Guest Post by Willis Eschenbach — crossposted from my blog, Skating Under The Ice
Let me start by saying that I’m a huge fan and frequent user of our National Park System. I’m also a dedicated and lifelong conservationist, concerned with our natural environment that is the basis of all life. So please don’t take the following as being opposed to true environmentalism. I’m not. I’m opposed to political activism under the name and imprimatur of the National Park Service.
After the Trump Administration told the Department of the Interior to shut down all their Twitter accounts because they were being used for partisan political purposes by Democratic government employees, some National Park Service employees got in a huff about how their rights were being violated. So they put together a new Twitter account called AltUSNatParkService. Here’s the header on their page, in case they change it:
I cracked up when I saw that, I thought “Man, they just hung themselves out to dry, they just blew it bad!”.
Setting that question aside for the moment, under the aegis of this new account they are all about the climate and other virtue-signalling subjects, viz:
They’re organizing meetings and the like because of these fears. Gotta say … I’m getting tired of people trotting out their fears and using these fears to justify all kinds of actions. I get it that folks are afraid. And I know that the fear they feel is real. But that is not sufficient reason for me to automatically take their fears seriously and buy into their fright, particularly if nothing untoward has happened to date. It’s just baseless fears.
In any case, they’ve shot themselves in the foot. They are putting themselves out as if they represent or are part of the real National Park Service, both by their name and even to the extent of using the official arrowhead emblem of the Park Service on their Twitter site, as seen above. Clearly amateur hour. Here’s more about the arrowhead, it’s not some random symbol.
What is the origin of the National Park Service arrowhead?
The arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The components of the arrowhead may have been inspired by key attributes of the National Park System, with the sequoia tree and bison representing vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water representing scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead itself representing historical and archeological values. Read more about the history of the arrowhead and other elements of NPS visual design.
Why is their using the arrowhead a huge mistake? Because using it is not just a bad idea. It is a crime to use the official NPS “arrowhead” emblem without specific permission from the NPS:
Use of the NPS arrowhead symbol and badge is governed by 36 CFR Part 11. Unauthorized use is a criminal offense, punishable in accordance with 18 USC 641 and 701.
And because that defines it a Federal crime (USC for “US Code”), that lets the Administration call in the FBI to identify the anonymous folks behind this account. And being NFS employees they can hardly claim ignorance of the law. When they sign on, in their New Employee Handbook they are given links to the following:
|
Documents Containing Selected Topic
|
As a result, it should be very easy to find and fire these government employees for cause, because they are falsely representing themselves by using the official NPS arrowhead, and they know or should know that’s both illegal and wrong. However … civil service laws may get in the way.
And if the civil service laws do get in the way, I sincerely hope Trump adds those laws to his list.
The best part to me about these kinds of spontaneous outbursts of righteous indignation is their generally Darwinian nature … and after eight years of government employees being allowed to run wild as long as it was the approved liberal and Democratic style of wild, I suspect we’ll see more of these outbursts before we run out of candidates for the Bureaucratic Darwin Award.
The tragedy in this is that it detracts from majesty and mystery of the parks that these folks are supposed to protect, and makes them into a political football. That we don’t need.
w.
PS-If you are commenting please QUOTE THE EXACT WORDS YOU ARE DISCUSSING. That way we can all understand just what your subject is.
UPDATE: 1/27/17 9:45AM
It seems they had to abandon use of the official park service logo shortly after this post by Willis was published:
And this is what their Twitter page looks like now:
Alt-Idiots. They probably aren’t aware of the Acceptable Use Policy for the government run Internet accessible network. That will be their next challenge.
-Anthony
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It takes some folks a little longer to catch on…
Just finished moving my entire retirement portfolio into the pulp and paper industry.
Gonna be a big demand for “pink slips” in the near term ……
I hope you included Depends in your portfolio. Gonna be some pants wetting/shitting going on too.
“Never underestimate the power of a large group of stupid people!”Einstein
“Use of the NPS arrowhead symbol and badge is governed by 36 CFR Part 11. Unauthorized use is a criminal offense, punishable in accordance with 18 USC 641 and 701.”
Just an indication of ‘too much regulation’. Maybe it’s an atlatl and not an arrowhead at all.
Life is too short to get worked up (on either side) about the minutiae.
Will be happy when we move on and return to discussing the science. We’ll never agree on the politics and associated.
“Just an indication of ‘too much regulation’.”
Incorrect Danny. For most government organisations, these symbols are covered by laws equivalent of copyright and intellectual property rights that protect individuals and businesses from having their work copied, stolen, used for illicit purposes, or simply to defraud others. Much like it is an offence to impersonate a member of the police or a military service, or to wear medals representing battle honours that were never conferred.
These symbols are fundamental to the trust these organisations are given by the people of their country. So it is not about too much regulation, because these symbols matter. If you are still unsure about it, check with your nearest veteran.
Danny Thomas January 25, 2017 at 8:33 pm
Sadly, Danny, these days this IS the science. These people are spreading all kinds of scientific half-truths and falsehoods, under the imprimateur of the US Government. That is both unacceptable and illegal.
My best to you,
w.
Willis,
While I respect your capability I respectfully disagree. This is not science, today’s or otherwise. Science is why I read here. Very little recently has been so oriented. In fact, IMO, you’re promoting today’s ‘science’ (by your own apparent definition—-> politics). Please utilize your abilities alternatively (or not, your choice).
As we do agree it’s unacceptable, promotion seems like a less than viable use of energies. It only leads to ‘yeah…….our team. Boo, theirs’ which has received much derision under prior administration. This isn’t useful. Your opinion may vary and is valid as is mine. But they’re both just opinions.
We’ve complained for years about the injection of politics and yet here we’re doing the same. Can we not do heighten the discussion? Please ignore this. It deserves not the attention.
Looking forward to reading that which excludes the ‘we won, get over it’ meme. The rest is deletion material. Having been a participant for a relatively short time (+/- 3 years) chastisement of interjection of politics has been a rampant theme. Please don’t provide greater reach under current administration. Bad behavior (no matter the side) does not deserve a larger distribution.
My regards.
Danny
Sometimes you have to swim through the crap to get to the clear water.
Thanks, Danny. This site has never been just about the science part of climate science. It is also about the political aspects of climate science, of which this is one. This is not “Yay for us boo for you”, far from it.
