Biden - Warren 2016??

As the 2016 Presidential Campaign stumbles towards its ignominious conclusion, the question of Hillary Clinton's pending indictment looms ever larger.

Hillary for Prison!

The question comes down to this: will Hillary be indicted for her email crimes before the election?  There are many arguments on both sides for this, but it essentially boils down to a political question: Will Obama make the political call to torpedo her?  Or will he protect her?

There are currently two power bases in the Democrat Party.   The Clinton's hold tremendous power.  They are the de facto power brokers behind the scenes the control large parts of the party apparatus.  That gravitational pole is counter balanced by Obama.  As the current President, he wields de jure control over much of the party.  

This election will determine who holds the power over the entire party in the future.  If Clinton wins, then Obama will be Jimmy Carter, redux.  He will give speeches and meddle in international affairs, but he will essentially be a side show.  The real power will be completely in the control of the Clinton machine.

If Hillary is the nominee and loses, then the current status quo is preserved, with a divided power structure between the Obama's and the Clintons.

If Obama want to own the Democrat Party, then the Clintons must lose and be destroyed in the process.

The simplest way for Obama to achieve party hegemony is to indict Hillary.   The Clinton's are destroyed and the sole control of the party will pass to Obama.

Since Obama cannot run again, he will have a hand picked proxy run for President. 

That is Joe Biden.

Democrat Dream Team, Plan B

Joe has been hinting around that he wants to run.  But his general incoherence and penchant for gaffes make him a liability in a prolonged campaign.   His best bet for winning is a short, tightly scripted campaign.

A scenario where Hillary is indicted is perfect for Joe -- he gets to step in at the last minute as a reluctant hero and do a short sprint from the convention to the election.  You need to balance this ticket with someone to excite the Bernie Sanders voters and to get the female vote. 

Enter Elizabeth Warren. 

There was a lot of speculation in 2015 about this ticket as a Plan B for the Democrats.  This was before Bernie upset the plan by hanging in there and making the Biden August Surprise a little more complicated. 

All of this speculation boils down to this question:  Does Obama want to be Boss Tweed or does he want to golf and relax? 

If he has any interest in preserving his power, you can expect a bombshell indictment just before the convention.

To Trump or Not to Trump?

Donald Trump is now the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for the 2016 election cycle.

There has been a lot of conversation about his candidacy -- ranging from the insightful to the absurd.   He seems to be a truly polarizing man, who soars higher in the polls every time the media attacks him.

Some of the pro-Trump arguments are interesting.  He is the only candidate that is immune to the power of the media.  If Republicans are ever to regain power in this country, the Leftist media stranglehold on our culture must be broken.  He seems to be largely immune to the power of the media, and he may well be able to destroy its power.

Some of the anti-Trump arguments are interesting as well.   He is not a conservative, he is a megalomaniacal opportunist and con man that will destroy the brand of the Republican party and quite possibly the country.

But perhaps the single most persuasive argument in favor of Trump is this:  Look at how the Left is losing its mind over his candidacy.  There have been violent protests in Chicago and other places that have often led to campaign events being cancelled.

The Left says nothing about Kasich or Jeb!.  It verbally attacks Cruz, smearing him with insane conspiracy theories about the Zodiac Killer and entanglement with the JFK assassination.  
Trump, however, brings them out in the streets, rioting, screaming, and attacking people.

The Left truly hates Trump.  They hate him with a passion that is not equaled by their disdain for all the other Republican candidates combined. 

Hate is based in fear, and it is clear that the Left fears a Trump presidency. 

The pure animal hatred of Trump is his strongest endorsement.

Solar Power Goes Up in Flames

The hopes and dreams of the Environmental movement went up in flames this week.   Not that this will slow them down, but it exposes the lie of renewable energy.

The world's largest solar energy plant is the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) in California.  It went up in flames over the weekend, apparently due to some misaligned mirrors.

Located on 4,000 acres of public land in the Mojave Desert, the sprawling concentrated solar thermal plant is equipped with 173,500 heliostats—each with two mirrors—that focus sunlight on boilers located on top of three 459-foot towers. The tremendous heat created by the concentrated solar power produces steam that drives turbines to produce electricity. The plant, the largest of its kind in the world, features a gross capacity of 392 megawatts, enough to power 140,000 homes. Each of the computer-controlled solar-reflecting mirrors is about the size of a garage door.


This plant is in real trouble.  It has failed to meet any of the benchmarks for output over the past few years, and now one third of it's capacity will be knocked off line for a while. 

