EPTUS Politics Mega-thread - Page 8937
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Read the rules in the OP before posting, please. In order to ensure that this thread continues to meet TL standards and follows the proper guidelines, we will be enforcing the rules in the OP more strictly. Be sure to give them a re-read to refresh your memory! The vast majority of you are contributing in a healthy way, keep it up! NOTE: When providing a source, explain why you feel it is relevant and what purpose it adds to the discussion if it's not obvious. Also take note that unsubstantiated tweets/posts meant only to rekindle old arguments can result in a mod action. | ||
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{CC}StealthBlue
United States41117 Posts
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Tachion
Canada8573 Posts
On October 06 2017 07:44 cLutZ wrote: We do not really have a system to investigate potential crimes at all. We have a system that investigates crimes, which is what I (and others) believe to be the general problem, because we have not been informed what the crime is. People like me remember Russian propaganda efforts dating back to the 2008 and 2012 elections akin to what people are investigating in cooperation with Facebook right now. Its kinda interesting, but more a good place for Congressman to grandstand about than a place for a federal investigation. On the other hand, we have no evidence vote totals were tampered with which is the place for a federal investigation. Such is the issue in general, they are searching for a crime, and eventually they will find a crime possibly with Manafort because he's been skirting the law for decades, but also they would find a crime if they investigated Marco Rubio's campaign, or Bernie's, or Justin Timberlake's taxes with this many investigators. Its really freaking easy to find federal crimes, that is Preet Bahara's entire career: Picking a person then finding the crime. Lest you forget, the FBI investigation started because of the DNC hacks. That led them to looking into Russia, which led them to looking at the Trump campaign team and their numerous connections with the Russian government. The investigation was never started as a way to pin crimes on anyone, it just naturally evolved into whatever it is today by following the bread crumbs. | ||
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crms
United States11933 Posts
On October 06 2017 07:51 Wulfey_LA wrote: Why do you fall for lies? Did you click through? That guy doesn't have a link. Here is a CNN article about bump stocks. Look at the image. http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/05/smallbusiness/bump-fire-stocks/index.html + Show Spoiler + ![[image loading]](http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/171005120936-bump-stock-780x439.jpg) Further, of all the shit arguments against gun control, the fake outrage over non-gun people not getting gun part definitions right has to be a top 3 shit argument. "Some lib somewhere didn't get detail XXX right on a gun, therefore no gun control!" Not surprised. This isn't the first time Danglers tried to post 'gotcha' stuff about CNN. I had to turn on CNN myself and take screenshots last time he did it to show they didn't pull Trump off the banner. | ||
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Nevuk
United States16280 Posts
This seems important, I have yet to read it though. In the middle of a dota game afk as treant. | ||
micronesia
United States24741 Posts
On October 06 2017 08:13 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: https://twitter.com/NBCNightlyNews/status/916070440690266112 Recently the WH issued a directive that all federal agencies provide 1 hour of mandatory training regarding illegal leaks. It seems like the purpose was to intentionally conflate illegal leaks like unauthorized disclosure of classified information and inconvenient leaks that make the government look bad. It's funny to watch the 1 hour video associated with that training and then, later that day, see the media reporting about the friction between the president and the secretary of state according to "five senior white house officials" in one case and "seven senior white house officials" in another case. I think the professional way to respond to the training is to say... it doesn't address the root causes of the problem. | ||
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Plansix
United States60190 Posts
