It's Official: Power Corrupts

Anarchists have always maintained that power corrupts - which is why hierarchy is a dangerous thing. Here's an interesting read as we go into New Year... Researchers looking into why leaders are often either/or hypocritical and poor in private judgements compared to public ones - Sing's wife Trudie flying around for social functions or Bliar preaching climate change while flying around the world making cash... and so on... What researchers found was (in their words):

"According to our research, power and influence can cause a severe disconnect between public judgment and private behavior, and as a result, the powerful are stricter in their judgment of others while being more lenient toward their own actions,"

(my emphasis)

Interesting...

Xmas Message: Why I Don't Believe in God

Here is why in two simple steps. Step one is to watch this:



Step two then is to consider - after seeing the vast magnitude of the universe and how tiny, tiny, tiny we are within its scale - the kind of Gods sold us thus far require us to marry the vastness of the universe with the petty Bronze-age tribal mindset that seems to pervade all major religions, that the god who created all this - from pulsars to time itself - gives a shit whether I eat pork or the gender of the person I may choose to sleep with?

Get a fucking grip.

Understanding the Mind of the Denialist

So I have spent too much time over the last year debating with denialists on places like Bristol Indymedia about global warming - but no no avail. It does not matter how many arguments you disprove, the core belief in a global conspiracy over climate change remains intact and (amazingly) unexplained. So it is natural to turn from the science of global warming where the denialists have zero standing to the mind of the denialists themselves. Why? A writer on cults and conspiracies turns his gaze and experience to global warming...

Conspiracy theory about the JFK assassination, 9/11, the New World Order, ACORN and the SEIU, or The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion more often than not reflects the psychology of the conspiracist–the need to assign blame, to impose a coherent narrative on the terrifying randomness of catastrophes, to alchemize a personal feeling of impotence and disaffection into focused outrage. It’s unfortunate, it’s disturbing, it’s irrational, but it’s what it is.

This is interesting - it means that global warming denial is an emotional response and not a logical response. That means a number of things:

First it means that you can't really win a debate - not because you can't out-argue them on facts - that's easy - but because to win them over you have to change an emotional response in their mind-set and facts simply won't do that, humans are just not wired that way. This is almost a religious thing (which is why I laugh when I get called a 'believer' by denialists, it's evidence of what I am saying - the transference of the emotional state onto the other) it is the new The Protocols of Zion;

[You've] got people promoting the interests of the business sector by promoting a conspiracy theory about nefarious forces plotting to rule the world, where scientists have taken the place usually held by Jews, Illuminati, Masons or some such.

That virtually the entire scientific enterprise at a planetary level is involved in a conspiracy to hoax the planet in order to overthrow capitalism and install planetary totalitarian rule is every bit as absurd as the conspiracy posited in The Protocols of Zion. What's more, it's just about as hateful.

The second reason is because the nature of the conspiracy theory it itself designed to ensure that it is unprovable. It has removed any and all possibility of being disproved, which is why now it has been disproved (oddly enough the email hack did that showing no conspiracy and no nefarious plotting, just the very human to-ing and fro-ing of science). Another writer on conspiracy theories nails this point;

The substantive content of a political conspiracy theory is often completely irrelevant to the underlying purpose of the theory and, in any event, there is no possible way to refute or disprove most such theories to the satisfaction of its authors or adherents because most political conspiracy theories are constructed to be self-sealing so that contradictory data can be instantly dismissed, ignored, or de-valued. The reason is because the theory functions as a problem-solving device but the actual “problem” has virtually nothing to do with the details regarding people and events which are part of the conspiratorial narrative.

But to take the idea further - the conspiraloon ideology of the hard-right has been harnessed by business interests to weaken any political will for action; "It’s cynical, it’s opportunistic, and it’s horrifyingly dangerous."

