COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Thursday, June 16, 2016

What a Choice - Why do we give political parties the right to select our candidates when they are so obviously incompetent. dishonest and corrupt?

Trump Is His Party’s Cross to Bear

But how will Republicans bear him?


For roughly seven days in May, Donald Trump was on the upswing. Ted Cruz had left the race for president and Republican leaders were coming around to Trump’s candidacy, dutifully endorsing the party’s presumptive nominee. Prominent Trump skeptics were holding their tongues, and the most visible Republican lawmaker in the country—House Speaker Paul Ryan—was in talks with Trump about the party’s agenda for the fall. The real estate mogul still had ground to cover in the polls, but in that moment, if you squinted, he looked like a candidate who could win.

Then came Gonzalo Curiel. A federal judge, Curiel had certified a class-action lawsuit against Trump’s now-defunct for-profit school, Trump University. In May, he granted a request—from the Washington Post—to release Trump University documents to the public. The subsequent coverage was deadly. In response, Trump went on the offense, with a racist attack on Curiel’s impartiality. The same Republican leaders who endorsed him weeks earlier now balked at his rhetoric. Some withdrew their endorsements. Any momentum Trump had was gone, wasted in a matter of days.


Earlier today, the Washington Post and ABC News released their latest national poll of the presidential race, conducted last week, from the peak of the Curiel affair to the immediate aftermath of the massacre in Orlando. The numbers for Hillary Clinton aren’t great. The numbers for Donald Trump are unprecedented and catastrophicSeventy percent of registered voters have an unfavorable view of Trump (including 88 percent of nonwhites), divided between 14 percent who are “somewhat unfavorable” and a whopping 56 percent who are “strongly unfavorable.” For comparison’s sake, Clinton’s total unfavorable rating is 55 percent. New polls from Bloomberg and NBC News show Clinton with a 12-point and a 7-point lead, respectively.

A presidential nominee with this standing doesn’t just lose in the general election; he brings his party down with him, wiping out an entire generation of leaders in one fell swoop. If Trump remains this unpopular through the fall—and if third-party candidates like Gary Johnson and Jill Stein don’t make substantial traction—he could cost Republicans control of the Senate and perhaps even the House.
Politicians, and the parties they build, want to win. And they’ll do anything it takes to reach that goal. But there are limits to this, imposed by interest groups, activists, intellectual leaders, and voters. Trump is a direct threat to the GOP’s ability to hold onto national power. Worse, there’s no indication he has the capacity to change. If there’s anything consistent in Trump’s politics, it’s nativism and racial prejudice, from his tirades against Japan in the 1980s and public attacks on the “Central Park Five,” to his “birtherism” during President Obama’s first term and his present-day condemnation of immigrants, Muslims, and Hispanics.

Judging from his past behavior, Trump will only get worse. Already, he’s running with the conspiracy theory that President Obama is in league with ISIS and other terrorist groups. Trump’s popularity is low. It can get lower. By the time we reach the Republican National Convention, Trump might be a zombie candidate: lifeless but still shambling forward, consumed by his most animal impulses.

So what do Republicans do? What could they do? At this late stage, the only alternative left is the party’s nuclear option—ignoring its primary voters and dumping Trump from the ticket in a hail-Mary attempt to save its congressional majority. For some conservatives, this is the obvious choice. “[T]here is not a single ‘bound’ delegate to the Republican National Convention,” notes David French, a staff writer for the National Review who briefly flirted with a third-party candidacy against Trump. “Not one delegate is required to vote for Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, or any other individual who ‘won’ votes in the primary process. Each delegate will have to make his or her own choice.”

There’s a reason we say “presumptive nominee” in reference to the winner in a presidential nomination fight: The status isn’t official until delegates ratify it at the convention. Our political norms and intuitions (the person with the most votes wins) are such that in the era of modern presidential elections, the presumptive nominee has always been the official one, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

The rules of the Republican convention don’t exist in advance. They are crafted by the rules committee before the convention meets. If it wanted to, a majority of that committee could change the rules of the nomination process, unbinding delegates from their respective candidates and allowing the party to choose a different nominee. As procedure, it’s straightforward. As politics, it’s dangerous.

The only way this happens is if Republican leaders sign onto the effort. And if they do, they will have voted to throw the convention—and the GOP itself—into complete chaos, opening the door to a massive backlash from Republican primary voters, who cast ballots with the expectation that the party would respect their choice. It’s a huge gamble that could (and likely would) destroy the career of anyone who touched it. Which means it probably won’t happen.

If it’s not going to dump Trump, then the most the party can do is distance itself as much as possible. And it’s already happening. On Tuesday, top Republicans like Paul Ryan and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker condemned Trump for his response to the Orlando shooting. “I do not think a Muslim ban is in our country’s interest,” said Ryan, who a week ago was lamenting the “textbook” racism of Trump’s comments about Curiel. “I do not think it is reflective of our principles, not just as a party but as a country.”

Between now and November, there’s a good chance we’ll see something almost unprecedented in modern American politics: a world where the elected officials and elites of a political party are either indifferent to the fate of their party’s nominee or outright antagonistic to him. Where Republican lawmakers disavow their endorsements, where Republican office seekers obscure their ties, where the whole firmament of Republican electoral politics—operatives, activists, fundraisers—take leave for the season to let Trump flail on his own.

135 comments:

  1. Only public financing will fix this.

    No private money should be permitted. Elections should be paid for yy a tax on the media broadcast industry with a surtax on all of them with over $100 million in revenue. (They get most of it back through advertising.)

    This would kill off lobbyists. Term limits would put a stake through heart of the corruption and eliminating all tax exempt foundations, trusts and and eliminating charitable donations would put the torch to the entire stinking con job.

    Sanders and Trump are both right, the system is rigged, corrupt and in a perfect world would be corrected once and for all.

    You could also do all the above and snatch the $4 billion we send to Israel each year and use that to fund the election process. That has the added benefit of kicking Aipac in the ass.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deuce: You could also do all the above and snatch the $4 billion we send to Israel each year and use that to fund the election process. That has the added benefit of kicking Aipac in the ass.


      Most of the money America sends to Israel is not sent to Israel. Is it spent on American products.

      So?

      It would hurt American workers.

      But once again it's interesting how you single out Israel and ignore the hundreds of billions we spend on the islamists of the world.

      Deuce you are a duck.. quack.

      Delete
    2. Now it's interesting...

      The only nation ever to request America to STOP economic AID, (out right cash grants) was Israel.

      And the Prime Minister of Israel, BIBI did that.

      Now if you wanted to suspend the 3-4 billion a year in MILITARY aid, American generously gives Israel? Do so, but please stop the hundreds of billions in arms sales, the billions in economic aid, the free ride that the oil nations get with America protecting the oil routes and of course do not promote Israel mortal enemies like Iran with billions in international business.

      Delete
    3. Now quirk is pissed that I support Israel and says I do not support American interests.

      Nonsense.

      I support America and it's interests. AND I support Israel right to be a Jewish state in it's historic lands, a refugee for all Jews across the globe.

      But sometimes, those here at the blog (and others) think that appeasing evil is in American interests.

      As an American I have the duty to point out that supporting truly evil regimes (like Iran, Hamas, Saudi Arabia ((and more)) is not in American interests.

      Now quirk also pointed out on the last thread that I do not find fault with the Israeli government.

      I do, but I generally don't do it here.

      But since you insist.

      Israel is preventing one faith or religion from praying in it's holy sites.It discriminates based on their religion.

      Jews are prevented, by Israel from praying on the Temple Mount.

      This injustice shall not stand.

      Delete

    4. This current "O"rdure fellow, he is demented.

      Delete
  2. .

    Early on in the primaries, there was a conspiracy theory that Trump was merely a ghost candidate, inserted into the GOP fold to help Hillary. It sounded absurd then. Now, it almost seems believable. How can anyone be that stupid and self destructive unless he is purposely trying to help his opponent?

