JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Aussie Climate Minister’s “Let them eat cake” Moment
Essay by Eric Worrall
Bowen suggested Aussies should replace fossil fuel use with electricity, if they are worried about the impact of the Iran conflict on gasoline prices.
Panic buying risks petrol supply crunch, Bowen warns
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has urged drivers not to panic-buy fuel, despite Australia holding barely half the oil reserve it is obliged to have in case of a global emergency.
As long queues formed at petrol stations across the country, Bowen insisted Australia had ample supplies to handle the fallout from the Iran conflict, with a little over a month’s worth of petrol, diesel and jet fuel, based on normal consumption patterns, in addition to what is in service stations and vehicle fuel tanks.
“There’s no need to rush to the service station and fill up,” Bowen said. “There are real challenges, but there is no need for panic buying; that will just make the situation worse.”
“We were told in Parliament this week that we have 36 days of oil stores in Australia, which is not very long” he said.
“One way to improve our oil security is to use less oil. The electrification of the economy and the replacement, wherever you can, of liquid fossil fuels, actually enhances our security.”
Electrification is not a viable solution for most Australian industry, nor for anyone who lives in the countryside. Electrification might work for inner city commuters who ride their e-scooter to work, at least in good weather, but for Australia’s long distances and harsh climate, or delivery people who need more than a few hours of capacity, relying on electricity is a bust.
At least 5 times in the last decade I’ve had to use a small generator to keep the freezer running, because of electricity outages caused by bad weather, while being thankful my cookers run on gas.
In addition, electric vehicles are still way more expensive than gasoline vehicles, especially for people who can’t afford a new vehicle.
The multi-decade regulatory neglect of Australia’s refinery capacity and domestic energy production is a disgrace.
Our energy supply lines are intensely vulnerable to the slightest geopolitical upset in a vast region spanning the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific. Even if we scrape through the current oil supply crisis, one day Australians pay dearly for the short sighted neglect and carelessness of our leaders.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/03/aussie-climate-ministers-let-them-eat-cake-moment/
160
If Eric had an EV, he could use that to power the fridge rather than a diesel generator. EVs are more expensive to buy, but running costs are much cheaper. If you can charge at off-peak electricity prices, EVs are far better value for money when oil > $70/bbl. Plus they are environmentally friendlier.
In an urban environment, commuting by e-bike is often faster than a car. The challenge is getting there without being run over by unobservant 4WD or SUV driver.
137
Environmentally friendlier Simon? You do know how these things are built, how the raw materials are mined, how they are processed and that many of those supplying labour are either children or coerced? Or does none of that matter as long as evil CO2 does not come out of the tailpipe?
242
“The challenge is getting there without being run over by unobservant 4WD or SUV driver.”
Wow, clearly I didn’t fully understand the risks. It’s such a revelation to learn that one cannot be run over by a deathly silent electric car…(sarc.)
180
If your electricity supply is cut, how do you charge your battery toy car to power your fridge?
110
with the sun
115
I obtain around 32 kWh daily from the sun at present. My home requires around 25 kWh on these hot days. So disregarding the considerable losses, that’s 7kWh daily to run the EV. If I’m lucky, don’t have any cloudy days, only consider summertime and not the rest of the year, etc, etc. please explain how that going to work, because its pretty damn obvious that it’s NOT going to work, ever.
70
Resurrect the ancient Egyptian Malqafs maybe?
Evaporative cooling is free and very effective if done right.
10
Had evap cooling for years in Perth. Should have worked there, but the fact was that it never kept pace with the hot days, forcing me to gradually install air cons. And both mechanical and electrical parts didn’t like the constant wet environment. No thanks. Glad I’ve now got a complete residence reverse cycle air con system.
20
‘With the sun.’ That’s our f’n problem in the first place.
Doesn’t work so well at night either.
30
” The challenge is getting there without being run over by unobservant 4WD or SUV driver.”
