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196 comments on As the world celebrates the Olympics . . .

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odograph on February 12, 2006 - 11:26am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
That all sounds completely reasonable.  To fine-tune my statement of discomfort, it is whether the global warming relationship in this warm-weather pattern would be "strangely missing" as it was in the discussion of the "multidecadal signal" and hurricanes.

I was actually watching TV and caught a NOAA chief's response to the global warming question, post-Katrina.  His flat surety that global warming was not involved was shocking.  He did not take the more nuanced position that global warming's contribution was unproven, and would likely be one factor among many.

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step back on February 13, 2006 - 9:21am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Sad, isn't it?  I for one now question how political is this "jetstream" explanation for high temperatures?

This is what I like about TOD. The Peak Oil question quickly gets emmeshed in discussion of politics and human behavior.

We are not shy to cast doubt on the "Stay the Course" guidance given to us by our esteemed leaders (the figures of "authority" within our herd mentality masses).

I personally have no idea how the NOAA chief you watched rose to his position of royal "authority" and power. Maybe it was based on merit and scientific ability, and then again, maybe not.

I highly doubt that "merit" was the basis of his authority. Politics is the more likely answer. In our "competitive" societies, it is the most ruthless, the most political and the ones willing to step on the dead bodies of those who trusted them; who rise to power.

You may think it an oddity --but it is not-- that in the corporation you work for, the boss and his henchmen are the sleaziest of Enron style exectuives who constantly cook the books, and constantly "reorganize" the organization just to keep everyone off balance, this even as the corporate ship is sinking. In fact they are grabbing all they can and preparing to bail out with their golden parachutes before the plebes figure out what happened. How often is it that the crooks who sank the boat stay on board? If you work for a corporate entity where the leaders are honest, hard working types, count yourself in the lucky minority.

It is no accident that in our "competitive" societies that the most ruthless kind of people rise to the top. And by the way, who sold you on the idea that "competition" and "free markets" is the way to go? (Hint: they did.)

P.S. Aren't the jock-elite Olympics just grand?
I am so thrilled to celebrate the "thrill" of their victory and the agony of our defeat.

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