The Green New Deal Will Save Us All

 How many coal plants are there in the world today? You know, the ones that the Green New Deal will save us from? 

The EU has 468 - building 27 more... Total  495   
 
Turkey has 56 - building 93 more... Total  149   
 
South Africa has 79 - building 24 more... Total  103   
 
India has 589 - building 446 more... Total  1035   
 
Philippines has 19 - building 60 more... Total  79   
 
South Korea has 58 - building 26 more... Total 84   
 
Japan has 90 - building 45 more... Total 135  
   
China has 2,363 - building 1,171 more... Total 3,534   
 
That’s 5,615 projected coal powered plants in just 8 countries.  

But what about the evil USA?  We have 241, with no plans to build any more...Total 241   
    
And Democrat politicians with their "green new deal” want to shut down those 15 plants in order to "save” the planet.

This is EXCELLENT!!  I knew the rough idea about the number of coal plants, but had not yet seen actual numbers until now.

This makes the point. Whatever the USA does or doesn’t do won’t make a tinker’s damn regarding CO2 unless the rest of the world, especially China and India, reduces coal-fired power plants as well.  
    
The whole “global warming” and “climate change” gambits by Democrats are to create a supposedly sound, scientific basis to justify a federal government power-grab and the passage of MORE laws to increase taxes and increased control of the privately owned power industry and its distribution.  Never forget the main motivation they have! 

It's ALWAYS about money and power. Always.
    
“Oh, we will SAVE the planet!!”    100% Pure Bull

This is US Today

Most Americans today are absolutely ignorant because they don't know and won't listen to, or are unwilling to see and hear, the truth.

This was filmed in the 1960s. Please pay attention.

Why America Is in Real Danger

By Dennis Prager - Aug. 11, 2020

Americans have long been proud of the fact that, unlike European countries, America never went the route of totalitarianism as embodied in communism, fascism and Nazism.

This achievement may be coming to an end.

In order to understand why, it is first necessary to understand why European countries embraced -- or fell victim to -- totalitarian doctrines.

Until World War I, the primary beliefs that gave life meaning, both on a national and personal level, were Judeo-Christian religions and patriotism (love of one's nation). What gave people moral guidance were Judeo-Christian values.

For most Europeans of the younger generation, World War I, with its seemingly senseless slaughter of millions, ended belief in Christianity and, in many cases, ended the people's faith in their nations. God was deemed absent; religion was deemed unnecessary; and national identity was widely seen as a cause of the war.

That left a void that was almost immediately filled by communism, fascism and Nazism.

In Russia, World War I led directly to the Russian Revolution. Even before the war ended, in 1917, the czar was overthrown, and later that year, the Bolsheviks (the Russian communists) took over. As awful as the czar was, there was far more freedom under him than there was in the Soviet Union until the fall of communism 72 years later, not to mention the murder of more people -- 20 to 40 million -- under the Soviet regime.

In Italy, the rise of fascism followed World War I. And in Germany, the Nazis came to power just 15 years after the end of the Great War. Nazism conquered most of the European continent during WWII, and after Germany's defeat in 1945, the Soviets imposed communism over all of Eastern Europe.

Though there were communists, communist fellow travelers, Nazi sympathizers, racists and anti-Semites in the United States, neither communism nor fascism nor Nazism took root here. The primary reason was that, unlike most Europeans, Americans did not lose their faith in Judeo-Christian religions and values or in America after World War I. America remained so religious that, in 1954, the words "under God" were inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance recited daily in American schools.

However, by the 1950s, faith in America, Christianity and what we call bourgeois middle-class values was largely limited to older Americans. The post-World War II baby-boomer generation was already being indoctrinated in secularism and anti-Americanism. As early as 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that school prayer was unconstitutional.

By the late 1960s, vast numbers of baby boomers were attending demonstrations that were as much against America -- routinely characterized as an imperialist and colonialist aggressor country with an evil military -- as they were against the war in Vietnam. It was not uncommon to see America spelled "Amerikkka" or "Amerika" at protests and in graffiti.

When I was in graduate school at Columbia University in the early 1970s, I was taught that men and women are not inherently different from one another and that the Cold War was between two superpowers (equally at fault), not between freedom and tyranny.

Another generation has passed, and the post-Christian, left-wing baby boomers have come close to achieving complete success. The mainstream print and electronic media, universities, high schools and elementary schools, the arts and now sports have all been conquered by the left. Except for sports, from the beginning of the 20th century, they were almost all liberal, but now they are left.
We now have the answer to the question: What will happen to America if Americans lose faith in God and country as the Europeans did after World War I? What will happen to America when Christianity dies as it did in Europe after World War I?