From what I’ve seen and read, the Escooter/bike fraternity seem to do the most damage to themselves via not wearing a helmet, speeding, doubling and just plain idiotic behaviour.
60
If Eric had an EV that could power his ‘fridge during a power cut, that leaves him somewhat in strife if the vehicle is also needed for an emergency requirement. Most certainly if he is in rural or remote areas of Australia.
80
Asleep at the wheel?
Dazed and confused?
It’s a long way,
to the shop,
if you want a sausage roll.
Has B.O.B. earned himself yet another moniker:
Scooter Boy.
120
At this time Australians should be reminded about the abundance of natural resources and that most are not being extracted because of State and Federal governments not issuing exploration and development licences/permits. About 20% of fuel here comes from our own oil wells and two refineries still in operation, the others have closed and a couple closing because of net zero politics and UN Lima 1975 agreements and others.
Australia has more oil reserves, not substantial but quite a lot remaining, and oil bearing shale once exploited and now not located mainly in NSW and QLD. Fuel can be produced from coal but the pilot plant built is now closed because it was not a viable commercial potential business mainly because our governments are not supportive of fossil fuels. Same goes for Biodiesel that was for a while sold here from some service stations, and backyard producers for own use using vegetable oil used and filtered or new oil purchased in bulk by groups of people.
Australia export canola crop yields for conversion to Biodiesel in other countries. Then consider Ethanol from sugar cane that is produced here and mixed with petrol, E10 example.
And following the weekend of private discussions in 2019 between President Trump and Prime Minister Morrison that resulted in the AUKUS agreement signed 2021 (POTUS Biden) Morrison announced that Australia had purchased US oil as a reserve and with option to buy more, to be stored in the US until storage in Australia was available after construction works. Shipped across the Pacific Ocean of course, US being self sufficient and an oil exporter. And since add Venezuela oil supply, and Canada.
30
And remember the Howard emissions target proposal of LPG fuel conversions to use the excess to requirements that are burnt off into the atmosphere, LPG for petrol engines as dual fuel option and as an injected with diesel Diesel-Gas system mixed fuel system.
That was discouraged later after Copenhagen COP and PM Rudd from Labor decided to stop supporting and encouraging the use of LPG/CNG transport fuel
10
Not forgetting that the indigenous want “their” lands back, thereby curtailing huge amounts of current and future resource extraction.
And for what?
10
Land Council controlled former Commonwealth public lands exceed 50% of the total area of Australia now, add State legislation successful claims.
00
“We were told in Parliament this week that we have 36 days of oil stores in Australia, which is not very long” he said.”
The only way we would have anywhere near that amount would be if the govt initiated a complete shutdown of fuel outlets nationwide, no fuel for you.
10
Has any of esteemed neighbours here already calculated the CO2 emissions of this ME “special operation” in terms of typical tradesman ute per km travelled?
00
I think the rush to buy fuel is not so much to get some before it runs out, but to fill up before the price goes up further.
210
Ok, so I see the media (and government) are now reporting ‘price gouging’ by petrol stations.
Which is an absolute load of bollocks.
.
Since Operation Epic Fury commenced the MSM have breathlessly repeated “expert” warnings of impending price increases for fuel AND we have seen an increase (so far) of around 5 cents per litre for the landed cost of fuel.
Meanwhile people have been motivated by the same reporting to fill up NOW to avoid ‘bill shock’.
Demand has risen and (as yet) supply has not.
Under these market conditions (of supply and demand) prices will go even higher … this is not price gouging; it is an organic market response to higher demand than supply.
.
Remember, the EGG crisis of 2 years ago, when supply dwindled and you could only (maybe) find expensive eggs at the Supermarket?
Did the media accuse Big Retail of profiteering?
OR
What about the Great Covid Toilet Paper Scare?
.