    Winter is coming...

    And it arrives early this year, Tuesday November 8, 2016, at the closing of the polls.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "at the closing of the polls' is very good Quirk, sounds so doom like

      Delete
  3. Someone asked of the Bill Clinton Presidency, "Which part did you object to, the peace, or the prosperity?"

    Hillary Clinton is running on improving health care availability and affordability under the Affordable Care Act, expanding Medicare, raising the minimum wage, and expanding Renewable Energy, especially Solar.

    This deal may work out okay, after all. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After all, she's espousing, basically, the agenda that has set California, now the World's Sixth Largest Economy, and Washington State on fire.

      Delete
    2. .

      She has proved herself to be a congenital liar.

      She started moving left when Bernie started moving up in the polls.

      Anyone who would believe a word she says is nutz.

      This is Hillary we are talking about.

      .

      Delete
  4. The most important aspect of the present polling is that racial animus is no longer sufficient to put a Republican in the White House.

    This is only partly due to demographics. Notable in this cycle is that Trump is coming nowhere near Romney's benchmark in White, College-educated voters. Romney, according to exit polls, took a +14 share of this cohort; Trump will be lucky to break even with them.

    Trump will likely match Romney's +24 with white, non-college educated, but this cadre is shrinking as a percentage of the electorate (the only demographic that is.)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hillary is running on health care availability and ((((affordability)))) under the ((((Affordable)))) Care Act

    hoot hoot hoot

    Costs have risen 150% above inflation since the beginning I read just yesterday.

    hoot hoot hoot

    Rufus will vote for an outright Criminal if said Criminal will even promise, though likely never deliver, a gift or two.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "I'm running for President to make the Affordable Care Act affordable ! We got grubbered with ObamaCare and I'm not letting that happen again !"

      Delete
    2. Desperate White House looking to block double digit Obamacare rate increases
      June 16, 2016

      The administration will use a political slush fund to try and block insurance companies from increasing rates. More

      American Thinker

      Delete
  6. Some total dumb fuck named David Kafuri, former State Department, is on Fox right now blabbing on about how we got to 'reach out' to the muzz in America, provide them 'better jobs'.

    This sleezoid is what is wrong with America.

    ReplyDelete
  7. When guns are outlawed only criminals...er, and terrorists too...will have guns.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The cockpit voice recorder has been recovered from the crashed jetliner in the Mediterranean Sea.

    The flight data recorded likely will be found soon.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What this country needs is more grubbering of the masses !!

    ReplyDelete
  10. The gays are arming up, bless them -

    AR-15'S FLYING OFF SHELVES...
    Sales surge among gays, lesbians...
    West Hollywood Inundated With Pro-Gun, Pro-Gay Posters...
    CIA WARNS: ISIS USING IMMIGRATION....DRUDGE

    ReplyDelete
  11. Here's 'the Huma Effect' for you -

    Admiral: Hillary plotted with Muslim Brotherhood to overthrow Qaddafi...

    Clinton Foundation pocketed up to $40 million from terror-funding nations....DRUDGE


    Huma/Grubber 2016 !!

    ReplyDelete
  12. ((((BAN CHOPSTICKS !!))))

    Man arrested for killing father with chopstick....DRUDGE

    Only one chopstick will do the job.

    ReplyDelete
  13. 3 out of the 4 gals on You're Outnumbered have the left leg crossed over the right leg right now.

    My study of this phenomenon continues.

    ReplyDelete
  14. More exculpatory evidence for the 'racist white cop Goodson' ? -

    More mysteriously missing evidence appears at Freddie Gray trial


    posted at 9:21 am on June 16, 2016 by Jazz Shaw

    The trial of Ceasar Goodson was supposed to be the centerpiece of Marilyn Mosby’s effort to go after the Baltimore police officers involved in the Freddie Gray incident and her best hope of obtaining a conviction. But as the trial wears on through its first week, one surprise after another has shown up. First we learned that the judge had become incensed over potentially exculpatory evidence which had been withheld by the prosecution involving testimony from another prisoner who was in the van with Gray. Yesterday we found out that yet another key piece of evidence had somehow not made it into the proceedings and this one could be a golden ticket for the defense. (Baltimore Sun)


    Evidence disclosed for the first time Wednesday in the trial of Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., the van driver charged with second-degree murder in the death of Freddie Gray, suggests that the medical examiner performing Gray’s autopsy at one point intended to rule his death an accident.

    Assistant medical examiner Dr. Carol Allan ultimately ruled the death a homicide. And she has stood by that ruling at Goodson’s trial, saying that she never felt Gray’s death was an accident. “The word ‘accident’ never crossed my lips to anyone, other than to say, ‘This is not an accident,'” she said on the witness stand on Friday.

    But on Wednesday, the state acknowleged [sic] a police investigator had noted that Allen had suggested Gray’s death was an accident at a meeting last year.

    As the medical examiner, Dr. Allan was actually the point of origin for this entire circus. It was her responsibility to initially examine the medical evidence and determine a cause of death after Freddie Gray died. Had she determined that Gray passed away from either an accident or natural causes, the entire process would essentially grind to a halt. You can’t very well bring charges for a crime if there was no determination that any crime had taken place.

    By listing Gray’s cause of death as “homicide” on the official forms, the opposite scenario unfolds. If a citizen was killed, the guilty party or parties must be identified and brought to justice, allowing State’s Attorney Mosby to bring us to where we are today. But if this testimony reveals that Allan’s initial assessment was leaning toward labeling the death an accident, what happened between that moment and the time that the death certificate was filed to change her professional opinion?

    Taken in a vacuum, one could certainly argue that she’d simply taken more time to examine all of the medical reports and come to a different conclusion. But the judge is listening to all of this testimony closely. When you add this factoid in with the previous bits of evidence that the prosecution kept under wraps, one has to ask the question of whether or not Mosby and her staff put pressure on Allan to declare it a homicide so they could move forward with a prosecution. If that’s the judge’s conclusion, it’s one more crack in the increasingly shaky wall of the state’s charges against Goodson and his fellow officers.

    http://hotair.com/archives/2016/06/16/more-mysteriously-missing-evidence-appears-at-freddie-gray-trial/

    ReplyDelete
  15. WiO wrote:

    "But sometimes, those here at the blog (and others) think that appeasing evil is in American interests.

    As an American I have the duty to point out that supporting truly evil regimes (like Iran, Hamas, Saudi Arabia ((and more)) is not in American interests"



    oy vey, he's just like all the other religious nut-jobs out there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ash, please shove that "oy vey" up your ass.

      But you now admit your support the gay hating regimes of Iran, Hamas and Saudia Arabia.

      Do you prefer to hang gays or stone them?

      Delete
    2. oy vey, really dumbshit comment, Smirk.

      By the way, one of your Canadians got beheaded by the moslems just the other day. He wasn't beheaded by a Hindu, or a Jew, or a Christian, or a Buddhist.

      Read Jihad Watch to keep up with what is going on.

      Delete
    3. And, yeah, shove the "oy vey" up your asshole, Smirk.

      Delete
    4. Tell us Ash, why is Hamas, Iran and Saudi Arabia not evil regimes?

      Delete
    5. Tell us, "O"rdure, over what country does Hamas rule?

      Delete
    6. Why do you elevate terrorists in Israel to political parity with that of Nation-States?

      Delete
  16. Strikes in Syria

    Bomber, ground-attack, attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted six strikes in Syria near Manbij, striking six separate ISIL tactical units and destroying five ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.

    Strikes in Iraq

    Bomber, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 20 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

    -- Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL homemade explosives cache.

    -- Near Bashir, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL command-and-control node and two ISIL assembly areas.

    -- Near Fallujah, two strikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed 11 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL heavy machine guns and six ISIL light machine guns and denied ISIL access to terrain.

