JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Statistics
I have been tipping Civil War is more likely to start in Ireland before UK
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/tiny-village-ireland-overrun-government-relocated-migrants
240
I see no possibility of a civil war in the UK. I do see more clashes as people protest about high immigration which seems to be proportionately at much the same level as Australia.
Ireland though is seeing its very small population being diffused by many incomers. It is said the Irish tend to be sympathetic due to their own history, whereby many millions left to go to other countries..
However Ireland has a strong sense of its own identity and I don’t think rural areas and smaller, less liberal towns, will continue to put up with the mass influx.
280
‘ … same level as Australia.’
Ireland and Australia have skill shortages which must be filled.
‘With just 4.9% of the population unemployed, Ireland is classified as being at full employment. This means that businesses are becoming more reliant on immigrant labour to fill skills gaps.
‘In 2023, close to 31,000 permits were issued. Demand remains high this year with 6,874 permits already issued to workers from outside the EEA who are coming to Ireland to address the real skill shortages that are impacting businesses across the country.’
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Immigration has always been part of most western nation’s history, the UK and Australia included. This is often cited in attempts to make what’s happening today seem ‘normal’, but of course there’s a huge difference between LEGAL immigrants and ILLEGAL immigrants, the latter of which are breaking the law as soon as they set foot on dry land. In that respect, they’re showing themselves to be undesirables from day one.
The second difference is scale and time. In years gone by, immigration was controlled both in terms of numbers and demographics. Countries chose who got to enter, usually based on skills or humanitarian targets. Numbers were set at levels that ensured integration and the minimum disruption to existing citizens. There was also of course limits placed on numbers coming from individual nations whose culture was very different to the host’s. All of these things generally ensured harmonious assimilation.
What we’re dealing with now couldn’t be more different. As I said earlier, the people involved are prepared to break the law from day one. Many come from nations culturally and religiously opposed to the UK’s traditions and values. Worst of all, the sheer numbers involved in a very short period make it unlikely that they will integrate successfully, not least because they are constantly told that they are victims of white colonialism, white privilege and Christianity.
Essentially, current immigration into the west from poor and very ‘different’ countries is happening in a way pretty much guaranteed to overwhelm the indigenous peoples.
200
‘ … indigenous peoples’
Born on country and I sympathise with your problems from illegals flooding in.
Australia is patrolling the waters to prevent boat people entering illegally, but occasionally they get through and are rounded up fairly quickly before they die of thirst.
21
UK immigrate to Australia etc. UK becomes Arab, African, Pakistani & Indian. Australia – WA – British and enjoying the weather, the lovely countryside and the lifestyle.
50
I emigrated to Oz when I was invited by an Australian company. Even though I was ‘sponsored’ and had skills hard to find in Australia (management of scientific instrument businesses), the process to obtain permanency was hard and stressful, especially so because I had a wife and young kids (8 & 16) and knew literally nobody here. At one stage my wife had to visit government offices in Canberra for something or other and, having had a tough couple of weeks, started to cry while talking to a representative. Seeing her upset, the rep said, “It’s a shame you didn’t arrive here illegally because then we could give you more help.”
That was in 1999.
130
I was almost the same as you but single. it took me a year to get the paperwork sorted out, then I had to get sponsored into a temporary visa, then 4 years to be eligible to apply for permanent citizenship which involved more paperwork and an exam. Also cost me a lot.
10
“Immigration has always been part of most western nation’s history, the UK and Australia included. ”
There is absolutely no comparison between levels of immigration to the UK in recent decades and those of previous centuries.
80
1066 and all that?
40
And before the Normans came the Saxons, and before the Saxons came the Angles. Among that lot there were numerous incursions by Swedes, Norwegians, Danish, etc – i.e. the ‘Vikings’. I wonder who gets the ‘reparations’?
50
Which is exactly what I said.
30
Steve,
I have no argument with your comments.
One thing that the Liberals [appear to] ignore is the sheer scale of the populations outwith Europe.
In 1950, Europe [on present boundaries] had, probably, 7 of the most populous countries in the world: namely Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Ukraine, Spain and Poland; eight if you include Russia [partly in Europe].
Today there are no more than three – Germany, plus Turkey and Russia [both partly in Europe].
Africa’s population is twice that of Europe – c 1515 million to c. 745 million.
Nigeria alone has as many people today as all of Africa did in 1950 [very roughly 233 million to 227 million].
Doesn’t take many Africans – say 1% – to come to Europe to be very noticeable in the statistics.
Note that some countries are more attractive than others to migrants.
Language, weather, benefits, family being there already, reputation, availability of work etc. may all feature.
And, of course, there are many countries in Asia [or Latin America] where the local governments are more corrupt that European governments are perceived to be, where social freedoms and politics are rather constrained [and living standards for many are jolly poor].
India and China each have a population roughly twice that of ‘all-Europe’ – c. 1.45, & 1.42 billion to 0.75 billion.
Guangzhou [Canton] is an urban agglomeration with more people than the UK.Indonesia, alone, has more than ten times the population of Australia.
Sources
https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
https://www.citypopulation.de/en/world/agglomerations/
Recognising these numbers, and the desire for people to better themselves [and their families], needs to feature in European [and Aussie n US] Governments’ thinking.
Somehow.
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>Recognising these numbers, and the desire for people to better themselves [and their families], needs to feature in European [and Aussie n US] Governments’ thinking.
The government of a country is responsible for its own citizens. The needs of the poorest and most disadvantaged should be directly attended to before spending money helping citizens of other countries.
Helping people of other countries is ok if we can afford it, (we have large debt levels which need to be repaid), but it’s better to help them where they are and help them fix their own country.
40
>becoming more reliant on immigrant labour to fill skills gaps
Its important to distinguish between legal immigrants with identified skills and verified identities and vetted backgounds on the one hand, and illegal immigrants with no required skills or education, no background checks or criminal history reports, no health information, etc. on the other.
180
I see it as a “shortage of employers willing to pay market rates for skilled staff”.
Let the market sort it out.
Industries complaining about a ‘shortage’ should take more responsibility: set up a training pipeline so there is a steady supply of skilled workers coming into their industry.
120
There’s the rub.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), employed persons are defined as all persons aged 15 years and over who, during the reference week:
Worked for one hour or more for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind, in a job or business or on a farm (comprising employees and owner-managers of incorporated or unincorporated enterprises); or
Worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a farm (i.e., contributing family workers); or
Were owner-managers who had a job, business, or farm but were not at work (ABS, Labour Force Survey Questionnaire Module).
