ROK Drop Open Thread – October 19, 2014
Please leave anything you want to discuss in the comments section.
Here are the latest postings in the ROK Drop Forums that is well worth checking out:
- Joe Biden’s Son Kicked Out of the Navy for Testing Positive for Cocaine
- How an Arizona Man Ended Up On the US Army’s Most Wanted List
- Japan Tops List for Safest Countries in the World, Korea Places 4th
- Dual Survival Star Caught Lying About Special Forces and Combat Background
- Soldier Caught Breaking Into Dry Cleaner to Try On Clothes
- 14 Fear Dead in Vent Collapse in Bundang
- Grandpa GIs Were Doing Crossfit Before It Was Cool
- US Military Chemical Weapons Finds Comes to Light In Iraq
- US Navy’s Role in the Western Pacific
- Montana Senator Has War College Degree Revoked for Cheating
- Edward Snowden Says to Stop Using Popular Web Services
South Korea is about to make the world even more jealous with 10Gbps broadband
Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/south-korea-make-world-even-jealous-10gbps-broadband/
I wonder if this upgrade is more to support the new massive data mining capabilities their government is planning than it is to supply more bandwidth to homes because I’m pretty sure everyone in Korea has the following page perma-cached in their browser:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:KCSC-Warning.png
No need to upgrade anything, it’s already locally on everyone’s machine.
Weird tidbit at the end of the story though:
“In July, Bell Labs announced that it had achieved 10Gbps using traditional copper telephone lines.”
Umm that’s funny because in 1998 my azz was on a 56k connection being told “This is as good as it’s ever going to get.”.
56k… 10Gpbs… they’re close right?
Finally… anyone else notice how driving a car and surfing the net in both the US and Korea mirror each other? 😉
Whites riot over pumpkins in NH and Twitter turns it into epic lesson about Ferguson
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/10/whites-riot-over-pumpkins-in-nh-and-twitter-turns-it-into-epic-lesson-about-ferguson/
Police were forced to descend on Keene, New Hampshire Saturday night after students and outside agitators turned the city’s 24th annual Pumpkin Festival into “a destination for destructive and raucous behavior.”
Those words — spoken by Keene State College President Anne Huot to CNN — only begin to describe the scene, which led to dozens of arrests and hospitalizations.
One rioter, Steven French, told the Keene Sentinel that he traveled from Haverhill, Massachusetts to attend the festival because he knew it would be “f*cking wicked.”
“It’s just like a rush. You’re revolting from the cops,” he continued. “It’s a blast to do things that you’re not supposed to do.”
Meanwhile, on Twitter, users marveled at how different the police response to these unruly young adults was to another recent event.
They then mocked the conservative response both to the Michael Brown shooting and the protests that occurred in its wake.
South Korean “pop artist” jailed for posting caricature of President Park under bogus B&E charge.
http://www.newdaily.co.kr/news/article.html?no=220237
(Sorry this just happened, no English links yet. Pics though)
So this guy who’s criticized the Pres in the past has apparently been watched by the authori.. I mean democratic government and now they caught him red-handed in a duty free store putting up/handing out posters of Park done up as the insane girl from Welcome To Dongmakgol (웰컴 투 동막골)
http://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/upload/tom2681/Dongmakblu1.jpg
Apparently he did this before handing out pics of Park done up as Snow White so they arrested him on some national security beef and the court said “GTFO” (probably not an exact quote) so since he can’t be tried for that again they someone managed to haul him in stating that going into a duty free store in the middle of the day is B&E.
Wonder who has more buyers remorse right now? All the people who bought Obama’s BS or the ones who bought Park’s BS?
I’ll just go ahead and add Democracy to the list of things Korea shouldn’t be allowed to play with right after Ferry Boats, just before Sewer Grates, and somewhere near cars, umbrellas, mosaic software, etc….
US Osprey Aircraft in Japan Tsunami Drill Amid Protests
http://www.defensenews.com/article/20141019/DEFREG03/310190010/US-Osprey-Aircraft-Japan-Tsunami-Drill-Amid-Protests
Serena Williams calls Russian tennis president’s ‘Williams brothers’ jibe ‘sexist, racist and bullying’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/williamssisters/11172359/Serena-Williams-calls-Russian-tennis-presidents-Williams-brothers-jibe-sexist-racist-and-bullying.html
“Williams brothers” comments “sexist, racist, and bullying”
Sexist? Maybe.
Bullying? Most definitely.
Racist? Please. As if black female tennis players have a monopoly when it comes to looking like men. Billie Jean King anyone?
Sounds like ole’ Ivan just has a case of sour grapes. Don’t get mad about losing out on the fast twitch muscle fibers. Just train harder and play smarter.
Russian women also have a reputation for being large, strong and imposing. At least ones who grew up in the Soviet era.
When many of the FSU girls were working in Korea, I witnessed two instances of Russian speaking girls beating up drunk Korean men. I heard of several other instances. These weren’t slapping and scratching catfight attacks. These were bare knuckle beat-downs.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dissent in Texas voter identification case, starts at approx. 4th minute…
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/late-churn-in-voting-rules-sows-confusion-345557059762
Or…
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/10/ginsburg_s_dissent_in_texas_voter_id_law_supreme_court_order.html
Dawn Patrol
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s critically important 5 a.m. wake-up call on voting rights.
On the surface, Supreme Court justices seem to have it pretty easy: They decide only around 70 cases per year with a written opinion, meaning each of the nine justices on average gets assigned to write fewer than nine majority opinions per year. They do not sit for regular argument in July, August, or September; and some justices use part of those summer months to moonlight as guest law professors in exotic locations.
