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		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Global_warming&amp;diff=1772407</id>
		<title>Global warming</title>
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		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: A clarification&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;:''See also [[Counterexamples to Global Warming|Counterexamples to global warming]]''&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Global temp chart.jpg|thumb|right|Graph showing temperature connections between solar activity and volcanic eruptions, against a backdrop of historical events.]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''Anthropogenic global warming''' (AGW) is a [[liberal]] theory suggesting that human activity is causing the [[Earth]] to warm. The theory posits that [[greenhouse gas]]es, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor, trap solar warmth on the planet. Computer models suggest that industrial and vehicular emissions could lead to catastrophic warming. [[Leftist]]s use this theory as a basis to propose cuts in energy production and consumption and to promote de-industrialization. (See: [[Atheism and climate change policies]]).  This hoax is also used as way to sue energy companies for billions of dollars, which has hurt the value of those companies and their workers. With it the Liberal try to gain world domination, and it is a part in their plan to exterminate all free thinking people.&lt;br /&gt;
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The rate of warming predicted by AGW is far higher than what has been observed so far. Based on an average of 102 climate models, the UN's Intergovernment Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that the lower troposphere should be warming at a rate of 3.1 degrees per century.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;SpencerCSP2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[https://www.newcriterion.com//cm/images/THE%20CLIMATE%20SURPRISE%20PAMPHLET.pdf The Climate Surprise Pamphlet]&amp;quot;, ''The New Criterion'', 2016. Taken from chart &amp;quot;All 3 Global Temperature Dataset Types Disagree with the Climate Model During the Period of Greatest Greenhouse Concentration.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Satellite data shows that the lower troposphere warmed at a rate of 1.3 degrees per century between 1978 and 2019.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;SpencerCSP&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[https://www.newcriterion.com//cm/images/THE%20CLIMATE%20SURPRISE%20PAMPHLET.pdf The Climate Surprise Pamphlet]&amp;quot;, ''The New Criterion'', 2016.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=SpencerUAH&amp;gt;Spencer, Roy, &amp;quot;[https://www.nsstc.uah.edu/climate/2019/GTR_201901Jan_1.pdf Global Temperature Report: January 2019]&amp;quot;, 2019. This is data from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Weather balloon data shows a warming trend of 1.6 degrees per century between 1958 and 2018.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ratpac/ratpac-a/ RATPAC-A-annual-levels.txt.zip]&amp;quot;, NOAA, National Centers for Environmental Information. Based on data for 850-300 mb.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An analysis of weather station data by U.S. climate researcher [[Roy Spencer]] shows no significant warming since 1943. Unlike the official weather station record, Spencer's data includes only those stations that recorded temperature at a consistent time of day.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Spencer&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; The heating predicted by AGW but not detected in the temperature record is sometimes said to be accumulating in the oceans. But a study by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography found that ocean temperature has risen by only 0.1 degree Celsius in the last fifty years.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[https://dailycaller.com/2018/01/05/new-study-shows-past-research-on-rising-ocean-temps-built-on-faulty-science/ New Study Shows Past Research On Rising Ocean Temps Built On Faulty Science],&amp;quot; ''The Daily Caller'', 01/05/2018.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The date of 3 October 2020 has been the wettest day in the [[United Kingdom]] since records began in 1891, and it has been suggested increased rainfall is evidence for global warming. &lt;br /&gt;
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The theory that &amp;quot;greenhouse gases&amp;quot; have a greater warming effect than other gases goes back to the 19th century. The idea that carbon dioxide emissions might lead to catastrophic warming was introduced by Carl Sagan in the 1960s. He was inspired by research on the atmosphere of Venus. Around 1978, the environmental movement decided to promote Sagan's theory. The movement was already advocating energy conservation and renewables as a response to the &amp;quot;energy crisis.&amp;quot; That is to say, a desired political outcome was agreed upon and then a &amp;quot;scientific&amp;quot; justification was developed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Difficulties with the theory==&lt;br /&gt;
*'''Carbon dioxide is insignificant as a greenhouse gas.''' The level of CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; in the Earth's atmosphere is only 400 parts per million. Ninety to 95 percent of the greenhouse effect is due to water vapor.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Friedenreich and Ramaswamy, &amp;quot;Solar Radiation Absorption by Carbon Dioxide, Overlap with Water, and a Parameterization for General Circulation Models,&amp;quot; Journal of Geophysical Research 98 (1993):7255-7264&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The IPCC claims that water vapor acts as a &amp;quot;positive feedback,&amp;quot; i.e. warming creates more humidity, which leads to additional warming. There are humidity measurements going back to 1948, and they show no upward trend.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[https://wattsupwiththat.com/global-climate/ global climate],&amp;quot; ''Watt's Up with That''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; More humidity could lead to more clouds and therefore to cooling and to negative feedback. So why assume positive feedback? AGW works only if water vapor is a positive feedback, so that is what the IPCC must claim.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;Although Obama has denounced elevated carbon dioxide levels as &amp;quot;carbon pollution,&amp;quot; greenhouse operators commonly increase the level of CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; to 1,000 ppm or more to enhance plant growth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151210101819.htm Plant growth enhanced by increased carbon dioxide, but food webs give rise to significant variations]&amp;quot;, ''Science News'', December 10, 2015.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;Harrison H. Schmitt and William Happer, &amp;quot;[http://arizonaskywatch.com/article/articles/In%20defense%20of%20carbon%20dioxide.pdf In Defense of Carbon Dioxide],&amp;quot; ''Wall Street Journal'', May 8, 2013.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:NASA-1024x933.jpg|thumb|right|A composite map of [[Antarctica]] showing areas of greatest warming in red. The Wilkins Ice Shelf lies off the peninsula in the top left corner, and shows extensive warming. Overall, Antarctica shows little warming, and many areas to the  East (right) are almost cooling.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Roberts, Greg (April 18, 2009). [http://www.news.com.au/antarctic-ice-is-growing-not-melting-away/story-0-1225700043191 &amp;quot;Antarctic ice is growing, not melting away.&amp;quot;] News.com.au.  Retrieved on September 25, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
*'''The Earth has warmed or cooled many times. Historically, warm periods are associated with favorable climate.''' The [[Roman Warm Period]] (250 BC to 180 AD) featured temperatures comparable to those of modern times. This was followed by the Dark Ages Cold Period (450-950 AD).&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[http://www.co2science.org/subject/d/summaries/dacpeurope.php Dark Ages Cold Period (Europe) - Summary]&amp;quot;, ''CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; Science'', 1 June 2005.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Medieval Warm Period was even warmer than the Roman period and lasted from 950 to 1300.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;John P. Rafferty, &amp;quot;[https://global.britannica.com/science/medieval-warm-period Medieval warm period (MWP)]&amp;quot;, ''Britannica''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; From the 14th century to the early 19th century, there was a Little Ice Age.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;John P. Rafferty, Stephen T. Jackson, &amp;quot;[https://global.britannica.com/science/Little-Ice-Age Little Ice Age (LIA)]&amp;quot;, ''Britannica''.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;See the graphs at &amp;quot;[http://www.climate4you.com/ Global temperatures],&amp;quot; Climate4you.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Bastasch, Michael, &amp;quot;[https://dailycaller.com/2013/12/13/study-earth-was-warmer-in-roman-medieval-times/ Study: Earth was warmer in Roman, Medieval times]&amp;quot;, ''The Daily Caller''. For a peer-reviewed paper, see Moberg, A., et al. 2005 &amp;quot;[ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/contributions_by_author/moberg2005/nhtemp-moberg2005.txt 2,000-Year Northern Hemisphere Temperature Reconstruction]&amp;quot;, ''World Data Center for Paleoclimatology''. The Moberg data set is charted [https://i0.wp.com/i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/dhm1353/Moberg-1.png here].&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*'''For leftists, the attraction of the theory is that it supports their agenda.''' The environmentalist agenda of renewables, solar energy, conservation, and world government was put together in the 1970s in response to the energy crisis and to the overpopulation scare. At that time, most scientists thought the Earth was cooling.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[http://realclimatescience.com/the-corrupt-history-of-nasa-temperature-history/ The corrupt history of NASA temperature history]&amp;quot;, ''Real Climate Science''.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Time&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; When AGW came along, it was treated as an additional justification for this agenda.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;Steven Schneider, founding father of the AGW movement, was a global cooling believer in the early 1970s. &amp;quot;We have to offer up scary scenarios, make simplified, dramatic statements, and make little mention of any doubts we might have,&amp;quot; he explained.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;This is from an article Schneider wrote for ''Discover'' magazine in 1989.[http://www.creationworldview.org/articles_view.asp?id=67]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; To Schneider, global cooling and global warming were just two &amp;quot;scary senarios.&amp;quot; He could offer up whichever one was expedient.&lt;br /&gt;
*'''Carbon dioxide can be absorbed by promoting plant growth, an angle overlooked by the mainstream media.''' In fact, the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has already resulted in an increase in plant growth. If that's not enough, iron filings can be dumped at sea to encourage the growth of marine plants.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Carrington, Damian, &amp;quot;[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/18/iron-sea-carbon Dumping iron at sea can bury carbon for centuries, study shows]&amp;quot; ''The Guardian'', 18 July 2012.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Freeman Dyson, America's top physicist, has suggested genetically engineering trees to absorb more carbon.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiKfWdXXfIs Freeman Dyson on the Global Warming Hysteria April, 2015].&amp;quot; Dyson recommends ''Cool It'' (2007) by Bjorn Lomborg as the best summary of the AGW issue.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*'''If the science were in fact settled, we would see less outrage at &amp;quot;deniers&amp;quot; and greater concern for scientific integrity.''' One climate science scandal after another has been exposed. The Climategate emails show hoaxers scurrying to &amp;quot;hide the decline.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=MISH&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/11/hackers-prove-global-warming-is-scam.html#quEdWPhB8b6cs07f.99 Beware The Ice Age Cometh: Hackers Prove Global Warming Is A Scam]&amp;quot;, ''MISH'S Global Economic Trend Analysis''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The &amp;quot;hockey stick&amp;quot; view of climate history, which holds that global temperature was constant for 2,000 years and then surged in the last century, has been repeatedly debunked.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Muller, Richard A., &amp;quot;[http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/13830/ A Global Warming Bombshell]&amp;quot;, ''Technology Review'' , Oct. 2004; calls into question famous graph by Michael Mann.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; No one's reputation is tarnished by these bloopers, no one pays any price. The first response of AGW backers is name calling and attempts to shut down the discussion. Argument is a last resort.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Phil Plait, columnist for ''Discover'', is a good example. Plait has only contempt for those who express concerns about scientific integrity in climate research: &amp;quot;yawn,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;non-event,&amp;quot; etc. With no sense of irony, he can write, &amp;quot;these denialist claims are largely ad hominems.&amp;quot; If you fail to show &amp;quot;the scientists&amp;quot; enough respect, then you are a &amp;quot;global warming denier.&amp;quot; This name-calling-as-argument strategy is typical of AGW hacks. (Phil Plait, &amp;quot;[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/11/30/the-global-warming-emails-non-event/#.WHMkC9J97cs The global warming emails non-event],&amp;quot; ''Discover'',  November 30, 2009.)&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The logical explanation is that they already know AGW is a hoax, and they don't care.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==History==&lt;br /&gt;
The greenhouse effect was proposed by [[Joseph Fourier]] in 1827. Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius is sometimes considered the father of global warming theory because of a paper he published in 1896 on the effect of carbon dioxide emissions. Arrhenius thought of global warming as a positive thing. The idea that carbon dioxide emissions might lead to catastrophe comes from research on the Venusian atmosphere in the 1960s by Karl Sagan and other NASA scientists. In the 1970s, global cooling theories were more prominent than global warming theories. Even Steven Schneider, later a promoter of global warming, published a paper on global cooling. As a result of the energy crisis of the 1970s, the environmentalist movement adopted an agenda of conservation and renewable energy. With global warming as its flagship theory, the movement could continue promoting its 1970s agenda long after the original justifications for it had disappeared. Schneider offered up &amp;quot;scary scenarios,&amp;quot; as he called them, to promote the theory.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Origin===&lt;br /&gt;
In 1827, French scientist Joseph Fourier suggested that although the atmosphere allowed sunlight to pass through to warm the Earth, it blocked &amp;quot;dark heat&amp;quot; (infrared radiation) from the Earth and thus prevented energy from being transferred back into space.&amp;lt;ref name=Fourier&amp;gt;Fourier, Jean Baptist Joseph, &amp;quot;On the Temperatures of the Terrestrial Sphere in Interplanetary Space&amp;quot;, Translated in ''The Warming Papers: The Scientific Foundation for Climate Change Forecast''. The relevant section is pp. 12-13.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Fourier did make an unfortunate analogy between the Earth's atmosphere and a space enclosed by glass. All the same, it may not be fair to blame Fourier for the greenhouse effect meme. He also discussed convection as an alternative explanation and, as a good scientist, recommended an experiment to resolve the issue. &lt;br /&gt;
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In 1861, Irish scientist John Tyndall measured the absorption of radiant energy by various gases in the atmosphere. He concluded that water vapor was the gas primarily responsible. It could therefore be considered the warming agent that Fourier hypothesized. Tyndall suggested that changes in humidity could bring about climate change.&lt;br /&gt;
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The AGW theory was first presented in 1896 in an article by Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius. Arrhenius predicted that a doubling of CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; in the atmosphere due to fossil fuel burning would lead to a temperature increase of 3 to 4&amp;amp;nbsp;°C (about 5 to 7&amp;amp;nbsp;°F) after 500 years. Arrhenius attributes his misunderstanding of the science to Fourier: &amp;quot;Fourier maintained that the atmosphere acts like the glass of a hothouse.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Arrhenius, Svante, &amp;quot;On the Influence of Carbonic Acid in the Air on the Temperature on the Ground&amp;quot;, ''London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science,'' April 1896. Reprinted in ''The Warming Papers'', pp. 56-77.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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The use of the Swedish word ''drivbänk'' (hothouse) by Arrhenius and his colleagues is likely to be the origin of the phrase &amp;quot;greenhouse effect.&amp;quot; This phrase is first recorded in English in 1907.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[http://www.easterbrook.ca/steve/2015/08/who-first-coined-the-term-greenhouse-effect/ Who first coined the term “Greenhouse Effect”?],&amp;quot; ''Serendipity,'' August 2015&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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===The skeptics strike back===&lt;br /&gt;
Arrhenius ignored water vapor in his calculations, leading him to overestimate the effect of CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; by 96 percent, as Knut Ångström observed in 1901.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[https://realclimatescience.com/2016/12/climate-scientists-celebrating-115-years-of-debunked-science/ Climate Scientists Celebrating 115 Years Of Debunked Junk Science]&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; More controversially, Ångström questioned whether CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; could act as a greenhouse gas at all. He took a tube of carbon dioxide, shined black-body radiation on it, and varied the pressure on the gas. Increasing the pressure led to only a slight increase in absorption. He concluded that radiation absorption by CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; is already nearly saturated, so the emission of additional gas into the atmosphere would have little effect. Ångström thus became &amp;quot;the first denier.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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Nils Ekholm, an associate of Arrhenius, had an answer to Ångström's point about saturation.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Ekholm, Nils, &amp;quot;On the Variations of the Geological and Historical Past their Causes, ''Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society,'' January 1901. DOI: 10.1002/qj.49702711702.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Ångström's tube was saturated because it was at ground level. High enough in the atmosphere, there must be an unsaturated layer of carbon dioxide capable of absorbing radiation. The greater the density of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the lower this layer would be. A lower layer would retransmit more radiation to the lower atmosphere and would therefore be responsible for greater warming. Ekholm's insight was lost on his fellow scientists. It was not rediscovered until the 1960s.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;The Surface budget fallacy,&amp;quot; ''The Warming Papers'', pp. 79-80.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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As for Ångström's point concerning water vapor, Arrhenius insisted that CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; rose higher in the atmosphere than water vapor could, so water vapor was not relevant. This argument never caught on. The idea that adding CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; would change the climate, &amp;quot;was never widely accepted and was abandoned when it was found that all the long-wave radiation [that would be] absorbed by CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; is [already] absorbed by water vapor,&amp;quot; the American Meteorological Society concluded in 1951.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;American Meteorological Society, ''[https://www.questia.com/read/97549786/compendium-of-meteorology 1951 Compendium of Meteorology]'', p. 1016.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Despite Ångström's debunking of his theory, Arrhenius won the Nobel prize for chemistry in 1903 for unrelated research. The Ångströms, meanwhile, are remembered for a miniscule unit of length named after Anders Ångström, Knut's dad.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Disproving the greenhouse effect===&lt;br /&gt;
Finally performing the experiment Fourier had recommended a century earlier, Robert Wood showed in 1909 that energy is transferred from the Earth's surface to the atmosphere primarily through convection currents. In Wood's experiment, the temperature in a glass box was compared to that in a box with a top made of halite (rock salt). Halite allows sunlight to enter, but blocks infrared. Infrared re-radiation and the greenhouse effect play &amp;quot;a very small part,&amp;quot; both in the atmosphere and in literal greenhouses, Wood concluded.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Wood, Robert, &amp;quot;[http://www.tech-know-group.com/papers/Note_on_the_Theory_of_the_Greenhouse.pdf Note on the Theory of the Greenhouse]&amp;quot;, ''Philosphical Magazine'', January—June 1909.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[http://hockeyschtick.blogspot.jp/2010/06/greenhouse-theory-disproven-in-1909.html Greenhouse Theory disproven in 1909, 1963, 1966, 1973...but still refuses to die],&amp;quot; June 28, 2010.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;Gerhard Gerlich and Ralf D. Tscheuschner, &amp;quot;[https://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/0707/0707.1161v4.pdf Falsification Of The Atmospheric CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; Greenhouse Effects Within The Frame Of Physics]&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; A greenhouse is warmer than the air outside because the roof limits convection and the walls restrict wind. &amp;quot;The acquired heat is concentrated, because it is not dissipated immediately by renewing the air,&amp;quot; as Fourier himself explained.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Fourier&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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From 1909 until the 1960s, only a few additional papers on AGW were published. Research went forward as the lonely project of English scientist Guy Callendar. Callendar collected historical temperature readings and CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; measurements and published the results in 1938.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Callendar, G.S. (1938). &amp;quot;The Artificial Production of Carbon Dioxide and Its Influence on Climate.&amp;quot; ''Quarterly J. Royal Meteorological Society'' 64: 223-40. Reprinted in ''The Warming Papers'', pp. 261-273.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Sagan and Venus===&lt;br /&gt;
In 1932, Venus was shown to have an atmosphere of carbon dioxide.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;Carbon Dioxide Discovered in Atmosphere of Venus&amp;quot;, Astronautics, Vol. 2, No. 21 (1932), pp. 6-7. https://dx.doi.org/10.2514/8.11921&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; This finding prompted astronomer Rupert Wildt to propose in 1940 that a greenhouse effect operated on the planet. Radio telescope observations in 1958 showed that the temperature of Venus was even higher than Wildt's theory could explain. Astronomer Carl Sagan proposed in 1960 that the planet had a “very efficient greenhouse effect,” or runaway greenhouse as it later came to be called.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Weart, Spencer, &amp;quot;[http://history.aip.org/history/climate/pdf/venus.pdf Venus &amp;amp; Mars]&amp;quot;, June 2011.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Sagan, Carl, &amp;quot;[http://science.sciencemag.org/content/133/3456/849 The Planet Venus]&amp;quot;, ''Science'', 24 March 1961.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Mariner 2 mission in 1962 measured the temperature of Venus as 500 degrees Celsius. The planet that had been considered &amp;quot;Earth's twin&amp;quot; just a few years earlier was revealed as a sulfurous vision of hell.&lt;br /&gt;
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Mariner's findings were sensational because they had been predicted by Immanuel Velikovsky in ''Worlds in Collision'' (1950), which argues that Venus was ejected from Jupiter in mythological times. The scientific community had denounced Velikovsky and his theory in the strongest terms, and Sagan emerged as its champion. Sagan and Velikovsky faced off at a dramatic conference in San Francisco in 1974.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;AAAS Symposium: &amp;quot;Velikovsky's Challenge to Science&amp;quot; held on February 25, 1974.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By portraying carbon dioxide as a doomsday chemical, Sagan put a radically new spin on the issue. Both Arrhenius and Callendar had assumed that greenhouse warming would be beneficial. With Rachel Carson's ''Silent Spring'' (1962), Paul R. Ehrlich's ''The Population Bomb'' (1968), and the Club of Rome's ''The Limits to Growth'' (1972), this was an era when the reading public had an enormous appetite for spurious theories concerning human-initiated global catastrophe.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While the Venus discoveries ignited a burst of interest in AGW, they did nothing to shore up its scientific merits. In 1971, Russian climatologist Mikhail Budyko gave a speech to a large international conference in Leningrad in which he presented an alarmist AGW scenario. Reaction was strongly negative. It was clear that AGW was very much a minority opinion among scientists at this time. A quick look at Venus reveals that the atmosphere is opaque due to globe-spanning sulfur dioxide clouds. These clouds are 30 to 40&amp;amp;nbsp;km thick. No sunlight reaches the surface.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;NASA's &amp;quot;[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/venusfact.html Venus Fact Sheet]&amp;quot; gives the planet's diurnal temperature range as zero, i.e. no difference between night and day on the surface.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It follows that the planet has no greenhouse effect whatsoever.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a runaway greenhouse, the greenhouse effect vaporizes additional water, which in turn increases the greenhouse effect. This leads to even more water vaporization and so on in a cycle of positive feedback. Venus has very little water of any kind, so Sagan's runaway greenhouse is not possible.&amp;lt;ref name=pierre&amp;gt;*Raymond T. Pierrehumbert, ''[https://books.google.ca/books?id=bO_U8f5pVR8C&amp;amp;source=gbs_navlinks_s Principles of Planetary Climate]'', pp. 14-15.&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;*Anthony Watts explains why Sagan's theory is &amp;quot;beyond absurd&amp;quot; in &amp;quot;[https://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/05/06/hyperventilating-on-venus/ Hyperventilating on Venus],&amp;quot; May 6, 2010.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Whatever the chemistry of the Venusian atmosphere, water vapor absorbs a wider spectrum of radiation than carbon dioxide does and remains the primary greenhouse gas in the terrestrial atmosphere, as Tyndall showed long ago.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Venus research proved to be an incubator for AGW showboaters. James “Boiling Oceans” Hansen, who emerged as the public face of AGW in the late 1980s, was a NASA Venus researcher in the 1960s. Overlooking Hansen's history of following one kook theory after another, the mainstream media treated his talk of &amp;quot;runaway greenhouse&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Venus syndrome&amp;quot; as serious science.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Sullivan, John, &amp;quot;[https://johnosullivan.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/top-scientists-vent-on-nasas-sub-prime-greenhouse-gas-hoaxere-optional/ Top Scientists Vent on NASA’s Sub Prime Greenhouse Gas Hoaxer]&amp;quot;, May 20, 2012. &amp;quot;The oceans will begin to boil,&amp;quot; Hansen announces in [https://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/01/12/quote-of-the-week-dr-james-hansen-of-nasa-giss-unhinged/ this video]. In his book, ''Storms of my Grandchildren'', Hansen writes: &amp;quot;[I]f we burn all reserves of oil, gas, and coal, there is a substantial chance we will initiate the runaway greenhouse. If we also burn the tar sands and tar shale, I believe the Venus syndrome is a dead certainty.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Hansen's claim that continued CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; emissions will trigger a runaway greenhouse on Earth is unlikely in view of the Earth's recovery after the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), a huge natural spike in CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; that occurred 55.5 million years ago.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Kunzig, Robert, &amp;quot;[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130729-runaway-greenhouse-global-warming-venus-ocean-climate-science/ Will Earth's Ocean Boil Away?]&amp;quot;, ''National Geographic'', July 30, 2013.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; During PETM, the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere increased by about 700 ppm over 20,000 years and the planet warmed by 5–8 degrees Celsius.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;McInherney, F.A..; Wing, S. (2011). &amp;quot;A perturbation of carbon cycle, climate, and biosphere with implications for the future&amp;quot;. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 39: 489–516. Bibcode:2011AREPS..39..489M. doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-040610-133431&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Plant growth accelerated and there was a return to pre-PETM conditions after 200,000 years.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Gabriel J. Bowen &amp;amp; James C. Zachos, &amp;quot;Rapid carbon sequestration at the termination of the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum&amp;quot;, ''Nature'' Geoscience 3, 866–869 (2010) doi:10.1038/ngeo1014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Although this event is sometimes presented as confirmation of the greenhouse concept, warming preceded the CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; spike by about 3,000 years&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Sluijs, A.; Brinkhuis, H.; Schouten, S.; Bohaty, S.M.; John, C.M.; Zachos, J.C.; Reichart, G.J.; Sinninghe Damste, J.S.; Crouch, E.M.; Dickens, G.R. (2007). &amp;quot;Environmental precursors to rapid light carbon injection at the Palaeocene/Eocene boundary&amp;quot;. Nature. 450 (7173): 1218–21. Bibcode:2007Natur.450.1218S. doi:10.1038/nature06400. PMID 18097406.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and may have been initiated by a comet impact.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://wattsupwiththat.com/tag/petm/ Study: Extraterrestrial impact preceded ancient global warming event]&amp;quot;, October 13, 2016.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;Morgan F. Schaller, Megan K. Fung, James D. Wright, Miriam E. Katz, Dennis V. Kent, &amp;quot;[http://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6309/225.full Impact ejecta at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary]&amp;quot;, ''Science'', 14 Oct 2016:&lt;br /&gt;
Vol. 354, Issue 6309, pp. 225-229 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf5466.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From cooling to warming===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite Venus-related attention, AGW was overshadowed by a cooling scare in the 1970s. Steven Schneider, who later emerged as a key player in AGW politics, confidently predicted more cooling in 1971:&lt;br /&gt;
{{cquote|[I]t is projected that man's potential to pollute will increase six- to eightfold in the next 50 years. If this increased rate of injection of particulate matter in the atmosphere should raise the present background opacity by a factor of 4, our calculations suggest a decrease in global temperature by as much as 3.5 ''°K''. Such a large decrease in the average temperature of Earth, sustained over a period of few years, is '''believed to be sufficient to trigger an ice age.''' However, by that time, nuclear power may have largely replaced fossil fuels as a means of energy production.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite journal |author=Rasool SI, Schneider SH |title=Atmospheric carbon dioxide and aerosols: effects of large increases on global climate |journal=Science |volume=173 |issue=3992 |pages=138–41 |date=July 1971 |pmid=17739641 |doi=10.1126/science.173.3992.138 |url= }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By the late 1970s, the cooling scare had tapered off and Schneider was actively promoting AGW. The energy crisis, which began in 1973, put energy policy in the center of the political debate. In response, the left adopted a platform of conservation, renewables, and solar energy. Schneider and others noticed that AGW provided an additional justification for this platform.&lt;br /&gt;
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By the late 1980s, Schneider and his fellow activists had transformed global warming from a fringe concern to a central political issue. He explained how in a 1989 interview:&lt;br /&gt;
{{cquote|And like most people we’d like to see the world a better place, which in this context translates into our working to reduce the risk of potentially disastrous climate change. To do that we need to get some broad based support, to capture the public’s imagination. '''That, of course, means getting loads of media coverage. So we have to offer up scary scenarios,''' make simplified, dramatic statements, '''and make little mention of any doubts we might have'''. This “double ethical bind” we frequently find ourselves in cannot be solved by any formula. Each of us has to decide what the right balance is between being effective and being honest. I hope that means being both.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The quote is from ''Discover'', pp. 45–48, October 1989. See [https://www.weeklystandard.com/climategate-part-ii/article/610926 this link].&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Schneider abandoned his global cooling hobbyhorse and got on the global warming [[argumentum ad populum|bandwagon]], he never looked back. He was all about offering up &amp;quot;scary scenarios&amp;quot; in order to get &amp;quot;loads of media coverage.&amp;quot; He had hoped to be honest, but, let's face it, nobody's perfect. Since he presents himself here as the high priest of climate science, it should be noted that Schneider's Ph.D. is in mechanical engineering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The IPCC===&lt;br /&gt;
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a UN agency that reports on climate science, was founded in 1988. IPCC reports are often cited as the gold standard of science in this field, proof that AGW is &amp;quot;settled science.&amp;quot; But few journalists read the report itself. Instead, they rely on the &amp;quot;Executive Summary&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;Summary for Policymakers.&amp;quot; This document is written, not by scientists, but by UN bureaucrats under the supervision of Rajendra Pachauri, the Indian railway economist who heads the IPCC. The Climategate II emails reveal that the summary is written first then material is added to the various chapters to support it.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Hayward, Steven F., &amp;quot;[https://www.weeklystandard.com/climategate-part-ii/article/610926 Climategate (Part II)],&amp;quot; ''Weekly Standard'', Dec. 12, 2011&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; This procedure makes a farce of the IPCC's stated mission, which is to review the published literature so as to determine the scientific consensus. &lt;br /&gt;
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As for the main report, this is put together carelessly, according George Filippo: &amp;quot;I feel rather unconfortable about using not only unpublished but also unreviewed material as the backbone of our conclusions (or any conclusions)....IPCC is not any more an assessment of published science (which is its proclaimed goal) but production of results....I feel that at this point there are very little rules and almost anything goes.&amp;quot; Filippo was a vice chair of the group from 2002 to 2008 and has contributed to all five IPCC reports.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[http://tomnelson.blogspot.jp/2012/01/don-miss-this-devastating-criticism-of.html Don't miss this devastating criticism of the IPCC],&amp;quot; January 02, 2012&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Climategate===&lt;br /&gt;
The AGW industry was exposed as a hoax by the release of the &amp;quot;[[Climategate]]&amp;quot; emails in 2009. The Climate Research Unit of East Anglia University in Britain prepared 156 megaybytes of email by their researchers for release under the Freedom of Information Act. This database was somehow leaked, either prematurely or by a whistleblower after the institution had second thoughts.&lt;br /&gt;
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In the most notorious message, Phil Jones, director of the unit, wrote, &amp;quot;I've just completed '''Mike's ''Nature'' trick''' of adding in the real temps to each series for the last 20 years (ie from 1981 onwards) amd from 1961 for Keith's to '''hide the decline'''.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=MISH /&amp;gt; This should not be understood to mean that real temperature was declining, but rather that the researchers were attempting to cover up flaws in their tree-ring based data set. The graph in question was a version of the famous &amp;quot;hockey stick&amp;quot; that shows global temperature constant for 2,000 years, followed by a dramatic warming in the last century. ''Nature'' is considered one of the most authoritative science journals. So this quote suggests that a chart prepared for the magazine was faked with the approval of Jones as supervisor. An email by CRU researcher Tim Osborn clarifies what the ''Nature'' trick was: &amp;quot;Also we have applied a completely artificial adjustment to the data after 1960, so they look closer to observed temperatures than the tree-ring data actually were.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[http://tomnelson.blogspot.jp/2011/12/in-case-you-missed-it-damning.html In case you missed it, damning ClimateGate emails from Tim Osborne]&amp;quot;, Tom Nelson, Dec. 06, 2011.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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What's wrong with using tree ring data to created a climate record? The CRU researchers assumed that a tree grows faster when it's warmer. But rainfall has a stronger influence on tree growth than temperature does. Temperature is correlated to tree growth only in the sense that it tends to rain more in warm eras. Critics call the CRU's approach the &amp;quot;tree-o-meter&amp;quot; theory.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[http://tomnelson.blogspot.jp/2012/02/email-3826-feb-2001-in-email-copied-to.html Email 3826, Feb 2001],&amp;quot; Tom Nelson, Feb. 04, 2012. &amp;quot;In one go, they tossed aside dozens of studies which confirmed the existence of the MWE [Medieval Warm Era] and LIA [Little Ice Age] as global events, and all on the basis of tree rings - a proxy which has all the deficiencies I have stated above.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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In another Climategate email, Jones enthusiastically demands that the IPCC review process be rigged: &amp;quot;I can't see either of these papers being in the next IPCC report. Kevin and I will keep them out somehow - even if we have to redefine what the peer-review literature is!&amp;quot; Jones also admitted that the reason he claims the Earth is warming is political: &amp;quot;The scientific community would come down on me in no uncertain terms if I said the world had cooled from 1998. Okay it has but it is only seven years of data and it isn't statistically significant.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=steyn14&amp;gt;Steyn, Mark, &amp;quot;[http://www.steynonline.com/2697/how-the-science-got-settled How the Science Got Settled]&amp;quot;, December 6, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Jones is ignoring the fact that 1998 was an unusually warm year due to an El Niño event. All the same, it's clear that he runs the CRU to produce made-to-order results rather than as a scientist.&lt;br /&gt;
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==The temperature record==&lt;br /&gt;
Global temperatures are tracked by three methods: satellites, weather balloons, and weather stations. All three methods confirm a modest amount of warming in recent decades. Satellite data shows a warming trend of 0.11 K/decade for 1978 to 2015.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Roy W. Spencer, John R. Christy, and William D. Braswell, &amp;quot;[http://www.drroyspencer.com/wp-content/uploads/Version-61.pdf Version 6.0 of the UAH Temperature Dataset Released]&amp;quot;, 28 April 2015.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Weather balloon data shows a warming trend of 0.18 K/decade for 1970 to 2015.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The figure given is for RATPAC-A, surface to 700 mb. See &amp;quot;[https://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/12/14/gavins-admission-about-the-satellite-record-versus-the-surface-temperature-record/ Gavin’s admission about the satellite record versus the surface temperature record],&amp;quot; ''Watt's Up With That''. You can find a collection of global climate charts [https://wattsupwiththat.com/global-climate/ here].&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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A reanalysis of weather station data for 1943 to 2012 by Roy Spencer shows that after a cooler period in the 1960s and 1970s, U.S. temperatures returned to their earlier level. Unlike CRU, NASA, and NOAA, Spencer corrects for the fact that at most stations measurement time of day has changed over the years.&amp;lt;ref name=Spencer&amp;gt;Spencer, Roy, &amp;quot;[http://www.drroyspencer.com/2012/08/a-new-analysis-of-u-s-temperature-trends-since-1943/ A New Analysis of U.S. Temperature Trends Since 1943],&amp;quot; August 6th, 2012.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; So Spencer's analysis implies that the warmest year on record was 1934, the warmest year of the 1930s, not 2016 as the climate establishment maintains. Spencer is a prominent skeptic and a professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He maintains the UAH record, one of the two major satellite temperature records. As an active researcher at the center of the climate science community, Spencer is a standing rebuke to the claim that AGW represents the scientific consensus.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Spencer, Roy, &amp;quot;[http://www.drroyspencer.com/my-global-warming-skepticism-for-dummies/ My Global Warming Skepticism, for Dummies]&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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The temperature records preferred by the climate establishment were built up over many years and include numerous gaps, bugs, incompatible coding, and other errors. The problems of the CRU data set are memorably documented in the &amp;quot;Harry read me&amp;quot; file, part of the Climategate trove. According to this file, the premier global temperature record contains, &amp;quot;botch after botch after botch.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=Brownlow&amp;gt;Brownlow, Andie, &amp;quot;[https://pjmedia.com/blog/climategates-harry_read_me-txt-we-all-really-should/?singlepage=true Climategate's Harry_Read_Me.txt: We All Really Should]&amp;quot;, Dec. 11, 2009.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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AGW is hardly the only explanation that has been proposed for recent warming. There are also explanations involving natural cycles such as the 11-year-sunspot cycle, the Pacific decadal oscillation,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Bratcher and Giese, &amp;quot;Tropical Pacific decadal variability and global warming&amp;quot;, ''Geophysical Research Letters''.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;*72 percent of global temperature variation since 1958 reflects the influence of a Pacific Ocean weather cycle called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (McLean, J. D., C. R. de Freitas, and R. M. Carter--2009-07-23). &amp;quot;Influence of the Southern Oscillation on tropospheric temperature&amp;quot;. ''Journal of Geophysical Research''&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;*Spencer, R.W. &amp;amp; Braswell, W.D., &amp;quot;[http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13143-014-0011-z The role of ENSO in global ocean temperature changes during 1955–2011 simulated with a 1D climate model]&amp;quot;, Asia-Pacific J Atmos Sci (2014) 50: 229. doi:10.1007/s13143-014-0011-z&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==Summary of arguments against anthropogenic global warming==&lt;br /&gt;
