USA: EPA Acting Deputy Adminstrator E-Mail – “Agency’s Workforce Shaping through Voluntary Early Retirement and Separation Incentive Payment Authorities (VERA/VSIP) – (01.06.2017)

U.S. House of Rep. Smith’s got the Honest ACT passed, that regulates EPA opportunity to spread information!

“The point of modern propaganda isn’t only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.” – Garry Kasparov

Welcome to the Banana Republic, the United States of America (USA), the Trump Administration has a new golden child and has to stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that has to be silenced. The EPA under Scott Pruitt. The Environment and Climate Change is lie under the Trump regime, that is myth that the environment gets destroyed or worsen by industry or mineral extraction. Still, they have to make sure that the EPA doesn’t explain the environmental regulations without any scientific evidence. It has to be tested and retested the narratives, as the EPA should not question the need for free release of CO2 or any other damaging gas that can worsen the sky, or the after effects of crude-oil pipelines and the damage of soil in the areas after fracking.

Well, take a look at the Lamar Smith proposal that get through and passed in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday:

“To prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible” (…) “The Administrator shall not propose, finalize, or disseminate a covered action unless all scientific and technical information relied on to support such covered action is” (…) “publicly available online in a manner that is sufficient for independent analysis and substantial reproduction of research results, except that any personally identifiable information, trade secrets, or commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential, shall be redacted prior to public availability” (H.R. 1430, 2017).

Representative Lamar Smith the man behind the bill, who has a magical fascination with silencing and stopping the EPA, as he is from San Antonio, Texas and Republican, surely if somebody would have remembered what sort of greatness, he showed in February:

“On Tuesday, Smith held a hearing titled “Making the E.P.A. Great Again.” From the list of witnesses, it was clear that Smith was not, however, interested in improving the E.P.A.—in fact, just the reverse. One of the witnesses was a lobbyist for the coal industry, another a lobbyist for the chemical industry. In a display of hypocrisy so blatant it could have been hilarious, but wasn’t, Smith used his opening statement to rail against “conflicts of interest” at the E.P.A. The agency, he complained, depended on the expertise of scientists to whom it sometimes also awards research grants. His proposed solution to this problem? To stack the E.P.A.’s science advisory board with scientists who work for regulated industries” (Kolbert, 2017).

So Rep. Smith has no issues listening to the Coal, Chemical and Oil industry, if it benefits them at a U.S. House hearing on making EPA great again, like the ones who wants to pollute and drop hazard into the environment for a buck is the ones to listen to. Shows the lack of thinking and integrity that is in the Washington D.C. right now and is accepted by the Trump Administration. Where the businesses are more important nature and the future, where the kids of Trump has to live in wasteland and in narrow future of damaged rivers, creeks and polluted air.

The donors for the 2015-2016 Campaign for the U.S. House Representative for Texas and parts of Committee for Science, Space and Technology, those we’re $95,050 from Oil and Gas, either as PACs or individuals, other important donors for the campaign of Smith we’re Nustar Energy, AT&T, Boeing Co., Koch Industries and Marathon Petroleum (Check Opensecrets.org).

So, the man who has massive support for his elections and campaigns was supported through business who needs to extract their resources and has to pollute to do so. It could seem that they scratched an itch for the Representative and when he was elected he scratched an itch for them. Instead of direct brown envelopes directly into the pocket of the representative, they paid for his campaign and his viable campaign in Texas.

Now that he has a place on the Committee for Science, Space and Technology, there he can change legislation that fits Nustar, AT&T, Boeing Co., Koch Industries and Marathon Petroleum, as they will not have any sort of information that cannot be verified by generous study. They have been silenced and cannot question climate change or even the implication of pollution or environmental damages by industry, as the Honest ACT, who is made to stop certain information from getting into public.

So it it good to know that the EPA sentiment is old:

“But I don’t know whether Americans want the EPA and Congress to be honest. You say, “What do you mean, Williams?” There are numerous laws, restrictions and regulations based upon the EPA’s fraudulent report on secondhand tobacco smoke. How many Americans do you think would say, “Hey, now that we know that EPA 1992 report was a fraud, let’s repeal all those laws and regulations based upon it”? I’m guessing most would say, “I don’t like the smell of cigarettes and if it takes government fraud and duping the public to get rid of it, so be it.” (Williams, 1999).

So there are surely many who has hard feelings against the EPA and their practices, but they should still wonder if it is wise to stop the EPA. They might get wealth to buy cars, but nature is not something that returns after you have used it and extracted the minerals. There are so many places destroyed by industry and not habitable, so much touched nature that will not come back after oil industry and other industry has used their tools. Together with the knowledge of pollution, there are invisible particles that might hurt mother nature on the long run, but that doesn’t Scott Pruitt, Donald Trump or Lamar Smith. Peace.

