A.M. Links: Trump and Putin Discuss North Korea, Oxfam Official Resigns Over Haiti Sex Abuse Scandal, Federal Jury Convicts Two Baltimore Cops of Racketeering

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  Gage Skidmore / Flickr.com

  President Donald Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday about stopping North Korea's nuclear program.

• The deputy chief executive of Oxfam has resigned over the sexual misconduct scandal involving Oxfam workers in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.
• A federal jury has convicted two Baltimore police officers of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, and robbery.
• South Africa's African National Congress is demanding the resignation of President Jacob Zuma over a widening corruption scandal.
• "The Senate's top Republican endorsed a plan Monday that would revamp immigration policy the way President Trump wants to, as senators began debating whether to grant permanent legal status to some young undocumented immigrants and bolster the nation's southern border security."
• The gunmaker Remington plans to declare bankruptcy.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

President Donald Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday about stopping North Korea's nuclear program.

Who was giving who that assignment?

[chemjeff]

The Deep State(tm).

[Rufus The Monocled]

Hello.

Trump spoke? Spoke to Putin?!

OMG!!!!!!! COLLUSION!!!!! WHEN WILL THE FBI IMPEACH HIM AND INSTALL HILLARY!!!!!?!?!

[Bee Tagger]

A federal jury has convicted two Baltimore police officers of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, and robbery.

The conspiracy, I assume, was that there wasn't racketeering going on?

[sarcasmic]

Their crime was keeping the loot for themselves. They could have done all the robbing legally under the guise of asset forfeiture, and nothing else would have happened.

[Citizen X - #6]

Still, they must have done something REALLY egregious to lose that blue line protection.

[sarcasmic]

The job of a police officer is to lie, cheat and steal. Thing is, when they steal they're supposed to give the loot to the department to pad the budget. By not giving the loot to the department they were stealing from the department, and that cannot be tolerated. Nobody gives a shit about them stealing from members of the public. All cops do that.

[sarcasmic]

Their mistake was going with a jury. Had they requested a bench trial they likely would have gotten off.

[ATXChappy]

Like sarcasmic said. They didn't share the loot with their compatriots. In other words, they weren't giving the godfather and his lieutenants (the government) their cut. Which is about the worst thing a mafia soldier can do.

[Jerryskids]

At least four of the officers in the case have admitted to committing crimes dating back to 2010 or earlier.

Former Detective Momodu Gondo said he did not fear getting caught.

"It was just part of the culture," Gondo testified.

Since Gondo is an admitted crooked cop, I'm sure we can safely assume he's lying about that "just part of the culture" remark, it's just what you would expect a lone bad apple to say.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The deputy chief executive of Oxfam has resigned over the sexual misconduct scandal involving Oxfam workers in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

Isn't that what the UN is for?

[Bee Tagger]

President Donald Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday about stopping North Korea's nuclear program.

Guys, I'm literally sitting right here, cheering on these speed skaters. There's like 50 of me, I can hear you.

[Conchfritters]

Is Chloe Kim chopped liver?

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

Fried kimchi?

[Fist of Etiquette]

A federal jury has convicted two Baltimore police officers of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, and robbery.

You're a real asshole, McNulty.

[Citizen X - #6]

A federal jury has convicted two Baltimore police officers of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, and robbery.

This is what's known as a good start.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Trump's Deregulation Has Had Little Economic Impact, Goldman Says
By
February 12, 2018, 12:54 PM EST

https://goo.gl/K8mrRN

another wingnut lie exposed.

I am still waiting for any evidence of "job killing regulashuns" other than the puny 1500 coal jobs that were temporarily added

[Deven]

Identifying its impact is challenging.

Also, find it hilarious that Goldman is all like, "These regulations don't do shit for anyone. Except us. Yes, de-regulate us so we can make more money".

If you weren't such a fucking retard you'd understand that Goldman likes other industries to be regulated because it is easier to lobby, predict, then game the system.

[Domestic Dissident]

Dipshit Dave Weigel is a world class Block Yomommatard who loves massive government and high regulations.

Also, he doesn't know jack-shit about finance and investing, despite his absurd schtick. All the money he has he got in royalties from his piece of shit rock and roll book.

[John]

"Identifying its impact is challenging" is just another way of saying they don't know.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Shut up Weigel.

