Neither Trump Nor the Associated Press Controls Our Words

The Associated Press’s legal victory highlights the limited power presidents and the press have over the creative destruction and spontaneous order of our language.

The Associated Press recently won in court, challenging President Donald Trump's decision to exclude the news organization from the White House press pool. The dispute began over the president's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and the A.P.'s refusal to fully adopt the renaming in its style guide.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden—a Trump appointee—ruled that the president's unconstitutional actions amounted to viewpoint discrimination by the government. "The Court simply holds that under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists—be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere—it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints," wrote McFadden in his decision. "The Constitution requires no less."

Before this decision, Julie Pace, the A.P.'s executive editor and senior vice president, encouraged Americans to look at the big picture. "For anyone who thinks the Associated Press's lawsuit against President Trump's White House is about the name of a body of water, think bigger," wrote Pace in The Wall Street Journal. "It's really about whether the government can control what you say."

Pace is spot-on. Americans shouldn't lose sight of the big picture: The principles of free speech—codified by the First Amendment—protect individuals from an onerous, censorial government seeking to control what words citizens use. 

But this debate is bigger than overly spray-tanned authoritarians and fussy grammarians duking it out in court. 

Even Trump's War on the Media Has Its Limits

Trump's legal dispute with the A.P. is just one episode in his ongoing war against journalism, an institution he has called "the enemy of the people."  

Though he often decries the "weaponization" of the judicial system, the president rarely passes up the opportunity to use lawfare as his go-to cudgel. Over the past three decades, Trump has been involved in more than 3,500 legal battles in federal and state courts, according to one report. In 2023 alone, Trump sued 20 media organizations. "The consistent theme is his willingness to use the court system, even as a public figure and a public official, to silence people, to force them to correct statements, to just generally make them uncomfortable," Kevin Goldberg, vice president at Freedom Forum, a free speech organization, told Axios. 

And this litigious strategy has, for the most part, paid off for him.

In March 2024, Trump sued ABC News for George Stephanopoulos's questions directed at Rep. Nancy Mace (R–S.C.) about her support for a president found "liable for rape by a jury." (Technically, Trump was found liable for sexual abuse, not rape.) In December 2024, ABC settled a defamation lawsuit filed by Trump, agreeing to pay $15 million to his presidential library and $1 million in legal fees. 

Trump also filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News' parent company, Paramount Global, for a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. The president claimed video editors deceptively edited the footage, calling the segment a "news distortion" and accusing the show of engaging in "partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference." In addition to the suit against Paramount, the Trump administration has pursued a parallel Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigation into how 60 Minutes edited the Harris interview. 

But Trump's authority, especially over the media, is far from limitless. 

Concerned about the partisan tables turning in the future, a coalition of center-right organizations—including the Center for Individual Freedom, Americans for Tax Reform, and Taxpayers Protection Alliance—encouraged the Trump administration to stop the FCC investigation of CBS, stating that an "adverse ruling against CBS would constitute regulatory overreach and advance precedent that can be weaponized by future FCCs." 

Other right-leaning entities have also expressed their concern about blowback from a future, less ideologically aligned administration. Fox News and Newsmax, both vocal supporters of Trump, joined 40 other news organizations—many of whom Trump frequently refers to as "fake news"—in opposing Trump's exclusion of the A.P. "We fear a future administration may not like something that Newsmax writes and seeks to ban us," stated Newsmax representatives. "This is why news organizations like Newsmax and Fox News are supporting the A.P.'s First Amendment rights though we may disagree with its editorial point of view from time to time." 

The A.P.'s legal victory draws a clear line in the sand that no amount of executive authority can cross. But the A.P. has its limits, too. 

To A.P. or Not to A.P.

The A.P. style is ubiquitous in journalism. Publications ranging from The Washington Post to Breitbart follow A.P. style. Truthfully, if Trump barred press access based on A.P. style guidance, very few outlets would remain in the White House press pool. 

But even adherents of the A.P. style don't follow every single stylistic recommendation. Many have unique stylistic carveouts. Even Reason, which mostly follows the A.P.'s guidelines, maintains some bespoke exceptions. 

Even anti-Trump partisans don't fully embrace all of the A.P.'s guidance. "You can't get mad at the A.P. for not using your stupid name," Stephen Colbert joked on The Late Show. "The thing you should get mad at the A.P. about is not using the Oxford comma in their style guide."

Despite Trump's claims, A.P. style neither bans using the Gulf of America nor fully endorses the Gulf of Mexico. Instead, the entry splits the difference, advising to "refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen." The A.P.'s guidance is no different than modifying references to other popular rebrands, such as X, or the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Interestingly, the A.P. aligns with Trump on his other controversial landmark rebranding: Mount McKinley, or the mountain formerly known as Denali. "The Associated Press will use the official name change to Mount McKinley," wrote Amanda Barrett, the A.P.'s vice president of standards and inclusion. "The area lies solely in the United States and as president, Trump has the authority to change federal geographical names within the country." 

Yet, local usage diverges from A.P. style. Only 26 percent of Alaska—a state that Trump won by 13 percentage points—supports the president's name change. The 20,000-foot mountain is a source of local pride for Alaskans and represents the region's indigenous culture, so their linguistic intransigence is understandable. Though the mountain's "official" name has ping-ponged since 1917, Alaskans haven't deviated from Denali. "In Alaska, it's always been Denali," Holly Cusack-McVeigh, an anthropologist at Indiana University, Indianapolis, explained in The Conversation. 

The same goes for the Gulf of America. A Reuters poll found seven out of ten Americans oppose renaming the Gulf of Mexico. Other polling mirrors these numbers. 

Geographic rebranding has often struggled to bridge the gap between officialdom and usage. Vietnamese people refer to their largest city as Saigon informally, but write Ho Chi Minh City on official documents. Though Myanmar attained its official name following the 1989 military junta, 68 percent of the country still uses the informal name Burma, with some claiming the name change "reeks of government" and is a "form of censorship." India has also struggled with city names, such as Mumbai and Kolkata, because of its colonial past. 

Language doesn't abide by official proclamations. Instead, popular usage—or, as defined by the Chicago Manual of Style, "the collective habits of a language's native speakers"—owns the naming rights. Moreover, usage better reflects human communication. 

The Spontaneous Order of Language

Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein famously said, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." The same can be said about the limits of power. 

Language lacks a central authority. Neither the traditional literary gatekeepers (e.g., linguists, lexicographers, and grammarians) nor political leaders (especially the ones barking Orwellian newspeak like "tariffs are tax cuts") are the final arbiters of how humanity communicates. 

Instead, language follows the principles of creative destruction and spontaneous order—the social phenomena long championed by classical liberals and libertarians. Words are the currency of the marketplace of ideas. Their values ebb and flow like tickers on the stock exchange—and arguably have more value than most 401(k)s at the moment. Newly coined terms gain value as they capture this moment in time better than old words. This is why words like doggo and bussin' now grace the pages of Merriam-Webster.

But this moment is always fleeting, and dictionaries and style guides offer only a snapshot of a unique time in language. Today's neologisms will soon become tomorrow's cliches. And this ceaseless linguistic churning will wax and wane until we disappear as a species. 

Until then, language remains the final frontier of human liberty, and no amount of coercion can genuinely contain it.

Comments

[MasterThief]

Can Trump remove them because he just doesn't like them?
Fuck off. The "Gulf of America" reason given was more an excuse to kick out someone he doesn't like. You can't say ignore the AP and other media's war on speech to force everyone to conform to a leftist worldview. Being forced to use preferred pronouns is more egregious than an expectation to use the legally defined name for a body of water.

[Mother's Lament - (Sarcasian Meanister of Foreign Affairs)]

Remember all those outraged Reason articles immediately after it was discovered that the CIA, FBI, and Biden administration had conducted operations to deliberately and illegally censor the speech of millions of Americans across social media, in probably the biggest peacetime free speech assault in American history?

That's how much they actually care about this issue outside of "orangemanbad".

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

To paraphrase the left: "My censorship is speech; your censorship is violence!"

[damikesc]

Well, that was really (D)ifferent.

[Pear Satirical (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Yeah, it was "private companies." Now yes, technically they were pressured by the government, but it was "private companies" doing it, so it toots kosher.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

They just accidentally included government security state officials on their email and social media distribution lists. I hear that happens all the time.

[JohnZ]

I also remembered when Zuckerberg eagerly agreed to it. He's just as nasty as the rest and now he want's forgiveness.
F*** him.

[Public Entelectual]

Rewriting geography is rewriting history, and since the days of Grotius international waters have been named by right of discovery.
The first-to-map-first-to-name principle applies to the "Gulf Of Mexico" since those words appeared on sea charts, maps and portolans in French, Spanish, Latin and Chinese a century before anyone moved Amerigo Vespucci's name to our back yard from where it first appeared near the mouth of the Amazon on a printed map,

It is clearly Trump's manifest destiny to rechristen the Pacific the American Ocean,for Balboa first saw it silent on a peak in the Canal Zone and we own mostly all of it coastwise from LA to the Yukon.

[Incunabulum]

And the people who lived on the Gulf before Europeans came just don't count, do they?

Fine. They don't count. No one cares what they called it before it was 'discovered' (it's amazing how racist people can be).

And so we don't care what the Spanish called it.

[Public Entelectual]

No hablo olmeca ni taíno,
By Columbus Day 1.0, the Mexica had conquistaed the coastal Maya, and renamed their 'great water' ,'the house of the water goddess.'

So call it the Gulf of Chalchiuhtlicueyecatl if you want.

[Incunabulum]

If I can call it that, if I can call it the Gulf of Mexico, then I can call it the Gulf of america.

[Public Entelectual]

The following exchange reportedly took place around 1413:

Glendower:
I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
Hotspur:
Why, so can I, or so can any man;
But will they come when you do call for them?

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

It’s Gulf of America now. Get over it.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

"And the people who lived on the Gulf before Europeans came just don't count, do they?

"Fine. They don't count. No one cares what they called it before it was 'discovered' (it's amazing how racist people can be)."

Probably no where near as racist as those indigenous tribes, most of whom referred to themselves as "people" and others as not quite human--and usually enemies.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Rewriting history huh?

