Goodbye to All That

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Tuesday August 09, 2016 · 4:21 PM PDT

2016/08/09 · 16:21

With this diary, I am permanently signing off from the Daily Kos. I have come to the conclusion that staying here serves no purpose for me other than to get into arguments. I have fundamental philosophical differences with this site’s leadership and most of its current users and cannot endorse the goals of this site anymore.

The level of vitriol directed toward diarists who do not support Hillary Clinton is over the top, and for better or worse I respond with my own anger. This is not healthy, and not a course I plan to follow anymore.

I wish you all well, and will pursue my blogging hobby somewhere more congenial.

Thoughts on the Orlando Massacre

DarkScholar82

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday June 12, 2016 · 11:55 AM PDT

2016/06/12 · 11:55

As many readers will already be aware, at least fifty people were murdered in a massacre at The Pulse, a gay night club in Orlando, Florida. The murderer, Omar Mateen, was apparently carrying an AR-15, the same gun used in the massacre at Newtown, Connecticut.

Already, the media are rife with speculation about the killer’s motives. On CBS News, one analyst noted that possibilities included terroristic (I. e. Islamic fundamentalist), homophobic motives, or just plain madness. (How homophobic motives did not count as “terrorism,” he did not explain.) More recent reports suggest that Mateen called 911 to pledge allegiance to IS shortly before the attack.

On Reddit, moderators on r/news have had to all but lock a megathread on the shootings because it was crawling with Islamophobic and racist rants. One can almost hear Donald Trump salivating over the boost this atrocity could bring to his campaign.

My Gut Reaction: I wonder if Republicans hoping this will help their electoral prospects will stop to consider the fact that their beliefs in some respect match those of the killer, while their policies in regard to guns arguably assisted him.

Analysis below the fold…

DarkScholar82

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday June 08, 2016 · 4:14 PM PDT

2016/06/08 · 16:14

Barring something major happening, Hillary Clinton is now the Democratic nominee for president. A party supposedly in favor of progressive policies and values has chosen a candidate who voted for the Iraq War, was the driving force behind the intervention in Libya, and who is beholden to Wall Street.

I cannot join them.

For me, it is a matter of conscience. If I vote for Hillary Clinton, I am basically saying I approve of, or at least can accept, her militarism and advocacy of “humanitarian” interventions. It would say I accept the economic deregulation pushed through by the Clintons in the 1990s. It would say I approve her support for fracking. Barring some major change in circumstances, I cannot do that in good conscience.

If I voted for Hillary Clinton, I would be indirectly responsible for any military interventions she carries out. I would be endorsing her plan to establish a no-fly zone in Syria, in airspace where Russian military jets are active. If a Republican were pushing this, everyone on this site would pointing out how dangerous and irresponsible this plan is. (I do not believe that Hillary Clinton, or Vladimir Putin for that matter, would deliberately seek to start World War III, but a situation involving the shoot down of a Russian or American plane could easily spiral out of control.)

This will be my last diary dealing with the presidential campaign. I have no interest or desire to continually point out the foolish and dangerous course the Democratic Party is taking. Nor do I intend to express support for a candidate I differ with on fundamental issues. I will continue to blog here about liberal issues, but presidential politics are no longer my concern.

The Privilege of Clinton Supporters

DarkScholar82

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday May 27, 2016 · 7:33 PM PDT

2016/05/27 · 19:33

In a recent diary, the founder of this website argued that supporters of Bernie Sanders are privileged, claiming that they didn’t value the African-American vote because of their attempts to appeal to superdelegates. Although I would argue such claims are BS, his post did get me thinking about privilege, in particular the privilege displayed by Clinton voters of all races and sexes.

This is not a privilege of race or gender, but rather the privilege of being an American. No matter who you are, living in the United States confers all sorts of privilege, some of which are directly related to their chosen candidate’s policies.

Clinton supporters in the United States do not have to worry about their country being invaded on President Clinton’s orders as part of a “humanitarian intervention.”

They don’t have to worry about they or their families being struck by American bombs.

They needn’t fear their country’s government being destabilized as a result of said intervention and fanatics imposing their own horrific form of government.

They don’t have to worry about how to get out of their now ruined country and flee to another country that in all likelihood will not welcome them.

They are at no risk of American allies like Saudi Arabia invading their country and destroying their cities with American weapons and tacit American approval.

