All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Kirby101]

One interesting wrinkle with the Gaetz stories is that we haven't heard from any of the women.

When that happens, when telegenic young women give interviews about how they were betrayed and taken advantage of, Gaetz's problems will become more worse.

I hope we don't. I hope they can stay anonymous for their own sake. They don't deserve the public circus of this shitshow, and I don't trust various MAGATS, Qs, rightwing media and other various groups from the Republican Party wouldn't threaten and go after them.

[MajorHoy]

One interesting wrinkle with the Gaetz stories is that we haven't heard from any of the women.

When that happens, when telegenic young women give interviews about how they were betrayed and taken advantage of, Gaetz's problems will become more worse.

Would it be better or worse for Gaetz if any came forward that weren't "telegenic"?

[WestPhillyPunisher]

One interesting wrinkle with the Gaetz stories is that we haven't heard from any of the women.

When that happens, when telegenic young women give interviews about how they were betrayed and taken advantage of, Gaetz's problems will become more worse.

Those women are probably lining up lawyers, getting ready for the shitshow that's certain to come with going after Matty Perv.

[BeastieRunner]

One interesting wrinkle with the Gaetz stories is that we haven't heard from any of the women.

When that happens, when telegenic young women give interviews about how they were betrayed and taken advantage of, Gaetz's problems will become more worse.

Minors, let alone anyone, shouldn't be forced to come forward to "prove" sexual assault allegations.

That's up to the court and their ID should ALWAYS be protected.

Innocent or guilty, the victims are risking a lot coming forward.

[CaptainEurope]

I think you're describing fictional characters. Olivia Pope would be aware. If a real organizer were aware of a sensitive justice department investigation (and I'm sure it sometimes happens), something went wrong. But we shouldn't expect members of the justice department to leak information about investigations to campaign officials.

With Gaetz having shown nude pics of his young dates to SEVERAL lawmakers, you'd think somebody would have warned the president they had a cult like devotion to.

[Malvolio]

I'd prefer to err on the side of not hurting people. There's usually little upside to throwing jibes at people's appearances and, usually, your joke isn't going to be creative or funny enough to merit putting them through something they've probably heard a hundred times before over their life span. It's not about having a thin or thick skin, it's just that usually there's no need. This, of course, is different when it's ribbing between friends who know each other.

But right there in your last sentence, you're making an exception. So I guess it all depends on how well you know the person and whether or not if you know that they'll take it in the good natured way that you meant it. If a stranger makes fun of the way I look, I admit I would be more offended than if it came from a friend. If a friend did it, I would probably laugh and then make a joke about their looks. That's often how friendships work.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Minors, let alone anyone, shouldn't be forced to come forward to "prove" sexual assault allegations.

That's up to the court and their ID should ALWAYS be protected.

Innocent or guilty, the victims are risking a lot coming forward.

That much is true. Problem is, Qpublicans will scream bloody murder for the identities of the accusers to be made public. If the GQP is hellbent on saving Gaetz's ass should he go on trial, they might even present a legal challenge to SCOTUS to unmask the accusers, thus putting them in the crosshairs of mouth foaming, right wing crazies. I could be wrong about all that, given my lack of knowledge when it comes to the law, but I wouldn't put anything past scummy Qpublicans out to protect their own.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

I wouldn't call it guilt in the sense that they felt guilty, just to clarify.

Guilt has both a legal definition and a moral/ethical/religious definition.

One can be aware that one is guilty in a legal sense while not feeling personally guilty in a moral sense. That applies to stuff that can go from mild (drinking alcohol during prohibition where it was illegal, or sparking slave rebellions at a time when that was illegal) to serious.

So I meant projection of guilt in a legal sense or a political sense

So, you project it on others and deflect attention from you to them. You use it as a way of creating a public persona of being the righteous one going after the sinners and criminals, the adult version of 'Hey, don't look at me, she/he did it!'

That sums it up.

[Hellion]

Some humorous news from Montana for any who want it:

Senator Steve Daines was one of the Republican lawmakers who recently took a trip to the Mexican border due to concerns that magically manifested the moment we gained a Democratic president. A few days ago, he gave a poorly-written speech that seemed to imply he missed the "glory days" when Montana's meth was homegrown and at a lesser purity rating than the good shit currently flooding our state via the Mexican cartel. And then he implied that it's all Biden's fault. I don't know why it's apparently hard for him to not just say "meth is meth and all meth is bad." Apparently the GQP is resorting to making the drug trade a partisan issue.