    -- Near Mosul, six strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and foreign fighter support facilities including an ISIL operations center, two ISIL headquarters and an ISIL weapons factory and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

    -- Near Qayyarah, six strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL communications facility and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, four ISIL assembly areas, five ISIL mortar systems, an ISIL mortar position, nine ISIL boats, eight ISIL rocket rails, an ISIL rocket system, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL ammunition cache and an ISIL vehicle bomb and suppressed a separate ISIL tactical unit and denied ISIL access to terrain.

    -- Near Ramadi, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL boat.

    -- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed three ISIL rocket rails and three ISIL rocket systems and denied ISIL access to terrain.

    -- Near Tal Afar, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The orlando killer claims American bombing of ISIS was his motivation..

      Delete
    2. Lat time I checked, he was dead.

      Delete
    3. I was referring to his actual call to the LEO's

      I stand corrected. The moslem savage killer, CLAIMED, when he took a break from the slaughter of innocents, that ISIS was his motivation. But upon further investigation, it seems he also was a fan of the Palestinian revolutionary movement, as his wife was a palestinian as well...

      Delete
  17. Taliban use 'honey trap' boys to kill Afghan police

    The Taliban are using child sex slaves to mount crippling insider attacks on police in southern Afghanistan, exploiting the pervasive practice of "bacha bazi" -- paedophilic boy play -- to infiltrate security ranks, multiple officials and survivors of such assaults told AFP.

    The ancient custom is prevalent across Afghanistan, but nowhere does it seem as entrenched as in the province of Uruzgan, where "bacha bereesh" -- or boys without beards -- widely become objects of lustful attraction for powerful police commanders....

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/taliban-honey-trap-boys-kill-afghan-police-034032649.html?ref=gs

    What a hell of a place, Afghanistan.











    Anuj Chopra

    June 16, 2016

    ReplyDelete
  18. .

    Yellen speaks and the volatility index rises (up 45% in a week). Yellen's flip flopping for months on end add confusion to the markets.

    The problem is though she speaks of the

    Flattening yield curve

    Flattening investment curve, and the

    Flattening employment

    what she, like her predecessor, is trying to do is protect the markets.

    With friends like her...

    .

    ReplyDelete
  19. .

    Brexit vote in 1 week.

    Just started paying attention to this. The bookies say they won't leave. The polls say they will leave. Both say the trend is moving towards leaving. Still uncertain.

    If the UK does decide to exit, the long term effects might not be too bad but it looks like there will be a shit storm in the short term as they try the unravel the Gordian knot they have formed with Europe.

    Brexit is negatively effecting the US markets but this sounds counterintuitive to me as I would think Brexit would aid America across the board.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here's John Bolton's take -

      Exclusive to the Trib: The UK must leave the EU & and the U.S. must support its exit

      John Bolton

      http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/10586877-74/britain-foreign-nato

      Delete
  20. This is interesting; Gallup Good Jobs Index is at its highest since its inception in 2010.

    Good Jobs Index

    ReplyDelete
  21. Omar was really messed up from day one.

    31 school citations from kindergarten to 8th grade.

    Poor grades, really aggressive, unable to control himself, placed in different classes several times to avoid fights with his school mates, didn't obey rules....on and on....

    They spoke some Afghan language at home....language difficulties....did OK in computers though....

    Source: Fox News

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and you think he has a right to purchase an assault rifle and ammo no questions asked.

      Delete
    2. Smirk, I support the NRA's take on all this. Criminals and the mentally ill are to be denied, I believe their position is....they favor background checks, etc.

      And, he was investigated by the FBI two times.

      Alas, his nose was clean enough to pass under the current rules.

      What you are really hinting at, Smirk, is that you favor abandoning due process.

      "If totalitarianism comes to the USA it will come from the left not the right"

      from 'Immortal Sayings of Farmer Bob'

      A man was killed with a chopstick the other day. You should support banning chopsticks....

      Delete
    3. The Canadian that was beheaded the other day had been taken hostage, and was being held for ransom. Poor old guy was in his 70's. When the ransom wasn't paid, he was beheaded.

      I assume the family didn't have the money.

      There is a Koranic verse or hadith about this, but can't recall exactly where it is to be found.

      The option of death or life seems to be up to the capturers, certainly not the innocent captured.

      Delete
    4. Why Terrorists Target Gun Free Zones

      John Lott

      http://nypost.com/2016/06/15/why-terrorists-target-gun-free-zones/

      My daughter and I went to see John Lott speak one time.

      He was very good.

      Read his article, Ash.

      Or don't, as Deuce says, comment.

      Delete
    5. Due process is needed to regulate the sale of arms in the US. It is silly that Mateen could legally buy the Assault rifle and ammo. If it is a 2nd amendment problem then change the amendment if, as you say, is legally possible to regulate the sale of those arms then do so.

      Delete


    6. AshThu Jun 16, 03:01:00 PM EDT

      Due process is needed to regulate the sale of arms in the US.

      Correct. And, he was subject to it. Interviewed by the FBI twice, and passed the current background tests. He hadn't done anything under the current rules to preclude him from purchasing a firearm.

      Perhaps the current rules need to be tightened up. The NRA might agree. Trump is now meeting with them. In the end it is a matter for the Congress.

      Read John Lott.

      Delete
    7. I read the article and it is full of shit - pure speculation. Here, take a look at a real life case:

      "Australia’s 1996 gun law reforms: faster falls in firearm deaths, firearm suicides, and a decade without mass shootings"

      http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/12/6/365.full

      "Q: Did gun control in Australia lead to more murders there last year?

      A: This ‘Gun History Lesson’ is recycled bunk from a decade ago. Murders in Australia actually are down to record lows.

      FULL QUESTION

      Is this true??


      A little Gun History Lesson

      FULL ANSWER

      The e-mail says that "[i]t has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms." Actually, it’s been 13 years since Australian gun law was originally changed. In 1996, the government banned some types of guns, instituted a buyback program and imposed stricter licensing and registration requirements. Gun ownership rates in Australia declined from 7 percent to 5 percent. Another law in 2002 tightened restrictions a bit more, restricting caliber, barrel length and capacity for sport shooting handguns.

      Have murders increased since the gun law change, as claimed? Actually, Australian crime statistics show a marked decrease in homicides since the gun law change. According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, a government agency, the number of homicides in Australia did increase slightly in 1997 and peaked in 1999, but has since declined to the lowest number on record in 2007, the most recent year for which official figures are available.

      Furthermore, murders using firearms have declined even more sharply than murders in general since the 1996 gun law. In the seven years prior to 1997, firearms were used in 24 percent of all Australian homicides. But most recently, firearms were used in only 11 percent of Australian homicides, according to figures for the 12 months ending July 1, 2007. That’s a decline of more than half since enactment of the gun law to which this message refers.

      ..."


      https://www.factcheck.org/2009/05/gun-control-in-australia/

      Delete
    8. Bob, you wrote:

      "Correct. And, he was subject to it (due process). Interviewed by the FBI twice, and passed the current background tests. He hadn't done anything under the current rules to preclude him from purchasing a firearm."

      Which means that the current rules are not sufficient, right?

      Delete
    9. It appears that there have been more than 1000 mass shootings in the US in the last 10 years and 0 in Australia.

      Delete
    10. Gotta pity the poor Aussie who can't shoot up a beer can with a machine gun. The Sheila's have to look elsewhere for real men.

      Delete
    11. .

      Anybody who thinks the US won't be hit by a terrorist attack is nutz and knows little of American history over the past century. The causes may change but they are always out there in one form or another.

      In a country of 320,000,000 million people, anyone who thinks the authorities can identify and stop every single nutjob out there is also nutz no matter how many laws are written.

      I personally think there are common sense rules that can be put into law, closing the gun show loophole for instance. Likewise limiting magazine size might limit the rapidity and efficiency with which some of these guys are able to kill. But laws aren't going to stop a nut or a fanatic.

      .

