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

Baff Since: Jul, 2011
#47276: Jan 16th 2013 at 5:45:52 AM

[up][up]

Yea. I usted to say "good luck fightining drones"

But then I remembered Yemen and Afghanistan... and I was like "those guys are holding together pretty well to be fighting a modern military"

So a guerilla style resistence in the U.S its possible even if against a modern military...

also

WOLVERINES!!!!!!!!!

I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#47277: Jan 16th 2013 at 6:49:47 AM

The Wolverines were massacred at the end of the movie.

Trump delenda est
Achaemenid HGW XX/7 from Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1 Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
HGW XX/7
#47278: Jan 16th 2013 at 6:54:03 AM

[up]

Analogy Backfire.

edited 16th Jan '13 6:54:07 AM by Achaemenid

Schild und Schwert der Partei
Baff Since: Jul, 2011
#47279: Jan 16th 2013 at 7:29:40 AM

[up][up]

Eh... I didnt remember that part tongue

I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
Baff Since: Jul, 2011
#47280: Jan 16th 2013 at 8:38:27 AM

I tought I might post this.

"What killed him was corruption. Corruption isn't just people profiting from betraying the public interest. It's also people being punished for upholding the public interest. In our institutions of power, when you do the right thing and challenge abusive power, you end up destroying a job prospect, an economic opportunity, a political or social connection, or an opportunity for media. Or if you are truly dangerous and brilliantly subversive, as Aaron was, you are bankrupted and destroyed. There's a reason whistleblowers get fired. There's a reason Bradley Manning is in jail. There's a reason the only CIA official who has gone to jail for torture is the person – John Kiriakou - who told the world it was going on. There's a reason those who destroyed the financial system 'dine at the White House', as Lawrence Lessig put it.

"There's a reason former Senator Russ Feingold is a college professor whereas former Senator Chris Dodd is now a multi-millionaire. There's a reason DOJ officials do not go after bankers who illegally foreclose, and then get jobs as partners in white collar criminal defense. There's a reason no one has been held accountable for decisions leading to the financial crisis, or the war in Iraq.

"This reason is the modern ethic in American society that defines success as climbing up the ladder, consequences be damned. Corrupt self-interest, when it goes systemwide, demands that it protect rentiers from people like Aaron, that it intimidate, co-opt, humiliate, fire, destroy, and/or bankrupt those who stand for justice."

[1]

aslo:

Rare Photographs Show Ground Zero of the Drone War

Naeemullah was said to be injured in the strike after a missile struck the house next door. Shrapnel and debris travelled into Naeemullah's house, wounding him in his "various parts of his body," Behram says. "You can't see his back, but his back was wounded by missile pieces and burns."

An hour after Behram took this picture, Naeemullah died of his injuries.

edited 16th Jan '13 8:51:45 AM by Baff

I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#47281: Jan 16th 2013 at 8:52:18 AM

I know this is old but I was looking at the exit polls for the last election and a few things struck me as unusual.

  • Thirty somethings were largely in favor of Obama. While it's not too strange I thought Romney would have a lead in that category. The 40-50 vote was also a bit more split than I thought it would be.
  • The percentage of the black vote that went to Obama was much higher in all categories compared to whites (no surprise there) but younger blacks seemed to be more in favor of Mitt Romney than older ones. I'd have thought it would be the reverse.
  • The percentage of voters that self identified as liberal is much lower than most demographic studies I've seen. Obama still won but it looks like people need to get out and vote more often.
  • Obama seems to have lost the independent vote going by the party ID chart. This makes the above point even stranger.
  • Contrary to what the rightwing media would have you believe schools and colleges aren't indoctrinating your children (at the very least they're not doing it well). All but the post graduate and no education groups were very close and Romney even won in the college graduate category.
  • Below that you see again that the college graduates and non graduates are still very close. In fact those that didn't attend college were more in favor of Obama than those that did attend.
  • Obama didn't win the ardent churchgoers but he still won clear majorities in some of the less passionate. Him winning isn't too odd but the amount by which he won is in my opinion.
  • Obama won all religious groups but Protestant, even Catholics. We discussed this before but it still seems odd.
  • The number of Republican voters that said abortion should be mostly legal is higher than I expected. The Akin types should probably take a look at these numbers and think twice before shooting off their mouths again.
  • Health care was the number one concern among Democrats which makes their support of Obama even more logical. The economy was still the biggest thing overall though.
  • It seems as though Obama's most important quality is that he cares about people while Romney's is that he's a strong leader.
  • Most voters want Obamacare repealed.
  • Only 30% think the economy is getting worse. I'd have thought it would be higher.
  • Only 39% say the US economic system is fair to most Americans. I expected higher.
  • 7% more people have a good view of Obama than a bad one. What?
  • 53% of people say Romney's policies favor the rich. Really, only 53?
  • Obama had a much larger strongly favor percentage while Romney had a larger have reservations. Strangely I expected it to be backwards. The dislike opponent category is to be expected.
  • There is no real difference in voting patterns whether or not you have children in your home. Odd.
  • It seems as though the bounce from the hurricane was real. Obama's response was very important to those that voted for him. The GOP attacking the relief bill could really bite them in the ass.

Sorry for the long post, I just found many of these things strange. Thoughts?

edited 16th Jan '13 8:53:04 AM by Kostya

deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#47282: Jan 16th 2013 at 8:58:19 AM

53% of people say Romney's policies favor the rich. Really, only 53?

