President Donald Trump has caused considerable confusion in Sweden by first requesting “bail” (which does not exist in Sweden) for rapper A$AP Rocky in this assault case and then accusing Sweden of letting “our African American community down” by not freeing him. Trump’s intervention in the case was both highly ill-informed and inappropriate in tying U.S. foreign policy to the handling of a celebrity’s routine criminal case.
The rapper case was raised with Trump by Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. The two entertainers seem to continue to enjoy both considerable access and influence over Trump.
According to The New York Times, the rapper was charged with committing an assault causing actual bodily harm last month in Stockholm. The assault was captured on videotape as Rocky (aka Rakim Mayers) and two members of his entourage allegedly assaulted Mustafa Jafari in the street. It would not appear to be a case worthy of presidential attention, let alone intervention.
However, Trump called for a release under bail, which is not available. One would think that before a President took the extraordinary step of intervening in a criminal case, someone would inform him of the laws and process in the country. Trump offered to “vouch” for the rapper for the purposes of bail — a suggestion that led to open ridicule in Europe.
Now that Sweden has declined to grant a bail that does not exist in the country, Trump has raised the case to the level of state-to-state relations: “Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM. We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around. Sweden should focus on its real crime problem!” It is not clear what Trump is referring to has Sweden’s real crime problem but many took that as a slap at Muslim immigration. Sweden has previously debunked claims of rising crime or its nexus to Muslim immigration.
Trump also tweeted “Very disappointed in Prime Minister Stefan Löfven for being unable to act. Sweden has let our African American Community down in the United States . . . I watched the tapes of A$AP Rocky, and he was being followed and harassed by troublemakers. Treat Americans fairly!”
Of course, that is what a court and a jury decides. Moreover, Sweden is not really supposed to be conducting its criminal justice system to advance the interests of the country diplomatically, assist the “African American community,” or the Kardashians. The case is being handled according to their standard process and laws. Trump’s suggestion that criminal laws should be enforced in light of political considerations is an embarrassment for the country.
Rocky was a former drug dealer who has made prior arrests. In addition to being send briefly to Rikers Island for drug dealing, he was arrested in 2012 for allegedly assault an artist in New York. The following year he allegedly slapped a woman at a music festival (there was later a settlement with the woman).
“Enigma – why would the presence of police suppress the vote rather than keep the peace?”
Seriously, Karen?
I laughed out loud.
Anonymous, that sounds racist. I am generally pleased when I see policemen making sure that no violence or illegal actions occur. Why would you think it would supress the vote? Do you think those supressed (minorities) are all criminals and afraid of the police? Do you think those mothers with children don’t want the police around to protect their children?
DSS,
I cannot locate where you posted this link, but it certainly sheds a different light on what qualifications may have been considered most important when nominating Ratcliffe.
We may soon see rats of a different sort coming out of the woodwork.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/07/the_deep_state_apoplectic_over_the_appointment_of_john_ratcliffe_as_dni__for_good_reason.html
new video report where Baltimore residents are interviewed on camera by black reporter Lawrence Jones. Baltimore Residents criticize their politicians for the crime, drugs, gangs, their fear and the rats of their city.
IOW: the Democrats are lying. Seems like Trump is forcing all of them into a dark, rat infested hole
😉
Lawrence Jones investigates what’s really happening on the streets of Baltimore
https://www.foxnews.com/media/lawrence-jones-investigates-whats-really-happening-on-the-streets-of-baltimore
During Jones’ “Man on the Street” interviews with residents, their responses were negative. Jones interviewed a resident who said, “The crisis is not just the crime. But the crisis starts downtown with the government.”
“I personally don’t even want to live in Baltimore anymore and I’m afraid to actually raise a family here and this is my home,” another resident told Jones.
I understand in many circles, they think the conservative message wouldn’t be welcomed here. They don’t care if it’s a conservative message or a liberal message, they just want people to care about them and we have tried the liberal message for over 70 years in this town and it’s been reckless to these people here,” he said.
Jones went on to say, “This is a local issue. You’ve got to clean up the school board, the mayor’s office, the zoning commission, every single department in this town have family members or connections that have business practices that has caused corruption in this town so you got to clean it all up.”
A young African-American man agreed that the city of Baltimore is at a “crisis” point, telling Jones that the city’s murder rate, drug problems and poverty are “just crazy.”
“Crime is a way of life. … The president called our city rat-infested, that is true,” a woman told Jones.
https://video.foxnews.com/v/6065610633001/
Shhh, don’t tell anyone but that was on FoxNews.
There is evidence accumulating that the people that have been abused in Baltimore and other large Democratic cities are happy that Trump is bringing this problem to the forefront. There is also evidence that it is turning some voters in favor of Trump. What the MSM forgets is that criminals may not like police but mothers and fathers want to see their children grow up and thrive. Therefore they want police protection.
I think this little fight with Cummings will improve the number of votes Trump gets and it might help get action in those cities so that decent people living in poor areas can have a better lifestyle.
Do I like the need for the combatitive approach? No. But I like the results because I am not the one living in a poor neighborhood so my kids are already well protected. I guess I will have to tolerate the approach to help the poor kids survive.
Related to the brief discussion downthread about Trump’s DNI pick:
Always and only “the best people”…
“Republican Senators Are Cool to Trump’s Choice for Top Intelligence Post”
“Democrats and former officials also expressed concern that the pick, Representative John Ratcliffe, will politicize what is supposed to be a nonpartisan job.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/29/us/politics/trump-ratcliffe-national-intelligence.html
Excerpt:
Mr. Ratcliffe’s chief qualification is “his record of promoting Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories,” said Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who is on the Intelligence Committee.
“Congressman Ratcliffe is the most partisan and least qualified individual ever nominated to serve as director of national intelligence,” Mr. Wyden said.
Some Virginia Dim Black politicians are pulling out the rrraaaaaaacccec card for attention seeking behavior yet again and to tarnish US History except for one Black dude. Otherwise known as a rapist of black women, Va. Lt Gov Justin Fairfax, cant afford to use the rape, um, race card because he needs whiteys votes.
Thankfully people of color know when a black politician like Richmond Mayor Lavar Stoney is devoid of any substance given he has been a failure of a political leader in a city where 60% of residents are Black and he is not lauded by anyone.
Yet, Va. Governor Ralph “KKK Regalia” Northam is attending the July 30th Jamestown event.
How does one say hypocrite in Ebonics?
We applaud Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax’s decision to remain committed to the event. We agree that attending the event is far more important than the “frenzied and fickle politics of the moment.”
To say that Virginia Democrats seem divided on this issue is to overstate the obvious. It makes us wonder who is quarterbacking for Virginia Democrats these days. It is our understanding Gov. Ralph Northam is scheduled to speak in Jamestown early on July 30, while former Gov. Terry McAuliffe will be out garnering his own publicity and promoting his new book, “Beyond Charlottesville: Taking a Stand Against White Nationalism.”
Whoever is calling the plays must know that backing out of an invitation one has already accepted is the height of disrespect and ill manners. The image of empty seats and unattended events makes the commission and the entire commonwealth look bad. Petty politics will define Virginia.
https://www.richmond.com/opinion/our-opinion/editorial-petty-politics-will-define-virginia/article_dd67e5ce-50ad-5da7-a471-dfde4fafffb4.html
And now a word from a truly racist man, Black Mayor Levar Stoney.
Despicable and a showboat.
Richmond mayor resigns from Jamestown commission over Trump
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has resigned from a committee planning upcoming historical ceremonies in Jamestown over the group’s decision to invite President Donald Trump.
In a resignation letter obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Stoney said he was stepping down immediately from the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation’s main 2019 Commemoration steering committee, as well as from a separate committee planning events to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in North America.
“A president who labels those who disagree with him as un-American and ignorantly advocates for duly elected congresswomen, all United States citizens of color, to be sent back to their countries of origin has no place at this commemorative gathering in our Commonwealth this weekend,” Stoney wrote in the letter dated Monday.”
https://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/richmond-mayor-levar-stoney-resigns-from-jamestown-committee-over-trump/article_1d4b0e94-b2ee-5ae3-a011-af8518ac6e5a.html
The racist Estovir has to point out the mayor is black, though that was not a stated part of the mayor’s objections.
If only the GOP would stand up for principles and discipline our infant President. If it had any principles left that is.
No criminal investigation or trial by a foreign government is routine. It is the job of the State Department to protect American Citizens regardless of their bank accounts
Once the trial is complete , by our standards, it’s innocent or guilty but until then presumption of innocence is paramount. No matter when or where in the world.
I know the good Professor never reads the comments, but if I could ask him one question it would be: did you watch the video? I know the answer is no because he simply doesn’t comment on the content. If he did he would have noted that indeed, this looks like a miscarriage of justice against an American citizen on foreign soil- that’s a good reason for the President to get involved albeit clumsily. He should have further noted that the other person involved in the altercation also has a criminal record.
Why hasn’t Trump responded to Tommy Robinson’s request for asylum? Robinson is a real FREEDOM FIGHTER, not some copycat rap singer. Trump’s real screw-up is his rejection, via non-response, of Robinson’s plea!
G. Tod Slone, Ed., The American Dissident
You’re right. Assange too. Trump needs to take on the tougher fights.
Trump: Sweden “Let Our African American Community Down”
– Professor Turley
_______________
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know where Africa-America is on the map?
Is its president George Orwell?
Is its language Newspeak?
In my field I use the proper term: Black.
We are all from Africa originally and we are all Americans, hence we are all African American
“Proper term,” you say?
To wit,
Caucasoid (White) race.
Negroid (Black) race.
Capoid (Bushmen/Hottentots) race.
Mongoloid (Oriental/ Amerindian) race.
Australoid (Australian Aborigine and Papuan) race.
– Wiki
_______
Cartographers don’t get to fabricate and lie for political purposes.
There is no such place as “Africa-America” and no such citizen as “African-American,” which is a deception and political construct.
One ponders, would Egypt have become Israeli-Egypt and the citizens Israeli-Egyptians if the Israelite slaves had not had the wisdom, acumen and industry to leave Egypt before the ink was dry on their release papers.
“We are all from Africa.” Why stop there? We are all from the unknown which existed before the “Big Bang” some 14 billion years ago. And apparently you haven’t heard that the mysterious DNA of homo sapien sapiens and their ancestors has been manipulated for millions of years indicating that there are so many variations and permutations that it is not entirely clear where anyone actually “came from.”
A more likely scenario is that the parasitic Africans had a genetic compulsion and simply left Africa in search of the easy to obtain, low-hanging fruit of redistributed wealth and for no other purpose or rationale.
Be sure what you’re so sure about – with “proof.”
Mama Mia,
President Trump is certainly Under Attack for this one but I don’t think The King Has Lost His Crown. Some think it might be his Waterloo moment. Politics is The Name Of The Game, yet When All Is Said And Done, The Winner Takes It All and the loser can only send an SOS.
Me thinks you’re going to break into ABBA: Winner Takes it All, Name of the Game, SOS…dude,….how gay! You’ve just lost some butch points
😉
As one of the few from the “African-American community,” I don’t feel “let down” by Sweeden and am completely content for justice to run its course. To Trump, the African-American community consists mostly of Kanye, Kim, Diamond, Silk, Pastors Mark Burns & Darryl Scott, and the guy at all the rallies with the “Blacks 4 Trump” sign.
we spell it Sweden but that was prolly just a typo
Isn’t that how the Prince of Whales spells it? It was a typo, thanks for pointing it out. More than once I wish there was the ability to correct posts here.
Thanks for the typo enigma.
“Isn’t that how the Prince of Whales spells it?”
Good comeback.
“From the President’s Recent Call for ‘Boarder Security’ to ‘Covfefe’: Donald Trump’s Worst Typos”
https://people.com/politics/president-trump-spelling-mistakes-typos-words/.
enigma – I am not sure the Prince of Wails can spell. I always thought he got through school on social promotions.
Good to see you back Paul.
Agreed.
Prairie Rose – thanks for making me feel welcome. This goes to everyone who has been so kind. 🙂
Paul:
Where’ve you been? It’s been eons!
mespo – several months, but not eons. 😉
Just seemed like it. Glad to see you back!!
Awesome; glad you’re back.
Hi Paul! Happy to see you here again!
enigma….but you’re not real…just a sock puppet; however, I’m sure you represent the black community well LOL
enigma—-no rebuttal? My feelings are hurt. 😉
Enigma – while I agree with you that justice needs to run its course before anyone complains of a miscarriage of justice, why do you think Trump only cares about the black people you’ve mentioned? He often talks about how pleased he was about the lowest black unemployment recorded. He hired minorities into top level jobs back when the glass ceiling was 8 feet thick.
If someone insults him, black or white, he has a problem with them.
https://youtu.be/MojzAf2O-Rg (If you think this was just an extemporaneous stunt, Trump had a long history of hiring minorities into high level jobs, for decades. Offering people jobs was one of this things.)
Democrat policies are one of the main reasons for the high rate of single motherhood and and crime in black neighborhoods. You guys have been sold a bill of goods. I want every child, black, white, latino, or Asian, to have a good shot at life, and that’s not going to happen falling for the “free stuff” Democrats promise. At what point do the communities look around, and realize that they’ve been voting Democrat, but those promises of a better life have never come through? They keep buying what the Dems don’t deliver.
If you have the time, you should watch Dave Rubin’s initial interview with Larry Elder.
https://youtu.be/IFqVNPwsLNo
Karen, by any stats, including even crime, the lives of blacks have improved under democrats. Here’s a grapgh clearly demonstrating the increases in income for blacks under Clinton and Obama, while they were falt or fell under every GOP president since Reagan.
https://secureservercdn.net/166.62.110.213/pg2.00d.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Black-Income-From-Reagan-To-Obama.png
Trump and the GOP is trying to take away their health care, keep wages suppressed, ending affirmative action, and generally giving as much national wealth to the richest as possible.
The low unemployment numbers are a continuation of the longest period of economic expansion since WWII, and most of the jobs came during Obama’s presidency, not Trumps, and even his firat 2 years did not match Obama’s last 2 years for job creation.
Karen needs to get away from whatever sources she uses, because her opinions ar ebased on fantasies, not reality.
Anonymous1 says: July 27, 2019 at 12:20 PM
Karen needs to get away from whatever sources she uses, because her opinions are based on fantasies, not reality.
____
Ain’t it the truth. Check out the following exchange down-thread:
https://jonathanturley.org/2019/07/26/trump-sweden-let-our-african-american-community-down/#comment-1867930
“Predictably, and in total opposition to feminism, the Left promptly accused the Groping Guard of xenophobia, Islamophobia, and racism. Of course. Best to ignore assaults and harassment of women. Honestly, I don’t know what kind of dissociation has to be present for such a double standard to exist.”
Karen didn’t bother to present the other side of the story, but it’s her way. She spins and distorts:
“Swedish swimming pool ‘vigilante’ patrols accused of neo-Nazi links”
“The group’s co-founder received a suspended prison sentence for taking part in a neo-Nazi attack last year”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/swedish-swimming-pool-vigilante-patrols-accused-of-neo-nazi-links-a6908736.html
Excerpts:
The co-founder of a “groping guard” patrolling swimming pools in Sweden is reportedly under a suspended prison sentence for taking part in a neo-Nazi attack last year, it has been reported.
Robert Banderby received the sentence for carrying a knife and violent rallying, after he and other activists from the neo-Nazi Swedish Resistance Movement attacked anti-racist protestors, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The “Tafsvakten”, which roughly translates to “groping guard”, was founded by Siri Bernhardsson in the city of Kalmar.
The 24-year-old has been accused of vigilantism, racism and xenophobia, as well as inciting hate towards more than 160,000 asylum seekers who arrived in Sweden last year.
Anonymous – you lifted my direct quotes, and accused me of not presenting the other side of the story. Actually, the article that I posted did discuss how the pool did not support the Groping Guard. That is where I got that they were accused of xenophobia.
So…what point are you trying to make? That you agree with me? I don’t get what you’re trying to do here, other than copy and paste.
Perhaps you should go interview the women in Sweden who are getting assaulted. Don’t you care about women getting assaulted and groped?
Karen says…and asks: “Perhaps you should go interview the women in Sweden who are getting assaulted. Don’t you care about women getting assaulted and groped?”
This would be a good job for you, Karen S.
Interview the neo-Nazi nutcase while you’re at it.
“Swedish swimming pool ‘vigilante’ patrols accused of neo-Nazi links”
“The group’s co-founder received a suspended prison sentence for taking part in a neo-Nazi attack last year”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/swedish-swimming-pool-vigilante-patrols-accused-of-neo-nazi-links-a6908736.html
Another ridiculous and loaded question by Karen S:
“Don’t you care about women getting assaulted and groped?”
These are the games she plays as she struggles to be right.
Hey, it’s right there on the 2nd page of the Democratic Platform of 2016 – “We don;t care about women getting assaulted and groped!”
It right after “Citizenship rights for 33rd World Felons” but before “Keeping African Americans On the Plantation”. I think Barbara Jordan and John Lewis wrote that one.
So, you don’t want women to organize to look out for men groping women in the pool?
You seem really upset that women would try to stand up for themselves.
Spin, by Karen.
Oh, how she loves to twist the truth.
