August 16, 2021

President Biden Is Right-Afganistan

I will be watching for the President's Press Conference on the developing withdrawal, long overdue, imho. The Council on Foreign Relations and The Diplomat
are good sources for reporting without hyperbole, imho.

A timeline of events like those listed below:

https://www.cfr.org/asia/afghanistan

Council on Foreign Relations

Afghanistan War
Biden Was Right
The rapid collapse of Afghanistan’s military and governing institutions largely substantiates US President Joe Biden’s skepticism that US-led efforts would ever have enabled the government to stand on its own feet. Even two decades of steady support failed to create Afghan institutions capable of holding their own.
Article by Charles A. Kupchan August 16, 2021


https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/afghanistans-failed-constitution/

Afghanistan’s Failed Constitution

The 2004 constitution is responsible for many of the problems facing Afghanistan today – including the retrenchment of the Taliban.

By Akhilesh Pillalamarri
August 12, 2021
Afghanistan’s Failed Constitution

Following the successful efforts in 2001 of a United States-led international coalition in alliance with local Afghan groups such as the Northern Alliance in overthrowing the Taliban, Afghanistan got a new constitution in 2004.

more at links above...

August 13, 2021

Voice of America is back to truth telling, Census/redistricting.

Here's another good reason to praise our Democratic team in the White House and Congress. I can now go back to trying to relearn reading and writing in French. I figure that will keep me busy for a few years if not a decade.

US Population Diversifying, as Number of Whites Declines for First Time
By Ken Bredemeier
Updated August 12, 2021 08:24 PM

….snip

Redistricting  
Aside from a snapshot of who Americans are, the census data will play an important role in U.S. politics. State lawmakers across much of the country – or politically independent commissions in some states – will use the information to redraw the geographic lines for congressional and state legislative districts that in most cases will likely be used in elections through 2030.   
...snip (blah, blah, blah both sides try)

In any case, the redrawing of districts each decade spawns numerous lawsuits from both parties, each alleging that the other has unfairly skewed the process in its favor, leaving it to judges to make final determinations of the exact geographic lines.

The redistricting set to take place throughout much of the country in the coming months is expected to be particularly contentious this time.  

In November 2022, political control of Congress is at stake, with all 435 House seats up for election and Republicans needing to pick up only five seats to win control from the Democrats. Analysts say Republican-controlled state legislatures could secure that many through redistricting alone. 
A third of the seats in the Senate, now divided evenly with 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats, are also up for grabs, but the census has no bearing on the voting, since each state is represented by two senators, regardless of population.   

...snip

In the House, demographic shifts in the U.S. will affect the number of House seats in 13 states, with Republican-controlled Texas gaining two seats, five states each gaining another congressman and seven states losing one each.  
 
The bigger population growth in Southern states in the past decade, where congressional representation is growing, would seem to favor Republicans, while lesser growth in Northern states could mostly hurt Democratic election chances in upcoming years.  

https://www.voanews.com/

https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-population-diversifying-number-whites-declines-first-time

August 13, 2021

Who's Driving the Deforestation in Brazil?

If you answered corporate and political interests, I would agree that it plays a role. A large role, billons of dollars fleeced from the poor without any concern that money will be worthless without a space suit providing you with Oxygen.

What’s behind the rapid deforestation? Could it be that Bosonaro also took an (cough, cough) investment opportunity in trade? I am sure that there are other (cough, cough) investment firms who have also invested.

Disclaimer: I have no ties to Goldman Sachs now or ever. I remain angry over the BIG LIE that preceded the World heading to the brink of a stock market crash, bank failures and depression.

https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/archive/archive-pdfs/brics-book/brics-chap-5.pdf

CHAPTER FIVE
THE B IN BRICS: UNLOCKING BRAZIL’S GROWTH POTENTIAL
December 2006

While campaigning for his second term, which begins in January 2007, Brazilís President Lula
da Silva promised to implement economic policies that would boost GDP growth rates to
5.0%. This growth target sounds ambitious given that, since we published our first BRICs
studies in 2003, Brazil has grown only at a disappointing 2.7% a year on average, compared
with the 3.7% that we had estimated its long-term growth potential to be.