So 47% didn't think that Romney's policies favor the rich?

Baff Since: Jul, 2011
#47283: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:00:15 AM

[up][up]

funny thing is that they didnt list Jewish people.

Which Obama won by 69%

The media never talks about this do.

Good job CNN. As always, never fail to dissapoint.

edited 16th Jan '13 9:01:18 AM by Baff

I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#47284: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:21:25 AM

[up]Is failing to mention a single point of data (among many others that weren't listed) that huge a pitfall?

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Baff Since: Jul, 2011
#47285: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:23:31 AM

[up]

No. Its just an act of mediocrity that fits into the bigger picture of overall willful incompetence.

But I cant help it but to think that it was omitted on pourpose because it doesnt fit the narrative (Jewish people dont like Obama). But I cant say for sure thats the truth, its just my overall distrust of CNN.

edited 16th Jan '13 9:31:07 AM by Baff

I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
chihuahua0 Since: Jul, 2010
#47286: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:32:45 AM

Obama just signed 23 executive actions on gun control. I'm seeing this on CNN.

http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-74043879/

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/16/politics/gun-laws-battle/index.html

edited 16th Jan '13 9:39:57 AM by chihuahua0

Baff Since: Jul, 2011
#47287: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:34:11 AM

[up]

Oh shit. He did something.

I am amazed.

edited 16th Jan '13 9:35:56 AM by Baff

I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#47288: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:41:21 AM

deathpigeon: Okay that is pretty funny. If you look at the popular vote totals it also shows Romney at 47%.

Baff: Is it really that big a deal? There aren't that many Jewish people in this country. They didn't list Muslims, Buddhists, or Hindus either.

[up][up]Really?

...

What do they say?

[up]I am too but I sincerely hope it isn't anything stupid. He can't make them entirely legal but if he tries to restrict hunting rifles there will be a (justifiable) outcry.

edited 16th Jan '13 9:42:04 AM by Kostya

TheBatPencil from Glasgow, Scotland Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: I'm just a hunk-a, hunk-a burnin' love
#47289: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:45:41 AM

So why can't federal agencies conduct research into gun crime? Or, if they can now, why couldn't they before?

edited 16th Jan '13 9:46:19 AM by TheBatPencil

And let us pray that come it may (As come it will for a' that)
PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#47290: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:47:06 AM

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/01/obama-executive-actions-gun-list/61075/

Gun Violence Reduction Executive Actions

Today, the President is announcing that he and the Administration will:

1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.

2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.

3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.

4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.

5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.

6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.

7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.

8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).

9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.

10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.

11. Nominate an ATF director.

12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.

13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.

14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.

15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies.

16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.

17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.

18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.

19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.

20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.

21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.

22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.

23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#47292: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:49:26 AM

Good, none of that sounds too unreasonable although that doesn't mean the other side won't hate it. Let's see what happens over the next few days.

edit: Wait.

12. "Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations."

Does this mean what I think it means?

edited 16th Jan '13 9:52:35 AM by Kostya

Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#47293: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:53:42 AM

So far I'm not seeing anything that would hurt hunting usages of firearms. The focus appears to be on looking closer at high-capacity weapons that can take out lots of targets in short time periods, and on tightening up our routines on both general background checks and psychological care of potentially troubled people.

Of course, that's not going to matter to the NRA, which is going to fight regulation of any sort as a matter of principle. Their behavior is really making me think of Manson's 'Love Song.' It's melodramatic, but then, so is the NRA....

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#47294: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:58:36 AM

[up]Yeah. It's common sense stuff that will hopefully reduce the amount of violent crime without preventing people from owning weapons. That doesn't mean people won't raise bloody murder but at least their claims will be baseless.

shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#47295: Jan 16th 2013 at 9:59:47 AM

[up][up][up] If you think it means give school officials training on what to do if someone comes in and starts shooting up the school, then yes.

edited 16th Jan '13 10:00:01 AM by shimaspawn

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#47296: Jan 16th 2013 at 10:19:48 AM

[up]

which is you know, a good idea. Arming teachers and staff is a pointless gesture if they have no idea what to do when bullets start flying.

DevilTakeMe Coin Operator from Wild Wasteland Since: Jan, 2010
Coin Operator
#47297: Jan 16th 2013 at 10:21:59 AM

Not necessarily. It might mean to clarify procedures on how to respond to an active shooter. Potentially a fire drill type of plan, where students and faculty have escape routes or the like.

Glove and Boots is good for Blog!
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#47298: Jan 16th 2013 at 10:23:45 AM

[up]

still not seeng how that isnt a good idea. In a crisis you dont want the authority figures panicking.

edited 16th Jan '13 10:23:54 AM by Midgetsnowman

deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#47299: Jan 16th 2013 at 10:27:15 AM

When I was in High School, my school did have drills like that. What we'd do was turn off the lights in the classroom, then silently huddle in a corner that was not visible from the door until the principle and the school security checked all the classrooms and called off the drill over the intercom.

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#47300: Jan 16th 2013 at 10:34:51 AM

I don't think he said it wasn't a good idea.

I like most of this, tho'. Not sure if he'll get through an Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives Director, though. Haven't the Republicans kept that department leaderless for years?

But most of this doesn't feel like overreach to me, just merely having existing departments do their jobs/some side projects, or clean up some clutter and disorganization with regards to existing law enforcement.

Shame the NRA and their ilk are going to go "OBAMA'S AFTER YER GUNZ!!!!!111"


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