Natural periods of global warming and global cooling are expected to occur regardless of human activity, and not long ago liberals were demanding more government control to combat an alleged cooling in temperatures, with some scientists warning of a possible ice age.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Time&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;quot;Science: Another Ice Age?&amp;quot; (June 24, 1974).  ''Time'' magazine.  Retrieved on September 25, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  [[Global cooling]], a theory that predates global warming, obviously occurs naturally many times throughout [[Earth|Earth's]] geological history.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;dissidents&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;quot;After any given warming phase begins, thousands of years later the cyclical [[Milankovitch]] decrease in the sun's heat kicks in. The warming stops, reverses and an [[ice age]] ensues.&amp;quot;  Cockburn, Alexander (June 9–11, 2007).  [http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn06092007.html &amp;quot;Dissidents against dogma&amp;quot;].  Counterpunch.  Retrieved on September 25, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The ease of refutation of anthropogenic global cooling claims foretells the eventual fate of the current global warming hysteria.&lt;br /&gt;
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Many political activists use the term &amp;quot;global warming&amp;quot; to refer to [[anthropogenic global warming theory]] (AGW), which asserts that human activity such as spewing &amp;quot;[[greenhouse gases]]&amp;quot; is causing an increase in temperature and is more significant than natural causes. The AGW theory is supported by left-leaning political parties, as well as a majority of sovereign states, national agencies, and an intergovernmental panel (see [[IPCC]]). The reality is that there is no immediate global crisis, and even dire warnings by the UN's [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]] (IPCC) admit that significant effects will not be manifested for at least 100 years. Predictions made by [[climate model]]s publicized by the IPCC have not come to pass in recent years. Many scientists, such as Hal Lewis, have decried global warming as a conspiracy for the purpose of securing trillions of dollars in grant money.&lt;br /&gt;
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In November 2009, emails were disclosed that implicated a wrongful manipulation and concealment of data by scientists who have insisted that there is dangerous man-made global warming. Prior to [[ClimateGate]], both the Republican and Democratic party Platforms in 2008 suggested that global warming is happening, that it is caused by human activity, and that it should be counteracted. For example, in 2007, the Republican presidential candidate Senator [[John McCain]] called global warming &amp;quot;an issue we can no longer afford to ignore&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;Issues&amp;quot; (September 1, 2007).  www.JohnMcCain.com [2008 senate campaign website] quoted in [http://www.ontheissues.org/domestic/John_McCain_Environment.htm &amp;quot;John McCain on environment&amp;quot;]  OnTheIssues.org.  Retrieved on September 25, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  In 2010, an independent analysis cleared the scientists involved of any wrongdoing ''as scientists'', but remarked upon their omissions as data-presenters.  Accordingly, the effects of the scandal still linger.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Whiteman, Hilary (July 7, 2010). [https://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/07/07/climategate.email.review/?hpt=Sbin &amp;quot;'Climategate' review clears scientists of dishonesty&amp;quot;]. CNN World.  Retrieved on September 26, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Former Vice President [[Al Gore]] won a [[Nobel Prize]] in 2007 for claiming that there is a dangerous man-made global warming that threatens the world. However, it has since been revealed that he convinced many people through inaccurate information in his &amp;quot;documentary,&amp;quot; i.e., he only won the Nobel Prize by lying. [See [[#Al_Gore.27s_Claims|Al Gore's claims]] below.]&lt;br /&gt;
 &lt;br /&gt;
The following facts can help dissuade even the most illogical of liberals from believing in the flawed theory of anthropogenic global warming.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== Temperature flat ===&lt;br /&gt;
The overall temperature has been flat for about 16 years.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Rose&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rose, David (October 13, 2012).  [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2217286/Global-warming-stopped-16-years-ago-reveals-Met-Office-report-quietly-released--chart-prove-it.html &amp;quot;Global warming stopped 16 years ago, reveals Met Office report quietly released...and here is the chart to prove it&amp;quot;].  MailOnline.  Retrieved on September 26, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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=== Data manipulation ===&lt;br /&gt;
Climate data stating otherwise has been proven to be manipulated.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Multiple references:&lt;br /&gt;
*KUSI-TV (January 14, 2010).  [http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=30000 &amp;quot;NASA caught in climate data manipulation; new revelations headlined on KUSI-TV climate special&amp;quot;].  SpaceRef.  Retrieved on September 26, 2014.&lt;br /&gt;
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jasZcNQqsw &amp;quot;Climategate 2-US Government involved in data manipulation&amp;quot;] (January 16, 2010).  YouTube video, 10:00, posted by Bigone5555J.  Retrieved on September 26, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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=== Alternate causation ===&lt;br /&gt;
Even if global warming did actually exist, the overall effect of human activities on global warming are minimal, if not nonexistent.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Byrne, Dennis (August 30, 2011).  [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-08-30/news/ct-oped-0830-byrne-20110830_1_cosmic-rays-aerosols-magnetic-field &amp;quot;The real science trashers&amp;quot;].  ChicagoTribune.  Retrieved on September 26, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==Science of global warming==&lt;br /&gt;
===Presence of CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the primary concerns of Global Warming research is the increased presence of carbon dioxide (CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;) in the atmosphere. Original claims stated that the increase in carbon dioxide—which is a greenhouse gas—were caused primarily through the burning of [[fossil fuels]], and that such increases were the foremost cause of global temperatures rising. Historically, Global temperature changes precede changes in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.skepticalscience.com/co2-lags-temperature.htm &amp;quot;CO2 lags temperature-what does it mean?&amp;quot;] (2007).  SkepticalScience.  Retrieved on September 26, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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The most obvious way that this would occur would be through the heating of ocean water. The oceans are the single largest storage unit for carbon dioxide gas on the planet, containing about 93% of the Earth's carbon dioxide.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Bi-Ca/Carbon-Dioxide-in-the-Ocean-and-Atmosphere.html &amp;quot;Carbon dioxide in the ocean and atmosphere&amp;quot;] (2007).  Water Encyclopedia.  Retrieved on September 26, 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; As the temperature rises, the [[solubility]] of carbon dioxide in ocean water is reduced,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/oceanography/ocean-earth-system/ocean-carbon-cycle/ &amp;quot;Carbon cycle&amp;quot;] (2010).  NASA Science.  Retrieved on September 26, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; causing the dissolved carbon dioxide gas to enter the atmosphere, and begin trapping radiation from the sun. Scientists now believe that this cycle causes a sort of chain effect, where increased temperature causes more carbon dioxide to enter the atmosphere, which in turn causes more temperature rise.&lt;br /&gt;
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It is also noteworthy to point out that carbon dioxide, while not as abundant in the atmosphere, has a more significant effect on global warming than water vapor does. Carbon dioxide cannot form clouds, as water vapor does. When water vapor forms clouds, those clouds actually block some of the sun's radiation from reaching the Earth, causing water vapor to both contribute positively and negatively to global temperature rise. Carbon dioxide can only act as a greenhouse gas, causing the above-mentioned cyclic effect. According to the IPCC and others, the current concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere is about 392 ppm, which is the highest it has been in at about 800,000 years.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Tans, Pieter and Keeling, Ralph (2010).  [http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/mlo.html &amp;quot;Trends in atmospheric carbon dioxide&amp;quot;].  NOAA/Earth System Research Laboratory Global Monitoring Division.  Retrieved on September 26, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But other scientists have disputed this claim of modern-day record-high carbon dioxide readings:&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;dissidents&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;Take Warsaw-based Professor Zbigniew Jaworowski, famous for his critiques of ice-core data. He’s devastating on the IPCC rallying cry that CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; is higher now than it has ever been over the past 650,000 years. In his 1997 paper in the Spring ''21st Century Science and Technology'', he demolishes this proposition. In particular, he’s very good on pointing out the enormous inaccuracies in the ice-core data and the ease with which a CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; reading from any given year is contaminated by the CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; from entirely different eras. He also points out that from 1985 on there’s been some highly suspect editing of the CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; data, presumably to reinforce the case for the &amp;quot;unprecedented levels&amp;quot; of modern CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;. In fact, in numerous papers prior to 1985, there were plenty of instances of CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; levels much higher than current CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; measurements, some even six times higher. He also points out that it is highly unscientific to merge ice-core temperature measurements with modern temperature measurements.&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Modern Warm Period===&lt;br /&gt;
According to temperature reconstruction made within an [[Old Earth]] paradigm, there have been many cycles of naturally-caused global warming and cooling over many millions of years (see [[climate cycles]]). Some scientists, including [[Richard Lindzen]] of [[MIT]], [[Sallie Baliunas]] of [[Harvard]] and [[Fred Singer]] (independent), say that the recent warming could be part of another natural cycle or random fluctuations in the atmosphere.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Recent studies of the Milankovitch Cycles, which predict Earth's climate by studying changes in its orbit and axial tilt, suggest that we are currently 18,000 years into a 150,000 year period between ice ages. This would imply that we should expect the temperature to be rising anyway. A 2002 study by Berger and Loutre suggests 50,000 years of warmer weather before Earth begins to cool again, but that model incorporated anthropogenic forces and concluded:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;While combinations of natural forcings produce a gradual warming up to about 1960, none of them leads to a warming over the last 30 years (this period containing three major volcanic eruptions). In contrast, simulations incorporating only anthropogenic forcings reproduce the warming over the last three decades at a rate consistent with that observed, but underestimate the early 20th century warming. As a consequence, only the use of both natural and anthropogenic forcings allows to reproduce much of the observed decadal scale variations of the annual mean hemispheric temperature over the last 150 years.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Bertrand, Cédric, Loutre, Marie-France et al. (May 2002). [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1034/j.1600-0870.2002.00287.x/full &amp;quot;Climate of the last millennium: a sensitivity study&amp;quot;].  ''Tellus'' [Stockholm], vol. 54, iss. 3, pp. 221-244.  Retrieved from Wiley Online Library on September 26, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It should be noted, however, that computer simulated climate models are often tweaked so they agree with the historical temperature record. There is no way to completely simulate all of the Earth's climate with a computer program.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a major set of temperature readings was found to be an incompatible mix of older and recent data (in the Climategate II scandal) in 2010, Judith Curry, chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Science at America's Georgia Tech university examined new data causing her to state (as quoted by MailOnline):&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Rose&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;'Natural variability  [the impact of factors such as long-term temperature cycles in the oceans and the output of the sun] has been shown over the past two decades to have a magnitude that dominates the greenhouse warming effect.&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;'It is becoming increasingly apparent that our attribution of warming since 1980 and future projections of climate change needs to consider natural internal variability as a factor of fundamental importance.'&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The MailOnline article continued:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;Professor Phil Jones, director of the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, who found himself at the centre of the ‘Climategate’ scandal over leaked emails three years ago, would not normally be expected to agree with her....  Prof Jones also admitted that the climate models were imperfect: ‘We don’t fully understand how to input things like changes in the oceans, and because we don’t fully understand it you could say that natural variability is now working to suppress the warming. We don’t know what natural variability is doing.’&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Polar bears==&lt;br /&gt;
It was announced on the news that polar bears risk going extinct by the end of the twenty-first century if current carbon emissions continue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Sunspots===&lt;br /&gt;
Sunspot activity is a factor in climate fluctuations, however, little details were known about how much of an impact these fluctuations had on the Earth's climate. During the deepest solar minimum ever recorded, from 2005 to 2010, NASA measured the Earth's energy balance, i.e. the amount of energy absorbed by the sun subtract the amount of energy lost to radiation into space. They concluded:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;If the Sun were the only climate forcing or the dominant climate forcing, then the planet would gain energy during the solar maxima, but lose energy during solar minima. The fact that Earth gained energy at a rate 0.58 W/m&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; during a deep prolonged solar minimum reveals that there is a strong positive forcing overwhelming the negative forcing by below-average solar irradiance. That result is not a surprise, given knowledge of other forcings, but it provides unequivocal refutation of assertions that the Sun is the dominant climate forcing.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Hansen, James, Sato, Makiko et al. (January 2012). [http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/hansen_16/ &amp;quot;Earth's energy imbalance&amp;quot;] nasa.gov/Goddard Institute for Space Studies.  Retrieved on September 26, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
But heat energy is not the only force of the Sun affecting the Earth.  The Sun also produces magnetic activity, the effect of which was not measured in this study, and which could affect the Earth's climate in little-understood ways. British astrophysicist Piers Corbyn, speaking in May 2017, claimed that low sunspot activity heralds a mini ice age which could last for 20 years.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://abruptearthchanges.com/2017/06/14/mini-ice-age-is-here-to-stay-says-astrophysicist/&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Economics of global warming==&lt;br /&gt;
While the marriage of anti-capitalists and alleged climate science is nothing new, Rep. [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]] has introduced legislation as part of her [[Green New Deal]], [[reparations]] for minorities, a basic income, and [[Medicare for All]] as part of her &amp;quot;[[climate justice]]&amp;quot; program.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://news.grabien.com/story-ocasio-cortezs-green-new-deal-radical-mandate-government-con&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Unnecessary expansion of government===&lt;br /&gt;
The idea of dangerous anthropogenic (man-made) global warming (AGW) is promoted by liberals and socialists seeking greater government control over the production and use of energy, which is a substantial percentage of the economy. In economic terms, they would like to 'internalize' the 'externality,' which is to say that they think that producers of emissions should be directly connected to the consequences of those emissions, leading syndicated columnist [[Charles Krauthammer]] to warn of an impending &amp;quot;environmental shakedown&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Krauthammer, Charles (December 11, 2009).  [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/12/11/copenhagen_shakedown.html &amp;quot;The environmental shakedown&amp;quot;].  Real Clear Politics.  Retrieved on September 27, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Public stances on global warming==&lt;br /&gt;
===Climate change as a cult===&lt;br /&gt;
The zeal of climate-change advocates and lack of objectivity has led some observers to see it as a core belief in a new eco-theology, using themes of traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs.  Columnist Deon Feder warns,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Feder, Don (July 31, 2007). [http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=27579 &amp;quot;The cult of global warming&amp;quot;].  GrassTopsUSA.com.  Retrieved from archive at FrontPageMag.com on September 27, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; that following other attempts such as Marxism, overpopulation, ''[[Silent Spring]]'', &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;now we have the Church of Global Warming, under the leadership of Pope Albert I and his college of cardinals (the [[Natural Resources Defense Council]], [[Sierra Club]] and editorial board of ''The New York Times'').&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;Its Office for the Propagation of the Faith works overtime, churning out books, movies (from the fictional “The Day After Tomorrow” to the fictional [[An Inconvenient Truth|“An Inconvenient Truth”]]), textbooks, concerts, congressional hearings, media pleading and inquisitions.&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commenting on the tendency to hastily issue dire warnings of Climate Change, seen in the coming [[Ice Age]] scare of the 70's, Maurizio Morabito&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Morabito, Maurizio (December 5, 2009). [http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/5592803/the-cias-global-cooling-files/ &amp;quot;The CIA’s ‘global cooling’ file&amp;quot;]. ''The Spectator''.  Retrieved from The Spectator website on September 27, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; asked, &amp;quot;Is the problem with the general public, who cannot talk about climate except in doom-laden terms, and for whom the sky is the last animist god?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark Steyn writes in ''Macleans'',&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;hot&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Steyn, Mark (December 24, 2009). [http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/12/24/why-climate-change-is-hot-hot-hot/2/ &amp;quot;Why climate change is hot hot hot&amp;quot;].  Macleans.  Retrieved on September 27, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Forty years ago conventional religious belief was certainly in decline in what we once knew as Christendom, but the hole was not yet ozone-layer sized. Once the sea of faith had receded far from shore, the post-Christian West looked at what remained and found “Gaia.”&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And while, &amp;quot;When man was made in the image of God, he was fallen but redeemable&amp;quot;, among these devotees of [[Gaia]],  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;Anti-humanism is everywhere, not least in the barely concealed admiration for China’s (demographically disastrous) “One Child” policy advanced by everyone from the ''National Post''’s Diane Francis to Sir David Attenborough, the world’s leading telly naturalist but also a BBC exec who once long ago commissioned the great series ''The Ascent of Man''. If Sir David’s any guide, the great thing about man’s ascent is it gives him a higher cliff to nosedive off.&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Politics of global warming and dissent===&lt;br /&gt;
{{main|Politics of global warming}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Global carbon emissions.PNG|right|300px|thumb|The [[Peoples Republic of China]] is responsible for 27% of global carbon emissions, more than all other developed nations combined.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Christine Stewart—Canadian Environment Ministry, &amp;quot;'''No matter if the science is all phony''', there are collateral environmental benefits....  [C]limate change [provides] the greatest chance to bring about justice and equality in the world.&amp;quot; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Stewart, Christine (December 14, 1998). ''Calgary Herald''.  Reprinted at &amp;quot;Match these quotes&amp;quot; (December 2004).  ''Resource Roundup'', p. 8.  Reprinted at [http://www.aim.org/wls/use-environmentalism-to-change-the-world/ &amp;quot;Use environmentalism to change the world&amp;quot;].  Accuracy in Media, &amp;quot;What liberals say&amp;quot; series.  Retrieved on September 27, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'Global Warming Now World's Most Boring Topic' &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Sheppard, Noel (July 17, 2007). [http://newsbusters.org/node/14467 &amp;quot;Hysterical satire: 'Global warming now world's most boring topic'&amp;quot;].  MRC NewsBusters.  Retrieved on September 27, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The need to fight &amp;quot;global warming&amp;quot; has become part of the dogma of the liberal conscience.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;cato&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Lindzen, Richard (Spring 1992).  [http://www.cato.org/regulation/spring-1992 &amp;quot;Global warming: The origin and nature of the alleged scientific consensus&amp;quot;].  ''Regulation'', vol. 15, no. 2.  Retrieved from Cato Institute website on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Clearly, &amp;quot;global warming&amp;quot; is a tempting issue for many very important groups to exploit. &lt;br /&gt;
... dealing with the threat of warming fits in with a great variety of preexisting agendas [like] dissatisfaction with industrial society (neopastoralism), ... governmental desires for enhanced revenues (carbon taxes), and bureaucratic desires for enhanced power.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;cato&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mark Steyn writes in &amp;quot;Why climate change is hot hot hot&amp;quot;,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;hot&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
What’s also changed since the seventies is the nature of the UN and the transnational bureaucracies...“Aid” is a discredited word these days and comes with too many strings attached. But eco-credits sluiced through an oil-for-food program on steroids offers splendid new opportunities for bulking up an ambitious dictator’s Swiss bank accounts.&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The IPCC is desperate to claim the 20th century—the warmest on record. Thus, tying the progress of modern mankind to our supposed planet imbalance problem. Unfortunately for the IPCC, that point is disputed as well. In 2008, it was discovered that tree rings in Finland were more accurate record of the warmest century. The current era was not the warmest period—it was the period between 931 and 1180.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Birdnow, Timothy (June 24, 2008).  [http://tbirdnow.mee.nu/archive/2008/6?page=2 &amp;quot;The trees of Finland; temperature readings and historical reconstruction&amp;quot;]. Birdnow's Aviary blog.  Retrieved on September 29, 2014.  With links to actual data sources.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Assessments of climate science by the [[United Nations]] (see [[IPCC]] — ''Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change'') have claimed that scientists are 90% sure that over 50% of the observed global warming in recent decades is human-caused, and that continued global warming should be expected over at least the next century. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several prominent scientists have pointed out the [[politicized science]] of the UN's assessment methods. The scientific reports are submitted to a panel of representatives appointed by each country in the IPCC. Several scientists whose research demonstrates that climate change is taking place have complained about their work being misrepresented by the U.N.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In addition, a number of the participants have testified to the pressures placed on them to emphasize results supportive of the current scenario and to suppress other results. That pressure has frequently been effective, and a survey of participants reveals substantial disagreement with the final report.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;cato&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Richard Lindzen wrote:&lt;br /&gt;
:Perhaps more important are the pressures being brought to bear on scientists to get the &amp;quot;right&amp;quot; results. Such pressures are inevitable, given how far out on a limb much of the scientific community has gone. The situation is compounded by the fact that some of the strongest proponents of &amp;quot;global warming&amp;quot; in Congress are also among the major supporters of science (Sen. Gore is notable among those).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;cato&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Christopher Monckton]] wrote an article entitled &amp;quot;Climate sensitivity reconsidered&amp;quot; which states that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change studies are flawed.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Monckton, Christopher (July 2008). [http://www.aps.org/units/fps/newsletters/200807/monckton.cfm &amp;quot;Climate sensitivity reconsidered&amp;quot;].  ''Physics &amp;amp; Society'' newsletter.  Retrieved from American Physical Society/Forum on Physics and Society website on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:The present analysis suggests that the failure of the IPCC's models to predict this and many other climatic phenomena arises from defects in its evaluation of the three factors whose product is climate sensitivity:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::Radiative forcing ΔF;&lt;br /&gt;
::The no-feedbacks climate sensitivity parameter κ; and&lt;br /&gt;
::The feedback multiplier ƒ.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:Some reasons why the IPCC’s estimates may be excessive and unsafe are explained. More importantly, the conclusion is that, perhaps, there is no “climate crisis”, and that currently-fashionable efforts by governments to reduce anthropogenic CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; emissions are pointless, may be ill-conceived, and could even be harmful.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This was published on a forum of the American Physical Society with the following disclaimers:  &amp;quot;The article has not undergone any scientific peer review&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;the APS disagrees with the article's conclusions&amp;quot;.  In fact, the APS disagrees with the article without ever reviewing it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryan N. Maue: &lt;br /&gt;
:A doctoral student at the Department of Meteorology at Florida State University did a study of global tropical cyclone activity. Its conclusions state that  global warming might be greatly overblown.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Tribune-Review, The (March 21, 2009). [http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_617111.html# &amp;quot;Global warming? More doubts&amp;quot;].  TribLive [''Pittsburgh Tribune'' website].  Retrieved on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Mr. Maue found that tropical cyclone activity worldwide &amp;quot;has completely and utterly collapsed&amp;quot; during the past two to three years with energy levels sinking to those of the late 1970s.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dr. Vincent Gray:&lt;br /&gt;
:A member of the IPCC’s expert reviewers’ panel asserts, &amp;quot;There is no relationship between warming and the level of gases in the atmosphere,&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;there is no serious threat to the climate&amp;quot; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Hendrickson, Mark W. (May 25, 2009). [https://townhall.com/columnists/markwhendrickson/2009/05/25/a_closer_look_at_climate_change &amp;quot;A closer look at climate change&amp;quot;]. Townhall.com.  Retrieved on September 29, 2014.  &amp;quot;The panic over global warming is totally unjustified&amp;quot; says Vice Chair, IPCC.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Joe D’Aleo: Climatologist: &lt;br /&gt;
:The International Climate and Environmental Change Assessment Project says new data &amp;quot;show that in five of the last seven decades since World War II, including this one, global temperatures have cooled while carbon dioxide has continued to rise,&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;'''The data suggest cooling''', not warming, in Earth's future.&amp;quot; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&amp;amp;pageId=92557 &amp;quot;Shocker: 'Global warming' simply no longer happening&amp;quot;] (March 22, 2009).  WND.  Retrieved on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dr. John S. Theon:&lt;br /&gt;
:Retired senior NASA atmospheric [[scientist]], Dr. John S. Theon, the former boss of global warming alarmist James Hansen of [[NASA]], rebukes him declaring “climate models are useless.” “My own belief concerning anthropogenic climate change is that the models do not realistically simulate the climate system because there are many very important sub-grid scale processes that the models either replicate poorly or completely omit,” “Furthermore, some scientists have manipulated the observed data to justify their model results.&amp;quot; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Blumer, Tom (January 28, 2009).  [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2009/01/28/former-boss-rebukes-nasa-global-warming-alarmist-hansen-agw-skeptic &amp;quot;Former boss rebukes NASA global warming alarmist Hansen, is AGW skeptic&amp;quot;].  MRC NewsBusters.  Retrieved on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sammy Wilson—Ireland's environment minister &lt;br /&gt;
:He argues that global weather patterns are naturally cooling, not warming. He calls television ads that promote global warming as &amp;quot;an insidious propaganda campaign&amp;quot; peddling &amp;quot;patent nonsense.&amp;quot; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Pogatchnik, Shawn (February 9, 2009).  [http://cnsnews.com/news/article/belfast-environment-chief-bans-climate-change-ads &amp;quot;Belfast environment chief bans climate change ads&amp;quot;].  Associated Press.  Retrieved from CNSNews.com on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the broadcast of his movie '[[The Great Global Warming Swindle]]', filmmaker Martin Durkin's statements read &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Goodenough, Patrick (July 22, 2008).  [http://cnsnews.com/news/article/uk-broadcaster-scolded-film-global-warming-swindle &amp;quot;UK broadcaster scolded for film on global warming&amp;quot;].  CNSNews.  Retrieved on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*“Everywhere you are told that man-made [[climate change]] is proved beyond doubt,”  “But you are being told lies.”&lt;br /&gt;
*“This is a story of how a theory about climate turned into a political [[ideology]] ... it is the story of the distortion of a whole area of [[science]].”&lt;br /&gt;
*“as the frenzy over man-made global warming grows shriller, many senior scientists say the actual scientific basis for the [[theory]] is crumbling.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In late 2008, the [[AP]] published an article by its Science Writer Seth Borenstein, which is seen by skeptics as another example of one-sided, uncritical reporting on the issue by [[liberal media]]. The report stated that global warming was &amp;quot;a ticking time bomb that President-elect Barack Obama can't avoid&amp;quot;, and that  &amp;quot;We're out of time&amp;quot;, with Al Gore calling the situation &amp;quot;the equivalent of a five-alarm fire that has to be addressed immediately.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Borenstein, Seth (December 14, 2008).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20081215162025/https://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D952LKOO1&amp;amp;show_article=1 &amp;quot;Obama left with little time to curb global warming&amp;quot;].  Associated Press.  Reprinted at Breitbart.com.  Retrieved from December 15, 2008 archive at Internet Archive on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  In response, Fox News (December 16, 2008) reported that scientists skeptical of anthropogenic global warming criticized the report as &amp;quot;irrational hysteria,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;horrifically bad&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;incredibly biased&amp;quot;, containing sweeping scientific errors and being a one-sided portrayal of a complicated issue. Geology professor [[David Deming]] stated, &amp;quot;If the issues weren't so serious and the ramifications so profound, I would have to laugh at it&amp;quot;, and accused Borenstein of &amp;quot;writing a polemic and reporting it as fact.&amp;quot; Deming noted that &amp;quot;the mean global temperature, at least as measured by satellite, is now the same as it was in the year 1980. In the last couple of years sea level has stopped rising. Hurricane and cyclone activity in the northern hemisphere is at a 24-year low and sea ice globally is also the same as it was in 1980.&amp;quot; The AP responded to criticism by stating that, &amp;quot;It’s a news story, based on fact and the clearly expressed views of President-elect Barack Obama and others.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,468084,00.html &amp;quot;Scientists call AP Report on global warming 'hysteria'&amp;quot;] (December 16, 2008).  Fox News website.  Retrieved on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Also in the discussion of the biased AP report, Michael R. Fox, a retired nuclear scientist and chemistry professor from the University of Idaho stated, &amp;quot;There is little evidence to believe that man-made carbon dioxide is causing temperature fluctuation. Other factors, including sun spots, solar winds, variations in the solar magnetic field and solar irradiation, could all be affecting temperature changes.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The year 2008 turned out to be the coolest year since 2000, yet the seventh to tenth warmest year on record, according to the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://web.archive.org/web/20110725075133/http://news.eoportal.org/research/090127_res3.html &amp;quot;2008 global temperature&amp;quot;] (January 21, 2009).  EO [Earth Observation].  Retrieved from July 25, 2011 archive at Internet Archive on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  According to a preliminary analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, the average June–August 2009 summer temperature for the contiguous United States was below average—the 34th coolest on record.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20090910_summerstats.html &amp;quot;NOAA: Summer temperature below average for U.S.&amp;quot;] (September 10, 2009).  NOAA.  Retrieved on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Richard S. Courtney, a U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) expert reviewer and a U.K.-based climate and atmospheric science consultant says  &amp;quot;Rubbish! Global warming is not 'accelerating,&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;...that anybody who proclaims that 'Global warming is accelerating' is a liar, a fool, or both.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Brennan, Phil (December 16, 2008). [https://www.newsmax.com/brennan/global-warming-debunked/2009/12/12/id/341719/ &amp;quot;Global warming’s last gasp&amp;quot;].  NewsMax.  Retrieved on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Don J. Easterbrook, Ph.D., emeritus professor of geology at Western Washington University, asked, &amp;quot;What does it take to ignore 10 years of global cooling....? The answer is really quite simple—just follow the money!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
==== Belief in global warming and political and religious views ====&lt;br /&gt;
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The more religious an individual is, the more likely they are to disbelieve in global warming. In 2014, whereas 80% of American [[Atheism|atheists]] believed in climate change, only 56% of all very religious Americans did.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;randalolson.com&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[http://www.randalolson.com/2014/09/13/who-are-the-climate-change-deniers/ Statistics on belief in climate change], Randal S. Olson&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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In 2014, 86% of [[Democrats]] accepted climate change, whereas half of all [[Republican]]s disbelieve in global warming.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;randalolson.com&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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===== Evangelicals =====&lt;br /&gt;
In 2008 86 evangelical pastors, including Rev. Dr.[[Rick Warren]] signed a statement titled &amp;quot;Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action&amp;quot;, which called on Christians to acknowledge the moral importance of action to counteract man-made climate change. the statement includes specific support for market-based CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; reductions such as a cap-and-trade program.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Evangelical Climate Initiative (2006).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20140201232519/http://christiansandclimate.org/statement/ &amp;quot;ECI Statement&amp;quot;].  Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action.  Retrieved from February 1, 2014 archive at Internet Archive on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In contrast, a group of evangelical scholars, comprised of scientists, economists and theologians, contend that the liberal view of pending catastrophe caused by climate change is  misleading and/or exaggerated.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Vu, Michelle A. (December 4, 2009).  [http://www.christianpost.com/article/20091204/evangelicals-push-back-against-climate-change-hoax/pageall.html &amp;quot;Evangelicals push back against global warming doom&amp;quot;]  The Christian Post website.  Retrieved on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Bill Nye challenge===&lt;br /&gt;
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In April 2016 science popularizer &amp;quot;[[Bill Nye|Bill Nye the Science Guy]]&amp;quot; took the debate up to the &amp;quot;put your money where your mouth is&amp;quot; level.  He issued two bets, of $10,000 each, with Joe Bastardi, a &amp;quot;climate change contrarian&amp;quot; and frequent critic of Nye.  One bet was that &amp;quot;2016 will be in the top 10 of hottest years on record&amp;quot;, and that &amp;quot;this current decade will be the warmest ever recorded&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://time.com/4301258/bill-nye-sarah-palin-climate-change-bet/ The Bill Nye climate change bet].&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; As of late May Mr. Bastardi has not taken up the offer.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Inaccuracies of global warming evidence==&lt;br /&gt;
===Climate &amp;quot;science&amp;quot; fraud===&lt;br /&gt;
{{main|Climategate}}&lt;br /&gt;
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The [[Climategate#Climategate scandal|Climategate scandal]] revealed how liberal scientists appeared to be deceiving the public with the use of fraudulent data for use as climate science. The [[liberal media]] has attempted to bury the story and discount it as the work of computer hackers illegally stealing data. However, [[FOIA|Freedom of Information]] requests is likely what led to the data being leaked — intentionally.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://web.archive.org/web/20091212190817/http://www.junkscience.com/ JunkScience.com] (December 12, 2009).  Retrieved from December 12, 2009 archive at Internet Archive on September 29, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Dr. Willie Soon, a [[physicist]], [[astronomer]] and climate researcher at the solar and stellar physics division of the [[Harvard University]]-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said in an interview, &amp;quot;[The Climatic Research Unit climate scientists] are making scientific progress more difficult now. This is a shameful, dark day for science.&amp;quot; Dr. Soon also suggested that there has been systemic suppression of dissenting opinion among scientists in the climate change community, ranging from social snubs to e-mail stalking and even threats of harm.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Koprowski, Gene J. (December 1, 2009). [https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,578368,00.html &amp;quot;Global warming scandal makes scientific progress more difficult, experts say&amp;quot;].  Fox News website.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.  See [[Fox News]].&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Image:GoreFireBreathing.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Al Gore's [[Schlockumentary]] under fire; ''[[An Inconvenient Truth]]'' found to be an inconvenient [[lie]] based on [[junk science]] and digitally enhanced, totally faked scenes of polar icecaps melting.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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===Liberal claims of &amp;quot;consensus&amp;quot;===&lt;br /&gt;
Reports of a scientific &amp;quot;consensus&amp;quot; among scientists are similar to their one-sided support of other [[liberal]] policies and beliefs.  For example, nearly 100% of political donations from professors are to [[Democrats]] rather than Republicans.  Similarly, according to NASA, 97% of climate scientists believe that climate-warming trends over the past century are very likely due to human activities.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory-California Institute of Technology Earth Science Communications Team (2013).  [http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus &amp;quot;Consensus&amp;quot;].  NASA website/Global Climate Change.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  These liberal scientists believe, or say they believe, that the Earth is warming overall, and that this warming, as well as other changes in climate patterns, is largely caused by human activities.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Multiple references:&lt;br /&gt;
*Anderegg, William R. L., Prall, James W. et al. (July 6, 2010).  [http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/06/04/1003187107.full.pdf+html &amp;quot;Expert credibility in climate change.&amp;quot;]  ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'', vol. 107, no. 27, pp. 12107-12109.  Retrieved from PNAS.org on September 30, 2014.&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/spmsspm-understanding-and.html &amp;quot;Working group I: The physical science basis/Summary for policy makers/Understanding and attributing climate change&amp;quot;] (2007).  ''IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007.''  Retrieved from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change website on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; These allegations do not necessarily make the consensus true, as discussed throughout the referenced citation. Numerous scientists, especially those outside of university faculties, have been critical of anthropogenic global warming. However, according to some researchers, scientists who do not support the anthropogenic global warming theory offer a general lack of comparative credentials; proponents of man-made global warming argue that this has led to agreement that, among authorities in scientific disciplines, there is a &amp;quot;[[scientific consensus]]&amp;quot; supporting the theory for greater government control. Scientists skeptical of the theory question whether there is a financial incentive for supporting research.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Chesser, Paul (October 25, 2007).  [http://www.seattlepi.com/local/opinion/article/Be-wary-of-climate-policy-development-1253536.php &amp;quot;Be wary of climate policy development&amp;quot;].  Seattle Post-Intelligencer website.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It has also been documented that on most college campuses criticism of the global warming theory is silenced or censored; evidence shows that scientists skeptical of AGW are being suppressed.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Multiple references:&lt;br /&gt;
*O'Neill, Brendan (October 6, 2006).  [http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/1782/ &amp;quot;Global warming:  The chilling effect on free speech&amp;quot;].  Sp!ked.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.&lt;br /&gt;
