Political newsbites!

[theweaselking]

American neo-nazis and extremists openly calling for mass murder of immigrants and terrorist attacks on Congress until they change their goals.

So, what was that part about "Islamofacists" being the only ignorant religious extremists to demand this kind of thing?

And a pop quiz for those wondering why more Muslims don't denounce the Fatwas against gays and Americans: How many of you are immediately going to feel the need to openly and publically say "He does not represent us. We are perfectly happy with immigrants" just because you're white? Do you really think that needs to be said, that Hal Turner is assumed to speak for you if you *don't* say anything?

Also, on the topic of religious lunatics,
Creationists purchase the body of "Cy", the one-eyed kitten who made the rounds a few months ago, to serve as the certerpiece in a creationist museum to prove that all mutations must be harmful.
Creationists: repeat after me. "The plural of anecdote is not data". You can even add your obligatory "Duh, I eat poop" if you really want to.

Also,
White House says their official position on exposing covert agents and getting their contacts killed is now "It's not illegal, because Bush did it."

Also,
White House says their official position on wiretapping Americans without a warrant is now "It's not illegal, because Bush did it."

Also,
Right-wing lunatics taking the official Approved Conservative Position(tm) on the Duke University lacrosse team: The entire issue is the stripper's fault. Because she's a stripper, and black, there's nothing wrong with raping her, and she's a racist for thinking she MIGHT have rights when the accused attackers are white. Newsflashes, dumbass:
#1: They haven't filed charges yet because, as you yourself pouinted out, they're waiting on DNA results from 41 of the 42 members of the team. They're only going to charge the ones they think are guilty.
#2: It's not "racism" to exclude the only black member of the team from DNA testing when the victim alleges that all the attackers were white. Picking individual fratboys out of a crowd can be hard, but that *is* a dead giveaway.
#3: It's not "race-baiting" for the cops to investigate when a woman calls them, beat to shit, with enough material to justfiy DNA comparisons dripping off of her, and says she was raped. No, not even if she's black and they're white.

And is anyone else creeped out by YET ANOTHER instance of the "She's 27! That's post-puberty! She couldn't POSSIBLY be attractive!" cry coming up from the 101st Fighting Keyboarders?

Also,
Massachusetts solves the problem of those without healthcare, by legally requiring that you buy health insurance and providing legal penalties if you don't have it. For Mitt Romney's next trick, he will some the homeless problem by requiring every person in Massachusetts to buy a condominium.
Also,
New Hampshire contemplates replacing "You're going to love it here!" state slogan signs with "Live Free Or Die." This one, I can kinda get behind. Not as tourist-friendly, but, hey, good sentiment. If taken to heart, though, it would probably result in NH being forcibly depopulated by DHS.

Comments

[zenten.livejournal.com]

I find it odd that the second last one has managed to disturb me, given everything else that's going on in the states.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

Instead of "Political Newsbits" I'd call this post "Start Laughing, Lest You Cry for the Rest of the Day."

I don't even know where to start.

Everyone in White House, repeat after me: No. One. Is. Above. The. Law.

I think I'll latch on to the one thing that shocked me the most: Who are the 101st Fighting Keyboarders? Does anyone really make that... I can't even call it an "excuse", I am definitely not going to call it "reasoning", let's go with "statement"?

...and why did I read the comments there? Why? WHY? I need brainbleach. And possibly lots of kitten pictures.

The Massachusettes lawmakers that thought that one up must have fallen on their heads a lot recently. I wonder what being_homeless thinks about that; she used to be homeless in Boston. I'm sorry she made the homeless portions of her journal friends-only; it was very eye-opening reading, although I can understand and respect the decision.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

>Who are the 101st Fighting Keyboarders?

The term refers to "those who do their part to support the War On Terra by posting online about how great it is that other people are fighting it." They'd never *consider* stepping away from this important duty to, say, enlist. That would take too much time and effort, be dangerous, and besides, they've all got medical discharges dontchaknow or they'd be RIGHT THERE with those poor, dirty black people killing those evil, homicidal brown people.

And yes, yes, there are a fair number of people, including a pile of respected and "published" (a whole crapload of blogs, sites like townhall.com, etc) conservatives who will happily explain how anyone over 18 is really not in the prime of sex appeal any more. Some of them will even claim that this is genetic and that modern society is the problem, because, y'know, for most of human history a 13-year-old was marriage material.

I could google the World O' Crap archives (http://blogs.salon.com/0002874/) to find some really pointed examples from the Townhall.com reporters.

(Left-wing lunatics have their own "woman should be subservient!" and "Anyone over 18 isn't cool, man" types, too.[1] They're just quieter and much, much less self-righteous about it, since their communities think it's repugnant and actually censure them for it.)

[1]: Snideness dictates that I say that they tend to be goths, furries, and pagans on the grounds that standards are lower when you're fishing in those particular ponds, just like the right-side ones tend to be neonazis, online forum posters, and talk show hosts.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

I could google the World O' Crap archives to find some really pointed examples from the Townhall.com reporters.

