They just Keep Pushing and Pushing...Time to just Say NO!
WASHINGTON – The federal agency that monitors gun sales wants weapons dealers near the Mexican border to start reporting multiple sales of high-powered rifles, according to a notice published in the Federal Register.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has asked the White House budget office to approve an emergency request requiring border-area gun dealers to report the sales of two or more rifles to the same customer within a five-day period.
The emergency request, published Friday in the Federal Register, is likely to face stiff opposition from gun rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association. ATF wants the Office of Budget Management to approve the request by Jan. 5.
NRA officials did not immediately return a telephone message for comment Monday. Last week the group's chief lobbyist, Chris Cox, told the Washington Post that the "NRA supports legitimate efforts to stop criminal activity, but we will not stand idle while our Second Amendment is sacrificed for politics." The Post first reported the proposal.
High-powered rifles have become the weapon of choice for Mexico's warring drug cartel. More than 30,000 people have been killed in Mexico's drug war since President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against the powerful drug gangs shortly after taking office in late 2006.
Officials on both sides of the border have said weapons bought legally in the United States are routinely smuggled into the Mexico. The proposed reporting requirement would apply to sales of two or more semi-automatic guns more powerful than .22-caliber rifles that use a detachable magazine within a five-day period.
ATF, which tracks weapons found in Mexico and has tied tens of thousands of recovered guns to U.S. dealers, has been criticized for not doing enough to curb the flow of guns to Mexico, where firearms sales are highly restricted.
Last month a Justice Department report on the agency's Operation Gunrunner criticized the program as being narrowly focused on individual gun buyers and not larger smuggling organizations believed responsible for significant numbers of guns being shipped across the border.
Currently there are no reporting requirements for rifles.
If approved by the White House, the new reporting requirement would affect nearly 8,500 border-area gun dealers in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas and be in place for 180 days.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Will Somebody Tell that Little Turd, the FCC, to leave my Internet Alone!
NO MORE GOVERNMENT CONTROL!!
The Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal
The Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal The FCC's Threat to Internet Freedom
'Net neutrality' sounds nice, but the Web is working fine now. The new rules will inhibit investment, deter innovation and create a billable-hours bonanza for lawyers.
Tomorrow morning the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will mark the winter solstice by taking an unprecedented step to expand government's reach into the Internet by attempting to regulate its inner workings. In doing so, the agency will circumvent Congress and disregard a recent court ruling.
For years, proponents of so-called "net neutrality" have been calling for strong regulation of broadband "on-ramps" to the Internet, like those provided by your local cable or phone companies. Rules are needed, the argument goes, to ensure that the Internet remains open and free, and to discourage broadband providers from thwarting consumer demand. That sounds good if you say it fast.
View Full Image
David Klein
Nothing is broken that needs fixing, however. The Internet has been open and freedom-enhancing since it was spun off from a government research project in the early 1990s. Its nature as a diffuse and dynamic global network of networks defies top-down authority. Ample laws to protect consumers already exist. Furthermore, the Obama Justice Department and the European Commission both decided this year that net-neutrality regulation was unnecessary and might deter investment in next-generation Internet technology and infrastructure.
Analysts and broadband companies of all sizes have told the FCC that new rules are likely to have the perverse effect of inhibiting capital investment, deterring innovation, raising operating costs, and ultimately increasing consumer prices. Others maintain that the new rules will kill jobs. By moving forward with Internet rules anyway, the FCC is not living up to its promise of being "data driven" in its pursuit of mandates—i.e., listening to the needs of the market.
It wasn't long ago that bipartisan and international consensus centered on insulating the Internet from regulation. This policy was a bright hallmark of the Clinton administration, which oversaw the Internet's privatization. Over time, however, the call for more Internet regulation became imbedded into a 2008 presidential campaign promise by then-Sen. Barack Obama. So here we are.
Last year, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski started to fulfill this promise by proposing rules using a legal theory from an earlier commission decision (from which I had dissented in 2008) that was under court review. So confident were they in their case, FCC lawyers told the federal court of appeals in Washington, D.C., that their theory gave the agency the authority to regulate broadband rates, even though Congress has never given the FCC the power to regulate the Internet. FCC leaders seemed caught off guard by the extent of the court's April 6 rebuke of the commission's regulatory overreach.
In May, the FCC leadership floated the idea of deeming complex and dynamic Internet services equivalent to old-fashioned monopoly phone services, thereby triggering price-and-terms regulations that originated in the 1880s. The announcement produced what has become a rare event in Washington: A large, bipartisan majority of Congress agreeing on something. More than 300 members of Congress, including 86 Democrats, contacted the FCC to implore it to stop pursuing Internet regulation and to defer to Capitol Hill.
Facing a powerful congressional backlash, the FCC temporarily changed tack and convened negotiations over the summer with a select group of industry representatives and proponents of Internet regulation. Curiously, the commission abruptly dissolved the talks after Google and Verizon, former Internet-policy rivals, announced their own side agreement for a legislative blueprint. Yes, the effort to reach consensus was derailed by . . . consensus.
After a long August silence, it appeared that the FCC would defer to Congress after all. Agency officials began working with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman on a draft bill codifying network management rules. No Republican members endorsed the measure. Later, proponents abandoned the congressional effort to regulate the Net.
More on Technology
Still feeling quixotic pressure to fight an imaginary problem, the FCC leadership this fall pushed a small group of hand-picked industry players toward a "choice" between a bad option (broad regulation already struck down in April by the D.C. federal appeals court) or a worse option (phone monopoly-style regulation). Experiencing more coercion than consensus or compromise, a smaller industry group on Dec. 1 gave qualified support for the bad option. The FCC's action will spark a billable-hours bonanza as lawyers litigate the meaning of "reasonable" network management for years to come. How's that for regulatory certainty?
To date, the FCC hasn't ruled out increasing its power further by using the phone monopoly laws, directly or indirectly regulating rates someday, or expanding its reach deeper into mobile broadband services. The most expansive regulatory regimes frequently started out modest and innocuous before incrementally growing into heavy-handed behemoths.
On this winter solstice, we will witness jaw-dropping interventionist chutzpah as the FCC bypasses branches of our government in the dogged pursuit of needless and harmful regulation. The darkest day of the year may end up marking the beginning of a long winter's night for Internet freedom.
Mr. McDowell is a Republican commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
My Dog and the Bible...Merry Christmas!
This from my wife...then she told me if I didn't understand the difference between the Left and the Right, Liberals v Conservatives...look up Ecclesiastes Chapter 10 vs 2 and, once again the Bible explains it all! Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all! See below on My Dog, Charley, photo attached! The leg is getting better!
