Politics' Official Eighteenth Thread

[smjjames]

Speaking of gun control and inconsistencies: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/17/boulder-passes-sweeping-anti-gun-bill-pro-2a-nonprofit-vows-to-sue-individual-councilmembers.html

 

For the most part the this is a "nothing to see here" story. City passes heavy handed gun control ordinance. Citizens are suing, yadda, yadda, yadda.

 

But I was struck by this one paragraph:

 

 

Certain law enforcement and military personnel are exempted from the ordinance.

 

Really? Why is that? Police service weapons are pistols, not rifles. The rifles used by SWAT are not owned by the officers. They are kept in the police armory when not in use. Ditto for military personnel. This is not the Confederate army. Military members do not provide their own weapons. And I can 1000% guarantee you they cannot take their weapon off base. In fact unless they on guard duty, training, or deployed they don't even have access to their weapons. So why the exemption?

Maybe personal weapons separate from what they use professionally? Even without your explanation, it seems a little odd to do a blanket ban and then exempt military and police without any clear reason.

[Guard Dog]

Personally I see that ordinance as yet another example of heavy handed, oppressive, nanny state, freedom hating, big government bulls--t that will not survive a court challenge. But that exemption strikes me as odd. Either the city council members are stupid, ignorant of the details of police work or military service, have some other kind of agenda, or just figure the servants of the government should be exempted from the malfeasance of that government. No matter which way you look at it, it ain't good.

[Malcador]

I like her! http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/16/conservative-students-parting-shot-at-colleges-anti-gun-policies-goes-viral-come-and-take-it.html

 

Should be pretty easy to do so, the way that's slung she can't wield it quickly if you get close in.   Kind of funny that she's attending Kent State too

[smjjames]

Personally I see that ordinance as yet another example of heavy handed, oppressive, nanny state, freedom hating, big government bulls--t that will not survive a court challenge. But that exemption strikes me as odd. Either the city council members are stupid, ignorant of the details of police work or military service, have some other kind of agenda, or just figure the servants of the government should be exempted from the malfeasance of that government. No matter which way you look at it, it ain't good.

Or a concession to someone or for something? That’s pretty much the only explaination that makes sense to me as far as that goes. I suppose that’d go in the ‘some other kind of agenda’ category.

Edited May 17, 2018 by smjjames

[Guard Dog]

Or a concession to someone or for something? That’s pretty much the only explaination that makes sense to me as far as that goes. I suppose that’d go in the ‘some other kind of agenda’ category.

Put me down for option 2 : ignorant of the details of police work or military service

[HoonDing]

I luv chicks with big guns.

[Gorgon]

Everybody and their grandmother with an AR15. Show a little individuality.

[smjjames]

Yeah! Like putting flame decals on it and a skull+crossbones on it! ; )

 

What? Just rolling with the joke.

[Guard Dog]

Yeah! Like putting flame decals on it and a skull+crossbones on it! ; )

 

What? Just rolling with the joke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I10P7pF-ru8

[HoonDing]

[Bartimaeus]

Trump's warning to Kim Jong-un: make a deal or suffer same fate as Gaddafi: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/17/north-korea-trump-latest-warning-kim-jong-un-gaddafi

 

Well, if we're going by the logic that "insane and aggressive lunatic that treats his allies the same as his enemies can accomplish in North Korea what the rational and coherent actor could not", this should theoretically help negotiations. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that was a complete load of crap and North Korea & China just played him, so I don't think it will.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Trump's warning to Kim Jong-un: make a deal or suffer same fate as Gaddafi: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/17/north-korea-trump-latest-warning-kim-jong-un-gaddafi

 

Well, if we're going by the logic that "insane and aggressive lunatic that treats his allies the same as his enemies can accomplish in North Korea what the rational and coherent actor could not", this should theoretically help negotiations. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that was a complete load of crap and North Korea & China just played him, so I don't think it will.

Threatening to launch a coup certainly won't incentivize NK to give up nukes, especially they have precedent to believe Trump won't keep his side of the deal with his actions concerning Iran. What a ****ing idiot. Edited May 18, 2018 by KaineParker

[Zoraptor]

That Pompeo facepalm sums it up perfectly.

