The empire of Rome was firmly established by the singular and perfect coalition of its members. The subject nations, resigning the hope and even the wish of independence, embraced the character of Roman citizens; and the provinces of the West were reluctantly torn by the barbarians from the bosom of their mother country. But this union was purchased by the loss of national freedom and military spirit; and the servile provinces, destitute of life and motion, expected their safety from the mercenary troops and governors who were directed by the orders of a distant court. The happiness of an hundred millions depended on the persona merit of one or two men, perhaps children, whose minds were corrupted by education, luxury, and despotic power. The deepest wounds were inflicted on the empire during the minorities of the sons and grandsons of Theodosius; and, after those incapable princes seemed to attain the age of manhood, they abandoned the church to the bishops, the state to the eunuchs, and the provinces to the barbarians. Europe is now divided into twelve powerful, though unequal kingdoms, three respectable commonwealths, and a variety of smaller, though independent states: the chances of royal and ministerial talent are multiplied, at least, with the number of its rulers; and a Julian, or Semiramis, may reign in the North, while Arcadius and Honorius again slumber on the thrones of the South. The abuses of tyranny are restrained by the mutual influence of fear and shame; republics have acquired order and stability; monarchies have imbibed the principles of freedom, or, at least, of moderation; and some sense of honour and justice is introduced into the most defective constitutions by the general manner of the times.
If the CO2 from burning coal stayed over the kingdom in which it was burned, I think that would be more reassuring.
Say what you will about Caligula, at least he never ran a private email server.
I think what heebie has realized is that most horrible of truths -- every terrible calamity you survive only guarantees that you will have the chance to be destroyed by the next calamity.
But what does the orange shitgibbon say?
Shitgibbon's "Decline and Fall of the American Empire" will be a real page turner.
But the water slowly boiling the frog has made for such pleasant February swimming.
I think frogs are kosher for tomorrow even though it's a Friday in Lent.
On the other hand, ozone. Presumably the same eschatological pessimism applies to that, but I don't see anyone desperately lobbying to bring back CFCs.
I don't know how you'd monetize that. I did figure out why everybody wanted lead in the national parks. Because shooting birds with lead shot makes the gun barrels last longer than shooting birds with steel shot and lead fishing weights are easier to use.
That's true. Maybe we'll behave like we did with aerosol hairspray and not how we do with mining, fracking, oil, endocrine disruptors, storm run-off, fertilizer run-off, and factory pollutants.
I thought fertilize run-off had been getting much better.
11 Will it piss of liberals? I'll bet you can find some right-wing nutjob calling for the return of CFCs.
I wonder how you measure the size of the constituency actively in support of ending the world? It's probably not the kind of thing you can just ask about directly on a survey and expect an honest answer.
11: I believe the right wing take on the ozone layer is to claim either a) there was never a problem to begin with ("Because the ozone hole stopped growing! Those libtards were exaggerating all along!"), or b) "Free markets" would have magically caused ozone damaging products to disappear, and it's a darn shame that the regulatory nanny state interfered before nature took its course.
I thought fertilize run-off had been getting much better.
Maybe we'll behave like we did with aerosol hairspray and not how we do with mining, fracking, oil, endocrine disruptors, storm run-off, fertilizer run-off, and factory pollutants.
There are other success stories: Polio, Acid Rain, the Clean Air/Water acts were generally successful, apparently there's reason for optimism about AIDS, the entire Population Bomb argument was mostly wrong.
I read something a couple of months age that said, if we do end up dealing with Climate Change successfully it probably won't be the result of some massive international mobilization and consensus. It will be a bunch of significant but not dramatic actions, each of which address a portion of the problem and all together make a difference. I think that's right, that there's a process of (1) We have a crisis, (2) we have no idea how to deal with the crises (3) oh, wait, actually we do enough to muddle through.
It's easy to look at the third step and think that it invalidates the first two, but I don't know if that's true, I think the panic and urgency is helpful. I also have no confidence that Climate Change will follow that path.
I wonder how you measure the size of the constituency actively in support of ending the world?
James Watt.
The steam engine guy or the pre-2017 record holder for shittiest secretary of the interior?
I'll bet you can find some right-wing nutjob calling for the return of CFCs.
I looked it up. The shitty secretary, for those following along at home.
I looked it up. The shitty secretary, for those following along at home.
I had to double check after I typed it because I thought, "do they really have the same name." Yes.
Lots of those early modern science-guys were crazy (e.g. Newton), so I wasn't sure.
Lots of modern science-guys are still crazy, but the need for grant funding has really cut it down.
Also, less consumption of mercury compounds. But I here the EPA is working on that.
Obviously they've worked on me already.
You're not supposed to eat the shiny part of the tuna.
I wonder how you measure the size of the constituency actively in support of ending the world? It's probably not the kind of thing you can just ask about directly on a survey and expect an honest answer.
47% of US Christians believe that Christ will "definitely" (27 percent) or "probably" (20 percent) return to Earth in or before the year 2050. And I think it's safe to assume that they are mostly seeing this as a positive thing.
(I wonder how many of them were also in the 15% who believed, according to a Newsweek survey in the mid-90s, that Christ would definitely return to Earth before the year 2000.)
-- Something terrible is about to enter our world, and this building is obviously the door. The architect's name was Ivo Shandor. I found it in Tobin's Spirit Guide. He was also a doctor. Performed a lot of unnecessary surgery. And then in 1920, he started a secret society.
