All Purpose News and Politics Thread Part IV: The Center Cannot Hold

[Tuck]

The popular notion of Nazis is very comic-book villain-y. Mustache-twirling bad guys.

That has the effect of keeping people from recognizing when similar issues start popping up. Because they're clearly not comic book villains.

(I think it's similar with racism where decades of drilling inadvertently imparted the idea to a lot of Americans that racism = using slurs. Therefore, not using slurs = can't be racist.)

[aja_christopher]

I'm no W fan but I don't think he'll be remembered in the same light as Trump. W will fair better than most think.

Recession, torture, the Iraq War -- he should go down as one of the worst in history in my opinion and Trump shouldn't be far behind.

For all of Trump's problems, he still has a decent economy and hasn't destroyed the lives of millions of innocent people with a war based on lies.

[Jack Dracula]

It requires a lot more planning to kill people (especially LOTS of people) with a bomb. Plus, there isn't a 2nd amendment protecting explosives - the police are almost certain to stop you if you are carrying an armful of explosives with you. The danger is lower with them.

Two other details to consider regarding explosives ar that The two most-used substances used are Nitriogen fertilizer and gunpowder. Gun powder manufacturers are required to track and docment large purchases and the powder itself contains markers which can be used to identify the manufacturer if necessary. After nitrogen fertilizer bombs were used in the oklahoma Ctity bombing large scale purchases of the substance are regulated by the government and tracked closely.
As I recall it didn't take years of struggle to accomplish these common-sense, basic safety regulations.

[aja_christopher]

"Trump plan to re-raise flags on August 8 will send message to neo-Nazis, former FBI official warns"

A former FBI official has claimed that Donald Trump’s decision to re-raise flags on 8 August is a mistake, because the date is significant to white supremacist groups and neo-Nazis.

Flags in US public buildings have been flying at half-mast since the shootings in El Paso and Dayton last week.

“We have to understand the adversary and the threat we’re dealing with,” Frank Figiliuzzi said during an interview on MSNBC focused on the problem of white supremacy. “It’s the little things and the language and messaging that matters. The president said that we will fly our flags at half-mast on 8 August. That’s 8/8. Now, I’m not going to imply that he did this deliberately but I am using it as an example of the ignorance of the adversary that’s being demonstrated by the White House.

“The numbers 8/8 are very significant in neo-Nazi and white supremacy movements. Why? Because the letter H is the eighth letter of the alphabet and to [neo-Nazis] the numbers 8/8 together stand for Heil Hitler.”

Mr Trump issued a directive on 4 August, ordering the US flag to be flown at half staff at the White House and public and military buildings. The directive expires at sunset on 8 August.

“No one’s thinking about this, no one’s giving him the advice,” Mr Figiliuzzi said. “Or he’s rejecting the advice.”

The former FBI official served as the agency’s assistant director of counterintelligence from 2011 to 2012. He worked as a special agent for 25 years, on matters including terrorism and foreign counterintelligence. The former official’s comments have been mocked by far-right figures including Ann Coulter, who called the criticism “crazy”.

“I clearly said I’m not saying Trump did this deliberately, I’m saying he needs advice on how extremists will interpret raising the flag on 8/8,” Mr Figliuzzi said on Twitter, in response to the controversial commentator. “He needs advice on putting out the fire he started. Are you part of that solution?”

The Southern Poverty Law Centre (SPLC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) have both classified 88 as a hate symbol used by white supremacists.

“One of the most common white supremacist symbols, 88 is used throughout the entire white supremacist movement, not just neo-Nazis,” the ADL’s website reads.

“One can find it as a tattoo or graphic symbol; as part of the name of a group, publication or website; or as part of a screenname or e-mail address. It is even sometimes used as a greeting or sign-off.."

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-a9044966.html

[Jack Dracula]

If so, it would be really dumb for him to push a Hitler reference using the flag at half mast.

So you think there's a good chance that the flags are at half-mast until Thursday because a senior adviser for policy wanted a Hitler reference?

A year ago we all would've thought covering the name of a U.S. Navy ship and moving it out of sight so The President of the United States doesn't throw a tantrum was ridiculous.

Recession, torture, the Iraq War -- he should go down as one of the worst in history in my opinion and Trump shouldn't be far behind.

For all of Trump's problems, he still has a decent economy and hasn't destroyed the lives of millions of innocent people with a war based on lies.

Agreed. W is a criminal and should be prosecuted as such.
Trump has the potential to be worse but often it seems he's just too stupid to get out of his own way. I just glad that Bannon is no longer in the White House.