The climate alarmists have long used the government to spread their radical ideas about the climate. Having often called for the government to get out of the climate advocacy business, I am overjoyed that this is occurring.
Now that it is occurring, of course, with reasonable regulations coming back into force, people are trying to get the word out in any way that they can. In this case they are doing it ILLEGALLY.
This site has very high visibility. It is important for people to understand what is going on. It is important to provide posts that people can point to when they are challenged, so they can say “Yes, what the alarmists are doing is illegal, not just anti-scientific, but illegal”. That is why I have researched the laws and regulations, so you and everyone else can be crystal clear about the underhanded methods used by climate alarmists.
So when you say “Please ignore this. It deserves not the attention.”, I totally disagree. For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing. I am not someone who sits by while the fight is going on. I provide ammunition for the fight in the form of knowledge, facts, and ideas that point the way to the future.
For example, some months ago I wrote about how the Palestinian entry into the UNFCCC gave us the chance to stop spending billions on climate madness. You would diss this as not being about the science … but today it looks like it might actually come true. Did I have a part in that? If so, only a tiny one … but I’m a guy who lights a candle instead of cursing the darkness.
So Danny, if I have a chance to push things in a direction that can save billions of dollars from being wasted on UN wankathons … should I not do that? Is that not just as important, and perhaps more important given that it is billions of dollars, than some soon-forgotten post on the uncertainties of the “climate sensitivity” value?
Best regards, and thanks for your thoughts,
w.
Willis,
Again, and completely with respect: “The climate alarmists have long used the government to spread their radical ideas about the climate. Having often called for the government to get out of the climate advocacy business, I am overjoyed that this is occurring.”
Some radical (IMO), some viable (also IMO).
Where I’m ‘overjoyed’ is when reasonable folks have reasonable discussion about reasonable topics. This topic, IMO, does not deserve the attention. I’m not a fan of promotion of bad behavior (either side).
Trump won. Time to move on. Give the man a chance. Speak up against that which one disagrees, sure. But a post? On this?
How does this post help save ‘billions of dollars’? I don’t see it. This is a gnat.
Should you speak up? You bet. I’ll stand with you if I agree or not w/r/t content. Just as I’ll stand with the scientists in white coats in the middle of a non violent ‘women’s march’ while I whine vociferously about exclusion of the ‘right to lifers’s as that is equally ‘a choice’ under the heading of pro ‘choice’.
“The climate alarmists have long used the government to spread their radical ideas about the climate. Having often called for the government to get out of the climate advocacy business,” yet here we are advocating for an alternative. Advocacy is advocacy and (again IMO) it’s politics informing science. Just once (actually perpetually) the science should inform the science. Politics be damned. WUWT can indeed be more of the same when it comes to a forum for political views. What’s the point? Your voice seems to be saying let’s involve the politics. My voice is saying the politics will never be settled let’s focus on the science. Eventually, filtering out the politics, the science should become settled. It’s not as of today, and interjecting politics to a greater extent insures it won’t.
I respect your view and your input. I don’t think one of us must be ‘wrong’. But continuation of the same only from the other side expecting different results…………well……….you know.
Palestinians and climate sensitivity are ‘off topic’, IMO.
Willis, I appreciate and read your participation. This does not equate to your always being ‘correct’ in your views. I may be off base, but you may be too.
I thank you for the interaction. Would there be more reasonable disagreement as opposed to ‘you’re wrong, I’m right’ (or vise versa) global temperatures may be reduced. 😉
Willis, you used the following Edmund Burke quote “For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.” I’ve always felt that “necessary for good men to do nothing” is an oxymoron as doing nothing is usually not considered a trait of a good man. Rather, evil will triumph if no one stands against it. Good men, like you, ARE standing against the deceit and corruption of the climate change crowd.
imvho: science is a debate. i agree that there is also a political side.
but radically censoring is touching at the right of freedom of speech.
if rightfull AGW skeptics wish to be associated with that, i pass.
just ponder that little detail
So, let them break the law, Frederik?
Danny Thomas,
“This topic, IMO, does not deserve the attention.” Then why are you giving it so much?
DHR,
Fair point. Please make note that my ‘attention’ comes in the form of a couple of comments from a post on a very well read website. Distinction?
Had the post not been presented, the comments would not have followed.
Frederik, nobody is denying them the right to say whatever they want. However they can be prosecuted for falsely claiming to represent the government while using that free speech.
Danny is ordering us to shut up. I’d call THAT bad behaviour. Do not feed the troll.
Jorge,
Ordering? I made a suggestion to Willis. He can accept or reject. It seems there are just better uses for ‘one of the best science sites’ with a header stating “The world’s most viewed site on global warming and climate change’.
If you care to ‘feed the troll further’ please share what the beneficial result will be at the end of this thread. Greater edification? Expanded knowledge? Bouncing a ball?
Regards,
It isn’t minutiae. Misuse of Government symbols allows people to impersonate Government organisations, which is exactly what these people are trying to do. Protecting the symbols is fundamental to protecting the integrity of Government operations.
Hivemind,
Respectfully intended. As a citizen, I pay for it and own it.
As my T-shirt reads: “I AM, We the people”.
Oops, there goes the other foot.
I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that these fools set all this up on work time.
Willis, maybe a direct link to their Twit page and a quick scan of the times they are posting would be of interest.
Danny, then I can go around telling people that I am an FBI agent?
After all, we the people pay for the FBI.
Mark W,
They clearly state they are ‘alt’ and even comment the ‘official site’ had been ‘taken’.
You can wear FBI ‘branded’ clothing. Stating one is an agent is a different kettle o’ fish.
I can only wear FBI branded clothing if I pay the royalty fee when I buy it.
MarkW,
Royalty fee? To whom (or what)?
Back to the NPS.
Cannot find the ratified version, but please see section 5.4 and 6.0: https://www.nps.gov/policy/DOrders/DO-52D–45-day.pdf
In part, 5.4: “Within the body of published media when the use is descriptive or referential. This may include, for example, books and news media that reference the National Park Service, provided that it does not imply NPS authorship, review, or endorsement.)
When the Arrowhead is used in these ways, the context must not imply affiliation with or endorsement by the NPS. In addition, the Service may insist that it be accompanied by the registered trademark symbol (®) and/or a credit line or disclaimer stating (for example): “[This organization] is not affiliated with the National Park Service and our [products, services, activities] are not licensed or endorsed by the National Park Service.”
