Dec 15

Remember a year ago when fanatical government trusters said the demise of ‘net neutrality’ would kill the internet?

“They Trusted Government”

It has been one year since the Trump Administration’s FCC overturned the Obama Administration’s FCC program known as “net neutrality.”

The concept of “net neutrality” was based on the tired, worn-out idea that government must control and regulate all industries.  In all essence, ‘net neutrality’ was a government takeover of the internet.  The Orwellian idea was that a massive new government bureaucracy was needed to make the internet “free”by regulating and licensing internet providers and speeds.  Government trusters claimed it was needed to stop evil corporations from charging the poor more than the rich, or something.

When Trump’s FCC outvoted Obama’s FCC and gutted the two-year-old regulatory system, many voices predicted disaster. The front page of CNN.com called the FCC’s vote “The end of the internet as we know it.” But CNN.com is still there. The New York Times’ website declared that repealing net neutrality would be the “final pillow in [the internet’s] face.”

Like almost every other government claim ever, these predictions were bunk.  “Internet speeds have increased by 40 percent during 2018, according to a recent report by Recode.”

TO BE FAIR, 2018 has seen some efforts by large internet-using companies to censor their own content.  For example, pro-Democratic Party sites such as Facebook, Google, and YouTube began “shadow banning” some ‘conservative’content prior to the 2018 election, and outright banned some anti-government content such as Alex Jones’ Infowars (the most popular channel on Youtube at one time). But those decisions will almost certainly harm Facebook, Google and YouTube in the months to come.

In the words of Reason Magazine, “The next time you hear someone wailing about the need for new laws to save the internet, remember how stupidly wrong all the predictions about net neutrality turned out.”

Dec 14

Nearly 156 people flee socialist Chicago EVERY DAY

Bloomberg has analyzed 20017 Census data and found that the top 3 highest-taxing cities–New York City, Las Angeles and Chicago–EACH lose over 100 people each day who migrate to other states.  High-tax Chicago loses nearly 156 people each day.

These economic refugees are fleeing to lower-tax, lower-regulation states such as Texas, Arizona, Florida and Nevada.  Dallas, Texas leads all U.S. cities as the largest net gainer with 246 people arriving daily.

After Dallas, Sun Belt beacons Phoenix, Tampa, Atlanta and Orlando round out the top five. Seattle, at number six with a gain of 116 people daily, is the only cold-weather destination in the top 10.

Dec 14

“Mainstream” climate science smears another skeptic

Professor Cliff Mass is one of the most respected faculty members in the University of Washington Atmospheric Sciences Department.  Since 1982,   his research has focused on the role of topography in the evolution of weather systems, and on the weather of the Pacific Northwest. In addition to his research publications, Cliff Mass has published a popular book entitled ‘Weather of the Pacific Northwest.’

He has 13,000 twitter followers. Mass also has a weekly radio show with 400,000 weekly listeners (!)

But Professor Mass has recently come under fire after opposing Washington State’s recent “climate change tax” ballot initiative and publicly saying that California’s recent wildfires were not caused by “manmade global warming.”

The chair of the UW’s Atmospheric Sciences Department recently held a Department-wide meeting aimed at marginalizing and smearing Mass as a “climate denier” and “racist.”  (Mass had authored an editorial with an image of pigs at a trough–a traditional depiction of well-connected privileged elites feeding off of the body-politick–in which Mass had described how the State ballot initiative was designed to funnel millions of dollars to special interests such as Indian tribes and “pollution and health action areas” of minority and “vulnerable populations.”)

Dr. Judith Curry–herself a former professor driven from academia by relentless smears after she came out as a ‘climate skeptic’–has authored a detailed report.

Dec 14

Buchanan: Elites no longer rule the world

Pat Buchanan: former Nixon speech writer, presidential candidate, and prolific author

The ever insightful Patrick Buchanan is out with a column in which he surveys the international landscape:

“Capitals,” according to Buchanan, “– Washington, London, Paris, Berlin – seem ever more distant from the countries they rule.”

Two years ago 52 % of Brits voted to leave the European Union.  (Their government had made them a part of another country without asking their permission!)  Yet Britain’s government can not agree on the specifics of the “Brexit.”  Without a government “plan” for the Brexit, according to Buchanan, “The possibility exists that Britain could simply crash out of the EU, causing severe economic damage to both.”  (Note the same dire predictions were made immediately before the Brexit vote in 2016 but the British economy has been outperforming expectations since.)

