Biden Reportedly Told Ukraine To Cede Eastern Part Of Nation

By William Teach December 10, 2021 – 6:45 am

It’s a little more nuanced than many made it out to be, but, come on, after Joe just abandoned Afghanistan in the manner he did, and left Americans behind, it’s not that hard to believe

(AP) President Joe Biden reached out to Ukraine’s leader Thursday as the United States moved to take a more direct role in diplomacy between that country and Russia, part of a broader effort to dissuade Russia from a destabilizing invasion of its western neighbor. (snip)

Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by phone for more than an hour Thursday. Biden assured Zelenskyy of support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also renewed a pledge that the U.S. and its allies would hit Russia with economic sanctions and intensify defensive aid to Ukraine and NATO allies nearest to Russia if Russia did invade, the White House said. (snip)

Administration officials have suggested that the U.S. will press Ukraine to formally cede a measure of autonomy within its eastern Donbas region, which is now under de facto control by Russia-backed separatists who rose up against Kyiv in 2014.

Decentralization of Ukraine and a “special status” for Donbas were laid out in an ambiguous, European-brokered peace deal in 2015, but it has never taken hold.

More autonomy could formally give residents of that region more authority over some local issues. The administration officials made no mention of ceding any territory.

Which is diplomatic speak for “give up eastern Ukraine to Russia without a shot being fired.” Also known as appeasement, for “peace in our time.” How real is this, though?

(Newsweek) White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki categorically denied on Thursday that President Joe Biden is pressuring Ukraine to cede land to Russia in an effort to reduce tension in the area.

That diplomacy doesn’t include pressuring Ukraine to cede territory to Russian-backed groups, according to Psaki. When asked about reports the United States is pressuring Ukraine to give up land to Russia as a means of deterring an invasion, Psaki said that is not true, calling it “absolutely false.”

In other words, it’s 100% true. Ukraine should urge Biden to just give up a small state, like Delaware. He’d be fine with that, right? Many national security experts expect that if Russia invades it will be in January or February, because then European countries will just ignore it, otherwise Russia cuts off their natural gas, which the EU depends on. And you can bet China will be watching intently, with their eyes on Taiwan.

Read: Biden Reportedly Told Ukraine To Cede Eastern Part Of Nation »

Posted in Current Affairs, Joe Biden | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Surprise: Push For Electric Vehicles Causing Massive Deforestation And Environmental Damage

By William Teach December 9, 2021 – 3:00 pm

In what world does it make sense to destroy the environment to save the environment from ‘climate change’? But, this is the way climate cultists think

Electric Vehicle Push Is Sparking Massive Deforestation, Environmental Damage

electric vehicleA major nickel mine in a Philippines rainforest has continued to expand, mowing down acres of trees as global demand for minerals essential for electric vehicle manufacturing surges.

The Rio Tuba mine in the region of Palawan supplies an important mineral for electric vehicle batteries in Tesla and Toyota cars, but the mine is nearing an expansion that would cause it to grow from four square miles to 14 square miles, according to an NBC News investigation. The growth of the mine would cause massive deforestation of the land which environmentalists warn could destroy the area’s ecosystem.

Critics of the mine have suggested it could lead to an increased runoff of toxic waste into the environment, further harming the local wildlife, according to NBC News. (snip)

The expansion of the Rio Tuba mine and the subsequent destruction of nearly 9,000 acres of ancient rainforest documented by the NBC News report underscores the growing global demand for rare earth minerals which are essential for not only electric vehicles, but solar panels and wind turbines. Worldwide electric vehicle sales, which currently account for just 4% of new car purchases, are expected to surge to as much as 34% of total global sales by 2030, according to an International Energy Agency estimate.

All for cars that most people cannot afford and don’t take people very far. And seem to be mostly toys for rich people. Also, many of those pushing hard for this do not actually drive one. Biden is not cruising around in one. Nor is John Kerry. Nor the leaders in the UNIPCC. Nor most world leaders. Nor most members of Congress.

