speaking of “mafia”,
http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2016/03/14/putin-mafia-state-lesin-killing/
And here I thought I was the only one who has such a list.
*lolz
Although I have to admit, it’s not very long; which is a nice change. On my last two previous forums ‘the list’ was something more like this:
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Pretty much.
Unfortunately the previous forums that I frequented were overflowing with folks who felt the “need” to verbally abuse anyone with a different opinion.
Here, I’ve noticed that there are few ‘problem children’ and the overall atmosphere seems fairly civil, most of the time.
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Sure, but probably in the right lane, without even using a turn signal.
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someone left the sarcasm tag open. [/s]
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It’s been a long time since I was in the 6th grade but I distinctly remember understanding many of the things other 6th graders said to me. Teachers too.
These indexes seem to be using 6th graders that have been drinking beer since tea time.
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You think Obama sentences people?
Srsly, I’m asking the questions srsly in hopes your reply will be funny.
Don’t disappoint!
DON’T
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Um… he kind of does. He does have a free hand in making decisions about the drone program.
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Nuance has no place in the process of scapegoating.
So, you know how people feel, when they seem not to have a thing you define?
(btw, there is way to mute replies from people in the Discourse platform. I checked, you’re at the top of mine, which is to say, I observed your pattern of resorting to personal abuse when you choose to, and the apparent hypocrisy is just too much for this commenter to choose to attend to, but WOW. Pot/Kettle. I won’t pretend to say how you feel, because I’m human and that’s not a superpower I have. I know I would be an aggressive and pretentious ass if I told someone how they feel, or that their feelings were wrong or even subject to my judgement, so I don’t do that, because IRONIC. Maybe stick to dismissing bad behavior, that is to say behavior that makes YOU feel bad… and consider starting at home when you judge behavior).
I’ll mock people for making pretend and behaving like or claiming to be mind-readers. Because that’s not conversation. That’s not even argument. That’s just starting a fight and not owning one’s own part in starting it. Telling somneone they feel wrong is just offensive and nothing else. it’s not kind. It’s not humble. It’s also a great way to keep a personal bubble around ones self, which can be done much better without talking. In my experience at least. But this addressing of behavior and not inventing an imaginary feeling state in the other person that yields a logical personal exceptionalism for my behavior may just be me resorting to personal abuse, right?
I am an opinionated and pushy ass sometimes, and that’s fair. But telling someone they think or feel wrong is dirty pool. Behavior can be wrong.
Thoughts and feelings don’t have any substance but that which we choose, personally, to give them. Behavior affects people. Telling someone they feel wrong is awful behavior, and antisocial.
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That’s not sentencing, them thar’s extrajudicial killings.
And the sensational numbers depend primarily on one great thing that doesn’t have a historical comparative that holds a candle to it. Wikileaks/Chelsea accounts for the bulk of Obama “sentencing” whistleblowers worse.
Chelsea would have fared the same or worse for those actions under any other administration, if they didn’t just disappear her, which is far more indicative of how this stuff seems to have changed under Obama, but hasn’t.
The nature and means of these leaks, the larger number of them, if that number is larger? Did paper leaks work as well as the wikileaks method, or any digital method that drops documents that would be “by the truckload” by the old paper, or even microfiche, or other methods of leaks?
Hell no.
That’s not to say Obama shouldn’t pardon Chealsea, and others too, but the comparative and language used to make this claim is just Foxy agenda driven drivel.
If it works, great, but I can’t see it working until it’s time for his last pardons, Or maybe the next President will do what they can do, not sentence, but pardon.
Maaaaybe Sanders, I guess, but otherwise, doesn’t look good.
But for all the efforts…of all three branches…the leaks won’t stop.
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Sure, but he’s sentencing them to death and deciding they are guilty of what they say. Six of one, half dozen of the other, I’d say.
There is also little doubt that the obama administration has indeed sought to crack down on whistleblowers, or at the very least isn’t any better than Bush. But I do agree that they are not unilaterally sentencing people.
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Two unrelatied ideas.
Do what YOU want,
#just stop pretending it’s what I want.
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Wow. Um. Sorry, but okay.
If it makes you feel any better, @antinous did this same thing to me about 10 years ago. He, like me, is an opinionated ass but he kicked my ass to the other side of the looking glass. I hope you do come back, and play onsides, because you’re a smart cookie.
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I’ll also hope you do come back, because I enjoy your ability to share your perspective.
My earlier post which offended you was meant to be a medieval allusion, illustrating my belief that it is empirically necessary for commanders to accept moral and ethical responsibility for the actions of those they command. I was actually trying to be less obscure than usual, by leaving out Wat Tyler and Janis Karpinski. I apologize if I inadvertently insulted you; I only like to insult people on purpose and that was not my intent.
@jerwin, that’s an interesting article, thanks! But it does trigger several of my propaganda indicators: the “kleptocracy” meme mentioned in passing, and false natural history “facts” used as illustrative metaphors, to name two.
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Since Trump started advancing to the nomination, a lot of people who never once gave a thought about the growth of uncontrolled power in the office of US President have started to give thought to it. And they are even starting to think about returning power to the Congress.
This is a very, very, very, very, good thing.
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