But every so often court watchers are reminded that these justices are working very hard behind the scenes by reading briefs, exchanging memos, and debating outcomes. Case in point: The justices issued an order and a dissent in a Texas voting rights case at 5 a.m. Saturday morning. Supreme Court reporters stood by all night for the ruling. The holdup apparently was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s six-page dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.
The Supreme Court allowed Texas to use its voter ID law in the upcoming election, even though a federal court decided a few weeks ago that Texas’ law violated both the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act, and that Texas engaged in intentional racial discrimination in voting. The trial court had barred Texas from using its law this election, but the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit reversed that decision last week, and the law’s challengers went to the Supreme Court, where, as expected, the court sided with Texas.
The Supreme Court’s order was consistent with some of its other recent orders indicating that lower courts should not change the rules of running an election shortly before voting begins. I have dubbed this rule the “Purcell Principle,” for a 2006 Supreme Court case so concluding.
The court had to decide the emergency request very quickly—early voting begins in Texas on Monday morning—but Justice Ginsburg did not need to write her extensive dissent. The week before, when Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, and Clarence Thomas dissented from a Supreme Court order putting Wisconsin’s voter ID law on hold, their entire dissent was only a few sentences. It was a dissent which disturbingly treated the right to vote as less important than deference to the Court of Appeals judgment, kind of an Anti-Purcell Principle.
Sometimes justices disagree with emergency court orders such as these and do not even bother to write a formal dissent. And recently, as Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick has noted, the majority has not been explaining its various orders in cases from voting rights, to abortion, to same sex marriage, at all.
So why did Justice Ginsburg keep the court and court-watchers up all night for a relatively lengthy dissent from an order issued with no majority opinion? There is no way to know from the outside, but my guess is that she wanted to make an important statement about how the Supreme Court should handle these voting cases going forward and to publicly flag where she believes the court is going wrong. Like a rare oral dissent from the bench after a written opinion, this middle-of-the-night dissent calls attention to what Justice Ginsburg likely sees as a grave injustice.
To begin with, Justice Ginsburg pushed back against the Purcell Principle. Sure, it is important to make sure that courts do not change election rules at the last minute, but there were other issues at stake in deciding on the Texas stay. For example, the trial court—after a full trial on the merits—found that Texas was intentionally discriminating against minority voters. It appears to be unprecedented to let a law that was deemed racially discriminatory go into effect simply to avoid the risk of voter confusion and election administration inefficiency.
Further, Justice Ginsburg highlighted the large discriminatory effects of the law. Texas had what Justice Ginsburg called “the strictest regime in the country,” with many forms of identification such as college student and veterans ID cards unacceptable. Unlike other states, Texas did not have an exemption in the law for those who were too poor to afford the certified birth certificate or other documents necessary to get the “free” ID card—a card which Justice Ginsburg said Texas did not let people know was widely available.
Justice Ginsburg also highlighted the trial court’s findings that there were hundreds of thousands of voters potentially unable to get IDs because they were hours away from the government offices issuing IDs. The state had not made reasonable efforts to get IDs into the hands of everyone who wanted them.
Importantly, Ginsburg concluded that the effect of the law in its entirety would be to diminish voter confidence in the system. “The greatest threat to public confidence in elections in this case is the prospect of enforcing a purposefully discriminatory law, one that likely imposes an unconstitutional poll tax and risks denying the right to vote to hundreds of thousands of eligible voters,” she wrote. The Texas case will likely make it back to the Supreme Court, perhaps next year, after the 5
th Circuit takes a full look at the case. While the Supreme Court’s vote on the stay order in the Texas case does not tell us for sure how things will go when the court gets to the constitutional merits of the challenge, the five conservative justices on the Supreme Court are likely to let Texas put its ID law in place because of their general view of the scope of the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. No doubt Justice Ginsburg knows this.
But she’s not going down without a fight, and if this dissent stands for anything, it’s for the proposition that even if the court opts to erode the right to vote by way of unsigned orders at dawn, Ruth Bader Ginsburg will not let it be invisible to the rest of us.
GOP candidates history of lying about military service in order to make themselves look good, A current democrat is humble and doesn’t want to brag…
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/reporter-exposes-candidates-secret-valor-345543235726
I think there are plenty of examples of that type of behavior on both sides.
What I dislike most are ChickenHawks who flat out draft dodged. But that generation won’t be in many leadership position for much longer.
As elitist as this may sound, people who do not have/cannot get ID do not need to vote… as they are so far removed from the system that serves the vast majority, they should have no influence in how it functions.
The important point here is not that some people have no ID… the point is that there needs to be fewer people that far outside the System… be that due to poverty, lack of education, non-citizens, or a culture of perpetual dependence and laziness.
Everybody should have ID… but there should be heavy restrictions on when that ID can be requested. Voting is a legitimate reason to check ID.
CH the neo-faci-sexi-mysoist as usual. How dare you suggest ID for voting, what’s so important about ensuring the people who elect others to offices that shape the future of the country are authorized to do so?
You are Satan Hitler.
Re: Tbone’s post about “GOP candidates history of lying”.
Couple questions… why was that guy reporting the story wearing eye shadow? Also why in a 8m clip I have to wait over 4m’s to hear THE F**KING STORY?! That guy droned on about some reporter and then some BS from the 80’s for over half the clip.
