COPENHAGAN MADNESS 2

Well the grand meeting fully sponsored by the long suffering taxpayers of the world has ended in abject failure.

Copenhagen where assorted world leaders, dictators, NGO’s and any number of fringe loonies and tens of thousands of assorted “hangers on” literally burnt millions upon millions of dollars. In an oh so predictable and futile attempt to come to an agreement on what to do about climate change we witnessed waste on scale that boggles the mind.

Of course, what any self respecting voter in a democracy should be asking is what on earth were their elected representative s doing at meeting that started with despots like Mugabe the murderous tyrant of Zimbabwe and the socialist loon of Venezuela President Hugo Chávez hectoring and lecturing various democracies on how they should behave in providing for their people? It would be funny in a Monty Pythonish way, if we weren’t funding these murderous loons and people dying because of it. Of course, they all had their hands out for free cash with no accountability. Does anyone really think that any money sent to Mugabe and his blood soaked henchmen would really reach any environmental program????

Closer to home, a young lass from Fiji delivered a heartfelt, stirring speech imploring world leaders do something so her children and her countries children have a future in 2050 and before her island is swamped under raising seas. Of course, no one has pointed out to the poor lass that since 1992 the average tidal rise in Fiji has been 5.3mm a year, much of which may well be attributed to uncontrolled removal of ground water and tectonic plate movement. Even if absolutely due to Climate Change, she is looking at about a 26 cm rise by the year 2050. The population is not going to be standing waste deep in water particularly on the main island (home to 70% of the population) where Mountains rise to over 1324m. Perhaps Fiji should send money to England where the highest mountain is 978m, seems much more at risk. Naturally, nothing was said about the future of Fiji’s children living under a military regime after an illegal coup.

Even closer to home, the nonsense took on gigantic proportions with the Mayor of Jakarta (and his assorted hangers on) declaring that Jakarta was a green city. A description that defies belief and left those trapped in environmental disaster called Jakarta choking even more than usual. Meanwhile the Indonesian President announced Carbon Reduction targets that were simply breath taking in their scope and time frames. We all awaiting with eager anticipation of the forest protection policies that will produce such result, to save us being cynical someone could point to just one government sponsored environmental program that has produced verifiable, and accountable results.

Now perhaps the nonsense is over, real people can get back to doing something for the environment.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AT THE STUMP

Well Merry and Stumpy Christmas to everyone. It’s been fun at the Stump watching the serious ones with the sad beards turning themselves inside out trying not say Merry Christmas as a return greeting. The Stump has so much fun with this one, really lets you play with their minds.
Fortunately, the Stump resides in a relatively stable and tolerant (for Indonesia) part of the world and Religious Hard Liners of all descriptions are kept fairly much under control. Trouble with the religious nutters they tend to ruin the feeling of Christmas if you let them.
SO FROM THE STUMP
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A GOOD ONE!!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Seems Indonesia is intent on continuing it's reign as a champion of incompetence and an international laughing stock in the field of public transportation and public safety.

"AN Indonesian court has overturned a pilot's criminal negligence conviction for crashing at Yogyakarta airport in March 2007, killing 21 people, including five Australians.
Komar said at his trial that faulty wing flaps were to blame for the jet's excessive airspeed as it came in to land."

"A report by an Indonesian safety committee, however, found that Komar had ignored 15 automatic warnings telling him he was coming in too fast".

That’s right not one, not two but 15 warnings. Anyone who has heard the alleged cockpit recordings and the voice of his co-pilot would be simply be stunned at the that fact this man has ever been allowed to see the light of day again, let alone had his verdict overturned.

In a mindboggling statement at the time of the first verdict, a Stephanus Gerrardus, chief of the Garuda Pilots' Association, said Komar's trial was "a mess" and it had set a dangerous precedent of criminalising pilots.

"Our main concern is this decision could actually disturb aviation safety," he said. (Idiot, The plane crashed after the pilot ignored 15 warning signals and people died, what does it take to disturb this complacency towards a professional’s responsibility to others?)

"Imagine how hard it would be for a pilot to perform his duty when he's burdened with something like this. (Something like what, actually getting the passengers safely to their destination?)

"It makes pilots doubtful, and could lead to mistakes. (After ignoring 15 WARNING SIGNALS and killing 21 people, one wonders how many more mistakes a pilot could fit into one flight?)

Not that anyone should really be surprised, the public safety and well being of others is not a issue in Indonesia and the lives of the great unwashed have no value. Despite a litany of ferry disasters, any regular traveler will tell you that these floating (sinking) accidents waiting to happen continue to sail with inadequate or more often non-existent safety equipment, over loaded and crews with little or no training.