On October 06 2017 07:44 cLutZ wrote: We do not really have a system to investigate potential crimes at all. We have a system that investigates crimes, which is what I (and others) believe to be the general problem, because we have not been informed what the crime is. People like me remember Russian propaganda efforts dating back to the 2008 and 2012 elections akin to what people are investigating in cooperation with Facebook right now. Its kinda interesting, but more a good place for Congressman to grandstand about than a place for a federal investigation. On the other hand, we have no evidence vote totals were tampered with which is the place for a federal investigation. Such is the issue in general, they are searching for a crime, and eventually they will find a crime possibly with Manafort because he's been skirting the law for decades, but also they would find a crime if they investigated Marco Rubio's campaign, or Bernie's, or Justin Timberlake's taxes with this many investigators. Its really freaking easy to find federal crimes, that is Preet Bahara's entire career: Picking a person then finding the crime. I understand the complaint and Muller or Bahara investigating normal citizens, I would be on board. But they are investigated elected officials and their campaigns. And the reason special prosecutors are a necessity the lackluster oversight of elected officials, their staff and their campaigns. The FEC is a joke. Government ethics office isn't capable of investigating anything. There is no govermetn agency with teeth to investigating reports of crimes committed by elected officials and the groups surrounding them. And this is by design. Congress has never empowered an agency to to oversee them, let alone give them the resources to investigate reports of wrong doing. And they never will. So in the abstract, I understand the worry. But the political reality is the US congress and executive branch hold all the levers to start investigations against themselves. That is why these investigations exist, because there is no one else. In regards to votes being tampered with, that has never been the topic of any investigation. And I don't know who else is going to investigate Facebook but a federal investigator and congress. There is no state that can do it. | ||
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micronesia
United States24741 Posts
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Plansix
United States60190 Posts
On October 06 2017 08:38 Nevuk wrote: https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephbernstein/heres-how-breitbart-and-milo-smuggled-white-nationalism?utm_term=.lrRz5vVzx3#.mlYlgvLlWj This seems important, I have yet to read it though. In the middle of a dota game afk as treant. It is good and pretty much stays all the things people were staying all the way back to 2014 when the cheap Matt Smith rip off that was Milo at that time arrived to tell all the video game boys feminists were the devil. Not the old feminist that said good things and were for equality, these new 7th wave feminist that want to murder all men and rule from the moon. It also talks about Vox fucking Day and calls him the garbage he is, so we have that going for us. But is a truly impressive break down of their efforts to use social media to fan outrage and attack. It makes it clear that Milos harassment efforts were solely to fuel his following and divide people. | ||
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ZerOCoolSC2
9005 Posts
President Trump plans to “decertify” the Iran nuclear deal next week and announce that it is not in the United States' national interest, The Washington Post reported Thursday. Such an announcement would leave the next move up to Congress, which would have 60 days to use a fast-track process to reimpose sanctions and deliver a potentially fatal blow to the deal, which Tehran agreed to in 2015 with the U.S. and five other nations. Trump faces an Oct. 15 deadline to tell Congress whether Iran remains in compliance with the Obama-era nuclear accord, which gave Tehran billions of dollars of sanctions relief in exchange for limits on its nuclear program. The deadline is part of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, which also says the president must tell Congress whether suspension of sanctions remains vital to the national security interests of the United States. According to the Post, which cited individuals briefed on an emerging White House strategy, Trump has tentatively scheduled an Oct. 12 speech to lay out a larger strategy on Iran that would open the door to modifying the agreement but hold off on recommending Congress reimpose sanctions. The Post’s sources cautioned that plans are not fully set and could change. The White House would not confirm the speech or its contents, the newspaper reported. Trump has repeatedly bashed the Iran deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, calling it “an embarrassment” and promising on the campaign trail to tear it up. But the international body overseeing the deal, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has said Iran remains in compliance, as have Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford. Administration officials in favor of keeping the deal in place have been looking for a way to split the difference between saving the deal and saving face for Trump. Mattis hinted at a congressional hearing this week at the idea of decertifying Iran's compliance while leaving sanctions relief in place. “We have two different issues,” Mattis told the House Armed Services Committee. “One is the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] and one is what Congress has passed, and those two are distinct but integral with each other. As you look at what the Congress has laid out at a somewhat different definition of what's in our best interest, and therein lies, I think, the need for us to look at these distinct but integral issues the way the president has directed.” Trump said last month he had made a decision on the deal, but refused to say what it entailed. On Thursday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reiterated that Trump has made a decision and will announce it at the “appropriate time.” Source | ||