But seriously you wanna dig into the archives for pols who’ve lied about serving? Let’s get in the not so long ago machine and visit 2010 when one of your Dems was caught lying about being in Nam shall we?:
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/05/17/bombshell-democratic-senate-candidate-lied-about-serving-in-vietnam/
That too long ago? Well how about we go too…
9 funking days ago!
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/10/12/Exclusive-Military-Leaders-Michigan-Dem-Senate-Nominee-Gary-Peters-Exaggerated-Misrepresented-Military-Record-On-Campaign-Trail
Debunking Tbone’s easier than stealing a Korean-Canadian’s girlfriend.
“The holdup apparently was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s six-page dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.”
3 women on the U.S. Supreme Court are against discrimination which even the right leaning Texas trial court says…
“For example, the trial court—after a full trial on the merits—found that Texas was intentionally discriminating against minority voters. It appears to be unprecedented to let a law that was deemed racially discriminatory go into effect simply to avoid the risk of voter confusion and election administration inefficiency.”
5 men on the U.S. Supreme Court don’t care about “intentional discrimination against minorities.”
“intentional discrimination against minorities.”
Just for clarification…
The law applies to all authorized Texas voters right? So wouldn’t that would make any “minority group” be unauthorized since it’s applied to everyone trying to vote?
Well if preventing unauthorized people from voting is discriminatory against the minority of people who are wrongfully trying to cast ballots than by all means discriminate!
I’m starting to wonder if Tbone really believes this 5hit or this is just a schtick…
Smokes
How trivial can you be?
There is such a thing as an “expert” but not “expert marksman”? Yes, very trivial.
“His record jacket shows that not only is that not true—but Peters actually made up a new, cooler-sounding firearms qualifications level for his campaign. Peters was never an “expert marksman” in either firearm category because there is no such category of qualification. In reality, according to military records, Peters was a “sharpshooter”—a lower military qualification than “expert”—in both M16 rifle and 9 MM pistol.
“In the case of Michigan Congressman Gary Peters I found his claims about his personal weapons qualifications perplexing,” West told Breitbart News. “First of all professional officers rarely tout weapon qualification badges. Secondly, there are three levels of weapon qualification — marksman, sharpshooter, and expert — Rep. Peters claims to be an ‘expert marksman’ which does not exist. This leads one to believe that if one would embellish something so trivial what else could also be questionable.”
Is this all you can come up with? Why don’t you show us a GOP candidate like Democrat Seth Moulton “who was so modest about his highly honored military service that he didn’t even tell his parents, and has refrained from treating his service as a campaign gimmick.”
Now, start searching and get back with us never since you’ll never be able to find one.
Expelled Nazis paid millions in Social Security by US
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/expelled-nazis-paid-millions-in-social-security/2014/10/19/b85ec24e-57db-11e4-9d6c-756a229d8b18_story.html
Since when am I the mouthpiece for the GOP? I don’t care about those clown either.
I notice you have nothing to say about the other guy who later had to eat humble pie on the matter:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/18/AR2010051802208.html
I’ll agree that the focus of Peter’s claim is small time compared to claming you won 20 MoH’es but here’s the thing. Military people are very anal about some things. Awards being one of those things, he knew “Expert Marksman” was wrong and let it go out the door.
Besides who the h3ll brags about pistol quals? I can literally go down to Itaewon and pick 20 random people off the street, take them to a range and somewhere between 17 to 19 will shoot expert with a pistol.
My main beef is that you consistently harp against the pubs when the dems are just as guilty at everything. People like you are what’s preventing the US from ever getting a good government because you buy into the Dem v Rep horse5hit. Both parties need to go.
Tbone and those justices are round-about racists trying to claim that skin color makes people too lazy, stupid, uneducated, or criminal to get an ID…
…which we know not to be true because Nigerians are as black as sin yet have all sorts of IDs and many Mexican workers at Tyson Chicken seem to get IDs just fine, even if they are all under the same social security number.
it seems getting an ID is not really the issue. It is trying to get a dependent class of people, who generally vote Democratic if given a gift bag and a bus ride, off their lazy azzes to get an ID.
CH, you’re Hitler like just as Smokes says. Here are other ways in which you’re like Hitler, so eat S*it, that from soldiers you mouth stinker…
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hitler-was-a-meth-head-742000
“‘Hitler’s Hidden Drug Habit’ reveals that the Nazi leader was an extreme hypochondriac who at one point was taking up to 74 different types of drugs
Adolf Hitler was a “profoundly sick man” with bad breath, chronic flatulence and stomach cramps who resorted to taking crystal meth, leeches and pills made from the feces of soldiers to help him get through the day,..”
Tbone, you are just angry about the leeches part…
…being that you wound up back in America with no skills and no ability to compete with younger guys even for the dead-end jobs…
…so with little hope of caring for yourself, your only option is to become a social and financial parasite…
…not unlike a leech.
It is ironic that in certain states criminal illegal immigrants can get IDs but people that are citizens are claiming they cannot get one to vote?
Up to 34 MILLION blank ‘green cards’ and work permits to be ordered ahead of Obama illegal immigrant ‘amnesty’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2800356/us-immigration-authorities-prep-order-34-million-blank-green-cards-work-authorization-papers-obama-readies-executive-order-illegal-aliens.html
Gee, tbone is really “ate up” these days.
Must be difficult when you realize your “messiah” likes Mexicans more than Blacks, has no qualms about “people of color” dying of Ebola (notice no Whites have died in the US), and plays golf instead of doing things that might get more Blacks back to work.
