Law and Order ... Truth and Justice

mes1103

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Monday August 31, 2020 · 1:33 PM PDT

2020/08/31 · 13:33

“Law and Order” is meaningless without a commitment to Truth and Justice.

Pompeo: Russia will meddle in 2018. Trump: no mention of prevention in his SOTU. What?

mes1103

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Wednesday January 31, 2018 · 9:25 AM PST

2018/01/31 · 09:25

What does this mean?

Yesterday, Mike Pompeo, Trump’s choice for our Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, stated that he is certain that Russia will meddle in our elections this year. This is a national security threat that I would argue is equal to, if not worse than, the North Korea nuclear threat. Last night, in Trump’s SOTU, so much rhetoric and time was spent on his “deals,” and lies/spins about his successes, even some mention of North Korea (but no mention of nominating an ambassador to South Korea, which is a vital first step in avoiding a nuclear showdown).

Trump said nothing, however, about steps he will take to ensure that the Russia election-meddling that his chosen CIA Director just warned of, will be addressed.

Our national security teams have 9 months to work with here. And technology companies that have done/can do amazing things. Does anyone think this will be mentioned by any of the pundits today, or in the coming days? Maybe by a Democratic Senator or Representative?

Petition Chris Wallace, moderator of final presidential debate: yes it is your job to call out lies

mes1103

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Sunday September 04, 2016 · 11:00 PM PDT

2016/09/04 · 23:00

I don’t write diaries often, so I’ll definitely need help with this, but I just read on Huffington Post, and then watched the video of the interview with Howard Kurtz, so I know it’s true that Chris Wallace stated it’s “not his job” to call out lies during the debate he is scheduled to moderate in October between Hillary and Trump!

I believe this is journalistic malpractice, and the Presidential Debate Commission needs to either replace him immediately, or to notify him that yes, that is one of the very important jobs of a debate moderator. His understanding of his job is that he will ask questions and make sure that both candidates have time to respond and not interrupt each other. Like a debate between candidates for junior high student council president.

Here’s where I need help. I don’t know how to attach a petition, but I think a petition is in order, fast. The Debate Commission has caved to Trump’s whining so much i’m surprised we got Martha Raddatz or Anderson Cooper, but Wallace cried when Ailes was sent packing from Faux, the same network Wallace still works for. Ailes, who is now advising Trump. Do you think the that kind of muddied relationship may influence the questions Wallace will be asking? Do you think the questions may be provided to Trump in advance, so he won’t have to think on his feet (even while said feet spend most of the debate inside his mouth)?

We have to start fighting back regarding lies, if nothing else. I’d sure love to hear Trump, or one of his surrogates, being pounded on:

1. The Trump Modeling scandal/hypocrisy

2. Campaign contributions made to Attorneys General of various states that were considering action against “Trump University” due to complaints from their constituents

3. Melania’s true visa status when she first came to the US to model. Her interviews suggest she was here on a tourist visa, which would have precluded working. Perhaps a progressive group could file a FOIA request to “see her papers, please,” from that time in her life.

4. Trump’s deliberate and relentless “birther” campaign, that has delegitimized President Obama’s time in office in the eyes of so many right-wingers as to make it mainstream in the alt-right universe.

5. Trump’s history of surreptitiously denying tenancy in his buildings to African-Americans.

6. Trump’s relentless pursuit of the Central Park Five, demanding their executions, and continuing his harassment even after they were exonerated.

Etc.

It’s not likely we’ll get much in the way of journalists demanding the truth during their interviews with Trump surrogates, but we do need to pressure — unrelentingly — the Debate Commission, to do their job, which is to inform the American public, not to allow lies to be put forth for the viewers to sort through for themselves.

Actually, calling out lies isn’t our job. We aren’t getting paid to disseminate factual information, Chris Wallace is!

So, can someone in Kos-Ville help me out? I really think this is important.

Rs Think US Economy Independent of Global Economy?

mes1103

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Wednesday November 11, 2015 · 5:31 AM PST

2015/11/11 · 05:31

Have I missed something over these four Republican “debates,” as well as the interviews with the candidates, or do they think that the US can achieve any better growth, by any metric, than we have now, given that most, if not all, of the other nations on our planet have either slower growth than we have, and some have even reported contraction (at least one or two quarters) in the past few years? Mostly due to “austerity,” which the Rs continue to embrace, so most (credible) economists have stated. Jeb! said again last night, something about 4% growth when he’s president, yet none of the moderators followed up to ask how this is possible, given the condition of the economies of our major trading partners. Trump loves to talk about China, but I think they’ve reported some pretty dismal numbers lately, and aren’t sure when things will be turning around (maybe in about 20 years, when the 2-baby-per-family policy is able to see some financial contributions from the babies being planned now?). How will he “bring the jobs back,” when there’s nobody overseas to sell our stuff to? And what kinds of sacrifices will the 99% have to make for the tax incentives he’ll have to offer to companies to get them to bring their factories back here? Just sayin’…..