Regards,
Mike McNulty
Regards,
Mike McNulty
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Julie McNulty
Date: Tue, Dec 14, 2010 at 8:33 AM
Subject: Fwd: MY DOG
To: Michael McNulty <cops556@gmail.com>
=
From: Julie McNulty
Date: Tue, Dec 14, 2010 at 8:33 AM
Subject: Fwd: MY DOG
To: Michael McNulty <cops556@gmail.com>
MY DOG:My dog sleeps about 20 hours a day.
He has his food prepared for him.He can eat whenever he wants, 24/7/365.
His meals are provided at no cost to him.
He visits the Dr. once a year for his checkup, and again during the year if any medical needs arise.
For this He pays nothing, and nothing is required of him.
He lives in a nice neighborhood in a house that is much larger than He needs, but he is not required to do any upkeep.
If he makes a mess, someone else cleans it up.
He has his choice of luxurious places to sleep.
He receives these accommodations absolutely free.
He is living like a king, and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever.
All of his costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day.
I was just thinking about all this, and suddenly it hit me like a brick in the head.
Holy Smokes, my dog is a Democrat!
He has his food prepared for him.He can eat whenever he wants, 24/7/365.
His meals are provided at no cost to him.
He visits the Dr. once a year for his checkup, and again during the year if any medical needs arise.
For this He pays nothing, and nothing is required of him.
He lives in a nice neighborhood in a house that is much larger than He needs, but he is not required to do any upkeep.
If he makes a mess, someone else cleans it up.
He has his choice of luxurious places to sleep.
He receives these accommodations absolutely free.
He is living like a king, and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever.
All of his costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day.
I was just thinking about all this, and suddenly it hit me like a brick in the head.
Holy Smokes, my dog is a Democrat!
| 100_1204.jpg 1361K View Download |
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Oh Boy! This is like my Grandma's Dose of Cod Liver Oil!
...But, I'll sure feel better when I'm done!!!!
...Reading Glen Becks' Book, "Broke!"
Oh Gosh this is hard to...not swallow, but live with, because it's reality and I'm not sure I want to know
but I've gotta, keep, reading, GULP!
If you got the book 'Broke' and keep wanting to put it down...Don't.... KEEP READING!
Then we'll talk.
...Reading Glen Becks' Book, "Broke!"
Oh Gosh this is hard to...not swallow, but live with, because it's reality and I'm not sure I want to know
but I've gotta, keep, reading, GULP!
If you got the book 'Broke' and keep wanting to put it down...Don't.... KEEP READING!
Then we'll talk.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
MOST IMPORTANT THING I CAN TELL YOU TODAY...
GO AND BUY GLENN BECKS NEW BOOK , "BROKE." AND READ IT!
STUDY IT AND GET READY! $17 AND CHANGE AT SAM'S CLUB.
I'LL HAVE MORE TO SAY ON "BROKE" AFTER I FINISH READING IT.
BEST REGARDS,
MIKE MCNULTY
STUDY IT AND GET READY! $17 AND CHANGE AT SAM'S CLUB.
I'LL HAVE MORE TO SAY ON "BROKE" AFTER I FINISH READING IT.
BEST REGARDS,
MIKE MCNULTY
Friday, December 3, 2010
Is the Myan Moon Goddess your cup of "God- ess" Tea?
Think about this the next time the UN speaks for us!
Washington Post
I pray to the jaguar goddess every day. She's one bad kitty!
Washington Post
Cancun talks start with a call to the gods
By Juliet Eilperin
With United Nations climate negotiators facing an uphill battle to advance their goal of reducing emissions linked to global warming, it's no surprise that the woman steering the talks appealed to a Mayan goddess Monday.
Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, invoked the ancient jaguar goddess Ixchel in her opening statement to delegates gathered in Cancun, Mexico, noting that Ixchel was not only goddess of the moon, but also "the goddess of reason, creativity and weaving. May she inspire you -- because today, you are gathered in Cancun to weave together the elements of a solid response to climate change, using both reason and creativity as your tools."
She called for "a balanced outcome" which would marry financial and emissions commitments from industrialized countries aimed at combating climate change with "the understanding of fairness that will guide long-term mitigation efforts."
U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres places a building block in a miniature Mayan pyramid at the site of climate negotiations in Cancun, Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. The "Pyramid of Hope" monument was erected by the TckTckTck climate awareness campaign to symbolize the many building blocks needed for a new climate agreement. (AP Photo/Karl Ritter)"Excellencies, the goddess Ixchel would probably tell you that a tapestry is the result of the skilful interlacing of many threads," said Figueres, who hails from Costa Rica and started her greetings in Spanish before switching to English. "I am convinced that 20 years from now, we will admire the policy tapestry that you have woven together and think back fondly to Cancun and the inspiration of Ixchel."
Delegates from 193 countries are gathered in Cancun for the two-week meeting, which kicked off today at 10:20 a.m. local time, or 11:20 a.m. Eastern. Mexican President Felipe Calderon, a major proponent of action on climate change, attended the opening.
Two weeks from now, we'll have a sense of whether Ixchel -- and the delegates -- were listening to Figueres's appeal.
Who do you think should be taking the lead on climate change? Join the discussion here.
Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, invoked the ancient jaguar goddess Ixchel in her opening statement to delegates gathered in Cancun, Mexico, noting that Ixchel was not only goddess of the moon, but also "the goddess of reason, creativity and weaving. May she inspire you -- because today, you are gathered in Cancun to weave together the elements of a solid response to climate change, using both reason and creativity as your tools."
She called for "a balanced outcome" which would marry financial and emissions commitments from industrialized countries aimed at combating climate change with "the understanding of fairness that will guide long-term mitigation efforts."
U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres places a building block in a miniature Mayan pyramid at the site of climate negotiations in Cancun, Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. The "Pyramid of Hope" monument was erected by the TckTckTck climate awareness campaign to symbolize the many building blocks needed for a new climate agreement. (AP Photo/Karl Ritter)
Delegates from 193 countries are gathered in Cancun for the two-week meeting, which kicked off today at 10:20 a.m. local time, or 11:20 a.m. Eastern. Mexican President Felipe Calderon, a major proponent of action on climate change, attended the opening.
Two weeks from now, we'll have a sense of whether Ixchel -- and the delegates -- were listening to Figueres's appeal.
Who do you think should be taking the lead on climate change? Join the discussion here.
