It seems that climate advocate Bill McKibben has jumped the shark. As evident on the 350.org website, it is no longer about climate in any way shape or form, of course, based on past behavior, it probably never was. Just have a look at some of the recent pronouncements from the 350.org website:
and from two days ago…
Listen to what McKibben and some of his fellow protestors have to say:
But even our own Willis Eschenbach thinks the XL pipeline issue is ridiculous, because there is really only one question: Where will the oil be burned?
I think this image sums up this farce pretty well:
I wonder what corporate airline Bill McKibben uses to jet around the world to speak of the evils of CO2 and corporations?
The only thing missing from the picture (though it is likely in there somewhere) is Apple Corporation, purveyor of (in my opinion, highly overpriced) computers which have an almost fanatical following in some circles.Now before you launch into an automatic Mac-vs-PC war, please read why I’m pointing this out.
Apple is company number one (according to Bloomberg) in growth and revenue, and #1 in tech (according to NYT) but the same people who complain about Wall Street, think nothing of getting fleeced by Apple for a computer you can buy for about a third of the price elsewhere.
While everyone is free to choose what computer works best for them, I find that lack of labeling of Apple as a “greedy corporation” very ironic, particularly in light of the worker abuse, child labor problems and environmental problems left in the wake of the manufacturing of Apple’s products in China. It is doubly ironic that some of the loudest and most acidic voices about climate and greed, are Apple product users, and raise not a peep about such problems. Apple gets a pass, probably because the Goreacle endorses the company and sits on its board.
But that’s a side issue, especially when one of the most intelligent and reasonable persons I know, WUWT author Willis Eschenbach, is a Mac user. I only point out Apple Corporation in this context because the occupy protesters and climate activists don’t see the very profitable and ethically/ecologically questionable Apple Corporation as being in the same class of evil corporations they protest for the very same reasons.
The real issue with “occupy” is the lack of rational thought and direction by this “movement”. Even the MSM and some university newspapers are noticing this. For example, watch this video from “occupyAtlanta”. They are actually proud of making a civil rights leader leave.
And in case you were wondering about the political angle, be sure to recite the Marxist chant:
The mindless droning has spread to Seattle:
They may as well be chanting Imhotep Imhotep! Imhotep!!
There’s a name for people like this: useful idiots.
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Obama winks to them on his way to a $38,000/plate fundraiser.
Grizzled Bear says:
October 9, 2011 at 12:53 pm
And when major corporations like GE can get away with paying little or no taxes, that’s just plain wrong.
Where does the money come from that Corporations use to pay their taxes? Don’t they add the cost of the taxes to their products, so that when you and I buy them, we end up paying the tax?
And to pay that tax don’t we need to work for a corporation, and doesn’t the government take a good chunk of what we earn as taxes as well. So, in the end, when the government taxes a corporation $1, you and I have to work to earn $2. $1 to pay our taxes, and $1 to pay the corporations taxes. And that is before we even start to pay for the product itself.
If you want a fair system, eliminate income tax all together. Replace it with a sales tax on NEW items only. Let people earn as much as they like, tax free. Only tax them when they spend. This will encourage savings, and it will eliminate much of the tax for the poor who tend to buy second-hand (used) goods anyways.
The system will be much simpler and lower cost, as the number of retail store required to collect the taxes is only a fraction of the number of the number of people that currently file taxes. The main advantage of the system is that the government would no longer have any idea how much you and I earn each year.
The number 1 reason governments like the income tax is because it removes the citizens right to privacy. What possible business is it of the governments how much you and I earn? That should be strictly private unless and until you ask for a hand out.
“Doug in Seattle says:
October 9, 2011 at 1:52 pm
What really gets me about these wall street protesters is the zombie chant repetition of everything they are told by their “leaders”.
What is that about? It just makes them look and sound stupid.”