According to AI the Irish governments definition of employment is “not explicitly stated”.
Using the 37.5hour week as standard there is potential we have lots of people with 36.5hours untapped or could be used to upskill and the government moves to make some TAFE courses free is a move in the right direction. I can’t imagine too many brain surgeons or rocket scientists are stepping off the boats coming from Europe.
Bottom line for me is the question of under employment. Unless you are on a pay rate of $3000+ an hour you can not live/raise a family on 1 hours employment per week.
Time to start comparing apples with apples and redefine employment based on the minimum weekly wage criteria not the work time criteria.
110
The way I see it, if you have a job and earn more than the dole, you are employed, the way the govt work it, the one hour etc, it’s a crock, it also includes those registered for a job.
10
Extreme misogyny to be treated as terrorism
UK Home Secretary orders review of counter-terrorism strategy to tackle violence against women and girls
Extreme misogyny will be treated as terrorism for the first time under Government plans to combat the radicalisation of young men online.
Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has ordered a review of Britain’s counter-terrorism strategy to urgently address gaps in the Government’s stance on extremism, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
It will look at tackling violence against women and girls in the same way as Isl@mist and far-Right extremism, amid fears that current Home Office guidance is too narrow.
This could mean teachers will be legally required to refer pupils they suspect of extreme misogyny to Prevent, the Government’s counter-terror programme.
It comes after warnings that misogynistic influencers are radicalising teenage boys online.
Ms Cooper said: “For too long, Governments have failed to address the rise in extremism, both online and on our streets, and we’ve seen the number of young people radicalised online grow. Hateful incitement of all kinds fractures and frays the very fabric of our communities and our democracy.”
There are several extremism categories ranked by the Home Office as an area of “concern”, including Isl@mist, extreme Right-wing, animal rights, environmental and Northern Ireland related extremism.
There is also a category for “incel” – an abbreviation of the term “involuntary celibate” – which refers to a male subculture that includes violent feelings towards women as a result of feeling rejected.
Officials now fear that this category does not capture other forms of extreme misogyny.
Teachers, healthcare professionals and local authority staff are under a legal duty to make a referral to the Prevent scheme if they believe someone is susceptible to becoming radicalised.
Anyone who is referred to Prevent is then assessed by their local authority and the police to see if they need to be deradicalised.
There were 6,817 Prevent referrals in 2022-23, with the highest proportion of referrals were classified under the broad category of “vulnerability present but no ideology of counter-terrorism risk”, at 37 per cent, followed by extreme Right-wing at 19 per cent and Isl@mist extremism at 11 per cent.
Violence against women is ‘national security threat’
The move comes after Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said that violence against women and girls should be treated as a national security threat.
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So how are they going to solve “incel”? 😁️
30
And what are the in-demand skills of these illegals that surpasses any local education system?
Where’s the data?
Why can’t local unemployed be trained?
In the event it was true, it’s an indictment if the UK education system.
Dumping 265 into a country town of 165?
Oh please, don’t insult our intelligence.
The time grows near.
Calls for Starmer’s resignation are huge.
180
In June in Ireland, we were made aware of the underlying angst WRT asylum seekers. Mostly male they are given tents and other gear and then set up camp on the banks of the grand canal in Dublin. Another arm of government has fenced off the banks and brought in front-end loaders to remove the camps! There is nothing to stop the seekers from passing through Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK because passports are not required.
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>brought in front-end loaders
Front-end loaders seem like a practical response to a problem that won’t solve itself after polite requests to do so.
30
1984 has been late arriving in Australia
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13737743/How-Australias-new-digital-ID-change-going-forever-heres-experts-worried.html
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Senator Malcolm Roberts Opposes Government’s Digital ID Proposal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve7A–D0dzI
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Reading your link it seems to imply the new system will operate from the end of 2024 which is not far away. I would have thought no one would be too keen on it, either because of the system going down-like so many other digital systems-or their information being hacked. Not to mention the privacy aspect.
Does this plan have much public support?
170
“Does this plan have much public support?”
Why would it? There’s no reason aside from laziness for any person to want it, the yoof will think its cool to use the phone glued to their hands instead of pulling out their plastic card.
Its just a bureaucrat’s couple of years work come to fruition and legalised by an attention-seeking child as Minister. It will be used by the usual petty criminals in power to track women they want to screw, take down a rival or an enemy to advance their own career, and used by the Police to put someone they don’t like in jail.
The only Dept to really use it will be tracking people who disagree with the narrative they are pushing, it makes it easier to track people and identify their associates. They won’t be worried about us, it will be the politicians they trace for evidence to blackmail them.
If we are really lucky Russia or China will hack it for fun and dump it all on the web. I see NZ has been told to send Kim Dotcom to the USA for an ‘Assange holiday’, we will be left with relying on only Russia and China to tell us the truth soon.
200
The general public are almost completely unaware of this legislation, let alone the implications of it for every aspect of our lives.
It’s like there has been a total media blackout on even the existence of the legislation.
The first that 99.9% of people will know of it is when they run head first into it at their bank, local council, telco, electricity provider, kid’s school, accountant, hospital, chemist, next employment application, business or corporation, not to mention every government department.
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I see the combination of the present Labor/Uniparty Government, digital ID, Australia’s e Safety Kommissar (bought to you by pretend conservatives Liberals) and the demonstrated willingness of a vast majority of Australians to comply with dictatorial policies such as we had during the covid lockups as a devastating combination.
It’s the end of freedom for Australia, not that too many Australians these days understand or desire freedom, present members of the thinking community excepted.
As most of our corrupt politicians follow the Chicomms when it comes to social controls and surveillance, I can see all your social(ist) and other media posts (including on this blog) being linked to a social media score. The higher your social media score, i.e. the more compliant you are with the Official Narrative and other decrees of the State, the higher your ranking will be on social credit and the greater will be your access to rations, ability to be rewarded with occasional excursions beyond your 15 Minute city, etc.. An extra 50g of insects this week…yummm….
260
Haven’t been to a pub in around 10 years now.
With the cost of living, pubs and restaurants are on borrowed time.
100
If you do go to a pub now, get ready for a shock when you have to pay for a beer.
