The Finnish are posting pics raking or even vacuuming the forests, to ridicule Trump’s claim that Finland’s president told him their nation rakes the forests to prevent fires. (Finland’s President said he never discussed it with Trump.)
From: Cfact:
Green policies fanned California’s raging wildfires
Disastrous Policies
"State and federal forests in California are full of dead and diseased trees that should be removed, along with overgrown underbrush. But, to the extent that these forests are being thinned, it is at a snail’s pace. Prescribed burns, fire breaks, and adequate roads allowing firefighters quick access into forests are all a part of proper forest management but are largely absent from California’s government-managed forests. "
"As a result, the state’s forests and adjacent grasslands are a tinder box waiting to explode. Yet Gov. Brown has never called for an overhaul of these disastrous policies."
"In 2016, the state’s General Assembly unanimously – 75 to 0 in the Assembly and 39 to 0 in the Senate – passed a wildlife management bill that contained a provision that would help local governments better protect residents from wildfires, including publishing maps showing vulnerable areas near power lines. And Gov. Brown’s response? He vetoed the bill."
"Resorting to “manmade climate change” has become the favorite, most politically expedient tactic for deflecting attention away from the abject, ideological, even criminally incompetent forest management practices demanded by politicians, regulators, judges and environmentalists in recent decades."
"This past summer brought unusual rainfall that spurred plant growth. It was followed by hot weather that dried foliage out and set the stage for conflagrations in thick, poorly managed brush and trees."
"In too many areas, tree and brush clearing, dead and diseased tree removal, and the construction of fire breaks and additional escape routes are prohibited – or must go through decades-long study, review, approval and litigation processes. Only a fool or ideologue would fail to foresee the inevitable results."
"We clearly need less hidebound ideology, greater compassion and respect for human and animal life – and greater willingness to find bipartisan ways to deal with the perpetually arid conditions in California and throughout the West, via responsible and scientific management of our forest heritage.
Above all, we need to remember that people live in these areas and need to be protected. And right now, we should all lend a hand to those who have lost their homes, livelihoods and family members – perhaps by donating to the Red Cross or the WattsUpWithThat.com Camp fire relief fund.
Funny how Trump got the idea exactly right..........about managing and cleaning of forest floors being the key to minimizing/lessening the risk of catastrophic wildfires like this but because he expressed one part of it incorrectly............as if he's supposed to be a wildfire expert that knows the correct terminology and verbiage to describe how one is to manage and clean the forest floors............he's mocked........and every media site makes it their top story that Trump used the word "raking" even though he nailed the problem...........bullseye hit actually by Trump........and there are numerous strategies, other than "raking" designed specifically by experts top manage it.
Then, the media let the real culprits in California off the hook, the parties that obstructed and blocked attempts to apply effective forest floor management strategies.
Instead, it's blamed on climate change and president Trumps policies that interfere with stopping climate change.
“You’ve got to take care of the floors. You know the floors of the forests, it’s very important,” Trump said."
[A look at Trump’s ‘A-plus’ weekend: Finnish leaf-raking, 'Pleasure,’ Calif., and Adam ‘Schitt’]
"The Finnish president confirmed that he discussed wildfire prevention with Trump, but rejected the suggestion that raking ever came up. The forest service in Finland does carry out controlled burns of the forest floor mostly to clear away underbrush and also promote new saplings."
"Finland does, however, offer an instructive example to its Nordic neighbors. It has managed to bring down the area annually destroyed by wildfires from sometimes more than 100,000 hectares a century ago to now less than 1 percent of that."
“The difference between the two Nordic countries(Finland and Sweden) is not explained by vegetation or climate,” Finland’s Forest Association said, “but is believed to be based on differences in infrastructure and forest management.”
Another example of the media is doing exactly the thing that I commented on a couple of days ago in this thread:
https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/17514/
"Has anybody noticed that, what used to be considered quality news organizations have turned into tabloid news outfits today when it comes to anything Trump. They act like this is a soap opera/reality show which features very lame versions of news that don't contribute anything worthwhile..........just giving attention to anybody or anything that runs down Trump.....because they hate Trump."
