Monday, August 22, 2016

SAR #16235


When our myths collide with reality, we chose the myths.
Abnormally Normal: NASA says that the current low levels of Arctic sea ice coverage are not going to recover. Ten years ago this year's low levels of sea ice would have set a record, now it is business as usual. And that business will lead to the Arctic being essentially ice free – there will be pockets of ice here and there, but the greater part of the Arctic will be bare of ice. Bare of that white reflecting layer, and once the ice is gone and the sunlight is no longer reflected into the atmosphere but rather penetrates and warms the darker ocean waters, the rate of global warming will increase. And soon thereafter, methane releases will begin. And that will pretty much mark the end.
Quote: “Our federal disaster management system [FEMA] is simply not equipped to handle disasters.”
Shorter Version: Here's the complete case for private health insurance: ___________. Right, there isn't one. It takes your money and – when forced – gives you 80% of it back. Medicare takes your money and gives you back 98.6% of it. Go figure. No, really, go figure.
Popedsicle: The “Ice Wall” that was supposed to protect groundwater from entering the crippled Fukushima nuclear complex and becoming incredibly radioactive “has shown little or no success.”
Telling Phrase: “The new US commander in Iraq and Syria...” We have troops in Syria? Why? Enough to have a “commander”? What, exactly, threat to US national security does any of the the 6 or 17 or 43 sides to the Syrian civil war pose?
All You Need Know: Yes, it is possible to hack elections in the US. The use of computers and the internet nearly guarantees it will happen – not everywhere, but perhaps in a very few select pivotal places. With electronic voting there is no secret ballot and no guarantee whatsoever that the votes cast and the votes counted have any relationship.
On Closer Reading: “The supreme law in the US is the Constitution, which chiefly guarantees property rights and the rights of corporations but not necessarily the rights of human beings...”
The Message: A tattoo, no matter where or on whom, makes a statement: “I am trash, I do not respect myself, and I make poor decisions.”
Efficient Markets Aren't: Individuals acting in their own self-interest within a larger system always reduce that larger system's efficiency, thus rendering efficient markets a myth.
Truthiness: "Nothing terribly catastrophic has happened yet, so we have decided to continue screwing responsible savers with interest rates that are at 5,000 year lows so that this dangerous asset bubble can persist..." The latest FED minutes, ever so slightly paraphrased.
Porn O'Graph: Healthy returns.
A Parting Shot:

6 comments:

Gegner said...

Is it just me or does anyone else notice the whole system is just 'mailing it in?'

In a world that is crumbling before our eyes, nobody is doing anything while those running for public office remain mute, not even acknowledging the problem(s).

Maybe they're close to perfecting that drug they fed everybody in 'The Giver', the one that turns you into a robot, still able to function but unable to care/make your own choices.

Or am I thinking of 'prozac'? Which pretty much turns you into a lifeless lump of flesh...but you don't care!

Is that the problem?

Classof65 said...

Maybe it's starting to sink in that this country is in a hell of a mess. Look at the candidates for the primaries for each of the two political parties for President. Aside from Bernie Sanders there were no good choices. If those others are the best we can offer, we're sunk. Yes, there is Elizabeth Warren, but she believes she can be of more help in the Senate than to be Vice President and I think she's right.

And President Obama is still set on getting TPP passed into law -- an action I believe is catastrophic.

It's getting to the point of no return on Global Warming.

Even those of us who care desperately about these issues cannot do anything about them -- we're too busy just trying to keep our heads above water. And speaking of water, the oil companies are going to keep on fracking until they eventually ruin all of our water, not to mention the possibility of causing terrible earthquakes.

There is little to no hope that we can do anything about any of these issues. And we've still got boots on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, AND SYRIA. Guess I should be glad I'm pretty old and won't have to deal with this stuff very much longer...

Unknown said...

ah the sweet smell of success. we have met the enemy and he is us! as Pogo once said in his comic strip.
destroying almost everything in humans' path, we have finally reached the point of no return. maybe the next generations can figure a way out or how to convert the bad things "free market capitalism" has done to the world. i sure hope so. otherwise. we are our own worst enemy. No Russian or Chinese or Muslim can destroy our world quite as efficiently as our Capitalistic Corporations are doing.

just thanks Exxon, BP, Chase, Goldman Sach, Peabody Coal and the rest of those "Profits for the Few, Pollution for the Rest" Free Market Capitalists. after all, who needs clean air, clean water when we can have millions and billions of Rich White CEOs making Profits for this quarter.

Success American style.

Charles Kingsley Michaelson, III said...

I think Mr. Eckholdt may have gotten my point.... ckm.

Anonymous said...

"Abnormally Normal: NASA says that the current low levels of Arctic sea ice coverage are not going to recover...."

stop worrying. everything is going according to plan. the melting arctic will release bacteria and viruses that have been sequestered in the ice for over 10,000 years...and for which the vast majority of the people on the planet have lost immunity. countless will be infected and die. vaccines will be available but exceedingly expensive, controlled by big pharma, which is controlled by the billionaire class. with the advent of artificial intelligence, lets face it,...we..... the great multitude... have become un-necesary, a burden and a liability. the richest 1/10th of one percent can get along quite well without us...thank you very much.

any questions ?

michael from olympia

kwark said...

Michael, yeah there may be some nasty pathogens waiting to thaw but at rate known pathogens are becoming resistant to antibacterial and antiviral drugs I suspect they'll do the job just fine.