[Electricmastro]

"Trump plan to re-raise flags on August 8 will send message to neo-Nazis, former FBI official warns"

A former FBI official has claimed that Donald Trump’s decision to re-raise flags on 8 August is a mistake, because the date is significant to white supremacist groups and neo-Nazis.

Flags in US public buildings have been flying at half-mast since the shootings in El Paso and Dayton last week.

“We have to understand the adversary and the threat we’re dealing with,” Frank Figiliuzzi said during an interview on MSNBC focused on the problem of white supremacy. “It’s the little things and the language and messaging that matters. The president said that we will fly our flags at half-mast on 8 August. That’s 8/8. Now, I’m not going to imply that he did this deliberately but I am using it as an example of the ignorance of the adversary that’s being demonstrated by the White House.

“The numbers 8/8 are very significant in neo-Nazi and white supremacy movements. Why? Because the letter H is the eighth letter of the alphabet and to [neo-Nazis] the numbers 8/8 together stand for Heil Hitler.”

Mr Trump issued a directive on 4 August, ordering the US flag to be flown at half staff at the White House and public and military buildings. The directive expires at sunset on 8 August.

“No one’s thinking about this, no one’s giving him the advice,” Mr Figiliuzzi said. “Or he’s rejecting the advice.”

The former FBI official served as the agency’s assistant director of counterintelligence from 2011 to 2012. He worked as a special agent for 25 years, on matters including terrorism and foreign counterintelligence. The former official’s comments have been mocked by far-right figures including Ann Coulter, who called the criticism “crazy”.

“I clearly said I’m not saying Trump did this deliberately, I’m saying he needs advice on how extremists will interpret raising the flag on 8/8,” Mr Figliuzzi said on Twitter, in response to the controversial commentator. “He needs advice on putting out the fire he started. Are you part of that solution?”

The Southern Poverty Law Centre (SPLC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) have both classified 88 as a hate symbol used by white supremacists.

“One of the most common white supremacist symbols, 88 is used throughout the entire white supremacist movement, not just neo-Nazis,” the ADL’s website reads.

“One can find it as a tattoo or graphic symbol; as part of the name of a group, publication or website; or as part of a screenname or e-mail address. It is even sometimes used as a greeting or sign-off.."

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-a9044966.html

At this point, I get the feeling that Trump is OK with anything that stomps down on the "invading Mexican illegals," regardless of how hurtful and irresponsible it is. 2020 can't come soon enough.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Recession, torture, the Iraq War -- he should go down as one of the worst in history in my opinion and Trump shouldn't be far behind.

For all of Trump's problems, he still has a decent economy and hasn't destroyed the lives of millions of innocent people with a war based on lies.

Don't forget the disastrous response to Katrina which cost scores of lives, and the horribly ill conceived comment Dubya will take to his grave in the aftermath of the hurricane, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job".

"Trump plan to re-raise flags on August 8 will send message to neo-Nazis, former FBI official warns"

A former FBI official has claimed that Donald Trump’s decision to re-raise flags on 8 August is a mistake, because the date is significant to white supremacist groups and neo-Nazis.

Flags in US public buildings have been flying at half-mast since the shootings in El Paso and Dayton last week.

“We have to understand the adversary and the threat we’re dealing with,” Frank Figiliuzzi said during an interview on MSNBC focused on the problem of white supremacy. “It’s the little things and the language and messaging that matters. The president said that we will fly our flags at half-mast on 8 August. That’s 8/8. Now, I’m not going to imply that he did this deliberately but I am using it as an example of the ignorance of the adversary that’s being demonstrated by the White House.

“The numbers 8/8 are very significant in neo-Nazi and white supremacy movements. Why? Because the letter H is the eighth letter of the alphabet and to [neo-Nazis] the numbers 8/8 together stand for Heil Hitler.”

Mr Trump issued a directive on 4 August, ordering the US flag to be flown at half staff at the White House and public and military buildings. The directive expires at sunset on 8 August.

“No one’s thinking about this, no one’s giving him the advice,” Mr Figiliuzzi said. “Or he’s rejecting the advice.”

The former FBI official served as the agency’s assistant director of counterintelligence from 2011 to 2012. He worked as a special agent for 25 years, on matters including terrorism and foreign counterintelligence. The former official’s comments have been mocked by far-right figures including Ann Coulter, who called the criticism “crazy”.

“I clearly said I’m not saying Trump did this deliberately, I’m saying he needs advice on how extremists will interpret raising the flag on 8/8,” Mr Figliuzzi said on Twitter, in response to the controversial commentator. “He needs advice on putting out the fire he started. Are you part of that solution?”