By Juliet Eilperin | November 29, 2010; 12:11 PM ET
Save & Share:
Previous: World faces a greenhouse gas emissions gap, U.N. says
Next: Energy chief Chu and Agriculture secretary Vilsack headed to Cancun
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Previous: World faces a greenhouse gas emissions gap, U.N. saysNext: Energy chief Chu and Agriculture secretary Vilsack headed to Cancun
Posted by: pgould1 | November 29, 2010 1:15 PM | Report abuse
Aside from GE, does anyone else know of any other Fortune 500 companies who are going to make money off of the current global warming scare? While my sympathies are with the masses, there is no sense in losing out on a once in a lifetime investment opportunity. If the rubes are willing to pay to assuage their greatest fears by opening their checkbooks, I think it is someone's bounden duty to help them.
I say, let the massive redistribution of wealth begin. For my part, I am only asking for a modest slice of the "vig." All I want is my fair share.
I say, let the massive redistribution of wealth begin. For my part, I am only asking for a modest slice of the "vig." All I want is my fair share.
Posted by: pgould1 | November 29, 2010 1:16 PM | Report abuse
U.N. climate summit opens in Mexico
......Well like the Obama Administration, the UN is focused on the WRONG issues.....sad.
......Well like the Obama Administration, the UN is focused on the WRONG issues.....sad.
Posted by: allenridge | November 29, 2010 1:19 PM | Report abuse
AH, our hardworking global bureaucrats...roughing it in Cancun while assiduously working to save us all. Are the hookers providing freebies there as they did in Copenhagen?
Posted by: silencedogoodreturns | November 29, 2010 1:47 PM | Report abuse
Decades of hysterical fear mongering and out right science fraud concerning global warming and climate change have created a sort of “green fatigue.” Climate has become a goldmine of scary propaganda to fatten eco-group fundraising. Al Gore would become the world’s first “carbon billionaire.” Global government regulators have spent (or proposed to spend) hundreds of billions of dollars to control climate based primarily upon U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports and policies.
Last year’s “climategate” scandal began with the publication of thousands of U.N. climate scientist e-mails that revealed their eco-biases. These biases may be mitigated by the Inter Academy Council (IAC) reforms that would end the chronic exaggerations about global warming coming from the U.N.
What remains as disturbing about the U.N.’s climate culture is the socialist governance that has now been openly advocated by members of the IPCC. Several members meeting this week in Cancun at the annual conference to replace the 2012-expiring Kyoto Protocols have spoken in pure Marxist-socialist principles – wealth redistribution.
A Chinese member said that multi-billion dollar Western developed-nation payments would be the key to success of the Cancun meeting. And, co-chairman of the IPCC's third working group, Ottmar Edenhofer, has stated, "One must say clearly that we redistribute de facto the world's wealth by climate policy.... One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy."
The IPCC meeting in Cancun is not expected to accomplish much more than to subtly shift the operative regulatory language from “climate change” to “global biodiversity,” and attempt to shakedown developed countries for billions in order to fund underdeveloped countries under the guise of environmental and social justice. Karl Marx would be most proud.
It is clear that socialist ideologies and cultish environmentalism have replaced prudent science and economics in U.N. climate policy. Militant environmentalism and green-obsessed bureaucrats have become an “axis of antagonism” that we can no longer afford.
Last year’s “climategate” scandal began with the publication of thousands of U.N. climate scientist e-mails that revealed their eco-biases. These biases may be mitigated by the Inter Academy Council (IAC) reforms that would end the chronic exaggerations about global warming coming from the U.N.
What remains as disturbing about the U.N.’s climate culture is the socialist governance that has now been openly advocated by members of the IPCC. Several members meeting this week in Cancun at the annual conference to replace the 2012-expiring Kyoto Protocols have spoken in pure Marxist-socialist principles – wealth redistribution.
A Chinese member said that multi-billion dollar Western developed-nation payments would be the key to success of the Cancun meeting. And, co-chairman of the IPCC's third working group, Ottmar Edenhofer, has stated, "One must say clearly that we redistribute de facto the world's wealth by climate policy.... One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy."
The IPCC meeting in Cancun is not expected to accomplish much more than to subtly shift the operative regulatory language from “climate change” to “global biodiversity,” and attempt to shakedown developed countries for billions in order to fund underdeveloped countries under the guise of environmental and social justice. Karl Marx would be most proud.
It is clear that socialist ideologies and cultish environmentalism have replaced prudent science and economics in U.N. climate policy. Militant environmentalism and green-obsessed bureaucrats have become an “axis of antagonism” that we can no longer afford.
Posted by: PAULTAYLOREXAMINER | November 29, 2010 1:48 PM | Report abuse
Amusingly, while we in America fiddle away, other nations are leading the charge and reaping the increased GDP rewards of new tech exports for carbon emission reduction.
Every time a global warming doubter in America buys an import, there's carbon tax in it.
Because the EU and Australia and New Zealand and most other countries already have it - but since we aren't signatories to any treaties, we pay full fare instead of a discounted rate for it.
Every time a global warming doubter in America buys an import, there's carbon tax in it.
Because the EU and Australia and New Zealand and most other countries already have it - but since we aren't signatories to any treaties, we pay full fare instead of a discounted rate for it.
Posted by: WillSeattle | November 29, 2010 2:01 PM | Report abuse
Palin will fix this.....drill-baby-drill....in the Gulf Coast and all around Florida!!
While we're at it, why not drill on Bush's Texas ranch in Crawford.....right on his front lawn.
310 million Americans.....our biggest problem is over population and no one's talking about it. Screw-baby-screw.....and then burn-baby-burn. We have the resources to sustain just under 200 million people....and we're 310 million and growing. What a country!...the mormons and their belief in large families will save us - NOT! Mitt Romney for President.....you've got to be kidding me.
While we're at it, why not drill on Bush's Texas ranch in Crawford.....right on his front lawn.
310 million Americans.....our biggest problem is over population and no one's talking about it. Screw-baby-screw.....and then burn-baby-burn. We have the resources to sustain just under 200 million people....and we're 310 million and growing. What a country!...the mormons and their belief in large families will save us - NOT! Mitt Romney for President.....you've got to be kidding me.
Posted by: go2goal | November 29, 2010 2:03 PM | Report abuse
Climate change is a hoax! Scientists are involved in a worldwide conspiracy to falsify data to keep their jobs,...and I'm an idiot (and a proud Republican)!
Posted by: drobbins1 | November 29, 2010 2:28 PM | Report abuse
Ya know...
If you want to be taken seriously, don't start off by appealing to the Jaguar goddess.
Anothet gov't, sponsored kook fest.
If you want to be taken seriously, don't start off by appealing to the Jaguar goddess.
Anothet gov't, sponsored kook fest.
