West Wing Weak: Your Guide to Obama's Scandal-Filled Week

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West Wing Weak: Your Guide to Obama's Scandal-Filled Week

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The Obama White House has released the latest installment of its ongoing and self-congratulatory video series, West Wing Week. But despite touting itself as "your guide to all things 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.," the new episode seems to be missing some of the key stories that have hit the headlines over the past few days. There's no mention, for instance, of Benghazi or the  AP phone tapping - and the IRS scandal is barely mentioned in passing.

Perhaps the White House is just too busy completely redacting documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act to fully document its recent highlights.

In a surge of civic pride, Reason TV is happy to offer "West Wing Weak," our look back at the administration's past seven days.  

"West Wing Weak" is written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, who also narrates.

About 1:30 minutes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube Channel to receive automatic updates when new material goes live.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

I suppose this is far enough ahead of the midterms that the scandalfest will be forgotten by then. Not that I expect the Democrats to make any gains one way or another, as apparently cultists don't vote then. Plus, the administration's make up sex with the media will be great.

[Auric Demonocles]

Don't you worry, there is plenty of time for some Republican Jr State Senator somewhere to say something stupid about women.

[ron650]

Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job Ive had. Last Wednesday I got a brand new BMW since getting a check for $6474 this - 4 weeks past. I began this 8-months ago and immediately was bringin home at least $77 per hour. I work through this link, http://www.Mojo50.com

[Caleb Turberville]

Am I crazy, or did Lawrence O'Donnell compare the GOP's concern over the IRS scandal to McCarthyism last night?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Could be both.

[Caleb Turberville]

http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/05/16.....s-scandal/

He did say that 501c4 status should only be given to groups that are exclusively for "social welfare" (I assume, according to LOD's personal definition) and not just to any group that happens to be politically or civically active.

[Virginian]

Yeah but then we get into what "social welfare" is.

Plus the use of nonpartisan as a test, versus non ideological. You can be staunchly ideological, left or right, but as long as you don't endorse TEAM RED or TEAM BLUE, you are tax exempt.

10% national sales tax. Simple. Fair. Efficient.

[wwhorton]

"10% national sales tax. Simple. Fair. Efficient."

This, 10000 times this. A flat tax, esp. a sales tax, solves so many problems. The only conclusion I can draw regarding the fact that no Congress has passed this is that there are just so many people and interests invested in the current system of graft, inefficiency, and loopholes that any effort to move to a flat tax is killed at birth.

[Bill Dalasio]

The most vested is the political class. A uniform sales tax undermines their ability to punish enemies and reward friends. How are you supposed to get elected that way?

[Francisco d Anconia]

This, 10000 times this.

If we can't tax inequitably, we have no power.

/congress

[tulebuhyhafe]

Isabella. if you, thought Johnny`s c0mment is something... I just bought a top of the range Mercedes when I got my cheque for $6362 this - 4 weeks past and a little over 10 grand this past munth. this is really the nicest-work Ive ever had. I began this nine months/ago and almost immediately started to earn over $72, per-hour. I use the details on this web-site grand4.com
(Go to site and open "Home" for details)

[Mizchief]

We should end federal taxation of individuals. We are the UNITED STATES we should pay our taxes to our state, then the states share the federal bill by equal percentage of how many house seats they hold. The more represented you are, the more taxes you pay. What could be more american?

[larry hammond]

Stop making sense. That type of behavior can only result in an IRS audit and it not productive.

[PapayaSF]

I'd go the other way: end the corporate income tax, which means the IRS doesn't have to decide which ones are allowed to be tax-free. Suddenly U.S. corporations stop holding money overseas, and corporations from all over the world decide to set up here.

[John C. Randolph]

10% is way the hell too much. All of the legitimate functions of the federal government could be done for 4% or less.

-jcr

[Boisfeuras]

"It would be thought a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their time, to be employed in its service."
- Benjamin Franklin

[Francisco d Anconia]

A percentage is still inequitable. I am a proponent of a flat fee. Everyone has equal skin in the game.

