Monday, February 04, 2013

Global Lukewarming: Another Good Intellectual Year (2012 Edition) | Paul C. "Chip" Knappenberger | Cato Institute

Global Lukewarming: Another Good Intellectual Year (2012 Edition) | Paul C. "Chip" Knappenberger | Cato Institute: "I am sure that most readers are already aware that in the U.S. the annual average temperature was the highest ever recorded (since 1895). But the U.S. makes up only about 2% of the globe and such small areas, especially located in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics, are subject to large regional variations.

Figure 1 shows the pattern of annual average temperature anomalies across the globe in 2012. Notice that the contiguous U.S. happens to be in the bulls-eye of higher than average temperatures. If you spent 2012 in Alaska, you’d probably be wondering what all the fuss was about, because there the state experienced its 11th coldest year on record (since 1918)."





Obamacare Alchemy | Cato Institute

Obamacare Alchemy | Cato Institute: "Just as it would make no sense to mandate a particular standard for homeowner, auto, or life insurance, it makes no sense to impose a set package for health insurance. We all are different and prefer different mixes of risks and benefits, as well as tradeoffs between health insurance and other uses of our money."


Are We Overreacting to the Threat of a Nuclear Iran? | Justin Logan | Cato Institute

Are We Overreacting to the Threat of a Nuclear Iran? | Justin Logan | Cato Institute: "dictatorial regime regularly lashes out with hysterical war propaganda and threatens to rain destruction on its neighbors. It regularly inveighs against American imperialism, and in return, American analysts regularly discuss preventive strikes against the country.

Then, with little warning, it conducts a nuclear test. Americans from all walks of life remember that day vividly. Their lives—indeed, the world—changed forever.

It was May 25, 2009. Don’t you remember?

That, of course, was the day the erratic, bizarre government in North Korea managed to successfully test a nuclear device. But the world didn’t end."

" My colleague John Mueller and Frank Gavin both catalog the embarrassing track record of false positives in predicting tipping points, cascades, chains, waves, avalanches, et cetera. Their bibliographies are full of embarrassingly wrong predictions—full enough that people ought to be chastened and reconsider just throwing around similar assertions as though they are obviously true."

Cuts could make USA a second-rate power, Panetta warns

Cuts could make USA a second-rate power, Panetta warns: "Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Friday the United States would become a "second-rate power" if Congress and the White House fail to reach a budget deal that would avoid an extra $500 billion in military budget cuts over the next 10 years."

So a 7% cut would reduce us to only spend 4.6 times (instead of 4.9 times) as much as the 2nd spender! I don't think "hyperbole" is a sufficient word to describe his claims.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

Daily Caller: Sen. Ron Johnson on federal budgets: ‘I’m happy to start cutting agencies’ - In the News - Newsroom - Ron Johnson, United States Senator for Wisconsin

Daily Caller: Sen. Ron Johnson on federal budgets: ‘I’m happy to start cutting agencies’ - In the News - Newsroom - Ron Johnson, United States Senator for Wisconsin: "“In business if you’ve got a department that’s not performing properly, you cut its budget and they’re forced to become more efficient,” Johnson said, citing his own business experience before Wisconsin voters sent him to the Senate in 2010. “I think that’s what you pretty much have to do with some of these agencies.”"