[Sevo]

It would be interesting if they suggested where the causes lie, rather than simply saying 'we don't think it's that'.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

SILICON VALLEY'S TAX-AVOIDING, JOB-KILLING, SOUL-SUCKING MACHINE
A Dell computer may be powerful and fast, but it doesn't indicate membership in the innovation class as a MacBook Air does. Likewise, the iPhone is something more than a phone, or even a smartphone. Consumers aren't paying $1,000 for an iPhone X because they're passionate about facial recognition. They're signaling they make a good living, appreciate the arts, and have disposable income. It's a sign to others: If you mate with me, your kids are more likely to survive than if you mate with someone carrying an Android phone. After all, iPhone users on average earn 40 percent more than Android users. Mating with someone who is on the iOS platform is a shorter path to a better life. The brain, the heart, the large intestine, and the groin: By appealing to these four organs, the Four have entrenched their services, products, and operating systems deeply into our psyches. They've made us more discerning, more demanding consumers. And what's good for the consumer is good for society, right?

[Conchfritters]

*throws Nokia phone in the garbage

[Rhywun]

*vomits on keyboard, wipes it off, throws it in the garbage*

[Mickey Rat]

So an Apple phone is like a peacock's tail feathers, and about as practically useful for everything else?

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

Sometimes a phone is just a phone.

[loveconstitution1789]

Not to shallow gold diggers, it isn't.

[mad.casual]

It's a sign to others: If you mate with me, your kids are more likely to survive than if you mate with someone carrying an Android phone.

What about a work-issued iPhone? #metoo

[Pro Libertate]

Long ago, I read a piece about Apple being viewed by analysts as a luxury/prestige brand, not a tech company. Makes a lot of sense.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

They're signaling they make a good living, appreciate the arts, and have disposable income.

Really. Kayyy...

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

If you mate with me, your kids are more likely to survive than if you mate with someone carrying an Android phone.

And if I've been reading the culture correctly, far more likely they'll be groped.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Four companies dominate our daily lives unlike any other in human history: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google.

That's why we need to make Internet Explorer 4 uninstallable. He who controls the browser, controls the Universe.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

My All-Bard Dungeons & Dragons Session Went Up In Glorious Flames

[Mickey Rat]

Theu got killed before they reached Bombay?

[Chipper Morning Baculum]

Uh, all the cool kids took their toys and left after 4th edition came out, and started Pathfinder. Only total losers like this writer still play D&D.

[BestUsedCarSales]

Seems perfectly valid part in Pathfinder. Just get lots of bows and rapiers and the bards can figure it out

[BYODB]

So what do you call the people still playing 2nd or 1st Edition?

[chemjeff]

The gunmaker Remington plans to declare bankruptcy.

If only Hillary had won. Remington might still be in business!

[Longtorso, Johnny]

FISKING THE "STOP TELLING POOR PEOPLE TO COOK" DOOFUS, WITH SPECIAL GUEST, MY MOM

[Griffin3]

5 stars, a must read!

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

Absolutely awesome fun. Too bad Jef won't get anything useful out of it, not other do-gooders.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Isn't that special. Ellison has dinner with Farrakhan and some Iranian dude. A trio of dildos discussing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness I am sure.

http://bit.ly/2F1daXR

[Domestic Dissident]

Federal government collects record revenues for the month of January, despite the marginal rate reductions.

Hauser's Law is of course in the process of being proven once again: in the United States, federal revenue remains more or less constant relative to GDP, no matter what the marginal tax rates are.

[Libertarian]

"The deputy chief executive of Oxfam has resigned over the sexual misconduct scandal involving Oxfam workers in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake."

Say, wasn't that about the time that Bill Clinton was doing such good work there?

[Ecoli]

His Oxfam was Gored.

[Libertymike]

Black History Month Outrage:

The Boston Police Department has now cravenly and profusely apologized for its tweet praising Arnold "Red" Auerbach in celebration of Black History Month. The BPD has removed its tweet after negro outrage and condemnation from Boston mayor, Marty Walsh.

The tweet noted that Auerbach drafted the first Afro-American in the NBA, put out the first all starting five of Afro-Americans and hired the first Afro-American head coach (Bill Russell).

[Domestic Dissident]

The BPD should tell all those junior glade Block Yomommas to go fuck themselves. They said nothing that was untrue or in any way wrong. Never let yourself be mau-mau'ed by such a bunch of worthless lowlifes.

[John]

Bill Russell should tell these assholes to fuck off for the BPD.

[John]

Back in the 1980s, Spike Lee called the Celtics "a symbol of white supremacy". Red Auerbach was a great American. Boston, as I am sure you know, is a racist as hell city. Auerbach did all of those things you list while trying to appeal to a customer base in a town that in the 1960s wasn't really into basketball (Boston was always a baseball and hockey town) and was about as racially enlightened as 1950s Birmingham. You talk about having balls. Auerbach does all of that only to be called a white supremacist by some asshole angry that his teams were so good.