*Schilling, Chelsea (June 24, 2009).  [https://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&amp;amp;pageId=102031 &amp;quot;EPA's own research expert 'shut up' on climate change&amp;quot;].  WND.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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It is well understood that most media companies do not offer balanced reporting. Many politicians have bought into the liberal claim of consensus, for example Barack Obama's views, &amp;quot;Few challenges facing America and the world are more urgent than fighting climate change. The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clear.&amp;quot; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://web.archive.org/web/20090331121618/http://www.cato.org/special/climatechange/ &amp;quot;Climate change reality&amp;quot;] (March 2009).  Cato Institute website.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In fact, many scientists disagree with the &amp;quot;facts,&amp;quot; their certainty, and their interpretation. Over 100 of them have signed the statement that appears in the Cato Institute's newspaper ad. Liberals have failed to back up their claims with any scientific facts.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[File:ad.jpg|center]]&lt;br /&gt;
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According to 80 graphs published in 58 peer-reviewed scientific papers in the first five months of 2017 alone, catastrophic anthropogenic global warming does not exist.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Delingpole, James (June 6, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/06/delingpole-global-warming-is-myth-58-scientific-papers-2017/ DELINGPOLE: ‘Global Warming’ Is a Myth, Say 58 Scientific Papers in 2017]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 7, 2017.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; By October 2017, the number of peer-reviewed papers rejecting global warming had increased to 400.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Delingpole, James (October 24, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/10/24/delingpole-now-400-scientific-papers-in-2017-say-global-warming-is-a-myth/ Delingpole: Now 400 Scientific Papers in 2017 Say ‘Global Warming’ Is a Myth]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 24, 2017.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Past speculation===&lt;br /&gt;
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Speculation and warnings of catastrophic climate change are not unprecedented.  In 2001 the ''Guardian'' noted that some 70s headlines shouted, &amp;quot;Brace yourself for another ice age&amp;quot;. In 1971 the journal ''Science'' reported that the subsequent cooling effect resulting from a possible eightfold increased from atmospheric aerosol concentrations, &amp;quot;if sustained over a period of several years—is believed to be sufficient to trigger an ice age.&amp;quot; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;George, Alison (June 28, 2001).  [https://www.theguardian.com/science/2001/jun/28/physicalsciences.highereducation &amp;quot;Breaking the ice&amp;quot;].  The Guardian website.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.  See [[Guardian (UK)]].&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Richard Lindzen]] wrote in 1992 on the doubtfulness of man-caused warming on Earth.&lt;br /&gt;
{{Cquote|Indeed, a recent Gallup poll of climate scientists in the American Meteorological Society and in the American Geophysical Union shows that a vast majority doubts that there has been any identifiable man-caused warming to date (49 percent asserted no, 33 percent did not know, 18 percent thought some has occurred; however, among those actively involved in research and publishing frequently in peer-reviewed research journals, none believes that any man-caused global warming has been identified so far).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;cato&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
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Oddly enough, even though 82% of US climate scientists refused to support the global warming theory then, [[liberal]] activists were already claiming a scientific consensus for [[anthropogenic global warming]]. (It's hard to understand how 18 percent credence in ''any'' global warming translates into &amp;quot;consensus&amp;quot; support for ''human-caused'' global warming.)&lt;br /&gt;
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The campaign to convince the public (and their elected representatives) that the &amp;quot;science is settled&amp;quot; began in 1988 or 1989.&lt;br /&gt;
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By the 2008 elections both candidates for the Presidency of the United States were proposing plans to mitigate climate change.&lt;br /&gt;
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Over 31,000 American scientists have signed the petition rejecting global warming.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.petitionproject.org/ &amp;quot;Global warming petition project&amp;quot;] (2008).  Global Warming Petition Project.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Image:Teller_Card_100dpi.jpg|600px|center|thumb| Global Warming Petition]]&lt;br /&gt;
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In June, 1974, ''[[Time]]'' magazine published its front-page article, ''Science: Another Ice Age?'',&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Time&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; while a report by the [[CIA]] in the same year stated that, &amp;quot;The western world's leading climatologists have confirmed recent reports of a detrimental global climatic change”, noting such things as that the &amp;quot;world's snow and ice cover had increased by at least 10 to 15 percent&amp;quot;, and in the &amp;quot;Canadian area of [[Arctic]] Greenland, below normal temperatures were recorded for 19 consecutive months&amp;quot;, which was unique during the last 100 years.  A &amp;quot;major climatic shift&amp;quot; was speculated, which would threaten the &amp;quot;the stability of most nations.” It further warned that &amp;quot;Scientists are confident that unless man is able to effectively modify the climate, the northern regions, such as Canada&amp;quot; to &amp;quot;major areas in northern China, will again be covered with 100 to 200 feet of ice and snow&amp;quot;, within the next 2500 years—or sooner.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Central Intelligence Agency (August 1974).  [http://www.climatemonitor.it/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/1974.pdf ''A Study of Climatological Research as it Pertains to Intelligence Problems''], pp. 1, 5, 7, 16.  Retrieved from Climatemonitor [Italy] on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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Also in 1974, Nigel Calder, former editor of ''New Scientist'' and atmospheric researcher wrote in his book ''The Weather Machine'', &amp;quot;One might argue that there is a virtual certainty of the next ice age starting some time in the next 2000 years. Then the odds are only about 20-to-1 against it beginning in the next 100 years.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;
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In 1975 the liberal magazine ''[[Newsweek]]'' reported that &amp;quot;Meteorologists disagree about the cause and extent of the cooling trend,...but they are almost unanimous in the view that the trend will reduce agricultural productivity for the rest of the century.&amp;quot; These authorities were skeptical that political leaders would take any positive action to compensate for the [[climate change]], and they conceded that the more dramatic solutions, such as melting the arctic ice cap, might create worse problems than that which they were designed to solve.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Gwynne, Peter (April 28, 1975). [http://denisdutton.com/newsweek_coolingworld.pdf &amp;quot;The cooling world&amp;quot;].  ''Newsweek''.  Retrieved from DenisDutton.com on September 30, 2014.  Caution:  Copyrighted material; for fair educational use only.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Natural variability of the climate system===&lt;br /&gt;
It is virtually universally accepted amongst secular climatologists that the earth has experienced numerous [[Ice Age|ice age]]s over two million years, during which global temperatures fluctuated created glacial and inter-glacial periods. The frigid temperatures allowed ice sheets to expand southward, covering much of [[Asia]], [[Europe]], and [[North America]]. The cooling associated with ice ages is gradual, while the terminations are relatively rapid. However, even the rapid terminations of ice ages take centuries to millennia.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Natural climate change on other planets===&lt;br /&gt;
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Since the [[Viking spacecraft]] reached [[Mars]] in the 1970s until recent readings were taken, the average temperature on Mars has risen {{temperature|0.6|1.1}} just as the average temperature on the earth has risen.  Since human industrialization is clearly not to blame for the change on Mars, other causes are being considered.  One possibility is that dust storms are changing the albedo of the planet, allowing it to warm, while another possibility is that solar variations from the sun are causing the warming.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Multiple references:&lt;br /&gt;
*Than, Ker (April 4, 2007). [http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070404_gw_mars.html &amp;quot;Dust storms fuel global warming on Mars&amp;quot;].  Space.com.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.&lt;br /&gt;
*Taylor, James M. (November 1, 2005). [http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=17977 &amp;quot;Mars is warming, NASA scientists report&amp;quot;].  Heartlander Magazine.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Recently, it has also been found that similar to the Earth and Mars, [[Neptune]] is also undergoing global warming.  Measurements taken at the Lowell observatory in [[Arizona]] have shown an increase in Neptune's brightness and temperature since 1980 following the same pattern seen on Earth and Mars.  The researchers who discovered this warming suggest there may be a correlation between the warming and solar variations.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Hammel, H. B. and Lockwood, G. W. (April 8, 2007). [http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2007.../2006GL028764.shtml &amp;quot;Suggestive correlations between the brightness of Neptune, solar variability, and Earth's temperature&amp;quot;].  ''Geophysical Research Letters''.  Retrieved from Wiley Online Library on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Pluto]] has also been found to be undergoing global warming.  The overall temperature increase on Pluto has been greater than that on the earth.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Britt, Robert Roy (October 9, 2002).  [http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/pluto_warming_021009.html &amp;quot;Global warming on Pluto puzzles scientists&amp;quot;]. Space.com.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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On the other hand, [[Uranus]] has had no net change in temperature since 1977.  A rapid increase in temperature reversed itself.  The reasons for this are not understood.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Young, Leslie A., Bosh, Amanda S. et al. (October 2001). [http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~layoung/eprint/ur149/Young2001Uranus.pdf &amp;quot;Uranus after solstice:  Results from the 1998 November 6 occultation&amp;quot;].  ''Icarus'', vol. 153, iss. 2, pp. 236-247.  Retrieved from Southwest Research Institute [Boulder, CO] website on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Global temperatures change on other planets even when there is no life, something which strongly supports the idea that humans are not necessarily the cause of earth's global warming.  Moreover, the temperature on Uranus has fluctuated back and forth.  There is no reason that fluctuations cannot occur on earth, too.&lt;br /&gt;
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Although measurements have been made of the temperatures of other planets these are by no means thorough or comparable with the measurements used for earth. The short space of time over which measurements have been taken and the very limited spatial coverage means that reliable average figures have not been obtained. They have certainly not been taken extensively enough to produce a five-year average temperature, which is the standard when determining temperature trends on earth. &lt;br /&gt;
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However, if accurate measurements could be made, and their accuracy and reliability is improving over time, then they may prove useful to climate science. Their different atmospheres and distances from the sun provide natural laboratories to study climatic changes without human influences. Though of course they will not be directly comparable due to the vast differences.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Al Gore's claims===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Gore GlobalWarming.jpg|right|200px]]&lt;br /&gt;
The decision by the government to distribute Al Gore's film, ''An Inconvenient Truth'', became the subject of a legal challenge by [[New Party]] member Stewart Dimmock. A school governor from Dover and father of two, Dimmock charged the Government with brainwashing children with propaganda by presenting Gore's sci-fi film as science. In October 2007, Mr Justice Burton of London's High Court found that while the film was &amp;quot;broadly accurate&amp;quot;, it contained nine significant errors,“in which statements were made that were not supported by the current mainstream scientific consensus”, some of which had arisen in “the context of alarmism and exaggeration”. He also found the Guidance Notes drafted by the Education Secretary's advisers only worked to exacerbate the political propaganda in the film.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Multiple references:&lt;br /&gt;
*Sheppard, Marc (July 14, 2009).  [https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/07/clearly_its_al_gore_whos_in_de.html &amp;quot;Clearly it's Al Gore who's in denial&amp;quot;].  American Thinker.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.&lt;br /&gt;
*Smith, Lewis (October 11, 2007).  [https://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/law/article2210175.ece &amp;quot;Al Gore’s inconvenient judgment&amp;quot;].  The Times website.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.  Fee required to see article.&lt;br /&gt;
*Smith, Lewis (October 11, 2007).  [http://www.uio.no/studier/emner/matnat/ifi/MNSES9100/h11/undervisningsmateriale/literature/Al%20Gore%E2%80%99s%20inconvenient%20judgement%20times%202007.pdf &amp;quot;Al Gore’s inconvenient judgment&amp;quot;].  The Times website.  Retrieved from University of Oslo/Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science website on October 1, 2014.  Caution:  Copyrighted; for fair educational use only.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Taken from the official transcript,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Burton, Mr Justice Michael (October 10, 2007). [http://noteviljustwrong.com/images/nejw/docs/22161.pdf &amp;quot;Stuart Dimmock and Secretary of State for Education and Skills&amp;quot;].  United Kingdom of Great Britain's High Court of Justice/Queen's Bench Division/Administrative Court.  Retrieved from Not Evil Just Wrong on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; the nine errors the judge found were:&lt;br /&gt;
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*1. Sea  level  rise  of  up  to  20  feet  (7 metres) will  be  caused  by melting  of either West Antarctica or Greenland in the near future. This is distinctly alarmist, and part of Mr Gore's 'wake-up call'. It is common ground that if indeed Greenland melted, it would release this amount of water, but only after, and  over,  millennia,  so  that  the  Armageddon  scenario  he  predicts,  insofar  as  it suggests that sea level rises of 7 metres might occur in the immediate future, is not in line with the scientific consensus.  &lt;br /&gt;
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*2. Low  lying  inhabited  Pacific  atolls  are  being  inundated  because  of anthropogenic global warming. In scene 20, Mr Gore states &amp;quot;that's why the citizens of these Pacific nations have all had to evacuate to New Zealand&amp;quot;. There is no evidence of any such evacuation having yet happened. &lt;br /&gt;
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*3. Shutting down of the &amp;quot;Ocean Conveyor&amp;quot;. According  to  the  IPCC,  it  is  very  unlikely  that  the  Ocean  Conveyor (known  technically  as  the  Meridional  Overturning  Circulation  or  thermohaline circulation)  will  shut  down  in  the  future,  though  it  is  considered  likely  that thermohaline circulation may slow down. &lt;br /&gt;
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*4. Direct coincidence between rise in CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; in the atmosphere and in temperature, by reference to two graphs. In scenes 8 and 9, Mr Gore shows  two graphs relating  to a period of 650,000 years, one  showing  rise  in  CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;  and  one  showing  rise  in  temperature,  and  asserts  (by ridiculing  the  opposite  view)  that  they  show  an  exact  fit. Although  there  is  general scientific agreement  that  there  is a connection,  the  two graphs do not establish what Mr Gore asserts. &lt;br /&gt;
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*5. The snows of Kilimanjaro. The film asserted that melting snows on Mount Kilimanjaro evidenced global warming. The Government's expert was had to admit that this is not correct. Mr  Gore  asserts  in  scene  7  that  the  disappearance  of  snow  on Mt  Kilimanjaro  is expressly  attributable  to  global  warming.  It  is  noteworthy  that  this  is  a  point  that specifically  impressed Mr Milliband  (see  the  press  release  quoted  at  paragraph  6 above). However, it is common ground that, the scientific consensus is that it cannot be established that the recession of snows on Mt Kilimanjaro is mainly attributable to human-induced climate change.  &lt;br /&gt;
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*6. Lake Chad etc. The drying up of Lake Chad  is used  as  a prime  example of  a  catastrophic  result of global  warming.  However,  it  is  generally  accepted  that  the  evidence  remains insufficient to establish such an attribution. It is apparently considered to be far more likely  to result from other factors, such as population  increase and over-grazing, and regional climate variability.  &lt;br /&gt;
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*7. Hurricane Katrina. In  scene  12  Hurricane  Katrina  and  the  consequent  devastation  in  New  Orleans  is ascribed to global warming. It is common ground that there is insufficient evidence to show that. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*8. Death of polar bears. In scene 16, by reference to a dramatic graphic of a polar bear desperately swimming through  the water  looking  for  ice, Mr Gore says: &amp;quot;A new scientific study shows  that for  the  first  time  they are  finding polar bears  that have actually drowned swimming long distances up to 60 miles to find the ice. They did not find that before.&amp;quot; The only scientific  study  that  either  side  before me  can  find  is  one which  indicates  that  four polar bears have recently been found drowned because of a storm.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*9. Coral reefs. In scene 19, Mr Gore says: &amp;quot;Coral reefs all over the world because of global warming and  other  factors  are  bleaching  and  they  end  up  like  this. All  the  fish  species  that depend on  the coral reef are also  in  jeopardy as a result. Overall specie loss  is now occurring at a rate 1000 times greater than the natural background rate.&amp;quot; The actual scientific view, as recorded in the IPCC report, is that, if the temperature were to rise by 1-3 degrees Centigrade,  there would be  increased coral bleaching and widespread coral  mortality,  unless  corals  could  adapt or climatize, but  that  separating  the impacts  of  climate  change-related  stresses  from  other  stresses,  such  as  over-fishing and polluting, is difficult. &lt;br /&gt;
  &lt;br /&gt;
Dimmock's lawyer, Mr. Downes,  argued that by schools making available such film to its teachers, and if teachers then showed such  film  to  their pupils, then  this would inevitably result &amp;quot;in  the promotion of partisan political views  in  the  teaching of any  subject  in  the  school, which  is  thus not only not being forbidden  by  the  local  education  authority  (and  the  DES), but  being  positively facilitated by them.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mr Justice Barton stressed that the “apocalyptic vision” presented in the film was politically partisan and not an impartial analysis of the science of climate change. “It is now common ground that it is not simply a science film—although it is clear that it is based substantially on scientific research and opinion—but that it is a political film.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Justice Barton also stated that, “I conclude that the claimant substantially won this case by virtue of my finding that, but for the new guidance note, the film would have been distributed in breach of sections 406 and 407 of the 1996 Education Act.”&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7037671.stm &amp;quot;Gore climate film's nine 'errors'&amp;quot;] (October 11, 2007).  BBC News website.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In order for the film to be shown, the Government must first amend their Guidance Notes to Teachers to make clear that &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*1.  The Film is a political work and promotes only one side of the argument. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*2. If teachers present the Film without making this plain they may be in breach of section 406 of the Education Act 1996 and guilty of political indoctrination. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*3.  Nine inaccuracies have to be specifically drawn to the attention of school children.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.newparty.co.uk/articles/inaccuracies-gore.html &amp;quot;Inaccuracies in Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth'&amp;quot;] (October 2007).  The New Party [U.K.].  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Science and Public Policy took issue with the response to the ruling by Al Gore's spokesman and  environment adviser, and asserted that his film contains ''35 Inconvenient Truths''.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Monckton, Christopher (October 19, 2007).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20140915002809/http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/monckton/goreerrors.html &amp;quot;35 inconvenient truths: The errors in Al Gore's movie&amp;quot;].  The Science and Public Policy Institute website.  Retrieved from September 15, 2014 archive at Internet Archive on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Regarding his claims that the snow cap atop Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro is shrinking and that global warming is to blame, the November 23, 2003, issue of ''Nature'' magazine stated,&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:Although it's tempting to blame the ice loss on global warming, researchers think that deforestation of the mountain's foothills is the more likely culprit. Without the forests' humidity, previously moisture-laden winds blew dry. No longer replenished with water, the ice is evaporating in the strong equatorial sunshine.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many conservatives see Al Gore as an example of [[liberals]] using [[deceit]]ful tactics in important debates, in order to make a position seem more solid than it is.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Scientists===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:Rogerrevelle.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Roger Revelle]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
| valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;35%&amp;quot;|&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Roger Revelle]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Achim Steiner]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Fred Singer]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Richard Lindzen]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sallie Baliunas]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Lonnie Thompson]]&lt;br /&gt;
| valign=&amp;quot;top&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;33%&amp;quot;|&lt;br /&gt;
* [[James E. Hansen]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Michael Mann]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Charles Keeling]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado]]&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Hal Lewis====&lt;br /&gt;
[[Liberal]] claims of global warming led to the resignation in October 2010 by Professor Hal Lewis from The American Physical Society because of &amp;quot;the global warming scam, with the (literally) trillions of dollars driving it, that has corrupted so many scientists, and has carried APS before it like a rogue wave. '''It is the greatest and most successful pseudoscientific fraud I have seen in my long life as a physicist'''.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Lewis, Hal (October 8, 2010).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20140212001321/http://www.thegwpf.org/hal-lewis-my-resignation-from-the-american-physical-society/ &amp;quot;Hal Lewis:  My resignation from the American Physical Society&amp;quot;].  The Global Warming Policy Foundation website.  Retrieved from February 12, 2014 archive at Internet Archive on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Critique of the &amp;quot;Hockey Stick&amp;quot; reconstruction===&lt;br /&gt;
::''See also : [[Climategate#Hockey Stick Graph|Climategate: hockey stick graph]]''&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;small&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*Shabecoff, Philip, [https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/26/us/us-data-since-1895-fail-to-show-warming-trend.html U.S. Data Since 1895 Fail To Show Warming Trend]&amp;quot;, ''New York Times'', January 26, 1989&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://blogs.nature.com/climatefeedback/2007/05/the_decay_of_the_hockey_stick.html The Decay of the Hockey Stick by Von Storch] published on the journal ''Nature'''s blog, May 3, 2007.&lt;br /&gt;
*Stephen McIntyre and Ross McKitrick, &amp;quot;[http://climateaudit.files.wordpress.com/2005/09/mcintyre.mckitrick.2003.pdf Corrections To The Mann et. al. (1998) Proxy Data Base And Northern Hemispheric Average Temperature Series], ''Energy &amp;amp; Enviornment'' volume 14, 2003.&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/13830/ A Global Warming Bombshell] by Richard A. Muller, ''Technology Review'' , Oct. 2004; calls into question famous graph by Michael Mann.&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/306/5696/679 Reconstructing Past Climate from Noisy Data] by Hans von Storch, Eduardo Zorita, Julie M. Jones, Yegor Dimitriev, Fidel González-Rouco, Simon F. B. Tett, ''Science'' magazine, 22 October 2004.&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.image.ucar.edu/~boli/manuscripts/2007-LNA-TeA.pdf The ‘hockey stick’ and the 1990s: a statistical perspective on reconstructing hemispheric temperatures] by Bo Li, Douglas W. Nychka and Casper M. Ammann, ''Institute for Mathmatics Applied to Geosciences''; (Manuscript received 22 March 2007; in final form 28 June 2007).&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/2006_articles/IceCoreSprg97.pdf Ice Core Data Show No Carbon Dioxide Increase] by Zbigniew Jaworowski, Ph.D., Spring 1997; this article examines one of the main pillars of the global warming thesis.&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://climateaudit.files.wordpress.com/2005/09/mcintyre.ee.2005.pdf The M&amp;amp;M Critique of the MBH98 Northern Hemisphere Climate Index: Update and Implications] (''Energy &amp;amp; Environment'', vol. 16, no. 1, pp.&amp;amp;nbsp;69–100, January 2005) - Stephen McIntyre, Ross McKitrick&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://climateaudit.files.wordpress.com/2005/09/mcintyre.grl.2005.pdf Hockey sticks, principal components, and spurious significance] (''Geophysical Research Letters'', vol. 32, February 2005) - Stephen McIntyre, Ross McKitrick&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Dalmia, Shikha (December 2, 2009).  [https://www.forbes.com/2009/12/01/climategate-scandal-science-obama-opinions-columnists-shikha-dalmia.html &amp;quot;Cringing over Climategate&amp;quot;].  Forbes website.  Retrieved on September 25, 2014.&lt;br /&gt;
*Taylor, James (November 23, 2011).  [https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamestaylor/2011/11/23/climategate-2-0-new-e-mails-rock-the-global-warming-debate/ &amp;quot;Climategate 2.0: New e-mails rock the global warming debate&amp;quot;]. Forbes website.  Retrieved on September 25, 2014.&lt;br /&gt;
*Bailey, Ronald (December 26, 2012).  [http://reason.com/blog/2012/12/26/34-years-of-satellite-temperature-data-s &amp;quot;34 years of satellite temperature data show global warming is on a plateau&amp;quot;].  Hit &amp;amp; Run Blog/Reason.com.  Retrieved on September 25, 2014.&lt;br /&gt;
*Cole, Steve and McCarthy, Leslie (January 12, 2011).  [https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2010-warmest-year.html &amp;quot;NASA research finds 2010 tied for warmest year on record&amp;quot;].  NASA website.  Retrieved on September 25, 2014.&lt;br /&gt;
*Tisdale, Bob (August 10, 2012).  [http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/08/10/not-hot-ocean-sst-around-the-usa-not-anywhere-near-record-levels/ &amp;quot;Not so hot—ocean temperatures around the USA are not anywhere near record levels&amp;quot;].  Watts Up with That?  Retrieved on September 25, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/small&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Effects of global warming==&lt;br /&gt;
===Beneficial effects of global warming===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Autumn foliage.jpg|thumb|Canoing on a Colorful Day, (NY).]]&lt;br /&gt;
Some researchers point out that benefits of health global warming have been overlooked, or minimized. As far back as 1996, Thomas Gale Moore, Senior Fellow at Hoover Institution (Stanford University) contended that positive health and amenity effects would be a result of projected increases in temperature.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Moore, Thomas Gale (May 30, 1996).  [http://www.stanford.edu/~moore/health.html &amp;quot;Health and amenity effects of global warming&amp;quot;].  Stanford University/Thomas Gale Moore webpage.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Another source notes,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://web.archive.org/web/20081223011000/http://www.bionomicfuel.com/what-are-the-benefits-of-global-warming/ &amp;quot;What are the benefits of global warming?&amp;quot;] (November 3, 2008).  Bionomicfuel.com.  Retrieved from December 21, 2008 archive at Internet Archive on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;In areas that see extreme cold temperatures, deaths related to colder weather would drop significantly, leading to decreased health care costs, while areas that already have hot climates will see no increase. Warmer temperatures would also mean less energy use to heat homes and buildings, helping to conserve energy as cooling is much more energy efficient. With the changes brought about by global warming more land that is not lost to desert and/or rising sea levels would become available for uses like farming and living. Forests and plants would grow stronger, healthier, and more abundant because of the warmer weather, and this would mean more oxygen being released into the atmosphere.&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Reported effects of global warming===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Reported past or expected/possible future environmental and societal consequences of man-made global warming include global cooling,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;72Jag (August 25, 2014).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20090827143311/http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/global-warming-causing-global-cooling &amp;quot;Is global warming causing global cooling?&amp;quot;] NowPublic.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; decreased food production,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Fred Pearce (April 26, 2005).  [http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7310-climate-change-warning-over-food-production.html &amp;quot;Climate change warning over food production&amp;quot;]  Newscientist website.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; increased food production,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Booth, William (May 17, 1990). [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1127111.html &amp;quot;Global heating could benefit U.S. farmers; prices seen rising as production falls&amp;quot;].  ''The Washington Post''.  Retrieved from HighBeam Research website on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; shrinking forest.,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Adam, David (March 11, 2009).  [http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/mar/11/amazon-global-warming-trees/print &amp;quot;Amazon could shrink by 85% due to climate change&amp;quot;].  Theguardian [U. K.].  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.  See [[The Guardian]].&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; increased tree foliage,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.greenfingers.com/articledisplay.asp?id=1734 &amp;quot;Global warming causes greening&amp;quot;] (2008).  Greenfingers.com.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; increased productivity of high-elevation forests,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Oregon State University (Oct. 20, 2009). [https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019163020.htm &amp;quot;Global warming may spur increased growth in Pacific northwest forests&amp;quot;].  ScienceDaily.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; melting glaciers.,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Asian News International (June 6, 2007).  [http://www.andhranews.net/Intl/2007/June/6/Global-warming-causing-3633.asp &amp;quot;Global warming causing hundreds of Antarctic Peninsula glaciers to melt&amp;quot;].  AndhraNews.net.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; growing glaciers,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/global-warming-causing-california-glacier-to-grow-scientists-say-1.749761?ref=rss &amp;quot;Global warming causing California glacier to grow, scientists say&amp;quot;] (July 9, 2008).  CBCnews.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.  Located by Sub-Driver of [http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2043047/posts?page=51 Free Republic].&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; increasing landmass in Antarctica,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.worldclimatereport.com/index.php/2005/05/27/antarctic-ice-a-global-warming-snow-job/ &amp;quot;Antarctic ice:  A global warming snow job?&amp;quot;] (May 27, 2005).  World Climate Report.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; colder winters,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/climate-change-could-bring-colder-winters-1.363574 &amp;quot;Climate change could bring colder winters&amp;quot;] (March 13, 2003).  CBCNews.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; a new ice age,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;McGuire, Bill (November 13, 2003).  [http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2003/nov/13/comment.research &amp;quot;Will global warming trigger a new ice age?&amp;quot;]  The Guardian website.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; prevention of an ice age,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Thompson, Andrea (September 10, 2007).  [https://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,296060,00.html &amp;quot;Global warming may cancel next ice age&amp;quot;].  Fox News website.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; taller mountains.,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Than, Ker (August 4, 2006).  [http://www.livescience.com/938-taller-mountains-blamed-global-warming.html &amp;quot;Taller mountains blamed on global warming, too&amp;quot;].  LiveScience.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; a lop-sided planet,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Britt, Robert Roy (June 29, 2005). [http://www.livescience.com/3884-global-warming-create-lopsided-planet.html &amp;quot;Global warming might create lopsided planet&amp;quot;].  LiveScience.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; stronger hurricanes,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Florida State University (Sep. 4, 2008).  [https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134323.htm &amp;quot;Global warming: Warmer seas linked to strengthening hurricanes, according to new research&amp;quot;].  ScienceDaily.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; weaker hurricanes,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Schmid, Randolph E., AP Science Writer (April 17, 2007).  [http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/research/2007-04-17-globalwarming-hurricanes_N.htm &amp;quot;Study: Global warming may diminish Atlantic hurricane activity&amp;quot;].  USA Today.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; shorter days,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Atkins, William (April 11, 2007).  [http://www.itwire.com/science-news/climate/11220-researchers-say-global-warming-should-cause-shorter-days &amp;quot;Researchers say global warming should cause shorter days&amp;quot;]. iTWire.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; earthquakes and volcanoes, and other geological disasters. Attempts to prevent climate change may do the same,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Fisher, Richard.  (September 23, 2009).  [http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327273.800-climate-change-may-trigger-earthquakes-and-volcanoes.html &amp;quot;Climate change may trigger earthquakes and volcanoes&amp;quot; [preview&amp;amp;#93;].  Newscientist website.  Preview retrieved on October 2, 2014.  Subscription required for full article.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; shrinking brains,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.albany.edu/campusnews/releases_286.htm &amp;quot;Study: Global warming could be reversing a trend that led to bigger human brains&amp;quot;] (March 15, 2007).  State University of New York at Albany.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; shrinking sheep,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Connor, Steve (July 3, 2009). [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/how-global-warming-shrank-st-kildas-sheep-1729609.html &amp;quot;How global warming shrank St Kilda's sheep&amp;quot;].  The Independent [U. K.] website.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; tiger attacks.,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Dhar, Sujoy (October 20, 2008). [http://southasia.oneworld.net/news/tiger-attacks-linked-to-global-warming &amp;quot;Tiger attacks linked to global warming&amp;quot;].  Reuters.  Retrieved from OneWorld South Asia on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; shark attacks,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Johnston, Bruce (August 31, 1998).  [http://junksciencearchive.com/news3/shark.html &amp;quot;Shark attack on boat 'result of global warming'&amp;quot;].  Electronic Telegraph (U.K.)  Retrieved from JunkScienceArchive on October 3, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; walrus stampede deaths,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Associated Press (December 17, 2007).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20141003042107/http://6abc.com/archive/5839622/ &amp;quot;Global warming is blamed for walrus stampede deaths&amp;quot;].  6abc Action News website.  Retrieved from October 3, 2014 archive at Internet Archive on October 3, 2014.  Located by digger48 of [http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1939754/posts Free Republic]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; imminent cannibalism,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Baker, Brent (April 2, 2008).  [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2008/04/02/turner-iraqi-insurgents-patriots-inaction-warming-cannibalism &amp;quot;Turner: Global warming will cause mass cannibalism, insurgents are patriots&amp;quot;].  MRC NewsBusters.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; the need for a drastic reduction of the earth's population,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://thisistheendoftheworldasweknowit.com/archives/one-less-child-environmental-extremists-warn-that-overpopulation-is-causing-climate-change-and-will-ultimately-destroy-the-earth &amp;quot;One less child? Environmental extremists warn that overpopulation is causing climate change and will ultimately destroy the Earth&amp;quot;] (November 17, 2009).  The End of the World.  Retrieved on October 2, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; a strong increase in people dying of [[AIDS]],&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;McLean, Tamara (April 29, 2008).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20110831093248/http://news.theage.com.au/national/global-warming-set-to-fan-the-hiv-fire-20080430-29eh.html &amp;quot;Global warming hoax set to fan the HIV fire&amp;quot;].  Theage.com.au.  Retrieved from August 31, 2011 archive at Internet Archive on October 1, 2014.  Located by&lt;br /&gt;
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110725075338/http://www.skepticsglobalwarming.com/?p=608 Skeptics Global Warning].&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; increased risk of civil war in Africa,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/november23/climate-civil-wars-112309.html &amp;quot;Global warming increases risk of civil war in Africa&amp;quot;] (November 23, 2009).  Stanford Report.  Retrieved from Stanford News on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; child ''climate cops'',&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&amp;amp;pageId=70811 &amp;quot;Beware your children: They might be 'climate cops'&amp;quot;] (July 28, 2008).  WND.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; increase in depression,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Sohn, Emily (December 10, 2009). [http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Deadly+heat+waves%2C+home-wrecking+hurricanes%22&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;gbv=2&amp;amp;oq=&amp;amp;gs_l=  “Mental health to decline with climate change”].  Discovery.com News.  Retrieved from Google Search on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; increase in psychiatric illness&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Press Trust of India (April 8, 2008).  [http://www.sify.com/news/climate-change-leads-to-psychiatric-illness-news-national-jegnGhfjihasi.html &amp;quot;'Climate change leads to psychiatric illness'&amp;quot;].  Sify News.  Retrieved on October 1, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and increased anxiety and loss of sleep among many children.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Jones, Alan (February 22, 2007).  [http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/children-losing-sleep-over-global-warming-1-683217 &amp;quot;Children losing sleep over global warming&amp;quot;].  The Scotsman website.  Retrieved on September 30, 2014.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== See also ==&lt;br /&gt;
*''[[Massachusetts v. EPA]]'' &lt;br /&gt;
*[[Liberal hysteria#Global Warming Derangement Syndrome|Global Warming Derangement Syndrome]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Socialist Environmental Disasters]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Counterexamples to Global Warming]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Winter of 2010]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Reducing carbon dioxide emissions]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Essay:Global Warming]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Essay:Parallels between evolution and global warming]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Exaggeration of global warming]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Global warming and polar bears]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Global climate disruption]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Global warming research]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Global annual average temperature]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Warm period]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Liberal lies]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[War on Science]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.creationworldview.org/articles_view.asp?id=67 Global Warming? Absolutely No Truth To It!]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/global-warming/ What Liberals Say - Category: Global Warming], [[Accuracy In Media]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://global-warming.accuweather.com/2007/12/attempting_to_stop_global_warm_1.html Attempting to Stop Global Warming is Futile and a Mistake, says letter to the UN]&lt;br /&gt;
*[https://www.icr.org/creation-meteorology Clinate Change] by The Institute for Creation Research&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,2032821,00.html The appliance of science] by Mike Hulme.&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/regv15n2/reg15n2g.html Global Warming: The Origin and Nature of the Alleged Scientific Consensus] - [[Richard S. Lindzen]], Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?issueID=47&amp;amp;articleID=604 &amp;quot;Should We Have Acted Thirty Years Ago to Prevent Climate Change?&amp;quot;, by Randall G. Holcombe].&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?issueID=25&amp;amp;articleID=296 &amp;quot;After Kyoto: A Global Scramble for Advantage,&amp;quot; by Bruce Yandle].&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=2319 The physical evidence of earth's unstoppable 1,500-year climate cycle]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.independent.org/publications/article.asp?id=1714 &amp;quot;Is There a Basis for Global Warming Alarm?&amp;quot;, by Richard Lindzen]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.independent.org/publications/policy_reports/detail.asp?type=full&amp;amp;id=5 &amp;quot;New Perspectives in Climate Change: What the EPA Isn’t Telling Us&amp;quot;]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=17181 Survey Shows Climatologists Are Split on Global Warming]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.magma.ca/~hurleyp/FightingTheHoax.htm Fighting the Hoax]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.globalwarminghoax.com/news.php Refuting the Myth of Man-made Global Warming]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.climateaudit.org Climate Audit], Steve McIntyre's blog&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.realclimate.org Real Climate], blog by a group of climatologists including Michael Mann&lt;br /&gt;
