Monday, February 16, 2009

It's Gettin' Hot In Here...

Listening to many pundits and experts on the issue of Global Warming, one could assume that we are heading for disaster in the next fifty years if nothing is done to curb the effects. We are inundated with story after story of how humans are destroying this planet, and that it is our greed and laziness that is leading to this destruction. If only we will allow drastic governmental measures to thwart this threat, then we will all be saved. Yet, I have not seen any peer reviewed, scientific proof that there is such a thing as human caused global warming, and I am not exactly sure that there is anything we could right now to drastically thwart any warming trend if one exists. So, why all the hysteria? It makes great political theatre, and opens the door for Big Government proponents to intrude in our lives.

For example, in today's Agance France, there was an article that stipulated that if humans continue to eat hamburgers we will irrevocably destroy the earth, and contribute to global warming. Why? Because cows emit too much methane which is bad to the environment, and the more burgers we eat the more cows are needed to produce them. Really? Well, anyone whose every eaten at McDonald's knows that more cows is not necessarily what makes more burgers. (I digress) Large beasts have been on this planet much longer than humans, if you believe the evolutionists, and therefore have been emitting methane for a lot longer time. Fact is, cows have been crapping on this earth longer than us, and will probably be after us. That being said, I don't think a vegetarian diet (as suggested in the article) is what the doctor ordered. No, I think we should simply eat more cow, then we can keep the population down and have a tasty steak at the same time.

In reality, methane is actually not as harmful as the alarmist make out. Methane is a natural byproduct of decay. That means that even fallen trees emit methane, animals that die naturally in the wilderness emit methane, and rotting vegetables that go uneaten because of farm subsidies produce methane when they decay because no one bought them and consumed them. Perhaps, our friend who wrote this ill-researched paper should stop trying to control the rest of us, and focus more energy in researching his science.

On another note, the issue of global warming is a "red herring" used by individuals in the name of "altruism" to force government control on the people. In the AP today they released a story of former Astronaut Harrison Schmitt - who walked on the moon- resigning his position at The Planetary Society, a non-profit dedicated to space exploration, because they endorsed human-caused global warming. Dr. Schmitt was quoted as saying, "scientists are being intimidated if they disagree with the idea that burning fossil fuels has increased carbon dioxide levels, temperatures and sea levels." He was also quoted as saying that he believed, "global warming scare is being used as a political tool to increase government control over American lives, incomes and decision making."

Dr, Schmitt does not resist the claim that the climate is changing, only that it is not being propelled by human activity, and that the data actually stands behind his claim. Dr. Scmitt would be right in many cases. Global temperatures are not actually increasing, but are decreasing.

According to the leading meteorologists at the National Weather and Meteorological Society (NWMS)the average temperature for America has gone down 3 degrees fehrenheit over the last 150 years. globally, the temp has either remained constant or decreased from 1 to 3 degrees as well. According to many peer-reviewed journal pieces, the temperature on the plant has not been effected that greatly by the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. According to the NWMS, if the atmosphere was the thickness of a football field, the total carbon dioxide build up over the last 150 years (since we started using fossil fuels) would be three to five inches. According to NWMS this is not enough to cause any irreversible effects. Matter of fact if the layer of CO2 were to increase at that rate consistently it would take 1000 years to reach critical mass. I believe 1000 years would be enough time for technology to catch up in the free market and curb any effects at all.

Overall, people who believe that government should take care of people, and that government should keep us from harming ourselves, are the ones who have a tendency in believing the hype behind the global warming craze. Global warming may or may not be occurring, but one thing is certain, it looks less and less likely that humans are causing it, and that we can do anything at all to stop it.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Three Fingers Pointing Back and "Hope We Can Believe In" Riiiight!

In today's blog you will find two topics. One the grilling of the Wall Street financiers yesterday, and a lil treatise on what President Obama really meant by "Tax Cut". Enjoy!

Three Fingers Pointing Back

Yesterday on the Hill, Democrats took turns gesticulating for the cameras by taking their favorite whipping boy(s) (Read: Wall Street Execs) out to the post. Many Representatives wanted the "captains of industry" to answer for their wasteful excess at taxpayer's expense, and then get to the bottom of how these "titans of ticker tape" plan on using the "Bailout" money more responsibly. Yet, while watching one Congressperson after another point fingers at the Wall Street execs, and condemn them for what the Representative thought was gross maleficence, I could not help to think of what my 6th grade English teacher once taught me, "Every time you point a finger, there are three fingers pointing back." This led me to come up with what I thought should have been the responses of the Wall Street execs that sat in the hot seat.