Entities outside the NPS may, with permission, use the Arrowhead to graphically identify a hyperlink to an NPS website, provided that:
The context does not imply affiliation with or endorsement by the NPS;
The graphic is accompanied by the registered trademark symbol (®); and
A disclaimer similar to the example in the previous paragraph is included.”
This is referenced and follow from: https://www.nps.gov/policy/DOrders/DOrder52A.html
An example in action which you may find of interest: https://www.doioig.gov/sites/doioig.gov/files/JonathanJarvis_Public.pdf (cited specifically on page 11 but the balance in an interesting read.)
Now of course we can nitpik from here if this use has been trademarked, disclaimed, and meets the subsection 5.4 requirements but there it is.
Danny Thomas,
I’ve read your comments and respect your position, but seriously? Do you work in government? Many (if not most) of us who work in the private sector would be fired immediately if we did anything against company policies, and especially if we broke the law. Government employees work also according to rules and law and don’t have any special dispensation to ignore whatever they want to. are you saying that because they are government employees, their free speech rights allow them to break the law with impunity, but since I’m not a government employee I can’t? Sorry, you’re wrong, or you need to get me a government job.
Phil R,
Thank you. No I’m not a government employee, have never been. I assure you’d that if an employee of a private firm on their own time (making assumptions here) created an Alt-Exxon or Alt-Greenpeace site I would equally support their right to free speech and opinion. Caveat that they not publish proprietary.
I don’t suggest impunity, but neither do I suggest greater censoring.
IMO (FWIW) much like the marches this will likely wind up much ado. It’s what changes (if any) in real world that come about that matters.
I don’t follow any of the groups by the way. I respect that they choose involvement. Just like I respect Willis’ choice to ‘sound the alarm’ over the chosen methods. I just think there are improved ways for each to go about their business and Willis, to his credit accepted that criticism while agreeing to disagree and we’ve moved on.
Appreciate your viewpoint.
the atlatl was a tool that increased the utility (the speed, and range) of thrown spears, it wasnt a tip of a projectile.
But the points of atl-atl projectiles (often called darts) do resemble arrowheads, albeit usually larger.
David,
Thank you for the clarification. I should have use the term atlalt dart or atlatl dart point.
Dart is to atl-atl as arrow is to bow.
An arrow is an arrow is a dart. It doesn’t matter whether it’s launched from a bow or an atlatl.
Mark,
Atl-atl projectiles are shaped quite differently from arrows. They can look more like spears or javelins than arrows. Atl-atls are also called spear-throwers.
Crossbow arrows are called bolts because they too are shaped differently from arrows.
A hunting dart might be nine feet long.
Try using the McDonald’s symbol on your web site and see how long it takes before the lawyers are knocking.
The AGW has been about politics from the beginning.
Try using the Olympic rings and they will come a knockin as they have done several times in the past.
+many
An atlatl? Your eyes must be giving you trouble. An atlatl is a spear-thrower.
Maybe it’s an alt-atlatal?
James Schrumpf – “Maybe it’s an alt-atlatal?”
Too funny. +1
I recently had an exchange like this with an engineer at another website, who was all enthusiastic about new technology to control certain power-plant emissions (i.e., CO2 emissions). I brought up the issue of the basis of such technology’s being in question, and he accused me of focusing on politics rather than science.
My question to him was, as it is to you, … when politics dictates HOW science is applied, how can we NOT focus on politics in the same context of science ? We simply cannot separate the politics, since politics ENABLES science to operate in the real world. When politics abuses this, then it abuses/misuses/substitutes for science, and this is an insult to science that needs to be dealt with, before science can progress.
When politicians force people to give up their money either in taxes or costs due to regulation, it is incumbent on those politicians to to insure it is necessary and at the least cost. If you believe in CAGW then spending is ok, if you don’t believe then the spending is not ok.
I would have asked the engineer to elucidate on the benefits of higher CO2 to see if he had ever considered those or just took the word of the politician that there are no benefits and only costs.
Erm…politics does NOT enable science to work, in the real world or anywhere else.
I went on the Yellowstone NP site to find this. I believe all the National Park sites and brochures promote this. The park rangers are trained to put out human caused climate change information as a given:
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/global-climate-change.htm
I believe that this year snowfall in the western National Parks is above average:
http://cams.jacksonholewebcams.com/tetonvillage/tetonvillage.jpg
https://www.nps.gov/features/yell/webcam/oldFaithfulStreaming.html
There are many live webcams of the NPs.
And here at Creator Lake:
https://www.nps.gov/crla/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm
But it is the politics that is the problem. Frankly, if climate change was just science, i wouldn’t be very interested – other bits of science i find more interesting than endlessly arguing about models.
But the science is influencing politics, and that is why it is vital to get the science right.
Hi Danny,
I come from the opposite position. To me, the science is the science and alarmists can trot out study after study after study to win any scientific debate by sheer volume.
I am more interested in the process that creates science. If you can demonstrate that the process that creates science is flawed, you can win the debate and get people to understand that the reality of climate science is far more open for discussion than they were led to believe.
This is an example of advocacy masquerading as a scientifically run agency and is thus important for people to understand. They are exposed to a tiny part of the process that is guiding the understanding of climate science by the voters.
Just my perspective 🙂
Reasonable Skeptic,
With respect, no “process” creates science.” Science itself is not a “thing” to be created. Science itself IS a process, or a method of study to investigate the natural or physical world.
Then you have demonstrated that science itself is flawed and an never win the debate.
D*mnit. Where’s the edit?
and can never …
Exactly, Danny.
I’ve been visiting and reading on this website off and on for several years … I would have stopped long ago if I knew it was going to turn into the Official Donald J. Trump Promotional Website, as it seems to be these days.
And, as far as promoting worthless shit to argue over, as the author of this post is doing, does he really mean to suggest that the best use of government resources is to criminally prosecute private citizens for unauthorized use of an NPS graphic?
Oh, and by the way, posting the very same graphic on your web site here makes both the author and the website owner equally liable for unauthorized use of the NPS logo.
Really???
Stop reading and go somewhere else.
Oh, and no, it doesn’t. Fair use (dumb*ss).
Phil R seems to be a typical Trumpian blowhard, who seem intent on suppressing any speech they don’t like revealing them for the authoritarians that they are.
and btw … fair use applies, if it applies .. applies just as much to private citizens exercising their free speech rights as to blowhard anti-warmist rants here … sauce for the goose and sauce for the gander.
