The All Things Political Topic - A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen

[Maedhros]

You need a bachelor's degree to be police over here and I support that. Defunding isn't necessary, but spend all that money on education instead.

--

On a complete sidenote, North-Dakota has the happiest people in the US. Kentucky the most miserable ones. According to this https://amerisleep.com/blog/happiest-states/ anyway. Anything to take from this? States up north seem to do better than states in the south.

Worldwide Finland has the happiest people according to https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/happiest-countries-in-the-world - that I refuse to believe knowing Finns to be miserable bastards. Danes are far more happier in my experience.

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Maedhros

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

32 minutes ago, alanschu said:

Hey man, sometimes we change!

Sometimes we do, I did and find much of my old views (and self in general) embarrassing. But the repetitive epic doesn't need us to stay the same, it just needs someone to play the same role. That's the beauty or horror of it, depending on your perspective.

[alanschu]

17 minutes ago, Maedhros said:

On a complete sidenote, North-Dakota has the happiest people in the US. Kentucky the most miserable ones. According to this https://amerisleep.com/blog/happiest-states/ anyway. Anything to take from this? States up north seem to do better than states in the south.

Worldwide Finland has the happiest people according to https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/happiest-countries-in-the-world - that I refuse to believe knowing Finns to be miserable bastards. Danes are far more happier in my experience.

Southern states get SO hot is my thought haha.

And maybe Finlanders, while miserable, are just less completely miserable?

 

11 minutes ago, KP wants Blue Velvet said:

Sometimes we do, I did and find much of my old views (and self in general) embarrassing. But the repetitive epic doesn't need us to stay the same, it just needs someone to play the same role. That's the beauty or horror of it, depending on your perspective.

Fair. It was fun taking the trip down memory lane lol. I always had issues with social conservatism but was always willing to turn the other cheek because taxes etc.

[Gromnir]

35 minutes ago, Maedhros said:

You need a bachelor's degree to be police over here and I support that. Defunding isn't necessary, but spend all that money on education instead.

 

 

in the US there is a direct correlation 'tween increases in education and lower incidence o' excessive force complaints for police. education is the best predictor o' lower excessive force complaints. not race. not sex. is correlation, but is nevertheless kinda compelling. however, as already mentioned, is already extreme difficult for law enforcement agencies to keep enough police officers employed.

fix social issues and gun laws so we don't need as many police would be the ideal solution to the problem o' police staffing, but...

HA! Good Fun!

[BruceVC]

11 hours ago, Hurlsnot said:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/police-academies-paramilitary/612859/

I took part in a volunteer police training program and came away with a similar feeling. I was idealistic and pro-police entering the program, and by the end I was pretty cynical about the whole thing.

Thats a good link and I understand the concern raised. Its ostensibly about the type of training that exists in the police academies and  how that  contributes towards abuse and heavy handiness  we see in some  cases in the US 

The police academies have adopted a military style type of training that reminds me of " basic " training that all of us who did our military service will be familiar with. So here is an interesting question, is it necessary for the US police to be trained like this ?

The article mentions " Proponents of this approach argue that cops are a lot like soldiers: They have to follow orders regardless of their personal feelings; they have to run toward gunfire, not away from it; and they have to remain cool and professional in the face of chaos, threats, and harassment. In this view, paramilitary training takes undisciplined young recruits and turns them into lean, mean fighting machines, ready to handle the rigors of street patrol "

Some would say that the types of violent crime that exists in the US means yes the US police are at " war" and they need this style of training to save lives and themselves. We all aware of the criticism towards how the police acted in the Uvalde shooting where the police didnt act decisively and were even accused of cowardice 

The article makes a good point around different types of de-escalation training that include " LEED,” for “Listen and Explain with Equity and Dignity.” Instead of an emphasis on yelling and standing at attention, her recruits are trained to engage others in courteous conversation, and are evaluated during role-play exercises on their ability to listen, show empathy, explain their actions, de-escalate tense situations, and leave everyone they encounter “with their dignity intact.”

And that would  also be useful in training of police in situations on the streets

 But good article, its thought provoking 

 

Edited June 17, 2022 by BruceVC

[Gorth]

I know people like to blame the war in Ukraine for the worlds economic woes at the moment. It conveniently showed up when Covid could not be believable blamed for. Both of which in my opinion masks underlying causes for a world economy that was about to implode most spectacularly in 2020 just before Covid conveniently struck (and people could point fingers at something else for explanation)

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61830925

A few numbers from the link:

Markets had already been in shaky territory, with the S&P 500 down more than 20% from its January high ahead of the US rate hike this week.

...

On Friday, Japan's Nikkei was 1.5% lower, while Australia's main stock market index was down by more than 2%.

That came after Thursday saw a sell-off in the US, with the S&P 500 falling by 3.2%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped more than 4%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled more than 2.4%, pushing it below 30,000 points for the first time since January 2021.

...

In the UK, where the Bank of England warned inflation could hit 11% this year

..

When the war in Ukraine ends, a lot of people in positions of power will run out of excuses for why the roller coaster that is western economies, keeps dipping sharper and sharper and more and more frequently since the great depression and the 80's...

 

 

[Gromnir]

Navarro Seriously Cites His Jan. 6 Book Tour in Bid for Trial Delay

in case you miss the funny...

navarro is being prosecuted for contempt o' Congress in part 'cause o' his refusal to discuss with Congress issues and events 'bout which he had revealed to the public by means o' book he had published. curious, navarro is claiming privilege as the basis for his refusal to discuss, although the ex-President would be the individual with the privilege in spite o' fact the ex-President hasn't invoked privilege as to the matter... not that an ex-President has he capacity to invoke such privilege. regardless, is mind-blowing to claim privilege as a bar on testimony if you not only already made the subject matter public in a book, but you go before a judge and ask for a court delay so you might engage in a media tour to further promote and discuss the book.   

