Friday, April 5, 2024

About That Inevitable Transition to Electric Vehicles...

 Stephen Green – PJ Media

"Markets work when we let them, and sometimes even when we try very hard not to."


"A funny thing happened on the way to our all-electric future: reality.

"I've written at length in recent weeks about Presidentish Joe Biden's hamfisted and wrongheaded EPA rules meant to force everybody into electric vehicles, whether EVs suit their needs or not. But maybe nothing compares to Oliver Price's headline on Wednesday, asking, "Is this the end of the EV?"

"Well, no. But we're still far, far away from the end of dino-burning engines — and likely to stay that way for far longer than the grifters in the EV industry and the autocrats in Washington (and several states, too) would have you believe. 

"After reading tens of thousands of words about our "necessary transition" to EVs and writing a few thousand of my own, I thought maybe I'd do some even deeper digging. Turns out, I was shocked by what I found.

"In a good way. 

"That Price headline I mentioned above goes on a bit longer. The rest of it reads, "As Tesla and BYD's car sales plummet and Apple pulls the plug on its e-car project, has the boom in electric vehicles finally short-circuited?" 

"But there's a big difference between "slower growth," which is where EV sales have been for the last year or so, and "the end of the EV," which seems unlikely in the extreme. 

"So what is the truth? What happens to EV sales in a market as big and as varied as the United States, with our widely different needs and wants, complicated by various federal and state mandates and incentives?

"Would you believe that, even with Presidentish Joe Biden's Green New Deal Lite money and EPA mandates, EV adoption might top out at less than 30% of the new car market? Or that it could be as low as just 13%?" . . .

For six months, huge swaths of the press have painted Israel in the worst possible light.

 What we've learned from six months of war.  (Excerpted from Biden Loses the Plot on Israel)

 Few have put the matter as plainly as Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a Democrat who recently has been making more sense than most of his colleagues. "Hamas is confident we’re going to capitulate—but it's never going to be me," he posted Wednesday on X. "Hamas only deserves elimination." 

. . ."Which is why a sense of moral clarity in this conflict is so important. Hamas is evil. Hamas could end the war it started by surrendering its cadres and releasing its prisoners. Hamas refuses. Hamas would rather sacrifice the civilian population of Gaza on the altar of its genocidal ambition and suicidal desires. Hamas brutalizes children, abuses captives, steals food, fires its rockets indiscriminately, wears no uniforms, and hides behind schools, hospitals, and mosques. Hamas does not just commit war crimes. It is a war crime.

A global movement sympathetic to Hamas is fighting an information war with the objective of isolating Israel diplomatically and undermining its right to exist. We have learned that the United States, our universities, and our social media platforms are fronts in this campaign. And we have learned that anti-Semitism has returned with shocking power to demonize, harass, intimidate, and assault Jews throughout the diaspora. What Jewish immigrants to America in the beginning of the 20th century called the "Golden Land" is no exception.

"The political heroes of this moment are the men and women who have retained the ability to make clear distinctions between Israel and Hamas, between freedom, equality, and the rule of law and violence, terror, and fear. Few have put the matter as plainly as Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a Democrat who recently has been making more sense than most of his colleagues. "Hamas is confident we’re going to capitulate—but it's never going to be me," he posted Wednesday on X. "Hamas only deserves elimination."

Scathing Our Allies to the Benefit of Jihadists: Andy McCarthy WRECKS Biden's Weakness on Hamas – Twitchy  "Yesterday, we told you about the rather insane demands Biden is making of Israel and Netanyahu, including an immediate ceasefire (even though Hamas keeps rejecting ceasefire offers), and Secretary of State Blinken said Israel is becoming 'indistinguishable' from Hamas (thank goodness John Fetterman has the spine to speak his mind on this).

"Andrew McCarthy, from National Review and Fox News, has a question about all this."

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Withdraws Political Support for Joe Biden in 2024, Says He Regrets Endorsing Biden in 2020

 The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hᴏft

"In a recent interview with FOX News’ Will Cain, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, once an avid supporter of Joe Biden, has expressed regret over his 2020 endorsement and stated he will not be endorsing Biden for the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

"Johnson, along with everyone who supported Joe Biden, is complicit in the destruction of the US today.

"Johnson has been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and was seen as part of the broader Hollywood contingent that supported Democratic candidates.

"In 2020, Johnson posted a video on Instagram criticizing then-President Donald Trump‘s response to the protests after George Floyd’s death.