Anonymous provides charts that are near meaningless for this discussion and virtually every discussion he has been involved in. There are a whole host of variables going into the graph so its meaningless. Anon is totally uneducated when it comes to statistics. I’ll give an example. That graph is based on households. What constitutes a household? That has changed considerably. How many people are working in that household? Does it include benefits such as welfare, food stamps, etc.
The lives of black people have improved under Democrats? Blacks have the lowest unemployment since it was recorded under a Republican president. Obama increased food stamps recipients. That’s hardly thriving. Hey, but thanks for the graph without supporting data or methodology.
Single motherhood is a high statistical risk factor for children being born in poverty, drop out of school, join gangs, do drugs, commit crimes, engage in gun crime, go to jail, or be murdered.
Our current welfare system punishes nuclear families. The Democrats oppose Welfare reform. Any suggestion that single motherhood leads to bad outcomes is called the war on single mothers.
Democrats’ high taxes chases employers away, as do their anti-police policies. They also oppose proactive policing, which was keeping the gangs in check. With free rein, neighborhoods saw blight, and more employers left.
Obamacare does not give the poor access to the same high quality healthcare as an employer policy. Not at all. Due to the 30% pay cut, most good doctors and facilities do not accept individual policies. Therefore, the poor are still getting seen in high throughput facilities like the county hospital they always went to. False promise.
Democrats support raising the minimum wage to $15, and now there’s talk of $20. You cannot support a middle class family on minimum wage. It’s meant for entry level, to give unskilled workers some skills to start getting promotions. That is why most minimum wage earners have gotten a raise within a year. There are a great many jobs that are not worth $15 an hour, let alone $20. When Democrats increase labor costs, the result is higher prices, cut hours, and reductions in staff. There is no magic money tree to pay for that. That means that more unskilled poor people do not have the opportunity for that entry level job to get their foot in the door.
https://ny.eater.com/2019/2/19/18226831/minimum-wage-restaurant-reaction-nyc-finances
“And though the new regulations are intended to benefit employees, some restaurateurs and staffers say that take home pay ends up being less due to fewer hours — or that employees face more work because there are fewer staffers per shift.
“The bottom line is, we have to reduce the number of hours we spend,” says Westcott. “And unfortunately that means that, in many cases, employees are earning less even though they’re making more.”
In a survey conducted by New York City Hospitality Alliance late last year, about 75 percent of the more than 300 respondents operating full-service restaurants reported they’ll reduce employee hours this year because of the new wage increases, while 47 percent said they’ll eliminate jobs.”
Here’s the thing. Intentions don’t matter. Results do. I doubt that Democratic politicians intend to do any good with these policies. I believe this is their way of getting votes. They can do math. They must understand this causes a reduction in jobs every time they do it. They create more people who are out of work, who will vote for Democrats, who keep promising them money and stuff.
Democrats oppose any effort to enforce federal immigration laws. They now oppose court ordered deportations of those who have had their day in court. This gluts the entry level job market, that market that they keep shrinking with minimum wage hikes. Who do you think this impacts the most? Wealthy politicians in their gated communities? No. It’s the poorer communities. Just like it’s not the private schools who get flooded with ESL students, rendering classrooms into remedial education for all students.
Let’s see. Where else have Democratic policies damaged poor communities? Oh, yes, homeless. Democrats came up with Right to Park, Right to Rest, and the Homeless bill of rights. That created masses of homeless people, often drug addicted and/or mentally ill, lurching around communities, pooing and urinating in the street, where they drop dirty, infectious needles. Their policies attract even more of them from out of state. There is no longer the option of rehab or jail to get anyone straight.
Democrats would let felons serve on juries. What will that do to law and order, and crime in communities? https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2019/05/07/senate-passes-bill-to-let-felons-serve-on-juries-1009680
Democrats in CA voted in multiple gas taxes, which make it more expensive for the poor to fill up their tanks.
Democrats have in general been anti-police, quick to take up the racism cry every time there is a police shooting. Remember the “hands up don’t shoot” shenanigans in Congress that turned out to be a complete lie? Under Democratic rule, people are now dumping buckets of water on cops trying to make an arrest. This behavior does not reflect the reality of policing, in which police are more in danger of being shot by a black man, and more likely to shoot a white man than a black one.
Democratic policies claim to mean well, but the results are often catastrophic for the very communities they were supposed to help. If there was any journalistic integrity in the mainstream media, this would be reported on, and perhaps then we’d see some real change.
But, over and above that, Democrats created a paradigm in which they will punish women and blacks who don’t vote Democrat. There is no misogynistic or racist slur, apparently, they won’t throw at someone who won’t vote for them. This is eerily similar to the days when the Democrat Klan used to terrorize voters.
Food stamp enrollment up 70% under Obama:
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/mar/28/food-stamp-president-enrollment-70-percent-under-o/
People dependent upon government charity are not thriving.
“A record 47.8 million people participate in the program, as of December 2012 — a figure that translates into a 70 percent rise since 2008, The Journal says. Why?
Despite government claims, the job market is still lagging. The poverty rate is on the rise, The Journal says. And federal laws passed under former President Clinton and further under Mr. Obama are actually driving the enrollment rate higher. Those laws allow for those with higher incomes to take food stamps — the logic being that helping people before they reach crisis financial level will actually stimulate the economy, The Journal says.
The news for the future is more of the same.”
Karen, Obama came into office just after the biggest crash since 1929. Food stamp enrollment increased? Wow, that must be his fault. Do you read your own nonsense?
Still blaming Bush, are you? I’ve posted articles about how Obama slowed down the recovery.
Karen, can you read? I said the largest crash since 1929 without mentioning Bush.
What makes me not surprised that you blame Obama for the results of that crash and have some crank to back it up? No one else does. In fact the CBO, Moody, and on and on, all agree the stimulus speeded our recovery.
You might also look at the economies of our fellow developed nations during the great recession and see who came out fastest….. plot spoiler alert!! The US and Germany neck and neck. Guess what strategy many of those slow performers employed. Times up!! Tight budgets and spending cuts like the GOP here advised! Whoops. The proof is in the data. Read it.
Obama wasn’t “all that” you think he was Mr. Anonymous1. Seriously, pay attention to something other than CNN and the rest of the suck Obama’s you-know-what-Media.
Oh, my. Someone’s cranky…
As you know, President Barack HUSSEIN Obama was the greatest President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the armed forces since Harry Truman. Moreover, prior to his marriage, he undoubtedly has “access” to the white women. Thanks for playing.
this is to “but they can have the fat ones” anon who hates “Kenyans”
Mark M — glad you’re back. Not.
Another wall of text. Hmmm… Well, if one is paid by the word, then maybe…
A paid posting by Karen?
SMH about this:
“But, over and above that, Democrats created a paradigm in which they will punish women and blacks who don’t vote Democrat. There is no misogynistic or racist slur, apparently, they won’t throw at someone who won’t vote for them. This is eerily similar to the days when the Democrat Klan used to terrorize voters.”
Puh-lease.
Anonymous – ad hominem, like lying that I’m paid, means you cannot deal with my facts. And everyone knows it.
“Puh-lease” – that’s your answer to facts? That’s the sum total of your debating ability? If you cannot change my mind, or anyone else’s, you’ve got to try to attack the person whom you disagree with. Either that, or you are paranoid.
“Puh-lease” is all Karen S deserves. Why would anyone waste much time trying to engage with her? It’s a pointless exercise. Still she needs to be called out from time to time for all her bs.
It sounds like Karen S is the “paranoid” one.
So, to prove my point, Anonymous cannot address my facts and resorts to ad hominem…again. Ironic, since my criticism was that Anonymous utilizes ad hominem when he cannot debate facts.
Thank you. No one could prove my point better than you.
Sure, Karen — keep spouting whatever it is that enables you to stay in your little fact-free bubble.
Some of us choose not to address your ridiculous screeds and if you think that proves whatever point it is that you’re trying to make? Well, no. It simply points to your own deficits.
Anyone find any rebuttal of my facts in Anonymous ad hominem?
Neither do I.
Thanks, again, Anonymous! No one undermines your credibility better than you.
Karen, I rebutted your statements – they were not facts.
Anonymous.. Karen is one of the most learned individuals who posts here.
I never realized until lately how threatening that is to some of the lesser learneds gathered here.
“Karen is one of the most learned individuals who posts here.”
LOL, Cindy. You play your role well.
You play your role well, too, miss snarky Anonymous. Each time I read your comments, I’m reminded of the ‘bad witch’ who melted and disintegrated right before our very eyes in the Wizard of Oz. That’s your “role” here, isn’t it? The snarky bad witch. Such a fun character to play, right? I thought so. 😉
Anonymous says: July 28, 2019 at 9:04 AM
You play your role well, too, miss snarky Anonymous. Each time I read your comments, I’m reminded of the ‘bad witch’ who melted and disintegrated right before our very eyes in the Wizard of Oz. That’s your “role” here, isn’t it? The snarky bad witch. Such a fun character to play, right? I thought so.
________
Oh, look some “free analysis” from the undoubtedly unqualified.
Ooooh, good one snarky Anonymous. Ouch. Do that to me one more time. 🙂
Anonymous (the bad one)
You are obsessed with me.
You need to write my name on a balloon and let it go.
I’m sure your mother will let you leave the nursery long enough to do that.
Cindy Bragg should see someone about her delusions. (I sincerely doubt that anyone on this blog is “obsessed” with her. It’s her hope, one might guess.)
Karen just repeats the same nonsense that has already been refuted – black unemployment under Trump for example – ignores the data presented on average black income increases under democrats vs GOP, states internally illogical BS – blacks covered under Obamacare and Medicaid won’t have as good insurance as white executives, and on and on. Not worth anyone’s time.
Truth about Karen S. by Anonymous1:
“Not worth anyone’s time.”
Is that ‘projection’ there snarky Anonymous? But, of course.
Just affirming the truth, as stated by Anonymous1. But if seeing it as “projection” makes you feel better, then: Go for it.
“Just affirming the truth…” No, you’re not. You are sharing an opinion you agree with.
When asked to name a high-level black person in the Trump administration, Kellyanne Conway (who theoretically works alongside them) failed miserably. Perhaps you can do better? Cabinet member Ben Carson who even his friends say was uniquely unqualified to run a Federal Dept. and has proven that to be true does not count as a member of the Administration. Then you can go to The Trump Organization and do the same.
When asked to name a high-level black person in the Trump administration, Kellyanne Conway (who theoretically works alongside them) failed miserably.
Are racists color-blind? Maybe Conway sees the content of their character.
So you can’t name any either? Karen S bragged about all of Trump’s appointments, I say they hardly exist. You aren’t helping her case. Trump is the least color blind person I know. See his claims about people “not looking like Indians.” It’s on video and easily findable.
I wasn’t asked to name any. You won’t believe this is possible, but I don’t perceive people by color; if they are in government, I perceive them by their fidelity to their oath. If they are in the private sector, I perceive them by their work product, not their skin color. So no, try as you will, you are not about to drag me into your world of skin color first.
I responded to KAren S’s question. She made what I believe to be a hilariously untrue statement and I asked her to back it up, you chose to chime in, which is your right in a public forum. These is a reason you don’t see color in a Trump administration, guess what it i?
These is a reason you don’t see color in a Trump administration, guess what it i?
Did you eat paint chips as a child? I’ve already provided you an answer to this question. One more time:
I don’t perceive people by color; if they are in government, I perceive them by their fidelity to their oath.
I hadn’t previously considered you to be intellectually lazy, but your persistence to judge people by color first is just that, lazy. It’s a troubleshooter’s strategy to isolate a problem by half-splitting. It’s a logical approach with electronics, but people are far more complex than that. Some on this blog begin with party affiliation. You on the other hand begin with color, then to party. Then you feign victim status and your party virtue-signalers rush in to save you. Wash.Rinse.Repeat.
Do better, the content of your character is showing and it’s not a redeeming feature on you.
You accuse me of judging people by color, please show me where I have done so. I did point out that Trump has virtually excluded people of color which is quite different.
enigma – you say that Trump has “virtually excluded people of color” and yet Trump had a meeting with people of color at least three times this year. He invited them, they did not force him to meet with them. You just are not keeping up on the news in the POC community. 🙂
If you mean his meetings with Jim Brown, Kanye West, and other celebrities, I’m aware. What did any of them accomplish except a photo op for Trump. He doesn’t go to the NAACP Convention, he did meet with the Congressional Black Caucus but they refused a second meeting after he ignored a 130 page document they presented the first meeting. Maybe being invited by someone from Celebrity Apprentice struck them as not serious. She, (Omarosa) was later fired.
enigma – this guy has been to the WH 3 times this year.
So besides Fox & Friends this is where he gets his news?
enigma – why don’t you ask him?
enigma – sorry forgot the insert
https://youtu.be/zO_LqR91Rp0
I did point out that Trump has virtually excluded people of color which is quite different.
Virtually? LOL You avoided the lie by putting the qualifier in there. Now it reads “in my world of color, not enough…” When you become President, you can make your appointments any way you like. Good luck with that.
And if your appointments don’t reflect the population, it’s going to be pointed out.
And if your appointments don’t reflect the population, it’s going to be pointed out.
What population are you referring to? Human? The population I would look to nominate should come from a population of experts in their respective departments. If I didn’t, I would expect that to be pointed out and likely not confirmed. If I’m to be criticized because my nominations don’t hail from a specific color, gender, height, weight, etc. then so be it. I’m interested in their skills and abilities.
Do you really want to defend Trump’s appointments as “experts in their respective departments”? I’d think hard before going down that road.
I haven’t attempted to defend or attack his appointments. That is low-hanging political fruit. I look for results. We’ll see if the Democrats will be able to challenge him on the latter.
His latest nomintion for Director of National Inteligence has absolutely no relevant experience except being a Trump loyalist. Republican Senators will once again hold their nose and confirm him.
See how easy it was for you to pick that low-hanging fruit? The President nominates and the Senate confirms or not. If he’s not qualified then it should come out in the confirmation hearings. Until then, enjoy the fruit.
Have you ever watched a confirmation hearing? Qualifications aren’t in play.
It certainly seems that way sometimes. Oftentimes they are just political theater.
Enigma — can you comment on why it’s now commonplace to say “people of color” but we can’t say “colored people”?
I can only speculate. If I used the term “people of color” it would be in an attempt to be more inclusive and not be limited to black people but also Hispanics and others. That term might apply to “the Squad” for example which has black members and a Latina.
“Colored people,” has a historical negative connotation and to my knowledge was/is almost exclusively describing black people.
Enigma – got it, thanks for that answer.
has absolutely no relevant experience except being a Trump loyalist.
1. He’s sat on both the Intelligence Committee and the Homeland Security Committee the last four years.
2. He was in charge of the national security desk in the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Texas.
3. You voted for Barack Obama. Since when did ‘experience’ get to be a concern of yours?
Nicely done. You should have added prove me wrong.
Ratcliffe has stated on numerous ocassions that he “put terrorists in jail.” The truth has come out that never happened. Do you care he’s lying about his record?
Do you care he’s lying about his record?
Was it wittingly or unwittingly? 😉
Saying, “I put terrorists in jail,” is pretty specific. Can you imagine a scenario where you could get that wrong? His team pointed to a terrorism case he worked on but his role was limited to the investigation of jury tampering and he had nothing to do with the prosecution of the terrorist.
Since you brought up witting or unwitting, do you think Trump’s daily lies are honest mistakes?
“Saying, “I put terrorists in jail,” is pretty specific.”
No it is not.Enigma. To you everything means only one thing and that thing invariably leads to hateful rhetoric toward Trump or race-baiting.
I’m going to use this to remind myself of what a pitiful troll you are. No imagination, no logic, I do give you props for peristance.
How is, “I put terrorists in jail” not specific? You either do or you don’t. Impossible to confuse. Going back to ignoring you again. So peaceful.
“How is, “I put terrorists in jail” not specific?” It can mean different things..
A policeman might put a terrorist in jail,
The FBI might investigate and a whole handful of people helped put the terrorist in jail including the secretarial staff that was working to put terrorists away.
The prosecutor that tried the terrorists could say the same thing as could his boss that assigned him terrorist cases.
Other people in the prosecutor’s office that help research or otherwise help the prosecutors put terrorists away.
A computer geek that looks for terrorism puts terrorists away.
Anyone who aids in the conviction of a terrorists can make that statement.
You are like Humpty Dumpty, “When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’
Virtually everything you say on controversial subjects, Enigma, are mistruths or racially oriented to promote victim status.
Saying, “I put terrorists in jail,” is pretty specific. Can you imagine a scenario where you could get that wrong?
I can imagine a multitude of scenarios where he could get that right. I’m sure you’re familiar with resumes. Have you ever read Navy fitness reports? The bullet points are meant to impress the reader. Dig a little deeper and somewhere in there will be enough truth to make the bullet point acceptable. Unless of course it involves politics. Then all bets are off.
Here’s a great example:
What Has Obama Done? 14 Major Accomplishments
1. Ended the 2008 Recession
2. Modernized the Auto Industry
3. Received the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize
4. Reformed Health Care
5. Regulated the Big Banks
6. 2010 Tax Cuts
7. Eliminated bin Laden Threat and Withdrew Troops from Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
8. Raised Fuel Efficiency Standards
9. Won 2012 Presidential Re-election
10. Reduced Carbon Emissions
11. Nuclear Agreement With Iran
12. World’s Largest Trade Agreement
Great bullet points. Right?
