Platitudes and tough talk slide easily off a slick tongue.

Truth is tougher and harder to come by: Beware Belligerents Feigning Outrage at home while Killing native sons and daughters abroad

U.S. President Donald Trump speaking at the “38th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service”

California Police Officer Ronil Singh, the president said, “came to this country legally in 2003 with the dream of earning the badge of an American police officer. … And that’s exactly what Ronil did: He devoted his life to defending the laws of our country....”

Two Immigrants: California police officer Ronil Singh was a native South Pacific islander, the Republic of Fiji.. His accused shooter was a native North American, Mexico. It takes only one “caught” instance of crime to make a man or woman a criminal under U.S. law. Many criminals are never caught. Many are never called “criminal.”

The president declared that “Dangerous criminals must be punished to the fullest extent of the law. That’s the only language they understand.”

The alleged shooter, the president said, “was a vicious killer, this man that crossed into our country from the border just a little while before. A vicious killer that could’ve been kept out with border security, with the wall (an opportunist never misses an opportunity to push his politics), with whatever the hell it takes …, could’ve been kept out.”

Police officers like any other workers have a job to do and in dangerous work they accept the risks. A particular risk is the nature of the job of policing, which is not to excuse the threat or the slaying of anyone anywhere any time.   

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ut let us take a look, compare the risk and slaughter of innocents who never had a chance to choose — never knew and never accepted even the possibility that the mere act of sitting in their homes, attending a wedding, or stepping from their doors for any reason on any morning or evening would spell death and destruction.

United States Leadership’s Participation in 

Death and Destruction on both sides of the Red Sea

from the Gulf of Aden to the Mediterranean Sea

Somalia (Horn of Africa) to Syria 

1948 –present, and continuing

Palestine (“Arab–Israeli conflict” “Arab League vs. Israel and USA” in Middle East 1948–present): deaths 116,074+

Iran-Iraq War (amidst U.S.–Iran military tension, U.S. sided with Iraq, September 22, 1980-August 20, 1988) losses estimated: deaths 105,000–375,000 (other death estimates 250,000–500,000), wounded in action (WIA) 400,000, prisoners of war (POW) 70,000; Economic loss: $561 billion

Global WARs targeting Middle East 2001 –

War on Terror (aka Global War on Terrorism) 2001–present (worldwide): 272,000–1,260,000 

Afghanistan

War in Afghanistan (part of War on Terror, 2001–present): 47,246–61,603 

U.S. War in Afghanistan: 2001-2019 and continuing: 

• “31,000+ civilian deaths due to war-related violence”; “29,900” wounded civilians; “111,000+” Afghans killed in the conflict (incl civilians, soldiers and militants) 
• The Cost of War project (Brown University) reporting: “Since the start of the war in Afghanistan in 2001, “about 26,270 civilians killed by direct war-related violence,”  “more than 29,900 civilians have been injured”; 
• Factoring in ratios of “indirect to direct deaths in contemporary conflicts,” the figure could reach as high as “360,000.”

Pakistan

War in North-West Pakistan (Pakistan/USA/UK vs. Terrorist groups aka “War in Waziristan” 2004–present, part of War on Terror and War in Afghanistan 2001–present): 45,852–78,946 

Iraq

Iraq Wars (aka Second Gulf War, part of “War on Terror”) 2003–2011: 176,913–1,120,000 

Iraqi Civil War (also Iraq and allies vs. ISIL” 2014–2017 [continuing total casualties not yet tallied]): 75,000+

U.S. War on Iraq and its People 2003 – 2019 and continuing; absolute count uncertain, numbers vary: ♦♦♦ March 2003-February 2019: 183,249 – 205,785 civilian deaths from violence (Iraq Body Count project) ♦♦♦ January 2004-December 2009: 109,032 deaths including 66,081 civilian deaths (Classified Iraq War Logs) ♦♦♦ March 2003-April 2009: 110,600 violent deaths (Associated Press)

Yemen 

Saudi-U.S. Blockade of Yemen ● Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen ● Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)

Y

emen Famine 2016 – present

• Total deaths: More than 85,000 children (adults unknown)

• Death rate: est. 130 children per day (December 2016–November 2017)

• Death rate since November 2017 unknown but more cases of famine and severe malnourishment reported during 2018

More than “17 million of Yemen’s population are at risk”

More than “3.3 million children and pregnant or lactating women suffer from acute malnutrition”

More than 100,000 of the affected children are in Al Hudaydah Governorate, with the city of Al Hudaydah worst affected area of the province

Famine compounded by cholera outbreak: 5,000 new cases daily

U.S.-allied Saudi-led coalition air strikes have devastated Yemen’s infrastructure including food infrastructure, health, water and sanitation systems and facilities thus leading to the spread of cholera.