Posted by: drjcarlucci | November 29, 2010 2:51 PM | Report abuse
I pray to the jaguar goddess every day. She's one bad kitty!
Posted by: nuke41 | November 29, 2010 2:58 PM | Report abuse
Where'd the message in the bottle come from? East Anglia?
Posted by: hammeresq | November 29, 2010 3:25 PM | Report abuse
Two weeks in Cancun? Paaaaaaarty!!!! How do I get this gig?
Posted by: FulhamDC | November 29, 2010 3:52 PM | Report abuse
The elite of the chicken-little envio-left fly to Cancun....carbon spewing in their jet's wake
Posted by: georgedixon1 | November 29, 2010 4:06 PM | Report abuse
The failed theory of Climate Change was a business for the greedy, and intellectual fodder for the ignorants and ideologues and is now laughingly known to history as the era of environMENTAL Disco science.
Meanwhile, the UN had allowed carbon trading to trump 3rd world fresh water relief, starvation rescue and 3rd world education for just over 25 years of climate control instead of population control. BIG MISTAKE!
Meanwhile, the UN had allowed carbon trading to trump 3rd world fresh water relief, starvation rescue and 3rd world education for just over 25 years of climate control instead of population control. BIG MISTAKE!
Posted by: paulmerrifield | November 29, 2010 4:07 PM | Report abuse
I suppose that what nobody would do at Cancún is to look at the actual climate measurements. They show nothing unusual whatsoever.
Instead there would be a lot of talk about our children and grandchildren.
Here is a rough idea of what they are ideally aiming for. People would be allocated an emissions quota, essentially an energy quota since 90% of the energy comes out of fossil fuel now.
Say your daughter goes to college to become a doctor or engineer or scientist. She is using energy, flying there, air conditioning - she needs to concentrate for exams, etc. So she would be penalized for exceeding the emissions quota.
Some other kid not willing or not able to be equally productive would naturally have a smaller carbon footprint, so he would be rewarded with carbon credits which he could sell to your daughter for a profit.
The transfer would be done not directly but through the same financial whizz-kids who securitized mortgages (a whole cohort was ready to start trading if the energy bill was approved and are now looking for something else to do.)
The fact that this year is almost as warm as the warmest year ever, 1998, which MEANS PRECISELY THAT that temperatures have been going down for 12 years, nowhere accelerated by CO2 as the IPCC and Hansen predicted, wouldn't matter a bit.
The fact that the sea level rise rate has not changed for 150 years and glaciers are melting at the same rate as 60 and 120 years ago wouldn't matter a bit, and the discussion of actual measurements would be brutally suppressed.
All this when in the last few years the US found enough natural gas for 100 years of cheap use at least, enough to keep our children and grandchildren in schools and make their lives productive rather than stunted...
As a reference - I didn't make any of this up - read the very recent interview of Ottmar Edenhofer, one of the IPCC sectional chairs, in the Swiss Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
QUOTES:
"That will change immediately if global emission rights are distributed. If this happens, on a per capita basis, then Africa will be the big winner, and huge amounts of money will flow there."
"One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with environmental policy anymore, with problems such as deforestation or the ozone hole."
"There must be penalties and incentives: global CO 2-tariffs..."
http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/politik/schweiz/klimapolitik_verteilt_das_weltvermoegen_neu_1.8373227.html
Instead there would be a lot of talk about our children and grandchildren.
Here is a rough idea of what they are ideally aiming for. People would be allocated an emissions quota, essentially an energy quota since 90% of the energy comes out of fossil fuel now.
Say your daughter goes to college to become a doctor or engineer or scientist. She is using energy, flying there, air conditioning - she needs to concentrate for exams, etc. So she would be penalized for exceeding the emissions quota.
Some other kid not willing or not able to be equally productive would naturally have a smaller carbon footprint, so he would be rewarded with carbon credits which he could sell to your daughter for a profit.
The transfer would be done not directly but through the same financial whizz-kids who securitized mortgages (a whole cohort was ready to start trading if the energy bill was approved and are now looking for something else to do.)
The fact that this year is almost as warm as the warmest year ever, 1998, which MEANS PRECISELY THAT that temperatures have been going down for 12 years, nowhere accelerated by CO2 as the IPCC and Hansen predicted, wouldn't matter a bit.
The fact that the sea level rise rate has not changed for 150 years and glaciers are melting at the same rate as 60 and 120 years ago wouldn't matter a bit, and the discussion of actual measurements would be brutally suppressed.
All this when in the last few years the US found enough natural gas for 100 years of cheap use at least, enough to keep our children and grandchildren in schools and make their lives productive rather than stunted...
As a reference - I didn't make any of this up - read the very recent interview of Ottmar Edenhofer, one of the IPCC sectional chairs, in the Swiss Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
QUOTES:
"That will change immediately if global emission rights are distributed. If this happens, on a per capita basis, then Africa will be the big winner, and huge amounts of money will flow there."
"One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with environmental policy anymore, with problems such as deforestation or the ozone hole."
"There must be penalties and incentives: global CO 2-tariffs..."
http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/politik/schweiz/klimapolitik_verteilt_das_weltvermoegen_neu_1.8373227.html
Posted by: adrianoc | November 29, 2010 7:08 PM | Report abuse
IPCC NEEDS A MANAGER
The IPCC fellows, media figures as much as any, are in urgent need of a Hollywood type manager. Nobody is paying any attention to them anymore.
They meet in Cancún and the Wikileaks take the headlines.
Now imagine if a dashing bandido would take a few key delegates. After talking to them he would have an epiphany and would accept as ransom carbon credits...
Lede articles, movie deals, high CO2 romance....
The IPCC fellows, media figures as much as any, are in urgent need of a Hollywood type manager. Nobody is paying any attention to them anymore.
They meet in Cancún and the Wikileaks take the headlines.
Now imagine if a dashing bandido would take a few key delegates. After talking to them he would have an epiphany and would accept as ransom carbon credits...
Lede articles, movie deals, high CO2 romance....
Posted by: adrianoc | November 29, 2010 7:44 PM | Report abuse
The Climate Cartel is meeting in Mexico to shake-down the United States. This international cartel of climate crooks is greedier than the Zetas and other Mexican cartels.
Every December we have another drive-by holdup and hijacking by the Global Warming Conspiracy. Enough is enough.
Every December we have another drive-by holdup and hijacking by the Global Warming Conspiracy. Enough is enough.
Posted by: alance | November 29, 2010 9:36 PM | Report abuse
Every article on global warming in the Post or Times has a comments section so riddled with deniers that I have to wonder --- how many of these "posters" are on the Exxon or BP payroll?