It is essentially a form of propaganda that you’d expect to see in a cult. I don’t know what explanation as given to them to repeat like that or who trained the “community organizers” like that, but it is essentially a form of mirroring.
It is meant to bring about greater group bonds and conformity.
In short, they are being brainwashed, but for what, or whose, purpose?
Tom says:
October 9, 2011 at 1:52 pm
“So climate change is the designer cause du jour for the rebel without a cause, 2011 edition. ”
Ah, no… a few climateers like McKibben try to get in but they’re also-rans. Just go to youtube and search for Anonymous. You get a slew of their videos, all featuring a lengthy well-made computer animation intro followed by some manifesto staccato by a computer voice which is difficult to understand against a backdrop of opera music; accompanied by the usual generic demo TV scenes. In general they use the overindebtedness of Western nations and the resulting inconveniences (like a dropping standard of living for many) as motivation; ignoring climate change entirely.
The REASON for this financial crisis IS of course the vast amounts of money squandered on renewable subsidies, crazy CO2 taxation schemes; throttling manufacturing in the West for two decades now, moving jobs eastwards. But Anonymous and OccupyWallStreet are not analytic enough to understand that. The correlation of CO2 emissions and GDP and wealth is unrefutable so the throttling of CO2 emissions MUST have an effect; and that effect accumulates over time when your competition, China, can act without this brake on their economy.
The more analytically minded of the Left, the institutionalized part, like OECD, try to handwave their way out by suggesting to measure the wealth of a nation not via the GDP but via some new to-be-defined metric like a National Happiness Product, but that doesn’t change anything. As we see in Greece, they’re not too happy now. Their GDP also goes down. The correlation holds.
Troed Sångberg says:
October 9, 2011 at 2:11 pm
“@DirkH The Pirate Party movement is both international and quite well defined in what future they would like to see.”
Thank you, but I looked at the party program of the German section, specifically under Economics; and found a page in their wiki that said “Here should be our common economic position”.
They don’t have one.
If you want to rule and you can’t tell me what kind of economic system you want, you’re a nutter; and you will end up as a leftist as soon as a few experienced cadres from the Left get into your movement and fill this void.
AND once again I think we go ‘a bridge too far’; as if being “Taxed Enough Already” is not sufficient to rise in lawful, peaceful protest …
.
I have some sympathies with these people and their protest. It is difficult to make sacrifices and believe that we are all in this financial crisis together when we see banks that have been bailed out by the government awarding themselves massive bonuses that we as tax payers are funding.
Having said that, confusing a valid issue with a debatable stance on climate change is really unforgivable and detracts from the validity of their protests.
DirkH says:
October 9, 2011 at 1:36 pm
“That was an effect of losses they incurred the year before.”
Nice try. Reference http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/01/ge-exxon-walmart-business-washington-corporate-taxes.html for Forbes take on it. Uncanny how GE Capital just manages to lose money each and every year, isn’t it? Just enough to lower their contribution to YOUR government. I’m not American. I stand back and shake my head at how FOX can attack evil money grubbing teachers, yet ignore the true fat cats avoiding paying their share. My wife is American. Left the U.S. when she was 8. Has never “enjoyed the privileges” of American citizenship. Now, the IRS, desperate to bring in more and more money, is threatening her for failure to file a U.S. income tax return for the past 25 years. WUWT? American society has become so polarized. Each side is so convinced it’s ALL the other guy’s fault. And then you add reality challenged loudmouths like McKibben to the mix… damn! I admit I’m an outsider. But being outside allows me some measure of perspective.
LET’S check the timeline, shall we?
– June 9, 2011 – a Canadian anti-consumerist magazine* called Adbusters (http://www.adbusters.org/) registers the domain name occupywallstreet.org
– July 13, 2011 – Adbusters makes the initial proposal for a peaceful demonstration to occupy Wall Street.[3]
– July 14, 2011 – independent activists register occupywallst.org
– August 2 – with the “debt-ceiling deadline” of midnight August 2 drawing near a group calling itself “New Yorkers Against Budget Cuts” chooses this day to incorporate their “General Assembly” with another group holding a strategy session for OWS. The two groups join in a demonstration at the Charging Bull at 4:30 pm. Afterwards, these two groups “gather into working groups to plan for the September 17 event.”
