Politics XXXVII (The 12th Prime)

[ComradeYellow]

Screw cops, they are the countries largest street gang, and they protect the 1% and want to kill anyone who isn't white and wealthy.

Reform our current racist economy, and crime rate will go down, just watch.  Copologists seriously need to go away.

[Guard Dog]

17 hours ago, ComradeMaster said:

Reform our current racist economy, and crime rate will go down, just watch.  Copologists seriously need to go away.

Don't hold your breath. There will never, ever, ever, ever, be a society where everything is shared equally. Not a human society anyway. Meritocracy is the best thing you can ever hope for and even that is likely impossible. The best thing a man can do is look out for himself.

[Raithe]

[Raithe]

MotherJones - Kentucky votes today, and here are all the ways Mitch McConnecl has made that harder

 

Amid coronavirus concerns, Kentucky has cut the number of polling places from its usual 3700 to just 200, with just one polling place each for the state’s two biggest cities, Louisville and Lexington. The likes of LeBron James have tweeted their dismay about the possibility of long lines and voter suppression.

Here are the major bills McConnell is refusing to hold votes on:

• In March 2019, the House passed the “For the People Act,” the most significant democracy reform bill in a generation. It would make it easier to vote through policies like nationwide automatic voter registration and two weeks of early voting in every state. McConnell strongly opposed the bill, dubbing it “the Democrat Politician Protection Act,” and called the idea of making Election Day a federal holiday a “power grab” by Democrats, seemingly admitting that Republicans lose when more people vote.
• In December 2019, the House passed a bill to restore and modernize the Voting Rights Act after the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that states with a long history of voting discrimination no longer needed to approve their election changes with the federal government. It would require states like Georgia and Texas—which have slashed hundreds of polling places in recent years, leading to six-hour lines at the polls—to seek federal approval for such potentially discriminatory election changes. McConnell has taken no action on the bill for 200 days and said in 2016 that he opposed reinstating the preclearance section of the VRA.
• In May of this year, the House passed the “Heroes Act,” a coronavirus relief bill that would give $3.6 billion in election aid to help states run their elections in November. This would allow states to open more polling places, buy new voting equipment to handle a surge of mail-in ballots, and equip election workers with protective gear to shield them from coronavirus. It would also require states to expand vote-by-mail and have at least 15 days of early voting to guard against the spread of COVID-19 and would give the United States Postal Service $25 billion to help with vote-by-mail. McConnell has yet to schedule a vote on it, saying only that the next round of coronavirus relief should be “narrowly crafted.” Republicans have also blocked consideration of the “VoteSafe Act” by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), which includes many similar election reforms. 
• McConnell has blocked three bills passed by the House aimed at preventing election interference. They would require campaigns to notify the FBI and Federal Election Commission if contacted by foreign actors and require states to use voting machines with paper backups. McConnell has been sharply criticized by election officials in his home state for blocking funding for election security. 

[Hildegard]

1 hour ago, Raithe said:

Those killings happened out of what number of police interventions? What is the number of people wrongly killed by the police in comparison to all the killings done by common people? The answers proclaim your statistics as selective 'progressive' propaganda.  

[Elerond]

I would like to know why any number over zero should be acceptable when it comes to police committing wrongful killings.

[Hurlshort]

27 minutes ago, Hildegard said:

Those killings happened out of what number of police interventions? What is the number of people wrongly killed by the police in comparison to all the killings done by common people? The answers proclaim your statistics as selective 'progressive' propaganda.  

The police are not common people, so I do not understand why you would compare them to that. They also don't track or report numbers on a national level, making it very difficult to state statistics clearly. This is intentional. The police track crime data, not use of force data, because it is in their best interests.

https://www.marketplace.org/2020/06/01/fbi-police-use-of-force-database/

 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Hurlshot

[Malcador]

49 minutes ago, Hildegard said:

Those killings happened out of what number of police interventions? What is the number of people wrongly killed by the police in comparison to all the killings done by common people? The answers proclaim your statistics as selective 'progressive' propaganda.  