"He demanded “change” in America and expressed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, which was responsible for the looting and destruction of cities.

" 'Our country is crippled and on its knees, begging to be heard and pleading for change. Where is our compassionate leader? The leader who unifies and inspires our country at our most painful time when we need it the most. The leader who steps up and takes full accountability for our country and embraces every color in it. The leader who picks our country up off its knees and says you have my word – we got this – and together, change will happen. Where are you? Because we’re all here. Maybe one day that galvanizing leader will emerge. Either way, the process to change has already begun,” Johnson wrote in his caption.

"Fast forward to 2024, and The Rock is now taking a step back from his previous political stance." . . .

WATCH: The Moment Dr. Phil Became All of Us While Demolishing a Pro-Hamas Lunatic

 Bonchie – RedState


"On Thursday, RedState reported on one of the best takedowns of a pro-Hamas activist I've ever seen. During the exchange, Mosab Yousef, the son of Hamas co-founder Hassan Yousef, battled an American-accented representative of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality. He went so far as to accuse her of cosplaying her culture by wearing a keffiyeh. It was glorious.

" Here's a bit of the transcript."

"An extended clip of the segment has now emerged, and unbeknownst to me during my initial write-up, Dr. Phil himself also got into the action. The show host lit into the two pro-Hamas activists on the panel as they refused to condemn the terrorist group's barbarism on October 7th. 

"His facial expressions while listening to them speak were absolute gold." . . . 

Jim Acosta is the prototype of most American reporters today; liberal.

 Search engines promote only anti-conservative views.   See if you can find a critical post on CNN's Jim Acosta no matter what antics he performs.  TD

Jim Acosta Suggests Naming New COVID Variants After Republican Officials | Newsbusters   . . ."It appears that very low CNN ratings could be causing their chief domestic correspondent Jim Acosta to go even further over the edge than he already is. He's gone from yelling at President Trump to the wasteland of late afternoons on the weekends.

"To grab liberal attention and praise on Saturday's CNN Newsroom, Acosta even went so far as to suggest that new COVID variants be named after Republican officials, like "the DeSantis variant," after the governor of Florida." . . .

Watch Rep. Mo Brooks shut down CNN's Jim Acosta after Acosta tried to ambush him.

Ala. Rep. Mo Brooks Denies CNN's Jim Acosta an Interview: 'I Do Not Trust CNN to be Honorable or Truthful' | MRCTV

Sorry, not sorry, but that is exactly what an ambulance chasing, click-baiter like Acosta deserves. He made his bed during the Trump administration, now he has to deal with Republicans not wanting to talk to him — priceless.


You Love to See It: Fake News Jim Acosta’s CNN Show Has Been a Complete Failure | Newsbusters   
And not to be outdone, Acosta stepped it up just this past Saturday when he went on a childish bender about how FNC host Tucker Carlson was a “human manure spreader” and declared that the tens of millions of Republicans who call Texas home are the “American Taliban.”

Newsom's gourmet restaurant offers job at $16 an hour -

  Monica Showalter

Obviously, his head has grown too big with all that Brylcream. Time to get rid of that law, or better still, get rid of him through that new recall referendum now making the rounds.

"When California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed that exhorbitant $20 an hour minimum wage law for fast-food workers, franchise owners warned of restaurant shutdowns and employee layoffs, but no matter. Newsom insisted he was championing the little guy against the exploitation done by their corporate employers:

“California is home to more than 500,000 fast-food workers who – for decades – have been fighting for higher wages and better working conditions. Today, we take one step closer to fairer wages, safer and healthier working conditions, and better training by giving hardworking fast-food workers a stronger voice and seat at the table.”

What drivel. The law he signed was fraught with exceptions for political cronies and seemed to specially punish small franchise owners in Southern California beach and inland towns, same as was done during Newsom's COVID lockdowns.

Now we learn that Newsom won't cough up the same amount for his own employees at his tony gourmet restaurant located out on billionaire's row in San Francisco.

According to Newsweek:

A restaurant partially owned by California Governor Gavin Newsom is recruiting for a $16-per-hour role, despite a new state law guaranteeing a minimum wage of $20 per hour for fast-food workers. The restaurant appears not to meet the threshold for the new minimum wage, a law that Newsom himself signed to much fanfare in September. . . .