They don’t have to worry about a coup overthrowing their country’s democratically elected government and the new leadership being recognized by the United States.

Clinton’s supporters may not be actively in favor of these things, but their privilege as Americans allows them to ignore them as they vote.

A Short Note on Shaun King

DarkScholar82

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday May 22, 2016 · 8:20 PM PDT

2016/05/22 · 20:20

This is not a formal diary so much as a brief comment on how the Daily Kos community has reacted to Shaun King’s announcement that he will no longer be supporting the Democratic Party. Several diaries have been published attacking King in the wake of his announcement, accusing him of being a “quitter,” with some comments even dismissing him as insignificant.

The speed with which some Kossacks have turned on King is disappointing and frankly unsettling. In the space of a few days, King went from being a popular former front pager to being lambasted, all because he decided to follow his principles. One does not have to agree with King’s decision to see this as an overreaction.

The people attacking King seem to forget that he has done more for progressivism through his writing and activism than his critics, or me for that matter, probably ever will. His decision to leave the party hardly means he is quitting the battle. He will continue writing and drawing attention to issues such as police violence, which is the most important thing he can be doing.

Seriously folks, show a little respect.

Will New Jersey Become the Next Alberta?

DarkScholar82

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday May 09, 2016 · 8:49 PM PDT

2016/05/09 · 20:49

By this point, most people who follow the news will be familiar with the horrific wildfires in Alberta, Canada, described in diaries by other Kossacks. These fires have forced the evacuation of over eighty thousand people, many from the city of Fort McMurray. Much of the city has been destroyed, and the conflagration has burned 400,000 acres, with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley warning that the fire could continue for months.

The images of devastation and fleeing people coming out of Canada are bad enough. However, they become even more disturbing in the face of a recent Rolling Stone article by former firefighter Kyle Dickman warning that a similar situation could eventually face New Jersey. The state’s Pine Barrens are at serious risk for a massive fire if a major drought hits.

My Gut Reaction: So New Jersey will have a source of hot air worse than Chris Christie.

DarkScholar82

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday April 05, 2016 · 4:57 PM PDT

2016/04/05 · 16:57

Kossacks who have been paying attention to the international news may have heard about the Panama Papers scandal, in which papers leaked from a Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca, revealed how individuals and companies used Panama as a tax haven. They set up shell companies and used banks in the Central American country in order to hide billions of dollars in taxable assets.

Among those that turned to Mossack Fonseca to help them evade taxes and international sanctions include a cousin of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, described by the United States as “a poster boy for corruption,” associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister of Iceland, who has stepped down as reported by Meteor Blades, and a fund run by the father of British Prime Minister David Cameron. Even Jackie Chan was implicated by the leak.

Just having an offshore company is not illegal. However, it is a popular means of evading taxes, which is illegal.

My Gut Reaction: And now our ruling class will go through a pantomime of faux outrage, dismiss those caught with their hand in the cookie jar, and keep going on with business as usual.

Analysis below the fold….

DarkScholar82

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday March 09, 2016 · 7:45 PM PST

2016/03/09 · 19:45

Over the past few weeks, I have noticed several stories in the New York Times that shed a disturbing light on our allies in Afghanistan. Although the Afghan government has taken token measures toward protecting women’s rights in the country, the overall picture is one of systematic abuse, often with the sanction of the country’s legal system or even at its hands.

Among the most recent abuses to come to light has been the subjection of imprisoned Afghan women to so-called virginity tests, which have been condemned by the WHO and Human Rights Watch. Just as disturbing is the blasé attitude of the Afghan justice system towards crimes against women, demonstrated by yesterday’s commutation of the sentences of four men involved in the killing of Farkhunda, who was falsely accused of burning the Quran, just a week before the one year anniversary of her death.

My Gut Reaction: Aren’t you so glad we spent so much US tax money and so many American lives on creating such a better, more just society?

More below the fold….

DarkScholar82

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday March 07, 2016 · 9:03 PM PST

2016/03/07 · 21:03

Yesterday, Mediaite columnist Joe Concha published an ill-considered article lamenting a supposed lack of respect for the death of former First Lady Nancy Reagan. Although the column mostly targeted an obituary by Lois Romano for the Washington Post, it also included a series of tweets regarding Reagan’s death.

