Passing the baton

Congrats to our Chinese friends for finally winning one. Anybody know how to say “We’re Number One!” in Chinese?

China clearly overtakes U.S. as leading emitter of climate-warming gases

China has now clearly overtaken the United States as the world’s leading emitter of climate-warming gases, a new study has found. The increasing emissions from China - up 8 percent in the past year - accounted for two-thirds of the growth in global greenhouse gas emissions in 2007, the study found.

If the Al Gore and environmental wacko/luddite types would kindly go bother someone else, and quit cheering soon to be $5.00 a gallon gasoline, I would appreciate it. Thank you.

The Migrations of Man

THB mentioned that “Genetic research on the origins of Man in North America suggests a European source for many Native American populations. This confounds the narrative that American Indians came exclusively from Asia and Europeans are invaders.”

Identity politics, entitlement and political correctness have become the guardian spirits of the concept that only Native Americans (but not really “native” if they came from Asia) are Native Americans and not some other Native Americans who may have also come here thousands of years ago (but from other continents so they can’t be “native” either) primarily because it might somehow validate the ideas that other races might have the right to live in the America’s as well. Did you follow that?

Well, I didn’t either but it is the basis for some serious scientific and political tomfoolery and is the reason many tribes are scrambling to get their hands on various skeletons before scientists have a chance, They are doing their best to prevent any such tests or study that might prove that some proto-Kelts (or if you prefer proto-Celts) may have wandered across the Atlantic at one time or another, or some Chinese may have been shipwrecked on the California coast or some Africans had made it to the jungles of Central America. It suddenly places the early, Siberian-descended migrants to the New world on a similar plain as some other potential arrivals and we couldn’t have that, could we?

                      

 

   Kennewick Man

Modern day Kennewick man? 

Was the Kennewick man really a member of the isolated Caucasian race found in Japan, the Hairy Ainu?

The classic theory trotted out in traditional history books is that the peoples of Siberia walked across the a land bridge spanning across to Alaska and proceeded to scatter throughout North and South America and were the sole ancestors of every tribe in the America’s. It was also taught that the America’s had remained untouched and undiscovered by any others until that fateful day in 1492.  This usually managed to fill about a fourth of a page and that was that. I never did buy this theory in its entirity and my habit of absorbing irrelevant and unusual historical tidbits from a large variety of sources turned up many things that didn’t fit with the story I had been taught.

The ancients were far more mobile, technological resourceful and far ranging that we typically think.

Clash of the leftists cancels torch relay

I’ve said before that there is something delicious about two nefarious ideologies wreaking havoc on each other.  This would appear to be the case of the Communist Chinese and the leftist greens.  Its like watching the Patriots play the Raiders.  Who do you root for?

Outside, a few French activists supporting Tibet had a fist-fight with pro-Chinese demonstrators. The French activists spat on them and shouted, “Fascists!”

In San Francisco, where the torch is due to arrive Wednesday, three protesters wearing harnesses and helmets climbed up the Golden Gate Bridge and tied the Tibetan flag and two banners to its cables. The banners read “One World One Dream. Free Tibet” and “Free Tibet.” They later climbed down.

I can think of nothing more unsavory than liberal green fascists that want to control the lives of everyone.  Except liberal red commies that want to control the lives of everyone.  Sigh.  Who is a red-state conservative to pull for?

Those darn, pesky Tibetans

 

Buddhist monks march in Xiahe, Gansu Province on March 14, 2008. AFP

Now I do acknowledge that it does take a lot to stand up to a bunch of monks, but do we really need to reward the Chinese with the Olympics because of it? I know that the Olympics will go on no matter what and that a Carter type boycott accomplishes nothing, but couldn’t a few high profile snubs (like dignitaries skipping the opening ceremonies) designed to mortify and embarrass the Chinese be a good and peaceful way to send the “Butchers of Beijing” a message?

What witnesses are saying

Earlier, on Friday, March 14, a Tibetan witness who joined the Lhasa protests reported as follows:

“Today when the Tibetans were demonstrating, many Tibetans were killed. We Tibetans had no weapons to fight back. When the Tibetans were gathered in front of the Jokhang [temple], the Chinese fired at us. I have personally seen more 100 Tibetans killed when the Chinese fired at the Tibetan crowd. It was the Chinese army who fired and that happened in Lhasa and I personally witnessed the tragedy. Many of those killed were young Tibetans, both boys and girls. …It started around 10 a.m. … Young kids, youths, male, female, and old, Tibetans of all ages were taken away to jail. The Tibetans who participated in the protests were from the whole Lhasa area. When I looked back all the Chinese shops were destroyed. I think not one Chinese shop is intact in the Barkhor area. All kinds of things were piled up on the main road and burned. Many vehicles were burned and destroyed. When I look right now, I can still see smoke. The Tibetans collected all the dead bodies in front of the Jokhang [temple] and offered prayers, and scarves. Those family members whose relatives were among those killed took their bodies away…

The ‘riots’ and protests have spread. Today the Chinese reported riots in Sichuan province and sympathy protests have appeared in Nepal and India as well.

Let my people go….

See also Paramilitaries Open Fire on Hundreds of Monks and Nuns at Tibet Rally and China Accuses Dalai Lama of Being a Terrorist.