Interesting. Law is NOT regulation. And whether or not you find this as minutiae or not something to get worked up about, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have significance to others. Your opinion is, your opinion, and unless the blog owner thinks it doesn’t belong here, then it does.
(It does not look like an atlatl. I’ve used one.)
You can’t get away from it Danny as a real scientist-
http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/professors-horror-at-australias-feminised-physics-curriculum/ar-AAmfCrn
don’t prosecute. that will simply cost.
fire them.
When ethics rules are violated, the usual ‘out’ is to resign with a deal to avoid prosecution, from what I have saw as an IL state employee.
“Have saw”?… kinda’ says it all for a retired state employee, doesn’t it? Remind me next time I poke fun at anybody’s typo…
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/641 this one seems a big stretch to apply it.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/701 this one is dead on point.
No, don’t be a Cuck. That’s exactly what’s got us into this mess.
The snowflakes need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, pour encouager les autres.
stuff your cuck
read the statutes and see that the fine/imprisonment is trivial.
but if you’re into virtue signalling instead of cost effectiveness, so be all you can be.
competing to be a joke will at least get you a participation trophy.
Prosecuting the first sends a message to the rest.
Then they self deport.
“However … civil service laws may get in the way.”
Doesn’t the Hatch Act apply here. It prohibits ANY federal employee (there are some specified exceptions) from participating in any political activity on the job or while performing their duties. Since the warmists have succeeded in making the ‘science’ of climate change – or not – a political issue it seems the Hatch Act is fully applicable. The punishments for Hatch act violations are specified in the act.
I sincerely hope that the new administration takes the opportunity to make an example of these clearly law-breaking individuals using these official symbols of the NPS for their petty political gain… just my take on it..
Well said, Willis. **true environmentalism.** I for one would enjoy reading of your thoughts on this topic if you were inclined.
RD January 25, 2017 at 8:40 pm
Sure thing …
From seven years ago …
w.
Thank you, but the link is broken.
I fixed the link, thanks for the heads-up.
w.
Terrific read and thoughts, thanks.
The saying used to be “everyone’s a comedian.”
Now it’s “everyone’s an activist.”
I’m still trying to achieve comedian status. Guess I’ve some catching up to do.
We are all Spartacus !
I think the problem lies more in what Willis alluded to – everybody nowadays thinks their feelings are not just a guide to what is right and virtuous, but to what others must take seriously.
The elevation of feelings over reason and the increasing importance of self in people’s thinking is surely part of the reason we are in such a mess.
Sigh, politics again. The Left/Liberals/Democrats/Progressives have infused their ideology into everything and everybody in government service. We the people don’t count. The day of reckoning is nigh.
If the park rangers are unionized it may be hard to fire / dismiss them. However, they could be reassigned. Like studying polar bear scat in Alaska, or some other chilly, and isolated place.
Maybe it is time to give federal employees a choice. Civil Service or unions, but not both.
Civil Service Laws were originally enacted for the sole purpose to protect federal, state or local government employees from politically motivated firings or terminations.
And that is why all government jobs (including public school jobs) have a “tenure policy” of three (3) years. If a newly hired employee is not terminated within 3 years ….. then he/she acquires “tenure” ….. then newly elected “4-year-term” Mayors, Governors or Presidents cannot selective fire or terminate the employees that were hired by the previous “office holding” elected politician.
Thus said, Civil Service Laws protect employees from politically motivated firings or terminations ……. but they do absolutely nothing to prevent the politically motivated hiring or employment of incompetent, unqualified, uneducated and/or “do-nothing” individuals.
Civil servants should not have any “political reason” to be fired. Tenure for any job produces mediocrity.
Samuel,
The swollen Greek bureaucracy is a perfect example of Civil Service abuse. Every time the government changes, they refill all the government jobs, but never let go the current place holders. Of course everyone votes for their fav party in the hopes of perpetuating the scam. Sound familiar?
Warm polar bear scat.
Once you have signed on to be a latter day Ed Abby, you do stuff.
Whooo Boy….
That’s the equivalent of shooting yourself in one foot…..
and then reloading for another try at ‘quick draw’ from the holster on your other hip!
Three quarter of a million followers and only 22 likes?
Heard about the fake twitter accounts
I don’t think any company, organization, or public entity would take it lightly to have their trademark or logo used by employees to support a personal cause, particularly one which undermines the elected government.
And particularly right after you’ve tried to shut them down … nobody puts up with that.
w.
Forgive my ignorance of things Twitterish but that screenshot says “Joined: May 2015”. That, to me, implies that this is not a new account.
The great thing about Twitter is that you no longer need to go hunting for the Commies in the government, because they post it to their Twitter feed.
Imagine some rogue employees at a company like Apple were to try a stunt like this – using a company Logo to criticize the CEO. They would be found – and Security would be escorting them off the premises within hours. That would just be the start of their legal misery.
——————
Of course, something like this could only happen if the company had enough really dumb employees to form a Critical Mass. Few functioning companies have the necessary concentration. The Stupidity Enrichment Process requires public financing to be viable. Some government departments are weapons grade, therefore prone to meltdown. The social media ban is like the first crude containment structure at Chernobyl. Decontamination will take much longer.
This seems obviously to be a case of trademark infringement. Civil (and criminal) law should help here.
These are the sorts of delta bravos who were coning off turnouts on county roads near Mt Rushmore during the government shutdown to maximize the inconvenience for taxpayers on holiday.
Under Obama they had support and encouragement to play partisan politics. Hopefully Trump will fire them.
Prosecute
So that readers should not conclude that those who visit here have all been through an green stage and/or an epiphany, my own path has led to strong rejection of the need for national parks and world heritage area. They are another method of centralist control of land and its use. In practice, some work out well but others become neglected sources of weeds, fire, pests. The park mechanism globally is used to restrict valid land uses like mining.
Credentials. Representing my then corporate employer, I caused action to delay an imminent inscription of Kakadu Australia onto the world heritage list. Be keen to know if anyone else can claim to have tamed the monster to that extent.
Geoff
“Valid land uses” also include tourism, camping, and preserving natural wonders for future generations. Perhaps it’s different in Australia, but the US National Park system is one of the few pieces of the government I’m happy to support through my tax dollars.
Darn … should not conclude …
Geoff
Fixed … w.
w.
Ta Willis.
Ladies and Gentlemen, someone has been practicing politics in this establishment.