The Southern Poverty Law Centre (SPLC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) have both classified 88 as a hate symbol used by white supremacists.

“One of the most common white supremacist symbols, 88 is used throughout the entire white supremacist movement, not just neo-Nazis,” the ADL’s website reads.

“One can find it as a tattoo or graphic symbol; as part of the name of a group, publication or website; or as part of a screenname or e-mail address. It is even sometimes used as a greeting or sign-off.."

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-a9044966.html

To be honest, I wasn't aware of the connection of 8/8 to Nazis and white supremacists. I would hazard to say most Americans aren't, so it's a safe bet Trump was flat out clueless about it, which leads me to suspect Kid Jackboot whispered in his ear about re-raising the flags on that date.

[aja_christopher]

To be honest, I wasn't aware of the connection of 8/8 to Nazis and white supremacists. I would hazard to say most Americans aren't, so it's a safe bet Trump was flat out clueless about it, which leads me to suspect Kid Jackboot whispered in his ear about re-raising the flags on that date.

Of all the things that I might give Trump the benefit of the doubt on, dog-whistling to white supremacists from the White House is not one of them.

You don't have to be smart to know how to signal other racists -- you just have to know how to speak the same language.

-----
"Last April, perhaps in a surge of Czech nationalism, Ivana Trump told her lawyer Michael Kennedy that from time to time her husband reads a book of Hitler’s collected speeches, My New Order, which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed. Kennedy now guards a copy of My New Order in a closet at his office, as if it were a grenade. Hitler’s speeches, from his earliest days up through the Phony War of 1939, reveal his extraordinary ability as a master propagandist.

“Did your cousin John give you the Hitler speeches?” I asked Trump.

Trump hesitated. “Who told you that?”

“I don’t remember,” I said.

“Actually, it was my friend Marty Davis from Paramount who gave me a copy of Mein Kampf, and he’s a Jew.” (“I did give him a book about Hitler,” Marty Davis said. “But it was My New Order, Hitler’s speeches, not Mein Kampf. I thought he would find it interesting. I am his friend, but I’m not Jewish.”)

Later, Trump returned to this subject. “If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them.”

https://www.businessinsider.com/dona...his-bed-2015-8
http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2...-marie-brenner

[Gray Lensman]

Of all the things that I might give Trump the benefit of the doubt on, dog-whistling to white supremacists from the White House is not one of them.

You don't have to be smart to know how to signal other racists -- you just have to know how to speak the same language.

-----
"Last April, perhaps in a surge of Czech nationalism, Ivana Trump told her lawyer Michael Kennedy that from time to time her husband reads a book of Hitler’s collected speeches, My New Order, which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed. Kennedy now guards a copy of My New Order in a closet at his office, as if it were a grenade. Hitler’s speeches, from his earliest days up through the Phony War of 1939, reveal his extraordinary ability as a master propagandist.

“Did your cousin John give you the Hitler speeches?” I asked Trump.

Trump hesitated. “Who told you that?”

“I don’t remember,” I said.

“Actually, it was my friend Marty Davis from Paramount who gave me a copy of Mein Kampf, and he’s a Jew.” (“I did give him a book about Hitler,” Marty Davis said. “But it was My New Order, Hitler’s speeches, not Mein Kampf. I thought he would find it interesting. I am his friend, but I’m not Jewish.”)

Later, Trump returned to this subject. “If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them.”

https://www.businessinsider.com/dona...his-bed-2015-8
http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2...-marie-brenner

The least believable part of that story is that it involves Trump not only reading something, but doing so more than once.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

The least believable part of that story is that it involves Trump not only reading something, but doing so more than once.

Perhaps it all came down to something he actually LIKED reading, other than picture books and his ghost written autobiography.

[Joker Venom]

