Things feel unsettled these days, partly because of chop in the prosecutorial waters surrounding the actions of former president Trump, partly because of changes in the U.S. economy, partly because of turmoil brought by climate change, and partly because of what appears to be the instability of a global realignment. This realignment has been forced by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the global effort to stand against that aggression.
The "turmoil brought by climate change" is in its infancy. Yet the public at large seems largely tuned out. It's just a terribly hot summer, many believe, and not for much longer. In fact, scientific evidence increasingly shows the planet is approaching a tipping point, where dire changes will intensify and accelerate with devastating consequences — consequences that will be irreversible in the lifetimes of everyone alive today and generations to come.
On top of this, a Paul Krugman in today's NYT says "Climate Change is Now a Culture War Issue."
Krugman cites a NYT article describing a Heritage Foundation plan to dismantle nearly every existing program that tries to address climate change and, on top of that, to boost programs that increase the burning of fossil fuels. The Foundation expects any future Republican administration to adopt the plan. Republicans are, indeed, killing us. As fast as they can, already, and they intend to step up the pace.
Ironically (or maybe not) I was recently in Paris. I had dinner with my cousin and we hadn’t seen each other for 5 years, so lots of catching up to do. In the course of the conversation, I told her that my car is 23 years old, runs on gasoline. She told me that, in France, no car may be older than 5 years and must be either all electric or a hybrid.
Europe is taking climate change seriously and attempting to wean automobile owners from fossil fuels. The Republicans with Project 2025, are going to kill all of us, themselves included.
I drive mine nearly every day. I was driving it today, in fact, and thinking that I will keep driving it until it goes wheels up because it's just fun to drive and I genuinely enjoy driving it. I've had it so long, I can't imagine driving anything else.
Mine is 42 years old, a beloved VW crewcab, that I’m currently having converted to electric. Less than the cost of a new truck, and it should last another 40 years.
I find it very hard to believe that France forbids older cars—that would rule the 2CV off the roads! But also note that keeping an older gas-powered automobile that runs well is likely better for the environment than replacing it with an electric, because of the environmental costs of building the new one.
"Break-Even Point in Emissions: According to the graph below, an electric car and electric truck would need to drive 21,300 miles and 17,500 miles respectively to reach the break-even points with their gas counterparts."
Lots of rental bikes and scooters available... First time an electrical car was trialled, a lady pedestrian was knocked down because she couldn't hear it coming.
There are quite a few EVs where I live (large condo complex) and I've noticed that the newer ones now have something installed that makes some noise when driven slowly in the neighborhood. Still may not be sufficient for anyone with some hearing deficit, though.
Loved this article! In 1963, I arrived in France and was picked up at the train station in Aix-en-Provence with a Deux Chevaux. When I got into the "back seat", the rubber webbing seat (similar to an old tired beach chair) sagged until my 98 lb. weight hit the floor. In Summer 1964, my friend's father leased a Deux Chevaux for us for a couple of months. We drove to Switzerland, decided it was too expensive so headed back downhill to southern France. Downhill was the key - the only time we hit maybe 60 km/hr.
Several months ago, the same friend and I were traveling in Italy. In Minori, we spotted a "well-used" vehicle which looked sort of like a Deux Chevaux but was a bit larger, boxier, no roll-up desk roof, and different side windows. I posted a photo on FB and learned it was the Deux Chevaux 6 (1968-1986). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_6
But I think you're mixing up Deux Chevaux, which is a type of Citroen--which back then also made the DS (a pun on the French word for goddess), the car that Charles De Gaulle rode in--with a Renault, which is also French, but at least back then, was an unrelated brand. That mixup wouldn't be surprising since both the Deux Chevaux and the Renault 6 are low end cars.
Back in the '60s, the Deux Chevaux had tiny engines and were really slow--as yours was. They eventually put bigger engines--still pretty small, and still without much power, but a lot more than what you drove around in. The Deuches generally got a bit more sophisticated, even with hints of luxury over the years. There's a Citroen Rendezvous every summer in Saratoga Springs NY, with loads of Deuches from all over, as well as other Citroens.
Marla, France has abundant electricity, so it can afford to insist on electric cars.
France gets most of this electricity from nuclear power.
French nuclear power depends on uranium, and a fair amount of that comes from debt-enslaved Niger, which is being kept dirt poor by France and the International Monetary Fund.
Ironically, in the process, they’re killing themselves as well. Nobody will be exempt from the fallout they’ve generated. This is a case of mass murder-suicide: basically, world extinction!
Yes, they think their money will save them. It won't from climate change because their trophy houses can also be destroyed by weather events or rising sea level.
Absolutely. Despite the hyperbole of the script, it was clear to me that a feedback loop as depicted in the 2004 film could become reality. In fact, we are now seeing that happen with concerns about the possible collapse of the Gulf Stream (as depicted in the movie).
Billionaires are not so common, but there is an attitude that often goes with it, and they pay politicians to work their will:
"The economic anthropologist Richard Wilk, a distinguished professor at Indiana University in the US, said: 'Of course, if you add every superyacht together, it’s just a blip on total greenhouse gas production. But it is symbolic – and the global impact of the 2,000-odd billionaires on the planet are very significant. So it’s part of a pattern of overconsumption by the upper crust.'
In research with his colleague Beatriz Barros, he found that the average billionaire had a carbon footprint thousands of times that of the average person. The global average footprint of CO2 emitted per person is just under five tonnes, while they estimated that Roman Abramovich – the top polluter according to their list – was responsible for about 33,859 tonnes of carbon emitted in 2018. More than two-thirds of that was the product of his yacht, the 162.5-metre Eclipse."
Rs are the party of death. Here in Oregon we have an ironic situation. Rs have killed, mainly by walking out, every attempt to deal with climate change at the legislative level. In Hood River Valley, lots of people grow cherries. Now they have had three bad years in a row and they are blaming it on....get ready....climate change. One of their legislators (R of course) has asked the governor for help. The R motto: Stand in the way. Be first in line for government help. Here in Salem. No rain since May. Next week will be in the 90s, maybe reaching 100.
Holy sh!t! Unbelievable! Awful. I lived in Seattle as a young child, and I have visited a couple of times a decade since. I can never remember feeling uncomfortably hot or even uncomfortably warm there.
I have lived in Oregon since 1968. For many years, it was mainly comfortable. Our air conditioning, a heat pump, solar powered, has been running nonstop. When it is somewhat cool in the am, the humidity is awful. My husband picked the pears yesterday (about three weeks earlier than they used to be) and I picked eggplants mainly. Then we called it a day outside. Today I will do some harvesting and hopefully weeding....as we water, water, water.
that is effin scary! Right now, outside of Boston, it's been pouring for several hours. I think it may be letting up. But this is minor, relative to normal, compared to what you're describing. (Of course the day isn't over.)
Rose, this is similar to the Covid response. After the vaccines became available, there were many more excess deaths in counties that voted for TFG in 2020.
It's not just republicans and it's not just fossil fuels. Look at the amount of energy required to electrify our cars and homes. Yes that electricity is generated by fossil fuels but also solar panels and wind farms that have limited life expectancy. Then they become landfill. Not to mention the strip mining for rare minerals to make the batteries to store the energy. Not to mention the nuclear fuel that lives for eternity. Then there is all the 'unrecylable 'waste that we have purchased to make ourselves more comfortable or more fashionable. Add to that the ridiculous amount of energy required to mine unnecessary digital currency. And the cycle goes on.
We have 'consumered' ourselves into this mess and we are paying the price. What breaks my heart are all those people in 'poor' countries who are paying more of a price...even though they have not created this mess. Not to mention what we are leaving our children and grandchildren. I fear the tipping point is past, and what do we have to show for it.
I was having this same discussion with a family member who is against wind energy and thinks more emphasis should be on ‘cleaner coal.’ Every effort I try, such as switching to all glass food storage containers years ago, using reusable silicone bags, washable cloth grocery bags, researching the sourcing of all my clothing and buying natural threads or used clothing, walking more, etc etc etc. it cannot keep up in any way with the insanity of packaging and plastic and toxic chemicals in almost everything.
We are killing ourselves slowly. Way to go hominids with the bigger brains and opposable thumbs.
LH, you are doing exactly the right thing with your efforts to conserve & recycle, no matter your fears of limited impact. We ALL need to follow your lead in constantly and repeatedly seeking ways to change our own habits and preferences with a clear eye on their effects on the climate. Like voting, our own habits and preferences are, after all, the only things we can control directly and immediately.
Too many people. Too many people who think there is a planet B? Too many people who don't care about future generations of humans? Too many people who can't understand what the death of coral reefs means?
Just too many selfish idiots?
One thing is for sure. There are too many oligarchs and oiligarches who are pulling the strings of government.
Yes! Selfishness became a virtue. Christian doctrine (meaning the teachings of Jesus) became perverted into the Prosperity Gospel. Oligarchs are worshipped for their wealth and power. Ignorance became the excuse for not caring about anything but one’s own immediate desires.
Perverted beyond recognition! It's also somewhat contrary to human nature. One of the things that gives us the most satisfaction is helping others. The Prosperity Gospel is the gospel of stepping on others to get ahead. (And everything that you said, Carol C.)
Your argument, Rolyac, in your first paragraph leads to defeatism. Why bother trying in other words? Because solar panels and wind farms have limited life expectancy and will end up in landfills, they aren’t worth using as opposed to fossil fuels that we know are destroying our planet? We shouldn’t bother to phase out cars run by gas because batteries for electric cars cause strip mining for those rare minerals needed for electric cars? It’s essential for us to recognize that there is ongoing research to find alternative ways of making more eco-friendly batteries, ways to improve the life expectancy of solar panels and wind farms, to create alternative safe means of disposing nuclear fuels, ways to break down the plastics in our environment so they can be safely dissolved. Scientists involved in studying energy are coming up with extraordinary ways of countering the destruction we have done and discovering new means of conserving what we have before it is all gone. We are presently in transition and need to make the necessary steps toward stopping the serious damage by eliminating what we know are the worst things we have done and trying to do what makes the most sense now to halt the destruction of our planet. I totally agree with the first part of your second paragraph. It breaks my heart also. But I do not believe the tipping point is past. We may be close to it, but we cannot give up. Being cynical about the various initiatives that mitigate pollution is counterproductive. We owe it to the next generations to continue to take a solemn look at what we have done to our planet and to try like hell to save it.
But we don’t have to change our ways in the slightest if we have adopted the belief that any change will have equal positive and negative consequences.
The crazy is the 'decluttering' community is huge. As people are aging they find they are drowning in seas of stuff that needs to be culled. Most of this collected junk ends up in land fills. As a lady that leans toward living a minimalist lifestyle I started a biz last winter coaching people through the declutter process.
Living south of Boston MA area I was never so happy to see the Christmas Tree Shops close down, a store filled with imported junk that no one needs. Disposable clothing is a joke. I read we are not supposed to be throwing clothes in the landfill now. I do not fully understand this- or anything actually.
I shake my head when I walk through pricey neighborhoods and see garages filled with junk poring into the driveway and the $100k sitting on the street.
As one who is in the midst of that 'decluttering', I find I can recycle a lot. From packaging to clothing to old kitchen equipment, they can all be recycled/reused. We have a recycling bin at the middle school for clean, used fabrics; old usable stuff goes to the 'take it or leave it' days at the DPW. We had a Christmas Tree shop nearby, but no real reason to shop there.
I'm in the midst of "de-cluttering" as well. My brother and I are now living in the "old home place" of my parents where we grew up, and trying to get shed of "stuff" that both he and I have respectively accumulated is a slow laborious process. When one lives in a too-small house for 67 years, one does tend to end up with a lot of "detritus". My brother and I are, as we have been all our lives, about as different as night and day. He has always been of the "just chuck it out" school, whereas I am more of a "try to re-cycle" sort. Living so long in Europe, I simply got used to re-cycling basically EVERYTHING, and they do make it fairly easy to do. Here, I find it more of a challenge, but I'm managing. I now have drug my brother kicking and screaming into re-cycling paper, plastic, glass, cardboard, etc. I've managed to dispose of all my late mom's clothing and accessories, along with a couple hundred books (re-cycled and donated). Still to go are things like jewelry, some furniture, a doll collection, kitchen stuff, textiles, and lots of knick-knacks/tchotchkes, etc. but occasionally holding on to very few choice sentimental things I can't (yet) part with. I find that over time one does become a bit less attached to some things. I continue to donate to local charities and businesses (I avoid Goodwill like the plague!) when I can. It's possible to re-cycle, but I sure wish it were easier!
We live in a diverse neighborhood which is not rich. However, most of the people have their cars parked in the driveway because their garages are full of stuff. We do love books, so have a lot of those and actually have put some out in the driveway for people to take. Can't do that right now because we have a huge sewer, sidewalk, bike lane project going on out front. Now is the season of garage and yard sales with the occasional estate sale thrown in (different clientele usually for those) and so a lot of stuff gets recycled. On our way down to the Saturday Market, we see people lining up to to get into a Goodwill that just puts goods out on tables. Some people are very good at this and I have one ex-student and her wife who make an income by selling on E-Bay. They specialize, so know what they are doing. One of my relatives by marriage wanted to take me "binning" and I, of course, declined. I wouldn't know something good from just something and I am not about to fight someone for whatever.
I've found freecycle.org to be a good way to pass on stuff that's still usable but I no longer need. Register, post description plus one or two photos, and wait for responses.
It’s not just the Republicans or Project 2025,for heaven’s sake! It’s the frantic frenzied hyper consuming society we have developed, thanks in great part to unbridled capitalism and emphasis on”freedom” to do whatever we want, regardless of what might be better, or safer or more prudent for our families and our communities and our society. The concept of “the common good” was thrown out the window years ago and lies smashed on the pavement below, and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men.......
Too many of us don't realize we're hopelessly like the gulls in "Finding Nemo" who fly around all day yelling"Mine! Mine! Mine!" Rampant consumerism is the American Dream gone wild. I modestly suggest doing something different from our usual routines each and every day, something that shows mindfulness of the climate for the rest of our lives, for the planet, and for all living things on it, for hope for our future generations. Reduce, re-use, recycle, turn off lights, drive less, want less. Aren't we all responsible for this mess we're in? (The shirt I'm wearing this morning is 40 years old.)
No human activity is without consequence. So people have to do the best they can. I agree that we are past the tipping point. We are in the 80 range and no children, so we live pretty simply and don't travel or go often beyond the city limits. We have a half acre lot where I have a large garden and yes, it requires water...now constantly since we haven't seen any rain for a while. We also try to support local farmers and businesses and go to the Saturday Market faithfully. It's in the middle of the state government complex next to busy streets and always, we have a bunch of loud motorcycles or cars go by so we can enjoy some noise pollution. Now I understand we also have a local fundamentalist church accosting people in one of the parking lots. We come in from the other side, so have not yet encountered them. Some of the local truly far lefts have noticed them and informed a city councilor as they are on government property although I think it is the state.
Solar photovoltaics are the least expensive source of electricity, and wind right behind them. I wouldn't worry about the environmental impact of solar electricity and wind--even after we've electrified all our homes and cars. But we need to reduce the US population and the world population. Both are very overpopulated. Roughly half the habitable land in the world is used for agriculture.
It's mind-blowing that so many organizations have flamboyant names, like 'heritage foundation', and in fact they are destroying what could be some heritage to their children. Sometimes I wonder if the members of those foundations have children? ''We don't inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."
My question is this – Are people so stupid or gullible in this country they can’t read the hand writing on the wall. They are like the anti-vaxers who believe the dribble crap coming out of the mouths of the politicians. This is not a culture problem – it hurts too much to think we are at the end. This precious fragile planet we live on is doomed similar to the days of the dinosaurs. There will come a time, as even now, where fresh water will be miniscule……what will the billionaires do then? Build rockets to go to Mars?
I often despair in reading the comments on climate change articles in my local paper. I wonder how people can be so uninformed and yes, stupid. We are in the midst of yet another miserable summer in Texas, and yet they continue to insist there is nothing to be done, and that we, the people, are not the cause. Maddening!
Whether or not "WE" caused climate change, "WE" as individuals can certainly do something about not adding to it; do so many "somethings" that they add up to real change from the grass roots on up the food chain.
Linda, as above, while we may not be able to change or harness the billionaires, we can certainly begin by changing our own preferences, choices and actions, each one doing what they CAN do.
Just had a long argument with such an anti vaxxer on this blog who when he finally ran out of any leg to stand on called me a child abuser because I defended public health measures.
It's it any surprise that the party harboring the screwballs trying to bring about the rapture would take steps to limit humanity? Humans really are a blight on the earth, the way we're treating it. Their answer will also solve the problem, but will leave us all uninvited to the party and turn the whole affair over to the roaches and crafty bacteria.
Basically, the crazy right wingers have become anti- civilization. Primitive, greedy, selfish, and violent. No reasonable planning. No cooperation, and a very destructive attitude towards the truth.
This effort goes far beyond killing climate change initiatives. NYT provides some detail. Call it the resurrection of "Schedule F" . Thing is, this won't just be in waiting for 2024, but a key organizational effort within the GOP for the indefinite future?
Thanks for the link. I had not heard of "Schedule F"; now it sounds simply terrifying. That so much money can be spent building a list of wrong-headed replacements for government staffers is apalling. It's not surprising that Larry Ellison (3rd richest man in the world) would be building a database for them: his ambition to be the database owner of the world makes him one of the biggest supporters of Big Brother.
Republicans are killing us in more ways that "just climate change" (I hate that politically correct term, we should be using global warming). Where will we be if trumps wins the presidency?
