Solar thermal has been unable to compete with solar PV. Projects intended to use thermal have been reengineered as PV. That is the reason the US leads: legacy.
Solar can change that quickly.. It has cost reduction potential to push coal out of the market. The Chinese have acted quickly to reduce subsidies, as Solar becomes able to compete on its own.
More likely, Iran and Russia made a warning to Obama. Attacking Damascus would have brought missiles on T.A. and Qatar, and then who knows what. Not really worth it, right?
Count me as well. One more false flag operation. Remember the Maine? It has been going on since the 1800s, at least. The relevant question is Qui prodest?
In my humble opinion, it is just a matter of whether you trust the gov't with every bit of what you do online. You might allow them to plant a camera in your bedroom. Once you know a foreign gov't is granted access to all raw data from the information pipelines, it is clear that the national interest is not the goal, or at least not the only one.
This seems to me very close to absolute power. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Although it is not listed under "You might also like:", NSA shares raw data with Israel.
One important benefit is the reserve currency status of the US Dollar. Much of those $ 8 trillion is simply paper the Fed printed, then used to purchase valuable assets, including oil. That is a Great Bargain, military might and control of oil trading make it possible.
The sad truth is apartheid survived so long because the West supported the regime. Mandela himself thanked Castro for his support against the S.A. DF in Angola, where the Cuban Army changed the strategic situation and allowed for Namibian Independence and a better bargaining position for the ANC.
Then the Telecom Network needs to be complicit as well. This is serious. Do you trust the Gov't will resist the urge to spy on dissenters like our cherished Prof. Cole?
Kudos to Prof. Cole for a great piece, prepared in a rush.
The French political scene is murky, and Israel gets raw data from the NSA. Monsieur Hollande might have dirty little secrets, or even big ones, you simply do not make it to the top squeaky clean. So blackmail might then be a reason. Before you call me paranoid, please keep in mind Monsieur Miterrand served two seven year mandates while hiding his past as an officer of the Vichy regime, as well as an out of wedlock daughter.
Simply shameful.
Billions spent toppling Ghadaffi, supposedly with the welfare of the Lybian people in mind, while Nato war vessels intentionally looked the other way when distressed boats loaded with migrant men, women and children sought help. Those are extremely busy sea lanes. The locals in Lampedusa cry murder for a reason. Let us just admit we don't care.
This has been on LA Times. I wonder if WaPo and NYT will let their readers know. The comments will be furibund! What else has to happen? Is Snowden the only patriot in the home of the brave? He sure still has some damaging info to drop. At Slate, there is an amazing piece proposing his remaining info should be destroyed, as it will do more harm than good -sure, but... who is to decide? The guys whose actions harm the global public?
I have to defend Prof. Cole here. Spain inflated a housing bubble recklessly and allowed Construction to suck resources from other industries and even from the future, getting into (private) debt to bet home prices only rose forever. And yes, if you Play that game, bankruptcy is guaranteed!
Unfortunately, you will never get this type of debate in mainstream media. It has to be a blog from a courageous Professor that brings these issues to light. Liberal Jews bring a fresh perspective but their efforts pale when compared to AIPACs, and that is probably because their financial resources are a small fraction. Now, this arm twisting of public opinion about Syria may end up being a bit more than even AIPAC can achieve without severe blowback, the US has an imperfect, dominished democracy, but public opinion still counts.
Prof. Cole, let me congratulate you and your commenters for your fresh approach and your openness.
US policy in the Middle East has succeeded to a large extent. The apparent goals of fostering peace and democracy are just window dressing, the real goals are protecting dollar hegemony by ensuring oil is traded in US$ that cost next to nothing to print and allow the US to get away with a large trade deficit that would wreck any other economy, as well as deriving other significant benefits, and protecting Israel even if that means dismantling the social and economic fabric of neighboring and close nations. With those goals in mind US policies make sense. It is about defending and extending an Empire. Many other Empires before have concealed their real goals under ideologies and religions, nothing new there.
Christiane,
Israeli influence is the answer. Obama is being dragged into a war he -and American people and servicemen- would rather dodge. Problem is, this one will be much tougher than Libya, a large part of the Syrians know many in the rebel camp don't want them in the country to the point of ethnic cleansing. And Assad has allies. Russia,and Iran know Damascus is not the end of the road, they have to put up a fight or they will have problems closer to or even within their borders. There will be a price to pay, not just by the Syrian people.
No surprise here. Most Europen governments know they will pay a price if they support the war. For Europe, Syria is a training ground of jihadists, sometimes local. You do not want radicals with military training in your streets. Then, an oil price spike does not help. And even before all that, Europeans are a lot more aware than Yanks about who is really craving for war and why. Many are fed up with Israely policies and actions in Palestine and know the US is hostage to Israeli influence. A surprise for Americans, but Europans have already been fooled, more than once.