The way things now look, America may have its bout with some totalitarian doctrine -- almost surely some form of leftism. Liberty has never been a left-wing value. From Lenin on, wherever the left has come to power, it has suppressed liberty, beginning with free speech. Already, despite a Republican president and a Republican Senate, America has less free speech than at any time in its history. Exactly one year ago, I testified before a Senate subcommittee and wrote an op-ed piece for The Wall Street Journal about YouTube (owned by Google) placing more than 100 Prager University, or PragerU, videos on its restricted list.

And things have gotten much worse. Last week, PragerU was locked out of its Twitter account for retweeting a press conference of eight physicians in Washington, D.C., which had already received 17 million views, and Facebook has just informed us that if we even cite studies that show possible benefits of hydroxychloroquine (with zinc) in the early stages of a patient with COVID-19, we will lose our Facebook account.

And then there is the "cancel culture" -- which is merely a euphemism for leftist suppression of dissent. People are booted from internet platforms, fired from their jobs or have their reputations smeared and their businesses ruined for differing with the left -- on anything.

We are also undergoing a nonviolent (as of now) version of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution, with individuals forced to issue humiliating public recantations of their beliefs and attend reeducation sessions (we don't yet have reeducation camps, but they should not be ruled out as a possibility if the left is in control).

Another communist norm taking root in America is the rewriting of the American past. We are living a famous Soviet dissident joke: "In the Soviet Union, the future is known; it is the past that is always changing."

On almost all social issues and many economic ones, the American left is more radical than the left in Europe. Europeans across the political spectrum are more wary of ideological fanaticism because of the vast scale of death and suffering that resulted from communism, fascism and Nazism.

One might say that Europe was inoculated against fanaticism. Europeans are more preoccupied with working less, traveling more and being taken care of than with ideological movements. But America, which has not suffered under fanatical, irrational, liberty-depriving ideologies, has not been inoculated.

Without such a vaccination, what replaced Christianity in Europe may well do the same in America.

Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist. His latest book, published by Regnery in May 2019, is "The Rational Bible," a commentary on the book of Genesis. His film, "No Safe Spaces," will be released to home entertainment nationwide on September 15, 2020. He is the founder of Prager University and may be contacted at dennisprager.com.

Victor Davis Hanson: Members of Previous Generations Now Seem Like Giants

Members of Previous Generations Now Seem Like Giants

By Victor Davis Hanson

Excerpts:

We of the 21st century are beginning to look back at our own lost epic times and wonder about these now-nameless giants who left behind monuments that we cannot replicate, but instead merely use or even mock. 

Does anyone believe that contemporary Americans could build another transcontinental railroad in six years?

... California has not built a major dam in 40 years. Instead, officials squabble over the water stored and distributed by our ancestors, who designed the California State Water Project and Central Valley Project. 

Contemporary Californians would have little food or water without these massive transfers, and yet they often ignore or damn the generation that built the very system that saves us.

America went to the moon in 1969 with supposedly primitive computers and backward engineering. Does anyone believe we could launch a similar moonshot today? No American has set foot on the moon in the last 47 years ...


Go. Read the whole thing.



Personal observation: I don't blame the entire population of the USA. We have many, many people who would happily participate in megaprojects.

I blame the unprecedented, explosive growth of faceless bureaucracies and the bureacrats who do nothing except to compose ever-more rules and regulations which accomplish nothing, but prohibit much.

You know the definition of a "bureaucrat", don't you?

bureaucrat - an anonymous class of paper pushers who lie awake at night, in sleepless dread that someone, somewhere, might be doing something without permission.

All Bob's Money

'Nuff said.

It's Worth Noting

I Hate to Say We Told You So

but we told you so.

Several thousand Alaskans who buy insurance on the individual market under the Affordable Care Act will see their premiums increase in 2016 at one of the highest rates in the country. The state already has the highest premiums in the nation.

Now they'll find out how much "free" really costs.

We Owe So Much

Today we pause to remember the 150,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who took part in the Normandy invasion of "Festung Europa" (Fortress Europe) on this day, 70 years ago.

23,000 Americans were buried in the cemetery there, after the fight. 14,000 of those remains were moved back to the U.S.A. at the request of relatives; 9,000 are still there, near where they fell in some of the most horrific fighting of World War II.

I wrote about my friend Charlie, who was part of that invasion force, and later drove an ambulance in the Battle of the Bulge, here.