      Delete
    12. No, but laws can make it a lot harder to obtain and keep a military style assault weapon. The Orlando shooter simply walked into a gun store last week and bought all he needed - over the counter purchase. That's just plain silly.

      Delete
    13. He was checked by the FBI twice, and passed the background test.

      Tighten the regs if you wish (I'd probably support it) but the fact is he hadn't done anything wrong that the laws/police/FBI knew of....

      How about banning all moslems in the USA from having guns, Ash ? And pressure cookers too ?

      That might actually do some good.

      But it wouldn't pass constitutional muster.

      A workable alternative is bar any more Moslem immigration to the USA.

      That is perfectly rational, and constitutional too.

      I support this. The Constitution and Sharia do not mix and never will. It is just asking for more trouble.

      Almost every recent President has barred some group or other, at least temporarily.

      Carter barred Iranians for instance, after the seizure of our Embassy and personnel....so I read somewhere today.

      Former House Speaker Gingrich supports taking USA citizenship away from anyone who pledges allegiance to a terrorist group, on the grounds of treason. This might do some good.

      Make it a felony to create or access a jihadi web site, like it is a felony to create or access a child pornography site.

      This makes sense too.

      There are many alternatives that would help.


      Delete
    14. .

      It would help if authorities followed up with the right questions when warned about suspicious behavior.

      For instance, "Why are you trying to buy body armor and bulk ammunition?"

      http://my.xfinity.com/video/missed-warning-weeks-before-orlando-shooting/706690627722/Comcast/Today_in_Video?cid=cover_sf_TIV_storeowner

      .

      Delete
    15. .

      Of course, it's not illegal for a citizen to own body armor or buy ammo in bulk as long as they are not a felon or plan on using it in a crime (a restriction Mateen probably wasn't too concerned about), but when coupled with the other red flags it raises more questions about the FBI's inaction.

      .

      Delete
  22. .

    8th Grader Impersonates 2016 Presidential Candidates at Graduation

    Kid seems nervous at first but builds through the speech. Go to the 5:50 mark were he does Hillary and then ends up with a damn good Bernie.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :)Heh

      Not all the kids are lost yet !

      Free cinnamon rolls !

      Excellent

      Delete


  23. This is interesting; Gallup Good Jobs Index is at its highest since its inception in 2010.

    Perhaps interesting but not very impressive. IMHO

    The index was started in 2010 not long after the official end of the recession, a low point.

    The percentage of good jobs seems surprisingly low even now at only 46%.

    Gallup's definition of a 'good' job is...

    Gallup defines a good job as 30+ hours per week for an employer who provides a regular paycheck.

    It seems a rather low bar especially given that index does not provide any indication of what the average 'good' job pays.

    It's a pretty simple chart but maybe I'm missing something.

    .

    ReplyDelete
  24. Strikes in Syria

    Bomber, attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted seven strikes in Syria:

    -- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed four ISIL oil well heads.

    -- Near Manbij, six strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL vehicle and six ISIL command-and-control nodes.

    Strikes in Iraq

    Bomber, ground-attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 20 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

    -- Near Baghdadi, two strikes destroyed an ISIL bunker and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.

    -- Near Huwayjah, a strike struck an ISIL oil compound.

    -- Near Beiji, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system.

    -- Near Fallujah, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 10 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL light machine gun, an ISIL vehicle bomb, two ISIL rocket-propelled grenade systems and an ISIL recoilless rifle and denied ISIL access to terrain.

    -- Near Haditha, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

    -- Near Kisik, a strike struck an ISIL foreign fighter weapons storage facility.

    -- Near Mosul, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles.

    -- Near Qayyarah, five strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL vehicle bomb-making facility and destroyed four ISIL assembly areas, two ISIL mortar systems, five ISIL vehicles, two ISIL tunnel systems, two ISIL bunkers and an ISIL command-and-control node.

    -- Near Ramadi, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL staging area, an ISIL weapons cache, an ISIL rocket propelled grenade system and an ISIL light machine gun.

    -- Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed eight ISIL rocket systems and an ISIL assembly area and suppressed a separate ISIL tactical unit.

    ReplyDelete
  25. How Obama’s failed leadership is literally killing us

    Attacks can only be stopped by a competent commander in chief

    By Monica Crowley - Wednesday, June 15, 2016

    The most recent Islamic act of war, in which self-professed Islamic State jihadi Omar Mir Seddique Mateen slaughtered 49 people and injured scores of others at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., should be a game changer. The deadliest attack on U.S. soil since Sept. 11, 2001, should finally convince our leadership that dealing with the Islamic threat must no longer be business as usual.

    Don't hold your breath.

    President Obama has run national security policy only to serve his leftist agenda, not American interests and security. After nearly eight years of deliberate U.S. inaction and impotence, the Islamic State now leads the global jihad, including within our own borders. And it should surprise no one that the president will never fight the war in any meaningful way.

    Nor will Hillary Clinton, who worked in lockstep with Mr. Obama during the years she served as secretary of state and still believes in his failed approach.

    Donald Trump, however, promises that if he's elected president, "the days of deadly ignorance will end."

    First, however, we must survive the remaining seven months of Mr. Obama's term.

    Last February, after the Islamic State (ISIS) had beheaded 21 Christians in Libya and launched attacks in Paris that left 17 people dead, the White House welcomed domestic and foreign representatives from law enforcement, government and religious groups (including the extremist Islamic Society of Boston) to a glorified coffee klatch called the "Summit on Countering Violent Extremism." He convened another one of these Potemkin summits in September.

    Since then, we've seen stepped-up attacks across the globe. So much for "countering violent extremism."

    The jihad rolls on, while Mr. Obama and his team refer to "terror" while pointedly refusing to acknowledge the Islamic beliefs that inspire it.

    This suicidal unwillingness to call the enemy what it is — never mind do something concrete to defeat it — comes straight from the top. The Obama administration has engaged in all kinds of politically correct gymnastics to avoid making the connection between Islam and terror, terming acts of terror "man-made disasters" missions fought abroad "overseas contingency operations," and in the case of the Islamic attack at Ford Hood, "workplace violence."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The virus of political correctness has long infected the way in which Mr. Obama, his administration and many in the media speak about the enemy — when they do at all — and in how they deal with it. It's no wonder that despite waving Islamist red flags everywhere from his place of employment to the FBI, Mateen roamed freely until he committed mass murder.

      Mr. Obama initially dismissed ISIS as "junior varsity." He later declared the organization "contained" — just a day before it launched its massacre in Paris.

      One thing we know about the most committed jihadis — the networks of whom are in every corner of the globe — is that they cannot be contained.

      Even after the Boston, Paris and San Bernardino attacks, Mr. Obama would not change his strategic approach, around which ISIS has easily navigated.

      Now more than ever, the growing threat requires a more comprehensive strategy designed not simply to roll back Islamic fundamentalism but to defeat it — and still Mr. Obama will not deliver one, because he is ideologically allergic to any serious military engagement in the Middle East.

      He has done the bare minimum — send a few hundred special operations forces to Syria, order some additional airstrikes — he thinks he can get away with. He looks like he's "doing something" while really not doing much at all, particularly given the obscenely restrictive rules of engagement.

      After the November Paris attack, I wrote, "ISIS certainly intends to strike the U.S. homeland, so unless it is annihilated, it's just a matter of time before it will be able to carry out a domestic attack of the kind it recently executed in Paris, Beirut and aboard a Russian jetliner."

      Sadly, this was prescient.

      We must fight this war the way we fought the Nazis in World War II and Soviet communists during the cold war: comprehensively and strategically, using every available military, economic, ideological, diplomatic, cyber and religious lever. We must stop this threat before it metastasizes further and fully overtakes Western Civilization.

      The truth is that while Mr. Obama talks tough about "degrading" the threat, he will never execute a sustained and serious strategy to actually do it. And without his leadership, don't expect the rest of the Western World to act against the obvious threat.