[Libertymike]

Back in the 1980s, I remember Red having to remind people of what the Celtics had done in the 1960s.

Keep in mind that in the Bird era, the Celts did have quite a few white guys on the team - Bird, McHale, Ainge, Scott Wedman (he was pretty good if you remember), Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton, Rick Carlisle et al. Oh, and Greg Kite.

[John]

They also had a lot of black guys too. And even the Lakers had a few white guys, Rambus and Sven Nader. One of the ironic things about the perception of the 1980s Celtics as this black and white era white team in addition to the history of the franchise is that Larry Bird, though from a small town in Indian, was culturally a totally black player. He came from a dirt-poor background. His father committed suicide when he was young. No one ever talked more trash on the court than Bird. Bird was also a very flashy player who would make ridiculous passes and do things like play entire halves of games left-handed because he was bored playing with his right. If a black player had done those things, the media would have lionized him as an artist. The media always made Bird out to be Jimmy from Hosiers. Some barely athletic white guy who could just shoot the ball and play 50s style basketball. The truth was outside of not being a great leaper, Bird was a very athletic and flashy player. And he took fewer outside shots than people remember. He did his best work driving to the basket and playing in the post. He was six feet nine and had a great low post game.

[loveconstitution1789]

The media probably considers lower viewership of sports that are dominated by black players, like basketball, racist.

These identity war people have mental problems and logic fail.

[John]

Sports journalists are as a group even more mindless leftwingers than regular journalists if that is possible. And they engage in some of the worst racial stereotyping. Black players are always natural athletes and white players are never athletic but get by on their smarts. Could there be a more racist stereotype than that? Yet, they engage in it time and again.

[loveconstitution1789]

Probably a reason ESPN viewership has trended down.

Sports lovers seem to be sick of commentators adding political nonsense to sports reporting.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The gunmaker Remington plans to declare bankruptcy.

I'm told it's because they started making junk.

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

Yes, and that was tolerable profit-wise while Obama was doing such a great job expanding the gun market. When it stabilized post-Dems, the weak suffered.

[CatoTheChipper]

They lost the best gun salesman to the civilian market, Barack Hussein Obama, and the business cratered.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Human rights activist admits: Muslim refugees have no intention of adopting our values

[John]

Of course, they are not. Why should they? Keeping their own values makes them a victim group and gets them praised by European elites. Assimilating just means working for a living. And who wants that?

[Longtorso, Johnny]

If you've ever read The Strange Death of Europe, one issue (the Dutch were his example) is that the government wants to import new workers because of the lack of domestic births, but the Dutch don't want Muslims "takin ar jobz!!!" (that attitude isn't limited to the USA), so they are put on assistance. So, in order to have a tax base, the Dutch government is importing new tax recipients who aren't accepted as truly Dutch and are stuffed into a ghetto and handed some tax $$.

[John]

It is totally bizarre.

[Rebel Scum]

Muslim refugees have no intention of adopting our values

In other news, water is wet.

[John]

http://www.washingtonexaminer......le/2648785

Trump embracing criminal justice reform. WORST NAZI EVER!!

[Citizen X - #6]

Oh, he finally fired that Sessions character?

[John]

Jeff Sessions is President? Did I miss that? Last I looked Congress and the President made the law and the AG just enforced it.

[Citizen X - #6]

The AG has a certain amount of discretion, though, no? Not to mention potentially a lot of influence, as a top advisor, on what the president decides to do.

[John]

True. I was just being a smart ass in noting that the fact that Trump is even linked to such a thing when he is supposed to be a Nazi. The guy is the worst Nazi ever. So incompetent he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Isreal and shows an openness to letting people out of prison. That is not how this works!!

[Citizen X - #6]

He's an evil genius AND an utterly incompetent buffoon! A floor wax AND a dessert topping!

[Deven]

On Jan. 11, joined by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, conservative governors, faith leaders, and justice reform advocates...

[Citizen X - #6]

I didn't click the link before snarking, dude.

[BestUsedCarSales]

Honestly, I'm embarrassed for Devon since he basically admitted to reading the articles.

[Citizen X - #6]

It's like he doesn't even Hit'n'Run!

[Domestic Dissident]

Welcome back!

[Aloysious]

Decriminalize hookers and weed? Or am I getting my hopes too high?

[John]

Oh hell no. But at least stop sending people to jail for the rest of their lives for non violent offenses. That isn't perfect but it is something. And it is a very big something for the people who hopefully get out of prison because of this.

