Gorsuch Swearing-In Today; Terror Attacks in Egypt, Sweden; Big Asteroid Passing by Earth: A.M. Links

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  NASA

  Neil Gorsuch will be sworn in to the Supreme Court today.

• A state of emergency was declared in Egypt after at least 45 people were killed in two bombings of Coptic churches on Palm Sunday.
• The prime minister of Sweden says his country will "never go back" to 2015 immigration levels after a failed Uzbeki asylum-seeker killed four people after driving a truck into a crowd in Stockholm.
• Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says China and the U.S. agree on the threat posed by North Korea and that something should be done about it.
• Leaders of the G-7 nations meet today in Italy, where they are expected to discuss a united front on Russia and the war in Syria.
• Buzzfeed is suing the FBI over the release of records on Andrew Breitbart.
• A big asteroid will be passing close to Earth.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Neil Gorsuch will be sworn in to the Supreme Court today.

In a radioactive ceremony.

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

"And another thing, Neil, FUCK YOU! You're in."

[AlmightyJB]

Obligatory

https://youtu.be/OtJmVDoY904

[Fist of Etiquette]

A big asteroid will be passing close to Earth.

Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis, you're up!

[Rufus The Monocled]

Hello.

If anything for the Reason archives.

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

A state of emergency was declared in Egypt after at least 45 people were killed in two bombings of Coptic churches on Palm Sunday.

How about that for War on Cops?

[Zeb]

Boo!

[Libertarian]

Bomb Sunday

[Fist of Etiquette]

These comments are the kinds of thing that drove everyone away.

[Libertarian]

Puns drove them away?

Making fun of Christian holidays drove them away?

I was told it was the cosmotarian writers who drove them away.

[Fist of Etiquette]

That can't be. I'm as yokel as they come and I'm still here.

[Entropy Drehmaschine Void]

Why can't it be both?

[Zeb]

Booo!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says China and the U.S. agree on the threat posed by North Korea and that something should be done about it.

Uh-huh.

[colorblindkid]

Even China has gotta be worried about how unstable Kim Jung Un is, even by North Korean standards.

[Libertarian]

Nevertheless, how nice for China that the U.S. has announced that it's prepared to take "unilateral" action. Pressure is off.

[Bee Tagger]

A big asteroid will be passing close to Earth.

Rubber-necker

[Bee Tagger]

Neil Gorsuch will be sworn in to the Supreme Court today.

Better headline would use the words: "at by"

[Mike Laursen]

I had a hyper-progressive commenter on Quora tell me why he considers Gorusch unqualified for the position. Reasons given: Gorusch, presumably, supports Trump and Gorusch's mother is a known conservative.

[Meh.]

Don't forget that he also hates disabled children! (they don't make their point until the third from last paragraph)

Seriously though, maybe reason already covered it and I missed it, but can someone who understands legal-ese explain to me how Gorsuch's ruling was different from the Supreme Court's? It sounds like they're both saying that progress goals should be agreed upon and set on an individual basis by the teachers and the schools... is it that Gorsuch was saying that just some progress towards the goals would be okay, but the SC is saying the goals must be met?

[Fist of Etiquette]

The prime minister of Sweden says his country will "never go back" to 2015 immigration levels after a failed Uzbeki asylum-seeker killed four people after driving a truck into a crowd in Stockholm.

All it takes is one traffic accident for everyone to find his inner Trump?

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

It's those Assault Clip Gas Tank Attachments; what we need here is reasonable regulations on assault clip gas tanks and total automobile tonnage.

[Bee Tagger]

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says China and the U.S. agree on the threat posed by North Korea and that something should be done about it

I think its about time the Left pivots and accuses China of hacking the election. I mean, get a room already, you two.

[Jerryskids]

What's a teroid?

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

Sweden's rectal situation right now. It's spelled "terroroid"

[Fist of Etiquette]

"...and begging your pardon, sir, but it's a big asky."

[Free Society]

The prime minister of Sweden says his country will "never go back" to 2015 immigration levels after a failed Uzbeki asylum-seeker killed four people after driving a truck into a crowd in Stockholm.

Does anyone really think the crime, terrorism and social disintegration would be just the same if they were taking in Estonians and Belgians like they do Muslim migrants? Could it possibly be that immigrants from some groups are preferable to immigrants from other groups? No can't be, something something collectivism.

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

This is what rankles me about certain libertarian notions. It IS possible to have a land of freedom for individuals, and ALSO import immutable collectivists with ideals contrary to the principles of freedom.

[Zeb]

Your use of the word "import" sort of hits on what I see as a major cause of the problems.

