Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Much Sorry with Delays
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Wednesday, March 12. 2025

Wednesday morning links

Markers On The Road To The Green Energy Wall -- Electric Trucks Edition


The Root of America’s STEM Leadership Problem


The Wednesday Potpourri


Trump admin cuts funding to Maine universities as state defies order to ban trans athletes from women’s sports


D.C. Mayor Admitted Budget is Out of Control, Demands More Money


The Educational Cartel: How Randi Weingarten Finally Said the Quiet Part Out Loud


Trump should eliminate Education Department. Get bureaucrats out of our schools.


Nearly Half of Department of Education Employees Laid Off in Reduction of Force by Secretary Linda McMahon


Someone Thought It Was A Good Idea To Ask Kamala Harris To Speak At A Major AI Conference


Ontario Caves to Trump on Tariffs


As Germany Debates Conscription, 'Gender Equality' Means Women Should Be Drafted To Fight (& Die) For Their Country


Ukrainian Group Molfar that Slandered J.D. Vance, Elon Musk, and American Writers and Politicians Is Funded by USAID Dollars


Ukraine agrees to US-proposed month-long ceasefire with Russia

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 07:40 | Comments (34) | Trackbacks (0)

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'As Germany Debates Conscription, 'Gender Equality' Means Women Should Be Drafted To Fight (& Die) For Their Country'

Lots of "Oops-a-daisy!" pregnancies beforehand, I suspect.
#1 Maniac on 2025-03-12 09:38 (Reply)
The tariffs on Canada are intentionally being misrepresented by Canada's news and politicians to get votes in Canada's coming elections. The issues are simple and clear but rarely discussed, instead it is posed as though Trump is being unfair to Canada when the truth is the exact opposite. Canada could avoid the tariffs by simply shutting down their own illegal drug factories and by removing their own tariffs on American goods.
#2 OneGuy on 2025-03-12 09:55 (Reply)
Canadian here. You're not wrong. Most of my fellow Canadians have no idea how protectionist we actually are. This is largely due to the ridiculous favoritism that our federal government has given to Quebec as far back as I can remember. China has tariffs on most of our goods and you don't see us losing our collective minds over that. Our media just sees this as a way to get the liberals back in to power again by pushing anti Americanism 24/7. If Carney wins and Poilievre loses we are basically finished as a country.
#2.1 Lord Heathen on 2025-03-12 10:30 (Reply)
OneGuy: Canada could avoid the tariffs by simply shutting down their own illegal drug factories ...

Canada has an active anti-drug and smuggling regime, and only a small percentage of the drugs that enter the United States come from or through Canada. Ultimately, you may want to consider the demand-side of the equation.

Lord Heathen: Most of my fellow Canadians have no idea how protectionist we actually are.

NAFTA and then USMCA "eliminated nearly all tariffs and most nontariff barriers on goods produced within North America." Keep in mind that Trump negotiated and signed USMCA, which he is now reneging on unilaterally. While it is certainly appropriate to renegotiate trade deals as markets evolve, it is not appropriate—or to the advantage of the United States—to denigrate sovereign Canada or to try to bully them before even attempting to discuss any outstanding issues.
#2.2 Zachriel on 2025-03-12 10:59 (Reply)
Canada has been engaging in what could be charitably referred to as "creative compliance". Basically, they allow X quantity in with no tariffs, but after that quota is reached, they impose punitive tariff rates on the excess, sometimes exceeding 300%. Because the rates are so high, businesses exporting to Canada are careful to not exceed the quota, so Canada can then report that they are not collecting any tariffs on the goods in question.
#2.2.1 Another Guy Named Dan on 2025-03-12 11:45 (Reply)
Never respond to the Zach bot mate. It doesn't debate, it just spews out subversive CCP talking points. Cheers. ;)
#2.2.1.1 Lord Heathen on 2025-03-12 16:22 (Reply)
So much this. Starve the beast.
#2.2.1.1.1 Maniac on 2025-03-13 09:00 (Reply)
Lord Heathen: spews out subversive CCP talking points

