One Citizen Speaking

NEW YORK TIMES AND 9/11

After years of claiming that guns were responsible for the deaths of innocent individuals, why should anyone find it strange that the progressive socialist democrats at the New York Times would rather blame 9/11 on the airplanes rather than the Muslim Jihadis who flew them into their designated targets?

Bottom line …

No! you schmucks, the Jihadis took aim at the World Trade Center buildings.

The fundamental truth that the New York Times ignores: Criminals, crazies, and terrorists neither respect nor obey the law. They choose the time and place and as long as the Jihadis are willing to sacrifice their lives for the cause, will perpetrate unspeakable acts of terror.

Where the United States (Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld) made a fundamental mistake is in putting oil and foreign relations above bombing the crap out of Saudi Arabia in retaliation of the “royals”  who financed and perpetrated this outrage.

Perhaps if Robert Mueller, then the Director of the FBI, interrogated the Saudis instead of chauffeuring them to waiting planes to leave the country, there might have been an honest accounting of 9/11 Saudi activities.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

We are so screwed.

HOW PROGRESSIVE: UNION EXCORIATES THINK PROGRESS

You gotta love it when the unionized progressive socialist democrats turn on their progressive socialist democrat employer when it pivots rather than go broke …

I was looking for the magic phrase “running capitalist dogs” but I guess that was too dated by its use by 20th century communists, not the more evolved 21st century communists.

What is it with these progressive socialist democrats who refuse to recognize economic realities and the paucity of their messaging?

9/11/2019: LEST WE FORGET BEING ATTACKED BY RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISTS

As I noted before …

The progressive socialist democrats and their political correctness and moral equivalency worry not about protecting the United States of America, but the rights of enemy combatants and how to minimize collateral damage to those whose policies dictate the placement of weapons among the civilian population.

We can all remember that, under former President Barack Obama’s instructions, Eric Holder’s Department of Justice is more interested in prosecuting American intelligence operatives for faux-war crimes than they were is in prosecuting terrorists. And it should not come as any surprise that Holder hired lawyers whose law firms represented the detainees at Guantanamo. Even today, we find that nobody was held accountable for the slaughter of four Americans, including our Ambassador, in another 9/11 attack in Benghazi, Libya.

These were the very same progressive democrats who could not bring themselves to say the word terrorism unless it is associated with a crazy white person. Who invented the term “overseas contingency operation” and “man-made” disaster to describe horrific acts of terrorism.

Refusing to label a domestic terrorist as an Islamic Jihadi even though he clearly self-identified as such.

On this day, we should remember the Americans who died on 9/11, the troops who died attempting to ensure that this would never happen again and those who fight on to keep us safe from Islamofascists.

THE FIRST MAN TO DIE …

For those of you who enjoy the almost effortless delivery of streaming audio and video content on the Internet  …

Today is a sad day for our nation, and it is a shame that very few people know,  according to the FAA investigation, that it is believed that the first man to die at the hands of the 9/11 hijackers was Danny Lewin, an American born in Colorado and brought up in Israel.

Danny was a brilliant computer researcher whose research at MIT resulted in the algorithms for managing internet traffic. His work was the technology behind the company he co-founded, Akamai Technologies (Hawaiian for Smart or clever), one of the least advertised and most successful Internet companies in the world. A company devoted to providing rich content almost effortlessly to thousands of simultaneous users.

The first man to die …

Danny was aboard American Airlines Flight 11 (inbound from Logan Airport in Boston with hijack group leader Mohammad Atta on board), and the FAA believes that he was the first man killed as he attempted to foil the hijackers.

This was the plane that first hit the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. on that fateful morning. One of the flight attendants managed to communicate with the Airlines base during the hijacking and was able to relay that two flight attendants were stabbed and Danny’s throat was cut while attempting to intervene in the hijacking.

Danny was probably not unaware of the dangers as he sat near Mohammad Atta and possibly in front of another hijacker.

And he was not an ordinary passenger. Along with being a brilliant and wealthy computer entrepreneur, Danny was also a member of Israel’s elite Sayeret Matkal group in the Israel Defense Force for four years. Same as Benjamin Netanyahu and his brother Yonatan who led the successful raid on Entebbe. And being fluent in Hebrew, English, and Arabic, Danny most certainly knew what was being shouted back and forth in the aircraft.