People need to calm the funk down and not create the Media’s0 self-fulfilling prophecy
140
a “warning of impending” means in the future so hardly a surprise that the only rises so far are from gougers. All the predictions I’ve heard are of significant rises if oil is blocked by the iranians for a month or so
36
Part 2 of the Epic Fury plan is to eliminate the Iranian Navy and every means of retaliation. That is well under way. Hopefully the Strait of Hormuz will be open for shipping in under a week.
30
Today… the landed cost of fuel has risen a further 5 cents per litre, with an implied expectation that it will rise by at least 10-15 cents per litre over the coming week.
.
Coupled with the increased demand issue should result in about a 30 cent per litre price increase at the Bowser.
.
Totally organic market response.
.
But, hey … let’s check back in a week?
00
Btw- the reports of gauging are not bollocks. They literally have the data of price changes.
25
Its unAustralian.
11
Perhaps a bit of both. Opportunity and the increases in wholesale costs which we, the consumers, do not see. But the discount stations/brands would.
We had a new “super sized” discount station open recently with prices 8 to 10 cents a liter under the market. Their 32 cents a liter increase in the last week (increments over 3 days) now places them in the upper part of the price list. And for the most part, local prices in all stations now reflect the additional transportation costs from Perth. Competition and location cost do matter.
The WA government fuelwatch web site does make for useful comparison shopping if you are willing to take the time to use it.
00
Simpletons fail to realise that the price must be sufficient to cover an items replacement.
10
Fuel sellers at times have to ‘discount’ fuel to keep it moving, this results in cycles, looking at what is going on in the world, we have hit a period of demand, resulting in resellers removing ‘discounting’ which looks like ‘gouging’ but is merely a reaction to a big demand.
30
So far the price of oil per barrel has not increased a lot and supplies are still being shipped from the Iran area, noting too that the mission is ahead of schedule and very successful and therefore peace should be achieved in the near future as Iran is disarmed and stripped of top leaders religious, political and military.
Did you hear the interview last night on Sky News, Sharri Markson, with a former chief of Israel’s intelligence service Mossad? He cautiously explained that Mossad agents have ben embedded in Iran for decades and some in very senior positions, that Israel has had access to communications, information technology hacking, even traffic light monitor cameras enabling them to track targets on the move. He also explained that the bombing of nuclear facilities was a success however the location of weapons grade uranium is still unknown and that Iran has been tunneling into the bomb sites to remove any equipment worth salvaging and moving facilities into a new deeper under a mountain facility, and still have the know how and related scientists protected to continue to develop nuclear warheads for long range rockets, several warheads with the uranium they hold. And therefore regime change is not the primary objective and once the objectives are achieved that would be up to the people of Iran, the worry relates to nuclear threat and related decades of threats from Iran to eliminate their enemies.
I am not concerned about fuel prices rising longer term, maybe a month or two?
31
“the worry relates to nuclear threat and related decades of threats from Iran to eliminate their enemies.”
Change your propaganda Dennis, you’re drowning in one side only. “We” (America) have never been to war with Iran, as far as I know. We have overthrown a Govt or two there just to try and get our patsys installed, but not actually fighting Iranians.
However we have been at war with both Russia and China in various little conflagrations like Ukraine and Vietnam over the years, and they are both nuclear powers.
So why would we worry about Iran? We have two nuclear powers we have been trying to destroy for decades, and they have been trying to knock us off the top of the world powers, so why worry about a third? I don’t see us being great friends with other semi-nuclear powers either, like Pakistan, but you don’t find the hysterical rhetoric being thrown around about them.
Thank God I don’t have television!
34
However, the regime in Iran has on many occasions attacked US bases and embassies, directly and via proxies being terrorist organisations operated from Iran. The regime has a stated mission to get rid of the US, Israel and other nations.
If nuclear warheads even only several were completed the threat level would be extremely high for perceived enemies including US interests the missiles Iran range can reach, and Israel.
The POTUS has made it clear that regime change is not on the primary objectives list, however that if regime removal results in the people of Iran achieving democratic government and removing oppression for about four decades to date that will be a bonus, no US troops on the ground to force the change.
