COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Bali: The Ugly American


Everywhere in the media, the Bali Climate Change Summit is being characterised as a victory for the Climate Hysterics. The recalcitrant United States has been forced to kneel and victory has been snatched from the jaws of defeat.

Except that doesn't seem to the real story. It looks as if all that has occurred is that the United States has agreed to continue talking.

Despite an aggressive EU-led campaign to include specific emissions reduction targets for industrial nations _ by 25 to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 _ the final road map has none.

The guidelines were eliminated after the U.S., joined by Japan and others, argued that targets should come at the end of the two-year negotiations, not the beginning.

The agreement, by consensus among some 190 nations, was nonetheless hailed as a crucial development in the world's struggle to come to grips with global warming, which scientists say will lead to widespread drought, floods, higher sea levels and worsening storms.

"This is a real breakthrough, a real opportunity for the international community to successfully fight climate change," said U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer. "Parties have recognized the urgency of action on climate change."

Environmentalists welcomed the final agreement, though some complained the document lacked specific emissions targets and did not include strong commitments for rich countries to provide poorer ones with green technology.

"The people of the world wanted more. They wanted binding targets," said Marcelo Furtado of Greenpeace Brazil.

Well, they didn't get them. The US didn't get all it wanted either, which was the inclusion of developing nations particularly China and India in the agreement. See this BBC analysis. Although disappointed that firm carbon reduction goals were not agreed to in Bali, the Greens will use what was agreed to as a cudgel over the course of the next two years. The BBC reports:

The "Bali roadmap" initiates a two-year process of negotiations designed to agree a new set of emissions targets to replace those in the Kyoto Protocol.

The EU had pressed for a commitment that industrialised nations should commit to cuts of 25-40% by 2020, a bid that was implacably opposed by a bloc containing the US, Canada and Japan.

The final text does not mention specific emissions targets, but does acknowledge that "deep cuts in global emissions will be required to achieve the ultimate objective" of avoiding dangerous climate change.

It also says that a delay in reducing emissions will make severe climate impacts.

83 comments:

  1. "The EU had pressed for a commitment that industrialised nations should commit to cuts of 25-40% by 2020, a bid that was implacably opposed by a bloc containing the US, Canada and Japan."

    Ash's beloved Canada joins the Great Satan and the Asian Satan as the Little Satan, undercutting Canadian snootyness on all things cultural.

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  2. Sat 12.15 >>
    Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince, the authors of The Sion Revelation, will discuss their research on Secret Societies through the ages.
    Tonight on Coast-To-Coast

    At least we can't accuse Huckabee and Obama of being Boners!

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  3. Bobal: Ash's beloved Canada joins the Great Satan and the Asian Satan as the Little Satan, undercutting Canadian snootyness on all things cultural.

    Maybe the Great White North is secretly in favor of global warming, which would result in expanding the habitable parts of Canada from a mere 200 miles north of the 49th parallel to more like 1000 miles.

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  4. At least we can't accuse Huckabee and Obama of being Boners!

    Hillary's alma mater Wellesley is an all-female school, they don't have Boners from there either.

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  5. "Expect the Unexpected"! The one thing we know for sure is that the scientific case for anthropogenic global warming is much less definitive than the alarmists claim. Data is sparse & confusing, theories are incomplete & unsatisfactory.

    Fast forward to 2012 when Son of Kyoto is supposed to take effect. Some argue that global temperature has already been stable since about 2000. Some argue that because of solar activity cycles, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and other phenomena, the world will actually be cooling appreciably by 2012.

    My question is not about science but about politics. Left-wingers have politicized climate science and made it their own. What will be the politicial consequences for global socialists if Gaia does not play along with their scheme?

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  6. Great picture of Albert. In this week's column, Ann Coulter calls him "vaguely gay, morbidly obese."

    I laughed so hard I blew coffee through my nose.

    Duece, don't be mad, my observations are as a lurker and are from 30 thousand feet.

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  7. Gaia will be called a traitor of course, a capitalist stooge, a lacky.

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  8. You're right, Teresita. One would have to be a fool, to be a Canadian and be against global warming. All those Canucks don't head to Hawaii in the winter for nothing.

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  9. Hillary is a Boner, make no mistake about that. Or she'd not have been a Wal-Mart Director.

    Can't run from her past.

    Embrace the Hillary reality, Ms T.
    She is a globalist, a member of the elite. No doubt of that.
    Her Wal-Mart and successful cattle futures trading proof enough of that fact of life.

