Destroying America’s Scientific Ascendency

President Trump doesn’t like facts, doesn’t like science, and doesn’t like experts. He trusts his “gut” to tell what to do when faced with difficult decisions. That includes picking people to run the agencies of the government, including those that deal with the health of American citizens and various scientific disciplines. He doesn’t seem to understand that the strength of the economy and our military, in addition to the nation’s health, depends on an unfettered scientific establishment. Scientists must be free to do the research they feel is worthwhile, rather than being ruled by politicians who compose their agenda.

Trump’s cabinet and subcabinet picks appear determined to cut the number of scientific researchers working for the federal government, and to curb research that does not align with Trump’s or his cabinet’s scientific and medical beliefs. The continued growth of our economy requires scientific freedom to experiment in promising fields, and sometimes they will be wrong. But when they develop new technology and come up with new discoveries, the whole nation and sometimes the whole world benefits.

His choice of Robert Kennedy Jr to run the Department of Health and Human Services is an example of Trump choosing a person who has a profusion of ideas that have been proven to be scientifically invalid. Kennedy believes that vaccines are dangerous and cause autism among other adverse effects. Kennedy called the Covid-19 vaccine one of the most dangerous ever. He wants to stop fluoridation of the water supply which reduces tooth decay and believes that ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine and good treatments for Covid. All of these beliefs have been proven by the scientific establishment to be false. The NIH, the crown jewel of America’s health system is under threat from Kennedy and Trump. Some of Kennedy’s ideas on foods appear valid but his anti-scientific stances make him a dangerous candidate to take over all the health agencies.

There has also been talk about Trump getting rid of NOAA which is responsible for weather forecasting in North America and the surrounding oceans. In this era of heightened climate change and global warming, America and the rest of the world have faced multiple weather emergencies, including massive hurricanes, torrential rainstorms, flooding in some areas and droughts in others. The nation needs accurate weather forecasting to help its population prepare for these disasters before they hit. Trump has also called climate change a hoax and is in thrall to the fossil fuel companies whose products are the main driver of global warming. He does not want further research done that might prove him wrong and hurt his allies in the oil and gas business. But adoption of renewable energy is a must if we are to control global warming, with the concurrent elimination of fossil fuels. Biden’s Infrastructure Act was a move in the right direction, but we don’t know how Trump will deal with that. He doesn’t like to be proven wrong or shown up in any way and strikes out at those people willing to tell him when he is wrong. This is evident by the way he handled his appointees during his first term in office.

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RFK, Jr- Putting the Fox in the Henhouse

RFK, Jr- Putting the Fox in the Henhouse

                        Robert A. Levine    11-20-24

Donald Trump has made some bad choices for cabinet positions in his administration, placing America’s future in jeopardy with unqualified personnel to run government agencies. However, two of them stand out as particularly unfortunate- Matt Gaetz for Attorney General and Robert Kennedy, Jr as head of health and human services. That means that Kennedy will control the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Communicable Disease Center. Kennedy’s ideas flout scientific data in a number of areas, and he has no medical background to provide him with expertise in the field of health. He is actually a danger to the health of the American public with a number of the concepts he is promoting.

Probably the most publicity he receives, both adverse and positive, is because of his stand on vaccines. This emerged to a large degree with his opposition to the mRNA vaccines which were being used to fight Covid-19. Partially because of his preaching against vaccination for Covid, over 1.2 million Americans were known to have died of the disease, though the true mortality was undoubtedly much higher. On a per capita basis, the United States, had one of the highest mortality rates in the world. He has also claimed rather bizarrely that the Covid virus was engineered to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese, without any basis for his claim.

Kennedy says he is not against vaccines, but other words belie what he has said. He believes that childhood vaccinations MMR- measles, mumps and rubella, are responsible for autism and its rise over recent decades. This belief has been scientifically disproven, but Kennedy adheres to this idea. If he convinces parents to forego childhood vaccines, we will see polio re-emerge along with measles and whooping cough, both of which can kill children. Every other advanced nation promotes the use of childhood vaccines. Kennedy is also against fluoridation of our water supply which protects against tooth decay. He believes this may lower IQ in children and affect bone development. The data on this is not yet definitive. Kennedy would also like unpasteurized raw milk to be sold, which could cause various infectious diseases. He would like the FDA to stop warning of the dangers of raw milk as well.