If by "subversive CCP talking points", you mean citing the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, then sure. Or you could read the text of the USMCA.
#2.2.1.2 Zachriel on 2025-03-12 16:36 (Reply)
You can never help yourself without the lgbtwxyz 3rd generation marxist talking points as noted by James Lindsay. You are the typical Marcuse, Gramsci, Horkheimer artist that always makes the second generation marxist substitution of race/gender instead of the first generation class marxist. It's your academic heritage.
#2.2.1.2.1 indyjonesouthere on 2025-03-12 21:34 (Reply)
Another Guy Named Dan: Canada has been engaging in what could be charitably referred to as "creative compliance".

That's only on a limited number of products, primarily agricultural. It's not "creative", but an agreed component of the USMCA. The lack of tariffs means products, such as components used in the manufacture of vehicles, can move back and forth across the border as factories specialize for maximum efficiency.
#2.2.2 Zachriel on 2025-03-12 12:28 (Reply)
Of note, the United States subsidizes many agricultural products, creating an unfair advantage, which is partially compensated for by setting tariffs on overproduction.
#2.2.2.1 Zachriel on 2025-03-12 12:34 (Reply)
And Canada does "not?" subsidize agricultural products.
#2.2.2.1.1 OneGuy on 2025-03-13 09:55 (Reply)
OneGuy: And Canada does "not?" subsidize agricultural products.

Yes. Almost all countries subsidize certain industries, especially in agriculture, which can help provide stability in food markets. On the other hand, free markets can often provide much great economic growth. That's why countries negotiate trade in order to lower barriers to markets. NAFTA and then USMCA removed almost all tariffs.

In this case, the United States subsidizes agriculture which can lead to overproduction, so the United States and Canada had agreed that Canada would impose a significant tariff once production exceeded a certain limit. Trump, who signed the agreement, now feigns to be outraged at Canada for doing exactly what had been agreed.

What Trump is doing is not negotiation on equitable terms, but bullying and threatening Canadian sovereignty.
#2.2.2.1.2 Zachriel on 2025-03-13 11:40 (Reply)
Why would the country that is winning this war accept a ceasefire proposal like that? It seems to be designed to be rejected, the Ukraine will subsequently lose the war and the United States can deny, by restoring intel and weapons, their share of the blame.
#3 DeGaulle on 2025-03-12 09:56 (Reply)
I don’t know, maybe, as some estimates have it: upwards of a million dead soldiers. How many hundreds of thousands of those dead are Russians? I don’t know. However, the Russians brought in thousands of N. Korean soldiers to bolster their lines. Are hundreds of thousands of dead a good reason to accept peace? Granted, we are talking about Russians, who have a history of not caring about death to their conscripts.

Maybe, if the EU would have quit buying Russian gas, Ukraine and their supporters would have better leverage. Maybe you disagree with Secretary Rubio, is there a military solution to the conflict?

I’m hoping for peace. I hope you are too.
#3.1 B. Hammer on 2025-03-12 10:29 (Reply)
I have read reports that Zelensky is already contradicting the terms of the ceasefire proposals he has signed up to. No sane country could agree with such a duplicitous position.

As for peace, if the United States was interested in that, they wouldn't have pushed NATO to the Russian border, in breach of their word in 1991. Russia will win this war, this is not a luxury of foreign adventurism and military-industrial profiteering for them, it is about survival. Then, there will be peace, except for the European chihuahua's continued yapping.
#3.1.1 DeGaulle on 2025-03-12 16:54 (Reply)
DeGaulle: As for peace, if the United States was interested in that, they wouldn't have pushed NATO to the Russian border, in breach of their word in 1991.