Today, the progressive socialist democrats tolerate Representatives like Ilhan Omar whose pro-Islam, pro-Palestinian, pro-terrorist, and anti-Semitic behavior is ignored – as are significant irregularities in her background that may lead to federal/ criminal charges being filed.

Bottom line …

I could provide further details of the hijacking and recap Danny’s almost magical life, but the bottom line is that he was one of us, a man with a  common touch, willing to talk with anybody about any subject.

It should be noted that this single man contributed more to modern society than all of the religious crazies living in Muslim nations.

If there are any lessons to be learned from Danny’s death, they are:

one, life is fragile -- no matter how smart, wealthy or well-connected you might at any time be the victim of circumstance;

two, there exists in this world, hundreds of thousands of religious crazies who are willing to trade their lives to cause suffering, death and destruction to those whom they believe are their religious and ideological enemies; and

three, the government’s bureaucracy is often so slow, inefficient and wound up in turf and budget wars that they can hardly connect the dots – and when they do – are afraid to take decisive action. Not always, but enough to be dangerous to ordinary Americans.

Had any of these people had access to atomic weaponry, destroying New York, Chicago or Los Angeles would not bring a second thought.

Danny led the way – fighting against a clearly defined enemy.

Do not let the far-left liberals in our government convince you otherwise: unless Islam is reformed, it represents a clear and present danger to both America and the non-Muslim world.

We need to elect leaders and keep our eyes open from those who pretend they are friends of the United States, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Qatar both come immediately to mind. There are no moderate Muslims – and if there are, they are ineffective in controlling the crazies among them.

We need to understand that our Constitution is not a suicide pact – and that we can take decisive action against religious threats as if they were any other enemy combatant.

“Vigilance and Peace Through Strength” are concepts that are not well understood by the democrat party and its far-left liberal Marxist and Communist infiltrators.

Unfortunately, we found out too late that we could not depend on the former President of the United States, Barack Obama, and his fellow travelers to protect America from its enemies both foreign and domestic. No such worry about President Donald Trump, who demonstrates his patriotism and ability to take decisive action day-after-day – and especially in the face of almost 24/7 negative coverage in the mainstream media.

Now is the time to honor both nations dear to Danny: America and Israel. It is what he would have wanted and what he died fighting for.

Rest in Peace Danny

Bottom line …

If waterboarding a known terrorist planner could prevent this from happening again, it should be endorsed by the American people. Reading terrorists their rights and prosecuting them as criminals in federal court makes a mockery of our Constitution and the duty of the President of the United States to uphold the Constitution and keep America safe. Terrorists do not have any rights under our Constitution, should be treated as enemy combatants and dealt with by military tribunals. Over and Out!

One might ask why former President Obama allowed the military from prosecuting 9/11 terrorists during his administration – and why the military is just now announcing the first trial in early 2021 of five 9/11 planners that are currently being held in the Guantanamo Bay prison on charges of planning and aiding the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks?

Be well, be safe, and take care of yourself and your family first.

-- steve

JOHN BOLTON

The President who thinks he knows it all has dismissed and disparaged a great patriot, National Security Advisor John Bolton.

Trump tweets…

Bolton responds…

If I were to believe anyone about the fired or dismissed issue, there is absolutely no question in my mind that it would be John Bolton. The fact is that Trump lies, he lies about lying, and when confronted with recorded evidence, questions whether the recording was altered by the fake media or mimics Hillary Clinton in claiming that the matter is irrelevant.

Bottom line …

While I respect the President’s right to chose his own advisors and to require them to do his bidding, I am fearful that President Trump is listening to the mainstream media who long ago branded Bolton a “Hawk” and continued their campaign of disparagement to this day. I am also fearful that President Trump regards deceased Senator McCain’s protégé, Lindsay Graham, one of the squishiest RINOs in the Senate, as a reliable source of foreign policy advice.

The truth is that John Bolton was never in the inner circle. Too pragmatic and honorable to be another presidential “yes man” or to simply follow the president’s wishes without pushback. And, when that pushback was leaked to the media, Trump’s ego could not stand the public hit of being questioned by the hired help.

The nation has lost a true and honest patriot today.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

WHO DO THE PROGRESSIVES THINK THEY ARE?

Everyone of these Democrat candidates does not believe in a unified America and sees everyone as a member of a group to be divided, exploited, and used to advance their personal agenda.