2013 Stats from http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat03.htm
After 7 years of Hope and Change
Total: 41% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
Men: 36% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
Women: 47% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
White: 41% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
Men: 34% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
Women: 47% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
Black: 47% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
Men: 45% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
Women: 48% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
Asian: 39% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
Men: 31% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
Women: 46% “Unemployed” or “Not in labor force”
Must be because the President hasn’t been issued a reflective belt to go with that snazzy A2 jacket, eh Leon?
Setnaffa, even the great Obama can’t find jobz for those with no skillz.
Illegal Mexicans come up for the low-skill jobs (black) Americans just won’t do.
…and don’t be silly.
You can’t wear a reflective belt with mom jeans.
BREAKING NEWS!
Fowle has flown the coop!
I smell Fowle play. /Just joking
Canadian Muslim runs down two young soldiers in his car before being shot dead
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2801102/radicalized-canadian-muslim-convert-runs-two-young-soldiers-car-shot-dead-police.html
Setnaffa, you have brought up presidential golf numerous times. Obviously whether one plays golf or not is the overriding determinate factor as to whether one is a good president using your metrics. We must therefore deduce out of all the men who have held that office since 1952, your favorite and best president is Jimmy Carter.
Firstly, I think we should do everything possible to guarantee maximum voter turnout and make it as easy and approachable as possible so we might encourage as many citizens as possible fulfill their duty to vote.
Conversely, I fail to comprehend how anyone can function, at even the most basic level, in our society without some form of ID.
I _can_ see a racial component to this, it is obvious if you read the comment section on any article linked by Drudge.
On the other side of the issue, voter fraud is more fear mongering and has not been a deciding factor in any major election.
All that said, most of us already have multiple de-facto national ID’s: your social security card (we could put a picture on it), your state drivers licence (all state databases are linked to one another), your passport (obviously), plus various other forms of documentation.
I know some folks are big fans of birth certificates. Would a birth certificate be valid voter ID?
Ultimately, it may not be “fair” but many things in our society are not fair. People need to have an ID. Now, does that mean establishing a national ID card? Those who are pushing voter ID would be the same people who would choke on their own tongues at the very thought.
Leon,
If a student is getting As and Bs, nobody complains when they spend the weekend playing video games. If they are getting Ds and Fs, there is a feeling that they should probably be studying.
If a company is highly profitable and has a great outlook yet pays well and takes care of employees, nobody complains when management takes a vacation or spends excessively on a company party. If the company is failing, everybody from emloyees to stockholders want to see management in action mode.
If a nation has low unemployment, seemless infrastructure, flawless crisis response, the admiration of global diplomats, clear victory in military entanglements, perfect public heath, houses for all, and clear plans to a bright future, its leader has the luxury to play golf and party with Hollywood stars…
…but if that is not the case, like the student or the manager, he should be spending every moment LEADING… which includes leading the public… and that cannot be done from a golf course or from the dinner table of a disconnected Hollywood star.
Leon, you frequently support Obama with vague concepts and buzzwords, but you never address my reasonable criticism of this support.
This is the pseudo-intellectual tactic of Teadrinker, Glans, Tom, et. al., but you have always demonstrated higher standards in your commenting and clear-thinking support of your statements… which has brought credit to your ideas and respect to your internet persona.
It is disappointing to watch you squander years of intellegent writing with disorganized criticism of those who reasonably criticize Obama.
I do not support Obama, I just criticize those who demonstrate hypocrisy and lack of critical thought (often parroting MSM pundit buzzword’s). Frankly, it doesn’t take that much effort to do so, nor is the effort worth it.
I hope you are still free from Ebola.
Soooo… after my clear explanation of why Obama’s frequent golf playing is a sign of poor leadership, do you stand by your criticism of Setnaffa for pointing it out… or do you retract it and agree that frequent golf is not a good leadership strategy.
As for being Ebola-free… 2 days since my last potential exposure. So far, so good.
(This is a joke. I had casual contact with an African two nights ago but he is not from an Eboa-infected country)
Keep in mind, overreaction is better than underreaction when dealing with Ebola. It is far cheaper and more efficient to educate, screen, isolate, and protect than treat, decontaminate, and contact trace. This discrepancy increases with a higher number of cases.
The money spent (so far) on cleaning up the Duncan debacle could have been put to much better use… though the mini-panic it has caused has contributed greatly to overall concern and protection for healthcare workers as well as public and institutional readiness/awareness of disease issues… an important concept in an increasingly populated and open-border world.
I agree Obammy is a turd but no less a turd than many of the presidents we have had after Bush Sr.
Instead of arguing over what is good fro the country, it’s all about gotcha politics.
Has Obammy made mistakes? Yep.
Has he done good things? Yep.
Did Bushie make mistakes? Yep.
Did he do good things? Yep.
Did Clinton make mistakes? Yep.
Did he do good things? Yep.
Did Bush Sr. make mistakes? Yep.
Did he do good things? Yep.
Are presidents responsible for everything that happens on their watch down to and including the thumbtack inventory in the supply shed at Yosemite? Technically, yes but in reality, they have very little control over such matters.
Does the president sometimes inherit problems from the past? Sure does! One might argue that every president with dealing in the middle east inherited these issue from the post WWI partitions.
Many of these issues didn’t spring up over night, even EBOLA!
But those other guys are not president. Obama is. Those other guys are free to play unlimited golf. Obama will be in two years. But now he needs to be an adult, put the toys away, and lead the nation.