[PapayaSF]

I can guarantee you that the government will not function if I get the same tax bill as Bill Gates.

[Francisco d Anconia]

It would function exactly as it should...

...at the minimal level practicable.

[PapayaSF]

Eh, I'm willing to compromise with the left and go for a flat percentage.

[Francisco d Anconia]

It would certainly be better than what we have now.

But, if that's your starting position, the compromise will be something between a flat rate and what we have. If you start at a flat fee, you might actually get a flat rate.

[PapayaSF]

No, asking for too much usually gets you nothing, except a label of "extremist." Socialism took over the U.S. not because Socialists won elections, but incrementally. Barring an economic collapse, libertarianism will only make progress through steps in the right direction, not through huge leaps that probably 75% of people would oppose.

[prolefeed]

If that flat percentage is 0%, then I'd agree.

[Francisco d Anconia]

How would you pay for the legitimate functions of government?

[Suthenboy]

Let me get this straight Virginian. You are advocating a tax system that doesnt allow pols to hand out favors, doesnt allow them to twist the nuts off of their political enemies and potentially criminalizes every citizen at the whim of an unaccountable bureaucracy.

A flat national sales tax would effect every citizen each time the pols want to raise it so it would have virtually no chance of being raised.

I guess everyone knows what I was going to say next.

[Fist of Etiquette]

If you're watching Lawrence O'Donnell, then the first thing is definitely true.

[Irish]

Am I crazy, or did Lawrence O'Donnell compare the GOP's concern over the IRS scandal to McCarthyism last night?

The left compares Republicans and Tea Partiers to fascists at every opportunity and they compare the NRA to terrorist organizations.

If anyone is McCarthyesque, it's the Democrats.

[Mizchief]

DMCA take down notice for trademark infringement in 3..2..1..

[CE]

Most corrupt Administration since Grant's? Or only since the previous Administration?

[larry hammond]

It is still possible that this is the most corrupt admin ever. This is a Chicago politics outfit (yes, I intended to use that word) and much is still hidden. History will be the ultimate judge.

[Boisfeuras]

I, for one, am shocked that the administration of a man from the Chicago gangster political machine is corrupt.

[prolefeed]

History will be the ultimate judge.

Unfortunately, HISTORIANS will be the judge -- most likely ones employed by government.

[Pulseguy]

I don't recall GWB's admin being corrupt. One could say they were mistaken, but not mired in scandals. More than half of Obama's first choices to fill major cabinet positions could not do so because they were under investigation. He didn't even start clean.

[Palin's Buttplug]

You were braid dead for eight years then. From falsifying intel to declare war on Iraq to firing US Attorney's because they were prosecuting GOP Congressmen like Duke Cunningham and Jerry Lewis the Buspigs were the most corrupt ever according to John Dean of the Nixon Administration.

[Cytotoxic]

falsifying intel to declare war on Iraq

If you're willing to repeat this hoary old lie then there's no reason to pay any attention to anything else you say.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Mobile chemical weapons labs? Unmanned nuclear UAV's off the Atlantic Coast? Buying yellowcake from Niger (retracted after caught as a lie).

The Plame Affair? Outing an undercover CIA agent for political revenge?

Your memory is poor.

[Cytotoxic]

The yellowcake was real and sent to Canada for detox/processing. The rest was shakier, but there was very good reason to believe Sadaam did have WMDs-and he did. US forces found many mustard-gas shells.

Outing an undercover CIA agent for political revenge?

Your bullshitting skills are shitty.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Buttfuck, you are a mendacious asshole.

The military was getting the same intelligence used to go to war 10 fucking years before 9-11. The intelligence was wrong and you are a fucking idiot!

[Some call me Tim?]

Apparently you forgot that Plame was outed by Richard Armitage, not exactly an inner member of the administration, especially when it occurred.