In most cases, progressive socialist democrats do not know or like who they are, just that something better exists if and only if…

Identity politics: Because you are a member of a specific group, your existence, behavior, and politics are defined by this group's dynamics as expressed by academic thought leaders, notable influencers,  and often self-designated spokespeople.
Basically, this is the way you are taught to think and to signal your identity to those around you.

Intersectional identity politics: You are a member of several competing groups and your existence, behavior, and politics are shaped by the summation and direction of these forces. To the extent that you need to belong to a specific tribe and perfect your position in the tribe's hierarchy, you are bound by identity politics.

The problem with identity politics: The fallacy of identity politics is that it replaces individualism and individual responsibility with collectivism and provides systemic excuses for your existence and behavior. And, unfortunately, a group's identity is often defined by comparison to an opposing group. Thus the right is defined by the left as much as the weak are defined by a comparison to the strong. 

The self-serving grievance industry: Instead of being taught to value, appreciate, and deploy that which you have, individuals are now taught that they are oppressed victims and should be aggrieved; that they have had something lacking in their lives -- be it material goods or psychological well-being. A generalized sense of loss that can be exploited by the progressive socialist democrats and other evil-doers to promote their own self-serving agenda.

To this extent, consider the words of Booker T, Washington, a black educator representing one of the last black generation of leaders who were born into slavery…

"I am afraid that there is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public." Washington went on to note, "Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs."

The lure of socialism: Since  1977, there is no doubt that identity politics could be exploited to promote a sense of victimhood and a sense of alienation from society that could lead to significant political power. Especially as individuals are subtly discouraged from participation in the traditional nuclear family which promoted and reinforced traditional values into the acceptance of what previously was defined as aberrant behavior as being normal and customary. Exacerbated by further indoctrination in public schools and culture where odd behavior is accepted and promoted. The idea that you allow young children to self-identify their gender is representative of this trend.

The attractiveness of socialism lies in the promise of a better life provided you abdicate individualism in favor of collectivism and serving the state. Of course, because of the historical adverse outcomes of socialism (also known as liberalism, progressivism, Marxism, Communism, or some such label), the promoters of this toxic ideology always warn that things are likely to get worse in the near future, including the necessity for authoritarian totalitarianism before reaching the bright future. Of course, the promoters of these toxic ideologies always have excuses for historical failures.

Why socialism is bound to fail: The answer lies in physiology and human nature. The simple biological fact is that the instinct for survival is inbred and that one's competitive nature will always take advantage of the natural state of the environment. Where some people are stronger or weaker, more or less intelligent, more or less ruthless, leaders or followers (many being apathetic to anything that does not produce extreme pain or pleasure) – all of which is exploitable by those seeking to amass power and material assets.

Thus, all socialist systems are doomed to failure because the ruling clique will always rewards its supporters and punish its detractors. The prime directive being to maintain power using any and all means possible. Thus the endpoint of socialism is always totalitarianism while the endpoint of capitalism is always more capitalism. The limiting vale of capitalism is the balance found in representative government.and common sense control over monopolies.

Bottom line...

The key to identity politics is to inculcate an awareness of a group identity in individuals, to force an acknowledgement of oppression and victimhood, to create a realization that a redress of grievances can only be achieved through the group -- and that there is the necessity to strictly adhere to the orthodoxy of group teachings before you can begin to heal or feel better about yourself.

This is the age-old tactic of divide and conquer, where families, tribes, and entire nation-states are divided for easier conquest and subjugation. The tools of war start with identity politics, moral relativism, and political correctness.

Most of the younger generation is attracted to socialism, not because they understand and embrace the ideology, but because they are anxious, depressed, or downright angry that they too cannot have the material goods and lifestyles portrayed – mostly falsely – by the media, advertisers, and now social media’s so-called “influencers.” That advertisers are paying to create these beautiful illusions does not seem to remain in their mind when wishing life could be better,

The greatest danger to our nation, our culture, and our way of life is not socialism or communism, it is political corruption where an individual is willing to ignore their sworn duties in upholding our Constitution, the civil society, and the rule of law in favor of their self-interests, or preserving and promoting a particular group dynamic.

We are so screwed.

-- steve 

Reference notes: For those wishing to see the foundational document of identity politics, you may wish to read the "Combahee River Collective Statement" produced mainly by angry man-hating Marxist lesbians.