[Aloysious]

I jest, but yes, what you said. I'll take any baby steps we get.

[John]

At this point, I will take anything. Even though not much has yet changed, I do get the feeling that the public is finally starting to realize there is a problem and are less susceptible to thinking throwing people in jail forever is the solution to every problem. That alone is a pretty significant change.

[Citizen X - #6]

And where public opinion goes, the politicians will eventually follow, one day.

[John]

One day. It is a long process but at some point it does translate. If nothing else, there seems to be a slow down in "throw everyone in jail forever" laws. I can't remember the last time Congress passed a law making sentences worse, which for about 20 years during the 80s and 90s they seemed to do about every other year.

[loveconstitution1789]

It only took politicians 13 years to repeal the 18th Amendment (Volstead Act).

[OpenBordersLiberal-tarian]

"The Senate's top Republican endorsed a plan Monday that would revamp immigration policy the way President Trump wants to, as senators began debating whether to grant permanent legal status to some young undocumented immigrants and bolster the nation's southern border security."

Unacceptable. As libertarians, we must oppose the very concept of "border security," since anybody who wants to live in this country should be welcome to.

I recommend this piece by the brilliant Charles P. Pierce of Esquire ? The Un-American ICE;
We're watching proto-fascist behavior in action.

[John]

I am not sure linking to one of the dumbest men in America really helps your point.

[OpenBordersLiberal-tarian]

The only thing possibly wrong about Pierce's argument is that "proto-fascist" might be too mild. One could argue the United States under Drumpf is already a full-blown fascist regime.

[John]

Sure, anyone can come and live here, including those who come here to do people harm. It is forever Americans' duty to die so people like you can feel smug.

[Deven]

John, heads up, guy is pure satire.

[John]

I am utterly deaf to satire. My mistake. Thank you.

[Rufus The Monocled]

And he's awesome.

[Ecoli]

And very well done satire to boot.

Welcome back, John!

[Deven]

Yeah, I really enjoy his posts.

[John]

Thank you.

[$park? leftist poser]

Thanks for wrecking what was sure to be comedy gold.

[John]

My sincere apologies. Really.

[Ecoli]

Yeah, there is that.

I am not sure OBL does "arguments" though. He just tosses out some bloody meat occasionally to satirize the goofy lefty talking points, then moves to the sidelines.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

The Nation: Russiagate or Intelgate?
...With all of this in mind, and assuming Trump knew most of it, did he really have any choice in firing FBI Director Comey, for which he is now unfairly being investigated by Mueller? We might also ask, given Comey's role during Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign (for which she and her team loudly condemned him), whether as president she would have had to fire him....

[John]

http://www.washingtonexaminer......le/2648896

Apparently, Micheal Flynn might not have lied to the FBI and was bullied into pleading guilty by the threat of financial ruin defending himself. Ken Dopehat White was on Twitter the other day bragging about how nothing could ever overturn the guilty pleas Mueller has gotten. As a technical matter, he was wrong. It is possible to reopen and overturn a guilty plea though very difficult. As a practical matter, he is likely correct. A self-professed "Libertarian" and "First Amendment Attorney" smugly bragging about an innocent man coerced into pleading guilty is, however, a bit unseemly.

[Ken Shultz]

Are you sure he wasn't being sarcastic?

[Deven]

I think he was just being Popehat, making sure everyone knew he was smarter than them. I like the guy, but he can be smug.

[John]

And he doesn't like it when you make a point he can't easily refute. Rather than just say "that is a good point" and move on, he resorts to sarcasm and invective. Everything is great with White just so long as you agree with his point and understand just how great Ken White is.

He can be funny sometimes. And I actually agree with him more than I disagree with him. He is just so egotistical and smug, I end up not being able to stand him even though I don't really disagree with him about very much.

[John]

He was just being an asshole making fun of someone who said the House memo was going to lead to the plea deals being overturned. The point was technically wrong, but the possibility of those deals not being voluntary because of the government's failure to disclose Brady evidence I think is real. Did Flynn's lawyers know that the FBI agents who interviewed him didn't think he had lied when they advised Flynn to plead? I don't know but if they didn't, that plea might be in serious jeopardy.

[Ken Shultz]

It's an incredibly weak thing to do--to make your future witness plead guilty to being a liar.

From a prosecutor's perspective, if the best you can do is make the witnesses you turn fundamentally destroy their own credibility as witnesses, then that prosecutor must be playing a really weak hand.