It reeks of sulfur.
Tweeted @POTUS with a Heads up, incorporating phrase “Criminal Activity”. The beauty of a Private Sector President is the tendency to hire motivated, energetic staff rather than beaureaucratic ‘ornaments’. Perhaps the information will be followed up on.
It will be interesting with the hiring freeze that has been announced to see how many of these activists keep it up.
I’m a socialist. You’d call me a commie in the States because your government choices are either ‘right wing’ or ‘more right wing’. Seeing the bile spewed by the (alt?) right in the climate change debate, just because it suits their agenda, alienates me. Am I a snowflake? No. I just don’t deny anyone their right to an opinion or a voice, however wrong I think it might be. The climate change fight must be won by changing minds, not digging trenches. It’s not a Dem/Rep thing, and I’m saddened that some people think it is.
The science might influence policy, but it doesn’t support either camp, just their ulterior motives. With Obama it was a desire to ‘do something’, leave a legacy, if you will. Make something (unspecified) better. With Trump it’s the stocks and shares he owns or controls, or those of his friends. A naked cash grab.
I’ve followed WUWT since the early days. Back then, opposition to the generally accepted warming meme was fragmented, and this was a welcome addition to science over politics. Looks like it’s going the other way now. When I see how political WUWT has become, especially over this election period, I do wonder why I still follow it. Then I remember it’s because I believe in the huge uncertainties involved in climate science, and my belief in absolute science and facts over conjecture and opinion. I’ll still follow the site, but I’ll fight my corner if it gets too political. This issue, and in particular, this site, should be above that, not be a cheerleading camp for an orange narcissist.
Yours,
A long-term reader and contributor to comments
Jeef January 25, 2017 at 10:09 pm
Jeef, insulting your hosts by spewing some bile claiming that people here are too dumb to know the difference between a socialist and a communist is a very poor way to enter a discussion.
This is doubly true given that every socialist national economy ever tried has crashed and burned with huge human suffering, with Venezuela as the latest poster child for ignorance, greed, and dictatorship … so regardless of your opinion of us, the fact you announced proudly that you are a socialist lets us know just how easily fooled you are. You shouldn’t reveal that right off the bat, bad tactics, again a poor way to enter a discussion …
If it actually alienated you, you would not come in here spewing bile. You are just posing for effect.
In any case, there is no “alt-right”, only “ctrl-left” …
Neither do we. Actually on this side of the pond it’s guaranteed by the Constitution, it’s called “Freedom of Speech”. So don’t you dare try to take the moral high ground on that one, it’s in our Constitution, not yours …
Sadly, the science has been politicized to the point where in large measure it is a Dem/Rep thing. Hey, don’t blame us, we’ve fought against the politicization of climate science for years ourselves.
Because the fight moved out of the scientific arena and into the political arena, we fight it there too … sorry you don’t like that, but your claim that we should ignore the political half of the fight and simply cede that ground to the opposition is not the smartest tactical advice I’ve heard in a while.
Finally, because it is in large measure a Dem/Rep thing, after decades of the government being on the side of the alarmists and wasting billions on nothing, things are changing. And yes, I’m overjoyed about the chance that we can stop wasting taxpayer dollars … so sue me.
And you claim that you want to follow the science and not the politics? You come in here making a host of unsubstantiated accusations about how dumb Americans are, about how Obama just wanted to make things better, about how Trump just wants to get rich in a naked cash grab … you come in, take a strong one-sided position on the politics, tell us we’re dumb, abuse us for discussing politics, you talk about nothing but the politics … and you want us to believe it’s all because you are so interested in the science?
Really?
Me, I wonder why you think your existential angst about what blog you choose to follow is of the slightest interest to anyone but you and your therapist … this site is about a host of things including the political side of the climate fight. If you don’t like one of the posts, don’t read it. I just wrote a post about the estimation of future CO2 levels and temperature projections, it is sciency as all get-out, full of links to data and such … so read that one and ignore this one.
I do not like being so straightforward with you, but truly, you know not whereof you speak … and when you start out in your first paragraph by calling us all dumb, you have to expect direct honesty in return.
w.
smh I called nobody dumb, I just suggested there’s a surfeit of crowing republicans here recently. The comments back my preposition up, especially those directed at me instantly. Used to be a time people would consider their response over maybe a day or two, but now if you don’t conform to the norm there’s an instant slapdown. I’m old school, yeah, but once upon a time this site was about kindred spirits, and look at what my original post has provoked. Nothing but preconceived opinions based on political factions.
Call me a poser, fine, but my opinion on climate science is based on facts, not opinion, and your (less than) subtle put-down of (your idea of) socialism, your suggestion that the fight has been politicised, not factual, implies a political position over a science one.
Existential angst? I have none, by the way. Therapist, likewise. These comments demean you. You could and should do better to support your position instead of attempting to mock someone else. You invite everyone to quote exactly what they disagree with in your posts, yet you put words in my mouth in your own response. I never called you, or any other WUWT poster, dumb.
Geologist, by the way. I think long term, and that’s why I back the pragmatic view of climate change.
Keep posting, by the way. Most if your stuff is enjoyable and on point.
Jeef January 25, 2017 at 11:26 pm Edit
Nonsense. You claimed that people here didn’t know the difference between socialists and communists. Now you are trying to weasel out of it.
This from the man who waited an entire seventy-five minutes to answer me … medico, cura te ipsum.
Jeef, when you start out by calling people too stupid to tell the difference between socialism and communism, and claim that people are spewing bile … are you really so dumb that you don’t expect to get the same right back in your face?
I don’t think you’re that dumb … which means that once again you are just posing.
Is there some part of my statement that I fight both the political and the scientific fights that was too complex for you? I have peer reviewed pieces in the scientific journals, I have scientific postings here and elsewhere, I have political postings here and elsewhere, and I have posting about the intersection of climate science and politics. SO WHAT?
No, you just said we were too stupid to know the difference between socialism and communism. And no, I am not “mocking” you about socialism, that is my true opinion. I really do think that anyone who hasn’t noticed the universal failure of every single national socialist state in history is not all that smart. If Venezuela didn’t wake you up, you are sleeping very soundly. SOCIALISM ON A NATIONAL LEVEL HAS NEVER, EVER WORKED! Smell the coffee, amigo, people are laughing at you.