30
Is the government gong to buy me the required smart phone?
I ask since I do not do financial transactions on my current phone. 2FA authentication is about the limit. And I plan to keep it that way.
Maybe it is my conviction that my desktop computer is harder to lose or steal than my phone?
110
Honeymoon over for EVs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3LMmkvW3Wc
180
It’s divorce time, and back to the ex – an ICE.
50
A constant RPM optimized mini-ICE driving a generator supporting each wheel electric motors. Maybe a battery good enough to go 10km?
10
I dont know why they panic so. They just need to use the Tasmanian Ferry operators special arrangements for EVs. After all its OK to send a 1000+ people out into Bass Strait with EVs on board, so it must be safe, right?
130
Is the Tas ferry still carrying EVs?
30
Yes they are
https://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/sailing-fares/vehicles-and-bicycles/electric-vehicles
20
Thanks Yarpos. Just found it online after internet difficulties.
We hoped to visit Tassie before long but the EV carriage by the Spirit of Tasmania is definitely offputting. I don’t much fancy being stuck in the middle of Bass Straight at night in a raging uncontrollable inferno.
No other ferry service to Tassie, is there?
20
I hope they carry them as deck cargo only, conveniently near to a set of gates.
30
Ready to push over the side the moment there is the first sign of trouble? What if noone is looking in that direction at a critical moment?
10
You wouldn’t get near it to loosen the chains and shove it off.
There’s no remedy.
It only has to happen the first time…
30
Camus is Frances greatest living writer. This is a very interesting and perceptive article by this often highly controversial man
https://europeanconservative.com/articles/interviews/interview-with-renaud-camus/
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tony,
Thanks.
Indeed interesting. Food for thought.
Although his ‘davocracy’ is close to my ‘kleptocracy’, I think.
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The recent unrest against mass immigration in the UK seems to have bolstered Farage’s Reform party, not harmed it, as he surges past the Tories.
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/08/16/nigel-farages-reform-party-overtakes-tories-for-second-place-in-support/
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Tragically, not enough people voted for him or his party.
They blew their one chance. They have themselves to blame.
I don’t see how Once Great Britain can survive another five years of open door immigration and dictatorship.
220
There was a very low turnout generally, but I wouldn’t mind betting that the turnout in some areas/demographics was higher.
50
The British electorate always blow their chances of a change for the better?
Remember BNP. British National Party. They chose the lefties and have regretted it ever since. Under Starmer they have now reached lefty nirvana & they will certainly regret it for many a decade!
40
This has been going on since the end of WW2 when the populace thought it would be a good idea to vote labour instead of Winston, didn’t that work out well.
30
What sort of choice did the voters have? I voted Reform, and was half happy to see that I contributed to the removal of one of Rishi Sunak’s party (even though Tory+Reform votes comfortably outnumbered Labour+anyoneelse). Only half happy, because of course the other party I didn’t want to win, did win. But my philosophy is that a party that has stuffed up must not be rewarded with another term. The next lot can be thrown out in due course.
40
” dictatorship”
But … the Beige Knight has a majority of 150+ in the House of Commons.
And …
He has talked about reforming [perhaps ‘gerrymandering’ in English] the House of Lords.
And less than 2 in 9 [about 20.5%] voted for his mob on 4th July.
Majority is wide, but not deep, I suppose
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Top journalist says that Putin’s regime is in its final phase, but what will follow it?
https://europeanconservative.com/articles/interviews/putins-regime-has-become-much-tougher-and-is-in-its-final-phase-an-interview-with-xabier-colas/
53
Seems like a lot of regimes are in their final phase and transmuting into something we may not have imagined.
If ‘Democracy’ is ‘saved’ by the Democrats here in the US, it won’t look like anything worth saving.
It will look la lot like what Sir Keir has in mind for the UK.
At least Putin likes Russia.
Russia appears the last place in the European cultural diaspora where patriotism is not a crime.
Harris and Starmer hate America and England and Western values in general.
The WEF and the EU handing out prime ministers next to a lake, is no basis for a system of government.
310
Don’t our Military Personnel swear and Oath to Our Country
NOT OUR Grubbnmnt?
90
Don’t our Military Personnel swear and Oath to Our Country
33
That means “government” for those of reduced cerebral functioning. 😁
20
I prefer Grubbiment.
10
80
Going back a little further.
‘According to public opinion surveys conducted by NGO Levada Center, Putin’s approval rating was 60% in July 2020. Putin’s popularity rose from 31% in August 1999 to 80% in November 1999, never dropping below 65% during his first presidency.’ (wiki)
24
Putin’s popularity in 1999 is easy to explain.
‘In September 1999, a series of explosions hit four apartment blocks in the Russian cities of Buynaksk, Moscow, and Volgodonsk, killing more than 300, injuring more than 1,000, and spreading a wave of fear across the country.’ (wiki)
01
False flag;
Although the bombings were widely blamed on Chechen terrorists, their guilt was never conclusively proven. A number of historians and investigative journalists have instead called the bombings a false flag attack perpetrated by Russian state security services to win public support for a new war in Chechnya and to boost the popularity of Vladimir Putin prior to the upcoming presidential elections. Former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who blamed the FSB for the bombings and was a critic of Putin, was assassinated in London in 2006. A British inquiry later determined that Litvinenko’s murder was “probably” carried out with the approval of Vladimir Putin and Nikolai Patrushev.
Wikipedia. I know. But there it is.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Russian_apartment_bombings
10
Putin’s approval rating is irrelevant. Didn’t you notice that Putin controls who stands for election (a bit like the process for electing the leader of the UK Tory party).
20
Quite true in so far as Putin will die some day. But if the Secret Services are so strong why wouldn’t they install another?
In any case which countries are under control of the bureaucracy? Most, if not all in Europe.
As for the claim about bio-labs all across Ukraine that came later (possibly as a way of covering up that there were 2 bio-labs) and they had Anthrax there. I’ve forgotten her name but this was confirmed by one (high up) in the State Department who worried about the Russians getting hold of those stocks ( as if the Russian don’t have that and the ways of getting it inside the Russia wilderness ). Didn’t Pasteur use his new vaccine on some Russians?
51
The person was Victoria Nuland, the same who arranged the coup that changed the government of Ukraine.
20
Thank you. Couldn’t remember her name.