From a purely strategic perspective, Trump might wait until Flynn can no longer be used to testify against his administration before he restores Flynn's credibility with a pardon.

For the time being anything Flynn says in front of a jury can be countered by the question, "Didn't you plead guilty to lying?" If I were Trump's lawyer, I think I'd want to keep that line of questioning wide open util this thing is over.

[John]

I think that is why Trump hasn't pardoned Flynn. And you are right that it is a really dumb tactical move to get your potential witnesses to start pleading guilty to perjury. If you remember, Flynn pled guilty the morning before the first texts between the FBI agent and his mistress went public. I think they offered Flynn the plea because they knew the text messages were going to make trying and convicting him impossible and they wanted something, anything, to show for their investigation and take some of the media attention off of the texts. So, they offered him the deal figuring rightly he would take that and avoid them going after his kids and him facing bankruptcy trying to defend himself.

The fact that they did it shows that they have not found jack shit.

[Deven]

One thing I've wondered about Flynn, and it kind of goes off into 3D chess conspiracy land, but by him pleading guilty, does it somehow open him up to relaying information that he wouldn't have been at liberty to before?

What I mean is that the SC has pretty much unlimited power under its jurisdiction, right? Does Flynn pleading guilty place him under the SC jurisdiction, and open up avenues of investigation that may not be Trump collusion?

[John]

A condition of pleading guilty is that you tell the government everything it wants to know. If you refuse to answer a question or lie, the government can pull back the plea and make you go to trial.

So, yes, his pleading guilty does mean he will possibly say things that he would not have before because he can no longer take the 5th and refuse to answer questions. As far as the SC's ability to charge conduct beyond his scope, I am not sure that question has been answered. Rob Manfort is challenging his indictment claiming that it is defective since it is beyond the scope of the SC. Manfort's argument is that if an SC finds evidence of criminal activity beyond the scope of what he is charged to investigate, he has to turn that over to DOJ and let DOJ decide if and what to charge. I honestly don't know about the SC statute to know if Manfort's claim is right. But, we will find out when the court's rule on his appeal.

[Deven]

Interesting. I'm not sure how different the law is from when Ken Starr was around, but it was obviously not very limited back then.

There are just so many inconsistencies in this whole thing. RR writes the letter demanding to fire Comey, Trump is investigated for firing Comey, and RR appoints the SC? How does that work?Shouldn't Mueller be able to investigate whether RR was part of a conspiracy to fire Comey, but then Mueller would effectively have to investigate his boss?

Something just isn't adding up. If these guys are all corrupt, they are either absolute morons or incredibly desperate.

[loveconstitution1789]

"absolute morons or incredibly desperate"

Or both.

[Ecoli]

Trump should pardon him.

[Ken Shultz]

Before Trump can pardon Mueller, he'll need to be charged with something first.

First you appoint a special counsel to investigate Mueller, see him charged with something, then maybe Trump can pardon him.

[Ecoli]

Really? A guilty plea doesn't count?

Sincere question.

[Ken Shultz]

I was kidding.

Mueller isn't under investigation.

It was a play on "him".

I pretended you were talking about putting Mueller in jail.

That's what made it funny.

[Ecoli]

Ah. Humor often escapes me.

[John]

He really should. I don't care what your politics are, you should be offended by the site of an innocent man bullied into pleading guilty. And that appears to be what happened here.

[Ecoli]

The Curious Michael Flynn Guilty Plea

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/.....estigation

[Domestic Dissident]

Mueller is probably going to lose all these cases, and they might all end up getting thrown out.

Judge Rudolph Contreras was involuntarily recused from the Flynn case without any official explanation, but the most likely reason is that he was probably the judge on the FISA court who was in the bag for Obama and Hildog and approved the warrants that clearly should never have been approved in a million years.

[John]

I suspect you are right. The thing is that Trump collude with the Russians. So, there is nothing for Mueller to find. The problem for Mueller is that a ton of people have convinced themselves that Trump conspired with the Russians to steal the elections and that Mueller is going to reveal the truth and restore truth and justice to America. When Mueller doesn't do that, and he won't, those people are going to be devastated and likely conclude that Mueller was in on the cover-up or at the very least was incompetent and let Trump get away with is. So, Mueller is screwed. No one on the right has any use for him. And unless he delivers the goods on Trump, no one on the left will either. The more time passes, the more pressure there will be for him to produce. This is why Trump would be dumb to fire him and Mueller would likely beg Trump to fire him if he could. Fire Mueller and Mueller will forever be the guy who was going to get the truth until that evil Trump fired him. The better course is to do nothing and let him flounder and the pressure to produce something slowly build.

