“THERE IS NO WORD FOR FEELING NOSTALGIC about the future, but that’s what a parent’s tears often are: a nostalgia for something that has not yet occurred. They are the pain of hope, the helplessness of hope, and finally, the surrender to hope.” — Comedian Michael Ian Black
I write often in this space about what I would like to see change about America. I write those columns, not because I hate America, but because she often disappoints me, as a child often disappoints her parents. Parents get after their children to be their best because they know what they are capable of, and have hope that their children will fulfill their potential.
In the same way, I have hopes for America, and still believe that America can be as great a nation in her future as she has been in her past — greater, in fact.
Before I write any further, let me shift from a metaphorical “she” to a literal “she” — my grand-niece, Addy, who just celebrated her first birthday at a nice gathering at the City Park this last Sunday.
Addy will be graduating from college in June of 2037, and I would like to address the rest of this to her, to read on that day. I hope someone cuts this out of the paper and saves it for her.
Hello Addy — this is your grand-uncle Matt speaking from the mists of history, in March of 2015. Happy birthday! When you read this, you will be taking your first tentative steps into adulthood. You will be judging the generations that, as I write this, are doing our very best to build a world for you that is better than the one we live in now.
How did we do? What kind of world have we given you?
Have we given you peace? As I write this, the country of your birth has been continuously at war since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. I’m sure you read all about that in your history classes. I hope that we have built a world for you that is at peace as you read this. I hope you are the first generation of Americans that has no direct experience with what being in combat is like. I hope there are no men in uniforms coming to the doors of your neighborhood and breaking mothers’ hearts, and I hope that no parents in your neighborhood are burying children taken from them on distant battlefields. This country has seen too much of war. As a singer named Marvin Gaye sang in my youth, about another war:
“Mother, Mother,
There’s too many of you cryin’,
Brother, brother, brother,
There’s far too many of you dyin’…”
According to climate scientists, the world of the 2030s will be a much warmer place than today, and far warmer than it was in my own youth. Did you know that the Arctic Ocean used to have ice all through the summer?
I hope we have given you a world that is taking world-wide, decisive action to reverse global warming.
You will have read about the “controversy” that global warming deniers tried to create in an attempt to discredit science about which there is broad consensus among climatologists. One of my fellow Herald columnists, Jerome Page, has done yeoman work in trying to convince his fellow citizens of the reality and urgency of the issue, and gets a lot of flak from global warming deniers for his efforts.
How does that denial look from your vantage point in 2037? I want you to remember which political party provided a comfortable home to those deniers.
The world in which I am writing this has made tremendous progress in race relations. You may find this hard to believe, but I was born into a world where African Americans could not be assured of being allowed to vote. We now are six and a half years into the presidency of the first African-American to be elected to that office. Barack Obama will be well into elder statesman age when you read this. I hope he is remembered as someone who began a new and better path for America during his presidency, and for continuing that work after he left office.
Addy, since I started writing this column a couple years ago, I’ve been expressing fears about the future viability of American society, given the yawning economic divide between “The Rich and The Rest.” The rich are now taking as large a slice of national income as they were during the Gilded Age of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Every other time in history when an oligarchy has been this disconnected from the lives and fates of everyone else, the result has been either reform and renewal, or else collapse, revolution and worse. I hope we somehow found the courage and wisdom to restrain the power of an increasingly unaccountable plutocracy, and found a way to preserve and strengthen the bonds that hold our society together.
Finally, Addy, I hope you think about the world you will be handing to your descendants, and will do your best to hand them a world that is better than the one you found.
Matt Talbot is a writer and poet, as well as an old Benicia hand. He works for a tech start-up in San Francisco.
Sharing is caring!
Wow, downer letter. Couldn’t you come up with something a little more encouraging, uplifting and full of facts. The reality is she will look back and realize that Uncle Matt was one of the global warming wackos she read about years after the whole thing has been disproven and put to rest once and for all. He had made it a lot easier being Jimmy Carter!
Obama will be written about (and already labeled as such) as the worst president EVER!
And for the record, the predictions for 2030 are not for warming; much the opposite. Of course you won’t hear about that in the MSM. Here is an alternative view based on historical temperatures that ACTUALLY happened versus acknowledged faulty data modeling and predictions.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/global-cooling-is-here/10783
http://www.skepticalscience.com/don-easterbrook-heartland-distortion-of-reality.html
We can point and counterpoint until the cows come home but there is no one to say what is right and what is wrong. You believe what you will and I will do the same and I guess we will just have to wait and see. So far, we are not warming. We are cooling so you can figure it out from there. There are predictions and there are facts. Facts are that we are not warming; we are cooling and will continue to do so. So how do they models look right now? Not so good.
Ummmmmmmmm………….OK then.