On the other hand, Pat Robertson et al have the Bible on their side. Thou shall not kill can be suspended to accommodate political interest. If their democratic ideals are as solid as their faith, we have to prepare for a big war that only the elites want, and a very uncertain aftermath.
As a "mere" bombing is ineffective, we have to conclude regime change is the goal here. Assad's departure, if it happens, will not bring peace, the rebel factions will fight each other and the remnants of the regime. The interests of their foreign sponsors trump those of the Syrian people, none support democracy and some would do anything to sabotage it. A sad mess and an ominous warning to states who have not built deterrence, as well as the craddle of more efficient factors, if Lebanon is any guide.
Well, Persian Gulf states are absolute monarchies. You cannot expect diverse opinions there. But there are some interesting points. Will Syria retaliate on Israel? That could mean raining missiles on the northern half of Israel for weeks on end. If Hamas could strike Jerusalem, the Syrian gov't can do a multiple of that. In 2006 Hezbollah forced millions into shelters, their rocket stockpiles are probably bigger now. And Hezbollah fought on their own. Now Russia, Iran and China have drawn a line in the sand. Egypt could have an opportunistic reaction if Russia offers protection... I know a general with a terrible ego and Nasserist ambitions there. Someone in Israel regrets not having inked a peace treaty with Syria when the main difference was a bit of lake shoreline. Start this quagmire at your own risk, it is unlikely the end result will be better than the status quo for the West.
Egypt, even if its people are starving, is THE Central country in the Middle East, together with Iran. It was turned into a minion by Mubarak but after 2011 it can no longer be. The law of unintended consequences applies. Egypt and Iran have common interests, they will not yield to Israel and Saudi Arabia. And Syria may be weakened as a state, but it is becoming the training ground for non-state actors. That means trouble for Israel, Turkey and the sheikhs.
About 90% are against intervention in the UK. Conservative MPs in marginal seats had to choose between being kicked out by the voters in the next election or defying their leaders. The people do not want another war, not in the UK, not in the US, not even in Israel.
The average American has seen neighbors returning crippled from AfPak and Iraq, and opposes intervention 9 to 1, despite MSM efforts. Low quality democracy, ain't it?
If you can hack the PC or smartphone of the CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation, you will be rich leveraging info into stocks. No greedy annalyst would resist. If you hack the email of a salesman, he or she is done, you own his or her clients. Analysts have certainly received attractive offers from friends and family in sales jobs, and their bosses get them from multinational companies. You can be sure some of them agreed to help.
Hi Arn, it was harder to perceive corruption 25 years ago. We were younger and more idealistic, and without the web, mainstream media ruled. AND, the financial industry did not control the political process to the extent they do.
Reason eleven:
If Egypt becomes democratic, its people will force a hard line against Israel, the medieval Saudí, U.A.E. and Bahréin regimes will fall and the U.S. dollar will collapse because oil will be priced in other currencies or gold. Bottom line: Egypt cannot be allowed to become like Turkey, come hell or a bloodbath.
The Saudí princes are scared to death of democracy in Egypt. So is Israel, because the Egyptian people will force the gov't to take a harder line and support the Palestinians. The M.B. are only considered terrorists by American funded pollsters and the official press of absolute monarchies line Kuwait. The U.S. has manager to get repugnant allies in the region.
Obama has become an utter disappointment, his legacy is ruined. Juan is doing his best to present him in a favourable light, a hard task for sure. But as the savvy commenters above are stating, it is too late. Out of the USA, in Eurpe, the unthinkable is happening: Putin has more credibility,than Obama, among the general public. His support for Snowden is in sharp contrast with the fierce pursuit Obama has ordered. Yes, Obama ordered it, because he knows the worst revelations are in the way.
If so, he should be prosecuted as per the Egyptian Law, not deposed. Yes, it is looking ugly, this non-coup. If you feel this post is too close to the Obama Admin line, may I recommend angryarab.net? You will get perspective that is Arab-centered there.
Ryan,
I think it is good to have open discussions and an open mind on, at least, technical topics. Bringing AGW does not help, and saying doubters are "fringe" ignores that many of them are qualified, such as honchos in the Indian,space program or Eng'g Directors of big aerospace companies. I agree you overreact, I wonder why this issue brings out such fervor, it is almost like we are discussing faith. I do not rule out that manned landings took place, I just say it seems unlikely. I do not think you can be 100% sure they did.
Juan, I think it is a bad idea to remove controversial comments. Informed Comment is a great blog offering much needed info and perspective, it does not adhere to conventional wisdom and is unafraid to contradict majorities, right?
Cheers!
© 2025 All Rights Reserved
Solar thermal has been unable to compete with solar PV. Projects intended to use thermal have been reengineered as PV. That is the reason the US leads: legacy.