These Federally funded (meaning tax payer funded, meaning you paid for this) environmentally inspired energy projects NEVER work.   They never meet the projected energy output levels, and they are never economically viable.  They always require subsidies or other favorable treatment in order to survive. 

They also don't do much for the actual environment.  These facilities, like the wind turbines as well, kill large numbers of birds each year.   Unlike the turbines that chop them up, these solar plants fry them up for us.  The birds fly through the solar flux field and  get cooked. 

Government cannot pick winner and losers in any sphere of the economy, and this has been repeatedly proven true in the energy sector.

This is another example of our tax dollars going up in flames.  Literally. 

A Few of My Favorite Things

There are many people blathering on the internet, but a few of them have captured my attention.

Stephan Molyneux of Free Domain Radio is one of those people.  

His YouTube Channel is very interesting. 

With host Stefan Molyneux, topics range from philosophy to economics to art to how to achieve real freedom in the modern world. Passionate, articulate, funny and irreverent, Freedomain Radio shines a bold light on old topics - and invents a few new ones to boot!

Freedomain Radio is the largest and most popular philosophy show on the web, with over 100 million downloads and is 100% funded by viewers like you. Please support the show by signing up for a monthly subscription or making a one time donation at: http://www.freedomainradio.com/donate

Stefan Molyneux is the founder and host of Freedomain Radio, the largest and most popular philosophical show in the world. With more than 3,000 podcasts, 10 books and 100 million downloads, Stefan has spread the cause of liberty and philosophy to listeners throughout the world.

Prior to launching Freedomain Radio, Stefan built a thriving career as a software entrepreneur and executive. In 2006, he left his work in the tech industry to devote his efforts to Freedomain Radio. Now a full-time parent and philosopher, Stefan speaks regularly at liberty-themed events all over North and South America. His speeches cover subjects ranging from politics, philosophy, science, economics, relationships, parenting and how to achieve real freedom in your life.

Stefan is the author of two novels, "Revolutions" and "The God of Atheists," as well as eight non-fiction books on relationships, government and religion.

Past live appearances include presentations at the New Hampshire Liberty Forum, the Porcupine Freedom Festival, Libertopia, Students For Liberty, FreedomFest, LibertyNow, Capitalism and Morality, LibertyFest West, the Brazilian Mises Institute's Idieas em Movimento, Freedom Summit, and the Global Escape Hatch.

Stefan has participated in a number of live debates, among them: "Bitcoin vs. Gold: The Future of Money" with Peter Schiff, "Zeitgeist Versus the Market" with Peter Joseph, "The Function of the State in Society" with Professor Vladimir Safatle and "How Much Government is Necessary?" with Michael Badnarik

Venezuela Feels the Bern

The PanAm Post is now reporting  "Hungry Venezuelans Hunt Dogs, Cats, Pigeons as Food Runs Out"

Ain't socialism grand?

Ramón Muchacho, Mayor of Chacao in Caracas, said the streets of the capital of Venezuela are filled with people killing animals for food.  Through Twitter, Muchacho reported that in Venezuela, it is a “painful reality” that people “hunt cats, dogs and pigeons” to ease their hunger.

A Yellow Lunch-brador Retriever

Venezuela is circling the drain.  They implemented a socialist economic plan that Bernie Sanders would be proud of, and the economy is now collapsing around them.  

This cannot go on much longer.  The people are hungry and will soon be starving.  An uprising is coming soon.

Unfortunately, the uprising will come with Obama in office, and he will surely back the Maduro government and it's neo-communist policies.  

It has taken a mere 15 years to reduce Venezuela from the richest and most successful country in South America to an economic and social train wreck.

The signs of economic and social collapse continue to mount.  The article goes on to note:

Shortages of everything but Police and Guns

The population’s desperation has begun to show, with looting and robberies for food increasing all the time. This Sunday, May 1, six Venezuelan military officials were arrested for stealing goats to ease their hunger, as there was no food at the Fort Manaure military base. The week before, various regions of the country saw widespread looting of shopping malls, pharmacies, supermarkets and food trucks, all while people chanted “we are hungry.”

Not so shockingly, none of this has been reported in the media in the US.  When the society collapses, it will be reported as the result of low oil prices, not the inevitable results of 15 years of communist bungling and economic malfeasance.

An entire nation destroyed, and thousands of lives are at risk because they voted themselves some nice comfy socialism.  

Feeling the Bern yet, America?

Bill Nye, Please, Just Stop

Bill Nye, the alleged Science Guy, is at again.

He is pumping out lies in defense of the great Climate Change Hoax.

