Biden: Taliban ‘Not Our Enemy’…

Another comedy moment for VP Biden.

Taliban declare ‘monumental’ spring offensive…

Vow suicide and ‘insider’ attacks…

Pentagon identifies four American victims in Afghan crash…

With Bags of Cash, CIA Seeks Influence…

FLASHBACK: Biden: Taliban ‘Not Our Enemy’…

Going to be a long hot summer, no matter how you call it. The Islamic jihadists in Afghanistan are on the move, not on the run. Bring our troops home now.

COMMUNIST China’s Managed Economy Goes Bust

Corny capitalism is nothing but cronyism — In surprise, wait for it, it is the liberal media, recovery in China loses steam.

HONG KONG — The Chinese economic recovery lost some of its momentum during the first quarter of this year, official data released on Monday showed, surprising analysts who had expected growth to accelerate on the back of ample credit, strong infrastructure spending and firm exports.

The economy expanded by just 7.7 percent during the first three months of the year, compared with a year earlier, short of the 8 percent that economists polled by Reuters had projected, and slower than during the previous three months, when gross domestic product rose 7.9 percent year-on-year.

Disappointing industrial output data for March also underlined the fading momentum. Year-on-year growth dropped to 8.9 percent, the lowest pace of expansion since August 2012, when fears of a “hard landing” in China were widespread.

It has no momentum … China is a parasite of the west. They have no middle class. Only rulers and peasants.

The World For A Battery

Reuters reported:

Are electric cars running out of juice again?

Recent moves by Japan’s two largest automakers suggest that the electric car, after more than 100 years of development and several brief revivals, still is not ready for prime time – and may never be.

In the meantime, the attention of automotive executives in Asia, Europe and North America is beginning to swing toward an unusual but promising new alternate power source: hydrogen.

Yep, but brings a whole new set of problems, as BWM found out years ago.

The reality is that consumers continue to show little interest in electric vehicles, or EVs, which dominated U.S. streets in the first decade of the 20th century before being displaced by gasoline-powered cars.

Despite the promise of “green” transportation – and despite billions of dollars in investment, most recently by Nissan Motor Co – EVs continue to be plagued by many of the problems that eventually scuttled electrics in the 1910s and more recently in the 1990s. Those include high cost, short driving range and lack of charging stations.

The public’s lack of appetite for battery-powered cars persuaded the Obama administration last week to back away from its aggressive goal to put 1 million electric cars on U.S. roads by 2015.

It was a nice dream.

No battery no go juice.

Beijing Smog: Before And After Pictures

We could tell readers’ that earlier today, just like two weeks ago when Beijing was blanketed by the worst smog on record, the official reading of Beijing air quality moved from “hazardous (at a 24 hour exposure at this level)” to the laughable “Beyond Index” reading (which maybe means Beijing needs a bigger index)…

… or we could just show these two pictures of Beijing before and after the smog: both taken at the same time, at the same place, with the only difference being the latest onslaught of what is now becoming a weekly occurrence of the worst breathing conditions recorded in any industrialized country.

Feel The Warming

Heavy Snowfall Warning Issued in Korea

The snow began accumulating with such speed in Seoul on Wednesday morning that it forced the Korea Meteorological Administration to issue a heavy snow advisory for the region.

Two thousand traffic police officers have been mobilized around the city to keep traffic moving during the evening rush hour.

Heavy snowfall, cold, sweep across Turkey

43 village cut off – Roads blocked by snow.

Dig

AGU highlights | Climate Etc.

I am 200% opposed to this new level of activism by the AGU, but I seem to be in the minority among AGU members.

…Its a good thing the climate scientists aren’t in charge of policy.

Huge snowstorm hits Alps

resorts that have opened are forced to close

It’s early… Plenty of time to salvage the reast of the snow season…

The Great Pacific Panic

Obama says long time allies you get screwed  ….

Pacific Commander: U.S. declines support for Asian allies in sea disputes with increasingly aggressive China.

Fixing all that was wrong … Our asinine behind leader:

The United States is not supporting key regional allies and friends currently engaged in maritime and other disputes with China amid growing aggressiveness by Beijing, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific said on Thursday.

Adm. Samuel Locklear III, U.S. Pacific Command commander, told reporters at the Pentagon that China’s pressure on Southeast and Northeast Asian states is “complicated” by historical differences and the search for energy and other resources.

“The U.S. position … is that we don’t take sides on territorial disputes,” Locklear said. “There’s many of those around the globe, not just in the South China Sea. But we do want them resolved peacefully, without coercion, and that we call on all the parties there, including the Chinese, to ensure that as they approach these problems, that they do so in a way that avoids conflict, that avoids miscalculation.”