*[https://www.americanthinker.com/2009/01/co2_fairytales_in_global_warmi.html &amp;quot;CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; Fairytales in Global Warming&amp;quot;]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/warmlist.htm A complete list of things caused by global warming]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/11/hackers-prove-global-warming-is-scam.html Hackers Prove Global Warming Is A Scam]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/266930/i-dont-believe-science-daniel-greenfield]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{liberalism}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Climategate scandal}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Earth Sciences]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Environmentalism]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Liberal Bias]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Liberal Falsehoods]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Featured articles]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Man-Made Disasters]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Conservative_vs._liberal&amp;diff=1771423</id>
		<title>Conservative vs. liberal</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Conservative_vs._liberal&amp;diff=1771423"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T21:41:40Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: A clarification&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[File:Russell Kirk in 1962.JPG|thumbnail|200px|[[Russell Kirk]] was an American political theorist, conservative intellectual, historian of ideas, social critic, and man of letters, who is best known for his role in the American conservative movement. ]]&lt;br /&gt;
Numerous differences exist between [[conservative]]s and [[liberal]]s. This article compares the two ideologies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Liberalism and conservatism are two opposing ideologies of two different words, one of which is much smoother with its &amp;quot;-ism&amp;quot; suffix.  While there are no definitive or official texts for either, it is usually believed that liberalism connotes the belief that new is always better than old and that history is irrelevant to the present, while conservatism states just the opposite.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;Liberalism.&amp;quot;  ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 17th edition.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  It could also be described that liberalism is the force of change, and conservatism is the force of preservation.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;''The American Collegiate Dictionary''.  Merriam-Webster, 1959.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  However, in a society in which very much change is the spread of perverted beliefs, diminishing morals, and deceptive indoctrination, it can be that liberalism is the belief which supports such things, and conservatism that which seeks to keep peace and righteousness, even if that does become the change that occurs.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Buckley, William F.  ''Up From Liberalism''.  [[William F. Buckley, Jr.]] is often considered a leading conservative authority.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Both sides, as ideologies, enjoy claiming to be the force of reason.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
__TOC__&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In American politics, parties are often generalized as supporting one cause or the other, and labeled as red or blue.  The two ideologies are also made linear by the use of the terms &amp;quot;left&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;right.&amp;quot;  This is illustrated by the chart below.&lt;br /&gt;
{|&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|'''l'''iberal&lt;br /&gt;
|conservative&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|'''l'''eft&lt;br /&gt;
|'''r'''ight&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|Democrat&lt;br /&gt;
|'''R'''epublican&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|blue&lt;br /&gt;
|'''r'''ed&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
==Conservatism==&lt;br /&gt;
{{See also|Conservative}}&lt;br /&gt;
Conservatives often wished to be defined as something other than the opposition to the more visible force of liberalism, not to be the background on which it occurs.  If conservatism were to define itself as an ideology, it would likely be related to certain more defined ones, such as the Judeo-Christian doctrine expounded in the Bible, the idea of classical liberalism as supported by [[Socrates]] and [[Plato]] but not [[Aristotle]], and the principles of such men as the modern conservatives [[Edmund Burke]], [[William F. Buckley, Jr.]], or the scholarly Christian ancients [[St. Augustine]] and [[Thomas Aquinas]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;Liberalism.&amp;quot;  ''The Great Conversation''.  Great Books of the Western World, 2.  ''Britannica''.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  Other notable American conservatives include [[Donald Trump]], [[Clarence Thomas]], [[Phyllis Schlafly]], [[Larry McDonald]], [[Patrick Buchanan]], [[Steve King]], [[Tucker Carlson]], and [[Ann Coulter]]. Conservatives outside the U.S. include [[Nigel Farage]], [[Matteo Salvini]], [[Jair Bolsonaro]], [[Santiago Abascal]] and [[José Antonio Kast]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Conservative values===&lt;br /&gt;
{{See also|Conservative values}}&lt;br /&gt;
Conservatives support the [[nation-state]] and [[national sovereignty]] as important principles, along with strong [[immigration]] laws. They support constitutional [[originalism]] and [[textualism]] and oppose [[judicial activism]]. They generally support the encouragement of [[Christian]] and [[Patriotism|patriotic]] values in the United States, [[capitalism]] and the [[free market]], and the [[right to bear arms]].  Conservatives typically believe that the only couples that can bear children are those of a man and a woman, and that thus the union between them is sacred.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Walsh, Matt.  &amp;quot;Yes, Gay Marriage Hurts Me Personally.&amp;quot;  Warning: contains harsh expletives in quoting an attack by a liberal. https://www.theblaze.com/contributions/yes-gay-marriage-hurts-me-personally/.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  To conservatives, who reject [[junk science]], gender in humans is determined by the presence or lack of a Y-chromosome.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;MasteringBiology.&amp;quot;  ''Pearson''.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;Genetics 101: All About DNA.&amp;quot; https://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/blog/genetics-101-all-about-dna/&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Liberalism==&lt;br /&gt;
{{See also|Liberalism|Liberal}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:President Barack Obama.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|[[Barack Hussein Obama]] was one of the most liberal presidents in the U.S. history.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Liberalism, if it is all the ideology that supports change, has no consistent ideals throughout history, but this does not bother it, as it generally ignores history.  Identifying its particulars cannot be done based on the literal meaning of the word, &amp;quot;the belief in freedom,&amp;quot; because in the present context, liberals often suppress freedom of speech, freedom of the Second Amendment, and in the case of recent judicial activism, the freedom to use executive powers granted by the Constitution and to fulfill one's duty to protect one's country.  While the drafters of the Constitution are often regarded as liberals, as they were in support of change and freedom, their ideology is often in conflict with the liberals of today.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Liberal values===&lt;br /&gt;
{{See also|Liberal values}}&lt;br /&gt;
In a present context, the liberal, or left-wing, stance on current issues is as follows:&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals support [[big government]] and the [[Nanny State]]&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals support [[open borders]] and [[globalism]], and are friendly toward the concept of &amp;quot;[[World government|global governance]]&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals oppose the [[right to life]] for [[unborn]] children, yet conversely oppose the [[death penalty]] for convicted murderers&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals support homosexual &amp;quot;marriage&amp;quot; while seeking to destroy the institution of marriage altogether&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals support a subjective &amp;quot;[[Living Constitution]]&amp;quot; ideology over an [[Originalism|originalist]]/[[Textualism|textualist]] philosophy&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals oppose [[parental rights]] and seek to usurp those rights, destroy the family and replace it with big government as the minder and primary educator of children&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals oppose homeschooling and [[school choice]], yet have no desire to reform the broken and corrupted public education system&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals oppose the right to keep children safe from pornography&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals support legalizing all forms of mind-numbing and mind-altering drugs and chemicals on the federal level&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals support &amp;quot;[[affirmative action]],&amp;quot; i.e., the granting of special &amp;quot;rights&amp;quot; to minority groups and women&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals oppose the [[Second Amendment]], [[Tenth Amendment]], and support restrictions on the [[First Amendment]] against conservatives&lt;br /&gt;
*Liberals worship the devil&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Conservative vs. liberal birth rates ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''See also:'' [[Religious conservatism and politics]] and [[Culture war]] and [[Religious right]] and [[Desecularization]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Religious conservatism is a big driver of [[social conservatism]].  Religious conservatism is growing in the world and it is affecting politics (see: [[Religious conservatism and politics]]). &lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:Baby.jpg|right|thumb|250px|An unborn child in the womb. Liberals believe that the unborn child has no right to life, while they hypocritically oppose the death penalty for murderers and conversely believe that criminals should have more rights than the people they victimize.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Birkbeck College, University of London professor [[Eric Kaufmann]] wrote in his 2010 book ''Shall the Righteous Inherit the Earth?'' concerning the [[United States]]:&lt;br /&gt;
{{cquote|High [[evangelical Christians|evangelical]] fertility rates more than compensated for losses to [[liberal Christianity|liberal Protestant]] sects during the twentieth century. In recent decades, white [[secularism]] has surged, but Latino and Asian religious immigration has taken up the slack, keeping secularism at bay. Across denominations, the fertility advantage of religious [[fundamentalism|fundamentalists]] of all colours is significant and growing. After 2020, their demographic weight will begin to tip the balance in the culture wars towards the conservative side, ramping up pressure on hot-button issues such as [[abortion]]. By the end of the century, three quarters of America may be pro-life. Their activism will leap over the borders of the 'Redeemer Nation' to evangelize the world. Already, the rise of the World Congress of Families has launched a global [[religious right]], its arms stretching across the bloody lines of the War on Terror to embrace the entire [[Abraham]]ic family.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-is-year-2020-key-year-for-christian.html Why is the year 2020 a key year for Christian creationists and pro-lifers?]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At a conference, Kaufmann said of religious demographic projections concerning the 21st century, &amp;quot;Religious fundamentalism is going to be on the increase in the future and not just out there in the developing world..., but in the developed world as well.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7vCDeKPRSo Eric Kaufmann - Religion, Demography and Politics in the 21st Century]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A [[Islam|Muslim]] interviewed by a British journalist said she thought [[Homosexuality|homosexuals]] &amp;quot;are a lost cause&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8vvHMYPHY4 'Gays are a Lost Cause' Says Moderate Muslim]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Similarities between Communism, Nazism and liberalism]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Nationalism vs. globalism]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Liberalism]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Conservatism]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771352</id>
		<title>User:ConCad</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771352"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T16:47:27Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: Addition&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Userboxtop|ConCad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Christian2}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Christian1}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User straightforwardbiblereading}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Not Obama}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Youngearth}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Israel}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Userboxbottom}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==About me:==&lt;br /&gt;
Since my conversion experience I am a devout christian, who currently lives in Bregenz, Austria. I hope I can help with the maintenance of the wiki.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Those I Admire == &lt;br /&gt;
*[[Margaret Thatcher]] -for her outstanding economic principles&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ronald Reagan]] -pretty self-explanatory&lt;br /&gt;
*[[George Washington]] for founding the greatest nation earth&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ben Shapiro]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771351</id>
		<title>User:ConCad</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771351"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T16:46:49Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: correction&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Userboxtop|ConCad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Christian2}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User straightforwardbiblereading}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Not Obama}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Youngearth}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Israel}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User atheist}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Userboxbottom}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==About me:==&lt;br /&gt;
Since my conversion experience I am a devout christian, who currently lives in Bregenz, Austria. I hope I can help with the maintenance of the wiki.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Those I Admire == &lt;br /&gt;
*[[Margaret Thatcher]] -for her outstanding economic principles&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ronald Reagan]] -pretty self-explanatory&lt;br /&gt;
*[[George Washington]] for founding the greatest nation earth&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ben Shapiro]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771350</id>
		<title>User:ConCad</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771350"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T16:46:21Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: addition&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Userboxtop|ConCad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Christian2}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User straightforwardbiblereading}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Not Obama}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Youngearth}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Israel}}&lt;br /&gt;
((User atheist))&lt;br /&gt;
{{Userboxbottom}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==About me:==&lt;br /&gt;
Since my conversion experience I am a devout christian, who currently lives in Bregenz, Austria. I hope I can help with the maintenance of the wiki.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Those I Admire == &lt;br /&gt;
*[[Margaret Thatcher]] -for her outstanding economic principles&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ronald Reagan]] -pretty self-explanatory&lt;br /&gt;
*[[George Washington]] for founding the greatest nation earth&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ben Shapiro]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771349</id>
		<title>User:ConCad</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771349"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T16:45:29Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: People I admire&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Userboxtop|ConCad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Christian2}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User straightforwardbiblereading}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Not Obama}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Youngearth}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Israel}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Userboxbottom}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==About me:==&lt;br /&gt;
Since my conversion experience I am a devout christian, who currently lives in Bregenz, Austria. I hope I can help with the maintenance of the wiki.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Those I Admire == &lt;br /&gt;
*[[Margaret Thatcher]] -for her outstanding economic principles&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ronald Reagan]] -pretty self-explanatory&lt;br /&gt;
*[[George Washington]] for founding the greatest nation earth&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Ben Shapiro]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771348</id>
		<title>User:ConCad</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771348"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T16:38:01Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: My Userbox&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Userboxtop|ConCad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Christian2}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User straightforwardbiblereading}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Not Obama}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Youngearth}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Israel}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Userboxbottom}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About me:&lt;br /&gt;
Since my conversion experience I am a devout christian, who currently lives in Bregenz, Austria. I hope I can help with the maintenance of the wiki.&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771347</id>
		<title>User:ConCad</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771347"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T16:33:34Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: Userbox&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Userboxtop|ConCad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User supportstheaustrianfreedomparty}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User straightforwardbiblereading}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{User Not Clinton}}&lt;br /&gt;
About me:&lt;br /&gt;
Since my conversion experience I am a devout christian, who currently lives in Bregenz, Austria. I hope I can help with the maintenance of the wiki.&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Eurovision_Song_Contest&amp;diff=1771344</id>
		<title>Eurovision Song Contest</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Eurovision_Song_Contest&amp;diff=1771344"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T16:27:47Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: A clarification&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[File:Conchita Wurst Ban Ki Moon.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Ban Ki-Moon]] with Eurovision Song Contest winner Conchita Wurst.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The '''Eurovision Song Contest''' is a Europe-wide singing competition, which held every year. Every member of the European Broadcasting Union is allowed to perform a song at a festival. The country, which held the festival is often the winner of the last year. Since 2003 there is also a Junior Eurovision Song Contest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In recent years it has promoted the homosexual agenda. Transsexual singer Dana International won in 1998 for Israel and during 2013's contest Finnish singer Krista Siegfrids gave one of her female backing singers a kiss at the end, widely labelled by the liberal media as Eurovision's first &amp;quot;lesbian kiss&amp;quot;. Siegfrids stated to the media that the act was done because she wants Finland to legalise same sex &amp;quot;marriage&amp;quot;. Another example would be the interval act performed by the host in Sweden which also mentioned same sex &amp;quot;marriage&amp;quot;. In 2014, an Austrian [[cross dressing]] act was voted the winner of the competition.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It must also be noted that the Eurovision Song Contest in general promotes the Liberal agenda.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
From 2015 on [[Australia]] competes as guest country on the Eurovision Song Contest because of the popularity of the festival Down Under.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Winners of Eurovision Song Contest ==&lt;br /&gt;
*1956: Lys Assia ([[Switzerland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1957: Corry Brokken ([[Netherlands]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1958: André Claveau ([[France]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1959: Teddy Scholten ([[Netherlands]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1960: Jacqueline Boyer ([[France]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1961: Jean-Claude Pascal ([[Luxembourg]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1962: Isabelle Aubret ([[France]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1963: Grethe &amp;amp; Jørgen Ingmann ([[Denmark]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1964: Gigliola Cinquetti ([[Italy]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1965: France Gall ([[Luxembourg]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1966: Udo Jürgens ([[Austria]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1967: Sandie Shaw ([[United Kingdom]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1968: Massiel ([[Spain]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1969: Salomé ([[Spain]]), Frida Boccara ([[France]]), Lenny Kuhr ([[Netherlands]]), Lulu ([[United Kingdom]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1970: Dana ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1971: Séverine ([[Monaco]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1972: Vicky Leandros ([[Luxembourg]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1973: Anne-Marie David ([[Luxembourg]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1974: [[ABBA]] ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1975: Teach-In ([[Netherlands]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1976: Brotherhood of Man ([[United Kingdom]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1977: Marie Myriam ([[France]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1978: Yizhar Cohen &amp;amp; The Alpha-Beta ([[Israel]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1979: Gali Atari &amp;amp; Milk and Honey ([[Israel]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1980: Johnny Logan ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1981: Bucks Fizz ([[United Kingdom]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1982: Nicole ([[Germany]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1983: Corinne Hermès ([[Luxembourg]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1984: Herreys ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1985: Bobbysocks ([[Norway]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1986: Sandra Kim ([[Belgium]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1987: Johnny Logan ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1988: [[Céline Dion]] ([[Switzerland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1989: Riva ([[Yugoslavia]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1990: Toto Cutugno ([[Italy]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1991: Carola ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1992: Linda Martin ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1993: Niamh Kavanagh ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1994: Paul Harrington &amp;amp; Charlie McGettigan ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1995: Secret Garden ([[Norway]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1996: Eimear Quinn ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1997: Katrina and the Waves ([[United Kingdom]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1998: Dana International ([[Israel]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1999: Charlotte Nilsson ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2000: Olsen Brothers ([[Denmark]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2001: Tanel Padar, Dave Benton &amp;amp; 2XL ([[Estonia]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2002: Marie N ([[Latvia]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2003: Sertab Erener ([[Turkey]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2004: Ruslana ([[Ukraine]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2005: Elena Paparizou ([[Greece]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2006: Lordi ([[Finland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2007: Marija Šerifović ([[Serbia]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2008: Dima Bilan ([[Russia]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2009: Alexander Rybak ([[Norway]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2010: Lena ([[Germany]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2011: Ell &amp;amp; Nikki ([[Azerbaijan]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2012: Loreen ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2013: Emmelie de Forest ([[Denmark]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2014: Conchita Wurst ([[Austria]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2015: Måns Zelmerlöw ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2016: Jamala ([[Ukraine]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2017: Salvador Sobral ([[Portugal]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2018: Netta Barzilai (Israel)&lt;br /&gt;
*2019: Duncan Laurence ([[Netherlands]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2020: Contest Cancelled&lt;br /&gt;
*2021: Måneskin ([[Italy]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.eurovision.tv/page/timeline Official website]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Europe]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Television Shows]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Eurovision_Song_Contest&amp;diff=1771339</id>
		<title>Eurovision Song Contest</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Eurovision_Song_Contest&amp;diff=1771339"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T16:09:09Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: Updated the winners of the last three years&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[File:Conchita Wurst Ban Ki Moon.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Ban Ki-Moon]] with Eurovision Song Contest winner Conchita Wurst.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The '''Eurovision Song Contest''' is a Europe-wide singing competition, which held every year. Every member of the European Broadcasting Union is allowed to perform a song at a festival. The country, which held the festival is often the winner of the last year. Since 2003 there is also a Junior Eurovision Song Contest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In recent years it has promoted the homosexual agenda. Transsexual singer Dana International won in 1998 for Israel and during 2013's contest Finnish singer Krista Siegfrids gave one of her female backing singers a kiss at the end, widely labelled by the liberal media as Eurovision's first &amp;quot;lesbian kiss&amp;quot;. Siegfrids stated to the media that the act was done because she wants Finland to legalise same sex &amp;quot;marriage&amp;quot;. Another example would be the interval act performed by the host in Sweden which also mentioned same sex &amp;quot;marriage&amp;quot;. In 2014, an Austrian [[cross dressing]] act was voted the winner of the competition.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
From 2015 on [[Australia]] competes as guest country on the Eurovision Song Contest because of the popularity of the festival Down Under.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Winners of Eurovision Song Contest ==&lt;br /&gt;
*1956: Lys Assia ([[Switzerland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1957: Corry Brokken ([[Netherlands]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1958: André Claveau ([[France]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1959: Teddy Scholten ([[Netherlands]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1960: Jacqueline Boyer ([[France]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1961: Jean-Claude Pascal ([[Luxembourg]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1962: Isabelle Aubret ([[France]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1963: Grethe &amp;amp; Jørgen Ingmann ([[Denmark]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1964: Gigliola Cinquetti ([[Italy]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1965: France Gall ([[Luxembourg]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1966: Udo Jürgens ([[Austria]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1967: Sandie Shaw ([[United Kingdom]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1968: Massiel ([[Spain]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1969: Salomé ([[Spain]]), Frida Boccara ([[France]]), Lenny Kuhr ([[Netherlands]]), Lulu ([[United Kingdom]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1970: Dana ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1971: Séverine ([[Monaco]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1972: Vicky Leandros ([[Luxembourg]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1973: Anne-Marie David ([[Luxembourg]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1974: [[ABBA]] ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1975: Teach-In ([[Netherlands]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1976: Brotherhood of Man ([[United Kingdom]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1977: Marie Myriam ([[France]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1978: Yizhar Cohen &amp;amp; The Alpha-Beta ([[Israel]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1979: Gali Atari &amp;amp; Milk and Honey ([[Israel]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1980: Johnny Logan ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1981: Bucks Fizz ([[United Kingdom]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1982: Nicole ([[Germany]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1983: Corinne Hermès ([[Luxembourg]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1984: Herreys ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1985: Bobbysocks ([[Norway]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1986: Sandra Kim ([[Belgium]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1987: Johnny Logan ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1988: [[Céline Dion]] ([[Switzerland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1989: Riva ([[Yugoslavia]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1990: Toto Cutugno ([[Italy]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1991: Carola ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1992: Linda Martin ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1993: Niamh Kavanagh ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1994: Paul Harrington &amp;amp; Charlie McGettigan ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1995: Secret Garden ([[Norway]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1996: Eimear Quinn ([[Ireland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1997: Katrina and the Waves ([[United Kingdom]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1998: Dana International ([[Israel]])&lt;br /&gt;
*1999: Charlotte Nilsson ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2000: Olsen Brothers ([[Denmark]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2001: Tanel Padar, Dave Benton &amp;amp; 2XL ([[Estonia]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2002: Marie N ([[Latvia]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2003: Sertab Erener ([[Turkey]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2004: Ruslana ([[Ukraine]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2005: Elena Paparizou ([[Greece]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2006: Lordi ([[Finland]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2007: Marija Šerifović ([[Serbia]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2008: Dima Bilan ([[Russia]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2009: Alexander Rybak ([[Norway]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2010: Lena ([[Germany]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2011: Ell &amp;amp; Nikki ([[Azerbaijan]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2012: Loreen ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2013: Emmelie de Forest ([[Denmark]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2014: Conchita Wurst ([[Austria]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2015: Måns Zelmerlöw ([[Sweden]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2016: Jamala ([[Ukraine]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2017: Salvador Sobral ([[Portugal]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2018: Netta Barzilai (Israel)&lt;br /&gt;
*2019: Duncan Laurence ([[Netherlands]])&lt;br /&gt;
*2020: Contest Cancelled&lt;br /&gt;
*2021: Måneskin ([[Italy]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.eurovision.tv/page/timeline Official website]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Europe]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Television Shows]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=China&amp;diff=1771338</id>
		<title>China</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=China&amp;diff=1771338"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T15:52:57Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: An addition to the functions of the PLA&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Country&lt;br /&gt;
|name           ='''[[People's Republic of China]]'''&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;''Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó''&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;中华人民共和国&lt;br /&gt;
|map	        =NewsX-Real-Chinese-Map.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
|map2           =&lt;br /&gt;
|flag	        =Flag_of_the_PRC.png‎&lt;br /&gt;
|arms	        =Arms of PR China.png&lt;br /&gt;
|capital	=Beijing&lt;br /&gt;
|capital-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|government	=Communist&lt;br /&gt;
|government-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|language	=Chinese (Mandarin)&lt;br /&gt;
|king	        =&lt;br /&gt;
|queen	        =&lt;br /&gt;
|monarch-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|president	=Xi Jinping&lt;br /&gt;
|premier	=Li Keqiang&lt;br /&gt;
|chancellor	=&lt;br /&gt;
|chancellor-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|pm	        =&lt;br /&gt;
|pm-raw	        =&lt;br /&gt;
|area	        =3,704,427 sq mi&lt;br /&gt;
|pop	        =1,440,000,000 (2020)&lt;br /&gt;
|pop-basis	=&lt;br /&gt;
|gdp	        =$15,000,000,000,000 (2020)&lt;br /&gt;
|gdp-year	=&lt;br /&gt;
|gdp-pc	        =$10,417 (2020)&lt;br /&gt;
|currency	=Yuan&lt;br /&gt;
|idd		=&lt;br /&gt;
|tld            =&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''China''' is the world's largest country by population, currently a totalitarian [[communist]] one-party republic.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Gallagher, Mike (November 7, 2019). [https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/469429-seeking-truth-from-facts-on-china Seeking truth from facts on China]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved November 7, 2019.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; With thousands of years of continuous traditions, in three decades it has dramatically changed itself from a poor backward nation to a world power and is one of the world's top economies, only second next to the [[United States]]. It has emerged as a major regional power in East Asia, averaging over 9% economic growth per year since 1978 when it introduced a market-based economic system with some elements of capitalism, to replace its old socialism. Foreign businesses have flocked to invest in China, Americans and others rush to buy its cheap factory output, Chinese exports flooded the world. It has vast reserves of dollar holdings.  China is modernizing its military, has joined numerous regional and international institutions, and plays an increasingly visible role in international politics. However, the paper statistics of China's growth hide the fact that it may have a weaker economy than it admits, as seen in the many &amp;quot;ghost towns&amp;quot;, among other factors.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Fong, Dominique (June 15, 2018). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-ghost-towns-haunt-its-economy-1529076819 China’s Ghost Towns Haunt Its Economy]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved June 15, 2018.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; China is trying to overtake the US economy, and gained mainstream media praise for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The nation is under the control of the [[Chinese Communist Party]], which encompasses mainland China, albeit with many border disputes. Since taking power in 1949, an estimated 60 million to 80 million people died from unnatural causes. This number exceeds the total number of deaths in both World Wars combined.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;''Commentary 7, On the Chinese Communist Party's History of Killing. ''Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.''&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;http://www.ninecommentaries.com/english-7&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The communist Beijing regime claims [[Taiwan]] as a province, but Taiwan has never been part of the People's Republic of China and Taipei maintains its democratic sovereignty, despite the [[United Nations]]' efforts to give Taiwan to Communist China. [[Hong Kong]] was guaranteed its democratic sovereignty in a peace arrangement between the [[United Kingdom]] in 1997, and [[Macau]] was handed over by [[Portugal]] in 1999. Both territories are now [[Special Administrative Region]]s and have autonomy over local affairs. However, the autonomy has been eroded in recent years, particularly after the 2014 &amp;quot;Umbrella Revolution&amp;quot;. In 2020, the CCP violated and abolished the international peace agreement guarantying Hong Kong's democratic sovereignty, and brought the formerly free people under control of the oppressive socialist and communist slave system.  Since the year 1950, China has been illegally occupying the countries of [[Tibet]] and [[East Turkestan]]. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unlike most other nations, the largest military establishment in the world, the [[People's Liberation Army]], does not exist to defend the country or the people of China. Nor is it under the command, direction, and control of the government of China. The PLA is an armed wing of the Communist Party and exists to defend the Communist Party's interests and control over the government and the people. Also it aims to spreed the communist ideology and dictatorship all around the world.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since China's accession to the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO) in 2001, China represents a vast market that is growing more affluent and sophisticated while remaining a low-cost base for export-oriented production. Educationally, China is forging ahead as partnerships, and exchanges with foreign universities have helped create new research opportunities for its students. China used the Summer Olympics in 2008 as a platform of propagating the so-called &amp;quot;economic development&amp;quot; to the world, while it is still a Communist country in its core of the past two decades since the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre. The new leadership is committed to generating greater economic development in the interior and providing more services to those who do not live in China's coastal areas. However, China is never a true market economy, as the key resources, such as land, is not privately owned; the so-called collective ownership is still de facto government ownership. Moreover, on the Communist Regime's Constitution, Mainland China is still officially a Communist Country. In 2015, the Communist-controlled Mainland China (or self-proclaimed People's Republic) has been denied as a market economy.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For more information on China, see [[World History Lecture Three]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Name==&lt;br /&gt;
{{language box&lt;br /&gt;
|s=中国&lt;br /&gt;
|t=中國&lt;br /&gt;
|l=central nation&lt;br /&gt;
|p=Zhōngguó&lt;br /&gt;
|w=Chung&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;1&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;-kuo&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
The word &amp;quot;China&amp;quot; is derived from the [[Persian language|Persian]] word ''Cin'' (چین), which is from the [[Sanskrit]] word ''Cīna'' (चीन).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;AmHer&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;quot;[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/China?qsrc=2888 China]&amp;quot;. ''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'' (2000). Boston and New York: Houghton-Mifflin.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It is first recorded in 1516 in the journal of the Portuguese explorer [[Duarte Barbosa]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;China&amp;quot;. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (1989). ISBN 0-19-957315-8.&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;''[https://books.google.com.vn/books?id=edzW9fuOF-cC&amp;amp;pg=PA211&amp;amp;dq=#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=%22Very%20Great%20Kingdom%20of%20China%22&amp;amp;f=false The Book of Duarte Barbosa]'' (chapter title &amp;quot;The Very Great Kingdom of China&amp;quot;). ISBN 81-206-0451-2. In the [http://purl.pt/435/ Portuguese original], the chapter is titled &amp;quot;O Grande Reino da China&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The journal was translated and published in England in 1555.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Eden, Richard (1555). ''Decades of the New World'': &amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;{{cite book | title=Western Views of China and the Far East, Volume 1 | publisher=Asian Research Service | year=1984 | page=34 |first=Henry Allen |last=Myers}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The traditional theory, proposed in the 17th century by Martino Martini, is that ''Cīna'' is derived from &amp;quot;Qin&amp;quot; (秦), the westernmost of the Chinese kingdoms during the [[Zhou Dynasty]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Martini&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Martino, Martin, ''Novus Atlas Sinensis'', Vienna 1655, Preface, p. 2.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; However, the word was used earlier in [[Hindu]] scripture, including the ''Mahābhārata'' (5th century BC) and the ''Laws of Manu'' (2nd century BC). Indian writers were not aware of China until the second century AD. Earlier usage of the word presumably refers to another entity, perhaps a country near the Tibetan-Burma border.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;See Liu, Lydia He, ''The Clash of Empires'', p. 77&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;Wade, Geoff. &amp;quot;[http://www.sino-platonic.org/complete/spp188_yelang_china.pdf The Polity of Yelang and the Origin of the Name 'China']&amp;quot;. ''[[Sino-Platonic Papers]]'', No. 188, May 2009, p. 20.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==People==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Chinese people.jpg|right|250px]]&lt;br /&gt;
===Ethnic Groups===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
China officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups. The largest ethnic group is the Han Chinese, who constitute about 91.9% of the total population. The remaining 8.1% are Zhuang (16 million), Manchu (10 million), Hui (9 million), Miao (8 million), [[Uighur]] (7 million), Yi (7 million), Mongolian (5 million), Tibetan (5 million), Buyi (3 million), Korean (2 million), and other ethnic minorities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In July 2009 large-scale rioting erupted as the [[Uighur]] minority fought Chinese riot police in major cities in China's western Xinjiang province. Hundreds are dead.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;See [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/world/asia/07kadeer.html?ref=world Wrik Eckholm, &amp;quot;China Points to Another Leader in Exile,&amp;quot; ''New York Times'' July 6, 2009]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  Uighurs are angry at political, cultural and religious persecution as well as the growing presence in the region of Han Chinese - China's main ethnic group. Han now predominate in the cities, and Uighurs in the countryside. This is the first major violent unrest in China in two decades.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Language===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:China Ethnic language.jpg|thumb|right|Chinese Ethnolinguistic Groups.]]&lt;br /&gt;