You could. But my blood pressure begs you not to, on behalf of your blood pressure as well.

And... well, good, actually. I'm 9 years out of their range, and in a year my sister is going to be out as well. I can only consider this an excellent thing.

[desdenova.livejournal.com]

FWIW, the MA law *does* have provisions for covering the needy, and for expanding accessability to affordable coverage in general, and also for requiring employers to pay the basic fee for employees who do not get health insurance through their employment (although the Mittster apparently wants to veto that provision, surprise). So, it's not *quite* as crazy as it sounds.

The enforcement procedure (having to provide health insurance details on one's state tax return) strikes me as Not Cool, however.

I'm glad it's not *my* state which is running this experiment, but we'll see how it turns out.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

In the case of classified material, the President is the ultimate authority and can declassify anything he chooses, at his whim. The same is true of the other direction, but generally classifying information that's already freely available is pointless and stupid (not that lower level functionaries haven't done it. Recently. Fucking morons). The only people the rules apply to are the government, the military, and us contractors who hold clearances.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

I think deliberately blowing the cover of a CIA agent for personal political gain, to smear someone TELLING THE TRUTH about your other lies, resulting in the compromise (and, in some cases, death) of her contacts, counts as granting aid to enemies of the state.

Don't you?

Last I checked, that was still illegal.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

Those are separate issues. When it comes to classified material, the president cannot ever be said to be in violation, since the office holds the ultimate authority over what is and isn't classified. That has always been the case.

I'm all for throwing his ass in jail over this incident, but you'll have to go with other charges than disclosing classified material.

[desdenova.livejournal.com]

I am pretty sure, however, that there is a process for "declassifying" stuff, yes? So unless the material was officially declassified (which is to say, there should be a paper trail, then leaking it is *still* "leaking classified material."

[spartonian.livejournal.com]

I am pretty sure, however, that there is a process for "declassifying" stuff, yes?

Depends on the situation. Sometimes information is declassified after a certain time period, sometimes its declassified by the agency that classified it in the first place after its deemed necessary, etc.

The information in question however seems sensitive enough that its classification be kept secret or higher for a long time.

[rimrunner.livejournal.com]

And is anyone else creeped out by YET ANOTHER instance of the "She's 27! That's post-puberty! She couldn't POSSIBLY be attractive!" cry coming up from the 101st Fighting Keyboarders?

Sure. There are at least two things wrong with that statement, anyway: it's demonstrably untrue, and it presumes that sexual desire is the sole or even primary motivation for rape.

...I thought "Live Free or Die" was already the New Hampshire state slogan. Seems that I recollect something to that effect while I was in college in Massachusetts.

I also have a t-shirt with that on it, but that's of more recent vintage. I used to wear it to grad-school classes taught by European and Australian professors because I thought it would amuse them.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

It's already the state slogan. It's on their license plates. It's *not* on the big "Welcome to New Hampshire" signs at the state border crossings. It's not the state TOURISM slogan.

[culfinriel.livejournal.com]

Thank you for mentioning that little flaw in the MA plan. It's the first thought I had when I heard about it.

Who in the heck wrote that trash about the situation here at Duke? What a jerk! I hardly think it's inappropriate to cancel the lacrosse season when something so serious is being investigated. And, of course, we should all follow the long and glorious tradition of blaming the victim. How does that go again? Poor women should get off their butt and work and rich women should be home taking care of the children.

[torrain.livejournal.com]

She is getting off her butt and working.

She's just working in a profession that leads brain-dead bigots to assume she must be selling it, which is apparently supposed to be a mitigating circumstance if it's stolen.

As regards the case, I am damn well aware that I am not informed, not able to get informed before the paint dries, and should probably wait for results in any case.

But that article makes me sick.

[culfinriel.livejournal.com]

I couldn't quite tell - we are agreeing that people have double standards and are jumping to conclusions?

[torrain.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we are.

Sorry. My not exactly stellar articulation tends to fail me when confronted with idiots trying to minimize or dismiss rape.

[scixual.livejournal.com]

I thought it already *was* "Live free or die!"

[eukarya.livejournal.com]

He wrote on the museum's web site that the theory of evolution states that "environmental pressures can lift species from the ape-like creature ... to us today. My question is this. Are there really positive mutations?

"All I can see are neutral or negative," said Adolfi, a real estate agent from Granby, New York.

He doesn't just not understand evolutionary theory, but genetics as well. This is just another sign of how awful the state of education is in this country.

I wonder if creationists consider deadly mutations a sign of intelligent design by a benevolent creator?

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

No. They consider them a sign that man is imperfect in the eyes of God, and they are punishment upon man for his unGodly ways and for Adam's and the parents' sin.

[eukarya.livejournal.com]

Every time man sins, God mutates a kitten.