MICROSOFT: STAY OUT OF POLITICS AND IMPROVE YOUR PRODUCT LINE

There is little doubt in my mind that the majority of the leadership of big technology companies are not, at least openly, supportive of President Donald Trump. Especially when many of these companies exert an unprecedented control over our computing infrastructure including supporting government infrastructure.

So why should we be concerned when the President of Microsoft openly provides aid and comfort to one of our enemies, and one that steals massive amounts of intellectual property associated with both the military and commercial applications? And, especially since you can often purchase some of the priciest Microsoft software for $5.00 US?

Microsoft Says Trump Is Treating Huawei Unfairly Brad Smith, the company’s president, suggests the administration hasn’t adequately made the case for its moves against the Chinese company.  Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith says the way the U.S. government is treating Huawei is un-American. [OCS: Excuse me? Since when did he United States need to grant sovereign nation-states, foreign organizations, and foreign individuals constitutional freedoms? As for being “un-American” does Brad Smith realize that China has a written plan to dominate the world’s commerce and eventually the world itself? That China maintains foreign operatives who are hoovering up our intellectual property and buying American companies to covey a commercial and military advantage to the Chinese Communist Party? Does Smith understand the impact of currency manipulation and dumping on domestic companies in the United States? And, considering the degree to which Microsoft wraps itself in the protections available under the American flag and then manipulates the tax code to keep profits off-shore, I would say that Smith should shut up and try to improve his aging product which requires constant security updates.] As far as he knows, China’s leading maker of networking equipment and mobile phones should be allowed to buy U.S. technology, including software from his company. [OCS: But that’s the rub: The usually make minimal purchases while stealing and distributing Microsoft’s intellectual property.]  Such actions shouldn’t be taken without a “sound basis in fact, logic, and the rule of law,” says Smith in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, adding that Microsoft has asked U.S. regulators to explain themselves. “Oftentimes, what we get in response is, ‘Well, if you knew what we knew, you would agree with us,’” he says. “And our answer is, ‘Great, show us what you know so we can decide for ourselves. That’s the way this country works.’” [OCS: No! That is not how this country works. There is no moral or legal rationale for exposing all that we known to a foreign hostile power. Maintaining the safety and security of the United States is the sworn duty of the President of the United States, not companies such as Microsoft. I would daresay that Microsoft already is infested with spies and that much of its software has already been used to compromise American citizens. In the spirit of openness (sarcasm) perhaps Microsoft should provide a list of all of its government contracts and what they entail?] U.S. President Donald Trump has said Huawei, run by a former Chinese army technologist, is a national security threat, and his Department of Commerce has added the company to an export blacklist scheduled to take full effect in November. <Source> Huawei has been a long-term partner of Microsoft in multiple areas of technology. However, no other tech organization has been really vocal about supporting the Chinese tech company. At least someone’s speaking now. [OCS: Anything for the almighty buck, is that the game?]

Microsoft, more than most companies, should understand what an embedded enemy, one with the “keys to the kingdom” could do…

Latest Windows 10 Update Turns Everything Orange We don't know what caused the orange tint bug yet, but updating your graphics card drivers may fix it rather than opting to uninstall the cumulative patch. Even though Microsoft takes every effort to remove all the bugs before releasing a Windows 10 update, some do go undetected. The latest to slip through the net is quite a colorful one. As MSPoweruser reports, the Windows 10 May 2019 Update (1903) Cumulative Update KB4512941 includes a number of major fixes, but it's also adding a tint of orange to everything displayed on screen. Some users are complaining this happens when capturing a screenshot, where as others state the discoloring gets progressively worse, turning from a light shade of orange and becoming more red as time goes by. The only element on screen that isn't affected is the mouse pointer. The cumulative patch does include some important fixes such as stopping unsupported apps appearing as a default for certain actions, fixing an issue preventing games using Spatial Audio, fixing a disappearing cursor issue when selecting a text input box using touch, fixing an issue when downloading copyright digital media using Microsoft Edge or IE, allowing more Win32 apps to work with Windows Mixed Reality, and fixing many more minor but important issues. The orange tint bug may be bizarre and annoying, but it's preferable to the last Windows Update bug that appeared which saw a huge spike in CPU usage when Windows 10 started. <Source>

Whoops …

Newly discovered cyber-espionage malware abuses Windows BITS service New backdoor trojan uses Windows BITS service to hide traffic to and from its command-and-control servers. Security researchers have found another instance of a malware strain abusing the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS). The malware appears to be the work of a state-sponsored cyber-espionage group that researchers have been tracking for years under the name of Stealth Falcon. The first and only report on this hacking group has been published in 2016 by Citizen Lab, a non-profit organization focusing on security and human rights. According to the Citizen Lab report, the Stealth Falcon group has been in operation since 2012 and was seen targeting United Arab Emirates (UAE) dissidents. Previous tools included a very stealthy backdoor written in PowerShell. <Source>

Is Microsoft’s President jealous of the time and attention given to the CEOs of other prominent companies?