Despite the fact that you guys like to beat the drum, the whole global warming thing in a nutshell is a yawner and it is not gaining traction with the public.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/182105/concern-environmental-threats-eases.aspx
If it is not gaining any traction, what are you worried about?
You are posting results of a survey, really? When I recently posted the common findings of numerous peer-reviewed studies related to political psychology, you discounted that as “just some people’s opinions”. But, some random survey, now that’s credible?
As to your previous comment, it is quite apparent that you did not read the link I posted, as it quite handily and directly discredits the link you posted (yes, the one from 2008).
BTW – Who is “you guys”?
Frankly, I am not worried at all. “You guys” the left, seemed to very worried spewing the notion that the sky is falling. I know that it is not and so therefore am not worried.
Yes I did read the article that you shared. Yes it disputes what I shared. So what. Do I know go get another article that disputes yours? And then round and round we go. Why bother? Who determines what is right? History will and I am good with that.
As for polls, I think you would find it hard to argue with a Gallop poll. They are one of the most bi-partisan and trusted polling organizations in existence. Yes it is a poll, but I also believe it to be a fair and honest representation of what people care about and not-so-surprisiingly, global warming is not something the masses are gravely concerned about; unlike J Page, M Talbot and Petey Bray and others on this forum.
“Yes it is a poll, but I also believe it to be a fair and honest representation of what people care about………”
From the website:
“Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted March 5-8, 2015, with a random sample of 1,025 adults,”
1,025 adults = 3.223270440251572e-6 % of the US population.
BTW – “Do I know go get another article that disputes yours [it was not my article]?” You can try, but, it would be fruitless, since there are none.
Wait for it …… Liberal heads begin exploding in 3 … 2… 1…
http://rare.us/story/new-study-called-a-death-blow-to-global-warming-hysteria/
Climate Scientist: No, My Study Is Not A “Death Blow To Global Warming Hysteria”
Scientist Responds To Right-Wing Media’s Distortion Of His Research
http://www.mpimet.mpg.de/fileadmin/grafik/presse/News/AerosolForcing-Statement-BjornStevens.pdf
Wait for it…………………………….
http://www.mpimet.mpg.de/nc/en/kommunikation/aktuelles/single-news/article/statement-bjorn-stevens-to-publication-rethinking-the-lower-bound-on-aerosol-radiative-forcing.html
” I continue to believe that warming of Earth’s surface temperatures from rising concentrations of greenhouse gases carries risks that society must take seriously, even if we are lucky and (as my work seems to suggest) the most catastrophic warming scenarios are a bit less likely.”
From Investor’s Business Daily, UN admits reason for Global Warming Propoganda.
At a news conference last week in Brussels, Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of U.N.’s Framework Convention on Climate Change, admitted that the goal of environmental activists is not to save the world from ecological calamity but to destroy capitalism.
“This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time, to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the Industrial Revolution,” she said.3
Bjorne Stevens is a genius. I really am enjoying what he was able to do by publishing this when he did. A very well thought out April fools, indeed.
Quoting from Mr. Stevens statement:
if we are lucky and (as my work seems to suggest) the most catastrophic warming scenarios are a bit less likely.
So it sounds like that proverbial “settled science” just became a bit less settled.
BTW, I could not get the link to work and found the quote at George Soros’ Media Matters website.
Like Dennis said, not settled. Models based on someones theory and not data. And the models have been proven wrong and admitted to having been falsified in many cases.
“Going forward we should expect less warming from future greenhouse gas emissions than climate models are projecting,” write climate scientists Pat Michaels and Chip Knappenberger with the libertarian Cato Institute.”
Michaels and Knappenberger say Lewis’s findings basically eliminate “the possibility of catastrophic climate change—that is, climate change that proceeds at a rate that exceeds our ability to keep up.”
“Such a result will also necessarily drive down estimates of social cost of carbon thereby undermining a key argument use by federal agencies to support increasingly burdensome regulations which seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” write Michaels and Knappenberger.
JLB,
But what if they are right?
That means in 100 years or so the ocean level will be 6-8” higher than today and those along the coasts may have to live like Dutchmen.
Do we really want that?
So why not, devastate the world’s economy, take full government control over all aspects of CO2 emissions and raise unemployment levels to oh, maybe 20-25 per cent. I am sure the Chinese will be all on board with all that.
The other alternative is we could just put the Koch brother’s in prison. They are the major cause of global warming anyway, as Harry told us a short time ago.
Maybe I should have held on to Tesla.
In the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave====
From the above article:
“You will have read about the “controversy” that global warming deniers tried to create in an attempt to discredit science about which there is broad consensus among climatologists. One of my fellow Herald columnists, Jerome Page, has done yeoman work in trying to convince his fellow citizens of the reality and urgency of the issue, and gets a lot of flak from global warming deniers for his efforts.”
