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NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#48176: Jan 25th 2013 at 5:14:33 PM

Same thing, ultimately.
It's not at all the same thing. If he'd said "the US is torturing people, but I can't tell you specifics because that would be revealing classified information" then he wouldn't be going to prison.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Bluesqueak Since: Jan, 2010
#48177: Jan 25th 2013 at 5:19:37 PM

[up]Didn't Dick Cheney reveal the name of a covert operative? Or am I misremembering?

It ain't over 'till the ring hits the lava.
darksidevoid Anti-Gnosis Weapon from The Frontiers (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Robosexual
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
#48178: Jan 25th 2013 at 5:23:15 PM

You're thinking of the Valerie Plame case. Mrs. Plame's the agent who was outed, her husband was the one being retaliated against for his whistle-blowing, and Scooter Libby's the one who took the fall and then had his sentence pretty much immediately commuted by Bush. The suspicion was that Cheney and/or Rove was the one who did it, but there was never any proof, because every last person Congress issued a subpoena to refused to show and justified their not showing by "Executive Privilege".

Wait, sorry, I was probably thinking of all the other times they claimed Executive Privilege. The rest of that is correct, however.

edited 25th Jan '13 5:28:22 PM by darksidevoid

GM: AGOG S4 & F/WC RP; Co-GM: TABA, SOTR, UUA RP; Sub-GM: TTS RP. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire.
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#48179: Jan 25th 2013 at 5:36:12 PM

John Kiriakou, the whistleblower on waterboarding, will now serve 30 months in prison for it.

Kiriakou is an odd one to me.

I think this article does a great job of explaining why its hard to call Kiriakou a 'whistleblower'.

edited 25th Jan '13 6:24:17 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#48180: Jan 25th 2013 at 5:38:22 PM

You want to know something crazy? I know that man's family. Martinez, I mean. They are long time friends of my wife's family. When his identity was revealed by journalists, they had to go into witness protection for fear of retaliatory attacks.

The shit people say has consequences. Whistleblowers can get real people killed.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
darksidevoid Anti-Gnosis Weapon from The Frontiers (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Robosexual
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
#48181: Jan 25th 2013 at 5:51:55 PM

[up]Scott Shane surely bears some responsibility for that particular case, too, considering he published the guy's actual name instead of using an alias or leaving him nameless. Pretty stupid journalistic decision, if you ask me.

edited 25th Jan '13 5:54:11 PM by darksidevoid

GM: AGOG S4 & F/WC RP; Co-GM: TABA, SOTR, UUA RP; Sub-GM: TTS RP. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire.
DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#48183: Jan 25th 2013 at 7:32:10 PM

While Congress is still dickering about the Hurricane Sandy relief stuff, here's what people are dealing with.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
Sledgesaul Since: Oct, 2011
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#48185: Jan 25th 2013 at 7:57:26 PM

[up]I'm over 100 miles from New York but it's around 15 Fahrenheit here. I imagine it's just as cold if not more so since they're on the coast.

Sledgesaul Since: Oct, 2011
#48186: Jan 25th 2013 at 8:01:19 PM

That's not even getting into the flooding, either.

deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#48188: Jan 25th 2013 at 8:07:21 PM

So do the Republicans just never sleep at night or does the GOP have a disproportionately high number of sociopaths compared to the general population?

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#48189: Jan 25th 2013 at 8:08:39 PM

I sincerely hope none of them voted for any Republicans. They must really hate themselves right now.

Sledgesaul Since: Oct, 2011
#48190: Jan 25th 2013 at 8:21:39 PM

I'm going for the sociopath part.

Because, really, when you're making millions, and you're friends with others who make millions, the only thing you'll care about (besides making millions) are your millionaire friends. They're that detached, but note that this tends to apply to politicians, lobbyists and corporate owners/executives.

edited 25th Jan '13 8:22:36 PM by Sledgesaul

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#48191: Jan 25th 2013 at 8:28:44 PM

New Jersey Republicans must be sweating bullets though, this is going to come back to bite them next election. Even if it really isn't their fault.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Discar Since: Jun, 2009
#48192: Jan 25th 2013 at 8:28:45 PM

Please remember the difference between "detached" and "sociopath." I'm sure most of the guys standing in the way of the relief bill would be horrified if they understood what these people are going through. They just don't, typically due to the bubble effect Sledge mentioned.

Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
Sledgesaul Since: Oct, 2011
#48193: Jan 25th 2013 at 8:47:17 PM

That isn't to say that some of them aren't sociopaths, though.

Take Paul Ryan, for example. He took the funding he got from Social Security and saved it up for college. Which is fine. The "asshole" part comes from how he's now trying to demolish Social Security, effectively burning the bridge for others that need it as much as he did.

edited 25th Jan '13 8:48:54 PM by Sledgesaul

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#48194: Jan 25th 2013 at 8:49:39 PM

Ryan is an Objectivist. That's kind of like sociopathy codified and given a moral framework.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Sledgesaul Since: Oct, 2011
#48195: Jan 25th 2013 at 8:53:06 PM

There's also Newt Gingrich, what with his child labor laws.

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#48196: Jan 25th 2013 at 9:07:04 PM

Ryan has claimed to agree with the writings of a person who said something alone the lines of "greed is good." Are you really expecting him to have the best moral framework out there?

Sledgesaul Since: Oct, 2011
#48197: Jan 25th 2013 at 9:08:26 PM

And then he backtracked on his public support after finding out that Ayn Rand was an atheist.

The man is pretty dumb, on top of ruthless.

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#48198: Jan 25th 2013 at 9:11:20 PM

I'm sorry, "finding out?" I'm pretty sure he knew all along he just didn't give a damn. Also when did he backtrack on that? I certainly don't remember it happening.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#48199: Jan 25th 2013 at 9:12:12 PM

Oh course the real proof of Newt's Lack of Empathy is how he treated his wives...

And the RNC chief is "intrigued" by the party's attempt to rig elections in their favor. It isn't on the fringe anymore.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/25/politics/electoral-college/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

But Virginia's governor is opposed so that's good.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Sledgesaul Since: Oct, 2011
#48200: Jan 25th 2013 at 9:22:03 PM

That same gerrymandering-election-rigging idea was also proposed by Democrats back in the day.


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