Why do you think we care about your job? Why do you think we care about your opinion? You came in here and started out by lashing out at people, telling us we’re spewing bile, and you think we give a rat’s differential about your opinion? You’ve poisoned the well for yourself, Jeef. At this point you’ve successfully cancelled your own vote.
I will keep posting, thanks.
w.
I think Obama was continually labelled as being a Communist by many individuals who on the face of it were reasonably intelligent. Anyone who reads this blog will have seen numerous examples, so it’s a fair comment to say many US citizens on the right of the political spectrum do not really understand the nature of left wing politics. The idea that US politics is shifted to the right in comparison with the rest of the world is accepted as fact by political analysts. Obama in the UK would have been a centrist with some right wing views. Certainly not a Socialist.
Willis says
“This is doubly true given that every socialist national economy ever tried has crashed and burned with huge human suffering”
The average standard of living of people in Sweden and Denmark is much higher than that of the USA.
Most American right wing wingnuts would consider these Nordic countries are socialist.
Give over your diatribes against Palestinians.
The Palestinians are the modern equivalents of the Sioux and Cherokee natives.
There is an ongoing colonisation of their lands.
These ventures of yours into general right wing rambles does nothing for the climate skeptic case.
Sometimes Willis you write really good stuff, at other times you just completely lose the plot and fire from the hip insulting anyone who has a view which disagrees with your own. Read your responses carefully as written to Jeef. They are packed with inventive and gross insults, yet you draw the flag of victimhood around your self as if you and your Nation are the ones who have been insulted. Come on Willis, you can do better than this, I know you can because I have seen it.
All jeef did was to post his observations and you give him a hard time and try and make him out to be some sort of vindictive idiot.
What was that again about free speech and it’s facilitation?
I know you will will scream blue murder at myself also for writing this, but sometimes free speech has to resist being browbeaten into submission by powerful voices.
Willis, you’re incredibly defensive . I had a much longer post that I deleted, to save you wasting your time parsing it to try and justify your pomposity..
Jeef
The biggest problem with socialists is that they want to make everyone else live as socialists. Our schools are indoctrinating our children into crazed activist for socialism and the CAGW religion. Just try and discuss it with kids these days, they don’t want to hear a different point of view they jump right to you being a racist, sexist Nazi. No one hear is trying to indoctrinate anyone, we are defending our freedoms, I don’t care what you believe, its your choice, but just because you believe it doesn’t make it so. Socialism and CAGW are just another religion.
I don’t care that you are a socialist, not a problem go start a community of like minded people and live in your socialist paradise, nothing is stopping you. Just leave me to live my life the way I want, free to choose my system and live my life not under your rules. That’s the beauty of as society founded on individual freedom, personal liberty and a free market. Inside this system you can live however you want, you want socialism live it. In your system of government control everyone has to live your way. They have a word for this, its called dictatorship and its evil.
Bryan
“The average standard of living of people in Sweden and Denmark is much higher than that of the USA.
Most American right wing wingnuts would consider these Nordic countries are socialist.”
Neither of these countries are true socialist (Sweden tried and pulled away when it didn’t work) countries and both of them derive the fast majority of their wealth by selling goods to non-socialist countries.
Can you find an example of one socialist country that ever created any wealth (I mean economic wealth, not individual)? You know the wealth that you need to redistribute to make everyone else happy? They all do the same thing they slowly devolve into a stagnate economy, that makes everyone equal. equally poor, equally oppressed, equally sick, equally brainwashed, oh ya except for the very few people at the top (some are just more equal then others).
North Korea is the perfect example, totally brainwashed and totally poor, maybe even most of them are happy, but they are not free, they can’t do what they want when they want, they can’t think how they want, they can’t live a life that is different then what the state demands and they produce nothing for the world, goods, arts, science anything. they just exist.
Read what I wrote to Jeef, you don’t need to convert me to live a socialist life, just find like minded people and go live it.
My guess is like all the communes created in the 70’s it will fail because it will turn out that only a few dedicated people do all the work for the rest of the people who convince them selves that they do enough. Then they’ll be arguing and fighting and finally no more commune. People need to work for their own lives its what gives meaning to the effort.
Let’s see, Obama wanted government to take complete control of the medical industry.
The only reason why ObamaCare didn’t go that route was because the political will was not there yet.
I love it when left wingers declare that they aren’t communists, they just want to impose communist like policies.
Bryan, you really shouldn’t embarrass yourself like that.
If the US was a uni-cultural society with vast oil riches, we would have a higher standard of living as well.
Scandanavians in the US have a standard of living as high or higher than Scandanavians living in Europe, so it isn’t socialism that causes their high standard of living, it’s their work ethic. Which I might add, is starting to break down, just as it does everywhere else when socialism is imposed.
As to the Palestinians, their lands aren’t being stolen because those were never their lands in the first place.
Jeef, I love it when you left wingers admit defeat, but try to pretend that you have actually won.
pretend, not defend, should do a better job of editing on the fly.
[Fixed. -w.]
Mr. Eschenbach,
I’m curious, what kind of government do you term the European economies? Particularly Scandinavian?
What about China?
US debt before Obama from all former administrations $9 trillion US debt after socialist Obama, $20 trillion
Socialists and economics go together like fire and ice
Bryan,
“The average standard of living of people in Sweden and Denmark is much higher than that of the USA.
Most American right wing wingnuts would consider these Nordic countries are socialist.”
Rather confusing set of sentences, to my way of thinking . . Do you consider them socialist countries? If not, why are you telling us they (in particular) have a high standard of living? Are you implying that merely having people believe a country is socialist, boosts the standard of living there? . . Or what?
Brian and Gareth-
From his actions Obama tried to govern as a totalitarian socialist much like the USSR. He did not negotiate much within his own party and he could not negotiate at all when he did not have the majority in congress. His solution was that he had “my pen and ‘phone” and governed by Presidential executive orders, completely by passing the congress if possible. His goals were socialist- control of the country by government, not by the established democratic process. His political goals were personal- what he wanted to do was the right way to go, regardless of what anyone else thought and he was nearly totally resistant to changing his views. While he didn’t hide what he actually thought he was very judicious in his public comments and the press was extremely hesitant to report candidly, much less highlight his statements.
Brian- Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a strong parliamentary democracy. The monarch has little actual power. Denmark is a constitutional monarch with a democratic parliament. The Monarch is head of state, but with little explicit power.
Anything socialist about either country is merely the results of parliament. It is not a national policy.
