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."
ReplyDeleteThe BLM should not have had weaponized its officers in San Francisco.
That is the REAL problem.
Why does rhe BLM need ro arm up its workers in San Francisco?
DeleteWhy wasn't that Federal weapon secure?
Citizens are dying due to Federal incompetence in dealing with deadly weapons in US cities.
I'm with Laura Ingraham and am in no mood to read idiotic comments that this atrocious charade is the fault of some federal agent losing his gun.
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DeleteThe Stenle famiky is suing the Federals fot their incompetence
DeleteI stand with the family of the victim of Federal ineptitude
Not the apologists for Federal incompetence
Why has the Bureau of Land Management been arned up?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the threat that requires that Federal agency to be weaponized?
On the streets of San Francisco?
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ReplyDeleteAs far as the issue of "Sanctuary Cities" goes ...
ReplyDeleteIt is a political issue that i s propagated to cover up Federal ineptitude.
The Justice Department is concerned about localities’ compliance with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests to detain people up to 48 hours beyond their scheduled release time so that immigration officials can pick them up.
Some cities say they will only honor such requests when accompanied by criminal warrants, and that compliance is voluntary and not required under the statute.
That is the position of the Maricopa County Sheriff. He says it illegal for his Department to hold those people without a warrant.
He would willing hold them, given legal grounds to.
Without a Warrant the Sheriff will not illlegally detain a person.
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ReplyDeleteThere is plenty of blame to go around. And there are three separate issues here.
1. Of course, Zarate was culpable and should have been found guilty of 'at minimum' involuntary manslaughter. A two year gun sentence where he could actually only spend a year or less in jail is crazy. And that's if he is not merely allowed to get away with just time served and be deported. But this is independent of the sanctuary city issue or where the gun came from.
It strains credulity to believe that it just happened to be an illegal immigrant with a long rap sheet that while wandering though a park finds a gun, something he is likely very familiar with, and it accidentally goes off and ends up killing an innocent woman.
Zarate knows the system. He's been fighting it all his life. He was a felon. He knows the rules. Even if all the rest of the story was true, when he found the gun he should have just walked away. To argue that blame for the women's death rested with anyone but Zarate is absurd.
2. The BLM and its officer are culpable for the gun but that's a separate issue. The fact that the gun was lost or stolen under the circumstances described is the responsibility of the officer and to a degree the BLM. The negligence of the officer is obvious. And if any organization decides a gun is necessary for their employees to carry out the duties of the job, then they take on a level of responsibility like any other organization for the actions of their employees. However, this in no way makes the officer or the BLM directly responsible for the woman's death.
Does is make sense for the family to sue he officer and the BLM for negligence. Sure, for the reasons mentioned. A win might be the only satisfaction the family gets out of this sorry mess. It might provide some closure though nothing they get would make up for the loss of their daughter.
3. I've got mixed feelings about sanctuary cities.
I've always been against sanctuary cities because of the inherent conflict involved between local government and the feds and because in the case of illegal immigrants the federal jurisdiction supersedes that of the local authority.
Also, the idea of sanctuary cites has taken on the status of cause celebre among liberals and is in many cases used as a thumb in the eye to the feds because of political differences with federal policy on immigration.
That said, the rat is right in pointing out the contempt most of the federal bureaucracy including federal law agencies hold for local authorities. If you are going to demand that local authorities abide by the law, you first have to start doing it yourself. The idea that local authorities have to hold onto accused criminals for as long as it takes for ICE officers to finish their coffee and donuts and get around to picking the guy up is crazy.
Since well before the Snowden revelations we have seen the contempt federal agencies express for rights granted under the constitution and the laws of the US. I won't go into examples as we've all seen them before.
With the record this guy had, to argue that the Feds couldn't prioritize his case, get a warrant, and pick up the guy is kind of silly. We've been to this rodeo plenty of times before. I have little sympathy for the argument the Feds don't have time to follow the law in cases like these.
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ReplyDeleteBlogger seems to gobbling up comments this morning.