[Jerryskids]

President Donald Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday about stopping North Korea's nuclear program.

Is this a joke? Because I'm watching CNN and they haven't said a word about this, which I think America's Most Trusted Name In News would find this at least slightly worth mentioning. All they're talking about is the scandal in the White House over who knew what when with regards to Rob Porter being a wife-beater, a scandal of such proportions that it's sure to lead to Trump's impeachment and imprisonment.

[John]

Trump could invite the Russians to occupy California and Alaska and those dumb asses wouldn't notice.

[Ken Shultz]

Quote of the day:

"By the end of this year, Venezuela's economy will be half the size it was in 2013, according to the International Monetary Fund. Inflation is expected to hit 13,000% this year."

----Wall Street Journal

"Venezuela's Misery Fuels Migration on Epic Scale"

https://tinyurl.com/y9ccl9xo

[Ken Shultz]

The article goes on to say that Venezuela has lost 10% of its population, mostly within the last two years, and that the refugees from Venezuela flooding into Colombia mirror the number of Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar last year. They're flooding into Colombia at the rate of Syrian refugees who flooded into the Balkans, Greece, Italy, and Germany in 2015.

It's no wonder that the humanitarian crisis of economic refugees from Venezuela isn't getting the same kind of coverage in the news that the Rohingya and Syrian refugees enjoyed. I guess stories about racism, immigration, and bigotry are more interesting to tell--but there's probably something to the suggestion that the mainstream media doesn't like the implications of why so many people are desperate to flee Venezuela.

If it doesn't conform to their preferred narrative, I guess the story just doesn't get told. Maybe if the president of Venezuela were a racist, accused of sexual harassment, or something "important", the news might tell the story about that.

I understand Trump added Venezuela to the list of countries in his immigration ban. Does that mean the media would rather not go after Trump if it means explaining to people why Venezuelans are fleeing Venezuela?

[John]

If the President of Venezuela were a US ally instead of a Cuban stooge and a committed socialist, this story would be on the front page of every paper in America every day until the US was forced to intervene.

The US media doesn't give a shit about the people murdered and enslaved by Communism. They lied and covered up the crimes of Stalin, Pot, and Mao and the crimes that occurred after the fall of Vietnam. What is happening in Venezuela is no different than what happened in Zimbabwe. There a once prosperous country fell into starvation and poverty and lawlessness once the socialist vampire got its fangs into it. To the extent it was covered, it was covered as just one of those things and just another case of people unable to overcome the legacy of colonialism. Kind of like how the entire famine in Somalia that spawned LiveAide was portrayed as just bad luck in a drought without any mention of the country's communist rules starving its own citizens.

[sarcasmic]

Thing is, Venezuela is doing everything right. They've nationalized the economy, kicked out the evil capitalists, installed central planners, price controls, generous welfare, with the magical power of good intentions. So this simply cannot be happening. That's why the media is putting news from Venezuela on the back page.

[John]

Pretty much. And the media spent about 15 years singing the praises of Maduro and Chavez and the wonders of Venezualian socialism. When people started to starve and things got so bad even the media couldn't pretend it was going well anymore, suddenly the media lost interest. Funny that.

[Ecoli]

Sean Penn needs to head to Caracas and infuse some socialist vigor into the temporarily stalled march to Utopia.

[Rhywun]

Does that mean the media would rather not go after Trump if it means explaining to people why Venezuelans are fleeing Venezuela?

Amazing, isn't it? In the meantime, if they pay any attention to Venezuela at all, it will be to blame cheap oil for the spot of bother they're dealing with lately.

[John]

The media did puff pieces on Kim Jong Un's sister and cheered North Korea because they thought doing so was sticking it to Trump. Partisanship is one thing but Jesus Christ, North Korea is the evilest government on earth and on any short list of the evilest governments in history. The media turned their nose up at that guy who escaped North Korea on crutches and then turns around and gives one of the leaders of that place the full-on Vogue glamour treatment. That is just disgusting. I couldn't stand Obama so much I could barely listen to his speeches. But, I sure as hell wouldn't have cheer North Korea because I thought it might harm him in some way. What the hell is wrong with these people?

[Rhywun]

What the hell is wrong with these people?

Only thing that makes any sense is they're all full-blown commies. I mean, even more so that the bravest among them already admit.

[John]

They are full-blown commies a lot of them. But all of them, commie or no are just stupid. They honestly don't know anything about North Korea or how bad it is. I think most of the media are just pig ignorant about virtually any subject that doesn't involve their little-isolated world. One of the NBC commentators during the opening ceremonies that South Koreans are so proud of the development of their fellow Asians Japan's economy.