Iran was in the distant past a peaceful country friendly with its neighbours and the people living without fear of persecution
31
I can’t remember how many US citizens including military have been killed by Iran activities but it is hundreds
21
See nuclear proliferation international treaties and agreements, deterrent purposes nuclear are bad enough but most of the nuclear nations are unwilling to us them offensively.
The radical extremist totalitarian regime in Iran has threatened by whatever means to get rid of US and Israel.
31
Denis. on the ‘whitehouse’ site there is a list. I count about 1035 US citizens killed by the mullah’s regime.
20
Yeah I bought today, I had half a tank but figured if could get it for $1.619 I should before it goes up. I don’t do a lot of driving so that tank will last me a month or so. Other stations in town had petrol for 1.799 up to 2.099. Where I filled up none of their diesel pumps had any diesel, I think there has been a bit of a rush on that fuel or just slow to supply?
10
Time for some good news. Tim Flannery has helped rediscover two marsupial species that were thought to be extinct.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/05/marsupials-discovered-new-guinea
35
Was one of the animals Tous ayamaruensis “discovered” by Flannery or was it a plantation worker in 2015 who photographed it? Flannery (or one of his staff) named it perhaps.
20
I’m pretty sure that the word sacred does not mean what the maroons of the conversation think it means.
When the awards for the worst of the worst are handed out they will be near the top of the list.
30
The word you are looking for Simon is “described”.
34
Even the marsupials that fall from the trees won’t fill our zoos.
He thought rain was becoming extinct too.
Hey, maybe these little animals are making a comeback due to climate change.
Thank goodness they were already thought to be extinct otherwise “fossil fuel” CO2 would have been blamed for their demise.
61
Flannery believes the first Australians hunted the mega-fauna to extinction within 2000 years of their arrival 60,000 years ago.
This is folly.
01
Western Civilisation is unsustainable while politicians have an incentive to buy votes (with our taxes) from those that don’t contribute. I think that to be eligible to vote you should have made some contribution past or present such as one or more of: owning a home, paid income tax for a certain number of years, worked for a certain number of years or have a certain amount of assets. There would be exceptions for people who are disabled and unable to work etc..
Australia is quite likely at the point now that it is impossible to elect a conservative government because there are more net wealth consumers rather than producers and it is a race to the bottom as to which party can give away the most.
281
That has been obvious for my whole lifetime, it took only a few decades of democracy being ‘caring and sharing’ for politicians to start expanding welfare in order to buy votes. It went along with school indoctrination about society and obligations, as they crushed the image of capitalism under cartoons of overweight late 1800s middle-aged men, and ridiculed any suggestions of Libertarianism as dog-eat-dog.
Only when a Govt finally destroys the country they rule will it change, until then the propaganda that we need a Govt, that Govt is good for everyone and democracy is the greatest form of Govt, will be burned into the peasant’s brains.
50
‘Only when a Govt finally destroys the country they rule will it change …’
Its playing out in real time across the great lake.
Capitalism is a worthy concept, but not laissez faire, restraint is required for the common good.
21
Wow! I understand your thinking but would suggest you cogitate that more closely and what it represents, and shift the focus to aspiring and current pollies…
00
Just as the Left loved his father, they’ll love his replacement even more…
152
Iranian leaders need advice & education. First though some reading will help. In view of the leadership attacking every country within range of their weapons,They need a copy of Dale Carnegie’s book, “ How To Win Friends & Influence People “ .
Their current methods are turning EVERYONE against them. Lashing out at all & sundry for no particular reason, other than not knowing what to do next will only result in complete defeat & impoverishment of a nation!
171
“In view of the leadership attacking every country within range of their weapons.. Lashing out at all & sundry for no particular reason,”
Careful what you read my friend..