Therefore, criticism of his actions stand alone as either valid or invalid. Making fun of those who claim he was born in Kenya is reasonable. Making fun of those who say he plays too much golf reflects on you more than them.
Obama has been a dog-ate-my-homework president… showing false anger and blame at everyone else… which is compounded by golf games and extravagant vacations while much of America has continiously tightened its belt.
Certainly he can Blame Bush for many problems… but good leadership is building a competent team, managing them into making solutions, getting those solutions into action, selling those solutions to the public, and unifying the nation to back those solutions as long-term benefits even if there is short-term sacrifice.
Obama has done little of this. His teams are composed of idealists and political hacks. His solutions are secretive and not broadly beneficial. His explanations are misguided. He has failed to lead the public into unified support.
When Obama leaves office, he will slip into a footnote of history… being remembered only for being black. And then we can be critical of President Shrillery or whatever turd the Republicans run.
Until then, criticism of Obama is perfectly acceptable… and must be judged on its own individual merit regardless of what Bush did years ago.
My point being the constant and shrill criticism (even criticism’s which detracted from and reversed previous criticisms just for the sake of criticism) have all started to congeal together, like a giant clump of shit. plugging up the works and drowning out legitimate criticism on serious issues.There was a little bit under Clinton, quite a bit more under Bush, but now it is just too much. Surely you can see it as clearly as I can.
You obviously know I do not support this guy – why am I constantly defending myself for picking on the critics? The critics on many of these issues themselves most certainly deserve criticism. This is not healthy for a democracy.
On a different note:
I’m very curious what people think they would have gotten with Romney – which in our current corrupt system was the only other realistic choice. ObammyScare is just watered down Romneycare. And I’m sure the world would have respected a magic underwear wearing, draft dodging missionary more than a community organizing (whatever that is) constitutional scholar. Yep, I can here Putin and ISIS shaking in
Hmmm. Before Leon could finish, our fascist Kenyan Muslim sociialist dictator sent jack booted thugs in black helicopters to silence him.
Good thing he hit send before be drug off to a FEMA camp.
their boots from my back porch. The truth is, Romney would have been not that much different from Bush, just as Obama hasn’t been that much different from Bush. It’s amusing when Obammy gets blamed for programs established under Reagan, for instance. But I wonder, would the criticism of Romney been as constant as it has been for Obama? No one can deny there IS a real racial component – What the breakdown is, I can’t be certain, but it is there. Also, Obama is not overtly religious (how truly religious a number of our presidents have been, rather than paying lip-service) is a debate for another time). Both men had foreign born fathers, for example, but where were the Romney birthers? Anyhoo, I think you get my gist.
I really do not believe that if he personally mounted a tank, leading the army from the front, and personally led a campaign successfully against ISIS – wiping them out, that there wouldn’t be the same folks screaming about his lack of leadership. They’d probably try to impeach him for smoking behind the PX – cause he hates the troops – or – well – something.
There are many folks, like me, that do not – and never did – support Obama but are so freaking tired of the BS. I do not like Obama as a president, but I find many of his detractors even more distasteful.
Get it?
“Good thing he hit send before be drug off to a FEMA camp.”
LOL, they let me go when I converted to Islam.
Suckers. I had my fingers crossed. 😛
Leon, I also support maximum voter participation and actually believe mandatory voting should be seriously considered. Australia does this and if you don’t vote you pay a $20 fine. You make the day a national holiday so no one has the excuse for not voting.
As far as voter fraud this is a real issue. It may not be a big issue at the national level yet, but at local and state levels it can influence elections. Since I have very close ties to El Paso it was quite common knowledge that people would vote twice, once in El Paso elections and then secondly in New Mexico elections until it got busted. Then having operatives collect and fill out ballots for the elderly is another tactic used. Finally probably the biggest voter fraud is having illegal immigrants vote. Since the local governments are all controlled by Democrats there is no motivation to actually stop this practice. This is why the State of Texas has been trying so hard to put in the voter ID laws.
Incredibly the DOJ actually defends having criminal illegal immigrants vote:
Did he, or didn’t he?
Fat Boy up north says he has freed Jeffery Fowle after repeated requests from Obama. I haven’t seen much on the President engaging NK on any of the three current prisoners. No diplomats sent in, outside of Ambassador Rodman.
http://news.yahoo.com/n-korea-says-kim-jong-un-freed-us-111910638.html
Could Tubby just be saying Obama capitulated, and released Fowle on his own? Curious case…
So the ACTUAL statement remains. Unanswered or even addressed by Leon of the Shiny Belt:
“Must be difficult when you realize your “messiah” likes Mexicans more than Blacks, has no qualms about “people of color” dying of Ebola (notice no Whites have died in the US), and plays golf instead of doing things that might get more Blacks back to work.”
Leon claims the President has “done good things”. Okay, I’m not aware of any; but I’m not omniscient, so we’ll stipulate that he has done some good things since being elected.
Let’s try a different approach.
1. What has the President done to put more blacks back to work? Increase the importing illegal aliens, primarily of Hispanic ethnicity?
2. What has the President done to help poor people, and especially “people of color”, avoid Ebola or the new enterovirus apparently brought in with the flood of illegal alien children he had shuffled around the country and released? Besides sending thousands of reservists without hazmat suits to West Africa, I mean.
3. What has the President done to calm racial tensions in places like Ferguson, MO? Besides ignore it rather studiously.
Meanwhile, as the Nobel Peace Laureate is shown on TV yucking it up on the links after an American is brutally murdered, another pair of desperately ill people are pulled off a plane from West Africa in Chicago, and ISIS is still beheading Americans.
