June 27, 2011
Stupidity ≠Malice
...but the results are hard to tell apart.
The Anchoress has a post up regarding the current administration that some will find off-putting, but it's a good opportunity to touch on something I've wanted to...
..What?
Oh right. It's politics...so it goes below the fold...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
02:40 PM
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Post contains 832 words, total size 8 kb.
1
I did read one account about how "pulsing" the river flow tended to produce a scrubbing effect that helps keep the river bed from silting up - so it's entirely possible that this is being done, not purely for environmental purposes, but also to help keep the river navigable. Believable and a whole lot more palatable. Any idea whether it's correct?
Posted by: Avatar_exADV at Mon Jun 27 20:42:59 2011 (pWQz4)
2
I can find no reference to any rationale for the pulse aside from
helping sturgeon (not an ignoble goal of course).
see here: http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=598394
This seems to fit with the American Thinker story. They had canceled the
pulse because of the rising water but had already filled the reservoirs
in anticipation of the pulse leaving nowhere for the water to go.
A little incompetence and very bad luck.
The navigability rationale you mentioned would seem to make sense,
that's how they
used to clean out city
drainage systems. However, I'm not sure rivers respond the same.
I couldn't find any reference to the pulse meing mentioned in
association with navigation issues other than
this
from 2009
OMAHA
– A small pulse of water will be put into
the Missouri River beginning Mar. 21 to benefit the endangered pallid
sturgeon, the Army Corps of Engineers announced today. The pulse
complies with the requirements of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
2003 Amended Biological Opinion. Previous pulses were conducted in May
2006 and March 2008.
The pulse will coincide with the annual increase in releases from
Gavins
Point Dam, near Yankton, S.D., to provide flows for commercial
navigation and other downstream uses from Sioux City, Iowa, to the
Mississippi River. This will be the seventh consecutive year only
minimum navigation flows will be supported because of drought impacts on
upstream reservoirs.
The pulse seems to be purely a happy sturgeon thing, but in the quoted
case coincided with raising the water level for navigation.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Wed Jun 29 00:13:42 2011 (EJaOX)
3
There is, of course, the view that stupidity is the natural defense of our leaders for their actions, protecting them from eyes that might seek the hidden motivations for the works of their hands. In other words, are they just stupid, or are they
just pretending to be?
Afterall, at least in foreign policy:
"
Generally, US foreign policy is remarkably consistent and cohesive, a deadly success, given the interests it represents. Those who see it as repeatedly befuddled are themselves revealing their own befuddlement.
Sometimes the policymakers themselves seize upon incompetence as a cover. -- Social Historian and author Michael Parenti
Posted by: Steven P. Cornett at Sun Jul 3 23:36:36 2011 (b5lVB)
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June 18, 2011
GunRunner
When I first heard about this I thought I had to be hearing it wrong. It is after all insane.
It also appears to be true.
Here is what appears to have happened as I understand it.
more...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
08:05 PM
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1
One theory is that this was a false-flag operation to create evidence that would support gun control.
It has long been a leftist talking point that "most of the guns being used in Mexico are coming from the US", which was being used to argue that gun sales should be severely curtailed and subject to all kinds of limits. Problem with it was that it wasn't true.
So the theory goes that they decided to make it true.
If so, they were blitheringly stupid, but at least it makes some sense. I don't know if it's the case, however.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at Sat Jun 18 22:33:01 2011 (+rSRq)
2
Yeah, I've heard that too. I've tended to dismiss it as too conspiratorial....and yet....
The scary thing is that that is the only thing that makes this horrific fiasco make any sort of sense....Of course this 'Reichstag fire' theory is actually scarier than if it was just incompetence.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Sat Jun 18 22:42:44 2011 (EJaOX)
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