"Technological development raises consumption but may pose existential risk. A growing literature studies this tradeoff in static settings where stagnation is perfectly safe. But if any risky technology already exists, technological development can also lower risk indirectly in two ways: by speeding (1) technological solutions and/or (2) a “Kuznets curve” in which wealth increases a planner’s willingness to pay for safety. The risk-minimizing technology growth rate, in light of these dynamics, is typically positive and may easily be high. Below this rate, technological development poses no tradeoff between consumption and cumulative risk."
The Moody Blues "Deja Vu all over again" according to the "catcher":
Nights in white satin never reaching the end Letters I've written Never meaning to send Beauty I'd always missed With these eyes before Just what the truth is I can't say anymore' Cause I love you Yes, I love you Oh, how I love you Gazing at people Some hand in hand Just what I'm going through They can't understand Some try to tell me Thoughts they cannot defend Just what you want to be You will be in the end And I love you Yes, I love you Oh, how I love you Oh, how I love you Nights in white satin Never reaching the end Letters I've written Never meaning to send Beauty I've always missed With these eyes before Just what the truth is I can't say anymore 'Cause I love you Yes, I love you Oh, how I love you Oh, how I love you 'Cause I love you Yes, I love you Oh, how I love you Oh, how I love you
Are we the new republican king's new sex toy to play with? Stranger things have happened:
...
"For writers, the future has long been a tricky terrain. While the past can prove unsettling and the present uncomfortable, the future seems to free the mind from reality’s restraints and let the imagination soar. Yet it has also proven full of political pitfalls ... From the time that Henry George published his influential futuristic treatise Progress and Poverty in 1879, inspiring many of the Progressive Era’s key reforms, American writers across the political spectrum have used the future to frame an agenda for present-day political action, sometimes progressive, sometimes violently regressive. Published in 1938, Ayn Rand’s second novel, Anthem, was a futuristic saga whose hero, named “Equality 7-2521,” rejected the socialist society that raised him and struggled to rediscover his inherent individuality, articulating libertarian ideals that would inspire generations of American conservatives. And amid the social turmoil of the 1970s, William Luther Pierce’s The Turner Diaries imagined a future armed revolt against the U.S. government that has provoked violence from generations of White nationalists.
"So, with some trepidation, let me venture into the immediate future and imagine what the United States will be like when President Donald J. Trump finally leaves office (if, of course, he does) in January 2029. To keep such projections within the bounds of possibility, let’s clip the wings of our imaginations and hew closely to Trump’s policies and policy statements."
...
"In just 11 action-packed months since his January inauguration, President Trump has already demolished the fundamental geopolitics that have undergirded U.S. global hegemony for the past 80 years. Even if he simply persists in his policies for another 37 months, his impact on the American version of a world order will undoubtedly prove so profound that it will strain the limits of language."
"To grasp something of the scope of his impact, it’s necessary to briefly outline the world order Washington built over those 80 years. After fighting for four years and sacrificing 400,000 lives during World War II, Washington captured vital bastions at both ends of the vast Eurasian land mass and spent the next 40 years of the Cold War ensuring its control of that strategic continent with circles of steel — military alliances like NATO, hundreds of overseas military bases, powerful naval fleets, and a massive armada of nuclear-armed aircraft and missiles. With the Sino-Soviet communist bloc largely trapped behind what came to be known as the Iron Curtain, Washington crushed most of their attempts to break out of geopolitical isolation with deft covert operations. As the communists flailed, the U.S. continued to build a global order, while patiently waiting for those socialist economies to implode."
I thought that everyone else would also think that the senator in the picture was concerned that the US is getting all a twitter about a potential oil war.
But no, the concern in the senators face was all about two people who were trying to survive conditions that murdered the other nine people who were on a "canoe" compared to the US armada headed their way.
The program's name (Deadline White House) is however appropriately named.
Anyway, the world sees this "shining city on a hill" madness as a microcosm or symbolic depiction of the new spirit of the Department of War in the government whose president lusts for a Nobel peace prize as he plots to take Venezuela's oil wells and wealth laden mines:
"While the U.S. sits in self-imposed isolation, the rest of the world, led by China, raced ahead to invest in renewables and commit to climate action.
As the year comes to a close, 2025 looks like a turning point in the world’s fight against climate change.