[VG Zaytsev]

to firing US Attorney's because they were prosecuting GOP Congressmen like Duke Cunningham and Jerry Lewis

Both and other prominent republicans were prosecuted by Bush's Justice department.

[Palin's Buttplug]

So they is why they fired them. Carol Lam, who prosecuted Cunningham, had a couple others lined up and after she was fired the cases dried up.

They also fired US Attorneys who were reluctant to prosecute Dems (see Iglesius, NM) due to lack of evidence.

[Stevie OneLeg]

Or at least until the next one.

[Hollywood]

More like West Wing wreck amiright people??
*runs away*

[tulebuhyhafe]

Isabella. if you, thought Johnny`s c0mment is something... I just bought a top of the range Mercedes when I got my cheque for $6362 this - 4 weeks past and a little over 10 grand this past munth. this is really the nicest-work Ive ever had. I began this nine months/ago and almost immediately started to earn over $72, per-hour. I use the details on this web-site grand4.com
(Go to site and open "Home" for details)

[Eduard van Haalen]

So what, Lincoln had a bad seven days, too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Days_Battle

[Coeus]

And he had at least one really bad one after that.

[WomSom]

Sounds like some crazy smack to me dude.

http://www.Prox-Anon.tk

[#HOLO YOLO]

So today I learned that Rep. Peter King vociferously supported the IRA. What a piece of shit.

[Ted S.]

You only learned that today? Hasn't that been known for years?

[#HOLO YOLO]

It has, I just haven't been around long.

[Ted S.]

Then again, my mother is of Southern Irish descent, so I had to grow up around the whole Irish-American victimology crap.

[Too_Big_to_Fail]

O/T :Gleen Greenwald on the "new normal" for American foreign policy. *I'm new to this whole "sharing" thing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comm.....773813#_=_

*I have no idea how to post links the cool way, so fuck off

[Ted S.]

*I have no idea how to post links the cool way,

Less than sign, no space, a href="[insert URL here]", greater than sign, [insert text here], less than sign, forward slash, a, greater than sign.

Now you know. Just use preview when you try to post a link, or you might "Sugar Free" it.

[Ted S.]

Oh, note that those quote marks in my first paragraph are necessary.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Or just use Chrome and Reasonable.

[General Butt Naked]

Check this for commenting success.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Friends don't let friends use W3Schools.

[General Butt Naked]

Why?

There's all kind of examples and shit. When I wanna know how to html some shit, I just google what I want to do, and that was the first one to come up for a search of too_big's problem.

[#HOLO YOLO]

It is a bit exaggerated, but http://w3fools.com/

[db]

They're not exactly offering a trove of examples there are they?

[jesse.in.mb]

Someone designed a survey to see how individuals line up with the aggregate values of various European nations.

I apparently line up with the Czech Republic. Out of the friends who've taken it, I have a Sweden, France and Finland.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Also Czech.

It'd be funny if PS got a different country.

[General Butt Naked]

Czech here as well.

I'm guessing that Czechs work hard, don't believe in god, do not trust any of their politician, and have the least amount of confidence in big government institutions of all Europeans.

[jesse.in.mb]

Any chance we can just do a Free State Project for the Czech Republic? I'm strongly in favor of this.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Does it snow often there? If so I'm out.

[PS]

In Prague, not really. It hovers around 0C most of the winter and what snow there is mostly doesn't stick, because the city is so dense. Not a lot of sun though, lots of clouds and short days.

[PS]

Any chance we can just do a Free State Project for the Czech Republic? I'm strongly in favor of this.

Libertarians!!! To Me!! To Me!!

*waves monocle flag*

[Coeus]

If you can get over the ridiculous safety nets here, Switzerland has a lot to offer the cop haters.

They can't just search you, there's really high tolerance to P.I., and they don't hassle the dealers very much.

I just saw someone smile and wave at cops who were passing by yesterday. Imagine seeing that in New York.