Does President Obama hate American Blacks? The world wonders.
And yes, I was making fun of General Shinyt Belt, not “our” guy using the name. While, I have never heard of anyone committing a serious crime while wearing a reflective belt, I also disagreed with certain heavy-handed policies…
HOWEVER, I would like to learn more about why I should cut Barry some slack. So I hope our Leon does take the time to answer.
BREAKING NEWS: Shooters at Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Canada
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/23/world/americas/canada-parliament-gunfire.html?_r=1
Meanwhile, back in NYC, someone has uncovered the secret to long life: http://nypost.com/2014/10/22/850-people-officially-over-164-years-old-nyc-board-of-elections/
Bullshyt, Denny. Don’t spread your lies here.
There are no guns in Canada and there are no Jihadists because it is a diverse and tolerant multicultural paradise.
Hard to answer some of your questions with the prepositions inserted in them. ONCE AGAIN – you are approaching me as if I support Obammy. I DO NOT.
Obama signed the new Stolen Valor Act – I suppose it’s because he hates the troops. There’s one. It’s minor but it suffices to prove my assertion. You have access to google just as I do, but I doubt you’ll bother. I also doubt any answers here will make any difference.
1. What has the President done to put more blacks back to work? Increase the importing illegal aliens, primarily of Hispanic ethnicity?
First and foremost I’ve never understood the theory that the president (any president) creates jobs. I cannot find it in his job description. What are you, socialist?
2. What has the President done to help poor people, and especially “people of color”, avoid Ebola or the new enterovirus apparently brought in with the flood of illegal alien children he had shuffled around the country and released? Besides sending thousands of reservists without hazmat suits to West Africa, I mean.
Are you joking? People of color are dying from Ebola? In the US? Name ONE.
3. What has the President done to calm racial tensions in places like Ferguson, MO? Besides ignore it rather studiously.
Let’s say he got involved. I can only imagine the results from that. I think you can too.
Meanwhile, as the Nobel Peace Laureate is shown on TV yucking it up on the links after an American is brutally murdered, another pair of desperately ill people are pulled off a plane from West Africa in Chicago, and ISIS is still beheading Americans.
Life grinds to an immediate halt when even one American is killed anywhere in the world.
Tell me who could be the president (choose whoever you like) who could be preventing ISIS from doing such things. Arguably, we created ISIS. We might have been better off with Saddam, for all his faults.
Does President Obama hate American Blacks? The world wonders.
How quickly we forget, he’s half white.
All criticisms noted. What would YOU do to fix these issues? Just the top three will suffice.
Leon Laporte, let me help you…
Setnaffadork comes from a Korean angle and GOP/race angle. Although most ethnic S. Koreans in America can vote democratic or for Obama, Setnaffa hasn’t ever been able to see past the blackness, even the 50% or thereabouts of which can be found in Obama.
Just for a moment he pretends to care about blacks(people of color) and those(blacks) in Ferguson, MO. FYI, he’s gone off the deep end, nearly as far as CH. You see Setnaffadork, Obama helps Americans, not just “blacks,” And, if Obama would just help “blacks” then you’d be pissing in your beer just like CH, except CH(like Hitler) would also pee in his consumed crystal meth/rock cocaine and 70+ other drugs, including feces pills of soldiers.
Relevant for all concerned: http://www.journalism.org/2014/10/21/political-polarization-media-habits/
Nice dodge, Teadrinker… er… Glans… er… Tbone… er… Leon,
– “First and foremost I’ve never understood the theory that the president (any president) creates jobs. I cannot find it in his job description. What are you, sociialist?”
The question was not about creating jobs. The question was why, with today’s shrinking wages and high unemployment, is Obama pushing so hard to bring into the workforce a sizable percentage of non-Americans who will take jobs at lower wages.
Because these non-Americans are primarily low-skill/no-skill workers being introduced into an economy that has lost many of its low-skill/no-skill jobs to developing nations filled with no-skill/low-skill workers, this policy is likely to affect those lowest on the social scale… which is already setting records with needs for government assistance.
This is not necessarily a racial issue unless someone wants it to be… as it is primarily one of economics.
But, in response to your dodge… yes, it IS in the president’s job description to create jobs… especially after making that description himself in months and months of campaigning with empty slogans like “Let’s put this country back to work.”
Beyond that, there is an implied understanding that creating jobs is in the President’s job description because poll after survey after study shows the number one concern of about 90% of American voters is the economy.
Leon, your criticisms of people who complain about petty or manufactured issues is valid… but this is neither petty nor manufactured nor wrong. Consider being more selective on which fights you want to pick.
– “What has the President done to calm racial tensions in places like Ferguson, MO?”
– “Besides ignore it rather studiously. Let’s say he got involved. I can only imagine the results from that. I think you can too.”
Well, let’s consider this. If he had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin… and he apologized and held the “beer summit” after making inflammatory comments about a white police officer arresting a black professor. In both cases, his “leadership” inflamed the situation along racial lines and, in Trayvon Martin’s case, gave credibility and support to the side that based their arguments on race rather than science.
But that does not mean he should not have some involvement in this by demonstrating some “leadership”. As his speaking has high credibility within the black community, he needs to lead them in the right direction. He needs to explain that rioting is unacceptable and there is a fair investigation being conducted under the eyes of his administration. When the results are released, regardless of what they are, as Americans, they must be accepted within the legal framework. Burning, looting, and revenge attacks are not acceptable forms of protest or appeal.