There was never such an agreement. At the time, the only question was German reunification. There had been a discussion of keeping NATO out of East Germany, but the final agreement only kept NATO out of East Germany until the Soviets withdrew (Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, Article 5). As always, the final written agreement supersedes any previous negotiations.
#3.1.2 Zachriel on 2025-03-12 17:05 (Reply)
That agreement applies ONLY to the reunification of the German state. It does not apply to Nato absorbing other countries into Nato the started with Clinton. It was the Reagan administration agreement that following administrations chose to ignore along with the State dept., CIA, and their lackey NGO's to include USAID funding.
#3.1.2.1 indyjonesouthere on 2025-03-12 21:45 (Reply)
I don't think it can be clearly said that Ukraine is decisively winning the war. When you look past the headlines, all of the gains by both sides are being measured in meters, not in km. It's a meatgrinder, and, unfortunately, Russia has more meat to feed into it.
Despite all the claims of this being a new kind of war, you just can't take or hold land with a drone or a missile, no matter what the warhead.
#3.2 Another Guy Named Dan on 2025-03-12 11:04 (Reply)
Russia lost the war strategically almost three years ago. Possibly over three years ago when their attempt to take Kiev in the first few days failed. Nothing that might occur in the future can change that. They've burned through hundreds of thousands of soldiers and had one to two million of their younger and more productive citizens flee the country. They appear to have also nearly exhausted their supply of AFVs. And demonstrated their tactical incompetence. Meaning they have paid all of the costs of a major war without achieving or even being able to ever achieve their objectives. Best case for them is a small to medium sized operational victory which leaves them much worse off than they were four years ago.

I'll add, all the Russophiles who love sharing their opinions praising Russia and moral reprobates. Russia is clearly the bad guy here. If you love it so much, move there. And don't come back.
#3.3 James on 2025-03-12 18:16 (Reply)
I know the picture, that was placed in the header of the STEM article, isn’t supposed to be a visual representation of STEM problems, but it’s not far off. And it made me laugh. No doubt in my mind, women can be just as intelligent, and innovative as men. However, the correlation between young boys being raised by females only, doesn’t escape my notice. Let’s face it, the females in academia are mostly gung ho for feminism. And feminism doesn’t really care, cater, or cultivate STEM. Feminism cultivates discord and hate.
#4 B. Hammer on 2025-03-12 10:45 (Reply)
QUOTE:
Wednesday Potpourri ...

12 billion dollars was allocated to the Navy for submarines and not one submarine was built.
42.5 billion dollars was allocated to hook people up to high-speed Internet, and not one single person was hooked up to high-speed Internet.
7.5 billion dollars was allocated to build EV charging stations. Only 37 stations were built. Thats 200 million per charging station.

All of those projects are on decade-long timelines.

QUOTE:
Burke has already spent 500 days in prison, and the Irish Courts are now punishing him further. This is horrific.

Burke was not imprisoned for his use of pronouns, but for willfully breaching a High Court injunction to stay away from a school.
#5 Zachriel on 2025-03-12 11:12 (Reply)
"Burke was not imprisoned for his use of pronouns, but for willfully breaching a High Court injunction to stay away from a school."


Well, they had to shut him up somehow, didn't they?





"All of those projects are on decade-long timelines."

Always the best policy when dealing with ephemeral. ever changing technologies.
#5.1 SK on 2025-03-12 12:30 (Reply)
SK: Well, they had to shut him up somehow, didn't they?

He could have talked elsewhere, instead of willfully defying a High Court injunction to keep away from the Wilson's Hospital School, a school for children to continue their studies while in hospital. The claim that he was jailed for his beliefs is false: He was jailed for his actions.

SK: Always the best policy when dealing with ephemeral. ever changing technologies.

Perhaps, but that wasn't the claim.
#5.1.1 Zachriel on 2025-03-12 12:50 (Reply)
QUOTE:
Wilson's Hospital School: Our school maintains a distinctive Church of Ireland ethos, fostering Christian practice and teaching, promoting dignity and respect for the individual and committed to the provision of a caring family atmosphere in which education can flourish... Wilson’s is an inclusive, co-educational day and boarding school and serves the needs of all who come to be educated here.
#5.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2025-03-12 12:59 (Reply)
What was actually funded by the administration for each of these projects? An administration does not allocate funds to be spent for future administrations.
#5.2 indyjonesouthere on 2025-03-12 21:56 (Reply)
All knowing bot, please enlighten us as to why the injunction was first applied to Burke.
#5.3 Anon on 2025-03-12 22:45 (Reply)
Anon: why the injunction was first applied to Burke.

