Open Thread – Page 235 – Politics Plus

Open Thread August 16, 2022

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:58 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 162022

Yesterday, I felt much better than I did Sunday – so much beter that I was able to move tuff on the porch around a little more, and sweep off somw of the dust and dried leaves.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Conversation – War in Ukraine highlights the growing strategic importance of private satellite companies – especially in times of conflict
Quote – My research focuses on international cooperation in satellite Earth observations, including the role of the private sector. While experts have long known that satellite imagery is useful during a conflict, the war in Ukraine has shown that commercial satellite data can make a decisive difference – informing both military planning as well as the public view of a war. Based on the strategic value commercial satellite imagery has held during this war, I believe it is likely that more nations will be investing in private satellite companies.
Click through for more information. This does change things.

The Daily Beast – Why Putin’s Private Army Is Snatching Kids From Their Moms
Quite – Four witnesses told The Daily Beast that large numbers of children had been seen in gold and diamond mines controlled by the Wagner Group since a spate of massacres killed scores if not hundreds of artisan mine workers—and forced many more to flee—in the Central African Republic (CAR). “I counted up to 20 children in a gold mine controlled by Russian fighters near Bambari [in the central part of the country],” Sylvestre, a 27-year-old artisanal miner based in Bambari, told The Daily Beast. “One of those I saw is someone here in Bambari whose mother had said he had been kidnapped by Russian soldiers.”
Click through for full story. Who does Russia think it is? Alabama?

Food For Thought

Video Thread 8/15/22

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:16 pm Open Thread, Politics

Aug 152022

Glenn Kirschner – Search warrant shows Trump’s classified documents crimes. It’s time to hold him accountable

Meidas Touch – BREAKING: Top Republicans lie and claim NUCLEAR SECRETS ‘planted at Mar-a-Lago’ and NOT A BIG DEAL

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party Augugt 9, 2022

No Dem Left Behind – The U.S. Economy is Doing Great Globally…

MSNBC – News from Mallory McMorrow – “What Happened In Kansas Is Going To Happen Here In Michigan.”

Beau – Let’s talk about China extending their exercises….

Open Thread August 15, 2022

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:04 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 152022

Yesterday, I finally got to see Virgil. He had a new haircut and is looking good. I unfortunately had to leave early, but I didn’t feel terribly bad about that because this facility has a 7 and a half hour visiting day, and the longest anywhere else is six hours – the last one had only a 3 hour partial day, and I stayed long enough to exceed that. The reason for my leaving was a pain which I have always called a stitch in the side, but in looking ut up, I see that a side stitch is abdominal, and mine is not that – it is definitely above my waist. It is connected to the diaphragm somehow, because a deep breath temporarily worsens it. But it’s not exercise related – unless moving a couple of small tables is considered exercise – I certainly wouldn’t consider it so. It requires noticeable effort for me because of my miscellaneous mobility issues, but exercise? No. Whatever it is, it responded to ice and compression. A couple of other aches were also acting up, though not as badly, so after sending the weekly email I took a break.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Conversation – Faced with a rise of extremism within its ranks, the US military has clamped down on racist speech, including retweets and likes
Quote – A blue ribbon committee called the Countering Extremist Activity Working Group was quickly commissioned in April 2021 to evaluate the extent of the problem. The group found about 100 substantiated cases of extremism in the U.S. armed forces in 2021. The latest instance occurred in July 2022, when Francis Harker, a National Guard member with white supremacist connections, was sentenced to four years in prison for planning an anti-government attack on police. Harker, who carried a picture saying “there is no God but Hitler,” was planning to attack police officers in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with Molotov cocktails and semi-automatic rifles.
Click through for story. It has always been necessary for anyone serving in the military -an anyone employed by the Government in any way – to limit heir use of free speech. Back in the day, however, the concern was that someone might mistake personal views for government policy. Now the concern is that worng use of free speech could get spmeone killed – or the government overthrown. Of course the military must clamp down. Hate speech IMO is not part of appropriate free speech.

Demoocratic Underground (Our 5 Eyes Program Has Been Compromised.)
Quote – Some of the documents retrieved [from Mar-a-Lago] were revealed to be SIGINT intelligence which is what 5 eyes falls under. Donald Trump is a threat to our national security and needs to be indicted sooner rather than later. The International press is shocked at this scandal unlike some of the press in the US.
CLick through for the short article, and/”or here for the background on FYEV

Food For Thought

Video Thread 8/14/22

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:48 am Open Thread, Politics

Aug 142022

Glenn Kirschner – Georgia DA Willis destroys Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to weasel out of testifying about Trump’s crimes

Meidas Touch – Teenager CRIMINALLY CHARGED after Facebook TURNS OVER Private Messages

The Lincoln Project – Getting Sh*t Done

The Ring of Fire – Child Slave Labor Uncovered At Alabama Hyundai Facility

MSNBC – Lawrence: ‘Merrick Garland Has Outsmarted Donald Trump At Every Turn’ – The Last Word

Beau – Let’s talk about a weird story out of Michigan…. (Sounds to me like a textbook recusal)

Open Thread August 14, 2022

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:45 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 142022

