tagged w/ vaclav klaus
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LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Climate change is not a threat and the consequences of global warming will not be catastrophic, the President of the Czech Republic said on Tuesday.
Vaclav Klaus is a vocal sceptic on the topic of global warming. He published a book in 2007 in which he said global warming had turned into a new religion, an ideology that threatens to undermine freedom and the world's economic and social order.
"Global warming in the last 150 years was modest and future warming and its consequences will not be dangerous or catastrophic. It doesn't look like a threat we should respond to," he told a lecture in London on Tuesday.
"I don't see empirical evidence of human-caused global warming. I see so many mistakes in the methodology of science and modelling," he added.
Klaus said the debate over the threat of climate change was biased, subject to propaganda and used by governments and lobbyists to earn more power for themselves.
Over the past 10,000 years, the world's climate has been much the same as at present, he argued.
"Average surface temperatures did not vary significantly. If there has been any long-term trend, it is an overall gentle cooling trend," the president said.
He denounced scientific institutions such as the UK's Royal Society which published a layman's guide to the science of climate change in September in the hope of clarifying confusion around the issue.
"I am not impressed by heavily biased British scientific institutions," he said.
more at link...
At least 1 leader in the E.U.S.S.R. isn't an eco-fascist.LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Climate change is not a threat and the consequences of... more
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We've previously discussed how memes can express dissent in international communities. We saw how Czech activists show their opposition to Václav Klaus by portraying him as an idiot. We've noted that Venezuelan bloggers show their Anti-Chavez sentiment with the help of the Kanye meme. We've also investigated the recent attack on Berlusconi and his subsequent attack on Facebook.
We'd been looking at global assholes through the lens of the individual, now for the first time we'll look at the asshole through the lens of the collective.
The denizens of the United Kingdom are not just knights, notable indie rock bands, and respectable businesspeople. There is a side not shown by conventional media, a youth subculture of aggressive teenagers addicted to name-brand track pants, and trance music. The Chav.
The stereotypical chav, closely resembles the American, Guido. If a chav were to appear on the set of Jersey Shore, he would be virtually indistinguishable from the cast members. Like the Guido, the chav is an item of ridicule from outside the subculture.
Chav Wolf reflects anti-chav sentiment by employing a meme. These image macros are based on Courage Wolf. Said wolf, instructs gazers to attempt dangerous things for the sake of bad-assedness. In the case of Chav Wolf observers are advised to express themselves like ignorant chavs. The wolf is superimposed over an English flag, and wears traditional chav garb, an askew baseball cap.
As an American, how might Chav Wolf be important to you?
Now that you are aware of the chav, you can discuss the him. Say you just happened to be sitting at a bar in London, and you notice a chav outside the window. You could mention this to the respectable businessperson to your right. He'll probably laugh in agreement and then buy you a beer. Congratulations, you just saved £2.50. Knowledge is power.We've previously discussed how memes can express dissent in international... more
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This post is a tag team operation organized by Andrew Fitzgerald of Current_News. I found funny pictures on behalf of Current_Comedy.
The Czech President, Václav Klaus, has been doing his best to hold up the EU’s Lisbon Treaty for a while now, but today he finally ratified it. He’s famously skeptical of the EU, but plenty of people put plenty of pressure on him. Lisbon aims to further unify the EU – giving Europe a President and a “foreign representative” for example. Václav Klaus, notably, is not Václav Havel – the only other post-Soviet Czech President who confusingly also happens to have the first name “Václav.” Havel, a rock star on the diplomatic circuit, is much more liberal – Klaus is considered much more conservative. -AF
The current state of the internet, makes finding subcultures easy. Quick Facebook searches, yield groups of dissenters. Flickr finds photos of objectors. Then Google Translate roughly deciphers the Czech. Flickr user donatien snapped this anti-Václav Klaus graffiti. It's translated as "all suffer Klaus-trophobia." Ideozlocin.cz is an affiliate of contemporary anarchists CrimethInc Ex-Workers' Collective Another photographer tmkelly, caught this sitcker produced by nemluvizame.cz or "Doesn't speak for me."
This anti-Klaus rhetoric is reminiscent of domestic anti-Bush sentiment. The phrase "not my president" is being used by dissenters on Facebook. Václav Klaus is not my president! has nearly 1,700 members (it's rival group has only 1,200 members.) These are some photoshopp'd images I found on anti-Václav Klaus Facebook groups. "Balbinova Provisional National Library: V. Klaus philosophy, Václav Klaus Writings, V. Klaus travel, V. Klaus law and state, V. Klaus dissident, V. Klaus ecology, other unattractive literature." I think this implies that his bookshelf is empty, and that the leader might be intellectually vapid. To further convey that Klaus is a "blbec" (is an idiot/jerk) someone presented this picture: "Klaus signed the Treaty of Lisbon." The joke implies the president's signature is too daft to know where to affix his signature. Klaus isn't sold on Global Warming, as inferred by this satirical photograph:
"Global warming? Nonsense, I just sweat at tennis!"
Others comment on the president's devout Catholicism, and the hypocrisy of his egotism. "Nation wearing: father son holy spirit" Organizers of a protest cast Klaus as a Black Sheep.