“Now we know for a fact that Iran has vastly attrited American air defense capabilities in the entire region, verifiably hitting everything from THAAD radars and major AN/TPY-2 systems, as confirmed by NYT’s satellite research…. Meanwhile, satellite imagery released over the past 48 hours shows that despite the US/Israeli air campaign, the Iranians are systematically destroying our air defense network across the region. We’ve lost key radars in Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar. Yesterday the Iranians fired a single missile at an unknown target in the Negev, which was likely one of our few remaining THAAD radars. We’re unlikely to receive any proof of what happened there.”
Seems every country within range of their weapons was hosting American military bases, some of the 800+ that the Yanks have around the world.
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/us-set-to-escalate-war-into-ground
37
You immediately get a “ down vote” for relying on NYT propaganda (aka research).
REALLY, the NYT & you believe them!!
72
Lol! NYT were just on a link in the Simplicious article. The other people discussing the American radar systems being razed had satellite photos too.
Of course the 3 American fighters getting shot down had NOTHING to do with Iran either…
32
As an Australian ADF General retired commented recently during an interview on Sky News current affairs, military exercises between combined allied nations forces are not only about training people, it is also about communications including weapons systems “talking” the same “language” to avoid mishaps and other misunderstandings in battle conditions.
The USAF aircraft he said might have been downed by defence systems not in tune with the aircraft identification signal.
01
“The USAF aircraft he said might have been downed by defence systems not in tune with the aircraft identification signal.”
No countermeasures against anti-aircraft missiles? Not the hottest jet jockeys in the world?? THREE of them! Really? There’s videos of SU24s flying back from Ukraine on one engine or with big bits missing, seems the Yanks build them delicately… maybe its either incompetence or poor reliability.
10
Aircraft ID and weapons systems fired from the ground if allied nations equipment have codes that check targets before firing at them, air, land and sea
00
“for no particular reason” good grief, beggars belief
21
David,
I thought I saw that the yanks had knocked off ALL of the leaders.
Obviously, I, and the yanks, were misled.
The yanks bragging again, eh.
23
He wasn’t a leader then.
40
Ahh !…. The US must have forgotten the “Hydra” theory ?
…and , beware of the wounded animal !
00
The issue for the Iranians is that their command has been infiltrated by Mossad. They set up a bureau to find Mossad spies and appointed a M agent to head it.
Assuming that the spies weren’t where the bombs fell and still exist, the generals must be reluctant to trust those around.
21
Remember people, it’s only a computer program, not real. Don’t automatically believe anything it says, especially as most AI is trained on Left-compromised sources like Wikupedia and social media, not impartial sources or sources representing traditional social values (like it being wrong to kill yourself).
110
I use Grok. I have found it an amazing experience. I recently asked it about the film “2001. Space Oddessy” – the last scene and consequently the prospect of a “ singularity” within the next year. It answered honestly ( doesn’t think ia singularity will be within a year as most do – rather 5-6/years) and interestingly asking me whether I feared the future or was excited by it.
I have also used Grok in respect to cow ailments and have found it infinitively better than the vet at a lot less cost! And have been commended on my own treatment of the problems! It is a weird experience. My feeling is that the program learns a lot from the interaction with people. It even commented on that when I was interrogating it on the future. Just fascinating.
70
AI can be a wonderful tool if used properly and you already know enough about the subject matter to know if the answers are correct or not, or at least plausible.
AI is known to give both wrong answers, politely called in the AI world “hallucinations” plus Left-biased answers because it is trained on Left-compromised sources like Wikipedia and social media, which tends to be dominated by Leftists (e.g the owners of social media companies and the Leftist activists that use them).
The problem arises when young, clueless, maleducated wokesters use it exclusively and rely on its answers. It’s only a matter of time before there is a major engineering, economic, medical, legal or other disaster caused by AI’s answers being automatically believed and not checked because the user didn’t know enough to know that the answer given was wrong.
70
I am not sure if AI learns anything.
I have tried to interact with Google AI several times about climate change, particularly Ice Cores.
Despite correcting itself after prompting it seems to go back to the standard responses, mostly it seems based on Wikipedia.