Up to 1530, European maps depicted the gulf, though left it unlabeled.[13] Hernán Cortés called it "Sea of the North" (Spanish: Mar del Norte) in his dispatches, while other Spanish explorers called it the "Gulf of Florida" (Golfo de Florida) or "Gulf of Cortés" (Golfo de Cortés).[13] A 1584 map by Abraham Ortelius also labeled it as the "Sea of the North" (Mare de Nort).[14] Other early European maps called it the "Gulf of St. Michael" (Latin: Sinus S. Michaelis),[15] "Gulf of Yucatán" (Golfo de Iucatan),[16] "Yucatán Sea" (Mare Iuchatanicum),[17] "Great Antillean Gulf" (Sinus Magnus Antillarum), "Cathayan Sea" (Mare Cathaynum), or "Gulf of New Spain" (Spanish: Golfo de Nueva España).[13]

[Public Entelectual]

Stop spouting nonsense about what remained a literal blank on the map when Amerigo Vespucci's 1501-2 voyage to mouth of the Amazon was made famous by Walseemuller putting the name "Americus" on what's now Brazil on his 1507 map of the world, which left the gulf in question nameless.

The latinized name "Gulf of Mexico" debuted in I550 on the surprisingly accurate map of the New World Pierre Desceliers of Dieppe drew for King Charles IX of France.

It's now in the British Museum.

https://x.com/RussellSeitz/status/1890221595010166935

[Mother's Lament - (Sarcasian Meanister of Foreign Affairs)]

And a hundred different names both before and after appeared on hundreds of other maps, you disingenuous turd.

The US called it Gulf of Mexico, not the entire world. In fact some of the countries in the region call the entire body of water from Texas to Venezuela the Caribbean Sea and not just the southern part.

Maybe you should write to them and call them MAGA?

[Don't get eliminated(Don't forget to eat your penguin meat)]

OT looking for your opinion on this:

https://x.com/ill_Scholar/status/1910857879130628227

[Public Entelectual]

Maybe you should look at the map.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Defends his ignorance by claiming only one map existed lol.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

It always amazes me when morons pretending to be intelligent get upset when they are shown to be morons.

Now you're denying facts and look more ignorant.

[Public Entelectual]

The article asks what " power presidents... have over.. our language"?

In your case, the answer seems absolute.
Trump commands, and you obey, swallowing changes as deranged in their sycophancy as the switch form Saint Petersburg to Leningrad, or Volgograd to Stalingrad.

Neither long outlived the creeps they honored.

[Incunabulum]

In other words - you're choosing one name over multiple competing ones and making up reasons why we should all accept that.

[Incunabulum]

I still don't understand why you privilege a Euro-centric naming over that of the indigenous people's of color that inhabited the area - and named it - before any of those Europeans were born.

[Mother's Lament - (Sarcasian Meanister of Foreign Affairs)]

Oh, look. Shrike's trying to redirect away from Team Blue's horrific violation of the rights of Americans, to pretend that Trump giving a new appellation to Chalchiuhtlicueyecatl/Nahá/Mar del Norte/Golfo de Florida/Golfo de Cortés/Mare de Nort/Gulf of St. Michael/Yucatán Sea/Great Antillean Gulf/Cathayan Sea/Golfo de Nueva España, is somehow equivalent.

Shrike thinks that the citizens of Meiguo/États-Unis/Vereinigte Staaten/Stati Uniti/MiGook/Yhdysvallat/Beikoku should be outraged that their president should use a different name for the Cathayan Sea.

Now, back to the subject at hand. Do you think it was good that the CIA, FBI, and Biden administration had conducted operations to deliberately and illegally censor the speech of millions of Americans across social media, in probably the biggest peacetime free speech assault in American history, Shike?

[Public Entelectual]

Stope ignoring the record and look at the original maps:
https://x.com/RussellSeitz/status/1911295865387470958

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

Answer his question bitch.

[Incunabulum]

'Original' maps - again, erasing indigenous ways of knowing.

[Public Entelectual]

What part of 'terra incognita' don't you understand ?

[VULGAR MADMAN]

Rewriting history is all you fucking leftists ever do.

[Vernon Depner]

I vote for The Gulf of Columbus.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

No news organization os entitled to space in the White House.

[Longtobefree]

"It's really about whether the government can control what you say."

That is the job of the left.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

I'm waiting for the hubbub when they find out the White House won't answer emails which list personal pronouns. "If they are that confused, then they are too confused to understand anything we could tell them" or words to that effect.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

AP can still say whatever the fuck they want to say.

They don't have the right, however, to be anywhere they want in the WH or talk you anyone they want at the WH.

It is a weird stance given the Biden driven censorship as mentioned above. The conviction of Mackey over a meme. Obama and Biden issuing warrants to journalists.

Things reason has barely cared about, the censorship solely when it became indefensible and AFTER the NYT admitted it.

[Quicktown Brix]

AP can still say whatever the fuck they want to say.

They don't have the right, however, to be anywhere they want in the WH or talk you anyone they want at the WH.

This is how I see it.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

For once, you are correct.

[BYODB]

Let's see, it doesn't amount to prior restraint and doesn't restrict the speech of the AP...so how exactly is this a 1st amendment issue?

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

In my view it isn't. Especially since SCOTUS has actually ruled on similar concepts regarding access to the WH prior.

[BYODB]

Reading the decision, it appears the judge didn't know either since they specifically state they aren't creating a right to be a part of the WH reporters pool while explicitly giving AP a right to be in the pool for at least the remainder of Trump's Presidency since any actions taken against them in the future will be struck down.

The judge is trying to make this a 1st amendment case in a very narrow context. Nevermind that the AP still insisting on 'Gulf of Mexico' is no longer factual, the AP is going to die on that hill apparently.

Trump could only invite outlets that he thinks will give positive coverage and that's allowed, but not inviting AP because they insist on using the old name for the Gulf is somehow beyond the pale and is even a first amendment violation? Egads. I'm not invited to the Press pool for the White House, does this mean my rights are being trampled? Not according to the judge, but he appears to be very interested in how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

It seems that, once again, the 'mistake' Trump made was giving any rationale for the decision at all. If he'd just shut up and do whatever the thing is, apparently it wouldn't be a problem judging from past Presidents and the WH reporter pool.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

With the inferior court judges, they will use any statement to violate legal precedent.

In the first term it was animus. And there have been 2 rulings this term citing unlawful due to animus.

The problem with animus is it is an opinion of a statement, not fact.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

SCOTUS needs to straighten this out.

[Don't get eliminated(Don't forget to eat your penguin meat)]

I don't think they will.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

Then congress better do it.

[Vernon Depner]

Here's the solution: abolish the White House Press Room. Why should the mainstream media have a permanent encampment in the White House? Kick 'em all out.

[Don't get eliminated(Don't forget to eat your penguin meat)]

Better yet, let them in, then never have anyone from the administration come in and answer questions. See how long they just sit there staring at an empty podium.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Can the reporters then set up the room as a cool club house and safe space, with pillows and puppies and coloring books and stuff?

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

The judge is a democrat shill.

[JohnZ]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The democrat party has been infiltrated by radical left wing extremists and post modernist neo-Marxists.
If people can't see that, they blind, deaf and dumb.

[Minadin]

Yeah it's just the legacy media and university professors, HR Departments and pronoun police.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

First they came for the anti American Marxists and I said nothing, because those things are sub human garbage

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

"First they came for the anti American Marxists"

We can only dream.

[Minadin]

Sign me up.

[Incunabulum]

A district court judge rules the way Reason wants and it's proof that Trump is unconstitutional.

A higher court overrules that district court and rules as Trump wants and crickets.

But sure, listen to the district courts. Eventually one will be correct.

[SQRLSY]

Demon-Craps did shit first and worst, so shit's OK when Trump does shit! Yes, we know!!!

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

You can now change your name to SQRLScat-Schtick with that sentiment.
Though Sarc did it first so it is OK.

[SQRLSY]

Sarc did it first so it is OK... YES!!!!

[Minadin]

grey boxes

[SQRLSY]

Inferior sub-humans! Don't read! Refute them by SNOT reading them! By SNOT reading shit, the entire UNIVERSE of sub-standard thoughts can be REFUTED by the Superior Team!

(Thus, also, did the Evil One refute the Advanced Ones.)

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

Is he raving about eating shit again?

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Not crickets. It is sullum quoting Trumps hateful sister and declaring it unconstitutional.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

OT:
https://abc7chicago.com/post/waukesha-wisconsin-teen-nikita-casap-17-killed-parents-extremist-plot-assassinate-president-donald-trump-fbi-says/16161833/

It seems the Neo nazis are not with the republicans, but are on the democrat’s side. As all of us here who are not democrats have always known. So we must be sure to remind Sarc, MAPedo Jeffy, Shrike, and the rest of the leftists here that they are with the nazis.

[Incunabulum]

Also, I am not sure how 'gulf of america' is a *viewpoint*.

And this is coming from someone who thinks the whole thing was stupid. I still believe the WH has to have the authority to control access to a limited access venue.

[BYODB]

Yes, it's equally as stupid as renaming Mt. McKinley. It seems the AP went along with that stupid name change, both times, but somehow thought this a bridge too far? Bizarre.

The AP style guide is garbage though since it runs afoul of standard English in a lot of stupid ways. I had the misfortune of using it in college and it was dumb even way back then. I can only surmise it was introduced to make journalism seem like a more legitimate thing than it's traditionally been thought of.

The modern view of journalists as some kind of arbiters of truth is new and frankly misguided as they are perhaps even more opinionated than the average and have a much bigger reach.

Take Woodward and Bernstein, two 'heros' of journalism, who basically just republished information they were given by a government leaker. They had to do some investigation, but that's a hell of a lot easier when you're given a roadmap to your investigation with the end point already figured out. It's more accurate to say that they were convenient to achieving the objectives of the government leaker, and dissidents in the government are happy to use journalists for their own ends to this day. Sometimes those ends may be good, and just as surely they will be bad too. Journalists don't know the difference.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

And (big assumption warning) the same AP who supports all the PC and decolonizing official place name changes across the US?

