A little politics

Well, the Sea Lions are barking up in the Neck of Dodd Narrows this morning. The noise is half way between a hound baying and a foghorn. Dog grows ever more insouciant about all the strange noises, although last night he ran out of the house straight into one of the local Black Tail Deer, and both parties beat a hurried retreat. Dog almost bowled me off my feet as he ran back inside. Another walk curtailed.

This morning I've been reading the news to see that Canada may end up having another general election occasioned by a row and possible no confidence vote over the funding of political parties.

Over in the UK they've arrested one Member of Parliament for being in possession of the latest immigration figures and a 'hit list' of potential government parliamentary 'rebels'. Special Branch turned over a constituency office and the MP's home in what would appear to be a clear breach of Parliamentary privilege. There is much outrage being expressed in the public domain, and not a little satire over this affair.

For myself, I'm rather ambivalent about it all, and rather glad I no longer live in the UK. On the other hand, had the arrest been a matter of national security (Aiding and abetting terrorists, selling secrets to foreign powers), then my view is that feeling someone's collar, no matter who they might be, over the matter would have been 'a fair cop, guv'. On the other, as the material would have only embarrassed the incumbent government had it been disclosed during parliamentary question time, I think the arrest is a bit over the top, as the current UK Prime Minister did almost exactly the same thing re disclosure back in 1996, and he never got turned over for it.

This begs the question "Who gave the order?" for Damian Green's arrest. Do they not understand that arresting troublesome opposition MP's has a worrying English historical precedent and a tendency to trigger wider conflict. No wonder UK politicians aren't in favour of an armed populace. On this occasion the Speaker of the House has certainly been found wanting. As for the 'Home Secretary and Prime Minister didn't know', well that's spin; nothing more or less. Arrest a member of the opposition? They are supposed to know. Although telling the current Mayor of London and the leader of the opposition instead smacks of political chicanery on the part of the UK Government. I'd describe it as a pretty blatant attempt at 'deniability' if anyone could be bothered to ask me.

Got notification that after 27th February 2008, it's no use applying for Permanent Residence under the sk1lled migrant program unless you fall under one of the specific occupations on the new list. Our application was put in well before then, and I've been working legally over here for the last year so this new announcement doesn't affect us. I hope. However, if things deteriorate over the other side of the water, then I may end up putting in an application for political asylum.

Remembrance Sunday

Juno Beach, June 1944. Canadian Troops disembarking. In one of the LST's (Landing Ship Tank) pictured in the background is a (then) 19 year old Royal Naval Signals Rating who grew up to be my Dad.

Lest we forget.

Interpretation

Picked up on a report that 'global warming' is 'very likely' caused by humans. Firstly there seems to be a lot of mainstream fuss about this, saying that 'It's proven' or repeating the mantra 'the science is settled'. Yet when you actually read the original studies from which the reports quoted are derived, you find a lot of 'mights' and 'could be's' which prove absolutely damn all. Add that to the current cooler weather cycle we seem to be in, which the 'anthropogenic' component hasn't seemed to touch at all.

Here on Vancouver Island it seems to be a little chillier than normal, but then that's well, normal for this time of year. At least according to the weather records from Nanaimo airport. Then, those only go back so far, as do the studies which are claimed to 'prove' that it's all humankinds fault and all you naughty humans should be sent straight to bed without any supper. There's no real like for like data, and all the current data out there does not appear to make a datum.

By comparison, I tend to read a lot of history. Not just 20th century history, and not just the western version, but from as many sources as I can. That tells me that everything the media bangs on about as the 'worst ever' is mostly just headlines to sell newspapers. No matter what you read in the papers / media about Weather phenomena, I will lay pretty good odds that what they are claiming as the 'worst ever' has been easily surpassed in the past thousand years before any 'anthropogenic' influence. Now I'll concede that we as a species do have an effect on our environment; overfishing, deforestation (Ironically for biofuel plantations to 'prevent' AGW), pollution; but the CO2 levels appear to have very little to do with climate, and 'carbon taxes' do more harm than good economically. Ergo my postulation is that this has more to do with the politics of control than real science.

Well, that's just the interpretation of a hack who likes to write science fiction. If the theory says that because of increased CO2 we should be having much warmer weather and it's actually getting cooler, I'd say that the 'theory' as presented has either been misinterpreted, or was pretty far over the wrongness event horizon to begin with. My interpretation? It's just Weather, and there isn't anything we can do about it.

Ice free North Pole

People are still panicking and saying that the North Pole will be ice free this year, and that this is something to worry about because this is the first time this has happened.

I say not so; SSN-578 (USS Skate) managed it on 17th March 1959. Check the 5th Photograph down.

There is also anecdotal evidence that a Chinese fleet sailed through a largely ice free arctic around 1276CE.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.