Microsoft’s president chides Facebook, urges new approaches to combat weaponization of tech Microsoft built its fortune making the tools of technology that billions use every day. But the company’s president, Brad Smith, has increasing misgivings about how thieves, terrorists and scoundrels have weaponized those tools, and how the industry has failed too often to thwart them. He chides Facebook for allowing influence campaigns to flourish on the network that helped elect Donald Trump president in 2016. And he argues that social media companies can’t profit from hatemongers posting vile content while brushing off responsibility. [OCS: Why is it that Smith always manages to work Trump into these conversations? Truth-be-told, Smith is a nullity, a lawyer and administrator rather than a visionary. And, as such, perhaps he should spend more time de-bugging his own offerings rather than commenting on what others are doing? “Digital technology has become both a tool and a weapon, and we need to address that head on,” Smith said in an interview at Microsoft headquarters here. “And part of addressing it head on starts with really understanding the different ways in which it’s either serving humanity or being weaponized.” [OCS: Does this putz understand that his function is to provide the tools for others who are serving humanity, a secondary role rather than a primary one. If you look closely, Microsoft is not an innovative company, purchasing or stealing most of its major advances. But, then again, neither is Apple whose expertise is packaging, marketing, a riding a wave of cool prestige products.] Smith lays out his critique in his forthcoming book, “Tools and Weapons: The Promise and The Peril of The Digital Age.” Co-written with Microsoft communications executive Carol Ann Browne, the book examines the missteps tech companies have made and suggests new approaches for the industry as threats to privacy, cybercrime and disinformation mount. [OCS: Aha! He is flogging a book that was “co-written” (wink-wink) by a Microsoft minion.]  <Source>

Bottom line…

The true perils of the digital age come from algorithmic-tweaking progressive socialist democrats embedded in tech companies and who believe that they, and they alone, know what direction to take the United States. Especially problematical when they interfere in our electoral politics, foreign and domestic policy, and directly deal with many of our enemies.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

MONDAY PAUSE

We are now entering a week that will see ten progressive socialist democrats vying to see which one can best articulate public policies that will surely destroy America, its constitution, its moral basis, its economy, our way of life and standard of living. Against these toxic ten, we will see Trump the Tweeter agitating against the media and anyone who believes he is not the most brilliant politician in the world. We are likely to see more turmoil and terrorism in the Middle East as well as a plethora of ignorant talking heads telling us how to interpret what we are hearing and seeing.

However, this Sunday, two of my close friends experienced real-life – first hand. One with a severe medical emergency and the other with less life-threatening, but life-changing nonetheless, events. Which should serve as a reminder to those of us who comment on politics, science, technology, and life in general that there is something beyond the next outrage.

So, let us all take a moment to be thankful of family and friends, grateful to have been born in an exceptional country where the poorest among us have more opportunity and material goods than almost anywhere else in the world. Take a walk and enjoy the peace of mind and clarity of thought that comes with interacting with nature.

Be well, be safe, be thankful.

-- steve

BEFORE CONCLUDING THAT THE SCIENCE IS SETTLED: ASK WHO ARE THE COLLUDERS?

Most individuals who are not familiar with the climate sciences tend to believe that the United Nations’ IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is a scientific endeavor when the truth is altogether different. The IPCC is a politically-oriented group of individuals whose brief is to make public policy recommendations based on science. However, the truth is that the IPCC tends to cherry-pick which research they use to validate their public policy prescriptions for the world. Policy prescriptions which all have similar conclusions: bigger government, more taxes, and fewer personal freedoms. In short, as the climate warms, governments should embrace authoritarianism rather than free markets and capitalism – all to prevent a climate catastrophe that seems to exist only  when one falsely relies on deeply flawed computer models and dodgy data. Rarely, if ever, do you find the observations of a well-credentialed climate science contrarian noted in the IPCC’s reports because they also claim that their positions are supported by a consensus of the world’s climate scientists.