The defintion of socialism is some sort group ownership of the means of production, which can range from small local groups owning a business up to and including ownership of all business by the people in common. Nationalization of ownership is not necessarily included.
In the US socialism has come to mean the government redistributing tax proceeds through various social programs, tax credits, and tax refunds. Depending on how you view it it includes everything from oil depletion allowances to direct payments to individuals for specific reasons.
Do socialists all resort to name calling, or are you just special?
It’s not like they have actual data to support their position.
It’s more of a faux moral left stance, they deem themselves ideologically moral so anything that disagrees with them is therefor immoral
Gareth
“I think Obama was continually labelled as being a Communist by many individuals who on the face of it were reasonably intelligent. Anyone who reads this blog will have seen numerous examples, so it’s a fair comment to say many US citizens on the right of the political spectrum do not really understand the nature of left wing politics. The idea that US politics is shifted to the right in comparison with the rest of the world is accepted as fact by political analysts. Obama in the UK would have been a centrist with some right wing views. Certainly not a Socialist.”
That’s what they would have thought in communist Russia too, the fact that the EU has gone totally left in the past 30 years doesn’t mean that left is now center. The US would have been considered totally left in the 1800’s compared to Europeans of the time, yet the US is dramatically left of where it was then. None the this means anything (though what you post rarely does) this country brought the idea of individual liberty to the masses and brought with it wealth and prosperity to them as well, this is not left or right it is something out side the battle for control, its the battle for no control. The European elite have been fight this for ever, first with dictatorships and now with leftist government brainwashing but its the same battle.
Unfortunately for us (meaning free people everywhere) the US is losing this battle.
JEEF
“The climate change fight must be won by changing minds, not digging trenches. It’s not a Dem/Rep thing, and I’m saddened that some people think it is”
There is no climate fight, because anyone that knows anything about the climate knows that there is no C in AGW. The fight is over liberty and governments attempt to use scare tactics and brainwashing to commit actions (none of which would help the environment even if there was a C in AGW) that take away freedom and invest control and power to the government and more importantly to the elites that control it.
Couldn’t agree more. Not only isn’t there any CAGW, and for that matter probably any AGW, but merely a little AW of a localized nature due to land use changes, etc., but the supposed “solutions” of the Climate Fascists wouldn’t do a damn thing about the supposed “CAGW” EVEN IF THEY WERE RIGHT about the pseudo climate science. It’s all about CONTROL (of energy use, which by extension allows control of EVERYTHING), and always has been.
Exactly!!!
Cheers!!
Joe
Bob Boder and AGW is Not Science, very well put. My sincerest compliments.
Onward!!!!!!
Jeef – January 25, 2017 at 10:09 pm
Jeef, it appears you quickly forgot what the ell you were complaining about, to wit:
First you claim ….. “It’s not a Dem/Rep thing” …… and then your very next statement you claim ……. “The(ir) science …. supports ….. just their ulterior motives”
I’ve always found it fascinating the way commies define everyone who isn’t a commie as some version of right wing to far right wing.
It all goes back to their delusion that theirs is the only legitimate form of politics and economics.
It’s also one of the reasons why they are so willing to criminalize any dissent to their rule.
Yep.
Here is my political spectrum. Where do you stand on it?
0——————————————————————————-maximum individual liberty
Jeef, you said: “The climate change fight must be won by changing minds, not digging trenches.”
Have you considered that changing minds is a two way street? And can you tell me of any socialist country that hasn’t become a tyranny or that is not well on its way to become one?
Leonard, this is a site that leans toward open community on climate change. That’s what I read it for. I owe you no explanation on geopolitics, which is a different topic altogether.
So the answer is :”No, but I can’t admit that or my worldview collapses?”
Would that be a fair assumption?
No, my world view is still people-first. That’s socialism, buddy.
Which “people first”?
“No, my world view is still people-first. That’s socialism, buddy.”
Tell that to the undertrodden of Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, and so on. Every “socialist” country seems to end up with a leadership that enriches itself at the expense of its populace. Of course, that happens in other systems, like ours (in the US, where life-long politicians who have never held a major private sector job still end up millionaires). That just shows that “.gov” — and most organized institutions — are easily co-opted by people who put themselves first, not the people the supposedly serve.
I’m a Christian. As a young man (I’m now in my eighth decade), I was attracted to socialism for what seems to be the same reason you are, that it ostensibly was “people-first.” That was how I understood the gospel of Christ. It is still how I understand the gospel of Christ. But I now understand that no human organization is capable of being truly “people-first.” Putting people first cannot be done by government fiat. It can only be done by individuals, one person at a time. Some types of government allow the freedom for that to happen. The socialism I have seen in my lifetime is not one of them.
Jeef
January 26, 2017 at 12:03 am
Nope. Socialism means putting the state first and its subject people last.
“But I now understand that no human organization is capable of being truly “people-first.” Putting people first cannot be done by government fiat. It can only be done by individuals, one person at a time. Some types of government allow the freedom for that to happen. The socialism I have seen in my lifetime is not one of them.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
The people whom socialists put first are themselves.
Sorry Jeef, but capitalism is the only economic system that puts people first.
Socialsm puts government and the control of people first.
Under capitalism, the only people who get rich are those who do a good job of making products and services that people want to buy. And the only way to make these products and services is to cooperate with others to create companies.
Under socialism, wealth comes from political power, and the ability to force others to live as you want them to.
Jeef- You misrepresent. Socialism is not “people first” in any way, shape or form. Socialism is “government first, but con the rubes by telling them we love them.” As far as Sweden being socialist is concerned, Sweden is owned lock, stock, and barrel by a handful of powerful families. They have controlled their homogenous population through the illusion of socialism. This will rapidly unravel as they allow significant immigration from regions which don’t understand the rules.
“No, my world view is still people-first. That’s socialism, buddy”
No, that is exactly NOT what Socialism is.
Socialism puts ‘The State’ first, last and middle, and the people are just a disposable commodity that can be sacrificed wholesale on the journey to the Glorious Socialist Workers’ Republic.
How many deaths of your own people were you lot responsible for in the 20th century?
In excess of 200,000,000 wasn’t it, betewn Lenin, Stalion, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot and their vile ilk?
Yes, The UK, Sweden, Holland, Germany , France, Norway and many others have Socialist governments or have had them in the past without becoming tyrannies . It’s a very common theme in Western countries outside the US.
