I’ve never been convinced that humans are causing global warming, and here is an opinion article that not only says humans do not cause it but that it hasn’t even been happening for the last 8 years. Of course, I’ve read articles that make me think maybe?
There is no question in my mind that we are to be good stewards of the Earth. Conservation and taking care of the environment is important but simply having lofty goals doesn’t make for sound environmental policy.
Why do so many people think wanting to build a wall to discourage people from braking the law makes you a racist? Is it poor logic, hidden agendas, or stupidity? I see no problem with it and have long thought it was the most important part of the solution to the immigration problem (and yes ILLEGAL immigration is a PROBLEM). Charles Krauthammer has an excellent article on the idea. Here is the main idea.
Of course it will be ugly. So are the concrete barriers to keep truck bombs from driving into the White House. But sometimes necessity trumps aesthetics. And don’t tell me that this is our Berlin Wall. When you build a wall to keep people in, that’s a prison. When you build a wall to keep people out, that’s an expression of sovereignty. The fence around your house is a perfectly legitimate expression of your desire to control who comes into your house to eat, sleep and use the facilities. It imprisons no one.
If the government can demonstrate that it can control future immigration, there will be infinitely less resistance to dealing generously with the residual population of past immigration. And, as Mickey Kaus and others have suggested, that may require that the two provisions be sequenced. First, radical border control by physical means. Then, shortly thereafter, radical legalization of those already here. To achieve national consensus on legalization, we will need a short lag time between the two provisions, perhaps a year or two, to demonstrate to the skeptics that the current wave of illegals is indeed the last.
This is full amnesty (earned with back taxes and learning English and the like) with full border control. If we do it right, not only will we solve the problem, we will get it done as one nation.
The article in it’s entirety: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/06/AR2006040601380.html
Once in a lifetime? You know what I am talking about? It happened this morning at 1:02:03 on 04/05/06. I have been sent at least three emails about this “great” event, seen one person post a notice, saw it on someone elses blog, heard it on the radio and saw it on the news. The “story” has become a bit wearisome. Of course I did forward it myself and now posting on my own blog. I just can’t wait for 13 months to pass when it will be 1:02:03.04 on 05/06/07. Oh the expectation is almost unbearable. You think any one cared about this in 1906? Hey how come no one said anything about 1:02 on 03/04/05? At least that moment would last longer than a second
A little George MacDonald:
Before they reached the sea, Diamond felt North Wind’s hair just beginning to fall about him.
“Is the storm over, North Wind?” he called out.
“No, Diamond. I am only waiting a moment to set you down. You would not like to see the ship sunk, and I am going to give you a place to stop in till I come back for you.”
“Oh! thank you,” said Diamond. “I shall be sorry to leave you, North Wind, but I would rather not see the ship go down. And I’m afraid the poor people will cry, and I should hear them. Oh, dear!”
“There are a good many passengers on board; and to tell the truth, Diamond, I don’t care about your hearing the cry you speak of. I am afraid you would not get it out of your little head again for a long time.”
“But how can you bear it then, North Wind? For I am sure you are kind. I shall never doubt that again.”
“I will tell you how I am able to bear it, Diamond: I am always hearing, through every noise, through all the noise I am making myself even, the sound of a far-off song. I do not exactly know where it is, or what it means; and I don’t hear much of it, only the odour of its music, as it were, flitting across the great billows of the ocean outside this air in which I make such a storm; but what I do hear is quite enough to make me able to bear the cry from the drowning ship. So it would you if you could hear it.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” returned Diamond, stoutly. “For they wouldn’t hear the music of the far-away song; and if they did, it wouldn’t do them any good. You see you and I are not going to be drowned, and so we might enjoy it.”
“But you have never heard the psalm, and you don’t know what it is like. Somehow, I can’t say how, it tells me that all is right; that it is coming to swallow up all cries.”
“But that won’t do them any good—the people, I mean,” persisted Diamond.
