Minimal snark today. Instead of a full portion, here are two tweets juxtaposed with a brief analysis.
🚨🚨EUROPE ENERGY CRISIS🚨🚨
— Crab Man (@crabcrawler1) August 30, 2022
One small coffee shop's energy bill goes from
> 2482 euro
> to 8979 euro
THIS IS UNSUSTAINABLE pic.twitter.com/dnSj7zEUKM
Europe is running low on fuel which means higher prices. They're running low on fuel because NATO chose to take sides in the UKR-RUS wino fight instead of opting for a sensible, diplomatic resolution between those two, demographically doomed nations.
Leadership at the Federal Reserve has become its most diverse ever. There are more female, Black and gay officials contributing to the central bank’s interest-rate decisions than at any time in its 109-year history. . https://t.co/rJBRXMpJVY
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 27, 2022
Meanwhile, we continue to cling to a moral code that values affirming "marginalized communities" over all else.
Well, fine words and diversity butter no parsnips and heat no homes, so the fuel shortages and resultant business failures will continue apace. In addition to prioritizing feelings, we're tilting at the windmills of Global Warming Climate Change by embracing hopelessly under-generating renewable energy sources. We're only belatedly turning back to nuclear power. It may be too late to bring much hydrocarbon energy online for the winter given how that's been shut down. At least we can preen in our faculty lounges while China's monstrous torrent of pollution pours into the sky, a sky which is global, if you get my drift.
My prediction is that the governments of the stricken Western nations will send large, energy-relief payments to the population which will be financed with new money printing from the various central banks, putting an end to the fight against inflation, at least temporarily. Such an act would be in keeping with our current leadership class's utter ignorance for how things work.
If they send the money in the form of paper currency, at least the people will be able to burn it to keep warm.
Bonus Tidbit
European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday (30 August) rebuffed a call by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to temporarily suspend the EU’s Emission Trading System (ETS) in order to stabilise power prices.
At an energy summit in Copenhagen, Morawiecki suggested suspending the ETS system, the EU’s main tool for reducing carbon emissions and enforcing its climate policy.
“Why add another €90 or €100 in the form of ETS allowances to already very high electricity prices? We can revert back to the system the moment we secure energy for all of Europe and we bring back peace to Ukraine,” Morawiecki said at a news conference.
Why add another €100 to the energy prices? Oh, Mateusz, you know the answers to that. First, we don't want that autistic, Swedish teen, Greta Thunberg, to yell at us again. Second, don't sweat it. We'll just send our citizens the €100 they need to pay us in the form of a tax credit or rebate or some such nonsense. It's all good. We'll just print it.
Brilliant!
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