The joke that is the public rail service suffers almost weekly derailments, level crossing deaths and major equipment failures and it is not unreasonable to suggest that in 60 years of independence that only thing Indonesia has done is to run an effective rail system built by the Dutch into a traveling death trap (interesting and sad to note there is now 50% less rail service than under Dutch rule).

Whilst within the inner city, the smog belching, rusted out, multi patched, filthy pieces boxes on wheels that are Indonesia’s excuse for a bus service are a daily reminder that those who can pay never have to worry about roadworthy or public safety inspections. It’s sometime ironic watching these death traps carry signs or protesters to anti-corruption rallies when the transportation industry is a living, belching example of money over public safety.

AND YET THE PROVEN IN THE BLOOD OF OTHERS, INEPT POWERS THAT BE STILL WANT TO BUILD A NUCLEAR POWER STATION IN INDONESIA...Where running a bus or ferry service is beyond the compentence of public officials to ensure the most basic safety standards are enforced. Insanity does not cover the concept well enough.

VISIT INDONESIA WHERE EVEN THE PEOPLE GLOW IN THE DARK (But hey, a couple of us got rich)

RUDD LIES UNDER THE RIVER GUM

What a public official scam Copenhagan is turning out to be, although no surprise to anyone not taken in by pretty little pie charts presented by shallow, chubby idiots. Wouldn’t we all love to know the actual total cost of this pointless little gabfest?

Australia’s effort alone was 114 official trough feeders and you can bet there is any number of “unofficial “ sons, wives and lovers of the trough feeders who will find their way onto the public teat before the bills are paid.

One wonders what how much actual good could be done for the environment if the money wasted here (wanna bet there is no change out of 20 million dollars) was actually spent on ..mmm..say the salinity problems of the River Murray? Of course, that would mean no free for all on the public teat to arrive at an outcome that under any conditions will make NO DIFFERENCE to the environment.

A provisional list published in The Australian today contains the names and details of 114 Australian representatives, compared with just 71 for the United Kingdom.
Mr Rudd did not dispute the reported number, saying officials from the state and territory governments were part of Australia's delegation.

He claimed the Australian delegation was larger than the British contingent because the UK did not have state governments.No just ten times the population…truly a disgusting spin merchant) “We extend an invitation to (officials at the state level) and they come,” Mr Rudd told Fairfax Radio today.

But the provisional list contains details of only 14 representatives of state government, plus one delegate from the Australian Local Government Association. (Lair lair, pants on fire! This Prime Minister will go down as one the greatest lairs and shallow spin merchants in the history of Australia).

ETS - A NEW DYNAMIC

Interesting times perhaps better described as an awakening and in the case of the patronising acolytes of the Australian Church of Emissions Trading a very rude awakening. Unable to articulate and or quantify how many parts per million of Carbon reduction the proposed Emission Trading Scheme would actually produce, it became evident to all but the rabids that the ETS was nothing but a very expensive, poorly formulated Tax on the people who can least afford it.

The ETS was never anything but a gesture and there is nothing wrong with gestures unless they are hurtful, economy destroying, cost thousands of jobs and solely intended to stifle debate. The previous sentence pretty much describes the flawed plan that was so ineptly proposed by Australian Prime Minister Rudd, Environment Minister, Penny Wong and her faltering lap dog, the aging mediocre rocker whom we all thought had thankfully left the public view forever.

The ETS pundits seem to think that the Australian Public would not realise that Australia already pays some of the highest environment taxes in the world. Under the misnomer of Parity pricing, Australians pay 70% more for fuel than what it costs to deliver, an abundance of coal, based on the normal market forces of supply and demand should allow some of the cheapest power in the world, instead the inverse is true. Yet despite all this, the socialist reformers wish to foist upon the Australian Public, yet another massive pollution (?) and environment tax that would not contribute one thing to the Australian or World Environment condition. In fact it is doubtful if one red cent of the money of this unjustified and evil tax would have been spent in Australia or on Australians.

Unfortunately Malcolm Turnbull, the "interim" opposition leader in Australian Politics bought into this charade to the dismay of millions of disenchanted Australians. This social climbing lawyer, was no doubt driven by the "oh ahs" of the doctor’s wives electorate he represents. Malcolm, like his electorate has never known the hard scramble nor had to survive pay check to pay check existence, so a new tax for misplaced guilt is no issue. Bad luck for him the rest of Australia has revolted against this litany of lies and his just rewards for the betrayal was to be tossed out on his rather shiny rear end.

Tony Abbot has now been elected to the position of Liberal (Opposition) Leader significantly changing the political dynamic in Australia. Whilst the Stump does not agree with all of Abbots positions, there is no doubt Australians for the first time in years can choose between self seeking, shallow spin merchants and real bloke. The Stump believes the likes of Rudd and co are in for a real fight now.