Washington Post:
Time:
USA Today: Breaking News
And there are dozens of other outlets with the same thing................all over 1 word "raking" that improperly expressed a good idea of what he was trying to say. What would have been the headline news if Trump had said everything that he said, the exact same way but left out the "raking"?
The top story would have been something else. This was headline news because of that word raking.
This is where we always blame Trump because he ad libs and frequently hyperbolizes on topics that cause him to misstate things. He really does this often enough and should be held accountable most of the time when its he either does it intentionally or misrepresents the dynamic of whatever he is trying to describe.
In this case, the media turned it into an opportunity because of a wrong word about a great idea..............instead of making the points of the great idea in order to make things better for California's future.
Shame on the media for salivating at every opportunity to catch him saying something, anything that is not exactly right. Using a wrong word or stating a wrong fact..............which becomes their headline, top story news.
They are neglecting their responsibility as journalists and using the American people as spectators for their cheap, tabloid news stories when it comes to their hating Trump bias.
People who read this junk are affected. Mission accomplished this time in making the President of the United States.......in other countries too, to look like a complete bufoon because he used the wrong verbiage to describe a great idea.
good discussion, metmike
I remember, during the last few years, wildlife groups lobbying to preserve our forests in their natural state. I remember hearing about the Spotted Owl and the Kangaroo Rat needing protection, to preserve their natural habitat. ( I just checked... neither of these two species are "endangered")
So... they preserved their natural environment, and these animals are all burned to death now. They were not "endangered" species then, but now they are "extinct" where the fires burned.
Can we now please do something about professionally managing these forests?
In a world run by adults, we would.
mojo, try once in your life to think rationally.
Why does everything have to be about Donald Trump?
Maybe - if you occasionally posted something other than pointless garbage about Donald Trump, people wouldn't assume that you have a mental problem. If your goal is really to show Donald Trump as a terrible evil person, it would help greatly your goal if you would occasionally put up posts that showed that you are capable of rational thought.
Dilly dilly
cfdr,
On the other hand, I think this gives us insight into the minds of many millions of Americans and why the media is taking the current path.
Interestingly, we might assume that people think this way because the news sources that they believe are all feeding them this stuff. This is true.
However, it's sort of a positive feedback effect. Because people think this way, it opens the door wider for the media to dwell even more on the bash Trump with anything and everything that provides an opportunity.............which feeds their blind followers...............which increases ratings/sales and provides increasing incentive to keep ramping up the dynamic.
This is exactly the sort of thing that got shows like "Dallas" its top ratings.........with people tuning in to see the evil character JR Ewing.
In the realm of authentic news in the real world, however, its a dysfunctional dynamic.
However, mojo posting his stuff here provides us with a look at the dynamic at work from the vantage point of one individual..................that represents tens of millions like him.
You make a very good point, mike. My sister leans that way, and it is frustrating. The last conversation with her had her touting Bill Browder's book. Browder, of course, is seen by her as wearing a white hat, while Putin is most definitely an evil man. When I point out that there is evidence that Browder is really the bad guy, she won't even listen to what I have to say - and I'm not even saying he is the bad guy - just saying that there is evidence of that.
I am continually amazed at how human brains are wired - including my own.
"I am continually amazed at how human brains are wired - including my own."
Isn't that the truth!
Once we think that we know something(me too) it takes information that is numerous times greater than what was used initially for us to become convinced that we know it..............in order for us to realize that we are wrong.
And that's for an open minded, objective person!
Many people, on many topics(politics and religion are at the top) are incapable of seeing anything that contradicts what they are absolutely certain of.
Unless we are talking about gravity or mathematical principles that can be proven, this is called "faith".
When faith defines a realm that we truly believe in.................authentic facts don't matter.
Great post Mike and very accurate. Trump gets blamed for everything, even when he gets it right. Hope he aggressively goes after Clinton Foundation pay to play. It's finally making it to Zero edge posting. Can only hope.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2018/12/12/trump-was-right-about-raking-finnish-forests/
"Ironically, all this happened at just about the time that Finland’s own forest specialists declared that Mr. Trump was correct about what he told Governor Brown. The foresters disseminated that information widely to the Finnish media and public."
"As a result, much of Finland’s mainstream news media began ridiculing Finns who posted photos of garden rakes with the hashtag #RakingAmericaGreatAgain."