There are seven major Chinese dialects and many subdialects. [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] (or Putonghua), the predominant dialect, is spoken by over 70% of the population. It is taught in all schools and is the medium of government. About two-thirds of the Han ethnic group are native speakers of Mandarin; the rest, concentrated in south and southeast China, speak one of the six other major Chinese dialects. Non-Chinese languages spoken widely by ethnic minorities include Mongolian, Tibetan, Uyghur and other Turkic languages (in Xinjiang), and Korean (in the northeast). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All Chinese dialects use the same written character sets. In mainland China, the [[Simplified Chinese|Simplified]] characters have been in use since 1949.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====The Pinyin System of Romanization====&lt;br /&gt;
On January 1, 1979, the Chinese Government officially adopted the [[Hanyu pinyin|pinyin]] system for spelling Chinese names and places in Roman letters. A system of Romanization invented by the Chinese, pinyin has long been widely used in China on street and commercial signs as well as in elementary Chinese textbooks as an aid in learning Chinese characters and for common character input systems. Variations of pinyin also are used as the written forms of several minority languages. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Pinyin has now replaced other conventional spellings in China's English-language publications. The U.S. Government also has adopted the pinyin system for all names and places in China. For example, the capital of China is now spelled &amp;quot;Beijing&amp;quot; rather than &amp;quot;Peking.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2008 the Republic of China government finally adopted the pinyin system, replaces the [[Wade-Giles]] system which is gradually pushed away by the Chinese diaspora.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== China and racism ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
See: [[East Asia, China, atheism and racism#China and racism|China and racism]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Religion==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A February 2007 survey concluded that 31% of Chinese citizens ages 16 and over, representing 300 million persons, follow some kind of religion.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;This is approximately three times the official figure reported by the Government in April 2005. See [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108404.htm U.S. State Department &amp;quot;International Religious Freedom Report 2008&amp;quot;]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are reportedly more than 100,000 officially recognized sites for religious activities, 300,000 officially recognized clergy, and more than 3,000 officially recognized religious organizations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Government officially recognizes five main religions: [[Buddhism]], [[Taoism]], [[Islam]], [[Catholicism]], and [[Protestantism]]. There are five state-sanctioned &amp;quot;Patriotic Religious Associations&amp;quot; (PRAs) that manage the activities of the recognized faiths. The Russian Orthodox Church operates in some regions, particularly those with large populations of Russian expatriates or with close links to Russia. Foreign residents in the country who belonged to religious faiths not officially recognized by the Government were generally permitted to practice their religions. There is very little freedom for Christians however.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-25502760&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is difficult to estimate the number of Buddhists and Taoists because they do not have congregational memberships and many practice exclusively at home.  The following are informed estimates published by Freedom.org or religious communities (with the exception of Taoism, for which no figures were available), drawing on official figures, public opinion surveys, academic studies, media reports, and religious groups’ own reporting as of 2019.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2020-02/FH_ChinasSprit2016_FULL_FINAL_140pages.pdf&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Chinese Buddhists 185-250M&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:China B.jpg|right|280px]]&lt;br /&gt;
*Protestants 60-80M&lt;br /&gt;
:*Registered ~30-50M&lt;br /&gt;
:*Unregistered ~30M&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Muslims 21-23M&lt;br /&gt;
:*Hui 12M&lt;br /&gt;
:*Uighur 11M&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Catholics 12M&lt;br /&gt;
:*Registered 6M&lt;br /&gt;
:*Unregistered 6M&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Falun Gong practitioners 7-20M&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Tibetan Buddhists 6-8M&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Government estimated that there are 16,000 Buddhist temples and monasteries, 200,000 Buddhist monks and nuns, more than 1,700 reincarnate lamas, and 32 Buddhist schools. Most believers, particularly ethnic Han Buddhists, practice Mahayana Buddhism, while the majority of Tibetans and ethnic Mongolians, as well as a growing number of ethnic Chinese, practice Tibetan Buddhism, a Mahayana adaptation. Some ethnic minorities in southwest Yunnan Province practice Theravada Buddhism, the dominant tradition in parts of neighboring Southeast Asia.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are more than 25,000 Taoist priests and nuns, more than 1,500 Taoist temples, and 2 Taoist schools. Traditional folk religions (worship of local gods, heroes, and ancestors) are practiced by hundreds of millions of citizens and are often affiliated with Taoism, Buddhism, or ethnic minority cultural practices.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The government says there are twenty million Muslims. Independent estimates range as high as fifty million or more. There are more than 40,000 Islamic places of worship (more than half of which are in the XUAR), more than 45,000 imams nationwide, and 10 Islamic schools. The country has ten predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Hui, estimated to number more than ten million. The Hui are centered in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, but there are significant concentrations of Hui throughout the country, including in Gansu, Henan, Qinghai, Yunnan, and Hebei Provinces, as well as in the TAR and the XUAR. Hui Muslims slightly outnumber Uighur Muslims, who live primarily in the XUAR. According to an official 2005 report, the XUAR had 23,900 mosques and 27,000 clerics at the end of 2004, but fewer than half of the mosques were authorized to hold Friday prayer and holiday services. The country also has more than one million Kazakh Muslims and thousands of Dongxiang, Kyrgyz, Salar, Tajik, Uzbek, Baoan, and Tatar Muslims.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Officials from the Three-Self Patriotic Movement/China Christian Council (TSPM/CCC), the government branch (committee) in charge of the Christianity Churches (officially led by the CPC), estimated that at least twenty million citizens worship in official churches. Government officials stated that there are more than 50,000 registered TSPM churches and 18 TSPM theological schools. The Pew Research Center estimates that between 50 million and 70 million Christians practice without state sanction. However, some estimates over 100million people are Christians. The World Christian Database estimates that there are more than 300 unofficial house church networks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA) reports that 5.3 million persons worship in its churches and it is estimated that there are an additional 12 million or more persons who worship in unregistered Catholic churches that do not affiliate with the CPA. According to official sources, the government-sanctioned CPA has more than 70 bishops, nearly 3,000 priests and nuns, 6,000 churches and meeting places, and 12 seminaries. There are thought to be approximately 40 bishops operating &amp;quot;underground,&amp;quot; some of whom are in prison or under house arrest. During the reporting period, at least three bishops were ordained with papal approval. In September 2007 the official media reported that Liu Bainian, CPA vice president, stated that the young bishops were to be selected to serve dioceses without bishops and to replace older bishops. Of the 97 dioceses in the country, 40 reportedly did not have an acting bishop in 2007, and more than 30 bishops were over 80 years of age.&lt;br /&gt;
===State atheism and religious discrimination===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''See also:'' [[China and atheism]] and [[Communism and religious persecution]] and [[Persecution of Christians in the People's Republic of China]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
China has the world's largest [[atheism|atheist]] population.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.thechapmans.nl/news/Atheist.pdf Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/23/a-surprising-map-of-where-the-worlds-atheists-live/ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live], ''Washington Post'' By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; China has [[state atheism]] (see: [[China and atheism]]).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Government restricts legal religious practice to government-sanctioned organizations and registered religious groups and places of worship, and seeks to control the growth and scope of the activity of both registered and unregistered religious groups, including &amp;quot;house churches.&amp;quot; Government authorities limit proselytism, particularly by foreigners and unregistered religious groups, but permit proselytism in state-approved religious venues and private settings. The Chinese government explicitly prohibits students and civil servants from participating in certain religious practices, even when not in school or at work.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://news.yahoo.com/china-bans-ramadan-fast-muslim-northwest-103756197.html Didi Tang &amp;quot;China bans Ramadan fast in Muslim northwest.&amp;quot; July 3, 2014. Associated Press.]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Great Mosque Xi an China.jpg|thumb|330px|Great Mosque of Xi'an.]]&lt;br /&gt;
In 2008, the Government's repression of religious freedom intensified in some areas, including in Tibetan areas and in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Unregistered Protestant religious groups in Beijing reported intensified harassment from government authorities in the lead up to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Media and China-based sources reported that municipal authorities in Beijing closed some house churches or asked them to stop meeting during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. During the reporting period, officials detained and interrogated several foreigners about their religious activities and in several cases alleged that the foreigners had engaged in &amp;quot;illegal religious activities&amp;quot; (alleged) and canceled their visas. Media reported that the total number of expatriates expelled by the Government due to concerns about their religious activities exceeded one hundred. Officials in the XUAR, the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), and other Tibetan areas tightly controlled religious activity. The Government sought the forcible return of several Uighur Muslims living abroad, some of whom had reportedly protested restrictions on the Hajj and encouraged other Muslims to pray and fast during Ramadan. Followers of Tibetan Buddhism, including those in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and most Tibetan autonomous areas, faced more restrictions on their religious practice and ability to organize than Buddhists in other parts of the country. &amp;quot;Patriotic education&amp;quot; campaigns in the TAR and other Tibetan regions, which required monks and nuns to sign statements personally denouncing the Dalai Lama, and other new restrictions on religious freedom were major factors that led monks and nuns to mount peaceful protests at a number of monasteries on March 10, 2008. The protests and subsequent security response gave way to violence in Lhasa by March 14 and 15. &lt;br /&gt;
Moreover, Christians, including the Catholic, Protestant Christians, are facing societal hostility generated by the government, and the Christians are facing difficulties when comes to the decision of ascension in the governmental (regime) enterprises and will be arrested if evangelizing on governmental schools' campus (public schools, but with heavy involvement from the Communist party branches).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Underground&amp;quot; Roman Catholic clergy faced repression, in large part due to their avowed loyalty to the Vatican, which the Government accused of interfering in the country's internal affairs. The Government continued to repress groups that are designated as &amp;quot;cults,&amp;quot; most of which included several Christian groups and Falun Gong.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Religious and ethnic minority groups such as Tibetan Buddhists and Uighur Muslims experienced societal discrimination not only because of their religious beliefs but also because of their status as ethnic minorities with distinct languages and cultures. After the March 2008 protests in Lhasa and other Tibetan areas, there were reports of increased tensions between Tibetan Buddhists and Hui Muslims.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Falun Gong]] is a self-described spiritual movement that blends aspects of Taoism, Buddhism, and the meditation techniques and physical exercises of qigong (a traditional Chinese exercise discipline), with the teachings of Falun Gong leader Li Hongzhi. There are estimated to have been at least 2.1 million adherents of Falun Gong before the Government cleansed and persecute the group in 1999. Hundreds of thousands may practice Falun Gong privately, but with serious risks, and once discovered by the government agents, the practitioners will be jailed, losing jobs, and may not even attend the universities. Moreover, the practitioners will risk the risk of having their organs live-harvested by the Communist government.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.theepochtimes.com/new-documentary-secret-audio-recordings-of-politburo-standing-committee-members-reveal-vast-state-run-enterprise-of-live-organ-harvesting_2263247.html&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Suppression of religion through torture ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''See also:'' [[Atheistic communism and torture]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Chinese communist regime has used beatings, harassment and torture to suppress religion in China and continues to use these practices.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Amnesty1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|url=http://www.refworld.org/docid/3b83b6e00.html |title=China: The crackdown on Falun Gong and other so-called &amp;quot;heretical organizations&amp;quot;|date=23 March 2000|publisher=Amnesty International|accessdate=17 March 2010}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AESx5u6yMw Militant Atheist extremist regime persecuting and torturing Christians in China]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.apnews.com/61cdf7f5dfc34575aa643523b3c6b3fe Woman describes torture, beatings in Chinese detention camp] By MARIA DANILOVA, AP News, November 26, 2018&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== China and involuntary organ harvesting of Falun Gong prisoners ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''See also:'' [[China and involuntary organ harvesting]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several researchers — for example, Canadian human rights lawyer David Matas, former Canadian parliamentarian David Kilgour, and the investigative journalist Ethan Gutmann estimate that tens of thousands of [[Falun Gong]] prisoners in [[communism|communist]] China have been killed to supply a financially lucrative trade in human organs and cadavers, and that these human rights abuses may be an ongoing concern.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/slaughter-mass-killings-organ-harvesting Review of: Ethan Gutmann, “''The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting and China’s Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem''”, (Prometheus Books, 2014).]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Population Policy==&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:China Mex RGarciaOrtiz.jpg|right|Chinese at Mexico]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{main|One-child Policy}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With a population officially just over 1.3 billion and an estimated growth rate of about 0.6%, China is very concerned about its population growth and has attempted with mixed results to implement a strict birth limitation policy. Until 2013 the government permitted one child per family, with allowance for a second child under certain circumstances (such as twins), especially in rural areas, and with guidelines looser for ethnic minorities with small populations. Enforcement varies and relies largely on &amp;quot;social compensation fees&amp;quot; to discourage extra births. Official government policy opposed forced [[abortion]] or sterilization, but in some localities, there were instances of forced [[abortion]]. The government's goal was to stabilize the population in the first half of the 21st century, and current projections are that the population would peak at around 1.6 billion by 2050. Boys are highly prized, and because screening of fetuses is done to determine gender, selective abortion has resulted in 119 boys born for every 100 girls. By 2020, 24 million men of marrying age will find themselves without wives.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
2013 the government eased the One-child Policy strongly. Since then families in which at least one parent was an only child can have a second child now.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://cnsnews.com/news/article/china-ease-1-child-policy-abolish-labor-camps&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Government==&lt;br /&gt;
The People's Republic of China is a [[totalitarian]]/[[authoritarian]] regime in which the [[Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP) constitutionally is the base structure and source of power. Moreover, the society has been forced to run according to the motive of the Communist Party in the past decades, although not successful. Party members hold almost all top government, police, and military positions. The children of high-level officials, dubbed “[[princelings]]” (''taizi'') in colloquial Chinese, are particularly prominent at the highest levels of the Chinese political system, China's most prominent princeling is '''[[Xi Jinping]]'''.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41007.pdf Understanding China’s Political System], ''Congressional Research Service'', March 20, 2013.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Ultimate authority rests with the 25-member political bureau (Politburo) of the CCP and its nine-member standing committee. Xi Jinping holds the three most powerful positions as CCP general secretary, president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The legitimate successor regime to the Qing Dynasty owes bond investors in the United States, Britain, France, and Germany $1.6 Trillion in sovereign debt. The People's Republic of China has not assumed responsibility for the debt.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;A series of bonds issued by the Qing government a century ago are once again questioning the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist regime that is now in a difficult dilemma it can not get out of. The market value of the bonds is worth $1.6 trillion USD, and if the CCP wants to prove itself to be the legitimate government of China, then it has to pay back these bonds. If the CCP refuses to acknowledge this debt, then it must recognize that the Republic of China (Taiwan) as the legitimate government of China. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Recently, Americans who hold the “Hukuang Railway Bond”—issued by the Qing Dynasty to the United States, Britain, France, and Germany to raise funds for the construction of the Huguang Railways that run from Hunan to Guangzhou—initiated a movement demanding the Chinese Communist Party repay the debt. The chairman of the American Bondholders Foundation (ABF), Jonna Bianco, said: “These bonds were originally issued under the Republic of China, what we know today is Taiwan. And the Communist regime who went in and took over mainland China and became the official government in 1949. It becomes their responsibility to honor this debt. The CCP, the Chinese Communist Party’s debt, just as they paid Great Britain in 1987 for the very same bond. It is successor government doctrine.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the CCP has always refused to cash in on bonds held by Americans. It selectively defaulted, deliberately not repaying the money owed to American investors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As early as 1973, before the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, the U.S. representative told the CCP during negotiations that although the debt does not have to be repaid immediately, the U.S. will not exempt it. Although the CCP government claims to be the only legal government in China and has the right to inherit the sovereignty of Hong Kong left by the Qing government, it does not recognize the right to inherit the &amp;quot;Hukuang Railway Bonds&amp;quot; issued by the Qing government.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bianco said that the previous U.S. administrations did not attach any importance to the issue of the Huguang Railway bond, but President Trump is different from them. “Thank God for President Donald J. Trump, who is listening to this issue. I have met with him personally. He has committed his support behind this issue. He is the only president that has held China accountable to play by the same rules, to have fair trades, to have as he said perfectly, reciprocity, and that’s what Americans expect, that’s what the world expects,” she said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to data from the US Treasury Department, as of May 2020, the CCP holds US $1.08 trillion in US Treasury bonds. Bianco suggested that the Trump administration exchange bonds with the CCP, that is, use the Hukuang Railway Bonds to repay the U.S. Treasury bonds held by the CCP. Bianco said that she is confident that this matter will succeed.&amp;lt;/small&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;https://youtu.be/8B4L_dqU79c&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Chinese Communist Party===&lt;br /&gt;
The 71 million-member CCP, totalitarian in structure and ideology, continues to dominate government. Nevertheless, China's population, geographical vastness, and social diversity frustrate attempts to rule by fiat from Beijing. Core leaders are attempting to adopt several changes in order to support their own greed in power as a totalitarian state. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In periods of greater openness, the influence of people and organizations outside the formal party structure has tended to increase, particularly in the economic realm. This phenomenon is most apparent today in the rapidly developing coastal region. Nevertheless, in all important government, economic, and cultural institutions in China, party committees work to see that party and state policy guidance is followed and that non-party members do not create autonomous organizations that could challenge party rule. Party control is tight- although not being felt directly. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Theoretically, the party's highest body is the Party Congress, which traditionally meets at least once every 5 years. The 17th Party Congress is expected to take place in the fall of 2007. The primary organs of power in the Communist Party include: &lt;br /&gt;
*The Politburo Standing Committee, which currently consists of nine members (one seat is vacant following the June 2, 2007 death of Huang Ju); &lt;br /&gt;
*The Politburo, consisting of 24 full members, including the members of the Politburo Standing Committee; &lt;br /&gt;
*The Secretariat, the principal administrative mechanism of the CCP, headed by the General Secretary; &lt;br /&gt;
*The Central Military Commission; &lt;br /&gt;
*The [[Discipline Inspection Commission]], which is charged with rooting out corruption and malfeasance among party cadres. &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square in Beijing China.jpg|thumb|right|340px|In front of the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===State Structure===&lt;br /&gt;
The Chinese Government is constructed around the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); its role is to implement party policies. The primary organs of state power are the National People's Congress (NPC), the President (the head of state), and the State Council. Members of the State Council include Premier Li Keqiang (the head of government), a variable number of vice premiers (now four), five state councilors (protocol equivalents of vice premiers but with narrower portfolios), and 22 ministers and four State Council commission directors. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Under the state constitution, the NPC is the highest organ of political power in Mainland China. It meets annually for about 2 weeks every March to review and approve major new policy directions, laws, the budget, and major personnel changes. These initiatives are presented to the NPC for consideration by the State Council after previous endorsement by the Communist Party's Central Committee. Although the NPC generally approves State Council policy and personnel recommendations, various NPC committees hold active debate in closed sessions, and changes may be made to accommodate alternate views. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When the NPC is not in session, its permanent organ, the Standing Committee, exercises state power.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Principal Government and Party Officials===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
(After Oct. 2017)&lt;br /&gt;
*President—Xi Jinping&lt;br /&gt;
*Vice President—&lt;br /&gt;
*Premier, State Council—Li Keqiang&lt;br /&gt;
*NPC Chair—Wu Bangguo&lt;br /&gt;
*Vice Premier—Zhang Gaoli&lt;br /&gt;
*Politburo Standing Committee—Xi Jinping (General Secretary), Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng &lt;br /&gt;
*Other Politburo Members— Ding Xuexiang, Wang Chen, Liu He, Xu Qiliang, Sun Chunlan (Arrested), Li Xi, Li Qiang, Li Hongzhong, [[Yang Jiechi]], Zhang Youxia, Chen xi, Chen Quanguo, Zhao Leji, Guo Shengkun, Huang Kunming, Cai Qi. (alternate)&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Xi and Mao.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Xi an Mao]]&lt;br /&gt;
*Alternate Politburo Members—Wang Gang&lt;br /&gt;
*Chairman, Central Military Commission—Xi Jinping&lt;br /&gt;
*Foreign Minister—Yang Jiechi&lt;br /&gt;
*Minister of Commerce—Zhong Shan&lt;br /&gt;
*Minister of Finance—Jin Renqing&lt;br /&gt;
*Minister of Agriculture— &lt;br /&gt;
*Minister of Industry and Digitalization —Wang Xudong&lt;br /&gt;
*Governor, People's Bank of China—Zhou Xiaochuan&lt;br /&gt;
*Minister, State Development and Reform Commission—Ma Kai&lt;br /&gt;
*Ambassador to the U.S.--Zhou Wenzhong &lt;br /&gt;
*Ambassador to UN—Wang Guangya&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Foreign Relations===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since its establishment, the Communist Party is doing all it can to lure countries to stand and advocate for its position that it is the sole legitimate government of all China, including Hong Kong, Macau, and [[Taiwan]]. In the early 1970s, Beijing was recognized diplomatically by most world powers. [[Beijing]] (Pekin) assumed the China seat in the [[United Nations]] in 1971 and has since become increasingly active in multilateral organizations. Japan established diplomatic relations with China in 1972, and the United States did so in 1979. As of July 2007, the number of countries that have diplomatic relations with Beijing had risen to 167, while 24 maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan. &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Map South Asia.jpg|left|400px]]&lt;br /&gt;
After the founding of the P.R.C., China's foreign policy initially focused on solidarity with the Soviet Union and other communist countries. In 1950, the Mainland Communist Regime sent the People's Liberation Army into North Korea to help North Korea halt the UN offensive that was approaching the Yalu River. After the Korean conflict stalemated, China sought to balance its identification as a member of the Soviet bloc by establishing friendly relations with Pakistan and other Third World countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the 1960s, Beijing competed with Moscow for political influence among communist parties and in the developing world generally. Following the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and clashes in 1969 on the Sino-Soviet border, Chinese competition with the Soviet Union increasingly reflected concern over China's own strategic position. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In late 1978, the Chinese also became concerned over Vietnam's efforts to establish open control over Laos and Cambodia, though it is because of Cambodian's brutality led to invasion. In response to the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia, China fought a brief border war with Vietnam (February–March 1979) with the stated purpose of &amp;quot;teaching Vietnam a lesson.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Chinese anxiety about Soviet strategic advances was heightened following the Soviet Union's December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan. Sharp differences between China and the Soviet Union persisted over Soviet support for Vietnam's continued occupation of Cambodia, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and Soviet troops along the Sino-Soviet border and in Mongolia—the so-called &amp;quot;three obstacles&amp;quot; to improved Sino-Soviet relations. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the 1970s and 1980s, China sought to create a secure regional and global environment for itself and to foster good relations with countries that could aid its economic development. To this end, China looked to the West for assistance with its modernization drive and for help in countering Soviet expansionism, which is characterized as the greatest threat to its national security and to world peace. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
China maintained its consistent opposition to &amp;quot;superpower hegemony,&amp;quot; focusing almost exclusively on the expansionist actions of the Soviet Union and Soviet proxies such as Vietnam and Cuba, but it also placed growing emphasis on a foreign policy independent of both the U.S. and the Soviet Union. While improving ties with the West, China continued to follow closely economic and other positions of the Third World nonaligned movement, although China was not a formal member. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the immediate aftermath of the Tiananmen crackdown in June 1989, many countries reduced their diplomatic contacts with China as well as their economic assistance programs. In response, China worked vigorously to expand its relations with foreign countries, and by late 1990, had reestablished normal relations with almost all nations. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991, China also opened diplomatic relations with the republics of the former Soviet Union. &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:SouthChinaSea.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Disputed claims in the South China Sea.]]&lt;br /&gt;
In recent years, Chinese leaders have been regular travelers to all parts of the globe, and China has sought a higher profile in the UN through its permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and other multilateral organizations. Closer to home, China has made efforts to reduce tensions in Asia, hosting the Six-Party Talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program, cultivating a more cooperative relationship with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and participating in the ASEAN Regional Forum. China has also taken steps to improve relations with countries in South Asia, including India. Following Premier Wen's 2005 visit to India, the two sides moved to increase commercial and cultural ties, as well as to resolve longstanding border disputes. The November 2006 visit of President Hu was the first state visit by a Chinese head of state to India in 10 years. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
China has likewise improved ties with Russia, with Presidents Putin and Hu exchanging visits to Beijing and Moscow in April 2006 and March 2007. A second round of Russia-China joint military exercises is scheduled for fall 2007. China has played a prominent role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional grouping that includes Russia and the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Beijing has resolved many of its border and maritime disputes, notably including a November 1997 agreement with Russia that resolved almost all outstanding border issues and a 2000 agreement with Vietnam to resolve differences over their maritime border, though disagreements remain over islands in the [[South China Sea]]. Relations with Japan improved following Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's October 2006 visit to Beijing, although longstanding and emotionally charged disputes over history and competing claims to portions of the East China Sea remain sources of tension. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While in many ways Sudan's primary diplomatic patron, China has played a constructive role in support of peacekeeping operations in Southern Sudan and pledged to contribute an engineering unit in support of UN operations in Darfur. China has stated publicly that it shares the international community's concern over Iran's nuclear program and has voted in support of UN sanctions resolutions on Iran. Set against this has been an effort on the part of China to maintain close ties to countries such as Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Venezuela, which are sources of oil and other resources and which welcome China's non-conditional assistance and investment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===One Belt, One Road Initiative===&lt;br /&gt;
:{{Main article|One Belt One Road}}&lt;br /&gt;
Chinese officials are quite open that [[Belt and Road]] is aimed at creating a Eurasia wide Chinese led bloc to counter the United States.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
China has been looking to construct a 120-kilometer mega canal cutting through the Isthmus of Kra, the narrowest part of the Malay Peninsula in [[Thailand]].  This will open the [[South China Sea]] to the [[Indian Ocean]], bypassing the Strait of Malacca.  What China is eyeing is a canal project in Thailand called the Kra Canal and the Thai leadership seems to be on board.  Through this canal, China is trying to reduce dependence on the Strait of Malacca. Currently, 80 percent of China's oil imports passed through the South China Sea. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Strait of Malacca is a key reason why China has not been able to grow too powerful.  Democratic and powers such as India, Australia, and&lt;br /&gt;
other Southeast Asian nations are well-positioned to cut off Chinese supply lines in the event of a major military confrontation by creating a&lt;br /&gt;
blockade around the Strait of Malacca.  China wants to ensure that its commercial and naval vessels find an alternate route that altogether avoids the Malacca chokepoint while traveling between the Indian and [[Pacific Ocean]]s. This is an overhang of the maritime portion of Xi Jinping's Belt and Road initiative that seeks to connect Southeast Asia with the [[Middle East]] and [[Europe]].&lt;br /&gt;
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==Political Conditions==&lt;br /&gt;
In 1989, the [[Tiananmen Square democracy protests]] were inspired by an explosion of democracy protests worldwide, resulting in the [[Fall of the Berlin Wall]], the Czech [[Velvet Revolution]], and the collapse of Soviet Communism.  The Chinese protests however were quashed when the so-called &amp;quot;People's Liberation Army&amp;quot; killed over 10,000 Chinese people.  The Chinese Communist Party then established a registry of social organizations, in order to head off political upheaval.  [[Falun Gong]], a revival of pre-Maoist Cultural Revolution traditions, registered with the Chinese government in 1992.  It soon attracted “tens of millions of adherents,” the political-science professor Maria Hsia Chang writes in ''Falun Gong: The End of Days.'''  Falun Gong started holding enormous gatherings; by the mid- 1990s, there were more than two thousand Falun Gong practice sites in [[Beijing]] alone.  Troubled by the possibility that a large part of the population was becoming more loyal to Falun Gong than to the Communist Party, the government began cracking down on groups and banning sales of Falun Gong publications. &lt;br /&gt;
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By 1999, the CCP estimated that the group had seventy million adherents; that year, more than ten thousand of them staged a silent protest in Tiananmen Square.  An arrest warrant was issued for Li Hongzhi, the group founder, who had by then immigrated to Queens, New York. The Chinese National Congress subsequently passed, and began [[violent]]ly enforcing, an &amp;quot;anti-cult law&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://web.archive.org/web/20101127131821/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/16/world/china-expels-53-foreign-falun-gong-followers.html&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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On March 1, 2020, ten days before the World Health Organization declared the [[CCP virus]] a global [[pandemic]], the international China Tribunal published its Final Report declaring that the CCP had indeed performed hundreds of thousands of involuntary organ harvesting of hearts, lungs, kidneys, and livers from Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience in a budding for-profit organ transplant industry for recipients worldwide.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://chinatribunal.com/china-tribunal-releases-judgment-2020/&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Legal System===&lt;br /&gt;
The government's efforts to promote rule of law appeared to be advancing, but impossible under the political structure constructed around the Communist Party. After the Cultural Revolution, China's leaders aimed to develop a legal system to restrain abuses of official authority and revolutionary excesses. In 1982, the Communist's National People's Congress adopted a new state constitution that emphasized the rule of law under which even party leaders are theoretically held accountable. &lt;br /&gt;
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Since 1979, when the drive to establish a functioning legal system began, more than 300 laws and regulations, most of them in the economic area, have been promulgated. The use of mediation committees—informed groups of citizens who resolve about 90% of China's civil disputes and some minor criminal cases at no cost to the parties—is one innovative device. There are more than 800,000 such committees in both rural and urban areas. &lt;br /&gt;
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Legal reform became a government priority in the 1990s. Legislation designed to modernize and professionalize the nation's lawyers, judges, and prisons was enacted. &amp;lt;!--The 1994 Administrative Procedure Law allows citizens to sue officials for abuse of authority or malfeasance. In addition, the criminal law and the criminal procedures laws were amended to introduce significant reforms.--&amp;gt; The criminal law amendments abolished the crime of &amp;quot;counter-revolutionary&amp;quot; activity, although many persons are still incarcerated for that crime. Criminal procedures reforms also encouraged the establishment of a more transparent, adversarial trial process. The Chinese constitution and laws provide for fundamental human rights, including due process, but these are often ignored in practice. In addition to other judicial reforms, the Constitution was amended in 2004 to include the protection of individual human rights and legally-obtained private property, but it is unclear how those provisions will be implemented. Although new criminal and civil laws have provided additional safeguards to citizens, previously debated political reforms, including expanding elections to the township level, and other legal reforms, including the reform of the reeducation through labor (RTL) system, have been put on hold.  However, it is still impossible for certain groups to defend themselves as the legal system is constructed around the Communist Party.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Military==&lt;br /&gt;
The establishment of a professional military force equipped with modern weapons and doctrine was the last of the &amp;quot;Four Modernizations&amp;quot; announced by Zhou Enlai and supported by Deng Xiaoping. In keeping with Deng's mandate to reform, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which includes the strategic nuclear forces, army, navy, and air force, has demobilized millions of men and women since 1978 and introduced modern methods in such areas as recruitment and manpower, strategy, and education and training. &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:China military.jpg|left]]&lt;br /&gt;
Following the June 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, ideological correctness was temporarily revived as the dominant theme in Chinese military affairs. Reform and modernization appear to have since resumed their position as the PLA's priority objectives.&lt;br /&gt;
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The Chinese military is in the process of transforming itself from a land-based power, centered on a vast ground force, to a smaller, mobile, high-tech military eventually capable of mounting limited operations beyond its coastal borders. &lt;br /&gt;
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China's power-projection capability is limited but has grown over recent years. China has acquired some advanced weapons systems from abroad, including Sovremmeny destroyers, SU-27 and SU-30 aircraft, and Kilo-class diesel submarines from Russia, and continued to develop domestic production capabilities, such as for the domestically-developed J-10 fighter aircraft. However, much of its air and naval forces continue to be based on 1960s-era technology. As the Defense Department's Quadrennial Defense Review, released February 2006, noted, the U.S. shares with other countries a concern about the pace, scope, and direction of China's military modernization. We view military exchanges, visits, and other forms of engagement are useful tools in promoting transparency, provided they have substance and are fully reciprocal. Regularized exchanges and contact also have the significant benefit of building confidence, reducing the possibility of accidents, and providing the lines of communication that are essential in ensuring that episodes such as the April 2001 EP-3 aircraft incident do not escalate into major crises. During their April 2006 meeting, President Bush and President Hu agreed to increase officer exchanges and to begin a strategic nuclear dialogue between STRATCOM and the Chinese military's strategic missile command. U.S. and Chinese militaries are also considering ways in which we might cooperate on disaster assistance relief. However, it should be remembered that the Military is still under the Party's control. It is not to be equated with the European and American Armed forces.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Policy ===&lt;br /&gt;
In 1955, Mao Zedong's Chinese Communist Party decided to proceed with a nuclear weapons program; it was developed with Soviet assistance until 1960. After its first nuclear test in October 1964, Beijing deployed a modest but potent ballistic missile force, including land- and sea-based intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles. &lt;br /&gt;
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China became a major international arms exporter during the 1980s. Beijing joined the Middle East arms control talks, which began in July 1991 to establish global guidelines for conventional arms transfers, but announced in September 1992 that it would no longer participate because of the U.S. decision to sell F-16A/B aircraft to Taiwan. &lt;br /&gt;
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China was the first state to pledge &amp;quot;no first use&amp;quot; of nuclear weapons. It joined the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1984 and pledged to abstain from further atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in 1986. China acceded to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1992 and supported its indefinite and unconditional extension in 1995. In 1996, it signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and agreed to seek an international ban on the production of fissile nuclear weapons material. To date, China has not ratified the CTBT. &lt;br /&gt;
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In 1996, China committed not to provide assistance to un-safeguarded nuclear facilities. China became a full member of the NPT Exporters (Zangger) Committee, a group that determines items subject to IAEA inspections if exported by NPT signatories. In September 1997, China issued detailed nuclear export control regulations. China began implementing regulations establishing controls over nuclear-related dual-use items in 1998. China also has committed not to engage in new nuclear cooperation with Iran (even under safeguards), and will complete existing cooperation, which is not of [[proliferation]] concern, within a relatively short period. In May 2004, with the support of the United States, China became a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. &lt;br /&gt;
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Based on significant, tangible progress with China on nuclear nonproliferation, President Clinton in 1998 took steps to bring into force the 1985 U.S.-China Agreement on Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Missiles===&lt;br /&gt;