Korea, if you don't know, was a victim of 35 years of absolutely brutal Japanese colonialism. NBC had to issue an apology the next day after any number of outraged Koreans watching the broadcast complained. Ben Rhoades had it right. These people literally know nothing.

[Rhywun]

These people literally know nothing.

I know that sounds reasonable but honestly, I don't believe it anymore. There are a lot of stupid people out there who aren't willfully doing what the media do to further the cause. At some point you have to go with the more likely explanation that they do know exactly what they're doing.

[John]

The truth is that it is probably a mixture of them just being communists and being stupid and not wanting to know. They are also totally self-absorbed. Even if they know how awful North Korea is, they don't care because the pleasure and rewards of virtue signaling their dislike of Trump is all that matters.

[loveconstitution1789]

The socialists have to find any examples of socialism and praise them, usually by lying.

These lefties don't even realize what they have set in motion. They should have stuck with incrementalism as it has worked for them for decades.

Trump winning is clear evidence that Americans were sick of it in 2016.

The War on Drugs (at least with weed) is nearing a tipping point too. You can always smell the desperation of the drug warriors to keep it going with fabricated stories like the opioid crisis.

[Rebel Scum]

What the hell is wrong with these people?

Progressivism rots the brain.

[MarkLastname]

No one really needs both haves of their economy.

In other news, the WHO congratulates Venezuela on its unprecedented strides in combatting obesity. A true success story!

[Ken Shultz]

California goes full retard?

"LOS ANGELES?After reports recently rippled across California's agricultural heartland that immigration agents might audit farms, Bryan Little of the California Farm Bureau Federation sent an email alert to thousands of farmers warning them not to run afoul of a new state law governing their interactions with federal immigration officials.

The law requires California employers to ask immigration agents for warrants or subpoenas before allowing them access to private areas of the workplace or confidential employee records. Employers who break the law, which took effect in January, face fines of up to $10,000.

----WSJ

https://tinyurl.com/ycwm8b4u

Am I to understand that California fines people for willingly letting immigration agents onto their own private property?

Any second now, I'm sure Reason will jump right on this obvious violation of farmers' property rights.

[John]

That is utterly unconstitutional. The state of California cannot restrict it's citizen's right to petition or speak to the federal government. That statute is making it a crime to cooperate with the federal government. That is such an obvious no go even the 9th Circuit is going to pound them on that.

[sarcasmic]

Seems the question is about who has more rights, the farmer or the worker. If the worker has more rights, then the law is kosher, if the farmer has more rights then it is not. I could see the courts upholding the law on the grounds that the farmer is violating the rights' of the workers by allowing agents onto his property.

[John]

What are the worker's rights here? You do not have a privacy right for your employer to not show your records to the government. Under the 4th Amendment Third Party Doctrine, if a third party gives information about you to the government, you have no standing to object.

The employer, on the other hand, has the First Amendment Right to say what he likes to the federal government. It is his property and while he is within his rights to tell the feds to fuck off and get a warrant, he has just as much of a right to invite them in and let them look at anything they like. Suppose that I am an employer who doesn't have any illegal alien employees and I don't want to antagonize the feds and make them get a warrant and just let them in knowing they will go away. The California law makes it a crime for me to do that. That is a total violation of my rights. I have an absolute right to say whatever I want to the feds or let them go wherever they like if I think doing so is in my best interests.

[sarcasmic]

What are the worker's rights here?

Oh, I don't know. The right to not be offended? The right to not have their feelings hurt? The right to work illegally without having to talk with federal agents unless they come with a warrant?

Yes, I know. None of those are actual rights. But we both know that that doesn't mean anything.

[EscherEnigma]

By that logic there's no problem with your telecom willingly handing over all your internet activity (including emails and telephone calls) to the Fed.

[John]

Yes, by that logic there isn't. And only federal laws that say they can't prevent that. Under the 4th Amendment as interpreted by the Third Party Doctrine, there is nothing in the BOR at least that stops that from happening.

[MarkLastname]

If your contract with your telecom grants it proprietary rights over such things, then you don't really have grounds to object.

[Citizen X - #6]

This is California, so that's a pretty safe bet.

[dantheserene]

Never underestimate the 9th Circuit.

[loveconstitution1789]

The 9th Circuit should have been divided up years ago. California as 9th and all other Western states into another circuit.

[Rebel Scum]

California goes full retard?

They hadn't already?

