How many lies were told in the past two years concerning the China virus vaccines? According to many in high places the vaccines were supposed to keep the vaccinated from getting the China virus. Whoops, they were wrong! What lies will be told by these same people in 2023?
‘Good morning! Hard to believe Christmas is less than two weeks away! And The Iowa Standard is officially in its fifth year of existence now.
Much of the last week or so was spent dissecting the Respect for Marriage Act. Sen. Joni Ernst has been censured or formally condemned by at least seven Republican county central committees. That number is expected to increase. We’ll publish a story today where Ernst essentially plays the victim and says people are upset at her because they haven’t read the bill.
Ernst is asking us to trust our religious liberty to Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Chuck Schumer. No thanks. Actually, just no.
She wants us to ignore the warnings from respected conservative advocacy groups such as the Family Research Council, Liberty Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom and others. She wants us to ignore conservative senators who have warned against the bill. And she wants us to ignore conservative House Republicans who, unlike Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, didn’t support it.
She wants us to ignore the fact that passing the Respect for Marriage Act filled Nancy Pelosi’s heart. And it was celebrated by Joe Biden.
If all those people are happy about something, conservatives should be concerned about it.
So, all of us who were told to “vote red” to “save America” since about October — do you feel like you saved America? Republicans hold every congressional office in Iowa (once Zach Nunn joins the House in January), yet 66 percent of the Iowa congressional delegation either did support the Respect for Marriage Act or said they would have (Nunn).
I think we were played. We’re being told by Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition to be thankful for Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Randy Feenstra who voted against it. Well, Grassley said he supports federal recognition of same-sex marriage and may have voted for it if the religious liberty protections were stronger. Feenstra hasn’t issued any statement at all.
How embarrassing and insulting to Iowa’s grassroots conservatives. And don’t look for the Republican Party of Iowa to stand up for conservatism. They’re more concerned with defining “censure” and the process of censure than they are the fact 4 of the 6 congressional Republicans from Iowa just voted to redefine marriage against the wishes of the RPI platform.
What a mess.
There is good news, though. Ernst is feeling the heat. Newsmax cited The Iowa Standard in an article about her vote. Iowa media did as well. She was asked about being censured.
All of that happened because of our combined efforts. It happened because seven courageous, conservative county central committees had the spine to do what is right and we were fortunate to amplify their voice.’https://theiowastandard.com/
This is from an email I received this morning. The illustration fits with the cancel culture society we are now living in!
‘Picnic season is behind us here in Michigan. The leaves are off the trees, and the snow has already started to fly.
But just for a moment, think back to the joys of a summer cookout—hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill and a table set with various side dishes, like potato chips, pasta salad, and maybe some fresh watermelon.
To top the grilled meats, you’ll always have ketchup and mustard.
Now imagine that one of the guests is a college student—one who only likes mustard.
This fictional student is adamantly opposed to ketchup! And not for reasonable reasons such as health or allergy concerns…no, he labels anyone who likes ketchup as a “mustard hater” who’s oppressing others by using ketchup. But this is just the beginning…like the BBQ grill, his cause catches fire.
He finds others to join his opposition to ketchup. Not long after, you can no longer find ketchup on certain store shelves, in college cafeterias, or at some company picnics. And he’s even secured apologies from ketchup manufacturers for their history of transgressions against mustard.
Anyone who still likes ketchup or tries to defend their right to choose how to top their burger or fries is excluded and silenced. You might say that…
…Ketchup is canceled!
Is this example far-fetched? Maybe it’s a little silly, but it illustrates how this sort of thing works in our “cancel culture” society.’ From an Email.
‘Cambridge Dictionary has been accused of giving in to “woke activists” by changing its definition of “woman” to be inclusive of those who identify as transgender.
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
‘Austria’s education minister has ordered an investigation into a mosque in Vienna exposed as a hotbed of antisemitic and Islamist incitement.
Education Minister Susanne Raab said on Friday that the investigation of the Al-Hidaya Mosque in the Leopoldstadt neighborhood of the country’s capital was being launched in response to a detailed report on the mosque’s activities.
The 143 page report — compiled by the Documentation Center for Political Islam, a Vienna-based think tank — detailed the promotion of Muslim Brotherhood ideology by the mosque’s imam and president, Ibrahim al-Dermedash. Examining the sermons delivered at the mosque, its social media postings and the offerings contained in its library, the report concluded: “All three areas show support for the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.”
Hamas, which rules Gaza, is the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which seeks the establishment of Islamic sharia law as the basis for political rule.
One sermon delivered by al-Demerdash predicted that the 2020s would be a decade of Islamic “renaissance” heralded by the destruction of the State of Israel, which he described as the “cursed Zionists.”
“In 2027, Israel will be wiped off the face of the earth at the hands of men dedicated to Allah, a generation of youth whose hearts cannot be penetrated by fear,” he is alleged to have said.
The sermons delivered by al-Demerdash also contained visceral attacks on Muslims deemed to show a lack of piety.
“There are (among us) those whose heads are confused and whose faith is defective,” he is alleged to have stated, according to the Austrian news outlet Der Standard on Friday. “They don’t fully understand the matter because they start from the wrong basic assumptions and because they are infected by the secular, liberal way of thinking.”
The imam is also alleged to have justified sexual assaults by Muslim men upon unwilling female partners. “The woman’s sexual refusal towards the man is permitted only if there is a medical or religious reason,” he is alleged to have said.
In her statement announcing the investigation into the mosque, Raab said she “was informed on Monday about these new findings from the Documentation Center. I therefore immediately instructed the Department of Education to initiate an investigation. The public prosecutor’s office is also investigating.”