And their immigration police have like 3 guys (total) and they don't give a shit about anything.

[PS]

That's right, I saw you mention you were in CH now.

Cops aren't ideal here, but mostly they are pretty laid back, or just lazy. Because of the big anti-authoritarian thing, or the passive-aggressive thing, and maybe because of the bad taste of communism they don't tend to have a strong fascist streak. Spent a few weeks in Davos, hiking around, pretty nice place, not exactly cheap.

[Coeus]

Spent a few weeks in Davos, hiking around, pretty nice place, not exactly cheap.

That's the biggest problem. The safety net and insanely high minimum wage (not an actual minimum wage, but the union agreements might as well be one) drives the cost of everything up so damn high. And the safety net is so good, and so accepted, people will openly brag about using it.(that wouldn't be a satire if it was made here).

But because the cops can't search, the crime is almost non-existent. There isn't a law abiding citizen who's afraid of carrying self defense tools. Potential criminals know this.

It's like disney land for adults. I walk around at night and think "I wonder what's down that dark alley? Let's go see". It also helps that, compared to the rest of the populace here, I look like Big Show.

My biggest problem with that, though, is that, at least in Geneva, the people have become huge pussies. Last time I was here, some guy was running around screaming and spitting on people on the rail, and everyone just tried to ignore him. Literally hawking loogies. He stayed away from me, but I eventually had to step in just because I couldn't stand to see everyone getting played like that. The looks on the faces of guys with girlfriends were soul destroying. God knows what kind of risk I assumed by interfering as a foreigner.

[Eduard van Haalen]

GBN, you are one wild and crazy guy!

[General Butt Naked]

Oooooh...

Czech mate!

[darius404]

Also Czech.

[PS]

I'm guessing that Czechs work hard, don't believe in god, do not trust any of their politician, and have the least amount of confidence in big government institutions of all Europeans.

Mostly, yeah. Distrust of government goes back to at least the Austro-Hungarian empire. They are famously passive-aggressive, and there's a reason why ?vejk is a national icon. They can also be extremely petty, small-minded. And while there is a solid work ethic, there's not much attention paid to working smart or efficiently.

[PS]

I got CZ. I thought being against corruption might swing me towards Scandanavia though. Corruption is high here but I guess people are nominally against it.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Czech Republic for me.

[Brian D]

Also Czech-ing in.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Well, fuck all you motherfuckers. According to the test, I'm headed to Croatia. I guess I have a subconscious hatred of Serbs or something?

[jesse.in.mb]

It's not that far, you can come visit the rest of us. Besides, the burek is delicious in that region.

[darius404]

I answered "no" for the full first page,

"no" for all religious things,

"yes" to work stuff,

"no" to duties,

"yes" to living together,

"no" to no gay neighbors,

"no" to pre-school harm, immigrant concerns, trusting
people, and bribery,

and "yes" to abortion and national pride (not nationalist, but I love America and being American).

That's how I got "Czech Republic".

[Kool]

Sweden!!

Didn't I say I didn't want to move anywhere with 15 months of winter?

[SIV]

Greece

[Archduke Pantsfan]

However, the idea that Czechs are almost completely indifferent to any religion is not accurate. The apparent lack of interest in traditional forms of Christianity is accompanied by the massive popularity of what sociologists call "invisible" or "alternative" religion and what could be best described as a belief in magic. Czechs may not be very enthusiastic churchgoers but many of them easily accept the idea that fortune-tellers can predict the future, lucky charms bring good fortune or that the stars might influence their lives. Moreover, claims about Czech non-religiosity are also complicated by the growth of charismatic and evangelical movements in recent years. Even though the total number of evangelicals and charismatics is small, some of these denominations have multiplied their membership several times in the 10 years between the last two censuses.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Czech Republic Sees Rise of 'Jedi Knights' as Religious Movement

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/.....z2Ti5rl4nN

[PS]

There's something to this, I did know a guy who was evangelical, he actually went to the US to go religious school on a scholarship. And peudoscientific like reiki and eastern religious stuff is pretty popular with the younger generations, although I've not heard much talk about astrology.