Although it is not a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the multinational effort to restrict the proliferation of missiles, in March 1992 China undertook to abide by MTCR guidelines and parameters. China reaffirmed this commitment in 1994 and pledged not to transfer MTCR-class ground-to-ground missiles. In November 2000, China committed not to assist in any way the development by other countries of MTCR-class missiles. However, on August 29, 2003, the U.S. Government imposed missile proliferation sanctions lasting two years on the Chinese company China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) after determining that it was knowingly involved in the transfer of equipment and technology controlled under Category II of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Annex that contributed to MTCR-class missiles in a non-MTCR country. &lt;br /&gt;
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In December 2003, the P.R.C. promulgated comprehensive new export control regulations governing exports of all categories of sensitive technologies.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Biological weapons===&lt;br /&gt;
:{{See also|CCP global pandemic|}}&lt;br /&gt;
China agreed to the Biological Weapons Convention in 1984, but both academics and government agencies have asserted that the regime is a world leader in [[bioweapon]] production.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/questions-surround-canadian-shipment-of-deadly-viruses-to-china-66254&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;   The [[U.S. State Department]] and other agencies stating publicly in 2009 that they believe China has offensive biological agents.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.voanews.com/archive/china-denies-us-report-it-has-biological-weapons-capabilities&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  China is “commonly considered to have an active biological warfare program,” says the Federation of American Scientists. An official with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defence charged that China is the world leader in toxin “threats.”&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2019/7/23/defense-officials-see-increased-threat-from-chinese-russian-chembio-weapon&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Economy ==&lt;br /&gt;
China's economy, based on rice and wheat farming, was generally prosperous until the 18th century. Population pressures and failure to adopt new technology led to an impoverished nation by 1900. &lt;br /&gt;
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After Mao's death, the policy of modernization along Western lines has led to a remarkable rate of economic growth in the industrial cities, which have pulled in millions of peasants from the still poor rural areas. Slack environmental standards have led to serious pollution problems. &lt;br /&gt;
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The modern Chinese economy has benefited from investments from Taiwan and Hong Kong. They jumped far ahead of China by 1970 in terms of technology, and in recent years have invested in mainland industries. &lt;br /&gt;
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These two factors have changed the Chinese economy, from a command economy to a more socialist state, with the Chinese economy increasingly in the hands of privately owned businesses, not state- or military-run enterprises. However, after several years the trend reversed, as it is in the start that those who are related to the political power are treated differently than the rest of the enterprises. &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:National Stadium, Beijing.jpg|thumb|250px|National Stadium, Beijing.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Since 1980 China has enjoyed the highest economic growth rates in the world. Suddenly in mid-2008, the growth rate slowed sharply from 11% a year to only 5.5%.  Much of the economy was geared to exports and building factories for exports to the United States and Japan.  When the [[Financial Crisis of 2008]] hit, exports fell off and prices for industrial products like steel fell in half.  Many factories were shut down.  The decline has especially hit steel, cement, and the construction industry.  The government in November 2008 announced a $586 billion stimulus program to build roads, dams, electric grids, and other infrastructure projects that are designed to supplement the international market.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;David Barboza, &amp;quot;Great Engine of China Slows ,&amp;quot; [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/business/worldbusiness/26chinasteel.html?_r=1  ''New York Times'' Nov. 25, 2008]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Since 1979, China has largely rejected socialism and embraced capitalism, while maintaining Communist party rule.  Private ownership of the means of production has dramatically reduced poverty and increased wealth, especially in the cities but also in rural areas.  Nationally the GDP (in 2007 prices) has exploded from 2 trillion yuan in 1980 to 25 trillion in 2007.&lt;br /&gt;
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As late as 1980 60% of the people in rural China lives in poverty; by 2007 fewer than 5% did. Grain production has grown 300 to 500 tons per person, and rural income per person has soared from a few hundred yuan in 1980 to over 4000.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;See ''Economist'' Dec. 13, 2008&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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The reforms reformed and opened its economy. The Chinese leadership has adopted a more pragmatic perspective on many political and socioeconomic problems and has reduced the role of ideology in economic policy. China's ongoing economic transformation has had a profound impact not only on China but on the world. The market-oriented reforms China has implemented over the past two decades have unleashed individual initiative and entrepreneurship. The result has been the largest reduction of poverty and one of the fastest increases in income levels ever seen. China today is the fourth-largest economy in the world. It has sustained average economic growth of over 9.5% for the past 26 years. In 2006 its $2.76 trillion economy was about one-fifth the size of the U.S. economy. &lt;br /&gt;
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In the 1980s, China tried to combine central planning with market-oriented reforms to increase productivity, living standards, and technological quality without exacerbating inflation, unemployment, and budget deficits. China pursued agricultural reforms, dismantling the commune system and introducing a household-based system that provided peasants greater decision-making in agricultural activities. The government also encouraged nonagricultural activities such as village enterprises in rural areas, and promoted more self-management for state-owned enterprises, increased competition in the marketplace, and facilitated direct contact between Chinese and foreign trading enterprises. China also relied more on foreign financing and imports. &lt;br /&gt;
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During the 1980s, these reforms led to average annual rates of growth of 10% in agricultural and industrial output. Rural per capita real income doubled. China became self-sufficient in grain production; rural industries accounted for 23% of agricultural output, helping absorb surplus labor in the countryside. The variety of light industrial and consumer goods increased. Reforms began in the fiscal, financial, banking, price-setting, and labor systems. &lt;br /&gt;
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By the late 1980s, however, the economy had become overheated with increasing rates of inflation. At the end of 1988, in reaction to a surge of inflation caused by accelerated price reforms, the leadership introduced an [[Ascesis|austerity]] program. &lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Shanghai China CIA.jpg|thumb|left|280px|The Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai overlooks the Huangpu River.]]&lt;br /&gt;
China's economy regained momentum in the early 1990s. During a visit to southern China in early 1992, China's paramount leader at the time, Deng Xiaoping, made a series of political pronouncements designed to reinvigorate the process of economic reform. The 14th Party Congress later in the year backed Deng's renewed push for market reforms, stating that China's key task in the 1990s was to create a &amp;quot;socialist market economy.&amp;quot; The 10-year development plan for the 1990s stressed continuity in the political system with bolder reform of the economic system. &lt;br /&gt;
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China's economy grew at an average rate of 10% per year during the period 1990–2004, the highest growth rate in the world. China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 10.0% in 2003, and even faster, 10.1%, in 2004, and 9.9% in 2005 despite attempts by the government to cool the economy. China's total trade in 2006 surpassed $1.76 trillion, making China the world's third-largest trading nation after the U.S. and Germany. Such high growth is necessary if China is to generate the 15 million jobs needed annually—roughly the size of Ecuador or Cambodia—to employ new entrants into the job market. &lt;br /&gt;
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Nevertheless, serious imbalances exist behind the spectacular trade performance, high investment flows, and high GDP growth. High numbers of non-performing loans weigh down the state-run banking system. Inefficient state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are still a drag on growth, despite announced efforts to sell, merge, or close the vast majority of SOEs. &lt;br /&gt;
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Social and economic indicators have improved since reforms were launched, but rising inequality is evident between the more highly developed coastal provinces and the less developed, poorer inland regions. According to World Bank estimates, more than 152 million people in China in 2003—mostly in rural areas of the lagging inland provinces—still live in poverty, on consumption of less than U.S. $1 a day. &lt;br /&gt;
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Following the Chinese Communist Party's Third Plenum, held in October 2003, Chinese legislators unveiled several proposed amendments to the state constitution. One of the most significant was a proposal to provide protection for private property rights. Legislators also indicated there would be a new emphasis on certain aspects of overall government economic policy, including efforts to reduce unemployment (now in the 8-10% range in urban areas), to rebalance income distribution between urban and rural regions, and to maintain economic growth while protecting the environment and improving social equity. The National People's Congress approved the amendments when it met in March 2004. The Fifth Plenum in October 2005 approved the 11th Five-Year Economic Program aimed at building a &amp;quot;harmonious society&amp;quot; through a more balanced wealth distribution and improved education, medical care, and social security.&lt;br /&gt;
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By 2020 under Communism, China had a ''per capita'' income below [[Mexico]] but above the [[Dominican Republic]]. 40% of the population lives on less than $5 per day.&lt;br /&gt;
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The [[mainstream media]] praised the Chinese economy,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/15/economy/china-gdp-intl-hnk/index.html&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and boasted about how China will overtake the US economy before 2030.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/chinas-economy-will-be-no-1-less-20-years-us-flna1C7511557&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; China actually may overtake the US economy, based on the trends and if the United States doesn't speed up, which makes the mainstream media, and especially Joe Biden, happy.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== Economic History ===&lt;br /&gt;
In 1985, based on [[IMF]] data,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/SPROLLs/world-economic-outlook-databases&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; China was the eleventh largest economy, with a GDP of $313 billion, below the United States, Soviet Union, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, Spain, and the Netherlands. China quickly got to tenth in 1990, with its $398 billion. China managed to get to eight in just five years, with a GDP of $737 billion. However, during this time, the Russian economy was collapsing, which meant that China went to seventh. The Italian economy got overtaken by the Chinese economy of $1.215 trillion in 2000. However, China nearly tied France and England around the $2.5 trillion mark. When the [[2008 financial crisis]] hit America and Europe, China boomed even further, becoming the 3rd largest economy in 2010, nearly tying Japan, with a $6 trillion GDP. It went up to $11 trillion in 2015, clearly becoming the 2nd largest economy. In 2020, it hit 100 trillion yuan ($15.21 trillion), when the United States went down to $20 trillion, and Japan went down to $5 trillion, because of the [[CCP pandemic]]. China is expected to get to $25 trillion in 2025 and possibly hit $33 trillion in 2030, surpassing the United States' 30 trillion. The media appears to be cheering for China.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://danaloesch.com/some-media-democrats-diligently-defending-communist-china/&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In 2050, China could dwarf and double the US economy and military, with an overwhelming $100 trillion GDP, based on PricewaterhouseCoopers projections. China is eager to get the 1st place from the US and promote its agenda in an extreme way, even through killing 1.5 million people through a biological weapon, the Coronavirus.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://news.yahoo.com/china-wants-coronavirus-over-world-103022425.html?guccounter=1&amp;amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&amp;amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABU08fCU41_1iiHCipf28-7_ZzDeZ1xsqnWjIlewL_m1LPsgFnAbOgcC_r8OzFxnOTfAnJMDLX7qEvI-y0LbA0-MMZvle-8bHV9JlIOcxi57gVNTu2Zg8hkvUxKU0OGbiV5D3O3y5RMKgfg0lxQzQL54IzVrdjsONW6tsdqj6icA&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Agriculture===&lt;br /&gt;
China is the world's most populous country and one of the largest producers and consumers of agricultural products. Roughly half of China's labor force is engaged in agriculture, even though only 10% of the land is suitable for cultivation and agriculture contributes only 13% of China's GDP. China's cropland area is only 75% of the U.S. total, but China still produces about 30% more crops and livestock than the U.S. because of intensive cultivation, China is among the world's largest producers of rice, corn, wheat, soybeans, vegetables, tea, and pork. Major non-food crops include cotton, other fibers, and oilseeds. China hopes to further increase agricultural production through improved plant stocks, fertilizers, and technology. Incomes for Chinese farmers are stagnating, leading to an increasing wealth gap between the cities and the countryside. Government policies that continue to emphasize grain self-sufficiency and the fact that farmers do not own—and cannot buy or sell—the land they work have contributed to this situation. While this was the case in China before Communism, many other countries have since embrace individual ownership while China has not. In addition, inadequate port facilities and lack of warehousing and cold storage facilities impede both domestic and international agricultural trade.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Industry===&lt;br /&gt;
{{History of China (full)}}&lt;br /&gt;
Industry and construction account for about 46% of China's GDP. Major industries are mining and ore processing; iron; steel; aluminum; coal, machinery; textiles and apparel; armaments; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products including footwear, toys, and electronics; automobiles and other transportation equipment including rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; and telecommunications. &lt;br /&gt;
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China has the longest and most-used high-speed rail network in the world. China's high-speed rail network accounts for two-thirds of the world's total high-speed rail networks.&lt;br /&gt;
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China has become a preferred destination for the relocation of global manufacturing facilities. Its strength as an export platform has contributed to incomes and employment in China. The state-owned sector still accounts for about 40% of GDP. In recent years, authorities have been giving greater attention to the management of state assets—both in the financial market as well as among state-owned-enterprises—and progress has been noteworthy.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Regulatory Environment===&lt;br /&gt;
Though China's economy has expanded rapidly, its regulatory environment has not kept pace. Since Deng Xiaoping's open market reforms, the growth of new businesses has outpaced the government's ability to regulate them. This has created a situation where businesses, faced with mounting competition and poor oversight, will be willing to take drastic measures to increase profit margins, often at the expense of consumer safety. This issue has recently acquired more prominence, with a number of restrictions being placed on problematic Chinese exports by the U.S. The Chinese Government recognizes the severity of the problem, recently concluding that up to 20% of the country's products are substandard or tainted. However, the level of the Chinese corporate taxes is actually 60% of the annual income. Moreover, in September 2017 the Communist Regime announced that private enterprises that are over 50 employees are required to set up party branches.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Energy===&lt;br /&gt;
Together with strong economic growth, China's demand for energy is surging rapidly. In 2003, China surpassed Japan to become the second-largest consumer of primary energy, after the United States. China is the world's second-largest consumer of oil, after the United States, and for 2006, China's increase in oil demand represented 38% of the world total increase in oil demand. China is also the third-largest energy producer in the world, after the United States and Russia. China's electricity consumption is expected to grow by over 4% a year through 2030, which will require more than $2 trillion in electricity infrastructure investment to meet the demand. China expects to add approximately 15,000 megawatts of generating capacity a year, with 20% of that coming from foreign suppliers. &lt;br /&gt;
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Coal makes up the bulk of China's energy consumption (70% in 2005), and China is the largest producer and consumer of coal in the world. As China's economy continues to grow, China's coal demand is projected to rise significantly. Although coal's share of China's overall energy consumption will decrease, coal consumption will continue to rise in absolute terms. China's continued and increasing reliance on coal as a power source has contributed significantly to putting China on the path to becoming the world's largest emitter of acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide and greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide. &lt;br /&gt;
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The 11th Five-Year Program, announced in 2005, calls for greater energy conservation measures, including the development of renewable energy sources and increased attention to environmental protection. Moving away from coal towards cleaner energy sources including oil, natural gas, renewable energy, and nuclear power is an important component of China's development program. China has abundant hydroelectric resources; the Three Gorges Dam, for example, will have a total capacity of 18 gigawatts when fully on-line (projected for 2009). In addition, the share of electricity generated by nuclear power is projected to grow from 1% in 2000 to 5% in 2030. China's renewable energy law, which went into effect in 2006, calls for 10% of its energy to come from renewable energy sources by 2020. &lt;br /&gt;
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Since 1993, China has been a net importer of oil, a large portion of which comes from the Middle East. Net imports are expected to rise to 3.5 million barrels per day by 2010. China is interested in diversifying the sources of its oil imports and has invested in oil fields around the world. Beijing also plans to increase China's natural gas production, which currently accounts for only 3% of China's total energy consumption. Analysts expect China's consumption of natural gas to more than double by 2010. &lt;br /&gt;
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In May 2004, then-Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) that launched the U.S.-China Energy Policy Dialogue. The Dialogue has strengthened energy-related interactions between China and the United States, the world's two largest energy consumers. The U.S.-China Energy Policy Dialogue builds upon the two countries' existing cooperative ventures in high energy nuclear physics, fossil energy, energy efficiency, and renewable energy and energy information exchanges. The NDRC and the Department of Energy also exchange views and expertise on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technologies, and we convene an annual Oil and Gas Industry Forum with China. &lt;br /&gt;
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===Environment===&lt;br /&gt;
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''See also:'' [[Atheism and the environment#Atheist controlled communist China and the environment|China and the environment]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Global carbon emissions.PNG|right|300px|thumb|The [[Peoples Republic of China]] is responsible for 27% of global carbon emissions, more than all other developed nations combined.]]&lt;br /&gt;
One of the serious negative consequences of China's rapid industrial development has been increased pollution and degradation of natural resources. China is widely expected to surpass the United States as the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases sometime in 2007 or 2008. A World Health Organization report on air quality in 272 cities worldwide concluded that seven of the world's 10 most polluted cities were in China. According to China's own evaluation, two-thirds of the 338 cities for which air-quality data are available are considered polluted—two-thirds of them moderately or severely so. Respiratory and heart diseases related to air pollution are the leading cause of death in China. Almost all of the nation's rivers are considered polluted to some degree, and half of the population lacks access to clean water. By some estimates, every day approximately 300 million residents drink contaminated water. Ninety percent of urban water bodies are severely polluted. Water scarcity also is an issue; for example, severe water scarcity in Northern China is a serious threat to sustained economic growth and the government has begun working on a project for a large-scale diversion of water from the Yangtze River to northern cities, including Beijing and Tianjin. Acid rain falls on 30% of the country. Various studies estimate pollution costs the Chinese economy 7%-10% of GDP each year. &lt;br /&gt;
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China's leaders are increasingly paying attention to the country's severe environmental problems. In 1998, the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) was officially upgraded to a ministry-level agency, reflecting the growing importance the Chinese Government places on environmental protection. In recent years, China has strengthened its environmental legislation and made some progress in stemming from environmental deterioration. In 2005, China joined the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development, which brings industries and governments together to implement strategies that reduce pollution and address climate change. During the 10th Five-Year Plan, China plans to reduce total emissions by 10%. Beijing in particular is investing heavily in pollution control as part of its campaign to host a successful Olympiad in 2008. Some cities have seen improvements in air quality in recent years. &lt;br /&gt;
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China is an active participant in climate change talks and other multilateral environmental negotiations, taking environmental challenges seriously but pushing for the developed world to help developing countries to a greater extent. It is a signatory to the Basel Convention governing the transport and disposal of hazardous waste and the Montreal Protocol for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, as well as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and other major environmental agreements. &lt;br /&gt;
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The question of environmental impacts associated with the Three Gorges Dam project has generated controversy among environmentalists inside and outside China. Critics claim that erosion and silting of the Yangtze River threaten several endangered species, while Chinese officials say the dam will help prevent devastating floods and generate clean hydroelectric power that will enable the region to lower its dependence on coal, thus lessening air pollution. &lt;br /&gt;
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The United States and China are members of the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP). The APP is a public-private partnership of six nations—Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States—committed to explore new mechanisms to meet national pollution reduction, energy security, and climate change goals in ways that reduce poverty and promote economic development. APP members have undertaken cooperative activities involving the deployment of clean technology in partner countries in eight areas: cleaner fossil energy, renewable energy and distributed generation, power generation and transmission, steel, aluminum, cement, coal mining, and buildings and appliances. &lt;br /&gt;
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The United States and China have been engaged in an active program of bilateral environmental cooperation since the mid-1990s, with an emphasis on clean energy technology and the design of effective environmental policy. While both governments view this cooperation positively, China has often compared the U.S. program, which lacks a foreign assistance component, with those of Japan and several European Union (EU) countries that include generous levels of aid.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Science and Technology===&lt;br /&gt;
Science and technology have always preoccupied China's leaders; indeed, China's political leadership comes almost exclusively from technical backgrounds and has a high regard for science. Deng called it &amp;quot;the first productive force.&amp;quot; Distortions in the economy and society created by party rule have severely hurt Chinese science, according to some Chinese science policy experts. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, modeled on the Soviet system, puts much of China's greatest scientific talent in a large, under-funded apparatus that remains largely isolated from industry, although the reforms of the past decade have begun to address this problem. &lt;br /&gt;
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Chinese science strategists see China's greatest opportunities in newly emerging fields such as biotechnology and computers, where there is still a chance for China to become a significant player. Most Chinese students who went abroad have not returned, but they have built a dense network of trans-Pacific contacts that will greatly facilitate U.S.-China scientific cooperation in the coming years. The U.S. space program is often held up as the standard of scientific modernity in China. China's small but growing space program, which successfully completed its second manned orbit in October 2005, is a focus of national pride. &lt;br /&gt;
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The U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement remains the framework for bilateral cooperation in this field. A 5-year agreement to extend the Science and Technology Agreement was signed in April 2006. The Agreement is among the longest-standing U.S.-China accords, and includes over eleven U.S. Federal agencies and numerous branches that participate in cooperative exchanges under the S&amp;amp;T Agreement and its nearly 60 protocols, memoranda of understanding, agreements, and annexes. The Agreement covers cooperation in areas such as marine conservation, renewable energy, and health. Biennial Joint Commission Meetings on Science and Technology bring together policymakers from both sides to coordinate joint science and technology cooperation. Executive Secretaries meetings are held biennially to implement specific cooperation programs. Japan and the European Union also have high-profile science and technology cooperative relationships with China.&lt;br /&gt;
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====Internet====&lt;br /&gt;
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticized Chinese censorship and restrictions on the Internet, and China is pushing back since the Communist Party considers Internet control essential if it is to maintain the stability of the country. Between 2006 and 2010, Google had a censored version of its search engine in mainland China on google.cn. In 2010, Google ended its censored mainland Chinese version, instead offering a link to the Hong Kong Chinese version, which does not censor search results, but is blocked in the mainland. The Communist Party promotes Internet use for commerce, but heavily censors content it deems pornographic, anti-social or politically subversive and blocks many foreign news and social media sites, including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The censorship is nicknamed the &amp;quot;Great Firewall of China,&amp;quot; which is based on the [[Great Wall of China]]. However, the censorship can easily be bypassed with a [[Virtual Private Network]] (VPN), colloquially known as 翻墙 (''fānqiáng'', lit. &amp;quot;going over the wall&amp;quot;).&lt;br /&gt;
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===Poor Medical care===&lt;br /&gt;
Mainland China, like most Communist regimes, gives low priority to medicine and medical care. Mainland China only spends 1% of GDP on health care, ranking #156 out of 196 nations surveys by the World Health Organization. Many people rely on traditional practitioners, having more faith in acupuncture than modern science.  In any case, few have the opportunity to receive modern drugs or treatment with advanced devices. The local clinic has only a thermometer and stethoscope for instrumentation, and very few modern drugs. Only one in six medical personnel have a college degree, and those degrees are not high quality. The ordinary people want more medical care but that hardly matters, for in a  dictatorship violence matters, but not public opinion.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Gordon Fairclaugh, &amp;quot;In China, Rx for Ailing Health System,&amp;quot; ''Wall Street Journal,'' Oct. 15, 2009&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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===WTO membership===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the CCP's human rights abuses in the Tiananmen massacre, no trade sanctions were ever leveled by Western Powers and globalists. China was rewarded for its human rights abuses in 2001, despite the absence of reforms, by being welcomed into the [[World Trade Organization]] with full membership and a year later granted [[Most Favored Nation]] trade status by the [[U.S. Congress]].&lt;br /&gt;
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China's merchandise exports totaled $969.3 billion and imports totaled $791.8 billion in 2006. Its global trade surplus surged from $32 billion in 2004 to $177.5 billion in 2006. China's primary trading partners include Japan, the EU, the United States, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. According to U.S. statistics, China had a trade surplus with the U.S. of $232.6 billion in 2006. &lt;br /&gt;
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China has taken important steps to open its foreign trading system and integrate itself into the world trading system. In November 1991, China joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group, which promotes free trade and cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, and technology spheres. China served as APEC chair in 2001, and Shanghai hosted the annual APEC leaders meeting in October of that year. &lt;br /&gt;
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China formally joined the WTO in December 2001. As part of this far-reaching trade liberalization agreement, China agreed to lower tariffs and abolish market impediments. Chinese and foreign businessmen, for example, gained the right to import and export on their own, and to sell their products without going through a government middleman. By 2005, average tariff rates on key U.S. agricultural exports dropped from 31% to 14% and on industrial products from 25% to 9%. The agreement also opens up new opportunities for U.S. providers of services like banking, insurance, and telecommunications. China has made significant progress implementing its WTO commitments, but serious concerns remain, particularly in the realm of intellectual property rights protection. &lt;br /&gt;
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While accession does not guarantee smaller trade deficits, full implementation of all WTO commitments would further open China's markets to—and help level the playing field for—U.S. exports. China is now one of the most important markets for U.S. exports: in 2006, U.S. exports to China totaled $55.2 billion, almost triple the $19 billion when China joined the WTO in 2001 and up 32% over 2005. U.S. agricultural exports have increased dramatically, making China our fourth-largest agricultural export market (after Canada, Japan, and Mexico). Over the same period (2001-2006), U.S. imports from China have risen from $102 billion to $287.8 billion. &lt;br /&gt;
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Export growth continues to be a major driver of China's rapid economic growth. To increase exports, China has pursued policies such as fostering the rapid development of foreign-invested factories, which assemble imported components into consumer goods for export, and liberalizing trading rights. In its eleventh Five-Year Program, adopted in 2005, China placed greater emphasis on developing a consumer demand-driven economy to sustain economic growth and address global imbalances. &lt;br /&gt;
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The United States is one of China's primary suppliers of power generating equipment, aircraft and parts, computers and industrial machinery, raw materials, and chemical and agricultural products. However, U.S. exporters continue to have concerns about fair market access due to strict testing and standards requirements for some imported products. In addition, a lack of transparency in the regulatory process makes it difficult for businesses to plan for changes in the domestic market structure. The April 11, 2006 U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) produced agreements on key U.S. trade concerns ranging from market access to U.S. beef, medical devices, and telecommunications; to the enforcement of intellectual property rights, including, significantly, software. The JCCT also produced an agreement to establish a U.S.-China High Technology and Strategic Trade Working Group to review export control cooperation and facilitate high technology trade.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Foreign Investment===&lt;br /&gt;
China's investment climate has changed dramatically in 24 years of reform. In the early 1980s, China restricted foreign investments to export-oriented operations and required foreign investors to form joint-venture partnerships with Chinese firms. Foreign direct investment (FDI) grew quickly during the 1980s, but stalled in late 1989 in the aftermath of Tiananmen. In response, the government introduced legislation and regulations designed to encourage foreigners to invest in high-priority sectors and regions. Since the early 1990s, China has allowed foreign investors to manufacture and sell a wide range of goods on the domestic market, and authorized the establishment of wholly foreign-owned enterprises, now the preferred form of FDI. However, the Chinese Government's emphasis on guiding FDI into manufacturing has led to market saturation in some industries, while leaving China's services sectors underdeveloped. China is now one of the leading recipients of FDI in the world, receiving almost $80 billion in 2005 according to World Bank statistics. &lt;br /&gt;
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As part of its WTO accession, China undertook to eliminate certain trade-related investment measures and to open up specified sectors that had previously been closed to foreign investment. New laws, regulations, and administrative measures to implement these commitments are being issued. Major remaining barriers to foreign investment include opaque and inconsistently enforced laws and regulations and the lack of a rules-based legal infrastructure. &lt;br /&gt;
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Opening to the outside remains central to China's development. Foreign-invested enterprises produce about half of China's exports, and China continues to attract large investment inflows. Foreign exchange reserves were $1.1 trillion at the end of 2006, and have now surpassed those of Japan, making China's foreign exchange reserves the largest in the world.&lt;br /&gt;
===Higher education===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite fears that China may be outpacing the United States in turning out engineers, the number of college students in China who study engineering is on the decline, according to ''[[Global Times]]'', a Chinese party-controlled newspaper. Fewer than one in 10 college graduates in 2009 majored in engineering. Instead, students are turning to economics, finance, and management, which pay more and carry more social status. &amp;quot;Engineering usually makes people think of factories, while factories often give people an impression of hard work, low wages, and layoffs,&amp;quot; the newspaper quoted one professor as saying.&lt;br /&gt;
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Although there are some considerable effort of developing the universities, the Communist regime is still having issues with academic freedoms, which means that some improvements will be made, but the overall environment will not change.  &lt;br /&gt;
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The exodus of Chinese undergraduate and graduate students continues; as 180,000 left in 2008, about 25% percent more than in 2007, as more families were able to pay overseas tuition. For every four students who left in the past decade, only one returned; those with American PhDs in science or engineering the least likely to return.  The intellectual vitality, quality of science, pay scales, and political climate are much more attractive in the West.  Those who return to China risk being shunned as &amp;quot;foreigners&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/world/asia/07scholar.html?hp  Sharon LaFraniera, &amp;quot;Fighting Trend, China Is Luring Scientists Home,&amp;quot; ''New York Times'' Jan. 6. 2010]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Now the exodus are enlarged into high-school students and even primary school students.&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Chinese in Africa===&lt;br /&gt;
China has been spending huge amounts of money and time buying influence in various African countries.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/Africa-Monitor/2011/0217/China-s-latest-trade-visit-to-Africa-reveals-a-different-approach-to-business]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; China has given 45 African countries $115 billion, a figure which is growing at 44% every year. Africa has many desirable resources such as [[diamonds]], [[oil]], and rare earth metals such as [[Indium]] which is used to make the touch screens for new high-tech devices such as [[Apple]]'s [[iPad]]&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://blogs.indium.com/blog/an-interview-with-the-professor/assembled-cost-of-an-ipad]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and [[iPhone]], often under [[sweat shop]] conditions.&lt;br /&gt;
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China's aim in Africa seems to be to buy up the emerging markets of the developing nations there. China has a big population, but does not have many of the resources (see above) that they will need to improve themselves. When countries go through [[industrialization]] they need to use a lot more resources, and China does not have them. By buying up Africa they get these natural resources cheaply. They will also be able to use these resources as poker chips against the west.&lt;br /&gt;
US ambassador [[Johnnie Carson]] believes &amp;quot;China has no morals&amp;quot; in Africa,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/09/cable-kenya-risks-new-violence-reforms/]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; which may be true given their [[communist]] ideology.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== China and intellectual property theft ===&lt;br /&gt;
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See: [[Atheistic China and intellectual property theft|China and intellectual property theft]]&lt;br /&gt;
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== History ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{main|History of China}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Great Wall of China.jpg|right|240px]]&lt;br /&gt;
Although archaeologists have found settlements in China dating to [[5000 BC]], the earliest nation that can be dated in the area of modern China is the [[Shang Dynasty]], approximately [[2000 BC]].&lt;br /&gt;
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Dynasty followed dynasty, as old regimes would lose the &amp;quot;mandate of heaven;&amp;quot; it was believed that each emperor ruled only with the approval of heaven, and a ruler who was unfit to rule would curse the nation until replaced.  In addition, the Chinese capital would occasionally be overrun by &amp;quot;barbarians,&amp;quot; who invariably would start a new dynasty in the Chinese capital, integrating their nations into the former dynasty.&lt;br /&gt;
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Chinese had an advanced artistic culture and well-developed science and technology.  However, its science and technology stood still after 1700 and in the 21st century very little survives outside museums, except in for the popular forms of traditional medicine. &lt;br /&gt;
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===19th and 20th century===&lt;br /&gt;
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by large-scale civil wars, major famines, military defeats by Britain and Japan, regional control by powerful warlords, and foreign intervention such as the [[Boxer Rebellion]] of 1900. In 1911 a revolution deposed the [[Qing dynasty]] and the [[Republic of China]] was proclaimed.  &lt;br /&gt;
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Under the leadership of the [[KMT]] (Kuomintang), headed by [[Chiang Kai-shek]] (1887-1975), the central government finally suppressed the local warlords who effectively controlled many provinces. The KMT tried to destroy the Communists under [[Mao Zedong]], but they escaped in the &amp;quot;Long March&amp;quot; of 1934–35. Japan seized Manchuria in 1931, and in 1937 invaded all of China, seizing the coast, the major cities, and setting up a puppet government that controlled most of the population. China was allied with the U.S. and Britain against Japan, and at war's end joined the United Nations as a permanent member of the 5-nation Security Council, with a veto.&lt;br /&gt;
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The period from the [[Opium War]]s to the rise of [[New China]] under Mao is referred to in Communist Chinese history texts as the Century of Humiliation.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Yan'an rectification movement===&lt;br /&gt;
:{{See also|Yan'an rectification movement|Rectification}}&lt;br /&gt;
In northern Shaanxi Province, while sandwiched between the Japanese and the KMT, the CCP began the Yan’an Rectification Movement of mass cleansing, killing many people.  More than 10,000 were killed in the &amp;quot;rectification&amp;quot; process,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;UJPRS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;US Joint Publication research service. (1979). ''China Report: Political, Sociological and Military Affairs.'' Foreign Broadcast Information Service. No ISBN digitized text March 5, 2007&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; as the Party made efforts to attack intellectuals and replace the culture of the [[May Fourth Movement]] with that of Communist culture.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Twitchett, Denis and Fairbank, John K. ''The Cambridge History of China.'' {{ISBN|0-521-24336-X}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Borthwick, Mark. (1998). ''Pacific Century: The Emergence of Modern Pacific Asia.'' Westview Press. {{ISBN|0-8133-3471-3}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Apter&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Apter, David Ernest. (1994). Revolutionary Discourse in Mao's Republic. Harvard University Press. {{ISBN|0-674-76780-2}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  This type of repetitive massacre on such a massive scale did not prevent the CCP from eventually expanding its power to rule all of China. The CCP expanded this pattern of internal rivalry and killing from the small Soviet areas to the whole nation.  ''The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party'' describes the Yan'an rectification movement as,&lt;br /&gt;
{{quotebox|&amp;quot;the largest, darkest, and most ferocious power game ever played out in the human world. In the name of “cleansing petty bourgeoisie toxins,” the Party washed away morality, independence of thought, freedom of action, tolerance, and dignity... Humiliation became a fact of life in Yan’an—it was either humiliate other comrades or humiliate oneself. People were pushed to the brink of insanity, having been forced to abandon their dignity, sense of honor or shame, and love for one another to save their own lives and their own jobs. They ceased to express their own opinions and recited Party leaders’ articles instead.&amp;quot;}}&lt;br /&gt;