In addition to the above ideas, Kennedy would like to have hydoxychloroquin available as a treatment for Covid though it has been shown to be of no value. He wants chelation therapy, which can be dangerous, to be utilized for autism, with the idea that mercury (unproven) is causing autism. Stem cell treatments can be helpful in certain diseases, but the FDA shut down clinics that were using stem cells for conditions where they were unwarranted. Kennedy would like the FDA to give more leeway to stem cell therapy.

Overall, we can see the disaster Kennedy could be as head of Health and Human services. However, some of his ideas about processed and ultra-processed foods being unhealthy do have value. The epidemic of obesity and chronic diseases are related to the popularity of fast foods and processed foods. A few good ideas by Kennedy do not make up for his ignorance and certainty regarding medical problems, and he should not be confirmed by the Senate for the head of Health and Human Services.

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Why Trump Won the Election

Why Trump Won the Election

            Robert A. Levine   11-13-24

What? Another post-mortem on the Trump presidential election victory. I just want to emphasize as others have that Trump really didn’t win the election. The Democrats lost it. One has to wonder the way the campaign was run if some Democrats secretly wanted to lose. A number of Democrats did not vote, particularly progressives, the young, and Latinos. Some of the blame for the loss certainly must fall on Jill Biden’s shoulders. Joe was not cognitively able to make an early decision to drop out of the race because of his diminished brain function. But it was obvious to all of those close to him that he was having problems. Either he had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early dementia and could not run for president again. But Jill Biden and his children did not apply enough pressure to have him drop out early. Because of that, he embarrassed himself in the debate with Trump and prevented a primary campaign to occur for the Democratic candidate for president. Many Americans were unhappy that Kamala Harris was handed the Democratic nomination by default instead of competing for it against other Democrats. She was not an outstanding andidate and may not have won the position if she competed for it.

It’s true that Kamala did not have enough time to run a strong campaign, but she also made a number of mistakes. The most blatant error was her response to the question of what she would do differently than Biden if she were president. She repeatedly said she could not think of anything she would do differently even though Biden’s favorability rating was in the toilet and the majority of the electorate thought the country was on the wrong track. And the major thrust of her campaign was pointing out Trump’s lies and exaggerations instead of laying out her programs for the citizenry. Kamala also did not emphasize enough the economic gains the country had made in cutting inflation and raising employment. And she did not focus on Trump’s vetoing of an immigration bill for political reasons that Congress was about to pass that contained all the elements that Trump had wanted.

The Democrats were also burdened by ideas that the progressive wing favored that the majority of the nation was against. One was transgender women competing in women’s sports which was actually a big issue. This was not neutralized by the Democrats favoring abortion. Another idea they could not live down was the concept of defunding the police which the majority of the country considered crazy. Kamala was also not strong enough on defending the border from illegal immigration. She also refused to go on Joe Rogan’s podcast unless he came to her, even though he is a strong influencer of young men. (Trump spent three hours with him.) Kamala did not specifically try to endear herself to young men and the Latin community, and they were the ones who sent Trump over the top. Another burdensome factor was her failure to completely disavow the “woke” agenda of the progressives.

The Democratic rout was not all Kamala and Biden’s fault. But with the GOP in control of all the reins of government it’s going to be difficult for the Democrats to make a comeback in two and four years. On the other hand, with Trump now in the driver’s seat, I would not be surprised at all if he manages to crash the car and give the Democrats an opening. Hopefully, he won’t damage the country too badly in the meantime..