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  10. Those Canuks flock to Costa Rica and Panama as well, bob, each winter.

    When the real estate boom was on, their money financed many an inflationary land deal, here.

    "Snowbirds" is the phraseology we've always used.

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  11. Yup, snowbirds, I remember them being called, canadian geese too.

    Hillary the Machiavellian

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  12. I would love to be rid of the Clinton dynasty forever January 2009. To this end, I hope we can put together a winning coalition of at least 40 percent legal Americans, 6 percent Chinese millionaire fry cooks and busboys from Chinatown and 5 percent illegal alien landscape workers and nannies from Mexico who will put us over the top. :)

    from the linked article above

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  13. While a warmer Canada may have some beneficial aspects I don't think that is what is driving the current governments oppostion to the Bali accords. Their postition seems to revolve around the notion that Canada is a sparsely populated country that is growing and a resource based economy thus natuarally emitting more CO2 as it grows. The tar sands require huge inputs of energy to convert to useable oil and thusly will emit large amounts of CO2 to tap. Like the US, the current government appears to be catering to narrow corporate interests which will have little to line their pockets with if they limit growth. Many folks get worried at the prospect of an uncertain economic future and shortsighted pursuit of an easy life is hard to resist.

    note that the current government is a minority conservative government and the environment and being green plays quite well in Canada. The opposition parties, though, are in disarray. The current leader of the often ruling Liberal party made 'green' a main plank in his agenda but he has the charisma of a cold fish.

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  14. Canada's liberal opposition party - just the kind of people you'd want managing your carbon trading schemes. They're really into "green."

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  15. Hey, those boys just write the checks, nothing in return, no tracks covered. You and I can do better, Ash.

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  16. Is there one politician without guile in all the land? Is there one chaste woman in Las Vegas? Lantern in hand, I search the darkness.

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  17. I wouldn't vote for Huckabee but my gosh, Hewitt is going after him with hammer and tong.

    Is it just me or does anyone else think that Hugh Hewitt sounds like an arm of the Romney campaign?

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  18. A Newfie goes to Toronto to seek his fortune, and after a couple of years is doing very well for himself. His brother calls from Newfoundland to tell him their father is very ill and probably won't survive.
    "Well, if he dies I'll pay for the funeral; the best of everything, spare no expense, just send me the bill," says the Toronto Newfie.

    Two weeks later he gets a bill in the mail for $7500.00
    He sends the check off to his brother.

    The following week he gets a bill for $75.00
    He sends the check off to his brother.

    The following week he gets another bill for $75.00
    He sends the check off to his brother.

    The following week he gets yet another bill for $75.00
    He sends the check off to his brother.

    The following week he gets a bill for $75.00
    He calls his brother and says, "What the hell is going on; why do keep get a bill for $75.00 every week?"
    His brother tells him, "Well, you said spare no expense, so we rented Dad a tux."

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  19. :)

    That's as bad as an 'Eternal Flame', and the price of natural gas these days...

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  20. Huckabee cannot win a national election. He knows less about foreign affairs than any poster on this site.

    Tancredo and Duncan cannot win. Ron Paul cannot win. A vote for any of them elects Hillary or Barack Obama. There is something seriously wrong with our electoral system

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  21. One's tempted to say what's wrong with the system is the voters, but we can all say that about other voters. In one way, it kind of encouraging, as so far money and organization doesn't seem to be automatically carrying the day. I assume Hellary has money than Obama, surely more organization.

    I just can't see Huck as making it to the nomination.

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  22. I wish Newt was running. I really love that guy.

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  23. Mat, Newt thought about it, and had some deal that if he could get x amount of pledges of money from x number of backers by x date he'd go for it, but didn't get the backing, as I recall.

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  24. I know, Bob. Still, if the will is there, a way will be found.

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  25. Newt discusses the lessons of Pearl Harbor, the NIE report on Iran, and US global security strategy:

    Speech to the Institute of World Politics

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  26. Deuce: Tancredo and Duncan cannot win. Ron Paul cannot win. A vote for any of them elects Hillary or Barack Obama. There is something seriously wrong with our electoral system

    No, there is something seriously wrong with the field of Republican candidates. Romney has a "sanctuary mansion" for illegals and flip-flopped on abortion. Giuliani billed taxpayers for security when he had secret affairs and flip-flopped on gun control. Huckabee's theology degree comes from a place in a strip mall between Tattoo Alley and Yummi Gummi Teryaki and he flip-flopped on the Cuba embargo. Thompson is the laziest man in American politics and flip-flopped on immigration. At this point Bloomberg looks like the Second Coming.