But that claim by her made me sceptical about the ‘evil Russians wanting to seize lots of Europe” claims. That lead me to John Mearsheimer who was claiming that war in Ukraine would come – and that it 2014 – due to machinations by the State Department.
10
Meh.. No, I read a paragraph to here-
“While democracies look for solutions, dictatorships look for enemies. ”
and thought this guy is just spouting the CIA handbook, there is no way he is a journalist at all. He thinks we live in democracies… Lol!
60
The political system in Russia, and the makeup of those at the top, pretty much guarantees that Putin’s successor will be just as bad, if not worse.
25
SITREP 8/16/24: Zelensky’s Nuclear Gambit Rears Its Head Again
Simplicius Aug 17, 2024
Truthfully, though, I really don’t understand this plan, as it is explained.
According to the reports based on some Russian defense insiders, Ukrainians have smuggled nuclear material in the form of a ‘dirty bomb’ somewhere into Dnipro region, and are planning to use it inside of a missile attack onto either the Russian ZNPP or Kursk nuclear power plants. In particular, they plan to hit the depleted nuclear fuel storage casks.
But logically speaking, why would you need nuclear material of your own, if you already plan to hit the storage casks which contain spent fuel rods, if you want to create a nuclear contamination incident? That’s the part I don’t quite understand.
I suppose it would create a ‘larger’ incident, plus the dirty bomb would have more “live” material that would create greater contamination, but it’s still strange enough that I would have dismissed it offhand if it weren’t for the fact authentic sources are reporting it, which include Russian Chief of the Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Defense Forces Igor Kirillov.
Right now, the information campaign being coordinated in parallel with the Kursk offensive is reaching a deafening fever pitch.
NATO and its vast intel machinery are working overtime to push the narrative that the Kursk campaign is ‘overwhelming’ Putin and Russia, that internal fissures are threatening to swallow Putin’s ‘regime’ whole, and that things are generally collapsing for Russia. Even the latest Western articles are switching to this last blind shot in the dark to give Ukraine a chance:
This is a timed and calculated provocation, meant to push Russia to the brink, hitting every conceivable pressure point of outrage, stoking ancestral Russian pride and patriotism.
And it’s true, the invasion is a black eye on Russia, to an extent—but it must be considered within the grander overall scope of the situation: things feel terminal for Ukraine; Zelensky is accelerating as if propelled by some unprecedentedly urgent impetus.
By his own actions, he’s demonstrating that Ukraine appears to be on the brink, and the West is giving its all in what may amount to be one final heroic propaganda provocation to try to stir Russia out of its comfort zone.
We can see the two-pronged urgency emerge from the dire situation on Ukraine’s eastern flank in Donbass, as the collapse continues to accelerate there.
30
‘Pot Is Empty’ — Germany to End New Ukraine Military Aid Amid Berlin’s Budget Crunch: Report
10
I see the future of Australia as:
-Ruled by an Elite class comprising Green Labor, feral trade unions, senior public serpents, subsidy harvesting corporations totally compliant with Government decrees (more or less an arm of Government) and Aboriginal and alphabet pressure groups.
-Energy starved.
-Government controlled social media linked to digital ID and your social credit score.
-Government control of where you live and your type of accommodation.
-Limited mobility and no private car ownership except for Elites.
-Curfews
-Regular “vaccinations” with experimental substances.
-Endless Government propaganda in support of the Official Narrative.
-Constant person-surveillance with facial recognition, financial transaction monitoring, thought monitoring via social media and emails, using AI.
-History being rewritten.
-Little to no farming or manufacturing apart from subsistence food sources like insects and probably feminising (for men) and testosterone-lowering engineered foods containing large amounts of phytoestrogens or other substances designed to break resistance of men. (A nation of “soy boys”.)
ETC.
Australia experienced much of the above during the trial run of the covid scamdemic, with the world’s most severe covid lockups. Now it’s time for the real thing.
It was mostly prophesied in Nineteen Eighty Four, the Left’s instruction manual.
Of course, you have a chance to change this outcome if you tell politicians what you want and also vote for conservative parties such as:
United Australia Party
Libertarian Party
One Nation.
280
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Kamala-Harris-Inflation-1.jpeg
I wonder what the same pictures would show for the Federal Labor Goverment since they took Governement under Albanese?
80
Even liberal media turns on VP Harris after economy speech: ‘Hard to exaggerate how bad this policy is’
Cracks in the wall of media praise for Harris? Multiple outlets eviscerate VP over price control plan
Pieces from The Washington Post, CNN, and Newsweek all derided Harris’ economic proposal
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CNN Scott Jennings: Harris Is Lying, There Is No Price-Gouging, Only Inflation
CNN’s Scott Jennings objects to Kamala Harris blaming high prices for things like groceries on “price gauging”:
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN:
The other thing that I picked up on today was this whole notion that price gouging or gauging as she called it is what people are feeling. That is a total canard. This is not true.
This is made up because they’re trying to deflect attention from the actual inflation that has caused everything in your life to get more expensive. So they need the American people to believe something other than the truth, there is no price gouging.
Grocery stores, these things, they operate on very slim profit margins. There is no gouging, there is just inflation.
So to go out and say, I’m going to get the federal government involved in setting prices are capping prices or interrupting the flow of the free market economy — let me tell you something.
If you like, bread lines, product shortages, black markets, hoarding, if you want to recreate the happy economic conditions of “The Walking Dead”, Kamala Harris has a plan for you.
The bottom line is, the Republicans are going to be all over this.
It’s not smart and its a plan from a ticket that has no private sector experience and no — and no interest whatsoever and taking responsibility for everything they have done to plunge the working class of the United States of America and do an economic crisis.
150
There is cause for concern by Australians like me, old enough to have lived through and learned from different social structures over the 83 years since I was born, 4 years before the end of WWII.
My earliest recollections are about people of many types of background working together to get enough food, clothing and shelter. Too many working age males lost in war, too many remaining scarred, like my Dad was, by military service in New Guinea. We all pitched in together, with nothing remotely resembling the whingers of today with diversity equity and inclusion.
My first memories of discontent were union bosses striking and causing electricity blackouts and disrupted shipping at the wharves. I could not understand some Aussies deliberately harming innocent others.
Dad told me to go to Uni. I knew nothing about higher education, but studied and sat for exams as required, muddled through with a science/chemistry degree. This opened a window on science, with a job with CSIRO whose senior members taught proper technique and desirable conduct. I saw the start of incompetent scientists opposing tradition and making stuff up to satisfy weird beliefs.
