All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[Charles RB]

The UK's backing the potential air strikes and looking into how to help - though we're ruling out doing air strikes ourselves. We could and should help with the aid drops, the US is sending food and water to the trapped people (and to Iraqis in general) and every little can help.

Local response so far:

Iraqi and Kurdish officials on Friday said they welcomed the air drops and authorisation of air strikes. “We thank Barack Obama,” said Khalid Jamal Alber, of the Kurdish religious affairs ministry.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Remember that series of photos, a woman with a whiteboard with different text in each photo, and it was meant to be her saying "bye" to co-workers and most of it was a "takedown" of a crappy boss? Turned out she was an actress and it was a hoax, but before that came out some guy had done a series of response photos claiming to be the boss. That has to be the nadir of clickbait, someone sees it and wants to create a fake response so they can get their own clickbait.

Oh yeah. Internet media is like a muddy pit full of starving, monkeyshit covered dogs chasing and biting after flea-bitten, dogshit covered monkeys. Except less classy.

[InformationGeek]

He lost his 2010 race as a Tea Party candidate (he was endorsed by Sarah Palin, which is a sure fire, guaranteed way to know you’re going to lose), after going farther right than even most voters in Texas could stomach in a political candidate. And when it became clear he would be defeated on election day a few weeks prior, around Oct. 22nd, Pastor Broden sought solace in his Bible, and the message of peace of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ made him realize that being humbled in the election was simply a small piece of the greater plan the Almighty had for him to do upon the Earth.

Nah, I’m just kidding.

Oh good. For a second there, I was getting confused by this random change of heart.

Again, not a guy I'm familiar with, but still rather terrible.



Oh, an update to a previous person you mentioned in your list: Chris McDaniel

The Mississippi Republican Party is shutting him down by denying his challenge to primary race he lost to Thad Cochran. According to State Republican Party Chairman Joe Nosef, they could not decide on this "complex" issue given the time constraints and concerns regarding the state election.

The only way to ensure the integrity of the election process and provide a prudent review of this matter is in a court of law

So in other words from what I'm understanding of this, basically the GOP is telling Chris McDaniel to get lost.

[Kid A]

It's sort of sad to me that a viral clickbait story about a guy dropping $50 in pies to spite a jerkass kid (that's fake) can become the most talked about news story of the day.

I mean, with a truce ready to fall back into conflict in Gaza, a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine looming, the U.S. flying air strikes on ISIS in Iraq, American Election Primaries, a "Support the Troops" charity being caught as fraudulent, verdicts in a high profile murder trial... etc...

"Suck it, you bastard kid, no fruit pies for you" became the story of the day?

I think Professor Farnsworth from Futurama put it best.

At the very least, news and politics should be separate threads because of this kind of thing.

[Spike-X]

I dunno, I'd be happy with just sticking to actual news in the news and politics thread.

[Vibranium]

We've had violence between Islamic and Yezidis youths in my state now, and a few Yezidis protests. It really looks like ISIS is attempting a genocides of the Yezidis and the world should not stand by and watch that. I think more countries than just the US should get involved in those air strikes and air relief operations.

....that region has been at each others throats for centuries, perhaps we've hit a point where nothing anyone does will stop that?

[Vibranium]

Surprisingly, there has been civil disobedience in Mosul that people survived doing. They've tried discouraging the destruction of shrines by sleeping in them and in one case protesting en masse at the time, and ISIS had to give up saying "Eid's not over yet" because too many people were saying "we're ignoring you". (Looking for the article that was reported in) That's not because they have a conscience, it's because ISIS don't have enough fighters in the city (they're not that big) to risk the protests turning nasty.

so, does anyone really know what ISIS endgame is? or is it to just cause as much destruction as possible?

[Dr. Kusa San]

so, does anyone really know what ISIS endgame is? or is it to just cause as much destruction as possible?

Well, I'm watching Chuck Todd this morning and he's citing various officials in the US and Middle East. According to his summary, ISIS wants to govern, not just cause destruction. Which bothers the powers that be more than a group just causing destruction. They're also really well funded (Thanks Saudis!) and well connected.

[Vibranium]

Well, I'm watching Chuck Todd this morning and he's citing various officials in the US and Middle East. According to his summary, ISIS wants to govern, not just cause destruction. Which bothers the powers that be more than a group just causing destruction. They're also really well funded (Thanks Saudis!) and well connected.

I kind of thought that when they were making that big push in northern Iraq, so that seems a logical progression, I guess....I would assume its the type of governing that would make guys like Saddam and Qaddafi blush

[Kid A]

For once, I'm actually OK with some military intervention. Though it's only a matter of time before US airstrikes end up getting civilians hurt too.

In other news (literally), the ebola stuff is scaring me.

[Michael P]

Unless you've got a habit of playing with the blood, vomit and feces of obviously sick people, you've got nothing to be worried about.

[Dr. Kusa San]

I kind of thought that when they were making that big push in northern Iraq, so that seems a logical progression, I guess....I would assume its the type of governing that would make guys like Saddam and Qaddafi blush

Even their dead hookers didn't make them blush. Thomas the Train's hedonism, however....

For once, I'm actually OK with some military intervention. Though it's only a matter of time before US airstrikes end up getting civilians hurt too.

Agreed. Although I wonder where all of our allies are.

[Paradox]

Michael P calms:

Unless you've got a habit of playing with the blood, vomit and feces of obviously sick people, you've got nothing to be worried about.

On the other hand, if you do have that habit...you probably have bigger problems than Ebola.

Or you're in medicine, but that doesn't lend itself to stupid humor very well.

[Vibranium]

For once, I'm actually OK with some military intervention. Though it's only a matter of time before US airstrikes end up getting civilians hurt too

first, the US is the bad guy for getting involved everywhere, now everyone is screaming for the US to get involved in a place wherew we spent the last decade simply stemming the tide

I, for one, say no...let that part of the world go, or let Europe handle it, we don't need the oil from over there anymore, nor is there anything else there worth the headaches

[Dr. Kusa San]

Unless you've got a habit of playing with the blood, vomit and feces of obviously sick people, you've got nothing to be worried about.

Just don't have sex with random strangers on the subway.