In France, “[t]he political collapse of [President] Macron has been extraordinary.”  “In 2017, he won almost two-thirds of the national vote.”  He was thought to be the next recognized leader of the EU. “Today, one poll puts Macron’s approval at 21 percent.”

Dec 12

New Climate Bet: Roots bets Kocienzski III that U.S. crop yields will continue in the next decade

Just weeks ago the U.S. government released its 1,700-page 2018 US National Climate Assessment, which claimed that failure to eliminate fossil fuels will send global temperatures soaring 15 degrees F by 2100! Chaos and food shortages will ensue!

Tederos Kocienzski III, Roger Roots, John Lamb, and Kocienzski’s son at a restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota, October 2018

In the wake of these predictions, Dr. Roger Roots, founder and president of Lysander Spooner University, proposed a bet: U.S. major crop yields will NOT decline from global warming in the next ten (10) years.

Roots’ bet was immediately accepted by a friend: Ted Kocienzski III of St. Paul, Minnesota.  If, in ten years (thus by the end of harvest 2028), any major U.S. commodity crop has declined from its yields this year (in 2018), Roots will buy Kocienzski dinner and a bottle of wine.

If, on the other hand, all major U.S. commodity crop yields are no lower than they are in 2018, Kocienzski will buy Roots dinner and a bottle of wine.

Stay tuned!

Dec 11

Nicaraguan Reporters face assaults, violence, and death threats

The safest job in the world is that of a pro-government reporter; the most dangerous job in the world is that of an anti-government reporter. 

Dozens of courageous journalists have faced violent threats and attacks in the past year as they have reported on life under the repressive government. 

One journalist who has reported on Nicaraguan protests was detained by police six times in one week.  At one point, police placed a bag over his head and warned him that if his reporting continued to be critical of the police, he and his family would be killed.

In Nicaragua, many TV and radio stations are owned by family members of ruling officials.  Those outside this ownership network are described by the government as right wing terrorist media.

“Every independent journalist has received death threats,” says Gerall Chávez, a reporter with VosTV, whose house was vandalised in August.

See here. 

Dec 03

Socialist Cuba has difficulty keeping its buildings standing

The USA Today is out with an article on the fading and failing infrastructure of socialist Havana, Cuba.

Dozens of large buildings in downtown Havana simply fall apart and collapse each year.

“Causes range from weather and neglect to faulty renovations and theft of structural beams.”

What about ‘code enforcement’? Government inspections? Government control and licensing of engineers?

Cuba has more than almost any society on earth.

See here.

Dec 02

Pro-government Huffington Post may soon require paid subscription

The Drudge Report, which offers a balanced listing of headline links, is one of the world’s most-visited websites. Drudge Report frequently links to information and news which are not government approved.

For several years, government trusters have sought to undermine the impact of the Drudge Report by promoting more pro-government alternatives such as the Huffington Post. Untold millions have been dumped into building up Huffington Post as a Drudge alternative.

Today’s Drudge Report linked to a Wall Street Journal article reporting that the pro-government Huffington Post may soon require a paywall to survive.

Dec 02

French citizens protest “climate change” impositions

Thousands of French citizens have taken to the streets wearing high-visibility yellow jackets to protest the government’s burdensome fuel taxes. Diesel and gasoline taxes have increased by more than 20 percent in recent months and the government expects to further increase tax burdens on the population.

Just as with the government of Australia, the government of France has imposed a variety of oppressive laws supposedly designed to empower government to stem manmade-global-warming-by-CO2.

Polls show 84 % of French people support the “yellow vest” protest movement.

78 % say the “climate change” reforms of President Macron will accomplish nothing at all toward the environment.

75% say the fuel tax harms the poor the most.

Hundreds have been arrested. Two have died during the past two weeks of traffic-stopping protests.

Source: Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting for Le Figaro daily and France Info radio

Dec 01

As governments fail, gated communities become alluring

Nothing illustrates the failure of government like the recent wildfire casualties in northern California.

Residents fled helplessly while overpaid government bureaucrats failed–or refused–to protect their lives and property.

Meanwhile some very wealthy individuals paid for private fire protection.

Now The Hollywood Reporter is out with an interesting article about the allure of gated communities.

More and more housing developments are opting for gated access–with private patrol, security and fire protection.

While many ultra-rich are seeking the protection of gated communities, even poor people are able to afford various levels of private fire and security protection if they look hard enough.