And the same AP dominated by people with TDS?

[BYODB]

Pretty much. It's just bizarre that they have gone along with this nonsense in the past but suddenly decided this was too much, and it seems pretty transparently because the AP doesn't like Trump.

I wager that after Trump is out of office, some Democrat renames it to something even dumber like the Gulf of Spain that actually enrages Mexico even more and the AP will just go along with it again without raising a fuss.

[Incunabulum]

Finally, the government can make you use someone's made up pronouns - but can't make you say 'gulf of america'?

[SQRLSY]

"the government can make you use someone's made up pronouns"

Cite? Example?

[Stupid Government Tricks]

There are now at least three states which will throw parents in jail for deadnaming or misgendering their own children (CA CO WA). This is especially bonkers when I believe all three also make it illegal for teachers to tell parents when their children "want" a different name or gender.

[Incunabulum]

I work in CA - to not use a coworker's preferred pronouns is defined as harassment in this state.

It's literally in the HR briefings you have to sit through before starting work.

[SQRLSY]

I still have nothing other than Your "good word", no cites... WHO has ever been fined or jailed or otherwise punished by Government Almighty, for using "wrong pronouns"? "Punished", I mean actually-REALLY punished, not by merely losing their Government Almighty job? Being fired from your PRIVATE job shouldn't matter either, in a free world. Hire and fire at will... You have no "right" to a job, other than what is contracted for. ... Also note: NOT being invited to the right cocktail parties isn't real punishment, either. ... Do you have examples of private employers with written contracts along the lines of "Thou shalt used politically correct pronouns, ye low-brow employees!"? If so... Warn people NOT to work for them! THAT is the simple and peace-loving solution!

So... WHERE are the concentration camps, jails, mass graves, and torture chambers for the wrong-pronoun-users? The whole world awaits Your Help, Super-Heroes!!!

[SQRLSY]

OK, AI "Perplexity" backs you up... Here is what it says...

Legal Basis in California

Harassment Definition:
Under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), intentional or persistent refusal to use a coworker’s preferred pronouns constitutes unlawful harassment if it creates a hostile work environment

.

Key Standard: Isolated mistakes are not automatically harassment, but repeated, deliberate misuse after being informed violates FEHA

.

HR Training Requirements:
Employers with 50+ employees must provide mandatory training every two years on gender identity, expression, and pronoun use

.

Content: These trainings explicitly cover pronoun policies and harassment risks

.

Small Employers: While training is mandatory only for larger employers, all California employers must comply with FEHA’s anti-harassment rules

.

Practical Workplace Implications

Employee Rights:
Workers can insist on being addressed by their preferred pronouns (including gender-neutral terms like "they/them") without needing legal name/gender changes

.

Employer Obligations:
Companies must update records, email addresses, and internal systems to reflect preferred names/pronouns unless legally prohibited (e.g., tax forms)

.

Exceptions and Nuances

Religious Accommodations:
Employers must balance pronoun requirements with sincerely held religious beliefs, but denials require proof of undue hardship (a high legal bar)

.

Slang Terms:
Non-standard identifiers (e.g., “chick/doll”) may be deemed inappropriate if they sexualize or demean, even if intended as pronouns

.

Key Citations

California Code of Regulations § 11034: Explicitly requires respecting gender identity/expression in workplace interactions

SQRLSY comment: Yes, this is Government Almighty being a bit heavy-handed. Honest dealings by honest employers should be enough. If you don't like working there, don't work there. If you don't like their business practices, don't do business with them... Boycott them! Government Almighty, back out and go home! Don't you have better stuff to do?

.

[Don't look at me! (No longer muted!)]

So it turns out you were wrong.
Again.

[SQRLSY]

I'm SNOT a PervFected Personoid like YOU, Oh PervFected One!

(There are still no secret jails or mass graves full of personal pronoun offenders, though, and unlike lazy personoids around here, I can be bothered to look shit up, and even post links.)

Speaking of links. . .

Hey y’all think Biden is senile? Trump at 78 seems about the same!

Rex Huppke USA Today “Trump babbles his way through doing a bad job and the polling proves we know it | Opinion
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/04/11/trump-approval-rating-tariffs-groceries-polls/83036443007/

When the 2024 World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers visited the White House recently, Trump attempted to talk about the team’s resilience in the playoffs and wound up saying whatever this random assortment of words is: “When you ran out the healthy arms, you ran out of really healthy, they had great arms, but they ran out, it’s called sports, it’s called baseball in particular, and pitchers I guess you could say in really particular.”

[Longtobefree]

Welcome to Florida. You can be here in a week.

[Incunabulum]

I live in Arizona - its actually freer than Florida;)

But I work in CA.

[JohnZ]

Just another reason to LEAVE California.

[Lester75]

That's not the federal government. And they won't throw you in jail sheesh. Show us the laws that throw parents in jail for misgendering their minor children. Nobody gets thrown in jail for misgendering. You could lose your job for 'misgendering' someone if your particular 'wokeish' company has a policy against it, but that's a private business making a decision about hiring/firing.

[JohnZ]

In California they will remove your children from your home and place them into foster care.
CPS is no different than the KGB.

[Public Entelectual]

Take care lest El Supremo send you to Gitmo for deadnaming the Gulf of Mexico,

[Longtobefree]

OK, so maybe Trump has to let them in from time to time; can he make them stand in the corner wearing a dunce cap?

[JohnZ]

Trump should actually do that. Make them stand in the corner.
By the way, CNN is at the very bottom of the ratings for news and information. Even The View beats them out.

[Think It Through]

I agree with the premise of the article, but I don't see how you can write it without discussing the #1 prominent example, the pronoun police.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

"The Associated Press’s legal victory highlights the limited power presidents and the press have over the creative destruction and spontaneous order of our language."

No, that's just your sorry attempt to bring Trump into it. The limited power of governments over language was shown long ago by "le weekend" and "le hot dog".

I worked at a disk drive company who had a full time "components engineer", who spent all day looking for cheaper components. If he could save a penny a day on manufacturing millions of disk drives, his job was a profit center.

He had a wall of component data books, hundreds of them, and said the French ones were his last resort, because while he could read very little of all the non-English languages, he could skim for "volt" and other technical words — except in the French ones. They insisted on using the official government language academy words, probably because the French government owned shares, but that's just snark, I do not really know.

I mentioned this on a forum once, and a French engineer sneered at Americans for being lazy. Well, buddy, you're the one losing sales. Your problem, not ours, and you make so few electronic components, why is that, got any guesses? No, we were just too lazy, and I guess the rest of the world too, including engineers from other EU countries who said the same thing: they avoided French parts as much as possible when they concocted all those special nouns and verbs.

This is like personal pronouns. The wokies can enshrine all sorts of crap in law, send parents to prison for deadnaming or misgendering their own children, but all they do is create a backlash which loses elections. Witness Newsom a few months ago sneering at the lefties who thought they could force "Latinx" on Latinos, until someone made a video of clips of him bragging on forcing people to use "Latinx".

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

But in France, the government can reject weird baby names, so that makes up for it, right?

[Vernon Depner]

Normal baby names are white supremacy.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Yup, better to name your kids something deliberately and overtly ethnic, so their resume gets tossed and they have something to apply their grievance study skills.

[Don't look at me! (No longer muted!)]

The hate is strong with this one.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug - Jan 6 = 9/11 (same motive)]

Even Trump's War on the Media Has Its Limits

Donnie wants to shut the media completely down except for state-run Fox News.

[sarcasmic]

From what I've seen Fox News has made the mistake of letting people who understand economics say treasonous things about his tariffs.

I'm surprised he hasn't sued them for fraud.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Cite?

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Fact check: partially true.

Trump does want to shut down state media, aka NPR and PBS.

ps. So do I.

[sarcasmic]

Are you talking about what he's said or what he's done? Because you guys switch all the time when convenient. Sure that's what he's said, but what he's done is use the courts to go after CBS.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Do you have a citation and example?

Because I have tons of examples of you doing this. So looks like you're projecting again.

[JohnZ]

You mean the rest of the media is state run.
The MSM has run cover for every covert operation ever run by the CIA, NSA or whomever for decades. Most of the rubbish( news) they feed you is filtered through the CIA.
The lot of them are over paid hacks.
NPR/National Propaganda Radio
PBS/Proper Bull Shit.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug - Jan 6 = 9/11 (same motive)]

Wall Street’s Best Hope to End Trump’s Global Trade War Is One of Its Own
...
“It will be genius if this leads to great outcomes,” says Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), a longtime friend of Bessent. “If not, it will be considered a huge mistake.”
...
For now, Bessent’s status in the administration is on the rise. One senior official described him as an “adult in the room,” saying he has gained favor with the president. Trump is now giving Bessent a leading role in negotiating with countries, a senior administration official said.
....
“He’s one of the MVPs of the administration,” said Graham. “He’s calming and logical, and he understands President Trump.”

https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/scott-bessent-trade-war-d36022d7?mod=hp_lead_pos2

Bessent (the only "adult in the room") saved the world economy from imploding amid a Treasury selloff. As part of the South Carolina conservative gay mafia (which includes notable Senators) he is the driving force trying to save the economy from MAGA lunatics.

[Mother's Lament - (Sarcasian Meanister of Foreign Affairs)]

Shrike's neocon Bushpig allies ride to the rescue again.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug - Jan 6 = 9/11 (same motive)]

You conservatives worshipped Bush/Cheney. Don't pretend you didn't.

[sarcasmic]

I’m sure that when anyone objected to using drones to drop bombs on weddings he accused them of defending terrorists, and then when Obama became president he became totally silent on the subject. Kind of like how he defended Trump’s first round of tariffs with accusations of TDS and became totally silent when Biden continued and expanded them, and is now defending again. No principles. Just tribal loyalty.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

You're right. You have no principles other than Trump hate.

At one point you didn't even know Reagan issued tariffs lol.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Admit it: you would suck Liz Chaney's dick if you thought it would hurt Trump. And you probably dreamed about it.

[Don't get eliminated(Don't forget to eat your penguin meat)]

Nobody believes your bullshit, pedo.

[damikesc]

Lessons were learned.

Why do you now LOVE them?