Posted by: kris_in_nc | November 29, 2010 10:08 PM | Report abuse
I've written a number of articles on this issue, but I'd like to direct you to my most recent: The Top Ten Crazy Things Progressives Say about the End of Civilization as We Know It. Just follow this link:
http://americasright.com/?p=6744
http://americasright.com/?p=6744
Posted by: brad333 | November 30, 2010 2:50 AM | Report abuse
Insanity.
Don't the world's current religions do enough damage?
"Goddess of reason" is oxymoronic.
Don't the world's current religions do enough damage?
"Goddess of reason" is oxymoronic.
Posted by: andrew23boyle | November 30, 2010 4:48 AM | Report abuse
WHO NEEDS A JAMES BOND VILLAIN
to say "VEE SHALL TAKE OVAH ZAH VAARLD!"?
Who needs conspiracy theories?
Who needs email leaks?
Here you have an IPCC leader saying in his own words, in the Swiss NZZ interview:
***************************************************************
…
Q: Until now, many think of aid when they hear development policies.
A: That will change immediately if global emission rights are distributed. If this happens, on a per capita basis, then Africa will be the big winner, and huge amounts of money will flow there. This will have enormous implications for development policy. And it will raise the question if these countries can deal responsibly with so much money at all.
Q: That does not sound anymore like the climate policy that we know.
A: Basically it's a big mistake to discuss climate policy separately from the major themes of globalization. The climate summit in Cancun at the end of the month is not a climate conference, but one of the largest economic conferences since the Second World War. Why? Because we have 11,000 gigatons of carbon in the coal reserves in the soil under our feet - and we must emit only 400 gigatons in the atmosphere if we want to keep the 2-degree target. 11 000 to 400 - there is no getting around the fact that most of the fossil reserves must remain in the soil.
Q: De facto, this means an expropriation of the countries with natural resources. This leads to a very different development from that which has been triggered by development policy.
A: First of all, developed countries have basically expropriated the atmosphere of the world community. But one must say clearly that we redistribute de facto the world's wealth by climate policy. Obviously, the owners of coal and oil will not be enthusiastic about this. One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with environmental policy anymore, with problems such as deforestation or the ozone hole.
...
***************************************************************
The man is Ottmar Edenhofer, Professor of the Economics of Climate Change in Potsdam, cochair of the IPCC group on mitigation.
An unassumingly looking accountant like bureaucrat, the man is a conspiracy theory all by himself.
http://www.pressestelle.tu-berlin.de/typo3temp/pics/5/575bbec734.jpg
http://www.pressestelle.tu-berlin.de/fileadmin/a70100710/Fotos/Pressestellenarchiv/TUB-AntrittEdenhofer04.11.08__18_.jpg
to say "VEE SHALL TAKE OVAH ZAH VAARLD!"?
Who needs conspiracy theories?
Who needs email leaks?
Here you have an IPCC leader saying in his own words, in the Swiss NZZ interview:
***************************************************************
…
Q: Until now, many think of aid when they hear development policies.
A: That will change immediately if global emission rights are distributed. If this happens, on a per capita basis, then Africa will be the big winner, and huge amounts of money will flow there. This will have enormous implications for development policy. And it will raise the question if these countries can deal responsibly with so much money at all.
Q: That does not sound anymore like the climate policy that we know.
A: Basically it's a big mistake to discuss climate policy separately from the major themes of globalization. The climate summit in Cancun at the end of the month is not a climate conference, but one of the largest economic conferences since the Second World War. Why? Because we have 11,000 gigatons of carbon in the coal reserves in the soil under our feet - and we must emit only 400 gigatons in the atmosphere if we want to keep the 2-degree target. 11 000 to 400 - there is no getting around the fact that most of the fossil reserves must remain in the soil.
Q: De facto, this means an expropriation of the countries with natural resources. This leads to a very different development from that which has been triggered by development policy.
A: First of all, developed countries have basically expropriated the atmosphere of the world community. But one must say clearly that we redistribute de facto the world's wealth by climate policy. Obviously, the owners of coal and oil will not be enthusiastic about this. One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with environmental policy anymore, with problems such as deforestation or the ozone hole.
...
***************************************************************
The man is Ottmar Edenhofer, Professor of the Economics of Climate Change in Potsdam, cochair of the IPCC group on mitigation.
An unassumingly looking accountant like bureaucrat, the man is a conspiracy theory all by himself.
http://www.pressestelle.tu-berlin.de/typo3temp/pics/5/575bbec734.jpg
http://www.pressestelle.tu-berlin.de/fileadmin/a70100710/Fotos/Pressestellenarchiv/TUB-AntrittEdenhofer04.11.08__18_.jpg
Posted by: adrianoc | November 30, 2010 9:42 AM | Report abuse
CLIMATE TALKS IN CANCUN: A POEM
they went
to Cancún
to feel the pain
of our warming
they went
to Cancún
to feel the pain
of our warming
Posted by: adrianoc | November 30, 2010 5:56 PM | Report abuse
NewsBusters: Global Warming Summit in Cancun Opens with Prayer to Pagan Goddess Ixchel
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2010/12/02/global-warming-summit-cancun-opens-prayer-pagan-goddess-ixchel
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2010/12/02/global-warming-summit-cancun-opens-prayer-pagan-goddess-ixchel
Posted by: StewartIII | December 2, 2010 8:41 PM | Report abuse
Why aren't those lying AGW thieves in jail yet. They are all in one place it would be easy to round them up, toss them in jail and throw away the key.
Posted by: peterp22 | December 3, 2010 10:28 AM | Report abuse
Sounds to me like they started this conference off at Senor Frogs. I will bet money more than one attendee was seen taking shots off her belly.
Posted by: kemasabe | December 3, 2010 10:58 AM | Report abuse
Just because others have bought into this fraud does not mean the US has to. The West has a stellar enviornmental record compared to China or the formally Eastern bloc countries not to mention India or other almost third world nations. This is just a scam to loot America and homegrown enviornmentalists are in league with these thieves by trying to starve this abundant land of its indigenous natural resources.
Posted by: freods | December 3, 2010 11:01 AM | Report abuse
Why not hold this summit in Europe where they are being buried in snow? Case closed.
Posted by: aquaroyale | December 3, 2010 11:07 AM | Report abuse
That does it for me.
I will not spend another dollar in Cancun.
If this is what the "United" Nations call modern thought, than they can shove it.
Why is America still paying for these morons and the immense amount of time they are wasting on "global Warming"?
Sick
Rowdy Boots
I will not spend another dollar in Cancun.
