Guest essay by Eric Worrall
h/t Dr. Willie Soon & Climate Depot – The Laborers’ International Union of America has released a statement deploring the damage Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has done to the progressive cause and efforts to curb dangerous climate change.
LIUNA on the Green New Deal
Statement of Terry O’Sullivan, General President of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, On the “Green New Deal”
Washington, D.C. (Feb. 7, 2019) – The “Green New Deal” resolution released today is filled with lessons. It is exactly how not to successfully enact desperately needed infrastructure investment. It is exactly how not to enact a progressive agenda to address our nation’s dangerous income inequality. And it is exactly how not to win support for critical measures to curb climate change.
Attaching a laundry list of laudable proposals unrelated to climate change – proposals which LIUNA and other progressive organizations have long fought for – to the sails of fantasy ensures that they all go down on a sinking ship. Infrastructure issues must be addressed in infrastructure legislation, while climate issues must be addressed through climate legislation.
We enthusiastically support real measures to move toward a carbon-free energy future. We also believe in science, which dictates that we will never reach that goal without lower-carbon bridge fuels such as natural gas and carbon-free fuels such as nuclear power.
According to the resolution, a “Green New Deal” would require every car to be electric-powered and ban all fossil fuels, among other proposals. It is difficult to take this unrealistic manifesto seriously, but the economic and social devastation it would cause if it moves forward is serious and real.
While rhetorically mimicking one of the most successful government initiatives in our country’s history, there is a significant difference between the real New Deal and the “Green New Deal.” The real New Deal put green in working people’s pockets, won massive public support and lifted our nation out of despair. The latter threatens to destroy workers’ livelihoods, increase divisions and inequality, and undermine the very goals it seeks to reach. In short, it is a bad deal.
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The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build America.
Source: https://www.liuna.org/news/story/liuna-on-the-green-new-deal
I think I speak on behalf of all of us at WUWT when I say we are all looking forward to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emerging from her safe space and entertaining us with her next climate action brainstorm.
The communists have come out of the closet with crazy Bernie and occasional cortex and more free stuff for everyone. The above theory on how this may work to make a Hillary or Biden look centrist is a good theory. With half the population ignorant ( thanks to the msm and the solidly left wing educational system ), and paying no taxes, while getting free stuff, these people are very dangerous.
True they may be dangerous. We should take this seriously but, in the end, if this comes to any kind of conflict there will be well educated, hard working, productive individuals who understand cause and effect and the basics of science against coddled, mental juveniles raised on unearned praise and magical thinking who believe social justice is a an energy drink and AOC is the second coming. Laws of physics rather than climate models will determine the outcome.
Don’t underestimate the power of mindless mobs. It doesn’t matter how educated, hard working, productive or how much you understand the basics of sciences when you are outnumbered and surrounded by a mob of violent thugs who have no moral compunctions against doing you bodily harm,
You would think that a former bartender working with a group of fellow economically illiterate socialists would come up with something more sensible.
What has really happened here is that the Marxist mask has been ripped off the “green” movement. No doubt the “Union” is completely happy with the concept that Occasional Cortex has revealed, but not the fact that the REAL purpose of the concept has been so clearly revealed.
The “Real” New Deal did nothing but buy time and votes. WW2 defeated the depression.
WWII defeated the depression by forcing FDR to abandon most of his New Deal.
As FDR knew, Pensylvania Avenue could easily have been renamed Adolf Hitler Avenue. Fascism was defeated by the combined economies of the Soviet and the USA. The New Deal made that possible.
For evey pound of logistics the Wehrmacht had, the US had 10 tons.
The Reconstruction Finance Corp, functioning only after the banks were split with Glass-Steagal, was also the base for the Marshall Plan KfW German reconstruction Credit Corp. In other words the New Deal defeated fascism.
Some WallStreet and London bankers boys still have conniptions at the mere mention of that Banking Act.
The China BRI Belt and Road Initiative is the New Deal of the 21st Century – massive reconstruction on an undreamt of scale .
The GND and Pence/pompeo are two sides of an insane coin , flailing like the fossil bankers of old.
BS on stilts.
The new deal did not create the economy of the US, capitalism did.
The new deal depressed the economy of the US for over a decade.
“…a “Green New Deal” would require every car to be electric-powered and ban all fossil fuels,”
I have a good laugh with my friend about the suggestion that the Inuit should stop using gas-powered snowmobiles and switch to electric Ski-doos.
Let’s say you are heading from Kugluktuk to visit family in Umingmaktok, a distance of about 310 km. That is not an unusual trip for northerners to make. You are of course going to pull a 6 metre long sled with supplies for a month, rifles, ammunition, spare parts, tools and very, very large battery because it has to hold enough power to get you through the winter.
Ending the carbon-based economy will kill everyone north of 50 degrees latitude. For those north of 70 degrees extermination would only take a few days.
“Statement of Terry O’Sullivan, General President of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, On the “Green New Deal”
I think Mr. O’Sullivan got it exactly right. He sounds like a very pragmatic, no-nonsense man.
I think this is just the beginning of Democrats shooting down the crazy ideas of Rep. Ocasion. A lot of backpedeling is going to be going on among those who signed on early to the Green New Deal.