      Unfortunately, we're not the only ones seeing the weakness. The enemy is sees it, too. So they continue their advance, knowing full well that the only power that can truly stop them — a united West led by a strong U.S. commander in chief — does not exist.

      At least for the time being.

      http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/15/how-obamas-failed-leadership-is-literally-killing-/print/

      Delete
    2. 20 years ago there were less than 200 million firearms in the USA. Today there are more than 300 million firearms in the USA.

      During the same time span violent crimes in the USA have fallen by about 50%.

      Source: Fox News

      Delete
    3. And, contra Ash -


      The Australian Gun Ban Conceit


      thefederalist.com/2015/09/03/the-australian-gun-ban-conceit

      The Australian Gun Ban ... Violence Declined Stateside Without A Gun Ban. ... Australia has seen violent crimes peak in the years following its ban while the ...
      .

      Australia experiencing more violent crime despite gun ban


      www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2225517/posts

      Apr 09, 2009 · Australia experiencing more violent crime despite gun ... Australia experiencing more violent crime ... violent crime in Australia has declined since ...
      .

      AUSTRALIA: MORE VIOLENT CRIME DESPITE GUN BAN


      www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=17847

      Apr 13, 2009 · AUSTRALIA: MORE VIOLENT CRIME DESPITE GUN BAN. ... "Australia experiencing more violent crime despite gun ban," Free Republic, April …

      Delete
    4. Measured by civilian casualties, at home and abroad, attacks on US embassies and consulates, the casualties incurred by the US military in failed military operations, job creation ....

      Obama beats Bush, by thousands, tens, thousands, hundreds of thousands ....

      What measure do you want use?

      Delete
  26. Not even stupidity is stupid all the time, but malignant design is malignant all the time. Deliberately bringing Islamic terrorists into the country is not stupidity. Deliberately flooding the country with third world Mexicans in order to establish a permanent welfare dependent Progressive Left electoral majority is not stupidity. Obama promised to fundamentally change the country, and he has. This is not stupidity. The stupidity is all on those who voted for him.

    Obama knows, the witches know
    Just what they do and more
    As surely as we know winds blow
    Debris upon the shore
    The scattered ashes of the lives
    Obama has ensured
    Will not be free if one survives
    With life to be endured
    Surrounded and commanded by
    A folk not of our race

    Walt

    ReplyDelete
  27. .

    Strange times.

    Every time Obama or any other politician or media elite make a push for gun control after one of these incidents, gun sales rocket higher. It's happened at least the last three times.

    .

    ReplyDelete
  28. .

    Every time I start reading an article on a shooting or other act of violence by an Islamic terrorist and get to the point where the author posits that Obama by not actually calling 'Islamic terrorism' exactly that was somehow responsible for the latest act I stop reading under the assumption that the author is either a political operative with talking points and an agenda or some fruitcake who may need to be watched himself.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tokyo (AFP) – Japan’s first “naked restaurant” opens in Tokyo next month with draconian rules of entry — podgy prospective diners will be weighed and ejected if found to be too fat.

      Following the lead of establishments in London and Melbourne, “The Amrita” — Sanskrit for ‘immortality’ — also has strict age restrictions, with only patrons between 18 and 60 allowed in, after they check in their clothes and put on paper underwear provided by the restaurant.

      http://www.breitbart.com/news/japanese-naked-restaurant-to-ban-overweight-diners-171/

      I thought beauty was in the eye of the beholder.

      Delete
    2. “If you are more than 15 kilos (33 pounds) above the average weight for your height, we ask you refrain from making a reservation,” a list of rules posted on the restaurant’s website states, explaining that patrons could be weighed if they do not appear to be within the correct weight range."


      Damn!
      Hillary's not eligible.

      Delete
    3. "Tattooed customers are barred from entry."

      Isn't time we elected our first tatooded President?

      Delete
    4. Guests will fork out up to 80,000 yen ($750) for tickets entitling them to eat food served by muscle-bound men wearing g-strings and watch a dance show featuring male models.
      ===
      More reason for Japan to continue to deny entry to Jihadi-Friendly Immigrants.

      Delete
    5. I don't like the weight and age restrictions.

      I wouldn't qualify.

      It's racist.

      Delete
  29. As to the topic of this thread -

    What a Choice - Why do we give political parties the right to select our candidates when they are so obviously incompetent. dishonest and corrupt?

    - what other method is proposed ? Some kind of national lottery to choose some candidates ?

    I recall William Buckley saying he would just as soon be ruled by the first 500 names in the phone book as by the professional politicians.

    As to money in politics - which this year didn't mean much - think Jeb! - I propose making it an automatic death sentence to pay brides, or receive brides.

    Thus we would be rid of Hillary and Trump both in one sweep, as Trump has said he has donated to Hillary in the past in expectation of favors, as a cost of doing business. I am assuming she granted the favors, based on her dealings with the Clinton Foundation, the mega fraud, and much else.

    :)

    At least he is refreshingly honest about it.

    heh

    He's got my vote.

    I turn to our House Ethicist Quirk to answer a question -

    Which is more culpable, to bribe, or to accept a bribe ?

    Or, are they equally culpable ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let's see - more suicidal policies re: Terrorism and Immigration or less.

      Oh Bother!

      Perhaps a coin toss.

      Delete
    2. .

      The briber and the bribee are equally culpable.

      You can't corrupt a man who is incorruptible.

      .

      Delete
  30. Japanese Trump Ad

    Video

    The Greatest Political Ad Ever (?)

    http://hotair.com/archives/2016/06/16/video-the-greatest-political-ad-ever-5/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Don't let Trump see it or we will be watching it for the next 5 years.

      .

      Delete
    2. .

      I meant next five months but no doubt Trump would be showing it in private viewings for far longer than that.

      .

      Delete
  31. How Gaza's summer camps teach youth more than just sports

    Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/06/gaza-chidlren-summer-activities-unrwa-hamas.html#ixzz4BmpckyUe


    "I want my son to grow up knowing the reality of the Israeli occupation of our land. He needs to learn military combat to grow up and take part in liberating our land," Nofal said.

    Now the question for Quirk.

    Are the summer classes that SPECIFICALLY teach how to murder Jews and are training them to fight a war a legal military target?

    International law

    In 1989, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 38, proclaimed: "State parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that persons who have not attained the age of 15 years do not take a direct part in hostilities." However, children who are over the age of 15 but under the age of 18 are still voluntarily able to take part in combat as soldiers.

    So is it legal to take out, kill those over the age of 15 who are part of the war?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Are the summer classes that SPECIFICALLY teach how to murder Jews and are training them to fight a war a legal military target?

      Now that isn't fair, WiO. I'm still waiting for your answer to question #2 from yesterday (well really from last week). You show me yours and I'll show you mine.

      By the way, I had to laugh at your comment above.

      Now quirk also pointed out on the last thread that I do not find fault with the Israeli government.

      I do, but I generally don't do it here.

      But since you insist.

      Israel is preventing one faith or religion from praying in it's holy sites.It discriminates based on their religion.

      Jews are prevented, by Israel from praying on the Temple Mount.

      This injustice shall not stand.



      Love it. That's like the guy who in a job interview is asked, 'What do you consider your greatest fault' and he answers 'Well, I guess it is that I am just so damn conscientious'.

      You might have well have said, 'That damn IDF isn't killing enough protesters.'

      You are something.

      Not sure what exactly but the word 'nonresponsive' does come to mind.

      :o)

      .

      Delete
    2. the Israeli government did FIRE on Jews that refused to put down weapons. it was the right thing to do.

      If Israeli kids were launching an attack on anyone, be they arab or jew all means should and have been employed.

      Unlike the arabs that you excuse, Israel arrests and convicts Jewish criminal behavior both inside the IDF and within it's general population.

      If Jews were dropping cinder blocks on the skulls of arab cars? If jews were involved in the level of coordinated violence that the arabs were and it was the EXACT same situation? Fire away.


