‘McCarthyism’ is still used as a convenient term to cover the unjustified hounding of people. What is fascinating is that the Venona Intercepts showed the now much derided Senator from Wisconsin to be not too far from the truth – despite the fact that a vast amount of information was kept secret till the Venona Intercepts were released in the 1990’s. Yet much of society does not seem to have updated on the fact that the FDR/Truman Govts were riddled with pro-Soviet people of varying degrees of usefulness to the USSR cause ranging up to active Soviet agents.
The recent book American Betrayal by Diana West surveys the evidence.

Mr David Little, editor of the Chico Enterprise-Record has a great editorial – speaking for many I am sure. H/t Anthony Watts

David Archibald pulls no punches in his assessment of the Middle East looking at population trends – grain imports – future global cooling.
David Archibald book – Twilight of Abundance

Interested if anybody reads this new book.

Jean-Louis Pinault recounts his journey that has led him to the discovery of the ocean gyral resonance forced by solar cycles, the cornerstone of our understanding of long-term climate variability.

It outlines the methodological approach that allowed him to reconstitute global warming observed during the second half of the 20th century, and the stagnation of the average temperature of the planet, precursor to the onset of cooling.

This discovery gives reason to the skeptics when they observe a correlation between long-term variations in solar activity and climate.

Up to now these arguments were refuted by the official theory since climate models were not able to interpret how a variation in solar activity well below the percent can impact the climate without involving the phenomenon of oceanic resonance.

Then the influence of greenhouse gas emissions played the role of troubleshooter to remedy model failures.

This book is the result of a fierce battle against ostracism that develops in the scientific world, holding firmly research in the well-kept ruts.

It occurs mainly in climate science, feeding on our ignorance of the mechanisms involved in long-term climate and oceanic phenomena while enjoying the media coverage.

A reprise of most key events of 8 March – I think it was a shame that the Four Corners interviewer Caro Meldrum-Hanna seemed to be thrown off her course by Malaysia’s Minister of Defence, Hishammuddin Hussein heatedly asking her – “do you want me to shoot it down” – or words to that effect.

Caro Meldrum-Hanna could have pointed out that there was a range of options for fighter aircraft to check on unidentified aircraft – and in fact often perform this role around various nations airspace.

They would use their radar to find the rogue airliner and make visual contact – call them on radio – fly in front of the airliners cockpit – waggle wings – make hand signals and indications to follow me – if all that failed to get cooperation then a few tracer rounds arcing away in view of the cockpit might concentrate the pilots mind.

Once contact had been made relays of jets could have escorted MH370 – at least the world would have known where it went.

In their timeline of events Four Corners missed at least a couple of relevant events – just before MH370 vanishing off radar – a Boeing 777 captain, who asked to not be named, said he was flying 30 minutes ahead of the missing aircraft, and was asked to use his plane’s emergency frequency to contact MH370 by Vietnamese air traffic control officials who wanted to establish its location.

And then there was the story that surfaced after ten days – Thai Air Force now say they detected an aircraft on radar 8 March 2014 that may have been MH370 –

Looking forward to Four Corners posting their transcript.

The upshot re 8 March events was that Malaysia was less than alert – that is clear.

To have a rogue airliner fly near to Butterworth airbase without fighter pilots slumber being disturbed is a bit hard to take I suppose.

Apologies for being OT but with the current news from the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption – hearings online – I thought I would post these data which when juxtaposed show that AWUWRA monthly invoices to Thiess were approximately 10% of the amounts the Dawesville Project was being paid by the WA Govt Building and Construction Industry Training Fund.

Notes on data – I obtained this table from the Construction Training Fund through FOI in late 2012.
Full sized BCITF spreadsheet – more legible.
The AWUWRA monthly invoice amounts I have added under the table are from a 137 page pdf file posted by Michael Smith and stamped “Released under Police Freedom of Information”.
Transcripts are now up for the days of Blewitt’s testimony

I missed this initially when Anthony floated the idea on an “unthreaded” post and got a 63% yes vote in an online poll.

The wattsupwiththat.com blog almost fills that role now as it is.

While I can see all the contra reasons why not – I hope Anthony goes ahead and does it – and that many prominent people join him. I am interested to hear what readers think.

Yesterday Labor leader ex-union boss Bill Shorten made a landmark speech yesterday addressing Labor’s declining fortunes at elections over decades. He said Labor had to reduce union influence on pre-selections – and increase Labor party membership.

The speech is widely reported – The Daily Telegraph says – Union movement silence on Bill Shorten’s proposals to sever ALP links to unions – while the ABC reports – Bill Shorten’s push for Labor Party reform on relationship with unions prompts criticism.

I think Tim Blair and Miranda Devine have it exactly right:
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Tim says

As Miranda Devine observes, Labor’s real challenge isn’t severing ties with the unions. It’s severing ties with the Greens. Labor is addicted to Green preferences at elections and is too paralyzed to make the break.

The major parties should all put the Greens last – so simple.