More climate change news and information the community and our appointed and elected representatives can use…
“Talk Climate to Me”
“Apparently it’s not enough for Florida Governor Rick Scott to simply deny climate change.”
“Now the Republican’s henchmen are stamping out any mention of it at all in the Sunshine State. His administration has banned any use of the terms “climate change” and “global warming” for official state business, the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting revealed in early March.”
“Florida’s governor isn’t the only leader clamming up about climate change.”
“President Barack Obama may have just signed an executive order that will shrink the federal government’s carbon footprint. But the very next day, Uncle Sam tried to gloss over a climate problem when the Interior Department revealed overdue new fracking guidelines.”
“Environmentalists instantly panned the Obama administration’s effort to somehow make drilling for oil and gas via hydraulic fracturing on public and Native American lands “safe” and “responsible.”
“Seriously? Fracking plunders fresh water supplies. It injects toxic chemicals into the ground and exposes people who live near fracking sites to cancer-causing benzene fumes. Fracking releases methane, a gas that’s even more climate-morphing than carbon dioxide. It invites earthquakes.”
“Safe fracking is as laughable as safe heroin.”
And the bi-partisan beat goes on…cue up Marvin Gaye:
“Mother, Mother,
There’s too many of you cryin’,
Brother, brother, brother,
There’s far too many of you dyin’…”
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/29875-talk-climate-to-me
Here’s a nice rundown on why conservatives are wrong about everything.
http://www.salon.com/2015/03/28/9_basic_concepts_americans_fail_to_grasp_partner/
HH, most of that article talks about how America sucks rather than conservatives. If in your eyes, America is so bad off, how about you do ALL of us a HUGE favor and STEP OFF!
If all of those things are so great and we are so screwed up, Obama and the dems had control of everything for six years. How come they didn’t do anything about any of it?
And don’t go singing the praises of Obamacare. Everyone knows that whole thing is a train wreck based on lies and dissection.
H H is a full blow Liberal reposting a post opinion of others. Is it . his opinion.? For sure not mine. I am driven by my own ideals and not others. They just happen to be very Conservative. At present backed by both the Senate and Housr of Reps. Also 31 Gov’s and 66% of all state houses. Not a bad following. Try that on for size H H>
Yes you have states like Wyoming and Utah all wrapped up. Enjoy. No one lives there. Who cares. How are you doing in California? And you only have the Senate for a little less than two more years, and you won’t get anything done while you’ve got it. Plus Hillary is going to crush any clown you care to nominate. Please please please let it be Scott Walker. He’ll lose 45 states including his own. Every day that goes by makes the GOP weaker. You’ve lost Hispanics for a generation or more. You’ll never get a majority of women again. Old white men aren’t getting it done. You’ll be dead and long gone before the GOP takes the White House again.
Yes, there are more Republican states! The 14 poorest states are Republican, i.e. lowest education levels; highest dropout, divorce and teen pregnancy rates, highest number of uninsured. 5 of the states (AK,WY,MT,ND,SD) have a combined population that is less than the greater Los Angeles area, with huge tracts of their land administered by the feds, either in parks or reservations; Kansas has the highest state deficit in history and TX the highest number of uninsured and executions (a couple of which were on innocent people); WI and NJ have two of the lowest economic growth and job growth rates. The highest numbers of people who need federal assistance live in Republican states, which means that they give us the least in tax money so that means that us liberal, crazy Californians are paying for a lot of services in places like LA, MS and AL. Hooray for those who win elections in low-information states or by gerrymandering to disallow huge chunks of folks from having real representation. I’ll take my progressive, crazy, high-achieving state any time!
Best run states: 7 of ten are predominantly Republican controlled
Worst run state:
50. California
> Debt per capita: $4,008 (18th highest)
> Budget deficit: 20.7% (17th largest)
> Unemployment: 11.7% (2nd highest)
> Median household income: $57,287 (10th highest)
> Pct. below poverty line: 16.6% (18th highest)
I am reminded of Aaron Levenstein’s quip: “Statistics are like woman’s bikini; What is revealed is suggestive, but what is concealed is vital.”
Thanks Dennis. I wanted J to do her homework on the rest of her so called FACTS. You are correct. Looking at hard numbers with data to support the fACTS. Such as cost of living etc. Good Comment. Wait till all the folks in California get a new bill on their Hybrid or Electric cars. After all they do not support road up keep. So bye, bye free loading on others taxes.
Bob,
It would appear that the statements made were pulled out of thin air. The numbers below are from 2014 and show welfare (of all types) costs per thousand people for the ten biggest spenders. The list speaks for itself.