About 1980 working to find new mines I was in the thick of the environmental/aboriginal protest movements because uranium. The ignorance and inexperienced of leaders of Friends of Earth, Australian Conservation Foundation, Sierra Club and more was so easy to see that I dismissed them as a future worry. Then they started to get government money from leftist pollies mainly from ALP, later when Green became a party, now colour Teal as well.
A major social change was under way. Before the change, individuals would see a job that needed to be done, then do it. If leadership was needed, they would assume it.
After the change, about year 2000, this concept of assuming leadership was largely lost. The majority of people became dependent on other people telling them what they could and could not do. We saw growth of The Establishment, comprising people paid to tell others what to do. The change was most pronounced with Climate Change, with the dominance of the minor concept that environment protection was more important than material gain.
Governments became more dictatorial after 2000. There were more complaints about governments doing what governments wanted, not what people like voters wanted. The defeated voice referendum showed people versus government at work.
At the same time, Aussie science was captured by bodies such as the Australian Academy of Science whose contributions to the advancement of science are laughable, but dedicated to communism/socialism.
I have little of my life left, but I am content that I have grasped leadership when needed, resisted the childish Dreamtime stuff of the ignorant, taken political miscreants to court and done nothing to harm my Fellow Man. I have contributed far, far more wealth to society than I have taken out.
When you get to my age, you find great comfort in being able to show these benefits to others.
Geoff S
700
Beautifully written, Geoff.
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I’m a bit older than you Geoff and reckon that when the average person cannot do basic arithmetic and resort to name calling to hide this severe deficiency, refer yesterday’s post, it shows an inability to resolve the most simple of problems that daily roll through our whole society.
I wonder if either Bowen or Albo could express the quantity of CO2 in our atmosphere of 420 ppm (parts per million) as a percentage, and thus help them understand just how almost unmeasurable it is and it’s irrelevance to climate change?
190
“One of the painful signs of years of dumbed-down education is how many people are unable to make a coherent argument. They can vent their emotions, question other people’s motives, make bold assertions, repeat slogans– anything except reason.” – Thomas Sowell
50
Very grateful to your Australia, Geoff. We could not speak English much and read a little better when we came.
However to read drawings and hold multimeter does not require a lot local experience.
I said few times here already, I took more that I gave, which was given wholeheartedly by people, not by government.
Seldom agree to the my better half but here we of one mind.
Centrelink only learned our names well pas our 70ies birthday and I guess they need us more than we need them.
OK, that was a typical path 1/2 century ago.., different planet now..
160
The change to people waiting to be told what to do happened when they were knocked on the head – ie bad management – and they asked “Why bother?” and kept their head below the parapet. These days they are attacked ad hom style so they don’t bother.
30
Thank you Geoff.
10
Our dystopian future in Australia and many other Western countries. (But not Trump’s America.)
https://youtu.be/vWkepoLUZfs
63
Germany became a republic in 1919. After losing the First World War, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated. Many Germans were dissatisfied with the new situation. They longed for a return to the Empire. Many people also believed that the ruling social democrats were to blame for losing the war. Nevertheless, things started to look up from the mid-1920s onwards.And then in 1930, the global economic crisis hit. Germany could no longer pay the war debts stipulated in the Versailles Peace Treaty. Millions of Germans lost their jobs. The country was in a political crisis as well. Cabinets were falling, and new elections were held all the time. It seemed impossible to form a majority government.
Then “ein Retter” arrived on the scene who became widely popular with the German volk.
50
Rash of Mass Destruction Across China (video)
10
Running out of financial wind!!!!
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/feds-waiving-financial-assurances-offshore-wind-leave-future-costs-taxpayers
30
That link is painful to watch. It get ads interrupting every few seconds. Not worth any time at all.
20
DEI in action in the Secret Service!
You cannot make this stuff up.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/secret-service-agent-abandoned-her-post-breastfeed
120
People seem unconcerned about freedom and privacy. So perhaps they are also in tune with the notion that they will just accept orders, own nothing but will be happy.
160
I’d say so.
80
Bread and circuses Tony, no-one I personally know gives a sh1t about politics or freedom of the individual, so long as they have a job so they can moan about workmates, a new beaut ute, and a giant TV they are fulfilled in life.
Four or five generations of a welfare state making the intelligent work two-jobs-per-couple and paying the useless to breed has lowered the collective IQ enough to show. The expansion of Govt workforce to take up the slack after manufacturing collapsed has also given a big push to those who rely on Govt for food and hence don’t want to think about anything controversial. A couple of well-planned distractions like global warming or immigration takes the steam out of the stupid and keeps them occupied.
Geoff S above is dead right in all he said, the relationship between people in society and between voters and Govt has changed irreversibly.
150
The Leftist fact checkers are all over this one, claiming that the 1995 newspaper article about Tim Walz, possible next Vice President of the United States, having to go to hospital after ingesting horse semen is not true.
We are talking about DemonRATs however.
Often, anything the “fact checkers” say is false, particularly when protecting the Left and their ideology, is in fact true.
https://x.com/its_The_Dr/status/1821532177714028694
40
Milton Friedman on government spending. Very short video clip.
https://x.com/CilComLFC/status/1824569443302953442
30
“Remember this the next time the NYT refers to conservatives as Nazis or Trump as Hitler.”
“How a Leak by a New York Times Reporter Led to an Anti-Doxing Uproar in Australia”
https://hotair.com/headlines/2024/08/17/how-a-leak-by-a-new-york-times-reporter-led-to-an-anti-doxing-uproar-in-australia-n3793282
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In November, a New York Times reporter, Natasha Frost, covertly gained access to the group. She downloaded the private information of those in the group and their chats to write a hit piece published by the New York Times in January. Frost then left the group.
Apparently not satisfied, Frost then shared the private data from the group with someone who passed it along to various “anti-zionist” activists and had it posted online. A spreadsheet was created with information on all the Jews in the group.
Natasha Frost, a Times reporter who was based in Melbourne, Australia, earlier this year, downloaded and shared 900 pages of content from the private WhatsApp chat that was launched by Jewish professionals in response to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas terrorists that claimed the lives of nearly 1,200 Israelis.
Before long, teachers, business owners, and other private individuals who were in the group started being harassed and threatened. Associated businesses were vandalized. Several people reported having to flee their homes.