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  27. And the democrats have a teenage crackhead, a felonious witch from hell, and an ambulance chasing lawyer, just to be evenhanded about it, T.

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  28. Bobal: And the democrats have a teenage crackhead, a felonious witch from hell, and an ambulance chasing lawyer, just to be evenhanded about it, T.

    I believe in zero deficits and health insurance for all Americans, plus I think the Surge might actually be working, so Hillary "PAYGO" Clinton with her stay-the-course-ism would be the best choice for me. My union-member husband likes Edwards, but for some reason he can't get the time of day in Iowa. There's hockey pucks with more intelligence than Huckabee. Rotten Rudy is a joke. Fred the Thespian is a slightly funnier joke. The Mittster is a GOP version of John Kerry, only without some Swift Boat Vets on his ass.

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  29. "Fred the Thespian is a slightly funnier joke."


    Tes, can you please elaborate on that.

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  30. Good talk by Newt there, Mat, but it cuts out about half way through for me each time. I'll try to find it somewhere else.

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  31. Most of Newt's talk was about the inadequecies of the Bush Administration. Since they've been large and in charge for the last seven years. He stated it in historical terms, but that was the essence of his talk.

    The inability to fire anyone, or the lack of desire of Mr Bush to really succeed. Team43 having communication and implementation challenges of the highest order.

    A lack of clear strategic thinking, strategic goals or a road map to a realization of reality.

    The centralization of power in DC, that's the second problem Newt addressed, as he said, in today's world the Battle of Midway would have never happened.

    Communication, he says that's the key, more now than ever, and it was always the primary missiion of the Executive.

    Communication, clear and concise, from the President to the people and the rest of the world.

    Instead of pissin' the Europeans off over Kyoto, just tell them that Teddy Kennedy and his ilk all voted no, 99 to 0 against it, that even if Team43 wanted to, the US could not accept it as written.

    Oh well ...

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  32. Irreconcilable Islam, nice term.

    The Administration strategy focuses on 5,000 aQ members, but ignores the applicant pool of over 100 million irreconcilable Islamists.

    That problem being to complicated to address.

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  33. So, as defined by actions, the US does not have a problem with irreconciable Islam.

    Life's good, no need to change course.

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  34. Bob, try clearing your browser's cache.

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  35. dRat,

    The US is not alone in this. EVERYONE sees the problem with Islam. Europe, Russia, China, India, Africa, Australia, South America, etc.

    I'll say it again:

    We don't need to fight them. We simply need to stop supporting them.

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  36. Well, if one reads and believes Mr Huckabee's position paper, he does have as much knowledge of the foreign policy challenges the US faces as do the posters, here.

    More so realisticly than they do at the "new" Belmont Club.

    He echoes Newts' comments in that video.

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  37. dRat,

    Best to call it the new Teresita club.

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  38. STATEMENT ON OPERATIONS ORDER 1.4

    Mayor Phil Gordon

    December 3, 2007

    Police Operations Order 1.4 is the order that currently prescribes and dictates exactly when a Phoenix Police Officer can call Immigration and Customs authorities -- and when they cannot. It is the same Order that has caused Phoenix to be labeled by some as a "Sanctuary City".

    When it was written, it was right for local law enforcement and our community. But it was written in another time -- and it was based on the premise that the federal government would fulfill all its responsibilities regarding immigration enforcement. Obviously, that has changed.

    Today, I have informed the best City Manager and best Chief of Police in the nation -- public service professionals whom I hold in the highest regard -- that I can no longer support Phoenix Police Operations Order 1.4

    The problem with illegal immigration is, on many levels, the most urgent domestic issue facing our nation. It has divided our city and our nation. Phoenix has become Ground Zero in this debate.

    The problem is enormous and complex. It is a national problem that Washington won't even get around to discussing for at least another year and a half.

    But we can't afford to wait.

    As Mayor, I have seen our situation escalate to a perilous point. Rhetoric is replacing reason. There's too much hate. It's ugly; it's dangerous -- and good people continue to suffer.