China has stepped up pressure on several allies of the United States in Asia in recent months, including Japan and the Philippines.

A dispute over Japan’s Senkaku islands, which China is claiming as its territory, triggered riots in China against Japanese interests and soured relations between Tokyo and Beijing. Chinese Gen. Xu Caihou, a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, said Sept. 14 that Chinese troops should prepare for possible military combat as anti-Japanese riots broke out in China after Tokyo purchased three Senkaku islets from private owners in a bid to calm the dispute.

The comments by Locklear reflect the Obama administration’s policy of “leading from behind” rather than assertively. That posture has troubled states in Asia that rely on the United States and its naval power to maintain stability, free and open commerce, and transit.

Well does that apply to Obama’s native Indonesia? You know the commie junta that runs the hole called INDONESIA is always hoping America will throw them a bone..

Chinese General: Prepare for Combat

China’s economy is imploding. No other than a distraction for the Chinese people is needed. So let’s ramp up the Chinese people about some dieserted no-count Islands. Direct them at Japan….

It’s a good way to get stupid people engaged in not their own troubles byte Japan.

It’s how communist like Obam, work the people… the stupid people:

China’s most powerful military leader, in an unusual public statement, last week ordered military forces to prepare for combat, as Chinese warships deployed to waters near disputed islands and anti-Japan protests throughout the country turned violent.

Protests against the Japanese government’s purchase of three privately held islands in the Senkakus chain led to mass street protests, the burning of Japanese flags, and attacks on Japanese businesses and cars in several cities. Some carried signs that read “Kill all Japanese,” and “Fight to the Death” over disputed islands. One sign urged China to threaten a nuclear strike against Japan.

And the dumb go right along with the Commies….

The Truth Is Known: Clinton: Restricting Freedom Kills Innovation and Discourages Entrepreneurship

Another way of saying, you aren’t going to work for the State. Ask Russia how Communism works out. So why not give that a try in America? Hah, you think we want America’s economy back at work? Silly you.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took aim Monday at China’s model of economic growth without democracy, arguing that it undermines long-term prospects and urging other Asian countries to expand markets and political freedom at the same time.

Without mentioning Beijing by name, Clinton laid out a week of diplomatic efforts she’ll make across Asia to press governments into improving the rule of law and free expression. Speaking at a woman’s event in Mongolia, China’s northern neighbor, she said limiting freedom “kills innovation and discourages entrepreneurship,” and ultimately undermines economic expansion.

“We need to make the 21st century a time in which people across Asia don’t only become more wealthy,” she said. “They must also become more free.”

And then she comes home and tries to tell people the Obama lies …  America is stuck on lies. Obama is stuck on a rock. It’s Obamanomics.

I don’t think it’s a rock sir…

Our Fading Auto Stimulus

Looks like people have bought most of the new ccars they needed. Locally the TV ads have been relentless, since January. But sales-ads are now slacking. It’s one way to tell what’s going on in the economy. Just watch TV.

Growth in the first half of the year was largely driven by automobile production and sales, which accounted for about 61 percent of the period’s 1.9 percent increase in GDP.

Sales were boosted by pent-up demand after last year’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan left U.S. showrooms bereft of popular models. Japanese models were hard hit locally. But now it’s looking like the supply problems been solved, ;ots are full.

Economists say that excess new car demand now seems largely exhausted.

They also point out that most of the purchases were by companies replacing their fleets. That suggests less support for the economy from autos in the future, particularly since much of the spending was funded from savings.

Manufacturing output according to the last PMI read, shows a contracting US economy. China’s PMI dropped to 48,2 at the last reading. ”The USA PMI registered 49.7 percent, a decrease of 3.8 % from May’s reading of 53.5 %, indicating contraction in the manufacturing sector for the first time since July 2009. Economic contraction is worldwide.

GDP driven by auto sales, not very broad based now is it?

Giant Mushroom Cloud Over Beijing, China – June 14, 2012

What’s going on? Why arrest Chinese for pointing this out? What do you think this is all about? Don’t expect truthful answers from the media, you know they lie, don’t you?

Beijing mushroom cloud:

What in the world is it? According to the AFP, the enormous cloud, which many describe as something you’re likely to witness following an atomic explosion, is the direct result of illegal straw burning.

Although some have claimed that the cloud is actually the fallout from a chlorine leak at a chemical or an eruption at a steel refinery, Chinese authorities have insisted that nothing of the sort has taken place. If you’d like to insist that cloud is the result of some sort of industrial accident, chances are they will throw you in jail.

Still photo …