The graphic below brilliantly illustrates something we have been discussing on and off for years, i.e., that rich people will be almost completely immune to the horrific consequences of climate change–at least for the better part of a century.
This, FWIW, is why social and environmental justice are inextricably linked.
Karl Popper (pictured here) was a 20th Century philosopher of science, perhaps best known for his belief that if we are to call any idea a “scientific theory,” it needs to be falsifiable, i.e., that there needs to be a way of subjecting it to an experiment in which we are capable of proving it false.
Popper died long before string theory came along in physics, but it’s clear that he would have called this “theory” a religion rather than a part of science, since, even today, there is no conceivable experiment that would disprove it. (more…)
While the United States continues its dive into mayhem, with its armed insurrections, traffickers in voter fraud theories, QAnoners, anti-vaxxers, climate deniers, and children in cages policies, most of the rest of the world continues to make some level of progress toward a better life for all.
For example, with its aggressive ramp-down of fossil fuels in favor of EVs and bicycles, Holland continues to set the pace in terms of the level of caring and compassion it has for the entirety of our civilization.
But now this benevolence extends outward from humankind and into the world of dogs. The Netherlands has become the first country on Earth to ensure every one of their canine friends has a home.
A few years ago, famed Watergate figure John Dean warned Trump staffers that their resumes are going to be badly stained via their participation in this criminally insane presidency. He used words like, “Everyone who had anything to do with Nixon either deliberately omitted the role they played, or suffered a terrible downgrade as a result. Do yourselves a favor, and get out now.”
Of course, Trump is making Nixon look like Honest Abe Lincoln; his staffers are indeed in deep Bandini.
I’m not normally pessimistic, at least in what I write here, but the Republicans’ call for national unity is a big part of the reason that this whole deal with the “fraudulent election,” armed insurrections, etc. is so hard to get behind us. Decent people don’t want to “unify” with conspiracy theorist nut-jobs, not to mention treasonous murderers.
The path forward cannot include normalizing criminally insane behavior.
In today’s highly polarized world, it seems that literally any development that has the remotest relation to politics is going to auto-generate both a left- and a right-wing contingent around it.
Here we have the fact that the social networking app “Parler,” a tool critical to the success of right-wing extremists, is being banned by the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Apple and Google in the wake of Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters. Parler has been rife with violent comments since before the attack on the Capitol, and Apple and Google say they’ll restore the app only when Parler moderates its service better. (more…)
Driving around rural America one notices that Trump die-hards are perhaps even more enthused about him now than they were before the failed insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th and the rest of the jaw-dropping stupidity that marked the entire period following the 2020 elections.
It’s possible that signs like the one shown here will be on display for years after Trump’s either in self-exile or in prison, and he’s no more relevant to our politics than the deputy major of Buzzard’s Breath, Arkansas.
Please note that this is a conversation we’ve been having more or less continuously for almost 50 years, and the fundamental issues aren’t improving for hydrogen. It’s still inefficient, it still has a very limited delivery infrastructure, and batteries keep getting better and less expensive.
Might be time to say goodbye.
Well, the obvious first answer is criminally prosecuting Trump.
But then, how about promoting:
Climate change mitigation
Preservation of biodiversity
Protecting the rainforests
Social justice
Reduction in wealth inequality
Medicare for all
Science in policy-making
Quality public education
World peace
Amnesty International
A reader in the “Land Down Under” asks, “Hello communist Fakebook Giggle Amizin and rotten appole. That was an interesting play on abolishing Parler. How is that even legal?!?!?!!!!”