If this is what the "United" Nations call modern thought, than they can shove it.
Why is America still paying for these morons and the immense amount of time they are wasting on "global Warming"?
Sick
Rowdy Boots
Posted by: gormanjohn11 | December 3, 2010 11:07 AM | Report abuse
If the left could get more STUPID, KOOKY AND DUMB it would be a miracle.
Let's start by saying: Why Cancun? A: It is sunny, warm, nice beaches and great drinks. Also, why not have a great vacation paid for by THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?
THE LEAST THEY COULD DO IS GO TO THE GULF COAST--LIKE OBAMA DID...OOPS, MY BAD!
HE WENT TO SPAIN! OR WAS IT SHE? DAMNED IF i KNOW BUT THEY DID NOT GO TO THE GULF COAST EXCEPT FOR A TOKEN 34 HOURS!
CREEPY UNITED NATIONS...WHY ARE WE AMERICANS PAYING FOR THIS CRAP?
ROWDY BOOTS
Let's start by saying: Why Cancun? A: It is sunny, warm, nice beaches and great drinks. Also, why not have a great vacation paid for by THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?
THE LEAST THEY COULD DO IS GO TO THE GULF COAST--LIKE OBAMA DID...OOPS, MY BAD!
HE WENT TO SPAIN! OR WAS IT SHE? DAMNED IF i KNOW BUT THEY DID NOT GO TO THE GULF COAST EXCEPT FOR A TOKEN 34 HOURS!
CREEPY UNITED NATIONS...WHY ARE WE AMERICANS PAYING FOR THIS CRAP?
ROWDY BOOTS
Posted by: gormanjohn11 | December 3, 2010 11:12 AM | Report abuse
How appropriate that a bunch of moon bats would pray to a moon goddess. Their theory is after all little more than a religion the only difference being that they want to make it mandatory that everyone chips in when the donation plate is passed.
Its high time that we drive a stake through the heart of this farcical theory and see it for what it really is, a power and money grab.
Its high time that we drive a stake through the heart of this farcical theory and see it for what it really is, a power and money grab.
Posted by: mogar | December 3, 2010 11:18 AM | Report abuse
Exquisite. New age moon battery meets pseudoscience all in pursuit of Western money. This whole thing is comedy gold! Thank you, thank you United Nations.
Posted by: masonjahr | December 3, 2010 11:25 AM | Report abuse
"Amusingly, while we in America fiddle away, other nations are leading the charge and reaping the increased GDP rewards of new tech exports for carbon emission reduction.
Posted by: WillSeattle"
Exactly, like Spain creating thousands of "green" jobs; and once they rant the numbers they found themselves only losing 2.2 jobs per "green" job created.
We need that here, if we created say 10% "green" jobs we could have 30% unemployment instead of 10%; which clearly is a good plan. Oh and energy and transportation costs would go up so you'd pay more for everything.
But who doesn't want fewer jobs and higher prices? Oh wait, that might be me...
Posted by: gekkobear | December 3, 2010 11:29 AM | Report a
Posted by: WillSeattle"
Exactly, like Spain creating thousands of "green" jobs; and once they rant the numbers they found themselves only losing 2.2 jobs per "green" job created.
We need that here, if we created say 10% "green" jobs we could have 30% unemployment instead of 10%; which clearly is a good plan. Oh and energy and transportation costs would go up so you'd pay more for everything.
But who doesn't want fewer jobs and higher prices? Oh wait, that might be me...
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Your going to be seeing a lot more of this in the near term!
Reason # 600 - Why the World as we know ( and love ) it
is about to end...
What happens when there's a bunch of raunchy men trying to break into your home, you call 911 and your told you'll have to handle it yourself...Say What? GET READY NOW, It's Coming!
Newark residents were wondering Tuesday if their streets were safe after 14 percent of the city’s police officers were laid off, CBS 2’s Pablo Guzman reports.
The mayor of Newark and his police director said even with 167 officers laid off, people will not notice a difference on the street.
“Newark residents should know that tonight. We will have virtually the same amount of people, on patrol. As we had last night. And the night before,” Mayor Cory Booker said.
But that answer was not giving the citizens comfort.
“The criminals are sitting back, saying, ‘Oh boy. I like this. I like this!’” resident Emma Montgomery said.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea because then violence increases because as they’re laying off police officers, they’re also laying off other people, and what do they turn to? They turn to violence,” added resident Morolake Rami Johnson.
One man said things in Newark are so bad, he did not want to give his last name.
“Taking out those cops has made Newark a difficult place to live. Even we have them, and we’re having problems,” “Thomas” told Guzman.
The Guardian Angels said they would patrol Tuesday night to take up the slack. Booker said that was news to him, but Police Director Garry McCarthy welcomed the help.
“I’m absolutely crushed,” McCarthy said, describing what it was like to hand out the pink slips.
McCarthy insisted that man power on the streets of Newark would not change and that the layoffs would not prompt a surge in crime.
“I’m really confident in our commanders. I’m really confident in the people that we have and we’re going to get the job done,” McCarthy told 1010 WINS’ Glenn Schuck.
1010 WINS Reporter Glenn Schuck with where the mayor places blame While police officers weren’t allowed to comment, the union was asked to accept a one-time salary deferral, overtime cap or unpaid leave days, something the union saw as a violation of their contract.
Fraternal Order of Police President Derrick Hatcher said there is a contract that should protect cops from being laid off. He wants Booker to admit that when the mayor signed it, Booker knew the money would run out — and he would have to lay people off.
“The mayor should put on his big boy pants and say hey, you know it was an error made by this administration. I’m willing to take it on the chin,” Hatcher said.
But the mayor said the budget gap would have been closed if the union agreed to what amounted to $1,500 in concessions per officer. According to the mayor, the layoffs were necessary to save $9.5 million and help close an $83 million budget gap, CBS 2′s Magee Hickey reported.
“These layoffs were entirely avoidable. These layoffs could’ve been stopped at any moment by the union leadership. We could’ve cut the layoffs in half or a fraction if the union leadership was willing to do something in partnership with the city,” Booker said.
“Today is a very frustrating day for me,” Booker said. “They were unwilling to fulfill any of that gap!”
WCBS 880′s Levon Putney with comments from Mayor Booker over the police layoffs.
So the mayor said the union had a chance to save jobs, but did not negotiate fairly. The union said that the mayor signed a contract knowing that he would have no money to pay cops down the road. And so, we have a standoff.
The mayor said cameras, better community relations, and better management of resources will make up for the 167 cops laid off. ( Wanna bet? ...with your life? MM.)
is about to end...