[Mother's Lament - (Sarcasian Meanister of Foreign Affairs)]

"You conservatives worshipped Bush/Cheney. Don't pretend you didn't."

No. And YOU worship Bush/Cheney right fucking now. Don't pretend you don't.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Why exactly do journalists need a "style guide"? Seems to me it only serves bake the bias of the AP into the weak minded journos that adhere to it. The judge found that the AP can't be excluded but he also found that they aren't entitled to any favored treatment. The AP is the face of MSM an institution that almost nobody outside of Reason editors trusts or gives a shit about.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

The style guide is used for expert acceptance of leftist ideology. Jeff consistently uses it as proof of valid sources. They treat the guide as the cultural and expert determination of what is legitimate.

Hoppes has a great article on how this is standard practice of the left. Attempts to require one to argue from a baseline of terms and walls around an argument to benefit them.

[sarcasmic]

I believe the purpose is simply so they all use the same terminology to describe things for consistency's sake. It's not some great conspiracy as some idiots might suggest.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

You remain a fucking leftist idiot. Examples.

“Phrasing like pregnant people or people who seek an abortion seeks to include people who have those experiences, but do not identify as women, such as some transgender men and some nonbinary people,” read the new AP guidance.

The Transgender Coverage Topical Guide explains: “A person’s sex and gender are usually assigned at birth by parents or attendants and can turn out to be inaccurate. Experts say gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure consisting of only men and women, that can vary among societies and can change over time.”

[chemjeff radical individualist]

That's right. Gender and sex are two different concepts, but because AP does not subscribe to your gender ideology, your team tries to use the state to punish them for their apostasy. That is fascist shit that you would absolutely oppose if the other side did it, but because it's your side, you try to justify it.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Why do you keep mixing the two when convenient for your argument? See men in women's sports. See how you demand medical treatment to gain biological characteristics based on sex.

What does their style guide say about sister sex?

How does your argument refute the fact sarc is fucking wrong?

Ironically your response admits the AP takes on an ideologically basis. You're just too stupid to realize you confirmed what I stated.

[DesigNate]

He knows, he just doesn’t care. The trans hill is one he is prepared to die on.

[Incunabulum]

Men and women are identical - except when they're ignoring 'women's medical issues'.

[Vernon Depner]

Gender and sex are two different concepts

Wrong. Sex is not a concept; it is an objective reality. Gender is merely a pop culture concept, but an ill-defined and inconsistent one.

[Social Justice is neither]

Fuck off you disingenuous Leftist cunt. Nobody is assigning an infant a gender identity but a sex so the tranny guide you're defending is intentionally wrong. The fact you are cool with fining and jailing people over misgendering while you maliciously conflate it with sex shows the true fascists on this topic.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Now do species, you stupid cunt.

[Don't get eliminated(Don't forget to eat your penguin meat)]

Lying Jeffy identifies as a trunk bear.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

“A person’s sex and gender are usually assigned at birth by parents or attendants and can turn out to be inaccurate. Experts say gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure consisting of only men and women, that can vary among societies and can change over time.”

SEE, EXPERTS!

[BYODB]

Note how in that quote they say 'sex and gender' then continue on while essentially conflating the two. Nobody cares about gender identity in a baby, they can't speak or even poop properly let alone feed themselves. Their only thoughts are of meeting immediate needs.

Last I checked, nobody at all 'assigns' a gender at birth they just mark you down as the obvious sex you present as. You can't ask a baby if it's a two-spirit or a genderqueer, and even if you could they wouldn't understand the question. It takes years of propaganda and miseducation to get to a point where the question matters enough to ask it in the first place.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

But modern journalist do apparently need a political bias guide, given the skewness in almost all journalism departments and employers.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug - Jan 6 = 9/11 (same motive)]

US consumer sentiment plummets to second-lowest level on records going back to 1952
—
Americans are rarely this pessimistic about the economy.
...
Consumer sentiment plunged 11% this month to a preliminary reading of 50.8, the University of Michigan said in its latest survey released Friday, the second-lowest reading on records going back to 1952. April’s reading was lower than anything seen during the Great Recession.
....
President Donald Trump’s volatile trade war, which threatens higher inflation, has significantly weighed on Americans’ moods these past few months. That malaise worsened leading up to Trump’s announcement last week of sweeping tariffs, according to the survey.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/11/economy/us-consumer-sentiment-april/index.html

Americans are figuring out that they were conned.

[Mother's Lament - (Sarcasian Meanister of Foreign Affairs)]

April’s reading was lower than anything seen during the Great Recession.

Lol, but the graphs and the data INSIDE your article show it was lower three years ago under Biden.

June 2022
50 points
Historical low

You never actually read your link again. Did you?

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

To be fair, Bidens economy was a recession hidden by massive government spending and lies in financial data.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Gee, did CNN also tell people they SHOULD be scared?

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

'Though he often decries the "weaponization" of the judicial system, the president rarely passes up the opportunity to use lawfare as his go-to cudgel. Over the past three decades, Trump has been involved in more than 3,500 legal battles in federal and state courts, according to one report.'

Jay, you need to look up the definition of "lawfare". A citizen applying to the courts for redress is not quite the same as politicians colluding with biased law enforcement, creative prosecutors, and overtly partisan judges.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Normal use of courts = lawfare
Use of novel laws and construction = not lawfare.

Reason simplified.

In fact it is my belief they are doing this solely to down play the lawfare attacks supported by Sullum and others.

[sarcasmic]

“Lawfare” means enforcing the law when Trump breaks it. Trump using frivolous lawsuits intimidate and get his way is totally different and totally ok because, well, you know why.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

False.

As usual youre justifying your own hypocrisy.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

He is also quite stupid.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Fair.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

LOL how many times did you complain about the defamation lawsuit against Fox News?

And when Trump files his own defamation lawsuits against ABC, CBS, NBC, etc....., crickets

[VULGAR MADMAN]

The left did it first!
How’d I do sarc?

[DesigNate]

Still not lawfare if he did it as a private citizen…

[Bananas]

You really are a pathetic coward. You pretend to mute people whose posts you've obviously read, and then you insult them without having the courage to respond directly.

[Mother's Lament - (Sarcasian Meanister of Foreign Affairs)]

Buttplug's Jew haters are being "patriotic" again.

a mob of Yale students shouting "VIVA VIVA PALESTINA" as they tear down an American flag on campus, and cheer as it hits the ground.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

That should lead to instant enrollment in a semester overseas, perhaps in Gaza. True, this would only reinforce their idiot politics, but it would be fun to hear all their whining.

[BYODB]

It wouldn't reinforce shit, they would probably be murdered and put on display for their trouble.

We're talking about armchair socialists or the children of armchair socialists, not true believers generally speaking. The true believers are the ringleaders of the 'movements' who are happy to vacuum up moron college kids in the hopes they can radicalize them enough to put on a Special Happy Time Vest. It's the same as any retard cult that recruits on campus.

These kids are happy to show up to 'protest' but when it comes to their personal lives they love capitalism and it's comforts. These people wouldn't last two seconds in Gaza, and half of them would be thrown off a roof upon arrival, especially the women with those ankles and faces showing. I don't think the 'Palestinians' will be asking if they identify as male either, the horror!

[sarcasmic]

You didn’t criticize Democrats when they did it you hypocrite. So stop talking about Trump.

[Mother's Lament - (Sarcasian Meanister of Foreign Affairs)]

YOU didn’t criticize Democrats when they did it except a thousand times worse, you hypocrite.

In fact you said it wasn't happening and mocked those complaining, as the CIA, FBI, and Biden administration illegally censored the speech of millions of Americans in the biggest free speech assault in American history.

But don't you dare call Sarckles a Democratic Party shill though, folks. It makes him mad.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

He is a Democrat.

sarcasmic 21 hours ago
Flag Comment
Mute User
At this moment in time, from what I've seen, the Democratic Party has more respect for liberty, both personal and economic, than Trump's Republican Party. Maybe the GOP will get back to its roots after Trump is no longer the party's god emperor. I hope so, but doubt it.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

"Democratic Party has more respect for liberty, both personal and economic"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[sarcasmic]

That's called damning with faint praise. Democrats are awful on both. But your beloved Republican Trumpian party is even worse.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Lol.

Now he walks it back yet again.

Censorship, covid mandates, higher taxes, higher regulations, cancel culture, debanking, removal of gun rights, lawfare, ABA removal of law licenses for conservatives...

Do I go on?

You're a Democrat. You defend democrats constantly. You use the democrats talking points.

They are your tribe.

[Pepin the short]

He’s a weasel. It is in his DNA

[Bananas]

Coward. Just own that you're a Democrat.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

Leftists lie as easily as normal people breathe.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

If your team keeps up the fascist shit, they will get blown out in the next election.

[sarcasmic]

I figure they’ll win by cheating and say it’s ok because Democrats did it in 2020

[Don't look at me! (No longer muted!)]

They did?

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Whats funny is I'm all for audits of every election.

Sarc seems to only be against them when democrats win under very odd circumstances and millions of surge votes that appear at midnight.

Sarc is a hypocrite. And a Democrat.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

He’s also a drunk, a liar, a cheeser, a shitweasel, stupid, a coward, a cunt, an anti semite, and so many other awful things.

[Mother's Lament - (Sarcasian Meanister of Foreign Affairs)]

If your team keeps up the fascist shit

WHAT "FASCIST SHIT", LYING JEFFY!? EXPLAIN YOURSELF.
WHAT ARE YOU CALLING FASCIST SHIT???

I figure they’ll win by cheating

WHAT ABOUT THE SAFEST ELECTIONS EVER, SARCASMIC? ARE YOU TELLING US DOMINION MACHINES AREN'T SECURE?

ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF VOTER ID NOW? OR IS IT STILL RACIST?

[chemjeff radical individualist]

lol the fake outrage is precious

[Mother's Lament - (Sarcasian Meanister of Foreign Affairs)]

Answer the question, Nazi.

What were you smearing as "fascist shit"?

If you think "fAkE oUtrAgE" was an effective dodge to trick others reading this, you're sorely mistaken.

Again:

WHAT ARE YOU CALLING FASCIST SHIT, LYING JEFFY???