Yes, that’s true. There are many problems that must be solved, and Republicans are on the wrong side of all of them. But if we don’t stop burning fossil fuels, it won’t matter what else we do. (PS. I agree with your preference on terminology. Global warming is the root problem. Climate change is a symptom.)
Problem is, Michael, wealth rules all. As Al Gore put it, the wealthy industrialists have considered the worsening climate as "An Inconvenient Truth". Good grief, it would have cut into their accumulation of wealth, can't have that can we. And, yes, our own Government betrayed us. I'll admit it has been mostly Republicans, but until Biden, neither of the two Democratically led governments did diddly squat either.
Part of the problem is when the scientific community first addressed it in the early 1970's their early warnings were in terms of hundred or so years in the future. I was a science major so we had class discussions, agreed this could be catastrophic. It wasn't until the mid 80's that new data showed a tighter timeline.
Dr. Frank C. Baxter: "Even now, man may be unwittingly changing the worlds climate through the waste products of his civilization. Due to our release through factories and automobiles every year of more than 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which helps air absorb heat from the sun, our atmosphere seems to be getting warmer."
Richard Carlson: "This is bad?"
Dr. Frank C. Baxter: "Well, it's been calculated a few degrees rise in the earths temperature would melt the polar ice caps. And if this happens, an inland sea would fill a good portion of the Mississippi valley. Tourists in glass bottom boats would be viewing the drowned towers of Miami through 150 feet of tropical water. For in weather, were not only dealing with forces of a far greater variety than even the atomic physicist encounters, but with life itself."
Tricky Dick started the EPA, appointed Ruckelshaus, and proposed a search for alternatives to internal combustion engines. Carter prioritized conservation and alternative energy. There is no way to tell, but I wonder where we might be today had we laughed at corporatism and pursued that path?
We might have trolleys in cities and trains in the countryside. We might have more better food that isn’t making most of us overweight (see UCLA Health Bulletin: Fat is a Disease.”) Most of all we might not be looking at Covid.
Since then, the once "pessimistic" forecasters among the IPCC have proved to be embarrassing/ distressingly right, since until last few rounds IPCC had tried to reign in the most dire predictions. On a planet wide basis, modern civilizations are still adding to the problem on a "net basis". Waterworld may not be such a complete fantasy after all!
My physicist husband thinks scientists will be blamed for not warning us emphatically enough. People don’t realize that scientists don’t usually express complete certainty about almost anything, let alone scream and shout “the sky is falling.” People expect to be screamed at to get their attention.
Yesterday, for example, I cranked my car and drove to my nice local grocery store with a list of items to buy that I needed to make food for me to stay alive. Now, the entire time that I was driving I, not Republicans, was killing myself, you and any mammal that requires a narrow bandwidth of temperature to survive.
The day before? I cranked my car and drove the 45 minutes to my small farm where I have a nearly infinite amount of work to do. While at the farm, I cranked a small tractor that I needed to drag some dead ash trees, from the Emerald Ash Borer, out of my woods.
So, The day before yesterday I drove 45 minutes TWO ways and ran a small diesel tractor for 2/3 of a day.
Michael. I am killing you. You are killing me. Especially in America where everyone has AT LEAST one car, we are all killing each other.
Republicans are NOT stopping us from doing something different. WE are.
WE have built a system of survival that is based on fossil fuel. That will not go away soon and it is not the evil oil companies that are to blame, or the evil Republicans.
You’re right, we’re all part of it, but the Republicans are definitely pouring more oil on the fire - literally, and as much and as fast as they can. Their reasoning: grab what you can, get obscenely rich, and when society collapses because of the climate derailing, you can hole yourself up in your big fortress and make a grab for power, pretending to be the big strong man who will “save” the people, but simultaneously leaving the “mudsills” to die out there. There is no end to their greed and egoism.
"Republicans are definitely pouring more oil on the fire - literally, and as much and as fast as they can. "
As with Trump, the problem here is not Trump, or Republicans or Oil Companies.
It is the (vast majority of) American people whose critical analysis skills are among the lowest in the world due to too many generations of EZ street lives (for white people anyway).
As long as the American people cannot think their way out of a wet paper sack on a hot summer day, we will decline and the world will get hotter.
Nobody would be able to fool anyone in Greece, where, climate change is routinely referred to and more people walk now, there are windmills on every hill and solar panels everywhere and, they NEVER had a 10 ton Ford Pickup Truck to drive back and forth to a giant, energy sucking, drive through, car wash.
Americans and their inability to do even minimal critical analysis are the root cause of Trump, Reagan, the invasion of Iraq, and now, global warming.
Mike, as with your posts above, I fear the issue is less with the greedy Repubs and billionaires but first with those of us who know, or purport to know, the effects of what we are doing, yet continue doing it, cranking our Internal Combustion cars up to go to the grocery, go to work, got to a friend's house, fly on a plane for a vacation or worse to go play in IC boats, cars, motorcycles or IC RVs in the wilds. What has prevented you from replacing your vehicles with EVs or at least plug-in hybrids? Each of us must act on what we know, not just what's easy, pleasant or habitual.
1) All but one of the power plants in this part of NY use natural gas to make power. One tiny plant is a nuke. So, if I use an EV, I am still pumping CO2 into the atmosphere and I am not sure it is less than my little Ford Focus which gets 39 mpg.
2) The battery is made from a bunch of elements that are currently sourced in horribly non-environmental ways by slave labor and then shipped around the world in gigantic ships that produce more fossil fuel exhaust as CO and CO2 in 5 minutes than I will produce in my whole life.
So put your money where your mouth is, move to your farm, and either by an electric car, start riding your bicycle or start using public transportation. (RAV4’s look like the way to go, as much as I would like to buy American, Ford made the dumb decision to not make their current Eclipse PHEV AWD, and I have a long driveway that collects snow...we don’t have one yet, a cancer diagnosis depleted our fund of ready cash, but we are back on track, hopefully this fall.
Buy a team of (cute draft ponies of your choice - I have Haflingers) and sell your diesel tractor. America did not get where it is today by people failing to think about and act in their own long term self interests. I mean that both in terms of all those long sighted, hard headed farmers deciding to make a living in the wilderness - the ones who really built this country, and also those short sighted fossil fuel execs who think if they have enough money, climate change won’t touch them. It not what other people should do, it’s what you can do, right now, isn’t it?
"It not what other people should do, it’s what you can do, right"
Correct. No doubt. And yes, I oughta move to my farm, but, my wife is from the inner city of a mid sized American city and, well, she is not in on that yet.
Oh sorry to be cranky again, Mike! I had a long term boyfriend from the wilds of Rutgers, but it didn’t work out. He was willing to play in the country, but he really didn’t want to live there. Keep your lady happy. But keep showing her cute creatures and whatnot. Maybe she will decide she wants to raise miniature peacocks, or become a perfumer from wild crafted materials, or something!
There is plenty of blame to go around, not limited to ourselves as individuals. It will take much more than our individual efforts to fight global boiling. But we as individuals can, I hope, move the needle toward massive efforts on the part of towns, cities, governments, and corporations.
I agree. All of us are culpable to varying degrees. But government leaders absolutely must take strong and even radical steps to keep US from destroying ourselves. The people aren't going to do it organically, and there's not enough time.
It's Republicans who are blocking needed steps, which are actually baby step considering the scope of the threat.
This morning's interview on NPR between Steve Inskeep and Mandy Gunsekara, the least likely rep for the EPA (from TFG's administration) showed just how incredibly dumb and absurd the whole Heritage Foundation program against the EPA and the Biden program to slow down climate change really is. When pressed multiple times--and even when pressed via email, Ms Mandy and the HF were completely unable to name A SINGLE SCIENTIST WHOSE PUBLISHED RESEARCH IN A REPUTABLE LOCUS OF PUBLICATION who was used as the basis for their idiotic conclusions. Indeed, she was unable to name a single scientist--good or bad--at all. The HF fell back on "we consulted lots of scientists" nonsense (not a single name). It would have been embarrassing for her had she had any sense of ethics or morality. https://www.npr.org/2023/08/08/1192634090/if-republicans-win-the-white-house-in-2024-climate-policy-will-likely-change
So here's the problem with issues like climate change. When things are bad, like this past year's insane weather, people run around in circles and scream that the sky is falling and that "someone" should do "something" about it--but they don't want to be inconvenienced in any way in the process. When things get better, such as EPA and the Clean Air and Water acts' success that actually dramatically improved the day-to-day conditions in cities especially for wealthier white people (until SCOTUS decided to gut both of them and places like Flint and parts of Mississippi could be swept under the rug because rich white people don't live there), then those who don't want to be inconvenienced claim that there is nothing wrong and they should not be expected to do anything. One thing that happened in the 1970s: the decision to change from leaded to unleaded petroleum fuels. Lead levels in the air and the most pervasively toxic kinds of smog almost instantly disappeared. But no one seems to remember that.
In the EU, they are taking this seriously. In the UK they are fighting about similar regulations for the dense region in and around London. The mayor wants to raise the commuter tax on cars that don't meet current emission standards, but is offering £2000 to drivers who need to get newer cars. The Tories are using this as a talking point to get rid of the Labour mayor. They are actually succeeding. And why? Because they are ignoring how their own policies are gutting the economic stability of the middle class and focusing on how inconvenient having to get a new car is going to be. And people are stupid.
It has become more and more clear that voting for ANY Republican at ANY level of government is tantamount to committing suicide. Their determination to impede or roll back every effort to mitigate climate change WILL kill us all if we let them get the power to do it.🤬
How history is altered by megalomaniacs whose self-centered desires cause mayhem. Think Putin, Hitler, and all the leaders who were not satisfied with what they have and wanted what others have. Where would Russia be had Putin decided to maintain relationship with the West? Everyone would be far better off. Same with China's obsession with Taiwan. One might think that doing mutually beneficial trading would keep the world at peace. One does not to go to war with their trading partner. Am I a dreamer?:-)
Describing global warming as a culture war is like saying the fundamental principles of thermodynamics depends on one's attitude. NO! Empty your radiator fluid and your engine melts regardless of your culture. We overheat the planet when it accumulates energy faster (power) than the planet rejects it. We've known this for 150 years but to build the necessary global thermal control system costs money! We need a way to make it pay for itself!
The culture war aspect was called out by Paul Krugman’s latest editorial. Liberals (libtards, libruls) want to “force” you to accept “woke” induction cooking, but real men cook with gas. (Never mind that many professional chefs use induction in their homes for its responsiveness equal to gas, and easy cleanup.) That climate has become a culture war worries Krugman and others, greatly. If it was purely an economic issue, renewables would win out over fossil fuels.
If we don't find a way to achieve thermal equilibrium at a habitable temperature we die. We build engines, computers and the International Space Station with thermal control systems, why not build one for the planet? Switching to electricity is picking the pepper out of the fly shit (The act of being nit-picky to a ridiculous degree. )
In his book "the Treeline," author Ben Rawlence suggests on page 265 that the 2 degree C rise in temperature is "committed," his term, i.e., in the pipeline. I don't expect to be alive in another decade, so thankfully I will miss the near-inevitable catastrophic changes (my assessment) on their way.
I just came across several articles referencing the huge heat increases in the normally very hot Iran. I've little doubt that this applies in varying degrees across the countries in the Middle East (and then there's the decreasing availability of water).
It's terrifying. Thanks for sharing. We can easily see what happens if this is the new normal: death from heat exposure and lack of water, starvation, and mass migration that strains resources elsewhere.
And this: Biden Interview by Weather Channel on the Climate aired just today!
Scientists Say Extreme Temperatures Are Killing Five Million People a Year and Climate Change is Speeding Toward Catastrophe.
The Full Interview Will Air on The Weather Channel Television Network Starting Wednesday, August 9th at 6:00 a.m. EDT
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Byron Allen's Allen Media Group proudly announces that today, in an historic interview, President Biden, sat down exclusively with The Weather Channel to discuss climate change and climate policy.
President Biden has said that climate change is the "number one issue facing humanity" and that combatting climate change is a core tenet of his presidency. As Americans face increasingly extreme weather events, The Weather Channel is aggressively leading the climate discussion to effectuate positive change.
Thanks for this. Biden gets it but can only do so much in a divided government, much of it controlled by the fossil fuel industry. That's the sad reality where we find ourselves. We can begin to change this in 2024.
Solid win in Ohio. Lots of effort by lots of folk to grow the good. Gaining momentum. We need a decisive Blue win in 2024 to make the changes for good that the world is desperate for!
This is an amazing and timely essay. Everyone is so focused on Trump and his lawyers but there are larger issues at stake. Yet that I have to mention Trump is the internal invasion of democracy by the GOP. Biden has done everything except solve or address the PTSD and Trauma of the previous administration and he must start addressing this in the argument that all democrats must make in unison that enough is enough!
I can hear chump now, because he says it with every breath. “They’re coming after you, I’m just in the way.” It all just a political witch hunt, blah, blah, blah. Any blow back from Biden would just be seen as political noise. It needs to be somebody else with the power of Rupert’s megaphone. It may be too late since all repubs have signed on to destroy us. If he gets back in, guess who will be Putin’s lap dog.
Jeri, the condition of our Republican Party did not happen overnight. But it is in my opinion, the Obama administration and the care for all American people that opened the door and shined its light on the possibilities that as a nation we could serve and accept and love one another in more powerful, productive ways. Michele , in her wise and demonstrative examples encouraged us to make healther choices, grow our own gardens and include our children...teach them ways to live healther lives....focus on future ways we could share the gifts and talents within our beings....NO MATTER THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN OR BEING ABLE TO BE "WHO WE ARE AS HUMAN BEINGS". She brought strength, and encouragement and demonstrated the value of all persons and the hope that each of us could achieve the good and success for which we were created.
In my opinion, the USA had the opportunity to grow in a deeper love and respect for one another.
Opportunity, freedom and respect were more exaulted. More persons of color found their areas of service within our government, education, medicine, law, the exploration and study of space and the universe. We are better for this!!!!
And then Trump...(I am in shock at such a choice for leader of the USA!!!...I changed political parties,) there was disruption, chaos, broken relations and distrust from our longtime allies..."Putin smiled"....suddenly the "roaches" appear.....they come out of the darkness boldly into the light pushing lies about COVID....disrespecting medical professionals....
more violence and disrespect for our fellowman/woman....the governance of our country in turmoil.)
Then "thanks be to God" we have received a president in Joe Biden who has worked in government most of his life....he is wise, he is experienced, he has traveled the road of history within our nation and the world...he really loves people, not just the ones who vote for him...he is a leader for each and all Americans....he wants us to LEARN ways we can better work together, respecting and encouraging one another....shared success....is the best way we can survive and thrive as a nation and as the world....mutual respect is worth working for everyday....it is the best survival tool.
Working in government, President Biden has learned the value of friendship, ways we can work together to "Build Back Better". By mutually respecting one another, by listening, by appreciating different ideas, we can each give our best for one another...for the good of all, for the health of our world. Seeking personal power only wastes good lives who have been given great gifts, it is a waste of time and money and human and material resources for short term power and control, it is a terrible example to those with whom we share this planet home.
President Biden has opened the door for many younger citizens to serve with him. He values their desire to serve the people of this country as citizens also of the world. We are interconnected....it is rarely "them and us"....for the life, peace and health and opportunity, it must be us....learning to get along as individuals with respect for one another. I can also say that younger ones who work with him value Joe Biden as well.
At this time, please pray and support President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine. We need more great men like him in this world. He loves his country....his home.....the people of Ukraine.....freedom....."It is NOT free!"
Trump could be the greatest example of the flaw in the Electoral College system. The Electoral College System is a mistake that the Founding Fathers could not have foreseen - how could 18th century agrarian farmers in 13 relatively small population states imagine a nation, coast-to-coast, with one state having the population of sixteen other states combined? It was a mistake and should be corrected by a constitutional amendment. But will it be? No, and it could be one of the principal causes of the failure of our democracy, if that should come to pass.
Richard, since the small-population states are unlikely to vote to ratify the elimination of the electoral college, the next best thing would be proportional electoral college votes (to 3 decimal places).
Since it wouldn’t require a constitutional amendment, it could just be a law. Each state would still have the same electoral college votes, but there would no longer be “winner take all” states. It would be closer to reflecting the popular vote with voters of the minority party in each state feeling as though they have a voice.
“Michele , in her wise and demonstrative examples encouraged us to make healther choices, grow our own gardens and include our children...teach them ways to live healther lives....focus on future ways we could share the gifts and talents within our beings..”
I agree Emily ❤️❤️
Both the Obama’s role modeled and informed us of behaviors that increase resilience to the trauma. We all needed this but especially those of us that have been and continue to be the most oppressed. Instead of mind numbing drugs and alcohol choose life affirming love and growth ❤️❤️
I wanted to “like” your comment more than once. I do, however, think that President Biden is wise in his decision not to directly address Trump and his cadre’s banter. President Joe Biden’s wisdom, in part, comes from his varied experiences in his decades-long service to our Democracy.
It is my hope that the more self-respecting members of the GOP will publicly stand up to those who are trying to destroy our Democracy.
Then, perhaps, these playground antics could cease.
I love how Biden has handled this country but I do think that the swarms of disinformation needs to be addressed and condemned. We are living in a different time. What the GOP calls the far left is just the center. Maybe Biden is not the one to address this but we need a loud voice on our side of truth and decency! Thanks!