No more airplanes? No more fossil fuels in 10 years? Are you crazy? Even Democrats see it.
“No more airplanes? “But what about the rest of the world? Is her intention to prevent planes from other countries landing in America? If so, would they be allowed to refuel? Her lack of anticipating consequences is beyond silly.
They were doing well til they got to this part:
“The real New Deal put green in working people’s pockets, won massive public support and lifted our nation out of despair.”
Mythological history.
You know what Goebbels said.
They were doing well til they got to this part:
“The real New Deal put green in working people’s pockets, won massive public support and lifted our nation out of despair.”
Mythological history.
well arguments can be made for 2 out of the 3. It did put green (in the form of OPM) in the pockets of those in the government programs. And there was public support for it (there’s always support of a segment of the population for government handouts – namely the segment receiving the handouts). But sorry, it didn’t lift the nation out of despair. the entire decade of the 30s was a very bad time, economically, for the country, arguably because, in part, the very policies that were meant to help only prolonged the misery.
As National Spokesman for The League Of Proud Deplorables, I am announcing that we hereby reject the nomination of AOC for membership into our ranks.
She is no Deplorable. Dems need to stand tall for their new shiny bright brass ring, the NGD.
Cortez is to sponsoring Green New Deal as naked baby is to pulling burning wagon.
She didn’t light the fire — she’s just pulling the wagon that somebody else built, and she’s pulling it into US Congress.
Sad that she hasn’t, at least, tried to understand the reality of what she is championing. Apparently, she has no clue and no interest in getting a clue.
Her idealism has gone pathologically awry. And some people refuse to set the little baby straight, because, … well, … you know, … you can’t be too hard on babies — they’re so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuute, … like puppies.
Nietzsche wrote that there was no problem a woman had that was not solved by pregnancy.
When I first read it I thought it extremely sexist.
Now, years later, looking at Cortes, I have more sympathy.
Noooooooooooooo ! … NOT a baby for Cortez. That particular matriarch of child socialization should not be encouraged.
Okay, I think I’ve reached my ad hominem quota for the day. Back to rational discussion mode.
Know what Nietzsche died of?
The official story (supposedly concocted by one of his critics) is syphilis, more recent examination of his medical records by Dr Leonard Sax suggests that it might have been brain cancer. Which of those two options were you thinking of?
I don’t want to intrude on a private grief, especially as we are not exactly short of fruitcake politicos on this side of the pond, but it strikes me that this really is case for opponents of Occasional Cortex to adopt a slogan reference to her run for Top Dem along the lines “more dangerous than a loose asteroid”
To even things up, over here we have a politician who managed to award a multi-million contract to ferry essential supplies from European ports to Britain if we crash out of the EU without a trade deal. Then it turned out the company he awarded the contract to actually didn’t own any ships or have any experience in the industry. This was after he succeeded in making a mess of the nation’s railways. My thought was he should have been immediately given the job of negotiating a free trade deal with Atlantis – what could possibly go wrong?
I’m a little worried about what’s going to happen to the trade delegation when the battery for the air compressor goes dead.
Well it looks like everyone on the left is taking turns throwing Sandy under the bus. You know that you and your dreams are in for a rude awakening when the General President of Laborer’s International Union of North America trashes you plans. Calling it an “unrealistic manifesto” ….ouch. Looks like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez needs to add one more name to her signature… making it Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-Icarus or AOCI to her friends. All of that heat from the klieg lights seems to have melted those wings…
Once the leftist heavy weights effectively call Sandy an idiot, it’s only a matter of time before the media throws her under their bus as well and AOC’s moniker disappears from the evening news.
Bye, bye AOCI…It’s been nice knowing you. I’ll bet your barista job is still open.
Unfortunately, no, her old job will be gone… thanks to the minimum wage going up! https://reason.com/blog/2018/08/21/coffee-shop-ocasio-cortez-minimum-wage
Would be nice if she would release her tax returns.
Then ask co-workers that did not find her endearing how much tip money was typical.
Then reconcile the tax returns with the real world income that she did not claim.
Just because the vocal Left compromised of some students, radical minorities, and Marxists is making noise doesn’t mean they are gaining a following significant enough to swing a Presidential election. I think the Democrats (if you can still call it a party) are digging themselves a hole that will take them decades to climb out. There are too many successful middle class Americans of all stripes to dump Capitalism for Socialism.
Most of the early declarants for the Democrat Pres nomination are busy trying to out left-wing AOC.
Howard Schultz on the ‘Green new deal’
Howard Schultz: “: ‘It’s not realistic’
Real talk Translation:
1) “The ‘Green New Deal” is a childish plan that will have zero effect on ‘climate change’.
2) The ‘Green New Deal’ is a Socialist’s wish list if money grew on trees. It would add roughly $40 trillion dollars to the $22 trillion US national debt which is the can that the Democrats are kicking down the road, as they are the party that promises to spend and spend and spend and spend, until there is a crisis.