Most conspicuously, it was the year the U.S. abandoned the effort. The Trump administration pulled out of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which unites virtually all the world’s countries in a voluntary commitment to halt climate change. And for the first time in the 30-year history of the U.N.’s international climate talks, the U.S. did not send a delegation to the annual conference, COP30, which took place in Belém, Brazil.
The Trump administration’s assault on climate action has been far from symbolic. Over the summer, the
president pressed his Republican majority in Congress to gut a Biden-era law that was projected to cut U.S. emissions by roughly a third compared to their peak, putting the country within reach of its Paris Agreement commitments. In the fall, Trump officials used hardball negotiating tactics to stall, if not outright derail, a relatively uncontroversial international plan to decarbonize the heavily polluting global shipping industry. And even though no other country has played a larger role in causing climate change, the U.S. under Trump has cut the vast majority of global climate aid funding, which is intended to help countries that are in the crosshairs of climate change despite doing virtually nothing to cause it.
These stark shifts in the U.S. position on climate change, which President Donald Trump has called a “hoax” and “con job,” are only the latest and most visible signs of a deeper shift underway. Historically, the U.S. and other wealthy, high-emitting nations have been cast as the primary drivers of climate action, both because of their outsize responsibility for the crisis and because of the greater resources at their disposal. "
Proper killing is a thing with them, which is their way of slowing down the constantly approaching nuclear holocaust concepts with the denial enhanced comfort in hopey changy books (Climate-Change Summer or Nuclear Winter?)
I asked Dr. AI (a.k.a Google AI bot) about this and the good doctor pointed out that:
Dir. Mann has indicated that The specific time frame he envisions for this action involves meeting two primary targets:
Reduce global carbon emissions by 50% within the current decade (by 2030); Achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century (around 2050).
Mann notes that the scientific consensus (as outlined by the IPCC) is that if we achieve these goals, we can likely keep the warming of the planet below the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold, thus preventing the most dangerous and irreversible climate impacts.
He argues that the obstacles to meeting this time frame are entirely political, not physical or technological. By immediately transitioning away from fossil fuels and investing heavily in renewable energy, we can avert the worst-case scenarios and "preserve what I call our fragile moment" (the stable climate of human civilization)."
(Dr. AI). Evidently the Mann cart is before the Mann horse:
"The saying 'Don't put the cart before the horse' means to do things in the correct, logical order, because reversing the natural sequence (the horse must pull the cart, not the other way around) makes progress impossible or ridiculous, often leading to confusion, wasted effort, or failure by tackling secondary issues before foundational ones."
(Dr. AI). Copernicus: "2024 is the first year to exceed 1.5°C above per-industrial level" (Link, emphasis added).
"During that earlier period, Venezuela had been largely spared the brutal
excesses of direct U.S. interventionism in the region (due in part to
the repressive rule of successive U.S.-supported strongmen Juan Vicente Gómez and Marcos Pérez Jiménez). That changed in 1998, when Hugo Chávez, Maduro’s far more popular predecessor, became president and pursued policies of popular sovereignty and resource nationalism aimed at ensuring the nation’s vast oil reserves (the largest in the world) served Venezuelans rather than being siphoned off to enrich foreign corporations. From then on, Venezuela became the latest target
of Washington’s efforts to undermine, discipline, and ultimately
neutralize 'troublesome' progressive governments across Latin America." (Tom Dispatch).
The South American country increasingly at odds with the Trump administration has the world’s largest oil reserves(NY Times).
"At some point in time in the military the two were conflated, but the
one that allows wars to replace peace is the one the military selected,
like their forerunners in the Roman military, and they became a
warmongering spiritual group:
The enemy aggressor is always pursuing a course of larceny, murder, rapine and barbarism. We are always moving forward with high mission, a destiny imposed by the Deity
to regenerate our victims, while incidentally capturing their markets;
to civilise savage and senile and paranoid peoples, while blundering
accidentally into their oil wells.
(As We Go Marching, by John T. Flynn, 1944, page 222, emphasis added). If you read The Universal Smedley - 2 and Viva Egypt - 2 you will see how a supposed Christian belief about a battle of Armageddon is also a Mithraic tradition (see #7 in the list above).
It is the belief that got us into the addiction to Middle East oil and oil wars (see The Universal Smedley - 2).