The New York Times concedes it was an ethical violation and claims they took disciplinary action against Frost, but it is unclear what that entailed. She is still publishing a daily briefing for the Times.
60
FWIW
“DOWNLOAD IT WHILE IT’S HOT: The Hewlett Foundation has spent over $100 million trying to create an ideological movement to counteract “neoliberalism,” a word that, on the left, seems to mean “anything not socialist that we don’t like.” In the legal academy, the Foundation’s funding has gone to something called the Law and Political Economy Project, based at Yale Law School. I eviscerate the project’s underlying assumptions and ideological conceits in a new article. One point I’d like to particularly emphasize is that while the authors bemoan a decline in government spending and regulation that never happened, blaming it for a rise in inequality, they say not a word about the breakdown of the traditional two-parent family, especially among among American with less wealth and formal education. If you purport to be concerned with inequality but focus on, say, antitrust enforcement rather than the 40% out of wedlock birthrate, much higher among the poor and working class, you are doing it wrong.”
” “Law and Political Economy”: A Solution in Search of a Problem”
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4925871
Via https://instapundit.com/667499/#disqus_thread
Remember that your next computer purchase might help fund things like this
20
And
https://x.com/AutismCapital/status/1824449801817354379
00
FWIW
Instapundit introduction –
“YOU’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BLOG: Tracking Kamala Harris’ Biggest And Baddest Lies.”
https://thefederalist.com/2024/08/13/tracking-kamala-harris-biggest-and-baddest-lies/
60
Does anyone know why Imigran for migraine was discontinued or banned in Australia and are there effective substitutes?
10
They reckon its still going-
https://www.imigranmigraine.com.au/where-to-buy/
10
Thanks. Apparently it’s the spray which is discontinued, not the tablet.
00
FWIW –
” Global Update from UK Chief Health Advisor on Monkey Pox”
https://twitter.com/i/status/1824434756412477861
20
The Social Affairs reporter at the SMH-
“Caitlin Fitzsimmons is the environment and climate reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. She was previously the social affairs reporter and the Money editor.”
rounded up a few cockies to show-
“Hart expects solar grazing to be a growth area. “Because the economics are really favourable for co-use of sheep and solar, we think that it’s just going to continue to get larger and larger,” he says.”
It seems wind towers and solar panels are good for the farmers and great for the animals, no negatives mentioned at all.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/it-s-beneficial-for-the-sheep-the-surprising-win-win-for-solar-panels-on-farms-20240416-p5fk9g.html
12
I have been following Bangladesh’s nuclear power development. The development has strong ties with Russia.
Last week PM, Hasina resigned ands fled to India. So interesting times for the 170M Bangladeshis.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/06/asia/bangladesh-protests-hasina-resignation-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html
I was prompted to look at the energy sector in Bangladesh because I know they have power barges for power generation. They might end up on the Thames after the lights inevitably go out in the UK.
60
If you want a Veg day – I have enjoyed watching Korean Series with English Subtitles – Dear Fair Lady Kong Shim
The Beauty of the Beast, Beast’s Beauty, Pretty Ugly, Beautiful Gong Shim 2016 MA15+ 20 episodes
I really enjoy the Korean Actor Namkoong Min, as he is a real card!
https://www.viki.com/celebrities/14753pr-namkoong-min – scroll down to see shows you can watch him in for free
I have watched full series Good Manager (Excellent), Beautiful Gong Shim, and currently watching Stove League & Undateables
00
I came across this story about negative feed in tariffs or as the writer calls in a “sun tax”
https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/madness-to-charge-people-for-sunlight-sneaky-sun-tax-slugged-on-solar-households-slammed-as-ripoff-amid-cost-of-living-crisis/news-story/c0c446f7a071dfa8e1f50eea26a4148a
The story is mightily confused and fractured , much like the “renewables” industry. There is one embedded gem where a spokesperson says,with a straight face, you still get 2.3c per kWh for feed in between 4PM and 9PM.
30
Sort of related, its all coming together for Albo and Bowen
https://www.news.com.au/technology/motoring/motoring-news/how-chinese-evs-will-change-the-car-market/news-story/40a7666c45c9adc8eb8788d2fde2a592
30
FWIW
That cheap wind power bite another bum
“Biden-Subsidized Offshore Wind Developer Reports Massive Losses In Latest Blow To Industry”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/08/17/biden-subsidized-offshore-wind-developer-reports-massive-losses-in-latest-blow-to-industry/
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I quite like to post a novel Tassie story for you mainlanders but I’m spoilt for choice today
20
YYY – this one https://pulsetasmania.com.au/news/man-accused-of-attempting-to-burn-down-tasmania-police-station-facing-charges/
reminded me of visiting Wanganui Computer Centre, a facility housing the main computer system of the New Zealand Police, Courts, Ministry of Transport, and other law enforcement agencies on the day, very soon after the following, and one of the people describing a dog licking up part of the remains.
Man blows himself up in front of new zealand police computer centre
On November 18, 1982, a suicide bomb attack occurred in front of the Wanganui Computer Centre, a facility housing the main computer system of the New Zealand Police, Courts, Ministry of Transport, and other law enforcement agencies. The perpetrator, identified as a “punk anarchist” named Neil Roberts, detonated a homemade gelignite bomb, resulting in his own death.
This incident was a response to protests against Prime Minister Robert Muldoon’s policies and the 1981 Springbok Tour, as well as concerns about the Wanganui Computer Centre’s perceived breach of privacy rights. The bombing was a serious incident, and its aftermath highlighted the tensions and controversies surrounding these issues at the time.
Follow up
. Were there any investigations or trials related to the bombing, and what were the outcomes?
. What were the specific policies of Prime Minister Robert Muldoon that sparked protests and the bombing?
. How did the Wanganui Computer Centre’s data collection and storage practices contribute to concerns about privacy rights?
🌐
police.govt.nz
Wanganui Computer Bombing | New Zealand Police
🌐
en.wikipedia.org
List of New Zealand police officers killed in the line of duty – Wikipedia
🌐
en.wikipedia.org
Wanganui Computer Centre bombing – Wikipedia
🌐
police.govt.nz
All news | New Zealand Police
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00
Nearly Normal Neil grew up just down the road from me, some of my classmates were in the punk/thrash [trash] band he was in, bit of an odd one from the start. Mind you, so was Piggy Muldoon (NZ’s last PM to have fought in WWII) was a conservative socialist dictator – yep, all three rolled into one – before he was rolled after having ten too many whiskies one night.
