The All Things Political Topic - In politics stupidity is not a handicap

[BruceVC]

6 hours ago, Lexx said:

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/bondi-scales-back-us-justice-department-white-collar-enforcement

https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1388546/dl?inline

Putin is winning so hard right now. Who knows, maybe the new government will even manage to unfreeze all those russian assets in a short while.

I dont think its necessary for  too much drama on this one?

If you read the second link its specific about what the focus is going to be and its about cartels and transnational criminal organisations

And the link  clarifies the 4 main priorities, they seem very reasonable to me around targeting of these types of criminal syndicates?

 

@Elerond read the second link, what do you think?

 

 

 

[Elerond]

6 hours ago, BruceVC said:

I dont think its necessary for  too much drama on this one?

If you read the second link its specific about what the focus is going to be and its about cartels and transnational criminal organisations

And the link  clarifies the 4 main priorities, they seem very reasonable to me around targeting of these types of criminal syndicates?

 

@Elerond read the second link, what do you think?

First they say

Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture. The Criminal Division's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section shall prioritize investigations, prosecutions, and asset forfeiture actions that target activities of Cartels and TCOs. Task Force KleptoCapture, the Department's Kleptocracy Team, and the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, shall be disbanded. Attorneys assigned to those initiatives shall return to their prior posts, and resources currently devoted to those efforts shall be committed to the total elimination of Cartels and TCOs.

then they remove resources from investigating main form of money laundering

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/bondis-day-one-corporate-crime-memos-rattle-white-collar-bar

I predict that this works as well as war on drugs, US prison industry will be the main benefactory and cartels continue to exist as long as people are willing to pay billions and billions each year for drugs. 

World Wide drug problem will just get worse as western countries are cutting their foreign aid and trade wars loom and cause economic uncertainty that will hit hardest towards poor.

World is full of chemicals that lets people lose their sorrows for minute and more there is misery more there is demand for relief.

[uuuhhii]

human brain contain exponentially growing amount of plastic

while nation pull out who

hopeful times

Edited Saturday at 05:01 AM by uuuhhii

[Malcador]

Trump is looking out for you, Bruce

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/addressing-egregious-actions-of-the-republic-of-south-africa/

 

 

[BruceVC]

4 hours ago, Malcador said:

Trump is looking out for you, Bruce

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/addressing-egregious-actions-of-the-republic-of-south-africa/

 

 

This is going to create days of debate and this EO order is different to the one around the expropriation act, it has more details and includes Israel and several of SA foreign policy decisions that are aligned with countries that are hostile to the US like Iran

" The United States cannot support the government of South Africa’s commission of rights violations in its country or its ‘undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests.  "

 

SA does have  these "friendships "  and I have often raised  the inconsistencies around our foreign policy decisions, we say we neutral yet we  often dont seem be consistent around this. But we have always seemed to assume that there would be no global fallout for this inconsistency. I doubt the ANC is really aware of the reality of  this inconsistency and how it can criticised by someone like Trump  and then action taken 

But this EO is a  combination of things and even allows Afrikaners a migration path to the US 

But as I said lots of debate  coming around the different points in this EO and why its been signed 

 

 

[Malcador]

What's sort of funny is that all whites in South Africa aren't Afrikaner, no?

[BruceVC]

5 minutes ago, Malcador said:

What's sort of funny is that all whites in South Africa aren't Afrikaner, no?

Yes, Im not

We English\Anglo  and its all about which country your ancestors came from  and there are lots of other white people in SA who wouldnt be considered Afrikaans like Jews or people from  most European countries outside of the Netherlands 

But because Apartheid was implemented by white  Afrikaners there would always be an understandable focus on white Afrikaners in  the modern SA around language and ownership of land 

There is no genocide of white Afrikaners but there are real farm killings and there  is new legislation around education and language and that has riled up white Afrikaners the most because English is still our main language 

And then there is the recent Expropriation bill which we have already discussed

So what Im saying is this EO generalizes about things, it has some truth to it but its also exaggerated 

 

 

 

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

5 hours ago, Malcador said:

Trump is looking out for you, Bruce

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/addressing-egregious-actions-of-the-republic-of-south-africa/

 

 

"the United States shall promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation."

Sounds like Trump wants to import rapefugees. Pretty off-brand, I wonder what's different?

[HoonDing]

Suid Afrika will be much happier as 73rd state under Governor Elon. And all non-whites can be "voluntarily" moved overseas to Madagascar where then they finally will be able to live in peace.

