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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#277326: Apr 11th 2019 at 4:47:54 PM

Going back to the Assange thing, the way I'm hearing it on the news is he's being indicted/prosecuted/I don't know the actual word here not for putting the dangerous/damaging information out, which journalists are legally allowed to do, but for actively helping Manning steal said information. Like, Assange might not be in as much trouble as he is if he'd simply received the information from Manning, but that he, a non American citizen, went looking for and actively pursued this is a different ballgame. And yeah, the targets he goes after does in fact make me suspicious of his motives.

I mean, you can say how good it is that this information got out, but it is extremely dangerous to any country that a foreign agent can get into their military's database. That is straight up a security issue.

Edit: Australia probably tried/did issue a passport because he's an Australian citizen (or at least was born there, I don't know if they do dual citizenship) and thus feel some responsibility to issue some kind of protection to this very famous citizen of theirs. Although it's funny to remember back when this first went down and SO MANY PEOPLE were shouting that he ought to be tried for treason without realizing that he WASN'T an American citizen and thus couldn't be charged with treason.

Edited by AceofSpades on Apr 11th 2019 at 6:51:19 AM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#277327: Apr 11th 2019 at 4:57:02 PM

Given the War on Terror's handling of people, I'm not inclined to believe that they would be merciful.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#277328: Apr 11th 2019 at 4:57:04 PM

I might be more receptive to the idea that Trump is smarter than he seems if it weren't for the fact that people are constantly trying to interpret acts of flagrant idiocy on his part as some kind of brilliant secret strategy. Like, a friend of mine tried a few months back to convince me that Trump's "Covfefe" tweet was secretly a smart move intended to stoke fear of foreign influence using a vaguely foreign-sounding word. As opposed to being the obvious misspelling of "coverage" that it was.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#277329: Apr 11th 2019 at 5:01:29 PM

Given the War on Terror's handling of people, I'm not inclined to believe that they would be merciful.

What does this even mean? The UK won't extradite if the US doesn't promise to not execute or torture him, beyond not convicting Assange at all I don't see how they could be more merciful.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#277330: Apr 11th 2019 at 5:01:37 PM

On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad on the national level is the Democrats' loss of that state Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin?

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#277331: Apr 11th 2019 at 5:05:21 PM

like uh

6/7.. I think,its not the end of the fucking world,but a loss is a loss that will string for a awhile

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#277332: Apr 11th 2019 at 5:25:03 PM

It’s about the impact that the state level has on the national level, because it seriously hurts any attempt to end gerrymandering in the state. That means that the state’s house districts are going to send more republicans than they should to Congress and that the state legislator won’t be part of progressive reforms (like raising the minimum wage, rebuilding unions, the interstate voter compact, possibly some kind of healthcare expansion, ect...).

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#277333: Apr 11th 2019 at 5:31:55 PM

Wa Po is reporting that the White House tried to get ICE to dump arrested asylum seekers into sanctuary cities to overwhelm the systems there as a means of getting back at them for opposing Trump.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#277334: Apr 11th 2019 at 5:59:59 PM

Ecuadorian Interior Minister: Assange was thrown out due to a combination of attempts to destabilize our government through Wiki Leaks and an incident where he smeared feces on the walls of the embassy.

Edited by tclittle on Apr 11th 2019 at 8:00:17 AM

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#277335: Apr 11th 2019 at 6:03:57 PM

Okay, that surprised me.

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#277336: Apr 11th 2019 at 6:16:20 PM

Wow, talk about biting the hand that is literally protecting you from other countries prosecuting you. That was pants on heads stupid.

Anyway, I'm watching The Rachel Maddow show and it appears that Wikileaks was actively communicating/conspiring with the Trump campaign, so yeah. Wikileaks was definitely out to screw America in some way. And now Trump is actively denying anything involving them, in blatant contradiction to his frequently mentioned admiration of them during said campaign.

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#277337: Apr 11th 2019 at 6:27:07 PM

Well after 8 years of confinement in one building, you can go a little crazy.

But I'm not worried about Assange getting any help from Trump.

Trump wouldn't piss on his son if they were on fire.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Apr 11th 2019 at 6:28:41 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#277338: Apr 11th 2019 at 6:41:54 PM

Wa Po is reporting that the White House tried to get ICE to dump arrested asylum seekers into sanctuary cities to overwhelm the systems there as a means of getting back at them for opposing Trump.
Credit where credit is due, the ICE rejected the idea. But it's really disturbing that such an idea was even floated in the first place, and that the current White House's agenda is based on revenge for not blindly going along with them. This is not how a government should be operating.