Reference:

Kolbert, Elizabeth – ‘THE CONGRESSMAN WHO’S TRYING TO MAKE THE ENVIRONMENT WORSE, AGAIN’ (08.03.2017) link: http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-congressman-whos-trying-to-make-the-environment-worse-again

U.S. House of Representatives: H. R. 1430 – ‘Honest and Open New EPA Science Treatment Act of 2017’ or Honest ACT (29.03.2017)

Williams, Walter – ‘Do Americans want honest EPA?’ (09.06.1999) link: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/701389/Do-Americans-want-honest-EPA.html

Statement by Dr Tarek A. Sharif, Head of the AU Defence and Security Division at the 6th Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapon (07.06.2016)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 7, 2016 – New York, USA 6-10 June 2016 – Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman, It is an honour for me to speak on behalf of the African Union and wish to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as the Chair of the 6th Biennial Meeting, and commend you for the manner in which you are steering the meeting. The African Union assures you of its full support.

Mr. Chairman,

The African Union fully aligns itself with the statement made by the African Group and wishes to underscore that Africa is among the regions most affected by the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons.

These weapons have caused unspeakable death and suffering over the decades and remain a serious impediment to peace, security, stability, and development on the continent and globally. This is why the AU is strongly committed to regional and global efforts to eliminate illicit small arms, and we firmly believe that the Programme of Action remains a critical and comprehensive policy framework to achieve this end.

The Member States of the AU have made significant progress in implementing the different components of the Programme of Action and the International Tracing Instrument. In this regard, I wish to express the AU’s sincere thanks and appreciation to all the international partners for their continued commitment to support our Member States.

Mr. Chairman,

The AU recognizes that some challenges to the full and effective implementation of the Programme of Action and the International Tracing Instrument still remain. These include limited financial and human resources and also the declining levels of international assistance and the lack of effective assistance coordination at the regional and global levels.

The AU wishes to seize this opportunity to call on all international partners to reboost their assistance in order to preserve the gains that have been made thus far. It is also imperative that the international community re-considers and improves the current funding modalities. While the AU commends the support provided through the UN Disarmament Trust Fund and UNSCAR, these funds do not match the existing and growing needs and gaps.

In this regard, the AU will support regional coordination and synergies in the implementation of the PoA, the ATT, and other regional instruments. The AU is also particularly keen to promote and support sustainable action that is fully owned and led by Member States. It is, therefore, critical that the relation between donors and recipient countries is transformed into a strong partnership that is based on a shared understanding of the priorities and where both parties are committed to institutional and capacity building and long term impact, in accordance with best practices and mutual agreements.

Mr. Chairman,

The important role of regional and sub-regional organizations in combating illicit small arms cannot be overstated. Over the years, their programmes and initiatives against illicit small arms have led to significant milestones. This makes them key potential partners in global efforts, and their role should be capitalized on in order to close the gaps in implementation as well as coordination.

The AU calls upon international partners to ensure that regional and sub-regional organizations are consulted and involved in project planning and implementation in order to ensure that regional dimensions and border security aspects of illicit proliferation are considered and addressed. Furthermore, the AU encourages a central role for regional and sub-regional organizations in coordinating resource mobilization and assistance.

Mr. Chairman,

On its part, the AU is ready to provide a regional forum for States, the UN and international partners to discuss modalities to enhance the capacities of Member States to meet their obligations under the POA and ITI as well as on the strengthened role of regional and sub-regional organizations in this regard. In concluding, the AU delegation hopes that this meeting agrees on substantial and results-oriented recommendations to reinforce the Programme of Action.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman

Worrying signs of devalued ballot value in the American Democracy as their to many disfranchised voters, PACs holds on campaign funds and the Corporate Media hold on message sent to the Citizens.

Just as the Primaries in the United States are winding down and getting closer to the Conventions of the Democratic Party and the Republic Party. The main candidates and Presidential Candidates have soon been selected and gotten picked through the mixed of ballots and the caucuses differing how the Primary Elections in the states was done.

I am not an American and can only see it as an outsider and with the view as an outsider has. To listen to the American TV reporters on FOX, MCNBC and NBC makes a European shake. The TYT is some positive, but still shows the fragmented media landscape that have been created in United States. As the grand corporate media is loyal to a certain party or a certain candidate; much like the state media houses are for their ruling parties in LDC. So the FOX channel follows and hates anything from the Democratic Party even if the person initially acts and votes similar to the Republic Party. That is the irony. The same with certain “liberal” media who follows the Democratic Party by any means and blackballs the Republican by any means.

As the Progressive and the liberal are supposed to be on the Democratic side, and the conservative side is on the Republic side. The Parties have big sides and the range of political spectrum could initial be based into four parties as the suction between all the areas and range should be concern as the Presidential candidate cannot be like a Tea-Party General and at the same time be affiliated with the establishment when it comes to certain policies. That means of actions from a Tea-Party member should be different then the Conservative party member!

The Same is in the Democratic Party the establishment of the this party is more moderate and clear-faced close to the conservative establishment of the Republican. The Moderate in the party believes for instance in the sense like lax-taxation and the government institutions as small-corporate friendly environment for the 1 % instead of 99 %. While the Progressive are more on the line of Bernie Sanders and wants the taxation on the rich corporation and have labor right for the workers. So the Sanders line is far from the moderate part of his party. Still they both belong to the Democratic Party. That is what initially makes the American a rare venue of political discourse.

The Political discourse and the view on political aspects are in view concoction of corporate media, losing old papers who was the ones setting the agenda and is now not as big as before and the new media as TYT, Huffington Post and Buzzfeed changes how the political news get spread and questioned. As the radios and local broadcasters do not have the only venue and the corporate media is not the only place. Even live feeds on Youtube gives the voters more access to other sources then the ones supported by the giant multinationals who wants to decide and continue in the same level as of recent as it is profitable to keep it that way.

The other thing that is special about the American Politics are the level of money that the candidates needs to raise, the amount of adverts in the media and how much they matter; that together with the presence how the Super-PACs matters in the campaigns for either senators, representatives and also Presidential Candidates. PAC stands for Public Action Committee (PAC) where they pool funds and collectively works to enhance a campaign for a certain candidate or political idea. They are not supposed to be directly connected with a Candidate up-for nomination or for a State Senator who needs ads and commercial space for their “Message”. The PAC can run to donors and financial beneficiaries that will give to the PAC as a calculation on how they can be “puppets” or necessary persons to get the legislation that the corporations who funds the PAC need. So the business has the opportunity to “own” candidates and nominations instead of the ones that are there in public confidence. That is something that make the American system lacking democratic values as the cash cows and the cash hungry campaigning endorse the idea of corporations funded candidates instead of the party funded and the people funded through this PACs. Therefore the American democracy is very corporate.

The American media that are connected to certain Political Parties and even endorse certain candidates are embedded with the ones that give highest ratings and can keep the legislation in positive favor of the stakeholders and owners of the corporate media. Not the ones that are there for the middle-America or the middle-class, working-class or any other class then the owners of the Multinational corporations or Wall-Marts of America instead citizens.

That is why I am little skeptical to the American Democracy. The value of the vote is less there as the system is built around the corporations and the money train. As of now it is. The ones with wealth, the ability to gain amounts of funds and collect delegates in the inner-party elections get to be the Presidential Candidate for their party. The Positive is the political range in the Democratic and Republican parties as the public can find their different candidate inside their parties.

So as an outsider I am worried and does not like with what I talked about when it comes to democratic values that the money fueled and cash registered American democracy is supposed to be the greatest and the one to aspire to. That in mind as the American Government condemns and explains their values whenever a foreign government holds an election and they are a “stakeholder” in it or support the government there.

Certainly with the values of respecting the ballot and having systems that certainly transparent and securing the vote. As the American Government have had the hanging chad and the electronic malfunction of Florida that helped George W. Bush into power in 2000. That is not the only one issue coming with the ballots loss of value in recent times. Not the delegate system of primaries. I will speak about the election laws.

The Election laws are made to make it harder to register as voter, shorter time and if your felon or former-felon in certain states is impossible to become a voter again. We know that their groups of people who have become disfranchised by the directives and laws. Certainly this deficiency and also fear for ghost-voters make it harder to get voter-ID then getting license at the DMV in some states. If it is easier to get license to ride their Buick in Texas then getting to vote, then there something missing. Certainly something missing in the so-called democratic state in question; I just mentioned Texas the laws might be worse in Utah for all I know.

The main subject is the voters and the ballot should get respect. The Delegate in convention should follow the voters as much as the votes follow the registered ones in the tally; so the ones with the most votes in Indiana should become the Indiana Senator or Representative in Congress and Capitol Hill. That is the same if they are independent, Democratic or Republican.

But why does this matter, it is a principal. That in a democracy the votes should equally matter and the voice of the men and woman who are parts of the civic duty does it in good-faith of dropping their vote and delivering a just change or keeping status quo after their own fate in the government system and picking the right candidate to do so. If the candidate fails in their tenure or term, then the voter can through ballot pick somebody else and change guards of the democracy.

The issues with election laws that disenfranchise people, when the corporations of the media spreads certain message and ideas swallows the minds and the grand idea of the free speech and level playing-field together with the monies used and needed to campaign. Gives the race and campaigning for the Presidency and the Senators’/Representatives addicted to the donors and funders of their campaigns instead of the confidence of their citizens.

And if that is the way and the corporate policy of the American Dream, if that is the vision that the forefathers of the American Democracy wanted for their American Centaury and the American ideals. That cannot be what the men and woman who fought against the British and wanted to be free nation for the settlers. As they wanted to be free to build their own nation in the vision of their citizens not in the vision of GM, Doritos, AIG, Warner Brothers, AT&T and American Express. I don’t believe that the American Government and the citizens who picks the ones that votes for the ones that represent them; that it was built for the corporate citizens for the corporations and to serve the Limited Liability Company (LLC). I thought the American Government and the ideals of their democratic values was built for the citizens and not to fit the corporate agenda and their needed heads-up to get their bills through congress either by lobby-money or PACs to secure the right Candidates in the Senate. Peace.

Press Release: ASD Welcomes decisions that will support and effective Arms Trade Treaty (28.08.2015)

Press release: The United Nations Arms Trade Treaty will “enter-into-force” and become international law on December 24, 2014.