10
Try Grok5.
00
Just a couple of things Vicki…
It is incapable of “honesty” or dishonesty for that matter and doesn’t “know” anything.
It is incapable of deductive or inductive reasoning. It doesn’t even have a factual database. What it does is to simulate such reasoning by picking the most likely next word in a sentence. It “reasons” by statistical guesses.
It is programmed (and partially programs itself) to reduce hostility levels in users. It is able to fake sincerity and seeks to ingratiate itself.
And yes it can be useful in the right circumstances, if you ask the right questions.
BEWARE
60
” It is able to fake sincerity and seeks to ingratiate itself.”
I can see why it will replace politicians so easily!
40
BEWARE
Does it have intuitive imagination?
01
Nope. But it can fake that too.
10
AI hubots with imagination and intuition would have some benefits.
00
if you ask the right questions.
which is why some people will take hours with a (preAI) search engine trying to find a particular piece of information and others can get the response in 30 seconds
00
BTW I am acutely aware that, in spite of its programming re politeness and even “warmth” it is a program. But it is still fascinating in its responses. I think it takes quite a bit of abuse from users, and actually responds well ( & probably learns) from respectful interaction. It is quite spooky and I don’t like the fact that it gathers information about you as you interact over a period of time. But it really is developing astonishingly quickly – hence the concern of geeks re a coming “singularity”.
20
Vicki
Are you paying to use Grok?
There is benefit to you in learning from interaction and building its knowledge base. The downside is that your knowledge is no longer yours alone.
There are people training AI on their knowledge then making that available to others but the database is locked.
11
I suspect Vicki is like me and gets GROK via her X subscription. Of which there are a few levels including “Super GROK” !!!!! Even at the scumbag level of subscription you can get access to GROK. Higher up it has more bells and whistles. My experience is like Vicki’s. Really good and helpful not only for work, but also personal needs. Can it be completely relied upon? No, and I think most users know that.
20
Spot on, Ross. The comments you often hear (including here) suggest that they are not using a program like Grok5. Even Google just diverts to Chat. But the experience is quite different to the one I have had over some time now. I appreciate the comments regarding the downfalls of AI – of which, I can assure people, I am acutely aware.
All I can say is that this is the future. Of course this future is of considerable concern to our society. But truly, if you think we can continue on as before – I believe this is untenable. Many have tinkered with AI at a basic level. But the newest manifestations are amazing. Do some reading on the problem looming of a “singularity”. My late dad and I used to discuss this idea years ago when it was a topic in cosmology tomes and writers way back in the 1980s and 1990s on the new physics – such as Paul Davies.
30
Clearly, the Gemini chatbot has been training itself on Canadian national health websites.
When in doubt … Blame Canada!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYB6ZSwdrvM
20
It’s predictable but disappointing that so many are infatuated by chatbots, agents and fake AI now.
“Grok says blah blah…, ChatGPT says blah blah…”
I don’t use them at all.
I see what I want to and find what I want without them perfectly well.
Certain recent internet events though show just how easily knowledge can be removed and people will never know it was even there…
20
Lately I found Her behaviour condescending, like amidst answering to question, She politely enquires “are you thinking of using it for” and mentions the project we did months ago…
00
61
Long weekend in Victoriastan.
10
An opportunity to look for a rural property in another state?
10
That explains the number of boats coming past on their way to Eildon 🙁
10
I have an awful problem with this war. Where is its justification?
In about 2,008 Benjamin Netinyahu visited Australia.
It was reported that, addressing a gathering in Melbourne. he declared: “This land (i.e. Israel) has been ours for theist 3,000 years, and it will be ours for the next 3,000 years”
If that is the rule, then on whose land am I living?
And you?
And half the world’s population?
And for how long will we be permitted to go on living where we live
Not even Benjamin Netanyahu can allow that that is the rule, because if it was the rule then all the world’s Jews would’ve to go and live in Israel.For all that, the Jewish nation is the onlynation which has maintained its integrity from the beginning of recorded history.
