NEW “INCONVENIENT TRUTHS”

Wasington, DC - Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore made a name for himself (and snarfed up a Nobel Prize) with his “Inconvenient Truths” film.  The film, although in retrospect fundamentally and irredeemably flawed, professed to convince viewers that “global warming” (or “climate change”) was a near term peril that would inalterably damage the earth and its inhabitants (flora and fauna both) unless dramatic, near term action was taken.

Essentially, viewers rejected the Apocalypse Today (or at latest tomorrow).  They decided (correctly or not) that Gore was wrong, the data was skewered, the time lines were too long to worry about in a foreseeable lifetime, and/or there was nothing normal citizens or societies could do other than wreck their economies if they embraced the solutions.  So, essentially, despite assorted international conferences postulating unobtainable goals, societies and governments have taken a “What?  Me worry?” attitude.

That is the first of the new inconvenient truths:  that nobody cares about global warming, global cooling, or global-just-the-same.  The polar bears can drown (or not); the Maldives can disappear beneath the waves (or not); Bangladesh can flood to the Himalayas (or not); etc.  Global warming has become just the latest ideological battle between those with time on their hands and nothing important (like grubbing a crop from hostile soil) to do.

Second, Tehran will build nukes.  We have defaulted to Israel to prevent a nuclear Iran as our “agreement” with Iran simply proves again that tigers can be made of paper.  The USG may supply Israel with super earth-penetrator bombs, but lacks the will to do the job.  Jaw-jaw didn’t work with Pyongyang either.  There is a haunting vision of a burning U.S. carrier gang-raped in the Persian Gulf by swarms of Iranian missiles and suicide boats.

Third, Assad has won his civil war.  The slaughter and refugee flight continues, but he has the upper hand.  He has had to depend on Iranians, Hezbollah, and now Russians, but he has endured.  No Europeans, North Americans, or other Middle East/Arabs are willing to spend the blood and treasure to depose him.  When we refused to arm/train Syrian rebels to fight Assad and ISIS, we created a politicomilitary vacuum the Russians have filled with support for Assad.  To a degree, Russian presence in Damascus qualifies as “the enemy of our enemy is our friend” realpolitik.  The price for killing off ISIS may well be Assad’s survival as a Russian/Iranian beachhead in the Middle East.

Fourth, the refugee/migrants are a great media distraction.  Heartstrings are tugged; tears are shed.  But the father of the dead three-year-old (Alan Kurdi) reportedly appears to have been in league with the human traffickers, perhaps even piloting the boat.  Truth be told; Alan would be alive if his parents had remained at home.  Response?  Blame Canada.  And the refugee flood into Europe just proves that Germany and other high social service countries are attractive nuisances.  As long as they profess open (now being closed) doors, more people will surge north.  And is anyone concerned at the prevalence of unaccompanied/young males (one report was 72 percent) in the “refugee” swarm?  ISIS claims it already has infiltrated the refugees with more to come.  ISIS bombast?  The next Euroexpress train terrorist may not encounter U.S. military-trained passengers.

Fifth, illegal immigrants (not “undocumented aliens”) in the United States are an existential problem.  USG authorities seem to be unable to define “trespass” or prevent it—and citizens are saying “enough is enough; indeed too many.”  “Sanctuary” cities are lawless havens for criminals.  Europeans whine when the refugee flood approaches one million (we have 12 million embedded illegals).  Perhaps now Europeans will “understand” that the first requirement of a state is to secure its borders.  

None of the foregoing are irresolvable problems.  But each and all require determined leadership the absence of which characterizes an imploding society stumbling blindly into the future.