We must never forget them all - and we are equally obligated to continue the fight for freedom, as the politics which caused the Second World War have moved, in large part, to our own shores. There will always be those who wish to control everyone else, so convinced of their own intellectual superiority that they can make the failed policies of the past work this time.

The socialists and fascists (no matter what they call themselves now) are just as wrong now as their predecessors were in the 1930s and 1940s.

It's up to us. It's a different kind of fight now, but the battle goes on.

Don't forget what our fathers, uncles and grandfathers accomplished in France, 70 years ago. We can do it, too.

S. 3525, the Federal Land Seizure Act of 2012, is Back

We thought we'd defeated this bill, just a month ago. But like any good zombie, it's back again.

From the GOA:

Federal Land Seizure Act
Resuscitating Itself from the Dead

 

“Looks like GOA defeated Goliath. Nice work.”

 

GOA warned you earlier this month about S. 3525, the Federal Land Seizure Act of 2012.

 

As you will remember, Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) -- who is “F” rated by Gun Owners of America -- is pushing this “hunting” bill which authorizes the Obama administration almost unlimited power to seize private lands for “environmental” purposes.

 

While it purports to the contrary, the bill would allow these seizures without the permission of the landowners for virtually any reason.

 

You guys delivered a crushing blow to this bill when you pressed your Senators to oppose it.  We won, and it appeared the bill was dead for the year.

 

As one highly placed office in the Senate told GOA:  “Looks like GOA defeated Goliath. Nice work.”

 

Sadly, in politics it’s often the case that a dead “Goliath,” like a Zombie, can come back to life -- which is why we need now to cut off its head.  S. 3525 could come up for a vote as early as Today.

 

Please go here to read the details about the details of this nefarious bill in our previous alert.

 

And contact your two U.S. Senators and urge them to OPPOSE S. 3525, the Federal Land Seizure Act of 2012.

Then, in a closely-related story:

In a new poll by Gallup on how do you view Socialism only 36% of Americans viewed Socialism as favorable.

However the real (not) shocker was when you looked at ideology.
53% of Democrats viewed Socialism favorably.. [emphasis added - Ed.]
17% of Republicans viewed Socialism favorably...

Let's review just what it is Democrats favor..

Socialism Defined by: Merriam Webster
1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership
and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property
b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state

Why Socialism Doesn't Work

Fascism vs. Socialism

In as good an explanation of fascism as I've ever read, my friend PolyKahr clearly lays it out for us.  Excerpt:

That is the distinction I have made as well between a Socialist and a Fascist.  The fact that Fascist want to leave business in private hands, but to call the shots led to the term "Thugocracy."  I have likened this administration as being like a Mafia boss who comes into a restaurant, takes a look around, and says to the owner "Hey, Bub, you got a new silent partner, me."  What can the owner do but acquiesce.  If he refuses, he knows he will be shot.

But of course, it is more than just the economy. He wants control of everything.

You owe it to yourself and your children to read the whole thing.

PolitZoid - Money for Nothing

Mid-Week Thoughts

We've had another night of heavy fog & temps around 10 degrees - it's 9 above at my place. I'll need to get to the driveway early today, to clear the windows. All I can say is thank Heaven for block heaters ... that truck is a cold-blooded beast, otherwise.

MoBro sent me a bit about Social Security, which I'll reproduce here. With all the stuff in the news about cap-and-trade, health-care control, and the ongoing march toward a complete socialist takeover of the country, it's easy to lose sight of something that seemed so important, not so long ago. But it's instructive regarding how Congress functions. I also note that this piece wasn't originally intended to be partisan, but facts are facts.

Here’s some information you should know … and it's easy to check out, if you don't believe it. Be sure and show it to your kids. They need a little history lesson, and it doesn't matter what your politics are.

Our Social Security

Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised:

1.) that participation in the Program would be completely voluntary.

It’s No longer Voluntary

2.) that the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual
incomes into the Program.

It’s now 7.65%

3.) that the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year.

Surprise! It’s no longer tax deductible

4.) that the money the participants put into the independent 'Trust Fund' rather than into the general operating fund, and therefore, would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no other Government program.

Under President Lyndon Johnson the money was moved to the General Fund and spent immediately thereafter by Congress.

5.) that the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.

Under President Clinton, up to 85% of your Social Security can be taxed.


Since many of you have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a Social Security check every month -- and finding that you are getting taxed on 85% of the money you paid to the Federal government to 'put away' -- you may be interested in the following:

Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the independent 'Trust Fund' and put it into the general fund so that Congress could spend it?