Solar can change that quickly.. It has cost reduction potential to push coal out of the market. The Chinese have acted quickly to reduce subsidies, as Solar becomes able to compete on its own.
More likely, Iran and Russia made a warning to Obama. Attacking Damascus would have brought missiles on T.A. and Qatar, and then who knows what. Not really worth it, right?
Count me as well. One more false flag operation. Remember the Maine? It has been going on since the 1800s, at least. The relevant question is Qui prodest?
In my humble opinion, it is just a matter of whether you trust the gov't with every bit of what you do online. You might allow them to plant a camera in your bedroom. Once you know a foreign gov't is granted access to all raw data from the information pipelines, it is clear that the national interest is not the goal, or at least not the only one.
If CBS and their MSM ilk did accurate reporting, there would not be a need for Informed Comment.
This seems to me very close to absolute power. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Although it is not listed under "You might also like:", NSA shares raw data with Israel.
One important benefit is the reserve currency status of the US Dollar. Much of those $ 8 trillion is simply paper the Fed printed, then used to purchase valuable assets, including oil. That is a Great Bargain, military might and control of oil trading make it possible.
The sad truth is apartheid survived so long because the West supported the regime. Mandela himself thanked Castro for his support against the S.A. DF in Angola, where the Cuban Army changed the strategic situation and allowed for Namibian Independence and a better bargaining position for the ANC.
Then the Telecom Network needs to be complicit as well. This is serious. Do you trust the Gov't will resist the urge to spy on dissenters like our cherished Prof. Cole?
Kudos to Prof. Cole for a great piece, prepared in a rush.
The French political scene is murky, and Israel gets raw data from the NSA. Monsieur Hollande might have dirty little secrets, or even big ones, you simply do not make it to the top squeaky clean. So blackmail might then be a reason. Before you call me paranoid, please keep in mind Monsieur Miterrand served two seven year mandates while hiding his past as an officer of the Vichy regime, as well as an out of wedlock daughter.
Simply shameful.
Billions spent toppling Ghadaffi, supposedly with the welfare of the Lybian people in mind, while Nato war vessels intentionally looked the other way when distressed boats loaded with migrant men, women and children sought help. Those are extremely busy sea lanes. The locals in Lampedusa cry murder for a reason. Let us just admit we don't care.
This has been on LA Times. I wonder if WaPo and NYT will let their readers know. The comments will be furibund! What else has to happen? Is Snowden the only patriot in the home of the brave? He sure still has some damaging info to drop. At Slate, there is an amazing piece proposing his remaining info should be destroyed, as it will do more harm than good -sure, but... who is to decide? The guys whose actions harm the global public?
I have to defend Prof. Cole here. Spain inflated a housing bubble recklessly and allowed Construction to suck resources from other industries and even from the future, getting into (private) debt to bet home prices only rose forever. And yes, if you Play that game, bankruptcy is guaranteed!
Unfortunately, you will never get this type of debate in mainstream media. It has to be a blog from a courageous Professor that brings these issues to light. Liberal Jews bring a fresh perspective but their efforts pale when compared to AIPACs, and that is probably because their financial resources are a small fraction. Now, this arm twisting of public opinion about Syria may end up being a bit more than even AIPAC can achieve without severe blowback, the US has an imperfect, dominished democracy, but public opinion still counts.
Prof. Cole, let me congratulate you and your commenters for your fresh approach and your openness.
US policy in the Middle East has succeeded to a large extent. The apparent goals of fostering peace and democracy are just window dressing, the real goals are protecting dollar hegemony by ensuring oil is traded in US$ that cost next to nothing to print and allow the US to get away with a large trade deficit that would wreck any other economy, as well as deriving other significant benefits, and protecting Israel even if that means dismantling the social and economic fabric of neighboring and close nations. With those goals in mind US policies make sense. It is about defending and extending an Empire. Many other Empires before have concealed their real goals under ideologies and religions, nothing new there.
Christiane,
Israeli influence is the answer. Obama is being dragged into a war he -and American people and servicemen- would rather dodge. Problem is, this one will be much tougher than Libya, a large part of the Syrians know many in the rebel camp don't want them in the country to the point of ethnic cleansing. And Assad has allies. Russia,and Iran know Damascus is not the end of the road, they have to put up a fight or they will have problems closer to or even within their borders. There will be a price to pay, not just by the Syrian people.
No surprise here. Most Europen governments know they will pay a price if they support the war. For Europe, Syria is a training ground of jihadists, sometimes local. You do not want radicals with military training in your streets. Then, an oil price spike does not help. And even before all that, Europeans are a lot more aware than Yanks about who is really craving for war and why. Many are fed up with Israely policies and actions in Palestine and know the US is hostage to Israeli influence. A surprise for Americans, but Europans have already been fooled, more than once.
