FEMA: don't forget to mask and social distance if taking shelter from nuclear blast

With Soviet Russian President Vladimir Putin putting his nuclear forces on high alert and not-so-subtly warning the West to not tempt him to use them, somebody decided to take a look at what FEMA suggests for citizens to do in the event of a nuclear explosion and noticed something that has now gone viral:

Lankford calls for "crippling sanctions on Putin, Russia", increased US energy production after invasion of Ukraine

[Since I messed up the email newsletter link twice, here's the correct link about Senator Inhofe.

Report: U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe to announce retirement on Monday]

Lankford Statement on Russia’s Invasion on a Sovereign State

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued a statement on Russia’s invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine:

“Cindy and I pray for the people of Ukraine. Today they face the unfathomable: an unprovoked attack on their families, homes, and communities—simply for who they are and what they stand for: a free people living in a free country living next door to a murderous dictator.

“America and our allies must respond quickly and decisively with crippling sanctions on Putin, Russia, and anyone who seeks to aid their actions. We will absolutely impose trade restrictions and enforce sanctions on countries who continue to work with Russia.

Inhofe condemns Putin's invasion, says "Putin’s ambitions won’t stop with Ukraine"

Sen. Inhofe with members of the OK Nat'l Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Ukraine in 2017.

Inhofe Statement on Putin's Escalating Invasion in Ukraine

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made the following statement on Russia’s escalation of their invasion into Ukraine:

“My prayers are with the brave men, women, and children of Ukraine, who are suffering an unprecedented, unwarranted and unprovoked attack ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“For months, we’ve seen this coming - but Putin’s massive, shameful breach of international protocol is shocking and devastating nonetheless. 

Lankford: Putin is "trying to... recreate the USSR" with aggression toward Ukraine

Lankford Warns Russian Aggression an Attempt to Start New USSR

Lankford: “Let’s pray for the people of Ukraine who, right now, who hear the guns practicing on the other side of their border. Let’s pray for peace.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today warned that Russian aggression on the border with Ukraine and military posturing in general should be taken seriously. He shared his support for helping the Ukrainian people defend themselves amid an escalating situation developing on their border that Russia is trying to pretend is nothing. Lankford has consistently called out President Biden’s failed foreign policy, especially against Russia, as Biden has refused to sanction Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Europe, which threatens energy security.

Lankford introduced the Never Yielding Europe’s Territory (NYET) Act to provide the critical support Ukraine needs to defend itself and deter Russian aggression today, while imposing real costs on the Kremlin for its ongoing and potential future aggression against Ukraine. Lankford introduced the Belarus Aggression Accountability Act to deter Belarus from allowing Russia to use its territory to invade Ukraine. Lankford’s bill would sanction Belarus or any country that aids Russia’s ongoing, unprovoked aggression toward the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Lankford supported legislation to impose US sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany running through the Baltic Sea.

Lankford pushes for sanctions on Belarus to stop Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine

Lankford Pushes for Sanctions on Belarus to Stop Russia’s Aggression Toward Ukraine

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Belarus Aggression Accountability Act to deter Belarus from allowing Russia to use its territory to invade Ukraine. Lankford’s bill would sanction Belarus or any country that aids Russia’s ongoing, unprovoked aggression toward the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Russia has stationed nearly 30,000 troops near the Belarus/Ukraine border, its largest deployment to Belarus since the Cold War. Additionally, Russia has positioned 130,000 troops on the Russia/Ukraine border and deployed six additional naval vessels to the Black Sea.

“Belarus is allowing thousands of Russian troops into their country to line the border with Ukraine. The US should make it clear that strong economic and diplomatic sanctions will be applied to any country that supports Russia’s attempts to invade Ukraine,” said Lankford. “It is easier to stop a war that has never started than it is to end a war in process. This is a strong stance America can take to counter Russia and Belarus as they continue to threaten Ukraine’s independence.”