AI Overview : "James Hansen remains an active climate scientist today, directing the Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions program at Columbia University. In 2025, he co-published a paper arguing that global warming has accelerated and that current climate sensitivity estimates are underestimated. He continues to warn about the potential for severe climate impacts, arguing that the 2 Deg. C climate target is likely unattainable based on his latest research. You can watch this video to learn more about James Hansen's perspective on climate science,"
"Current role: He heads the Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions program at Columbia University's Earth Institute.Recent research: In 2025, he released a paper titled "Global Warming Has Accelerated," which builds on his previous work to argue that warming is accelerating and Earth's climate sensitivity is higher than the IPCC estimate.Key findings: His latest research suggests that the 2 Deg. C target is unattainable and points to the underestimation of aerosols' cooling effect and the impact of reducing aerosols from shipping as a cause for recent warming spikes.Ongoing advocacy: Hansen continues to be a prominent voice on climate change, advocating for action and raising concerns about the severity of climate change impacts on ecosystems and food production. This video presents James Hansen's views on a new paper about global warming."
"Have you noticed another weakness in our constitution a la the Epstein case? And the Jan 6 case? And the 2020 "election was stolen" case?
One weakness that is appearing weakly on the edge of the media fog concerns the Epstein files case.
"Normally" no member of the honest and decent people of the federal bar would dare think of destroying evidence in the files of the file cabinets of the DOJ.
But like Dylan says "I used to care, but things have changed" (Academy Awards).
Ok, ok, I'll get to the point.
The trump card is presidential pardons.
That is the only thing that Trump has kept his word on ("Do crimes for me and I will pardon you.")
That is why they know they are safe if they delete all the Trump skum in the DOJ Epstein files.
He has promised them pardons.
So, nothing can be done about that heinous crime spree.
UNLESS a smart STATE prosecuting attorney can make a state case based on the Epstein crimes.
(Presidential pardons do not extend to state crimes.) "
(The Brad Blog). As if that wasn't enough, I sought the opinion of an AI entity:
AI Overview Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theories primarily center on the suspicious circumstances of his 2019 death in federal prison and the widely rumored but unproven existence of a "client list" naming powerful individuals involved in his sex trafficking ring. The official ruling by the New York City medical examiner was suicide by hanging.
Key Conspiracy Theories
Epstein Was Murdered: The most widespread theory, encapsulated in the popular internet meme "Epstein didn't kill himself," posits that Epstein was killed by powerful people to prevent him from revealing their involvement in his crimes. This speculation was fueled by several factors surrounding his death at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan: *Security cameras outside his cell reportedly malfunctioned. * Jail staff committed procedural violations, including leaving him unattended and failing to check on him as required. * had previously been on suicide watch, which was later lifted. *Another associate, Jean-Luc Brunel, also died by apparent suicide in French custody while awaiting trial on related charges. *The "Client List" and Blackmail: Another central theory involves a supposed "client list" of wealthy and politically connected individuals who participated in Epstein's sex offenses with underage girls. Believers suggest Epstein secretly videotaped these encounters to use as blackmail leverage. The Justice Department and FBI have stated that they found no evidence of a specific "client list" or of Epstein blackmailing prominent individuals. "Deep State" or Political Cover-up: Because Epstein associated with high-profile figures from both major U.S. political parties, including Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, conspiracy theories often take on a partisan nature. Right-leaning theories often implicate the Clintons, while left-leaning theories point toward Trump, his administration, or the "deep state" working to cover up the truth.
Official Findings vs. Speculation
The U.S. Justice Department and FBI conducted an investigation into the circumstances of Epstein's death and reaffirmed the medical examiner's conclusion of suicide. Then-Attorney General William Barr initially had suspicions but ultimately concluded that the death was a suicide resulting from "a series of unfortunate difficulties" and "major lapses" by prison staff.
Despite the official conclusions, the lack of a public trial and the involvement of the world's elite continue to sustain public interest and fuel the conspiracy theories.
(Thank You Google AI). This is just one of several "Awe Topsy" posts in this Dredd Blog series (Awe Topsy, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12).
