Archive for December 2nd, 2009

Science And Money

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

More stem cell lines have been approved for federally funded researchers at NIH!

But stem cell research is not yet about science, it’s about the Know Nothing Party, their Democratic fellow travelers in the Congress and organized religion making sure that scientists are amoral hucksters first and everything else second.

You still can’t derive the stem cells yourself, but you can work on stem cells derived by others, most of whose work is privately financed.

One hopes this is a small triumph in an age of ideological idiocy, but the failure to protect women’s health in the health care reform bill says there’s a long way to go.

Gorilla is cautiously pleased: “Lines of stem cells may eventually be more valuable and differently treated than lines of cocaine!”

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Driving To Nowhere

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

A good roundup of recent economic statistics says that the economy, if in recovery, is in a very anemic recovery. We’re still nowhere near the level of GDP growth necessary to put a dent in the unemployment rate.

While waiting around for another pointless summit, this time on jobs, it would be useful to hear any of our national leaders say: “10% unemployment is unacceptable. We’ve got to do more, right now!”

But the Fed is pushing on a string as its Chairman begs for another term, and the Congress is wrapped up in great national issues like the White House gatecrashers, pro football concussions, and ACORN.

Gorilla concludes: “As old Gogol would say, it’s always laughter through tears in Washington!”

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Rudd Nipped In Bud

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Climate change legislation has gone down to defeat in the Australian Senate.

The carbon trading scheme was rejected after the opposition Liberal party replaced its leader for supporting the legislation.

Australian PM Kevin Rudd’s government will have another go at passing the legislation next year. In the meantime, Rudd will be one of the negotiating point men attempting to arrive at another meaningless international agreement in Copenhagen.

It’s fairly clear that there simply isn’t the political will in most developed nations to deal with a problem that, while troubling, isn’t on the horizon for several more years. Politicians don’t do long-term and polluters don’t do shared sacrifice unless they can make a buck on it.

Gorilla thinks: “How green was my valley!”

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An Empire Of His Own

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

No surprise that President Obama’s escalating the war in Afghanistan, it’s been clear for months that the strategy is to keep control over big cities, train Afghans to take over, and start to withdraw within a year.

There’s little point in this, but the problem is that it’s easier for the President to stay than to face the political fallout of admitting the war is over. So, as in Iraq, we’ll pretend the surge will make a huge difference, while everyone in Afghanistan will wait a few more years to resume civil war.

The only thing interesting in all this is the extent to which a few fifth-rate terrorists can get lucky and keep the world’s only superpower pinned down in fear, debt, and fantasy. It’s not something you’d expect from the leader of the Free World, but then again it’s what we’re stuck with.

Gorilla says: “Don’t be cruel, Kabul, to a heart that’s clueless!”

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