A few months ago I discovered the Spanish Prime Minister's Goth Daughter international meme. Today I didn't find a meme, I just found humorous dissent against the president of the Czech Republic.This post is a tag team operation organized by Andrew Fitzgerald of Current_News. I... more
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Josh Heller at Current_Comedy and I are conducting a joint investigation into Czech President Vaclav Klaus. This is what I wrote for him post: "Dissent in 2.0, the internet versus Václav Klaus"
The Czech President, Václav Klaus, has been doing his best to hold up the EU’s Lisbon Treaty for a while now, but today he finally ratified it. He’s famously skeptical of the EU, but plenty of people put plenty of pressure on him. Lisbon aims to further unify the EU – giving Europe a President and a “foreign representative” for example. Václav Klaus, notably, is not Václav Havel – the only other post-Soviet Czech President who confusingly also happens to have the first name “Václav.” Havel, a rock star on the diplomatic circuit, is much more liberal – Klaus is considered much more conservative. -AF
Josh goes looking for an anti-Klaus meme, but instead just finds humorous dissent (yes, that's the Czech President on toilet paper). But what about Klaus the politician? Foreign Policy's Passport blog describes him as a "legendary euroskeptic" and points to their article "The Other Vaclav":
Although mostly known outside his country for his skeptical views on global warming (environmentalism, in his opinion, is "the most prominent antiliberal, populist ideology of the contemporary world, comparable to communism and Nazism.) Klaus is one of the most important figures in post-communist Czech history, and the Lisbon battle is just the latest in a long series of controversial stances in his career. But lately, this lifelong iconoclast appears more and more as a tragic political figure. He is now totally isolated in Europe, shunned by most EU politicians, who view his obstructions as proof of his, and his country's, lack of democratic credentials.
Both Vaclavs, Klaus and Havel were there when the Soviet system collapsed. And both of them quickly made the transition into the new fledgling government. Havel, the poet-President, however, left the game. Which left the Czech Republic in the hands of Klaus, who served as Czech Prime Minister during his rule, and had long been Havel's rival. The NY Review of Books has a great short piece on "Vaclav vs Vaclav":
The two Václavs, it can be said, represent two poles of the broad Czech democratic center. Havel, the more liberal, believed that a new political culture should emerge from a rich and diverse civic society, with a healthy degree of decentralization and strong regional governments. As president he argued for policies that supported the nonprofit sector and mitigated the worst effects of rapid privatization. Klaus, an economist and admirer of Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, and Margaret Thatcher, was a market fundamentalist who believed in a strong central government in the hands of strong political parties. The political friction between the two men was exacerbated by a clash of personalities. Beneath their quite different exteriors—Klaus abrasive to the point of arrogance, Havel polite to the point of shyness—each man had a firm will that made their differences seem inevitable and irresolvable.
So now the EU has finally gotten its Lisbon treaty, and Klaus seems to have used it to upstage his former rival's global presence. But still no meme for Vaclav Klaus. (If only he had a different first name!) Recently on the Current News Blog: - Election Perspective: New York and New Jersey by ScorpioGee - Hamas has a new rocket? - USS New York arrives in New York (Video) - Tomorrow is election day - Clinton's 11 foot statue in KosovoJosh Heller at Current_Comedy and I are conducting a joint investigation into Czech... more
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It seemed like a slow news week and then all of sudden NASA blew up the moon and Obama won a Nobel and, well, News! So here are some other things that slipped under the news radar.
Vaclav Klaus is the President of the Czech Republic, and after Ireland voted to accept the EU's Lisbon Treaty (in effect a constitution for Europe) his signature is the last thing Europe needs for Lisbon to become a reality. Well, he just pushed it off again this week. Read more at FP Passport: Klaus adds another hurdle
Google doesn't want you to freak out about Google Books. They just settled a big lawsuit with publishing industry groups and co-founder Sergey Brin wants to be clear with the public that the technology will not completely devalue books for the authors and publishers. Read Brin's op-ed at the NY Times: A Library to Last Forever
The health care debate continues! Oh you didn't hear about it? There may well be a Senate vote next week, but this week the Congressional Budget Office said the Baucus plan could actually cut the deficit. Read more from the AP: CBO: Health Bill costs $829 billion over decade
Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who faces at least one charge of corruption, lost his immunity to prosecution while in office. He said he felt 'invigorated' and vowed to fight. Read more from the BBC: Defiant Berlusconi vows to fight
A new game in the UK called Internet Eyes is turning Britain's thousands of CCTV cameras into a game for profit. Spot a crime - win up to 1000 pounds! More from FP Passport: New internet game offers cash prizes for spotting crime
Oh, and, lots of other people won Nobel Prizes this week. See the list at: nobelprize.org
Finally, this video has been making the rounds today. Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) stood on the floor of the House and took a shot at the GOP, telling them that Americans don't care about their feelings (they care about health care!). Whether you agree with him or not, it's a refreshingly sincere voice in the politics of late. Crooks and Liars has the video: Rep. Alan Grayson: I Will Not Apologize- America Doesn't Care About Your Feelings
Any other stories you think we missed? Submit them at Current News and let us know!
Some of our other stories from the week:
- Prescription drug abuse in South Florida
- Did the US capture an Iranian nuclear scientist? – Reasons to think they did
- Love in Gaza: A Palestinian couple marries against all odds
- Death Penalty in the US: Ohio halts executions
- Oktoberfest in Palestine – Taybeh Brewery (Video)It seemed like a slow news week and then all of sudden NASA blew up the moon and Obama... more
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The long making of the European Union should receive a fresh impetus after the approval of the Lisbon Treaty, drawn up to replace the European Constitution that was rejected in referendums in France and Holland. The Treaty provides for increased powers for the EU especially in foreign policy and a system of double majority decision which will come into force in 2014.The long making of the European Union should receive a fresh impetus after the... more
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On Jan. 1, Klaus was appointed president of the European Union. Although this position is largely ceremonial, the EU is a very important economic cooperative represented by 27 nations and over 470 million people. Since President Klaus has a well-known aversion to European-style socialism and statist controls over the free market, he is set on a collision course with the leaders of the socialist welfare states of Europe now under his authority. ...On Jan. 1, Klaus was appointed president of the European Union. Although this position... more
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