Setting The Record Straight

Editor

The problem in writing the ICO is prioritizing which errors to address. First, editorial misstatements. In “Our new climate” (ICO, May 27, 2011): “We face increasing climate dislocation, more powerful storms, melting ice caps, sea level rise, crop pattern changes and other effects.” Remarkably, we faced those same natural climate changes long before the industrial revolution. While there are no recent examples of climate dislocation, history is replete with such. The Little Ice Age (1350 AD) devastated once prosperous Viking settlements in Greenland and thriving vineyards in England. Crops failed in Northern Europe, causing widespread starvation, death, and dislocation.

Sea level rise now is only 8”/century (the average is 4’/century since the Ice Age), and fell three to six feet since 4,000 BC.

Storms were also more powerful during the Little Ice Age. In contrast, the number of strong to violent (F3-F5) tornadoes has dropped dramatically since the colder 1955-1975 period. Recently global accumulated cyclone energy has dropped steadily to levels not seen since 1979, with no increase in violent Atlantic hurricanes or their wind speed for 70 years.

During the recent burst of violent tornadoes, North America was surrounded by colder-than-normal sea temperatures. Experts agree that natural warming does not produce more tornadoes.

Second priority, misleading “facts.” A contributor wrote that our general health is “lower than in most industrialized countries.” However, the standardized mean life expectancy excluding fatal injuries shows we have the highest life expectancy of all industrialized nations. Further, during Clinton’s presidency a study showed very premature births were included in our statistics that weren’t in other industrialized countries, and that low-weight babies, particularly Black babies, was the most significant issue. The study concluded we have “high quality and widespread availability of neonatal intensive care technology.”

And the US has the highest five-year cancer survival rate.

Michael B. Combs

ANIMAL FARM (Letter to Independent Coast Observer)

“Some animals are more equal than others.” 

Whether applied to an anthropomorphized group of farm animals or the failed Communist dictatorships of the 20th century, Orwell’s observation about the inherent inequalities of “collectivism” has stood the test of time.  

The truth of this statement is particularly striking today as we witness a plethora of Orwellian-style edicts flowing out of Washington, D.C.  It seems some ObamaCare supporters are now discovering “inequities” in the legislation and are seeking temporary waivers excusing them from its requirements.  

This Administration has granted about 1350 such waivers thus far with a disproportionate number doled out to labor unions and other predominantly Democrat constituencies.  Interestingly, 20% of the waivers granted in April went to businesses in Nancy Pelosi’s congressional district. There are 435 Congressional districts across the nation. Do the math.

Conservatives view such actions as evidence that this country is being steered more and more towards collectivism:  a society in which the “rule of law” is corrupted by “collective cronyism,” a society in which class warfare rhetoric is used to demonize opponents and its most entrepreneurial, productive citizens are attacked as “enemies of the people.” 

The Democrat Left long ago jumped on the collectivist wagon, powered by the horse manure of political correctness and the winds of doublespeak (e.g., investment, not taxes). While the allure of getting “something for nothing” (e.g.; free health care, excessive food stamps) appeals to people across the political spectrum, it’s the raison d’etre for many Democrats.  

Fortunately, our particular brand of collectivism hasn’t approached the police-state extremes of the former Soviet system and its progeny. But it was Lenin who said, “You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.”  That noise you hear from Washington, D.C.? It’s the sound of a lot of eggs being cracked.

Jim Littlejohn

The Prince (Letter to Independent Coast Observer)

A recent letter to the ICO (May 6, 2011) dubbed President Obama “the prince of multi-tasking.” The writer pointed out that, for Democrats: “His timeline is not always ours.”  (How Biblical! “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9)

However, as a Republican I am quite pleased because his timeline seems to be ours. He has granted renewable waivers to any business with union or San Francisco affiliation that wants out of Obamacare, backed Sarah Palin’s call to drill for oil in ANWAR (and in vast offshore expanses), extended President George W. Bush’s tax cuts, kept Guantanamo open and will try terrorists there in military tribunals, surged the war in Afghanistan, set a record by deporting 387,790 illegal aliens in 2009, and adopted the Bush Doctrine for the Middle East. Not only adopted Bush’s call for a democratic transition of the region, but for over 60 days – while thumbing his nose at Congress and the War Powers Act – has gone one up on Bush by bombing Libya, while still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Prince also one-upped President Bush by clearly rejecting a Palestinian refugee “right of return” to Israel as part of a two-state peace settlement.

At this rate Republicans well may wonder why we would run against The Prince in 2012. I’m sure Obama realizes that Democrats won’t be able to get any tax increases through the Republican House; if he declared “No new taxes!” we Republicans might skip running anyone against him. But as Democrats have learned, he can’t be trusted, so he’ll be replaced with a good fiscal conservative; someone who will lead for the good of Americans, not just the unions.

Michael B. Combs