On the other hand, Pat Robertson et al have the Bible on their side. Thou shall not kill can be suspended to accommodate political interest. If their democratic ideals are as solid as their faith, we have to prepare for a big war that only the elites want, and a very uncertain aftermath.
As a "mere" bombing is ineffective, we have to conclude regime change is the goal here. Assad's departure, if it happens, will not bring peace, the rebel factions will fight each other and the remnants of the regime. The interests of their foreign sponsors trump those of the Syrian people, none support democracy and some would do anything to sabotage it. A sad mess and an ominous warning to states who have not built deterrence, as well as the craddle of more efficient factors, if Lebanon is any guide.
Well, Persian Gulf states are absolute monarchies. You cannot expect diverse opinions there. But there are some interesting points. Will Syria retaliate on Israel? That could mean raining missiles on the northern half of Israel for weeks on end. If Hamas could strike Jerusalem, the Syrian gov't can do a multiple of that. In 2006 Hezbollah forced millions into shelters, their rocket stockpiles are probably bigger now. And Hezbollah fought on their own. Now Russia, Iran and China have drawn a line in the sand. Egypt could have an opportunistic reaction if Russia offers protection... I know a general with a terrible ego and Nasserist ambitions there. Someone in Israel regrets not having inked a peace treaty with Syria when the main difference was a bit of lake shoreline. Start this quagmire at your own risk, it is unlikely the end result will be better than the status quo for the West.
Egypt, even if its people are starving, is THE Central country in the Middle East, together with Iran. It was turned into a minion by Mubarak but after 2011 it can no longer be. The law of unintended consequences applies. Egypt and Iran have common interests, they will not yield to Israel and Saudi Arabia. And Syria may be weakened as a state, but it is becoming the training ground for non-state actors. That means trouble for Israel, Turkey and the sheikhs.
About 90% are against intervention in the UK. Conservative MPs in marginal seats had to choose between being kicked out by the voters in the next election or defying their leaders. The people do not want another war, not in the UK, not in the US, not even in Israel.
The average American has seen neighbors returning crippled from AfPak and Iraq, and opposes intervention 9 to 1, despite MSM efforts. Low quality democracy, ain't it?
If you can hack the PC or smartphone of the CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation, you will be rich leveraging info into stocks. No greedy annalyst would resist. If you hack the email of a salesman, he or she is done, you own his or her clients. Analysts have certainly received attractive offers from friends and family in sales jobs, and their bosses get them from multinational companies. You can be sure some of them agreed to help.
Hi Arn, it was harder to perceive corruption 25 years ago. We were younger and more idealistic, and without the web, mainstream media ruled. AND, the financial industry did not control the political process to the extent they do.
Reason eleven:
If Egypt becomes democratic, its people will force a hard line against Israel, the medieval Saudí, U.A.E. and Bahréin regimes will fall and the U.S. dollar will collapse because oil will be priced in other currencies or gold. Bottom line: Egypt cannot be allowed to become like Turkey, come hell or a bloodbath.
The Saudí princes are scared to death of democracy in Egypt. So is Israel, because the Egyptian people will force the gov't to take a harder line and support the Palestinians. The M.B. are only considered terrorists by American funded pollsters and the official press of absolute monarchies line Kuwait. The U.S. has manager to get repugnant allies in the region.
Obama has become an utter disappointment, his legacy is ruined. Juan is doing his best to present him in a favourable light, a hard task for sure. But as the savvy commenters above are stating, it is too late. Out of the USA, in Eurpe, the unthinkable is happening: Putin has more credibility,than Obama, among the general public. His support for Snowden is in sharp contrast with the fierce pursuit Obama has ordered. Yes, Obama ordered it, because he knows the worst revelations are in the way.
If so, he should be prosecuted as per the Egyptian Law, not deposed. Yes, it is looking ugly, this non-coup. If you feel this post is too close to the Obama Admin line, may I recommend angryarab.net? You will get perspective that is Arab-centered there.
This is all about industrial, commercial espionage of German companies. Intelectual Property theft to the benefit of their U.S.and UK competitors.
Ryan,
I think it is good to have open discussions and an open mind on, at least, technical topics. Bringing AGW does not help, and saying doubters are "fringe" ignores that many of them are qualified, such as honchos in the Indian,space program or Eng'g Directors of big aerospace companies. I agree you overreact, I wonder why this issue brings out such fervor, it is almost like we are discussing faith. I do not rule out that manned landings took place, I just say it seems unlikely. I do not think you can be 100% sure they did.
Juan, I think it is a bad idea to remove controversial comments. Informed Comment is a great blog offering much needed info and perspective, it does not adhere to conventional wisdom and is unafraid to contradict majorities, right?
Cheers!