed him into an international pariah and shattered Russia’s reputation as a military superpower. How could he have got it so wrong?

Source: Putin’s faltering Ukraine invasion exposes limits of Russian propaganda – Atlantic Council

Cuba Calls Biden’s Blockade the Most Punishing

“The current U.S. government, the one of Joseph Biden, of all those that the Cuban Revolution has known, is the one that has most aggressively and effectively applied the economic blockade,” Carlos Fernández de Cossío, vice minister of foreign affairs of Cuba, declared in a speech last month. “It is the one that punishes the most, the one that causes the most damage to the daily life of Cubans and the economy as a whole.”

Source: Cuba Calls Biden’s Blockade the Most Punishing

Allen Weisselberg jailed for 5 months

Trump Organisation’s former chief financial officer turned star prosecution witness Allen Weisselberg.

Corporate Crime, Corporate Punishment. If only Al Capone was incorporated like Trump. Bet Madhoff wished he was a corporation he wouldn’t have got 150 years.

Weisselberg faced the prospect of up to 15 years in prison – the maximum punishment for the top grand larceny charge – if he were to have reneged on the deal or if he didn’t testify truthfully at the Trump Organisation’s trial. He is the only person charged in the Manhattan district attorney’s three-year investigation of Trump and his business practices.

Source: Allen Weisselberg jailed for 5 months

Old Dog Thought- Who’s prepared to sacrifice?

Fighting Fake News with REAL 11/1/23, A Steady State Economy, The Shovel, Malcolm Fraser,

Julian Assange’s request to leave London prison to attend Vivienne Westwood’s funeral denied

The late Dame Vivienne Westwood campaigning in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

America has politicised British Justice and the separation of powers

Assange is only “On Remand” yet to be proven guilty has been refused a request on compassionate grounds to attend his friends funeral.

Westwood designed the wedding dress and kilts for Julian Assange’s wedding last year and had known the Wikileaks founder for more than a decade.

Source: Julian Assange’s request to leave London prison to attend Vivienne Westwood’s funeral denied

Entitled White males are not heroic role models

Remember when Miranda put Bolt back in the box and he fled 2GB

Media personalities like Steve Price and Andrew Bolt have long joined the chorus of victimised men with grievances about being silenced and cancelled, sentiments to which they return in their national newspaper columns, radio spots and television appearances. Bolt suffered a humiliating loss that “silenced” him in a celebrated 2011 court case centred on his defaming of nine white-skinned Aborigines and Price just recently had his 2GB show axed following a fall in ratings, rebuffing a lesser offer from the station.

The common theme among these victims is their maleness, their whiteness and their entitlement to protection from censure of any sort. A logical extension of that expectation is immunity from the negative judgement of courts, tribunals and employers.

Source: Entitled White males are not heroic role models

Liberal Party unable to be honest with itself, let alone nation

Liberal Party

“If you can’t be honest with yourself, you can’t be honest with anyone.”

Source: Liberal Party unable to be honest with itself, let alone nation

The dog ate my Cabinet document: Christian Porter’s vanishing rorts advice – Michael West

First a Morrison government whitewash, next disappearing advice from former Attorney-General Christian Porter. On the trail of government rorts, Transparency Warrior Rex Patrick finds obfuscation at every turn and a broken Freedom of Information regime which attacks the heart of democracy and responsible government.

Source: The dog ate my Cabinet document: Christian Porter’s vanishing rorts advice – Michael West

Is Israel Being Turned into a Jewish Theocracy?

Ironically, after all this demonisation of Iran, Netanyahu has built a government which seems very keen on making Israel a Jewish copy of Iran. His partners from the religious ultra-Orthodox parties, such as Bezalel Smotrich, made it very clear that their goal is to make Israel a state governed by the Torah and Jewish law.

Source: Is Israel Being Turned into a Jewish Theocracy?

US-Australia ‘Force Posture Agreement’ undermines sovereignty, must be terminated – Pearls and Irritations

DARWIN, ACT, Australia (Dec. 3, 2018) - A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, assigned to the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

The US-Australia Force Posture Agreement has opened the gate for the US to set up Australia as a launching pad for its next war against China. The Albanese government must invoke Article XXI to terminate it and reclaim sovereignty.

Source: US-Australia ‘Force Posture Agreement’ undermines sovereignty, must be terminated – Pearls and Irritations

How 20 ratbag Republicans could Trump 200 party loyalists – Pearls and Irritations

Capitol building close up Washington DC. The dome of American Capitol is on background at blue sky. In front of American flag.

 

The farce occurring in the US House of Representatives, where a small group of far-right Republicans are seeking to veto the overwhelming choice of their colleagues for the party’s congressional leadership, may well be resolved by the weekend in the traditional American parliamentary way, with bribes, deals, committee placements and stiff-arming.

Source: How 20 ratbag Republicans could Trump 200 party loyalists – Pearls and Irritations

With McCarthy, the Trump Coalition of MAGAs and Oligarchs Lives On | The Smirking Chimp

The real battle for America isn’t between the left and right, or even between Republicans and Democrats. It’s between the oligarchy — corporate and Wall Street monied interests — and everybody else.

Source: With McCarthy, the Trump Coalition of MAGAs and Oligarchs Lives On | The Smirking Chimp

Old Dog Thought- Will there ever be true FOI

Fighting Fake News with REAL, 10/1/23, The Shovel, Michael West Media, Porter’s vanishing advice, Unprovoked Caitlan Johnstone,

An Indigenous Voice to Parliament will not give ‘special rights’ or create a veto

The Constitutional Expert Group, appointed to advise on the proposed Voice to Parliament referendum, has concluded that the “draft amendment is constitutionally sound” and does not amount to a “veto” power or provide anyone with “special rights”.

How does this fit into the current debate?

 

Source: An Indigenous Voice to Parliament will not give ‘special rights’ or create a veto

Australia’s DFAT blocks FOI request on Israel apartheid status – Pearls and Irritations

The letters of the word Paelstine made up by the word Israel

Israel has assassinated people on foreign soil using fake Australian documents to facilitate their crimes. It has kidnapped people from Australia without any government permission. It has held Australian citizens in jail without informing us of their existence and has simply spied on us as if we were its enemy. It has misused its relationship with Australia in so many ways and we have always turned the other way and allowed them to abuse that relationship,why?

In November 2022, I brought a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for the Australian Government to disclose the basis of its non-acceptance of the reports that apartheid exists in Israel. Last week, DFAT rejected the request on the risible basis that to process it would “unreasonably divert the department’s resources.”

Source: Australia’s DFAT blocks FOI request on Israel apartheid status – Pearls and Irritations

Thousands in Israel March Against ‘Fascism and Apartheid’ at Anti-Netanyahu Protests

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes an impassioned address to the Knesset

Carrying signs reading, “Together against fascism and apartheid” and “Democracy in danger,” thousands of Israelis on Saturday marched in protest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government, which less than a week after being sworn in has already threatened to strip the country’s judiciary of power and announced punitive measures against Palestinian people and leaders.

Source: Thousands in Israel March Against ‘Fascism and Apartheid’ at Anti-Netanyahu Protests