No, I ain’t gonna work for Maga's brother no more Well, he hands you a nickel He hands you a dime He asks you with a grin If you’re havin’ a good time Then he fines you every time you slam the door I ain’t gonna work for Maga's brother no more
I ain’t gonna work for Maga's pa no more No, I ain’t gonna work for Maga's pa no more Well, he puts his cigar Out in your face just for kicks His bedroom window It is made out of bricks The National Guard stands around his door Ah, I ain’t gonna work for Maga's pa no more
I ain’t gonna work for Maga's ma no more No, I ain’t gonna work for Maga's ma no more Well, she talks to all the servants About man and God and law Everybody says She’s the brains behind pa She’s sixty-eight, but she says she’s twenty-four I ain’t gonna work for Maga's ma no more
I ain’t gonna work on Maga's farm no more No, I ain’t gonna work on Maga's farm no more Well, I try my best To be just like I am But everybody wants you To be just like them They sing while you slave and I just get bored I ain’t gonna work on Maga's farm no more
The Jamaica damage assessments from on the ground are little to none so far.
Those from the air are unbelievable:
"Black River on Wednesday was unrecognizable to people there: The coastline was strewed with massive boulders, and a cellphone tower had twisted into a semicircle.
Only places that have four concrete walls are still standing, and usually their roofs are gone,” said Amiri Bradley, who frequently visits the port town."
(NY Times). Meanwhile there are several meteorologists who are saying, on TV broadcasts, that the storm was greater than a "185", it was a "200" plus ... (partially because the instruments dropped at or about landfall registered sustained winds in the 200 mph area with gusts up to 250 mph).
Lots to think about:
"The forest of climate science includes other areas – besides climate sensitivity and climate forcings – that are also important. For example, potential impacts of climate change include shutdown of the overturning ocean circulation and large sea level rise,33 which may be the most important of all the climate issues. These climate impacts depend on the magnitude of global warming, which is a reason to first consider climate sensitivity and climate forcings." - p4
"GCM modeling focuses on the past century for reason: the goal of interpreting ongoing climate change and projecting future change. Observed global surface temperature change (Fig. 2a) and sea surface temperature change (Fig. 2b) warrant comment." - p6
"The forest of climate science includes other areas – besides climate sensitivity and climate forcings – that are also important. For example, potential impacts of climate change include shutdown of the overturning ocean circulation and large sea level rise,33 which may be the most important of all the climate issues. These climate impacts depend on the magnitude of global warming, which is a reason to first consider climate sensitivity and climate forcings." - p8
"In our present communication, we criticize IPCC’s science analysis. However, despite the flaws that we note, IPCC is doing what they were asked to do. Their reports contain authoritative information painstakingly written by experts in their fields. The reports are useful references, but governments and the public need more to properly inform their decision-making. When we presented our most recent paper,2 responses in the media by other scientists consisted of ad hominem attacks on the first author, e.g., “Hansen exaggerates,” “Hansen makes lots of mistakes,” “Hansen is not collegial,” and comments that our analysis was “too simple” and our conclusions were “outside the mainstream.” None of the comments addressed the climate science in our paper, which we have summarized here. Yet these few articles in the media, appearing on the day that our paper came out, were sufficient to shut down public discussion of our paper. Issues raised in our paper are relevant to understanding the course of climate change. So, how is it that a small (all-male)34 clique is able to control the climate research conversation? At least they spurred the first author to move back to Columbia University (see End of an Era),35 where it may be possible to work more with young people, and hopefully communicate more effectively." - p8
"Within that part of the climate science forest, many uncertainties remain. For example, how does the cloud feedback work? Tselioudis et al.32 suggest that it is mainly from a poleward shifting of climate zones, as opposed to an effect of global warming on cloud microphysics. It is important to understand such issues, as the correct explanation may affect continuing climate change." - p8
"6. International Court of Justice Let’s end on a bright, scintillating, note: the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice in the Hague on global climate change, which deserves far more attention than it has received. It is the first time that the ICJ has taken up climate change. In a unanimous decision the Court determined that:
". . . customary international law sets forth obligations for States to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. These obligations include the following: (a) States have a duty to prevent significant harm to the environment by acting with due diligence and to use all means at their disposal to prevent activities carried out within their jurisdiction or control from causing significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment, in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities; (b) States have a duty to co-operate with each other in good faith to prevent significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment, which requires sustained and continuous forms of co-operation by States when taking measures to prevent such harm. . . ."
Philippe Sands, legal scholar, author, and leader in getting the case before the Court and arguing the case, was thrilled that the Court’s ruling was even stronger than he had hoped. Over time, this ruling surely will be used extensively and affect courts globally, even within the United States, despite the fact that such ICJ decisions are advisory." - p9
(Hansen, Columbia). Ain't no nothin' when "mother earth" is gone.