Just put up one on Flynn indictment (twice) and they keep disappearing.
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ReplyDeleteOf course the shooter bears responsibility ...
But that issue was decided by a jury.
The next issue .
Which government agency bears the greatest responsibility?
The family is not taking legal action against the City of San Francisco.
They could, but are not.
ReplyDeleteAs for Lt Gen Flynn. .
The excrement is hitting the rapidly revolving blades.
ReplyDeleteAnother Republican got caught wirh his pants down.
Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) used taxpayer funds to reach a $84,000 settlement with his former communications director in 2015 after she accused him of sexual harassment, according to Politico.
Lauren Green sued her boss in December 2014, alleging that he fostered a hostile work environment involving sexual harassment and gender discrimination
ReplyDeleteReport: Flynn Prepared to Testify That Trump Told Him to Contact Russia
ABC's Brian Ross says that Michael Flynn—the former national security adviser who pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI and is cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation—is prepared to testify that Donald Trump directed him to make contact with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump has directly denied having any knowledge that anyone involved with his campaign was in contact at any point with Russian officials
Flynn is an admitted liar, not wrapped all that tightly.
ReplyDeleteMoments ago, the special counsel released Michael Flynn’s “Statement of the Offense.” This document lays out Flynn’s crimes in far greater detail than the short “information” released earlier today. It’s important to state this clearly as possible — the statement contains no evidence of collusion with Russia to influence the presidential election. Instead, it amplifies the fact that Flynn apparently lied about contacts that were lawful and appropriate.
Deletehttp://www.nationalreview.com/corner/454275/there-no-evidence-collusion-michael-flynns-offense-statement
What the Flynn Plea Means
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/454269/michael-flynn-plea-no-breakthrough-russia-investigation
Former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn plead guilty Friday to charges of lying to the FBI. Now there are reports Flynn was urged by then-candidate Donald Trump to talk to the Russians in potential violation of the Logan Act, a 1799 law which bars private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments.
DeleteBut Fox News anchor and attorney Gregg Jarrett told the FOX Business Network’s Neil Cavuto this would not violate the Logan Act.
“No, it wouldn’t…Nobody’s ever been prosecuted under it. Why? Because the federal courts, especially a New York U.S. federal court, said in 1964 it’s unconstitutional,” Jarrett said.
According to Jarrett, the Logan Act is a flawed law.
“It’s overly broad, it’s vague, it’s ambiguous and it likely violates the first amendment freedom of speech,” he said.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/12/01/donald-trump-candidate-did-not-commit-crime-gregg-jarrett.html
DeleteKeep your heads down and your powder dry, boys ...
It will get much worse for Team Trump before there is any chance of it getting better.
Now I heard that the White House is calling the Mueller staff "Team America".
That may not be true, but if it is ...
It's Bad News Bears.
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ReplyDeleteWhat the Flynn Plea Really Means
The Flynn plea deal is simply an example of the typical way special prosecutors (or prosecutors in general) go about their business in a broad investigation. They go after the low hanging fruit in the hopes that he will lead to others who will lead to others and so on until they get everyone involved.
In a sense, it's a shitty process because all the power is on one side. The prosecutor has both time and resources on his side. The defendant doesn't. In Flynn's case, he is broken. He's out of money. It's reported he is trying to sell his house to raise more. He and his family have suffered the pressure and uncertainty of the investigation for almost a year now. This is clearly a case of its not the crime as much as lying about the crime that get's you.
The fact that Flynn has accepted means little if he fails to give up info that Mueller feels makes the deal worthwhile. Normally, the deal isn't offered unless prosecutors expect getting more info they can use.
It is mere speculation as to why Flynn accepted the deal. Two possibilities are that there are additional crimes he could be potentially charged with or it could be that Flynn is just beaten down and wants to end the process.
The Mueller investigation is proceeding methodically, Mantafort, Gates, Popandreou, now Flynn.
It's a waste of time trying to figure out where this will end or what the results will be.
Simply sit back and enjoy (or condemn) the ride.
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