Mark Basseley Youssef (aka Nakoula Basseley Nakoula), the filmmaker connected to the controversial film “The Innocence of Muslims,” has been sentenced to a year in prison for violations of his probation for his 2010 bank fraud conviction. The arrest of Youssef raised immediate objections that, while the Obama Administration insisted that it would not punish such acts of free speech, it set out to arrest him on any possible grounds to satisfy the “Arab Street.”
U.S. District Court Judge Christina Snyder sentenced Youssef on four of the eight alleged violations that he admitted to, including obtaining a fraudulent California driver’s license (which can be based on any information deemed inaccurate or false). What is most problematic is the violation of denying his full role in the film. The Obama Administration wanted a two-year sentence for Youssef. He also was found to have used a different name without the approval of his probation officer. At least three names have been associated with Youssef since the film — Sam Bacile, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula and Youssef. However, documents show that Youssef legally changed his name from Nakoula in 2002 but continued to occasionally identify himself as Nakoula.
When the Administration arrested Youssef, it seemed to go out of its way to be sure that there were ample opportunities for filming him being dragged way in cuffs — an image that was immediately broadcast around the world. It sent a chilling message to some that the government can generally find some grounds to punish you when you cause a controversy — even if you are not prosecuted for the underlying speech itself. Violations of probation conditions are quite common and rarely result in re-incarceration. Probation terms tend to be sweeping and most such violations result in warnings or brief appearances before the court.
None of this excuses Youssef’s actions, particularly in his acquiring of the driver’s license. Yet, the speedy arrest (and now conviction) leaves many civil libertarians uneasy as to whether the Administration found a way to “hoist the wretch” by other means than blasphemy.
Source: Google
You are sooo not with it!
Pelosi! (shakes fist in the air)
Ah Gene … loved you then, love you now and I pay absolutely no attention to the new kids on the block who try to spin that affection into something ugly. Power to the
lotta,
Just got in from a great party with old friends and took a moment to read this thread.
This blog experience is really something. Personally, I have never met any of the posters I communicate with … wouldn’t recognize any of them on the street yet many of them are like dear, old friends.
I too have kept myself from responding to certain posters over the years for the very reason you stated in your Tootie reference. And, in my opinion, the blog has become more civil over the last few years. Or perhaps I have just become accustomed to lawyers’ love of argument. This is where I think many make a mistake about Gene. He loves to argue and he’s very, very good at it. He really does try to teach others how to do it well. The only real blind spot I have found is his refusal to admit that Pelosi is a superior legislator. 😉
At any rate, Vagina-boy was and is one of my favorite call-outs … a sophisticated ridicule of a nasty poster that still makes me chuckle when I remember how clueless he was as to the nature of the ridicule. My favorite lotta discussion however was the one you had with Slarti about fractals. Do you remember that? Man, it was beautiful, figuratively and literally and the joy you two shared in that discussion was infectious. So, a combination of V-boy and fractals … in my opinion a perfect poster who needs no reform. 🙂
Apparently learning isn’t a high priority either.
ID, When none of the sycophants chime in, the polemics will eventually stop. I truly do not look upon this as “winning” or “lolsing”. I have worked in the real world on thousands of criminal and civil cases. There are wins and losses in the real world. In this faux world, there are pathetic men who declare victory and pour themselves another vodka. The sycophants seem to be abandoning the angry, lonely man. I think the Hitler comment lost many of them. But, narcissist keep doubling down. I don’t care about winning or losing. As stated previously, I won and lost in the real world, winning much more than losing, which is how I made my living. It’s really getting pathetic, don’t you think, ID? Hopefully this will end soon and we all can just converse civilly. As I’ve said many times, I find these petty battles tedious. In some way I wish it could be established that the man who so needs to be Emporer could just be annoited so and be secure. But, as you know, narcisssists need constant reinforcement. I fear there is no reasonable solution. C’est la vie.
Nick Spinelli,
It is tough to play tennis with a garage door. The ball always comes back, in this case with horrendous spin.
There is no judge who dares call foul in this match.
Björn Borg learned by doing it, and won Wimbledon five times in succession. Don’t count on winning here.
Just ignore the ball on its return and walk away. Let it play with itself if it wants to do so.
Talking to yourself usually quietens most folks, except the potty heads. Interesting to see what happens here.
Best regards from the less pompous court.
It was worth it if you learned something, nick.