Brazil has underperformed not only relative to our expectations but also compared with all the
other BRICs. Since 2003, real GDP growth rates in China, India and Russia have averaged
10.2%, 8.0% and 6.9%, in each case far exceeding our estimates of their long-term potential
(4.9%, 5.8% and 3.5%, respectively).

The disparity in terms of growth performance between Brazil and the other BRICs raises three
legitimate questions: (1) Were we wrong about our initial assessment of the growth prospects
for Brazil? (2) Should Brazil still be part of the BRICs? (3) Can Brazil boost and sustain
higher growth rates in the long term, say at or above a secular average of 5.0% a year?

We remain confident about Brazilís growth potential, at least in terms of what we have
envisaged in our BRICs studies. The main reason for Brazilís underperformance is that, until
now, the government had been in the process of implementing a stabilisation programme, with
a view to achieving macroeconomic stability. This is a key precondition for growth. Thanks to
these adjustment efforts, macroeconomic conditions are more favourable now than they have
been for decades. The large balance of payments surpluses have been used to prepay external
debt and accumulate reserves, while a credible central bank (BACEN) has reduced inflation to
3.0% in 2006.

We believe that the Lula II administration will sustain sound macroeconomic policies and
make some progress on structural reforms. Stability should allow real GDP growth rates to
move gradually towards Brazilís potential rate of about 3.5%, which is near our BRICs
potential growth rate of 3.7%.

We also believe that Brazil could grow much faster, perhaps at a secular growth rate of about
5.0%. For this to happen, the government will have to tackle four difficult structural problems:
! Brazil saves and invests too little. To address this issue, the government will have to
deepen and improve the quality of the fiscal adjustment.
! The economy should be opened to trade.
! The government must improve the overall quality of education.
! The government should implement structural reforms to improve institutions, with a view
to increasing total factor productivity.
We do not believe that the Lula II administration and Congress will be ambitious enough to
implement this politically difficult agenda. Therefore, while Brazil has the potential to grow at
or above 5.0%, this is unlikely to happen during the next four years

…...snip

August 9, 2021

Progress Not Perfection to insure domestic Tranquility

I’ve gained a sincere respect and appreciation for the actions of President Biden since he took office just 6 months ago. He will be our candidate for President in 2024 and he will win again. I agree that the Biden budget and infrastructure bills are popular and should be voted on before voting rights. I am thrilled that Speaker Pelosi is moving forward on exposing the Big Lie resulting insurrection on 1/6. Hold their feet to the fire Madame Speaker.

Speaker Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and President Biden are doing a fine job. Jan Paske is pitch perfect, fast on her feet, witty, well informed and on message. Please don’t go Jan. Somebody give her a raise, onsite child care or???

I want to recognize the Progressive Activists who have guided me along the way.

Without progressive activists, there would not be a 19th Amendment, giving white women but not women of color, poor and Native American women the right to vote, no Civil Rights Act, no codified law for equal pay. They organized, they marched, they devoted time and money. They faced bloody beatings, murder, lynchings and intimidation.

All of those hard fought advances are under attack by Corporate and individual interests of the wealthy, Republican Governors, State Legislatures and Republicans in Congress. The conservatives sitting on SCOTUS have spoken, “corporations are people”. Women and minorities are still underrepresented and without equal pay. Peaceful protesters are still being intimidated, beaten or killed by police who ignore their duty to serve. The rumpublican big lie freak brigade of sundry circus acts and murderers of Capital Police. Roger Stone and his minions of fascist groups like the Proud Boys, have gone unpunished. Let's not forget TFG is grifting his way to millions and planning to run again.

It is now over 100 years since the 19th Amendment was ratified on 8/18/1820, Mississippi didn’t ratify until 1984. It has been nearly 50 years since The Equal Pay Act and The Civil Rights yet “still we persist” Maya Angelou. The dream is still alive (Ted Kennedy) and there are still those who hope to trod US into the very dirt. (Videos, photos and more historical references at the Nation Park Service link below)

When I say I am practicing “The Art of War”, it means many things. “A house divided will fall”, we have the majority and must work together to push our advantage to move or stop legislation and legislators not operating in the interest of the majority. We should not tolerate the spreading of the Republican big lie or TFGs terrorists. We do not fear defeat before we have all the facts and a plan to win, talk to Senators Jon Assoff, Rapheal Warnock and Stacy Abrams.