Other politicians echoed Raab’s concern. “We must not and will not allow radical preachers in the spirit of political Islam to poison our youth with homophobic, misogynist, child-threatening and antisemitic ideas,” Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, the human rights spokeswoman for the Green Party, told Der Standard.
Raab additionally called on the IGGO, Austria’s main Islamic body, to “fulfill their responsibilities.” In a statement to Der Standard, the organization said it would take “appropriate measures” if the allegations in the report were verified.
Net Zero and a rush into unreliable renewables is what got Australia into this mess. Next winter ought to be fun with these people running the show!!
‘Labor Cabinet ministers have slammed the gas companies for focusing on “maximising their profits” and halting major supply contracts following the government’s landmark response to soaring power prices.
The September Heads of Agreement deal which saw the gas companies commit to diverting all additional uncontracted LNG to the domestic market could be under threat.
In a shock response to the government’s $12/gigajoule cap on gas prices, Shell has paused its deal to sell 50 petajoules of LNG to energy providers as it “assesses the impact” of the proposed reforms.
The massive gas giant’s Queensland arm, QGC, was in the middle of an extensive tender process to contract the LNG for 2023/24.
“Pausing the EOI process was not an option we wanted to take, however, QGC needs to consider whether the design of the current EOI will meet the new regulatory requirements, including the 2023 price cap and the proposed mandatory Code,” a Shell spokesperson said.
Shell has paused its tender process to sell 50 petajoules of LNG to Australian domestic market. Picture: NCA
But the government has unleashed on Shell and other gas companies threatening to withhold supply to the system.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen said while the company was focused on boosting profits, the government would “protect the Australian people”.
“Gas companies want high profits at the expense of industries at the expense of workers and industries,” Mr Bowen said on Tuesday.
“Shell is one of the most profitable companies in Australia and we don’t mind them making profits in their … gas exports, they can make as much profit as they want doing that, but Australians have a right to this gas at a fair price.
“The government will be acting in the national interest not in the interest of Shell, not in the interest of any gas company, in the interest of every Australian.”
The cost of gas has soared since the war in Ukraine, with the spot price hitting as high as $27/gigajoule compared to typical pre-pandemic prices hovering around $6/gigajoule.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen accused the gas companies of receiving high profits at the “expense of workers and industries”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage
As a result of the more than 140 per cent increase in the gas price year-on-year, industry giants Woodside has seen the share price jump by 57 per cent.
Fellow competitor Origin Energy has also seen its share price soar by more than 44 per cent this year and was another signatory to the September Heads of Agreement through its part ownership Queensland-based gas company APLNG.
Industry Minister Ed Husic warned the gas companies against pulling out of the landmark supply agreement as he questioned their claims over project sustainability.
“A lot of these players have made extraordinary profits, so, when these firms are making claims about the viability of projects, this is about them trying to maintain their profits in extraordinary times,” Mr Husic told ABC Radio National.
“For (energy companies) to claim this is a shock, or to threaten the nation, effectively, by saying they’ll walk away from a heads of agreement they walked into, I think they will need to consider their steps very carefully.”
Oil and gas company Woodside Energy joined Shell in warning the government its new caps on fossil fuels would create an “environment of uncertainty” which will see investment rapidly drop.
Industry Minister Ed Husic said the gas companies needed to “consider their steps very carefully” if the continued to threaten supply. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman
In a statement on Tuesday, Chief Executive Meg O’Neill said the industry’s ongoing investment was “crucial” to support the government’s renewable drive and added the government’s proposal failed to address falling supply.
“We need to unlock gas supply now. For example, Woodside has been looking at options to increase supply, including through new LNG import terminals, exploration spending and further development on the east coast,” Ms O’Neill said.
“Unfortunately, the proposed market intervention will make it very difficult for industry to economically invest to increase supply.
“No one wants to see energy shortages and gas rationing. We must develop a comprehensive, longer-term solution that addresses gas supply and reliability.”
The Albanese Government’s proposal to cap gas price, provide indirect energy bill relief and strengthen the consumer watchdog’s price monitoring capabilities will hit an emergency session of Parliament on Thursday.
‘Switzerland could limit the use of electric vehicles (EVs) in cases of electricity supply shortages this winter under a new four-step plan to prevent power cuts and blackouts.
To ensure energy security this winter, Switzerland could become the first country to limit the driving and use of EVs, German daily Der Spiegel reports, citing multiple media reports on the Swiss four-stage action plan to avoid blackouts.
Driving EVs could be banned in Switzerland unless in cases of “absolutely necessary journeys” in stage three of the power conservation plans. The country also plans a stricter speed limit on highways in the recently proposed action plan, which has yet to be adopted.
Switzerland typically imports electricity from France and Germany to meet all its power demand, but this year supply from its neighbors is constrained.
In France, the nuclear fleet availability is much lower than usual, which has led to the country becoming a net importer of electricity after decades of being a net exporter. The French electricity grid is at higher risk of strained power supplies in January 2023 than previously estimated due to lower nuclear power generation.
The country could face the risk of power cuts this winter when electricity supply may not be enough to meet demand, Xavier Piechaczyk, the head of grid operator RTE, said earlier this week.
In Germany, the situation is similar, as utilities are having to make do with no Russian pipeline gas supply.
Switzerland’s power supply remains uncertain for the winter and troubles with enough electricity capacity cannot be ruled out, the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission, Elcom, said as early as in June. Due to the expected lower availability of French nuclear power generation and of France’s power exports to Switzerland, the Swiss imports of power generated in France is likely to be much lower this winter compared to previous winter seasons, Elcom said.
Therefore, Switzerland may need to cover its electricity import needs of around 4 gigawatt hours (GWh) from imports from its other neighbors Germany, Austria, and Italy.
whatyareckon 