Other related and consequences: Cultivation and consumption of khat (as plant from coca leaves can cause drug abuse, psychological dependence; Food confiscation by Houthi rebels

Related to Houthi insurgency (aka known “Sa’dah War” from 2004): casualties:  25,000+ 

Somalia

War and Conflict 2006: United States-backed Ethiopian military “intervention” 

“Somali Civil War” 2009–present (Federal Government of Somalia forces backed by African Union peacekeepers against “various militant terrorist groups and factions”) 

Estimated deaths by 2012: 8,016

Variable Losses reported by October 2012: 756 killed, 367 wounded; 1,100–3,000+ killed, 3 killed, 3 wounded, 66+ killed, Puntland 17+ killed, 40 wounded; Ethiopia: 8 killed; United States: 2 killed, 3 wounded

Libya 2011-2012 continuing

U./S./NATO March 19, 2011 military intervention in (i.e., invasion of) Libya, “ostensibly to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973”

2011-2012 Casualties/Deaths (Military Leader and President Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar Gaddafi is assassinated; after which carnage, conflict, displacement continues into 2019

Libyan Casualty Estimates

• May14: NATO air strike hits a large number of people gathered for Friday prayers in the eastern city of Brega leaving 11 religious leaders dead, 50 others wounded

• May 24: NATO air strikes in Tripoli kill 19 civilians, wound 150 (Libyan state television report)

• May 31: NATO strikes left up to 718 civilians dead (Libya reports)

• June 19: NATO air strikes hit a residential house in Tripoli, killing seven civilians (Libyan state television)

• June 20: NATO airstrike in Sorman, near Tripoli, kills fifteen civilians (Libyan government); Eight rockets apparently hit the compound of a senior government official, in an area where NATO confirmed operations had taken place.

• June 25: NATO strikes on Brega hit a bakery and a restaurant, killing 15 civilians and wounding 20 more (Libyan state television); report further accused the coalition of ‘crimes against humanity.’ (NATO denies but offers no casualty reports)

• June 28: NATO airstrike on the town of Tawergha, 300 km east of the Libyan capital, Tripoli kills eight civilians.

• July 20: NATO attacks Libyan state TV, Al-Jamahiriya. Three journalists killed.

• July25: NATO airstrike on a medical clinic in Zliten kills 11 civilians (NATO denies)

• August 9: 85 civilians are killed in a NATO airstrike in Majer, a village near Zliten (Libyan government report)

• September 15: Libyan President Gaddafi’s spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, declares NATO air strikes killed 354 civilians and wounded 700 others, while 89 other civilians were supposedly missing; and since September 1: 2,000+ civilians had been killed by NATO air strikes (NATO denies)

T

he government of Muammar al-Gaddafi, military officer and president of Libya, was overthrown and he was assassinated in Sirte, Libya, October 20, 2011, 

An occasion U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton found hysterically funny.  

• March 2, 2012: United Nations Human Rights Council releases report about the aftermath of the Libyan civil war, concluding that in total 60 civilians were killed, 55 wounded by the NATO air campaign.

• May 2012 Human Rights Watch publishes report saying least 72 civilians were killed.

Syria

(Syrian Civil War aka Syrian Arab Republic vs. Republic of Syria vs. ISIL vs. Syrian Democratic Forces 2011–present):  560,000+ 

U

.S. President Donald Trump tells his captive audience

“Every American child deserves to grow up in a community that’s secure and safe from violence, and free of fear.”

T

ranslation:

The children of Gaza and Syria and Libya and Iraq and Iran and Somalia and Palestine and Yemen and Afghanistan and Pakistan do not “deserve to grow up” in  communities that are “secure and safe from violence and free of fear.”

How Sad.

