Ron Paul on Israel, Gaza, Obama, and the economy…
By: James Burge
January 19th, 2009
There is nothing quite like this guy. Dr. Ron Paul is a US congressman from Texas who ran an unsuccessful, yet noteworthy bid for the Republican Nomination for President. Known by some as Dr. No! Dr. Paul is known for his strict constitutional and limited interventionist stance leading him to vote against most of the recent expansionist policies of the Bush NeoCons. He made me realize, that my identification as a Canadian Liberal, wasn’t exactly true. Although my liberal leanings with regard to civil liberties is obvious, the idea that inflated government spending and policy are what is needed to save ourselves from our own economies just doesn’t seem to work for me, so I have come to consider myself more of a civil libertarian. Dr. Paul himself once ran for the US Presidency under the libertarian ticket, and his views on policy continue to remind me of the ideals that lead to US independence and the great nation once known as America. All that seems to be left is government sanctioned fear, taxes, and a slide into martial law, what is next for America is unknown, but my eyes will continue to be on Dr. Paul, because he seems to be the only one not asleep at the wheel.
A point in the 10th Dimention
By: James Burge
January 7th, 2009
So i just Stumbled upon this video I remember seeing a while back, it does a god job of explaining all the cocept of higher dimensions. It may seem a bit over one’s head the first time around, (especial if you need to brush up on your knowledge of quantum mechanics and string theory) but if you’ve ever wondered what people mean when they talked about the forth or even fifth dimention, this should help you at least get a grasp higher dimestional theory.
Israel’s War on Gaza continues…
By: James Burge
January 7th, 2009
In what can only be described as an onslaught, Israel continues to attack ‘militants’ in Gaza, one of the few remaining strongholds of Hamas the terrorist organization government elected by the Palestinians. Israel broke a ceasefire agreement that had lasted about 4 months, claiming their hand was forced by Hamas militants digging a tunnel out of Gaza to apparently attack Israeli soldiers (remember there is a big wall around these people and they were probably trying to get food and clean water, but I digress). Israel has continued a 12 day offensive defensive attack on the region with the supposed intent of ending numerous (mostly unsuccessful) rocket attacks from the region. However, in what is considered the most densely populated Palestinian land that remains, the attacks on ‘militants’ seem to have been abandoned in favor of killing women and children to either further radicalize the region, further justifying these attacks, or to try and turn the remaining Palestinian population against their resistance movement. (which do you see as more likely?) Israel has admitted to deliberately targeting a school, which they now claim was being used as a weapons dump, or had someone fire on them, even though the UN had assured them that no ‘militants’ were present in the school, only civilians attempting to flee the assault on their homes (remember the wall, they have no where to run). After killing over 600 Palestinians (about a quarter of which have been confirmed to be civilians, although I would tend to think this is likely higher than that) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert voiced his plans to travel to Egypt where another ceasefire will be discussed (and eventually broken).
Eight Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded during battles with Hamas militants Monday afternoon, IDF said. On Sunday, an Israeli soldier was killed, marking the first military death since the ground operation launched Saturday night.
Source: Israeli military surrounds Gaza City, officals say
The above article also mentions of another 4 Israelis being killed during the initial reaction from Hamas, which puts the Israeli casualties in the order of 30, seems a bit one sided (although I can’t seem to find an official Israeli death toll). But Israel’s justification for this precision bombing of Palestinian territory (including hospitals and schools) remains the hundreds of low tech rockets, most of which hit low populated regions of the desert between Gaza and Israel.
With another day of gory news reports inflaming the Arab world, Israel contended that the deaths at the school, at the Jabaliya refugee camp north of Gaza City, demonstrated Hamas’s callousness toward the lives of Palestinian civilians.
Source: Israeli Shells Kill 40 at Gaza U.N. School
I think the above quote says it all, “don’t blame us, all we are doing is bombing what little land you Palestinians have left, blame your elected government because they don’t support the ethnic cleansing of the land we took from you 50+ years ago because it is the rightful Jewish homeland cuz we lived there once too.. Oh yeah, and don’t forget the holocaust, yeah that too…”
Although I support Israel’s right to defend its land from rocket fire, there is little talk of the overt actions of the part of Israel to further radicalize those trapped in the world’s larges internment camp.
Look at this way, let’s say for a moment that the Native Americans and the Mexicans rounded up all North American Europeans, forcing them into ghettos, refugee camps and then put a nice big wall around the whole thing so no weapons, bombs, fuel, food or other supplies can enter. I mean those North Americans should be able to take care of them selves and feel content in their quality of life. Then, in the event that the North American Militants fired rockets into Native American and Mexican territory injuring someone, the Native American and Mexican Soldiers are completely justified in bombing schools and refuge camps and not guilty in any way of provoking such attacks.
