Observations

Read the Introduction

It is amazing. Even though I have not really posted anything to this blog, there are 59 hits.  It is just proof that you can get an audience even if you have nothing to say.

There are a lot of things on my mind.  But this post is going to address some of this morning's news items.

So. The President has struck a deal with China on carbon emissions.  The reaction, by the President and those on the left, is that this deal is historic.  It is. But not in the way they think it is.

The essence of the deal is that the U.S. will drastically cut carbon emissions by 2030, I believe the figure is 26%.  And China will cut...no wait.  China will cut nothing.  According to the "deal" they can continue to increase carbon emissions at any pace they choose until 2030, at which time they will freeze carbon emissions at whatever level they have achieved by that date.

So the President got rolled.

It is worse than that.  There are many issues that need to be resolved between the U.S. and China. Not the least of which is China's continued raids on U.S. technology.  While the President was in China, the Chinese test flew their first stealth aircraft, made possible by technology stolen from the U.S.

So not only was the President rolled on his climate deal, he was made to look like a fool.

The picture I get is: you walk onto a car lot looking for a new car. The list price is $25,000, which you successfully negotiate down to $50,000. While looking at the cars on the lot, and negotiating your "deal", the dealer is happily washing your previous automobile in preparation for putting it up for sale.  Oh. And the dealer had stolen your car from your driveway the night before.

You return home bragging to your wife that you just made an historic deal on a new car. And, no, she has no say in the transaction.

The good news is that this "deal" will never pass the Senate.  Hold on.  That actually is not good news. The Senate will not pass it because the President has no intention of submitting the "deal" to the Senate.  He intends to implement the provisions through changes in EPA regulations.

Will someone point me to the provision in the Constitution that relieves the President from submitting agreements with foreign governments to the Senate for approval?

Fresh from his triumphant failures in China, the President returned home to announce that he intends to regulate the internet.  He has "requested" the head of the FCC to reclassify the internet such that it falls under the same regulations as telecommunication providers.

In other words, the government will be able to dictate rates and content to the internet providers. And, no, the President has no plans to seek legislative action on the idea.

It is going to be a long two years, folks.