[chemjeff radical individualist]

It is fake outrage. You know exactly what I'm talking about and you support it entirely. Just like your gaslighting and your projection on every other issue, this one is no different. You call everyone else a Nazi while you stand there supporting the worst Nazi shit.

[Don't get eliminated(Don't forget to eat your penguin meat)]

Nobody refuses to answer questions more than Lying Jeffy. It's because he lies all the time and simple clarifying questions can make his lies obvious.

[Don't get eliminated(Don't forget to eat your penguin meat)]

"You know exactly what I'm talking about and you support it entirely."

This should be easy for Lying Jeffy to clearly identify what he's talking about.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

I would be happy to meet up and show you firsthand what real outrage looks like. But you know you would never have the courage to do that.

Would you Fatfuck?

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

Fascist you say?

https://abc7chicago.com/post/waukesha-wisconsin-teen-nikita-casap-17-killed-parents-extremist-plot-assassinate-president-donald-trump-fbi-says/16161833/

It appears the fascist is on your side, Fatfuck.

[Mother's Lament - (Sarcasian Meanister of Foreign Affairs)]

This is the result of what politruks like Chemjeff are doing to people.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

This young leftist democrat nazi is of Jeffy.

( leftist, democrat, and nazi all effectively meaning the same thing)

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

You applauded it.

Why do you keep lying about it?

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

I think this explains it……

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AasnSH_9HBM

[Don't get eliminated(Don't forget to eat your penguin meat)]

Poor sarcbot.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug - Jan 6 = 9/11 (same motive)]

Trump Calls On Congress To Pass The “Take It Down” Act—So He Can Censor His Critics
.....
We've opposed the Take It Down Act because it could be easily manipulated to take down lawful content that powerful people simply don't like. Last night, President Trump demonstrated he has a similar view on the bill. He wants to sign the bill into law, then use it to remove content about — him. And he won't be the only powerful person to do so.
...
Here’s what Trump said to a joint session of Congress:
....
The Senate just passed the Take It Down Act…. Once it passes the House, I look forward to signing that bill into law. And I’m going to use that bill for myself too if you don’t mind, because nobody gets treated worse than I do online, nobody.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/03/trump-calls-congress-pass-overbroad-take-it-down-act-so-he-can-use-it-censor

#Trump1984Censorship

[sarcasmic]

Biden already did that and Trump critics didn’t complain because they’re a bunch of hypocrites. That means it’s ok for Trump to shut them all down.

[Quicktown Brix]

Trump gives Apple a giant break with wide-ranging tariff exemptions

A special favor to large corporations? Who would have expected this?

I guess this is just how you manage an economy.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug - Jan 6 = 9/11 (same motive)]

Maybe Apple won't need to move their assembly plants to India now.

Reminder that all the tariff bluster from Trump has been for nothing.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

They’re already doing that you child rapist fuck.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Actually dropping reciprocal tariffs on pretty much all electronics. Can't for Monday's response on Reason.

[Quicktown Brix]

So much for the American dream of "The army of millions and millions of human beings screwing in little screws to make iPhones."

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Thousands of baristas stop watching Youtube videos on how to use a screwdriver.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

Dropping to zero? Dropping to the new 10% zero? Dropping to what they were before?

And what about what they'll be on Tuesday?

[Quicktown Brix]

Uhh well...uhhh

Customs said with this update, “articles the product of countries that have an additional country-specific rate of duty that were (1) loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transport on or after 12:01 a.m. EDT April 5, 2025, and before 12:01 a.m. EDT April 9, 2025, and (2) are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, before 12:01 a.m. EDT on May 27 2025, should claim the 10% additional rate in lieu of the country-specific rate of duty.”

State of Freight Customs ‘glitch’ impacting Trump tariffs fixed after lasting for more than 10 hours

[Stupid Government Tricks]

You might like this, a 5 minute read of various corrupt tariff bureaucrats:

https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/protectionism-is-more-idiotic-than-it-looks/

Foreign manufacturers of ladies garments began adding a water-resistant lining to light coats; the lining reduced the tariff from 29.5 percent to 7.6 percent. Sen. Richard Shelby was outraged at this foreign conniving, declaring, "Essentially, these water resistant linings serve no practical purpose other than to qualify the garment for a 21.9 percent [tariff] reduction." Did Shelby spend his entire life in a desert where it never rained? Shelby proposed legislation to abolish the lower tariff rate for water-resistant garments, assuring everyone that his proposal "has the interests of all American garment manufacturers in mind."

And so on.

[Quicktown Brix]

I like this one :

Customs Service officials worked overtime in late 1989 to protect America from foreign shoelaces. Customs prohibited the import of a shipment of 30,000 tennis shoes from Indonesia because the shoe boxes contained an extra pair of shoelaces...Customs proceeded to establish intricate rules for shoelace imports. In a judicious ruling, the U.S. government announced that an extra pair of shoelaces would be permitted in a box of tennis shoes as long as the extra shoelaces were laced into the shoes and were color-coordinated with the shoes.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

They're all freaking awesome, not just for the deliberate misinterpretation, but for the twisted rules themselves. I'd subscribe to a daily example.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Who says asshole bureaucrats can't be creative?

[Homer Thompson]

looks like a complete surrender on trade war and via a Friday night announcement that would get fewest eyeballs possible

if you were short the financial markets going into the weekend, prepare to have a new a**hole Monday morning

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

The electronics maintain the 20% original tariffs, just not the new 125% due to escalation.

WaPo was wrong.

Do any of you bother with verifying corporate media?

[Homer Thompson]

absolutely not

just snarking at the first headline

this is an internet message board

[Quicktown Brix]

Do any of you bother with verifying corporate media?

The irony...

Anyway, does it make a difference? It will change tomorrow on a whim anyway. Good luck planning budgets with a fickle tariffmaster in charge and the GOP frozen in fear of offending his baby ego.

[sarcasmic]

For now. He could change his mind any time, just like he's gone back and forth on tariffs several times in just a couple months.
It won't be long before he's unable to use tariffs as a political cudgel because no one will be able to take him at his word.

[Quicktown Brix]

I don't see why a very stable genius would change his mind after this carefully calculated adjustment to his rock solid genius plan.

[BYODB]

Not just Apple, apparently, although anyone shocked by this obviously wasn't terribly knowledgeable about NAFTA during it's existence either. Tariff's are rife with this kind of stuff and just about always have been.

Also, for what it's worth, most of the things exempted can't be made without Chinese raw materials. That's a bad thing with or without tariffs as those materials are required for our standard of living in America, including our machines of war. Being reliant on a potential adversary on the world stage for necessary materials is unwise in the extreme. Imagine if every U.S. vehicle was made in Germany when WW2 kicked off.

Had the tariffs stayed in place for the iPhone 17 release season, analysts were floating the possibility of an iPhone 17 Pro costing $2000 or more.

The price was slated to be about $900 before tax and still appears to be the planned price point, but nobody seems interested in how much an iPhone would cost to manufacture in the U.S. with or without tariff's. I'd guess easily $4000 just as a rough guesstimate.

One useful takeaway lesson is it turns out Americans don't care about the environment, slavery, or enriching authoritarians after all. The left is an empty suit on strings for corporate interests and has been all along. That should have been obvious to even the biggest dolts after Occupy Wall Street fizzled out.

They are now on record as being in favor of environmental destruction, human slavery, and making autocrats richer...as long as those things aren't happening in their backyard. Nothing new, perhaps, but illustrative none the less of the 'ethics' of the left.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

One useful takeaway lesson is it turns out Americans don't care about the environment, slavery, or enriching authoritarians after all.

And then you rant about "the left" being "anti-environment, pro slavery", etc. But I thought Republicans bought Iphones too. This isn't a "left" problem, it's an everyone problem. In general consumers don't seem to care too much about how their products are made. For example a lot of the cobalt that is used to make Elon Musk's Tesla batteries (and all the other modern batteries) come from Africa where the cobalt is mined by children. That's not right, but also not many people even know about this, let alone care enough to change their habits because of it.

Are tariffs the answer to this problem? They could be, but if we start accepting the idea that the government is justified to levy tariffs on nations for moral reasons, then that opens up a whole other can of worms about how much moral decision making the government should be making on behalf of the citizens.

[sarcasmic]

Desperately poor people are reduced to using child labor? Well let’s use tariffs to discourage people in wealthy countries from buying their stuff. Make them even poorer. That’ll teach ‘em. /s

[chemjeff radical individualist]

If Jesse et al. really want to make the argument that the government may rightly impose taxes based on moral considerations, then let them make that argument. But of course, once they concede that the government ought to place taxes (tariffs) on China because their government permits child/slave labor, then they must also concede that the government ought to place taxes on citizens based on their supposedly immoral actions. So, how about a tax for drinking sugary drinks? How about a tax for not having health insurance? How about a tax for using guns carelessly? How about a tax for not going to church? How about a tax for going to church? This is the Pandora's box that they probably don't want to open. But they are not honest enough to admit this. They live and breathe the double standard - THEY think they ought to impose taxes based on moral reasons, but if OTHERS do that, then THAT is an unbearable infringement on THEIR liberty!

And just to clarify, when I say "moral reasons", I am referring to reasons that go beyond the NAP. Of course the NAP itself is a statement of moral principle. But that type of minimalist principle isn't what is being discussed here.

[sarcasmic]

Trump defenders don’t think things through or have any coherent thoughts. You give them too much credit. They’re just rationalizing their emotional reaction to criticism of the leader of their political church.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

More projection.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

Marxist shitweasels like Sarc and Jeffy are getting kore shrill every day. And they’re acting out violently. Soon, Americans will cry out for McCarthyism, or whatever it will be called going forward.

We can finally cleanse America of it’s Marxists.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Or you could say that you will oppose anything Trump does, because he did it.

[sarcasmic]

If he does something remotely libertarian then he'll get praise from libertarians. So far that hasn't happened. And don't come back with "He's cutting government!" He's not. He's using executive orders what will all be rescinded by the next Democratic president. So all he's doing is sowing chaos for a few years. Then it will be back to the same old shit. Unless he gets Republicans to pass some bills. But that better happen quick. Trump is doing his best to ruin the economy, and as a result the GOP is going to lose their majority in 2026 and Democrats will take the White House in 2028. With the Presidency and both houses of Congress they will work overtime to undo everything Trump has done.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

So you again are saying congress has to control spending... but below you claim spending during covid was Trump's fault.