Opinion | Biden Exploits a Tragic Israeli Mistake

 " 'Top secret' Hamas documents show that terrorists intentionally targeted elementary schools and a youth center (nbcnews.com)  Maps and documents recovered from the bodies of Hamas attackers reveal a coordinated plan to target children and take hostages inside an Israeli village near Gaza."   


. . ."It said the team had spotted a suspected Hamas gunman shooting from the top of one of the aid trucks they were escorting. The brigade officers who ordered the strikes, a colonel and a major, were dismissed, while senior commanders were also formally reprimanded." . . .

Fox News (msn.com)

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Tuesday there was "no evidence" Israel meant to intentionally strike and kill the food aid workers. 
The site where World Central Kitchen food aid workers were killed in the
Gaza Strip, on April 2, 2024.
 (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)

"Israel did the right thing this week by immediately investigating, taking responsibility and apologizing for its missile strike on Monday that killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen in Gaza.

“ 'It shouldn’t have happened,” Israel’s top military officer said. “It was a mistake that followed a misidentification.” Israel’s Prime Minister, President and Defense Minister have also apologized and announced steps to try to prevent it from happening again.

"We say “try” because many people who know better, including President Biden, seem to have forgotten that errors are a tragic and inevitable part of war. The President pandered to the anti-Israel faction in his party on Tuesday by harshly condemning Israel, lecturing it and then blaming it (not Hamas) for the larger humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

"That apparently wasn’t enough. Egged on by the emerging anti-Israel liberal media consensus, Mr. Biden called on Thursday for an “immediate cease-fire” and urged Israel to make new concessions in hostage negotiations. The President then threatened, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken put it, that “if we don’t see the changes we need to see” from Israel, “there will be a change in our policy.”

"This is Biden Administration opportunism, using the World Central Kitchen tragedy to push Israel to cut short the war and let Hamas survive. It’s also the worst thing the President could do to free the hostages." . . .

Emal Ahmadi surveys the damage to his family home that was damaged when a
 U.S. military drone strike killed 10 of his friends and family members in Kabul,
 Afghanistan, in 2021.
 

. . ."Rather than hold Hamas accountable and demand at every opportunity that it release the hostages, including five Americans, Mr. Biden places the full burden on Israel. He puts Israel on trial each day from Washington lecterns, undermining support for its war effort.

"Mr. Biden has mostly resisted pressure from his left to cut off Israel and deny it the weapons it needs to defeat Hamas. But in the wake of this tragic Israeli mistake, and while Israel goes on high alert for an Iranian attack, he threatens to reverse even that support.

"If he does so, he will send the wrong message to our friends and especially our enemies in the Middle East. He may also pay a bigger political price at home than he realizes."

Joe Biden openly goes to war against Israel - Andrea Widburg    . . ."This wouldn’t be happening if Trump were in the White House. Trump would have strongly supported Israel, giving her the moral support she so badly needs in an evil, broken world. But more than that, this never would have started on October 7 if Trump had been in the White House because the world’s bad actors, from Putin to Hamas, knew that Trump would destroy them were they to upset world peace on his watch. As for Biden…well, I know what I want to say, but I won’t lower American Thinker’s tone if I actually said it."

Joe Biden is screaming at Israel for civilian deaths? - Monica Showalter  ..."The U.S. is responsible for large numbers of civilian deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq, as the New Yorker described here, and it appears Israel has, too.  "A little humility here from Biden would work better than this disingenuous finger-pointing, given that the U.S. has made unintentional mistakes in the fog of war, too.

"That Biden can be such a flaming hot hypocrite in this instance is obviously a bid to shore up his pro-Hamas voting base as he seeks re-election.

"It's just sad that we as Americans are being dragged along for his sanctimonious ride."

Biden Loses the Plot on Israel (freebeacon.com)  . . ."For six months, huge swaths of the press have painted Israel in the worst possible light. Netanyahu could say the sky is blue and a thousand fact-checkers would scrub his claim for signs of misinformation. Pro-Hamas falsehoods, meanwhile, are recycled without second thought. The casualty numbers from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, the bogus tale of the Israeli rocket "fired" at al-Shifa hospital, the blood libel that Israelis separated Palestinian babies from their mothers, the lie that the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East was free of Hamas infiltration—these stories were peddled in bad faith before Israel had a chance to rebut them.