We are going to need every vote we can get to win in 2022 and 2024, sending the TFG and the turtle into permanent retirement. We must be prepared to fight(figuratively) for Vote By Mail on the streets and at at the ballot box. We need to win more elections for Governors and up and down ballot races in each state. We will need to deploy resources and assets using targeted data acted upon quickly. We need a coordinated ad campaign to run in every state that reinforces our platform and kitchen table issues for voters.

I am a pragmatic, progressive Democrat, a team player, a cheerleader not a star performer. “Elections are won in the center”, progressives I admire are willing to compromise, not roll over and get in line, “win/win” (if you are Rahm Emanuel-big grin here).


Reference for history of 19th Amendment at the National Park Service website below:

https://www.nps.gov/wori/learn/historyculture/2020-crash-course.htm

PS: I read the DU front page most days and always learn how little I know, enjoying the many laughs and diversions in many of the group discussions and diaries. It is always like a box of diversity chocolates. Thank y’all for all that you do.

We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately. Benjamin Franklin

July 21, 2021

Thank you former President and Mrs. Clinton

Thank you and Grant Woods for supporting "For the People Act" with ads running in local media, Opportunity Arizona.

I read that Grant Woods declined to run for US Senator. He is now a Democrat, former long time Republican and was very close to the McCain family. Does Mr. Woods plan on running for Governor as a Democrat? He would get the centrist Republican votes, if there are any left in the state.

My support is going to Katie Hobbs.

July 13, 2021

"Drums keep pounding rhythm in my brain" The Game

My days always begin with the news of the day. I put it to music.. enjoyed. Thanks to the late Buddy Rich. Wishing y'all a day with laughter and song

Bill Gates "sorry he cheated" (and the beat goes on) Business Insider
AZ Covid cases on the rise, (history has turned a page) ABC 15
Cost of food and gas at record highs (La de da de da) Marketwatch
Cuba, Burma, Nigeria (men keep marching off to war) MSN News

July 13, 2021

Fair pay and protections needed for Arizona firefighters

12News NBC local

Close to 480,000 acres have burned in Arizona due to wildfires so far this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Arizona wildfires have burned more acres than the next four most-burned states combined, officials say.
That number of acres is higher than the acreage burned in the next four most-burned states combined, the Boise-based center reported on July 7.

The next highest states included:

Alaska at 143,581 acres
New Mexico at 121,277 acres
California at 85,901 acres
Oklahoma at 94,038 acres

Numerous wildfires throughout Arizona have contributed to the significantly large amount of acres burned. The Telegraph Fire, the state's largest wildfire this year, burned 180,757 acres alone in the Tonto National Forest before being fully contained.

The number of acres that Arizona has seen burned so far at 479,906 is just under half the number of acres burned in the state in 2020 at 978,519, Arizona's worst wildfire season in nearly a decade. "Wildfire season" in Arizona usually runs through October.

This is the most destructive year for wildfires the state has seen since 2011, when 1,988 wildfires burned 1,016,428 acres.

There were multiple factors at play in Arizona's ecosystem last year that created the perfect storm for fire spread, including "unseasonably warm conditions, a lack of moisture, an overabundance of fine fuels, and increased recreational traffic across the state," according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. snip....

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/arizona-wildfires-have-burned-more-acres-than-the-next-four-most-burned-states-combined-officials-say/ar-AAM4bI8?ocid=hplocalnews

July 13, 2021

Arizona wildfires have burned more acres than the next four most-burned states combined, officials s

12News NBC local

Close to 480,000 acres have burned in Arizona due to wildfires so far this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Arizona wildfires have burned more acres than the next four most-burned states combined, officials say.
That number of acres is higher than the acreage burned in the next four most-burned states combined, the Boise-based center reported on July 7.