– August 23 – The hacktivist group Anonymous encourages its followers to take part in the protest.
– September 3, 2011: A planning session for Occupy Wall Street is held at night in Tompkins Square Park
– September 17 (Day 1) – the beginning of the Occupy Wall Street gathering. An estimated 1,000 people[7] attend on the first day. NYPD police officers prohibit protesters from erecting tents, citing loitering rules. Masses of people walk up and down Wall Street. Roseanne Barr speaks to protesters during the first day of the demonstration.
More details see:
Per: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Occupy_Wall_Street
Adbusters history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adbusters
Note the bold above?
Also, it should be noted that such cities as Seattle have had on-going mini-protests through the last dozen or so years with essentially the same ‘core’ issue protested. It has only been as a result of additional organizing over the past three or four months that the ‘occupy’ even(s) have seen those plans to fruition.
.
Mods – Looks like one flew into the spam filter (don’t know why either)! TIA _Jim
Mike H. says:
October 9, 2011 at 1:27 pm
That Seattle get together had the feel of a religious revival.
The Seattle Communist movement been in a slump for quite a while….I’m sure we have more then a few that would like to ‘relive the glory’.
http://depts.washington.edu/labhist/cpproject/timeline.shtml
“There’s a name for people like this: useful idiots.”
A.K.A drones, zombies and green socialist voters. :p
It amazes me the blindness of the 350 crowd who are now protesting the banks that have been backing the carbon trading scam that promised to deliver 100s of billions of dollars in yearly commission revenue into there already very deep pockets.
Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, HSBC, Citbank, Bank of America all belong to the “To Big to Fail” club of FED Primary Dealer banks that have been bailed out off the back of main street america taxes by the Bush and Obama administrations (no change there), and all would be lining up to feed at the golden trough of carbon revenue.
Damn, dude. It’s one thing to deny that there’s a climate, but dissing on Apple is going to make you seriously controversial.
REPLY: I’m not doing anything but pointing out what others have said about the company. While I make other choices for my own computer use, Apple has an an undeiable flair and success, and that’s what capitalism allows. For many people, it is the best choice. -Anthony
So explain the Obama banner in the background. Who again pushed for TARP, and handed all that money out to the banks?
David says:
October 9, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Your offhanded dismissal of this movement is very saddening. “Down with evil corporations” is not the message. “Get the big corporate money out of politics” is the message. The AGW crowd trying to get involved is irrelevant……………
=============================================================
Its very relevant. It exposes the concerted efforts. The OWS crowd are trying to pretend this is a grass roots movement. It is nothing of the sort. It was a concerted effort to dilute the message and prevent a serious discussion of the reforms needed.
I get to watch videos of an organizer acknowledging that some of the protesters are getting paid. People are holding signs up, written in English, yet the ones holding the signs can’t speak a word of it. Its a joke. A very poor joke. They are asking us to believe a Soros machination endorsed by Huffington is anti- Wall Street? Riiiight.
The thing is, 90% of this country agrees that the money diverted to the banks and large corporations was tantamount to theft of the people. I can get behind that idea. But when you’ve got a bunch of imbeciles stating they don’t know why they’re there other than to rage against the man, then I’m repulsed from the movement. Its like they get 1/2 of the equation but don’t know how they got there. Do they have any idea why the banks were headed toward default? Do they not understand that the federal government played a large role in making the banks extended as they were? And that the banks and government, in pursuit of social equality were responsible for the housing market failure. Do they not realize how large corporate interests are now intractably tied to the workers retirement?