In 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, as well as 2018, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published profiles of the U.S. House Representative from Alaska’s “At Large” Congressional District, Don Young whose photo above, we still assure you is not doctored in any way (he’s protesting the Obama adminstration calling for harnessing energy from wind turbines). Don Young is a twenty-two term Congressman, and we’ll save you the trouble of doing the math… he’s held office since 1973, meaning he was around during Watergate, and was actually congratulated on being elected to office at the White House by Richard Nixon. Our first take on Rep. Young address his protestations of the use of green technologies to harness wind power (yes, he put that hat on willingly). This is a man who has blurted out words like “buttf***ing” in front of school children while paying them a visit (to say nothing of when he uses racial slurs like "wetback" and then defends it), and he remains, to this day, the only member of Congress to have ever brandished a walrus penis bone on the floor of the House or Senate (that’s not a metaphor, he swung an oosik at the head of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services) and Young also assaulted a Congressional aide informed him he was trying to access a door where admittance was not allowed, and Young grabbed him by the wrist and twisted until he was allowed to pass... while on camera. Don Young once pulled a knife and threatened to cut the throat of John Boehner over earmarks. He once took to the floor of the House when and complained about how gray wolves are a protected species, and then threw out the idea that the wolves should be turned loose on America's homeless population as a way to reduce their number. In our second look at Don Young in 2015, we had to talk about how yet again he embarrassed himself while visting a public school, where during a 45 minute question and answer session, when he as asked about what could be done to reduce suicide rates, he gave an answer that blamed it on the family and friends of the victims. In our 2016 update, we noted that Don Young had another brilliant idea while talking about the potential legalization of marijuana... instead we could lower the number of people being incarcerated for marijuana by suggesting capitol punishment should be applied to all drug dealers. (That’s… a lot of executions, at least 90,000 in federal prison alone).

Don Young is still one of the worst Congressman when it comes to the environment, throwing a tantrum and arguing that not building a road through the middle of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge was “killing people”, which not only makes zero sense, but then again, it’s against the advice of the Dept. of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, his old nemesis (at least he didn’t wield a walrus dong at them this time). In February of 2018, he made the bizarre and insensitive argument about gun control that the Holocaust would not have been as bad if Jews had just been packing heat to defend themselves:


As a result of Don Young reversing his supposed position on the House GOP’s attempt at repealing the Affordable Care Act because it would cause health insurance premiums to skyrocket, he reversed course and voted for it anyway. This did not go unnoticed back in Alaska, where a protest was staged outside his office in Anchorage. And yet… Don Young was re-elected yet again, this time with only 53% of the vote and still underperforming the +12 lean that his district is supposed to have, by far.

• January 27th, 2019: Don Young votes against HJR 30, which was meant to express disapproval of Donald Trump not acting against Russian Federation for attacking our democracy. You see, he’s fine with our nation being sublet to Vladimir Putin.
• January 23rd, 2019: Rep. Young voted against HR 648, because he was gleeully enjoying the longest government shutdown in history.
• February 28th, 2019: Don Young votes against HR 1112, a bill which would have required universal background checks on all firearm purchases, and close the gun show loophole.
• March 14th, 2019: Rep. Young votes against HJR 46, which sane members of Congress voted for to reject Donald Trump’s “national emergency” regarding the U.S. border and his attempts to reallocate funds for a border wall without Congressional approval.
• April 4th, 2019: Don Young is one of 158 Republicans who choose to vote against the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act, likely because they feel the 2nd Amendment remaining absolute is more important than preventing people with a history of domestic abuse from owning a firearm (which statistics show, makes them more likely to use those firearms against women in their lives).
• June 4th, 2019: Young votes against the Dreamers Act, because he’s too xenophobic and partisan to care about immigration reform.
• July 12th, 2019: Young is one of 12 Republicans who vote against the re-authorization of the Zadroga Act to provide healthcare to 9/11 First Responders.
• July 16th, 2019: Young is one of 187 Republicans who vote against a resolution to condemn Donald Trump for his racist statements that four people of color in Congress should “go back where they came from”.

Don Young’s career now stretches 46 years, he’s still shoving people at the Capitol for standing in his way, and this time it wasn’t a page, it was a journalist. Who is also a woman. Well, Don Young already has announced he’ll be running for re-election in 2020 at the age of 87. We predict at least one more moment that makes it’s clear he’s suffering from dementia by then.

I don't think it's a coincidence that this clown looks exactly like Benny Hill as Fred Scuttle.

[master of read]

and what's even worse is the comments for this pic with people singing this dude's praises, calling the boy's parents terrible for not teaching him to respect the flag, and saying he deserved to have his head cracked.

[BeastieRunner]

It's a free country ... you don't have to stand for the flag.

You can even burn it.

[master of read]

It's a free country ... you don't have to stand for the flag.

You can even burn it.

oh the kid stood for the anthem. what triggered this dumbass is the fact he didn't take off his hat.

[BeastieRunner]

oh the kid stood for the anthem. what triggered this dumbass is the fact he didn't take off his hat.

I understood that from the article. He was 50% there. I see guys with hand heart and hat on head all the time at baseball games.

White men are so fucking fragile.

He was a kid ...