      But I notice you are a chicken shit and cannot clearly condemn the low intensity warfare the arabs are committing.

      Delete
    3. .

      If Israeli kids were launching an attack on anyone, be they arab or jew all means should and have been employed.

      I'm glad to hear you say it. By saying you think the IDF should shoot Israeli rock throwers too, you are being consistent.

      Of course, that doesn't change my opinion that you support cold-blooded murder. It merely shows you don't give a shit who is murdered.

      Unlike the arabs that you excuse, Israel arrests and convicts Jewish criminal behavior both inside the IDF and within it's general population.

      I agree to a degree. We have seen the trials on major and especially heinous crimes; however, with lesser crimes, not so much. International groups report that of the numerous reported settler crimes in the WB only about 7% ever reach indictment and even less result in convictions.

      If jews were involved in the level of coordinated violence that the arabs were and it was the EXACT same situation? Fire away.

      As I said, I commend you for being consistent. Of course, it's one thing to say it and another to do it.

      If you have pictures, videos, stories, links of IDF soldiers firing on settler youth for throwing rocks, I would like to see them. I've never seen one instance of it; yet, since last October about 60 Palestinian protesters have been killed.

      In fact, there are plenty of videos on You tube showing IDF soldiers standing by while masked settler youths attack Palestinians. Since the Israeli soldiers have an obligation under international law to protect the Palestinians that is not good.

      But I notice you are a chicken shit and cannot clearly condemn the low intensity warfare the arabs are committing.

      I condemn rock throwing as protest. Is that clear enough for you? I condemn it in Israel and I condemn it here.

      But that's not we are talking about is it? What we are talking about is the appropriate response to it. You say the rock throwers should be shot. You applaud it when they are killed. I disagree. IMO shooting these protesters is not a proportional response. I think most Western countries would say the same. To me, the killings amount to war crimes and murder. But then, I was raised in a different tradition than you.

      .


      Delete
    4. .

      the Israeli government did FIRE on Jews that refused to put down weapons. it was the right thing to do.

      If Israeli kids were launching an attack on anyone, be they arab or jew all means should and have been employed.


      Just to be sure, you are including Israeli rock throwers here when you are talking about 'attacking' Israeli or Arabs/Palestinians, right?

      .

      Delete
  32. Calling Quirk, calling our House Ethicist Quirk -

    Two ethical questions are in your IN BOX

    Two ethical questions are in your IN BOX

    ReplyDelete
  33. Liberals Demand We Accept Men Who Identify as Women, But They Refuse to Accept Terrorists Who Identify as Muslim

    http://www.rushimg.com/cimages//media/images/vanity-fair-call-me-isis-b/1508502-1-eng-GB/Vanity-Fair-Call-me-ISIS-B.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  34. Israel Goes Full Trump on Gaza: Massive Concrete Wall Above and Below Ground....DRUDGE

    Good idea.

    Keep the savages out.

    ReplyDelete
  35. What possible problems could be caused by refusing to call a spade a spade?

    ...we will soon see how this has been implemented throughout our Government.

    ReplyDelete
  36. "Countering Violent Extremism"

    The FBI is trying to investigate terrorist threats but is hamstrung by this Countering Violent Extremism program. The name, Countering Violent Extremism, was carefully chosen in order to suggest that there is no particular ideology causing the threat. "Countering Violent Extremism" could require investigators to focus on extremist right-wingers -- and, in fact, does. "Countering Violent Extremism" is carefully chosen in order to suggest that no particular ideology is causing the threat. Any kind of "extremism" (such as in right-wing groups) that could lead to violence, will be investigated.

    The theory behind Countering Violent Extremism -- the theory of the strategy -- is that, number one, Muslim communities have uniformly rejected terrorism so we don't need to investigate them. We don't need to, because they're a religion of peace. Remember now, you think it's a joke, but Obama and the Democrats, when they say, "Terrorism has nothing to do with Islam; it's a bastardization; Islam is a religion of peace. All these people out there, ISIS, ISIL, claiming to do what they're doing for Islam? They are not Islamists! They are extremists; they are not Muslim."

    The acting belief, philosophy, policy of the United States government is Muslim communities have uniformly rejected terrorism; therefore, they don't need to be monitored or investigated. Number two. Instead of aggressively collecting intelligence with radical Islamic communities and suspects who could cause a threat, the FBI... Are you sitting down? The FBI is required to partner with "Muslim community leaders," who are essentially members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

    The FBI, according to the Countering Violent Extremism initiative, should partner with Muslim community leaders like the Muslim Brotherhood, who will serve as our eyes and ears to let us know if there's a problem. So the FBI cannot monitor -- by virtue of this program, law, whatever, we cannot monitor -- Muslim communities. We are not supposed to! We are to rely on Muslim community leaders within those communities to tell the FBI if there's something we need to be worried about.

    http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2016/06/16/obama_s_cve_program_is_an_outrage_and_the_republicans_are_funding_it
    Many good links at end of article.

    ReplyDelete
  37. RWE3 •

    It has been revealed that the FBI and other Federal agencies CANNOT use Facebook posts and other social media from "persons of interest" to aid in determining if they present a danger.

    It seems that both the female San Berdo Shooter and Omar the Gay Orlando Shooter put info on their Facebook pages indicating their intent. But by White House order, law enforcement cannot use that as a factor in determining threats.

    Now, what possible reasonable explanation would there be for that Obama Admin policy?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Every time I start reading an article on a shooting or other act of violence by an Islamic terrorist and get to the point where the author posits that Obama by not actually calling 'Islamic terrorism' exactly that was somehow responsible for the latest act I stop reading under the assumption that the author is either a political operative with talking points and an agenda or some fruitcake who may need to be watched himself."

      ...be sure to stop reading, you might learn something.

      Like the FBI might learn more if they were not prohibited from properly investigating Muslims.

      9-11 redux, only much worse.

      Delete
    2. Nothing to see here.
      Gun Shop Reported 'Suspicious' Omar Mateen to FBI...

      Robbie Abell, owner of a Florida gun shop, says he alerted authorities that a suspicious man had come in asking about body armor. Five weeks later, Omar Mateen – equipped with weapons he bought at a different shop after Abell’s employees refused to sell to him – killed 49 people and injured as many at Pulse night club in Orlando.
      UPDATE: Abell has since confirmed the agency he contact was the FBI.

      The Wall Street Journal quotes Abell as telling them that his store, Lotus Gunworks of South Florida, “shut him down on all sales” after be began asking bizarre questions about body armor and bulk ammunition. “The questions he was asking were not the normal questions a normal person would be asking… He just seemed very odd,” Abell said. The armor Mateen asked about is not traditionally available to civilians.

      Abell noted that he made a phone call during his time in the store, and appeared to be speaking in Arabic. Mateen is from an Afghan family, and his father – a prolific pro-Taliban Youtuber – is known to speak at least two Afghan languages, Dari and Pashto. Mateen’s wife, Noor Salman, identifies as “Palestinian,” which would make her a likely Arabic speaker. She has confessed to shopping for weapons with Mateen.

      http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/06/16/gun-shop-owners-declined-sell-orlando-jihadi-reported-authorities/

      Delete
    3. Can you agree this approach is less than optimum, Quirk?

      Delete
    4. .

      You are late to the party again, Doug.

      I put up a link to that story above and questioned why authorities didn't use that info combined with the other info they already had on him like his claim to radical association to press him harder or at least attempt to monitor him more closely.

      Try and keep up.

      .

      Delete
    5. But you claim refusing to see or name Islamic involvement causes no problems.

      Delete
    6. Which story above, Quirk?

      Link?

      Delete
    7. .

      Fuck, Doug. You are as bad as Bob. How many posts have I put up here today? Even when you give him the exact post time, he is too damn lazy (or too stupid) to scroll back to read it. He just keeps asking the same dumb question over and over again.

      Don't get to be like Bob.