You can't remain consistent even for 12 hours.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Trump has to do something libertarian for the right reasons in order to win praise from me. He started, a little bit, with the First Step Act. But then he totally backtracked on that. Since then Trump has demonstrated that he fully supports a two-tier justice system, one for Good Patriotic Real Muricans, and one for "Those People". Why is Team Trump fighting so hard to keep Garcia out? They admitted they made a mistake! SCOTUS rebuffed him 9-0. It is because Team Trump fundamentally believes that non-citizens not only do not have rights, but do not deserve even basic dignity.

Trump scapegoats and demonizes minority groups in order to gain power. That is wrong on so many levels yet you all cheer it on.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

Except you’re not libertarian at all. Just because you believe in open borders at any cost, every kind of malignant perversion (like pedophilia) doesn’t make you libertarian. The reality is that you’re a global Marxist. A Sorosite,

You represent everything dark and evil on the world.

[Nobartium]

that opens up a whole other can of worms about how much moral decision making the government should be making on behalf of the citizens.

That isn't how taxes in the US are actually done.

People vote first, then the taxes happen.

But if US citizens were using slave labor, then yes, they should be penalized. In fact, the man in the Oval Office is there partly out of such morals.

[BYODB]

But if US citizens were using slave labor, then yes, they should be penalized. In fact, the man in the Oval Office is there partly out of such morals.

I have both those idiots on mute, but it's worth mentioning that U.S. citizens are using slave labor right now today and it's entirely legal and absolutely fine (legally) as long as they do it by proxy in a foreign country.

Of course, they are never punished for any of this and in fact become outrageously wealthy because of it. We are all fools for not outsourcing our job to, say, India and then passing the work off as our own to the boss man. Hell, if you did that you'd probably be fired when it was discovered and possibly prosecuted.

Amusingly, I've read several stories of that very thing happening and they can get away with it for years or even decades. It's not a made up thing, it actually does happen. Today that's probably happening en masse with AI systems and nobody bats an eye. The AI does the work, you get paid, and the world somehow spins on. At least with AI you aren't abusing anyone except your employer, I guess.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

What i find most amusing the last 2 days is sarc on one side claiming he is pro freedom so prefers democrats and on the other hand defending slavery for globalist profits.

[BYODB]

I mean, that is the Democrat platform in a nutshell so it's hardly surprising. I don't care what he thinks though, hence putting him on mute long ago (for real, not pretend).

[chemjeff radical individualist]

LOL Democrats are pro-tariff too. What again was Biden's record on tariffs on China?

One team is snatching people off the street and sending them to a third-world gulag, and BYOB here manages to overlook that. Funny that.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

Biden wasn’t going to tariff his paymasters.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

MAPedo Jeffy doesn’t care about tariffs. He cares about restoring the democrats to power. He will justify taking any position necessary to achieve that end.

[DesigNate]

Republicans aren’t running around throwing soup on paintings and gluing themselves to streets in protest of our impact on the environment. All while owning several items with rare earth minerals being stripped mined in countries with horrible track records on the environment and human rights. They also aren’t out there bitching about rich people and wanting to take their stuff.

The left, however, is doing both of those things. Hence why he specifically called them out.

[Quicktown Brix]

One useful takeaway lesson is it turns out Americans don't care about the environment, slavery, or enriching authoritarians after all.

This is as dishonest as the people that say everyone that wants to stop illegal immigration is racist. It's an extremely complicated situation that can't be boiled down so easily. One's goals may align with awful people for good reasons.

I, for one, still think enriching China is the best way that they can shake off the authoritarian yoke. It's not fast, nor guaranteed, but at least no one gets incinerated and we benefit in the meantime. Only a wealthy nation will address those issues. If we stop trading they're lives only get worse.

As for national security, there are much better options to address that than tariffs, certainly better than tariffs that specifically exclude those items.

[BYODB]

This is as dishonest as the people that say everyone that wants to stop illegal immigration is racist.

I don't think it is, personally. You'll need to explain how that's true instead of just saying it as fact unless your goal was to create a strawman and ad hominem all in one.

e.g. IF you believe climate change is an existential threat to Earth's survival and the U.S. (and in fact the world) must deindustrialize, how exactly do you arrive at buying products from China?

How does a cheaper product help you when you'll be dead in a decade by your own stated beliefs?

Especially when those products are made in a country that could not possibly care less about the environment? In fact, wouldn't this justify military intervention to 'save the world'?

Note that I don't think that way, in fact I pretty obviously think it's stupid. That doesn't change the fact that a whole bunch of people do actually believe that, but their behavior doesn't line up with their stated beliefs. I can think of a few reasons for that, but none of them are good or flattering.

I, for one, still think enriching China is the best way that they can shake off the authoritarian yoke. It's not fast, nor guaranteed, but at least no one gets incinerated and we benefit in the meantime.

So 'free trade' is subordinate to foreign regime change, I guess, but while we're on the subject of hypocrisy I have to believe you don't actually think that's true it's just a convenient argument for you to make in the moment. If you do think that way, you're no friend of free trade but you will find some like minds in the CIA.

[Quicktown Brix]

IF you believe climate change is an existential threat to Earth's survival

I don't. Deindustrialization/depopulation as a goal to prevent depopulation seems pretty stupid. The environment is beyond our control for the foreseeable future.

So 'free trade' is subordinate to foreign regime change, I guess, but while we're on the subject of hypocrisy I have to believe you don't actually think that's true it's just a convenient argument for you to make in the moment.

I am for free trade because I am for freedom and because I think it provides the best results for the most people of any system that humans are capable of.

I'm not in favor of actively causing regime changes of any nation that'snot an existential threat to us. I think we've proven that's not easy or beneficial for anyone. Enriching and potentially freeing oppressed developing nations is a beneficial by-product of free trade. Freedom and inexpensive and maximally efficient goods is my main concern.

[BYODB]

I suppose it just went right over your head that you said I was being dishonest when I said Americans (specifically the left) don't care about enriching autocrats but then you immediately turned around and outright stated you don't care if you enrich autocrats.

You also just did a 180 on being in favor of trade with China because of it's theoretical ability to affect regime change, which I called out as what would happen immediately after you said it. It might not be your only reason, but apparently it was a good enough reason for you to make #2 on your list of pros rather than cons.

You know what has improved in China since trade was opened under Nixon? Their military apparatus is now a real threat to the United States, and their military is laser focused on development to specific counter the U.S. military using our own technology. They also stole nuclear weapons research from us here in the United States itself, not to mention high profile literal spies attached to the Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman. Before we started trading with them, they were not any particular threat to the United States.

Lastly, just because you aren't one of the abysmally stupid that think the world will end in ten years if 'something isn't done about CO2' doesn't mean there aren't millions of morons out there that believe that while also buying goods from countries that are orders of magnitude worse polluters than the United States. It's ludicrous people continue to tighten the grip of the U.S. regulatory regime when we could pollute a hell of a lot more and still not come even slightly close to China or India.

What this means is the U.S. is artificially restrained in it's productivity and this directly benefits adversarial Communist countries. This appears to be by design in order to get cheap products and enrich politically connected U.S. companies.

Basically, the U.S. miscalculated badly and has chosen the form of our own destroyer. The United States stole the industrial revolution from Britain and now they are a 3rd rate power, and we're well on our way to repeating that error with China.

[Quicktown Brix]

I suppose it just went right over your head that you said I was being dishonest when I said Americans (specifically the left) don't care about enriching autocrats but then you immediately turned around and outright stated you don't care if you enrich autocrats.

I have no desire to address this strawman. This is your argument, not mine.

You know what has improved in China since trade was opened under Nixon? Their military apparatus is now a real threat to the United States

Since trade opened or because trade opened?

Is your claim that us trading with them is what caused them to develop nukes and military technology?

[Nobartium]

I, for one, still think enriching China is the best way that they can shake off the authoritarian yoke..

Authoritarians thank you for your naiveite.

[Quicktown Brix]

2 things:
1 Do you care to present any argument at all to back up your declaration?

2 Who cares? I don't want free trade for China's sake, Imwant it for the US. If it leads to liberation of China, that's gravy on the potatoes.

Wealthy authoritarian nations are pretty much limited to oil rich nations. The reason: when you're hungry, you have 1 problem. When your full, you have many problems.

[Nobartium]

1: We've only been trading with such regimes for a century. If this is the best way to shake off that yolk (your words), then their existence is a demonstrable failure of free markets.

2: Ignoring your backtracking, if you only care about cheap goods, then the 13th has been repealed in spirit. Monkey don't see, so it doesn't exist.

[Quicktown Brix]

1We've only been trading with such regimes for a century.

And we made great progress. 250 years ago there was onlyn1 democracy in the world.

2: Ignoring your backtracking, if you only care about cheap goods, then the 13th has been repealed in spirit. Monkey don't see, so it doesn't exist.

Invoking a woke false equivalency fallacy? You want to do charity for the world? As if cutting off their only source of income will help them. Would you rather be poorly paid or starving?

The MAGA right has really become the new left. All the same talking points with dots that don't connect.

[BYODB]

'Great progress' from 250 years ago, when we didn't trade much at all and the FedGov's only source of income was tariff. Yeah sure, ok. Not applicable in the slightest with trade in China, they had an Emperor until 1912 and now they have an all powerful political class residing in the CCP. More diffused power, perhaps, but autocratic it remains.

If slave labor is good for the U.S. when practiced in China, why then is a bad thing to practice it here in the United States? Is it only unethical when we do it directly? Is it not also unethical to hire someone you know is going to use slave labor to get your job done, even though you don't whip them yourself?

And no, while it's not being framed as an ethical question it still is one that people should at least think on before spouting off about how great it is to enrich nations that are hostile to their neighbors and their own citizens. I'm sure Taiwan and India are so happy we've empowered the Chinese military, for example.