This is leadership. This is NOT what Obama is doing. He could. But he can’t or won’t.
So, yes, I can imagine what could happen if Obama got involved and used his status in the black community to displace the poison of the usual gang of racist black “leaders”… the first tier of which has been staying uncharacteristically distant from this situation.
Again, Leon, pick your fights… as this is not an issue Obama is beyond criticism on.
“Life grinds to an immediate halt when even one American is killed anywhere in the world.
Tell me who could be the president (choose whoever you like) who could be preventing ISIS from doing such things. ”
Nobody is expecting Obama to prevent these murders. They are expecting an appropriate public response.
The murders by ISIS are extraordinary due to their purpose and international exposure… and they require an extraordinary response. While it is highly likely there is much work behind the scenes to solve this problem, Obama is the face of America and everyone looks to him for guidance. While there may be no operational difference between giving a stern speech or playing a joyful round of golf, his actions are equivalent to farting in church… perhaps not the end of the world… but a highly-observed classless move by a too-often classless president (further examples available upon request),
Once again, Leon, defending this lack of decency is not a fight you should pick.
If someone accuses Obama of not being an American citizen, being a communist, being a Muslim, or other petty polarized bias, you have grounds for a good argument… and you should go after them.
But your current arguments in support of Obama are not sincere at all… and they are likely quite wrong… though you are welcome to quote anything I wrote and refute my facts or my reasoning if you disagree.
I do not really disagree. As you yourself admit, there may be much going on behind the scenes. No one (sane) can claim Obama hasn’t taken the fight to the enemy. He’s been responsible for killing a whole lot of his fellow Muslims. I don’t care if he was on the golf course, Camp David, or the Crawford Ranch for that matter, while it was happening.
For all I know, he’s got handlers telling him to play golf in order to show others they that are not even worthy of concern. We know previous presidents have sometimes used such ploys.
I find it hard to believe the lifer, behind the scenes folks (you know, the ones whom usually shit all over every well intentioned candidates promises once he takes office by slapping them with reality and who really run things) are not advising – and that most of that advice is being heeded. Or, he very well may be a clueless dirtball. Regardless, the end result is the same.
I do believe he’s behind the 8-ball (pun intended). I also believe it’s a combination of his actual actions, his actions as perceived by the public – filtered through various flavors of media outlets, actions we do not/cannot know about, lack of action, and so forth. As usual, I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle and history will have to be the judge. I suspect you are probably right and his greatest legacy will be his being the first “black,” ahem, president. I also believe that is why he got the Nobel peace prize, but I do not think it reflected on him personally (nor do I think he in any way deserved it) nor do I believe it was really meant to. I suspect the Nobel committee, however misguided, may have been attempting to give an “atta-boy” to the US as a whole for electing a “black” president despite our ongoing and serious racial issues. They got excited and jumped the gun (another pun). Of course this makes the nuts salivate as well. Looking over the list of past winners, well, it doesn’t seem that much of a great club to be in. They should have presented it to the “American Electorate” or some-such.
Once again, the main blame falls on the two party’s for not coming up with real candidates, and us, the electorate, for allowing it to continue. But as long as the public continues to vote single or narrow issues, refuse to educate themselves soberly on the issues rather than being spoon-feed, lacks the understanding of compromise, and only vote for their own self interest I do not expect it to get better. The poison political atmosphere and big money will continue to keep the best of us from attempting to run for high office.
Seems I spent 2001-2008 making much the same arguments. Just change the Obama name to Bush.
—-
Now, where do I stand on some of these issues? (just off the top of my head)
Immigration: Close and control the borders and deport all illegal immigrants already in country unless they can show they have significantly contributed to the country (job, taxes, lack of criminal record, education, etc.). Disallow future illegals from ever applying for citizenship.
Create a system similar to New Zealand
http://www.new-zealand-immigration.com/visas-for-new-zealand/
to encourage skilled labor and reduce unskilled labor immigration.
Allow the opportunity to apply for immigration for anyone who can bring skills or attributes favorable and serve in the US military for a set time (say, 5 years). I think we might be able to accomplish this by allowing foreigners to take something like the ASVAB at our worldwide embassy’s and perhaps select something like the to 10 percent – but only according to the military’s needs, it’s not a jobs program.
Mandate English as the official language of the United States and all its government functions. English proficiency would also be a requirement for all immigrants, perhaps with a probationary period (2 years?).
Military: Re-create the WAV’s, WAC’s etc in the services. Move the women currently in the regular armed forces to those new branches to form the professional cadre – with equal standards to men. This will eliminate many issues in the military almost immediately. Bar women from direct combat roles – except or unless we face a threat to national security were the majority of enemy combatants are themselves women. Boys are boys and girls are girls – no rule or reg can change nature.
All military equipment and components integral to national security must be designed and produced domestically by US citizens and US companies. Base contract awards on performance vs. cost rather than blanket “lowest bidder.” Reign in the subcontractor scam.
Education: Compulsory public education K-12 – for everyone, rich and poor. Being at least minimally educated is a burden of citizenship. Perhaps introduce curriculum geared toward the strengths of each student – in other words, not everyone is going to be, or needs to be a doctor or lawyer. Create a national service program with a service length of 2 years (similar to the WPA) to rebuild our infrastructure. After which, if academic prerequisites are attained – government paid college or technical/trade school – depending once again on demonstrated aptitude. All this contributes to the general welfare and is tantamount to maintaining a functional democracy and economy.