    In my judgment, the situation requires us, the city of Phoenix, to take on a bigger role than cities were ever intended to have. And that means we need to replace Operations Order 1.4

    So, today, I have asked former U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton, former U.S. Attorney Jose Rivera, former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods and former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley to listen to, and work with, our Police Department -- from the officers and their representatives -- to the Chief of Police.

    These four private citizens are nationally respected prosecutors and Constitutional experts. They are outstanding community leaders; I trust them and I know they will do an outstanding job. I have told them to start with a blank piece of paper -- and to draft a new Operations Order that will allow individual officers to notify ICE when ANY law has been violated by a person they have reason to believe is in the United States illegally, with two important criteria:

    First, all State and Federal Constitutional guarantees must be met.
    And second, there can be no racial or ethnic profiling.

    I have asked them to complete their work by December 31.

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  39. The photos from the first public meeting on the new Police Operations Order 1.4

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  40. Metuselah: We don't need to fight them. We simply need to stop supporting them.

    WASHINGTON -- Three decades of fighting over fuel economy ended Thursday, as the U.S. Senate approved a 40% increase in mileage standards for cars and trucks, giving a green light to rules that will force Detroit automakers to spend billions of dollars upgrading their models.

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  41. Metuselah: Best to call it the new Teresita club.

    A Teresita Club is soy bacon and free range turkey with organic lettuce and tomato, on locally baked, sliced French bread, topped with bean sprouts and washed down with Pepsi, in a blue can.

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  42. Tes,

    The time horizon needs to be significantly shortened. Today's Chevy Malibu should have been released a decade ago. Today, GM should be competing against the Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas and not the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

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  43. Buy some GM stock and make your point at the Annual meeting, mat.

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  44. :)

    Tes, Try Shuarma (sheep, not turkey meat) in pita bread mixed with humus and petrozilia leafs, washed down with real Coca Cola from a real glass bottle.

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  45. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  46. This Democratic Senator is correct, the jobs will move away to low labor cost countries, in the South and Far East, rather than corporate Detroit reinvesting in the high legacy costs for healthcare and retirement for US workers.

    Democratic Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow was one of the eight votes against the final bill, criticizing it for eliminating several incentives aimed at helping the auto industry meet the new standards, such as a $25-billion loan guarantee program for updating plants.

    "I could not support a new mandate on our auto industry without including the critical incentives and funding support needed to help them be successful and keep our jobs in America," Stabenow said in a statement.


    Success for the "Greens", more manufacturering jobs will be moving overseas.
    More unfunded Federal mandates on US business, not a longterm successful management method.
    Not in a Global Economy

    None of the Auto Executives signing on will be around in 2022.

    Just a Delphi scenario writ even larger.

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  47. Buchanan says we lost 1/6th of our manufacturing jobs on W's watch so far.
    I was reading about the Chi-com "Chery"mobile:
    Auto workers there make $1/hour!
    Engineers about 6k, sleep 4 to a room.

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  48. No racial or ethnic profiling there of illegal immigrants in Phoenix!

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  49. Man, Dworkin's a Hottie!
    Sorry guys, I'm with T and the Progressives!

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  50. So Tes, which one of them Liberal hotties did it for you? :)

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  51. I'm reassured, and will sleep well tonight. None of the candidates will allow Iran a nuke, not 'on my watch'. Since Iran may well have one before Inauguration Day, they all may be right.

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  52. If we had a Roald Reagan running, the Iranians might give it up, right before Inauguration Day.

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  53. Hillary’s experience has been limited to the insider back biting of Washington where she is an expert at using her secret police — a small army of private detectives — to unearth negatives about her or Bill’s opponents. (Even former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young recently admitted that Hillary ran the effort to discredit women who might come forward and accuse Clinton of misconduct.) But, when it comes to campaigning, advertising and winning an election, these folks and this candidate don’t have a clue.
    Dick Morris

    Hillary would make a damn good KGB agent.

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  54. Barry's the perfect opponent that not even the MSM will let Hill bring out the WMD's without paying a Massive Price.
    Barry's Parry of Hill's set up question and laughing attack marks the begining of the end for Hill.
    Too bad for Pubs, as she'd be the easiest to defeet.

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  55. Desert Rat wrote about the latest Democrat plan for a divided America:
    Success for the "Greens", more manufacturering jobs will be moving overseas.
    More unfunded Federal mandates on US business, not a longterm successful management method.
    Not in a Global Economy


    Right on, bro! There is a huge incoherence growing within the Democrat Party -- between the high paid (often gov't employee) elite activist and what used to be called the "working class". Almost everything the elites want (& get) is really bad for ordinary people. Once the Democrat elites have destroyed the US industrial base and imported illegals to do whatever work is left, it won't be much of a country.