Mao developed the techniques of &amp;quot;thought reform&amp;quot; (literally &amp;quot;washing the brain&amp;quot; in Chinese). Mao's tactics often included isolating and attacking dissenting individuals in &amp;quot;study groups.&amp;quot;  These techniques of pressure, ostracism, and reintegration were particularly powerful in China, where the culture puts great value on &amp;quot;saving face&amp;quot;, protecting one's innermost thinking, and above all, identifying with a group.  Individuals put through thought reform later described it as excruciating. The resulting changes in views were not permanent, but the experience overall seriously affected the lives of those who went through it. The CCP has used these same types of techniques on millions of Chinese since 1949.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Maoist revolution===&lt;br /&gt;
:{{See also|New China|History of the Chinese Communist Party}}&lt;br /&gt;
In 1945–46, the U.S. attempted to force a negotiated settlement between the KMT and the Communists, but failed.  In the face of economic collapse,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;See [[Harry Dexter White#Betrayal of the Kuomintang]]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; the Communists won the civil war in 1949 under [[Mao Zedong]] established a totalitarian regime, forcing the elected constitutional ROC Government to Taiwan. Taiwan is recognized as an integral part of China in theory, but in practice has been independent since 1949. &lt;br /&gt;
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Mao liquidated millions of opponents, acting against the International society in the [[Korean War]] (1950–53), and around 1960 broke bitterly with the Soviet Union over the control of the Communist world.  Mao's regime imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people.  Mao bluntly said,&lt;br /&gt;
{{quotebox|“What can Emperor [[Qin Shi Huang]] brag about? He only killed 460 [[Confucius|Confucian]] scholars, but we killed 46,000 intellectuals. There are people who accuse us of practicing dictatorship like Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and we admit to it all. It fits the reality. It is a pity that they did not give us enough credit, so we need to add to it.”&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.ninecommentaries.com/english-3&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
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===Cultural Revolution===&lt;br /&gt;
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Mao was discredited by the failure of the Great Leap Forward, and power shifted to the party boss Liu Shaoqi and his prot&amp;amp;#233;g&amp;amp;#233;, Deng Xiaoping. Dissatisfied with China's new direction and his own reduced authority, Mao launched a massive political attack on Liu, Deng, and other pragmatists in the spring of 1966.&lt;br /&gt;
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In the early stages of the Cultural Revolution, Mao and [[Lin Biao]] charged Liu, Deng, and other top party leaders with dragging China back toward capitalism. In 1971, Lin Biao was accused of plotting against Mao. He fled Beijing and died in a plane crash in Mongolia. &lt;br /&gt;
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The ideological struggle between more pragmatic, veteran party officials and the radicals re-emerged with a vengeance in late 1975. Mao's wife, [[Jiang Qing]], and three close Cultural Revolution associates (later dubbed the &amp;quot;[[Gang of Four]]&amp;quot;) launched a campaign against Deng, who was stripped of all official positions.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Post-Maoism===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Concrete-in-china-info.png|right|220px|thumb|In the 3 years from 2011 to 2014, China used more cement than the US did in the entire 20th century.]]&lt;br /&gt;
After 1978, Mao's successor [[Deng Xiaoping]] constructed a market-economy system, while still remain de facto control over the land by imposing the length of usage of the land, and by 2000 output had increased, population growth ended (by imposing a one-child policy), and mediocre relations were secured with the West. For much of the population, living standards have improved and the material choices are growing, yet totalitarian rule and the ownership of the Internet still firmly gripped.&lt;br /&gt;
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China's economy during the last quarter-century has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade, to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in the global economy.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Most Favored Nation status with the U.S.===&lt;br /&gt;
:{{See also|Most favored nation}}&lt;br /&gt;
As China has been growing in power, it has also become increasingly aggressive on the international stage.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Scaliger, Charles (February 19, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/31388-china-s-new-aggression-on-the-world-stage China’s New Aggression on the World Stage]. ''The New American''. Retrieved February 19, 2019.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;See also:&lt;br /&gt;
*Blanchard, Ben (September 24, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-anniversary-timeline/timeline-seven-decades-of-communist-china-idUSKBN1WA03Z Timeline: Seven decades of Communist China]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved September 25, 2019.&lt;br /&gt;
*Newman, Alex (September 25, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/is-trump-really-to-blame-for-chinas-rise-at-the-un-as-media-claim_3094695.html China’s Subversion of the United Nations]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved September 26, 2019.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The country's Communist Party also increased control over the country and economy,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Multiple references:&lt;br /&gt;
*Byas, Steve (March 7, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/31676-chinese-communists-tighten-grip-as-70th-anniversary-nears Chinese Communists Tighten Grip as 70th Anniversary Nears]. ''The New American''. Retrieved March 8, 2019.&lt;br /&gt;
*Li, Olivia (March 6, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/china-cracks-down-on-private-enterprises_2825959.html China Cracks Down on Private Enterprises]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved March 8, 2019.&lt;br /&gt;
See also:&lt;br /&gt;
*Blanchard, Ben (March 7, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-parliament-politics/in-sensitive-year-for-china-warnings-against-erroneous-thoughts-idUSKCN1QO0X0 In sensitive year for China, warnings against 'erroneous thoughts']. ''Reuters''. Retrieved March 9, 2019.&lt;br /&gt;
*Timm, Leo; Hao, Nicole (December 24, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/year-in-review-for-communist-china-the-worst-is-yet-to-come_3180253.html Year in Review: For Communist China, the Worst Is yet to Come]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved December 24, 2019.&lt;br /&gt;
*Adelmann, Bob (December 30, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/34476-china-facing-massive-headwinds-in-2020 China Facing Massive Headwinds in 2020]. ''The New American''. Retrieved December 30, 2019.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and foreign companies worked to appease the Chinese government.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Lowe, Tiana (August 15, 2019). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/woke-capitalism-cowers-to-china Woke capitalism cowers to China]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved August 26, 2019.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;See also:&lt;br /&gt;
*Kraychik, Robert (October 14, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/radio/2019/10/14/rob-spalding-china-silenced-its-critics-buying-off-americas-elites/ Rob Spalding: China Silenced Its Critics by Buying Off America’s Elites]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 14, 2019.&lt;br /&gt;
*Virgil (October 20, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/10/20/virgil-five-takeaways-from-capitalisms-kowtow-to-china/ Virgil: Five Takeaways from Capitalism’s Kowtow to China]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 21, 2019.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; China uses about half of the world's steel and cement/concrete. In the 3 years from 2011 to 2014, China used 6.6 gigatons of cement, which is more than the US did in the entire 20th century.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill-Gates/Concrete-in-China&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  China also worked to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Schmitt, Gary (September 26, 2019). [https://thehill.com/opinion/international/463290-china-is-quietly-winning-the-diplomatic-war-with-taiwan China is quietly winning the diplomatic war with Taiwan]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved September 26, 2019.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; China became the dominant trading partner of a large majority of the world's countries, overtaking the U.S.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://twitter.com/MhaskarChief/status/1198862204876931072 Zeeshan Mhaskar]. ''Twitter''. November 24, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;See also:&lt;br /&gt;
*Akan, Emel (January 6, 2020). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/chinas-rise-had-a-negative-impact-on-global-innovation-say-experts_3195603.html China’s Rise Has Had Negative Impact on Global Innovation, Experts Say]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved January 6, 2020.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Under Xi Jinping, China regressed back to Mao's totalitarianism.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Adelmann, Bob (December 30, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/34470-china-s-xi-jinping-is-now-the-people-s-leader China’s Xi Jinping Is Now the “People’s Leader”]. ''The New American''. Retrieved December 30, 2019.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Wuhan Coronavirus epidemic ===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:WHO-CCP Wuhan virus.PNG|right|300px|thumb|The WHO, headed by a Marxist [[fellow traveller]], publicly announced that the Wuhan virus posed no threat of contagious reaction between humans.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://dailycaller.com/2020/03/18/flashback-who-china-coronavirus-contagious/&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
:{{See also|CCP virus||Atheism and the Wuhan coronavirus epidemic|Wuhan coronavirus - Chinese Communist Party response}}&lt;br /&gt;
In July 2019, Xiangguo Qiu and a number of Qiu's students were forcibly removed from Canada's only level-4 laboratory.  A Level 4 virology facility is a lab equipped to work with the most serious and deadly human and animal diseases. The laboratory in Winnepeg, [[Manitoba]] is one of only a handful in [[North America]] capable of handling pathogens requiring the highest level of containment.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/chinese-researcher-escorted-from-infectious-disease-lab-amid-rcmp-investigation-1.5211567&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bio-warfare experts questioned why Canada was sending lethal viruses to China.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://edmontonjournal.com/health/bio-warfare-experts-question-why-canada-was-sending-lethal-viruses-to-china/wcm/fce2a521-4ce1-4eb0-8ccf-43f165713c0b/&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The unity within the Chinese Communist Party is shattering as all three factions (Shanghai, Beijing, and Zhenjiang) in the party are embroiled in a feud.  The Shanghai faction is led by Jiang Zemin, the Beijing faction is led by [[Hu Jintao]], and the Zhenjiang faction is led by President Xi Jinping.  Each one of the three is trying to nullify the influence of the other faction. Since 2012, when Xi Jinping took office political oppression has intensified and it has blanketed China. Press, social media, film, arts, literature, and the Internet in China is heavily censored. Many intellectuals, Tibetans, Uighurs, lawyers, university students have been persecuted for voicing their opinions in favor of democracy.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Cracks appeared in Xi Jinping's hold on the Chinese Communist Party over the catastrophic handling of the [[CCP pandemic]].  This opened an opportunity for the Shanghai faction and the Beijing faction.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2020 U.S. Presidential election interference===&lt;br /&gt;
:{{See also|United States presidential election, 2020}}&lt;br /&gt;
Di Dongsheng, a vice-dean at the School of International Relations at Renmin University in Beijing, made public statements before a large audience on November 28, 2020:&lt;br /&gt;
{{Quotebox-float|&amp;quot;We know that the Trump administration is in a trade war with us, so why can’t we fix the Trump administration? Why did China and the US used to be able to settle all kinds of issues between 1992 and 2016?&amp;quot; he asked. &amp;quot;I’m going to throw out something maybe a little bit explosive here. It’s just because we have people at the top. We have our old friends who are at the top of America’s core inner circle of power and influence.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;During the US-China trade war, [[Wall Street]] tried to help, and I know that my friends on the US side told me that they tried to help, but they couldn’t do much. But now we’re seeing Biden was elected, the traditional elite, the political elite, the establishment, they’re very close to Wall Street, so you see that, right?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Trump has been saying that Biden’s son has some sort of global foundation. Have you noticed that? Who helped [Hunter] build the foundations? Got it? There are a lot of deals inside all these.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/12/08/top_chinese_intellectual_boasts_about_old_friends_who_are_at_the_top_of_americas_core_inner_circle_of_power_and_influence.html#!&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://youtu.be/lyQUtPEBBSA&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://thepostmillennial.com/watch-tucker-carlson-exposes-how-media-democrats-have-been-working-on-behalf-of-china/&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Human Rights ==&lt;br /&gt;
Under Mao millions of Chinese died, no matter it is famine or political movements, they are all the results of Communism itself. The &amp;quot;[[Cultural Revolution]]&amp;quot; in the 1960s was an [[Cultural Marxist]] effort of eradicating Chinese culture endorsed by Mao in order to eliminate potential political elite that could act against the Communist Party; it set back China by decades, even after his death, the damage in the social morality is still remaining.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the mid-1980s the new leader [[Deng Xiaoping]] promoted rapid modernization. While Mao's memory was still revered, most of his brutal policies were ended and much economic freedom—and a dash of political liberalization—was allowed.  Intellectuals were encouraged to speak out again and to share in a new spirit of &amp;quot;democratization.&amp;quot; However Communist party leaders in 1986 warned that modernization must not be used as an excuse to introduce &amp;quot;bourgeois philosophies and social doctrines.&amp;quot; By late 1986 student groups began to demonstrate demanding more student participation in local government, a greater degree of democracy, and better living conditions.  As demonstrations escalated Hu Yaobang, the general secretary of the party, resigned, confessing that he had made major mistakes and would take responsibility for them.  It was a setback to political and economic liberalization, though Hu remained, out of office, a symbol of the potential for democracy.  Hu's death in April 1989, sparked widespread public rallies in favor of broad social changes in Beijing, Shanghai, and other major cities.  Tens of thousands of students defied a government clampdown to demonstrate in May in [[Tiananmen Square]] central Beijing.  The Party moved to kill dissent, sending uneducated rural troops into square on June 3–4; hundreds of demonstrators were killed, wounded, or arrested.  The world was appalled.  Following the savage repression of democrats in all major cities Deng Xiaoping appeared to be even more firmly in control. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The China country reports in the U.S. State Department's 2009 Human Rights Practices and International Religious Freedom Reports&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;See [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/eap/119037.htm U.S. State Department, ''2008 Human Rights Report: China (includes Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macau)'' Feb. 25, 2009]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; noted China's well-documented and continuing abuses of human rights in violation of internationally recognized norms, stemming both from the authorities' intolerance of dissent and the inadequacy of legal safeguards for basic freedoms. Reported abuses have included arbitrary and lengthy incommunicado detention, forced confessions, torture, and mistreatment of prisoners as well as severe restrictions on freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, religion, privacy, worker rights, and coercive birth limitation. In 2006, China continued the monitoring, harassment, intimidation, and arrest of journalists, Internet writers, defense lawyers, religious activists, and political dissidents. The activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), especially those relating to the rule of law and expansion of judicial review, continue to be restricted.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2008 China loosened its restrictions somewhat for the Summer Olympics. The government owns the Internet access and censor several websites to prevent the people from learning about the Communist regime and the evil root of the Communism.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Human rights failures remain a major concern. Abatement of pollution and improvements in systems to ensure food, drug, and product safety are major concerns,  especially after notorious episodes of exporting poisoned pet food, toothpaste, and infant formula.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By 2019, human rights in China had deteriorated significantly.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Multiple references:&lt;br /&gt;
*Williams, Thomas D. (June 4, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2019/06/04/thirty-years-after-tiananmen-massacre-human-rights-in-china-worse-than-ever/ Thirty Years After Tiananmen Massacre, Human Rights in China ‘Worse than Ever’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 4, 2019.&lt;br /&gt;
*Schachtel, Jordan (June 4, 2019). [https://www.conservativereview.com/news/30-years-later-tiananmen-square-massacre-highlights-continuing-evils-chinas-one-party-state/ 30 years later, the Tiananmen Square massacre highlights the continuing evils of China’s one-party state]. ''Conservative Review''. Retrieved June 4, 2019.&lt;br /&gt;
*Madden, Nate (June 4, 2019). [https://www.conservativereview.com/news/brutality-tiananmen-square-lives-chinas-oppression-dissidents/ The brutality of Tiananmen Square lives on in China’s oppression of dissidents]. ''Conservative Review''. Retrieved June 4, 2019.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Repression in 2008===&lt;br /&gt;
{{main|Xinjiang Concentration Camps}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2008 China's human rights record remained poor and worsened in some areas. During the year the government increased its severe cultural and religious repression of ethnic minorities in Tibetan areas and the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR), increased detention and harassment of dissidents and petitioners, and maintained tight controls on freedom of speech and the Internet. Abuses peaked around high-profile events, such as the Olympics and the unrest in Tibet. As in previous years, citizens did not have the right to change their government. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), both local and international, continued to face intense scrutiny and restrictions. Other serious human rights abuses included extrajudicial killings, torture and coerced confessions of prisoners, and the use of forced labor, including prison labor. Workers cannot choose an independent union to represent them in the workplace, and the law does not protect workers' right to strike.  The government continued to monitor, harass, detain, arrest, and imprison journalists, writers, activists, and defense lawyers and their families, many of whom were seeking to exercise their rights under the law.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;See [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/eap/119037.htm U.S. State Department, ''2008 Human Rights Report: China (includes Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macau)'' Feb. 25, 2009]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Execution Controversy===&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2009, China executed a man named Akmal Shaikh for drug smuggling. There is evidence that Shaikh was mentally ill, but he was not given a psychological exam of any sort before the trial. He was not given an examination because the Chinese government declared that neither Shaikh or his family could prove he was mentally ill through documentation or family history. The British government made many requests for clemency, including at an eleventh-hour meeting with the Chinese ambassador, but they were consistently ignored.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-britain-china30-2009dec30,0,4153003.story&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Organ harvesting===&lt;br /&gt;
{{See also|Forced organ harvesting}}&lt;br /&gt;
While the [[CCP pandemic]] unfolded the China Tribunal, an independent people's tribunal, released its full judgment on Chinese forced organ harvesting.  The panel was chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice who previously led the [[prosecution]] of former [[Yugoslavia]] [[Prime Minister]] [[Slobodan Milosevic]] for [[war crimes]] at the International Criminal Tribunal and included other experts in law, transplant surgery, international politics, Chinese history and business.  The experts concluded that the grisly practice has continued unabated. In June 2019 the tribunal delivered its findings in [[London]], concluding beyond a reasonable doubt that state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience has taken place for years in China on a significant scale and is still taking place.  The main organ supply came from imprisoned practitioners of the persecuted spiritual group [[Falun Gong]].  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Chinese regime has persecuted the group for more than two decades. Hundreds of thousands of adherents have been thrown into prisons, labor camps, and brainwashing centers where many have been tortured in an effort to force them to renounce their faith. The tribunal concluded that the Chinese regime sustained a campaign of forced organ harvesting constituted a crime against humanity. Many people have died indescribable hideous deaths for no reason, that more may suffer in similar ways, and that all of us live on a planet where extreme wickedness may be found in the power of those, who for the time being, are running a country that is one of the oldest civilizations known to modern man.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gfN2_uOvTM&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== China and doping in the Olympic Games ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''See also'': [[Irreligion and unsportsmanlike conduct]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
German news website ''Deutsche Welle'' (DW) reported:&lt;br /&gt;
{{Cquote|A former doctor has revealed the massive extent of doping of Chinese Olympic athletes during the 1980s and 1990s. The whistleblower has claimed more than 10,000 athletes were doped in the state-backed program.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.dw.com/en/systematic-doping-of-chinese-athletes-in-olympic-games-revealed-by-former-doctor/a-41065227Systematic doping of Chinese athletes in the Olympic Games revealed by former doctor], DW&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== China and obesity ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Flag of the PRC.png|thumbnail|250px|right|China has the largest atheist population in the world.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.thechapmans.nl/news/Atheist.pdf Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)]&lt;br /&gt;
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/23/a-surprising-map-of-where-the-worlds-atheists-live/ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live], ''Washington Post'' By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In 2014, the British medical journal'' Lancet'' reported that the Chinese now have the second-highest obesity rate in the world.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/05/29/as-obesity-rises-chinese-kids-are-almost-as-fat-as-americans/ As Obesity Rises, Chinese Kids Are Almost as Fat as Americans], ''Wall Street Journal'' Chinarealtime, May 29, 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgJvV62yD2E Chubby China: Nation of 300 Million Overweight People]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A recent study published in the ''Obesity Reviews'' journal, found that Chinese teenagers' rate of [[diabetes]] was four times that of their [[United States|American]] peers.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.china.org.cn/china/2012-09/14/content_26521029.htm Obesity is a growing concern in China] By Pang Li, China.org.cn, September 14, 2012&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;]]&lt;br /&gt;
''See also:'' [[China and obesity]] and [[Atheism and obesity]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2014, it was reported that China's obesity rate has skyrocketed in the last 30 years and the Chinese now have the second-highest obesity rate in the world.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/05/29/as-obesity-rises-chinese-kids-are-almost-as-fat-as-americans/ As Obesity Rises, Chinese Kids Are Almost as Fat as Americans], ''Wall Street Journal'' Chinarealtime, May 29, 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgJvV62yD2E Chubby China: Nation of 300 Million Overweight People]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  The ''Wall Street Journal'' reported in 2014 that China had approximately 300 million overweight people.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgJvV62yD2E Chubby China: Nation of 300 Million Overweight People]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  In 2014, the British medical journal ''Lancet'' analyzed weight trends in 188 countries and reported that more than 28% of Chinese adult men and 27% of the country's adult women are now overweight or obese.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/05/29/as-obesity-rises-chinese-kids-are-almost-as-fat-as-americans/ As Obesity Rises, Chinese Kids Are Almost as Fat as Americans], ''Wall Street Journal'' Chinarealtime, May 29, 2014&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to a 2012 report by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of obese children in China has reached 120 million.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_yk-aM0cyk Child Obesity Reaches 120 Million in China]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  A recent study published in the ''Obesity Reviews'' journal, found that Chinese teenagers' rate of [[diabetes]] was four times that of their [[United States|American]] peers.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.china.org.cn/china/2012-09/14/content_26521029.htm Obesity is a growing concern in China] By Pang Li, China.org.cn, September 14, 2012&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  Due to their past [[One-child Policy|one-child policy]], which had exceptions, China now has a lot of over-pampered and over-fed children.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuf8yg0Dbig Rising Chinese Child Obesity and Fat Camps]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Matthew Crabbe, co-author of &amp;quot;Fat China: How Expanding Waistlines are Changing a Nation&amp;quot; declared that China's surging rate of obesity is &amp;quot;a ticking bomb&amp;quot; underneath the country's future economic growth and healthcare system.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.china.org.cn/china/2012-09/14/content_26521029.htm Obesity is a growing concern in China] By Pang Li, China.org.cn, September 14, 2012&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Atheist controlled, mainland China admits its men have become too feminine. China promotes education drive to make boys more 'manly' ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''See also:'' [[Atheism and mental toughness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2021, the [[BBC]] reported that the mainland [[Chinese]] government indicated that its men have become too feminine.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55926248 China promotes education drive to make boys more 'manly'], BBC, 2021&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; As a result, China promotes education drive to make boys more 'manly'.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55926248 China promotes education drive to make boys more 'manly'], BBC, 2021&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The BBC article also stated: &amp;quot;Last May, a delegate of China's top advisory body, Si Zefu, said that many of China's young males had become 'weak, timid, and self-abasing.'&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55926248 China promotes education drive to make boys more 'manly'], BBC, 2021&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== China and baby meat-eating ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''See also:'' [[Communist China and baby eating]] and [[Atheists eat babies meme]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== China and cat/dog eating ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== China and dog meat eating ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''See also:'' [[Atheists and dog meat eating]] and [[Atheism and China]] and [[Atheism and stealing]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Chow chow.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|Each year thousands of [[dog]]s are stolen in China and as many as 20 million dogs are killed in China to satisfy the dog meat industry.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.unilad.co.uk/featured/stop-pet-dogs-stolen-for-meat/ The Chinese Government Must Stop Pet Dogs Being Stolen For Meat] by JERRY GADIANO, Unilad website&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; See also: [[Atheists and dog meat eating]] ]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Each year thousands of [[dog]]s are stolen in China and as many as 20 million dogs are killed in China to satisfy the dog meat industry.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.unilad.co.uk/featured/stop-pet-dogs-stolen-for-meat/ The Chinese Government Must Stop Pet Dogs Being Stolen For Meat] by JERRY GADIANO, Unilad website&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In China, Chinese gangs have cropped up that kidnap pet dogs to sell to dog meat traders.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.unilad.co.uk/featured/stop-pet-dogs-stolen-for-meat/ The Chinese Government Must Stop Pet Dogs Being Stolen For Meat] by JERRY GADIANO, Unilad website&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== China and cat meat eating ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
See also: [[Communist China and cat meat eating]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, ''The Star'' reported: &amp;quot;China's ''Chengdu Business Daily'' estimated recently that as many as 10,000 cats are consumed throughout Guangdong everyday.&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2009/07/26/trying_to_get_cat_off_the_menu_in_china.html Trying to get cat off the menu in China], ''The Star'', 2009&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2009, ''The Telegraph'' reported:&lt;br /&gt;
{{Cquote|In Nanjing's north-western suburb of Pukuo, a hut stands in a field of rubbish.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The only clue to what goes on there is the pile of empty wooden crates at the back and the steel bars over the windows. Inside, there are crates full of cats, waiting to be shipped to the southern province of Guangdong, where they will feed a growing curiosity about the taste of cat meat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the back of the shack, a man sitting on a makeshift bed was warming himself next to a charcoal brazier.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We collect 40 to 50 cats a day here,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;We ship them out when we have 100.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We make around eight mao (8p) on each cat, after our costs. We buy them for 10 renminbi (£1) and sell them for not much more.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Each night, a train loaded with thousands of cats in crates heads south from a freight depot in Nanjing.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Chen Shi, 20, a mechanic working in a neighboring shop, said the depot had been in operation for three or four years. &amp;quot;The cats scream all night,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Residents called the police but there's nothing illegal about it, so they couldn't do anything.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The fondness for eating dogs in northern China is well known, but cats are also prized in the country's south. One of the most famous Cantonese dishes is &amp;quot;Tiger and Dragon locked in Battle&amp;quot;, in which the flavors of cat and snake vie for attention.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Cantonese appetite has already made cats scarce and expensive in Guangdong itself, forcing restaurants to look elsewhere for a steady supply. Nanjing, with its excellent transport links and central position in China, has emerged as the hub of cat trading.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/4061850/Cat-nappers-feed-Cantonese-taste-for-pet-delicacy.html Cat-nappers feed Cantonese taste for pet delicacy] By Malcolm Moore, Jan 1 2009, ''The Telegraph''&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==China and Sewage Eating==&lt;br /&gt;
It is common for street vendors in China to cook food in Gutter Oil, which is made from processed sewage.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrv78nG9R04&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Further reading==&lt;br /&gt;
* Chow, Gregory C. ''China's Economic Transformation'' (2nd ed. 2007) [https://www.amazon.com/Chinas-Economic-Transformation-Gregory-Chow/dp/1405156244/ref=pd_sim_b_img_3 excerpt and text search]&lt;br /&gt;
*  Eberhard, Wolfram. ''A History of China'' (2005), 380 pages' [https://books.google.com/books?id=5LgjunIn1CEC&amp;amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;amp;dq=intitle:history+intitle:china&amp;amp;num=30&amp;amp;as_brr=1&amp;amp;sig=k1CgHXYb6jQ6BgdwVpUWngov7So full text online free] &lt;br /&gt;
* Entwisle, Barbara, and Gail E. Henderson, eds. ''Re-Drawing Boundaries: Work, Households, and Gender in China,'' U of California Press,  2000; on 1990; [http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt938nd0k8/?&amp;amp;query=&amp;amp;brand=ucpress complete text online free]&lt;br /&gt;
* Fairbank, John King and Goldman, Merle.  ''China: A New History.'' (1998). 546 pp.  &lt;br /&gt;
* Gries, Peter Hays. ''China's New Nationalism: Pride, Politics, and Diplomacy,'' U of California Press, (2004); recent history [http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt9290249r/?&amp;amp;query=&amp;amp;brand=ucpress online edition free]&lt;br /&gt;
* Kang, David C. ''China Rising: Peace, Power, and Order in East Asia'' (2007), argues a strong China stabilizes East Asia&lt;br /&gt;
*  Naughton, Barry. ''The Chinese Economy: Transitions and Growth'' (2007), important new survey&lt;br /&gt;
*Ogden S. (ed) ''China.'' (2006) &lt;br /&gt;
* Oi, Jean C.  ''Rural China Takes Off: Institutional Foundations of Economic Reform,'' U of California Press, (1999) [http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft8j49p1hv/?&amp;amp;query=&amp;amp;brand=ucpress complete text online free] &lt;br /&gt;
* Perkins, Dorothy.  ''Encyclopedia of China: The Essential Reference to China, Its History and Culture.'' (1999). 662 pp.  &lt;br /&gt;
* Rawski, Thomas G.  and Lillian M. Li, eds. ''Chinese History in Economic Perspective,'' University of California Press,  1992 [http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft6489p0n6/?&amp;amp;query=&amp;amp;brand=ucpress online free]&lt;br /&gt;
* Roberts, J. A. G.  ''A Concise History of China.'' (1999). 341 pp.  &lt;br /&gt;
* Schoppa, R. Keith.  ''The Columbia Guide to Modern Chinese History.'' (2000). 356 pp.  [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-columbia-guide-to-modern-chinese-history-by-r-keith-schoppa.jsp online edition]&lt;br /&gt;
* Shambaugh, David. ''China's Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation'' (2009)&lt;br /&gt;
* Shambaugh, David. ''Modernizing China's Military: Progress, Problems, and Prospects'' U of California Press,  (2003) [http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt4779q33t/?&amp;amp;query=&amp;amp;brand=ucpress complete text online free]&lt;br /&gt;
* Spence, Jonathan D. ''The Search for Modern China'' (1991), 876pp; well-written survey from 1644 to 1980s [https://www.amazon.com/Search-Modern-China-Jonathan-Spence/dp/0393307808/ref=pd_sim_b_title_2 excerpt and text search]; [http://www.questia.com/read/98946348 complete edition online]&lt;br /&gt;
* Wang, Ke-wen, ed.  ''Modern China: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Nationalism.'' (1998). 442 pp.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Atheistic China and alcoholism]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Atheistic China and loneliness]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chinese History]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chinese Painting]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[China and involuntary organ harvesting]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Great Wall of China]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Oriental art]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Previous Breaking News/China|Articles about '''China''' from previous &amp;quot;Breaking News&amp;quot;]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nuclear target structures]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chinese National Day]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[China and obesity]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Traditional Chinese medicine]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.chinadetail.com/Nation/ All About China]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1287798.stm BBC News - ''Country Profile: China'']&lt;br /&gt;
*[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html CIA World Factbook - ''China'']&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.monthlyreview.org/1105wu.htm &amp;quot;Rethinking ‘Capitalist Restoration’ in China&amp;quot;] by Yiching Wu&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.gov.cn/ The Central People's Government of People's Republic of China]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.china.org.cn/ China's Official Gateway for News &amp;amp; Information]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.globalpolitician.com/articles.asp?ID=341 The Dragon's Dawn: China as a Rising Imperial Power] February 11, 2005.&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.danwei.org/ Media, advertising, and urban life in China.]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://factoidz.com/the-largest-ethnic-group-in-the-world-han-chinese-of-china/ The Largest Ethnic Group in the World: Han Chinese of China.]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.chinaknowledge.org/History/Ming/ming.html Timeline, with maps and short histories from prehistoric era to present]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.academylink.com/et/CurriculumCenter/NHAHistoryInteractive/CHI/CHI_Index.html ancient and feudal China]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Asian Countries}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:China]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Communist States]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Oppression]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Anti-American]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Police State]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Welfare State]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Left-wing Nationalism]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Nuclear Defense]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Anti-Free Speech]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771337</id>
		<title>User:ConCad</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:ConCad&amp;diff=1771337"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T15:42:52Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: A summery about me&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;About me:&lt;br /&gt;
Since my conversion experience I am a devout christian, who currently lives in Bregenz, Austria. I hope I can help with the maintenance of the wiki.&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Canada&amp;diff=1771335</id>
		<title>Canada</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Canada&amp;diff=1771335"/>
		<updated>2021-06-21T15:16:07Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;ConCad: A clarification&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Country&lt;br /&gt;
|name           =''Canada''&lt;br /&gt;
|map	        =Canada pol99.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
|map2           =Loc of Canada.png&lt;br /&gt;
|flag	        =Flag of Canada.svg&lt;br /&gt;
|arms	        =Canada arms.png&lt;br /&gt;
|capital	=Ottawa&lt;br /&gt;
|capital-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|government	=Parliamentary Democracy/Federal Constitutional monarchy&lt;br /&gt;
|government-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|language	=English, French&lt;br /&gt;
|king	        =&lt;br /&gt;
|queen	        =Elizabeth II&lt;br /&gt;
|monarch-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|president	=&lt;br /&gt;
|president-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|chancellor	=&lt;br /&gt;
|chancellor-raw	=&lt;br /&gt;
|pm	        =Justin Trudeau&lt;br /&gt;
|pm-raw	        =&lt;br /&gt;
|chairman       =&lt;br /&gt;
|premier        =&lt;br /&gt;
|area	        = &lt;br /&gt;
|pop	        =38,000,000 (2020)&lt;br /&gt;
|pop-basis	=&lt;br /&gt;
|gdp	        =$1,700,000,000,000 (2020)&lt;br /&gt;
|gdp-year	=&lt;br /&gt;
|gdp-pc	        =$44,737&lt;br /&gt;
|currency	=Canadian dollar&lt;br /&gt;
|idd		=&lt;br /&gt;
|tld            =&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Canada''' is a Representative [[Democracy]] in [[North America]] which extends from the [[Pacific Ocean]] in the west to the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in the east and northward to the [[Arctic Ocean]].  Canada is the largest country by total area in [[North America]] and the second largest in the world behind [[Russia]]. It also has the longest coastline of any nation, as well as the longest border with the [[United States]] to the south and northwest. Its border with the US is the longest undefended border in the world.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Canada's motto, ''A Mari usque ad Mare'' (From sea to sea), is based on biblical scripture: &amp;quot;He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth (Psalm 72:8)&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/arm2_e.cfm The Arms of Canada- Description]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Etymology==&lt;br /&gt;
The name Canada originated in 1535 by [[Jacques Cartier]] is based on the Iroquoian word &amp;quot;kanata&amp;quot;, meaning &amp;quot;village.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Canadian_Encylopedia&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&amp;amp;ArticleId=A0001216 The Canadian Encyclopedia]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; By 1545, Europeans began referring to this region as Canada.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The name ''Dominion of Canada'' was adopted during [[British North America Act|confederation]] in 1867. The name continued until the [[Constitution Act]] of 1982, when &amp;quot;Canada&amp;quot; became the legal name. Canada Day, on July 1, used to known as be Dominion Day.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Anthem==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Canadian national anthem, '[[O Canada]]', was written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier as a poem, to which music, composed by Calixa Lavall&amp;amp;eacute;e, was later added, in 1880. The original was composed in French, and was first translated into English by Dr. Thomas Bedford Richardson of Toronto, Ontario, in 1906. However, it was not officially adopted as the national anthem until 1980.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/anthem_e.cfm National Anthem: O Canada]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It is important to distinguish between 'O Canada', the national anthem, and 'God Save The Queen', which is the Royal anthem, played as a salute to Her Majesty [[Queen Elizabeth II]] as Queen of Canada. The English lyrics and French lyrics have several notable differences, with the French version being slightly longer.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Geography==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:E-canada.jpg|thumb|450px|political map of Canada]]&lt;br /&gt;
At the time of Confederation, Canada was comprised of four provinces: Upper Canada (now Ontario), Lower Canada (now Québec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Since that time, six additional provinces have joined Canada or have been created. From west to east, the provinces are [[British Columbia]], [[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]], [[Manitoba]], [[Ontario]], [[Québec]], [[New Brunswick]], [[Prince Edward Island]], [[Nova Scotia]], and [[Newfoundland|Newfoundland and Labrador]]. Newfoundland was the last province to join Canada, in 1949.  The provinces all elect a single (unicameral) legislature, headed by Premier, who is selected the same way as the Prime Minister.  A Lieutenant-Governor represents the Queen, similar to the Governor General.  &lt;br /&gt;
Canada has three territories: the [[Yukon Territory]], the [[Northwest Territories]], and [[Nunavut]],. Territories have only have those powers delegated to them by the federal government. Nunavut is the newest territory, created as a homeland for the Inuit people in 1999.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Area: 9.9 million km&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;. (3.8 million sq. mi.); second-largest country in the world. &lt;br /&gt;