Dahm: there should be absolutely no American involvement in Ukraine

US SENATE CANDIDATE NATHAN DAHM RELEASES STATEMENT ON POTENTIAL RUSSIA AND UKRAINE WAR

Oklahoma (January 24, 2022) - State Senator and candidate for US Senate Nathan Dahm released a statement on the potential of a Russia and Ukraine war: 

1889 Institute: Lies We Tell in Government, and Our Debts to Truth

Lies We Tell in Government, and Our Debts to Truth

By Byron Schlomach

HBO’s mini-series, Chernobyl, depicts the disastrous 1986 nuclear power plant explosion in the Soviet Union and the heroic efforts to control its meltdown. It shows Valery Alexeyvich Legasov, Deputy Director of the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy, working tirelessly to ameliorate the disaster’s consequences and investigate its cause. He is portrayed making a dramatic speech at a trial about how the nuclear reactor exploded, when such an explosion should not have been possible.

The reactor had a design flaw covered up by the Soviet State and kept from reactor operators at Chernobyl and identical reactors across the Soviet Union. Legasov’s speech, though fictional, seems to fairly accurately express his point of view. He addresses the question of how an RBMK reactor like Chernobyl’s explode? After explaining the nuclear and mechanical details, Legasov gets to what he considers the true cause:

“Because of our secrets and our lies. They’re practically what define us. When the truth offends, we lie and lie until we can no longer remember it is even there. It is, it’s still there. Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later that debt is paid. That is how an RBMK reactor explodes… Lies.”

1889 Institute: Lessons for Public Education from a Soviet MiG Pilot

Lessons for Public Education from a Soviet MiG Pilot

By Byron Schlomach

In 1976, Soviet fighter pilot Viktor Belenko flew a top-secret MiG-25 jet to Japan and defected. In his autobiography, Belenko tells of life in the Soviet Union. At a remote military base, his superiors transplanted large trees to make the base more attractive for a high party official’s visit. The trees died. Another set of trees died, too. The dignitary never showed.

One factory worker Belenko knew always filled his quota before noon, drinking the rest of the day to avoid breaking the quota, which would have made his coworkers angry since their quota would have increased. When propaganda films of American slums claimed to show typical life in America, Belenko noted TV antennas on roofs and cars in streets, having never seen so many in the Soviet Union.

What does this have to do with public education? Public education is government owned and controlled – the very definition of socialism. With socialism, there is always waste of a not-always-obvious sort. Belenko saw past propaganda and everyday life, recognizing waste in the Soviet Union. We must do the same regarding public education. Here are some examples.

We financially reward school districts for students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches. Over 60 percent of school kids are so identified, implying Oklahoma is quite poor. Yet, fewer than half of Oklahoma’s children live in households below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The lunch program allows participation only for kids up to 185 percent of poverty, so far fewer than 50 percent of Oklahoma’s school kids should be eligible for free/reduced-price lunches.

Experts generally agree three to 10 percent of students might be gifted. Over 12 percent of Oklahoma’s students are classified gifted under an over-broad statutory definition. Tulsa has claimed 50 percent more gifted students than Oklahoma City.

The state funding formula’s weights for pre-kindergarten, first, and second grades are as high or higher than high school weights. Private schools’ highest tuitions are for high school. Ours is among a handful of states that provides universal pre-K, for which there is no evidence of long-term benefit.

The number of non-teachers equals the number of teachers. Teachers leave teaching because central offices stress irrelevant testing and evaluations and neglect discipline, not because of low pay.

Making education better does not lie in another study, re-doing funding formulas, technology, or more money. When states first started building roads, state agencies did the work socialistically with corruption and waste as a result. The solution was competitively contracting out construction and heavy maintenance to private firms.

That’s what charter schools, education savings accounts, and vouchers are. It’s just contracting out education in order to avoid the waste and corruption of socialism. That’s the reality that a Viktor Belenko might see.

Byron Schlomach is 1889 Institute Director. bschlomach@1889institute.org