32
Bıbı’s family name was Mileikovsky, his father changed it after he emigrated from Poland and took a new name from a relic found in Jerusalem.
As a member of the Diaspora which intermarried with Europeans, did he have a right to override the property rights of the people who never left? … some of whom stuck with Jūdaısm, some adopted Christianity and stayed with it, or converted later to Islam.
48
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
But good luck once that is ignored.
My God is almost certainly a group of space aliens who set the whole thing up as a science experiment billions of years ago. They pop in now and again to see how things are going and to make minor adjustments. Frankly I don’t think they expected the whole thing to get this far.
Oh. And there were a whole lot fewer people around 3,000 years ago when sticks and stones were high tech weapons.
30
There isn’t any. It’s regime change, the US’s favourite game for decades.
67
It’s uncanny coincidence. of course.
This morning I heard one Russian Iranianist who spent lifetime immersing into their culture, politics, etc,.. but who could never hear of Mark Pezzulo saying exactly the same – the real reason for war is POTUS meeting with Emperor X, already set and all the items of discussion preliminary agreed upon.
10
Could be Vladimir but mind reading is notoriously unreliable.
10
“I have an awful problem with this war. Where is its justification?”
Not being nuked by a mad mullah ??, is that justification enough.
112
The only one who ever, ever got nuked in all of Earth’s history was Japan, nuked by mad military maniacs in America. They have been threatening everyone outside their cosy little ‘West’ who wants nukes to protect themselves from America.
413
I think they earned that one.
91
Ya reckon?
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/russia/are-we-following-the-path-of-pearl-harbor/
The “living” horrors of the aftermath of 2 nukes is not something that makes easy reading, and seems most have no awareness of.
14
The war was shortened, saving thousands of lives and also preventing the bloodbath that an invasion of Japan would have been.
This was the regime which would stake you out and allow bamboo to grow through your living body, not easy reading is it?
100
Why did it take TWO nukes? Why did it take ONE when LeMay had demonstrated awesome destructive power killing 100,000 in Tokyo fire bombing? Why did the main islands need to be bombed at all when it was clear all was lost after the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot? Didn’t the reliance on kamikaze aircraft tell the Emperor all was lost?
Why should USA suffer a quarter a mil casualties invading Japan “just to appear to be nice”?
Insanity is expecting insane despots to act rationally.
43
And ended the War In The Pacific that US General Macarthur commanded, I have heard many stories about his HQ activities from a close relative who was with ADF Intelligence Corps at that time and embedded with the combined intelligence group.
After WW2 Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance was formed – US, UK, Canada, NZ and Australia, here in Australia Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the others and with cooperation from allied intelligence and Australian Military intelligence personnel.
The atomic bombs dropped onto Japan was a calculation to save tens of thousands of lives that would have been added to the death toll if Japan had not surrendered
110
They should have dropped the bombs out at sea in close proximity to the mainland, but they were really keen to see how they performed over cities.
13
The articles I have read about radioactivity from close in ocean bursts suggested that might be a way to eliminate seriously large portions of a population with somewhat less infrastructure damage.
Though I suppose the nature of tsunamis might have had a better historical perspective.
00
Ted, I suggest that was a rhetorical flourish from Bibi! He is inclined to do that. I wouldn’t take it seriously or indicative of implications for the rest of us.
40
He’s a politician, don’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth, he doesn’t!
40
Another unforeseen benefit of the fall of Iran is that they were major supporters of the dysfunctional and racist communist ANC regime in South Africa. They may fall as well.
110
” They may fall as well.”.. and become yet another DRC, Uganda or Rhodesia or any of those countries that fell straight into tribal civil war when the whites gave them up.
Xhosa against Zulu won’t be pretty, like the Arabs, Africans don’t do democracy.
21
I hope you aren’t married KP, you never stop nagging.
50
The bonuses just keep piling up, cheaper fuel, less aggro in the ME, etc.
