The Definition of Insanity
Yes, this webpage is about energy but — without freedom — free enterprise, prosperity and civilization’s unalienable rights are all threatened
by
Dave Harbour
Temporarily elected and appointed politicians and bureaucrats can adopt the definition of “insanity” just as individuals are prone to do.
That is, if one tries unsuccessfully to solve a problem using the same unsuccessful techniques again and again he might be “tetched”, or stupid or corrupt. Charitably, we default to believing the former of our leaders in Alaska and Alberta, noted below–and our South Korean friends.
Today, South Korea is trying to romance North Korean representatives–again. South Korea wants peace. North Korea wants to dominate South Korea. North Korea has broken promises and violated UN resolutions since the historic day that I fished with my General in the Imjin River between a South Korean tank battalion on our side facing the North Korean artillery and foot soldiers on the other side of the DMZ in 1969. And China, likewise, has broken virtually every promise regarding North Korea. Furthermore, do Americans forget that the UN Command we lead in South Korea is still technically at war with both North Korea and China…since the Armistice was signed in 1953?
We can cheer on today’s North-South discussion in Panmunjom but, fellow Americans, please do not think for a minute that North Korea and its supportive, Chinese big brother are not out to absorb the South using any means possible. These are two, godless, evil, dictatorial, socialist empires that covet what South Korea and what the free world has. They will not rest until they dominate the world. That is their DNA, their heritage and their primary mission in life. To ignore this reality is to approach insanity and invite domination.
If you’ve ever visited China and looked, as I have, at disciplined armies of sinewy, emotionless 6 foot soldiers who would massacre their own on Tienanmen Square…. If you have ever stood in deadly Panmunjom as I have and as our Vice President recently has…. If you know what it’s like to be in a real street fight…, you might understand that we are engaged not in an X-Box fantasy but in a deadly serious confrontation.
And that eyeball to eyeball standoff (i.e. including the continuous threat of attack and the omnipresent, visual and broadcast propaganda) has happened for over 6 decades, 24 hours a day in Panmunjom . Make no mistake: that life or death confrontation is only masked — but not replaced — by international courtesy, diplomacy and trade.
Korea is in the world spotlight on the frontier of freedom. Losing freedom there would be pretext to the loss of freedom in other threatened theaters from the East China Sea, Formosa, disputed Japanese islands to the Ukraine.
To our pipeline contractor/TSO friends:
Your author serves on the board of the Export Council for Alaska. Today we learn that the Ukrainian Government is looking for potential Gas Transportation System Operator partners. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine invites potential Gas Transportation System Operators (TSO) to the preliminary consultations and discussion on possible conditions for the upcoming tender to attract potential TSO partner(s) to operate in newly created PJSC Main Gas Pipelines of Ukraine. Here is the formal announcement. Contact the following Commercial Specialist for additional assistance: Myroslava Myrtsalo, Commercial Specialist, U.S. Commercial Service, Embassy of the United States of America – Kyiv, Ukraine, Tel.: (38044) 521-5409, fax: (38044) 521-5051, e-mail: Myroslava.Myrtsalo@trade.gov, http://www.buyusa.gov/ukraine/
Alberta Sacrifices Economy To Liberal Gods Of Climate Change
Phillips: Albertans support efforts to embrace clean energy
(In this political Op-Ed, Phillips combats Conservative Jason Kenney on the basis that Alberta should tax carbon because China does, because other provinces do, because the Feds will impose the investment killing tax anyway. While rejecting oil & gas industry investment with higher taxation and regulation, Phillips’ Alberta conveniently forgets other values. Alberta’s carbon tax hits consumers in the pocket book. It kills high paying jobs. It makes Alberta a less competitive investment destination. Subsidizing alternative energies hits taxpayers who are also hard hit consumers. And when government becomes the patron of alternate energies it makes them into “crony capitalists” that feed off the likes of Phillips’ patronage and who turn around and use their ill gotten gains to support the likes of politician Shannon Phillips. And finally, consumers shouldn’t forget that wind generators are made with tons of mined material. Mining requires massive fossil fuel support and when that fuel is taxed consumers pay even higher prices for the wind utilities’ electric products. Phillips and her allies would convert the whole province into dependency on her coalitions. Her conservative opponents would retain freedom and free enterprise which would provide both consumers and taxpayers with the lowest possible cost of products and utility services. Phillips proclaims Alberta can “leave or be left behind.” Better to be left behind in traditional free enterprise prosperity than become the socialist vassals of socialist cheerleaders like the author. Once we cried for Argentina’s fall into socialist traps; now we cry for Alberta and the whole of Canada. Oh, Argentina! Oh, Venezuela! Oh, Canada. Can we not learn from the costly failures of socialism and managed economies? -Dave Harbour commentary)
Albertans want good jobs, a strong, diversified economy — now and for the future.
Albertans know protecting our environment and growing our economy go hand in hand. Albertans also believe in the science of climate change and want to be leaders in the new energy economy.
Albertans don’t want to be left behind as other jurisdictions take advantage of new jobs and opportunities in clean energy. Most of all, Albertans want the truth.
The truth is we have a choice: lead or be left behind.
United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney is fighting against reality, both scientifically and economically. His plan to ignore climate change and clean energy opportunities will hurt investor confidence and would roll back the important progress we’ve made in attracting investment, and diversifying our economy for the future.
The federal government has made it clear that any province that doesn’t have a plan to meet the federal carbon price benchmark by September 2018 will have the federal program imposed upon them in 2019.
The reality is they have full constitutional authority to do that and fighting it is a fool’s errand.
…
Carbon pricing is the global standard for reducing emissions and reversing the effects of climate change. With Manitoba’s conservative government recently announcing a carbon tax, most of Canada now prices carbon.
Our customers are also taking action. We’re seeing China, the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, implement several greenhouse gas cap-and trade systems. If we want to increase access to that market – and we do – we have to show that Alberta is doing its part.
…
Furthermore, we’re investing in badly needed transit projects such as the Calgary Green Line. Important investments, funded by the carbon levy, create much-needed local jobs, support the quality of life in Calgary and will help protect our environment now and in the future.
…
Albertans lead and innovate. We don’t stick our heads in the sand and let the world economy pass us by. Our climate leadership plan is about building on our current economy and embracing our future — one where Alberta is the most sustainable energy producer in the world, of not only oil and gas, but clean energy, too.
….
Leave A Comment