I agree that changing minds is a two ways street, thats why when posts are written by people who are not sceptics, they should not be treated as insults and be subject to insults and ad hominem attacks. There are rarely posts by the non-sceptics on this blog which are treated with any respect or consideration by all posters. Even here, on this thread, there are lots of opportunities to note such behaviour. Willis has shown an extreme example, but a review of Griff’s posts will show a rich vein of such behaviours which are all too common.
Gareth Phillips January 26, 2017 at 1:44 am Edit
READ THE DICTIONARY! READ AN ECONOMICS TEXT! They all agree. Socialism is where the government owns the farms, the fishing boats, and the factories. As far as I know, not one of the countries you list fits that definition.
w.
Gareth Phillips,
I am not a European, But, have lived ( or Worked ) in all the countries you list above.
European Socialism is 100% them and us, ( us being the political classes ) Latest example ? a contender for President of France, his Wife was employed by him in his office,(hours not important, work load is, his quote) 500,000 euros+ a year ? yep socialism is full of idiots, your chose .
Gareth, you and Willis are arguing at cross-purposes because you don’t have a common definition of “socialism”.
Willis — the definition you apply (Socialism is where the government owns the farms, the fishing boats, and the factories.) does not truly reflect how the average European thinks of the word. It might perhaps help if we used the phrase “social democracy”. France currently has what it calls a socialist government; Sweden has for most of the last half-century been one of the most “socialistic” countries in Europe. Britain had “socialist” governments in the 40s, 60s, and 70s.
The important thing with all these countries is that, like the US, they have always (at least during the lifetimes of any of us on this site) had multi-party political systems and held regular open and fair general elections. In other words the “socialist” countries of Europe are socialist to the extent that their electorate wishes them to be.
Your view of Socialism is a bit different since you appear to equate it with left-wing dictatorship, a view I wouldn’t disagree with personally but which can be inhibiting when discussing politics with someone from our side of the pond!
Governments do own factories in European countries.
Without being tyrannies? Tell that to the EU and those governments that joined it without giving their citizens a voice in the issue.
In most European governments, the only difference between the parties is which politicians get to use government to get rich.
You might start by not using ad hominems, it might even get a dialog going because I agree with SOME of your points. ( I wonder btw what your reaction would be if I said ” a black thin skinned narcissist” FI)
I might, but I’ve responded in kind to the comments levelled the other way, right or wrong. Your use of a substitute in your argument is negated by your own comment, sorry.
Seems the Rogue NPS has been joined by Rogue NASA and EPS, but I don’t see how they could have gotten so many followers in such a short time? “As of Wednesday evening (Jan. 25), Rogue NASA has 209,000 followers; AltEPA 41,600 and 883,000 at AltUSNatParkService”
“Rogue NASA, EPA, NPS Twitter Accounts Launched to Protest Trump Directives”.
http://www.universetoday.com/133042/rogue-nasa-epa-nps-twitter-accounts-launched-protest-trump-directives/
.
I find it odd how many people seem to want to stick their heads up above the parapets …
w.
It depends on whether you wish to fight for what you believe or go with the flow.
Willis Eschenbach January 25, 2017 at 11:16 pm Edit
Gareth Phillips January 26, 2017 at 1:45 am Edit
I fear you missed my meaning, likely my lack of clarity.
You can fight for what you believe either wisely or foolishly. It depends on whether you are smart enough to fight from a fortified position, or you are dumb enough to stick your head up over the parapet where you can be seen, identified, and picked off.
w.
There is a joined date in 2015.
AltNASA, Rogue NASA, and AltEPA all have a January 2017 join date, how the “Unofficial “Resistance” team of U.S. National Park Service”, AltNPS, got to have a join date of May 2015 I do not know?
I see that both the Rogue Nasa and the AltEPA site both use the official logo … like I said, that’s a Federal offense …
w.
Hi Willis, there may be something more to this. Reading their invitation reminded me of something. Are there not concession contracts with private companies in running the parks? Things like lodging gift shops and “advertising”?
If they are Employees of the park service are they violating contracts by “advertising” on a rogue park service site. Is it also a form of identity theft.
I think if this is illegal they should be tried and convicted and have it on their personal record there after. So anytime they fill out a application they will have to list it.
michael
@ur momisugly Mike the Morlock
Mike, there sure are,
And iffen those Rogue Nasa, AltEPA, etc., sites are the efforts of contract employees of those private companies ……. me thinks they could be in big trouble. The AG could sue them individually or inclusively along with their employer …….. or the newly appointed Agency heads could cancel said “service contracts” and they would be out of a job.
I’m genuinely curious about the thinking behind these actions.
Do they perhaps think they might get away with politically thumbing their noses at the legal authority of the new administration if they do it on-mass in sufficient numbers? Or has perhaps youth combined with the previous admin and the strident anti-Trump MSM led them to actually believe that Trump and Congress doesn’t have any legal authority to lay the smack down, should they wish to do so?
Michael, my guess is a combination of impetuous youth, plus a few vestigial sixties radicals, neither of whom are all that firmly grounded in reality.
w.
How about the Left’s overweening sense of entitlement, Willis?
In your country, as in mine, electing a Conservative/Republican government is immediately met with howls of rage and cries of “how could they be so (include expletive of choice here) STUPID?” After the East Berlin rising in 1953, Bertolt Brecht is reported to have proposed that perhaps the Communist regime should consider dismissing the people and appointing a new one!
The main culprits over decades have been the media who have taken it upon themselves to decide what is right and proper thinking and what is not. The argument about BBC bias on these shores (and doubtless similar accusations on your side of the ocean) misses the point. They aren’t biased; it’s just that they determine the limits of neutrality and objectivity and therefore where the “centre ground” is.
The people you are talking about have spent years telling everyone how the world works according to the tenets of the “progressives” which as every “right-thinking” person knows represent reality and suddenly find that the organisation they work for is now obliged to disown reality and start preaching myths and untruths. And it’s too much for them to understand so they find some way of by-passing the new system until normality is restored.
Bravery and “heads above parapets” doesn’t come into it. Think more of WW2 Japanese devotion to the emperor or perhaps Pavlov’s dogs. Or Manson’s cult.
It’s illegal to use any of the official U.S. government seals. Photos, etc., government works are in the public domain (although you will see some on Flickr that claim copyright, if it’s a government work, they cannot have a copyright), but the seals are not – they’re official stamps of the offices they represent; using them implies official stamp of approval.