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Danglars
United States12133 Posts
On October 06 2017 07:51 Wulfey_LA wrote: Why do you fall for lies? Did you click through? That guy doesn't have a link. Here is a CNN article about bump stocks. Look at the image. http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/05/smallbusiness/bump-fire-stocks/index.html + Show Spoiler + Further, of all the shit arguments against gun control, the fake outrage over non-gun people not getting gun part definitions right has to be a top 3 shit argument. "Some lib somewhere didn't get detail XXX right on a gun, therefore no gun control!" The updated the story. Next time I'll screenshot. It's like twitter with the deletions sometimes. I'll call it fake outrage when huffpo doesn't roll stories acting like anyone in America can just get a full-auto machine gun and carry it around Nevada. "Some lib somewhere got corrected on a small detail, therefore all libs everywhere are excused for not knowing what assault rifles/selective fire is, or whether or not their proposed regulations change a darn thing." | ||
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Plansix
United States60190 Posts
On October 06 2017 08:44 micronesia wrote: To be fair, Congress does, through the GAO, a pretty thorough job of investigating federal agencies within the executive branch. The GAO doesn't mess around. That is federal agencies though, not members of congress or the executive branch. Once you start getting into congress members, the wheels come off the FBI. Especially high ranking congress members. On top of that, the oversight over campaign financing and Congressional staff is completely toothless. | ||
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Danglars
United States12133 Posts
Students affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement crashed an event at the College of William & Mary, rushed the stage, and prevented the invited guest—the American Civil Liberties Union's Claire Gastañaga, a W & M alum—from speaking. Ironically, Gastañaga had intended to speak on the subject, "Students and the First Amendment." The disruption was livestreamed on BLM at W&M's Facebook page. Students took to the stage just a few moments after Gastañaga began her remarks. At first, she attempted to spin the demonstration as a welcome example of the kind of thing she had come to campus to discuss, commenting "Good, I like this," as they lined up and raised their signs. "I'm going to talk to you about knowing your rights, and protests and demonstrations, which this illustrates very well. Then I'm going to respond to questions from the moderators, and then questions from the audience." It was the last remark she was able to make before protesters drowned her out with cries of, "ACLU, you protect Hitler, too." They also chanted, "the oppressed are not impressed," "shame, shame, shame, shame," (an ode to the Faith Militant's treatment of Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, though why anyone would want to be associated with the religious fanatics in that particular conflict is beyond me), "blood on your hands," "the revolution will not uphold the Constitution," and, uh, "liberalism is white supremacy." This went on for nearly 20 minutes. Eventually, according to the campus's Flat Hat News, one of the college's co-organizers of the event handed a microphone to the protest's leader, who delivered a prepared statement. The disruption was apparently payback for the ACLU's principled First Amendment defense of the Charlottesville alt-right's civil liberties. Reason | ||
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Plansix
United States60190 Posts
Speaking of people who fuel outrage, here is Danglars posting another "look at the black college students doing a bad thing". One of thousands of colleges in America has a protests and this is worthy of our attention for reasons. | ||
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GreenHorizons
United States23477 Posts
Good for them. ACLU knows they messed that one up though. | ||
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Saryph
United States1955 Posts
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Plansix
United States60190 Posts
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Plansix
United States60190 Posts
Well I guess the public doesn't get to know now. Because FEMA is the only one collecting that info. | ||
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farvacola
United States18839 Posts
On October 06 2017 08:44 micronesia wrote: To be fair, Congress does, through the GAO, a pretty thorough job of investigating federal agencies within the executive branch. The GAO doesn't mess around. It really depends on the agency. SSA and DHHS (or even CMS alone) are way too big for the GAO to effectively police passively, so most oversight ends up being incident-focused and retroactive. It's also beholden to legislative partisanry and investigative focus oftentimes ends up being used more as a weapon than a genuine check on executive power. | ||