      QuirkThu Jun 16, 04:20:00 PM EDT

      .

      It would help if authorities followed up with the right questions when warned about suspicious behavior.

      For instance, "Why are you trying to buy body armor and bulk ammunition?"

      http://my.xfinity.com/video/missed-warning-weeks-before-orlando-shooting/706690627722/Comcast/Today_in_Video?cid=cover_sf_TIV_storeowner

      .
      Delete
      QuirkThu Jun 16, 04:39:00 PM EDT

      .

      Of course, it's not illegal for a citizen to own body armor or buy ammo in bulk as long as they are not a felon or plan on using it in a crime (a restriction Mateen probably wasn't too concerned about), but when coupled with the other red flags it raises more questions about the FBI's inaction.

      .
      Delete


      .

      Delete
    8. Exactly - FBI and others under Obama even worse than under Bush.

      So why do you insist that refusing to call it Islamic Terror causes no problems?

      Delete
    9. .

      I don't refuse to call it Islamic terrorism. I could care less one way or the other, terrorist acts are terrorist acts.

      What I said was calling it Islamic terrorism wouldn't make any difference. It wouldn't make a difference as to how these cases are handled. It wouldn't make any difference as to how law enforcement does their jobs. The 'he won't call it Islamic terrorism' meme is a talking point the GOP dreamed up to feed to sheeple like you.

      Do you think calling the ADL crimes from a decade ago 'Jewish Terrorism' would have made difference?

      Do you think calling the shooting in that Colorado Planned Parenthood place a 'Christian Terrorist' shooting would have made a difference?

      Do you think calling that racist shooting at the Bible class in Charlston a 'Racist Terrorist' shooting would have made a difference?

      Do you think calling Oklahoma City a 'Right Wing Militia Terror' event would have made a difference?

      Would it have made a difference to the people who died in Orlando or Charlston? Would it have made a difference in the way the authorities investigated or prosecuted the cases?

      The people it makes a difference to are people like you eat the shit you are fed.

      Tell me, what difference would it have made in Orlando right along if Obama had been calling incidents like Detroit or Boston or San Bernardino Islamic Terrorism?

      And please don't mention that asshole Rush Limbaugh. He's an idiot.

      In fact, if the FBI can link a domestic suspect to a foreign terror group it opens up many more options to them, more so than for domestic groups like militias, anti-government groups like Bundy, racists like the guy, Roof, in N.C.

      Links to foreign groups allow the FBI to investigate financial links, his associates, it's easier to get judges to go along, etc.

      You offer this bullshit up as if it would make a difference in the same way you argue that you could actually keep all Muslims from immigrating to this country or that it would make a difference if you could.

      Lordy.

      You guys accuse me of being pro-Muslim. I am not pro-Muslim. I am anti-stupid.

      .

      Delete
    10. .

      Real intelligent response, asshole.

      Don't read it you dumb shit.

      .

      Delete
  38. The NYTwits are at it again: today's Opinion Pages "Room for Debate" question of the day: "Have Christians Created a Harmful Atmosphere for Gays?"

    " . . . while the media is focused on the role that Muslim anti-gay rhetoric may have played in this slaughter, do conservative Christians need to accept greater civil rights for L.G.B.T people in order to create a less hurtful atmosphere in the United States?"

    http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/06/16/have-christians-created-a-harmful-atmosphere-for-gays?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Greater civil right for L.G.B.T. people? What would that be?

      Less hurtful?

      .

      Delete
    2. More bathroom access for Temporary Trannies.

      Cesar instantly becomes Susana.

      One less impediment for illegals to molest young girls.

      Delete
  39. ISIS believes that by repeatedly wounding and provoking the West, it can reignite a war of civilizations. And though the West is vastly superior in nuclear weapons and conventional arms, economic power and technology, ISIS believes it can gradually drive the West out of the Middle East, as it has already helped to drive the Christians out.

    Then, ISIS believes, through mass Muslim migration into a West whose native-born are dying out, Muslims can reoccupy these lands they had almost wholly conquered, until stopped by Charles Martel 14 centuries ago.

    For some few Muslims, as we saw at Fort Hood, San Bernardino and Orlando, ISIS offers a dream worth dying for. And as they kill and die for ISIS, they will push America where they are pushing Europe – to the right.


    - Buchanan

    ReplyDelete
  40. 441 Syrian Refugees Admitted to USA Since Orlando Attack...
    White House sees SURGE in coming months...

    No problem at all, according to some here.
    Pathetic

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just your average Right Wing Violent Extremist:

      The FBI had been alerted to Mateen as a potential terrorist in the past. The FBI had investigated Mateen for violent remarks and suspect behavior three times between 2013-2014, while he was employed as armed security personnel at the firm G4S. He was never fired despite being investigated, however, and the FBI eventually dropped their probe against Mateen.

      Witnesses speaking to media who knew Mateen throughout his life have consistently described him as odd, unsettling, and violent. Former classmates recall him threatening to kill everyone present at a cookout on one occasion because of the presence of pork meat; a former G4S coworker said he routinely discussed committing a massacre.

      Before being killed by police on Sunday, Mateen left several Facebook messages pledging allegiance to the Islamic State, and also did so in a phone call to 911 from inside Pulse.

      Witnesses speaking to media who knew Mateen throughout his life have consistently described him as odd, unsettling, and violent. Former classmates recall him threatening to kill everyone present at a cookout on one occasion because of the presence of pork meat; a former G4S coworker said he routinely discussed committing a massacre.

      Before being killed by police on Sunday, Mateen left several Facebook messages pledging allegiance to the Islamic State, and also did so in a phone call to 911 from inside Pulse.

      Delete
    2. .

      Sounds like your average nut job to me.

      .

      Delete
    3. Significance of Orlando gunman calling 911 during standoff

      ""I think that's very significant because ISIS tells its followers that they must pledge bayat, they must pledge allegiance to ISIS before they die. We saw that in San Bernardino, and now we've seen it here," former CIA deputy director and CBS News senior security contributor Michael Morell said Monday on "CBS This Morning." "So I think it's very important because it shows that he was in touch with that ISIS messaging.""

      https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=mateen+use+of+bayat

      Delete
  41. Obama said last year that he is willing to help ease the crisis by allowing a few thousand Syrians to land on U.S. shores -- a decision that was not well-received by all.

    ...

    "It is essential that a judge consider halting the Syrian refugee process -- at least on a temporary basis -- to ensure refugees coming to the United States will be vetted in a way that does not compromise the safety of Americans and Texans," Gov. Greg Abbott said at the time.

    ...

    "This kind of discrimination is not only unconstitutional, but it's also an affront to Texas' values of equality and hospitality," Rebecca Robertson, legal director for the ACLU of Texas, said.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hypocrit Liar Obama stopped immigration from Iraq for 6 Months

      https://www.google.com/search?q=Obama+stopped+immigration+from+Iraq&rlz=1C1AVSU_enUS357&oq=Obama+stopped+immigration+from+Iraq&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

      Delete
  42. https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/688577060080455683/WFD9DiDM.jpg

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  43. .

    I don't like the weight and age restrictions.

    I wouldn't qualify.

    It's racist.



    I don't like he idea of a nude restaurant.

    The complaint 'Waiter, I have a hair in my salad takes on a whole new dimension.


    The 'Short and Curly Special'.

    .

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    1. https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BWlD9PG1X17YGcUyzyaQYewQVPc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6626545/usa-today-9330901.0.0.jpg

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  44. Anonymous replaced pro-ISIS propaganda on ISIS' Twitter accounts with rainbow flags, gay pride slogans, and links to gay pornography.

    Funny shit.

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    1. .

      And a great way to attack these guys.

      Much better than hiding under the bed like some here.

      .

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    2. Well, not really such a great way to attack these guys.

      Pretty damn lame, really.

      Someone here had a better idea.

      Make it a felony to create/access ISIS propaganda on the Internet.