Edited by speedyboris on Apr 11th 2019 at 8:43:57 AM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#277339: Apr 11th 2019 at 7:15:12 PM

I'm confused at why ICE didn't do it since they've shown no integrity before.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
MrAHR Ahr river from ಠ_ಠ Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: A cockroach, nothing can kill it.
Ahr river
#277340: Apr 11th 2019 at 7:19:53 PM

Probably because it would be a PR disaster in a way other things wouldn't be. Like, putting kids in cages is terrible and morally abhorrent, but at the end of the day, it's out of sight and out of mind for a lot of people.

Putting people in a city would have a lot more obvious exposure.

At least that's why I wouldn't do it, if I was a bastard ICE manager.

Read my stories!
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#277341: Apr 11th 2019 at 8:59:41 PM

Yeah, I can't see that not backfiring one way or another. ICE will take any blame, but further, there's a non-negligible chance that California will respond with "bring it, bitch" and actually get people functionally housed, working and paying taxes.

The latter would actually piss off Trump's base, so it's not going to be allowed.

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#277342: Apr 11th 2019 at 9:51:47 PM

The weird thing is I can see them getting work and paying taxes, but good luck getting them housed. Our governor is practically twisting arms to get the cities to build more houses.

Not even the marble-headed immortal we called Jerry Brown could get a lot done on that, and I'm convinced he only could herd the cats we call the California Democrats solely because he'd been around for the past 1000 freakin' years.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#277343: Apr 11th 2019 at 9:56:25 PM

It's actually kind of amazing how so many of California's issues are rooted in people not wanting their property values to dip even a single cent.

Edited by M84 on Apr 12th 2019 at 12:56:38 AM

Disgusted, but not surprised
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#277344: Apr 11th 2019 at 11:51:24 PM

(We do have a thread for California, just for the record)

Also, a a well condensed argument as to why a Green New Deal is a better policy than Medicare for All.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#277345: Apr 12th 2019 at 2:47:47 AM

One thing I love about Mitch is how sometimes his plans backfire in a kind of comic book supervillain way.

His attempts to promote the Green New Deal to kill it has resulted in people actually knowing about it, discussing it, and incorporating elements of it into their campaigns.

When before it would have been the pet project of a new, not necessarily well-liked (by Democratic leadership) junior representative.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#277346: Apr 12th 2019 at 3:02:45 AM

Speaking of Nancy Pelosi:

This is from a few days back, so if someone already posted this and I just didn't notice, I apologize.

From USA Today: How Nancy Pelosi is leading divided Democrats through political turmoil, Trump's administration

Nancy Pelosi doesn’t care what you think of her.

The only woman to become speaker of the House – not once but twice – is plowing forward with her agenda, despite demands from her left flank to act more boldly and her right flank to move with caution.

It appears to be working. Pelosi is quick to point out she has never lost a major vote on the House floor. She has gotten unanimous or near-unanimous Democratic support this year on most major House legislation – although the measures are largely messaging vehicles because they stand little chance of passing the GOP-controlled Senate.

Pelosi was hammered on the campaign trail last year for being a San Francisco liberal, but in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, she embraced the label as a way of showing her party’s left wing she is one of them, before asking them to move toward the center.

“I’m a progressive from San Francisco. I think I can have some credentials on the left, as a person who has represented a very liberal city,” Pelosi said last month in Ferguson.

“But you have to govern mainstream,” she added.

She comes across as something of a Cool Old Lady who can still keep up with younger politicians and navigate through the realities of politics.

We could certainly do worse than her as the leader of House Democratic Reps.

Edited by M84 on Apr 12th 2019 at 6:09:39 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#277347: Apr 12th 2019 at 7:28:00 AM

This article about how Warren switched from a registered republican to a progressive democrat is really interesting.

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#277348: Apr 12th 2019 at 8:48:58 AM

Any official word from Democratic leaders on the loss in Wisconsin?

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
NickTheSwing Since: Aug, 2009
#277349: Apr 12th 2019 at 10:01:02 AM

[up][up] I can definitely relate - I was a high school Republican, looking back I probably sounded like some kind of proto-TPUSA Turd. I really feel sorry for anyone who had to deal with that. I would punch past me in the face!

Also apparently the religious right is in a frenzy over the fact a gay guy is running for office. They're going as far as saying Episcopalian Christians aren't real Christians.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#277350: Apr 12th 2019 at 10:11:40 AM

I had Republican leanings too in my youth. Also some casual bigotry in the form of freely using certain insults that I don't use anymore.

I can't really pinpoint any one moment in my life when I started to change, though I think it happened during college.

I don't consider myself particularly progressive or leftwing — I'm still very much a free market capitalist if not to lolbertarian extremes. But I cannot support the GOP.

Disgusted, but not surprised

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