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Nevuk
United States16280 Posts
On October 06 2017 08:44 Plansix wrote: It is good and pretty much stays all the things people were staying all the way back to 2014 when the cheap Matt Smith rip off that was Milo at that time arrived to tell all the video game boys feminists were the devil. Not the old feminist that said good things and were for equality, these new 7th wave feminist that want to murder all men and rule from the moon. It also talks about Vox fucking Day and calls him the garbage he is, so we have that going for us. But is a truly impressive break down of their efforts to use social media to fan outrage and attack. It makes it clear that Milos harassment efforts were solely to fuel his following and divide people. Some highlights. Basically, Milo gets fully put on blast. These new emails and documents, however, clearly show that Breitbart does more than tolerate the most hate-filled, racist voices of the alt-right. It thrives on them, fueling and being fueled by some of the most toxic beliefs on the political spectrum — and clearing the way for them to enter the American mainstream. It’s a relationship illustrated most starkly by a previously unreleased April 2016 video in which Yiannopoulos sings “America the Beautiful” in a Dallas karaoke bar as admirers, including the white nationalist Richard Spencer, raise their arms in Nazi salutes. These documents chart the Breitbart alt-right universe. They reveal how the website — and, in particular, Yiannopoulos — links the Mercer family, the billionaires who fund Breitbart, to underpaid trolls who fill it with provocative content, and to extremists striving to create a white ethnostate. They capture what Bannon calls his “killing machine” in action, as it dredges up the resentments of people around the world, sifts through these grievances for ideas and content, and propels them from the unsavory parts of the internet up to TrumpWorld, collecting advertisers’ checks all along the way. And the cache of emails — some of the most newsworthy of which BuzzFeed News is now making public — expose the extent to which this machine depended on Yiannopoulos, who channeled voices both inside and outside the establishment into a clear narrative about the threat liberal discourse posed to America. The emails tell the story of Steve Bannon’s grand plan for Yiannopoulos, whom the Breitbart executive chairman transformed from a charismatic young editor into a conservative media star capable of magnetizing a new generation of reactionary anger. Often, the documents reveal, this anger came from a legion of secret sympathizers in Silicon Valley, Hollywood, academia, suburbia, and everywhere in between. "I have said in the past that I find humor in breaking taboos and laughing at things that people tell me are forbidden to joke about," Yiannopoulos wrote in a statement to BuzzFeed News. "But everyone who knows me also knows I'm not a racist. As someone of Jewish ancestry, I of course condemn racism in the strongest possible terms. I have stopped making jokes on these matters because I do not want any confusion on this subject. I disavow Richard Spencer and his entire sorry band of idiots. I have been and am a steadfast supporter of Jews and Israel. I disavow white nationalism and I disavow racism and I always have.” He added that during his karaoke performance, his "severe myopia" made it impossible for him to see the Hitler salutes a few feet away. (There's video of this karaoke performance + nazi salutes, btw) Six minutes later, Bannon wrote back to his tech editor in a fury. “Your [sic] full of shit. When I need your advice on anything I will ask. … The tech site is a total clusterfuck—meaningless stories written by juveniles. You don’t have a clue how to build a company or what real content is. And you don’t have long to figure it out or your [sic] gone. … You are magenalia [sic].” (Geller clarified to BuzzFeed News in a statement that she believed it was “rubbish” that the London university characterized the threats against her as “fake.”) In an April 6 email, Allum Bokhari mentioned having had access to an account of Yiannopoulos’s with “a password that began with the word Kristall.” Kristallnacht, an infamous 1938 riot against German Jews carried out by the SA — the paramilitary organization that helped Hitler rise to power — is sometimes considered the beginning of the Holocaust. In a June 2016 email to an assistant, Yiannopoulos shared the password to his email, which began “LongKnives1290.” The Night of the Long Knives was the Nazi purge of the leadership of the SA. The purge famously included Ernst Röhm, the SA’s gay leader. 1290 is the year King Edward I expelled the Jews from England. | ||
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{CC}StealthBlue
United States41117 Posts
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