💯💯 Agree. Especially with being on the frontier of AI and all the warnings from tech experts. But, I am flummoxed as to what can be done about it. I wish talented minds would throw some thoughts and ideas into it. I don’t believe free speech was ever meant to be the ability to deceive and bring harm to others
Where are the "more self-respecting members of the GOP" when the Grand Old Party no longer exists. Long gone, and that is shocking to me too. TWO repubs have stood up to the magats. Some others have dropped the repub label. But the rank and file (and Ronna) have signed on to the playground antics (except they are more like a Trojan House battlefield).
propaganda, they have signed on from the top to the bottom, the more insane the better. They smell blood - which means power. Shocking that they have ditched everything that they pretended to believe in.
I think it’s important that all the Democrats speak to citizenship and decency. They spend to much time looking at the polls and not getting aggressive, not to create noise but to stand up and totally agree a loud megaphone from the media
That is an excellent point, but there is another factor that goes into the equation: feelings. Where beliefs are based on feelings, facts don't matter much - John Stuart Mill, "The Subjection of Women," 1869. Racism, religious beliefs, views about women, etc. - in many cases thoughts on these matters are not guided by reason, so rationality alone will not solve the dilemma. There must also be empathy. As I've grown older (now 83) I realize how cruel we've been to the other creatures that share this planet, not "our" planet. We've destroyed their habitats. We've killed them unmercifully. I grieve for our species and those we've mistreated.
It seems to me that "feelings" are what make life worth living. I find "I feel therefore I am" (that is to say, I experience) more compelling than "I think, therefor I am", but in reality I cannot separate them from what it means to be human. Minutes ago I just ate my first home grown peach of the season. I know more than most about the botany and chemistry of peaches, but flavor is experiential. I see the sun as gravitational fusing of hydrogen, as well as "rosy fingered dawn". I believe that the accuracy of the models we build within our nervous systems is based not only on the keenness and logically connectedness of their correspondence to the thing in itself, but what it occurs to us to observe. Aristotle was content to think it, but Galileo measured it, and had the perspicacity to wonder. By keenly investigating gravity, he laid a foundation for Newton and Einstein. "Dispassionate" investigation is not a matter of indifference, it is an effort to avoid investment in particular investigational outcomes. Thus randomization, double blind testing, peer review, and other disciplines.
Passion is not the problem. MLK was passionate. So was the Declaration of Independence. The Gettysburg Address is probably more loved for it's passion than for it's lucid rhetoric; but both. Allowing passion to trump reason is where demons lie; actions ruled by hate, greed, fear, hubris, and prejudice; and our evolutionarily older "reptile" brain is quite vulnerable to obsessing on our own narcissistic survival. It is more of an impression than research, but it seems that one way of controlling people is by deliberately installing PTSD in individuals and the population. Draconian punishments, such as torture for nonconformists and beatings and shunning for kids. Some households believe reflexively in such stuff, and I think provide the seemingly unceasing support for despots. As a means of social control, it's a deal with the devil, and responsible for most of our avoidable woes. Amplified by our advanced technologies, it could end our species and many others as well.
Some feelings we deem to be good, others not so much. Still, it's relative. The bigoted racist finds much to like in his friend, also a bigoted racist. And therein lies their attraction to Trump.
Christopher, you write: "Everyone is so focused on Trump and his lawyers but there are larger issues at stake." The other issues are large, but the Trump issue is huge. We have an attack on our democratic system, not from outside our borders, but from the inside. If America fails as a democracy, democracies around the world will begin to crumble. This is the most important contest in the world today.
I have already posted this, but I will add it again--I had not heard that the Biden admin is posting signs about the Infrastructure bill, and I think this is great!
I think a strategy would be to push for a national remembarence/healing from the Pandemic. That way it's less aggressively US vs. Them so the Repubs don't get defensive. But it's a reminder that we are in a much better place in 2023 than we were in 2020/2021.
Warming, incinerating the planet, forced migrations, a food crisis, killing the plankton, suffocating all breathing animals, abortion and female health care is killing women by design, Texas is toxic, daily mass killings by white boys and white men, increasing addiction deaths, fentanyl spreading, flooding everywhere, vicious cops mistreating benevolent none whites, racist evil doers blocking immigrants, violating the law; Jack Smith and a few others will indict the liar in chief, the chief racist of the Republican Mob of Intolerance and Prejudice, he will be sentenced to jail, solitary confinement, jailed for life, the GOP will collapse and we will worry about one party rule... Ukraine is surviving, Russia is sliding, China is flipping, Italy is flirting, Europe is mumbling, we are stumbling, and religion is in the flair out stage.
In solitary, finger printed, no passport, at Mar-a-Lago Club for life, head shaved to start with a mug shot, orange jump suit, round the clock on suicide watch by surveillance camera and by Secret Service.
I know that might be the best we can hope for, but it disgusts me that he could spend his life in luxury with fawning people at Mar a Lago, while in Texas, those in prison are dying from lack of air conditioning!!
And the evil man says warming is a hoax... Covid-19 was a hoax, and 1 million died; he doesn’t care. Yet, the GOP core loves to hate the others and believes they love him. It’s cult, a carnival.
Yes, they love him because he is them - in substance. Racist, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic. "The Anger Games, Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why?" Google it.
Perhaps treason. Putin's close associates suddenly started dying mysteriously in strange accidents last summer. Did that info come from some of the Top Secret Documents that Trump had stolen away? I'd wager big time that American Intelligence knows the answer to that question, but they're not saying anything. Trump is Putin's puppet, probably because of blackmail material on Trump.
Trump is much more toxic than has been exposed. I would suggest that the Democrats choose a "hit man" to go after Trump's obsequious deference to Putin and hone in on the Classified documents. If the tables were reversed, that's what the Republicans would do. But, it has validity, serious validity, and should be exposed day after day. Trump is a danger to this country's security.
Confined for life without access to a megaphone is a fate worse than death for the blowhard. But, why take any satisfaction from seeing the worthless blob of protoplasm anguish? To hell with him. Let's get on with our lives.
Not poetic. Tragic. It’s where we are going with Herr Trump. Republicans will ultimately hate it, his woman will hate it. Blacks and Jews and dark Hispanics will be suppressed. Tagalog speaking Filipinos will be crushed. Fascism by Trump, his transcripts hidden by command. He flunked everything. High school to college.. he’s a born loser, crushes women by rape. Misogynist Nazi. Closeted homosexual in denial. Like Adolf Hitler.
I will suggest that, if there is indeed a drive toward fascist dictatorship in the USA as Wall Street's response to impending financial catastrophe, it will involve much more than Trump, who can be thought of as a figurehead.
And he's now the "nice guy" in the room, with a bloodthirsty understudy talking about "slitting the throats" of government workers:
This is Ron DeSantis, and I'm of 100% Italian blood, and you know what that means? Mafia Mussolini, baby! I'm not campaigning to be no pansy President. Like I said, I'm gonna slit some throats, and voters don't like that. I said that to get the attention of the Big Boys who don't like to get blood on their tailored suits.
You understand me?? I said a two-million-dollar donation doesn't really impress me...
Interesting. Problem is, I don't think that he has the smarts. But, lack of smarts hasn't stopped Trump. Trump was smart enough to see the racism, homophobia and xenophobia that rose up after Obama's election to seize that moment. It's the 1920's KKK all over again - white supremacy now, white supremacy forever.
The Democratic leadership, after throwing addled Vampire Liberal Joe Biden under the bus, will either coalesce around a new "front-runner" or encourage a handful of regional "favorite son" (or daughter) candidates to sort it out at a brokered convention.
In any case, the Democratic Party will still be a going concern.
Texas is the #1 state in renewable energy generation.... I get that it's also a polluter, but I think the other states should push more aggressively in clean energy.
Hi SB, I don't seem to be able to get anyone to listen, but you seem to be someone in distress so, I thought I would tell you how things could get better.
first, the U.S. could simply ask the Ukrainian people to vote on becoming the 51st State of the U.S. If they refuse, then we don't have to be concerned about that anymore.
The next thing is that the U.S. needs to incrementally exchange the Earned Income Tax with a National Consumption Tax. People should pay taxes according to their ability to spend money, not earn it.
The next thing is that Bezos, or Buffett, or Musk should build solar powered satellites which are placed in the sun's orbit between the sun and the earth at the equator. These satellites have large reflecting panels that reflect the sun's energy back into space as controlled by NASA. This will immediately begin to cool the oceans and the earth, while we work on becoming better steward's of this Garden of Eden we are in.
I forgot to mention that immigrants should be "welcomed" into the U.S. to grow food for the world. The U.S. should not send "distressed" nations money it should send food. And with the NCT in place we will all be paying taxes according to what we spend, not earn. Which makes us all equal.
What you are describing is the ground shifting under our feet on an international basis. I see the Biden administration making use of the circumstances to galvanize efforts at shoring up alliances, making new alliances, isolating the perpetrators of conflict, attempting to re-establish lines of communication and issues of common interest with China, even while Russia is beyond reach due to it's war of aggression on Ukraine. So when the ground is moving, one way of creating some degree of stability is reaching out to lock arms with your friends and neighbors, shore up existing partnerships and seek to establish new ones where possible. This seems like pretty mature policy as compared to the last administration which said "me first" and threatened to stop supporting alliances, break treaties, become isolationist and try to create a "fortress America" via retrenchment.
“ Verstka reported that the Russian Investigative Committee “took patronage” over Ukrainian children living in children‘s homes throughout Russia, and sent its employees to 10 such homes with toys, clothes, and school supplies in order to coerce the children to enter the Russian cadet corps.”
This is EVIL!!!
(But thanks for sharing this excellent link, Marlene!)
Marlene, thank you very much for the ISW Link. I clicked on the Interactive MAP of the Ukraine battlefields which illustrated the comprehensive data graphically. ISW has superior communication skills.
Russian opposition media outlet Verstka suggested that the Russian Investigative Committee and its head, Alexander Bastrykin, are directly involved in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and the forced placement of Ukrainian children into Russian military training programs.[9] Verstka reported that the Russian Investigative Committee “took patronage” over Ukrainian children living in children‘s homes throughout Russia, and sent its employees to 10 such homes with toys, clothes, and school supplies in order to coerce the children to enter the Russian cadet corps. Verstka reported that Bastrykin personally visited Ukrainian children in Russia and told them that Russian victory depend on the children and that the Russian Investigative Committee is there to support them. Verstka reported that the Investigative Committee previously advertised the cadet corps to Ukrainian children from Donbas and stated that “78 Ukrainian children entered educational institutions, including the cadet corps and academies affiliated with the Investigative Committee, between February 2022 and March 2023. Verstka reported that Bastrykin ordered the cadet corps in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Volgograd to prepare to receive Ukrainian children from occupied Donbas as early as February 25, 2022. Verstka highlighted statements from Ukrainian children who said they felt compelled to participate in the Russian cadet corps due to the educational opportunity. The coercion of Ukrainian children, who are legally unable to consent to their deportations and participation in such military-patriotic re-education programs, is likely part of an ongoing Russian campaign to eradicate the Ukrainian national identity and militarize youth who have been forcibly deported to Russia.”
It’s not only the children but can you imagine how their parents must be going through and will continue to go through? Putin can’t be held accountable soon enough. As for China, they are playing three dimensional chess with the world. They are thinking 50-100 years down the road. Of course if this old world surpasses the tipping point it’s not really going to matter what China does. They’ll be toast just like the rest of the world.
Yes, Professor, you begin with a Truth that is continuing here in The United States and abroad. We have TFG flaunting the terms of his indictment and more, his predictable attempts to be in charge even when the endgame could be incarceration. We know TFG will dominate news with multiple trials. And he would like to distract us from true suffering. The world still turns, and Russia causing hunger and possible famine (how this is defined) is a continuing struggle in the War with Ukraine. Your letter: “Russia has continued its attack on Ukrainian grain supplies, damaging another 40,000 tons of grain destined for Africa, China, and Israel on August 2.” United Nations Security Council provides a partial summary on an open debate on Famine and Conflict. And lists multiple nations affected. From August 3, 2023. Secretary of State Antony J.Blinken in a speech said “It is easy to get caught up in numbers…..but ultimately it comes down to people, it comes down to Children.”
“accordingly, he said every member of the United Nations should tell Moscow “enough using the Black Sea as blackmail, enough treating the most vulnerable people as leverage, enough of this unjustified, unconscionable war.” Let us remember, children suffer the most. And when they grow up, they carry the scars and trauma forever. Everyone must think what that means for past, present and future. War affects Human Beings. It’s more than a story in the press. It’s lasting pain and future PTSD and most tragically continued and unresolved conflicts connected with a war that creates no winners, only losers. And one more point: Food Insecurity means hunger and possibly starvation.
Heather, how can we reconcile China participating in these talks and seeming to agree that Russia is bad serving with the multiple Russian/Chinese warships off the coast of Alaska. Why was China part of what seemed like an escalation. At the very least it was an attempt at showing strength. The two seem incongruous.
Mary I consider China two-or-perhaps-three faced. Driven by nationalism and the desire to establish its presence, both in Asia and globally, as a counter weight to the West (and especially the United States), China is engaged in a multi-faceted protracted conflict.
Having Russia as a much junior ‘partner’ is part of China’s current strategy. While Putin’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine is not openly supported by China, China finds advantageous employing Russia as a ‘cat’s paw’ to suit its own strategic interests.
I feel that China is playing a sort of three dimensional chess here. China has never been known in the modern era to be a Country that would violate the sovereignty of its neighbors. This is true going back to the Sun Yat Sen era in the early 20th century and through the CCP era, and down to the current time. It should be obvious that there is nothing "communist" about the Xi Jin Ping era of Chinese government. It's clearly capitalism on steroids.
I also think that they will milk the Russian Federation and its paranoia, both justified and unjustified about Western ambitions as much as possible, but ultimately will not go along with Putin's schemes.
China is currently in a position where, almost more than any other Nation State, it can wait and see how to play its cards.
Daniel Spot on. I do recall that modern China had military encounters with Vietnam, Russia, and India, but these were not in the same league as Putin’s invasion of sovereign Ukraine.
Dr. Wheelock, perhaps China has carefully studied 20th Century and 21st Century American history? Perhaps they learned well?
Well, actually, they are NOT doing what we did. Rather than invade a bunch of countries and destroy and kill a bunch of people for nothing for decades, and overthrowing democratic governments, like we did, again for decades, they are building peaceful partnerships in tandem with the needs of other governments.
To me, a country going after their best interests is OK.
It is when that country can ONLY go after their best interests by using the military to invade and kill that it becomes a real problem. We are all hysterical about Putin's invasion of Ukraine but most Americans yawned when we invaded Afghanistan illegally. And Iraq. Illegally.
Like for example, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, probably Korea. Oh. And, yes. Dropping two giant atom bombs on a Civilian population in Japan.
C'mon. The Chinese don't come close to the mess America has made for nearly 100 years.
Down through history and with the first introduction of Christianity in the late 1500's by Mateo Ricci and other Jesuits, Christians were not looked upon with favor. True, Buddhism had made inroads into China centuries earlier, but the Chinese were for the most part skeptical of religion, though they did have their superstitions. There were, of course, the "Rice Christians" who joined the missionaries for the obvious reason. The most famous convert was Hsu Kuang-ch'i who was the first Western trained scientist who was also a Christian, a Mateo Ricci convert who rose to one of the highest levels in the Chinese bureaucracy. I call him the "Chinese Malthus." For his Jin-shih exam in 1604 in Peking, Hsu theorized that the rise and fall of dynasties was owing to the exponential growth of the imperial family, ultimately causing an insurmountable burden on the populace. Each emperor would have several hundred concubines who would have multiple children and they had multiple children and they were all princes and princesses and all deserved support by the state. The Ming Dynasty collapsed, imploded, 40 years later, in 1644, without a single arrow being shot in defense as the Manchurians came riding through the northeastern gates at the Great Wall.
The Chinese are smart and are going to act in their best national interest. I have no doubt but that Xi and the other Chinese leaders have gone through some "what-ifs" in terms of an attempt to invade Taiwan. The first big issue: how likely is it that the Taiwan air command could take us out personally at the very outset of an attack? The Chinese on Taiwan are smart, too. Is it really worth it?
I will suggest that Russia is not really China's "junior partner," because it has its own autonomous foreign policy in former French Africa, together with this emerging pole in the mutating global order:
I am moderately heartened that 40 nations met in Saudi Arabia to ‘discuss’ a possible Ukrainian peace plan to which Russia was not invited.
Symbolically, this is a positive event. A number of countries, especially in Africa, have been reticent to get involved in the post-Cold War Putin-Ukraine imbroglio. At least this will provide some exposure to the realities of what has been occurring in Ukraine and Putin’s brutality in seizing Ukrainian territory, killing civilians, and destroying much of Ukraine’s core infrastructure.
I have little hope that such a meeting will contribute to an appropriate ‘peace plan.’ After Putin’s ravaging of sovereign state Ukraine, I do not imagine that President Zelensky politically could accept a ‘peace plan’ that would include continued Russian occupation of a significant portion of Ukraine.
It is highly doubtful that Czar Putin, after such a disastrous ‘special military operation,’ would accept the humiliation of a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine.
While the West, including the United States, may prefer some de-escalation of the Ukrainian war, I do not see how, over the short term, this could be accomplished without President Zelensky’s assent.
Meanwhile, the United States must consider the impact of any accommodation with Putin, after his brutal invasion of Ukraine, on the festering China-Taiwan imbroglio.
