Thursday, March 10, 2016

SAR #16070


Abandoning fossil fuels will devastate our economy. Not doing so will devastate our world.
Inquiring Minds: There is this group called the US Financial Stability Council, which was formed in 2010 to help prevent another catastrophic collapse of the American financial system. They met with the President this week. Wonder why?
Creepy Federalism: Republican Twit Mike Lee of UT is blocking an emergency aid package worth $250 million for Flint, MI, because it is just welfare and they'll ask for more and more. Besides, it would lead to federal intervention in the state and local government's right to save a few bucks by poisoning the poor. And worst of all, this sort of thing could lead to the feds wanting to abolish slavery or grant equal rights to women and gays and, and, and.
There's An App For That: Many “health” apps share – for which read sell, trade, or use against you themselves, your medical information. Some also mess with your other software, burrow through your personal data and even turn on your smartphone camera and mike and ship the feed back to headquarters.
Look, Ma, No Hands: While their governor was running around trying to get someone to notice him over there at the far end of the debate stage, Ohio lost 112,000 jobs to TPP countries.
Taking It Easy: The military is flying spy drones over the US, but only for “non-military missions.” Posse comitatus anyone?
An Ounce of Prevarication: MI Gov. Rick Snyder, having poisoned most of the people in and around Flint in order to save a few bucks, is diverting $1.2 million of the taxpayer's money to hire attorneys to defend himself from criminal and civil charges.
Perspectives: Prescription painkillers now kill more Americans than illegal drugs do, nearly as many as alcohol does. Marijuana doesn't kill.
Speak Softly: The Fisa court has given the FBI permission to search the meta-data the NSA collects on Americans to see if they're doing anything silly like talking to ISIS recruiters. But it's not only “national security” - they can also “routinely” listen to conversations to determine if crimes unrelated to national security are involved. Gone fishing, indeed.
Trust, But Verify: If global interest rates on long term government bonds are to be believed, we are in for a decade or two of near-zero interest rates, which Mr. Market tells me implies near zero inflation. Or less.
Truth In Advertising: One thing that Trump's opponents cannot challenge is his claim that he's a big prick.
A Parting Shot:

4 comments:

McMike said...

Question about your theme re Hillary wining in the red states, and Sanders winning in the larger blue states: I get that this underscores that Sanders is more popular with the actual base, and more popular in meaningful locations, and electable. But isn't the fact that Hillary does better in right-of-center locations mean that she has a better chance than Sanders of winning a battleground purple state? After all, presumably either Sanders or Hilary will win the reliable blue states, so the key question is: who can win the purple states?

Reply to people who raise Sanders as a likely another betrayal/ disappointment to the left, a la Obama (or even that Sanders is a deliberate stalking horse/safety valve for discontent on the left): you are missing the point. The point is that with each election, the discontent on the left grows and becomes more tangible, and the fact that so-called liberal anti-neoliberal values are actually mainstream values becomes more undeniable. Regardless of what happens with Sanders, people in the DLC must take notice. Or they will eventually find themselves facing their own Trump-style insurgency, and wondering what to do with all these angry party members who refuse to sit down and shut up and vote the ticket.

AlanSmithee said...

Or they will eventually find themselves facing their own Trump-style insurgency, and wondering what to do with all these angry party members who refuse to sit down and shut up and vote the ticket.

It's probably futile to reiterate, but what the heck.

No one, abso-tootly-ootley NO ONE is allowed to run for president in our two beloved parties without first being vetted by our political masters and betters. Not Trump. Not Hillary. Not Bernie. Not Cruz. Not anyone All other candidates are barred from state ballots though increasingly insane ballot access laws.

As George Carlin once said - "There's only one Party, and you're not invited."

McMike said...

re Jim. I am as willing to think the worst as the next guy, but I am pretty sure that the GOP leadership's shock, fear, and loathing over Trump's rise is genuine.

Gegner said...

J. Dandy, correct in spirit. Nobody's gonna become president winning the only state they pull nomination papers in and the average joe can't afford to mount a national campaign out-of-pocket so, yeah, the party 'sniff-test' and a signed compliance pact (a promise to support the 'party platform' regardless of what's in it.) Which is to say jusrt about every presidential election draws 200+ candidates, many that only show up in their home states.

Headline Du Juor: There is probably more fossil fuel than we're lead to believe there is but should we burn it? Obviously not. We must develop alternative energy (and make it free because you're right, our whacko economy has to shift to a 'sustainable one', the for profit model is unsustainable.

Free energy, communications, housing and (mass) transportation.