[Butts Wagner]

Butts Czech one two

[Stormy Dragon]

Czech too.

[BuSab Agent]

Bulgaria? It's cause I'm female right?

[jesse.in.mb]

I was unaware that Bulgaria was particularly lady-minded.

The friend who originally sent this to me posted it on her Facebook. ALL of her friends said Denmark or Sweden. I find it interesting that posting it here we have mostly CZ with a Croatia, Bulgaria and Greece.

[Coeus]

Got Czech as well.

[mad libertarian guy]

Sveeden for me.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Czech the mic!

[Palin's Buttplug]

The Obama administration on Friday cleared the way for broader natural-gas exports by approving a $10 billion facility in Texas, a milestone in the U.S. transition into a major supplier of energy for world markets.

The decision reflects a turnaround in the U.S. energy trade. Five years ago, many companies built natural-gas import terminals, anticipating greater U.S. demand for imported fuel. Now, a group of private investors that includes ConocoPhillips COP +1.41% plans to turn one of those terminals?in Quintana Island, Texas?into an export facility to ship natural gas to Japan and other nations.

WSJ.

More free-market Obama. This is a big fucking deal.

[Cytotoxic]

If only 'free-market Obama' (whatever the fuck that is) would stop cock-blocking Keystone XL and sandbagging drilling/fracking on government land.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Quit reading the comments from the peanut gallery here. They are ignorant.

We are in the midst of an unprecedented drilling/fracking boom here on both private and public land/sea.

[Cytotoxic]

Stop. Fucking. Lying.

The CRS study finds that federal oil production fell more than 23% from fiscal 2010 to fiscal 2012 and is today below what it was in 2007. The federal share of total U.S. oil production has slid under Mr. Obama to 26% in fiscal 2012 from 31% in fiscal 2008.

http://online.wsj.com/article/.....33850.html

[Palin's Buttplug]

Wrong.

Indeed, the average productivity on federal land and waters during the four Bush years, 2003-2008, was 634 million barrels per year. During the three Obama years, 2009-2011, it was 676 million barrels. During the Bush years, federal lands produced roughly 33 percent of the national output on average. During the Obama years, they produced roughly 34 percent.

http://www.cjr.org/the_observa.....php?page=2

[Cytotoxic]

Well they clearly fucked up their article because national output of oil rose much more than that measly increase in production on public land.

[Palin's Buttplug]

By the way, the WSJ is dishonest because it starts the Obama years in 2007 - conveniently forgetting the depressed energy markets that Bush the Lesser left behind two years later.

[Anonymous Coward]

No wonder Barry can't control the ATF, IRS, DHS, CIA, or the State Department. He's too busy waving his magic wand over the US petroleum industry.

[PapayaSF]

Obama is free market in pretty much the same way that a stopped clock is right twice a day.

[MJGreen]

That's free market alright: When facilities need to be approved by the President.

[mad libertarian guy]

That's free market alright: When facilities need to be approved by the President.

This.

There is nothing free market about the chief executive having to okay an export facility.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

The ballade of Rob Ford

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I removed the extra e!!!

[jesse.in.mb]

Would be better if it could be sung to the tune of the Gilligan's Island theme as traditional ballads should be.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

It's free form.

[General Butt Naked]

Dang. It's too bad that Chris Farley is dead, because he could of made an absolutely epic bio-pic about this guy.

I wish I could call my mayor to get a drug hook-up.

[PS]

Well his brother looks exactly like him.

[Coeus]

Was it crack or freebasing. Cause freebasing gets a bad rap.

[jesse.in.mb]

Do we like New Pope or prefer Pope Classic?