Welfare: Included in this WPA type program would be the elimination of welfare as we know it. Those who were unable to find work would be put to work, doing something – even menial labor, in order to collect pay. Offer education for these individuals as well as long as they can maintain academic standards. No one in the United States of America would be denied healthcare. A nation is gauged by how it treats its weakest and poorest. There will always be poor folks.
Tax code: Simplify the tax code to such an extent that the aforementioned least educated citizens with a 12th grade education can complete their taxes with pencil, paper and a calculator. I would possibly be willing to explore other options as well – national sales tax, etc. It could additionally be automated more thereby eliminating vast amounts of bureaucrats in the IRS. To that end, eliminate all taxes of federal employees and the military. Simply determine how much they pay on their base pay and lower base pay by that amount. They would only file taxes on other income.
Gun control: Not a federal issue. The constitution has already addressed the issue.
Abortion: No restrictions. It’s between the woman and her God. It is not the governments business. God will deal with her – or it won’t. People of faith can take comfort in that while the state allows women the freedom we so highly tout.
Crime: Eliminate for profit prisons. This is inherently a function of the state. Legalize drugs – it will sort itself out. We live in a free country not a nanny state, and this is about personal responsibility. Pardon and release all non-violent drug offenders.
Put the police back to serving the public and guaranteeing public safety and protection rather than functioning as armed revenue collectors.
Eliminate corporate person-hood status: If a corporation cannot go to jail or be executed, it isn’t a person. In other words, a corporation, or any other entity, cannot reap the benefits of being a person if it cannot be sanctioned in the same way a person can be when it is guilty of wrong doing.
Eliminate corporate subsides/welfare: If a business cannot pay its workers enough that they cannot survive without a government stipend to the employee, it is a failed business model.
Election law: Eliminate big money from politics, period. Perhaps an arbitrary maximum contribution of $50’s per person, per year, per candidate (and only candidates in your own voting district). Outlaw paid lobbyists. Every citizen should be equal.
Eliminate gerrymandered districts. Redraw them according to original voting districts when the state was accepted into the union, where possible.
Eliminate the electoral college – it is an anachronism from another time.
Any candidate with a reasonable number of signatures gets equal opportunity to be on the ballet. We have the technology to do this quite easily and it would end the Demo/Repub monopoly. The two party system has failed us spectacularly.
Require a state or federally issued photo ID in order to vote. For low income individuals such ID’s would be provided at no cost.
Consider mandatory voting law similar to Australia. No one would actually be forced to vote, only show up – to this end, offer a “none of the above” lever. It would register their participation in the process even if they chose to vote for no one.
Disallow foreign persons or entities from having more than a 20% (total) stake or controlling interest in any US media organization whose primary business is dissemination of public news.
Energy: Eliminate reliance of foreign sources. All sources would be on the table, yes, even oil.
There, that should be enough make everyone happy (in some cases) and piss everyone off (in others). LOL
Welcome back, Leon.
I would push you as a write-in candidate for president in 2016…
…but it would suck if that happened and Leon Laporte became president.
Nonetheless, this was the writing of the Leon I love… and not the one Tom has been using as a host body for some time.
Leon Laporte:”Relevant for all concerned.”
Not so sir, it only pertains to extreme rightests/GOP extremists who don’t even consider the left or watch liberal news and liberals who watch both left and right news. The biggest reason you’re incorrect or that it isn’t “relevant for all” is that there isn’t any mention of Independents which I am. So, go F*** yourself with “all concerned.”
Leon, you’re lazy to simply or only say “I think there are plenty of examples of that type of behavior on both sides.”
You lump them together and ignore the fact that the GOP has been far worse for too long.
On another but current note…
A Million Ways to Die in the U.S.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNanZytZ6Yw
Part II – “We Must to Everything We Can to Save American Lives”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DokxYGxBaoI
Canadian Prime Minister Has Come Out Of The Closet
…not really relevant to anything but it makes a headline worth sharing.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2806433/Canadian-Prime-Minister-hid-CUPBOARD-15-minutes-MPs-sharpened-flagpoles-use-spears-against-gunman.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
Tbone: “The biggest reason you’re incorrect or that it isn’t “relevant for all” is that there isn’t any mention of Independents which I am.”
Hmmm… a dependent Independent? I always thought he was a Dim-o-crat or a Fibbertarian.
I would shudder to think that Tbone was a libertarian. Although libertarians typically have a “do as thou will attitude,” it is usually followed up with a “just don’t do it to me.” As in “don’t expect to only collect taxes from half of America and then make it up by taking even more from the rich”, or “don’t label my speech as hatred and try to have it silenced simply because I disagree with your point of view.”
I don’t think Tbone is in favor of cutting out any government programs except for the military (which he seems to have a hate-on for.) He certainly does ascribe to the “if you can’t beat ’em, they must be racist” mantra.
That’s my take on it anyways.
I guess the truth is no single party’s principle beliefs can work in every situation. Some issues may require a more conservative approach. Some may need a gentler, liberal touch. I tend to believe traditional conservatism (not so much of the social variety) is the way to go in most situations though, as we have seen what “compassionate conservatism” and then “fundamentally changing” America have brought us.
What is the solution?
Eliminate socialist snow plows. Let the free market decide.
Leon,
Obviously, as we have discussed numerous times, there are certain essential services that are better performed by the state like public safety.
Perhaps you are referring to mayor de Blasio’s redistribution of snow plow services earlier this year in NYC.
Here’s a dubious honor. Manila International is no longer the world’s worst airport. 🙄