The paper tigers of science reporting are meowing about King Tides as the cause of East Coast houses falling into the sea ("Moon and Sun made a king tide")..
The Moon and Sun have been around for a long time, and were around when the houses falling into the sea were built far away, 300 yards, from the high tide line long ago.
Stop fantasizing weathermen, and listen up:
"Why have so many houses fallen this year? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, climate change is fueling sea level rise by melting glaciers and sea ice and expanding sea water by warming it, all of which accelerates coastal flooding and erosion. North Carolina’s Outer Banks are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and storm surge, the EPA says, because of the barrier islands’ low elevation and constant shifting. The EPA says beaches along the Outer Banks have been eroding at some of the fastest rates anywhere along the East Coast. Climate change also is blamed for more frequent and more intense storms that affect the coastline and for the increase in “sunny day” flooding along the coast, also called high-tide flooding. The annual frequency of high-tide flooding varies, but NOAA says the Mid-Atlantic region sees about 8 more high-tide flood days each year now compared to the year 2000."
(Read more here), These houses have been safe for a long time (about 5 decades, 50 years):
"Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials reported Monday that another oceanfront house in Rodanthe has collapsed, the fourth in the Hatteras Island community in a little more than a year. While the bulk of the debris is at the location of the collapsed structure, 23228 East Point Drive, visitors should use caution if nearby on the beach and in the ocean, seashore staff advised. Supporter Spotlight Support Outstanding Reporting on Coastal Issues Coastal Review has again been recognized by the North Carolina Press Association for editorial excellence, and we need your support to continue delivering award-winning coverage of the coast. Please give today! Cape Hatteras National Seashore staff are communicating with the owners to coordinate the removal of the house and all related debris. The 1,116-square-foot house built in 1976 has three bedrooms and a bath and a half, according to tax records. It was valued in 2020 at $298,800. "
(Read more here). USA 2025 is already in the top 3 worst years with only half of the year considered:
"During the first six months of 2025, there have been 14 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the U.S., costing $101.4 billion.
The Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025 were the costliest event so far this year as well as the costliest wildfire event on record — exceeding $60 billion, or about twice as much as the previous record.
With 14 events already this year, 2025 is well above the long-term annual average of nine events per year."
Our neighborhood in the Caribbean is endangered too:
"Hurricane Melissa's center is just over 100 miles south-southwest of
Kingston, Jamaica. The hurricane's forward speed is roughly 5 mph, which
is the main driver behind some of its biggest threats.
Melissa
already rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to Category 3
hurricane in just 12 hours from late Saturday morning through Saturday
night, then increased to a Category 4 on Sunday morning, but has
temporarily leveled off in intensity. Melissa will strengthen on Monday.
Outer
bands of showers and thundershowers with heavy rain continue to stream
north across parts of Jamaica, Hispaniola and Cuba. A wind gust of 46
mph was recorded in Kingston, Jamaica, Sunday afternoon.
A Category 5 Floodmaker
Aside
from its wind intensity, Melissa's slow movement over the next several
days will lead to prolific rainfall in parts of Haiti and Jamaica."
The old saying "What, me worry?" will occur to some of us because The Republican Insurrection will perhaps not need the military.
There is a "new kid on the block" wha can deliver the final term to Trump:
"THEN... Of greater concern at the moment, at least to me, is the fact that Liberty Vote, a company that nobody ever heard of before last week --- because, apparently, it did not exist before last week --- has just purchased Dominion Voting, the nation's second largest voting system vendor, which supplies election hardware and software to 27 states. It is also the company that Trump and his supporters falsely claimed had stolen the 2020 election from him.
Liberty's CEO is a guy named Scott Leiendecker who was formerly the Republican Election Director in St. Louis, Missouri. He was hired for that job by the city's Election Commissioner at the time, a guy by the name of Ed Martin. Yeah, That Ed Martin. The far-right Republican activist who is now running Trump's "Weaponization" of the Dept. of Justice. The one who is pulling together the corrupt indictments of Trump foes like James Comey and Letitia James, and overseeing Trump's pardons and commutations for fellow corrupt Republicans like disgraced former Rep. George Santos. Yes, that Ed Martin.