State $/1000
Alaska $ 1,428.57
Connecticut $ 805.56
Hawaii $714.29
Illinois $ 728.68
Massachusetts $1,029.85
New Jersey $ 921.35
North Dakota $714.29
Rhode Island $ 1,000.00
Vermont $1,000.00
Wyoming $666.67
Thanks, Hank. Notice there was no argument about the 14 poorest states, the conditions in KS, TX, WI, NJ, I would question how broad “welfare” is in the comment as well, because I was not limiting my comment to “welfare” (whatever that is) but to ALL federal aid and subsidies, which include many things other than “welfare.”
Like the great work of those like Barbara Lee who is trying to push legislation in the House of Representatives that claims women will eventually be forced into prostitution in order to obtain life-sustaining food and water for their families.
Lee introduced House Concurrent Resolution 29, warning that women will be forced into “transactional sex” to get enough food and clean water — all because global warming will create “conflict and instability” in the world.
Boy that is the kind of leadership I would be proud of ……. NOT!
Read more at http://lastresistance.com/10827/california-dem-warns-of-global-warming-induced-prostitution/#zoXTDvuc8EsUfdRq.99
Almost as good as all the job and infrastructure bills the new Congress has put forth. Oh, wait…
It’s a crazy idea but at least she’s doing SOMETHNG.
Jfurlong stated: Almost as good as all the job and infrastructure bills the new Congress has put forth. Oh, wait…
Which of these Bills are you opposed to (besides Keystone)?
• H.R.37 – Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Business Burdens Act – 01/16/2015 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
• On Wednesday, the House passed H.R. 22, the Hire More Heroes Act,
• On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 30, the Save American Workers (SAW) Act of 2015,
• On Friday, the House passed H.R. 3, the Keystone Pipeline Act, a bill that would approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
• H.R. 1100: Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2015
• H.R. 1121: Online Job Training Act of 2015 Status: Referred to Committee on Feb 26, 2015
• Startup Act Introduced by Sens. Moran, Warner in 114th Congress Bipartisan jobs bill would jumpstart economy through the creation and growth of new businesses
US Congress House Bill 832
• Veterans Employment and Training Service Longitudinal Study Act of 2015
• H.R. 636, America’s Small Business Tax Relief Act, provides the certainty businesses need to plan for the future by making critical small business tax reductions permanent.
HR 527
Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015
BTW, there are more beyond these.
J the 2016 Presidential election will be decided by these five states. Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada. They all went for Obama in2012.. Just watch. I do berlieve you find that those states have huge Republican influence. Tghe 2016 elections could very well vbe just like 2008. New faces and ideals.
Ummm, according to my recollection, he was called Gov. Moonbeam because one of the things he wanted to do was to allow tax breaks and incentives for some whack job businesses than had funny initials – IBM and HP. What a crazy person – those newfangled computer thingees were just another whacky idea.
That wasn’t the only reason he got the name!
I just checked one source about best and worst run state governments – WSJ article. Well, best were: ND, WY, NB, UT, IA and AK (all with significantly smaller populations than some of our other states such as CA, NY, MA, CO, etc. and 4 with huge tracts of federally administered and financed lands.) And you are correct, they do have Republican admin. But, dang, if I wasn’t compelled to look up the 7 worst run states and guess what: LA, FL, SC, NM, NV, NJ, AZ! 7 up and 7 down…
What would probably make more sense would be to compare states with similar populations and economic interests, i.e. mixes of industrial and ag, types of higher education facilities, etc.
It appears you already have. Live and let live.
j please lay out your FACTS state by state with all the numbers. When you do that I will give you some credibility. My FACTS are facts.
Right you are.
Why don’t you STEP OFF JLB, get out of MY COUNTRY!
JLB,
I am not sure when lying in regards to ObamaCare went from being a requirement to get it passed, to being a negative for the GOP. It is a perfect example of what those who are opposed to the policies of this living disaster of an administration: two sets of rules; one for them and one for everyone else.
BTW: here is a link to the 75 lies of Obama, by year:
http://obamalies.net/list-of-lies
Ooh I like this game.
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/a-complete-list-of-republicans-biggest-obamacare-lies-of-2013/
JLB said: There are some things (the Democrats) do well
Absolutely! I am a very fair minded person and freely admit that there are some things they do well.
You touched on one of them: The CGI-Whitley- Michelle connection. If as First Lady Michelle and as President Barry cannot direct a small contract of $600,000,000 to the company of a close friend then he cannot call himself a true Chicago Demoncrat and she really is not a good friend.
Just because it did not work and took another 100 million or so to fix, well to paraphrase Hillary: “At this point of time, really, what difference does it make?
Conservatives Demand Satisfaction–And It Costs Them Elections http://flip.it/KtfY0