Snow and Global Warming

So some parts of the UK have had bad snow. I was thinking to myself, I bet some total prick who does not understand the difference between 'weather' (what is happening now) and 'climate' (the system itself) will pop up and post a smarmy comment about global warming having failed because it has snowed heavily in winter. I thought to myself, "where can I see if I am right? Where would such an ignoramus who thinks that climate change means warming for all the earth all the time rather than the reality of the science which says that the climate sytem overall will have more heat energy meaning local changes in existing weather patterns that could even result in colder weather for some areas (e.g. if the UK lost the Gulf Stream) and will increase the frequency of more extreme weather as the system alters."

Where? The Daily fucking Mail.

Global warming hits again ha ha

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Old Right-Wing Cranks

Following putting a price on denial 'How Much is Global Warming Denial Worth? $1120 Million Per Day' - there is an excellent article about a who's who of climate change denial who are described as, "They are almost uniformly conservative and populated with old and unqualified cranks..." - see here for more - but there is a tiny handful of political operators who happen to have some science - never in the correct field - but who's dubious credentials are amplified by their pet lobby groups and the tiny legion of willing but busy commentators that follow in their wake, to seem something they are not.

Putting the future of the planet in the hands a a tiny group of old white guys who won't be around to see the fuck-up their policy advocates is the height to stupidity and/or ignorance.

But then that's denialism for you!
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Anti-Capitalism: Where we were right...

This is an interesting article that puts the blame for the current financial crisis on several main areas;

1. Smashing the unions so they would not get in the way of the greed-grab. Which is a point well made by Dave Douglass about the Miners Strike of 1984-5 saying that the union had to be broke to bring in Neoliberalism - worth listening to him! (part 1 and 2)
2. Pushing deregulation everywhere - and using the shackles of debt left over from the failed regemes of the cold war as a means to push it. Sadly, that's why Drop the Debt and Make Poverty History failed - debt = control.
3. Allowing money to cross boarders without impunity. (But people can't unless it is as a semi-legal work force you can use to drive down wave costs)
4. Smashing indigenous peoples to keep the supply of raw goods (oil, timbers) in thier lands coming into the market. See Jensen! "From the beginning, this culture - civilization - has been a culture of occupation."
5. Offering cheap almost unregulated debt to keep consumers buying.

The political forces that coalesced and mobilized behind these transitions had a distinctive class character and clothed themselves in the vestments of a distinctive ideology called neoliberal. The ideology rested upon the idea that free markets, free trade, personal initiative, and entrepreneurialism were the best guarantors of individual liberty and freedom and that the "nanny state" should be dismantled for the benefit of all. ... The interests of the people were secondary to the interests of capital, and in the event of a conflict between them, the interests of the people had to be sacrificed ... The system that has been created amounts to a veritable form of communism for the capitalist class.

It is interesting that all of these were a big feature of the anti-capitalist critique of the late 90s and early 2000s. It was predicted then that it all all start to fall apart - and it did. This is similar to another article in the Guardian:

The movement, which was essentially demanding democratic control over the global economy, wreathed summit after summit of the G8, the WTO and the World Bank with protest and teargas. It was wild, infuriating, diverse and sometimes incoherent, as only a network that encompasses indigenous peoples, radical environmentalists, workers and kids in hoodies could be. The movement was like the child in the crowd as the emperor of global neoliberalism wheeled by, pointing out that his cloaks were woven from financial fictions and economic voodoo. They must now be credited for their prescience. (my emphasis!)

That said, there were also things that we were wrong about (and I use 'we' in the board sense of some in the anti-capitalist movement - it is a broad church!) I am writing somthing longer on this I hope to publish soon on my blog...
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How Much is Global Warming Denial Worth? $1120 Million Per Day

We're all familiar by now with the vast sums the coal and oil industry has spend on obfuscating the issue of global warming. So for example, the From the American Petroleum Institute dis-information campaign would consider it a victory when, amongst other things, they had got...

Industry senior leadership understands uncertainties in climate science, making them stronger ambassadors to those who shape climate policy.