I agree and disagree with you. I certainly agree that the exposure of the brutal reality caused by the Russian unjustified invasion of Ukraine is worthwhile. I also agree that the supposed "peace conference" wherein the primary aggressor, Russia, is not present will not contribute to peace in our time, to quote a former disgraced Republican President (though not anywhere nearly as disgraced as the most recent Republican President).
Where I disagree with you is that I feel the entire "peace process" initiated and hosted by the blood drenched House of Saud is preposterous, doomed to failure and simply yet another of a string of attempts by MBS to bring in the equivalent of Harvey Keitel's "cleaning crew" from Pulp Fiction to steam clean the rivers of blood he has let flow in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and of course, the diplomatic sanctuary in Istanbul, all to show the gullible West that he is "modernizing" Saudi Arabia.
Daniel I agree that having Mohamed bin Salman (MBS) host a purported 40-nation Ukraine ‘peace conference’ is a travesty, given MBS’s track record as a murderer, as the initiator of a brutal Yemen war, and as an overly rich oil potentate who seeks to buy respectability.
At least Russia was denied participation, which is a modest blessing.
Seems to me that China joined these 'peace talks' as Saudi A (and sadly MBS) are more prominent on the world stage than Denmark. Not inviting Russia looked like a sign that not much progress was expected, other than China, Saudi and the remaining B[R]ICS countries wanted to be in the press. Zelenski's 10 step peace plan has been around since last November - What's Russia's response in absentia? Bombing Kyiv and continuing 'food terrorism'. Am I missing other positive results?
The Saudi's murdered one guy and they are now bloodthirsty murderers (yes, I agree).
But, for 70 years America has murdered people all over the world under the guise of invading countries to either "fight communism" or "fight terrorism".
Americans are inured to murder as a method of getting what America wants.
I stand corrected on the Nixon quote. His was "peace with honor". Nonetheless, in the wake of 56,000 American deaths and far more Vietnamese, along with the illegal invasion of Cambodia and the merciless napalming of women and children, pretty hard to see the honor in any of that.
As for the Nazi takeover of Czechoslovakia, just because it was accomplished without actual invasion, doesn't mean it was "bloodless", needless to say
Such sanity is rare these days. Thank you, Keith Wheelock. Couldn’t find your comment yesterday, but kept looking today and hit gold. Staying up to watch late returns from Ohio, which so far is unassailable, and likely to remain so.
Last week's CNN poll on support for Ukraine makes clear why Zelensky turned to a Saudi supported peace initiative to establish principles to end the war in Ukraine, and eventually all wars. He rightly fears that America will no longer will be a reliable partner and will not continue to support Ukraine if Republicans maintain a majority in the House, let alone if Trump wins.
"Overall, 55% say the US Congress should not authorize additional funding to support Ukraine vs. 45% who say Congress should authorize such funding. And 51% say that the US has already done enough to help Ukraine while 48% say it should do more. A poll conducted in the early days of the Russian invasion in late February 2022 found 62% who felt the US should have been doing more.
Partisan divisions have widened since that poll, too, with most Democrats and Republicans now on opposing sides of questions on the US role in Ukraine.
US and Western officials fear Putin unlikely to change course in Ukraine before 2024 election
A majority, but not all (68%) of those who say the US should do more to support Ukraine favor additional funding, as do 23% of those who say the US has already done enough.
When asked specifically about types of assistance the US could provide to Ukraine, there is broader support for help with intelligence gathering (63%) and military training (53%) than for providing weapons (43%), alongside very slim backing for US military forces to participate in combat operations (17%).
Most Americans who say the US should be doing more to support Ukraine are in favor of providing assistance in intelligence gathering (75%), military training (68%) and weapons (60%), while among those who say the US has already done enough, only intelligence gathering earns majority support (52%)."
Of course Putin is doing what he can to bog down Ukrainian advances to hang on through the 2024 elections--so that Trump can "end the war in one day" on terms that obviously will favor Putin. He knows he cannot win the war in a conventional sense, but he can't be seen to lose and to do that all he has to do is continue to destroy Ukraine's infrastructure and and make its valuable agriculture land worthless by mining it and flooding it and polluting it.
Georgia, you are accepting the polls as if they had some meaning. Just for discussion lets assume that only 200 million of us care about anything except our own amusement. Further, lets assume the MAGA base is still at its 30 million number, leaving 170 million people capable of thinking. So along comes the pollster "randomly" selecting 1500 citizens and asking a few questions then announcing on mainstream media the results. I agree the 68% of those polled are against supporting Ukraine. That is 1,020 people. They sure as hell, don't represent me and I doubt they represent the 170 million people who oppose Trump. I think pollsters should have to reveal the actual number of persons polled, from which States were they polled and how many from each State. Then I might have a smidgeon more respect for polls. I'm always reminded of my fellow lab techs in College saying "You can prove anything with a mouse and statistics"
I have a background in scientific research so I am aware of the statistical issues in polling. But it is not how well the data represents the "real" distribution of opionion, because that no longer matters. It is the talking points that will be generated from the polls and that is influential and that fact that these opionions are starting to surface at all and gain traction. It is what will provide cover and support for the far right to claim that Americans no longer support Ukraine. You can see that it is setting up another major fault line between the autocratic far right in the Republican Party and those who are still willing to support Ukraine.
Just like climate change denialism, the war in Ukraine is being turned into culture war clickbait. I have relatives still in Ukraine. This scares the hell out of me because it is raising red flags about what is starting to sell on the far right. And that is going to be grist for the mill of the MAGA crazies in the House to stop the funding.
Thank you, Georgia. I commiserate with you on Ukraine. If we and all other Countries who support Democratic principles do not stand and assist Ukraine now. Putin will 'feel' he's won and continue attacking all former parts of the USSR to the detriment of all mankind.
Voting report from Ohio: my husband just got back from the polls. He reports a line longer than any election he can remember, including presidential elections, about 75% women (unusual) and skewing way younger than normal. I’ll update after I vote later this morning. His report felt pretty hopeful.
I just got back from voting. Like my husband, I thought it was as busy as I’ve ever seen it. At most, I’ve only ever had to wait for one person ahead of me. Today, in my alphabetical group (and they don’t always split people alphabetically; it’s a small precinct), I was seventh in line. That’s a good sign! Usually, when I vote, it’s me and a few retirees. Today it was cheerfully and noisily full of young people, couples, parents with children, moms and daughters. I feel really hopeful right now.
Things seem very unsettled to me because the Republican Party of the USA is doing all it can to destroy our democracy. They’re doing this by undermining faith in all three branches of government, while simultaneously making it more and more difficult for the people Republicans don’t like to control the shape and direction of government through their vote.
They would rather burn the big house down rather than have to share it with those in the slave quarters.
Thank you Dr. Richardson for this insight into the state of global affairs. Sometimes we get so caught up in the Trump/MAGA melodrama we overlook or even forget there are important events happening worldwide which, if ignored could have deleterious effect on the US.. I was pretty young when the UN was forming (12 to 14) so I didn't follow as closely as I have as an adult. I wish they hadn't formed the Security Council, especially with the single veto rule. That rule alone has rendered the UN toothless. We need a world association, but it's main function needs to be world wide cooperation among nations, with very stiff monetary penalties against any nation (including us) that aggressively attacks any other nation. And the nation being attacked should be able to call in the entire rest of the nations to assist in its defense. In short, we should not have been allowed to attack Vietnam, just because France didn't want to control its colony. Nor should we have been allowed to invade Iraq because Sadaam Hussein had verbally insulted our President's Daddy.
In addition to crippling fines, the leaders of the aggressor should also be tried before the International Justice Court and separately penalized for their specific war crimes, any penalty short of death.
Even the climate change could have been mitigated by giving the UN more power. It would have been impossible for so many nations to ignore the pending disaster, and, in fact speeding up and worsening the condition.
Single nations, like single persons, tend to think in selfish terms [to say nothing of greed - which unfortunately is not confined the the United States]. The damage, in favor of wealth instead of the "Common Good", is going to be costlier than any calamity we, Homo sapiens, have yet to face; including World War 2.
Truth here, but I imagine that the “United Nations” was as good as could have been created at the time. It is “”snaggletoothed” and limping along, but “jaw jawing” nonetheless. We can dream of the changes you propose, but I’m afraid it will take another calamity. The USA is not the greatest fan of the UN, at least not in rural Texas. The venom is palpable.
I realize that Jeri, but the UN Charter isn't set in stone. If all the nations in the world gave the UN the respect and power it needs, we could truly have an effective decent working world.
US aid to Ukraine, the UN with it's programs like UNESCO, US aid to Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and the Middle East and past efforts like the Marshall Plan show the US's responsible willingness to help others in the world less fortunate than us. The hard core right Republicans resent sharing with or helping others, including all of the domestic minorities, and support this greed-fueled myopic view with fear-mongering that aims to manipulate anyone not already on-board with their selfish principles. It appears that even advanced education at the highest levels does not overcome this posture of greed.To counter this we have to not only talk the talk but walk the walk; we have to be the solution, not just support it. The shock of the racism, misogyny, corruption and hate that has coarsened our culture since 2016 may shake us out of lethargy but it will take everyone contributing to overcome this crisis and right the ship. Overcoming the worst of human nature - even when not aided and abetted by a foul right wing - is not easy. We're the lobsters in that proverbial pot heating up, and we'll be cooked if we wait much longer. Fortunately, we have Heather, and Robert Hubbell, Jess Craven, Simon Rosenberg and a host of others to help chart the difficult course.
Wonderful if's. Wonder about the circulation of Fox and clones and all sane substacks. Oh yes, there are wonderful people pushing back. Hard to find in Texas. Maybe that colors my perception. Texas has become a cesspool. We are not alone.
Later today, I will make an attempt to allay the fear mongering of a former foster child who is very susceptible to conspiracy theories. In fact, all the disturbed male teens I had more than a passing acquaintance with in the late 80's and 90's have become magets, save one. Wish me luck.
I'm going to go out on a limb in predicting today's vote here in Ohio on Issue 1 to require 60% or greater to amend the state constitution will be defeated by more than 60%. It will be more than a symbolic victory, it will be another affirmation that we've seen in red or mostly red states where the rights to abortion were won.
Why?
Overall people are basically the same. Sure there are political splits between the major parties but abortion is not a political issue, it's a personal one. Even in red states folks realize, in sufficient numbers, there are places where government is not welcome like bedrooms and doctor's offices. Don't think Republicans can't hold two ideas simultaneously. Kansas, Kentucky and Wisconsin were not flukes.
The "turmoil brought by climate change" is in its infancy. Yet the public at large seems largely tuned out. It's just a terribly hot summer, many believe, and not for much longer. In fact, scientific evidence increasingly shows the planet is approaching a tipping point, where dire changes will intensify and accelerate with devastating consequences — consequences that will be irreversible in the lifetimes of everyone alive today and generations to come.
On top of this, a Paul Krugman in today's NYT says "Climate Change is Now a Culture War Issue."
Republicans are killing us.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/07/opinion/climate-is-now-a-culture-war-issue.html
Krugman cites a NYT article describing a Heritage Foundation plan to dismantle nearly every existing program that tries to address climate change and, on top of that, to boost programs that increase the burning of fossil fuels. The Foundation expects any future Republican administration to adopt the plan. Republicans are, indeed, killing us. As fast as they can, already, and they intend to step up the pace.
Ironically (or maybe not) I was recently in Paris. I had dinner with my cousin and we hadn’t seen each other for 5 years, so lots of catching up to do. In the course of the conversation, I told her that my car is 23 years old, runs on gasoline. She told me that, in France, no car may be older than 5 years and must be either all electric or a hybrid.
Europe is taking climate change seriously and attempting to wean automobile owners from fossil fuels. The Republicans with Project 2025, are going to kill all of us, themselves included.
Hi Marla, Great comment on your car. Mine is 35 years old, but a classic, so I don’t drive it much.
Make and model please! Car guys have a need to know. :))
2000 BMW 528i. One of the last ones made with the E39 engine
Holy cow. 2003 525iT with manual transmission and 2004 330ci also manual. Marla I hope we are not thrown out for talking cars.
You made my day!
2000 Isuzu Trooper with only 250,000 miles on it; should be good for another hundred thousand at least; these SUVs never die.
I drive mine nearly every day. I was driving it today, in fact, and thinking that I will keep driving it until it goes wheels up because it's just fun to drive and I genuinely enjoy driving it. I've had it so long, I can't imagine driving anything else.
Mine is 42 years old, a beloved VW crewcab, that I’m currently having converted to electric. Less than the cost of a new truck, and it should last another 40 years.
Linda, make and model, PLEASE! I write about cars.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/driving/a-60s-summer-in-paris-leads-to-a-search-for-a-good-peugeot-404/
Ignore the title—should have been In Search of Lost Time—With Apologies to Proust
I still have my good ole Honda Odyssey van from 2002. It still drive like a charm!
Which classic do you have? I'm a car nut, and I've done a fair amount of writing about cars.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/driving/a-60s-summer-in-paris-leads-to-a-search-for-a-good-peugeot-404/
Ignore the title—should have been In Search of Lost Time—With Apologies to Proust
I find it very hard to believe that France forbids older cars—that would rule the 2CV off the roads! But also note that keeping an older gas-powered automobile that runs well is likely better for the environment than replacing it with an electric, because of the environmental costs of building the new one.
Only if you don't drive much.
"Break-Even Point in Emissions: According to the graph below, an electric car and electric truck would need to drive 21,300 miles and 17,500 miles respectively to reach the break-even points with their gas counterparts."
https://blog.greenenergyconsumers.org/blog/lifecycle-emissions-of-electric-cars-vs.-gasoline#:~:text=Break%2DEven%20Point%20in%20Emissions&text=According%20to%20the%20graph%20below,points%20with%20their%20gas%20counterparts.
Lots of rental bikes and scooters available... First time an electrical car was trialled, a lady pedestrian was knocked down because she couldn't hear it coming.
There are quite a few EVs where I live (large condo complex) and I've noticed that the newer ones now have something installed that makes some noise when driven slowly in the neighborhood. Still may not be sufficient for anyone with some hearing deficit, though.
Hard to believe, indeed.
www.thetruthaboutcars.com/review-1975-citroen-2cv/
Loved this article! In 1963, I arrived in France and was picked up at the train station in Aix-en-Provence with a Deux Chevaux. When I got into the "back seat", the rubber webbing seat (similar to an old tired beach chair) sagged until my 98 lb. weight hit the floor. In Summer 1964, my friend's father leased a Deux Chevaux for us for a couple of months. We drove to Switzerland, decided it was too expensive so headed back downhill to southern France. Downhill was the key - the only time we hit maybe 60 km/hr.
Several months ago, the same friend and I were traveling in Italy. In Minori, we spotted a "well-used" vehicle which looked sort of like a Deux Chevaux but was a bit larger, boxier, no roll-up desk roof, and different side windows. I posted a photo on FB and learned it was the Deux Chevaux 6 (1968-1986). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_6
So glad you liked my article!
But I think you're mixing up Deux Chevaux, which is a type of Citroen--which back then also made the DS (a pun on the French word for goddess), the car that Charles De Gaulle rode in--with a Renault, which is also French, but at least back then, was an unrelated brand. That mixup wouldn't be surprising since both the Deux Chevaux and the Renault 6 are low end cars.
Back in the '60s, the Deux Chevaux had tiny engines and were really slow--as yours was. They eventually put bigger engines--still pretty small, and still without much power, but a lot more than what you drove around in. The Deuches generally got a bit more sophisticated, even with hints of luxury over the years. There's a Citroen Rendezvous every summer in Saratoga Springs NY, with loads of Deuches from all over, as well as other Citroens.
Mine is a 2019 Toyota hybrid. In 4 years I’ve driven 12,000 miles. I love it. Easy for this old lady to get in and out of.
Just a thought: considering that car loans are for 60 or 72 months mostly, people would never pay off a car!!
Who can possibly afford a new car every 5 years?! Did your cousin explain that? I can't imagine being able to do that, personally (financially).
Marla, France has abundant electricity, so it can afford to insist on electric cars.
France gets most of this electricity from nuclear power.
French nuclear power depends on uranium, and a fair amount of that comes from debt-enslaved Niger, which is being kept dirt poor by France and the International Monetary Fund.
I agree 100%
Ironically, in the process, they’re killing themselves as well. Nobody will be exempt from the fallout they’ve generated. This is a case of mass murder-suicide: basically, world extinction!
But the billionaires figure they will be the last to go.
Yes, they think their money will save them. It won't from climate change because their trophy houses can also be destroyed by weather events or rising sea level.
JL, check out the ending of the film Don't Look Up! Brilliant example of " the best laid plans" quote.
The Day After Tomorrow made a huge impact on me years ago. Yes, some "Hollywood" antics, but the shape of things to come or that are already here!
Absolutely. Despite the hyperbole of the script, it was clear to me that a feedback loop as depicted in the 2004 film could become reality. In fact, we are now seeing that happen with concerns about the possible collapse of the Gulf Stream (as depicted in the movie).
Same here!
Or they will survive everything
And they won't have any great restaurants, places to go, fuel for their cars and yachts, no destinations, a bleak, bleak world in their dark bunkers.
And they will die and take their billions to their grave having no where to spend it.
“Or they will survive everything”... like the greedy cockroaches some of them are.
The billionaires' per capita emissions dwarf those of middle class Americans.
Billionaires are not so common, but there is an attitude that often goes with it, and they pay politicians to work their will:
"The economic anthropologist Richard Wilk, a distinguished professor at Indiana University in the US, said: 'Of course, if you add every superyacht together, it’s just a blip on total greenhouse gas production. But it is symbolic – and the global impact of the 2,000-odd billionaires on the planet are very significant. So it’s part of a pattern of overconsumption by the upper crust.'