Sources

The White House

“Remarks by President Trump at the 38th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service” U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.11:50 A.M. EDT Issued on: May 15, 2019 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-38th-annual-national-peace-officers-memorial-service/

Wikipedia

Casualties of Iraq War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Iraq_War

Civilian Casualties in War in Afghanistan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_casualties_in_the_war_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present)#Civilian_and_overall_casualties_(2013)

List of Wars by Death Toll https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_by_death_toll

Iran-Iraq War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War

Somali Civil War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Civil_War_(2009%E2%80%93present

2011 Military Intervention in Libya https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_military_intervention_in_Libya

Famine in Yemen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine_in_Yemen_(2016%E2%80%93present)

Insight Beyond Today’s News, CLB - © All Rights Reserved

Call to Urgency: Action on Climate Change

“Unleash our researchers, scientists, machinists, manufacturers, growers, laborers to … create, invent and build the way to an equitable new clean energy future”— Governor Inslee

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.R. 9 “Climate Action Now Act” Introduced March 27, 2019, by sponsor U.S. Representative Kathy Castor. Passed May 2, 2019

U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (110th - six succeeding Congresses, January 3, 2007-present); in 116th Congress chairs Select Committee on the Climate Crisis; native of Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida; graduate of Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia) and Florida State University (B.A. and J.D. degrees, respectively); before entering the U.S. Congress, a lawyer in private practice and 2002-2006 member of the Hillsborough County (Florida) board of commissioners.

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.R. 9 and a Pacific Northwest Governor, Presidential Candidate

Jay Robert Inslee: Washington (state) governor (2013–present), U.S. Representative (1999–2012) (qualifies with public office executive and legislative experience), candidacy declared for U.S. presidency 2020.

State of Washington Office of the Governor April 30, 2019

Governor Jay Inslee’s letter to Members of the Washington State Congressional Delegation urging support of H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act (excerpt from letter)

“This legislation is an important step toward reasserting American leadership and transitioning the U.S. to a clean energy economy; and Congress should pass it without delay.

“The Paris Agreement is a landmark international agreement that represents our greatest opportunity to secure long-term U.S. and global economic security in the face of growing threats from climate change. Every nation in the world has now signed the agreement and expressed their intent to meet its carbon emissions reduction targets.

“Today, the U.S. stands alone as the only country in the world that has announced its intent to withdraw from the agreement. This is a disgraceful course of action that would jeopardize the health and prosperity of … generations to come.… The U.S. cannot credibly remain a world leader while withdrawing from an agreement that reflects the overwhelming consensus of the global community and the major global challenge of our time.

“U.S. Climate Alliance (established in 2017) as a bipartisan coalition of governors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement … now includes 24 governors, representing over half of the U.S. population and nearly 60 percent of our economy — $11 trillion annually, or the equivalent of the third-largest economy in the world. Together, we are tackling carbon emissions and sending a clear signal to the international community that we are still in.…

The State of Washington “… serves as a clear example that leading on climate action goes hand-in-hand with a strong economy. Through policies to promote renewable energy, foster clean energy innovation, support electrification of our transportation sector and more, we’re taking bold (climate) action while our economy continues to thrive. … Washington has been named the best state to do business and the best state in the nation for workers — (thus) putting to rest the myth that the U.S. must choose between tackling the climate crisis and growing our economy. …

“I am heartened by the renewed sense of urgency in Congress for tackling the most pressing and existential threat of our time and passing H.R. 9 is an important first step. By keeping our nation in the Paris Agreement, it will reassert American leadership on the global stage …. Let’s unleash our researchers, scientists, machinists, manufacturers, growers and laborers to do what they do best — create, invent and build the way to an equitable new clean energy future. The time to act on climate is now.”

H

. R. 9 - AN ACT: To direct the President to develop a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1 Short title:

 “Climate Action Now Act”

SECTION 2: Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1) In Paris, on December 12, 2015, parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reached a landmark agreement to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future.

(2) The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

(3) The Paris Agreement specifies the need for a strong global response to climate change and when taking action, the need to respect, promote, and safeguard the right to health now and for future generations.

(4) The Paris Agreement acknowledges that all “Parties should, when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights, the right to health, the rights of indigenous peoples, local communities, migrants, children, persons with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations and the right to development, as well as gender equality, empowerment of women and intergenerational equity”.

(5) The Paris Agreement notes the importance of “climate justice” when mitigating and adapting to climate change and recognizes “the need for an effective and progressive response to the urgent threat of climate change”.

