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March 2022

On global warming, journalists are very consistent: They never ask questions By Jack Hellner

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/03/on_global_warming_journalists_are_very_consistent_they_never_ask_questions.html

Another week and we get another dire report on the climate from the U.N. and again there is no scientific data showing a direct link between oil use and temperatures, sea levels, and storm activity. What they have are computer models.

Here is what they are putting out now:

UN panel’s grim climate change report: ‘Parts of the planet will become uninhabitable’

Life in some locations on the planet is rapidly reaching the point where it will be too hot for the species that live there to survive, international climate experts said in a report Monday.

“With climate change, some parts of the planet will become uninhabitable,” said German scientist Hans-Otto Pörtner, co-chair of Working Group II for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which produced the report released in Berlin.

The report assesses scientific literature documenting the devastating effects of human-caused climate change on society and ecosystems worldwide. 

And, as always, the media just reports these dire reports without asking any questions or doing any research. Five simple questions would be:

Why have your previous predictions been 100% wrong?

Why should we believe these predictions and base policies on these predictions when previous predictions have been completely wrong?

Shouldn’t policies be based on actual scientific data instead of computer models that can easily be manipulated to get the results you want?

Should we ever destroy an industry based on computer models, especially one that has greatly improved the quality and length of life?

Has the UN ever accomplished anything that indicates they have the ability to control the climate?

As Russia eats up headlines, don’t forget about Iran By Adam Turner

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/03/as_russia_eats_up_headlines_dont_forget_about_iran.html

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has occupied all of the media’s attention, leaving several other international priorities of the Biden administration to continue without much scrutiny.  One of these is the effort to revive a version of the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal.

From the outside, it would appear that Iran holds most of the cards when it comes to a new nuclear deal.  Even though deadlines for reaching a new accord have come and gone, the U.S. has granted extensions of sanctions waivers and kept the negotiations alive.  Whether this is driven by a dire need for a foreign policy victory or a sense that a new agreement is within reach remains an open question.

As the director of the Center to Advance Security in America, I am following the issue closely.  My organization is seeking records to help the public better understand whether a new deal is in America’s interest and what this means for exposing the priorities of the current administration.  On its face, the U.S. government’s position is that the deal is the best chance we have to stop Iran from joining the nuclear club.  But recent foreign policy debacles have raised concerns over the genuineness of this claim.

The most notable defeat is the embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan despite internal analysis indicating that senior decision-makers were aware of the potential for disastrous consequences from their planned actions, which my organization is also looking into.  History may be repeating itself in the Iran nuclear deal.  For instance, it recently came out that Richard Nephew and two other American negotiators resigned from the negotiations because they wanted a tougher posture.

The Only Thing Joe Biden Doesn’t Want Made in America Is Energy By David Harsanyi

https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/03/the-only-thing-joe-biden-doesnt-want-made-in-america-is-energy/#slide-1

Look on the bright side: The president is so unpopular that Congress is unlikely to pass any of his green-energy policies.

I n his State of the Union address, among a list of moonshots — curing cancer, stopping drug addiction, and so on — President Joe Biden asked Congress to resuscitate his “environmental justice” agenda, arguing that it is the best way to fight rising energy prices and create jobs.

This isn’t merely fantastical, but suicidal. Even if Americans were willing to retrofit society to accommodate hundreds of thousands of windmills and millions of solar panels, even if we could afford the tens of trillions of dollars necessary to implement such a plan, it would basically end U.S. economic superiority.

And sometimes it seems like this is the goal. Biden’s first act as president was to revoke permits to build the Keystone XL, a now-dead 1,700-mile pipeline from Canada. In the executive order, the president claimed that the pipeline “disserves” our national interest and was inconsistent with Biden’s economic and climate imperatives. A week later, Biden signed a slew of executive orders prioritizing climate change over energy production, stopping new oil and natural-gas leases on all public lands.

A Bizarre, Contradictory State of the Union Falters after Strong Start on Ukraine By Dan McLaughlin

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/a-bizarre-contradictory-state-of-the-union

Joe Biden’s first official State of the Union address started strong; he spent the first twelve minutes talking about Ukraine, on which there is a surprising amount of bipartisan consensus. The Ukrainian ambassador was present, and many members of Congress from both parties were wearing blue and yellow or otherwise adorned with Ukrainian flags and symbols. Probably the most memorable line was Biden’s vow to defend “every single inch” of NATO territory.

It went downhill once he got to the state of our union, on which Biden rambled on for another hour. He hectored Congress to pass a bunch of bills that it has already rejected. He proposed to lower the costs of various things by just calling for them to cost less. He called the infrastructure bill “the single biggest investment in history” and declared, “We’re done talking about infrastructure weeks. We’re going to have an infrastructure decade.” You could tell the pandemic is really and truly over when we saw a return to Democrats demonizing the pharma companies that gave us life-saving vaccines.

Biden offered some gestures — too little, too late — to the center. “The answer is not to defund the police. The answer is to FUND the police with the resources and training they need to protect our communities. Fund them!” But he immediately tacked back to bashing gun rights.

At times, Biden failed to recognize the inherent contradictions of his own postures.