In research with his colleague Beatriz Barros, he found that the average billionaire had a carbon footprint thousands of times that of the average person. The global average footprint of CO2 emitted per person is just under five tonnes, while they estimated that Roman Abramovich – the top polluter according to their list – was responsible for about 33,859 tonnes of carbon emitted in 2018. More than two-thirds of that was the product of his yacht, the 162.5-metre Eclipse."
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/12/superyacht-industry-booms-during-covid-pandemic
I wonder if they have created/are creating alternate worlds in outer space, where they expect to live when this planet cannot sustain life.
If they are creating alternate worlds in space, I wish they’d go there now and never come back. Do us all a favor.
Why are they so meddlesome?
Rs are the party of death. Here in Oregon we have an ironic situation. Rs have killed, mainly by walking out, every attempt to deal with climate change at the legislative level. In Hood River Valley, lots of people grow cherries. Now they have had three bad years in a row and they are blaming it on....get ready....climate change. One of their legislators (R of course) has asked the governor for help. The R motto: Stand in the way. Be first in line for government help. Here in Salem. No rain since May. Next week will be in the 90s, maybe reaching 100.
We've got a similar forecast in Eugene, Michele. The short-sightedness of today's RepubliQans boggles my mind.
Holy sh!t! Unbelievable! Awful. I lived in Seattle as a young child, and I have visited a couple of times a decade since. I can never remember feeling uncomfortably hot or even uncomfortably warm there.
I have lived in Oregon since 1968. For many years, it was mainly comfortable. Our air conditioning, a heat pump, solar powered, has been running nonstop. When it is somewhat cool in the am, the humidity is awful. My husband picked the pears yesterday (about three weeks earlier than they used to be) and I picked eggplants mainly. Then we called it a day outside. Today I will do some harvesting and hopefully weeding....as we water, water, water.
that is effin scary! Right now, outside of Boston, it's been pouring for several hours. I think it may be letting up. But this is minor, relative to normal, compared to what you're describing. (Of course the day isn't over.)
A group of billionaires sit eating a lunch of greenbacks. One asks, “Why isn’t there any catsup”?
Rose, this is similar to the Covid response. After the vaccines became available, there were many more excess deaths in counties that voted for TFG in 2020.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/12/05/1059828993/data-vaccine-misinformation-trump-counties-covid-death-rate
Mary, I recall hearing that NPR segment and wondering if the MAGA Rs realized their disinformation would ultimately result in fewer Republican voters.
they can't think that far ahead. And they're too stuck in their ways to change their minds even when the evidence is strong!
Rose, I think that is why TFG started touting the vaccines in his 2022 rallies. He was booed for his efforts.
I recall that, too. By then, no antidote could counteract the Kool-Aid!
In reality this may be true, but we just can't give up. We must continue to have large protests across the states about climate change.
I fully agree with you, Patricia!
It's not just republicans and it's not just fossil fuels. Look at the amount of energy required to electrify our cars and homes. Yes that electricity is generated by fossil fuels but also solar panels and wind farms that have limited life expectancy. Then they become landfill. Not to mention the strip mining for rare minerals to make the batteries to store the energy. Not to mention the nuclear fuel that lives for eternity. Then there is all the 'unrecylable 'waste that we have purchased to make ourselves more comfortable or more fashionable. Add to that the ridiculous amount of energy required to mine unnecessary digital currency. And the cycle goes on.
We have 'consumered' ourselves into this mess and we are paying the price. What breaks my heart are all those people in 'poor' countries who are paying more of a price...even though they have not created this mess. Not to mention what we are leaving our children and grandchildren. I fear the tipping point is past, and what do we have to show for it.
I was having this same discussion with a family member who is against wind energy and thinks more emphasis should be on ‘cleaner coal.’ Every effort I try, such as switching to all glass food storage containers years ago, using reusable silicone bags, washable cloth grocery bags, researching the sourcing of all my clothing and buying natural threads or used clothing, walking more, etc etc etc. it cannot keep up in any way with the insanity of packaging and plastic and toxic chemicals in almost everything.
We are killing ourselves slowly. Way to go hominids with the bigger brains and opposable thumbs.
LH, you are doing exactly the right thing with your efforts to conserve & recycle, no matter your fears of limited impact. We ALL need to follow your lead in constantly and repeatedly seeking ways to change our own habits and preferences with a clear eye on their effects on the climate. Like voting, our own habits and preferences are, after all, the only things we can control directly and immediately.
Too many people. Too many people who think there is a planet B? Too many people who don't care about future generations of humans? Too many people who can't understand what the death of coral reefs means?
Just too many selfish idiots?
One thing is for sure. There are too many oligarchs and oiligarches who are pulling the strings of government.
Yes! Selfishness became a virtue. Christian doctrine (meaning the teachings of Jesus) became perverted into the Prosperity Gospel. Oligarchs are worshipped for their wealth and power. Ignorance became the excuse for not caring about anything but one’s own immediate desires.
Perverted beyond recognition! It's also somewhat contrary to human nature. One of the things that gives us the most satisfaction is helping others. The Prosperity Gospel is the gospel of stepping on others to get ahead. (And everything that you said, Carol C.)
Definitely true.
Your argument, Rolyac, in your first paragraph leads to defeatism. Why bother trying in other words? Because solar panels and wind farms have limited life expectancy and will end up in landfills, they aren’t worth using as opposed to fossil fuels that we know are destroying our planet? We shouldn’t bother to phase out cars run by gas because batteries for electric cars cause strip mining for those rare minerals needed for electric cars? It’s essential for us to recognize that there is ongoing research to find alternative ways of making more eco-friendly batteries, ways to improve the life expectancy of solar panels and wind farms, to create alternative safe means of disposing nuclear fuels, ways to break down the plastics in our environment so they can be safely dissolved. Scientists involved in studying energy are coming up with extraordinary ways of countering the destruction we have done and discovering new means of conserving what we have before it is all gone. We are presently in transition and need to make the necessary steps toward stopping the serious damage by eliminating what we know are the worst things we have done and trying to do what makes the most sense now to halt the destruction of our planet. I totally agree with the first part of your second paragraph. It breaks my heart also. But I do not believe the tipping point is past. We may be close to it, but we cannot give up. Being cynical about the various initiatives that mitigate pollution is counterproductive. We owe it to the next generations to continue to take a solemn look at what we have done to our planet and to try like hell to save it.
I agree , we must not give up the sake of our grandchildren and future generations.
But we don’t have to change our ways in the slightest if we have adopted the belief that any change will have equal positive and negative consequences.
The crazy is the 'decluttering' community is huge. As people are aging they find they are drowning in seas of stuff that needs to be culled. Most of this collected junk ends up in land fills. As a lady that leans toward living a minimalist lifestyle I started a biz last winter coaching people through the declutter process.
Living south of Boston MA area I was never so happy to see the Christmas Tree Shops close down, a store filled with imported junk that no one needs. Disposable clothing is a joke. I read we are not supposed to be throwing clothes in the landfill now. I do not fully understand this- or anything actually.
I shake my head when I walk through pricey neighborhoods and see garages filled with junk poring into the driveway and the $100k sitting on the street.
How do we wake people up?
As one who is in the midst of that 'decluttering', I find I can recycle a lot. From packaging to clothing to old kitchen equipment, they can all be recycled/reused. We have a recycling bin at the middle school for clean, used fabrics; old usable stuff goes to the 'take it or leave it' days at the DPW. We had a Christmas Tree shop nearby, but no real reason to shop there.
I'm in the midst of "de-cluttering" as well. My brother and I are now living in the "old home place" of my parents where we grew up, and trying to get shed of "stuff" that both he and I have respectively accumulated is a slow laborious process. When one lives in a too-small house for 67 years, one does tend to end up with a lot of "detritus". My brother and I are, as we have been all our lives, about as different as night and day. He has always been of the "just chuck it out" school, whereas I am more of a "try to re-cycle" sort. Living so long in Europe, I simply got used to re-cycling basically EVERYTHING, and they do make it fairly easy to do. Here, I find it more of a challenge, but I'm managing. I now have drug my brother kicking and screaming into re-cycling paper, plastic, glass, cardboard, etc. I've managed to dispose of all my late mom's clothing and accessories, along with a couple hundred books (re-cycled and donated). Still to go are things like jewelry, some furniture, a doll collection, kitchen stuff, textiles, and lots of knick-knacks/tchotchkes, etc. but occasionally holding on to very few choice sentimental things I can't (yet) part with. I find that over time one does become a bit less attached to some things. I continue to donate to local charities and businesses (I avoid Goodwill like the plague!) when I can. It's possible to re-cycle, but I sure wish it were easier!
We live in a diverse neighborhood which is not rich. However, most of the people have their cars parked in the driveway because their garages are full of stuff. We do love books, so have a lot of those and actually have put some out in the driveway for people to take. Can't do that right now because we have a huge sewer, sidewalk, bike lane project going on out front. Now is the season of garage and yard sales with the occasional estate sale thrown in (different clientele usually for those) and so a lot of stuff gets recycled. On our way down to the Saturday Market, we see people lining up to to get into a Goodwill that just puts goods out on tables. Some people are very good at this and I have one ex-student and her wife who make an income by selling on E-Bay. They specialize, so know what they are doing. One of my relatives by marriage wanted to take me "binning" and I, of course, declined. I wouldn't know something good from just something and I am not about to fight someone for whatever.
I've found freecycle.org to be a good way to pass on stuff that's still usable but I no longer need. Register, post description plus one or two photos, and wait for responses.
People should be already aware of this.
They choose to be obvious and live in their jaded little world.
It’s not just the Republicans or Project 2025,for heaven’s sake! It’s the frantic frenzied hyper consuming society we have developed, thanks in great part to unbridled capitalism and emphasis on”freedom” to do whatever we want, regardless of what might be better, or safer or more prudent for our families and our communities and our society. The concept of “the common good” was thrown out the window years ago and lies smashed on the pavement below, and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men.......
Too many of us don't realize we're hopelessly like the gulls in "Finding Nemo" who fly around all day yelling"Mine! Mine! Mine!" Rampant consumerism is the American Dream gone wild. I modestly suggest doing something different from our usual routines each and every day, something that shows mindfulness of the climate for the rest of our lives, for the planet, and for all living things on it, for hope for our future generations. Reduce, re-use, recycle, turn off lights, drive less, want less. Aren't we all responsible for this mess we're in? (The shirt I'm wearing this morning is 40 years old.)
No human activity is without consequence. So people have to do the best they can. I agree that we are past the tipping point. We are in the 80 range and no children, so we live pretty simply and don't travel or go often beyond the city limits. We have a half acre lot where I have a large garden and yes, it requires water...now constantly since we haven't seen any rain for a while. We also try to support local farmers and businesses and go to the Saturday Market faithfully. It's in the middle of the state government complex next to busy streets and always, we have a bunch of loud motorcycles or cars go by so we can enjoy some noise pollution. Now I understand we also have a local fundamentalist church accosting people in one of the parking lots. We come in from the other side, so have not yet encountered them. Some of the local truly far lefts have noticed them and informed a city councilor as they are on government property although I think it is the state.
Solar photovoltaics are the least expensive source of electricity, and wind right behind them. I wouldn't worry about the environmental impact of solar electricity and wind--even after we've electrified all our homes and cars. But we need to reduce the US population and the world population. Both are very overpopulated. Roughly half the habitable land in the world is used for agriculture.
Trees are coming down to create solar farms. I’m no environmental scientist but Holy crap, taking down our respirators??????
Yet you are only able to comment here because of those nasty items you mention.
A continued front to mainstreme the "absurd" greed of the Heritage Foundation is our charge!
It's mind-blowing that so many organizations have flamboyant names, like 'heritage foundation', and in fact they are destroying what could be some heritage to their children. Sometimes I wonder if the members of those foundations have children? ''We don't inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."
My question is this – Are people so stupid or gullible in this country they can’t read the hand writing on the wall. They are like the anti-vaxers who believe the dribble crap coming out of the mouths of the politicians. This is not a culture problem – it hurts too much to think we are at the end. This precious fragile planet we live on is doomed similar to the days of the dinosaurs. There will come a time, as even now, where fresh water will be miniscule……what will the billionaires do then? Build rockets to go to Mars?
I often despair in reading the comments on climate change articles in my local paper. I wonder how people can be so uninformed and yes, stupid. We are in the midst of yet another miserable summer in Texas, and yet they continue to insist there is nothing to be done, and that we, the people, are not the cause. Maddening!
Whether or not "WE" caused climate change, "WE" as individuals can certainly do something about not adding to it; do so many "somethings" that they add up to real change from the grass roots on up the food chain.
Linda, as above, while we may not be able to change or harness the billionaires, we can certainly begin by changing our own preferences, choices and actions, each one doing what they CAN do.
They "just might"... but they're a mixed bunch, though more right than left leaning. Billionaires also finance the Democratic Party and much else political. They've become a DNA in political life. Here's an interesting, if slightly dated, write up by NYT. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/20/us/politics/republican-president-2024-heritage-foundation.html?auth=login-google1tap&login=google1tap
Ooops! Here's the correct reference. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/09/21/the-10-most-influential-billionaires-in-politics/
Just had a long argument with such an anti vaxxer on this blog who when he finally ran out of any leg to stand on called me a child abuser because I defended public health measures.
We might be doomed. The planet will go on just fine without us. This thought gives me comfort.
Rs are very good at picking names for their destructive, undemocratic activities. One of their fav words right now is freedom.
It's it any surprise that the party harboring the screwballs trying to bring about the rapture would take steps to limit humanity? Humans really are a blight on the earth, the way we're treating it. Their answer will also solve the problem, but will leave us all uninvited to the party and turn the whole affair over to the roaches and crafty bacteria.
Basically, the crazy right wingers have become anti- civilization. Primitive, greedy, selfish, and violent. No reasonable planning. No cooperation, and a very destructive attitude towards the truth.
This effort goes far beyond killing climate change initiatives. NYT provides some detail. Call it the resurrection of "Schedule F" . Thing is, this won't just be in waiting for 2024, but a key organizational effort within the GOP for the indefinite future?
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/20/us/politics/republican-president-2024-heritage-foundation.html?auth=login-google1tap&login=google1tap
Thanks for the link. I had not heard of "Schedule F"; now it sounds simply terrifying. That so much money can be spent building a list of wrong-headed replacements for government staffers is apalling. It's not surprising that Larry Ellison (3rd richest man in the world) would be building a database for them: his ambition to be the database owner of the world makes him one of the biggest supporters of Big Brother.
Right near the end of his term in the WH, tfg attempted to apply Schedule F but didn't have enough time to actually implement it, thank goodness!
As a retired HR professional, That disgusts me.
So scary to me.
Republicans are killing us in more ways that "just climate change" (I hate that politically correct term, we should be using global warming). Where will we be if trumps wins the presidency?
Yes, that’s true. There are many problems that must be solved, and Republicans are on the wrong side of all of them. But if we don’t stop burning fossil fuels, it won’t matter what else we do. (PS. I agree with your preference on terminology. Global warming is the root problem. Climate change is a symptom.)
Indeed. And they are oblivious to the fact that they are killing themselves.
Problem is, Michael, wealth rules all. As Al Gore put it, the wealthy industrialists have considered the worsening climate as "An Inconvenient Truth". Good grief, it would have cut into their accumulation of wealth, can't have that can we. And, yes, our own Government betrayed us. I'll admit it has been mostly Republicans, but until Biden, neither of the two Democratically led governments did diddly squat either.
Part of the problem is when the scientific community first addressed it in the early 1970's their early warnings were in terms of hundred or so years in the future. I was a science major so we had class discussions, agreed this could be catastrophic. It wasn't until the mid 80's that new data showed a tighter timeline.
From an AT&T/Frank Capra special filmed in 1958:
Dr. Frank C. Baxter: "Even now, man may be unwittingly changing the worlds climate through the waste products of his civilization. Due to our release through factories and automobiles every year of more than 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which helps air absorb heat from the sun, our atmosphere seems to be getting warmer."
Richard Carlson: "This is bad?"
Dr. Frank C. Baxter: "Well, it's been calculated a few degrees rise in the earths temperature would melt the polar ice caps. And if this happens, an inland sea would fill a good portion of the Mississippi valley. Tourists in glass bottom boats would be viewing the drowned towers of Miami through 150 feet of tropical water. For in weather, were not only dealing with forces of a far greater variety than even the atomic physicist encounters, but with life itself."
http://ossfoundation.us/projects/environment/global-warming/frank-capra-warns-of-global-warming-1958
Yep! I remember similar warnings from writings in the late 50s.
Tricky Dick started the EPA, appointed Ruckelshaus, and proposed a search for alternatives to internal combustion engines. Carter prioritized conservation and alternative energy. There is no way to tell, but I wonder where we might be today had we laughed at corporatism and pursued that path?
We might have trolleys in cities and trains in the countryside. We might have more better food that isn’t making most of us overweight (see UCLA Health Bulletin: Fat is a Disease.”) Most of all we might not be looking at Covid.
Broken link.
https://ossfoundation.org/projects/environment/global-warming/frank-capra-warns-of-global-warming-1958/
Thanks. Here's another: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/blog/2010/12/unchained-goddess-frank-capra-knew
Incidentally, the AT&T televised science films influenced my young life, Our Mr. Sun, etc. Pure nerd candy. That and "Watch Mr. Wizard".
And we know what the mid 80’s brought.
