Carbon

Soot is not carbon dioxide (it’s invisible) and carbon dioxide is not soot. Those that conflate the two by saying, “we are polluting our atmosphere with carbon” are either crafty charlatans or babbling buffoons ... or a bit of both. — Anon.

Happy Thanksgiving

Freedom from Want

Thanksgiving ... time to wax nostalgic. With all the harsh words and dastardly deeds swirling around the world these days, we all need to look back on easier times to get a little perspective on our current situation. I use the term "easier" with a little irony for Norman Rockwell painted the above picture "Freedom from Want" in 1942 ... during the darkest days of World War II ... see: Freedom from Want. However, fighting a global war on two fronts against known foes was a piece of cake when compared to what is now called "asymmetric warfare" against possibly millions of anarchists and Jihadists both at home and abroad.

In 1942 Americans were actually lucky to be able to put on a feast like Rockwell depicted above ... because each family had ration books that had little stamps allowing them to buy groceries, gasoline, tires, etc. (Although I was quite young, I still remember the constraints placed on our lives by these ration books ... see: National WW2 Museum Entry.) However, what we then lacked in material goods we made up with good sense. We, as a nation, were pulling together to save the world from tyranny. Yes, there was some griping and back biting, but underneath it all we had a common purpose and ethos.

Only with the actual freedom from want that has washed over our nation during the last seventy years have major dislocations occurred. Greed has too often replaced charity. Hedonism has too often replaced faith. Hubris has too often replaced humility. Ostentation has too often replaced modesty. Reticence has too often replaced valor. And we unfortunately view many of these trade-offs as progress and modernity.

So, to me, it is not too surprising when large swaths of the world revolt against these moral excesses by becoming religious zealots. But like most societal sea changes, charlatans are often the first to take up the flag and lead these revolutionaries to evil ends. But, at least in the United States, I believe there is still an undercurrent of virtue and nobility that needs to be recognized and reawakened ... for else I fear we are doomed.

Therefore, when we choose our next leader, this person should be able to encourage this renewal in us ... at the very least. For that then we could be truly thankful.

Tooting Our Horns

A liberal friend of mine, Bill Miller, has, surprisingly, been a global-warming denier for years (as have I).  But now that evidence is mounting to support what has been his unpopular position, he is (rightfully) tooting his horn ... as am I.  He, in the last week, has sent me three references supporting his position … the more important of which was from The Economist (see: This Economist Link).  But, to me, the more scientific arguments and data were contained in this Friends of Science piece (see: This Friends of Science Link)

For those of you who are still convinced that carbon dioxide will be the bane of man’s existence here on Earth … even after reading these two references, I can only offer that you should go back and peruse Thomas Malthus’s or Paul Ehrlich’s predictions of doom and gloom.  Yes, at some point one of these Chicken Little's is going to be right, but it appears that Al Gore has whiffed on his hysterical CO2 predictions … and will take his place in history beside these other two charlatans.

Jimmy Carter Strikes Again ...

"Camp David made us slaves ..."  (See: Jerusalem Post). Perhaps Jimmy Carter should give back the Nobel Peace Prize medal and prize money?  (As should a host of other charlatan recipients to whom Oslo has bowed down ... including ElBaradei.)  And, as is his wont, Carter also had to stick his nose into things once again. (See: nebnose Jimmy).  You would think that Carter would remember that it was the Muslim Brotherhood who assassinated his buddy, Anwar Sadat?  And Muhammad Atta, the leader of the 9/11 attacks, was also a member of the Muslim Bratherhood ... until he went off to meet his 72 virgins.