[Lexx]

Department of Education doesn't exist anymore. https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/elon-musk-says-department-of-education-no-longer-exists-231453765781

[Malcador]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-time-magazine-musk-cover-response-b2694357.html

 

[uuuhhii]

4 hours ago, Lexx said:

Department of Education doesn't exist anymore. https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/elon-musk-says-department-of-education-no-longer-exists-231453765781

 

oppression coming so fast it outpace ability to comprehend it

Edited Saturday at 07:43 PM by uuuhhii

[Zoraptor]

I guess if there's one positive about Trump so far it's him managing to expose exactly how 'independent' a lot of 'independent media' are. While people with critical faculties engaged won't exactly be surprised it is nice to have irrefutable confirmation of just how Orwellian the phrase often was. Unfortunately genuinely independent media will be caught up in it too and tarnished by association, though one cannot discount that being seen as a positive side effect by those who were in charge of the policy.

But at End of Day: if you're reliant on a foreign country for funding you are not by any definition 'independent'- that is, indeed, the literal definition of being dependent instead.

Also doesn't do much to help with the 'every accusation is a confession' observation when it comes to claims about Russian/ Chinese/ Iranian influence operations nor with the generalised distrust of media- with the latter being a big positive for Trump and pals.

(Despite that USAID was a net positive and by a decent amount. Certainly not worth getting rid of wholesale just so I get to have an inconsequential laugh)

[BruceVC]

7 hours ago, Zoraptor said:

I guess if there's one positive about Trump so far it's him managing to expose exactly how 'independent' a lot of 'independent media' are. While people with critical faculties engaged won't exactly be surprised it is nice to have irrefutable confirmation of just how Orwellian the phrase often was. Unfortunately genuinely independent media will be caught up in it too and tarnished by association, though one cannot discount that being seen as a positive side effect by those who were in charge of the policy.

But at End of Day: if you're reliant on a foreign country for funding you are not by any definition 'independent'- that is, indeed, the literal definition of being dependent instead.

Also doesn't do much to help with the 'every accusation is a confession' observation when it comes to claims about Russian/ Chinese/ Iranian influence operations nor with the generalised distrust of media- with the latter being a big positive for Trump and pals.

(Despite that USAID was a net positive and by a decent amount. Certainly not worth getting rid of wholesale just so I get to have an inconsequential laugh)

Getting 10-20% of your funding model from USAID if you a media house  doesn't mean you not  independent or you dont have editorial discretion to post any news article you want

"Independent " typically means not state sponsored around influence of what you report on  but USAID provided dozens of examples of humanitarian aid and very little of it had anything to do with expecting the country to align with US policies and that would include media house funding 

We would have to look at what independent media house you  talking before we accuse  them of bias or pushing an American agenda if that is what you suggesting?

But end of the day, no. Russian war crimes, Irans fundamentalist reality   and Chinese abuse of Uyghurs is still real and not made up

[BruceVC]

14 hours ago, Malcador said:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-time-magazine-musk-cover-response-b2694357.html

 

I think Trump has chilled in his old age, he seems more likely to share the limelight and media attention with Musk  than last time where Bannon lost favor?

 

He  seems to have a good but strange relationship with Musk 

 

 

 

 

[rjshae]

On 2/7/2025 at 10:37 PM, PK htiw klaw eriF said:

"the United States shall promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation."

Sounds like Trump wants to import rapefugees. Pretty off-brand, I wonder what's different?

I wondered if this is a Musk-motivated effort, since his wealthy family is from Pretoria? Anyway, the whites were European immigrants so presumably they can relocate back to their originating nations.

[Lexx]

Interesting video. Guess we will find out in a few months if Ezra Klein is right or was very naive.

[Gorth]

Just a bit of fun from domestic Australian politics... I made the joke in the past that the liberal PM Scott Morrison was similar to Don Quixote because of his perpetual crusade against windmills (and any other form of alternative to fossil fuels)

While he got the message, he's universally hated, his former deputy and old party have decided to switch to nuclear power. Again, anything that keeps the poor starving mining magnates in power and keeps renewable energy out of Australia!

 

[Zoraptor]

3 hours ago, BruceVC said:

Getting 10-20% of your funding model from USAID if you a media house  doesn't mean you not  independent or you dont have editorial discretion to post any news article you want

For example the one Ukrainian outlet that gave a figure gave 80% USAID funding for its budget, with 90% of Ukrainian media surviving on grants. Not 10-20%. 

I'd ask for some evidence of the 10-20, but we both know how likely I am to get any.

