Category: General

San Francisco, CA has decided to sue the big oil companies for damages they expect to incur from the use of fossil fuels. Well, I’ve got news for you idiots: Fossil fuel production by oil companies is not the driving force behind global warming. Burning fossil fuels by your citizens, however… that’s another story.

To blame the oil companies for producing a product that the public demands is absurd. If you want to reduce the impact of fossil fuels, then get your citizens to stop using such fuels. There is nothing preventing you from passing laws to forbid the use of these fuels (except, maybe, your re-election campaign).

… your conviction for espionage?

Chelsea Manning tells audience: I am not an ‘American traitor’

Jesse Jackson recently implied that Donald Trump “…would not qualify to get into Jesus’ kingdom…”.

Really, Mr. Jackson? Well, you probably would not qualify, either.

Put down the rocks, Mr. Jackson – you’re likely to hit your own house.

While the Seattle city council might have good intentions (although I fear it’s simply political posturing), their ordinance to restrict the ability of landlords to screen their tenants will likely backfire. Attempts to regulate the rental housing market to increase the housing stock for historically undesirable tenants are doomed to failure.

If Seattle really wants to help less desirable tenants, then they need to offset their higher risk with more landlord-friendly eviction rules. Otherwise, the increased risk to landlords will result only in fewer rentals and higher rents.

A professor at U.C. Berkeley and (former) science envoy for the State Department resigned his position in a resignation notice where he largely berated President Trump. However, it has also been noted that his long-winded and scathing resignation letter had an interesting attribute: the first letter of each paragraph, when taken together, spell out the word “IMPEACH”.

A similar tactic was used when all 17 members of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities – consisting entirely of Obama appointees (they wouldn’t have a political agenda in mind with their mass resignation, now would they…?) resigned their positions. In their resignation notice the first letter of each paragraph (including the “Thank you” sign-off) spell “RESIST” (notice link here).

In any event, I find it interesting that this science envoy chose to resign only one month before his commission ended (according to the NBC article linked above), leading me to believe that this was more a political opportunity than a true expression of concern. Also, if the message hidden withing his resignation was intentional, it was an incredibly immature act much more reminiscent of a child’s temper tantrum than a statement meant to produce useful change.

We need people who will pull us together, not political opportunists who will push us apart using cheap parlor tricks. We have no use for sore losers who choose to lament their election losses with politically-motivated actions under the guise of legitimate protest.

A friend of mine suggested that Robert E. Lee objected to confederate monuments being erected after the civil war, and this PBS article confirms (and is an interesting read). Lee felt that such displays would slow the healing and reconstruction of the nation.

Perhaps it is time we heed his advice. It’s not necessary (or advisable) that we forget our history, but maybe we can present it in a light more respectful of the circumstances.

Reason’s Cathy Young interviews James Damore.

Today, being pro free speech will get you branded a racist. Soon (if not already), simply being a conservative will do. By the end of the next week, all Republicans will be racists, to be attacked at will by roving squads of Antifa. Sound familiar? You might see parallels in the rise of just about any south American dictator…

It is important to guard our constitutional rights to free speech, no matter the subject under discussion. Don’t let these “counter-protesters” shame you out of your cherished right to be heard.

We should all be concerned about the precedent Google has established by firing an employee for holding an independent opinion contrary to that of Google, irrespective of the actions of the employee. The message is clear – your opinions alone can get you fired, particularly if you are not a liberal.

Google’s action will have a chilling effect on free speech, not only at Google but at other left-leaning employers, too. I’m appalled at this blatant attempt to silence speech, but not surprised that this form of oppression has originated in Silicon Valley. Nonetheless, it has worked. I, too, am now afraid to express my opinion for fear that my left-leaning employer will silence me by eliminating my job.

I fear that free expression will not survive under these conditions.