The next highest states included:

Alaska at 143,581 acres
New Mexico at 121,277 acres
California at 85,901 acres
Oklahoma at 94,038 acres

Numerous wildfires throughout Arizona have contributed to the significantly large amount of acres burned. The Telegraph Fire, the state's largest wildfire this year, burned 180,757 acres alone in the Tonto National Forest before being fully contained.

The number of acres that Arizona has seen burned so far at 479,906 is just under half the number of acres burned in the state in 2020 at 978,519, Arizona's worst wildfire season in nearly a decade. "Wildfire season" in Arizona usually runs through October.

This is the most destructive year for wildfires the state has seen since 2011, when 1,988 wildfires burned 1,016,428 acres.

There were multiple factors at play in Arizona's ecosystem last year that created the perfect storm for fire spread, including "unseasonably warm conditions, a lack of moisture, an overabundance of fine fuels, and increased recreational traffic across the state," according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. snip....

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/arizona-wildfires-have-burned-more-acres-than-the-next-four-most-burned-states-combined-officials-say/ar-AAM4bI8?ocid=hplocalnews

May 25, 2021

Tech Audit Company Quits Arizona Election Audit

There are no words to describe my disgust with Republican legislators in Arizona.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/05/25/cyber-ninjas-subcontractor-strattech-solutions-takes-over-arizona-election-audit-hand-count/7429980002/

Tech company running Arizona ballot audit backs out: 'They were done'

Jen FifieldAndrew Oxford
Arizona Republic
May 25, 2021

The Pennsylvania-based IT company that was in charge of running the hand recount of Maricopa County ballots is no longer involved in the audit.

The contract with  Wake TSI ended May 14, the original completion date for the hand count, and the company chose not to renew its contract, according to Randy Pullen, an audit spokesperson and former state GOP chair. "They were done," he said. "They didn't want to come back."
….snip
The switch in contractors is the most significant change yet in the unconventional audit, which has seen numerous changes since it began April 23.

Ryan Macias, former acting director of testing and certification at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission who has observed the audit for the Arizona Secretary of State's Office, said Tuesday that this represents the “continuation of the mismanagement and constant change which we have been observing since the beginning."

But Senate President Karen Fann, R-Prescott, said the company had completed the obligations under its contract and she was informed last week it would not be returning.
“They finished up with their contract, so they don’t need to be there anymore,” she said.
…….snip

When Logan's bias was questioned, after it was discovered that he had touted unfounded claims of election fraud on social media, he emphasized the importance of hiring Wake TSI, which he trusted to create a ballot counting process that was "beyond reproach."

"To me," he said in that statement, "the most important element was the hand-counting, because if that was done right and transparently, it alone could restore some confidence in our election."
The Senate's liaison to the audit, Ken Bennett, told a pool reporter on May 7 that the company "probably have two to 300 people that are under their employ or volunteers."
Many of the same people are now working under StratTech, Pullen said.
...snip

April 2, 2021

Rapid global heating is hurting farm productivity, study finds

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/rapid-global-heating-is-hurting-farm-productivity-study-finds/ar-BB1fd7X4

The Guardian

Rapid global heating is hurting farm productivity, study finds

Oliver Milman
4/1/21

The climate crisis is already eating into the output of the world’s agricultural systems, with productivity much lower than it would have been if humans hadn’t rapidly heated the planet, new research has found.
….snip
While farming has generally become far more efficient in recent decades, it is increasingly menaced by heatwaves that exhaust farm workers and wither certain crops. Extreme weather events and drought can also affect the output of a farm, particularly smaller operations in poorer countries.

In 2019, scientists who analyzed the top 10 global crops that provide the majority of our food calories found that climate change is reducing the worldwide production of staples such as rice and wheat. Again, less affluent countries are suffering worst from this situation.

The intensification of farming to boost output has in itself caused major environmental damage, through the deforestation of grazing land, loss of valuable topsoil, pollution from pesticides and the release of vast amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute to global heating.
….snip

“Why can’t you argue with Pi? It’s irrational.” Popular Science