As we have seen in the stolen Climate-gate emails, many of the world’s top scientists have engaged in dodgy science, the manipulation of the peer-review process, and the type of scientific dishonesty that goes beyond academic malfeasance into the realm of criminal fraud.

Is it possible that the climate activists are wrong?

[OCS: Consider what the consequences of using flawed computer models and dodgy data might have on public policy prescriptions and their cascading effect on our country, way-of-life, and individual freedoms.] [OCS: Here we can plainly see that the models do not agree with the observations, and thus are self-falsifying. Continuing to use these falsified models is both intellectually dishonest, and considering the source of federal funding, and is tantamount to fraud.] Figure 7 shows the model projections in pink and different observational datasets in shades of blue. You can also easily see the difference in warming rates: the models are warming too fast. The exception is the Russian model, which has much lower sensitivity to carbon dioxide, and therefore gives projections for the end of the century that are far from alarming. The rest of them are already falsified, and their predictions for 2100 can’t be trusted. The warming trend we found suggests we are having a relatively minor impact on global temperatures. From the IPCC, we know what the forcing was over that 37.5 years – how many extra greenhouse gas molecules there were and what forcing they would represent. We also know about the effect of aerosols. Taking all this data together, we can calculate what I call – and we were the first to use this term – the ‘tropospheric transient climate response’. In other words: how much temperature actually changes due to extra greenhouse gas forcing. [OCS: This is what intellectual honesty looks like …] The calculation includes a major assumption, namely that there are no natural variations left in the temperature data, and in particular that there are no long-term natural variations. It’s a huge assumption, but it allows us to move on. [OCS: If the consensus range for climate sensitivity is even somewhat incorrect, one might wonder why the activists, alarmists, and other political types can speak with such a degree of certitude when demanding we up-end our economy, way of life, and personal freedoms to fight a scientific absurdity?] Our result is that the transient climate response2 – the short-term warming – in the troposphere is 1.1◦C at the point in time when carbon dioxide levels double. This is not a very alarming number. If we perform the same calculation on the climate models, you get a figure of 2.31◦C, which is significantly different. The models’ response to carbon dioxide is twice what we see in the real world. So the evidence indicates the consensus range for climate sensitivity is incorrect. [OCS: Doubling down, with all of the observational and operational experience, it appears that the CIMP (Coupled Intercomparison Model Project ) models are not getting better.] We are just starting to see the first of the next generation of climate models, known as CMIP6. These will be the basis of the IPCC assessment report, and of climate and energy policy for the next 10 years. Unfortunately, as Figure 8 shows, they don’t seem to be getting any better. The observations are in blue on the left. The CMIP6 models, in pink, are also warming faster than the real world. They actually have a higher sensitivity than the CMIP5 models; in other words, they’re apparently getting worse! This is a big problem. [OCS: With the IPCC, it is clearly about the political narrative and if they have to distort the scientific method to advance their agenda, so be it. As with most progressive individuals and organizations, the end justifies the means, fair or foul. It is all about political perception and persuading the general public to accept their worldview of larger government, confiscatory taxes, and fewer personal freedoms that could severely impact their control over the populace.] Hiding the problem People have known about these problems with the models for a long time. In 2000, I was involved in a report sponsored by the US National Academy of Sciences that pointed out the mismatch between warming in the models and in real life. As we put it at the time: A more definitive reconciliation of modeling observed temperature changes awaits improvement of the models used to simulate the atmospheric response to the natural and human-induced forces. As you have seen already, this reconciliation has not yet occurred. The IPCC is well aware of the problem, but in the Fifth Assessment Report (2013) they avoided drawing attention to it. In my review comments on the report, I pointed out the mismatch and said that the claims the IPCC was making would not stand up to serious cross-examination. Of course, the IPCC review process is not cross-examination, and the lead authors, carefully selected so that the correct message is delivered, have the final say. In response to my objections, the IPCC inserted a new graph, but they buried it in the supplementary materials, which would be published long after the main report. [OCS: In the media and elsewhere, one might question the credentials and credibility of the report’s author – possibly labeling him a skeptic, contrarian, or even use that Holocaustic pejorative, “denier.”] About the author Dr. John R. Christy is the director of the Earth System Science Center, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science and Alabama State Climatologist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he has been employed for over 30 years. His responsibilities include managing a science center with over 80 employees, working on several research projects ranging from developing and launching space-based instruments to studying impacts of significant weather events in developing countries, to high-resolution studies of air pollution (air-chemistry and meteorology). His own research concerns developing, constructing and refining global and regional climate data records that can be used to test claims of climate variability and change and to understand the climate’s sensitivity to various forcing factors. This work has resulted in almost 100 peer-reviewed publications. For those wishing to read Dr. Christy’s paper, “THE TROPICAL SKIES: Falsifying climate alarm” in full and in context, it can be downloaded here.