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Almira” by Georg Friedrich Händel. It was his first, and he was so young when he wrote it that the libretto was in German (which is why I used the German spelling of his name – He was in fact 19), with recitatives in Italian (because he was at the time in Italy, studying Italian opera). The Early Music Society of Boston presented it in Bremen. It was 4 hours 30 munites long (in 1705 they didn’t have many other forms of entertainment to choose from or take up their time.) It’s about three couples, where the men are in love with the wrong women, and it’s complicated by Almira’s father’s dying wish, but everything gets sorted out at the end, through a twist much like Figaro’s birthmark. The music seems quite mature. The human brain may not fully develop until about the age of 25, but it appears that talent and creativity develop faster than logic and reason. If that’s an excuse for poor choices made by our ancestors, particularly in the areas of politics and gocernment, it should be no excuse for us. We live longer, and know better. But I digress. In 1712 Handel arrived in London, preceding George I by two years, where he remained the rest of his life, becoming a naturalized British citizen as George Frederick Handel. King George I latched on to him (as had Queen Anne) – though he had 6 opera coompanies, he also did a lot of work for the throne. There was a popular little verse abou him (similar to being a subjet of a meme today): “Some say compared to Bononcini that Mynheer Handel’s but a ninny. Other aver that he to Handel is scarcely fit to hold a candle. Strange that such difference should be twixt Tweedledum and Tweedledee.” As you see, it had a more lasting impact on the languange than most such verses Also (burying the lede), I got an email response confirming my visit to Virgil who is now in Pueblo (much closer). So I’ll be late commenting.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Robert Reich – The Worst Memo in American History
Quote – We almost take for granted big corporate money in American politics. But it started with the Powell memo. In 1971, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce asked Lewis Powell, then an attorney in Richmond, Virginia (and future Supreme Court justice) to report on the political activities of the Left. Richard Nixon was still president, but the Chamber (along with some prominent Republicans like Powell) worried about the Left’s effects on “free enterprise.” … Powell urged businesses to mobilize for political combat.
Click through for what and why. The United States Chamber of Commerce is not your friend. This was the start of the path to Citizens United.

The New Yorker – State Legislatures Are Torching Democracy
Quote – Longtime Ohio politicians have been shocked by the state’s transformation into a center of extremist legislation, not just on abortion but on such divisive issues as guns and transgender rights. Ted Strickland, a Democrat who served as governor between 2007 and 2011, told me, “The legislature is as barbaric, primitive, and Neanderthal as any in the country. It’s really troubling.” When he was governor, he recalled, the two parties worked reasonably well together, but politics in Ohio “has changed.”
Click through for full reporting. Jane Mayer is very good at this, and in fact Steve Schmidt recommended this article. The trend may not surprise you, but how far it has come and how fast may.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 8/13/22

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:41 am Open Thread, Politics

Aug 132022

In Thursday’s video thread, the video from Beau was called “Let’s talk about an important message from New York. In case anyone missed it, that message was “Polio is back.” He goes into much more detail, of course.

Glenn Kirschner – Donald Trump takes the 5th, while the FBI takes Republican Scott “Pardon Me” Perry’s cell phone.

Meidas Touch – BREAKING: Texas Paul REACTS to attack on FBI building in Ohio amid Republican Rhetoric

The Lincoln Project – Alike

MSNBC – Trump’s Raid Nightmare: The Feds Indicted The Powerful For Spilling State Secrets

Al Franken – The Case for Prosecuting Trump (Preaching to the choir? Sure.Preaching for the choir to sing louder, add some trumpets, drums, and cymbals to the mix. And take that to the voting booth.)

Beau – Let’s talk about Pelosi’s Taiwan trip….

Open Thread August 13, 2022

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:47 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 132022

Yesterday, I was hoping for a sort of calm day – but no such luck. I found out Virgil has been moved again, and did not reach anyone to confirm whether I may visit Sunday (I sent an email, and receuived an automated out-of-office message after 5 pm.) So I’ll need to follow up on that today. We shall see. I worked off some of the frustration by rearranging a couple of small tables,which doesn’t sound like a lot of exertion – but was for me. (one was heavier than it looks.)

Cartoon – (Yes, there’s an offensive term here – but TC’s point was tha Republicans ARE offensive.

Short Takes –

Mother Jones – An Obscure Law Is Sending Oklahoma Mothers to Prison in Droves. We Reviewed 1.5 Million Cases to Learn More.
Quote – In Oklahoma, failure to protect is the only child abuse charge levied predominantly against women, and it is disproportionately charged against women of color. People charged with the crime there are less likely to have a previous felony record than defendants in firsthand child abuse cases—a sign of just how much more dangerous abusers are than those accused of failing to stand in the way of their abuse. Since 2009, when the latest version of the state’s law went into effect, at least 139 women have been imprisoned solely for failure-to-protect charges. At least 55 are still incarcerated.
Click through for details. Actual failure to protect arguably should be punishable. But the way this law is administered appears to me to be proof that, like abortion bans, the law is not about protection of chilren but rather is a tool to control women.

Crooks and Liars – Bannon Goes There: ‘Deep State May Try To Assassinate Trump’
Quote – Steve Bannon … joined the odious Sandy Hook denier Alex Jones’ BannedVideo podcast to “announce” that the deep state may want to try to assassinate Trump. “I do not think it’s beyond this administrative state and their Deep State apparatus to actually try to work on the assassination of President Trump. I think everything’s on the table. I think his security ought to be at the highest it’s ever been,” Bannon said
Click through for story. My instant reaction is “He’s become a liability, so they are going to assassinate him to start a Civil War.” And I didn’t have to go far down the comments before finding another person with a similar thought. So I actally agree with Steve on the security.

Bonus – Mother Jones has the actual warrant here

Food For Thought