What happens when there's a bunch of raunchy men trying to break into your home, you call 911 and your told you'll have to handle it yourself...Say What? GET READY NOW, It's Coming!
Newark Mayor, Police Union Head At Odds Over Layoffs
While Sides Bicker, Residents Fear Spike In Crime
November 30, 2010 8:55 PM
Newark Mayor Cory Booker (DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images, FILE)
NEWARK, N.J. (CBS 2/1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – There is concern and worry in New Jersey’s largest city.
Reporting Newark residents were wondering Tuesday if their streets were safe after 14 percent of the city’s police officers were laid off, CBS 2’s Pablo Guzman reports.
The mayor of Newark and his police director said even with 167 officers laid off, people will not notice a difference on the street.
“Newark residents should know that tonight. We will have virtually the same amount of people, on patrol. As we had last night. And the night before,” Mayor Cory Booker said.
But that answer was not giving the citizens comfort.
“The criminals are sitting back, saying, ‘Oh boy. I like this. I like this!’” resident Emma Montgomery said.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea because then violence increases because as they’re laying off police officers, they’re also laying off other people, and what do they turn to? They turn to violence,” added resident Morolake Rami Johnson.
One man said things in Newark are so bad, he did not want to give his last name.
“Taking out those cops has made Newark a difficult place to live. Even we have them, and we’re having problems,” “Thomas” told Guzman.
The Guardian Angels said they would patrol Tuesday night to take up the slack. Booker said that was news to him, but Police Director Garry McCarthy welcomed the help.
“I’m absolutely crushed,” McCarthy said, describing what it was like to hand out the pink slips.
McCarthy insisted that man power on the streets of Newark would not change and that the layoffs would not prompt a surge in crime.
“I’m really confident in our commanders. I’m really confident in the people that we have and we’re going to get the job done,” McCarthy told 1010 WINS’ Glenn Schuck.
1010 WINS Reporter Glenn Schuck with where the mayor places blame While police officers weren’t allowed to comment, the union was asked to accept a one-time salary deferral, overtime cap or unpaid leave days, something the union saw as a violation of their contract.
Fraternal Order of Police President Derrick Hatcher said there is a contract that should protect cops from being laid off. He wants Booker to admit that when the mayor signed it, Booker knew the money would run out — and he would have to lay people off.
“The mayor should put on his big boy pants and say hey, you know it was an error made by this administration. I’m willing to take it on the chin,” Hatcher said.
But the mayor said the budget gap would have been closed if the union agreed to what amounted to $1,500 in concessions per officer. According to the mayor, the layoffs were necessary to save $9.5 million and help close an $83 million budget gap, CBS 2′s Magee Hickey reported.
“These layoffs were entirely avoidable. These layoffs could’ve been stopped at any moment by the union leadership. We could’ve cut the layoffs in half or a fraction if the union leadership was willing to do something in partnership with the city,” Booker said.
“Today is a very frustrating day for me,” Booker said. “They were unwilling to fulfill any of that gap!”
WCBS 880′s Levon Putney with comments from Mayor Booker over the police layoffs.
So the mayor said the union had a chance to save jobs, but did not negotiate fairly. The union said that the mayor signed a contract knowing that he would have no money to pay cops down the road. And so, we have a standoff.
The mayor said cameras, better community relations, and better management of resources will make up for the 167 cops laid off. ( Wanna bet? ...with your life? MM.)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Hey, It's "Black" Monday ...Time to arm up!
The big Thanksgiving sales are all about done...isn't it time to think of some things for the stocking that go boom when you pull the trigger!?
Here are some ideas for the stuff you need so when the "Rodeo" get's started you aren't left with a pocket knife and one MRE to do battle with the Forces of Evil
Let's talk "Primary Battery". That would be your trio of primary weapons. Semi-auto Rifle, 12 gauge shot gun, and a semi-auto hand gun.
Here are some basics to be found on sale at Sports'man's Warehouse RIGHT NOW! Ask for Dave Ball. (970) 461-5001 A word of caution here, the items listed have been on sale over this past weekend. They may or may not still be available. Go on down and take a look! The prices are about as good as you'll ever see on these items.
These are priced about as low as your going to find them any where:
A Bushmaster .223 Carbon 15 Special ( M-4 varient) with a collapsable stock, a 30 round magazine, and a Bushnell 1x25 Red Dot optic, soft case and sling All for $599 ! Was $699 +.
This type of weapon usually starts selling at $1,000.
For those who want something a little heavier in caliber and reach try the DPMS Magpul LR-308 with a flat top reciever (scope ready) with a 20 round mag in .308 cal. Regularly $1,299 now only $999.00!
For the 12 ga shot gun the old reliable Remington 870 Express home defense shotgun, 3" chamber with a 18" barrel and a black synthetic stock and fore end. was $299 now $229. A great deal!
And last, but not least, a SIG Sauer P 250 compact semi auto hand gun in 9 MM, ( other calibers available for slightly more) was $499 now only $399!
Then don't forget, Every gun is a hungry rascal, so you need a few things to feed it - ammo and clips or magazines, and things to protect your eyes and ears with.
Now for you guys that are a little more experienced or want to become such, I recommend going to Jensen Arms, in Loveland and saying hi to Bob Jensen, or Jeff or Mike or any of the guys there that can help educate you and find the best gun to fit your needs. Lots of those "Black Guns" we've talked about and Class III weapons, Short Barreled Rifles, Machine guns and suppressors - all at good prices and an ATF Tax Stamp, of course. Good buys on ammo and other gear too.(970) 663-5994
In addition , when you "jam up the works", one of these days out at the range or you need some great gun- smithing on a custom set up, you'll need the services of a great gunsmith for regular guns and Class III weapons - That would be Mr. Bob Ford at Rocky Mountain Arms in Longmont. (303) 678-8522.
Now, be so kind as to tell the boys at either store and Bob at Rocky Mountain Arms ,that Mike McNulty at
http://tacticaltopractical.
If your just getting started, these are great places and great people. If you are ahead of the knowledge game it's still "Ditto" for the places sited. Let's get going, those prices aren't good forever!
Coming up next at Tactical to Practical.... "What is all this other stuff and what's "Web Gear" and why do I need it?
Here are some ideas for the stuff you need so when the "Rodeo" get's started you aren't left with a pocket knife and one MRE to do battle with the Forces of Evil
Let's talk "Primary Battery". That would be your trio of primary weapons. Semi-auto Rifle, 12 gauge shot gun, and a semi-auto hand gun.