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It's Coming

It’s Coming

            Robert A. Levine

We can’t hold it back any longer. The fact must be faced that in less than a week, the most important election of our lifetime will be upon us. This is not hyperbole, but merely reinforcement of the facts. One of the candidates, Donald Trump, has already made it clear what he will do if he wins the election. American democracy will be transformed forever. Trump has vowed to go after his political enemies and put them in jail, using the apolitical Justice Department. He intends to fire civil service workers who he feels are not loyal to him and won’t do his bidding, upending civil service regulations. People in the civil service are supposedly neutral and can’t be fired arbitrarily. Environmental and health regulations will be eliminated, making companies responsible for controlling their own emissions and toxins.

Trump has also declared that he will bring our military forces into the cities to fight crime and deal with civilian demonstrations that he doesn’t like. He said as well that he will use our military forces against the Mexican cartels, a stark violation of Mexican sovereignty. Foreign alliances such as NATO and those in the Indo-Pacific will be abandoned and deals will be sought with autocrats like Putin. Imported goods will be burdened with high tariffs, raising the prices for American consumers and spiking inflation. Taxes on high earners will be lowered again, increasing the U.S. budget deficits and national debt. Economists have estimated that Trump’s programs will raise the national debt by over $7 trillion in the next decade (compared to $2 trillion for Harris’ programs). Spending on Social Security and Medicare will be cut and Obamacare will be eliminated completely. Illegal immigrants will be deported at a great cost, and at a great loss to our labor force in the agriculture realm, landscaping, meat packing, construction and so forth, jobs Americans won’t take, particularly as our population is declining.

The presidency will become the primary lever of government, overriding the courts and Congress. If not in name, America will be run by a dictator in practice, with no interest in the niceties of democracy. The election now appears too close to call, though many prognosticators feel it is leaning towards Trump. Americans do not seem to realize or care how a new Trump administration would be a disaster for the nation.

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Avoiding the Future in Election Campaigns

Avoiding the Future in Election Campaigns

                        Robert A. Levine   10-22-24

Election Day is fast approaching, and the candidates are mostly avoiding the issues that will decide America’s and the world’s future. This may be because these problems do not resonate with voters the way past concerns do, even though they are actually more important. The focus of the candidates is on the economy, inflation, immigration and crime. Global warming, pollution, and plastic poisoning are barely being considered by Trump and Harris, the major party candidates. In fact, Trump has dismissed climate change as an issue, stating that global warming is a hoax. He believes that we should use as much fossil fuel as we can- “Drill baby, drill.”

The economy and inflation have improved considerably recently and should not be on the front burners as election issues. Immigration is now under control, and candidates ignore the fact that the nation needs immigrants for agricultural, meat processing, hospitality, caretaking and construction jobs. Our population is declining and there are not enough births to replace the people who are dying. We need immigrants if our economy is to keep growing. As for inflation, we have a lower rate than any of our western European counterparts, so we are not doing too badly. Many of these inflation problems have been because of supply chain difficulties and the Covid pandemic which cannot be blamed on the politicians. And crime among immigrant groups has been shown to be lower than among America’s overall population, so this should not be an issue even though Trump and his minions are using individual cases to blame Harris and the Democrats for a so-called crime epidemic.

This year, the world bypassed the agreed upon limit in temperature rise from the Paris Conference. We have gone 1.5 degrees C worldwide above pre-industrial levels, which was the limit set as the target at the Paris Conference for the year 2100. Most nations have already exceeded the targets they set for themselves and continue to use more fossil fuels. This generates greenhouse gases and raises worldwide temperatures. Electricity needs are rising because of industrial growth globally and the use of artificial intelligence which means more energy must be produced.

Plastic pollution is also increasing worldwide, resulting in more plastic infesting all species. In humans, nano and microplastics have been found in placentas, breast milk, vascular atherosclerotic plaques, brain tissue and virtually all organs. Of great concern is the fact that plastics carry EDCs- endocrine disrupting chemicals, which affect both men and women’s ability to reproduce. Sperm quantity and quality have diminished considerably along with women’s reproductive ability. These problems have been noted in multiple species. If plastic production and use is not curbed, it is possible that fertility in humans and other species will be cut dramatically, with a marked drop in population.