I'm a pretty "open borders" guy. If someone can make it somewhere where someone wants to give them work or a place to stay, then they should be allowed there (with some safeguards to help screen out people with dangerous diseases or who are up to no good). I would not call that kind of immigration "importing" people in any sense. But when you open up your country and welfare system to large numbers of immigrants who are very motivated to get out of their own crappy countries, you really are importing people, either directly or through incentives. And I think that's where you get the major problems that are really starting to change things in Europe. There are tons of people with nothing going on, without any real stake in things or connection to the dominant culture (and to varying degrees hostility to the dominant culture).

[Libertarian]

Not that I've scoured the Internet with searches, but I find the folks at Lew Rockwell (for example) a bit confusing on immigration. They endlessly scream that the "State" is evil, individuals are sovereign, etc. They (with reason) worship Rothbard who was in favor of privatizing everything from lighthouses to police and judges. So I don't understand how they can argue for forcefully keep another human being from walking across an artificial, state-created border.

My bottom line question: is there a philosophically libertarian argument out there somewhere that justifies nation-state border control?

[$park? leftist poser]

Would it be possible for a collection of libertarians to pool their resources to purchase land that they don't develop or do anything else with? If so, who owns the land and who gets to determine what is done with it?

[Free Society]

There's no philosophical libertarian argument about government roads having a speed limits. Nonetheless, since the state has virtually monopolized ownership and rule-making for roads, they have some duty to impose rules in lieu of abrogating that responsibility altogether and creating a situation of mandatory chaos.

Like with immigration, since the state has usurped free association rights and has gone about stealing people's wealth and giving it to anyone with a pulse, they do have some ill-begotten duty to set rules for immigration.

Read Hans Hoppe for an in depth argument in favor immigration restrictions as a means of halting the progress of a bad situation to one that is worse.

[Not a True MJG]

Libertarianism demands state-determined speed limits? I haven't read that manifesto.

[Free Society]

Maybe you missed the very first sentence.

[Not a True MJG]

Then in the next sentence you claim there is a duty to set speed limits.

[Free Society]

I didn't say it was a libertarian duty. Libertarian philosophy also doesn't give much input on the issue of whether or not a kidnapper should feed his captives. Libertarian philosophy says you shouldn't kidnap and that's the end of that story. Whether or not you should make that situation even less ethical by starving your victim is matter for more basic ethics and practicality.

[Agammamon]

Well, it certainly doesn't help when you treat those collectivists with kid gloves and actually blame the native population for 'riling them up' whenever they get frisky.

I mean, I support open immigration. I don't support 'let 'em do whatever they want - its *us* who's in the wrong whenever there's a conflict' style domestic policies regarding said immigrants.

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

In my measure, it is really quite simple.

Which do you care for the most: Something you had to work and wait for, or something you are given?

[Zeb]

That's a big part of what I was getting at above. An immigrant who comes to a place to work and improve their life is probably going to be an asset to society. An immigrant or refugee who comes because you have the best welfare package to offer, who knows?

[jack sprat]

^this

[Rhywun]

When you've lost Sweden....

[Zeb]

No, I don't think anyone actually believes that.

[simplybe]

I propose giving N Korea to China then bringing our troops home. Seriously folks Asia, Russia, the middle East, Africa, Europe and Central/South America are not our concerns. The northern hemisphere is. As long as no one attacks the US, Canada or Mexico we should butt the hell out. The second point I would like to make is this. Why are you so willing to die for a idea or a country when you work all your life and then that country taxes you on Federal, State and City levels along with property, sales and school taxes. They monitor your phone calls, emails and social media sites. They have a files on every citizen in the country. They make and enforce laws that the majority don't want or never voted for. We have the largest prison population in the world and some of the most crooked politicians. So please tell me again why you want to die in some god forsaken desert to shove our way of life down some goat herders throat. And please keep your love it or leave it crap to yourselves.

[$park? leftist poser]

Seriously folks Asia, Russia, the middle East, Africa, Europe and Central/South America are not our concerns. The northern hemisphere is.

All of the places you mention are in the northern hemisphere.

[Agammamon]

https://youtu.be/V8lT1o0sDwI?t=22

[Libertarian]

Except for that, though, well said.

[Agammamon]

I propose not 'giving' them to anyone and just leaving. Let S Korea deal with it.

[Rhywun]

China doesn't want North Korea anyway. Oh, they don't having them as a client state but only so long as the Koreans stay where they are and don't go too crazy. Kim Jr is violating the 2nd stipulation pretty badly even for China.

[$park? leftist poser]

They monitor your phone calls, emails and social media sites. They have a files on every citizen in the country. They make and enforce laws that the majority don't want or never voted for.

You're pretty clearly underestimating the ambivalence of the majority of your fellow citizens. You're also overestimating the number of people who 'don't want or never voted for' quite a few of laws "we" don't like.