So why would the oil industry want to stack the negotiarions - following the money - what is it worth them them. Well in a recent article in the Economist magazine (about peak oil) there was this:

The IEA reckons that co-ordinated action to restrict the increase in global temperatures to 2ºC will restrict global demand for oil to 89m b/d in 2030, compared with 105m b/d if no action is taken.

So there is a difference of 16million b/d (that is Barrels Per Day) so given the cost of a barrel is currently around $70, so you can see that it represents $1120 million dollars per day in difference. So event mitigating the supply a bit - by obfuscating the science and promoting uncertainty is worth $millions per day.

That's why denial has been so well funded.
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High Tech US Army Drones Hacked - for $26

Here's another news story to file under 'the failure of the war on terror' - it seems that Iraqi insurgents have been hacking into the video feeds of the Predator drones that the US army uses as its eyes-in-the-sky. The US army said they'd not yet taken control on a drone - but I'd wager that that scenario is only a matter of time...

US officials have disclosed that Iraqi militants have found a way to hack into US Predator drone aircraft in an effort that is possibly being funded by Iran. The breach could be providing them with information that could help them evade capture by US authorities, and they could be doing it for as little as $25.95.... Military officials have apparently known about the issue since late last year, when a laptop from a Shiite militant contained drone video feeds. Since then several other laptops have been confiscated with similar data found. Evidence has been found in Afghanistan of hacking as well, indicating our enemies may also be spreading this information. So, where is this loophole that’s allowing people to get in? According to officials, its in the the downlink which has no encryption. They have known about the issue since the 1990s, but never did anything about it because they assumed our enemies wouldn’t know about it.

Denailist Proves Global Warming Fraud - Provided You Don't Understand Science

One of the things about denialists that annoy me is that they either prey on those will little science education by jiggery-pokery or they themselves don't understand science and so assume if they don't get it, then it's not true. Problem is that whether or not a physical (climate change) or natural process (evolution) is true is nothing to do with whether or not we understand it. That's why science is not a 100% process - humans have to try an understand complex processes.

So here's a classic example of that reliance on a lack of understanding in action....

A denialist produces a graph based on raw, unajusted data that 'proves' the scam of global warming. Here's the graph:



The red is the adjusted temparure record and the blue the raw data. So what is being claimed is that the adjustments are hiding the truth - the planet is not warming but cooling. Except that... except that and except that - this is from a single site of the hundreds of sites that have a temperature record. So if this is the case we'd see the same pattern again and again. (There are good reasons why the adjustments are used, but that's another story...)

Another blogger has helpfully compiled a graph of all the adjustments:



What this shows is on the horizontal axis the amount of adjustment in degrees an on the vertical axis the (and I am deliberately simplifying this a little) amount of adjustments made. What can clearly be seen is that the majority of adjustments are of the value zero (no changes made) and the vast majority fall within 0.2 either side of zero (a tiny adjustment that could not account for the temperature changes we see as being fraud) and a tiny, tiny minority having a change of more than 0.5 degrees.

This also gives you the reveal on the denalist's graph trick - the reason it is only one site is that he has cherry-picked the outlier, the one set of readings that have the greatest change, and used these as a dishonest illustration about all the readings.

It's a shallow sham trick but sadly, people who either don't want to know the truth or who have too little education to understand, fall for it.

Shame on the denialists.

Goatlab Drugs Special!

Check out the latest Goatlab radio - we had a special guest, Danny Kushlick of the Transfom Drug Policy Foundation. TDPF is the UK’s leading centre of expertise on drug policy and law reform based here in Bristol. Danny founded Transform in 1997 and has since been an active voice for the regulation and control of drugs to promote sustainable health and wellbeing. As well as interesting debate we get to hear a selection of Danny’s favorite records from his personal collection.

Check it out!

Free is Free!

Great news for Christmas - Jeff Luers is free! Jeffrey "Free" Luers was sentenced to 22 years and 8 months in prison for the burning of three Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV's) in Eugene, Oregon. To make a statement about global warming, Jeff and his codefendent, Craig 'Critter' Marshall, set fire to 3 Sport Utility Vehicles at a Eugene car dealership.