(6) The Paris Agreement requires all parties to put forward their best efforts through nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead.

(7) The Paris Agreement further requires each party to update its nationally determined contribution every 5 years, with each successive nationally determined contribution representing a progression beyond the previous nationally determined contribution, and reflecting the party’s highest possible ambition.

(8) The Paris Agreement recognizes that the ocean ecosystems covering more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface have an integral role in climate balance. Seventy percent of nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement are ocean-inclusive, and 39 Paris Agreement signatories are focused on the inclusion of ocean action in nationally determined contributions through the Because the Ocean Initiative.

(9) The United States communicated its nationally determined contribution to achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below its 2005 level in 2025 and to make best efforts to reduce its emissions by 28 percent.

(10) A number of existing laws, regulations, and other mandatory measures in the United States are relevant to achieving this target, including the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.), the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–486), and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 110–140).

(11) Essential in achieving this target is a thriving clean energy industry in the United States, which currently employs over 500,000 Americans.

(12) On June 1, 2017, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, which would leave the United States as the only UNFCCC [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] member state that is not a signatory to the Paris Agreement.

(13) Article 8 of the Paris Agreement notes Parties recognize the importance of averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow onset events, and the role of sustainable development in reducing the risk of loss and damage such as strong winds from hurricanes and tropical storms, and flooding from storm surges and heavy rain, that inflict losses on various sectors of the United States economy.

(14) Under the terms of the Paris Agreement, the earliest possible effective withdrawal date by the United States is November 4, 2020. However, the United States is still obligated to maintain certain commitments under the Paris Agreement, such as continuing to report its emissions to the United Nations.

(15) The Paris Agreement further requires that parties “should strengthen their cooperation on enhancing action on adaptation, taking into account the Cancun Adaptation Framework”, which includes “measures to enhance understanding, coordination and cooperation with regard to climate change induced displacement, migration and planned relocation, where appropriate, at the national, regional and international levels”.

(16) Article 8 of the Paris Agreement states that “Parties recognize the importance of averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow onset events”, such as sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, and flooding.

(17) The Paris Agreement is an example of multilateral, international cooperation needed to overcome challenges facing the international community, such as reducing emissions, promoting economic growth, and deploying clean energy technologies.

(18) The Paris Agreement recognizes “the fundamental priority of safeguarding food security and ending hunger, and the particular vulnerabilities of food production systems to the adverse impacts of climate change.”.

(19) The Paris Agreement recognizes that adaptation is a global challenge faced by all with local, sub-national, national, regional and international dimensions, and that it is a key component of and makes a contribution to the long-term global response to climate change to protect people, livelihoods, and ecosystems.

(20) American leadership encouraged widespread international participation in the Paris Agreement.

(21) American cities, States, and businesses are stepping up and pledging to meet the Paris Agreement goals in the wake of absent and uncertain United States Federal leadership.

(22) Article 8 of the Paris Agreement states that “Parties recognize the importance of averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow onset events” such as drought conditions and water scarcity.

(23) The Paris Agreement has driven innovation in developing cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable forms of energy, demonstrating that addressing climate change and providing affordable energy to American consumers are not mutually exclusive. The Paris Agreement encouraged the United States to develop a Mid-Century Strategy for Deep Decarbonization, which was submitted on November 16, 2016. The Mid-Century Strategy for Deep Decarbonization stated that “energy efficiency improvements enable the energy system to provide the services we need with fewer resources and emissions. Over the past several years, the United States has demonstrated that programs and standards to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, appliances and vehicles can cost-effectively cut carbon pollution and lower energy bills, while maintaining significant support from U.S. industry and consumers.”.

(24) In its nationally determined contribution, the United States notes that pursuant to Executive Order No. 13693 (2015), the Federal Government has committed to reduce emissions 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, and reaffirmed the Department of Defense’s goal to procure renewable energy across military installations and operations “to drive national greenhouse gas reductions and support preparations for the impacts of climate change”.

(25) Article 10 of the Paris Agreement states that “Parties, noting the importance of technology for the implementation of mitigation and adaptation actions under this Agreement and recognizing existing technology deployment and dissemination efforts, shall strengthen cooperative action on technology development and transfer.”.