Grab some popcorn!
Let’s pick “Received the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.” Highly specific, he either did or he didn’t. Verifiable. The same with, “I put terrorists in jail.” He didn’t say he assisted, contributed, helped, he said he personally did it. He lied.
Pick whichever low-hanging fruit you like. I’m gonna need a bigger bowl of popcorn.
Olly – What argument are you making anyway, that nothing matters? You asked whether the lies were witting or unwitting. Does it even matter to you?
Does it even matter to you?
What, truth? Absolutely! I may use sarcasm. I may poke fun. But one thing you will not find in the blog archives is me defending a party against the truth. I don’t care who is brought down. Abuse power, violate your oath, enrich yourself at the public trough. They need to be brought to justice. The politics of it all is disgusting.
How about you, does the truth matter to you? Will we be able to go into the blog archives and determine you have always been about truth, regardless of political party?
“He didn’t say he assisted, contributed, helped, he said he personally did it. He lied.”
Enigma, I guess the head of the anti-terrorism unit is lying as well when he says: “I put terrorists in jail” because he didn’t personally do it. You can’t be more foolish than that even when you try to change the quote.
Olly have you thought about what Enigma says is true or not? Enigma only provides half truths but full conclusions.
Sure Olly, I get confused all the time about whether I confronted and defeated terrorists or not. Innocent mistake.
Recognizing that the “administration” of the day glo bozo has done a woefully inadequate job of hiring people of color is not judging people by their color. Which raises the question, are you arguing that the bozo administration is merely hiring the best and the brightest (lol) regardless of their skin color? That means you must believe that the standards used in hiring place such a high bar on competency that people of color can’t reach at a rate consistent with their presence in the general population?
this is to “no way the day glo bozo is racist, someone hacked his twitter” ollie
I see your mom gave you your computer back.
This is absurd x X says: July 30, 2019 at 1:21 PM
I see your mom gave you your computer back.
___
And TIA’s never took his or hers away. Unfortunately.
Which raises the question….
Why are some Black Democrats racist and hateful towards their black rape victims? Believe all women right? Or is it believe all White women and not Black Women
SMH
Justin Fairfax to take legal action against accusers, as statute of limitations expires
Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax is planning to take legal action against the women accusing him of sexual assault and is arguing that the allegations were made to do “nothing more” than smear his reputation and political career, Fox News has learned.
https://infactly.com/2019/07/30/justin-fairfax-to-take-legal-action-against-accusers-as-statute-of-limitations-expires/
the talk about which party is more racist bores me. i consider neither party racist. at this time. history might be a different question. but my opinion matters very little however.
here’s a song i just heard which is most interesting– it criticizes Northerners for hypocrisy, the allegation was that even as they criticized the Southern “peculiar institution” the Yankee shipping interests would send boats to the African coast to pick slaves, ship them back to new world. ship sugar from Caribbean to New world, offload sugar and pick up “Bibles and Rum” to drop off on the coast, etc. I think they call that the triangle trade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeuaTpH6Ck0
i like the song quite a bit. is that racist too? from musical 1776
the talk about which party is more racist bores me. i consider neither party racist.
Agreed. It’s been overplayed, much like the song, Macarena.
Enigma is being ridiculous. Exit polls showed that in the past elections almost 90% of blacks voted Democrat and 10% Republican. One also has to look at the pool of people available but we won’t get into that.
Therefore, if we want to pretend we are doing a statistical survey we recognize that the pool of blacks where Trump could pick from was very small. If color was not an issue and people were picked at random from the pool then the number of blacks picked for Trump would be very small. It would be much greater under Obama. Now let’s look at what actually happened. Obama at the start of his Presidency had one black cabinet member which is the same as Trump.
I think I should add that outside of those carrying the family name the power players(~10) at the Trump Organization totalled 30% women which is high for that type of organization.
Olly, I agree with you but it seems that the one that looks at color instead of character is Enigma.
It’s not a good look on him either.
Enigma – if someone went to a reporter and said you were “uniquely unqualified” for your job, would you consider that person a friend?
Acquaintance, perhaps, but not a friend.
I don’t know if HUD is Ben Carson’s niche. I do know that when he proposed that Section 8 benefits be reserved for those who are in the country legally, as a qualification, he was met with fierce opposition.
That takes scarce housing away from black poor, and gives it to people who break the law in order to use those benefits. They refuse to go through the legal system, and instead take advantage. It’s the poor communities, including the black poor, who take the hit for this.
The Democrat party doesn’t care. According to a recent poll, 89% of black people want less immigration, as it is detrimental to their communities. You should notice how the Dems are going full steam ahead with encouraging and enabling more illegal immigration. They take their black voters for granted. Every couple of years they show up, say the same old platitudes and make the same promises, and then they scatter.
Both white and black demographics do not want increased immigration, especially illegal immigration, but that’s not what Democrat are fighting for. Still think they stand for the people?
“A new Harvard-Harris poll shows that 85 percent of black Americans want a reduction in immigration levels to 1 million or lower. Also interesting: more Americans favored zero immigration, than wanted to increase immigration levels.
For context, in 2017 over 1.4 million legal immigrants arrived in America, while the number of illegals is unknown.
This means that black Americans—not white as is commonly stated—are the racial group most opposed to immigration.”
https://nationaleconomicseditorial.com/2018/01/27/black-americans-racial-group-opposed-immigration-85-percent-want-less-immigration/
Enigma – go back and read what I wrote more carefully. I talked about Trump hiring minorities to high level positions for decades, when that glass wall was impenetrable most places.
Trump’s long history of hiring people based on ability, rather than skin color, goes back for many years in his businesses.
Identity politics are racist. It does not matter what anyone’s skin color is, and it most certainly should not be a factor in hiring, or university acceptance. What matters is diversity of thought, opinions, talents, etc.
If anyone hires a quota of any race, it’s based on skin color, not ability. The truly just system is one in which skin color is no barrier to success, or even factor in at all. Would you want your surgeon to be black, or the best surgeon there is, regardless of skin color? He could be Latvian, black, Thai, Persian, or whatever.
Race needs to be treated like hair color. It would be absurd to ask someone how many brunettes are on staff.
Dennis Prager said something apt the other day. When you think conservatives are racist, do this thought exercise. Would a conservative prefer a white Christian Leftist to a black atheist conservative? The very reason why conservatives reject identity politics, filtering everything through race, is because race doesn’t matter. Character does. Values do.
When I meet someone, I am interested in their conversation, and their interests. What are their beliefs about nature, art, science, politics? Are they interesting? Skin color is a physical descriptor, and immaterial when making a new friend or hiring someone.
Why do you support a political party that judges you by your skin color, and who would approve of calling you racist slurs were you to vote for the competition? Why is that OK? I find it incredibly racist.
Enigma, the Democrats would be racist and cruel to you if you were to start voting for lower taxes.
Enigma:
Are you asking me for black people whom Trump has appointed as President?
Of the ones that I know of…
African Americans
Ja’Ron Smith
Ben Carson
Johnny Taylor
Aminta Breaux
Other Minorities
Nimrata Nikki Haley
Michelle Park Steele
Amata Radewagen
Joyce Meyer
David Ige
I’d have to look it up for a complete list.
Why do you think that someone’s skin color is an important factor in hiring, or that it would be a detriment? Nikki Haley kicked butt and took names at the UN, not because she was Indian, Sikh, or female, but because she was competent.
Statistically, more black people vote Democrats. It does not follow that the Republican party does not accept or want them. There are plenty of black conservatives, whom you might enjoy reading about.
I don’t think I’ve ever changed anyone’s mind on politics, but I still hold out hope that you will learn more about conservatism, and get past the stereotypes that were perpetuated by politicians trying to get your vote.
Enigma looks at color when deciding who should represent us or who should be appointed to government positions. I would think he of all people would look towards their character and their abilities rather than the color of their skin.
What happens when color rather than character and ability are used to determine suitability of Democratic candidates?
One can end up with representatives that are “uniquely destructive to black people and to the entire country. Its corrupt civil rights icons have long since become mirrors of the very thing they once fought against. And their accusations of racism are reflections of their own racism and their own racial privileges.”
Full article below.
Congress has a Black Caucus Racism Problem
The vicious cycle of racism and thievery in the CBC must be broken.
January 1, 2018
Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical left and Islamic terrorism.
The Congressional Black Caucus had a front seat to #MeToo with the revelation that $220,000 had been paid out to a staffer alleging sexual harassment by Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL), a former judge impeached for bribery whose girlfriend has been on his payroll to the tune of $2.4 million, and that Rep. Conyers (D-MI) had his own sexual harassment settlement. That scandal forced Rep. Conyers to resign and hand the seat to his son at the behest of his wife, Monica, who had been convicted of bribery.
Corruption, fraud and bribery are ongoing problems at the Congressional Black Caucus.
After two decades of financial scandals, Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL) was convicted of running a fake charity and sentenced in December. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) was sentenced last December for bribery, fraud and money laundering. His son, Chaka Fattah Jr, was already in prison on unrelated bank fraud charges. Around the same time the wife of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Il) had wrapped up her prison sentence after her husband had ended his prison term a year earlier on fraud charges.
Hardly a year goes by without a criminal case involving a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Bribery and fraud, fake charities and money laundering to pay for the high life are familiar CBC themes . Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. bought a gold Rolex, Michael Jackson and Malcolm X memorabilia, and mink capes. Rep. Brown stole from poor children to pay for an NFL luxury box (won’t you take a knee) and a Beyonce concert. Chaka Fattah Jr. bought Hermes ties and a Ritz-Carlton condo.
These aren’t aberrations. They’re part of the culture of corruption at the Congressional Black Caucus.
The year that Barack Obama, a former CBC member whose level of corruption outdid any of his former colleagues by climbing into the high stratospheric billions and using the Justice Department to run a massive slush fund, took office, every single House member investigated on ethics charges was CBC. A former study suggested that a third of CBC legislators had faced an ethics probe.
That’s what a culture of political corruption looks like.
But the Congressional Black Caucus has consistently blamed all of its corruption troubles on racism. And CBC members would always play the race card. Rep. Corrine Brown had improbably claimed that Obama’s DOJ had targeted her because “I’m a black woman with a mouth.”
It’s the same old racist excuse. And racism is the usual cover story for CBC corruption.
When Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) was accused of stealing a woman’s first class airplane seat, she claimed that it only happened “because I was an African American woman, seemingly an easy target.” The woman she casually accused of racism had no previous idea of who even stole her seat. And as a Democrat and a human rights activist was probably angry about her lost seat, not the politician’s race.
No one can be too surprised at a politician receiving preferential treatment at the expense of ordinary citizens. Especially a politician who had once allegedly howled, “You don’t understand. I am a queen, and I demand to be treated like a queen.” It’s the eagerness with which CBC members shut down any conversations about their corruption with casual accusations of racism that is the real problem.
The worst offender in the Conyers sexual harassment case wasn’t actually the congressman in question. It was another Black Caucus member who came to his defense by accusing his victims of racism.
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) allegedly claimed that Conyers’ accusers were all white women. And suggested that the accusations were somehow racially motivated. Other CBC members threatened Democrats who criticized Rep. Conyers and there were suggestions that the calls for his resignation were racist.
“Do you go and stalk white people’s houses or just come to the black neighborhoods and stalk our houses?” Monica Conyers demanded.
The claim that Rep. Conyers’ accusers were “all white women” proved to be a lie. But it shouldn’t have mattered what race the women accusing a politician of sexual harassment were. Nor should it have mattered what race the passenger whose seat Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee allegedly stole might have been.
The reflexive accusations of racism by Congressional Black Caucus members hurled at their alleged victims and at any attempt to bring them to justice is at the root of the CBC’s culture of racial corruption. The Caucus is a racially exclusive body. And it uses race and racism as weapons to protect its privileges of power. It doesn’t admit white politicians who represent African-American districts.
“It is critical that its membership remain exclusively African American,” Rep. William Lacy Clay Sr. (D-MO) had written. Referring to a white Democrat’s membership bid from an African-American district, he declared that, “he does not, and cannot, meet the membership criteria unless he can change his skin color.” It’s the same familiar mantra of slavery and segregation but with a politically correct twist.
Rep. Clay has paid out nearly a million dollars in campaign funds to his sister’s law firm.
“We supported the tradition that only African-Americans have been full members of the CBC,” insisted Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), whose son and husband would be convicted on charges that included fraud and racketeering.
Urban political machines have a long history of exploiting ethnic and racial solidarity to maintain their grip on power. The Congressional Black Caucus did not invent an original form of corruption. Tammany Hall went through various ethnic incarnations as one immigrant group made way for another.
The Congressional Black Caucus is not uniquely corrupt because it is black. But it uses racial solidarity and animosity to protect its insidious corruption. The CBC uses the idea of racial persecution to convince the African-American areas it preys on to turn a blind eye to its corruption. And it depicts its critics and victims, whether they are the women groped by Rep. Conyers or the poor children ripped off by Rep. Brown, as pawns or perpetrators of a racist conspiracy against black people.
The CBC’s merger of xenophobia and corruption is nothing new. But it’s a uniquely toxic tactic to utilize during a time of racial tensions. The Caucus styles itself as the “conscience of the congress”, but it has no conscience. It’s become a gang of thieves united by greed, racial solidarity and racial animosity.
The Congressional Black Caucus is uniquely destructive to black people and to the entire country. Its corrupt civil rights icons have long since become mirrors of the very thing they once fought against. And their accusations of racism are reflections of their own racism and their own racial privileges.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Rep. Clyburn’s accusations show how the perniciously corrupt culture of the CBC’s racial solidarity has turned race and racism into unlimited justifications for their own abuses. The Caucus’ racism and corruption feed into each other in a vicious cycle that spurs its members to greater ethics violations and noisier accusations of racism. The corruption charges then become proof of racism.
The more CBC members are arrested and jailed, the more the Caucus doubles down on the conviction that the only reason they were jailed is racism. And then it exploits that sense of racial grievance to justify even more corruption. This vicious cycle of racism and thievery in the CBC must be broken.
Congress has a racism problem. Its name is the Congressional Black Caucus.
Enigma — here’s the truth….how many black folks do you know who consider themselves to be Republicans? How many black folks do you know who would be willing to endure the personal attacks that anyone, of any color, endures as a member of Trump’s administration? The anwer? Not many. And as for whites, etc, the answer is still the same. This ain’t like Barry Soetoro’s admin where everyone wanted a piece of that. So I don’t blame Trump, I blame the lack of candidates for the positions.
Surely the Party that works overtime to suppress black votes, and adopted the Southern Strategy across multiple generations has a backlog of qualified people. Some administrations actually cross party lines to find qualified cabinet members and appointees in non-political positions. Trump appointed all his fellow crooks and rich friends. How many of his qualified picks have been indicted of quit in scandal?
Enigma – “working overtime to suppress black votes.” Oh come on. Gerrymandering? Happens on both sides. And I recall Broward County’s corruption and cheating in the last election being blatant, bold, and caught on camera….actually “working overtime to suppress” Republican votes and even “finding” 15,000 ballots days after the election. In other words, election fraud is real. Do ineligible voters vote? You bet. We just don’t hear about it as much as we should because of the media bias, and because Republicans don’t go around refusing to concede like Stacy Abrams who is STILL claiming she is the rightful governor of Georgia insisting that election was stolen from her. Well, prove it in court. Wanna know how many elections were stolen from Republicans with blatant cheating by Democrats? Did they cheat and steal Al Franken’s election in Minnesota where they “found” hundreds of ballots in a car trunk? You bet they did. Was there cheating and fraud that helped push Barack Obama over the top in his reelection? No doubt. But see, Republicans accept election results and move on.
Enigma:
“Surely the Party that works overtime to suppress black votes.” When you are required to show a photo ID to cash a check, are black people being suppressed? What about to get into the DNC? It’s not suppressing black people all the myriad other ways people are required to show ID. In fact, an ID is required to function in many areas. The rhetoric is only applied to the vote, because it is a false accusation for political gain.
All of the activities that require ID do so to combat fraud. There is a high incentive for electoral fraud. That is why there are efforts to purge the rolls of people not allowed to vote, as well as those who have passed away, as well as to require photo ID. There are ways to get photo ID for free in every state for those without means. Those policies help the recipients engage in every activity that requires an ID, including voting.
Southern Strategy: First, let me get this straight. You will forgive the Democrats for their history in supporting slavery, using the Klan as a domestic terrorist group against black people, intimidating them for their votes, and of LBJ saying, “Well have those (N words) voting Democratic the next 200 years” as his goal for the “Great Society”, but you won’t forgive the party who freed the slaves and supported civil rights because of the Southern Strategy over 50 years ago? That’s rather selective historical outrage, don’t you think. Second, (https://youtu.be/UiprVX4os2Y).
“Some administrations actually cross party lines to find qualified cabinet members and appointees in non-political positions.” I don’t see that happening very often anymore. Democrats keep calling Republicans racist, and they are going more socialist, which makes it quite difficult to cross the aisles. Also, many Democrats still have not accepted the results of the 2016 election, and have worked hard to undermine the Administration. It would not be responsible to put someone in a position of power that you couldn’t trust.
I would go as far as to say that historically the Democrat Party has mre deaths on their hands and has used more violence in the past but that still doesn’t keep them from being the better option right now when compared to the Republican Party.
Your dates regarding the Southern Strategy are way off as it’s still in use. The widow Atwater was a prominent guest at the 2016 RNC Convention. The Southern Strategy was but to good use by President’s Nixon, Reagan, Bush 1 and Bush 2 and most recently Donald J Trump.
Obama managed to appoint Republicans in his Cabinet and they served with distinction as far as I know.
BTW, I’ve said dozens of times that Voter ID in and of itself is the least of my concerns although it can be used in a manner as to favor Republicans. Accepting gun registration but not a state issued college photo ID for example. In EVERY case where voter ID was passed by Republicans, it was accompanied by several other laws which made it harder for target groups, especially minorities, to vote.
enigma – Arizona will go to your fing house, take your picture and deliver a free fing Voter ID to you. How hard is that. Oddly enough we can require voter IDs for elections where local or state officials are being elected, but not for federal officials. However, since local and state officials are elected at every election (we have yet to have a federal run-off) the Voter ID is always in use. Most other states follow Arizona.
I’m sure you have to provide certain documentation (like a certified birth certificate) which isn’t free. Ignoring that, because I don’t especially care about the ID.
On a hunch, I Googled, “Arizona changes to early voting,” and was not disappointed.
https://www.npr.org/2019/04/08/711169880/arizona-gop-lawmakers-propose-new-laws-to-remove-some-people-from-early-voting-l
I just provided three states with videos showing that even dead people could vote and no voter ID was required. Those who believe in cheating side with you. I don’t want any American denied a vote nor do I want any American’s vote diluted by an illegal vote.
Your complaints of cost are bogus as are most of your complaints. They exist to hide the cheating that Democrats seem to support.
I want diversity in the halls of Congress and am happy when people of all races are elected to government representing their constituents. However, a minority that votes for one party and votes based on the color of one’s skin rather than competence and character leads government not responsive to the people.
I again refer you again to this article and similar articles like this one. “Congress has a Black Caucus Racism Problem
The vicious cycle of racism and thievery in the CBC must be broken.”
https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/268880/congress-has-black-caucus-racism-problem-daniel-greenfield
enigma – in Arizona it took four days to finally get a Senator. This was because of the large number of mail-in ballot that had been turned in at the polling places. It is set up if you mail it back on time you can check to make sure they got it. However, they were overwhelmed at the polls. I has been claimed that some people used a called “ballot gathering” to pick up at lot of ballots from people and voted for them, then delivering the ballots to the polls in large groups.
“Our investigation into New Hampshire uncovered election workers offering the ballots of deceased New Hampshirans to Project Veritas journalists at poll after poll. Even when our journalists stated that they didn’t have photo ID, they were told that in New Hampshire, none was required.”
https://www.projectveritas.com/dead-people-receive-ballots/
“North Carolina Ballots were offered out in the names of others to total strangers. We found people who, according to jury refusal forms, were listed as non-citizens. These individuals were also registered to vote. In one case, the citizen appeared to have perjured himself on the jury refusal form, since his jury refusal came after his voter registration. Also in this video, we found a dead voter listed on the voter rolls, discovered a few UNC officials embracing voter fraud, and we interviewed an election Judge who said he only wants to uphold parts of the state constitution.”
Third video. This series is three different states:
https://www.projectveritas.com/dead-people-receive-ballots/
Yeah, Project Veritas is such a respected source and has never been shown to edit and manipulate tape to present a false picture. On this NC tape:
“Conservative filmmaker James O’Keefe released a new video today supposedly exposing voter fraud in North Carolina by highlighting non-citizens like Zbigniew Gorzkowski who have voted in recent elections.
The problem: Gorzkowski is an American citizen.
In fact, if O’Keefe had done a simple Nexis search for “Zbigniew Gorzkowski”, he would have found a single article from the News & Observer in 2008 noting that Gorzkowski and his wife are naturalized citizens:
Customers flock through the red door of Zbigniew “Ziggy” and wife Halina Gorzkowski’s European grocery and flower shop to buy one of the 12 varieties they sell. The pierogis and 400 eastern European food items and flowers are also punching the naturalized citizen couple’s ticket for their version of the American Dream.
ThinkProgress spoke with Gorzkowski this morning. He verified that this information was indeed correct and he had been an American citizen since the late 1980s. Therefore, his votes in the 2008 and 2010 elections were not only perfectly legal, but encouraged as a civic duty.
In other words, the one instance in the video where O’Keefe purports to show that a non-citizen had actually voted, in fact shows that a citizen voted.
The episode does speak to a larger underlying problem with most accusations of voter fraud. It’s what I call the “Scooby Doo routine”. People like O’Keefe make wild voter fraud accusations like non-citizens voting, only to discover a much simpler explanation for the situation.
In this case, O’Keefe is using “evidence” of foreigners voting in American elections to supposedly demonstrate the need for draconian security measures like voter ID, which could disenfranchise 20 million citizens across the country. However, his evidence actually shows nothing more than an American citizen exercising his civic duty. Earlier this year, South Carolina went through the same Scooby Doo routine after Attorney General Alan Wilson claimed to have unearthed evidence of 953 dead voters, only for his state investigation to ultimately find no dead voters — and zero voter fraud — but rather a handful of clerical errors.
O’Keefe has a responsibility as a journalist to ensure the veracity of his facts before he makes wild charges like these. A simple phone call or Nexis search would have sufficed, yet doing so would have undercut his spurious argument that voter fraud is a widespread problem in the United States.”
https://thinkprogress.org/fact-check-non-citizen-voter-in-james-o-keefe-s-voter-fraud-video-is-actually-a-citizen-c979dd4c9ef0/
“In fact, if O’Keefe had done a simple Nexis search for “Zbigniew Gorzkowski”, he would have found a single article from the News & Observer in 2008 noting that Gorzkowski and his wife are naturalized citizens:”
Unfortunately according to the government records he was a non-citizen. I think it is fair for O’Keefe to rely on such records since if the public record demonstrates he is a non-citizen then he shouldn’t have been permitted to register to vote until the facts were sorted out.
Did that article prove that man had citizenship when he voted? No. Did your article check the governmen’s records? No. Did they answer the question of why someone else was being given his ballot to vote illegally? No.
The entire article you provided is cr-p and incomplete so that it could portray O’Keefe as a liar when the video’s show otherwise.
“Yeah, Project Veritas is such a respected source and has never been shown to edit”
Every single journalist edits their work so stop with the BS Anon or continue to act like an idiot. Your news programs would be hours long but for editing. Some of O’keefe’s filming is days long so there has to be editing. You prevaricate, lie, and are totally dishonest. On the videos it showed ballots of dead people being given to the investigators. Let’s go over the video’s minute by minute and see if you are able to defend your position. You won’t do that because you know you can’t defend your position and that there are many videos showing the problems over and over again.
“O’Keefe has a responsibility as a journalist to ensure the veracity of his facts before he makes wild charges like these.”
The charges are represented on film so if you have a problem with the facts present them. If there is a dispute on the facts prove them which you don’t and then ask for a retraction. That, however, is hard to get when the facts are based on video recordings of the people involved.
One last thing. Most of the times that O’Keefe publishes an investigation to demonstrate wrongdoing people resign or the laws change. The reason for that is because what he is publishing is true and only represents the tip of the iceberg regarding the wrongdoing that is occurring on a regular basis.
Enigma:
“In EVERY case where voter ID was passed by Republicans, it was accompanied by several other laws which made it harder for target groups, especially minorities, to vote.” Would you please post specific examples of these accompanying laws that specifically target minorities, in order to prevent them from voting, so that I may better understand your position?
I know non citizens who have voted. One of them had absolutely no idea he was not supposed to vote. I live in CA, and no ID is required. All I have to do is tell them my name. No questions asked. The scope for abuse is immense.
Why not protect the vote against fraud? Isn’t that what all the Russia hoax drummed up? Concern about foreign influence in our elections? What about foreign non citizens voting?
Karen S – isn’t the greatest threat to our election Central and South American illegal immigrants?
nope. Complacent, fat and entitled North Americans are the numero uno problema!
Americans are the problem with America.
——
https://www.wsj.com/articles/treasury-to-borrow-over-1-trillion-in-2019-for-second-year-in-a-row-11564428624
Treasury to Borrow Over $1 Trillion in 2019 for Second Year in a Row
Department expects total debt issuance for the calendar year of $1.23 trillion, a slight decline from $1.34 trillion borrowed in 2018
Congressional leaders and administration officials last week announced a bipartisan deal to suspend the borrowing limit for two years—until July 31, 2021—enabling the government to begin borrowing again.
To demonstrate how prolific it is, I’ll let you pick a Republican state that’s passed voter ID and I’ll document the additional laws targeting minorities. Paul S. already brought up Arizona earlier in the thread and I documented laws there. Please make it challenging at least and don’t pick North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Florida, or Kansas, (the more I think about it, the more states come to mind).
Enigma – it doesn’t matter what state. Would you please post specific examples of laws that you find racist so I can understand your position?
Bear with me, I also want to make the point that what happens is ubiquitous and no matter what Republican state you choose, it’s happening.
Karen, Enigma says it’s ubiquitous, but when asked for his evidence….. We are waiting.
The moment Larry Elder gets Dave Rubin to re-think his ideas about systemic racism:
https://youtu.be/phPXTWJhnYM
https://youtu.be/0eyTBX2VJqY (A CNN segment, so they slanted it as far left as possible.)
One of the ways that Democrats have held on to the majority of black votes, is by labeling their opponents racist. It’s manipulative, and false. It should give black voters pause how Democrats viciously attack black conservatives for not voting how they are pressured to do. Harkens back to their earlier days.
https://youtu.be/MydjXCHoLo0 (Black, Millenial, Conservative)
https://youtu.be/qKpEl9jJ4dA (Candace Owens on the Black Card)
I am curious if you are willing to take the time to look into what Democrats call black conservatives. How the racist slurs are applauded as long as it is against a conservative. I think this is a very bad thing.
I don’t accept the premise that black people or any people are attacked for being conservative. That is the excuse to ward off attacks for the reasons they’d rather not discuss. Some black conservatives, notably Tim Scott Colin Powell, not long ago J.C. Watts of Oklahoma. While Scott has supported many things I disapprove of, he didn’t sell his soul when it came to the appointment of some Federal judges with racist records he couldn’t tolerate. In your efforts to label me and all Democrats, you fail to consider that I know and converse with black conservatives and have respectful relationships. It is not conservatism I object to, it’s providing cover for racist policies and voter suppression and denying that racism exists when they know better. I don’t know for examle Pastor Mark Burns but I know his record of lies and he’s deserving of all the contempt I can muster.
enigma – if you think conservatives do not get attacked for being conservative, you have to get your head out of the sand, buddy. It has gotten so bad that I have been attacked for things that Obama and Hillary did, but ignorant progressives think Trump did. Our public education system is a complete failure.
Not saying they don’t get attacked, just not for being conservative. That’s the reason they want us to buy.
Enigma – are you kidding? They are attacked for their conservative politics. They do not call Democrat black people this. They do so to African American conservatives, in the context of their conservative politics.
Are you being serious?
The DNC is lying to you when they claim Republicans are all racists. They are just trying to fool you and get your votes. Like when they claim that black people can’t get an ID (OMG so racist), or that reforming welfare to reduce the incentive for single motherhood, so devastating to the black community and a main driver of gangs, is a war on poor black people. It’s all a gimmick. A way of demonizing their enemy to get the black vote. All they have to do is keep saying their opponent is racist.
Be more savvy.
Oh No! Was someone attacked with words for holdiing political opinions??? This will not stand!!!! MLK did not die on that balcony so that black people would be subjected to political arguments. Tell ’em Karen! We shall overcome!!
Anonymous1 Sock Puppet said, “Oh No! Was someone attacked with words for holdiing political opinions???”
Your sarcasm is in defense of racist slurs against black conservatives. On top of arguing against women organizing at pools to prevent groping.
You are really on a roll. Does it not give you pause to expose yourself in this manner?
This is exactly what I’m talking about. Too many Democrats excuse racism against black conservatives, and strangely side against women when it comes down to them or Muslim immigrants who have not yet assimilated into Western views on women. Hopefully they will assimilate at some point, but until then, there are consequences when people leave the land where women are veiled or beaten, and find themselves in a Western country where women have freedom.
You have claimed these behaviors don’t exist, and then rushed to exhibit them yourself.
Karen show me the ugly racism I’m supposedly approving. Your youtube of the hustler Candy Owens –
“In 2015, Owens was CEO of Degree180, a marketing agency that offered consultation, production and planning services.[2][5] The website included a blog which frequently posted anti-conservative and anti-Trump content, including mockery of his penis size.[5][11] In a 2015 column that Owens wrote for the site she criticized conservative Republicans, writing about the “bat-shit-crazy antics of the Republican Tea Party”, adding, “The good news is, they will eventually die off (peacefully in their sleep, we hope), and then we can get right on with the OBVIOUS social change that needs to happen, IMMEDIATELY.”[2][4][12][13]
– doesn’t demonstrate that. Then maybe you can quote what part of my sarcasm exhibited this horrible racism you claim I defend. You are either not very bright or not very honest.
Lastly, as a self proclaimed opponent of uncivil and racist attacks, why don;t you focus that on some actual racists on this board like kurtz – I doubt he denies it – and estovir – he probably will, but he also told enigma to go back to Africa.
I’m not sure what Anon is are referring to, but what he is doing is going to his sites that libel people with omissions and comissions. Candace finally learned what type of cr-p people like Anon were spewing and she became a conservative. She learned that much of the stuff she was reading from the left were lies. Yes, Candace has been on both sides but she left the lies behind for people like Anon to continue to spew.
Nobody says all Republicans are racist, although if you steadfastly support racist policies like voter suppression (I forgot it’s now called partisan suppression which makes it okay). You can say black people are attacked for conservative policies which is incorrect. They are attacked for supporting racist policies to stay in favor. Unless you’re saying conservative policies and racist are one and the same. Give me one example where anyone attacked a black conservative and used the word conservative? It was the farthest thing from their mind. It’s what Republicans need to give as the reason.
Enigma, voter ID is not voter suppression. You can agree or disagree with voter ID, but please do not ascribe racist tendencies that are not there.
This is the problem. Disagree with Democratic policies, and be labeled racist.
Of course they don’t use the word “conservative” every time they use a racist slur against a conservative. The slur is the descriptor. But if you want an example, GOOGLE “conservatives are racists.”
There is no excuse for calling anyone racist names. That includes disagreeing over policies.
Voter suppression by the GOP is racial and based on the obvious fact that blacks don’t vote for them.
https://www.google.com/search?q=gop+voter+suppression&oq=gop+voter+su&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j35i39j0l4.10201j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
I submit that in every case Republicans implemented voter ID, it had a purposeful intent of making it harder for black people to vote. Even if the ID portion of the law was relatively benign, the accompanying laws to reduce early voting, change polling locations, cause costs to be incurred to get an ID (For me, getting a certified copy of my out of state birth certificate cost about $25. If I had needed it faster it would have been more. That’s an Unconstitutional poll tax, BTW).
“I submit that in every case” Democrats reduced voting requirements so that illegal voting could occur, ” it had a purposeful intent” of diluting legal votes for political gains of the Democratic party.
Now Democrats are importing illegals and will try and get them to vote illegally for Democrats. They are already permitting them to vote in some state elections to the disadvantage of legal American Citizens. Apparently Democrats are the unlawful party and will forget that like they forgot that they were the party of slave owners and the KKK. It seems whenever there is a dispute where there is a right way anbd a wrong way Democrats pick the wrong way.
“We sent investigative journalists to Vermont to determine how easily a ballot could be fraudulently obtained. Sadly, we quickly discovered it was all too easy to obtain ballots (belonging to both living and dead individuals) without photo ID at poll after poll. Determine to see what other establishments in Vermont didn’t require photo ID, we sent journalists to several establishments across Vermont including bars, hotels, and city hall to see if a photo ID was required to vote, purchase alcohol, check into a hotel, and obtain a marriage license. Our investigation uncovered that all of these actives strictly required a photo ID, unlike voting. Perhaps this is why poll workers were so quick to offer the ballots of the deceased to our journalists.”
second video:
https://www.projectveritas.com/dead-people-receive-ballots/
(For me, getting a certified copy of my out of state birth certificate cost about $25. If I had needed it faster it would have been more. That’s an Unconstitutional poll tax, BTW).
If you want to be a victim, then claim a poll tax. I was a victim too. I had to get a copy of my BC from out of state. It was $5 for mine, but the cost of a stamp meant my son had to go without shoes for the winter. Okay, so I live in SoCal, but the struggle is real. I didn’t need to get it faster, because I planned ahead. You know, taking personal responsibility and all.
Olly, unfortunatly Enigma doesn’t believe in responsibility and has little concern for people in need and the American people as a whole.
Allan,
This pandering to people as victims of anything, including systemic racism, should be insulting to anyone with a sense of self-reliance. The fact there are so many people that have succeeded in pulling themselves out of whatever horrible conditions they were in should be proof that we aren’t committed to remain victims of those conditions.
The real tragedy is seeing just how dependent these victims have become. How much don’t they know of the world around them? Do they know what the conditions are in other parts of the country? Other parts of their state? Do they understand how politics work? Do they understand how policies affect them positively or negatively? Why aren’t they motivated to change political leadership, if that leadership’s policies do nothing to provide an opportunity to rise out of their situation?
Olly, you ask a lot of good questions. The race card was played so we have succumbed to the problems associated with the use of such tactics. What was the problem? Take affirmative action. The problem is that many felt that they were denied the appropriate public education and therefore “denied” access to advanced education. Let’s assume these claims are as stated. This is not a racial issue rather an issue of poverty. There are two basic ways to solve that. 1) Improve the conditions of the basic family. That has happened all the time with all sorts of immigrants that have made their way into society. 2) Help those that have the problem. That means help the poor. If a black person has already enterred middle class he doesn’t require that type of help. Those in need are the ones we should direct ourselves to.
Unfortuantely too many of the people demanding assistance have been sucking up the assistance and doing little in return.
Unfortuantely too many of the people demanding assistance have been sucking up the assistance and doing little in return.
I agree, however how many actually know there is another way? Those questions I asked need to be answered. It’s assumed because information is readily available on any smartphone that a)they’ll access it. b)they’ll understand it. c.)they’ll know what to do with it. One review of this blog’s archives is proof this country does not have an information problem. There is a much deeper problem and it has been going on a long time. I believe it begins and ends with whatever forces control the public education system.
I didn’t need it faster either. My point is, it sin’t free, wjich I point out because others insisted it was.
In May, PolitiFact reviewed a claim by U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings that requests made to some Florida residents to submit proof of citizenship amounted to a “backdoor poll tax” because they had to buy a stamp to mail in the documents. Although experts said any election procedure that requires voters to incur some type of financial costs could be coined a poll tax, actual poll taxes were unaffordable to the African-Americans they affected. The Florida request was seen more as an inconvenience, and the claim received a Half True rating.
https://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2012/sep/12/american-civil-liberties-union/voter-id-laws-poll-tax-not-equivalent/
Enigma – how do you propose to prove your identity without the same list of documents used for passports, etc? You need a birth certificate or current passport. Without being able to prove your identity, you cannot fully engage in all transactions in our society. All efforts to get people ID helps them function in our country.
Why is having to prove your identity in order to be issued a photo ID racist? What do you think would be fair? Show up and just state your name, or have an electric bill? How would that possibly counteract fraud?
Can you provide an example of a racist law meant to target black people, especially in regards to voting? Or do you really believe that it is too much to ask that every person verify their identity?
A photo ID that requires no supporting documentation is worthless. It’s like a Blockbuster card with your photo on it.
I’m not disagreeing with documenting identity (except for accepting certain types of ID like gun registrations but not State issued college ID’s). My point is that the “free” ID’s aren’t really free.
Enigma:
Every state has programs that offer free ID to the poor. I am all for helping the poor get their documents at no or low cost, as well, including birth certificates.
It is my understanding that you can file a fee waiver if you are poor, although I do not know if it is offered everywhere.
https://www.uscis.gov/feewaiver (for immigrants)
“USCIS is funded largely by application and petition fees. Recognizing that some applicants cannot pay the filing fees, USCIS established a fee waiver process for certain forms and benefit types. We will approve a fee waiver only if you clearly demonstrate that you are unable to pay the filing fees. USCIS carefully considers the merits of each fee waiver request before making a decision.”
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Affidavit%20for%20Free%20Certified%20Copy%20of%20Birth%20Certificate%20-%208-15.pdf (for the homeless)
“A fee exempt copy of a birth record may be obtained from the local registrar, county recorder office in the county where the registrant was born, or the State Registrar.”
Since you need identity documents to fully function in transactions in our country, providing assistance to the poor is important. Many people need assistance navigating through the processes of Social Security, Welfare, Section 8, WIC, SNAP, Scholarships, Child Care Assistance, Covered CA and other exchanges, how to get copies of their birth certificates, getting ID. People may need help navigating through government websites and processes in general.
Having no identity verification begs fraud. Assisting the poor to get their documents helps them live and work, and receive benefits.
In every case I submit that I don’t care
You should have to show an ID to vote. I have to show an ID to do anything with anybody in the marketplace of society. i regularly have to show id just to do mundane crud all the time and I bet you would admit that you do too.
if that annoys black people, so what? they should wise up about this and quit whining about it. get with the 21 century
I have said now in the hundreds of times, IT’S NOT SIMPLY THE SHOWING OF AN ID! IT’S ALL THE OTHER THINGS!
enigma – buddy, being conservative is the reason I get attacked.
You poor baby. Maybe someone here can kiss the boo boo.
As a liberal I can tell you I only receive accolades, participation trophies, the guys on the job site sing the international with me at lunch, and Adam Schiff and AOC send me cards at my birthday and anniversary.
Come on over and join the fun!
Did I mention the Hollywood babes?
Anonymous1 – you cannot afford the Viagra for the babes. Admit it.
Good one Paul, but if you really were part of the CR movement, your comment must be based on persoanl experience, and I don’t mean with Hollywood babes.
Anonymous1 – anyone who was part of the CR movement and was effective was well-dressed and polite.
Wehave agreed on things and disagreed on far more. Not once have we disagreed about you being conservative. The conversation was about black conservatives. I’ve never heard one attacked for being conservative although I have for a host of other reasons.
enigma – how many black conservatives do you know or listen to?
Paul,
Keep in mind, Enigma views everything through a race lens first. So conservatives that are white, well they’re white, so that couldn’t possibly be the motive they got attacked. They must have said or done something racist to deserve getting attacked. Blacks that are conservative, well they’re black first. They get attacked for being black, never mind they may have said or done exactly the same thing as the white conservative.
Good luck with Mr. Spivey.
OLLY – Enigma and I have jousted for some time. I have always enjoyed it.
Probably a dozen or so. A good friend of mine is presently in the Energy Department and also served during the Bush Administration.
enigma – the fact that they are in the Energy Dept and served under Bush does automatically make them conservative. The Overton Window has shifted so far to the left that poor Tim Pool is now being reviled as a conservative.
Before my friend actually worked for the party, he and I worked for Southern Bell and had many chats about his Republican leanings. Another reason I’m sure black people don’t attack blacks and others for being conservative is that they tend to be conservative themselves on many issues. Republicans could make a case on abortion and crime if they weren’t simultaneously suppressing votes and implementing mass incarceration. Every time they say “rule of law” it means lock up more black people. You can blame Clinton for the crime bill and he (and Biden) get their share of blame but they were between a rock and a hard place with a Republican Congress trying to impose worse than what they got.
Yes I know about black support in some circles (others opposed it) they soon learned not to trust “the man.”
enigma – you are conflating a lot of issues together. None of these prove your friend is a conservative.
Enigma — as Howard Stern likes to say, “Don’t be stupid ya moron!”
😉
Good one Pauly!
Enigma:
“I don’t accept the premise that black people or any people are attacked for being conservative.” Well, then you are woefully misinformed. Let me enlighten you at once. There is no excuse for racist slurs, and it’s disappointing that you appear to believe that there is. I also do not label all Democrats, rather trends, politicians, and the DNC. There are some who dislike these tactics, as well as Socialism. I look forward to welcoming them to the Republican party one day.
http://www.tedmontgomery.com/remarks/13.7-12/NBRA/Black.conservatives.html
Gee, thanks for the all caps Karen, but I stopped with being blamed for slavery. I actually worked in the CR movement of the 60s in the Deep South, so f,,k you very much.
Glad to hear Paul! Indeed, Indiana had the biggestKlan but that was the 20s. Where I am the Klan was virtually though not toatlly non-existent. Of course the problem was completely institutionalized segregation. Black people did not eat in restaurants, stay at motels, go in the front door at many businesses and there were separate facilities of every kind, including water fountains, and of course schools.
Wow, you “akshully werked in the CR movement of the 60s” Gold star for u. Guess that is your badge to wear that screams, “look at me!! I ain’t no racist!”
All kinds of crazy on this blog. A case in point is the person behind the comment @ 11:59 PM. This one:
https://jonathanturley.org/2019/07/26/trump-sweden-let-our-african-american-community-down/comment-page-1/#comment-1868494
I see, Anonymous. So in your mind, “f,,k you very much” is not ‘all kinds of crazy’ deserving of a response in kind…got it.
Another wall of text by Karen. Her arrogance is on full display.
Anonymous – can you defeat Karen’s “wall of text” or is ad hominem all you have?
Let Karen fight her own battles, Paul. Stay in your own lane.
Anonymous – you have no argument, only insults. Why do you behave this way? If you have something meaningful to say, or a cogent argument to make, then do so.
Life is too short to spend your day insulting strangers online. You’re not even getting a stimulating conversation out of this. I don’t think the constant insults feed anything good in you.
Karen,
I don’t know if you’ve read any of the posts from jbsay, but he has articulated your point about these anonymous characters as well:
You continue this nonsense of confusing snark and insult with argument.
Rather than continuing to tell me what I think.
I am pretty sure I know that better than you.
Address the actual arguments.
Facts, logic, reason.
With respect to labels like “fringe”, “conservative”, “Nazi”, “Liberal”, or “progressive” – YOU – in your posts here have made it clear that you are prepared to redefine these to suit your whim of the moment, without any regard for the actual meaning of the words.
I have mostly avoided words that it is self evident you are going to use deceptively. But ultimately we communicate with words – and the majority of us think in words. It is therefore important to use words accurately – particularly where you are seeking to justify the use of force against others.
Ambiguity, multiple and subjective meanings are for art, literature, poetry, fiction – all endeavors not involving the use of force.
Olly – that was a really good post.
You might want to get out of that bubble in which your’e living, Karen. And tend to your own life, honey.
I guess the people at Correct-the-Record told Natacha to use the ‘anonymous’ moniker as well.
How many times has TIA x X referred to “Correct-the-Record” in his comments, as a way of discrediting others?
TIA probably works for Correct-the-Record’s counterpart on the other side.
Anonymous – so, nothing to defeat Karen’s “wall of text”. And still more ad hominems for others.
Beep, beep, Paul. You’re in someone else’s lane.
Anonymous – as you well know, I drive where the hell I like.
Paul says, “…they will have to take my license from my cold, dead hands.”
Great. It’s nice to know that you’ll continue to drive — even if you’re a danger to yourself and others.
Anonymous – you betcha, Red Ryder
You’re slipping, Paul.
That would be: “You betchum, Red Ryder” : )
Anonymous – I tried it that way but it didn’t look right. I just got back from grocery shopping with my wife and buying stuff I am not sure we need or want. Give me a break. 🙂
I already defeated Karen’s wall of text.
Anon is like the French in battle facing the enemy with their backs. That is why Anon doesn’t know what is going on. He is looking in the wrong direction. He thinks he “defeated Karen’s wall of text”, but anyone with a clear mind can only see that Anon can’t even recognize when he is outperformed.
And Allaninny jumps in with some of his classic Allanonsense.
Diane, I noted your usual snarky comment below, but what I said about Anon will stand. Moreover, when you read this reply to your one line innane and repetitious comment your reply might already be gone.
No, you’ve added this argument to your quiver of self-declared victories.
DSS, Anon is the typical ignorant left winger who after approaching 3 years is still denying the fact that Trump won the election. He always feels he has to win but totally lacks the ability to do so.
I they had to just stick to the facts Anon would be cremated by Karen in less than a minute.
Further food for thought for Paul, Karen’s defender on her bogus economic info:
From yesterdays Barron’s former editor and Austrian School economist Gene Epstein:
“Trump Besting Obama on Economy? Not So Fast
….The BEA reported on Friday that real GDP grew at an annual rate of 2.1% in second quarter 2019. That means real GDP growth ran at an annualized 2.7% over the nine quarters on Trump’s watch. Trump triumphalists might leap to point out that, during the 31 quarters under Obama, growth came in at just 2.2%, thereby claiming a half-percentage point margin of superiority for their man. But comparing 31 quarters with nine is like judging a mile-run against a marathon.
Our chart tracks rolling nine-quarter periods over the recent expansion–more of an apples-to-apples comparison. If there were no nine-quarter period under Obama when growth averaged as high as 2.7%, the GDP cup would go to Trump. But as the chart shows, that isn’t the case. There were two nine-quarter periods — through second quarter 2015 and second quarter 2016, respectively — when growth equaled 2.7%, And there were two others — through first quarter 2015 and third quarter 2015 — when growth did a tenth of a percentage point better, at 2.8%. So in this contest, we have to give the edge to Obama.
Also, there was a huge government contribution to GDP growth in this year’s second quarter. That brings up another comparison, to the detriment of Trump’s relative performance.
Excluding the government contribution, private sector GDP growth in the second quarter ran just 1.3%. And over the just-ended nine quarters, private sector growth averaged 2.3% — a figure that has been equaled or bested more than 10 different times under Obama. Ironically, the president who complained about the “waste, fraud, and abuse” of government spending has benefitted far more than his predecessor from government’s contribution to GDP growth.
But let’s give at least one-and-a-half cheers to the longevity of the expansion presided over by both Trump and Obama. True, measured in terms of average annual growth (2.3%) it’s the slowest since World War II. But if slow-but-steady doesn’t exactly win the race, steadiness still counts for a lot: More time spent growing can mean more total growth….”
https://www.barrons.com/articles/trump-besting-obama-on-economy-not-so-fast-51564235889
If you want to talk about the racist history of the Democrat Party I could probably top you. I could also tell you about the formation of the Republican Party and its opposition to slavery.
What you leave out is the general slide (I would point out The Compromise of 1877 and then Posse Comitatus in 1878 as the beginning but that’s just me and then the rush in the 1960s and the adoption of the Southern Strategy and the recent all out capitulation to racism under Trump.
The present day Democrats aren’t perfect, maybe not even good, but they are leaps and bounds ahead of the present day Republican Party. Would that they give us a real choice. Trump found another black legislator to attack, all to rile up his base. What kind of base gets riled up at banning Muslims, caging children, defaming black nations and people, calling a political foe “Pocahontas?” How can you wonder the Party gets called racist as you stand idly by?
enigma – politics is not for the thin skinned. Dude, you full of misinformation. You have drunk deeply of the Kook-Aid.
Paul – The things I pointed out are American History, please be specific about the “misinformation” you allege I’ve come across.
enigma – prove voter suppression by the Republicans.
Dude, read a newspaper, or is your cave off the highway?
https://www.google.com/search?q=gop+voter+suppression&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS754US755&oq=gop+voter&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.7190j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Anon1 – newspapers are dying. Why would I read them? BTW, send me a specific example, not a Google search. The person who makes a claim has the duty of supplying the proof.
No wonder you don;t know s..t if you don’t read newspapers. I gave you the link to multiple fact filled articles. Go ahead, they won’t bite you.
Anon, your library is trumped by the Library of Congress that proves you more wrong than right. But you don’t know that because you are quoting opinion pieces that might or might not have some agreement with you. You don’t have the slightest idea of what anyone said and if you did you couldn’t create a decent factual argument to prove your case.
When people stack up there are those that are at the top and those that are at the bottom. You demonstrate the fact that you are at the bottom making it easy for those at the top.
Anonymous1 – I scanned the articles and they discussed the issue, however, they did not prove your case.
Paul, maybe you should read a few of them. The facts are not contestable. The GOP in state after state uses tactics like restrictive and targeted ID’s, closing polling locations in minority areas, restricting early voting at minority and campus locations, purging rolls after 1 or 2 missed elections, in Florida making a recently passed ballot initiative restoring voting rights to felons who have done powerless by requiring all fees and penalties to be paid, a daunting task if if one has paid them, other efforts to suppress turn outs like off year elections, and on and on.
For example:
“Pennsylvania Republican House Leader Mike Turzai (R-PA) admitted that voter identification efforts were designed to suppress Democratic votes, telling a Republican Steering Committee meeting that Voter ID “is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done.”
https://thinkprogress.org/top-pennsylvania-republican-admits-voter-id-helped-suppress-obama-voters-aa7541211b87/
Your party is serving a shrinking constituency and doing everything it can to hold power while it shrinks, including gerrymandering, stealing a SC seat, and suppressing votes from constituencies that typically vote Democratic. It’s a fact..
Try this one:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/us/politics/voting-suppression-elections.html
Anonymous1 – I have been an Independent for over 40 years. My state does not recognize Independent as a party.
Here’s a case where the RNC admitted it when they signed a consent decree which they were just released from after 35 years. The Supreme Court just allowed “partisan” Gerrymandering which is exactly the same thing as racial gerrymandering.
https://www.npr.org/2018/01/09/576858203/decades-old-consent-decree-lifted-against-rncs-ballot-security-measures
enigma – isn’t that what the New Black Panthers were doing and Eric Holder let them off the hook? Correct me if I am wrong.
The New Black Panthers was 2 guys outside a 95% black precinct helping old ladies. Not the same as the RNC. Did you just acknowledge they engaged in voter suppression? For better proof, look at what they did in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, and other states the day after SCOTUS got rid of the enforcement section of the Voting Rights Act. They didn’t even pretend, they went straight to suppressng votes. Several of those actions were found Unconstitutional by Federal Judges. It’s not even a sincere question as to whether or not they engage in voter suppression, a better question is do you actually care?
https://www.inquirer.com/philly/opinion/currents/20111218_Black_Panther_voter-intimidation_debacle_still_gnaws_at_nation_s_values.html
Yeah, helping old ladies.
enigma – the DoJ charged the New Black Panthers with election interference. Really? You need batons to help little old ladies?
Enigma – why would the presence of police suppress the vote rather than keep the peace? The article had only about one sentence about the original case. Dems accusing RNC of voter suppression doesn’t mean they are doing it. Dems claim voter ID is voter suppression and racist, even though you have acknowledged that requiring an ID is not racist.
The only thing I know about the 1980s case was that ballots returned as undeliverable were used to question the voting status of the voters as having actually lived in that residence. For instance, to vote in a local election, you have to live there. If your mail is returned undeliverable, then you have to prove you still live there, otherwise there could be fraud with out of towners affecting local elections. I think they called it voter caging.
I don’t see anything wrong with proving residency when voting in a local election. There also need to be time limits. Same day registration and voting seems too vulnerable to fraud. However, I can see the argument that the poor move often, so they need the opportunity to establish that they have a new residence in the same voting district. It would be better to discuss the pros and cons of establishing residency, without accusing the other side of racism. It’s been weaponized.
The trend seems to be that Republicans try to combat voter fraud, while Democrats cry racism at every attempt. You have said you don’t have a problem with ID, only with the cost of the supporting documents to prove your identity. I provided a link to fee waivers for birth certificates.
There is some individual effort required to vote. Some exertion. We can make it as easy as possible, such as fee waivers for birth certificates, free IDs, etc. But voters still have the responsibility to ensure they have their ID in order before the vote. If they wait until the day of, and then realize they don’t have ID, and can’t prove who they are, at some point, that was their responsibility. It needs to be a partnership. Let us help the poor with the cost and transpiration, but voters need to make some effort, too. This is an important responsibility.
Do you have any specific laws that you believe to be racist? You have given an example of a consent decree, without a description of what caused it, or why you believe requiring people to prove they live in a district to vote in that election is racist. Also, this was not a law.
You said that voting ID laws are accompanied by deliberately racist Republican laws. I do not understand where you are coming from which is why I’m asking for examples.
“Enigma – why would the presence of police suppress the vote rather than keep the peace?”
Because the police have historically been part of the effort to suppress votes including threatening and actually killing people wanting to vote. The National Guard bombed citizens of the Greenwood section of Tulsa although that wasn’t about voting, it was the standard black teenager looked at a white woman. People led by the former Orlando police chief, killed and/or burned out all the black citizens of Ocoee, FL which then had no black citizens for 40 years. There was a time when police and the Klan were almost synonymous. In Philadelphia (PA not MS) they just disciplined hundreds of officers and fired several for maintaining a racist website. Bull Connor was the police. What in America’s history (and present) would make you feel blacks should look at a police presence as a welcome wagon?
Enigma, your statement is idiotic. These same people that are so afraid of the police are in plain daylight attacking police throwing water and water pails at them even with cameras rolling. If we go into these areas that you say remember the past decades and decades ago we can ask them who Bull Connor was and we might not find one person that remembers.
Because the police have historically been….
mistreated, abused, water bombed, shot and killed by trying to stop black on black violence crime
enigma – I think the chickens are coming home to roost on Obama’s picks and we are going see some indictments. I would say that even Obama is not free from indictment.
Paul, though I believe guilt points to the Obama administration and perhaps with evidence directly against Obama. I strongly doubt that even with good evidence Obama would be indicted. That is not the nature of those that hold power in government. Firstly they would be afraid of too greater split in the nation (something the left doesn’t seem to consider in the far left are revolutionary) and secondly they recognize that the amount of corruption in government is so great that everyone should be under suspicion.
Allan – they may make Obama an unindicted co-conspirator. I think Barr, Inc. is really looking into this and according to Joe diGenova, FBI personnel are coming to the IG to “re-state” their testimony as he is investigating FISA.
Paul, I doubt Barr would take it that far even if it could be proven. I believe Joe diGenova would. There is little doubt in my mind that if we held Obama to what he knew and did nothing that such charges could easily be proven.How much he actively engaged in criminal activity is a different story. Obama was smart enough to see to it that there were intermediaries to take the fall and that he left no significant paper trail. That his mindset was willing to break the law is something I feell fairly confident about.
Wake up Paul. Wake up!
Coffe’s on the counter.
“read a newspaper”
Paul, do you note how Anon never provides the raw facts. It’s always opinion that is hiding the raw facts. When he uses statistics or graphs he doesn’t have the slightest idea of the variables involved or what the graph is actually useful for. He is doorknob dumb. Pure arrogance dominates Anon’s thinking process.
Keep hoping, as you ignore the actual criminals in the Trump Administration.
Trumps attacks anyone, regardless of color. How many times has Trump gone after Nadler, Pelosi, Schumer, and NYC mayor Bill DeBlasio?
Cummings is playing dirty politics with Trump and Trump is gonna hit back. By going after Elijah Cummings, Trump has now spotlighted some major problems in West Baltimore. And this can only be good for the residents who live in Cummings districts that don’t ever get attention and where corruption and crime is rampant. Now? Trump has shined a spotlight on it and maybe it will help to spur some action and change for the better.
You’ll obviously defend anything our moral slob of a president will say, including this new racist and divisive attack. Consider someone attacking the thousands of economically devastated and opioid infested communities across the heartland, starting in Appalachia in the same way Trump attacked this inner city neighborhood . You’d be good with that? Not a problem?
BS!
I don’t deal in hypotheticals. And I’m saying that shining a spotlight on the problems in Baltimore is good for Baltimore’s residents. Trump is calling out the corruption of Baltimore’s political leaders and highlingting the plights of its residents who live with high crime, trash and decay in their neighborhoods. And they watch as lifelong career politicians, like Cummings, do nothing for them, but continue to make off like bandits themselves — including Cummings wife, who is now being probed for ethics violations.
Here’s how Greg Gutfeld put it:
“Trumps about to execute a white supremacist, while trying to free a black rapper from jail, as he pushes prison reform that directly benefits families of black men, while calling out a city where minorities are victims of crime & blight. if Trumps a racist, he sucks at it.”
I’ve been to Baltimore a few times including spending a summer there when working at the MLB All-Star Game the year Camden Yards opened. I confess I don’t know the boundaries of Cummings District but do know the median income is above the national average and it includes some suburbs. Before you equate all the ills of Baltimore with Cummings, you might want to pin down where his district is and be sure your claims are accurate.
The point is that Cummings is taking swings at Trump and
Trump is going to hit back hard regardless of who you are or what color your skin is –Trump doesn’t tip toe around just because they are black. He will call them out just like he calls out DeBlasio and Pelosi and everyone else. And then he will be called a racist, yet again. Trump knows this but doesn’t back off just because they are black. Everyone is fair game. So now people who live in West Baltimore are getting a national spotlight shone on many of their problems and Trump has placed major pressure on local leaders to do something about it. Good.
Maryland’s 7th congressional district – since January 3, 2013.
Representative
Elijah Cummings
D–Baltimore
Area 294.25 sq mi (762.1 km2)
Distribution
95% urban
4.6[citation needed]% rural
Population (2000) 662,060
Median income $60,929[1]
Ethnicity
34.9% White
59.1% Black
3.6% Asian
1.7% Hispanic
0.2% Native American
Occupation
16.2% Blue-collar
66.8% White-collar
17% Gray-collar
Cook PVI D+26[2]
enigma – a quick interweb search shows Elijah Cummings represents the 7th District. That is a majority black gerrymandered district designed to give blacks at least one shoo-in representative.
That’s part of how it works, they lump all the heavily “urban” people into one district where a black person wins, leaving 5 uncontested white districts. There is black representation but it’s so diluted they have no power.
enigma – the Democrats are responsible for Cummings district. Blame it on them.
No Paul, the cases before the court were modern gerrymandering done by computer optimized for party advantage, not some trade off with the opposite party, and they are GOP run, except one. States like Pennsylvania, NC, Michigan, and Florida have very small GOP vote advantages turned into legislative juggernauts in the state governments and US House representation. Florida is a purple state that went to Obama both times by small margins and Trump in 2016, yet the state legislature is about 75% GOP and the House representation about 2/3 GOP. Same in NC,.
This robs US citizens of proper representation and corrupts our government and specifically leads to to hyper polarization because for most candidates running, the primary is all that counts. The general election is a done deal.
The solution after this BS ruling is citizens putting amendments on the ballots for neutral commissions to set districts as is done in about 6 states today.
Anon is so sure about everything which proves he knows nothing. I don’t know the answer but here is a study by researchers at UCLA and Yale
“Yet, counter to reformers’ expectations, we find that independent redistrictors produce virtually the same degree of insulation as plans devised in legislatures or by politician commissions. Overall, our results suggest caution in overhauling state redistricting institutions to increase electoral competition: independent commissions may not be as politically-neutral as theorized.”
—
Gerrymandering Incumbency: Does Non-Partisan Redistricting Increase Electoral Competition?
22 Pages Posted: 2 May 2017
John A. Henderson
Yale University, Department of Political Science
Brian Hamel
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Department of Political Science, Students
Aaron Goldzimer
Yale Law School
Date Written: May 1, 2017
Abstract
Many political advocacy groups, journalists, and scholars view decennial redistricting as a major force in weakening the representational link between voters and officeholders by helping insulate legislative incumbents from electoral defeat. Motivated by this concern, reformers in a number of states have proposed giving control over redistricting to ‘politically-neutral’ independent commissions. Freed from partisan and electoral pressures, independent redistrictors would be expected to draw districts without giving favor to parties or their incumbents. In this study, we analyze two novel datasets of alternative redistricting plans, to evaluate whether maps drawn by independent commissions are more electorally competitive than those produced by party-controlled legislatures, compared to the proposals that could have been adopted. We find that the redistricting process on the margin, helps sustain the electoral security of incumbents. Yet, counter to reformers’ expectations, we find that independent redistrictors produce virtually the same degree of insulation as plans devised in legislatures or by politician commissions. Overall, our results suggest caution in overhauling state redistricting institutions to increase electoral competition: independent commissions may not be as politically-neutral as theorized.
Independent commissions are humbug. So are enigma’s complaints
It is possible to produce a procedures manual which sharply limits discretion in the construction of electoral constituencies which in turn would reduce the quantum of pathology derived from the redistricting process. Problem: you have to give up on strict equipopulousness. Since this priniciple was an a**-pull of the Warren Court, it would not be contrary to law to do so. Some body needs to do it and tell the officious appellate courts to get stuffed.
More serious problems include dysfunctional means of nominating candidates and obtaining ballot positions, the use of first-past-the-post principle for determining the winner, the use of first-past-the-post with multi-member constituencies at the local level, the scheduling of elections, the promiscuous use of postal ballots, poor ballot design, you name it. Elections administration in this country is one big f***ing mess.
“Problem: you have to give up on strict equipopulousness.”
DSS, I don’t give up on what I can’t pronounce.😀
(You have used this word before on the blog and I think to the same person. The word is fine but the addition of “ness” doesn’t sound so good.)
Enigma – Trump has also hammered on Pelosi for complaining about the conditions at BP, while near her office, San Francisco is a Third World, feces ridden hell hole. There are dirty needles and human poo near playgrounds.
A similar argument of hypocrisy is often made when a prominently Christian politician who preaches about morality is found to live an immoral private life.
Trump pointed out the hypocrisy of Cummings declaring BP is keeping people in inhumane conditions, because Dems have blocked funding, and because Cummings’ district is literally rat infested. There is a video fo the mayor from a couple of months ago gagging about the smell of rats and dead animals, and claiming that people should not live there. Said they should tear it all out. It was not a racist argument, he’s made the same about white politicians in run down Democrat cities, and Democrats have used the same reasoning against Trump.
Which means that Democrats have no moral high ground to complain about Trump’s remarks when they have used the same reasoning against Trump. (See what I did there?)
Democrats pointed out Trump’s hypocrisy in an indirect way, because Jared Kushner owns part of a company that allegedly owns run down slums. So, while claiming his criticism was racist, they used exactly the same reasoning! (I looked into the allegations against Jared. In 2011, he took the helm of his father’s company, and resumed buying up cheap low income housing. They spent $10 million on repairs, but apparently the properties, which are in the rat-infested areas of Baltimore, need significant more improvements. He resigned from the company in 2016, but still owns significant shares.
If you buy run down apartments, it becomes your duty to clean them up and make them habitable. You have to spend what it takes. That criticism is valid.
Low income tenants are often slow-pays, no-pays, and destructive to the properties. Taking them to court is valid, otherwise, the tenants would be entitled to free housing. That’s called a shelter. In one accusation, a woman moved out months before her lease ended, and claimed that she had a note from the super that she’d given proper notice. She was taken to (probably small claims) court, but couldn’t find the note, so she was ruled against. Later, she said she found the note, but didn’t know she had to attach it to her appeals, so lost that, too. It’s not the landlord’s fault if someone says they have a note, but couldn’t produce it. She needs to get that note, and move forward.
Another accusation was that Jared took a cancer patient to court. A woman leased her apartment for her daughter, who left before the lease was up, and stopped paying rent. Obviously, they took the women, the leasee, to (probably small claims) court. She lost. Her daughter produced a note that her mother had terminal pancreatic cancer. That is certainly a tragedy. She could take that up with the company directly, because I don’t know that the court can remove that debt in such a forum. Estates still have debt. From what little I know, the daughter was wrong for skipping out on the rent that her mother got in her name.
Taking low income tenants to court is common, because of the history of slow- and no-pays. It’s very sad. If someone needs completely free housing, then they need a shelter or something similar. It’s not fair to expect private companies to house people for free.
Where the company was wrong was in not properly renovating the properties to make them livable. Trump is right. There are parts of Baltimore that are utterly unlivable. I’ve been to Third World countries that were cleaner and had better housing. But when companies sink vast amounts of money into total rebuilds, they tend to want to get that money back. That means higher rents than what you could command in a slum.
Housing is a serious problem that should no be politicized.
Wonder how many of the rat-infested housing units in Baltimore are owned by Jared Kushner? My bad for asking a question I already know the answer to. 20,000.
“We expect all landlords to comply with the code requirements that protect the health and safety of their tenants - even if the landlord’s father-in-law is President of the United States.” Baltimore County Officials
The WaPoo contends he owns real property in Baltimore County. That’s a suburban jurisdiction. The slums are in Baltimore City.
Baltimore County includes all of the City of Baltimore. Exactly how are you placing Kushner’s properties in the suburbs. Now if they were in Howard County which makes up much of Cummings District, you’d have a point. Feel free to read up on Kushner’s “suburban” properties according to you.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/07/jared-kushner-baltimore-properties
Here’s the lede from supposed blogger journalist, Bess Levin, in the cited Vanity Fair article:
“While Donald Trump spent the weekend lobbing racist attacks at Congressman Elijah Cummings for representing a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested” Baltimore district where “no human being would want to live,” perhaps he should have taken the matter up with his son-in-law Jared Kushner, a local slumlord whose Baltimore properties are reportedly filled with vermin, maggots, and mold.”
With professional objectivity like that how could anyone doubt the rest of her screed? She’s another woke thirty-something trying to convince us that “Orange man bad.” Virtually every article on the VF site claims Trump is a racist. She’s a gal on a hate mission.
Heres a New York Times Magazine article from May 2107. This is nothing new. There is the possibility that all the articles in Vanity Fair are a reflection of Trump’s behavior?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/magazine/jared-kushners-other-real-estate-empire.html
So mespo, are you saying Trump didn’t spend the weekend lobbing racist attacks at Cummings or that Kushner isn’t a slumlord in Cummings district, or both?
Anon1 – 1) nothing that Trump said about Cummings district is different than what Orkin Pest Control said about it. 2) No one has put Kushner’s properties in Cummings district, just in Baltimore Co.
Anon1:
“So mespo, are you saying Trump didn’t spend the weekend lobbing racist attacks at Cummings or that Kushner isn’t a slumlord in Cummings district, or both?”
******************
1. On Trump’s so-called racist attacks: That’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s not racist to criticize a fat-cat congressman for abandoning his constituents even if both are racial minorities. In fact, it might be the height of toleration to do so. A true racist would ignore the problem and let the folks of Baltimore suffer. That’s what Cummings does.
2.On Kushner’s slumlord status: Who knows. You can’t trust partisan Levin or her activist sources.
Unlike almost all members of Congress, Cummings returns to his District almost every night (we’ll give him credit for proximity only and not attribute any other reason). Still, other than Trump’s claims (which never turn out not to be true) what reason do you have to believe he neglects his constituents? Perhaps its just that he hasn’t abandoned his oversight responsibilities?
Where is the outrage about the private email accounts of Ivanka, Jared, et al? Surely you haven’t forgotten all the reasons Hillary must be locked up, what’s the difference?
Mespo, when Obama, Clinton or the entire list of Democrats running for President kiss the ring of Sharpton who started racial riots based on phony events, didn’t pay his taxes, literally stole via threat from businesses that is perfectly fine. It’s also fine for them to praise Louis Farrakhan and many other race baiters and racists as long as they toe the Democratic line. A bunch of hypocrites and people that know absolutely nothing.
Mespo:
1. The people of Baltimore are Trump’s constituents as much as they are Cummings, and obviously Trump is not attacking that district and Cummings out of concern for those people. He’s ticked that Cummings is investigating his relatives, one of whom owns properties in that “rat infested” place that has been repeatedly cited for code violations. Weaponizing problems in a district is different from trying to address them, and it is noted that Trump could just as easily attack Appalachian and other heartland small towns infested with meth and opioids – where most people have already left – but won’t for purely political reasons. The racism in Trump’s tweets are secondary to his base attempts at further self serving policy which as any aware person can see is all that ever motivates him.
2. The VF article is a summary of reporting by others – WaPo and NYTs – quoted and properly cited and her statement is based on facts.
enigma – with 20,000 units I am sure Jared Kushner is using a management company. I am sure the company takes up the code requirements.
Paul, so what? In my business others, including subcontractors, perform work under my contract with clients. I am fully responsible for that work
From the linked article:
“….According to the Washington Post, apartments owned by Kushner Cos., where Kushner served as CEO until joining the White House, were responsible for more than 200 code violations in 2017 alone. Repairs were apparently “made only after the county threatened fines, local officials said, and even after warnings, violations on nine properties were not addressed, resulting in monetary sanctions.” That same year the New York Times and ProPublica found that tenants of the Kushner properties had reported maggots, mold problems, and a mouse infestation. In the Kushner Cos.’ Essex Park complex, for example, truck driver Marquita Parmely said the mouse infestation was so bad that her 12-year-old daughter found one in her bed, while her two-year-old’s asthma was aggravated by allergens in mice droppings. A private investigator who looked into Kushner’s property-management company called the managers “slumlords,” a description that’s also been applied to the Kushners’ management of New York City properties. (Christine Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Kushner firm, said at the time that the firm was in compliance with all state and local laws, which then Baltimore County executive Kevin Kamenetz remarked was “a stretch of truth.”)…”
Anon1 – I own 1 (count them, one) rental unit and I have a management company takes care of it for me. I am sure Mr. Kurshner is the same. They are also responsible for code violations, etc.
Paul, if you’re the owner, you are responsible for code violations.
Anon1 – you are correct, just as the shareholders of GM are responsible for each auto defect on one of their vehicles.
Anon1:
BOCA Code violations range from missing light bulbs to mold infestation. Detail the 200 and then we’ll know. Otherwise it’s more Washington Compost propaganda.
Mespo, your post, while raising a valid question, is not logically consistent. Not only does incomplete information not lead to your wished for summation, but other information cited speaks to the kind of conditions found in Kushner’s properties:
“tenants of the Kushner properties had reported maggots, mold problems, and a mouse infestation. In the Kushner Cos.’ Essex Park complex, for example, truck driver Marquita Parmely said the mouse infestation was so bad that her 12-year-old daughter found one in her bed, while her two-year-old’s asthma was aggravated by allergens in mice droppings.”
Anon1 – having had mice in a home of mine before, I can attest they originally came from the outside. Maggots can grow on meat brought home from the butcher (I have seen it). The mice may be his problem to get rid of. My tenants are required to have a professional company spray my rental property bi-monthly. If he is getting Code violations, he is probably doing Section 8 housing, which requires an inspection with each new move-in. Some inspectors can be tyrants.
Anon1 says: July 30, 2019 at 7:36 AM
Paul, if you’re the owner, you are responsible for code violations.
Sabrina Rubin Erdely is that you? The Rolling Stone wants their lost millions of dollars from you
Rolling Stone Settles Last Remaining Lawsuit Over UVA Rape Story
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/rolling-stone-settles-last-remaining-lawsuit-uva-rape-story-1069880
OK Paul, so you’re saying Trump is probably wrong about the “rats and rodents” in Baltimore, right?
Anon1 – Trump is right but there are worse cities than Baltimore. Orkin Pest Control rating came out and Baltimore was 9 for rodents. Everyone in the top 10 was led by a Democrat. BTW, I learned that the Pelosi’s had governed Baltimore back in the day. PBS did a special called Rat City centered in Baltimore. The Wire (much of which was true) was based in Baltimore. Cummings district seems to include slums and high end. No one has said where Kurshner’s 20,000 units are.
Paul C Schulte says…Some inspectors can be tyrants.
Apparently some Members of Congress can be despicable racists. Ilhan Omar thinks some countries like Guatemala are sh!tholes but gives Baltimore a pass for their rats and crime.
SMH
Ilhan Omar
Verified account
@IlhanMN
Guatemala is NOT a safe third country for migrants from El Salvador and Honduras. It is not even a safe country for many Guatemalans.
This agreement violates human rights and international law.
2:35 PM – 29 Jul 2019
https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1155954969230446593
This is not new, something that arose ince the Cummings dust up. Here’s a May 2017 article in a New York Times Magazine feature story. Are you suggesting Kushner didn’t know or isn’t responsible. If I were the owner, I would take responsibility. Maybe he was too busy trying to get America’s enemies to refinance 666 Park Ave? Is it a coincidence the building number is the “mark of the beast” according to The Exorcist?
Forgot to add the article.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/magazine/jared-kushners-other-real-estate-empire.html
Paul, I hear the discussion below by Anon who is a one man show. There are licenses galore in these management companies and they can lose their licenses if things are not properly done. They can also be fired. In the end it is the owner unless there are loans and then it is the title holder that is responsible because ultimately the title holder takes back the property.
200 code violations is not a lot for a property with 20,000 units. Again I go back to my NYC experience and remember buildings being given code violations and the landlords turning the buildings in only to later have the buildings returned because the city couldn’t manage them. The question is what the code violations are. The Washington Post likes to sling dirt on conservatives so they can make a story out of almost anything. A simple crack in the paint can be a code violation. In a set of buildings with 20,000 units that are old one will find many cracks.
In old buildings problems pop up all the time and disputes between landlords and city can occur where the city has been too aggressive in setting violations. They can be totally unworkable unless the city wants to have the landord tear all the buildings down and replace them with new ones at a much higher price that low income folk cannot afford.
Baltimore is on the water so expect rats to pop in. That is a problem that is well known. In some of the most expensive areas private homes have to worry about rats. Mice and other rodents appear when there is too much garbage. Where does the garbage come from? The people that are living there. Some like Enigma will blame the garbage on the owners and say they take their garbage from their luxury homes and dump it at their properties. Of course people that think like that are irrational. Mold and mildew come when sinks run over along with things of that nature and are not taken care of. The first responder is supposed to be the tenant who picks up a mop and cleans things ups keeping their areas tidy.
Anon might actually be a contractor as he says he is but that doesn’t require much skill and the licensing is quite easy. He knows virtually nothing about the type of business that owns and manages large amounts of property. Anon doesn’t know what he is talking about. In the end, there are some landlords that are abusive but the vast majority are not and it is doubtful the Kushner’s are in that category. There are, however a number of newpapers like the Washington Post and New York Times that are abusive and for political reasons will try to destroy good people. Likely that is what we are seeing here and it gives the ignorant a way to repeat things that are really unproven and unknown.
Trump is playing the demonizing game that the Democrats have played for decades. The only group screaming foul about his comments are the Left for resenting his taking a page from their playbook. He is after all a very successful entertainer
When in Rome……
Trump Calls for Investigation in Baltimore, Claiming Residents Are ‘Living in Hell’
WASHINGTON—President Trump called on the House Oversight Committee to investigate “corrupt government” in Baltimore, and said he would personally get involved to help if asked by the city’s residents, who he said are “living in hell.”
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mr. Trump again singled out the Democratic chairman of the committee, Rep. Elijah Cummings, whose Maryland district includes about half of the city and much of two surrounding counties. The president claimed, without citing evidence, that billions of dollars have been “stolen and wasted by people like Elijah Cummings.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-calls-for-investigation-in-baltimore-claiming-residents-are-living-in-hell-11564500863
Allan the a.sh.. – that much is established about him – knows nothing about me personally, but for the record, my state has very difficult licensing requirements and include proven 5 years experience in the field, proof of financial responsibility, and a 2 day exam with atypical fail rate of over 50%. My role in my company include estimating and preparing bids for projects that are typically around $.75 million, reviewing – sometimes writing – 18 page contracts, CPM scheduling production, CAD drawings, permitting, interactions with architects, interior designers, and engineers, sometimes hiring the latter, interactions with clients, overseeing subs and employees (carpenters), ordering materials, paying bills, preparing draw requests and invoices, bookkeeping, taxes (doing 941 and FUTA 1/4ly reports today), complying with insurance audits, and overseeing work in the field, especially problem solving. None by themselves are all that difficult,but an ability to juggle and stay patient are critical. If what I did was not so varied I’d be bored.
Anon, don’t be a jerk off. I know more about housing projects than you do. As far as what you do I only repeated what you told us but I didn’t include that you do your own taxes. H&R block looks at you with sarcastic admiration.
Thank God you have to have 5 years on the job experience or you wouldn’t know which side of the hammer to use. That 50% fail the exam only means that most of the people applying aren’t very smart. I’m glad the exam was 2 days to give you time to complete one day of questions.
Wow .75 million dollars. That is peanuts compared to the people you badmouth. It’s small potatos. It doesn’t require tons of legal skill to draw a contract for a home to be built in that price range. With a word processor one can quickly alter it for a new client. It’s good that in your business you can deal with other people because on this list you don’t demonstate that skill. But the list of people you need to deal with tells us a lot about what your skills are not. You are essentially a middleman. The real degrees are held by others who tell you what you can or cannot do and the actual labor is likewise done by others.
I don’t mean to demean people that work hard for a living whether with or without a college degree but you are so arrogant you need to be told what you are doing is the usual stuff that can be done by the average man that I and others should respect.
Enigma – in 2011, Jared took the helm of his father’s real estate company. It had been selling off low income properties, but he started buying them up again, cheap. The company invested $10 million in repairs. In 2016, Jared resigned, but he still owns lucrative shares in the company.
The low income housing units they bought were totally run down, dilapidated, and suffering from decades of neglect. The accusations that repairs are not being made in a timely manner could very well be valid. If you buy bombed out hulks of buildings, then it’s now your responsibility to rebuild them, and possibly tear them down. On the other hand, rebuilds usually drives rent up. Still, no matter who caused the buildings to go into disrepair, it’s now the company’s problem. That criticism is valid.
What is not valid is the complaint that the company takes tenants to court. Low income tenants are often no-pays, slow pays, and are more likely to cause damage to the property. If they don’t pay, the recourse if court. If they can’t pay, they need a free shelter, as one cannot expect a private company to house everyone for free. That would be a charitable shelter property, more of which are urgently needed.
In one case, a lady moved out months before her lease ended. She said she gave notice to the super, according to the terms of her lease, and he gave her a note confirming such. The company took her to court over non payment of rent. She’d lost the note, so she lost the case. She said she found the note, and appealed, but didn’t know she needed to attach the note to the appeal document, so she lost again. This sounds like she needs to take this up with the company. Without evidence, they are not going to take a stranger’s word. It was her responsibility to document this, although I feel bad for her and hope it gets resolved.
In another case, a mother leased an apartment for her daughter, who moved out and skipped out on the rent. The company got a judgement against the mother for non payment of rent, since she was the leasee. That’s why there are rental contracts, to protect both the renter and property owner. The daughter submitted a note that her mother was terminally ill. Legally, estates are held liable for debts. She still owed the money. The daughter should not have allegedly dumped her mother with this bill for non payment of rent. If your sick mother rents you an apartment, you pay the rent. I feel compassion for the mother, who has a lot on her plate. Legally, she accepted financial responsibility for her daughter’s apartment. I do hope that they approach the company directly and try to get a compassionate write off. There cannot be too many of these, however, as it’s unfair to demand that property owners lose money or provide free housing. Voluntarily, however, they can certainly make a case by case compassionate review.
It is very difficult to rent out low income housing. A lot of the buildings should probably be demolished and rebuilt. The problems collecting rent, and further damage to the property, make it very hard. There are certainly many reasons why people struggle to pay rent, while on the other hand, that financially harms the property owner. Even government housing like the Projects are notorious for being dangerous, high crime, high drug use, run down, in bad neighborhoods… We need to improve in this area.
One of my relatives rented out a property as low income housing. It was a total disaster. They parked cars on the lawn and ruined it. Put holes all over the walls. Let chickens in the house. Yes. In the house. Had multiples of people living there than allowed on the rental agreement. Stopped paying rent. Destroyed all the screens in the house, the carpet, the walls…I can’t remember what else, but it was many thousands of dollars in damage, and the property owners were elderly. This property had memories for them. They were hoping for rental income, and instead, every time they rented it out, they lost money. I think they had to use the eviction process at least once. They ended up selling it. If I recall correctly, the owner bulldozed the property and made it a commercial space. No more housing.
Your reply is a mixture of gereralizations, anecdotal stories not applicable to Kushner, blaming the renters, and the equivalent of thoughts and prayers.
If Kushner bought out properties in any condition, he shouldn’t be allowed to rent them out until they meet the codes, period! There is no, get them repaired in what you feel is a reasonable timeframe clause. There is no suggestion he’s either losing money or providing a public service. How long would you accept mice in your home?
Jared “resigning” still leaves him a shareholder or owner, he has the same amount of responsibility he had as an employee.
“If Kushner bought out properties in any condition, he shouldn’t be allowed to rent them out until they meet the codes, period!”
One has to laugh at the absolute foolishness provided by Enigma. In real life what Enigma is saying is that the second the title was trasferred the people living in those 20,000 units should have all been thrown out into the street.
Nice going Enigma. This statement of yours wins a prize.
“In your efforts to label me and all Democrats, you fail to consider that I know and converse with black conservatives and have respectful relationships.” My concern is with trends. There are Democrats who reject identity politics and Socialism. I even know of a Democrat fiscal conservative. The party is leaving them behind, and I look forward to welcoming them to the Republican party one day.
I also find that you are respectful and thoughtful in our conversations, which is much appreciated. I don’t talk politics with politically mixed company friends. When I overhear my Democrat friends getting into politics, it’s usually labeling conservatives as racists or repeating CNN misinformation. I actually think that if we were in person, we could discuss our different views and still have a pleasant conversation. People do that about art, sports, and all sorts of other topics. We need to regain that ability with politics. Right now, it’s blood sport.
Politics right now is an “information war of words”….and instead of pulling out a pistol in a face to face duel till death, Trump unsheaths his mighty Twitter sword. 😉
Guy at the rallies with “Blacks For trump” sign:
“The radical fringe activist from Miami once belonged to a violent black supremacist religious cult, and he runs a handful of amateur, unintelligible conspiracy websites. He has called Barack Obama “The Beast” and Hillary Clinton a Ku Klux Klan member. Oprah Winfrey, he says, is the devil.
Most curiously, in the 1990s, he was charged, then acquitted, with conspiracy to commit two murders….Before he started calling himself Michael the Black Man, the man identified as Maurice Woodside.
…In the early 1990s, the New Times reported, Woodside, Yahweh and 14 other members of the cult were arrested by federal agents and charged with racketeering and conspiracy in 14 murders and a firebombing, reported the New Times.
Ricardo Woodside, Maurice’s brother, had once been in the cult but left after his mother’s death. Woodside testified in court that his brother had helped beat a man named Aston Green, who argued with Yahweh and was taken to the Florida Everglades and beheaded with a dull machete, reported the New Times.
He also testified that Maurice Woodside was the cult member who stabbed a Louisiana man named Leonard Dupree in the eye with a sharpened stick.
….His website, Gods2.com, proclaims on the landing page: “LATIN, BLACK AND WHITE MUST UNITE!”
Links on that site lead to another one, honestfact.com, which claims that the “Real KKK Slave Masters” are “CHEROKEE Indians (Hidden Babylonians).”
The proclamations only get more unhinged from there: “ISIS AND HILLARY RACE WAR PLOT TO KILL ALL BLACK & WHITE WOMAN OF AMERICA WITH MS-13.”
And: “YAHWEH BEN YAHWEH Taught Us To Vote Republican & is Now VINDICATED.”
And: “BLACKS FOR TRUMP SUPPORTS SENATOR JEFF SESSIONS”
The site also displays a photo of a Confederate flag with the caption: “Cherokee Democratic Flag.”
In his interview Wednesday with Chicago’s WLS-AM, Michael talked about his claims that Cherokee Indians were the real slave masters and said that former president Bill Clinton and Sen. John McCain could be traced back to the tribes….”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/23/the-strange-story-of-that-blacks-for-trump-guy-standing-behind-potus-at-his-phoenix-rally/?utm_term=.7cc6eb4c3f52
Judging by the posters on this site, he seems just a typical Trump supporter and fits right in.
Aren’t we supposed to believe all women about being attacked, whether they report it or not? Personally, if I were female, I would not visit Sweden right now.
Paul C…….great to see you. Hope you’re well.
Cindy Bragg – one day at a time. 😉
Paul, I’ve been wondering when they were going to let you out of prison.
Just Kidding!!! LOL;)
I have wondered if you were ok.
I’ll be keeping up as I can.
Oky1 – good behavior gets you out sooner. 🙂 Good to hear from you.
Trumps worser diplomatic gaffe of the week was saying Indian PM Modhi asked him to mediate in Kashmir. A patently unbelievable claim that was repudiated within an hour.