      Or, like Former Speaker of the House Gingrich suggested, make it treason, try them for treason, and stripe them of USA citizenship, (if they are USA citizens), and jail them or deport them.

      Delete
  45. Small pieces of wreckage and some body parts have been recovered since the plane disappeared and crashed into the sea while en route from Paris to Cairo in the early hours of May 19.

    Searchers will now map the debris field on the ocean floor and "plan how best to handle the wreckage in the coming period," the aviation ministry said.
    The vessel that found the plane wreckage carries a remotely-operated vehicle which has high-resolution cameras that work at depths of up to 6,000 metres. The vessel can also be fitted with manipulator arms that could help with salvage efforts.

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  46. Ex-IDF chiefs attack prime minister: ‘Time for Netanyahu to go’


    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced an unprecedented attack on Thursday by four former IDF chiefs of staff – including two who served as his defense minister – who accused him of fear-mongering for political reasons and harming the country.


    http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Four-IDF-chiefs-of-staff-attack-Netanyahu-457026

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    1. Former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon, who resigned from Netanyahu’s cabinet on May 20 ...

      “At this point, and in the foreseeable future, there is no existential threat facing Israel,” Ya’alon said. “Thus it is fitting that the country’s leadership stop scaring the citizenry and stop giving them the feeling that we are standing before a second Holocaust.”

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    2. Jack good to see you are following the news in Israel and now you are quoting the Jpost as the paper of record.

      But you seem to attach yourself to those not in office anymore. Whether they have died, retired, quit or whatever.

      Might I suggest you listen to those who still hold elected office?

      Now of course, I do not mean folks like Abbas who is in his 11th year of a 4 year term.

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  47. The thrust of our meetings and conversations was essentially that new thinking is required to bring a greater sense of safety and security to what has become a dangerous world. One of the exciting things about Donald Trump is that he looks at issues and sees things in a sensible fashion, and this has people energized about the possibilities.

    In the weeks ahead leading up to the conventions, and then the campaign leading up to Election Day, we hope to bring you updates and insights from the campaign’s leading Jewish advisers. There are great opportunities here for peace and prosperity and to depart from Washington’s broken old ways of doing things, especially when it comes to Israel and the Middle East.

    And there is that other thing—the matter of making America great again.


    Trump's People

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    1. .

      Which reminds me...

      Above WiO whines that I am boring.

      Hadn't planned on putting this post up but the boy is constantly providing me with incentive and what the hell...

      Now it's interesting...

      The only nation ever to request America to STOP economic AID, (out right cash grants) was Israel.

      And the Prime Minister of Israel, BIBI did that.



      My comment (after laughing my ass off) is that our boy WiO needs to learn the meaning of the phrase 'money is fungible'.

      Bibi Netanyahu demanded an increase of 25% in the annual baksheesh the US pays to Israel.

      Netanyahu Asks Obama For $50b In Military Aid For Israel

      However, when Bibi was told he was not going to get what he wanted, the Bibster threw a temper tantrum and said he didn't want our stinking money (of course Bibi has also said that the Holocaust wasn't really dreamed up by Hitler). Anyway, he fussed and fumed and refused to talk about it and speculation was that he might put the final deal off until there was a new president in hopes he would get a better deal. Evidently, there is some common sense somewhere in Bibi's administration and negotiation's got back on track but word is the final amount will be more than current but less than the asked.

      Enter AIPAC and the Israeli Lobby...

      If you can't get money from one US pocket, get it from another even if America suffers by it.

      White House opposes extra funding for Israel missile defense

      WASHINGTON — The White House said Tuesday that it was opposed to a move by the House of Representatives to increase funding for Israeli missile defense procurement by an additional $455 million above the administration’s budget request for the 2017 fiscal year.

      The announcement was greeted with disappointment by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) which emphasized the importance of the additional funding.

      In a long letter sent to Congress on Tuesday, the Obama administration listed its numerous objections to the House’s version of the defense appropriations bill for the coming fiscal year.

      The administration has criticized the bill for budgetary sleight of hand, complaining that it redirects funds from the overseas operations war chest toward other purposes in an effort to meet spending targets. In the letter, the administration complained that the legislation “fails to provide our troops with the resources needed to keep our nation safe.”

      “At a time when ISIL continues to threaten the homeland and our allies, the bill does not fully fund wartime operations,” the letter continued. “Instead the bill would redirect $16 billion of Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funds toward base budget programs that the Department of Defense (DOD) did not request, shortchanging funding for ongoing wartime operations midway through the year. Not only is this approach dangerous but it is also wasteful. The bill would buy excess force structure without the money to sustain it, effectively creating a hollow force structure that would undermine DOD’s efforts to restore readiness.”


      The objection to increased aid to Israel came at the same time that the administration criticized “the reduction of $324 million from the FY 2017 Budget request for US ballistic missile defense programs.”

      “These programs are required to improve the reliability of missile defense system and ensure the United States stays ahead of the future ballistic missile threat,” administration officials wrote in the missive sent to Congress...


      {...}




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    2. {...}


      Without explicitly drawing parallels, the next sentence of the letter noted that “furthermore, the Administration opposes the addition of $455 million above the FY 2017 Budget request for Israeli missile defense procurement and cooperative development programs.” The administration had initially requested $103.835 million for Israeli cooperative programs.

      AIPAC responded to the letter, issuing a statement that it was “deeply disappointed” that the statement of administration policy “criticized Congress for funding US-Israel missile defense cooperation.”

      “On a bipartisan basis, Congress has increased funding above administration requests this year, as it has done for well over a decade,” the pro-Israel lobby noted. “These cooperative programs—including the Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome—are critical for Israel’s defense against a growing array of missile threats and make an important contribution to US missile defense programs.”

      Former ambassador to Washington, and current Kulanu MK, Michael Oren seemed to criticize the administration’s stance and urge Israel to become more deeply enmeshed in the growing fight between Congress and the president over the defense budget.

      “Congress reflects the American people’s will and transcends administrations,” Oren wrote in a cryptic tweet Wednesday morning. “Israel should not concede Congress’s ability to aid us.”

      The Senate version of the House appropriations bill would more than quadruple the administration’s requested funding for Israeli missile defense, recommending just under $601 million...


      {...}

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    3. .

      Lest there be any doubt on where the primary interests of the Lobby lies.

      .

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  48. War Report From The Global Fronts -

    ISIS continues to lose ground while expanding into Libya and other areas and world wide

    (Nosotros tropas sigue avanzando sin perder un palma de terrino)

    (Our troops continue to advance without losing any territory)

    And that's the report from the fronts.

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  49. An 'assault weapon' is a rifle in disguise, dressed up to look mean.

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  50. What stinks most — the candidates, the media, or the office?

    posted at 8:41 pm on June 16, 2016 by Ed Morrissey

    ....Call that the Murder on the Orient Express conclusion — everyone did it. But even that might not encompass the entire scope of responsibility. Glenn Reynolds puts the ultimate blame on the office itself, which has grown too far in stature and has become a celebrity platform all its own:


    The presidency as it exists today is a mess. Presidents have too much power, too little accountability and too high a public profile. That makes the job attract the wrong sort of people, and then ensures they’re not up to it.

    If we were to shrink the government, and shrink the presidency, we might find that what was left would attract better people — and would be easier even for lesser mortals to execute.

    When your political system consistently delivers bad results, it’s time to look at a change.


    http://hotair.com/archives/2016/06/16/what-stinks-most-the-candidates-the-media-or-the-office/


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  51. Sir Cliff Richard has said he is 'thrilled' he will face no further action over 'vile accusations' of historical sexual abuse.

    The 75-year-old singer spoke out after the Crown Prosecution Service said there was 'insufficient evidence to prosecute' and South Yorkshire Police said it 'apologised wholeheartedly' for its 'initial handling of the media interest' in its investigation.

    ...

    'This decision has been made in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and our guidance for prosecutors on cases of sexual offences.'

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