HA! Good Fun!

[alanschu]

Hey should help Navarro's team get "up to speed" if they can just read a draft of the book!

[Gromnir]

43 minutes ago, alanschu said:

Hey should help Navarro's team get "up to speed" if they can just read a draft of the book!

the feds and prosecutors no doubt had people read navarro's... book. sure, insofar as court proceedings, most material from the book is hearsay unless it qualifies as an admission or some other limited exception, but if you are prosecuting navarro you would need read regardless to determine what scope o' privilege has pete already surrendered and as possible impeachment o' testimony material, 'cause proof o' a tendency to be untruthful is always admissible unless is too prejudicial.

regardless, is a certainty multiple highly skilled professionals has been compelled to read navarro's book, which is a kinda crime in and of itself.

HA! Good Fun! 

 

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

https://www.propublica.org/article/georgia-dei-crt-schools-parents

Well that's just god damn depressing.

[majestic]

1 hour ago, KP wants Blue Velvet said:

https://www.propublica.org/article/georgia-dei-crt-schools-parents

Well that's just god damn depressing.

 

Quote

A man interjected, saying he’d contacted the Cherokee County School District to find out “how they arrived at the choice to hire” Lewis. Hadn’t there been any local candidates, he asked.

“You cannot tell me, you know, that you can’t find somebody else qualified,” Heda responded. “And if you’re looking for her to be Black, that’s fine. But that’s not what this is about. This is not about the color of her skin. It’s what she’s going to bring into our district and what she’s going to teach our children.”

Another person in the crowd later asked if the arrival of Lewis was a done deal. Several confirmed that it was.

“We don’t have to accept it, right?” another man asked, the crowd’s energy rising in response with a collective yes. “We can change that, right?”

“In some way, shape or form,” another woman vowed.

I'm not a racist, but... it sure is a pity we can't lynch them n*****s any more so let's do the next best thing, drive her out of the county, the state and then some. The stupid leftards and their cancel culture. Wait, what? Something's not right here.

Edited June 18, 2022 by majestic

[HoonDing]

"it sure is a pity we can't lynch them n*****s any more"

just call the police

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

3 hours ago, majestic said:

 

I'm not a racist, but... it sure is a pity we can't lynch them n*****s any more so let's do the next best thing, drive her out of the county, the state and then some. The stupid leftards and their cancel culture. Wait, what? Something's not right here.

You naughty majestic ! Surly their is  no reason to alienate rich white people, they have much to contribute to social justice ?

[ShadySands]

Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees...

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

25 minutes ago, ShadySands said:

Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees...

What really got to me is how they started convincing themselves that she was infiltrating their county. At this point I'm wondering which panic based on bull**** is going to get someone killed first, this CRT stuff or the pedojacketing of LGBTQ folks.

[Raithe]

[Raithe]

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3528049-boebert-jesus-didnt-have-enough-ar-15s-to-keep-his-government-from-killing-him/

[majestic]

Hey @BruceVC, are you buying cheese right now?

[BruceVC]

9 hours ago, majestic said:

Hey @BruceVC, are you buying cheese right now?

What an unusual question but yes I'm still buying cheese. I always do. But I just buy  less expensive imported cheese unless its a celebration like Macrons victory 

[Malcador]

Texas GOP platform has some interesting items - https://texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/6-Permanent-Platform-Committee-FINAL-REPORT-6-16-2022.pdf

Apparently they want a referendum on seceding.  Also resist the "Great Reset"

 

[Gfted1]

Texas GOP adopts resolution rejecting 2020 election results - CNNPolitics

Lol, what a state full of clowns.

[majestic]

10 hours ago, BruceVC said:

What an unusual question but yes I'm still buying cheese. I always do. But I just buy  less expensive imported cheese unless its a celebration like Macrons victory 

That's what I meant, are you celebrating France's recent election to balance having Macron as the lesser evil? You should. We all should. Let's buy French cheeses.

[Raithe]

BBC - Brittney Griner: How can a US Basketball Star just vanish?

She's arguably the greatest female basketball player of all time, and she was detained in Moscow amid the war in Ukraine. After two months in custody, the world is now paying more attention to her case.

In one of the last public sightings of Brittney Griner, captured on CCTV, the American professional basketball player is seen walking through airport security trailing a small, black suitcase.

Ms Griner, a star centre for the Phoenix Mercury, had landed at the Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, in February. She was in Russia to play during the WNBA off-season.

In the security footage, she wears running shoes, black sweatpants and a black hoodie with "Black Lives for Peace" written on the back, her dark hair hanging in locs down past her shoulders.

At 6ft 9in - tall even by basketball standards - she towers above the customs agents and other travellers.

In another shot, she is seen sitting in front of a man, seemingly a customs agent, shaking her head "no". Then, nothing - until a Russian mugshot emerged on state television.

Ms Griner, 31, had been arrested by Russian authorities on drug charges...

[BruceVC]

2 hours ago, majestic said:

That's what I meant, are you celebrating France's recent election to balance having Macron as the lesser evil? You should. We all should. Let's buy French cheeses.

No Im not happy, its a hung parliament

But Democracy has spoken and I respect the outcome but Im definitely not  buying  French cheese because its not a time to celebrate but rather its acceptance 

[BruceVC]

8 minutes ago, Raithe said:

BBC - Brittney Griner: How can a US Basketball Star just vanish?

 

 

Her arrest was disgraceful and clearly political. What was she arrested for....Cannabis oil or something equally as innocuous

I hope she gets released as these charges are trumped up and egregious