Pope blames tyranny of capitalism for making people miserable

Rome: Pope Francis has attacked the "dictatorship" of the global financial system and warned that the "cult of money" is making life a misery for millions.

He said free market capitalism had created a "tyranny" and that people were being judged purely by their ability to consume goods.

[Francisco d Anconia]

A Catlick accusing others of creating misery and tyranny?

That's amusing.

[Stevie OneLeg]

Did he make the pronouncement "From the Chair" aka the golden toilet?

[Anonymous Coward]

This coming from the latest in a long line of assholes who claim the power to damn men's souls to eternal torture in Hell?

If anybody is an authority on tyranny it would be La Papa.

[Coeus]

I think there's really no contest here. We knew he was a jesuit. Socialistic vs enabler of child molesters.

As much as I hate socialists, it should be an easy choice.

[General Butt Naked]

Frankengun!

Homemade Cambodian AK47/M16/.22

[Coeus]

Holy shit. This guy is absolutely insane:

http://governmentsgetgirlfrien.....king-cunt/

[Coeus]

And it gets better. he showed up on Jezebel, and everyone is telling him that no one owes him anything. Which is of course completely true, but it's coming from jezebel commenters without a hint of irony.
http://jezebel.com/i-heard-abo.....-508563222

[Coeus]

Oh, my god.

http://governmentsgetgirlfrien.....or-killed/

"3. My mother, the murderous whore, is refusing to have sex with me when that could alleviate my sexual frustration."

[Coeus]

This seems appropriate:

http://img.gawkerassets.com/im.....iginal.gif

[Hand Surgeon Katy]

It's impressive that you are getting thoughts from this piece of writing as well as from our argument made at this place.

[Ted S.]

Alan O'Day has died.

[WomSom]

Sometimes man, you jsut have to roll with the punches. Wow.

http://www.Prox-Anon.tk

[no chexsystems bank]

Thanks a lot for such a wonderful post, the stuff posted were really interesting and useful. The quality of the content was good and clear.

[GLK]

Let's clean up this mess. Paul/Carson 2016

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford?

[Libertarian]

Dr Joyce Brothers?

[Zakalwe]

God?

[jesse.in.mb]

I think you mean Rob Ford's identical twin Mike Ford as noted by darius404 earlier.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

better than the Onion

[General Butt Naked]

Not only does the guy have the balls to push that completely improbable story, but he has it within himself to muster up some feigned outrage towards the press that's using his "brother" for a story.

I have to say that I admire the guy's chutzpah.

[Irish]

I think you mean Rob Ford's identical twin Mike Ford as noted by darius404 earlier.

At the bottom of that page, they have a list of a bunch of tweets that people have made about that article. Probably 1/3 of them thought that the article was serious and Rob Ford is claiming that his brother was the one smoking that crack.

Why are people so incapable of noticing that something is satire?

[General Butt Naked]

Goddammit. I have that fucking site (Currant) bookmarked, so I should fucking know better.

[Suthenboy]

I dont remember for certain, but I think Nick voted for BO, at least the first time around.

No, it does not make him a hypocrite, it makes him honest.

We are all waiting for him to see the light on the 'hitler was not a gun grabber' bit.

[Boisfeuras]

...Nick is the guy who said that Hitler wasn't a gun grabber since he only wanted to disarm Jews...

That's funny based on what anti-Nazi spy Carl Goerdeler said to his British contact Arthur Primrose Young:

"The feeling among the [German] people against war is welling up at an alarming rate. His recent talks with leading industrialists had satisfied X [Goerdeler] that the workers' feelings have been bitterly roused to the point where, if they were in possession of arms, they would physically revolt against the present regime."

[Jordan]

I dont remember for certain, but I think Nick voted for BO, at least the first time around.

Nope.

[General Butt Naked]

I can't find much on the actual nazi gun laws, but wikipedia agrees with nick.

Basically, it was tough for people to get a gun before the Nazis and Hitler made Jews prohibited from possessing firearms.