Pretending 2nd or 3rd order consequences just don't exist paints you as a bit of a fool, to be honest.

Free trade, that you claim to love so much, is only possible between free countries. You seem to know the definition of free trade, yet continually mistake managed trade for free trade which it is not.

[Quicktown Brix]

If slave labor is good for the U.S. when practiced in China

Please define slave labor. Also what becomes of those "slaves" when we cut off trade?

we've empowered the Chinese military, for example.

Ah, so you do think this is our doing and apparently that we should use our influence to suppress other nations. What about China’s internal reforms and movement toward capitalism?

Free trade, that you claim to love so much, is only possible between free countries. You seem to know the definition of free trade, yet continually mistake managed trade for free trade which it is not.

I want unilateral free trade with China, not a semantic argument about what is and isn't free trade.

[Nobartium]

And we made great progress. 250 years ago there was onlyn1 democracy in the world.

This is some weapons grade copium, especially in light of multiple elections out-right removing choices by those other "democracies".

But even here (in the US), that metric still fails.

As if cutting off their only source of income will help them.

If only there were actually being paid, instead of being used.

Great job otherwise.

[Quicktown Brix]

That's still pretty good compared to an entire world of kings, emperors, serfs and peasants. It's progress. The world has never been so free since the industrial revolution.

If only there were actually being paid, instead of being used.

Oh you bleeding heart conservatives, always worried about the living conditions of Muslims...

I think you misunderstand what people mean by slavery in China. It's called forced labor because people are told where and when to work. They are however paid for their labor.

[LIBtranslator]

Hitler got perks from Big Pharma and Krupp. This was after Bert Hoover and Harry Anslinger got the volk stirred up enough with dope laws to vote him in. It's kinda like the way Dems insisted on banning all detectable energy because Sharknado Warmunism. Anyone that stupid has to share the blame for putting Orange Hitler back in office.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug - Jan 6 = 9/11 (same motive)]

‘MAGA leftist’ blames Obama for 2008 bank bailout that was signed by George W. Bush
...
Self-described “MAGA leftist” Batya Ungar-Sargon confidently declared on Thursday night that President Barack Obama’s “first act in office” was passing the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program that bailed out financial institutions during the height of the 2008 financial crisis.
...
Ungar-Sargon would double down on that claim the following morning, tweeting that “in 2008, President Obama bailed out Wall Street and screwed over Main Street” while defending Donald Trump’s tariffs, insisting that “in 2024” the current president “screwed over Wall Street to bail out Main Street.”

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/maga-leftist-blames-obama-for-2008-bank-bailout-that-was-signed-by-george-w-bush/ar-AA1CKqGn

The MAGA leftists here are so poorly informed like this woman. This is Jesse-level wrong.

[sarcasmic]

MAGAs still believe Trump was coerced into signing The CARES Act as well. That way he can’t be held responsible for the resulting inflation, debt, and raising of the budget floor.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Like every leftist, you continue to lie about the argument.

It was a veto proof vote in Congress. Weird how you now claim congress is supreme now, but blame Trump for their veto proof bill prior.

Trump is blamed for all spending while you yell at him for all cuts around appropriation bills.

Almost like you're a leftist hypocrite.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug - Jan 6 = 9/11 (same motive)]

It was a veto proof vote in Congress.

This is your repeated lie. You are implying that Donnie wanted to veto the massive bill. THE SENATE GOP AND WHITE HOUSE WANTED THE BILL.

Later the same Big Gov MAGA assholes pushed through the nauseating PPP.

[sarcasmic]

Is that what the idiot in the grey box is saying? Thing is, the liar is also aware that all but a couple Republicans voted for the bill, and that Trump attacked the ones who didn't. So the liar is completely and totally full of shit, as always.

[Don't look at me! (No longer muted!)]

Oooh! Jessie is muted again!

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Don't be mad bro.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Couple of Republicans? It was veto proof you fucking retard.

Why are you so dishonest as to not admit to this fact?

Why do you now demand Trump uses congress for cuts but don't blame congress for then spending? Are you this fucking dishonest?

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

What does a 93 vote mean you dumb retarded leftist democrat fuck? Lol.

Let's get into the facts.

Democrats introduced the spending bill. The GOP cut a shit ton out of the spending. The bill was pushed due to governor's shutting down industry. It passed with a veto proof majority.

Due to cuts in the initial bill, democrats then pushed two more massive spending bills on non veto proof margins post election.

The fact you retards can't admit the number of votes for the bill shows how partisan you are.

Glad it works for morons like sarc though. Just keeps proving what a leftist dumbass he is.

Meanwhile you and him both blame Trump for not using congress to cut now.

It is amazing.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Trump's Treasury secretary negotiated with Congress on the bill.
Trump himself praised the bill when he signed it.
There is zero evidence that Trump was only coerced into signing the bill because it was veto-proof. None. The vote in favor of the bill was so high because NEARLY EVERYBODY AGREED WITH IT, including Trump. The only people who still defend Trump on this are the dead-ender Trump shills like Jesse.

[sarcasmic]

Jesse bleats “Veto proof! Veto proof!” seemingly unaware that it was veto proof because all but a couple Republicans voted for it. Jesse is also unaware that Trump called out the ones that didn’t. Trump was angry that it wasn’t passed by a unanimous vote. And Jesse says that’s proof that Trump bears zero responsibility for the bill.

The stupid, it burns!

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Wut? I cited the number you retard. Do you realize how fucking stupid you look right now? Do you understand how dishonest you look? Lol.

I properly blame congress. Just like I blamed congress and Paul Ryan under Obama.

Now explain to us how congress isn't responsible for spending then, but Trump has to ask congress to cut spending now. Make your hypocrisy make sense.

[DesigNate]

1. It’s not a lie, the bill had a veto proof majority. What Trump thought about the bill is irrelevant to that fact.

2. How is it you chucklefucks have been posting on this site for 20 damn years and you still don’t understand electoral politics? Even in the universe where Gary Johnson was sitting behind the Resolute Desk, he supported and signed that bill.

[sarcasmic]

When Jesse squeals “Veto proof! Veto proof!” he’s taking responsibility away from Trump.

Fact is that Trump would have signed it regardless.

Anyone with libertarian values would not.

[DesigNate]

I don’t really care what Jesse’s reasoning is. It doesn’t change the facts, which is why I called shrike out.

I maintain that even if he wanted to veto (and I agree, he didn’t want to), not even Gary Johnson would have vetoed the bill in an election year in the midst of what the governors were doing.

[Don't get eliminated(Don't forget to eat your penguin meat)]

Related:

“In a shocking moment of honesty, Chuck Todd admits that the media helped cover up Biden's mental decline because they were afraid of helping Trump win.

Remember: They'd rather lie to you than tell the truth if the truth helps President Trump.”

https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1910115531585396792

We call the corporate press the enemy of the people because they are.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Does Chuck Todd use the AP style guide?

[BYODB]

For what it's worth, the AP style guide is for written material and I'm not sure he can read.

[Fats of Fury]

This kid trespassed in a public building. He's lucky they didn't shoot him in the face
https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/marine-hopeful-sues-baltimore-county-schools-over-suspension-for-american-flag-inquiry-parker-jensen-sarah-spitalnick-towson-high-school-first-amendment-maryland

[Moonrocks]

They're punishing him for speech?

[Rick James]

Even Trump's War on the Media Has Its Limits
Trump's legal dispute with the A.P. is just one episode in his ongoing war against journalism, an institution he has called "the enemy of the people."

*looks around*

I'm getting to the point where I don't have the time or the inclination to even point out the utter retardation of these shallow takes in the proper 1000 word point-by-point comment. So I'll just call it retarded.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Proposal accepted.

[Don't get eliminated(Don't forget to eat your penguin meat)]

Retarded, blatant lie, whatever.

[Rick James]

I'd be more charitable and call it both true and untrue at the same time.

[LIBtranslator]

Up goes the RETARDED distress signal. Altruist Totalitarian will be showing up with lengthy, lame, shrill and pedantic assertions cross-dressing as fact and argumentation.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

Are you on hospice yet?

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Look at these heroes smashing the car window of a dangerous illegal gang thug and taking the criminal into custody. You can very obviously tell this person is in a gang, just look at all those scary tattoos! Thank heavens our heroes in ICE are keeping us safe!

https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/maryland-woman-arrest-ice-immigration-el-salvador-berrios/

[Vernon Depner]

"She just wants her mother to come home."

That's what ICE wants, too.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Ha!

[Bananas]

From the asshole who never once showed any empathy for people raped or murdered in the US or Europe by immigrants.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

How many people did this 52-year-old mother rape or murder? I'm willing to bet: none.

Then what's the point of conflating migrants who do terrible things, with migrants who don't? Surely you aren't arguing that all migrants are the same, are you?

[sarcasmic]

“Then what's the point of conflating migrants who do terrible things, with migrants who don't?”

Crossing the border is illegal which makes illegals criminals and criminals are all the same. So there’s no difference between a border jumper who picks vegetables and one who kills people. They’re both criminals.

(See if Poe’s law will strike)

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

More strawman arguments from sarcjeff? I for one am shocked.

To the fainting couch.

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

I wonder if those two are trading child porn with Shrike yet?

[LIBtranslator]

HEY! The Comanches and Sioux did at least give SOME payback, and without Uncle Billy's conscripts, supplies and federal funding.

[Social Justice is neither]

They should have applied your preferred solution to trespassing and shot him in the face. Or does that just apply to women?

[sarcasmic]

You weren’t outraged when Saint Babbitt of the Peaceful J6 Tourists order of The Church of Trump was murdered in cold blood you hypocrite! That means you can’t complain about law enforcement and anything they do is ok!

-what retarded Trump defending retards really believe

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Again. You and Jeff defended and cheered it.

You defended and cheered 20 year sentences for even non violent protestors at J6.