22 years for burning three vehicles - no people were hurt nor intended to be hurt in the action. It was a non-violent action against property. In the end has has only served 9.5 years.

Congratulations to him, his family and support team.

Don't forget others inside for political actions over Xmas...
http://bristolabc.wordpress.com/
http://www.cageprisoners.com/
http://www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk/
http://www.mojuk.org.uk/

Rage for the Number One Spot

Hear the band talking about the campaign to get them number one - they make some great points. I've brought my copy!



See: http://www.ratm.co.uk/
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GoatLab Nov Radio Show!

Bit late posting, but here's Goatlab's Nov Radio show and it's a corker!

This month Dan Gusset and Parasite are joined by special guest Typowriter from Occational Cinema – a ongoing project which temporarily transforms neglected, reclaimed or hijacked spaces in Bristol for openair film nights. It’s basicly a laptop, soundsystem and a truckload of short films with work from new and aspiring directors, classic television and music videos from the past 40 years, local and campaign news. A cinematic mixtape if you like. Anyone can do it, it’s dead easy!

Tracklisting:

1. Senser – The End of the World Show (Imprint)
2. Kunt & The Gang – Jackson Tribut
3. Hot Roddy – Tea is the Drug (Bit Phalanx)
4. Earthling – Nefisa (Cooltempo)
5. VEEE DEEE & Timothy C Holehouse – Driver Joe and 50 Fags (Dislocation)
6. Imminent – Bock (ant.zen)
7. Error – Nothings Working (Epitaph)
8. Carter USM – The Model (Cooking Vinyl)
9. Wisp – Hidebehind (Rephlex)
10. Murderbot – Roll Another One feat. Hawatha Hurd (Tremor Dub Refix)
11. Kunt & The Gang – I Sucked Off A Bloke
12. Chase & Status – Eastern Jam (Ram)

Being Close to the Land

The Guardian had an amazing series of photos and text about the impacts of climate change we are already seeing. I was struck by this bit of text:

The number of people in the US who believe the planet is warming has in the last two years fallen from 77% to 57%, according to a recent survey. [photojournalists Mathias] Braschler says this level of denial shows how far removed many urbanites have become from communities who still live close to the land, such as the Inuvialuit hunters of northern Canada or the traditional farmers in Chad. "These people share an ability that most people in western societies have lost: they are able to observe changes in nature," he said. "They are like the canary in the coal mine. Their observations are early warning signs and should be taken seriously. Soon these changes will affect all of our lives. Global warming is a real threat. And we should do something about it."

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Some Comments on Global Warming Denial

I am writing at lot about global warming denial at the moment - because the fucking idiots involved in denial are fucking idiots. Either they know such a paltry amount about climate science that they should concentrate on getting a GCSE in geography before lecturing people with PhDs - or they are paid shills spouting what they know is rubbish in exchange for a quick buck, but at the expence of their (and our) own biosphere. Fucking. Idiots.

And I'm not going to be polite about it.

Take the example of the prime fucking idiot fucking jibberjabber of Christopher Monkton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Fuckwittington. This guy is not a scientist and knows fuck-all about science. Yet he writes and is cited on the subject - admittedly by fuckwit publications like the Telegraph.

Yet, and yet, he get invited to speak on a subject he knows fuck all about. Want a clue as to how much of a massive cock this guy is? Check the open letter he produced to McCain during the US elections. It's got a lovely italicised font and a smart looking heraldry shield. It looks like an overpuffed scroll of buffonery. And the contents? jibberajbbery of the lowest calibre;

His contribution to the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report in 2007 - the correction of a table inserted by IPCC bureaucrats that had overstated tenfold the observed contribution of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets to sea-level rise - earned him the status of Nobel Peace Laureate.

He's a Laureate? For adding some comments to the IPCC report? Yeah and I'm the 4th Viscount of Fucking Brenchley.