His wonky remarks have sparked a lot of creativity from his opposition. A friend of mine just designed "Make Meth Montanan Again" T-shirts that he's making a killing on.

[Tami]

Two Capitol Police shot per @dcfireems dispatch.

Message sent to congressional offices: "Due to ... security threat located. All U.S. Capitol Campus Buildings, no entry or exit is permitted at this time. You may move throughout the building(s) but stay away from exterior windows and doors. If you are outside, seek cover."

I still have no idea what is going on. Edit: Information is unclear but a picture is forming.

Appears that a car smashed into the barrier. Two people are on stretchers. Can’t see whether it’s an officer or civilian

CRITICAL INCIDENT: USCP is responding to the North Barricade vehicle access point along Independence Avenue for reports someone rammed a vehicle into two USCP officers. A suspect is in custody. Both officers are injured. All three have been transported to the hospital.

BREAKING / NBC News: At least one person has been shot outside the U.S. Capitol, their condition is unknown at this time per a Washington D.C. Fire / EMS spokesperson.
@PeteWilliamsNBC reports someone tried to ram a barricade outside the Capitol.

US Capitol on lockdown after report of gunfire nearby

[The Cool Thatguy]

With Gaetz having shown nude pics of his young dates to SEVERAL lawmakers, you'd think somebody would have warned the president they had a cult like devotion to.

You think Trump would have done anything other than asked to see the pics?

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Two Capitol Police shot per @dcfireems dispatch.

Message sent to congressional offices: "Due to ... security threat located. All U.S. Capitol Campus Buildings, no entry or exit is permitted at this time. You may move throughout the building(s) but stay away from exterior windows and doors. If you are outside, seek cover."

I still have no idea what is going on. Edit: Information is unclear but a picture is forming.

Appears that a car smashed into the barrier. Two people are on stretchers. Can’t see whether it’s an officer or civilian

CRITICAL INCIDENT: USCP is responding to the North Barricade vehicle access point along Independence Avenue for reports someone rammed a vehicle into two USCP officers. A suspect is in custody. Both officers are injured. All three have been transported to the hospital.

BREAKING / NBC News: At least one person has been shot outside the U.S. Capitol, their condition is unknown at this time per a Washington D.C. Fire / EMS spokesperson.
@PeteWilliamsNBC reports someone tried to ram a barricade outside the Capitol.

US Capitol on lockdown after report of gunfire nearby

After what happened on 1/6, I'm sure people must be seriously on edge.

[OopsIdiditagain]

Germany and Namibia: What's the right price to pay for genocide?

Since 2015, when Germany formally acknowledged that the atrocities constituted genocide, it has been negotiating a restorative justice deal with Namibia that will set a global precedent. Never before has a former colonial power sat down with a former colony in this way to work out a comprehensive agreement about the legacy of the past.

Germany has said it will make a formal apology - though the wording is still to be worked out. But the bigger question for Namibians is what form any material compensation will take.

German-Namibian academic and activist Henning Melber, who has studied the background to the talks, believes other former colonial powers in Europe have privately expressed concerns to Germany that an agreement with Namibia might set off an avalanche of claims against various colonisers by nations in Africa, south-east Asia and elsewhere.

Tanzania, the successor to another former German colony, Tanganyika, is already demanding reparations for atrocities, and potentially other former colonies could follow suit.

Smh. 1/2 the Nama ethnic group and 4/5 the Herero were killed during Germany's genocide in Namibia

[Kirby101]

Germany and Namibia: What's the right price to pay for genocide?



Smh. 1/2 the Nama ethnic group and 4/5 the Herero were killed during Germany's genocide in Namibia

To not minimize how horrific this was. Or to lessen any compensation. The deaths were in near 100,000. What then to do with the Belgian Congo were 15 million people died?

[OopsIdiditagain]

To not minimize how horrific this was. Or to lessen any compensation. The deaths were in near 100,000. What then to do with the Belgian Congo were 15 million people died?

Congo has been asking for reparations too (Burundi Joins Congo in Demanding Reparations from Belgium, DR Congo demands compensation from Belgium). Belgium keeps ignoring it and giving apology statements. If anything, Germany giving Namibia reparations will put more pressure on Belgium to do the same.