Initially, Burke refused to use a student's preferred pronouns, as required under the school's policy and consistent with Irish law (Education Act 1998). Burke met with the Board, but disrupted the meeting. He was suspended with pay pending a review. But that is not what led to the injunction.

The precipitating event was his disruption of a religious service in the school chapel. So, the Board sought and obtained an injunction that Burke was to stay away from the school. Burke repeatedly and willfully violated the injunction. And that is what he was jailed for. Burke had every right to contest, in court, his suspension. However, he did not have a right to violate the injunction.

Since then, Burke has been dismissed due to his disruptive actions, while the High Court upheld the initial suspension.
#5.3.1 Zachriel on 2025-03-13 09:10 (Reply)
QUOTE:
Initially, Burke refused to use a student's preferred pronouns...
Thank you for confirming that Burke was indeed sanctioned and imprisoned because of his use of pronouns, along with his completely logical, understandable and reasonable defense of said use.
#5.3.1.1 Anon on 2025-03-13 16:12 (Reply)
Anon: Thank you for confirming that Burke was indeed sanctioned and imprisoned because of his use of pronouns

That's exactly what did not happen. Burke was imprisoned for violating a court order. You could argue he shouldn't have been suspended for his use of pronouns, but that is something to be adjudicated through due process. While that process is ongoing, he had to otherwise abide by the law.
#5.3.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2025-03-13 16:46 (Reply)
Thank you for once again confirming that it was what Burke said that got him in trouble. The undeniable fact of the matter is that if had betrayed his principles and denied reality and used the "preferred pronouns", none of this would have happened to him. It's a matter of the Board wanting to control his speech, plain and simple. It is of course no surprise that you are defending the Board, as you always come down on the side of evil, from defending grown men who want to invade the girls' locker rooms to this.
#5.3.1.1.1.1 Anon on 2025-03-13 17:48 (Reply)
Anon: It's a matter of the Board wanting to control his speech, plain and simple.

As the employer, they have some though not absolute power to regulate the speech of employees.

Anon: The undeniable fact of the matter is that if had betrayed his principles and denied reality and used the "preferred pronouns", none of this would have happened to him.

Sure, but that’s not why he went to jail. Let’s assume that the Board misused their power when it suspended him. He would still be guilty of having violated the injunction. He had a legal right to contest his suspension, but he did not have a legal right to ignore the order of the High Court.
#5.3.1.1.1.2 Zachriel on 2025-03-13 20:31 (Reply)
Correction on E trucks *(Tesla semis) charging time and range:
Charge time is 30-45 min;
range 500 mi.

Most drivers need a break (probably all drivers) at 500 mi (about 8 hours driving).
A 30-45 min charge gives time for coffee and a restroom; or for a meal.
Tesla Electric trucks good for medium to long hauls. For local deliveries, the Cybertruck !

But TEsla; Support Musk; support trump
for $1,000 off, use this link: http://ts.la/nathan6755.
#6 ns on 2025-03-12 12:45 (Reply)
Oh boy--why has it taken the "media" so long to notice how bad our schools and universities have become? With regard for K-12 Private schools, or charter schools only--keep the teamsters out of the classroom!!

With regard.to our universities: It has become an embarassment for us when we attend academic conferences out of country. Many, many times we have joined a "room" to hear a particular speaker on a particular subject. Almost always the most popular speakers, i.e. the most highly regarded intellectually are from a foreign country. These are the people who have something new to say within their specialty. What is embarrasing is this; when the next speaker steps up to the podium "to give her paper",if she is from an Amerian University at least half of the room disappears . It's not because she is female, but rather she has nothing important to say about the subject being examined. It can also be male American speakers--they are no longer running with the front of the pack either!
#7 faculty wife on 2025-03-12 15:02 (Reply)

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