[Rebel Scum]

President Donald Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday about stopping North Korea's nuclear program.

#Putin'sPuppet

[Rebel Scum]

The gunmaker Remington plans to declare bankruptcy.

The fuck?

Trump's presidency has been bad for gun sales

That makes sense. No gun runs with a guy who at least appears to support 2A.

[John]

They apparently lost a lawsuit for producing defective rifles. That likely didn't help their sales. The problem gun manufacturers have is that guns are so well made today and last so long that there isn't that much demand for new ones. Unless you shoot an awful lot, a well-made rifle or pistol will last forever. Everyone who owns guns has grandpa's old shotgun or .22 varmit rifle that shoots like a dream. The other thing is that rifles and pistols are pretty mature technologies. There really aren't many bells and whistles you can put on them to entice people to buy new ones and replace what they have.

[dantheserene]

I don't agree with your last sentence. There are many, many aftermarket bells and whistles that people hang on guns they already have. A good optic alone will often cost more than the gun did. So, many people buy fewer guns but spend more money dressing them up with parts from other makers.

[John]

That is a good point. But that sort of stuff isn't going to help the gun manufacturers.

[sarcasmic]

I've prefer DA/SA over striker fired pistols, and had been looking for a slim, single-stack, DA/SA in 9mm for a while. Problem was that such a thing didn't exist. Then last year Springfield came out with the XDe, which is exactly what I was looking for. Price was right, so I got one. New products are coming out. As far as bells and whistles go, tritium sights are always a nice add on.

[Ecoli]

I have Tritium sights on my glock. I have decided it is useless.

[loveconstitution1789]

For target practice and self-defense, you shouldn't be shooting at anything you cannot see anyway. It gives away your position and in close quarters, you lose you natural night vision from muzzle flash. The gunfire sound will have your ears ringing, which can make it harder to hear and/or pinpoint your assailant. Plus, under the right circumstances, assailants can see your glow-in-the-dark sights revealing your position.

Make that first shot count.

[EscherEnigma]

Another problem is that their own customer base are actively hostile to some improvements. Consider what happened last time someone tried to sell a "smart gun". The gun dealer for death threats. From gun owners. For selling a gun.

[sarcasmic]

The example you use isn't what most people would call an improvement.

[loveconstitution1789]

A smart gun is anything but. It was a scheme to control guns. People who buy guns knew it.

Who wants a gun that requires some biometric info that can be inoperable when you most need it? Its stupid and dangerous.

Modern guns have hundreds of years of proven technology that are as close to 100% reliable as you can get for the money.

Unless gun manufacturers can develop a ZOrg ZF-1 gun pod type "smart weapon", most gun buyers are not interested in gun grabber's idea of "smart" guns.

[Kivlor]

The problem gun manufacturers have is that guns are so well made today and last so long that there isn't that much demand for new ones. Unless you shoot an awful lot, a well-made rifle or pistol will last forever. Everyone who owns guns has grandpa's old shotgun or .22 varmit rifle that shoots like a dream.

Guns have been so well made for so long that this really has to take a toll at some point. We still have my great great great grandpa's rifle that he used to fend off native american raids against his wagon train in the Dakotas in the late 1800's. And that relic still shoots fine. It also has the lightest trigger I've ever seen in my life.

[ace_m82]

The company that bought Remington brought them from being on the down-slope of quality to neck-deep in the septic tank.

Their assets need to be sold to the highest bidder so competent people can make "Remingtons" now. So bankruptcy is a very good thing in this case.

[Rebel Scum]

"The Senate's top Republican endorsed a plan Monday that would revamp immigration policy the way President Trump wants

I'm sure it's racist somehow.

[CatoTheChipper]

Adapted from an old SNL fake ad for "Bad Idea" brand jeans:

Oxfam worker: Normally I wear protection, but then I thought, "When am I gonna make it back to Haiti?"

[ image on screen: BAD IDEA ]

Announcer: Bad Idea Jeans.

Video is only available to Hulu subscribers.

[Tony]

Who wants to take bets that the next nuke to go off in a major population center will have originated in either Russia or Pakistan?

[sarcasmic]

I thought Trumphitler was going to do that.

[Tony]

He has people around him who know he's insane and won't let him. A terrorist who gets a Pakistani nuke likely won't have that.

[Ecoli]

Every credible source says Trump is a very stable genius.

[Libertarian]

If so, then I predict that the SECOND nuke goes off IN either Russia or Pakistan.

[BYODB]

I don't know, I'd wager either Iran or Israel personally. (Or in other words, Russia or the U.S.)