-- Let me guess: Gozer worshippers?
-- Right. After the First World War, Shandor decided that society was too sick to survive. And he wasn't alone; he had close to a thousand followers when he died. They conducted rituals up on the roof, bizarre rituals intended to bring about the end of the world, and now it looks like it may actually happen!
The thing is, I know some of those people. The Seventh Day Adventists, for example, are very big on predicting the end of the world. However, they're also building a university with building that look like they intend to run the place past 2050 and sending their kids to college.
It's been a problem for a while, of course. Quite a lot of the New Testament is devoted to "You can't just say the world is going to end and then sit around not doing anything."
It seems Scott Pruitt is the Keymaster.
17. A 2013 poll says four-in-ten believe we are living in the biblical End Times.
That should be taken as a floor for the number of people who favor the end of the world. Presumably all of those who believe in the Christian prophecy are happy about it, while some of those who don't believe we are in the End Times wish that we were.
Zionists' acceptance of their US Christian allies has always been fascinating/amusing/horrifying to me, because the US Fundamentalist view is that Zionism will bring about the destruction of Israel. And it might!
"You can't just say the world is going to end and then sit around not doing anything."
Watch me.
Right. Paul doesn't apply to the Jewish people.
CFCs had neurological effects that enhanced human cooperation. Now that they're greatly reduced, it's no longer possible to cooperate on things like CFCs. How's that for unintended consequences, libturds!
Presumably all of those who believe in the Christian prophecy are happy about it
I don't think that's a given. I mean, not all those who believe Jesus died for our sins are happy about it, and the immediate, earthly implications of that are much more palatable.
35.1: I'm pretty sure that number would be lower now that there's a white guy back in the White House.
I did figure out why everybody wanted lead in the national parks.
I think that was just for other federal lands like national forest and BLM lands. National parks already have their own hunting and lead bans.
I think it was actually just for wildlife refuges. But I haven't been following this closely.
Yes, it was a decision of the Fish and Wildlife Service director that Zinke revoked.
I do think the scenario described in the OP captures a decent chunk of what went down this last election (also see Shelby County, Ginsburg and umbrellas). Nothing really new or profound in this short video but it is a nice reminder of the trajectory of environmental protections in the US over the last half-century.
Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.
39. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. But as for that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
I'm probably just being nit picky but I don't think climate change will necessarily cause the end of the world, or the end of humans. If it does it will be because the chaos caused by famine, flood and drought will trigger nuclear war. Otherwise, humans as a species will decline in number but there will always be micro climes where some will survive. Not a great prospect but I worry the use of phrases like "end of the world" causes doubters to think we are being hyperbolic.
The Seventh Day Adventists, for example, are very big on predicting the end of the world. However, they're also building a university with building that look like they intend to run the place past 2050 and sending their kids to college.
Well, true, but all that shows is that they don't expect the world to end, or at least they aren't 100% confident that it will, not that they don't want it to end.
the US Fundamentalist view is that Zionism will bring about the destruction of Israel.
The whole idea of gathering as many Jews as possible together in one place to trigger the apocalypse is very weird. It's like Jews are fissile material or something.
There's another version which thinks that the trigger for the apocalypse will be the conversion of the Jews to Christianity. This idea has been around since at least the 17th century, and in its current version gives rise to nonsense like "Jews for Jesus".
39 & 51: In the US, I've never seen an End Timer who wasn't celebrating the impending fulfilment of the Biblical prophecy.
I think GY finds a nifty analogy, but draws the wrong conclusion.
I mean, not all those who believe Jesus died for our sins are happy about it
There are literal celebrations of that event every week. The Catholics even use that word. They talk about "celebration" of the Mass.
"There are other success stories: Polio, Acid Rain, the Clean Air/Water acts were generally successful, apparently there's reason for optimism about AIDS, the entire Population Bomb argument was mostly wrong."
That seems right. Plus, the really good stuff doesn't get unwound so easily. If we had single payer, the repubs would not be able to tear it down so easy.
57: The Repubs control three branches of government, and they still aren't finding it easy to get rid of Obamacare.
There are literal celebrations of that event every week. The Catholics even use that word. They talk about "celebration" of the Mass.
Sure there are. I'm not denying the doctrine is to be happy about it. I'm saying there are plenty of individuals who aren't and feel wracked with guilt or doubt or self-loathing or whatever. And that's when they're faced with the prospect of salvation in the afterlife, not the prospect of lots of their friends and loved ones suffering tribulation on Earth.
52: watch out for fundamentalists encouraging Jews to play gridiron?
61: squash, surely.
Or experimentally-minded fundamentalists tickling the dragon's tail by getting several Jews in a room and cautiously prodding them closer and closer together with long poles.
Speaking of which, I just finished The Making of the Atomic Bomb, which I picked up based on recommendations here, and man, that is a great book.
The two state solution won't work because Palestinians are the carbon rods.
Or whatever absorbs the excess Jewtrons.
Glad you liked the book, ogged.
Speaking of science, somebody smuggled cow eyeballs out of the packing plant by shoving them up his butt. Remind me to link that once I have my computer available.
Surely the plant would have sold him all the eyeballs he wanted for a reasonable fee.
No. He complained that the plant didn't even let workers take home eyeballs.
The ass-eyeballs guy is in Wyoming, the beer is from Colorado, and I'm in Nebraska. The obvious question: what's the matter with Kansas?
62: We observed truly remarkable results when we managed to place one of the Jews on top of the other!