By then I was living – and working – in Queensland, counting myself lucky to have escaped the Shaky Isles’ encroaching police state: goon squads, riot police, pitched battles in the streets, then Neil not thinking his plan all the way through… oops! The End.
Now we all have shiny tracking devices keeping a minute-to-minute tab on our innermost thoughts and feelings… Palmerston North is still central ground zero for State International Surveillance. I mean, what else is there to do in Palmy 😃
50
Try this then.
Southern Tasmanian IGA store offers 5% discount to people paying with cash.
Or maybe all those Tas government funded tourism centers worth millions now overgrown and rotting away in the wilderness…
40
FWIW –
“safe and secure” government data concentrations (/s)
Re the latest massive data breach in USA
“The Impact of The Recent Shadowy Data Breach”
https://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=251874
00
Biden’s MonkeyHoax Response Deputy Coordinator
Dr. Daskalakis is known for his expertise in public health and infectious diseases, particularly in the fields of HIV/AIDS prevention and LGBTQ+ health. His appointment was part of the Biden administration’s effort to coordinate a national strategy to manage and contain the Monkeypox outbreak.
https://lionessofjudah.substack.com/p/meet-bidens-monkeyhox-response-deputy
What does his appearance suggest to you?
Me too.😉
Although China’s latest mutant Ebola research is FAR worse…
Lockdowns for xmas, everyone!
50
As the per capita recession for months past and the last quarter GDP growth of 0.1% mark the decline into recession the pressures from clients being unable to pay for work and many building firms being forced to close trades people are now phoning around seeking work in Sydney, so must be underway elsewhere.
60
You know things are going bad in Australia when so many breweries are going bust!
https://www.9news.com.au/national/australian-craft-beer-breweries-financial-troubles-explained/5a030fa2-0009-48b1-a9b8-80fd05ca127c
30
What No Labor Governement in either State or Federal seem to understand, is that their Taxes, especially Labor State Land Tax is cruelling Businesses as they are responsible for Land Tax Increase under Commercial Leases
. “We are the third highest taxing nation on beer manufacturing in the world,” Lethbridge said.
. “Our tax increases twice a year, not just once but twice (when the alcohol excise increases in line with inflation).
. “It’s a very uneven playing field in regard to how Australia’s alcohol is taxed.
In my own case with NSW Land Tax having risen to $24,000.00 and being unable to pass on in Residential Leases, I am getting out of my NSW Property Investments
Meanwhile in Victoria
Block auction buyer getting out of property in victoria due to land tax
According to recent reports, Block auction buyers are facing significant challenges due to the increased land tax in Victoria. The state’s new land tax rules, introduced in January, have lowered the threshold for taxable properties from $300,000 to $50,000. This change has resulted in many investors being forced to reassess their portfolios and consider selling properties to avoid the higher tax burden.
Consequences for Block Auction Buyers
1. Higher Tax Liabilities: Investors who previously enjoyed lower tax rates are now facing significantly higher land tax bills. This increased tax liability can be a major deterrent for buyers, making it harder for them to justify purchasing properties at auction.
2. Reduced Demand: As a result, many Block auction buyers are opting out of purchasing properties in Victoria, citing the increased tax burden as a major factor. This reduced demand can drive down property prices and make it even harder for investors to recoup their costs.
3. Selling Properties: Some investors, like Danny Wallis, who purchased a property on The Block in 2019 and sold it last year due to rising land taxes, are choosing to sell their properties rather than continue to absorb the higher tax costs.
Key Factors Contributing to the Shift
1. Land Tax Increases: The reduced threshold and increased tax rates have made it more expensive for investors to hold onto properties in Victoria.
2. Rental Sector Regulation: Stricter regulations on the rental sector, including energy efficiency upgrades, are also deterring investors from entering the market.
3. Depreciation Deductions: The loss of substantial tax deductions available for properties from The Block, due to yearly depreciation, has reduced the appeal for investors.
Conclusion
The increased land tax in Victoria is having a significant impact on Block auction buyers, leading to reduced demand, increased selling of properties, and a shift away from investing in the state. As the market adjusts to these changes, investors are reevaluating their strategies and considering alternative opportunities.
Follow up
. How do the new land tax rules in Victoria compare to those in other Australian states or cities?
. What specific tax incentives or deductions were eliminated or reduced for Block auction buyers in Victoria?
. What alternative investment opportunities or strategies are emerging as a result of the increased land tax in Victoria, and how are investors responding?
🌐
sro.vic.gov.au
Land tax | State Revenue Office
🌐
sro.vic.gov.au
Paying land tax for the first time | State Revenue Office
🌐
consumer.vic.gov.au
Buying property at auction – Consumer Affairs Victoria
🌐
sro.vic.gov.au
Buying a property | State Revenue Office
🌐
🌐
🌐
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10
Fun Facts:
Australia is the only country with a lower excise rate of keg beer that you get at a pub compared to beer at the bottle shop
$61.32 per litre alcohol at the bottle shop vs $43.22 per litre at the pub
You can thank me for that!
I took on Johnny Howard and his GST (with the backing of the brewers and the Hotel Industry) and won.
You can beat the bastards if you have enough money to back you up.
As always – money buys you justice!
https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/gst-excise-and-indirect-taxes/excise-on-alcohol/excise-duty-rates-for-alcohol
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Sunday ejukayshun: Lotus root harvesting
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_sidcdp9R0i1z23obp.mp4
And you think you’ve got it tough.
30
Sunday bonus: an 8th century Astrolabe
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_sicuclQ22H1z23obp.mp4
Amazing design quality!
50
Surely it fell from the sky? Arabique oui?
Miniaturisation in the Dark Ages, who knew…
20
The narrator keeps saying Arabique and who am I to argue but I keep in mind that a lot of the science we inherited from the Arabs they got from India originally.
60
True that. And India originated off Australia’s west coast when we were all part of the southern Gondwanaland mega-continent. Maybe we all walked out of Antarctica…
40
A friend who worked in geology commented that the rocks that comprise the cape-to-cape lower corner of Western Australia are geologically the same rocks as in a part of India.
60
Around that idea – I see that there is yet another attempt to put buffel gras on the “weed of all time” list.