*Cities: Capital—Ottawa (pop. 1.1 million). Other major cities—Toronto (5.1 million), Montreal (3.6 million), Vancouver (2.1 million), Calgary  (1.1 million), Edmonton (1.0 million), Quebec City (0.7 million), Winnipeg (0.7 million), Hamilton (0.7 million). &lt;br /&gt;
*Terrain: Mostly plains with mountains in the west and lowlands in the southeast. &lt;br /&gt;
*Climate: Temperate to arctic. &lt;br /&gt;
{{Clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==People==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Canadian Aboriginal Festival.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Aboriginal leader at the 13th Annual Canadian Aboriginal Festival, 2006.]]&lt;br /&gt;
*Population (2008 est.): 33.1 million. &lt;br /&gt;
*Ethnic groups: British/Irish 28%, French 23%, other European 15%, Asian/Arab/African 6%, indigenous Amerindian 2%, mixed background 26%.&lt;br /&gt;
*Religions: Roman Catholic 43.6%, Protestant 29.2%, other Christian 4.3%, Muslim 2.0%, Jewish 1.1%, Buddhist 1.0%, Hindu 1.0% other 1.3%, none 16.5%.&lt;br /&gt;
*Languages: English (official) 57.8%, French (official) 22.1%, other 20.1% (including Chinese and aboriginal languages). &lt;br /&gt;
*Education: Literacy—99% of population aged 15 and over has at least a ninth-grade education. &lt;br /&gt;
*Health: Infant mortality rate—5.4/1,000. Life expectancy—77.7 yrs. male, 82.5 yrs. female. &lt;br /&gt;
*Work force (2008, 18.2 million): Goods-producing sector—25%, of which: manufacturing 15%; construction 6%; agriculture 2%; natural resources 2%; utilities 1%. Service-producing sector—75%, of which: trade 16%; health care and social assistance 11%; educational services 7%, accommodation and food services 7%; professional, scientific, and technical services 7%; finance 6%; public administration 5%; transportation and warehousing 5%; information, culture, and recreation 5%; other services 4%. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2005 the city of [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]] was voted &amp;quot;the world's best place to live&amp;quot; in the world.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4306936.stm Vancouver is &amp;quot;best place to live&amp;quot;] (&amp;quot;Canadian cities scored well, as did Austria's Vienna and Switzerland's Geneva, because they are not seen as targets for terror attacks.&amp;quot;)&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Calgary has been named on several occasions the world's cleanest city.&lt;br /&gt;
Canada's population is increasingly urban, with 6 cities recording a population over 1 million ([[Toronto]], [[Montreal]], [[Vancouver]], [[Ottawa]]-Gatineau, [[Calgary]], [[Edmonton]]); these 6 cities represent over 45% of Canada's population.  Canada is becoming an increasingly multicultural country, with most new immigrants settling in [[Toronto]], [[Montreal]] and [[Vancouver]].  [[Toronto]] is the world's most multicultural city, with 43% a member of a visible minority.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=bb0fee45-b305-490a-b161-a21bcb1d7329&amp;amp;k=34160&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:800px-Canada-satellite.jpg|right|thumb|200px|A satellite image of Canada.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Culture====&lt;br /&gt;
Due to its colonial past, Canadian culture has historically been heavily influenced by British culture. Quebec maintains a French culture but has been largely cut off from Parisian trends for 250 years. Since 1800 Canadian culture has been greatly influenced by American culture, due to the proximity and the migration of people, ideas, and capital. Amidst this, Canadian culture has developed some unique characteristics, and many Canadian movies, authors, television shows, and musicians are equally popular in United States. The Canadian television industry has a local content requirement, which requires the use of Canadian actors in Canadian productions. Canadian culture has also been influenced by indigenous cultures, and by immigrant groups from around the world. It has the highest per capita immigration rate of any country in the world, with the percentage growing every day.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/080402/d080402a.htm&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Canada has two federal official languages, French and English. The province of Quebec has French as its official language, New Brunswick both French and English, making it the only bilingual province, and all other provinces English (although in some parts of Ontario French has special status). The territory of Nunavut has Inuktitut and Innuinaqtun as official languages in addition to French and English, the North West territories has eleven official languages, and the Yukon recognizes French and English.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Canada tends to reflect significantly more liberal social policies than the neighboring states of the northern U.S. One such example is the legalizing of [[same-sex &amp;quot;marriage&amp;quot;]] in June 2005.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/06/28/samesex050628.html CBC news article on passing of gay marriage law]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  Another is its single-payer health care system.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In comparing the suicide rates between Canada and its closest neighbour the US, Canada has a slightly higher rate.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suiciderates/en/ WHO: Suicide rates]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It has been suggested that this slightly higher rate of suicide is induced by Seasonal Affective Disorder, a mental health disorder prevalent in northern countries due the significantly reduced or non-existent daylight hours during the winter. Severe episodes of Seasonal Affective Disorder can cause suicidal thoughts.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.cmha.ca/bins/content_page.asp?cid=3-86-93-291&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Toronto Canada 2009.jpg]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Panorama of Toronto, Ontario.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Sports===&lt;br /&gt;
See [[Canadian sports]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Notable sports which are enjoyed throughout Canada include [[hockey]], [[curling]], [[lacrosse]], and [[football]]. Canada collected 18 medals in the Summer Olympics, more per capita than the United States but less than Australia.  The country finished third overall in the Torino Winter Olympics, with a total of 24 medals, one less than the United States and 10 more than next-place [[Sweden]].  The most recent winter Olympics was held in 2010 in Vancouver and Whistler. Canada finished third overall in the medal count and was first in the gold medal count with 14 gold. This was the first instance of Canada winning a gold medal on home ground and a moment of national pride.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Cultural Style====&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Canada Orchestra.jpg|thumb|Collegiate band.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Canadian culture puts stress on open-mindedness and tolerance of multiple viewpoints.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;See [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/features/cucanada.xml&amp;amp;source=EMC-exp_01102008 National Cultural Profiles, a guide from the London ''Telegraph''  to the thinking patterns of all the world's major cultures]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Canadian opinion shows a strong sense of wanting to be independent of the U.S., although their economy, society, and culture closely resembles the U.S., and most Canadians live a short drive from the border. Canada is usually contrasted as a &amp;quot;cultural mosaic&amp;quot; to the United States' &amp;quot;melting pot&amp;quot;. Canadian and U.S. polls habitually confirm citizens of both countries view the relationship with each other in a highly positive light, and consider each other with a special respect afforded to common allies.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.freeonlineresearchpapers.com/canadian-cultural-mosaic-american-melting-pot&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{{Clear}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Education====&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Mount St Helens erupting at night by Paul Kane.jpg|thumb|330px|Mount St Helens erupting at night by Paul Kane, 1847.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Education in Canada is the responsibility of provincial and territorial governments; curriculum and marking schemes are completely removed from the control of the federal government. Each province uses a different method of administering education, with variation in the number of years and the curriculum. Quebec, for example, has five years of secondary school finishing at the equivalent of grade 11 followed by two years of CEGEP, while Ontario has two years of kindergarten. Most provinces have kindergarten with school starting at age 5 going to grade 12 (age 17) as part of the public system. Some provinces have standardized provincial exams at the end of secondary school and/or at other designated grades.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several provinces have two publicly funded school systems: public and private(either corporate or religious). The constitution also guarantees education in one's first official language and, as such, all provinces and territories have both English and French language schooling.  Additionally, private schools both religious and secular exist throughout the country. Alberta has an additional category, known as charter schools. Charter schools are schools that have been created in the community to surround a particular theme. They could be artistic, vocational, etc.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A source of comparison is the Human Development Index, a measurement of literacy, education, life expectancy and standard of living. Using this scale, Canada scores +.967 and the U.S. +950.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Religion====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''See also:'' [[Canada and irreligion]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For the total population,  in 2001, 12.9 million (44%) were Roman Catholic, with 8.7 million Protestants (29%).  4.9 million (16% ) report no religious affiliation (including atheists and agnostics). Other religions of significance in Canada include 580,000 Muslims; 330,000 Jews; 300,000 Buddhists; 297,000 Hindus; and 278,000 Sikhs.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;See [http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/demo30a-eng.htm &amp;quot;Population by religion, by province and territory (2001 Census)&amp;quot;]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Catholicism formerly dominated Quebec until the &amp;quot;[[Quiet Revolution]]&amp;quot; of the 1960s, which has greatly reduced the power of the Catholic Church in Quebec, and its participation rates.&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Gurion Hyman Jewish people of Canada.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Jewish people of Canada.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The proportion attending religious services on a regular basis has declined over the past 20 years. According to the General Social Survey (GSS), 21% of Canadians aged 15 and over reported they attended a religious service at least once a week in 2005, down from 30% in 1985.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Colin Lindsay, &amp;quot;Canadians attend weekly religious services less than 20 years ago,&amp;quot; [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-630-x/2008001/article/10650-eng.htm ''Statistics Canada'' (2008)]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  Between 1985 and 2004, the share of Canadians aged 15 and older reporting no religious affiliation increased by seven percentage points from 12% to 19%.  37% of Canadians who rarely attend formal services nevertheless regularly engage in personal religious practices.  Of of those who had not attended any religious services over the previous year, 27% engaged in weekly religious practices on their own. Overall this group of adults who regularly engage in private religious practices, but infrequently or never attend religious services, represent, 21% of the adult population.  This pattern was most prevalent among older Canadians.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Warren Clark and Grant Schellenberg, &amp;quot;Who's religious?&amp;quot; [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2006001/9181-eng.htm '&amp;quot;Statistics Canada'' (2008)]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Civil liberties organizations, the media, and some members of Parliament occasionally criticized federal and provincial human rights commissions and tribunals for their application of hate speech restrictions included in federal and provincial human rights acts, claiming that the commissions and tribunals at times limited free speech and expression, and religious rights. The commissions are required by law to process all complaints they receive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A complaint against the editor of ''Catholic Insight'', alleging the magazine promoted hatred against homosexuals, remained before the Canadian Human Rights Commission at the end of 2008. The complainant alleged that he was upholding Catholic teaching on homosexuality in the magazine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In June 2008 members of the Ontario legislature voted unanimously to maintain the tradition of reading the Lord's Prayer in the provincial legislature and to add a rotation of prayers from other major religious traditions and a moment of silent reflection for atheists. The vote was prompted by a proposal by Ontario's premier in February 2008 to discontinue the religious observance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Government==&lt;br /&gt;
The government of Canada is split into two orders, federal and provincial, as outlined by the BNA Act. Each has very specific responsibilities, with some overlap. For instance, universal health care is mandated by the Federal Government, but it is administered by the Provincial Governments.  Neither level has supremacy over the other.  The Federal Government is run out of [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]]; the provincial governments are run out the ten provincial capitals.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The federal parliament is bicameral, including both a lower house - the [[Canadian House of Commons]] - and an upper house - the [[Canadian Senate]].  The parliamentary system is based on the British parliament. Members of Parliament represent specific geographical areas, generally chosen to have approximately equal population. A single member is elected from each on a [[first past the post]] system. The [[prime minister]] is usually the leader of the party with the most seats, though two or more parties may form a [[coalition]] to form a government. The governor General (GG) thus appoints the Prime minister.&lt;br /&gt;
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The Senate is made up of senators appointed for life by the prime minister (acting on behalf of the Governor General).&lt;br /&gt;
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In almost all cases, Acts of Parliament are created in the House of Commons. After passing three readings in the House of Commons, the bill is passed to the Senate.  The job of the Senate is to further debate the proposed legislation, before passing it to the Governor General for Royal Assent. The Governor General is the official representative of Her Majesty [[Queen Elizabeth II]], Queen of Canada.  The senators and the governor general are appointed positions by the sitting government.  Senators are &amp;quot;lifetime&amp;quot; (until 75 years old) appointments and the Governor General will sit for, approximately, five yerars.  The Prime Minister of Canada is the head of Government of Canada, acting as the Minister of the Crown, a practise inherited from the British system. The PM's term can last up to five years.&lt;br /&gt;
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All provincial legislatures are unicameral.  The legislative process for provincial legislation is the same as for federal legislation, except that there is no Senate and the legislation is given royal assent by the provincial Lieutenants Governor, who represent the monarch at the provincial level.&lt;br /&gt;
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From 1841 to 1844, the capital city of what would become Canada was located in [[Kingston|Kingston, Ontario]]. Subsequently, the capital alternated between [[Toronto]] and [[Montreal]] until 1857, when the capital moved to [[Ottawa|Ottawa, Ontario]].&lt;br /&gt;
[[Image:Supreme Court of Canada.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Supreme Court of Canada.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The 40th Canadian Federal General Election occurred on October 14, 2008.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/09/07/election-call.html &amp;quot;Vote set for Oct. 14&amp;quot;]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Currently, the Prime Minister is Justin Trudeau, a member of the [[Liberal Party of Canada]], while His Excellency [[David Lloyd Johnston]] is the Governor General. At present Canada is governed by a liberal [[majority government]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Principal Government Officials===&lt;br /&gt;
*Head of State—Queen Elizabeth II&lt;br /&gt;
*Governor General—David Lloyd Johnston&lt;br /&gt;
*Prime Minister—Justin Trudeau&lt;br /&gt;
*Minister of Foreign Affairs—Stéphane Dion&lt;br /&gt;
*Ambassador to the United Nations—John McNee &lt;br /&gt;
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===Politics===&lt;br /&gt;
On October 19, 2015, the Conservative party lost the election in favor of Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party.&lt;br /&gt;
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On February 6, 2006, [[Stephen Harper]], leader of the Conservative Party, became Canada's twenty-second prime minister, succeeding Liberal Paul Martin.   A policy wonk from Alberta, Harper rose from the ranks of conservative political party staffers. In Parliament, he became Leader of the Opposition (2002-6). In 2003 he became head of the western-based Canadian Alliance. He was elected the first leader of the Conservative Party of Canada when it was created in 2003 through the merger of Harper's Canadian Alliance and Peter MacKay's Progressive Conservative Party. The January 23, 2006 election victory by the Conservative Party ended twelve years of Liberal Party rule that, in the end, was tainted by accusations of corruption and ethical missteps. In the federal election on October 14, 2008, the Conservatives won 38% of the vote and formed a second minority government with 143 seats in the House of Commons. The Liberals won 26% of the vote and 77 seats in the House of Commons. As the party with the second-largest number of seats, the Liberals form the &amp;quot;official opposition.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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The Conservatives made unexpected gains in Quebec by winning ten seats in the January 2006 election, but failed to increase their number of seats in the province in the 2008 election. The separatist Bloc Quebecois (BQ) had a majority (49) of Quebec's 75 seats (the BQ runs candidates only in Quebec). The left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) had 37 seats, and two independents also sat in Parliament.  Harper beat off a threatening no-confidence vote in late 2008 by warning that a government that included the BQ separatists—who want Quebec to break away from Canada—was hostile to Canada's national unity.&lt;br /&gt;
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On May 2, 2011 there was another election. The outcome was very dramatic and ground breaking. The Liberals traditionally placing first or second were reduced to just 34 seats becoming the third party of Canada. This happened from vote splitting in Ontario in which the leftists split their votes between the Liberals and the NDP. The Bloc Quebecois were destroyed in Quebec as the so-called &amp;quot;Orange Crush&amp;quot; of the NDP swept that province taking 59 out of 75 seats, leaving the BQ with a mere 4 seats. The NDP had their best results of all time and for the first time in history became the Official Opposition. The Conservatives came out on top though with 166 seats giving them their coveted majority. The Conservative lost the election of 2015 to the Liberal Party by a large margin.&lt;br /&gt;
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Canada is ranked 5th on the [[Fraser Institute]]'s [https://www.fraserinstitute.org/economic-freedom/map?page=map&amp;amp;year=2014 Economic Freedom Index], with a score of 7.98 out of 10.&lt;br /&gt;
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====2020 Leftist insurrection====&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Commie vandals.png|right|300px|thumb|Communists vandalized the Memorial to the 100 million dead victims of Communism.]]&lt;br /&gt;
:{{See also|2020 Marxist insurrection}}&lt;br /&gt;
Canada did not escape the [[violence]], mayhem, and destruction of the 2020 [[Marxist]] uprising.  In Toronto, [[Antifa]] declared [[class war]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://youtu.be/XEQbLsRn6Zo&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  In Montreal, a check cashing establishment was looted and destroyed&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://streamable.com/3hwkx2&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and other businesses.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;https://streamable.com/92h4rr&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  The Memorial to the 100 million dead [[victim]]s of [[Communism]] was vandalized.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Policy===&lt;br /&gt;
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Policy priorities of the Conservatives under Harper have remained fairly consistent since 2006: fighting the [[Recession of 2008]]; aiding the ailing [[Automobile]] industry; improving accountability and ethics in government; lowering taxes; fighting crime; reinvesting in defense; bolstering Canada's Arctic sovereignty; promoting national unity; and raising the profile of Canada's role abroad, through its combat mission in Afghanistan, contributions to stabilization in Haiti, and renewed partnership with Latin America.  Harper has been friendly with the U.S.,  despite growing Canadian annoyance with restrictions on border crossings. Harper has been a strong supporter of [[NAFTA]],  and works to increase Canada's oil exports to the U.S.   He remains strong in the polls as Canada has suffered less from the worldwide [[Recession of 2008]] than the EU or the U.S.&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Afghanistan Canadian army.JPEG|thumb|280px|Canadian army at Afghanistan.]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Quebec]], with 23% of the national population, its distinctive French-language (&amp;quot;francophone&amp;quot;) culture, angered the western provinces by wielding undue influence on the Federal Government and its repeated threats to national unity. Until Harper of Alberta became prime minister in 2006, the western provinces had denounced Ottawa's failure to appreciate the oil interests, one of Canada's major industries. Ontario complains that it pays out far more to the Federal Government than it gets back in revenues, while the Atlantic Provinces seek to assert greater control over fishing and mineral rights off their shores. The Federal Government ceded some power in a few areas of provincial jurisdiction, while seeking to strengthen the federal role in many other areas such as inter-provincial trade and the regulation of securities. &lt;br /&gt;
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====National Unity====&lt;br /&gt;
Popular support for Quebec sovereignty appears to be on the wane, although Francophone pride in that province's unique cultural and linguistic identity remains very strong. Most Quebec voters seem to appreciate the economic benefits of remaining in the Canadian confederation and aim to advance their separate Francophone identity within the confederation. In a provincial election held on December 8, 2008, provincial Liberal Leader Jean Charest won a majority government. The separatist Parti Quebecois placed second.&lt;br /&gt;
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====Quebec Secession Movement and the October Crisis====&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Quebec1759.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Painting of British landing at Quebec, 1759.]]&lt;br /&gt;
There are trivial separatist movements lobbying for independence from Canada in British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec. The only movement of real significance is in Quebec, where the province has twice voted on whether or not to separate from Canada, once in 1980 and again in 1995; the vote in 1995 failed by just 1 percent. On November 27, 2006, the Federal Government passed a motion declaring Québec a nation &amp;quot;within a united Canada&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Pub=hansard&amp;amp;Language=E&amp;amp;Mode=1&amp;amp;Parl=39&amp;amp;Ses=1&amp;amp;DocId=2544166&amp;amp;File=0#OOB-1799206&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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This movement did reach a violent level however when the [[FLQ]] (Front de liberation du Quebec) undertook a series of letterbombings from 1963-1970 [http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&amp;amp;Params=A1ARTA0005880.com] The terror campaign reached a fever pitch when Pierre Laporte and James Cross were kidnapped in their own homes by gun wielding FLQ members. [http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/civil_unrest/topics/101/] The government initiated a crackdown in which the War Measures Act was put in place. This allowed the government to detain suspected terrorists without trial, and is the only time where the measure has been enacted in peace time. [http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/terrorists_spies/terrorists/flq/11.html]. The measure was widely supported by Canadians at the time. The action was short-lived however as the members of the FLQ were tracked down and arrested. The body of Pierre Laporte was discovered in the trunk of a car outside a Canadian military base. James Cross was released after intense negotiations with the government. The remaining members of the FLQ were either jailed or as a result of negotiations deported to Cuba.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Taxation===&lt;br /&gt;
The average tax rate in Canada is higher than in the United States. In 2003, Canada's tax burden equals about 33.8% of GDP placing it in the middle of the G7 countries, with Japan lowest at 25.3% and France highest at 43.4%.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.fin.gc.ca/activty/faq1e.html#Taxation Department of Finance Canada: FAQs]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The US rate is roughly 25.6%; this discrepancy is consistent with the differing levels of social services which the governments funds. Canada also had managed to run without a budget deficit for a number of years under the last Liberal government.&lt;br /&gt;
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Equalization payments, worth 11.7 billion Canadian dollars are made by the federal government to the provinces from richer provinces (currently Alberta, Newfoundland,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/11/03/have-not.html]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  and British Columbia) and the poorer provinces (Ontario,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/11/03/flaherty-ministers.html]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan).  This is to ensure that reasonably uniform standards of services and taxation are kept between the richer and poorer provinces.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.budget.gc.ca/2007/bp/bpc4e.html Budget 2007]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  These payments have not been without controversy as provinces begin to make more revenues from natural resources they do not want to give up the Equalization payments.&lt;br /&gt;
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British Columbia's combined federal and provincial corporate tax rate is lower than any jurisdiction in the United States.&amp;lt;ref name=tax&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.britishcolumbia.ca/Invest/Business-Climate/Pages/CompetitiveTaxClimate.aspx|title=Competitive Tax Climate|publisher=British Columbia|accessdate=Aug 12, 2012}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The BC corporate rate is 10% and the federal rate is 15%.&amp;lt;ref name=tax/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Canada also has a national sales tax, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5% on all purchases. Some provinces add an additional percentage in the form of a Provincial Sales Tax (PST), or a combined Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) combining GST and the Provincial Sales Tax. Based on actual income, and a number of other factors, the government will refund GST/HST to eligible tax payers in quarterly installments on the fifth of the month in July, October, January, and April.&lt;br /&gt;
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====Public Health Care====&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Trudeau.jpg|thumb|Pierre Elliot Trudeau.]]&lt;br /&gt;
:{{See also|Two-tier system}}&lt;br /&gt;
In 1984, the Federal Government, under the leadership of the Liberals and The Right Honourable [[Pierre Trudeau|Pierre Elliot Trudeau]], enacted the Canada Health Act. This act was based on the five principles of &amp;quot;universality, accessibility, portability, comprehensiveness, and public administration&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.fin.gc.ca/FEDPROV/hise.html History of Canada Health and Social Transfer]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; This public health care system is run in partnership by Health Canada and provincial Ministries of Health, who both contribute tax revenues. The federal government sets policy, while the provinces are responsible for actual administration. In 1995, the Canada Health and Social Transfer was created to replace existing systems for the transferral of tax funding to the provinces to administer social programs. The rationale behind the system is to allow all Canadians equal access to equal treatment, regardless of socio-economic status. &lt;br /&gt;
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In Canada health care is frequently listed as top issue in election campaigns and is both a topic of frequent debate and a point of pride for many Canadians, Tommy Douglas the founder of medicare was, for example, voted the &amp;quot;Greatest Canadian&amp;quot; on a CBC television programme in 2004.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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The current state of Canada's public health care system is gathering increasing media attention due to rising wait times. [[David Gratzer]] wrote:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote&amp;gt;... government researchers have provided the best data on the doctor shortage, noting, for example, that more than 1.5 million Ontarians (or 12 percent of that province’s population) can’t find family physicians.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://city-journal.org/html/17_3_canadian_healthcare.html The Ugly Truth about Canadian Healthcare]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Most of the blame for the current state of affairs has been placed on successive government mismanagement. This represents a failure of the federal government to properly regulate the level of service being offered in the provinces. People regularly have to wait between four and eight months for non-emergency surgeries. The median wait time for an MRI across Canada is 10.3 weeks in 2006.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=nr&amp;amp;id=753&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In fact, former Prime Minister [[Jean Chretien|Jean Chrétien]] campaigned on a promise to shut down private MRI clinics because it creates a two tier system, regardless of the demand for more facilities.&lt;br /&gt;
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In recent years, there has been suggestion from some lobby groups that Canada should adopt a two-tier health care system, while others have expressed strong opposition to this idea, including the federal government under the Liberal Party. Some argue that Canada already does have a two-tier health care system as the very wealthy can go to the United States for treatment. The argument for allowing private health care is twofold. The first reason is that competition may improve the quality of products and services, while the increase in options will allow those with the means to access private health care and may relieve some of the burden off the public system. Critics argue that health is a right, and that everyone should have access to the same standard of care. This, of course is completely ridiculous, the market is the best regulator for all things.&lt;br /&gt;
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Recently, in [[Québec]], a provincial judge has ruled that private health care providers must be allowed to compete with the government-run health care system.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Defense==&lt;br /&gt;
As of the most recent cabinet shuffle, Conservative MP Peter MacKay has assumed the role of Minister of National Defense.&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Canadian Army ambulance Medical Truck.jpg|left|250px]]&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Canadian Forces]] is comprised of the Regular Force and the Reserve Force. The Regular and Reserve Forces employ over 62,000 and 25,000 members respectively. While the various branches wear distinctive elemental uniforms (DEU), the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force were amalgamated in 1968 into one common command structure.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/about/index_e.asp&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
The Canadian Forces are &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;http://www.canadianally.com/ca/forces-cf-en.asp&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; equipped with modern vehicles such as the Canadian-built LAV III, the German-built Leopard CII tanks and both the American-built CF-18 Hornet and CC-177 Globemaster III. The Canadian government spends about 17 billion Canadian dollars annually on defence.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20072008/me-bd/part1/ME-030_e.asp http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20072008/me-bd/part1/ME-030_e.asp]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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The Conservative government has continued the trend of increased defense spending initiated by the Liberals, and have also taken steps to decrease red-tape preventing the troops from having the necessary equipment to keep them safe and effective. They have also taken steps to establish Canada's sovereignty over its arctic regions.&lt;br /&gt;
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Over 3000 Canadian troops are currently deployed around the world, including a few fighter planes used in operations in the middle East.   Another 500 are deployed to the Middle East where they are attached to a US-led coalition fleet and the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1). These are prime examples of Canada's capability for interoperability with foreign military forces.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Economy==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Urmas Paet Canadian Minister of International Trade Peter Van Loan, 2010.jpg|thumb|250px|The Minister of International Trade Peter Van Loan with Urmas Paet, Estonian Foreign Minister, 2010.]]&lt;br /&gt;
*GDP: $1.700 trillion (2020)&lt;br /&gt;
*GDP growth rate: 1.9% (2020)&lt;br /&gt;
*GDP per capita: 44,737 (2020)&lt;br /&gt;
*Natural resources: Petroleum and natural gas, hydroelectric power, metals and minerals, fish, forests, wildlife, abundant fresh water. &lt;br /&gt;
*Agriculture: Products—wheat, livestock and meat, feed grains, oil seeds, dairy products, tobacco, fruits, vegetables. &lt;br /&gt;
*Industry: Types—motor vehicles and parts, machinery and equipment, aircraft and components, other diversified manufacturing, fish and forest products, processed and unprocessed minerals. &lt;br /&gt;
*Trade: U.S. merchandise exports to Canada (2007)--$248.9 billion: motor vehicles and spare parts, industrial and electrical machinery, plastics, computers, chemicals, petroleum products and natural gas, and agricultural products. In 2007, 65% of Canada's imports came from the United States. U.S. merchandise imports from Canada (2007)--$313.1 billion: motor vehicles and spare parts, crude petroleum and natural gas, forest products, agricultural products, metals, industrial machinery, and aircraft. In 2007, 76% of Canada's exports went to the U.S.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Business===&lt;br /&gt;
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Canada has invested heavily in high-tech, export-oriented businesses, achieving major success in:&lt;br /&gt;
* Aerospace: Canada's global share of aerospace activity has tripled in the last 20 years, making Canada the world's 5th largest aerospace producer. &lt;br /&gt;
* Ag-biotech: Canadian firms’ revenues exceed those of US agro-based companies and are more than double those of Japan and the UK. &lt;br /&gt;
* Agri-food: Canada is the world's fourth-largest exporter of agricultural products. &lt;br /&gt;
* Automotive: Canada is among the Top 10 automotive countries and the 3rd largest exporter of automotive products after Japan and the U.S. Most of the output goes to the U.S. market.&lt;br /&gt;
* Biotechnology: Canada is a leader in biotechnology—one of the top five countries in the world. &lt;br /&gt;
* Plastics: Canada is the world's fourth largest exporter of moulds and eighth largest exporter of plastics processing machinery.&lt;br /&gt;
* see also [[Canadian railways]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:O-bad-for-canada.jpg|thumb|200px|Leading Canadian newsmagazine evaluates Obama's threat to Canada, June 29, 2009]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Canadians worry that Obama's economic policies will damage Canada's economy, especially [[cap and trade]], the Buy America rule in the 2009 stimulus, and environmental hostility to Canadian oil produced from oil sands.&lt;br /&gt;
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===Energy===&lt;br /&gt;
Canada has vast natural resources and is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of energy. In 2005, Canada produced 19.1 quadrillion British Thermal Units (Btu) of total energy, the fifth-largest amount in the world. Since 1980, Canada's total energy production has increased by 86%, while its total energy consumption has increased by only 48% during that period. Almost all of Canada's energy exports go to the United States, making it the largest foreign source of U.S. energy imports: Canada is consistently among the top sources for U.S. oil imports, and it is the largest source of U.S. natural gas and electricity imports.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;See Energy Information Administration, [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Canada/Background.html &amp;quot;Canada&amp;quot; (2009 report)]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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In 2005, the largest source of energy consumption in Canada was oil (31%), followed by hydroelectricity (25%) and natural gas (24%). Both coal (12%) and nuclear (7%) constitute a smaller share of the country's overall energy mix. From 1985-2005, Canada's overall energy mix has remained relatively stable, though hydroelectricity has decreased from 31%to 25%, as oil drilling is more popular than dam building. As of 2011, the trend has reversed, and Hydroelectricity is making 32% of the country's electricity. The remainder is produced by oil, and renewables.&lt;br /&gt;
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==History==&lt;br /&gt;
* See [[History of Canada]]&lt;br /&gt;
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[[File:VC John Robert Osborn Statue Military of Canada Hong Kong.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Statue, Military of Canada, John Robert Osborn, VC, [[Hong Kong]]'s Park.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Canadian Security Intelligence Service]]&lt;br /&gt;
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==Further reading==&lt;br /&gt;
* '''See [[History of Canada]] for a more detailed bibliography.'''&lt;br /&gt;
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* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCESubjects&amp;amp;Params=A1 ''Canadian Encyclopedia'' (2008)] reliable detailed encyclopedia, on-line free&lt;br /&gt;
* Artibise, Alan F. J., ed.  ''Interdisciplinary Approaches to Canadian Society: A Guide to the Literature.'' McGill-Queen's U. Press, 1990. 156 pp.  &lt;br /&gt;
* Bickerton, James, and Alain Gagnon. ''Canadian Politics'' (2004) 584 pages, textbook&lt;br /&gt;
* Blore, Shawn. ''Frommer's Canada'' (2004) 828 pages travel guide&lt;br /&gt;
* Campbell, Robert Malcolm et al. ''The Real Worlds of Canadian Politics: Cases in Process and Policy,'' (2004) 342 pages&lt;br /&gt;
* Conrad, Margaret, and Alvin Finkel. ''Canada: A National History.'' (2003), college textbook. &lt;br /&gt;
* DK Publishing. ''Canada'' (Eyewitness Travel Guides) by Hugh Thompson (2002) [https://www.amazon.com/Canada-Eyewitness-Travel-Guides-Publishing/dp/0789495619/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;qid=1249580319&amp;amp;sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]&lt;br /&gt;
* Hallowell, Gerald, ed. ''The Oxford Companion to Canadian History'' (2004) 1650 very good entries&lt;br /&gt;
* Johnson, William. ''Stephen Harper and the Future of Canada'' (2006) [https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Harper-Future-William-Johnson/dp/0771095546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;qid=1239348955&amp;amp;sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]&lt;br /&gt;
* Morton, Desmond. ''A Short History of Canada'' 5th ed (2001) &lt;br /&gt;
* ''National Atlas of Canada'' (1st ed. 1906; 2nd ed. 1915; 3rd ed. 1957; 4th ed. 1974; 6th ed. 1999 is electronic)&lt;br /&gt;
* Pammett, Jon H., and Christopher Dornan. ''The Canadian Federal Election of 2006'' (2006) &lt;br /&gt;
* Pryke, Kenneth G. and Walter C. Soderlund, eds. ''Profiles of Canada.'' (2003). 3rd edition of textbook&lt;br /&gt;
* Toye, William, ed.  ''The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature.'' (1983). 843 pp.  &lt;br /&gt;
* Wells, Paul. ''Right Side Up: the Fall of Paul Martin and the Rise of Stephen Harper's New Conservatism'' (2006)&lt;br /&gt;
* Westhues, Anne. '' Canadian Social Policy: Issues and Perspectives,'' 2003&lt;br /&gt;
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== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:David Sorensen Horizon Center Focus No 2 Horizon-Series 2004.jpg|thumb|David Sorensen, Horizon Center Focus No. 2, Horizon-Series, 2004.]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.gc.ca/ Government of Canada]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/ Parliament of Canada]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.pch.gc.ca/ Department of Canadian Heritage]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://cansim2.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.pgm?Lang=Eng&amp;amp;SP_Action=Main-Principal&amp;amp;SP_Mode=2 Statistics Canada current data]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html CIA World Factbook:Canada]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.forces.ca The Canadian Forces], military&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-516-x/3000140-eng.htm ''Historical Statistics of Canada'' (1983)] The major historical data source.&lt;br /&gt;
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwDvF0NtgdU Canadian National Anthem]&lt;br /&gt;
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNlTwaPQQH4&amp;amp;feature=related Canadian National Anthem (French)]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.asianramblings.com/travel/hong-kong/battle-hong-kong/canadian-heroes-china-john-robert-osborn/ Battle of Hong Kong - Canadian Heroes in China: John Robert Osborn, VC.]&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;
=== Political Party Websites (Major) ===&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.conservative.ca Conservative Party of Canada]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.liberal.ca Liberal Party of Canada]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.ndp.ca New Democratic Party of Canada]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.blocquebecois.org Bloc Québécois]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.greenparty.ca Green Party of Canada]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.peoplespartyofcanada.ca/ People's Party of Canada]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Political Party Websites (Minor) ===&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.fpnpoc.ca/ First Peoples National Party of Canada]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.partyofalberta.org/ Party of Alberta]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.progressivecanadian.org/ Progressive Canadian Party]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.mlpc.ca/ Marxist-Leninist Party]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.canadianactionparty.ca/ Canadian Action Party]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.peoplespoliticalpower.ca/ People's Political Power Party]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.animalalliance.ca/ Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.westernblockparty.com/ Western Bloc Party]&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.chp.ca/en/index.html Christian Heritage Party of Canada]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== References ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Canada| ]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:North American Countries]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:NATO Members]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Canadian History]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Welfare State]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Socialism]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Gun Control]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>ConCad</name></author>
	</entry>
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