The Gilded Age Plutocratic Empire Strikes Back!
where is TR
Since then, the once "pessimistic" forecasters among the IPCC have proved to be embarrassing/ distressingly right, since until last few rounds IPCC had tried to reign in the most dire predictions. On a planet wide basis, modern civilizations are still adding to the problem on a "net basis". Waterworld may not be such a complete fantasy after all!
That's what I thought when I saw it. Particularly with that shot of the ruins of the Sydney Harbor Bridge...
Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/01/magazine/climate-change-losing-earth.html
I'm not sure I can take this all in (and I wonder why it didn't receive wider attention at the time.) No wonder Jim Hanson was made a pariah.
My physicist husband thinks scientists will be blamed for not warning us emphatically enough. People don’t realize that scientists don’t usually express complete certainty about almost anything, let alone scream and shout “the sky is falling.” People expect to be screamed at to get their attention.
Melting Glaciers
https://apnews.com/article/glaciers-melting-floods-alaska-climate-63a2b7424adac6e8bb42798f947fcd21
As in the pandemic, if it wasn't happening, their behavior would be beyond belief.
"Certainly, whoever has the right to make you absurd has the right to make you unjust".
- Voltaire
"Republicans are killing us".
Michael. Not really.
WE are killing OURSELVES.
Yesterday, for example, I cranked my car and drove to my nice local grocery store with a list of items to buy that I needed to make food for me to stay alive. Now, the entire time that I was driving I, not Republicans, was killing myself, you and any mammal that requires a narrow bandwidth of temperature to survive.
The day before? I cranked my car and drove the 45 minutes to my small farm where I have a nearly infinite amount of work to do. While at the farm, I cranked a small tractor that I needed to drag some dead ash trees, from the Emerald Ash Borer, out of my woods.
So, The day before yesterday I drove 45 minutes TWO ways and ran a small diesel tractor for 2/3 of a day.
Michael. I am killing you. You are killing me. Especially in America where everyone has AT LEAST one car, we are all killing each other.
Republicans are NOT stopping us from doing something different. WE are.
WE have built a system of survival that is based on fossil fuel. That will not go away soon and it is not the evil oil companies that are to blame, or the evil Republicans.
It is US.
You’re right, we’re all part of it, but the Republicans are definitely pouring more oil on the fire - literally, and as much and as fast as they can. Their reasoning: grab what you can, get obscenely rich, and when society collapses because of the climate derailing, you can hole yourself up in your big fortress and make a grab for power, pretending to be the big strong man who will “save” the people, but simultaneously leaving the “mudsills” to die out there. There is no end to their greed and egoism.
"Republicans are definitely pouring more oil on the fire - literally, and as much and as fast as they can. "
As with Trump, the problem here is not Trump, or Republicans or Oil Companies.
It is the (vast majority of) American people whose critical analysis skills are among the lowest in the world due to too many generations of EZ street lives (for white people anyway).
As long as the American people cannot think their way out of a wet paper sack on a hot summer day, we will decline and the world will get hotter.
Nobody would be able to fool anyone in Greece, where, climate change is routinely referred to and more people walk now, there are windmills on every hill and solar panels everywhere and, they NEVER had a 10 ton Ford Pickup Truck to drive back and forth to a giant, energy sucking, drive through, car wash.
Americans and their inability to do even minimal critical analysis are the root cause of Trump, Reagan, the invasion of Iraq, and now, global warming.
US.
Mike, as with your posts above, I fear the issue is less with the greedy Repubs and billionaires but first with those of us who know, or purport to know, the effects of what we are doing, yet continue doing it, cranking our Internal Combustion cars up to go to the grocery, go to work, got to a friend's house, fly on a plane for a vacation or worse to go play in IC boats, cars, motorcycles or IC RVs in the wilds. What has prevented you from replacing your vehicles with EVs or at least plug-in hybrids? Each of us must act on what we know, not just what's easy, pleasant or habitual.
John,
I have not taken on an EV yet for two reasons:
1) All but one of the power plants in this part of NY use natural gas to make power. One tiny plant is a nuke. So, if I use an EV, I am still pumping CO2 into the atmosphere and I am not sure it is less than my little Ford Focus which gets 39 mpg.
2) The battery is made from a bunch of elements that are currently sourced in horribly non-environmental ways by slave labor and then shipped around the world in gigantic ships that produce more fossil fuel exhaust as CO and CO2 in 5 minutes than I will produce in my whole life.
So put your money where your mouth is, move to your farm, and either by an electric car, start riding your bicycle or start using public transportation. (RAV4’s look like the way to go, as much as I would like to buy American, Ford made the dumb decision to not make their current Eclipse PHEV AWD, and I have a long driveway that collects snow...we don’t have one yet, a cancer diagnosis depleted our fund of ready cash, but we are back on track, hopefully this fall.
Buy a team of (cute draft ponies of your choice - I have Haflingers) and sell your diesel tractor. America did not get where it is today by people failing to think about and act in their own long term self interests. I mean that both in terms of all those long sighted, hard headed farmers deciding to make a living in the wilderness - the ones who really built this country, and also those short sighted fossil fuel execs who think if they have enough money, climate change won’t touch them. It not what other people should do, it’s what you can do, right now, isn’t it?
Meredith,
"It not what other people should do, it’s what you can do, right"
Correct. No doubt. And yes, I oughta move to my farm, but, my wife is from the inner city of a mid sized American city and, well, she is not in on that yet.
working on it.
Oh sorry to be cranky again, Mike! I had a long term boyfriend from the wilds of Rutgers, but it didn’t work out. He was willing to play in the country, but he really didn’t want to live there. Keep your lady happy. But keep showing her cute creatures and whatnot. Maybe she will decide she wants to raise miniature peacocks, or become a perfumer from wild crafted materials, or something!
Anything is possible!
There is plenty of blame to go around, not limited to ourselves as individuals. It will take much more than our individual efforts to fight global boiling. But we as individuals can, I hope, move the needle toward massive efforts on the part of towns, cities, governments, and corporations.
I agree. All of us are culpable to varying degrees. But government leaders absolutely must take strong and even radical steps to keep US from destroying ourselves. The people aren't going to do it organically, and there's not enough time.
It's Republicans who are blocking needed steps, which are actually baby step considering the scope of the threat.
This morning's interview on NPR between Steve Inskeep and Mandy Gunsekara, the least likely rep for the EPA (from TFG's administration) showed just how incredibly dumb and absurd the whole Heritage Foundation program against the EPA and the Biden program to slow down climate change really is. When pressed multiple times--and even when pressed via email, Ms Mandy and the HF were completely unable to name A SINGLE SCIENTIST WHOSE PUBLISHED RESEARCH IN A REPUTABLE LOCUS OF PUBLICATION who was used as the basis for their idiotic conclusions. Indeed, she was unable to name a single scientist--good or bad--at all. The HF fell back on "we consulted lots of scientists" nonsense (not a single name). It would have been embarrassing for her had she had any sense of ethics or morality. https://www.npr.org/2023/08/08/1192634090/if-republicans-win-the-white-house-in-2024-climate-policy-will-likely-change
So here's the problem with issues like climate change. When things are bad, like this past year's insane weather, people run around in circles and scream that the sky is falling and that "someone" should do "something" about it--but they don't want to be inconvenienced in any way in the process. When things get better, such as EPA and the Clean Air and Water acts' success that actually dramatically improved the day-to-day conditions in cities especially for wealthier white people (until SCOTUS decided to gut both of them and places like Flint and parts of Mississippi could be swept under the rug because rich white people don't live there), then those who don't want to be inconvenienced claim that there is nothing wrong and they should not be expected to do anything. One thing that happened in the 1970s: the decision to change from leaded to unleaded petroleum fuels. Lead levels in the air and the most pervasively toxic kinds of smog almost instantly disappeared. But no one seems to remember that.
In the EU, they are taking this seriously. In the UK they are fighting about similar regulations for the dense region in and around London. The mayor wants to raise the commuter tax on cars that don't meet current emission standards, but is offering £2000 to drivers who need to get newer cars. The Tories are using this as a talking point to get rid of the Labour mayor. They are actually succeeding. And why? Because they are ignoring how their own policies are gutting the economic stability of the middle class and focusing on how inconvenient having to get a new car is going to be. And people are stupid.
Linda, Don’t forget that part of Mike Pence’s presidential platform is to do away with the EPA.
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/07/26/politics/pence-economic-proposal/index.html
DEAD right.
It has become more and more clear that voting for ANY Republican at ANY level of government is tantamount to committing suicide. Their determination to impede or roll back every effort to mitigate climate change WILL kill us all if we let them get the power to do it.🤬
How history is altered by megalomaniacs whose self-centered desires cause mayhem. Think Putin, Hitler, and all the leaders who were not satisfied with what they have and wanted what others have. Where would Russia be had Putin decided to maintain relationship with the West? Everyone would be far better off. Same with China's obsession with Taiwan. One might think that doing mutually beneficial trading would keep the world at peace. One does not to go to war with their trading partner. Am I a dreamer?:-)
Describing global warming as a culture war is like saying the fundamental principles of thermodynamics depends on one's attitude. NO! Empty your radiator fluid and your engine melts regardless of your culture. We overheat the planet when it accumulates energy faster (power) than the planet rejects it. We've known this for 150 years but to build the necessary global thermal control system costs money! We need a way to make it pay for itself!
https://www.climatecolab.org/contests/2016/industry/c/proposal/1327806
The culture war aspect was called out by Paul Krugman’s latest editorial. Liberals (libtards, libruls) want to “force” you to accept “woke” induction cooking, but real men cook with gas. (Never mind that many professional chefs use induction in their homes for its responsiveness equal to gas, and easy cleanup.) That climate has become a culture war worries Krugman and others, greatly. If it was purely an economic issue, renewables would win out over fossil fuels.
If we don't find a way to achieve thermal equilibrium at a habitable temperature we die. We build engines, computers and the International Space Station with thermal control systems, why not build one for the planet? Switching to electricity is picking the pepper out of the fly shit (The act of being nit-picky to a ridiculous degree. )
Frass, insect poop, versus pepper? Seems almost doable. Anyway, renewable electricity is what we want, not electricity per se.
In his book "the Treeline," author Ben Rawlence suggests on page 265 that the 2 degree C rise in temperature is "committed," his term, i.e., in the pipeline. I don't expect to be alive in another decade, so thankfully I will miss the near-inevitable catastrophic changes (my assessment) on their way.
This books is now on my reading list. Thanks for recommending it.
Republicans are killing us. That’s not hyperbole.
I just came across several articles referencing the huge heat increases in the normally very hot Iran. I've little doubt that this applies in varying degrees across the countries in the Middle East (and then there's the decreasing availability of water).
Washington Post has a headline: "Hot tub-like Persian Gulf fuels 158-degree heat index in Iran" https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/08/09/iran-persian-gulf-extreme-heat/ (not gifted; headline should be enough to tell the story.
From Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-shuts-down-two-days-because-unprecedented-heat-2023-08-01/
It's terrifying. Thanks for sharing. We can easily see what happens if this is the new normal: death from heat exposure and lack of water, starvation, and mass migration that strains resources elsewhere.
And this: Biden Interview by Weather Channel on the Climate aired just today!
Scientists Say Extreme Temperatures Are Killing Five Million People a Year and Climate Change is Speeding Toward Catastrophe.
The Full Interview Will Air on The Weather Channel Television Network Starting Wednesday, August 9th at 6:00 a.m. EDT
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Byron Allen's Allen Media Group proudly announces that today, in an historic interview, President Biden, sat down exclusively with The Weather Channel to discuss climate change and climate policy.
President Biden has said that climate change is the "number one issue facing humanity" and that combatting climate change is a core tenet of his presidency. As Americans face increasingly extreme weather events, The Weather Channel is aggressively leading the climate discussion to effectuate positive change.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/president-biden-gives-exclusive-interview-to-the-weather-channel-addressing-our-greatest-threat-climate-change-301896306.html
Thanks for this. Biden gets it but can only do so much in a divided government, much of it controlled by the fossil fuel industry. That's the sad reality where we find ourselves. We can begin to change this in 2024.
Solid win in Ohio. Lots of effort by lots of folk to grow the good. Gaining momentum. We need a decisive Blue win in 2024 to make the changes for good that the world is desperate for!
Thanks for this link. I’m so fed up with the culture wars. Who cares is we’re all dead? Nobody benefits from this.
Thanks, Michael, for the link.
I believe we have pushed the Earth past the tipping point. Way to go humans-
This is an amazing and timely essay. Everyone is so focused on Trump and his lawyers but there are larger issues at stake. Yet that I have to mention Trump is the internal invasion of democracy by the GOP. Biden has done everything except solve or address the PTSD and Trauma of the previous administration and he must start addressing this in the argument that all democrats must make in unison that enough is enough!
Thank you Heather for providing this insight.
I can hear chump now, because he says it with every breath. “They’re coming after you, I’m just in the way.” It all just a political witch hunt, blah, blah, blah. Any blow back from Biden would just be seen as political noise. It needs to be somebody else with the power of Rupert’s megaphone. It may be too late since all repubs have signed on to destroy us. If he gets back in, guess who will be Putin’s lap dog.
Jeri, the condition of our Republican Party did not happen overnight. But it is in my opinion, the Obama administration and the care for all American people that opened the door and shined its light on the possibilities that as a nation we could serve and accept and love one another in more powerful, productive ways. Michele , in her wise and demonstrative examples encouraged us to make healther choices, grow our own gardens and include our children...teach them ways to live healther lives....focus on future ways we could share the gifts and talents within our beings....NO MATTER THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN OR BEING ABLE TO BE "WHO WE ARE AS HUMAN BEINGS". She brought strength, and encouragement and demonstrated the value of all persons and the hope that each of us could achieve the good and success for which we were created.
In my opinion, the USA had the opportunity to grow in a deeper love and respect for one another.
Opportunity, freedom and respect were more exaulted. More persons of color found their areas of service within our government, education, medicine, law, the exploration and study of space and the universe. We are better for this!!!!
And then Trump...(I am in shock at such a choice for leader of the USA!!!...I changed political parties,) there was disruption, chaos, broken relations and distrust from our longtime allies..."Putin smiled"....suddenly the "roaches" appear.....they come out of the darkness boldly into the light pushing lies about COVID....disrespecting medical professionals....
more violence and disrespect for our fellowman/woman....the governance of our country in turmoil.)
Then "thanks be to God" we have received a president in Joe Biden who has worked in government most of his life....he is wise, he is experienced, he has traveled the road of history within our nation and the world...he really loves people, not just the ones who vote for him...he is a leader for each and all Americans....he wants us to LEARN ways we can better work together, respecting and encouraging one another....shared success....is the best way we can survive and thrive as a nation and as the world....mutual respect is worth working for everyday....it is the best survival tool.
Working in government, President Biden has learned the value of friendship, ways we can work together to "Build Back Better". By mutually respecting one another, by listening, by appreciating different ideas, we can each give our best for one another...for the good of all, for the health of our world. Seeking personal power only wastes good lives who have been given great gifts, it is a waste of time and money and human and material resources for short term power and control, it is a terrible example to those with whom we share this planet home.
President Biden has opened the door for many younger citizens to serve with him. He values their desire to serve the people of this country as citizens also of the world. We are interconnected....it is rarely "them and us"....for the life, peace and health and opportunity, it must be us....learning to get along as individuals with respect for one another. I can also say that younger ones who work with him value Joe Biden as well.
At this time, please pray and support President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine. We need more great men like him in this world. He loves his country....his home.....the people of Ukraine.....freedom....."It is NOT free!"
Trump could be the greatest example of the flaw in the Electoral College system. The Electoral College System is a mistake that the Founding Fathers could not have foreseen - how could 18th century agrarian farmers in 13 relatively small population states imagine a nation, coast-to-coast, with one state having the population of sixteen other states combined? It was a mistake and should be corrected by a constitutional amendment. But will it be? No, and it could be one of the principal causes of the failure of our democracy, if that should come to pass.
Richard, since the small-population states are unlikely to vote to ratify the elimination of the electoral college, the next best thing would be proportional electoral college votes (to 3 decimal places).
I don't understand. How could that be implemented without the concurrence of the small population states?
Since it wouldn’t require a constitutional amendment, it could just be a law. Each state would still have the same electoral college votes, but there would no longer be “winner take all” states. It would be closer to reflecting the popular vote with voters of the minority party in each state feeling as though they have a voice.
Absolutely, we are government by a minority. Not democratic, by any means.
love every word, wish more agreed, at least a majority with a megaphone
Amen!!!!
“Michele , in her wise and demonstrative examples encouraged us to make healther choices, grow our own gardens and include our children...teach them ways to live healther lives....focus on future ways we could share the gifts and talents within our beings..”
I agree Emily ❤️❤️
Both the Obama’s role modeled and informed us of behaviors that increase resilience to the trauma. We all needed this but especially those of us that have been and continue to be the most oppressed. Instead of mind numbing drugs and alcohol choose life affirming love and growth ❤️❤️
>Pant<
>Pant<
>Pant<
>Pant<
To funny JL!
I wanted to “like” your comment more than once. I do, however, think that President Biden is wise in his decision not to directly address Trump and his cadre’s banter. President Joe Biden’s wisdom, in part, comes from his varied experiences in his decades-long service to our Democracy.
It is my hope that the more self-respecting members of the GOP will publicly stand up to those who are trying to destroy our Democracy.
Then, perhaps, these playground antics could cease.
I love how Biden has handled this country but I do think that the swarms of disinformation needs to be addressed and condemned. We are living in a different time. What the GOP calls the far left is just the center. Maybe Biden is not the one to address this but we need a loud voice on our side of truth and decency! Thanks!