1. When asked about their private jets by a snotty New England Rep., one exec should have said, "Don't look down at us about our using a more efficient way of travel when your Speaker spends $9000 to $22,000 an hour every time she travels on her 100% taxpayer supported Air Force jet. (factcheck.com)Yes, we took some taxpayer money, but we also made money and that profit also went to pay for our travel. Can you say this?"

2. When California Representative Maxine Waters began her tirade about Executive bonuses when those execs failed to keep their business solvent, one exec should have said:
"Don't lecture us about pay raises and bonuses when every single one of you up there voted to give yourself a $4,200 pay raise this year, and gave every single one of your staff a bonus, and yet I challenge you to show us one single government program that works. (Citizens Against Wasteful Spending)Our losses were only in the Billions, yours have been in the Trillions."

Don't get me wrong, I don't support Wall Street getting a Bailout, and their extravagances during these hard economic times are hard to swallow. However, I don't believe anyone should use anyone to score cheap political points. Especially if you are wanting them to revive your country. Besides I get tired of the smugness of the Democrats, and the moral superiority they think they have.

"Hope We Can Believe In." Yeah Riiight!

The economic figures are starting to come out about the Stimulus Package the Democrats are trying to shove down our throats. With these figures out one thing becomes perfectly clear. It is better for you in this country if you are a rodent, than a taxpayer.

According the H.R. 1, $30 Million dollars is going for wetland preservation in San Fransisco (wonder whose district this is for?), more specifically, to help preserve the habitat of an endangered mouse. Yet, as promised by President Obama, the American people are receiving a reduction in their tax burden. Being the ever stout populist, President Obama fought for a robust tax cut of $7.70 per week for every American. Thanks Mr. President, now I can afford an extra rental at blockbuster with my stimulating tax cut. I am definitely more hopeful today, than yesterday!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

A Letter to 70 Million Americans

My Fellow Americans,

I know that over the last two years many disturbing and troubling events have occurred. We have seen yet another financial burst and send our economy into free fall. We have seen the banks declare their inability to remain solvant, and we have seen the big three auto makers declare their need for help. During this great time of turmoil you, my fellow Americans, voted for a charasmatic speaker who promised "change you can believe in", and promised to radically change the way business was done in Washington. To be honest all Americans hoped that this young leader could deliver on these promises, however, it seems in the last two weeks much of his promises were just rhetoric. So, I pose this question again, "Is this what you voted for?"

Did you vote for American tax dollars to be spent on the sensless murder of unborn children around the globe all in the name of economic simplicity? Did you vote for the Commander in Chief to close the only prison we have for murderous and feckless terrorist thugs, and then not have alternate spot to house them? Did you vote for a man to head the Executive Branch who chose a Governor suspected of "pay for play" to run Commerce, a tax cheat to run the Treasury, another tax cheat to run HHS, the wife of a tax cheat to be his performance officer, and a porn lobbyist to be Deputy Atty. General? Did you really vote for a President who would spend 2-4 trillion dollars of money we don't have, for only the "possibility" of economic recovery? Did you really really vote for a man who doesn't believe that this stimulus package has any pork? If you did than we need to talk, because none of this is the change anyone was promised!

I know for about 30 million of you what President Obama is doing is exactly what you hoped for; however, for the remaining 40 million you cannot believe what you are seeing. You seeing a President who promised change, but delivered nothing be the same tired Washington policies. You have seen a President who promised inclusion, exclude every REAL conservative from the conversation. You have seen a President who promised tax cuts for 95% of Americans run from that promise the first chance he could. You have seen exactly what you thought you were voting against in the man you voted for. How does this make you feel?

If it makes you feel outraged and incensed, then join me in using the next two years to give the Republicans a majority in one of the houses of Congress. Lets have real representative democracy, and force the President to have to genuinely compromise in order to get things done. Lets stop the forced socialism, and give the Democrats a real revolution to deal with, a Conservative Revolution!

Sincerely,

Joe Shehan