Bottom line…

In politics, evil is as evil does. The progressive socialist democrats tend to project their behavior on the opposition and in conjunction with the mainstream media continually repeat their progressive manta and advance their agenda. Those that look outside and cry global warming appear to have short memories – perhaps as a symptom of not teaching history, logic, and common sense in the public school system. No, Virginia, that is not global warming – that is today’s seasonal weather. And, if you want a rather unbiased look at the past, merely read through some of the past Farmer’s Almanacs for perspective.

Truth be told, it has never been about climate, it has always been about raw and unlimited political power and the creation and maintenance of a perpetual ruling class.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

IF NOT NOW, WHEN WILL THE GOP STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR AMERICA?

What do these candidates have in common?

Yes, they are all socialists.

Yes, they all are social justice warriors engaged in the class struggle.

Yes, they all believe that the United States is deficient and needs to be fundamentally transformed.

Yes, they all hate President Donald Trump and Republican voters.

Yes, they all believe their experience qualifies them to lead this nation.

Yes, they all believe that you need to suffer to provide equality.

But that is not why they are all dangerous…

What makes them dangerous is that they all engage in “magical thinking.”

No matter how much they try, no rabbit will appear. 

That a one or two-page outline of bullet points constitutes a plan.

That they, and they alone, can provide the leadership necessary to bring about a fundamental transformation of America without consideration of the funding, consequences, and likely damage to the United States Constitution, the Rule of Law, the Civil Society, and our uniquely American culture.

That our enemies, especially the Islamo-Fascists, will respond to reason and change their ways if America is suitably regretful for past actions and is willing to share its material wealth.

That unlimited migration will collapse the system and replace capitalism with beneficial socialism, equality of outcomes, and convey eternal power to the Democrat Party.

And, worst of all, the end justifies the means, fair or foul, as we have seen with the Obama Administration.

Bottom line …

They look at President Trump and laughingly say “why not me?” even though they have not made any substantive contribution to society.

And, scary as it seems, they might actually win, given that a majority of Democrats view politics as a team sport – you win some and lose some, but nothing will really change. What is essential is to support your team through the hard times.

But as troubling as this may be, the GOP refuses to engage. Except for President Trump, nobody will challenge the media. Nobody will call a spade a spade. And, few will stand up and fight for America, Americans, freedom, and to preserve our inalienable rights. Some of these GOP miscreants would rather retire or blame their loss on a few random “Tweets” even though the majority of America is not glued to Twitter.

The election is upon us, and all I see is GOP finger-pointing. We have just experienced a silent coup, yet I see no indictments, grand juries, or prosecutions. It is as if they are afraid to take action lest they lose their cushy positions and profits.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

CORY BOOKER IS THE DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND A THREAT TO AMERICA

According to 2020 wannabe presidential candidate Cory “Spartacus” Booker, whatever climate justice might be, he is prepared to spend $3 TRILLION dollars of the taxpayer’s hard-earned money over ten years. But whatever “climate justice may mean, it is an absolute bargain when measured against the $17-TRILLION Bernie Sanders' and $30-TRILLION Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's proposals.

Of course, the real truth about Booker’s use of climate change to buy votes and promote the communist agenda is revealed in his so-called “plan.”  In order to make sense of “Climate Justice,” Booker immediately re-defines the issue as “Climate Change and Environmental Justice.”