Martin's old pal Leiendecker, after serving as the Republican Election Director in St. Louis, went on to create a company named KNOWiNK, which is now the nation's largest electronic pollbook vendor. He now owns both that company and the nation's second largest voting and tabulation system company. What could possibly go wrong?
There is a whole lot we don't know about the purchase, who is funding it, or what Leiendecker intends to do with the company. Though last week's official announcement of the acquisition (which does not appear to even be published in full on the web, as far as I can tell), begins triumphantly: "As of today, Dominion is gone. Liberty Vote assumes full ownership and operational control." The statement then goes on to emphasize "enabling compliance with President Trump's executive order" regarding voting systems as a top priority, even though that Order has since been blocked by several federal judges for failing to comply with the Constitution.
WIRED's Kim Zetter offers the deepest overall background on the purchase, its players, and the many concerns about it from voting system experts.
Our guest today, longtime election integrity advocate and security expert SUSAN GREENHALGH of Free Speech for People published a piece at Slate this week about the out-of-the-blue acquisition that blind-sided, among others, elections officials (Dominion's customers) across the country who were told nothing about it in advance. In her piece, Greenhalgh argues why, although "the announcement that the second-largest U.S. voting system vendor would be in the hands of a self-declared partisan [has] sparked concerns," the "wildly inappropriate and troubling" development "is merely one aspect of the badly broken, opaque, and corrupted election system industry that we’ve been subjected to for decades."
Greenhalgh joins us to discuss concerns about the Leiendecker/Liberty Vote purchase, the "corrupted election system industry" she mentioned, and how Congress, states, local jurisdictions and the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) could take action to mitigate all of this madness and the dwindling confidence Americans have in our elections in the wake of computerized voting systems made by a handful of opaque private companies.
The Dominion website now automatically redirects to Liberty's new, one page site which, for the moment, offers nothing more right now than a letter from Leiendecker focusing on his "promise" for "a 100% American-owned election technology company dedicated to restoring trust in our elections" with, among other things, "American values". The letter vows that the company is "turning the page and beginning the vital work of restoring faith in American elections."
While "faith" is not needed in American elections, public oversight certainly is, in order for Americans to have confidence in their reported election results. Whether Liberty improves on Dominion's record there, remains to be seen. Though lies and insinuations about Dominion --- which won a three-quarters of a billion dollar defamation settlement against Fox "News" after the Republican media outlet repeatedly and knowingly lied about the company --- certainly don't help to restore either "faith" or public oversight and confidence.
Nor does it help that Liberty suggested in its announcement that it would somehow carry out a "top-to-bottom" review of Dominion's hardware and software and would "report any vulnerabilities" it finds. While it's unclear who they would "report" them to, we already know, from last year's trial against the Georgia Sec. of State's mandated use of the company's insecure touchscreen voting systems across the entire state, that there are lots of very serious vulnerabilities in Dominion's systems as well as those made by other companies. But Leiendecker then goes on to vow to somehow replace those systems as needed before the 2026 mid-term elections. As we discuss with Greenhalgh, that is a virtual impossibility, given the time it takes to develop voting systems and have them tested and certified for use by federal and state regulators.
"We need a system that the Devil himself can run," argues Greenhalgh, citing a well-worn phrase among longtime election integrity folks. "The solution is not more transparency with the voting system vendors, just so we know exactly how partisan they are --- although we should know that, we should be entitled to know that --- it should be a system that is so transparent and so auditable --- and that is audited in a trustworthy and public way --- that we can trust the election results at the end of the day, no matter who is running it. That is the solution that we need to be going to."
Nevertheless, the Trumpets are blowing around Venezuela because "Venezuela is a major producer and exporter of minerals, notably bauxite, coal, gold, iron ore, and oil, and the state controls most of the country's vast mineral reserves" (Wikipedia, Mining in Venezuela).
Another old adage comes to mind, but with a junior and erik the red kind of feature (which developed after they scoped out the prospects of grabbing up the subzero wilderness of Greenland:
"The enemy aggressor is always pursuing a course of larceny, murder, rapine and barbarism. We are always moving forward with high mission, a destiny imposed by the Deity
to regenerate our victims, while incidentally capturing their markets;
to civilise savage and senile and paranoid peoples, while blundering accidentally into their oil wells or metal mines."