I did find this by Stephen Halbrook (really pro-2nd academic), that based upon my initial perusing, supports the assertion that Hitler made it easier for the nazi party members to own guns privately, but disarmed the jews.

I think many on the left will claim that "Hitler actually loosened gun control laws" and though it's technically true, the people with increased access to guns were the oppressors.

It'd be like Obama making it legal for all government employees to have a modern automatic rifle, but then confiscated the guns of people in Patriot groups. Sure, he relaxed laws for the true of heart, but the people that really needed them were denied their rights.

[jesse.in.mb]

Wait, are you saying Palin isn't calling for an invasion of the Czech Republic!?

Although Bloomberg refused second slice of pizza, and Bachmann threatens to leave MN over marriage equality don't seem very far fetched, and the idea of either gives me the warm and fuzzies.

[Eduard van Haalen]

This is in line with John's observation that the effect of gun bans can be to take guns away from target groups in order to make them more vulnerable to private violence - and ultimately state violence. This may not be the intent in democratic countries, though it can have that effect. It is surely the explicit intent in totalitarian/authoritarian countries.

[Dweebston]

You know who else wants to make it illegal for a class of noncriminals to obtain firearms?

REVERSE GODWIN! Back on topic!

[Francisco d Anconia]

I researched this a while back. The claim Hitler implemented gun control is false. It was done before Hitler came to power, and, in fact, Hitler did loosen some of the measures. Nick was correct.

[General Butt Naked]

Also, the law from the Weimer era was already strict. A person needed a license from the government to possess a gun.

The question is: Is that license like getting a carry license in PA or NY? I have a feeling it was more like NY, meaning that the laws were already draconian and the Nazis didn't have many armed citizens to worry about. I would argue (because I am psychic) that had Germany had US style gun laws, at the time, the nazis would have been confiscatin' like a motherfucker.

[VG Zaytsev]

This may not be the intent in democratic countries, though it can have that effect.

It sure as fuck was the intent in the democratic Jim Crow south.

[General Butt Naked]

Obama?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I think if Rob Ford wasn't a conservative white privileged fat man, nobody would be believing it

[General Butt Naked]

Why are people so incapable of noticing that something is satire?

Have you looked around lately?

The idiocy, mendacity, arrogance, and maliciousness of our betters has rendered real satire impossible.

[jesse.in.mb]

I'm not gonna lie, when I first read it, I thought it was serious. It was only the side panel news articles that clued me in.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Why are people so incapable of noticing that something is satire?

Because the satire is nearly as accurate as the real thing.

[Irish]

Actually, it's more like 90% of the tweets don't realize the article is a joke.

Are Canadians normally this stupid, Archduke?

[General Butt Naked]

I don't know what nick was attacking. I never even read the article, but I have heard both sides' arguments: "The nazis gave everybody guns to kill the jews, like "The US gives gun to the KLAN to kill TTRRRRRAAAAAYVONNNNN!", "The first day Hitler came to power, he went door to door and shot any citizen that didn't hand over their guns, knives, cricket bats, waterproof matches. He did this by himself with Gerbils and a crew of liberal democRATS!"

The nazis took power because enough people bought the nazi's bullshit and turned a blind eye towards the sufferings of their neighbors in exchange for a promised economic improvement and restoration of their teutonic pride. Gun control probably had little to do with it.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

When it comes to reacting to Rob Ford, yes.

[Irish]

"The nazis gave everybody guns to kill the jews, like "The US gives gun to the KLAN to kill TTRRRRRAAAAAYVONNNNN!"

This is awesome. Don't ever change, General.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Dude, shut the fuck up/

[General Butt Naked]

I didn't even look at those until I went back after knowing.

Pictures of Michelle Bachmann avert my eyes involuntarily.

[General Butt Naked]

The loosening of the measures was for nazi party members (see my stupid analogy above).

Can someone link to this article?