Boy..that was a thread killer.
“If any man is able to convince me and show me that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change; for I seek the truth by which no man was ever injured. But he is injured who abides in his error and ignorance.
I do my duty: other things trouble me not; for they are either things without life, or things without reason, or things that have rambled and know not the way.”
Again, the issue is people arguing poorly and from emotion with a shockingly casual disregard for logic and facts and he acts poorly when his statements are challenged – at its heart factual and logical errors some people try to hide behind the facade of or excuse with their emotionalism and fragile egos. Arguing from emotion is not only a logical fallacy but a problem with technique. However, ego deflation is irrelevant to the search for the truth. “Don’t say I’m wrong or why I’m wrong! It hurts my feelings! And don’t treat me like an ass, but I can treat others however I want without repercussion! I don’t like criticism!” is the response of children and the mentally unstable.
If one’s ego is so fragile that one cannot have one’s statements subjected to critical scrutiny then perhaps a free speech forum isn’t the place for that person who seems to be seeking ego massage instead of the exchange of ideas. This is a marketplace of ideas.
Critical scrutiny happens.
If your ego can’t take that, then maybe you should do something else to assuage your ego. There is a whole wide world out there on the Web. If you want ego massage over the marketplace of ideas? I’m sure you can find it. You just won’t find it here.
Being on probation is really an opportunity to show that you can successfully reintegrate and become a productive member of society. Youssef has clearly demonstrated that he is struggling with this process; thus, regardless of the optics of the situation, his probation revocation was appropriate.
In 2002 he violated his first round of probation and was sentenced to an additional year in jail. His sentencing this year was in line with that prior incident and thus it can’t be argued that its length or severity were in any manner retaliatory because his film generated controversy. Additionally, I think that, perhaps, the two year sentence advocated by the prosecutor would have been more appropriate given that Youssef is a repeat offender and has proven he struggles to comply with the terms of probation.
Thus, looking at the details I think it’s a hard sell that there was anything overtly authoritarian about the government’s actions. Youssef’s long history of civil and criminal legal problems have shown that he clearly has a distain for civil society and the law and his incarceration for further violations is appropriate. While I do have concerns about broader problems of retaliatory prosecution and civil liberties, it’s a stretch to contend that this man is a victim of such miscarriages of justice.
interestng sequence to follow.
No comments, other than I do know who thought that I was a sock puppet. That he/she supported me I doubt. So why regret the support now. I have noted your anti-ID activism of late. So pretending a recent decsion is, as someone taught call it, disengenious to say the least.
I also am tired of conflicts. Reality has enough, we don’t need to make our on.
Peace on all, even GeneH. Pronounce the word carefully.
Great, have a wonderful day.
I think I’ve read that here….
Then don’t rehash old issues…. Understood…. I could and would say more…don’t start none and none will be started….
Who is abusive? I could say a lot more but really don’t want a conversation.
Nor was it I…. But being myopic is not a gender issue…..then again…. I probably should not have defended your right to be abusive when folks disagreed with you….
Idealist, Vagina boy is not you. He was a guy named anon. He and another guy criticized me because I kept emphasizing how important women’s issues would prove to be in the election. They were wrong, and I am very happy about the outcome of the election.
I’m tired of scrolling past guys ranting at each other.
LK,
Gene seems to feel that he will cling to his self-assumed pose as policeman here. He says that he simulates rage/anger. And the policeman says he simulates unnedcessary violence.
Both contribute negatively to the general ambiance of our society, on the street and here.
The best thing that could happen here at JYs would be if Gene would only oomment facts and leave other people alone. People do not come here to be attacked for their argument techniques by someone who is alway lurking to watch and who has dedicated their life to proving his worth as a debater and ego deflater.
That is a very sick purpose. And I don’t need OS to confirm that.
His game of inviting lotta katz into joining into the gangs private world was a very obvious bribe and recruitment effort on his side.
They have learned the necessity from him of being bullies.
They have learned his techniques, to a degree. and thus are puerile copies.
Each of them must pay homage and the tax of agreening with him often, or their position as a member will be at risk.
It is indeed pitiful when talent of high class can be so misused due to one man’s obvious illness.
I wonder if we could trade him for two more TonyCs and two more SonofThunders?
And to dissenters and free thinkers, whatever your favo rant, welcome to this blog. I won’t bow to him or tolerate GeneH’s machinations.