A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the Democrat-controlled House and Senate.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --

Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?

A: The Democratic Party.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----

Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security annuities?

A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the 'tie-breaking' deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice President of the U.S.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----

Q: Which political party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants?

A: The Democrats under Jimmy Carter. Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive Social Security payments. The Democratic Party gave these payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it.

------------ -- ------------ --------- ----- ------------ --------- ---------

Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the “mean” Republicans want to take your Social Security away. The worst part about it is that uninformed citizens believe it. And Congress has given its members 100% retirement for only serving one term.

Still feel like you’re getting a good deal?

And don’t even get me started on cap-and-tax … of course, it’s even money whether we’ll see a bill. Since the EPA has issued its finding that our breath is a toxic greenhouse gas, it’s essentially the Administration telling Congress, “We have our czars in place, and don’t need you.”

You know, there's a word for all of the political power being concentrated in the hands of a small group of people ...

Ronald Reagan on Nationalized Health Care

“As if we’re not already overextended enough financially, the issue of National Health Care is now on the table once more vote. Here’s some perspective you might find interesting.

Now back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people will adopt every fragment of the socialist program.

One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. Most people are a little reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can’t afford it.

Now, the American people, if you put it to them about socialized medicine and gave them a chance to choose, would unhesitatingly vote against it. We had an example of this. Under the Truman administration it was proposed that we have a compulsory health insurance program for all people in the United States, and, of course, the American people unhesitatingly rejected this.Let’s take a look at social security itself. Again, very few of us disagree with the original premise that there should be some form of savings that would keep destitution from following unemployment by reason of death, disability or old age. And to this end, social security was adopted, but it was never intended to supplant private savings, private insurance, pension programs of unions and industries.

Now in our country under our free enterprise system we have seen medicine reach the greatest heights that it has in any country in the world. Today, the relationship between patient and doctor in this country is something to be envied any place. The privacy, the care that is given to a person, the right to chose a doctor, the right to go from one doctor to the other.

But let’s also look from the other side, at the freedom the doctor loses. A doctor would be reluctant to say this. Well, like you, I am only a patient, so I can say it in his behalf. The doctor begins to lose freedoms; it’s like telling a lie, and one leads to another. First you decide that the doctor can have so many patients. They are equally divided among the various doctors by the government. But then the doctors aren’t equally divided geographically, so a doctor decides he wants to practice in one town and the government has to say to him you can’t live in that town, they already have enough doctors. You have to go some place else. And from here it is only a short step to dictating where he will go.

This is a freedom that I wonder whether any of us have the right to take from any human being. All of us can see what happens once you establish the precedent that the government can determine a man’s working place and his working methods, determine his employment. From here it is a short step to all the rest of socialism, to determining his pay and pretty soon your children won’t decide when they’re in school where they will go or what they will do for a living. They will wait for the government to tell them where they will go to work and what they will do.

What can we do about this? Well, you and I can do a great deal. We can write to our congressmen and our senators. We can say right now that we want no further encroachment on these individual liberties and freedoms. And at the moment, the key issue is, we do not want socialized medicine.

Former Representative Halleck of Indiana has said, “When the American people want something from Congress, regardless of its political complexion, if they make their wants known, Congress does what the people want.”

So write, and if your representative writes back to you and tells you that he or she too is for free enterprise, that we have these great services and so forth, that must be performed by government, don’t let them get away with it. Show that you have not been convinced. Write a letter right back and tell them that you believe in government economy and fiscal responsibility; that you know governments don’t tax to get the money they need; governments will always find a need for the money they get and that you demand the continuation of our free enterprise system. You and I can do this. The only way we can do it is by writing to our congressmen even we believe that he is on our side to begin with. Write to strengthen his hand. Give him the ability to stand before his colleagues in Congress and say “I have heard from my constituents and this is what they want.”

Write those letters now; call your friends and them to write them. If you don’t, this program I promise you, will pass just as surely as the sun will come up tomorrow, and behind it will come other federal programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have known it in this country. Until, one day, as Normal Thomas said we will awake to find that we have socialism. And if you don’t do this and if I don’t do it, one of these days we are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children, what it once was like in America when men were free.”

Any questions?

Thoughts for the Day:

Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. ~ Sir Winston Churchill

And consider this: the lowering of standards to accommodate the slower, weaker, or less intelligent of us, gives us nothing to which anyone can aspire, and insults all of us. ~ Me