Think about it!! Seriously…
Climate Change, Case Closed???
By: James Burge
January 5th, 2009
I just finished reading a blog article from the Huffington Post about Climate Change and the ‘global-warming-is-an-exact-science’ crowd, and have a few things to say.
I have to start out with the typical disclaimers that seem to be required for anyone debating the global warming myth. Firstly, I too see our climate changing and I too am concerned about the possible outcomes. Secondly, we do not require an excuse to be better to our environment or to question the workings of this complicated biosphere. Lastly, my genuine concern for our planet (and its future residences) exists regardless of the global warming science that is typically used to induce guilt.
That being said, there remain a few clarifications.
As pointed out in the article mentioned above, our climate is always changing.
There has been no stable period of climate during the Holocene, our own climatic era, which began with the end of the last ice age 12,000 years ago.
This last ice age, as some of you may be aware, saw the majority of what is now North America under glaciers. But of course, one could (wrongly) assume that after the ice age temperatures leveled out and have remained relatively constant ever since. Average temperatures have gone through warm periods, where civilizations thrived, and cold periods, which tended to coincide with plague, famine, and empire collapse. “History shows that periods of cold are far more stressful to humanity than periods of warm.”
Another thing that was brought up by the Huffinton Article is that the relationship between temperature and CO2 levels aren’t as cut and dry as some would like us to believe. Scientists have found that there is about an 800 year delay between the rise in global temperatures and the rise in CO2. This is to say that the CO2 levels could not have ‘caused’ the initial warming, but that it may contribute in some way to the continued warming cycle. So could this actually show that increase in global temperature has an effect on the levels of CO2 in our atmosphere?
When the ocean-atmosphere system warms, the oceans discharge vast quantities of carbon dioxide in a process known as de-gassing.
Doesn’t seem quite as cut and dry when you look at it that way.
Do you know what the most common greenhouse gas is?
Methane?
Carbon Dioxide?
Nitrous Oxide?
Water vapour…
I wonder how long until water vapour becomes a controlled substance and hanging clothes up to dry outside cited for the increase in global temperature? I guess it depends on how much money governments can make outlawing CO2 emissions. The amount of water vapour in the atmosphere is well above the levels of CO2, so why aren’t we hearing about it in all of the global-warming hoopla?
So since water vapour is a greenhouse gas, an increase in water vapour will increase global temperatures, right?
Wrong! Increased water vapour actually reflects more UV light thereby decreasing the amounts seen on the ground. Increase water vapour would also contribute to high levels of precipitation that also have a cooling effect. Also, due to the high heat capacity of water, a lack of water vapour in the air contributes to increased temperature fluctuation from day to night as seen in most arid climates.
The fact is our planet has seen global averages well above and well below levels we see today. The only certainty is that the climate will continue to change. The resulting questions are two fold, 1) how will humans adapt to climate change? And, 2) will guilt, through man-assisted-global-warming be used to justify these adaptations? or will the natural sense of pride in our Earth along with the acceptance of a dynamic/changing climate?
The article goes on to mention the fact that there is evidence that other planets in our solar system are warming and that cosmic rays from other galaxies could actually have an effect on cloud cover here on Earth.
As NASA has corroborated, the number of cosmic rays passing through our atmosphere is at the maximum level since measurements have been taken, and show no signs of diminishing. The result: the seeding of what some have taken to calling “Svensmark clouds,” low dense clouds, principally over the oceans, that reflect sunlight back to space before it can have its warming effect on whatever is below.
My point: ‘Proof’ exists on both sides of this issue, and although I agree that Climate change will likely be one of the major tests of humanity, in my opinion, the human influence on climate change is irrelevant and is only wasting time. Also, the claim that climate change is case closed is at best dubious (would they not welcome science showing that we aren’t doomed as some claim). There is no statute of limitations on truth, something seen as true in science today can (and will likely) be proven false at least in part, whether the science was in already or not (see Newtonian Physics vs. Quantum mechanics). The best evidence for ulterior motive is when ones mind seems to be made up and evidence is then cherry-picked for only those discoveries that prove that point.
In conclusion, should we recycle and use less energy and be more environmental? Of course!!! Should we sturdy the climate and begin preparing for monumental shifts in climate? Of Course!!! Should we each pay governments to save us from the boogie man climate change? HELL NO!!!
