Another Gulfstream Private Jets to Climate Change Conference

Katy Perry was in an earlier hypocrisy post back in 2017. That was about barriers.

But an event recently gives me another excuse to have her picture (first image) in my blog.



Google is sponsoring a celebrity conference at a resort in Sicily. 

Some 100+ VIPs are attending, including Katy as well as the three people in the second image: Leonardo DiCaprio (who has himself sponsored similar events), Prince Harry and former President Obama.


There are dozens and dozens of private planes going to and from the conference.

Also there are several VIPs who brought yachts - not just ordinary yachts but really, really big ones. One, for example, the Rising Sun is owed by David Geffen (third image). This 400 foot long ship (which requires a crew of 40+ to operate and is not the only mega yacht that Geffen owns) has almost 100,000 sq feet of living space. 

I am pretty sure each of the attendees is sincere and probably believes that carbon offsets or some other magic is making their carbon footprint disappear so I'm not calling this hypocrisy, though a normal person who does not believe in 'carbon offset magic' would surely think it is. 

article on the event is here
NY Post calls the event hypocrisy here. 

Donald Trump and Al Sharpton

Famously, President Trump tweets. One of those tweets impugned Al Sharpton as a con man, anti cop and anti white.

Trump also tweeted that he used to get along well with Al Sharpton.

Is there hypocrisy involved?

Well, let's begin with the character of Al Sharpton.

 In 1987 Sharpton agitated for Tawana Brawley and defamed a county prosecutor.  

In 1991 there was an anti Jewish riot in Crown Heights with one fatality and lots of property damage. Although Sharpton denies it, I don't think any objective person would doubt that Sharpton had a role in provoking the riot. 

In 1995 a riot and arson killed 8 people at Freddie's Fashion Market (FFM). Sharpton was very involved in denouncing the FFM in violence provoking terms. There is lots else.

Trump has known Sharpton since the 80s. The first image, which also includes Boxing

Promoter Don King, is from that era.


Trump also frequently was seen with Sharpton in the 90s as the second image shows Trump with Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

Trump's relationship with Sharpton survived into the 2000s as the final image is from 2006 at a conference of Sharpton's National Action Network. Jesse Jackson is in that picture also as is, (I think) James Brown.

So, what about Trump's twitter comments. 

1. Trump calls Sharpton a con man. For Trump, this is not necessarily an insult as Trump acknowledges Sharpton was a con man during their relationship.

2. Trump calls Sharpton anti police. No doubt there is some truth there but once again, Trump knew this based on, for example, the Brawley case. 

3. Trump calls Sharpton anti white. Again, Trump knew this way back when.


In fact, Trump doesn't seem to let people's bias, inhumanity, etc. bother him that much, for example in Trump's occasional praise of North Korea's leader Kim Il Jung. So his relationship with a con man like Sharpton (arguably, Trump's Real Estate Developer career includes a lot of 'con jobs') doesn't really contradict Trump's denunciation of Sharpton as a con man.

Anyway,
articles supporting the above
2015 article in the National Review about Trump and Sharpton's Atlantic City alliance is here.
July 2019 article in the Independent about Trump and Sharpton in which the Independent calls Sharpton 'A Beloved Civil Rights Leader' is here.
July 2019 tweet by Sharpton which includes the 2006 photo is here.
July 2019 Variety article quoting Trump's recent tweets re: Sharpton is here.
Sharpton article in wikipedia is here.
Senaton Kamala Harris's tweet praising Sharpton is here.