Some of the tweets Concha republished genuinely were disrespectful, making jokes about Ronald Reagan’s death from Alzheimer’s and insinuating that Nancy Reagan went to hell. Lumped in with these displays of immaturity, however, were tweets with legitimate criticisms. For example, one tweet from @marclamonthill stated “I also remember how ‘Just Say No’ became a proxy for a vicious drug war that ignored the medical and economic elements of addiction.”

When not lambasting Romano for daring to mention that Nancy Reagan’s actions were frequently controversial, Concha stops to take pot shots at those who dare criticize “Just Say No,” writing: “Nobody (lucid) can argue [it] wasn’t a well-intentioned initiative to keep kids off drugs.”

My Gut Reaction: Tell that to all the kids who it sent to jail, Joe.

More below the fold…

DarkScholar82

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday March 04, 2016 · 8:46 PM PST

2016/03/04 · 20:46

Well, our fearless leader has decided that after March 15th, the Democratic Party nomination will be a done deal and that criticism of her will be strictly curtailed. Only what moderators deem to be constructive criticism will be permitted.

I initially considered leaving the community when I read this, but concluded that that would be giving in too easily. After March 15th, I plan to say nothing about the 2016 election in my diaries. Nothing at all. I will continue to write diaries about liberal issues, but will not mention the election even if it is relevant. Furthermore, I will not click on front page diaries dealing with the election. A silent protest, if you will.

However, that gives me ten days to work with. Ten days where I intend to say what I think needs to be said about the nominee. Starting tomorrow, I’m going to be saying it.

Let the countdown begin.

#OregonUnderAttack Is Not the Same as #BlackLivesMatter

DarkScholar82

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday January 03, 2016 · 7:35 PM PST

2016/01/03 · 19:35

Today, I unsubscribed from an e-mail newsletter entitled The Free Thought Project. I had first subscribed to it a month or so ago, attracted by its coverage of police killings in the United States. However, it had begun to show signs of extremism and untrustworthiness. In particular, a 9 / 11 truther themed article raised my BS antenna.

However, the straw that broke the camel’s back was an article that placed the Oregon militia which seized a federal building over this weekend, supposedly in support of ranchers convicted of arson, on the same footing with Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality activists. Quoth Matt Agorist, the author of the article:

On both the right and the left, there have been heartening examples of unlikely groups of citizens coming together to peacefully resist the police state.

He further argued that those who argue for the government to take forceful action against a domestic insurrection are “no better than ISIS.”

My Gut Reaction: If you carry guns and take over a federal building, you forfeit the right to call yourself peaceful.

More below the fold….

DarkScholar82

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday November 03, 2015 · 6:40 PM PST

2015/11/03 · 18:40

Today, the world learned that Ahmad Chalabi, one of the major figures in the lead up to the war in Iraq, has died. As you may remember, neo-conservatives portrayed Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress, as the "George Washington of Iraq," a secular leader prepared to lead the newly "liberated" country into freedom. He also assured skeptical Americans that coalition troops would find weapons of mass destruction hidden by Saddam Hussein.

After Hussein's overthrow, Chalabi was rewarded for his service by being appointed as Iraq's interim oil minister and later as deputy prime minister. However, his fortunes changed after failing to be re-elected to the Iraqi Parliament. He also found himself in a rivalry with his cousin Ayad Allawi, by then Prime Minister of Iraq.

In 2006, I met Mr. Chalabi at a dinner at the Cambridge Union Society, after listening to a talk by him. Chalabi had by that point become rather bitter towards the United States, his plans for becoming leader of Iraq having fallen through. Consequently, he spoke rather freely in regard to the United States and its leaders.

It was one of the most memorable nights of my life. Not only did I get to meet an international political figure, but I also learned how the most despicable people can be the most charming of all.

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Goodbye to All That

Thoughts on the Orlando Massacre

Hillary Clinton: A Matter of Conscience

The Privilege of Clinton Supporters

A Short Note on Shaun King

Will New Jersey Become the Next Alberta?

The Panama Papers Expose the Corrupt Global Elite

Our Proud Allies in Afghanistan

Yes, Joe Concha, 'Lucid' People Can Question Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" Campaign

March 15 Countdown

#OregonUnderAttack Is Not the Same as #BlackLivesMatter

My Evening with Ahmad Chalabi