Cobalt

I have been writing about the problems with mining and disposing of materials used in the new green deal but very few articles have been posted about this until now. Joe Rogan interviewed a reporter who showed video of children mining cobalt in Africa and it is a real eye opener. 70% of the worlds cobalt comes from Africa. When people see this they will begin to understand how the green deal is not good for the environment. After watching this people should be aware that as bad as this looks it is a small problem compared to the mining of rare earth metals which are used in all sorts of modern electronics. This could all be eliminated if thorium nuclear power was used to replace fossil fuels but there is no campaign money like there is in the new green deal. Cobalt is essential in the production of batteries for all uses and in particular for electric cars. https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6319571547112#sp=show-clips

Deep state

A number of people, including myself, are concerned about what has become known as the deep state. To me it is all about the bureaucrats who are the power behind the throne. The most recent conundrum revolves around the China's balloon flyover. It is reported that these balloons flew over during the Trump administration and several high ranking members of the Trump years have come forth saying they knew nothing about such flyovers. They all say it is inconceivable that such a thing could happen without their knowledge. I say it is not only possible but likely because there are many things that go on within the bureaucracy that elected officials know nothing about. In this case it was not only elected officials but many appointed to cabinet positions. Over the past 50 years the bureaucrats have gained power because the two political parties are always fighting each other and pay little attention to the day to day operation of the government which is handled by, you guessed it, the bureaucrats. I have said it before and repeat it now for emphasis but the bureaucrats see the incoming administrations as the Christmas help. That says it all.

Biden runs

Only 37% of democrats want Biden to run again. It is difficult to understand why. Most people realize he is struggling. He has some days when he is lucid but other days when he seems lost. This is typical of how dementia progresses and it only gets worse as there is no cure. If he runs will he be able to campaign or able to debate. If he runs against Trump will it be like last time where he stayed in his house and the press covered for him. Will anybody but Trump be enough to reelect. Will there be any discussion about issues like inflation, fossil fuel production, crime, the border, ending the war and relations with China or will it be all about Trump's personality. What will Biden do about VP Harris. He cannot dump her because she was put in there because she was a minority female. It was a choice of equity over merit and the results are disappointing. His only out is to pick another minority female and hope for better results. The choice for Veep is more important this time because of Biden's age and condition. If Trump hadn't announced Biden would likely not run again but it is what it is.

Drugs

A congresswoman was on TV today and she said migrants are not bringing fentanyl into the country as almost all fentanyl is found at legal border crossing and she is correct as far as she goes however there is no way to tell how much is brought into the country with the got a ways. Fentanyl is worth $60,000 per pound and an illegal coming into the country with a past criminal record might well be smart to bring along a couple of pounds of fentanyl so there is no way of knowing how much comes across between legal crossing points. What this woman is claiming a truth that conceals a lie. This sort of misdirection is done by many on a regular basis and if what she says is what you want to hear that's what you will hear. The migrants that cross at legal points come in with VISA's that allow them to visit or reside for a limited time and then they just stay and are referred to as overstayers. Most of the drugs confiscated at border crossings are hidden in various places in vehicles.

Listen

Over the years while I was growing up gay people were ridiculed and young men insulted other young men by calling them gay. Lesbians were rarely even discussed. People who were more tolerant of different life styles consider the gay bashers as unsophisticated rubes and were disgusted with their behavior feeling they would be above such meanness. Now gays are coming out and society is changing and those who were critical of anyone who tried to embarrass gays have now become the embarressers. The very thing they saw as intolerant behavior they are now showing. They now poke fun at and degrade anyone who does not accept the gay life style. When you encounter someone who sees issues differently than you be prepared to discuss your different viewpoints but do so without resorting to personal insults. You will both learn something. Follow the old rule that one person speaks and one person listens and you will be pleasantly surprised at how much you didn't know.

Ukraine

When the war in Ukraine first started the rationale was that if you didn't stop Putin he would then go into other countries in his quest to reunite the old Soviet Union. Putin has since found out that it was far more costly than he anticipated and he has learned an important lesson the hard way and is much less likely to invade again. Now is the time to negotiate a peace settlement. The NATO powers can push for Russia to receive the parts of Ukraine that are Russian speaking and have already voted to secede. Russia in return will withdraw all forces from the other parts of Ukraine. He can then go home an claim victory and the lives of many Ukrainians can the begin the difficult process of rebuilding. The money that was going to be used to fund the war can be used to rebuild.

Community organizer

Karl Marx the father of socialism felt that religion and family had to go. He said the family was a conservative institution that helped to preserve capitalism. He said that religion was the opium of the people and was used to control the masses. An American Sal Alinsky who promoted similar ideas and his goal was to destroy the family, the church and the constitution. He believed that free enterprise itself must be destroyed. He was the original community organizer and he described an organizer as an abrasive agent to rub raw the resentments of the community. He said in order to organize you must first polarize and you will be labeled an agitator and you must agitate to the point of conflict. He said you must have a common enemy, pick the target, freeze it, personalize it and polarize it. Organizers in today's would use racism as the target and proceed according to his plan.