conservatives

Insane thinktanks destroying our World

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This is very draft, unfinished but at least I’ve started. Please expect it to be extended and elaborated.

Thinktanks are here as a huge part of the political landscape providing ready-made policy and even huge quantities of staff to governments matching their bigoted perspectives. The topic of thinktanks can be overwhelming and easily lead to distraction.

I had not realised that thinktanks have such influence in contemporary politics. It’s claims that thinktanks exerted huge influence over Brexit and that the Conservative manifesto was written and the Labour manifesto mostly written by think tanks. [M]

There is also the claim that donating to a thinktank gets you far better influence for your money than simply donating to a political party and that thinktanks are so influential because they have such huge media exposure. [M] George Monbiot complains that thinktanks are often presented in the media as experts without any mention of their political biases. [GM]

There are claims that thinktanks and the media conspire to promote their mostly shared agendas. I’ve come across this claim from two sources so expect that it’s probably correct. So you have lobbying, the mostly right-wing media and mostly right-wing thinktanks exerting their malign influence – the agenda of the rich and powerful – in politics and on political parties. [need to find these refs]

There are left-wing as well as right-wing thinktanks although it appears that right-wing ones are more influential, quite possibly through being far better funded.

One issue that I was chasing down in writing this article is how thinktanks can propose the totally insane position of exploit fossil fuels to the fullest extent possible – a proposition adopted by US and UK governments.

[M] article explains ‘The ASI’s chief executive Madsen Pirie has said that they propose things that at first are thought of as the “edge of lunacy”, which then become the “edge of policy”.’ This is the explanation for the exploit fossil fuels to the fullest extent proposition – it is actual, literal lunacy passing for policy. This is Heritage Foundation lunacy contained in it’s Project 2025, a detailed insane program of actions for the next insane Republican president and govenment to follow.

It is insane, isn’t it? The world is burning to a crisp with extreme weather events all over the globe, we’re likely to pass 1.5C in a few years when we’re already fekked at 1.1 or 1.2C and these insane fekkers want to accelerate global destruction. Why is anyone taking them seriously? They belong in an asylum. We’re talking about people getting killed and nature destroyed on a huge scale!

Heritage Foundation is the largest, most influential thinktank in US. It provided huge nimbers of staff for the Trump administration and promoted the idea that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.

References

[GM] George Monbiot https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/05/rightwing-thinktanks-government-bbc-news-programmes

[M] Mace https://macemagazine.com/wonk-warriors/

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/28/far-right-climate-plans-00107498

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Britain’s shame: More than 120,000 children ‘destitute’

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Image of cash and pre-payment meter key
Image of cash and pre-payment meter key

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/splash-more-120000-children-uk-are-living-most-extreme-form-poverty-according-charity-survey

MORE than 120,000 children across Britain are living in the most extreme form of poverty, according to charity survey which reveals the situation is worsening.

The devastating rise in levels of destitution was branded “stark and worrying” by Buttle UK, which works with young people in crisis.

Its poll of 1,240 front-line professionals found that six in 10 of the children they work with are experiencing extreme poverty — up from 45 per cent the previous year and 36 per cent in 2021.

The London-based charity, which published its annual State of Child Poverty report yesterday, said: “The families our front-line workers are supporting includes approximately 122,000 children living in destitution.

“The year-on-year change between the last three survey cohorts dramatically illustrates the progressively worsening circumstances for children in poverty.”

The organisation described the term “destitution” as referring to the absolute lowest standard of living any adult, child or young person can experience, leading to a “lived reality which is degrading and unsustainable.”

Specifically, its study said someone is considered destitute if they have gone a month without at least two of the following — shelter, food, lighting, heating, clothing or basic toiletries.

…

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/splash-more-120000-children-uk-are-living-most-extreme-form-poverty-according-charity-survey

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Fury as national health check of England’s waters faces six year wait

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/19/fury-as-national-health-check-of-englands-waters-delayed-by-six-years

Exclusive: Assessment that used to happen annually will now take six years despite rising concerns

April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)
April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)

A nationwide annual health check of England’s water bodies which used to take place annually, will now take six years to complete, prompting anger from campaigners and politicians, as public alarm grows over the state of the nation’s rivers and coasts.

The assessments, undertaken by the Environment Agency, look at the ecological and chemical condition of rivers, lakes, groundwater, and transitional and coastal waters, and are required under the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

In 2019, the last time the full assessments took place, just 14% of rivers were in good ecological health and none met standards for good chemical health. Before 2016 the tests were done annually, but the government has now opted not to deliver a complete update until 2025, the latest permissible under the WFD.

Clean water advocates accused the government of trying to hide the data.

Rivers activist Feargal Sharkey said: “The future of England’s rivers has been sacrificed in a cynical act of self preservation by the very same failed government agency set up to protect them.”

The Green party peer Natalie Bennett said the government “clearly recognised the huge public anger about the parlous state of our waterways, but instead of taking action to clean them up, it is instead trying to hide the data”.

She added that the “stench of pollution, the choking of our waters with sewage, plastics and farm runoff is evident to all”, and that the Green party wanted to see a return to more frequent publication of the river health statistics. “Democracy demands transparency, and that’s one more thing this government is not delivering.”

…

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/19/fury-as-national-health-check-of-englands-waters-delayed-by-six-years

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Majority of voters including Tories want key utilities such as water and rail to be nationalised, poll finds

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/08/majority-of-voters-including-tories-want-key-utilities-such-as-water-and-rail-to-be-nationalised-poll-finds/

Dŵr (Water) is a classic Welsh song by Huw Jones. I think that the backing vocals are Heather Jones.

Among Tory voters, 57% back the Government to run utilities and 29% prefer the private sector.

Even Tory voters think that key utilities such as water, rail and power networks should be nationalised, a new poll has found.

The poll, carried out by Ipsos Mori for the ipaper, found broad public support for nationalisation of key utilities, including among Tory voters.

68% of those asked favoured nationalisation of water, with 65% of respondents also saying that railways should be bought under public ownership. 63% said power networks should be publicly owned; and 60% supported a reversal of the privatisation of Royal Mail.

Among Tory voters, 57% back the Government to run utilities and 29% prefer the private sector.

It comes at a time when food and energy prices have been rising amid a cost of living crisis.

…

https://leftfootforward.org/2023/08/majority-of-voters-including-tories-want-key-utilities-such-as-water-and-rail-to-be-nationalised-poll-finds/

Continue ReadingMajority of voters including Tories want key utilities such as water and rail to be nationalised, poll finds