But maybe I'm just a pessimist.

[DJF]

"""and the war in Syria.""

Yes its a war in Syria, we still have not figured out who we are at war in Syria

[Entropy Drehmaschine Void]

Yes its a war in Syria, we still have not figured out who we are at war in Syria

Eastasia?

Hasn't it always been Eastasia?

[Libertarian]

When a news story features a store called the "Armegeddon Gun Shop" you know things won't end well.

"The manhunt for a suspect accused of stealing firearms from a gun store and writing a 161-page manifesto to President Trump put many Wisconsin schools on alert Monday amid the frantic search.

In the manifesto from Joseph Jakubowski, 32, he threatened to unleash his stolen weapons on schools and public officials, as well as expressing anti-religious views, according to the Rock County Sheriff's Office."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017.....earch.html

[$park? leftist poser]

On Thursday, investigators met with an individual who claimed to know Jakubowski. The "associate" stated Jakubowski had expressed interest in stealing firearms and desired to "save everyone by taking out one politician at a time".
...
The Rock County Sheriff's Office says that in the manifesto Jakubowski wrote about a disregard and disrespect for public officials and law enforcement, even calling both "agents of the 1% who enslave and keep the population down."

I wonder how schools figure into this.

[Rhywun]

disregard and disrespect for public officials and law enforcement, even calling both "agents of the 1% who enslave and keep the population down

Technically right is the best kind of right - even when you're otherwise insane.

[pan fried wylie]

Stopped clocks, etc

[dschwar]

Does anyone know why Buzzfeed wanted the FBI records on Andrew Breitbart in the first place? What kinds of "criminal" offenses did Buzzfeed think Breitbart was up to? Or does Buzzfeed just submit FOIA requests to the FBI on anyone who has more than 100 Twitter followers?

[chemjeff]

Buzzfeed exists to dig up dirt on people. So of course they are going to go after a guy like Breitbart.

[Domestic Dissident]

I see that "Crusty Juggler" / "Citizen X" is off work today.

By all means though, please keep right in pretending you're two different guys, you stupid fucking douchebag. You're really fooling everyone.

[Zeb]

Shut the fuck up, Tulpa.

[Domestic Dissident]

It's silly enough to have more than one account, but honestly, think about how much of a complete and total pathetic loser you have to be to carry on extended conversations with yourself under different screen names all the time.

[$park? leftist poser]

Maybe you could get together with Free Society and go play in traffic.

[Free Society]

Look's like Sparky has a little boner for me.

[$park? leftist poser]

Um, maybe if 'boner' means 'thinks you're a raging idiot'.

[Free Society]

Maybe. I think you're just obsessed. You shouldn't make such a show of it though, people might find out what a loser you are.

[$park? leftist poser]

Donuts and pie.

[$park? leftist poser]

I wonder if there's anyone left in existence who doesn't think you're completely insane.

[Ken Shultz]

"The prime minister of Sweden says his country will "never go back" to 2015 immigration levels after a failed Uzbeki asylum-seeker killed four people after driving a truck into a crowd in Stockholm."

Anybody else remember Sweden's former prime minister tweeting that Trump must have been "smoking something" for suggesting that Sweden might be having security problems because of immigration?

http://thehill.com/homenews/ad.....en-smoking

No one in MSM remembers. Why would they?

[Ken Shultz]

Incidentally, wild swings in policy is what you get without intellectual honesty.

Why not acknowledge that there are problems and make your case anyway?

And it isn't just about terrorism and asylum seekers.

The drug war, ObamaCare, global warming, Second Amendment rights, opposing Trump's missile attack in Syria, you name it. If you can't see and admit to any downside in one of your positions, you're probably doing your cause a lot of harm.

Maybe the Second Amendment increases the success rate of suicide attempts, but I support our Second Amendment rights anyway. If the data starts showing AGW is a serious problem, I'll still oppose authoritarian and socialist solutions anyway. There's no need to dig in our heels and reject any data. Make it all about the data, and what are you going to do if new and convincing data becomes available tomorrow?

Say that people must be smoking something to think Sweden has a problem with Muslim asylum seekers, and that's a sure fire way to make them slam the door on Muslims in the future--if and when there's a terrorist attack.

Who thought it was possible to make Trump seem credible? It's easier than you think. All it takes is a little intellectual dishonesty.

[pan fried wylie]

All it takes is a little intellectual dishonesty.

Always a losing move in a contest with non-intellect. Sure, you can muddy the waters against an honest argument (if that's what you want to call winning, and the dishonest tend to), but Trump completely side-steps that attack by having no argument in the first place.

It'd be pure brilliance, if it was intentional.