 

Bolton was a moron for bringing Libya up in the first place since it's obvious to anyone and everyone that no one in Kim's position wants 'the Libyan model' in any way, shape or form- hand over your weapons; then get raped to death with a bayonet when politically expedient while Hillary cackles- and DPRK going for nukes was largely a reaction to the earlier 'Saddam model'. Bolton may be the only person on the entire planet (ok, Bruce as well) who thinks Libya was a great idea. Trump's a moron for obviously not knowing about Gaddafi handing his weapons over, but had been doing a decent job of soft balling it prior to that and should have kept at it since that also would have hidden his ignorance. I'd have eaten my hat if Kim had handed over his nukes, but that's just handing him political ammunition for when he refuses to do it whether or not it's after a meeting with Trump.

[BruceVC]

As Venezuelans suffer, Maduro buys foreign oil to subsidize Cuba

 

"Venezuela’s state-run oil firm PDVSA has bought nearly $440 million worth of foreign crude and shipped it directly to Cuba on friendly credit terms - and often at a loss, according to internal company documents reviewed by Reuters. The shipments are the first documented instances of the OPEC nation buying crude to supply regional allies instead of selling them oil from its own vast reserves."

 

 

How does that even make sense? Buying it must be less expensive than pumping it?

 

 

Cuba has always been a economic failure, they espoused there own form of Socialism and claimed it was sustainable and works 

 

This was a lie  and during the Cold War only funding from the USSR kept them financially salvageable

 

When the Cold War  ended anti-Western countries like Venezuela continued to keep Cuba going especially under Chavez, so this egregious  latest oil deal is much of the same because Maduro needs Cuba to not collapse  so he can keep playing the old " Capitalist countries are bad mkay and our systems of government  really work" 

 

Its a disgrace but doesn't surprise me, Maduro is an appalling leader and doesn't   seem concerned with the general welfare of his own people 

[injurai]

Venezuela certainly has the oil for it. It's like sitting on a massive semi-fungible trust fund. Print your own dollar sort of thing, funny (tragic) that oil gets them further than their own inflated currency.

[BruceVC]

Venezuela certainly has the oil for it. It's like sitting on a massive semi-fungible trust fund. Print your own dollar sort of thing, funny (tragic) that oil gets them further than their own inflated currency.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/04/22/this-opec-country-has-the-largest-proven-oil-reser.aspx

 

 

Yes, it has the worlds largest proven oil supplies 

[injurai]

Oil wants to be free, we should liberate it.

[Agiel]

Rather interesting RAND research memo from 1954, which I found to be as relevant to the US President as the "Lost Boys" who drive trucks into crowds, shoot up schools, and bomb concerts:

 

[Katphood]

Shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/18/texas-school-shooting-santa-fe-high

 

10 people dead and 10 other people injured.

 

Trump's warning to Kim Jong-un: make a deal or suffer same fate as Gaddafi: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/17/north-korea-trump-latest-warning-kim-jong-un-gaddafi

 

 

Haha. didn't he and Bernie Sanders criticize the hell out of Hillary Clinton for how the Obama administration handled Libya?!

[smjjames]

Shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/18/texas-school-shooting-santa-fe-high

 

10 people dead and 10 other people injured.

 

 

Trump's warning to Kim Jong-un: make a deal or suffer same fate as Gaddafi: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/17/north-korea-trump-latest-warning-kim-jong-un-gaddafi

 

 

 

Haha. didn't he and Bernie Sanders criticize the hell out of Hillary Clinton for how the Obama administration handled Libya?!

That was primarily over Benghazi I think, along with how Libya was generally handled. I dont remember them saying anything in relation to the nuke deal Libya did.

 

On the school shooting, the guy also made some explosives (none actually exploded).

[Lexx]

Can't even count the numbers of school shootings in the USA anymore.

[Guard Dog]

If you are not watching Cody's Alternative History Hub on youtube you should. He's got a good thing going. His analysis here is dead on the money

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3VQULyT390

[Malcador]

Good thing in a way the shooter wussed out of killing himself. Rather surprised the cops didn't just blast him too

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Good thing in a way the shooter wussed out of killing himself. Rather surprised the cops didn't just blast him too

Cops only shoot black kids or drunk dads, shooters are a protected class.

[Guard Dog]

Personally I think the ones that decide to kill a lot of people and then shoot themselves have the right idea. They are just doing it in the wrong order.