 SECTION 3

  Prohibition on use of

funds to advance the

withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds are authorized to be appropriated, obligated, or expended to take any action to advance the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement.

SECTION 4

Plan for the United States to meet its

nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement

(a) In general.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees and make available to the public a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement that describes—

(1) how the United States will achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below its 2005 level by 2025;

(2) how the United States will use the Paris Agreement’s transparency provisions to confirm that other parties to the Agreement with major economies are fulfilling their announced contributions to the Agreement;

(3) how the United States may use multilateral and bilateral diplomatic tools, in addition to the expert committee established under Article 15 of the Paris Agreement, to encourage and assist other parties to the Agreement to fulfill their announced contributions;

(4) how the Paris Agreement’s loss and damage provisions would affect infrastructure resiliency in the United States; and

(5) how the plan takes into consideration populations, regions, industries, and constituencies that could be affected by nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement, and the failure to meet such contribution, including but not limited to—

(A) American jobs, wage, and pay;

(B) the cost of energy, such as electricity and gasoline, for consumers; and

(C) the ability to develop and deploy new, innovative, domestically-produced technologies.

(b) Updates to plan.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and make available to the public an updated plan under subsection (a).

(c) Education and public awareness.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The plan under this section shall be consistent with Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, which states “Parties shall cooperate in taking measures, as appropriate, to enhance climate change education, training, public awareness, public participation and public access to information, recognizing the importance of these steps with respect to enhancing actions under this Agreement.”.

(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act may be construed to require or prohibit the President from including in the plan under this section, consistent with the prohibition described in section 438 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232a), recommendations to support State and local educational agencies, in integrating instruction on human-caused climate change and the societal, environmental, and economic effects of such climate change into curricula taught in elementary and secondary schools under the control of such State and local educational agencies, in order to meet the goals and ambitions of the Paris Agreement to ensure climate education and awareness in schools.

(d) Appropriate congressional committees defined.—In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and

(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Environment and Public Works, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.

(e) State and local actions.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit States and cities from taking more ambitious actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than the actions described in the plan developed and updated under this section.

(f) Public comment.—The President shall—

(1) in making the plan under subsection (a), and updates under subsection (b), available to the public, and before submitting such plan and updates to the appropriate congressional committees—

(A) publish the plan or update, as applicable, in the Federal Register; and

(B) provide a period of at least 90 days for public comment; and

(2) after each such period for public comment, continue to make the proposed plan or update, as well as the comments received, available to the public on regulations.gov (or any successor website).

(g) Technology neutral.—Nothing in this Act may be construed to require or prohibit the inclusion of a specific energy technology or technologies in the plan required by this section.

(h) Rule of construction.—Nothing in this section may be construed to require or prohibit the President from including or considering voluntary agricultural practices to be undertaken by farmers and ranchers, thereby contributing to the development of soil organic matter, increasing carbon sequestration, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and contributing to meeting the goals and ambitions of the Paris Agreement.

SECTION 5: Report

Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall produce a report that examines the effect of the Paris Agreement on clean energy job development in rural communities.

SECTION 6: Report

Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall enter into a contract with the National Academy of Sciences to produce a report that examines the potential impacts of a withdrawal by the United States from the Paris Agreement on the global economic competitiveness of the United States economy and on workers in the United States.

SECTION 7:  Paris Agreement defined.

In this Act, the term “Paris Agreement” means the decision by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 21st Conference of Parties in Paris, France, adopted December 12, 2015.

SECTION 8:  Study and report.

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall complete a study and submit a report to the Congress on the impact of the plan under subsection (a) on the United States territories, including the potential positive and negative impacts on their economies, taking into consideration their unique energy needs and systems and the climate change vulnerabilities faced by communities in these jurisdictions.

Passed the U.S. House of Representatives: May 2, 2019

Attest: Clerk - 116th CONGRESS 1st Session

H. R. 9 - AN ACT: To direct the President to develop a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement, and for other purposes.

Sources

Rep. Kathy Castor http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C001066

H.R. 9 text https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/9/text

https://www.congress.gov/help/legislative-glossary/#glossary_billsummary

Governor Inslee https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Gov%20Inslee%20ltr%20to%20Delegation%20re%20HR%209%20Climate%20Action%20Now%20Act.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-letter-support-climate-action-now-act

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