If you are interested in critical race theory or are not up to date on how it is doing, feel free to go to the following link for as the latest and greatest activities. https://www.city-journal.org/christopher-rufo-on-woke-education

Our crack climate Czar, John Kerry recently met with China’s Vice Premier, Han Zheng who welcomed the U.S. back into that hugely successful (?) Paris climate agreement. In his remarks, the Vice Premier said, “China welcomes the U.S. return to the Paris agreement and expects the U.S. side to uphold the agreement.”. I bet he does! China does not have to reduce emissions until at least 2030 (as they are a poor “developing” nation) and is in the process of expanding their coal-fired capacity by 300% over the prior year. They have enough coal power in development to supply all of Germany. Meanwhile, the carbon emissions of the U.S. in 2019 were the lowest since 1992 and their lowest per capita since 1950? Why? In large part due to the drilling for natural gas and our energy from shale. But, of course, the new Administration is trying to limit natural gas production. You can certainly say one thing for our trade negotiators; they do not appear to be the sharpest knives in the drawer. (Figures from WSJ, 4/20/21, pp A16)

Prince Philip was known for coming out with quips and remarks that could be very funny or very offensive. Here are a few of his “best” ones:

• 1995 Scotland: He asked a driving instructor, “How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?”
• 2002 Queensland, Australia: He as an Aboriginal businessman, “Do you still throw spears at each other?”
• Future astronaut: When a 13-year-old boy mentioned that he wanted to go into space, Philip said, “You’re too fat to be an astronaut.”
• 2003 Nigeria: Meeting the President of Nigeria who was in traditional robes, Philip said, “You look like you’re ready for bed.”
• Princess Anne: Philip said, “If it doesn’t fart or eat hay, she isn’t interested.”
• Elton John: While performing at a Royal Variety Command Performance, in 2001, he was heard to say, “I wish he’d turn the microphone off.”
• Source: NY Post, 4/10/2021, pp 5

Many years ago I went on a tour of Plantation houses outside of New Orleans. I loved the large windows that you could raise and walk out onto the spacious porch; it must have been wonderful to have such an open feeling. I was disabused of my ideas however, for the tour guide pointed out that such windows were invented in order to avoid the tax on doors. You see, every permanent door in a house was taxed, so in order to save money the architects simply eliminated doors to the outside by replacing them with huge windows that one could raise and walk through. The same was true in the bedrooms for there were no closets; instead, armoires were used; no permanent door, no tax.

Ever since the introduction of the “Great Society”, the Federal government has grown in size and power, spent tens of trillions of dollars and achieved negative results, and claimed that the reason for the failure was that they had not spent enough money. This article points out some very simple facts and should make us all question the centralization of power in Washington D.C.. The politicians love spending your money and the government and NGOs enjoy receiving your money; are you happy with how it is spent? There can be no denying that the course our government is on is destructive to families and to the economy. https://www.wsj.com/articles/spending-blowout-imposes-costs-beyond-the-enormous-price-tag-11618246279?mod=opinion_lead_pos8

There is a term for a woman or man who sells out their virtue or ideals for money; it starts with the letter W. What do we call government which offers programs which are counter to the best values of society in the quest for money? Do we apply the same word? As adults we recognize that the family unit and those boring middle class values (hard work, deferred gratification, saving, thrift, etc.) are the very core of a successful, growing society. We must wonder why so many government policies run directly counter to those values we attempt to pass onto the next generation. If government policies undermine the very values that create a stable society, then what does the government actually stand for in our lives? Is government now a counter weight to stability, order, security? Is government by its never ending quest for money beginning to represent and promote the worse of human vices? Where will the downward spiral end? The link will take you to a thoughtful article that should make us stop and question the changing role of government. https://www.city-journal.org/marijuana-legalization-new-york

What happens when the nation’s top police agency misreads, multiple times, terrorist threats? Is spending millions of dollars investigating parents buying their children’s way into top universities the best use of highly trained FBI agents? Why are top managers of the FBI making decisions which will impact the body politic of our nation with information that is either tainted or doctored by their subordinates? It seems the FBI has lost its way and focus; what a waste of skills and dedication as politics enters the offices of the FBI. https://thefederalist.com/2021/03/30/an-fbi-so-corrupt-it-lets-mass-shooters-rampage-needs-to-go/

Facts apparently do not matter to many politicians, leaders of special interest groups and much of the press, but talking points do. Repeat the talking points often and loudly and be sure to accuse anyone who questions them of ignorance, hatred, etc. It is a technique as old as Lenin and every other tyrant during our lifetime, so beware. The link below will take you to a site loaded with those nasty facts that upset the narrative of White on Asian crime. Read it if you dare. https://quillette.com/2021/03/25/race-and-false-hate-crime-narratives/

In Western societies, the military has been a central pillar of stability in times of stress, hopefully standing above politics. The recent attempts to interject critical race theory within the military as well as some military members openly commenting on political matters while in uniform is opening a dangerous path that has little if any upside. Those who attempt to use the military for social engineering strike at the very core of our nations survival. The legislation by Senator Cotton is to be applauded and watched; those who vote against it in Congress should be remembered during the next election cycle. https://www.city-journal.org/tom-cotton-senate-bill-on-critical-race-theory

I am not a fan of government subsidies, but I realize that in the real competitive world, there are many pressures which lead to subsidies in some start up industries, those involved in international trade, etc. Which raises the question of would you invest in a company that is breaking into a mature market but which requires a subsidy which was 48 times larger than its competition to compete? No? How about one that requires a subsidy 211 times that of its competitor to compete? That is the situation with wind and solar energy according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation. This raises several questions, such as 1) how long will all tax payers be willing to subsidize Tesla drivers and Elon Musk, 2) when the subsidies end, will the average American be able to pay the actual market price of wind and solar power, 3) could there be a better use for the subsidy monies and 4) when reality does descent on us, will those who have lead us along a prime rose path pay any price? I doubt it. This article should make you think about the real price of “free” energy. https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-blackouts-blew-in-on-the-wind-11616192622?page=1