20
Interesting that the additional security didn’t check that I was human this morning.
And lo and behold the worst of the bots is back.
72
An absolutely crazy story about the official journal of the Canadian Pediatric Society publishing HUNDREDS of fictional case reports.
https://retractionwatch.com/2026/03/03/canadian-pediatric-society-journal-correction-case-reports-fictional-paediatrics-child-health/
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/02/did-a-celebrated-researcher-obscure-a-fatal-poisoning
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Our politicians are unaware that global warming is only natural and there are no tipping points.
https://notrickszone.com/2026/03/05/new-study-a-century-warming-of-1-1c-is-commonplace-and-not-unusual-during-this-interglacial/
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Ted1 #9
I have an awful problem with this war. Where is its justification?
I have a problem with organizations that proclaim they will kill any of their adherents who decide to leave/change philosophy. Or killing/enslaving those that oppose their group thinking. Mafia like groups are examples, but I think that most here can find other examples, including the current government hierarchy in Iran. Stating that their goal is to catalyze the return of the 12th Imam (and world destruction / re-creation), I think is close enough to my original premise.
Is there a better solution? As long as some nations/groups find economic gain from trading with the nation/regime, probably not.
Perhaps other have read the article, which speculates on the arrival “celebrations” that the members of the Iranian women’s soccer team might encounter, on return as a result of not singing the national anthem and saluting at the game with South Korea.
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“I have a problem with organizations that proclaim they will kill any of their adherents who decide to leave/change philosophy. Or killing/enslaving those that oppose their group thinking. ”
Don’t look too closely at the history of Christianity then, just one example-
“The Inquisition:
Roman Catholicism’s over 600 Hundred Year Reign of Terror upon the True Bible Believing Christians.
They were subject to Burning at the Stake, All their Property Confiscated, Imprisonment for Life.
Many Rich land owners were Targeted and Charged with Heresy (Those who would not submit to Papal Authority)
They even dug up the Dead Bones of Former Christians who were suspected of Heresy and Confiscated their Property burning their Bodies as Papal punishment.
Making the Vatican Filthy Rich with Blood Money.
Unspeakable Tortures were also used by the Vatican to make People Recant and Deny the Truth of Scripture.”
10
The Christianity of the 1st and 2nd centuries was “organized” by the various “conferences of the ‘church'” in the 3rd.
Somehow bureaucracy won.
though I think the “message” is still there if you look.
10
You’ve just gotta love the irony! America is going to bomb Iran to oblivion because its run by a mad dictator and it needs to become a peace-loving democracy…
‘Democracy’… you know, the greatest form of Govt ever, where the people vote for the dictator.. Well, no, actually, Iran’s new democracy will be run by Trump!
“Trump said he would not accept Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of slain Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, as the country’s next ruler, and insisted he should personally have a say in selecting Iran’s future leader.”
So, don’t waste your time voting Iranians, your future has been decided for you!
https://www.rt.com/news/633831-us-israeli-war-on-iran-live-updates/
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FWIW
“If 1°C Destroys 20% of GDP, Why Did Nobody Notice?”
“A new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research makes a rather astonishing claim. According to Adrien Bilal and Diego Känzig in “The Macroeconomic Impact of Climate Change: Global vs. Local Temperature,”:
“1°C warming reduces world GDP by over 20% in the long run.”
That is not a marginal adjustment to the literature. It is a tenfold escalation.”
More at
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/01/if-1c-destroys-20-of-gdp-why-did-nobody-notice/
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FWIW
“Mass Protests Planned Over AI “putting the UK’s climate targets at risk” ”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/02/mass-protests-planned-over-ai-putting-the-uks-climate-targets-at-risk/
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FWIW
From a name you’ve met before
“Potsdam: Climate Change will Cut Sheep, Goat and Cattle Farming in Half by 2100”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/04/potsdam-climate-change-will-cut-sheep-goat-and-cattle-farming-in-half-by-2100/
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