Here are some basics to be found on sale at Sports'man's Warehouse RIGHT NOW! Ask for Dave Ball. (970) 461-5001 A word of caution here, the items listed have been on sale over this past weekend. They may or may not still be available. Go on down and take a look! The prices are about as good as you'll ever see on these items.
These are priced about as low as your going to find them any where:
A Bushmaster .223 Carbon 15 Special ( M-4 varient) with a collapsable stock, a 30 round magazine, and a Bushnell 1x25 Red Dot optic, soft case and sling All for $599 ! Was $699 +.
This type of weapon usually starts selling at $1,000.
For those who want something a little heavier in caliber and reach try the DPMS Magpul LR-308 with a flat top reciever (scope ready) with a 20 round mag in .308 cal. Regularly $1,299 now only $999.00!
For the 12 ga shot gun the old reliable Remington 870 Express home defense shotgun, 3" chamber with a 18" barrel and a black synthetic stock and fore end. was $299 now $229. A great deal!
And last, but not least, a SIG Sauer P 250 compact semi auto hand gun in 9 MM, ( other calibers available for slightly more) was $499 now only $399!
Then don't forget, Every gun is a hungry rascal, so you need a few things to feed it - ammo and clips or magazines, and things to protect your eyes and ears with.
Now for you guys that are a little more experienced or want to become such, I recommend going to Jensen Arms, in Loveland and saying hi to Bob Jensen, or Jeff or Mike or any of the guys there that can help educate you and find the best gun to fit your needs. Lots of those "Black Guns" we've talked about and Class III weapons, Short Barreled Rifles, Machine guns and suppressors - all at good prices and an ATF Tax Stamp, of course. Good buys on ammo and other gear too.(970) 663-5994
In addition , when you "jam up the works", one of these days out at the range or you need some great gun- smithing on a custom set up, you'll need the services of a great gunsmith for regular guns and Class III weapons - That would be Mr. Bob Ford at Rocky Mountain Arms in Longmont. (303) 678-8522.
Now, be so kind as to tell the boys at either store and Bob at Rocky Mountain Arms ,that Mike McNulty at
http://tacticaltopractical.
If your just getting started, these are great places and great people. If you are ahead of the knowledge game it's still "Ditto" for the places sited. Let's get going, those prices aren't good forever!
Coming up next at Tactical to Practical.... "What is all this other stuff and what's "Web Gear" and why do I need it?
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Beware of the Beast accepetd by us as one of our "Own."
An excellent OP ED from the NYT, couldn't agree more. M.M.
The Real Threat to America
By ROGER COHEN
Published: November 25, 2010
LONDON — The full-body scanners and intrusive pat-downs that are fast becoming the norm at U.S. airports — just in time for Thanksgiving! — do at least provide the answer to what should be done with Osama bin Laden if he’s ever captured: Rotate him in perpetuity through this security hell, “groin checks” and all.
Damon Winter/The New York Times
Roger Cohen
In his stupor, arms raised as his body gets “imaged,” arms outstretched through “enhanced” patting, bin Laden might also wonder at just how stupid it is to assemble huge crowds at the Transportation Security Administration’s airport checkpoints, as if hundreds of people on planes were the only hundreds of people who make plausible targets for terrorists.
It seems Abdulmutallab, a name T.S.A. agents must now memorize, is to blame. Abdulmutallab is the failed Nigerian “underwear bomber” of last Christmas. He joins the failed shoe bomber and failed shampoo-and-bottled-water bombers in a remarkable success: adding another blanket layer of T.S.A checks, including dubious gropes, to the daily humiliations of travelers.
Whether or not these explosive devices were ever actually operable remains a matter of dispute, just as it remains a mystery that the enemy — if as powerful as portrayed — has not contrived a single terrorist act on U.S. soil since 9/11. What is not in doubt is an old rule: Give a bureaucrat a big stick and a big budget, allow said bureaucrat to trade in the limitless currency of human anxiety, and the masses will soon be intimidated by the Department of Fear.
Lavrenti Beria, Stalin’s notorious secret police chief, once said, “Show me the man and I’ll find you the crime.” The T.S.A. seems to operate on the basis of an adapted maxim: “Show me the security check and I’ll find you the excuse.”
Anyone who has watched T.S.A. agents spending 10 minutes patting down 80-year-old grandmothers, or seen dismayed youths being ordered back into the scanner booth by agents connected wirelessly to other invisible agents gazing at images of these people in a state of near-nakedness, has to ask: What form of group madness is it that forsakes judgment and discernment for process run amok?
I don’t doubt the patriotism of the Americans involved in keeping the country safe, nor do I discount the threat, but I am sure of this: The unfettered growth of the Department of Homeland Security and the T.S.A. represent a greater long-term threat to the prosperity, character and wellbeing of the United States than a few madmen in the valleys of Waziristan or the voids of Yemen.
America is a nation of openness, boldness and risk-taking. Close this nation, cow it, constrict it and you unravel its magic.
There are now about 400 full-body scanners, set to grow to 1,000 next year. One of the people pushing them most energetically is Michael Chertoff, the former Secretary of Homeland Security.
He’s the co-founder and managing principal of the Chertoff Group, which provides security advice. One of its clients is California-based Rapiscan Systems, part of the OSI Systems corporation, that makes many of the “whole body” scanners being installed.
Chertoff has recently been busy rubbishing Martin Broughton, the wise British Airways chairman who said many security checks were redundant — calling him “ill-informed.” Early this year Chertoff called on Congress to “fund a large-scale deployment of next-generation systems.”
Rapiscan and its adviser the Chertoff Group will certainly profit from the deployment underway (some of the machines were bought with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). Americans as a whole will not.
Rapiscan: Say the name slowly. It conjures up a sinister science fiction. When a government has a right to invade the bodies of its citizens, security has trumped freedom.
Intelligence has improved beyond measure since 9/11. It can be used far more effectively at airports. Instead of humiliating everyone, focus on the very small proportion of travelers who might present a threat.
You can’t talk down fear simply by calling terrorists “violent extremists,” or getting rid of the color-coded terrorism alert system, as the Obama administration has done. During the Bosnian war, besieged Sarajevans had a word — “inat” — for the contempt-cum-spite they showed barbarous gunners on the hills by dressing and carrying on as normal. Inat is what Americans should show the jihadist cave-dwellers.
So I give thanks this week for the Fourth Amendment: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
I give thanks for Benjamin Franklin’s words after the 1787 Constitutional Convention describing the results of its deliberations: “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
To keep it, push back against enhanced patting, Chertoff’s naked-screening and the sinister drumbeat of fear.
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I say, let the massive redistribution of wealth begin. For my part, I am only asking for a modest slice of the "vig." All I want is my fair share.