Ironic complaint, really.

[Zoraptor]

29 minutes ago, Elerond said:

I would like to know why any number over zero should be acceptable when it comes to police committing wrongful killings.

It will inevitably be over zero though, and I say that as someone who is no fan of the police.

Doesn't matter how careful people are mistakes happen and if you're police some of those mistakes will result in deaths, and some of those deaths will look very bad in retrospect. A wrongful death could be anything from someone dying in a police chase to someone shooting at police and a bystander being shot accidentally to someone having a heart attack from the stress and the police not recognising it or thinking that they're faking it. And of course the times police more or less deliberately kill people who don't need to die too, though you can minimise that with proper training/ police culture and rigorous independent oversight. But the only thing you can do is minimise the risk of those things happening.

[Orogun01]

 

1 hour ago, Hurlshot said:

The police are not common people, so I do not understand why you would compare them to that. They also don't track or report numbers on a national level, making it very difficult to state statistics clearly. This is intentional. The police track crime data, not use of force data, because it is in their best interests.

https://www.marketplace.org/2020/06/01/fbi-police-use-of-force-database/

 

The police have to file reports of any incidents with weapons discharge, they don't have to report their numbers but the FBI which has access to their data does report them. Although I would like to see mandatory department reporting, I would like to know if I'm at risk of being shot down by the police. OTOH, people always misunderstand statistical analysis and most don't even know what methodology means. Releasing those numbers would put police under unnecessary scrutiny from activists and we would end up with defunct police departments like we have now and a rise in "justified" crime.

That said, the police, the military, doctors they're all humans. Some will be good some bad some strong and others will break. Training does not remove humanity.

[213374U]

Yeah. I mean, everyone knows that the solution to dysfunctional public services, especially those involving the monopoly of violence, is more opacity.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Ending the monopoly on violence sounds good to me.

[Orogun01]

1 hour ago, 213374U said:

Yeah. I mean, everyone knows that the solution to dysfunctional public services, especially those involving the monopoly of violence, is more opacity.

So your solution is to democratize violence? As much as I like self dependence someone still need to come pic up the bodies.... and enforce reasonable laws and stuff.

[Gromnir]

1 hour ago, KaineParker said:

Ending the monopoly on violence sounds good to me.

seeing how the monopoly is foundational to modern concepts o' State, am thinking you likely get your anarchist membership card with little fuss. congrats?

HA! Good Fun!

ps

ok, so that were mildly amusing. am gonna give youtube a temporary reprieve from our condemnation o' its near certain recommended for you fails.

Edited June 24, 2020 by Gromnir

[Gromnir]

double-post, but...

Politics Influenced Justice Department In Roger Stone Case, DOJ Lawyer Tells Hill

aaron zelinsky opening statement

am aware such stuff will have zero impact on trump supporters. nevertheless, read the opening statement and the facts o' the case which were resulting in a guilty verdict. 

forthcoming testimony should be a resulting p00p storm o' outrage from all corners, but am certain this is gonna once again break on party lines. is another situation where will be up to voters to decide in november, 'cause is no way barr is impeached by this senate.

"It pains me to describe these events. But as Judge Jackson said in this case,
the truth still matters. And so I am here today to tell you the truth."-- ausa aaron zelinsky

sounds similar to another ignored witness.

"this is America . . . here, right matters." -- lt. col. alexander vindman

we now know that right don't in fact matter to at least a majority o' US senators. why should truth fare any better?

HA! Good Fun!

 

[Skarpen]

"I have never seen political influence play any role in prosecutorial decision making

 

LOL. Comedic gold.

[Guard Dog]

Half way through Bolton's book. This f-----g guy, Trump, has to go. 