Anyway a couple of interesting snippits. One of the denialist think-tanks agreed that the (blindingly obvious) reason the denialists deny the science is simply ideology;

Dr Benny Peiser, director of Lawson’s sceptic PR outfit, the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), agrees that many on the sceptic and denial side of the global warming debate are politically motivated. They oppose many policy measures being proposed to tackle global warming on ideological grounds and that is why they attack the science. “I think that’s a fair observation, at least for many,”

No shit. And this snippit that suggests that, far from getting stronger, the denialists are at a last gasp...

It is tempting to see all this as a rise in sceptical thinking as the world contemplates the economic consequences of massive cuts in its carbon emissions. But that is too simplistic, says Bob Ward, communications and policy director at the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, which is headed by Lord Stern. "I don't think there's been a rise in scepticism," he said. "All that's happening is that the sceptics are now down to a small enough group that they are able to band together and gloss over their differences."

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Denial-o-paloza Can't Agree on Global Warming

Why do newspapers cover the denialists? In any other sphere of science a bunch of delusional misfits would be an interesting sideshow at best. Anyway the telepgraph gives them some space, what pops out about it - they all seem to be peddling a different story...

- Henrik Svensmark, a physicist (not a climate scientist) at the Danish National Space Center in Copenhagen, said the recent warming period was caused by solar activity.
- Professor Cliff Ollier, another geologist from the University of Western Australia (not a climate scientist) said the melting of ice sheets is caused by geothermal activity.
- Ian Plimer, from the University of Adelaide, claimed carbon dioxide from volcanoes is causing climate change.
- Monckton (not any kind of scientist) thinks it is not happening at all and it's a Marxist plot.

They can't all be right!

The event was organised by Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow who get cash from oil companies and right-wing think tanks. The event was attended by about 60 people (by contrast COP15 has 32,000 delegates).

IMF Offer to Pay Me

I'm loaded!!! I got an email from the IMF of all people! What I didn't know is that the IMF's email is INTERNATIONALMONETARYFUNDINFO@megamail.pt and that they SHOUT A LOT.

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
20 FISKERTON ROAD LINCOLN,LN3 4LA
LONDON-UNITED KINGDOM
TEL: +447024024938
TELL+447024031686
E-MAIL:INTERNATIONALMONETARYFUNDINFO@megamail.pt

GOOD DAY

THIS IS TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOUR OVER DUE INHERITANCE/CONTRACT FUNDS VALUE $12.5MILLION HAS BEEN GAZETTE TO BE RELEASED AT NEW YORK WITH BANK OF AMERICA.

I SAW YOUR NAME (IN THE CENTRAL COMPUTER AMONG THE LIST OF UNPAID BENEFICIARIES, CONTRACTORS, LOTTERY WINNERS,INHERITANCE NEXT OF KIN, THAT WAS ORIGINATED FROM UNITED KINGDOM AMONG THE LIST OF INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES THAT YOUR UNPAID FUND HAS BEEN LOCATED US.

YOUR NAME APPEARED AMONG THE BENEFICIARIES WHO WILL RECEIVE A PART-PAYMENT OF $12.5MILLION HAS BEEN APPROVED ALREADY FOR YOU.
MEANWHILE, A MAN CAME TO OUR OFFICE FEW DAYS AGO WITH A LETTER AUTHORITY, CLAIMING TO BE YOUR TRUE REPRESENTATIVE.

HERE ARE HIS INFORMATION'S FOR YOU TO CONFIRM TO THIS OFFICE IF THIS MAN IS TRULY FROM YOU OR NOT SO THAT WE WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING INTO THE WRONG ACCOUNT NAME:

NAME: MR.BROWN JOHNSON
BANK NAME: CITI BANK
BANK ADDRESS: ARIZONA, USA.
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 6503809428.

PLEASE, DO RECONFIRM TO THIS OFFICE, AS A MATTER OF URGENCY IF THIS MAN IS FROM YOU.