These are the issues that the presidential candidates should be addressing and emphasizing. If global warming and plastic pollution are not controlled, human life may become extinct with no one to rant about inflation and immigration anymore.

www.robertlevinebooks.com.

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Election Day 2024

Election Day 2024

            Robert A. Levine  October 9, 2024

The odds are strong that Election Day next month will not provide an answer for us about who has been elected president. Days or even weeks will be necessary to learn the final tally of the votes and who was the winner. With so many districts in so many states tied or within the margin of error in the preelection polls, it is likely that these states and districts will be contested, and recounts will be demanded after the vote. Fraud will be claimed by the Trump team and possibly by the Harris team as well. The campaign itself has been flooded with lies and misinformation, particularly by Trump and his supporters.

Trump has been trying and succeeding in getting his sympathizers as administrators and/or vote counters in many districts, and it would not be surprising if he would up winning the vast majority of all these districts. Administrators favoring Trump have been actively attempting to restrict probable Harris adherents from voting, asking for proof of citizenship, residency, etc, to try and make it more difficult for these people to register and vote. And how trustworthy will the vote counting itself turn out to be.

While the Harris team may ask for recounts in some districts that appear to favor Trump, if Trump loses, he will certainly demand recounts with his observers present in districts and states where he was defeated by close margins. Even if Harris wins overwhelmingly, which at this point appears unlikely, Trump will say the election was rigged and find some way to contest the results. Election Day will take several days or weeks to play out, with the possibility that some violent Trump supporters will attempt to stage a coup to get Trump back in office. Trump and his minions have no love for the Constitution, particularly if it prevents Trump attaining office again. In a negative sense, this Election Day will be a special one in our history, and no one should be surprised by whatever happens.

www.robertlevinebooks.com

Buy The Uninformed Voter on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or at your local bookstore

Election Day 2024

Election Day 2024

            Robert A. Levine  October 9, 2024

The odds are strong that Election Day next month will not provide an answer for us about who has been elected president. Days or even weeks will be necessary to learn the final tally of the votes and who was the winner. With so many districts in so many states tied or within the margin of error in the preelection polls, it is likely that these states and districts will be contested, and recounts will be demanded after the vote. Fraud will be claimed by the Trump team and possibly by the Harris team as well. The campaign itself has been flooded with lies and misinformation, particularly by Trump and his supporters.

Trump has been trying and succeeding in getting his sympathizers as administrators and/or vote counters in many districts, and it would not be surprising if he would up winning the vast majority of all these districts. Administrators favoring Trump have been actively attempting to restrict probable Harris adherents from voting, asking for proof of citizenship, residency, etc, to try and make it more difficult for these people to register and vote. And how trustworthy will the vote counting itself turn out to be.

While the Harris team may ask for recounts in some districts that appear to favor Trump, if Trump loses, he will certainly demand recounts with his observers present in districts and states where he was defeated by close margins. Even if Harris wins overwhelmingly, which at this point appears unlikely, Trump will say the election was rigged and find some way to contest the results. Election Day will take several days or weeks to play out, with the possibility that some violent Trump supporters will attempt to stage a coup to get Trump back in office. Trump and his minions have no love for the Constitution, particularly if it prevents Trump attaining office again. In a negative sense, this Election Day will be a special one in our history, and no one should be surprised by whatever happens.

www.robertlevinebooks.com

Buy The Uninformed Voter on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or at your local bookstore

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming         

Robert A. Levine

Artificial Intelligence has been considered a danger to human survival by some of its creators and independent analysts, though other researchers see it as a major positive development for humanity. Whether AI is truly an existential risk or not, there is no disagreement on the fact that AI and data centers consume huge amounts of electricity. The demand for electricity will only grow as AI usage expands in the years ahead, both in the United States and in nations around the world. The increased need for energy means that the threat of global warming may be disregarded in the race for AI companies and nations to stay ahead of the pack in further development of AI.

