Update from the
Heartland
No.728
23.11.15 – 29.11.15
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,
I trust everyone so inclined enjoyed the Happiest
Thanksgiving. The holiday season has
begun. Enjoy every moment with
family and friends.
We
have not seen the Sun in four days, and the forecast says another day of this
weather. We have also had to deal
with a serious ice storm . . . well, not so much Jeanne and me, as we remained
warm & comfy in the house and off the streets. Thank goodness.
The winter season is not here astronomically, but it has certainly
arrived meteorologically.
The follow-up news items:
-- After the Russians deployed combat aircraft to Syria to
support the Assad regime [718], I
suppose we all knew an incident was verging on inevitable. Although public information is
contradictory, on Tuesday, it appears Turkish F-16 fighters shot down a Russian
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer fighter-bomber that failed to respond to repeated warnings
for violation of Turkish airspace.
The Russians claimed it was a ‘preplanned provocation.” And their
response reminded me that is precisely what the Germans said when they claimed
“Polish radicals” attacked the radio station in Gliwice, Germany.
After
the shootdown, the Russians announced the deployment of an advanced S-400
anti-aircraft missile system to Syria to “protect” their combat aircraft
operations. This is not a
constructive or positive move and will not improve the situation in Syria. I suspect the Russians will use the
system and the proclaimed fighter escort for ground attack aircraft to control
airspace and intimidate anyone and everyone operating in the region, which if
realized, would present a threat to coalition air operations and thus become a
target.
What
we witnessed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is exactly what happens when folks
use inflammatory rhetoric in public discourse. Some lunatic individual will believe and actualize that
mindless tripe of the radical fringe.
We simply must learn to engage in a vigorous public debate on important
issues without disrespecting those who disagree with us. Our objective should be finding a
mutually acceptable compromise without resorting to the absurdity of binary
absolutism – I’m right, you’re wrong, there is no compromise – not an
intellectually sophisticated approach.
Contrary
to Carly
Fiorina’s claim that my argument is some left-wing attempt to suppress
anti-abortion voices, my advocacy for more respectful intercourse has utterly
nothing to do with diminishing any argument in this or any other public debate.
The fiery rhetoric so common these
days in emotional topics does NOT seek solutions, only domination and
intimidation – precisely the absolutism noted above. Let us find mutually compatible solutions to our societal
problems rather than attempt to beat down one side or the other.
The
UN World Climate Summit 2015 begins next week in Paris, France.
A
contributor offered this perspective:
“I believe people can connect on the issue of global hope. This
may be the hope I have been looking for. I believe that we can unite to make a difference. Please watch this video. I believe we can educate and convince
thinking people that scientists and scholars are right, and that there are
changes that will save our planet, but that we are not demanding those
changes.
“I don’t know what to do, but now that I know there are people who
are willing to get involved…people who never have before…smart people, caring
people, thinking people, I finally have hope.
“Be curious. Don't stop learning.
"Perhaps you will want to take a stand with these brave
people. I think this may be the
ultimate cause. Climate change is
no longer a doom's day - hysterical reaction - it is now a given - but people
have amazing strength when their backs are against the wall.
“Here's a link to a
short film that quickly explains and gives you the true sense of hope. When you get to the part about the mine
in Germany, you'll see what I mean.”
. . . to which
I replied, after watching the linked video:
The
evidence that the planet is experiencing a warming phase seems pretty clear and indisputable to me. The debate is
and remains surrounding the root cause.
Yet, regardless of the cause, there is no doubt in my little pea brain
that we must wean ourselves off of fossil fuels, especially high pollutant coal
burning. There are finite limits
to the quantity of all fossil fuels.
Further, the byproducts of combustion of fossil fuels are not good for
the planet, irrespective of whether they are related to climate change or not.
My
concern in this discussion rests with solutions, not protests and disruptions
of life as we know it. The XL
pipeline is NOT the issue. A coalmine
in Germany is NOT the issue, either.
I would much rather than see our energies focused on solutions rather
wasted on outrage and treating to symptoms rather than the root cause(s).
. . . with this
follow-up comment:
“Thank you so much for your great response. I agree. I am not interested in outrage. That is the reason I liked
the idea of working together to get our leaders to listen and work toward a
better way of doing things. I
think the people who tried to stop the machines in Germany were all saying the
same thing you are saying - connect and stand united toward using better
sources of energy. My focus is
really on population growth, but the thing that gives me hope is that
intelligent people are finally agreeing and working together. I am starting to believe that there ARE
solutions but that big business has stopped many solutions from becoming
viable.
“I
have often thought about the political differences that our grandparents had
and that their children had, and yet they loved each other and respected each
other. It is interesting to see that the split in ideology has continued
through the generations. I am very glad, though, that we all seem to be
reasonable and rational and willing to learn more, and to modify our
thinking. I have been learning so much. It has been painful... filled me
with a sense of hopelessness. But
now I am starting to find some reason for hope. Here's hoping hope is
real.”
. . . along
with my follow-up reply:
I
appreciate your perspective, but
I shall respectfully disagree. The
people who were trying to stop the mining machines in Germany were protesting
the symptoms, not seeking solutions.
Let’s take their argument to the end point. Let us say they are successful and they stop all coal
mining, all oil production, all shipments of all fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas,
everything), where does that leave us?
No electricity (or at best rolling blackouts), no automobiles, no
airplanes, no ships, no trains, no tractors or farm equipment . . . how does
life as we know it look now? My
point is, instead of disrupting life as we know it, our energies should be
focused on transitioning our way of life from fossil fuels to renewable energy
without disrupting that way of life.
Shutting down coal mining is not a solution.
Re:
population growth. Ah, yes, this
is indeed a very real and bona fide problem. The PRC made an attempt to curtail it, but they chose the
wrong path. “The Population Bomb”
is very real indeed, but not approaching as rapidly as Paul Ehrlich predicted. The population problem is far deeper
and more complex than most folks recognize.
Re:
big business. You are quite right
in this aspect. Business is only
interested in one thing – shareholder return. We must stimulate our governments to override the business
motive; however, it must be done in a progressive, productive manner. If it is not, it could have the same
result, i.e., adversely and unnecessarily affected out way of life.
Respectfully,
the protesters in Germany did not offer solutions, only threatened our way of
life.
Vigorous
public debate is essential to a healthy democracy. That is my primary reason for continuing to write my Update
from the Heartland blog – a vigorous public debate. Yes, we can respectfully disagree.
I
share your perspective about learning.
I have long believed the day we stop learning is the day we die . . .
and, I intend to push that day out as far as I possibly can.
Hope
is real and hope is alive and well.
There is always hope. The
human race has faced dark days before, and we shall overcome.
No comments
from Update no.727.
My
very best wishes to all. Take care
of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
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