I APOLOGIZE TO YOU ON BEHALF OF IMF (INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND) HTTP://WWW.IMF.ORG/EXTERNAL/NP/EXR/CHRON/MDS.ASP FUTURE TO PAY YOUR FUNDS IN TIME, WHICH ACCORDING TO RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM HAD BEEN LONG OVERDUE.

PLEASE GET BACK TO ME IMMEDIATELY TO ENABLE US FORWARD YOUR INFORMATION OF OUR PAYING BANK IN NEW YORK SO THAT YOUR FUNDS CAN BE TRANSFER YOU WITHIN 48 HOURS.

CONTACT E-MAIL:INTERNATIONALMONETARYFUNDINFO@megamail.pt

YOURS SINCERELY,
MR.DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN
MANAGING DIRECTOR IMF
OPEN THE LINK BELOW TO VIEW MY PICTURE(HTTP://WWW.IMF.ORG/EXTERNAL/NP/EXR/CHRON/MDS.ASP

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Email Leak Video - Please Share

This is a great video on the email least - great because the author takes the time to investigate the claims and counter-claims. Well worth your time...

Climate Email Hack: Blowing Over

It is always possible that more might emerge from the email hack, but as is, it seems that it is all over. I could cite lots of commentators on this, but they are probably part of the Lysenkoist-Marxist conspiracy to push climate change. So instead I'll cite the conservative Washington Times:

… it would be a mistake to believe that decades of scientific consensus that the planet is warming largely due to human activities will be erased or reversed by the disclosure of a few e-mails….

The world’s major political leaders … accept without reservation that global warming is a problem that must be addressed and are moving, though slowly, to do so. The saga of the purloined e-mails may be red meat to the anti-climate-change faithful, but it is nothing more than a sideshow in the grand scheme….

In summary, the stolen e-mails will not end the quest to reduce global warming….

And the varicoloured Lord Monkton (also see 1,2,3,4 & 5 for more on the noble Laird):

What have the mainstream news media said about the Climategate affair? Remarkably little. The few who have brought themselves to comment, through gritted teeth, have said that all of this is a storm in a teacup, and that their friends in the University of East Anglia and elsewhere in the climatological community are good people, really. ... But I won’t be holding my breath: In the police state that Britain has now sadly become, with supine news media largely owned and controlled by the government, the establishment tends to look after its own.

Normal service for conspiracy theories over climate change will now be resumed. Tinfoil hats at the ready...
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Afganistan Update: Dying in Slow Motion

So Britain and the US are to send more troops to Afghanistan. I can't see anything but pouring more resources into a failed war. It was a failed war when the unholy alliance of Bu$h/Bliar squandered the international sympathy they had in the aftermath of September 11th and went off, gung-ho, to bomb one of the poorest countries in the world back into the stone-age.

Why will it fail?

First off NATO forces as killing lots of civilians. I know it does not get as much coverage here, what with the X-Factor going on and all, but to the locals, it is murder. To be fair to the NATO forces, since Obama took over they have been at least sounding like they want to change this dynamic, but I suspect the damage has already been done and still is being done.

Second is because the government that is being propped up is a corrupt and useless rump. Recently we were told that the government in Kabul would fall 'in weeks' without NATO forces. I think the comments were said to stiffen resolve here in the UK - but all I could think of was the waste - all those lives lost and over $10 billion spent training/equiping the Afgan police and army - all all it has achieved is 'weeks' of stability. That and a flawed election. That is shit by any measure.

But wait, it gets worse. The politicians in Afghanistan don't seem to give a shit...

Nader Khan Katawazai, an MP from Paktika, complained that only 30 of the 238 MPs attended Monday's session [to confirm the new cainet]. This is the government we are being asked to prop up with blood and treasure? Only 30 legislators bothered to come in to work?

Or be up for spending the money...

The Afghanistan government presides over the fifth poorest country in the world. It has millions of dollars in aid to spend for the betterment of its constituents. But it actually managed to spend less on these tasks this year than in previous years, despite having more money.

The whole mission seems to be dying in slow motion.