Nobody was more surprised than he was that he was elected. He was utterly unprepared to take office, paranoid about the motivations of the people HE picked, and dismissive of information from what should have been considered reliable and learned sources. He makes decisions by gut instinct. At least what his gut tells him that day. He is irrational, unpredictable, and is literally making this up as he goes. Even Obama's cold nihilism was probably preferable. 

[Guard Dog]

So the whole Bubba Wallace thing turned out to be much ado about nothing: https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/29354447/fbi-says-rope-had-talladega-garage-last-fall-bubba-wallace-not-victim-hate-crime

Predictably, Wallace himself is doubling down. Because you never let a opportunity to score political points go to waste, even if it's BS: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/us/bubba-wallace-response-fbi-hate-crime-investigation/index.html

So, for whatever it's worth (apparently not much) the FBI found that the "noose" was a garage door pull rope fashioned into a noose sometime in October during on of the Sugarland 250 NASCAR Truck series race. There were no minority drivers in that series. The garage was used in racing events four more times since then before all events were suspended in March. No one gave a f--k until Wallace was assigned the garage by draw. The assignment were made by the folks in the NASCAR office in NC who would not know of some race crew's little joke from the previous season.

I completely understand the reaction and it was a nice moment the way everyone rallied around Wallace. It was credible to think someone might do something like this after the flag kerfuffle. But, now it's been debunked so let... it.... go!

Edited June 24, 2020 by Guard Dog

[Guard Dog]

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-decline-of-the-us-dollar-could-happen-at-warp-speed-in-the-era-of-coronavirus-warns-prominent-economist-stephen-roach-2020-06-22

Tick, tock, tick, tock

[Amentep]

1 hour ago, Guard Dog said:

So the whole Bubba Wallace thing turned out to be much ado about nothing: https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/29354447/fbi-says-rope-had-talladega-garage-last-fall-bubba-wallace-not-victim-hate-crime

Predictably, Wallace himself is doubling down. Because you never let a opportunity to score political points go to waste, even if it's BS: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/us/bubba-wallace-response-fbi-hate-crime-investigation/index.html

I read Wallace's reaction as being against people trying to claim it was a hoax and that he was trying to play the victim.  Even the FBI says it was a noose knot, just that it was used as a garage pull and had been for some time.  

[Guard Dog]

1 hour ago, Amentep said:

I read Wallace's reaction as being against people trying to claim it was a hoax and that he was trying to play the victim.  Even the FBI says it was a noose knot, just that it was used as a garage pull and had been for some time.  

I can understand why he's feel that way. I must admit when I first heard about this I thought it was a Jussie Smoltett situation. After all you ask yourself, who would be so idiotic as to do that? But prejudice is irrational so you can expect it to inspire irrational acts. While I'm sure it wasn't "planted" for PR purposes, and HE didn't even report it to begin with, to keep pecking at it by sayin "why was it done in the first place" serves no purpose but to make it look like you are taking advantage. If he and his camp has any sense they just say "fine, question asked and answered" and let it go. But, I'm betting that will not happen. Not when there is political hay to be made.

[Skarpen]

Someone did something last year that had nothing to do with him, but he's still a victim because being a victim is now the highest status you can achieve in USA, so even though it had nothing to do with him whatsoever, he "feel's" like it had something to do with him because it affect him, and that’s all that matters — not the truth, not facts, all the matters is the way he "feel" and America is racist ‘n stuff.

[Gorth]

3 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-decline-of-the-us-dollar-could-happen-at-warp-speed-in-the-era-of-coronavirus-warns-prominent-economist-stephen-roach-2020-06-22

Tick, tock, tick, tock

On the bright side, shopping at Newegg may become a bit cheaper...

[Skarpen]

Defund the Police!!!!!!!!!

I got shot, where is the Police!!!!!!!

Edited June 24, 2020 by Skarpen

[Malcador]

10 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

He is irrational, unpredictable, and is literally making this up as he goes.

Lots of people realizing this 5 years too late, heh.