It is the protested stubbornness and failure to accept reality as the very reason why we can’t move forward from here. Add to that now 350.org’s advocacy……….. the deprivation of essential energy and fuel that prevents empowering individuals. We’ll never move forward with those pinheads. And the organizers of this know that.
Grizzled Bear says:
October 9, 2011 at 2:34 pm
“Uncanny how GE Capital just manages to lose money each and every year, isn’t it?”
Every citizen tries to get every tax rebate he can. Why should a company ignore that.
“Just enough to lower their contribution to YOUR government. I’m not American.”
Me neither. See: When they have to pay more taxes, less money will go to the shareholders or the employees. Less tax will be paid by those groups. Dividends are taxed. Wages are taxed. The state can’t lose.
Economics 101: Corporation’s do not pay taxes, their customers do. Many times.
The idea that ‘big corporate money’ is ruining politics in the US is an amazing claim from groups supported by Soros and unions.
Madoff, the biggest thief of our time, was a huge democratic party contributor.
Soros is buying off media players by the dozen. And unions,representing workers who vote something like 40% Republican,are forcing their members to pay dues that are in effect simply ways to launder money that goes over 90% to democrats.
Union exemptions, and media exemptions tobe as pro-democrat as they are has been tolerated for decades.
The Supreme Court points out that the people who control corporations are as free to express themselves politically as unions or media is driving the democrats and other lefties crazy.
Well suck it up.
We on the right get to vote as well.
We get to play on a more even playing field now, thanks to the USSC.
The idea that the same government that is funding corrupt climate science and screwing up the postal service is going to conduct a free and fair election b y controlling the money is a cynical joke.
Clever Anarchist strategy, just requires the dummies to perform on script, reminds me of the political media “nodders” trained to nod when their “leader” speaks. Good to see that some had the good sense to walk away from a mindless mob. More power to those individuals!!
David says:
October 9, 2011 at 2:01 pm
******
If these morons actually cared about getting corporate money out of Washington, it would be one thing, but most of them think it’s more fun to carry a sign and shout at “the man” than find a job. These are the same people who go to a $50k a year liberal arts college, graduate with a bachelor’s in English literature, and get pissed off because they can’t even get hired as a Starbucks barista – just a group of “frustrated” hippies who are looking for someone else to blame their problems on.
I agree 100% with this post – what was a good idea has become a pitiful joke.
/end conservative rant
———————–
DirkH says:
October 9, 2011 at 2:21 pm
******
“The REASON for this financial crisis IS of course the vast amounts of money squandered on renewable subsidies, crazy CO2 taxation schemes…”
I don’t think that’s entirely true. There are obviously some negative short-term economic impacts resulting from regulation, but it’s kind of unrealistic to suggest that subsidies for renewable energy and CO2 taxes caused the financial crisis, especially if you’re talking about the US, where there isn’t a nation-wide carbon tax (or in the large majority of states, for that matter).
Also, there’s no national happiness product – or at least no serious person would try to argue that there is. There are things like Green Net National Product, which subtracts environmental damage from GDP, but even countries like oh-so-scary China have been incorporating environmental degradation into their GDP calculations – for quite a few years now. See http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-06/06/content_609350.htm for evidence. (BTW, that source is state-run and represents the government’s views, not some liberal academic somewhere.)
The Chant:
What do we want? We want “it”
When do we want “it”?. We want “it” now.
Where do we get “it”? From those who have “it”.
Why have they got “it”?. They went and earned “it”.
How do we get “it”?
We shout about “it” until they give “it” to us.
Why would they do that?
To shut us up and get us off the street so they can earn more of “it”.
Keep shouting.
[snip – you don’t know what my opinion is sir, and since you don’t have the integrity to put your own names to your own opinion, I won’t have you declare what you “know” mine is or isn’t – Anthony]
This “anarchist organisation” has a narrow path to tread: protest government without protesting obama.
Also, I’m a PC user.