Quote

"Independent " typically means not state sponsored around influence of what you report on..

No it doesn't. It means independent. Not state sponsored, not state controlled. Your definition would mean there was no independent media outright, since every outlet everywhere is subject to laws that limit what they can say.

Someone might say that the BBC for example has an independent editorial line*; but if you tried describing them as 'independent' because of that people would think you're a moron, since they're both state funded and state owned. Though at least they're funded by the state they're resident in**. You're also fundamentally not independent if the only way to get funded is to write what someone in a foreign country wants. The only difference between Russia funding media in other countries and the US doing the same is perspective and whose world view you agree with, not anything objective.

*except of course, for when it doesn't. The World Service was run by the Foreign Office specifically under the mandate to promote British interests for decades, after all.

**except for the bits partly funded by, well, USAID.

[BruceVC]

12 minutes ago, Zoraptor said:

For example the one Ukrainian outlet that gave a figure gave 80% USAID funding for its budget, with 90% of Ukrainian media surviving on grants. Not 10-20%. 

I'd ask for some evidence of the 10-20, but we both know how likely I am to get any.

 

https://www.bbc.com/mediaaction/press-release/4-feb-25

 

Well thats easy and you could have quickly done your own research if you wanted to 

 

" A free press is essential to freedom and democracy – and 75% of countries around the world do not have a free press. BBC Media Action supports local media around the world to deliver trusted information to people most in need.

 Like many international development organisations, BBC Media Action has been affected by the temporary pause in US government funding, which amounts to about 8% of our income in 2023-24. We’re doing everything we can to minimise the impact on our partners and the people we serve.  "

 

 

 

[BruceVC]

2 hours ago, rjshae said:

I wondered if this is a Musk-motivated effort, since his wealthy family is from Pretoria? Anyway, the whites were European immigrants so presumably they can relocate back to their originating nations.

https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/afriforum-solidarity-reject-trumps-refugee-offer-we-want-to-build-south-africa-20250208

The justification for this Afrikaans  " refugee" migration offer has been exaggerated 

There is potential   future risk around both nationalization and expropriation without compensation but that doesnt exist  at the moment 

Afriforum  which represents a large group of white Afrikaners had a press conference yesterday and they made  several statements and clarifications around this US EO

" While the groups welcomed the political pressure placed on the ANC government, they rejected the withdrawal of aid and the classification of Afrikaners as refugees.

Buys stressed that Afrikaners do not want to leave South Africa, but rather seek conditions that allow them to thrive within the country.

“Our ancestors came to Africa centuries ago, but we became Afrikaners here long before South Africa was a country. Our language and culture are indigenous to Africa,” he said.

He emphasised that Afrikaners are not just a language group but a cultural community with deep ties to South Africa.

While acknowledging that some Afrikaners may wish to emigrate, Buys rejected the idea of mass resettlement.

He said:
The repatriation of Afrikaners as refugees is not a solution. We want to build a future in South Africa.  " 

 

[uuuhhii]

there is no such thing that is free media owned by oligarch

at most there are veneer of professionalism

[Zoraptor]

10 hours ago, BruceVC said:

Well thats easy and you could have quickly done your own research if you wanted to

I did, and I certainly did a far better job of it given I didn't make a sweeping unreferenced generalisation but a not so sweeping, referenced, one.

Serves me right for not adding 'or an irrelevant citation' to my previous post as I meant to though. BBC Media Action isn't media itself, as the press release notes.

[Malcador]

Information war is a thing, who knew. Surprised to see MAGA types outraged over aid being used to further US strategic aims, however indirectly

[Zoraptor]

Don't think it's that they're outraged over that per se, even indirectly. It's that being pro US so often meant being pro previous administration and pro US foreign policy orthodoxy both of which are things they hate- most would have no problem supporting Iranian opposition media so long as it was in Farsi and only anti Iran (or, given their bias and general lack of self awareness, was pro Trump). The perception that it was a soft money pro Democrat Party and Liberal Agenda* slush fund was reinforced by how much of the media aimed at [countryname] was written in english, and thus obviously aimed at, well, english speakers.

The more pragmatic and realpolitik sorts may also be a bit miffed that the claims of independent media being foreign agents made by adversaries have now been proven correct despite all the repeated claims to the contrary. Makes it a lot harder to paint the Georgian foreign agent law for example as being a blatant threat to independent journalism when their accusations that the media aren't independent but are being funded from overseas are now shown to be largely accurate.

*le sigh, but it is the sort of term they'd use to describe it