A Summary of Booker’s plan …

Climate Change and Environmental Justice Our planet is in crisis. Climate change is not some distant threat — we’re witnessing many of its effects today. [OCS: Compared to past periods, there is nothing different about our climate, nor is their a “planetary emergency” outside of the deeply-flawed computer models and the minds of socialists/communists seeking to replace capitalism with socialism, reduce the military might of the United States, engage in de-growth and a reduction of our standard of living, engage in population control, and to siphon-off vast sums of money to promote their agenda elsewhere in the world. There is nobody alive that has experienced any climate cycle, and short-term weather is not the equivalent of long-term climatic change.] And the immediate burden of much of the pollution causing climate change is disproportionately borne by low-income communities and communities of color. [OCS: You can’t have it both ways, life-giving carbon dioxide which is beneficial to the planet cannot be redefined as a pollutant and the appeal to low-income and communities of color is nothing but blatant attempt to create victims and engage in Marxist class warfare. Perhaps it would have been better if Booker took steps to hold his own community to the norms which promote prosperity such as individual responsibility, advocating a return to the nuclear family, education, jobs, and above all – an attitude change.] As president, Cory will take immediate steps to combat climate change, and protect and defend all communities affected by pollution and environmental injustice: **  Rejoin the Paris Climate Accord. – this means and does absolutely nothing except provide an expensive vacation for delegates. The idea that China, India, Russia, and the developing nations will turn their back on their abundant natural resources and give up on the development of their respective economies is insane. **  Undo the damage the Trump Administration has done at the Environmental Protection Agency and hold polluters accountable. – As long as the EPA refuses to disclose the science behind its administrative rules and regulations and refuses to punish government polluters the same as industrial corporations, there is nothing to recommend its existence other than as a leftist-dominated unionized bureaucracy. **  Work to implement a Green New Deal. – What does this really mean? Another tens of trillions to be spent without appearing in Booker’s estimated $3 TRILLION plan? **  Put a moratorium on drilling on our public lands. – By all means, give up energy independence and funnel money to the Islamo-Fascists who will use those funds against us. **  Reauthorize and triple the Superfund tax on chemical and oil companies. – The government has mismanaged the Superfund and the money has been siphoned-off to special interests with political connections, so why triple the waste, fraud, and abuse that the Superfund represents? **  Increase fees on coal mine operators to pay for the cleanup of abandoned mines. – Some mines, especially those continuing to burn underground, are impossible to mitigate and spending money on this would be literally throwing money down a hole in the ground. **  Protect marginalized communities suffering from environmental injustices by increasing staffing at the EPA’s Environmental Justice Office and the External Civil Rights Enforcement Office. – Enough with the institutional racism and pandering. All communities are affected by gross pollution and poor air, water, and land quality. **  Step up efforts to defend communities of color, low-income communities, and indigenous communities by doubling staffing in all EPA enforcement offices. – Enough with the EPA. Making government bigger, raising taxes, and enlarging an ineffective agency is not the solution, but the problem. **  Safeguard the basic human right to safe drinking water. – Punish the polluters and hold the government accountable for their share of the pollution. **  End the plague on communities caused by lead paint. – After years of mitigation and effort, this problem persists. Possibly because of all of those government waivers given to developers and others. This is just another excuse to funnel money to special interests. **  Stop polluting companies from evading responsibility for environmental cleanups. – Perhaps if we ended political corruption and those lobbyist-driven bills, things would be better? **  Raise the standards for granting or renewing the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act Permits. – Just like carbon taxes, these are indulgences for those who are politically-connected. **  Ban fracking. – By all means, let us hand over money to our enemies. See what more money could do for Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and other corrupt oil-rich nations. **  Reinstate and expand the crude oil export ban. – Yes, let us cut our own throats and commit industrial suicide. **  Require consideration of climate change impacts in permitting decisions for any new fossil fuel infrastructure. – Yes, let an ill-defined force of nature control our development and destiny. **  Prohibit construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure when cost-competitive clean energy alternatives are available. – No sustainable clean energy is cost-competitive with the exception of hydroelectric energy (the progressives refuse to build new dams) and nuclear energy which the progressives continue to demonize on behalf of the old Soviet ban-the-nuke programs. **  End all federal subsidies for fossil fuel production. – Yes, let us subsidize green energy which is not reliable or cost-effective. <Source>

Bottom line…

Just asking... if a President Booker would appoint a black to head the EPA, would that be a conflict of interest?

THE ASSWIPE COULDN'T FIX NEW JERSEY AND NOW HE WANTS TO FIX AMERICA.

Cory Booker is delusional if he believes that you need to cripple America to make it better. He knows not of which he speaks and is a blatant racist that sees everything through the prism of victimhood and color.

Booker is not only unfit to be the president, but he is also unfit to be a Senator. Here is a man that would tank the economy and sacrifice the safety and security of America for his own ambition. 

We are so screwed.

-- steve