    Incoherencies have a way of working themselves out eventually. But it is probably not going to be pretty.

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  56. GWB has enabled the largest Illegal Invasion of any President in History.
    He continues to defy the law of the land in a multidude of ways, and lies about his intentions regarding immigration.
    The called-for fence will never be built on his watch.
    All this After 9-11.
    ...and it will NOT be solved unless the invasion is stopped.
    'Rat and Trish seem to believe that their is a magical cure for the certainties of Demographics.

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  57. W is the MultiDude when it comes to illegals.

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  58. That's right. In a local municipal election here, it was the republicans(who won) that really represented the average man, the dems, who wanted to lock the town up, represented themselves, and the university elite.

    Doug, all the fellow needed was a cup of coffee.

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  59. I don't buy your Buddy Larson line about the economic conditions to the South being an unstoppable driver, 'Rat.
    If all the Benefits, free services, and de-facto amnesty ended today, the influx would slow to a trickle, and the Border Patrol could try to get a handle on the dangerous rising tide of "other than hispanics" taking advantage of GWB's treasonous free-for-all.

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  60. European Demographics, ht Stoutfellow:
    ---
    StoutFellow said...
    Doug,

    Dhreier says India will pass China to become the most populous country on earth.

    That's a no brainer. China's one-child per family policy gives them an effective birthrate of 1. The birthrate necessary to maintain a stable population is 2.1. India's birth rate is 2.5 so they will continue to grow while China becomes a nation of old people and declining population.

    It's more than a little ironic that the European elites are establishing their super state now, given the fact they are not reproducing anywhere replacement levels while their (largely) Muslim immigrant population continues to grow.
    Don Feder (PDF)describes the future outlook for them:

    "In terms of population replacement, Europe is going out of business. Of the 10 nations with the lowest fertility rates worldwide, 9 are in Europe. No European nation has anything approaching a replacement-level birthrate.
    Overall, the European fertility rate is 1.3. (Remember, a fertility rate of 2.1 is needed just to maintain stability – no growth or decline)...

    By and large, those inhabitants of Germany, Belgium and France who are having large families are immigrants from the Third World – mostly Muslims. Europe once was called Christendom. The call that Europeans of the future will heed won’t be church bells, but the muezzin’s call to prayer from the neighborhood mosque. Even now, there are more mosques than churches in southern France.
    In half-a-century or less, Europe will be populated by strangers, who will wander by the continent’s cathedrals, museums, statues and battlefield monuments wondering what it all meant.
    "

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  61. Yet some here pretend this does not portend really dark times ahead.

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  62. "China becomes a nation of old people and declining population.."

    That's not true. The births just go undocumented, that's all.

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  63. Demographics says will will continue to become more like the socialists to the south than they like us, as even tho Mexican fertility in Mexico is not out of control, when they come to the land of the handouts to the North, Fertility skyrockets, speeding the arrival of the permanent Democrat Majority.
    ...and were 'sposed to be thankful since it beats having a Muslim majority.

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  64. The femail births often stop breathing!

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  65. A Multidude of Femails:
    Your Postal Service in Action.

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  66. Europe gets their Superstate, we Get the United Americas, and the heart of freedom slowly withers.

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  67. Doug,

    How long do you figure, before Russia is added to the list of EU members? :)

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  68. Maybe the Commies will start paying Russian women to have babies?
    (even if they have to be half-breeds since the Old Man's in a Vodka Fueled Stupor)

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  69. Iraqi City Set to Become Hub of Shiite Power
    Iran is playing a key role in a plan to increase Najaf’s autonomy, further weakening the central government.

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  70. Actually Doug, I think the Rooskies have. At least they have a baby day, or make a baby day, or some damn thing, and the winner(s) get a big prize.

    Obviously, the answer to immigration is for us Americans to get humping and out breed them. Grandfather had two wives and eight kids, we need to return to the old ways!

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  71. Afghan Mission Is Reviewed as Concerns Rise
    Deeply worried about the prospect of failure, the Bush administration and NATO have begun three top-to-bottom reviews.

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  72. Just turn off the electricity!
    We had a two day outage from a storm and there were letters in the paper recalling the pre-electric days of large local families.

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