BIDEN BASICALLY ADMITS THAT HIS 2 TRILLION RESCUE PLAN WAS A COLOSSAL FAILURE

https://issuesinsights.com/2022/03/02/biden-basically-admits-that-his-2-trillion-rescue-plan-was-a-colossal-failure/

“Biden wants the public to believe that today’s hard times aren’t his fault. He’s counting on the public being more mentally decrepit than he is.”

“Few pieces of legislation have done more in a critical moment in our history to lift us out of a crisis.” That was how President Joe Biden, early in his State of the Union address, described the $2 trillion “American Rescue Plan.” It’s hard to know where to begin in unpacking why this is so incredibly wrong.

But Biden himself provided one answer by spending much of his speech talking about how he’s going to fight rising inflation.

Put another way, what Biden said is that Americans need relief from Biden’s “rescue.”

How about his claim that this bill did “more in a critical moment in our history”? Let’s review.

First, the country wasn’t in an economic crisis. Not by a long shot. When Biden signed his deficit-financed spending spree into law, he did so more than a year after the recession had ended, and almost at the exact moment that GDP had regained all the ground it lost during the pointless COVID lockdowns.

Unemployment was plunging — much faster than expected — and prices were steady. And even some prominent liberals warned at the time that dumping $2 trillion in borrowed cash onto a fast-growing economy would spark a surge in inflation.

LIZ PEEK: THE STATE OF THE UNION UNDER BIDEN IS DISMAL

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/596263-reality-check-state-of-union-under-biden-is-dismal?rl=1

Pity the creative writing team at the White House franticly preparing President Biden’s State of the Union address. With Europe at war, inflation soaring, crime rampant, illegal immigration at historic levels and parents irate over their kids’ education, how can they portray Biden’s presidency as a success?

Especially in light of a new Harvard-Harris poll showing that 62 percent of Americans think Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if Donald Trump were still president. A poll, moreover, that shows only 38 percent of respondents approve of Biden’s job performance.

Biden will begin with the tragic events in Ukraine. Here is what he’ll say:

1) Through strenuous diplomacy, he has brought NATO together as never before;

2) Because he has led the European Union (EU) in imposing severe sanctions, Putin has agreed to negotiations;

3) The United States will continue its aggressive pursuit of carbon neutrality and renewable fuels, thus reducing our dependence on Russian oil.

4) Oh, and he’s sorry gasoline prices are so high, but it’s all Putin’s fault.

Biden Misses the Moment in His State of the Union Address He had supportive words for Ukraine against Russia, but he offered no domestic or defense policy reset.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/joe-biden-misses-the-moment-in-his-state-of-the-union-address-white-house-congress-putin-russia-energy-11646193813?mod=opinion_lead_pos1

President Biden is no Olaf Scholz. The new Chancellor upended decades of center-left German defense and energy policy this week after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, and Mr. Biden had a similar opportunity in his State of the Union address Tuesday. He missed the moment. The President remained on the same policy course of his first year, albeit dressed up in new anti-inflation packaging.

More defense spending to meet the threats from autocrats? No. A new appreciation for the contribution of fossil fuels to American and European security? Not a word. A note that government spending contributed to the highest inflation in 40 years? Nope. A word of praise for the private Pharma innovation that developed Covid therapies and vaccines? He proposed government price controls instead.

Mr. Biden did offer stirring support for Ukraine and its fight for freedom, which received bipartisan applause. His Administration deserves credit for helping to rally Europe and other nations to impose sanctions and provide more military aid. He was properly condemning of Mr. Putin.

But his self-congratulation ignored the failure to deter the Russian autocrat. “We were ready” if Mr. Putin invaded, Mr. Biden said. But if the U.S. had been ready, Mr. Putin wouldn’t have invaded. The Russian invaded because he thought the West would do little. And Mr. Putin finds himself in a struggle now because of the bravery of 41 million Ukrainians, not the strength of Europe or the United States.

What we also didn’t hear was a vow that Russia will not be allowed to conquer and hold Ukraine. There was no warning to Mr. Putin not to launch missiles into residential neighborhoods or surround and starve cities into submission like a medieval siege. This was not Harry Truman at the dawn of the Cold War calling the world to meet a new danger.

Sydney Williams: Some Friendly Advice for President Biden

http://www.swtotd.blogspot.com

Right after President Obama’s inauguration in 2009, Rahm Emanuel, who served as White House Chief of Staff, famously said to never let a crisis go to waste. This evening, President Biden, facing the crisis that is Ukraine, should heed that advice when he speaks to the nation.

In a flurry of woke progressivism, the Administration has lost its way. The southern border is inundated by unvetted, unvaccinated illegal immigrants. Inflation is at 40-year highs. Schools that teach Critical Race Theory and encourage students to question their genders are upsetting parents. Crime rates have soared, especially in low-income areas of inner cities. People have grown weary of mask and vaccine mandates. School test scores, already low, have declined further.