💯💯 Agree. Especially with being on the frontier of AI and all the warnings from tech experts. But, I am flummoxed as to what can be done about it. I wish talented minds would throw some thoughts and ideas into it. I don’t believe free speech was ever meant to be the ability to deceive and bring harm to others
Where are the "more self-respecting members of the GOP" when the Grand Old Party no longer exists. Long gone, and that is shocking to me too. TWO repubs have stood up to the magats. Some others have dropped the repub label. But the rank and file (and Ronna) have signed on to the playground antics (except they are more like a Trojan House battlefield).
I agree. How can there be so few Republicans willing to put our precious democratic Republic over their criminal political party? It feels insane!
propaganda, they have signed on from the top to the bottom, the more insane the better. They smell blood - which means power. Shocking that they have ditched everything that they pretended to believe in.
I think it’s important that all the Democrats speak to citizenship and decency. They spend to much time looking at the polls and not getting aggressive, not to create noise but to stand up and totally agree a loud megaphone from the media
That government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
JL,
There is a (fairly large) segment of the "people" whose critical thinking skills are on par with JL Grahan's "Pant Pant Pant Pant Pant" abilities.
Those folks and their ignorance can easily kill John Adams "consent of the governed" concept.
Easily.
That is an excellent point, but there is another factor that goes into the equation: feelings. Where beliefs are based on feelings, facts don't matter much - John Stuart Mill, "The Subjection of Women," 1869. Racism, religious beliefs, views about women, etc. - in many cases thoughts on these matters are not guided by reason, so rationality alone will not solve the dilemma. There must also be empathy. As I've grown older (now 83) I realize how cruel we've been to the other creatures that share this planet, not "our" planet. We've destroyed their habitats. We've killed them unmercifully. I grieve for our species and those we've mistreated.
Richard,
I was wondering if "beliefs" are always based on feelings. Because, there is no need to believe in a fact. It has its own self supporting evidence.
It seems to me that "feelings" are what make life worth living. I find "I feel therefore I am" (that is to say, I experience) more compelling than "I think, therefor I am", but in reality I cannot separate them from what it means to be human. Minutes ago I just ate my first home grown peach of the season. I know more than most about the botany and chemistry of peaches, but flavor is experiential. I see the sun as gravitational fusing of hydrogen, as well as "rosy fingered dawn". I believe that the accuracy of the models we build within our nervous systems is based not only on the keenness and logically connectedness of their correspondence to the thing in itself, but what it occurs to us to observe. Aristotle was content to think it, but Galileo measured it, and had the perspicacity to wonder. By keenly investigating gravity, he laid a foundation for Newton and Einstein. "Dispassionate" investigation is not a matter of indifference, it is an effort to avoid investment in particular investigational outcomes. Thus randomization, double blind testing, peer review, and other disciplines.
Passion is not the problem. MLK was passionate. So was the Declaration of Independence. The Gettysburg Address is probably more loved for it's passion than for it's lucid rhetoric; but both. Allowing passion to trump reason is where demons lie; actions ruled by hate, greed, fear, hubris, and prejudice; and our evolutionarily older "reptile" brain is quite vulnerable to obsessing on our own narcissistic survival. It is more of an impression than research, but it seems that one way of controlling people is by deliberately installing PTSD in individuals and the population. Draconian punishments, such as torture for nonconformists and beatings and shunning for kids. Some households believe reflexively in such stuff, and I think provide the seemingly unceasing support for despots. As a means of social control, it's a deal with the devil, and responsible for most of our avoidable woes. Amplified by our advanced technologies, it could end our species and many others as well.
Some feelings we deem to be good, others not so much. Still, it's relative. The bigoted racist finds much to like in his friend, also a bigoted racist. And therein lies their attraction to Trump.
JL,
Passion wrapped around a fact or facts is powerful. Like Abe's Gettysburg address was.
Passion wrapped around fakery, lies, or hate? Not so much.
sad but true
Christopher, you write: "Everyone is so focused on Trump and his lawyers but there are larger issues at stake." The other issues are large, but the Trump issue is huge. We have an attack on our democratic system, not from outside our borders, but from the inside. If America fails as a democracy, democracies around the world will begin to crumble. This is the most important contest in the world today.
I would absolutely agree I think I implied that we are in a highly destabilizing environment both here and abroad! Thanks Richard
I have already posted this, but I will add it again--I had not heard that the Biden admin is posting signs about the Infrastructure bill, and I think this is great!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXXrkR5DEs8
I think a strategy would be to push for a national remembarence/healing from the Pandemic. That way it's less aggressively US vs. Them so the Repubs don't get defensive. But it's a reminder that we are in a much better place in 2023 than we were in 2020/2021.
Warming, incinerating the planet, forced migrations, a food crisis, killing the plankton, suffocating all breathing animals, abortion and female health care is killing women by design, Texas is toxic, daily mass killings by white boys and white men, increasing addiction deaths, fentanyl spreading, flooding everywhere, vicious cops mistreating benevolent none whites, racist evil doers blocking immigrants, violating the law; Jack Smith and a few others will indict the liar in chief, the chief racist of the Republican Mob of Intolerance and Prejudice, he will be sentenced to jail, solitary confinement, jailed for life, the GOP will collapse and we will worry about one party rule... Ukraine is surviving, Russia is sliding, China is flipping, Italy is flirting, Europe is mumbling, we are stumbling, and religion is in the flair out stage.
Can we count on that jailed for life part, I fervently hope?
In solitary, finger printed, no passport, at Mar-a-Lago Club for life, head shaved to start with a mug shot, orange jump suit, round the clock on suicide watch by surveillance camera and by Secret Service.
I know that might be the best we can hope for, but it disgusts me that he could spend his life in luxury with fawning people at Mar a Lago, while in Texas, those in prison are dying from lack of air conditioning!!
And the evil man says warming is a hoax... Covid-19 was a hoax, and 1 million died; he doesn’t care. Yet, the GOP core loves to hate the others and believes they love him. It’s cult, a carnival.
Yes, they love him because he is them - in substance. Racist, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic. "The Anger Games, Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why?" Google it.
In the end, charged with treason, I hope.
Perhaps treason. Putin's close associates suddenly started dying mysteriously in strange accidents last summer. Did that info come from some of the Top Secret Documents that Trump had stolen away? I'd wager big time that American Intelligence knows the answer to that question, but they're not saying anything. Trump is Putin's puppet, probably because of blackmail material on Trump.
Exactly what I have been thinking. I'm sure many others as well...
Trump is much more toxic than has been exposed. I would suggest that the Democrats choose a "hit man" to go after Trump's obsequious deference to Putin and hone in on the Classified documents. If the tables were reversed, that's what the Republicans would do. But, it has validity, serious validity, and should be exposed day after day. Trump is a danger to this country's security.
And the death penalty as he has so often prescribed for others.
Confined for life without access to a megaphone is a fate worse than death for the blowhard. But, why take any satisfaction from seeing the worthless blob of protoplasm anguish? To hell with him. Let's get on with our lives.
Part of me aspires to Zen bliss, most of me can't look away because I care.
If and when he's gone for good, then I'll relax, depending though on how much damage this particular demon has incurred up to that potential point.
Count on it. In solitary on suicide watch, no internet, incommunicado.
I can't imagine it and even if it happened, his maggots wouldn't just slink away.
Yes.
S B Lewis, you wax poetic—despite the tragic theme of your post. Nice!
One party rule sounds pretty good right now, as long as the repubs collapse.
Not poetic. Tragic. It’s where we are going with Herr Trump. Republicans will ultimately hate it, his woman will hate it. Blacks and Jews and dark Hispanics will be suppressed. Tagalog speaking Filipinos will be crushed. Fascism by Trump, his transcripts hidden by command. He flunked everything. High school to college.. he’s a born loser, crushes women by rape. Misogynist Nazi. Closeted homosexual in denial. Like Adolf Hitler.
I will suggest that, if there is indeed a drive toward fascist dictatorship in the USA as Wall Street's response to impending financial catastrophe, it will involve much more than Trump, who can be thought of as a figurehead.
And he's now the "nice guy" in the room, with a bloodthirsty understudy talking about "slitting the throats" of government workers:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/04/ron-desantis-slitting-throats-federal-jobs-president-campaign
Fascism’s echo-chamber is in Florida.
This is Ron DeSantis, and I'm of 100% Italian blood, and you know what that means? Mafia Mussolini, baby! I'm not campaigning to be no pansy President. Like I said, I'm gonna slit some throats, and voters don't like that. I said that to get the attention of the Big Boys who don't like to get blood on their tailored suits.
You understand me?? I said a two-million-dollar donation doesn't really impress me...
Interesting. Problem is, I don't think that he has the smarts. But, lack of smarts hasn't stopped Trump. Trump was smart enough to see the racism, homophobia and xenophobia that rose up after Obama's election to seize that moment. It's the 1920's KKK all over again - white supremacy now, white supremacy forever.
No. One party is dictatorship rule. Like Moscow, Putin, Viktor Orban. Hungary, MBS and SA, Xi and PRC China.
What are our options now? Green, RFKJr, nolabels. no way in hell
The Democratic leadership, after throwing addled Vampire Liberal Joe Biden under the bus, will either coalesce around a new "front-runner" or encourage a handful of regional "favorite son" (or daughter) candidates to sort it out at a brokered convention.
In any case, the Democratic Party will still be a going concern.
I am already casting my vote for California's governor, Gavin Newsome.
I like Newsom, and also Jay Inslee of Washington.
Jeri Chilcutt lets her fascist proclivities slip into the open.
Reported.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/august-7-2023/comment/22055486
That is an impressive summary.
Texas is the #1 state in renewable energy generation.... I get that it's also a polluter, but I think the other states should push more aggressively in clean energy.
Hi SB, I don't seem to be able to get anyone to listen, but you seem to be someone in distress so, I thought I would tell you how things could get better.
first, the U.S. could simply ask the Ukrainian people to vote on becoming the 51st State of the U.S. If they refuse, then we don't have to be concerned about that anymore.
The next thing is that the U.S. needs to incrementally exchange the Earned Income Tax with a National Consumption Tax. People should pay taxes according to their ability to spend money, not earn it.
The next thing is that Bezos, or Buffett, or Musk should build solar powered satellites which are placed in the sun's orbit between the sun and the earth at the equator. These satellites have large reflecting panels that reflect the sun's energy back into space as controlled by NASA. This will immediately begin to cool the oceans and the earth, while we work on becoming better steward's of this Garden of Eden we are in.
Steven Reid Arey,
I came up with my own set of things we should do to make things better. My approach is different from yours; maybe you'll find some food for thought:
http://earthwarning.org/index.php/what-should-we-do/
I forgot to mention that immigrants should be "welcomed" into the U.S. to grow food for the world. The U.S. should not send "distressed" nations money it should send food. And with the NCT in place we will all be paying taxes according to what we spend, not earn. Which makes us all equal.
What you are describing is the ground shifting under our feet on an international basis. I see the Biden administration making use of the circumstances to galvanize efforts at shoring up alliances, making new alliances, isolating the perpetrators of conflict, attempting to re-establish lines of communication and issues of common interest with China, even while Russia is beyond reach due to it's war of aggression on Ukraine. So when the ground is moving, one way of creating some degree of stability is reaching out to lock arms with your friends and neighbors, shore up existing partnerships and seek to establish new ones where possible. This seems like pretty mature policy as compared to the last administration which said "me first" and threatened to stop supporting alliances, break treaties, become isolationist and try to create a "fortress America" via retrenchment.
More of the same if chump gets back in. The shift will be seismic, and all Joe’s work undone in a flash
Close to 250 years worth of work along with it.
I came close to throwing up when I read this link: https://link.sbstck.com/redirect/cfbb9a59-078b-429a-a321-860940efdd4a?j=eyJ1IjoiM2ZmNWIifQ.xchdkCNtkuwv2nGiinQWqiNm84R1F226rA3LRmzt3_Q
Russia is forcing the Ukrainian children who were basically kidnapped by Putin to train in their military.
“ Verstka reported that the Russian Investigative Committee “took patronage” over Ukrainian children living in children‘s homes throughout Russia, and sent its employees to 10 such homes with toys, clothes, and school supplies in order to coerce the children to enter the Russian cadet corps.”
This is EVIL!!!
(But thanks for sharing this excellent link, Marlene!)
You’re welcome but actually Heather had it listed at the end of tonight’s letter. I can’t take credit for it. I’m not a Republican. 😇
Thanks for the double clarification, Marlene 😉! I don’t always look at the endnotes, as I should.
No, Marlene, you certainly are not. You are too thoughtful, considerate and responsible to be aligned with the Kool Aid Party
Putin is Orwellian, he kidnapped for their genetics... Brave New World, Aldus Huxley... George Orwell through and beyond. Animal Farm... 1984.
Trump worked off Mein Kampf, Hitler’s manifesto on Trump’s bedside table every night... as a matter of record.
Making Hitler look good, well, sort of
I would not go that far - Hitler's and his henchmen's evil deed are impossible to match.
If you read Timothy Snyder’s Bloodlands, you will learn (as I did) that Stalin gave Hitler a run for his money in the greatest evil ever contest.
they try and have been for decades, now they smell blood. The blood of the innocent is a siren song for the greedy bastards
Let's hope so.
Marlene, thank you very much for the ISW Link. I clicked on the Interactive MAP of the Ukraine battlefields which illustrated the comprehensive data graphically. ISW has superior communication skills.
Russian opposition media outlet Verstka suggested that the Russian Investigative Committee and its head, Alexander Bastrykin, are directly involved in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and the forced placement of Ukrainian children into Russian military training programs.[9] Verstka reported that the Russian Investigative Committee “took patronage” over Ukrainian children living in children‘s homes throughout Russia, and sent its employees to 10 such homes with toys, clothes, and school supplies in order to coerce the children to enter the Russian cadet corps. Verstka reported that Bastrykin personally visited Ukrainian children in Russia and told them that Russian victory depend on the children and that the Russian Investigative Committee is there to support them. Verstka reported that the Investigative Committee previously advertised the cadet corps to Ukrainian children from Donbas and stated that “78 Ukrainian children entered educational institutions, including the cadet corps and academies affiliated with the Investigative Committee, between February 2022 and March 2023. Verstka reported that Bastrykin ordered the cadet corps in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Volgograd to prepare to receive Ukrainian children from occupied Donbas as early as February 25, 2022. Verstka highlighted statements from Ukrainian children who said they felt compelled to participate in the Russian cadet corps due to the educational opportunity. The coercion of Ukrainian children, who are legally unable to consent to their deportations and participation in such military-patriotic re-education programs, is likely part of an ongoing Russian campaign to eradicate the Ukrainian national identity and militarize youth who have been forcibly deported to Russia.”
My heart just bleeds. They have no control…none! I wish everyone could work harder to find these monsters and bring them to trial.
It’s not only the children but can you imagine how their parents must be going through and will continue to go through? Putin can’t be held accountable soon enough. As for China, they are playing three dimensional chess with the world. They are thinking 50-100 years down the road. Of course if this old world surpasses the tipping point it’s not really going to matter what China does. They’ll be toast just like the rest of the world.
Absolutely! The parents are devastated just like the immigrant parents whose children were snatched from their arms in our own country.
Horrors...
Yes, Professor, you begin with a Truth that is continuing here in The United States and abroad. We have TFG flaunting the terms of his indictment and more, his predictable attempts to be in charge even when the endgame could be incarceration. We know TFG will dominate news with multiple trials. And he would like to distract us from true suffering. The world still turns, and Russia causing hunger and possible famine (how this is defined) is a continuing struggle in the War with Ukraine. Your letter: “Russia has continued its attack on Ukrainian grain supplies, damaging another 40,000 tons of grain destined for Africa, China, and Israel on August 2.” United Nations Security Council provides a partial summary on an open debate on Famine and Conflict. And lists multiple nations affected. From August 3, 2023. Secretary of State Antony J.Blinken in a speech said “It is easy to get caught up in numbers…..but ultimately it comes down to people, it comes down to Children.”
“accordingly, he said every member of the United Nations should tell Moscow “enough using the Black Sea as blackmail, enough treating the most vulnerable people as leverage, enough of this unjustified, unconscionable war.” Let us remember, children suffer the most. And when they grow up, they carry the scars and trauma forever. Everyone must think what that means for past, present and future. War affects Human Beings. It’s more than a story in the press. It’s lasting pain and future PTSD and most tragically continued and unresolved conflicts connected with a war that creates no winners, only losers. And one more point: Food Insecurity means hunger and possibly starvation.
https://www.publicnow.com/view/83BDDD437305D3F64130460A82FBB816E746CED5?1691099130
Heather, how can we reconcile China participating in these talks and seeming to agree that Russia is bad serving with the multiple Russian/Chinese warships off the coast of Alaska. Why was China part of what seemed like an escalation. At the very least it was an attempt at showing strength. The two seem incongruous.
Mary I consider China two-or-perhaps-three faced. Driven by nationalism and the desire to establish its presence, both in Asia and globally, as a counter weight to the West (and especially the United States), China is engaged in a multi-faceted protracted conflict.
Having Russia as a much junior ‘partner’ is part of China’s current strategy. While Putin’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine is not openly supported by China, China finds advantageous employing Russia as a ‘cat’s paw’ to suit its own strategic interests.
Hi again, Keith!