Today, he tweeted this nonsense in response to recent tornado activity: "More severe weather. More suffering.  Let's all take climate change seriously."

The implication being, of course, that this severe weather is somehow connected to climate change.

That implication is a lie.

Not only does he know this -- he has come out in the past explaining that there is no real link between climate change and tornado activity -- but every real scientist knows this.  The connection between climate change and tornado activity is tenuous at best.

It is very simple for anyone interested in the potential connection to so some basic research and find out the during the time the earth's temperature has allegedly been spinning out of control, the number and severity of tornadoes has been declining.

So, if there is a connection between rising temps and tornadoes, the correlation is negative.  Which means fewer tornadoes.  

But this good news would fly in the face of the narrative for Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming.

So he lies.

If the case for CAGW is so strong, why does he need to lie?  Shouldn't there be an endless string of real weather events that could be used to illustrate the dangers of our reckless abuse of the planet?

After all, the temperature of the earth has been spinning out of control for over a century.  We should have at least some proof by now.

The fact that he is now Bill Nye, the Lying Guy tells you everything you need to know about how real climate change is.



h/t @JohnHonore

'Indigenous Science' Proves Climate Change is a Joke

According to the Daily Caller, the White House and the Canadian government have released a new joint plan for how the two countries will go about regulating potential drilling, mining and other such energy endeavors in the Arctic — a decision-making process that will now use “indigenous science and traditional knowledge” to understand how to mitigate the effects of global warming.

An Inuit Scientist Ponders the Mysteries of the Wheel

Let's get a few facts straight before we get too far into this conversation.

There is no such thing as Indigenous Science.  This is true in every way you can possibly imagine. 

Science is Science.  Science is the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.

There is no such thing as 'indigenous' science.  Either a theory and observation meets the definition of Science, or it does not meet that standard.  There is no separate standard for indigenous people.

If indigenous man engages in scientific experimentation that meets the definition of science, then he is doing science, not 'indigenous science'.  If someone is conducting experiments that do not meet the definition of science, then it is not 'indigenous science', it is non-science.

The definition of Indigenous Science is as non-scientific as you can get.  It includes such anti-scientific gems as:

• The purpose of indigenous science is to maintain balance                                                               
• The end point of an indigenous scientific process is a known and recognized place. This point of balance, referred to by my own tribe as the Great Peace, is both peaceful and electrifyingly alive. In the joy of exact balance, creativity occurs, which is why we can think of our way of knowing as a life science.

If we put aside the fact that there is no such thing as 'Indigenous Science' for the moment and simply look at the accumulated knowledge of the indigenous peoples of the arctic, we find that they never even invented the wheel.  Or written language.  Or multi-story buildings, or anything else beyond a primitive Stone Age culture.  So not only is there no such thing as indigenous science, these people haven't done any regular science either.



"Science" from a people that have not invented the two story building...

This is not science, this is mysticism, as they explain in point #6:

• Indigenous science is holistic, drawing on all the Sense, including the spiritual and psychic.

So Obama is saying that Climate Change 'science' is going to be advanced by rules based on non-science.   We are going to use mysticism and 'the Great Peace' to determine the future of our economy, our nation, and our civilization.  

The Great Spirit save us all.   

Although there is a good chance this is all a big joke.  The last bullet notes:

• Humor is a critical ingredient of all truth seeking, even in the most powerful rituals. This is true because humor balances gravity.

So they might be kidding about all of this. 

Or it might prove that Climate Change is the biggest joke of all.

Equality is the Root of All Evil

Equality, at least the way it is defined by the Left, is the root of all evil.

The Left defines equality differently than most people, and certainly differently than anyone else in history.

I would define equality as equal rights and opportunities.   That is, all people, regardless of gender, skills, IQ, or looks, are equal in the eyes of the law and have equal opportunities.

The Left defines equality as 'everyone is the same'.

This has a profound effect on how the Left perceives the world and the prescriptions they put forward to change things for the better.

If everyone is equal, i.e., the same, then why do we have unequal outcomes?  The Left, mindful that we are all exactly the same, cannot explain these differences with internal factors.  Therefore the differences must be external.    The only thing that keeps Africa poor is colonialism.  The plight of minorities is grounded in racism, the disparities for women are due entirely to sexism, etc.  

In reality, there are any number of real world factors that can help explain the horrific conditions in sub-Saharan Africa.  Culture, IQ, the lack of the Rule of Law, lack of Property Rights, etc. all go a long way towards understanding what's wrong in this part of the world.  But since all of these undermine the idea that we are all equal, they are discounted entirely.  So we are left with the external forces.  And that, typically, is the fault of racist White Men.

