Spectacle Abounds

 

I am old enough to remember the early days of space exploration, days that included John Glenn in orbit, the Mercury space program, followed by the Apollo missions, etc. In those early days, achievements in space commanded a great deal of attention, in part because it was essentially a battle of ideologies, capitalism against evil communism, an ongoing grudge match between the U.S and the Soviet Union. Who would emerge victorious, the world wondered.

But those days are long over. The U.S.  'won', as if somehow its technological prowess atoned for its racism, its foreign wars, its naked imperialism. 

So what accounts for the current fascination with the Artemis 11 mission and its almost endless news coverage? 

There is, of course, the matter of spectacle, an always useful, time-tested way to capture the attention of the masses and divert them from the really important matters that plague all of us. Americans are especially prone to embracing such blandishments, always ready to put hand over heart in patriotic fervour. So what if they started a needless and senseless war? So what if so many of their fellow citizens live on the street, with no chance of better lives? So what if ICE' murders fellow citizens? So what if their president is a dementia-ridden despot? Such matters pall in the face of going to the moon, eh?

But beyond that, it is striking that the news networks seem willing to carry the water for those who benefit the most from such 'excursions': the billionaires who walk amongst us. Consider the fact that the majority of television media are now part of large corporate conglomerates, and you have the perfect conditions for influencing and molding public opinion; thus we become conditioned to cheer on the prospect of a permanent moon base being established in the not-too-distant future. Somehow, that has become the imperative, as if establishing such a base would confer American lunar hegemony and ensure a bright future.

But a bright future for whom? From the perspective of the billionaires, the almost limitless profits to be made from such a feat, almost totally funded by taxpayer dollars, is undoubtedly occasioning all kinds of pavlovian salivation. And while the oligarchs amass even greater profits, the general public is left to hope for a few orts from the table, reminded yet again of their true place in the scheme of things. 

Democracy's ill-health is a precondition of such predatory monetary achievement, and given that the U.S. has now devolved into a vicious autocracy, clearly the conditions are golden for new rounds of pillaging. 

Signs Of The Times

One of these days, I hope to get back to actually writing something meaningul. Until my inspiration returns, this will have to do: 

So much for values, eh?

Democrat Ro Kohhana Explains Why The Democrats Are Such Losers

 Couldn't have said it better myself:

When the President of the United States threatens genocide against millions of innocent people, Democratic leadership should stand in clear moral opposition — not hide behind procedure.

UPDATED: How Stupid Is MAGA?

 Anthony Scaramucci thinks even they have limits:

While the above may give MAGATS pause, the following verified profanity-strewn post from the mad king will surely serve to stir their bloodlust:

I Didn't See This Coming

 

Last night I had a brief conversation with my daughter. As a mother of two little ones, she is rightly concerned about the environmental future that awaits them. She expressed special concern about the possible construction of a second Canadian pipeline. I quickly reassured her, saying that since it would have to be built with private funds only, it will never come to fruition.

I may have spoken too soon.

A deeply disturbing article by Althia Raj suggests public money may ultimately be involved.

Federal Liberals, who hoped the government’s pipeline pact with Alberta was a public relations effort that would never see the light of day, should brace for its approval — including, possibly, with public money.

Three Liberals privately suggested to the Star that Prime Minister Mark Carney may put federal money behind a new pipeline to the west coast — despite the memorandum of understanding signed with the province lays only a path for the “construction of one or more private sector constructed and financed pipelines.”

This revelation must come as a shock to many Liberal MPs, who are on record as saying that the MOU signed with Alberta meant little, given the reluctance of private oil to put up the kind of money needed to build such a conduit. 

Last fall, when the prime minister was asked in Calgary if he was prepared to do more to de-risk the project to attract private capital, Carney said he was already “de-risking the project in several ways” through regulatory clarity and setting aside “billions” for financing Indigenous People’s equity ownership in projects.

But sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, say Carney wants to see the pipeline built, and is realizing it may not happen without more public money behind it.

Environmental waffling on matters related to oil presage Carney's capitulation on the actual pipeline.

[E]arlier this month, Environment and Climate Change Minister Julie Dabrusin referred to the government’s rising industrial carbon price as the “backbone” of the government’s climate plan, key to reducing Canada’s emissions, and providing industry the “right signals to move our economy in that direction.”

But on a briefing call with journalists hours before the MOU announcement, Alberta’s representative suggested $130 was a ceiling not a floor. While it’s higher than the province’s current headline price of $95 a tonne, and much higher than where credits effectively trade, between $20 and $40 a tonne, it’s not high enough to make projects, such as the $16.5-billion Pathways Alliance carbon capture and storage network viable — without even more public funding. (So far, the project has received tax credits worth 62 per cent of its construction costs, and the oil companies behind the massive project — a soft prerequisite for the pipeline — want more public funding.) 

Additionally, when Danielle Smith introduced regulations making the credits easier to obtain, Carney's government said not a word. 

If you do any research on carbon capture technology, you will realize it is more fable than reality. In reality it is not viable either on the scale necessary to make a difference or the amount of energy required to operate it, thus negating the amount of carbon captured.

Canadians have grown used to being stabbed in the back by our former 'friends', the United States. Few, I suspect, are prepared for the knife being wielded by our own government.

 

They Never Learn

Just looking at the world today, it is clear that Americans never learn their lesson when it comes to 'excursions' into other countries, all of which have proven disastrous for the world. It is the essence of their hubris. 

The only American to have understood this is Bernie Sanders who, in 2010, had this to offer:

 10 years ago, Bernie Sanders warned America of the unintended consequences that could emerge from a regime change war with Iran. Watch

Are You A Good Or A Bad Person?

I can't find the psychic energy these days to write anything meaningful, so I offer you this, sent by a friend. It is, in its own way, topical: