Wait, What: China Joe Admin Announces They Will Launch Cyber-Attacks On Russia

By William Teach March 21, 2021 – 8:15 am

What’s the first thought that ran through your head when reading that headline?

Biden administration to launch cyber attacks on Russia as feud with Putin escalates

Biden Brain SlugThe Biden administration is preparing a series of aggressive cyber attacks on Russia in a major shift in tactics designed as a warning shot to rival powers.

The attack, which is expected in the next fortnight, is in retaliation for the SolarWinds hack, the large-scale infiltration of American government agencies and corporations discovered late last year that was traced back to the Kremlin.

It comes after Joe Biden this week engaged in a war of words with Vladimir Putin, calling the Russian president a “killer”, while the White Houses attacked China for rights abuses in a tense opening of face-to-face talks.

The US will not target civilian structures or networks, but the hack is instead designed as a direct challenge to Mr Putin, Russia’s President, and his cyber army, The Telegraph understands.

The White House confirmed it will take “a mix of actions” – both “seen and unseen” – although it did not provide specifics on when and how it would do so.

The first thing I think is “why in the hell would you announce this? Why give them warning? You just do it.” This is like someone warning you that they will throw eggs at your house over the next few weeks. You know when it is coming. So, if real, Russia knows, so can take action, and can take measures to guard against it, and, when it happens, can just complain about China Joe at the U.N. You do these things secretly. Maybe you get caught, but, you don’t announce it. This is not meant to do anything but virtue signal.

Russia and the US had committed to the so-called cyber confidence building measures that allowed the countries to have a confidential beeline about possible breaches but the agreement collapsed spectacularly in 2016 when Russian hackers targeted the Democratic National Committee.

Supposedly, because Crowdstrike has only said this happened. They’ve never once let the FBI examine the actual servers. Further, the Mueller report shows definitively that it wasn’t so much a hack, as a spear-fishing operation, and that the old people in charge of security at the DNC should not be.

Any such move would mark a different tact taken by previous administrations, which have largely acted defensively against Moscow’s cyber warfare. Donald Trump took a much more cautious approach on Russia, being careful never to directly criticise or challenge the regime.

Obviously, there’s some TDS in this piece. What Trump did was actually slap Russia and China with lots of sanctions, and any operations against Russia were done in secret. Because that’s what you do with intelligence operations. Quiet. Secret. Gather info. Disrupt enemies. Not attempt a catty, announced cyber attack, which is about as useful as one of Obama’s strongly worded letters. This is what the U.S. foreign policy is apparently going back to.

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Mayor Pete Explains Going Back To The Past For ‘Climate Change’

By William Teach March 20, 2021 – 3:00 pm

I know y’all are super excited to ride bikes, walk, and take trains, right?

Buttigieg: Biden plan will usher in a new transportation era

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Thursday that an infrastructure plan expected soon from President Joe Biden will offer a “once in a century” opportunity to remake transportation in the United States, where cars and highways are no longer king.

Speaking at the Austin, Texas-based South by Southwest conference, which is being held virtually this year, Buttigieg compared the new possibility to the creation of an interstate highway under President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s and a transcontinental railroad under President Abraham Lincoln a century before that.

“We start with something unglamorous, which is fixing and improving what we’re already got — there’s been a trillion dollar backlog just in the roads and bridges we already have,” he said. “But I’ll add there are some things that need to be reduced … sometimes roads need to go on a diet.”

He said the U.S. can no longer follow a 1950s mentality of building roads and communities based on moving as many cars as possible, but must adapt to the reality of climate change and ensure the safety of growing numbers of bicyclists and pedestrians on the streets.

“The design choices we make, how fast cars move, whether there’s bike lanes and sidewalks … green space even, all of this is part of that view,” Buttigieg said. “Sometimes we do need to add a road or widen one. Just as often, I think we need to subtract.”

The new era is an old one, with bikes instead of horses. Of course, the big wigs won’t be giving up their own use of fossil fueled vehicles. They won’t walk or bike. And, last time I checked, our Constitution made this kind of dictatorial power verboten.

On Thursday, Buttigieg said he saw opportunities to build out high-speed and other passenger rail in strongly Republican states, not just coastal, Democratic areas in the Northeast and California. He said that could reduce car-dependence, create jobs and help the environment. But he acknowledged he “can’t do it alone,” without major federal investment and support from Congress.

I notice people like Pete do not take the train. But, you peons will have no choice, unless you want to walk or bike. Why does ‘climate change’ always seem to involve authoritarian centralized government?

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Posted in AGW Socialism, Global Warming | 37 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach March 20, 2021 – 1:00 pm

…is an ocean that will soon rise up and swamp the cities, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The People’s Cube, with a post on a study showing too much patriotism in the officer’s corps.

Read: If All You See… »

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Gov. Abbott Slams China Joe Admin For Unsafe Illegal Alien Detention Centers

By William Teach March 20, 2021 – 10:30 am

I think we’re all wondering when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her comrades will fly down to the border for a photo op

Gov. Abbott slams Biden for ‘failure’ at minors facilities. DHS reportedly considers flying migrants to states near Canadian border.

The Biden administration is currently considering flying migrants to states near the Canadian border, according to the Washington Post.

Citing two unnamed Department of Homeland Security officials and an email, the report states, “A new spike in the number of families and children crossing the Rio Grande into South Texas over the past several hours is forcing U.S. Customs and Border Protection to request airplanes that will allow the Biden administration to transport migrants to states near the Canadian border for processing.”

Friday afternoon’s report of relocating migrants from the southern border to the northern border comes at the same time that the Biden administration is being slammed for “unsafe” minor migrant facilities. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released a scathing statement blasting the Biden administration for its “abject failure” in handling the immigration crisis, especially with migrant children.

“The Biden Administration has been an abject failure when it comes to ensuring the safety of unaccompanied minors who cross our border,” Abbott said in Friday’s statement. “The conditions unaccompanied minors face in these federally run facilities is unacceptable and inhumane.”

Abbott revealed that the water is unsafe at the federally-run unaccompanied minor migrant facility in Midland, Texas. Abbott said, “The Texas Commission of Environmental Quality has notified the Midland facility of their need to address the serious water issues.”

Abbott also noted that there has been a COVID-19 outbreak at the Carrizo Springs facility. Abbott deployed the Texas Department of State Health Services resources and personnel to the facility, which houses minors ages 13-17.

But, mean tweets are worse, right?

“The Biden Administration has no excuse for subjecting these children to these kinds of conditions,” Abbott’s statement reads. “President Biden’s refusal to address the border crisis is not only enabling criminal actors like human traffickers and smugglers, but it is exposing innocent unaccompanied children to illness and potentially unsafe living conditions. The administration must act now to keep these children safe, secure our border, and end this humanitarian crisis.”

“The Biden Admin. has turned a humanitarian crisis into a complete disaster,” Abbott tweeted. “They were unprepared for open border policies.”

I’m not sure about that last line. I think they were prepared: prepared to do nothing in order to create a crisis, knowing that illegals/migrants would stream to the border, all in an attempt to get an amnesty, and to hell with Americans who are suffering during COVID. This is exactly what Joe and the Democrats want. They don’t care about conditions, human traffickers, kids traveling long distance without their parents, rape and violence along the way, or anything else: they want their amnesty. They want cheap, free voters who will be on the government dole and voting Democrat.

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Superspreader? Climate Cultists Restart Fridays For Future Marches

By William Teach March 20, 2021 – 7:04 am

Interestingly, we’re getting all sorts of headlines like this

Spring breakers descend on Texas amid fears of superspreader event

Spring Break Could Be Virus Superspreader Event In Florida

But, not for stuff like this

Climate change activists restart Fridays For Future protests across the world

Climate change activists are taking to the streets worldwide as the Fridays For Future protests restart.

The weekly protests were put on hold due to the ongoing pandemic but activists from more than 60 countries, including India, Russia, Germany and Australia, have taken to the streets demanding the climate crisis be treated as an emergency.

Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate change activist, announced the return of the in-person strikes under COVID-19 guidelines to her followers on Twitter, writing: “School strike week 135. Today is the global strike! We’re striking in shifts to avoid big crowds and keep our numbers as low as possible.”

Video at the link shows a large group marching while not socially distanced

(The Salt Lake Tribune) A group of Utah teens marched to the Utah Capitol on Friday, shouting in an effort to show their concern for global climate change.

Some 80 marchers — mostly teens, with a few adults — walked from Salt Lake City Hall up State Street to the Capitol, in a local version of a “global climate strike.”

Co-organizers Natalie Roberts and Melanie Van Hook, both eighth graders at Salt Lake Arts Academy, led the march, carrying a banner that read “Invest in our future — not climate change.”

So, they’ll be giving up getting driven everywhere by mom and dad, right? And that’s a lot of people gathered closely together

Large group not really socially distanced. Besides being climanuts, isn’t this a superspreader event? Or is that OK because they’re Demanding Stuff?

A lot of people gathered together. Huh. Anyhow

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Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 20 Comments | Trackback URL

Biden Falls Up Stairs, Staff Blame It On Wind

By William Teach March 20, 2021 – 6:47 am

Hey, remember this?

https://twitter.com/the_wombat_08/status/1372947081984237573

How about this?

Biden stumbles multiple times, falls as he scales Air Force One stairs

President Biden stumbled twice and fell as he scaled the stairs to Air Force One on Friday at Joint Base Andrews.

The president was briskly climbing the stairs to the presidential jet before appearing to trip, attempting to gather himself, then tripping again. A reporter in the pool following Biden reported that it’s a windy day at Andrews.

The White House said that Biden “is doing 100% fine” after his fall.

A White House spokesperson later blamed the wind for Biden’s fall, according to the New York Post.

Seriously, they feel the need to spin everything, eh? Many, many presidents, and others, have slipped while climbing the steps. Mike Pence, Gerald Ford (once, but, will SNL do something on Biden?), Obama, and so many others. Why blame the wind? That makes it seem so much worse, when you already have people thinking Joe has lots of health issues. Simply say “he slipped. It happens. And, when you’re wearing leather soled shoes on carpet, it can be really bad.”

In all fairness, this could happen to anyone. I just wonder about the hesitation at the foot of the stairs, like he’s thinking how the heck he’s going to do this, like a drunk at 4am after waking up off the couch looking at stairs up to the bedroom.

More fun below the fold

Read More »

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Washington Post Demands Congress Go Big On Climate (scam) Or Something

By William Teach March 19, 2021 – 3:00 pm

It’s very easy for the editorial board to make this demand, since they don’t see it directly affecting their operations

This Congress must go big on climate change

THERE HAVE been many moments when it seemed as though the United States would tackle climate change, only for hopes to be dashed. Now, it has another chance. President Biden promised to put global warming at the top of his agenda, and congressional Democrats, for now clinging to narrow majorities, are beginning to offer plans.

The danger is imminent. The world cannot afford another round of nice-sounding proposals followed by inaction. Congress must go big on climate change.

One plan, the sprawling Clean Future Act, released earlier this month by the leaders of several House committees, would have the country reach net-zero greenhouse emissions by mid-century, starting with massive decarbonization of the electricity sector over the next decade. The bill would require utilities to derive increasing amounts of their electricity from clean sources, which include renewables, nuclear power and, for a limited time and at a discounted rate, natural-gas-fired power plants. The bill would invest in electric car infrastructure, compensate coal country for lost jobs and ask states to develop emissions-cutting plans that would address any areas federal programs failed to cover.

Let’s start by requiring all federally elected lawmakers who vote for this to forgo the use of fossil fueled travel. And having to live in tiny homes/apartments when in D.C.

But market-based incentives should be part of any climate legislation, for reasons of policy and politics alike. Democrats need more than their side to get a comprehensive bill. They need 10 Republican votes to reach 60 in the Senate. The only other option is using reconciliation, a parliamentary maneuver that allows budget-related bills to pass the Senate by a simple majority. But climate mandates would not qualify for reconciliation. Using reconciliation, Democrats could enact massive federal subsidies but not climate regulations. They also could impose carbon taxes, or a mix of carbon taxes and spending.

By “market based”, they mean government requirements. So, socialism, not capitalism. How about slapping a carbon tax on news operations, like the Washington Post? It would be fun to watch them scream bloody murder, eh?

In a functional Congress, this situation would produce a deal: Mr. Romney and other GOP senators would offer a carbon tax; Democrats would insist that some of its revenue go to underserved communities and renewable energy research; the nation would get a climate plan. Mr. Romney should try. Democrats should listen. If it does not work, Democrats must find another path. One way or another, this Senate must approve a strong climate policy.

I have an idea: if you Believe, practice what you preach. Easy peasey. Slap some solar panels up on the Washington Post building. Only use non-fossil fueled travel to gather and deliver the news. Voluntarily send taxes to the IRS. Go for it. No one is stopping you.

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Posted in AGW Socialism, Democrats, Global Warming, Wonky Media | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach March 19, 2021 – 1:00 pm

…is an evil fossil fueled vehicle, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Other McCain, with a post on the NYPD combating thought crimes.

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Bummer: Liberals Are Getting Tired Of Joe’s Foreign Policy

By William Teach March 19, 2021 – 10:30 am

Is Joe being smart about foreign policy? Was he basically left with little choice by the Trump administration? Is he biding his time, trying to force other things through first? Well, many Democrats have had enough of being tough on Iran

Liberals Grow Impatient With Biden’s Foreign Policy Decisions

Earlier this week, Biden administration officials passed around with bemusement some words of praise from an unexpected source: Jared Kushner.

In an opinion essay for The Wall Street Journal, Kushner, former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser on Middle East issues, said that President Joe Biden “did the right thing” and had “called Iran’s bluff” by refusing to make new concessions to lure Iran into talks about restoring a nuclear deal abandoned by the Trump administration.

Kushner may have meant well, but his seal of approval compounded a problem for Biden by inflaming liberal allies already disappointed that his nuclear diplomacy with Iran had not made swifter progress.

“I would take this in the Biden White House as a giant, blinking red light that maybe what I’m doing is not right because Jared Kushner is finding ways to praise it,” said Benjamin Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser under former President Barack Obama who worked closely on the 2015 nuclear agreement, speaking Wednesday on the “Pod Save the World” podcast.

Iran is just one of several foreign policy issues frustrating Biden’s base two months into his presidency. Although Biden delighted them with several swift actions — among them rejoining the Paris climate accord and withdrawing support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen — he triggered frustration by ordering an airstrike in Syria and declining to punish the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, over the brutal murder of a dissident journalist and U.S. resident, Jamal Khashoggi.

But, what they’re most upset about is not kowtowing to Iran. They really, really, really want to bow to Iran, not caring what it means, and, a lot of that is because liberals hate Israel and Jews.

On Wednesday, Biden fueled the discontent when he conceded in an interview with ABC News that it would be “tough” to meet a May 1 deadline, set under the Trump administration, to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, a high priority for liberals impatient to end what they call “endless” American wars.

Sounds like they should have voted for Trump who would have made the deadline.

The Middle East, which Biden officials hope to de-emphasize as they turn America’s attention to China, is the source of many complaints. Topping the list is Biden’s decision not to unilaterally rejoin the Iran nuclear deal by reversing harsh sanctions imposed on Iran by Trump after he abandoned the agreement in 2018.

Iran says it will not talk, much less scale back its advancing nuclear program and comply with the deal’s limits, until Biden acts.

Supporters of the original deal, including Obama administration officials who helped to design it, say the passage of time only allows for political opposition to build at home and for events in the dangerous region to trigger an escalation.

Told you, Iran is their most important thing in foreign policy. Why? Seriously, why do liberals want to normalize relations and such with Iran so badly? A nation that says death to America and death to Israel routinely. One which is directly responsible for hundreds, if not more, of American deaths, and thousands of injuries.

Anyhow, it’s a long article, worth the read.

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Posted in Democrats, Iran, Joe Biden | 11 Comments | Trackback URL

There’s A Right To Fight Climate Crisis (scam) Or Something

By William Teach March 19, 2021 – 7:06 am

Well, sure, people have a right to fight climate change, at least here in the U.S., where we have freedom to do things we want, right? They’re welcome to agitate for redress of grievance. They’re welcome to give up their own use of fossil fuels, take the bus, ride the train, walk or bike, go vegan, live in a tiny home, turn the AC up to 80 and the heat down to 60. Take short showers and only use 2 sheets of TP. But, that’s not what they mean by a Right to fight

Restoring Financial Regulators’ Right to Fight Climate Change

The Biden administration has pledged to make the climate crisis a top-tier issue, authorizing a “whole of government” to take on climate change. That would mean the responsibility to legislate environmental action wouldn’t be left up only to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, but would extend to all agencies, including financial regulators.

Sherman Potter Bull Cookies

This is why we can’t have nice things: climate cultists think that the Executive Office legislates. They don’t seem to understand or have knowledge of the document that is meant to guide all government in the United States. Seriously, literally the first paragraph after the preamble reads “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.” The Framers thought the Legislative body was more important than the Executive, having a huge section on the Legislative first, with the Exec described in Article II. And, let’s not forget, prior to the 17th Amendment the Senate was composed of senators hand picked by state general assemblies, so, they were each voting for the legislative priorities of their own individual states, not their parties or “consciousness.”

Already, over the past few weeks, Biden’s Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it will update its guidelines on how climate risks should be disclosed to investors, and launched a task force to focus on climate-related compliance and misconduct. The SEC has also refused to help ExxonMobil block a shareholder vote on a climate-change resolution. (Although the commission did just let the company reject a shareholder proposal to force the operation to disclose what it plans to do with its untapped fossil fuel assets.)

Do they have the statutory power to do this? Perhaps, since Congress has been negligent over the years in giving Executive Office agencies way to much power and latitude to do as they choose.

For much of the latter third of the 20th Century, corporate law was dominated by the idea best summarized in economist Milton Friedman’s influential 1962 book Capitalism and Freedom that “Corporations have no higher purpose than maximizing profits for their shareholders.” In the last decade, however, shareholders have begun to push for more responsible corporate citizenship, particularly with regards to climate change.

If shareholders aren’t pushing for a return on investment, then what’s the point in being a shareholder? Oh, right, these people are left-wing kooks, pushing Modern Socialism.

Shareholder advocacy organizations are planning to legally challenge the previous administration’s attempts to clamp down on corporate climate action, and the Biden administration is not expected to let many of Trump’s financial policies stand.

WTF is a shareholder advocacy organization? Is that like people who don’t hold shares who demand that those who do Comply with their demands? Why can no one mind their own business these days, especially when it has to do with Forcing Other People to comply?

As chair of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which works to shield the economic system from crashes, Yellen also has the ability to push all federal regulators to enact strong climate policies, such as strict limitations on fossil fuel investments. The council could also take the aggressive steps to take any other actions it deems appropriate to address climate risks, even banning fossil fuel investments altogether.

I’ll say it again: the fossil fuels companies should refuse to sell their product to these groups/agencies if they take these actions.

Read: There’s A Right To Fight Climate Crisis (scam) Or Something »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, AGW Socialism, Global Warming | 1 Comment | Trackback URL
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