I feel that China is playing a sort of three dimensional chess here. China has never been known in the modern era to be a Country that would violate the sovereignty of its neighbors. This is true going back to the Sun Yat Sen era in the early 20th century and through the CCP era, and down to the current time. It should be obvious that there is nothing "communist" about the Xi Jin Ping era of Chinese government. It's clearly capitalism on steroids.
I also think that they will milk the Russian Federation and its paranoia, both justified and unjustified about Western ambitions as much as possible, but ultimately will not go along with Putin's schemes.
China is currently in a position where, almost more than any other Nation State, it can wait and see how to play its cards.
Daniel Spot on. I do recall that modern China had military encounters with Vietnam, Russia, and India, but these were not in the same league as Putin’s invasion of sovereign Ukraine.
Playing three dimensional chess and cheshire cat!
"I consider China two-or-perhaps-three faced."
Dr. Wheelock, perhaps China has carefully studied 20th Century and 21st Century American history? Perhaps they learned well?
Well, actually, they are NOT doing what we did. Rather than invade a bunch of countries and destroy and kill a bunch of people for nothing for decades, and overthrowing democratic governments, like we did, again for decades, they are building peaceful partnerships in tandem with the needs of other governments.
To me, a country going after their best interests is OK.
It is when that country can ONLY go after their best interests by using the military to invade and kill that it becomes a real problem. We are all hysterical about Putin's invasion of Ukraine but most Americans yawned when we invaded Afghanistan illegally. And Iraq. Illegally.
Like for example, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, probably Korea. Oh. And, yes. Dropping two giant atom bombs on a Civilian population in Japan.
C'mon. The Chinese don't come close to the mess America has made for nearly 100 years.
The Chinese are smart. Very smart. China has 1.4 billion people. You just know that out of that number of people, they can find some brilliant minds.
And,
The Chinese do NOT have to deal with evangelical (anything).
Down through history and with the first introduction of Christianity in the late 1500's by Mateo Ricci and other Jesuits, Christians were not looked upon with favor. True, Buddhism had made inroads into China centuries earlier, but the Chinese were for the most part skeptical of religion, though they did have their superstitions. There were, of course, the "Rice Christians" who joined the missionaries for the obvious reason. The most famous convert was Hsu Kuang-ch'i who was the first Western trained scientist who was also a Christian, a Mateo Ricci convert who rose to one of the highest levels in the Chinese bureaucracy. I call him the "Chinese Malthus." For his Jin-shih exam in 1604 in Peking, Hsu theorized that the rise and fall of dynasties was owing to the exponential growth of the imperial family, ultimately causing an insurmountable burden on the populace. Each emperor would have several hundred concubines who would have multiple children and they had multiple children and they were all princes and princesses and all deserved support by the state. The Ming Dynasty collapsed, imploded, 40 years later, in 1644, without a single arrow being shot in defense as the Manchurians came riding through the northeastern gates at the Great Wall.
The Chinese are smart and are going to act in their best national interest. I have no doubt but that Xi and the other Chinese leaders have gone through some "what-ifs" in terms of an attempt to invade Taiwan. The first big issue: how likely is it that the Taiwan air command could take us out personally at the very outset of an attack? The Chinese on Taiwan are smart, too. Is it really worth it?
Keith Wheelock,
I will suggest that Russia is not really China's "junior partner," because it has its own autonomous foreign policy in former French Africa, together with this emerging pole in the mutating global order:
https://thealtworld.com/andrew_korybko/russia-iran-and-india-are-creating-a-third-pole-of-influence-in-international-relations
And regarding the rise of India on the global stage, you might already know about this:
https://thediplomat.com/2023/06/indias-g20-presidency-giving-voice-to-the-global-south/
Exactly my thought.
I am moderately heartened that 40 nations met in Saudi Arabia to ‘discuss’ a possible Ukrainian peace plan to which Russia was not invited.
Symbolically, this is a positive event. A number of countries, especially in Africa, have been reticent to get involved in the post-Cold War Putin-Ukraine imbroglio. At least this will provide some exposure to the realities of what has been occurring in Ukraine and Putin’s brutality in seizing Ukrainian territory, killing civilians, and destroying much of Ukraine’s core infrastructure.
I have little hope that such a meeting will contribute to an appropriate ‘peace plan.’ After Putin’s ravaging of sovereign state Ukraine, I do not imagine that President Zelensky politically could accept a ‘peace plan’ that would include continued Russian occupation of a significant portion of Ukraine.
It is highly doubtful that Czar Putin, after such a disastrous ‘special military operation,’ would accept the humiliation of a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine.
While the West, including the United States, may prefer some de-escalation of the Ukrainian war, I do not see how, over the short term, this could be accomplished without President Zelensky’s assent.
Meanwhile, the United States must consider the impact of any accommodation with Putin, after his brutal invasion of Ukraine, on the festering China-Taiwan imbroglio.
Evening, Keith!
I agree and disagree with you. I certainly agree that the exposure of the brutal reality caused by the Russian unjustified invasion of Ukraine is worthwhile. I also agree that the supposed "peace conference" wherein the primary aggressor, Russia, is not present will not contribute to peace in our time, to quote a former disgraced Republican President (though not anywhere nearly as disgraced as the most recent Republican President).
Where I disagree with you is that I feel the entire "peace process" initiated and hosted by the blood drenched House of Saud is preposterous, doomed to failure and simply yet another of a string of attempts by MBS to bring in the equivalent of Harvey Keitel's "cleaning crew" from Pulp Fiction to steam clean the rivers of blood he has let flow in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and of course, the diplomatic sanctuary in Istanbul, all to show the gullible West that he is "modernizing" Saudi Arabia.
Daniel I agree that having Mohamed bin Salman (MBS) host a purported 40-nation Ukraine ‘peace conference’ is a travesty, given MBS’s track record as a murderer, as the initiator of a brutal Yemen war, and as an overly rich oil potentate who seeks to buy respectability.
At least Russia was denied participation, which is a modest blessing.
Seems to me that China joined these 'peace talks' as Saudi A (and sadly MBS) are more prominent on the world stage than Denmark. Not inviting Russia looked like a sign that not much progress was expected, other than China, Saudi and the remaining B[R]ICS countries wanted to be in the press. Zelenski's 10 step peace plan has been around since last November - What's Russia's response in absentia? Bombing Kyiv and continuing 'food terrorism'. Am I missing other positive results?
Daniel,
The Saudi's murdered one guy and they are now bloodthirsty murderers (yes, I agree).
But, for 70 years America has murdered people all over the world under the guise of invading countries to either "fight communism" or "fight terrorism".
Americans are inured to murder as a method of getting what America wants.
Having MBS host was preposterous
Oops, "peace in our time" was the phrase of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain as he appeased Hitler's bloodless conquest of Czechoslovokia.
As well as Nixon's phrase. Also, the Nazi move into the nascent Czechoslovakia was not "bloodless"
Thank you for your correction. Perhaps you could provide a source for your assertion of bloodshed in the Nazi takeover of Czechoslovokia. See
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_Czechoslovakia_(1938%E2%80%931945)
Regarding what Nixon said, see
https://www.nixonfoundation.org/2022/04/peace-generations-come/
I stand corrected on the Nixon quote. His was "peace with honor". Nonetheless, in the wake of 56,000 American deaths and far more Vietnamese, along with the illegal invasion of Cambodia and the merciless napalming of women and children, pretty hard to see the honor in any of that.
As for the Nazi takeover of Czechoslovakia, just because it was accomplished without actual invasion, doesn't mean it was "bloodless", needless to say
Such sanity is rare these days. Thank you, Keith Wheelock. Couldn’t find your comment yesterday, but kept looking today and hit gold. Staying up to watch late returns from Ohio, which so far is unassailable, and likely to remain so.
Time to reread “Lysistrata.”
Last week's CNN poll on support for Ukraine makes clear why Zelensky turned to a Saudi supported peace initiative to establish principles to end the war in Ukraine, and eventually all wars. He rightly fears that America will no longer will be a reliable partner and will not continue to support Ukraine if Republicans maintain a majority in the House, let alone if Trump wins.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/04/politics/cnn-poll-ukraine/index.html
"Overall, 55% say the US Congress should not authorize additional funding to support Ukraine vs. 45% who say Congress should authorize such funding. And 51% say that the US has already done enough to help Ukraine while 48% say it should do more. A poll conducted in the early days of the Russian invasion in late February 2022 found 62% who felt the US should have been doing more.
Partisan divisions have widened since that poll, too, with most Democrats and Republicans now on opposing sides of questions on the US role in Ukraine.
US and Western officials fear Putin unlikely to change course in Ukraine before 2024 election
A majority, but not all (68%) of those who say the US should do more to support Ukraine favor additional funding, as do 23% of those who say the US has already done enough.
When asked specifically about types of assistance the US could provide to Ukraine, there is broader support for help with intelligence gathering (63%) and military training (53%) than for providing weapons (43%), alongside very slim backing for US military forces to participate in combat operations (17%).
Most Americans who say the US should be doing more to support Ukraine are in favor of providing assistance in intelligence gathering (75%), military training (68%) and weapons (60%), while among those who say the US has already done enough, only intelligence gathering earns majority support (52%)."
Of course Putin is doing what he can to bog down Ukrainian advances to hang on through the 2024 elections--so that Trump can "end the war in one day" on terms that obviously will favor Putin. He knows he cannot win the war in a conventional sense, but he can't be seen to lose and to do that all he has to do is continue to destroy Ukraine's infrastructure and and make its valuable agriculture land worthless by mining it and flooding it and polluting it.
Putin just waiting for chump to return and fulfill his promises from Helsinki. Somehow, I just know it’s true.
It IS true. Dump is Putin’s lap dog.
Georgia, I for one have little faith and trust in CNN, and no longer spend time reading them to any real extent. But perhaps that's just me.
Georgia, you are accepting the polls as if they had some meaning. Just for discussion lets assume that only 200 million of us care about anything except our own amusement. Further, lets assume the MAGA base is still at its 30 million number, leaving 170 million people capable of thinking. So along comes the pollster "randomly" selecting 1500 citizens and asking a few questions then announcing on mainstream media the results. I agree the 68% of those polled are against supporting Ukraine. That is 1,020 people. They sure as hell, don't represent me and I doubt they represent the 170 million people who oppose Trump. I think pollsters should have to reveal the actual number of persons polled, from which States were they polled and how many from each State. Then I might have a smidgeon more respect for polls. I'm always reminded of my fellow lab techs in College saying "You can prove anything with a mouse and statistics"
I have a background in scientific research so I am aware of the statistical issues in polling. But it is not how well the data represents the "real" distribution of opionion, because that no longer matters. It is the talking points that will be generated from the polls and that is influential and that fact that these opionions are starting to surface at all and gain traction. It is what will provide cover and support for the far right to claim that Americans no longer support Ukraine. You can see that it is setting up another major fault line between the autocratic far right in the Republican Party and those who are still willing to support Ukraine.
Just like climate change denialism, the war in Ukraine is being turned into culture war clickbait. I have relatives still in Ukraine. This scares the hell out of me because it is raising red flags about what is starting to sell on the far right. And that is going to be grist for the mill of the MAGA crazies in the House to stop the funding.
Thank you, Georgia. I commiserate with you on Ukraine. If we and all other Countries who support Democratic principles do not stand and assist Ukraine now. Putin will 'feel' he's won and continue attacking all former parts of the USSR to the detriment of all mankind.
I think it is clear that support for Ukraine, especially in Congress, is souring.
I have shared my own assessment of HCR's take on the Ukraine situation here:
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/august-7-2023/comment/22039837
The recognition of the ways the world is unsettled in the first paragraph is portentous. Makes me look around for immediate sources of joy.
Yes, all utterly disastrous. I was born too late.
Voting report from Ohio: my husband just got back from the polls. He reports a line longer than any election he can remember, including presidential elections, about 75% women (unusual) and skewing way younger than normal. I’ll update after I vote later this morning. His report felt pretty hopeful.
Accurate data points in the field, thank, you!
Fingers crossed!!!!
Good luck Ohio!
I just got back from voting. Like my husband, I thought it was as busy as I’ve ever seen it. At most, I’ve only ever had to wait for one person ahead of me. Today, in my alphabetical group (and they don’t always split people alphabetically; it’s a small precinct), I was seventh in line. That’s a good sign! Usually, when I vote, it’s me and a few retirees. Today it was cheerfully and noisily full of young people, couples, parents with children, moms and daughters. I feel really hopeful right now.
Again I say, democracy in action. We should never for the power of the people...we have it, let’s use it!
Thanks for the update.
Things seem very unsettled to me because the Republican Party of the USA is doing all it can to destroy our democracy. They’re doing this by undermining faith in all three branches of government, while simultaneously making it more and more difficult for the people Republicans don’t like to control the shape and direction of government through their vote.
They would rather burn the big house down rather than have to share it with those in the slave quarters.
Thank you Dr. Richardson for this insight into the state of global affairs. Sometimes we get so caught up in the Trump/MAGA melodrama we overlook or even forget there are important events happening worldwide which, if ignored could have deleterious effect on the US.. I was pretty young when the UN was forming (12 to 14) so I didn't follow as closely as I have as an adult. I wish they hadn't formed the Security Council, especially with the single veto rule. That rule alone has rendered the UN toothless. We need a world association, but it's main function needs to be world wide cooperation among nations, with very stiff monetary penalties against any nation (including us) that aggressively attacks any other nation. And the nation being attacked should be able to call in the entire rest of the nations to assist in its defense. In short, we should not have been allowed to attack Vietnam, just because France didn't want to control its colony. Nor should we have been allowed to invade Iraq because Sadaam Hussein had verbally insulted our President's Daddy.
In addition to crippling fines, the leaders of the aggressor should also be tried before the International Justice Court and separately penalized for their specific war crimes, any penalty short of death.
Even the climate change could have been mitigated by giving the UN more power. It would have been impossible for so many nations to ignore the pending disaster, and, in fact speeding up and worsening the condition.
Single nations, like single persons, tend to think in selfish terms [to say nothing of greed - which unfortunately is not confined the the United States]. The damage, in favor of wealth instead of the "Common Good", is going to be costlier than any calamity we, Homo sapiens, have yet to face; including World War 2.
Truth here, but I imagine that the “United Nations” was as good as could have been created at the time. It is “”snaggletoothed” and limping along, but “jaw jawing” nonetheless. We can dream of the changes you propose, but I’m afraid it will take another calamity. The USA is not the greatest fan of the UN, at least not in rural Texas. The venom is palpable.
I realize that Jeri, but the UN Charter isn't set in stone. If all the nations in the world gave the UN the respect and power it needs, we could truly have an effective decent working world.
US aid to Ukraine, the UN with it's programs like UNESCO, US aid to Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and the Middle East and past efforts like the Marshall Plan show the US's responsible willingness to help others in the world less fortunate than us. The hard core right Republicans resent sharing with or helping others, including all of the domestic minorities, and support this greed-fueled myopic view with fear-mongering that aims to manipulate anyone not already on-board with their selfish principles. It appears that even advanced education at the highest levels does not overcome this posture of greed.To counter this we have to not only talk the talk but walk the walk; we have to be the solution, not just support it. The shock of the racism, misogyny, corruption and hate that has coarsened our culture since 2016 may shake us out of lethargy but it will take everyone contributing to overcome this crisis and right the ship. Overcoming the worst of human nature - even when not aided and abetted by a foul right wing - is not easy. We're the lobsters in that proverbial pot heating up, and we'll be cooked if we wait much longer. Fortunately, we have Heather, and Robert Hubbell, Jess Craven, Simon Rosenberg and a host of others to help chart the difficult course.
Wonderful if's. Wonder about the circulation of Fox and clones and all sane substacks. Oh yes, there are wonderful people pushing back. Hard to find in Texas. Maybe that colors my perception. Texas has become a cesspool. We are not alone.
Later today, I will make an attempt to allay the fear mongering of a former foster child who is very susceptible to conspiracy theories. In fact, all the disturbed male teens I had more than a passing acquaintance with in the late 80's and 90's have become magets, save one. Wish me luck.
Here's wishing you much luck! No doubt augmented by your skills and commitment to helping others; it's possible, even in retrograde Texas 😋
Thank you, I need it
Good Luck and God Speed, Jeri!
Those of us XYs who don't drive colossal, sci-fi movie-like trucks to hide our insecurities thank you in advance for your efforts!
The USA introduced the veto.
I'm going to go out on a limb in predicting today's vote here in Ohio on Issue 1 to require 60% or greater to amend the state constitution will be defeated by more than 60%. It will be more than a symbolic victory, it will be another affirmation that we've seen in red or mostly red states where the rights to abortion were won.
Why?
Overall people are basically the same. Sure there are political splits between the major parties but abortion is not a political issue, it's a personal one. Even in red states folks realize, in sufficient numbers, there are places where government is not welcome like bedrooms and doctor's offices. Don't think Republicans can't hold two ideas simultaneously. Kansas, Kentucky and Wisconsin were not flukes.
I hope you're right, Blue Roots.
Me too!
"From Seneca to Cuyahoga Falls,
Ay, oh, way to go, Ohio"
I have faith in the people to do the right thing. The Nos have it! 67-33%! Wait till November when the abortion amendment passes by a bigger majority.
Thank you Heather.
“Things feel unsettled these days...”
Boy, do they ever.
The times, they are a changin'.
🎶 "Better start swimmin' or you will ...." 🎶
well, we'll certainly "admit that the waters around you have grown" - ask anyone in Montpelier, Barre, Ludlow, Londonderry (all VT).
Florida is going to need a bigger boat.
My recollection is that Jesse Jackson said something like "You don't drown till you stop swimming".