And, because of this push, we end up with

You can purchase a top end Honda Insight (well, not right now, good luck, supply chain) or Toyota Prius for less than that. A RAV4 hybrid and Honda CRV hybrid, bigger vehicles, can be bought for less. If EVs were in big demand, the two smartest automakers in the world would be rushing to make them. They aren’t.

Read: Surprise: Push For Electric Vehicles Causing Massive Deforestation And Environmental Damage »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 22 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach December 9, 2021 – 10:30 am

…is early Bad Weather snow from carbon pollution, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Don Surber, with a post on Trump showing Republicans how to win Hispanics.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 16 Comments | Trackback URL

Raleigh Mayor Considers Making Senseless Changes To Mask Mandate

By William Teach December 9, 2021 – 10:30 am

Yes, here in Raleigh, NC, we actually have a mask mandate. It has no teeth, there are no penalties, no force of law, but, most businesses are complying. Even uber-Leftist Washington, D.C., has no indoor mask mandate at this time. The mayor also said that she’s end it when cases were below 5% infection rate. It’s now 4.6% in Wake County. In fairness, that has gone up from 3.1% it had been hovering around, but, the county is still less than 50 per hundred thousand in the county (I cannot find Raleigh specific numbers). Anyhow, none in the Raleigh media have done their job to question the mayor at any time, even when she says this (ABC11 does have a piece on it, I don’t see one at WRAL or the Raleigh N&O)

Raleigh mayor considers easing mask mandate

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin is considering lifting mask restrictions at certain businesses.

Baldwin issued a city-wide mask mandate at the height of the COVID-19 delta variant wave in mid-August. But after talking with concerned residents and business owners who say their sales are suffering, she may remove mask requirements at gyms, workout studios, and small businesses.

“I received a number of emails from people who say, ‘we support the mask mandate, but I can’t go work out at a gym.’ One woman said, ‘I’ve gained 20 pounds’ and another woman who said her mental health is suffering because of this. One guy told me he’s going to Cary to work out. He lives in Raleigh and goes to Cary to go to the gym there. I just really started thinking about this and what are we trying accomplish? So that’s one area where I think we need to find some balance.”

Ya think? Of course this is causing problems

Baldwin brought the idea to the Raleigh City Council on Tuesday. She said it would not include big box stores or large workplaces.

“I’m talking about mom and pop type shops where you don’t have 100 people in the store at once,” she said. “We’re talking 5, 10, 15. So there’s a difference.”

Where does that make sense? If 5-15 customers are in a small mom and pop store versus 50+ in a big box, what’s the difference? The big box is a much bigger store. Which would actually have better airflow with higher ceilings. Gyms, at times, will certainly have a higher density than a Best Buy. Even a WalMart supercenter. Though, I don’t mind wearing a mask in there. Not due to the Chinese coronavirus, but, colds and flu.

Baldwin said she’s expecting to see a spike in COVID cases following Thanksgiving, but added small businesses aren’t to blame.

She explained, “We are expecting a spike from Thanksgiving, but that spike isn’t caused by people working out in gyms or people at a shop, it’s because people are gathering together; they’re inside, they’re in homes eating together, no ones wearing masks, they’re hugging. It’s the holidays.”

Which has zero to do with a mask mandate on businesses and such. Nothing. This is all make it up as you go along politics, and, almost 2 years into the Chinese pandemic, you’d think they’d know by now. So far, through all this time, there has been no notice from the gym I go to about an outbreak linked to them in some manner. And, at least half the gym-goers are not wearing masks. So, just stop this. Especially since most masks work, at best, to stop 10% of the spread.

Also, piss off

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1468721267838754828

Read: Raleigh Mayor Considers Making Senseless Changes To Mask Mandate »

Posted in Bat Soup Virus, NC News | 7 Comments | Trackback URL

Brandon Signs EO To Make Federal Government Net Zero By 2050

By William Teach December 9, 2021 – 7:00 am

Well, this means Brandon will stop taking all those trips in fossil fueled helicopters, airplanes, and limos, right?