Democrats, to survive in November, should go back to their roots of being the Party for working people – the middle class, small business owners, people who do not have the luxury to work remotely or send their children to private schools. They should abandon their left-wing, authoritarian over-reach. Despite being well-funded, the far-left, as defined by Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the rest of “the Quad,” is represented by only nine percent of voters, according to an op-ed in Saturday’s The Wall Street Journal, an op-ed written by Elaine Kamarck and William Galston, both Democrats.

Germany, in Historic Reversal, Abandons Pro-Putin Russia Policy by Soeren Kern

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18283/germany-russia-policy

The measures represent a complete reversal of Germany’s post-Cold War Russia policy — which focused on pursuing economic ties rather than confrontation with Moscow — and mark a definitive end to the era of former Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“We are living through a watershed era. And that means that the world afterwards will no longer the same as the world before. The core question is whether power is allowed to prevail over the law. Will we allow Putin to turn the clock back to the 19th century and the age of great powers? Or can we muster the strength to keep warmongers like Putin in check. That requires strength of our own. Yes, we fully intend to secure our freedom, our democracy and our prosperity.” — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Bundestag, February 27, 2022.

The significance of the German U-turn cannot be overstated: Germany will become the biggest spender on defense in Europe.

In a major policy reversal, the German government has also decided to suspend technical certification of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would double shipments of Russian natural gas to Germany by transporting the gas under the Baltic Sea.

“Olaf Scholz is changing decades of German foreign policy in a single speech. Russia went too far and now Germany is waking up. Incredible.” — Marcel Dirsus, German political scientist.

“I have to say I don’t recognize Europe as it responds to Putin’s gangsterism against #Ukraine. This is my second tour in Germany and all of a sudden I see the Continent grow a spine. Way to go!” — Andrew Michta, veteran transatlantic security analyst.

“Watching Scholz in Bundestag today is watching decades of German foreign policy change in a few minutes before your eyes.” — Andrew Gray, politics editor for Politico.

“Putin knew well why he invested so much in friendly relations. Germany was open to that. But the attack on Ukraine changed everything. Comes certainly as a shock to Putin.” — Ulrich Speck, German foreign policy analyst.

“It is hard to overestimate how much Putin’s attack on Ukraine changed Germany. Less than a week ago Nord Stream 2 was still alive, delivering lethal weapons to Ukraine taboo & cutting Russia out of Swift out of the question. Putin’s invasion changed Germany. Turning point.” — Michael Knigge, German journalist.

“Germany basically doing what Donald Trump demanded that they do — to widespread ridicule — for the four years of his Presidency. I know it galls people to hear it, but Trump was right about some very big things.” — John McGuirk, Irish political commentator.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced a paradigm shift in German defense and energy policies in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said that Germany will substantially increase defense spending and take immediate measures to reduce its energy dependence on Russia.

The Improbable Rise and Endless Heroism of Volodymir Zelensky How the comedian turned Ukrainian president gained control of something no army can wrest away: the narrative. By Michael Idov

https://www.gq.com/story/improbable-rise-endless-heroism-volodymyr-zelensky?utm_source=pocket-newtab

As I write this, Volodymyr Zelensky, the most improbable national leader in the world, just might be the world’s most popular. By now everyone knows his life story’s surreal outline: a comedian who rose to fame with a portrayal of a president becomes the real thing, then transcends it.

A huge part of Zelensky’s global resonance is that he seems to fit a type everyone knows the world over, because, thanks to millennia of persecution, the type exists the world over: a Jewish wiseacre. The idea of one of those (of us, I should say), becoming a wartime icon is in itself a perfect Jewish joke. It’s Woody Allen in Bananas, it’s Dustin Hoffman in Ishtar, it’s Ben Stiller in Tropic Thunder. Except in real life. Risking real death.

The true story of 44-year-old Zelensky’s rise is a tad more complicated, and speaks more to the incredibly messy cultural tangle that exists between Russia and Ukraine than to any easy stereotype. His business and comedy roots lie in KVN, a longtime Russian showbiz phenomenon whose title is an acronym for a musty Sovietism—“The Club for the Jolly and the Resourceful.” KVN is a bizarre but admittedly original concept: Imagine if sketch comedy functioned as a pro sport, with city teams battling one another for a spot in the major league, and the top matches televised.

Zelensky’s troupe, called Quarter 95, repped Kryvyi Rih—a Ukrainian city—but performed in Russian, which was then considered not only normal but expected. He was team captain (under the nickname “Vovan”). Once Quarter 95 hit the big time on Russian TV, Zelensky and two partners, Sergei and Boris Shefir, formed a production company under the same name. Their studio produced dozens of shows and events for both countries’ markets, including the Ukrainian Dancing with the Stars, which Zelensky himself won in 2006 (and yes, that would be like Simon Cowell winning America’s Got Talent).

Around the same time, Zelensky began to produce, co-write, and sometimes star in trashy Russian comedies, most of them directed by a U.S.-educated filmmaker named Marius Vaysberg. The first one is representative: 2009’s Love in the City, about three friends living it up in New York when a curse from a magic fairy (played, in a moment of either inclusivity or homophobia or both, by flamboyant pop star Filipp Kirkorov) leaves them impotent until they find true love.

Even as he turned toward politics, Zelensky didn’t exactly leave his comedy career in the rearview.