It appears that new solar and wind derived energy can not keep up with the heightened demand for energy created by the growth of AI globally. In the United States, this is leading to the reactivation of nuclear plants like Three Mile Island that were previously closed down, done in conjunction with major tech firms like Microsoft. The power companies who will be running these old nuclear plants believe that with new techniques they can operate nuclear plants safely. However, it may take several years for these plants to be functional again, and even then, it is uncertain whether they will be sufficient to meet the nation’s energy needs. The possibility of increasing the use of fossil fuels may be a consideration in the future if more energy is needed. And though AI is the primary consumer of new energy, increased industrial production also requires more energy.

More of a problem exists in China, India and the less developed world, where coal is still a major source of energy. China is the world’s largest user of coal, responsible for more than half of global coal consumption for the last decade. Notwithstanding their being the leader in the use of renewable energy, their coal consumption has increased yearly, setting new records in 2022 and 2023. China and the U.S. are in a race to develop the most advanced AI and data centers, making it likely that China will rely on coal to meet its new AI energy demands. India is also pursuing development of AI and will also be using coal to power their AI and data centers as well as their burgeoning industry. But it’s not only India and China that will be using coal to power their AI and data centers. All of the underdeveloped world wants to hop on the AI bandwagon, which means more use of dirty energy.

Even now, the world has surpassed the limits on global temperatures that were agreed upon at the Paris Accords, and yearly temperatures are continuing to rise. Aside from the effects of the heat on human and other life, the higher temperatures have been responsible for multiple weather disasters which will only continue to get worse. Is it worth it for the benefits that AI may or may not bring to increase global warming and climate change?

www.robertlevinebooks.com

Buy The Uninformed Voter on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or your local bookstore

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming         

Robert A. Levine

 

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming         

Robert A. Levine

Artificial Intelligence has been considered a danger to human survival by some of its creators and independent analysts, though other researchers see it as a major positive development for humanity. Whether AI is truly an existential risk or not, there is no disagreement on the fact that AI and data centers consume huge amounts of electricity. The demand for electricity will only grow as AI usage expands in the years ahead, both in the United States and in nations around the world. The increased need for energy means that the threat of global warming may be disregarded in the race for AI companies and nations to stay ahead of the pack in further development of AI.

It appears that new solar and wind derived energy can not keep up with the heightened demand for energy created by the growth of AI globally. In the United States, this is leading to the reactivation of nuclear plants like Three Mile Island that were previously closed down, done in conjunction with major tech firms like Microsoft. The power companies who will be running these old nuclear plants believe that with new techniques they can operate nuclear plants safely. However, it may take several years for these plants to be functional again, and even then, it is uncertain whether they will be sufficient to meet the nation’s energy needs. The possibility of increasing the use of fossil fuels may be a consideration in the future if more energy is needed. And though AI is the primary consumer of new energy, increased industrial production also requires more energy.

More of a problem exists in China, India and the less developed world, where coal is still a major source of energy. China is the world’s largest user of coal, responsible for more than half of global coal consumption for the last decade. Notwithstanding their being the leader in the use of renewable energy, their coal consumption has increased yearly, setting new records in 2022 and 2023. China and the U.S. are in a race to develop the most advanced AI and data centers, making it likely that China will rely on coal to meet its new AI energy demands. India is also pursuing development of AI and will also be using coal to power their AI and data centers as well as their burgeoning industry. But it’s not only India and China that will be using coal to power their AI and data centers. All of the underdeveloped world wants to hop on the AI bandwagon, which means more use of dirty energy.

Even now, the world has surpassed the limits on global temperatures that were agreed upon at the Paris Accords, and yearly temperatures are continuing to rise. Aside from the effects of the heat on human and other life, the higher temperatures have been responsible for multiple weather disasters which will only continue to get worse. Is it worth it for the benefits that AI may or may not bring to increase global warming and climate change?

www.robertlevinebooks.com

Buy The Uninformed Voter on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or your local bookstore

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming         

Robert A. Levine