Much of what is wrong with Leftism (and there is a lot!) can be traced to this basic error in thinking. 

Equality does not mean equal.

Equality of rights and equality of opportunity are at the core of the concept of Equality. 

Once you abandon equal opportunity in favor of equal outcomes, you have to start using the power of the state to make things equal.  You have to point guns at the people who have achieved better outcomes and force them to fork over the filthy lucre to those that have less.

People don't generally like having stuff taken away from them.  So you have to shoot a few to get the others to fall in line.  

And this is why communist governments kill millions of their own people -- they are forcing equal outcomes based on a wrong headed definition of Equality. 

Objective Journalism or Hit Piece Libel?

The media has lost all objectivity and now routinely engages in partisan attacks masquerading as journalism.

The latest example is this 'news item" from MSNBC.    The headline "Workers fight for dignity in Trump's Las Vegas hotel" tells you everything you need to know. 

Dignity?  Dignity comes from within.  It is defined by Webster as 

a way of appearing or behaving that suggests seriousness and self-control
or

the quality of being worthy of honor or respect

 

These are behaviors that individuals control -- it has nothing to do with Trump or his hotel.

 

The misuse of the term dignity here is meant to imply that somehow Trump is not treating people with respect.   The article lists a number of alleged instances where Trump is not treating his workers well, including the fact that the cleaning staff is not allowed to talk to The Donald or his family.  

 

The Horror!  Because the cleaning staff are routinely encouraged to chat it up with guests and the management team at other hotels.  Actually, no.  They are not.  They are there to clean, not to make friends with the guests.

 

The article goes on to list a number of alleged wrongs that this illegal immigrant family is suffering, such as the fact that the father is currently in jail for a DUI.  How any of this is related to Trump is a mystery.

 

This is not journalism, it is a libelous smear campaign.

 

 

 

Socialism Works until You Run Out of Other People's Money...

Socialism works great.  Really, it does.   Just take a look at that formerly filthy rich capitalist country, Venezuela.  They used have everything.  Oil exports drove the richest country in South America.

But no more.  15 years of socialism have worked so well that Venezuela has run out of everything.  No food, no toilet paper, no breast implants, no car parts.  

See Socialism works perfectly!

Until you run out of other people's money.  Or, in this case, until you run out of money period. 

Venezuela, it seems, no longer has enough money to pay for its money.

Bloomberg is reporting:

In a tale that highlights the chaos of unbridled inflation, Venezuela is scrambling to print new bills fast enough to keep up with the torrid pace of price increases. Most of the cash, like nearly everything else in the oil-exporting country, is imported. And with hard currency reserves sinking to critically low levels, the central bank is doling out payments so slowly to foreign providers that they are foregoing further business.

Venezuela, in other words, is now so broke that it may not have enough money to pay for its money.

So there you have it.

Socialism works so well that it only took 15 years to destroy the wealthiest nation in South America.

How long before it destroys the United States?

Liberals Want it Both Ways

Every time there is a political controversy, the Left seems to want to have it both ways.

Recently there has been some argle bargle over comments made to a student who refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. 

The student refused to stand because “Donald Trump is going to send us back to Africa.”

The teacher is now in hot water because he responded that the student "should go back to Africa".

Let's ignore the lack of accuracy in the student's allegation -- Trump has never said he was in favor of sending citizens back to Africa.

The real issue is this:  This student receives free education and free food courtesy of the US taxpayer and yet has the gall to refuse to stand up out of respect for the US Flag.  And he is terrified and insulted at the prospect that he might have to go back to Africa.

You can't have it both ways, kid.  Either the US is a racist hellhole not deserving of your respect, or it is so awesome you are terrified at the prospect of having to leave.

You don't get to disrespect the Flag AND say you love this country too much to leave.

You want to have it both ways.

Leftist Self Awareness...

The Left lacks self awareness at shocking levels.

The latest example comes as they are discussing the potential for a Clinton-Warren Presidential ticket.

The article notes:







Really?  Can anyone thing of a recent two term President that was elected with ZERO executive experience and less than two years in the  Senate?

Like, say, Barack Obama??

I happened to agree -- Elizabeth Warren is in no way qualified to be President.

But for senior Democrats to criticize her for having the same exact qualifications as Obama is rich with irony and demonstrates a complete lack of self awareness.

I'm baaaaaack!!

My apologies for the lengthy hiatus.

I will be posting more regularly.