Biden signs executive order on climate change to require net-zero emissions from federal government by 2050

President Biden issued an executive order Wednesday afternoon that would reduce the federal government’s greenhouse gas emissions within the next decade and reach net-zero federal emissions by 2050. The term “net zero” means that any pollution contributing to climate change would be offset with equal measures to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, such as planting trees.

“The Federal Government faces broad exposure to the mounting risks and costs already posed by the climate crisis,” Biden states in the order. “As the single largest land owner, energy consumer, and employer in the Nation, the Federal Government can catalyze private sector investment and expand the economy and American industry by transforming how we build, buy, and manage electricity, vehicles, buildings, and other operations to be clean and sustainable.”

The biggest components of the executive order are setting standards for reducing emissions in three key areas: electricity generation, buildings and transportation.

Under the order, the government would use 100 percent net-zero electricity by 2030, including 50 percent produced from fully carbon-free sources such as wind and solar. Federal buildings would have to reduce their emissions by half by 2032 and reach net-zero by 2045.

So, a couple questions: will Joe go Net Zero? How about at the White House? Where’s all this net zero electricity going to come from at all the federal buildings? Some of them with massive server farms use a lot of electricity. How will this effect operations of vital agencies, such as the CIA, other intelligence agencies, and the U.S. military? Under what statutory authority does he have to do this? Just because he’s the head of the Executive Branch doesn’t mean he could do things that interfere with the agencies as create and funded by the Legislative Branch.

In what world does Brandon think they can build enough solar farms and wind turbines to run the executive branch? Where will they all go just to run the District of Columbia operations? There’s not enough land to do this around D.C., unless he plans on evicting lots of people, demolishing the homes and businesses, and putting tons of them up. Still wouldn’t be enough.

What happens when a Republican wins in 2024 and simply cancels the EO? How’s that going to work out? But, hey, I know a way that Los Federales could cut their “carbon footprint” down quickly: get rid of a bunch of agencies, close a lot of unnecessary buildings, get rid of around half the employees who really do not do anything meaningful. Stop flying the big jumbo jets for Biden. One smaller jet will be fine. No bringing his limo and all sorts of other vehicles. Kamala isn’t allowed to fly anywhere. She can stay in D.C. or take the train.

Read: Brandon Signs EO To Make Federal Government Net Zero By 2050 »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming, Joe Biden | 11 Comments | Trackback URL

People’s Republik Of California Looks To Become Abortion Sanctuary

By William Teach December 9, 2021 – 6:45 am

It really is one thing to support abortion on demand. It’s quite another to revere it, to worship it, to treat it as if it’s as easy as ordering a pizza. And this is how deranged the abortion supporters have become

California plans to be abortion sanctuary if Roe overturned

With more than two dozen states poised to ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court gives them the OK next year, California clinics and their allies in the state Legislature on Wednesday revealed a plan to make the state a “sanctuary” for those seeking reproductive care, including possibly paying for travel, lodging and procedures for people from other states.

The California Future of Abortion Council, made up of more than 40 abortion providers and advocacy groups, released a list of 45 recommendations for the state to consider if the high court overturns Roe v. Wade — the 48-year-old decision that forbids states from outlawing abortion.

I bet one of those recommendations doesn’t include requiring abortion facilities to have the same medical standards as a veterinarian. I bet lots of folks would enjoy a free trip paid for by the California taxpayers, all while California has a massive homeless problem

The recommendations are not just a liberal fantasy. Some of the state’s most important policymakers helped write them, including Toni Atkins, the San Diego Democrat who leads the state Senate and attended multiple meetings.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom started the group himself and in an interview last week with The Associated Press said some of the report’s details will be included in his budget proposal in January.

“We’ll be a sanctuary,” Newsom said, adding he’s aware patients will likely travel to California from other states to seek abortions. “We are looking at ways to support that inevitability and looking at ways to expand our protections.”

Or, bear with me, they could recommend people use contraception to avoid getting pregnant. Maybe refrain from having risky, unprotected sex with someone they don’t want to have a child with.

The report asks lawmakers to help clinics increase their workforce to prepare for more patients by giving scholarships to medical students who pledge to offer abortion services in rural areas, help them pay off their student loans and assist with their monthly liability insurance premiums.

Get a free medical education if you help kill babies!

Read: People’s Republik Of California Looks To Become Abortion Sanctuary »

Posted in Democrats, Unhinged Tools | 5 Comments | Trackback URL

Hey, Remember Bill de Blasio’s Vaccine Mandate For City Workers? It Just Got Brandonized

By William Teach December 8, 2021 – 5:00 pm

I wonder how this will effect his mandate for all private citizens, down to 5 year olds?

Read: Hey, Remember Bill de Blasio’s Vaccine Mandate For City Workers? It Just Got Brandonized »

Posted in Bat Soup Virus, Democrats | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

You Need To Order Christmas Gifts That Are Climate Emergency Compatible Or Something

By William Teach December 8, 2021 – 3:28 pm

This is usually about the time the climate cult starts coming out with their lists of Cult Approved Christmas gifts. Time Magazine is out of the gate first

Holiday Gifts That Actually Fight Climate Change

If you’re stuck on what to buy as Christmas gifts this year, a Swiss start-up has a suggestion: some carbon dioxide.

Climeworks AG owns the world’s largest direct-air carbon capture facility, in Iceland, where dozens of machines suck in air and filter out the CO2, so it can be stored permanently underground and prevented from contributing to global warming. For 85 euros (about $96), Climeworks will remove and store 85kg of CO2. You’ll be emailed a gift certificate to send to your loved one, helping them assuage their guilt over flying across the country, eating a lot of meat or other carbon-intensive activities they plan to engage in over the holidays. The company calls it “the world’s most sustainable gift.”

Trying to give a gift that helps rather than harms the climate is a greenwashing minefield: from unnecessary “eco-friendly” gadgets that your friends and family won’t use, whose production emits greenhouse gases, to less credible carbon offsetting schemes, which lack robust design and monitoring. It’s probably fair to say, as most climate experts I’ve consulted do, that the most sustainable thing to give at Christmas is nothing at all.

It’s a good way to make sure you’re not invited next year.

What else can you do?

Donate to Climate Change Organizations

Essentially, you’re pretending to give them a gift which is really to salve your own climahypocrite conscience

If you can shift someone out of their car and on to zero or low-carbon transit, they’ll save roughly 404 grams of CO2 per mile travelled. You could buy them a used bike—cheap ones go for around $100. Or, pre-load $20 on a card for your local public transit system. The latter may be a little unsexy, but it has the added benefit of supporting a sector that is crucial for the climate and in dire financial straits thanks to falls in ridership during the pandemic. Maybe put a bow on the card.

Buy the wife/girlfriend a bike and they’ll immediately be mad, thinking you think they’re fat. A card for the bus? GTFO

For longer distances, an Amtrak gift card—available for any amount up to $500—will cushion rail’s often prohibitively expensive prices in the U.S., helping your recipient choose trains over flights for their next trip. According to Amtrak, on Northeast Corridor services, travelling on their services produces 83% less emissions than driving alone and up to 73% less than flying.

Yes, take the train, while the Warmist giving the “gift” takes a much shorter flight.

And, hey, how about some lightbulbs? Actually, not that bad, if you do something like Hue lights. Those things are awesome. I have a bunch, linked in to voice commands and timers. You can even get the ones that do different colors (mine are just the standard, would never use the colors).

But a smart thermostat, available from under $100, for example, allows you to control your home’s heating and cooling remotely via an app, cutting down on waste. A low-flow shower head, for around $40, can cut water consumption per shower in half while maintaining the high-pressure feel of a normal shower. That reduces the amount of water that needs to be heated. Or, just get them a really comfortable sweater that they won’t want to take off, ideally from a thrift or consignment store.

Thermostat is not bad, but, some may not know how to use it, and really, most people end up just setting a temperature and leaving it there. It’s actually worse to be continuously changing the inside temp up and down daily. They’ve love you if you give them a low flow shower head, eh? They’ll think it’s a suggestion to shower more. Then the piece jumps into vegan/vegetarian foods and weird climate clothes. These people are nuts.

Read: You Need To Order Christmas Gifts That Are Climate Emergency Compatible Or Something »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Christmas, Global Warming | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach December 8, 2021 – 1:00 pm

…is snow that will soon disappear due to Other People’s carbon footprints, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is A View From The Beach, with a post on Oregon’s governor being caught maskless despite pushing permanent masking.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

Guy Who’s Pushing More And More Big Government Convenes Democracy Summit

By William Teach December 8, 2021 – 10:30 am

Saddam Hussein said he was part of a democracy, too, as people voted for him. Or else. Same in China (the link goes to the Yahoo News reprint. You can see original at USA Today, though, behind paywall)

‘The crisis we face is real’: Blinken on why Biden is convening a Summit for Democracy

China Votes BidenDemocracy is facing a moment of reckoning.

For 15 years, global freedom has declined, according to the human rights organization Freedom House. It’s happening in authoritarian countries, where rulers have restricted people’s freedoms, canceled and postponed elections, and cracked down on political opponents with increasing brutality – and in democratic countries, where mis- and disinformation have eroded trust in public institutions, political polarization has widened, and long-standing challenges like economic inequality and systemic sexism and racism have left many feeling like the system won’t ever work for them.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made these problems more acute. Unscrupulous leaders have seized the opportunity to crush freedom of assembly and crank up surveillance, and false information about the virus and vaccines has spread widely.

What they call mis and disinformation, others call their truth. And, if you attempt to shut it down, well, that’s government tyranny. And government doesn’t like when you call them out. Considering public institutions are attempting to run people’s lives, how public are they, especially since there is little to no control of them by the Citizens, and they are almost unaccountable? Perhaps Joe would like to have a talk with mayors and governors over forced masking and forced vaccination? And talk to himself, since he’s tried 3 times in forcing people to take what is still really an experimental drug.

This is why President Joe Biden is bringing more than 100 governments together for the Summit for Democracy, which begins Wednesday.

And whether you live in a country where democracy is strong or where the chance of a free and fair election is nonexistent, this matters to you.

Democrats, like Brandon, want to make it easier to cheat, rather than one person one vote.

Democracy and authoritarianism are global phenomena. They don’t stay contained within borders. Ideas spread. News travels.

Like Build Back Better, which is 100% about implementing even more central government control over citizens?

Autocrats see how misinformation campaigns or sham trials worked in another country and try them at home. They point to divisions within democracies to make the case to their citizens that democracy is an inferior system that could never deliver for them.

Like the January 6th trials, and the way those who’ve pretty much committed trespassing (into Congress, which is owned by The People) and caused Congress to stop what they were doing are treated like terrorists caught on the battlefield in Afghanistan?

We also affect each other directly through our one-to-one interactions – for example, development assistance deals that include support for human rights – and multilaterally. Organizations like the United Nations, NATO and the World Bank have a direct impact on countries’ policies and practices.

Well, that’s interesting, considering how much Joe and his Democratic party voters pander to China, how Joe and climate envoy John Kerry consider a deal on ‘climate change’ more important than human rights.

All participating governments will make concrete commitments toward three goals: countering authoritarianism, fighting corruption and protecting human rights.

China is right there, Joe. Whatcha gonna do? How about the unfettered slaughter of the unborn? If Joe is serious, he’ll drop BBB and so many other things, like consideration of packing the courts. He’ll stop trying to be a dictator to tell people how to act, what they can buy, where they can go. Stop blowing off the text of the Constitution.

Anyhow, it’s a long piece, give it a read.

Read: Guy Who’s Pushing More And More Big Government Convenes Democracy Summit »

Posted in Democrats | 14 Comments | Trackback URL
Pirate's Cove