Foreign donations - OK for GOP superpacs but not for Clinton Global Foundation?

mes1103

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Sunday March 01, 2015 · 6:20 AM PST

2015/03/01 · 06:20

Okay, I'm sitting here watching "UP" on MSNBC, Steve Kornacki and panel members are all fretting over the money that has been collected by the Clinton Foundation while Hillary was Secretary of State and what the Republicans are saying about how inappropriate and awful it is...

Hmmmmm.....There's the token southern (GOP) politico sitting there with them, of course saying how this would never be abided in the Republican party, and everyone's basically agreeing that, although the Clinton Global Foundation does great things, accepting money from foreign governments that have anti-human rights track records is bad, almost disqualifying, and that Hillary and Bill are going to have to do lots of 'splaining.

Hello! The Clinton Global Foundation was not set up to fund Hillary's campaign. It has nothing to do with her campaign.

Nobody's bothering to talk about the hypocrisy of GOP superpacs (501(c) (4) "social welfare" organizations) who are accepting SECRET donations from foreign governments, individuals, and corporations, as well as American corporations and individuals whose interests are clearly not the betterment of the country. These donors each have their own agenda, which is to buy politicians who will introduce and pass legislation that will line their pockets, environment, education, civil rights, etc., be damned. These donors are interested in one thing only - increasing their wealth. There's no clarion call on the left, demanding hearings in the House of Representatives to ask the IRS why they won't have a "social welfare" test for these superpacs.

What's the matter with progressives? Surely the panelists had some idea of what they would be talking about - at least Steve Kornacki, the moderator knew! - yet none of them was prepared to argue the other side of this issue. I've seen this so many times - radical righties blathering on and on about their side of an issue while progressives wring their hands, agree that yes, a Democrat has been awful, and "the optics" are certainly dismaying, yada yada.

Is Rachel Maddow the only one we have any more who can flip the argument around and call out hypocrisy?

Critical thinking. Critical thinking. Critical thinking. No issue is one-sided, yet our progressive commentators seem to be so inept or unprepared to present the other side.

What's up with that?

About those religious beliefs...

mes1103

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Wednesday February 26, 2014 · 2:43 PM PST

2014/02/26 · 14:43

I haven't had time to check in regularly the past few days, but haven't seen this aspect of these inane pieces of "legislation" and "cases" being argued before SCOTUS: How can any of these business owners know if the people they're employing, or that they're serving, or are selling items to, are violating the business owners' "religious beliefs" in ways that have nothing to so with LGBT, abortion or contraception?

I'm sure I've come into contact with people who beat their spouses or have cheated, or stolen from their parents. Probably a few child abusers, at least, maybe even a murderer or two. I've definitely worked in places where I know that some of the customers were cruel to animals and thought that illegal dumping was just fine.

All of the above are things that, last time I checked, Christianity considers sinful. But how can the owners of Hobby Lobby, the Little Sisters of the Poor, and other "Christian" business owners do business with people who would do these things? Aren't they affirming these lifestyle choices of their customers (cruelty, abuse, stealing, not being a good steward of the earth, etc.), by exchanging goods and/or services for their money?

I've often thought (especially at this time of year, when I'm in the middle of doing my taxes) that I'd like to have the option of telling the government bodies taxing my income exactly where I want my tax dollars to go and where I prefer that they not go. I didn't support the conflict in Iraq, it violated my conscience to know that innocent civilians and children were being killed and maimed, that their land was being ruined, but I know that some of my tax dollars were used to support that illegal activity. It should have violated the consciences of these religious business owners and legislators, too. Yet I don't remember all kinds of legislation to help religious people to direct their tax dollars to education, children's programs, etc., instead of to the DoD for Iraq...

Yet these "religious" people, who are interpreting their bible or other scriptures to suit their purposes, want to discriminate against women and the LGBT community...

Just as the twig is bent...

mes1103

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Monday October 08, 2012 · 10:47 AM PDT

2012/10/08 · 10:47

I watched the "debate" last Wednesday night, and I shared many of the emotions expressed by other Democrats afterwards. And then I thought about all the gaffes, as well as undisputed events from his teenage and college years, as well as his record as governor of Massachusetts, as well as his flip-flopping on every major domestic issue to the point that I wonder if he doesn't have to write his current opinions/policies on his hands (a la Palin) to remind him of his most recent incarnation.

And then I remembered something I learned in my 11th grade English class that has resonated for me throughout my life: "Just as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined." (Alexander Pope, 1734).

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