Thursday, November 5, 2015

SAR #15308


What we view as a failed state may be neither a state nor a failure.
Reality Bites: “Stabilizing or reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere is a distant prospect, so the world must continue to adapt to a changing climate.” In other words, you're sunk, so suck it up. Until you can't, of course.
Once More Without Feeling: Sure there's a new budgetary framework in place. And the Rs have a new Speaker of the House. Things should go smoothly for a while. Should. But that new Speaker says “This is the legislative branch and the power of the purse rests within the legislative branch and we fully expect that we are going to exercise that power.” House right wingers won't like funding Planned Parenthood in December any more than they did in September. And the Tea Party people think they should get their way – and they are inclined to shut down the government to get it.
Questions: “Can we get the long-term unemployed back to work?” Perhaps the better question is “should we?” Do we really need all these people working, or do we just need them as customers?
Fudged: Since 2000, China has been understating the enormity of its coal-burning and resultant CO2 emissions by 17% - that's a billion more tons of CO2 driving global warming, as much as Germany's annual output. Now imagine how hot it will get once China's per-capita emission get to US levels, which economists say is inevitable. Well, if industrial society lasts long enough.
Market Saturation: VW's emissions crimes now have spread not only to some of its gasoline engines, but to Audi and Porsche vehicles. Germany, for one, no longer trusts VW to accurately report their remedial actions and will be retesting VW cars.
Juggernaut: In addition to jailing reporters and editors who wrote bad things about him and resuming his war against Kurds in southern Turkey and Iraq, Turkish president, Recep Erdoğan has resumed his assault on the nation's constitution, which he want's changed to make his theoretically figurehead position into an executive presidency with dictatorial powers.
Active Imagination: School authorities in Cincinnati have suspended a first grade kid for three days for pretending to shoot an arrow from an imaginary bow, because... well, just because. If he'd just pointed his finger and said, "Bang!" he'd have been protected by the second amendment.Without A Prayer: Only 63% of Americans are 'absolutely certain' that there is a God, and less than half of those 19 to 25 are “certain”.
Asked & Unanswered: Why are there tax havens and why do we let our companies use them when we have to pay the taxes they dodge? a) Because they've got all the money. b) Because they own all the politicians. c) all of the above.
Porn O'Graph: The best of all possible worlds.

5 comments:

Gegner said...

Perhaps it is clarity that is lacking, the criminals have obviously taken over the mechanism established to protect (society as a whole) from those who would put their own self interests ahead of such concepts as 'the greater good'.

Living under such an environment (where organized crime has co-opted the machinery arrayed against it, now felons wear badges and walk the corridors of power) the 'general population' is curiously ignorant of why government exists in the first place.

Funny (odd, but in a clever way) how the criminals demonize government by turning it into the culprit (Justice repeatedly denied...thanks to corrupt government officials) when government exists to enforce 'justice'...not monopolies.

We need to 'purge' but the mechanism doesn't exist...or the people in charge of the mechanism WON'T use it because they're dirty.

The Law needs to stand alone, altered ONLY by those (meaning everyone, not their alleged 'representatives', an idea proven ineffective after two centuries everywhere it has been tried) who must live under them.

Then they need to be enforced.

Can't drain the swamp without a plan, sadly purging is the only way we can lead our species to sustainability, the self-interested use inequity to their advantage.

But I preach to the choir..

Anonymous said...

When a mega-church takes hold of an area, economic reality makes doubt expensive. This is also true of those churches like Mormans, Catholic, where a bit of coaching from the church on rigging the game is part of standard practice.

Take down the for sale sign, she's long gone, lock, stock and Bubba. https://youtu.be/Rpm4rjejFgQ?t=723

Charles Kingsley Michaelson, III said...

George - Don't knock preaching to the choir; I do it every day and rather enjoy it.

McMike said...

re not a failure. Exactly. I tend to assume that people with money, power, and resources, but not so much scruples, are doing things on purpose - we just need to understand what the actual purpose is. I give them the benefit of the doubt; that more often than not, things are generally happening more or less exactly as they hope.

Re chart: whenever I see an economic chart, I like to have a bit of fun and find the Reagan administration on it.

Gegner said...

And I sincerely appreciate your cratsmanship! You're my 'anchor', without your feedback I'd often question my own judgement. Your observations confirm mine.