"Which is why a sense of moral clarity in this conflict is so important. Hamas is evil. Hamas could end the war it started by surrendering its cadres and releasing its prisoners. Hamas refuses. Hamas would rather sacrifice the civilian population of Gaza on the altar of its genocidal ambition and suicidal desires. Hamas brutalizes children, abuses captives, steals food, fires its rockets indiscriminately, wears no uniforms, and hides behind schools, hospitals, and mosques. Hamas does not just commit war crimes. It is a war crime." . . .

Hamas is 'happy,' celebrating Biden's apparent shift in war, Israeli official warns: 'Stand against evil'

Barkat said U.S. officials can spare the "lectures," reminding Biden of the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7. To date, about 130 Israelis reportedly remain in captivity in Gaza. 

Those in the struggle against Hamas are so much better than the likes of Joe Biden, Stephen Colbert, and any number of Democrats in Congress. TD

Yael Halon (msn.com)   "Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat accused President Biden on Thursday of emboldening Hamas after he warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. policy in Gaza could change if the Israeli military doesn’t do more to protect civilians in the region.

"In an appearance on "Kudlow," Barkat urged Biden to re-establish his commitment to Israel, emphasizing the importance of the United States' unwavering support as they fight to eradicate the "Nazis" behind the Oct. 7 terror attack

"His comment came moments after Biden wrapped up a phone call with the Israeli leader, during which the U.S. president threatened a change in his policy toward the war if Israel doesn't do more to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

" 'After things like this, you know what happens with Hamas?" Barkat asked, referring to Biden's warning to Netanyahu. "They’re happy. They toughen their negotiation stance. They give candy to everyone."

"During the phone call with his Israeli counterpart, Biden reportedly lectured Israel for the strike that killed humanitarian workers and stressed the need for an "immediate cease-fire," arguing such a move would be "essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians," according to a White House readout of the call.

"The same sentiment was echoed later Thursday by both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby, with Blinken telling reporters that the United States would shift gears "if we don't see the changes that we need to see," according to a report from the Jerusalem Post." . . .

Biden ridiculed for condemnation of Israeli airstrike that killed aid workers in Gaza: 'Obvious hypocrisy' | Fox News   . . ."Our expectation from our best friend in the world, the United States of America, is to support us fighting the Nazis," Barkat continued. "The Nazis that are holding these girls captive underneath the tunnels, that get raped every day. I spoke to the families of these victims. We expect the United States of America to understand that the biggest enemy we have is Iran and Qatar. They are funding terror all over the world. They have blood on their hands. They are evil. We expect to align interests against the Muslim Brotherhood that are threatening the world, not just Israel." . . .

President Biden's condemnation of the Israeli airstrike that killed seven food aid workers in Gaza earlier this week isn't sitting well with some critics, who called the president's reaction "obvious hypocrisy.". . .

 The Triumph of the Blood Libel - CarolineGlick.com

The accusation was inherently insane. Jewish law prohibits murder. It prohibits cannibalism. It prohibits child sacrifice. It prohibits eating food with blood. But none of that mattered. Like the cartoon in La Presse, the blood libel didn’t seek to persuade anyone. It presumed that its target audiences already hated Jews or had a latent tendency to hate Jews, which the blood libel aimed to unleash

. . ."The nature and purpose of blood libels make them impossible to combat. Jews cannot disprove blood libels because they aren’t based on fact but on feelings or intentions attributed to Jews by people who hate them. Can Netanyahu prove that he isn’t a vampire? Of course not. If he bothered to try, it would be seen as proof that he’s covering something up. Can Jews prove that they aren’t evil? No, again. Because people predisposed to believe that Jews are evil see everything good that Israel does as an effort to cover up its foundational, immutable malevolence. “Pink-washing” is a case in point.

"The discourse on Israel’s war in Gaza is suffused in blood libels.

"Consider the accusation that Gazans are starving. USAID administrator Samantha Power issued a statement on Tuesday claiming that “famine is imminent in northern Gaza.”

"Power pointed a finger directly at Israel, blaming it for the “imminent” famine. “The U.S. will continue to do everything we can to get food to people in Gaza, but Israel must do more to put an end to this mass—and preventable—suffering.”

"Almost simultaneously, E.U. Foreign Minister Josep Borrell accused Israel of deliberately starving the people of Gaza. As he put it, “In Gaza, we are no longer on the brink of famine, we are in a state of famine, affecting thousands of people. This is unacceptable. Starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israel is provoking famine.”

"These allegations were regurgitated in every language at multiple forums throughout the week. The fact that they are untrue is of no interest." . . .