Brilliant.

A most entertaining analogy. The author concludes:

"Let us not fool ourselves, or be fooled by others.
Stage-managed cabals, pre-determined outcomes,
committee confidentiality and dodgy science are surely
relics from another age, a darker space. ..."



I concur. And, sticking with the Beatles theme set by the article's title 'Julia in the Sky with Diamonds', I make the observation (with apologies to at least one of that gang of four) that:

'When it was USSR,
things were clearer by far.
Now its CCCP*,
not so easy to see.'



We will, of course, all be equal under this lowering cultist sky, which is reassuring. Its just that some will be more equal than others. I can't escape the feeling, however, that solving the issue of energy security generally, and within that liquid fuel supply security particularly, will both trump and solve the climate change issue.

And now I need a nice drink of dihydrogen oxide, cooled by one of its allotropes, before it, too, becomes proscribed. Can't escape the feeling that there should be some sort of postscript to the electoral outcome that has us all now looking so intently skyward for our 'cargo'.






*CCCP: Carbon Cargo Cult Party (only True Believers allowed)

This article conflates two messages; that carbon trading is largely fraudulent (which I agree with) and that climate change is questionable, whereas I think it is irrefutable. The problem with carbon credits is that they may be temporary, exaggerated, double counted or an accounting fiction. The EU emissions trading scheme does not recognise carbon sinks such as tree planting on the grounds the trees will eventually die and rot back into the GHGs methane and CO2. However the EU recognises the even dodgier 'clean development mechanism' type of carbon credit. The Netherlands for example excuses half of its promised carbon cuts via cheap CDM offsets. All it takes for a CDM credit is to declare that someone is using less than their entitlement and that presumed sacrifice can be sold to the coal burners. Example; I read OLO instead of driving the gas guzzler to the shop to buy a dead trees newspaper. I just earned a carbon credit, pity I wasn't registered with the authorities.

As Feynman says we are kidding ourselves but not Mother Nature. I fear that the PM's committee will want play Santa Claus by rewarding absurd types of 'carbon farming' such as less flatulent sheep. The main way for us to reduce emissions is to use less coal, oil and gas in the first instance. That is not the same as burning as much as ever but excusing it with carbon credits, most likely illusory.

Speaking of cargo cults, our entire "culture" is essentially a cargo cult.

The cult of unfettered consumerism, the credo of which is I SHOP THEREFORE IS AM, or shopping as therapy when you are feeling depressed or frustrated GO SHOPPING.

The Temples of this cargo cult are the now ubiquitous shopping malls. Where the cornucopia of bright, shiny and colorful consumer products all appear, magically as if out of no-where.

The calls to the "faithful" (to go shopping) are made 24/7 via TV, radio, the internet and magazines. Which is basically 24/7 hour ubiquitous propaganda.

Answering the "call" to be excited by the latest fantastic colorful consumer product, and thus to own it, the obedient faithful consumer goes to the Temple to obtain his or her cargo. And thus lives happily ever after, or at least until the next MUST HAVE sooper-dooper next big thing is hyped on TV. Or when the neighbours of friends show off their new shiny whatever (keeping up with the Jones's)

Of course nobody is expected to ask any questions as to how this cornucopia of CARGO gets to be in the Temple. Of the human blood-sweat-and-tears involved in creating this cargo. And of the environmental destruction. And of the link between this cargo-cult-cornucopia and the imperial invasion of Iraq, and of all the other imperialist wars (large and small). As George Schultz and the boy emperor George the younger (Bush) famously said: the American (consumerist) way of life is not negotiable.

Shopping AS patriotism!

Meanwhile we are quite literally Amusing (consuming) Ourselves To Death - the title of a book by Neil Postman. And the state of the world altogether is a combination of the nightmares described in Brave New World AND 1984.

Titty-tainment "culture" rules OK!

Julia may be in the sky with diamonds, but she is certainly in a gully here, with the baggage she is toting, Wayne Swan has to be a real burden preventing any improvement in our economy, and I doubt that she is getting good advice in regards to the Mining exports and Imports nor the destruction to the underground water being distroyed by this Gas program, causing water hell for the farmers. I know this is really a problem instigated by the State Government, but it seems that the ordinary working Australians just don't count with either the State or Federal Gaoernments. I'm afraid that some of the Local Governments come into that categery also, The "rich win" is their motto.

Did you know that today is "Climate Fools Day" & there is a peaceful protest in Brisbane, King George Square, 12 noon.