Buffel grass occurs from southern Africa, through Pakistan and India and even in Sri Lanka. Which is where Australia split off from Gondwanaland.
So what we have done is replaced a grazed out Gondwanaland species
00
Another Moderna Victim
Natalie Boyce, 21, died on March 27, 2022 from myocarditis after receiving the Moderna Covid vaccine.
Never forgive or forget.
https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/rabbit-hole-piles-of-reports-mounting-in-death-of-21yo-after-covid19-vaccine-coroner-says/news-story/c50a120107b0042698f3a120578742fc
Moderna Product voluntarily cancelled by the sponsor on 23 April 2024
https://www.tga.gov.au/products/covid-19/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccines-regulatory-status
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Moderna isn’t modern a, it’s Mode RNA: get with the programme (pogrom?), just sayin’…
70
There is a Raygun doll on the way
Also dedicated fans can download the file to 3D print their own Rayfun Funko Pop
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-13749359/Push-Raygun-immortalised-popular-collectible-toy-gaining-momentum-prototypes-available-sale.html
[Junk] ED
00
Spain was a warning (but no-one noticed. See comment about Australian debt).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Tw-vJBzMo
20
And from browsing (trying to add to Jennie George’s article about Green Energy (& Bowen) in the WE Australian, I see
Retail Price of electricity (EU ¢/kWh) in Europe
Ireland 49.9
Germany 49.5
Great? Britain 48.5 all above going green.
EU average 28.3
France 26.7 Mostly nuclear
Poland 22.7 . Mostly coal fired
Norway 14.6 98% hydro. Explains the huge use of EVs
Hungary 9.2 even higher % nuclear
90
Norway’s significant use of EVs also occurs because of the many subsidies provided for their use. However, when the Norwegians travel to neighbouring countries, they use their SUVs as many of the regular subsidies don’t count there. Also, Norway has started to reduce the subsidies, as it’s been realised that their roads are receiving less money for maintenance, with the maintenance money being diverted into EV subsidies. For example, an EV costs around 30,000 Euros in Europe. But the Norwegians receive around 26,000 Euros in subsidies. Additionally, their road toll savings amount to around A$15,400.
20
But Mr Albanese has seen the modelling – Renewables are the cheapest form of Electrishitty.
Who are us plebs to question the CSIRO funded by Albo using the money from us mug taxpayers!
40
But wind and solar are free!
I know ’cause the MSM and politicians and bureaucrats told me so! Again and again!
So we were lied to and are still being lied to!
Shock and horror!
Not really, just situation normal in Oz at the moment.
This sounds like a job for our dis/misinformation commissar.
Nah…it’ll never happen.
40
FWIW – a first!
“Kamala the Indian Hyena”
https://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2024/08/one-of-our-own-underminder-has-officially-coined-a-neologism-for-kamala.html
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Close second – https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/kamala-harris-laughing-hyena-comparisons
20
In space news, China has come up with a novel idea of returning helium-3 from the moon back to earth, and 90% cheaper.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3274828/chinese-scientists-planning-rotating-launch-system-moon?module=top_story&pgtype=homepage
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Too late for the Hindenburg Disaster!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgWHbpMVQ1U
10
Ah, ‘The Moon is a Harsh Mistress’, Robert Heinlein’s book.. The colonists on the Moon, criminals and others the Earth don’t want (Hello Australia..) revolt against Earth rule and re-program the computer controlling the catapulting of goods sent back to Earth. Orbital bombardment by rocks soon persuades Earth to let Luna be free.
So, how long before the Chinese colony on the Moon want independence and have the catapult to enforce it?
The Helium3 is the reason there is a sudden enthusiasm for returning to the Moon, and more countries want to go.
10
Global warming sees a reduction in typhoons.
https://notrickszone.com/2024/08/17/less-extreme-pacific-weather-number-of-typhoons-trending-downward-over-70-years/
30
That’ll upset the hordes of UN believers & grifters – politricksters, sc!ent!sts, media bots, greenies, fretful children, insurance companies, second-hand EV salespersonhoods – similar to cyclones and hurricanes, fewer means less, not more. Oops! There goes another theory.
20
Given the current attention on immigration courtesy of Peter Dutton the following link from Michael Smith may provide some “Food For Thought”….. https://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2024/08/thank-you-shaz-of-christmas-island-more-of-your-photographic-subjects-funding-a-life-of-luxury-here-.html
40
The end of Orange juice?
If world agricultural authorities don’t get their act together soon enough, your morning orange juice may disappear from the supermarket shelves – for good.
This is how critical the situation has become in the citrus growing world. In the past decades, a disease called Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as “citrus greening” disease, has been devastating orchards in Asia, the Americas and several African countries.
The economic impacts are dramatic in some countries. In Brazil, production has fallen by more than 20%, 60% in Guadeloupe and and plummeted by more than 90% in Florida.
Florida, a well-known producer of oranges, saw thousands of jobs in the citrus sector disappear. Drastic quarantine and management measures have been put in place everywhere. The price of orange juice has doubled in the space of a year, with manufacturers now struggling to get their hands on fruits.
At present, of the world’s major citrus-growing areas, only the Mediterranean basin and Australia are free of the disease.
https://www.sciencealert.com/this-disease-is-wreaking-havoc-on-citrus-fruit-and-its-spreading-worldwide
30
Cue massive price increases.
30
Do we import citrus fruit into Australia? If yes, why?
20
Winter in the USA is our summer.
20
I’m pretty sure we import heaps of concentrate from Cal.
10
Yes , we import.
Why?
Because decades ago the government smashed the citrus industry in the central coast/ Gosford.
That was before BHP was shut down
10
Mocking the Christian faith by staging a perverted pantomime of the Last Supper – on international TV as part of the Olympic Games – is apparently OK. I suppose we must assume by this that religion is an acceptable target for jokes, mockery and parody.
And yet …
A UK man has just been put in jail for eight months for mocking Islam, including by pretending to pray as a Muslim. Please explain.
80
>Please explain>
UK in the 21st century, especially under Starmer.
Total perversion of moral values.
Jordan Peterson’s interview re Marx and Satan
30
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/many-countries-turning-stateless-currency-gold
and Australias position? apart from once again being a quarry.
00
30
https://cjhopkins.substack.com/
10
Why the downfall of the Chinese regime can be the next big event (video)
00