Howard understands budgets, debt, schedules, and so forth as he had a job running a large company as opposed to a young person who has worked as a bartender and is super enthusiastic.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/howard-schultz-rips-the-green-new-deal-its-not-realistic
Howard Schultz rips the ‘Green New Deal’: ‘It’s not realistic’
The billionaire former Starbucks CEO and executive chairman urged Democrats to be “truthful” about their environmental initiatives rather than just throwing policies “against the wall because it’s a good slogan.”
“I read that by 2030 they’re suggesting that every building in America becomes clean energy, conforms to clean energy, just to put that in perspective, because it’s not realistic, that would mean that between 2,000 and 3,000 buildings a day would have to be reconstructed to conform to what they’re saying,” Schultz said. “So let’s be sensible about what we’re suggesting,”
“I don’t understand how you’re going to give a job for everybody, how you’re going to give free college to everybody, how you’re going to create clean energy throughout the country in every building of the land,” he said. “I think it’s immoral to suggest that we can tally up $20, $30, $40, $50 trillion of debt to solve a problem that could be solved in a different way.”
Yeah but Howard Schultz’s business (Starbucks) is racist that makes him racist and thus can be ignored and shunned. At least that’s how the radical left play the game.
“If money doesn’t grow on trees, then why do banks have branches?” – source onknown
You mean brain fart not brainstorm
I don’t know why so many readers are complaining about the Green New Deal. Do you not realise it is perfect?
Could you write them a better one that would produce the results you seek? I could not come up with anything so impractical or more outlandish in its unintended consequences, and you could? I don’t see how.
It proposes the destruction of the entire economy, energy carriers, transport system, social structures and housing stock. What could go wrong? No one sentient is going to vote for that. Stand back and watch, and be prepared to administer the country properly and indefinitely. And tax the rich no matter how clever they are. (Read the Panama Papers for inspiration.)
The irony is the mistaken perception that CO2 from burning fossil fuels is causing global warming when in fact increased water vapor, a result of increased irrigation, added to the natural warming. The increase in water vapor essentially ended about 2002-2005 as did Global Warming.
Check out these 3 new congressmen. Jim Baird, Republican from Indiana, lost his left arm in Vietnam. Brian Mast, Republican from Florida, lost both legs in Afghanistan. Dan Crenshaw, Republican from Texas, lost his right eye in Afghanistan. All three of these men are Purple Heart recipients.
How often have you seen them on the evening news? How often have we seen the two Muslim women and the communist from NY, all blabbering vulgarities and spouting out anti-Israel/anti-American insults.
Three Purple Heart Veterans were sworn into Congress with less publicity than ‘the new breed of women’ and coverage over who wore what.
As Representative Mast said, ” 5 eyes, 5 arms, 4 legs, all American.”
AOC = “All Out Crazy”
Sorry, I thought I was done.
She does have a likeable personality — attractive, seemingly well spoken — she looks good on camera — she’s a good actor. She has all the qualities of a star, like Obama, which is fine for motion pictures.
I just wish she had the knowledge, insight, and wisdom to get off my all-time-stupid list.
It’s no wonder that so many people are looking for a pop personality type. So many people have been de-conditioned from taking life seriously enough to be accountable, in real-world terms, for their words and actions. It’s all about entertainment, … all about image, … all about the show, … the zing, … the zazzle, … the pop.
If we could just get real smarts into the mix, then we’d truly be progressing as a society.
Change your Constitution and let her run in the Democrat Primaries.
She is the ultimate foot meet mouth, foot meet bullet fired by hand candidate.
Notice that they’re objections are about how the points were presented and not the actual objectives.
Savage the GND? Well, so does The Economist magazine (which some of you here savage, and which I, aside from their take on AGW, respect):
https://www.economist.com/democracy-in-america/2019/02/11/the-problem-with-the-green-new-deal
Cheers
M
I savagely hit the Economist article limit wall.
A post on the Economis Mag actually is very usefull. As the FDR New Deal was based on Glass-Steagall and national banking (The RFC was close) just google the Economist on that subject and stand well back.
The entire good-cop (AOC) – bad-cop (Pence,Pompeo) tweedle-dum,tweedle-dee pantomine is cover for their depthless fear of Glass-Steagall now as a huge banking crash looms. Both Trump and Sanders campaigned on exactly that – even AOC mentioned it. This “decided to have a battle over a rattle” of Wonderland is an insane attempt to offset what is inevitable. China has effectively Glass-Steagall, Russia not sure, and the US had it untill 1999.
The sheer hysterical irrationality shows the immanence of the banking implosion. Lehmann will look like a grande, what’s on the way is a venti.
Unless of course we go for a New Bretton Woods right now.
Interesting the GND teams up with very fake Varoufakis pushing a crypto-Keynes Bancor, exactly what FDR rejected at Bretton Woods. The nuttiness is boundless!
It’s always the banks with you guys.
Eric Worral wrote: “I think I speak on behalf of all of us at WUWT when I say we are all looking forward to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emerging from her safe space and entertaining us with her next climate action brainstorm.”
Absolutely right! And she should make sure all the Democrats who’re even thinking of running in the 2020 presidential primaries appear on stage with her, lest she (AOC) judge them insufficiently pious about solving CAGW.