It is amusing you project your hypocrisy though. I do wonder if it is only yourself you are trying to convince.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

You defend and cheer sending a man with zero criminal record to a third-world gulag as if he were a hardened criminal, even after the government admitted he was deported there in error. You defend and cheer sham versions of "due process" that are so heavily lopsided in favor of the government that it is beyond ridiculous. I mean really, you think it is "due process" to deport someone solely on Marco Rubio's say-so? With zero opportunity by the migrant to challenge whatever flimsy rationale Rubio comes up with? You defend and cheer kangaroo courts called 'immigration court', not even a real Article 3 court, that rubber-stamps the government's position because you like the outcome, at the same time that you pretend to oppose secret FISA courts rubber-stamping government decisions that go against Trump.

You have zero principles and zero integrity. You defend everything and anything that Team Trump does. If they are NOT paying you for shilling for them, then you are a fool for spreading their propaganda for free.

[LIBtranslator]

It's not easy to follow the team Hitler Christian National Socialist game plan while still faking some sort of libertarian infiltraitor cover. I did some research and it turns out women STILL have individual rights and some bodily autonomy in Greenland since 2 years after that one LP spoiler vote forced the court's hand in 1973. No wonder the nazis are eager for an Anschluss there...

[TJJ2000]

That day the 1st Amendment got so warped it granted the Nazi press *entitlement* to the white house press pool guest list.....

While I applaud the underlying effort/premise of the ruling; this judge obviously has a problem acknowledging the difference between an inherent right and an *entitlement*.

[LIBtranslator]

Good article, an interesting lie exposed: "The Court simply holds that under the First (sic) NINTH Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists—be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere—it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints," ... "The Constitution requires no less." As in Roe, the Looter Supremacy struggles to evade the existence of the Ninth Amendment, wherein the Constitution: shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights retained by the people.

[TJJ2000]

Maybe the white house can add enough wings to house every press station in the world ?

[Eeyore]

I think the press secretary should hold the briefings via zoom in her pajamas.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Just keep toobin off camera.

[Longtobefree]

Next up, Trump refuses to let the AP into the White House because they are racist for capitalizing Black, but not white.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

As I predicted weeks ago.
Team Trump is openly discussing plans for denaturalizing citizens so that they can ship them to the Salvadoran gulag.

https://archive.is/qt7UT

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

Cool story Fatfuck. Got any other nuggets of bullshit you would like to impart before you jump back on your NAMBLA board?

[Rick James]

Language lacks a central authority. Neither the traditional literary gatekeepers (e.g., linguists, lexicographers, and grammarians) nor political leaders (especially the ones barking Orwellian newspeak like "tariffs are tax cuts") are the final arbiters of how humanity communicates.

*cough*pronouns*cough*

[chemjeff radical individualist]

What is up with you people and pronouns. This is just getting silly.

Preferred pronouns are no different than nicknames. Such as if a person whose legal name is Robert asks to be referred to as "Bob". You are free to ignore Robert's request and call him Robert, Bobby, Shithead, or whatever else you like. If you do call him "Bob", you are technically "perpetuating a lie" since Robert's official legal name is not Robert, it is Bob. Not a single one of you has a problem with nicknames like Bob for Robert, Bill for William, Liz for Elizabeth, etc. It's only when those goddamn leftists FORCE YOU TO USE PREFERRED PRONOUNS, just like Robert FORCED YOU TO CALL HIM BOB, that you get upset.

[DesigNate]

Sticking with this horrible analogy, huh?

You’re consistent, I’ll grant you that.

[Minadin]

A nickname is still not a pronoun.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

I cannot possibly imagine anyone who calls him/herself a libertarian being anything but outraged by how the government treated Garcia.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

The fat pedo has spoken!

[Strawmancasmic, Town Drunk and Gay for Booze]

I can’t believe you’re allowed to live. Fucking MAPedo.

[AT]

But this debate is bigger than overly spray-tanned authoritarians

Just coming right on out with the overt bias then, huh?

Like, it was never about the Gulf of America in the first place for you, was it. Just about you thumbing your nose at POTUS because you don't like him.

Trump's legal dispute with the A.P. is just one episode in his ongoing war against journalism, an institution he has called "the enemy of the people."

Because it's the enemy of the people.

And this has nothing whatsoever to do with Trump. If Trump had died in 1988, journalism in 2025 would still be the enemy of the people.

No, wait. Let me put it more accurately. Journalism in 2025 would still be The ENEMY Of The People. And you - YOU PERSONALLY, JAY STOOKSBERRY, and REASON DOT COM - are prime examples of it.

For the last TWO DECADES "journalism" has been ACTIVELY working against the American People. Including but not limited to:

A) propping up a racist hateful Marxist president who did nothing in his eight years but sow division among Americans and empower our enemies, eagerly glossing over all his failures and flaws because he was the First (and hilariously Last EVER) Black President. Then,

B) when those in power aimed to succeed him with the literally most horrible woman in all of human history, they paved the way for her with inane platitudes like "it's her turn" and "she deserves this" despite not being able to point to ONE SINGLE VALID EXAMPLE of why either of those were true. At the same time,

C) they engaged in a massive, collaborative, single-minded, and unified effort at smearing and ridiculing her contender because that damned orange slave somehow made it off their plantation - after which they lost their minds when he beat that miserable hateful bitch in an election, to the point of outright denying it all four years, during which they also,

D) spared no effort to decry his every word and deed as awful, immoral, anti-American (even when it clearly wasn't), and the precursors to global armageddon. Mind you, I didn't even like OR vote for that guy AT ALL, but even I could see it how insane their response was to him - to say nothing of how clearly they aided and empowered his opposition's efforts to straight up rig an election right in front of everyone's eyes by shutting down any question whatsoever as to its legitimacy, up to and including their role in,

E) being willful participants in the greatest global scam that has EVER existed in human history, as they mindlessly bleated their rehearsed lines about masks and social distancing and remote learning and intentionally killing the economy to "stop the curve" which apparently was never going to be stopped if they could help it, meanwhile providing defense for every scumbag politician and elitist who was doing the EXACT OPPOSITE of what they demanded of every single American Citizen, at which point they,

F) ushered in their Savior, a senile old dementia patient whose "authority" had to be handed to theater kids to fake via White House sets, teleprompters, and amphetamines; who couldn't handle ANY public appearance without it being 100% controlled and scripted; who covered his every failure and disaster like it was the best thing that every happened (and anyone who disagreed was just dumb and "didn't get" why), who then - when the narrative was COMPLETELY blown 1) had to cover for the fact that they spent three years hiding the fact that he was in "mental decline"; 2) NEVER ONCE questioned who was ACTUALLY running the government all that time; and 3) had to then backpedal and throw ALL their support behind,

G) a complete gibbering cackling intersectional DEI retard who couldn't put together a coherent sentence if the lives of everyone she ever cared about were on the line, who routinely beclowned herself (and beclowned everyone defending her), ran the single most embarrassing and pathetic and self-destructive (and money squandering) election campaign in American history, only to unceremoniously lose in every way shape and form, but yet "journalism" STILL sits here after the fact and pretends she's a good idea in 2028.

"Journalism" is clown world.

"Journalism" is the champion of clowns like AOC and Ilhan Omar and Tim Walz.
"Journalism" is the champion of literal LGBT pedophiles and rapists.
"Journalism" is the champion of illegals who straight up rape and kill coeds.
"Journalism" is the champion of actual terrorists in Hamas, Hezbollah, and the terrorist nation of Iran.
"Journalism" is the champion of China and Russia and literally every nation that hates us and wants us destroyed.

Fuck. You. Jay Stooksberry. Fuck you, and Reason, and JoUrNaLiSm.

How dare you write this article. You should be hanging by your neck from a tree.

Here's hoping.

I'm stealing this line, but using it all the same:

You don't hate journalists enough. You think you do, but you don't.

[LIBtranslator]

I guessed by the length of the screech it was Altruist Totalitarian.

[AT]

I guessed by the NPC reply it was an NPC.

[MasterThief]

You had a good takedown. The last line sums it all up.

[JohnZ]

For the most part I must agree with you. The media gushed over a black Chicago ward healer and student of Saul Alinsky, then did everything to cover for him. The media then covered for Hillary...remember Seth Rich. The media attacked Trump at every measure and covered for a senile old man with a long history of corruption and lying.
The Legacy media has worn out its welcome and is being replaced by citizen journalism thanks to people like James O'keefe, Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan, just to name a few.
The damage has been done and the way things are, there will be no saving what's left. The MSM is dead.

[LIBtranslator]

AT was the freshman in this third year at Ole Miss who hung the "A Black America Will Lose Its Greatness" banner out the dorm window.

[AT]

All you ever see is race, racist.

[Truthteller1]

The court decision actually changes nothing really, the White House determines who gets to be in the room. Just like every other administration in history, the previous administration didn't allow many right wing publications in the room. Calling it a victory is gaslighting.

[MWAocdoc]

"The Court simply holds that under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists—be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere—it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints"

This is one of the stupidest and most twisted interpretations of the First Amendment I've come across in a very long time! How the hell does a legally trained and educated jurist get from "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of the press," to "The President may not exclude a reporter from a press conference because she doesn't like his opinions" for chris-sakes?! No wonder we're in the midst of a Constitutional crisis of epic proportions with legal precedents like this! And Stooksberry falls for it hook, line and sinker for no better reason than, "I don't like Trump or his methods so it must be illegal too."

[Thought about __ all my life]

Do you not see that you argue against yourself
1) It can't mean that everyone calling themself a journalist must b e accommodated.

2) And if you had a point you would have to be against official government licensing of who can claim to be a journalist !!!

3)Finally, you miss your own principle. WH can't censor information but the AP can ????
Sorry, but if everybody's freedom of speech is protected (incl Pres) then this makes perfect sense. Let the rest of the journalists complain if they happen to agree with you (and I am sure many don't)

[JohnZ]

The legacy or Main Stream Media has disgraced itself too many times to count. They have been boot licking hacks for whatever government agency tells them including the CIA, they have no moral compulsion and will reverberate any lie, they have been guilty of outright slander, literally making shit up and destroying people's lives.
Journalism it ain't. No one should take anything the main stream media says seriously.
Is it any wonder that people like Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan have created such a tizzy amongst the over paid hacks spewing rubbish in front of Americans.
The miserable rubbish spewed daily from the likes of Joe Scarborough or Whoopie is enough to degrade what has already been degraded to the point of no return.
The Legacy media is dead.