I love Trump but sometimes he says dumb stuff. Well, that’s ok, we all do sometimes
but it reminds me of what Jiang Zhemin said once in an infamous tirade against reporters: “there is a proverb: if you keep your mouth shut, you will win a fortune!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GIj2BVJS2A
Zemin rants about fake news, lol, i love this tirade. this guy was so much more entertaining than Xi
Trump is a DH. Is that really news? It’s not as if Sweden can not and shall not ignore Trump’s Twitter storm on this subject.
The government of Sweden likes to hide its problems. I attend a lot of art shows where people from all over the world attend. I’ve spoken to Swedish people who at first are reluctant to say anything about their Muslim problem but invariably most do and it totally contradicts what the government of Sweden is saying. I think Turley might be purposely naive or just naive to have let that citation stand alone.
—–
“Sweden is at War”
by Judith Bergman
July 13, 2019 at 5:00 am https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14518/sweden-is-at-war
In March, Sweden’s National Forensic Centre estimated that since 2012, the number of shootings in the country classified as murder or attempted murder had increased by almost 100 percent. (Image source: iStock)
In 2018, Sweden experienced a record number of lethal shootings, 306 in all. Forty-five people were killed and 135 injured nationwide, most deaths occurring in Region South, where Malmö is located. In March, the Swedish National Forensic Centre estimated that since 2012, the number of shootings classified as murder or attempted murder has increased by almost 100 percent. The Centre also found that the most popular weapon used in the shootings is the Kalashnikov assault rifle. “It is one of the world’s most manufactured weapons and used in many wars,” said the Centre’s team manager, Mikael Högfors. “When they are no longer needed… they are smuggled into Sweden”.
In the first six months of 2018, according to the police, almost every other shooting took place in a “vulnerable area”, also known as no-go zones. In 2017, a Swedish police report, “Utsatta områden 2017” (“Vulnerable Areas 2017”) disclosed that there are 61 such areas in Sweden. They encompass 200 criminal networks, consisting of an estimated 5,000 criminals. Most of the inhabitants are non-Western immigrants and their descendants.
The police wrote in the 2017 report that global ethnic conflicts are replicated in the vulnerable areas:
“… the [Swedish] judiciary and the rest of [Swedish] society do not understand these conflicts or have answers to how they can be solved. The police therefore need to have a better knowledge of the world and understanding of events in order to interpret what is happening in the areas. The presence of returnees, sympathizers for terrorist groups such as the Islamic State, al Qaeda and al-Shabaab, and representatives of Salafist-oriented mosques, contribute to tensions between these groups and other residents in the vulnerable areas. Since the summer of 2014, when a Caliphate was proclaimed in Syria and Iraq, sectarian contradictions have increased, especially between Sunnis, Shiites, Levantine Christians, and nationalists of Kurdish origin”. (p 13)
On June 3, the police released a new list revealing that there are now 60 such areas, instead of the previous 61. That does not mean, however, that much has improved. On the contrary.
In 2019, shootings still continue apace. In Malmö — a city of more than 300,000 inhabitants, one third of whom were “born abroad” according to the city’s statistics — a 25-year-old man was shot dead outside a social services office on June 10, while on the same day, at Malmö Central Station, police shot a man who said he had a bomb in his bag and was alleged to have behaved in a threatening way. That evening, two men were shot in the Lorensborg area of Malmö. Later that night, two explosions shook the city.
Because of the increased number of shootings, city employees are now apparently so uncomfortable about working in the city that the Malmö municipality has released guidelines on how municipal workers — especially those who work in home care, rehabilitation and short-term housing — can remain safe in the city as they go about their jobs.
Under the heading, “Personal safety – tips and advice on how to avoid getting into unwanted situations”, the municipality advises its employees to “Plan your itinerary – know your area…try to minimize the time from when you park your bike / car until you enter [the destination]”. Also, “Before leaving a building, look out first and make an assessment of the surroundings to avoid getting into an unwanted situation… keep away from people who are considered potentially threatening or dangerous and increase the distance if there are no other people nearby”.
One city employee, who received the guidelines, accused the municipality of hypocrisy: “To the media, the municipality says that everything is fine, even though it is not. Then they send this type of mail to their employees”.
The municipal government’s guidelines on safety seem appropriate for a civil war zone, such as Beirut once was, rather than for the once-peaceful city of Malmö.
Beirut also comes to mind in the Swedish city of Linköping, where in early June an explosion blasted through a residential building, until it looked as if it had been pounded in a war. Miraculously, no one was killed in the blast, but 20 people were injured. The police suspect that the incident was gang-related. A few weeks later, two men were shot in the Linköping district of Skäggetorp — on the police list of “vulnerable areas” or “no-go zones”.
After that, on June 30, in more gang related incidents, three shootings took place in three different suburbs in Stockholm. Two people, one of whom had been shot in the head, died. One of the murdered men, a rapper named Rozh Shamal, had earlier been convicted of assault, robbery and drug offenses, among other things. This year, just in Stockholm, eleven people have already been shot to death — the same number as for all of 2018. This year in Sweden, more than twenty people have so far been shot to death.
“The development is unacceptable,” said the head of the police’s national operational department (Noa), Mats Löfving. “In many cases, military automatic weapons are used. We see a reduction in the number of those injured in firearm violence, but the number of killings does not go down”.
On July 1, National Police Chief Anders Thornberg said that the situation is “extraordinarily serious”. He claimed , however, that the police have not lost control of the gangs and that the main task is to stop the growth in the number of young criminals. “For every young man who gets shot, there are 10-15 new ones ready to step in,” he said. Only a few days later, however, he added that Swedes will have to get used to the shootings for the foreseeable future:
“We think this [the shootings and the extreme violence] might continue for five to ten years in the particularly vulnerable areas,” Thornberg said. “It is also about drugs. Drugs are established in society, and ordinary people buy them. There is a market that the gangs will continue to fight over”.
The leader of the opposition party Moderaterna, Ulf Kristersson, called the situation, “extreme for a country that is not at war”.
Bombed buildings and shootings are not all that is plaguing Sweden. In addition, cars are regularly set on fire. The small picturesque university town of Lund, close to Malmö, has recently been suffering from extensive car fires. The police have not yet identified the suspects. “We see an increase in car fires right now, it is clearly worrying”, said Patrik Isacsson, local police area manager in Lund. He noted that car fires usually increase during the summer months, but have also been increasing over the years. “We do not know yet who the perpetrators are, so I can only speculate, but this type of arson is usually set by young people. That it happens during summertime can be because young people are unemployed and out there a lot”.
“I definitely think that these are young people who have not found their place in society, who know they are not accepted,” commented a sociologist of law at Malmö University, Ingela Kolfjord, “that the climate has hardened and that they are constantly seen as ‘the other’. Car fires are not just a way of showing their displeasure but a way of showing that they are frustrated, desperate and angry.”
Swedish author Björn Ranelid disagreed. “Sweden is at war and it is the politicians who are responsible” he wrote in Expressen.
“Five nights in a row, cars have been set on fire in the university town of Lund. Such insane acts have occurred on hundreds of occasions in various places in Sweden over the past fifteen years. From 1955 to 1985, not a single car was torched in Malmö, Gothenburg, Stockholm or Lund. …When a female sociologist at Malmö University explains the crimes [as a consequence] of youths being frustrated… she speaks nonsense… She repeats things that could have been said by a parrot. None of these criminals is starving or lacking in access to clean water. They have a roof over their heads and they have been offered free schooling for nine or twelve years. They do not live in dilapidated houses. All of them… have had a higher material standard in their homes than several thousands of the children and young people who grew up at Ellstorp in Malmö where I lived with my parents and two siblings, in 47 square meters in two small rooms and a kitchen from 1949 to 1966”.
Ranelid concluded:
“It is called upbringing and this is missing for thousands of girls and boys in Swedish homes today. It’s not about money or where you happen to be born in the world. It has nothing to do with politics or ideology. It is about ethics, morality and co-existence between people”.
Car fires, frequent and widespread, are just one of the new aspects of living in the formerly idyllic city of Lund. In January, a so-called unaccompanied minor from Afghanistan, Sadeq Nadir, sought to murder several people in the city by ramming into them with a stolen car. Although he claimed to have converted to Christianity, material found in his apartment showed that he wanted to wage jihad and become a martyr. He told the police that his intention had been to kill. The event was initially classified as an attempt at a terrorist crime but then changed to a charge of ten attempted murders. Although Sadeq had admitted that his intention was to kill, the Swedish district court did not find that Sadeq could be convicted for either terrorism or attempted murder. The court argued that he had not been driving “fast enough” to cause a concrete risk of death. In the same vein, although Sadeq was found to have written texts about jihad and martyrdom and claimed to be acting for Allah, the court did not find that he had acted from any religious terrorist motives. He was convicted of merely causing danger to others and threatening them.
What is the Swedish government’s assessment of the violent and volatile situation? Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, condemned the recent shootings:
“We have tightened several penalties considerably, including the punishment for illegally possessing weapons and explosives such as hand grenades. We have also given the police increased powers for… camera surveillance and information collection”.
On July 2, the government presented proposals for combating gun violence, including harsher penalties for improper possession of explosive materials and new powers for customs officials to block packages suspected of containing weapons or explosives. According to the opposition, the proposals have come too late. “This could have been done a year ago, too. There have never been so many shootings in Sweden. I think it is obvious to most people that what the government has done is not enough”, said Johan Forssell from the opposition party, Moderaterna.
As late as June 6, on Sweden’s National Day, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, while acknowledging that Sweden “still has serious societal problems” remarked, “Very few things were better in Sweden” before:
“But even though we can think of old times as an idyll with red cottages and green meadows, very few things were better before. During a national day celebration, I think we should celebrate just that, how much we have achieved as a country. We have built a strong country, where we take care of each other. Where society takes responsibility and no man is left alone”.
Sadly, many Swedes probably feel terribly left alone in a country that increasingly resembles a war zone.
Thanks for the wall of text, Allan.
I don’t know what happened to A$AP, or who was involved.
It is true that Sweden, and other European countries, are experiencing the consequences of importing a large number of people from countries that culturally accept the abuse of women, gays, and nonbelievers. The problems were predictable.
It would have been better to offer a permanent place to those who would embrace Western civilization. Such people exist in every country of the world. When you take an undifferentiated cross section, you get the abused with the abusers.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/swedish-women-start-vigilante-patrols-at-swimming-pools-after-reports-of-sexual-assaults-by-refugees-a6881081.html
Women formed a “groping guard” when refugees’ bad behavior made native Swedish women too afraid to enjoy their own public pool. It must be a tremendous culture shock to be raised in a society where women are chaperoned and veiled, and any woman without a male relative next to her was available for harassment, and then find themselves in a public co-ed pool with bikini-clad Swedes. The pools’ position was to add gender-segregated swim times.
Predictably, and in total opposition to feminism, the Left promptly accused the Groping Guard of xenophobia, Islamophobia, and racism. Of course. Best to ignore assaults and harassment of women. Honestly, I don’t know what kind of dissociation has to be present for such a double standard to exist.
The response to a crime should be the same whatever the socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or religion of the perpetrator. All causes and risk factors of crime should be openly discussed, and without bias.
There are two sides to every story, of course.
From the article posted by Karen S —
Excerpt:
But the pool’s manager, Susanne Gryfelt, has not welcomed the intervention.
Saying she had received no reports of women and families feeling too afraid to swim, she added: “We do not want individuals to come in and act as lifeguards – that is our job.”
Ms Bernhardsson insisted her “completely apolitical” group would work with authorities and hit out at “censorship” and criticism on Facebook.
“I started this initiative in an attempt to do good,” she added.
Police across Europe have warned against the rise of vigilante groups, who have been linked to attacks on refugees in some areas.
In Cologne, 11 asylum seekers were beaten by a mob roving the German city after vowing to “clean it up” in January, while a far-right group calling themselves the Soldiers of Odin has started up in Finland.
Were the girls at the pool violent? Did they beat up asylum seekers? No. You referenced completely different people. You did not reference any of the many articles about harassment and assaults in the pools.
In point of fact, the Anti Groping Guard’s stated purpose was to watch and inform, in order to create safety for the other female bathers. This was in Kalmar. The girl tied to a Neo Nazi incident was in Stockholm.
It is a tremendous culture shock to go from veiled women to bikini clad Swedes in a co-ed pool. Men raised this way don’t instantly take on Western values. They may need help to assimilate. Why ever would you think that men raised to view women as inferior, where abuse is OK, would not have difficulty with the Western woman in such circumstances? Why just toss people together without any extra security, education, or support for anyone involved? Do you expect them to just wing it?
I’ve been in parts of the world where women cannot wear shorts. It would incite very bad behavior if they did. It’s hard to change.
The refusal to deal with security issues like these, gives rise to backlash that can get very bad, as well. It fuels racism.
One of our relatives is stationed in Germany, and it’s apparently very bad over there. He said all people talk about now is politics. The American news most often playing over there is CNN, so many think that conservatives and Trump are the devil. Meanwhile, on the other side, he said that racism and Neo Nazism is really gaining steam. People’s complaints about the mass migration, and the negative consequences, fell on deaf ears. It engendered resentment, backlash, and resistance, which has fueled very serious hate groups. They get their recruiting drive from issues like ignored security risks, and the assaults upon women that the government ignores and hides. I do not know if it is the same in Sweden. Germany is going to have a crisis. Allowing in such enormous waves of migrants in Europe, without limiting it to those who actually embrace Western culture, was a grave mistake, and has now strengthened hate groups. Hungary was smart to defend its legal immigration process.
I remember Professor Turley saying something about limiting hate speech fuels hate groups, because it gives them a grievance. Or at least that’s how I understood it.
Best to get all the facts before leaping to conclusions:
“Swedish swimming pool ‘vigilante’ patrols accused of neo-Nazi links”
“The group’s co-founder received a suspended prison sentence for taking part in a neo-Nazi attack last year”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/swedish-swimming-pool-vigilante-patrols-accused-of-neo-nazi-links-a6908736.html
Excerpts:
The co-founder of a “groping guard” patrolling swimming pools in Sweden is reportedly under a suspended prison sentence for taking part in a neo-Nazi attack last year, it has been reported.
Robert Banderby received the sentence for carrying a knife and violent rallying, after he and other activists from the neo-Nazi Swedish Resistance Movement attacked anti-racist protestors, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The “Tafsvakten”, which roughly translates to “groping guard”, was founded by Siri Bernhardsson in the city of Kalmar.
The 24-year-old has been accused of vigilantism, racism and xenophobia, as well as inciting hate towards more than 160,000 asylum seekers who arrived in Sweden last year.
Sweden has the highest number of refugees per capita in Europe and is known for its humanitarian policies, but it is now planning to deport tens of thousands of asylum seekers after introducing border controls and slashing benefits.
Police across Europe have warned against the rise of vigilante groups, which have been linked to attacks on refugees in some areas.
Karen S said:
“Predictably, and in total opposition to feminism, the Left promptly accused the Groping Guard of xenophobia, Islamophobia, and racism. Of course. Best to ignore assaults and harassment of women. Honestly, I don’t know what kind of dissociation has to be present for such a double standard to exist.”
How about a new addition to the blog titled: “Leaps of Logic by Karen S”
Refer back to this article for some balance and clarification:
“Swedish swimming pool ‘vigilante’ patrols accused of neo-Nazi links”
“The group’s co-founder received a suspended prison sentence for taking part in a neo-Nazi attack last year”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/swedish-swimming-pool-vigilante-patrols-accused-of-neo-nazi-links-a6908736.html
Trump has no diplomatic skills, and refuses to get help and listen. And who is the A$AP person? Why should I even care?
pbinca: when you’re right, I’ll agree. I doubt Trump knows A$AP, either, but he knows Kanye, and that’s who’s pushing this.
Sweden has previously debunked claims of rising crime or its nexus to Muslim immigration.
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Like most committed Leftists the Swedes are in denial.
“In response, the Swedish government has launched an international campaign for “the image of Sweden” playing down the rise in crime, both in its media strategy and through tax-funded PR campaigns. During a visit to the White House in March, Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven admitted that his country has problems with crime and specifically shootings, but denied the existence of no-go zones. Sweden’s education minister, Gustav Fridolin, traveled to Hungary last week with the same message.
But the reality is different for those on the ground: The head of the paramedics’ union Ambulansförbundet, Gordon Grattidge, and his predecessor Henrik Johansson recently told me in an interview that some neighborhoods are definitely no-go for ambulance drivers — at least without police protection.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/sweden-bombings-grenade-attacks-violent-reality-undoing-peaceful-self-image-law-and-order/
You can believe the manipulative government press release or paramedic boots on the ground.
Okay, but Professor Turley, what do you think about the fact that Trump puts the toilet paper on the roll backwards?
Trump should not have gotten involved in this case.
This was not an American tourist kidnapped by extremists. Let the case play out in court. You can’t say there was a miscarriage of justice before there is any justice at all.
It would be a shame if Kim K blew her opportunity to advance truly deserving cases on something like this.
Really? This just another example of one of Trump’s troll jobs. It’s meant to generate interest, and shine a light on a particular issue while using the bully pulpit. Bismarck would be impressed.