"Perry, I'm taking your snowball to work tomorrow? - Jim
"Only aye, aye, aye can do it":
"Before giving summer its send-off, consider that heat kills more people in the U.S. annually than any other weather-related disaster. Phoenix journalist Katherine Davis-Young is well acquainted with this human toll.
Drawing on her own reporting experience, she looks at how to cover extreme heat in your community. Pro tip: Don’t wait until next summer to familiarize yourself with vulnerable communities and investigate local mitigation policies."
Future ocean warming may cause large reductions in Prochlorococcus biomass (Nature).
"And the riot squad they’re restless, They need somewhere to go... Now at midnight all the agents, And the superhuman crew, Come out and round up everyone, That knows more than they do..."
Yep. Desolation Row ...
"Gentlemen, he said I don’t need your organization, I’ve shined your shoes I’ve moved your mountains and marked your cards But Eden is burning, either brace yourself for elimination Or else your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards" (Bob Dylan - Changing of The Guards)
Trump very recently told a gathering of about 800 US Military Generals from around the globe this:
"if you don't like what I'm saying, you can leave the room. Of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future, but you just feel nice and loose" ...
I'm thrilled to be here this morning to address the senior leadership of what is once again known around the world as the Department of War."
...
"And I told Pete, we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military National Guard, but military, because we're going into Chicago very soon."
Lately, the Supreme Court says Trump has absolute immunity for core acts (Trmp v USA).
There was a lot of talk on MSNBC this morning about "Posse Comitatus".
So, I asked AI (Google Version) about Dredd Blog's perspective about it.
AI replied:
"AI Overview The idea that the U.S. military will become a domestic police force is often the subject of discussion on the Dredd Blog, and it is related to the Posse Comitatus Act. The law generally prohibits the use of the federal military for civilian law enforcement. However, there are significant legal exceptions and persistent political debates over its interpretation that make the issue a recurring topic.
Key points from Dredd Blog and legal experts
The Posse Comitatus Act is a fragile guardrail: Legal experts cited by the Dredd Blog, such as those from the Brennan Center for Justice, argue that the 1878 law is not a sufficient defense against the militarization of police. They point to significant loopholes and a lack of effective enforcement mechanisms. No one has ever been successfully prosecuted for violating the act, leaving its power largely dependent on political norms rather than legal precedent.
Expansion of military powers and "Title 32 status": One major loophole involves the use of the National Guard under "Title 32" status. In this gray area, the Guard is paid with federal funds and can perform missions requested by the president, but it remains under the command of a state governor and is not subject to the Posse Comitatus Act. Critics argue this allows a president to bypass the spirit of the law by asking sympathetic governors to deploy their Guard units to another state for law enforcement purposes.
Concerns over executive authority:
A core fear discussed on the [Dredd] blog is that a president might use loopholes to increase military involvement in domestic affairs, especially for political purposes, which would erode the separation between the military and civilian life. This concern grew after President Trump's use of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. in 2020 and his subsequent proposal to do so in other cities.
Why the concern about the military becoming the police?
The debate centers on the use of federal military power for domestic law enforcement, which is seen as a threat to fundamental democratic values. Key issues include:
Different training and mindset: The military is trained for combat and to neutralize threats, while civilian police are trained for apprehension and to de-escalate situations.
Erosion of civil liberties: Military involvement in policing can have a "chilling effect" on the public and has been criticized by civil rights groups like the ACLU for potentially intimidating citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
Historical context: The Posse Comitatus Act was passed to prevent the federal military from enforcing domestic law after the abuses of the Reconstruction era. The idea of keeping military and civil powers separate has deep historical roots in American tradition.
The current situation
Recent legal actions and political discussions indicate that the debate is active and unresolved:
Recent court rulings: In September 2025, a federal judge in California ruled that the Trump administration had violated the Posse Comitatus Act by illegally deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
Continuing political debate: The controversy has continued into President Trump's second term.
Need for reform: Organizations like the Brennan Center for Justice argue that Congress needs to reform the Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act to strengthen civilian control and close loopholes. Proposed reforms include transferring control of the D.C. National Guard and restricting governors from sending their Guard troops into other states without consent.
(And So Forth ...). In Dredd Blog terms, beginning over fifteen years ago, notice this:
"Will The Military Become The Police?
Your immediate reaction to the title of this post is probably "only a crack pot conspiracy theorist would think that could happen in the United States."
Which would be a very healthy reaction, because that is the way it should be, but it would be erroneous because that is the law now."
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