[ant1sthenes]

How does that prove anything? No one's saying gun laws were lax in Germany, only that the laws were restrictive before the Nazis came to power. After the Nazis came to power, the laws were loosened for Nazis and tightened for Jews.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Um...one more step towards genocide?

Look, I'd been hearing that Hitler confiscated guns for 20 years. I accepted it at face value. I was arguing with an anti gunner and made the claim, and he called me on it. I researched it and was embarrassed to find he was correct and I was wrong. The German gun laws happened before Hitler took power and, in actuality, he loosened them.

It's just one of those things that someone made up to fit a narrative and because people want it to be true they never question it.

[#HOLO YOLO]

KILL THE KOSMOTARIAN!

[Francisco d Anconia]

The way I understood it, the ruling party before Hitler took away gun rights for EVERYBODY. Hitler restored them (or a portion), except for Jews.

Not sure what your issue is? That's exactly what Nick said.

[Francisco d Anconia]

He said, "I find many of the arguments of gun-rights advocates unconvincing or uninteresting."

I completely disagree with him on "The notion that a rag-tag band of regular folks armed with semi-automatic weapons and the odd shotgun are a serious hedge against tyranny strikes me as a stretch..." Look at afghanistan.

However, WRT the common misconception that Hitler confiscated guns from the general public prior to establishing a fascist dictatorship, I agree with him completely. The notion is simply not correct.

[Dweebston]

I'd reply... yes, look at Afghanistan. War fatigue at home makes committing endless reserves to crushing the insurgent opposition politically unviable. If we had a Waco meets Red Dawn scenario at home, do you doubt the endless stream of resources the feds would pour into quashing a criminal band of malcontents? And that's before they're even recognized as rebels.

[Francisco d Anconia]

He didn't disarm anyone, the powers before him did. He simply didn't allow the repeal of those restrictions to apply to the Jews.

[Boisfeuras]

The disarmament of the German civilian population was an ongoing process in the 1920s under the Weimar Republic, which feared insurrection. This included a firearms registration (lack of which had prevented outright confiscation) that later aided Nazi confiscation of Jewish arms (here is a picture of a raid searching for weapons).

The Nazis passed the Reichswaffengesetz in 1938, which explicitly banned Jews, gays, and gypsies from owning firearms, and included a "needs" test to ensure only the politically reliable would receive permits. It did not "loosen" gun control, it contained additional restrictions, including on importations and manufacturing, banned silencers, and added an additional license requirement and an age limit.

[Boisfeuras]

Actually, I suspect Goerdeler's biases may have shaded his observation, as I believe the Nazi's had broad popular support at that time (1939).

However, while the Weimar Republic did institute strict gun control, I do not agree that the Nazis loosened gun laws for civilians; see my comment above.

[Boisfeuras]

And then there is the Armenians:

"Not only were the Christians now permitted to bear arms, but the authorities, in the full flush of their enthusiasm for freedom and equality, encouraged them to do so. In the early part of 1915, therefore, every Turkish city contained thousands of Armenians who had been trained as soldiers and who were supplied with rifles, pistols, and other weapons of defense. The operations at Van once more disclosed that these men could use their weapons to good advantage. It was thus apparent that an Armenian massacre this time would generally assume more the character of warfare than those wholesale butcheries of defenseless men and women which the Turks had always found so congenial. If this plan of murdering a race were to succeed, two preliminary steps would therefore have to be taken: it would be necessary to render all Armenian soldiers powerless and to deprive of their arms the Armenians in every city and town. Before Armenia could be slaughtered, Armenia must be made defenseless."
- Henry Morgenthau

[prolefeed]

He didn't disarm anyone, the powers before him did. He simply didn't allow the repeal of those restrictions to apply to the Jews.

So, if the government disarmed every law-abiding citizen, and then later allowed members of the KKK to have machine guns while still prohibiting blacks from owning any weapons at all including knives, and then the KKK started murdering blacks, would you call this "relaxing gun controls"?

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