“Who watches the watchmen”? That question from a federal judge this week came in a confrontation with the Justice Department over its targeting or charging journalists. At issue is the prosecution of a controversial host of a far-right website called Infowars. Owen Shroyer was charged with trespass and disorderly conduct during the Jan. 6th riot. However, Shroyer claims to have been present as a journalist while the Justice Department insists that he is an activist. When U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui asked for the basis of that distinction, the Biden Administration refused. The conflict exposes the problem with new regulations protecting journalists without clearly defining who is a journalist.
Recently, news reports of the Biden Administration targeting journalists in criminal investigations led to congressional hearings and a new policy that Attorney General Merrick Garland promised would protect the journalists in the future. I testified before the House Judiciary Committee on how this was just the latest in such controversies extending from the Clinton to the Biden Administrations. As I wrote on these pages at the time, the most glaring flaw is the continued failure to define who is a journalist. Without such a definition, the new reform is as worthless as the long litany of prior reforms.
Shroyer was arrested on charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds. Prosecutors also alleged that he violated an agreement not to engage in such conduct after he was removed from a 2019 impeachment hearing for heckling a Democratic lawmaker. Shroyer was openly advocating for the protest and the underlying view that the election was stolen. He marched with a crowd toward the Capitol shouting, “We aren’t going to accept it!” However, he insists that he entered the Capitol to report on the events for Infowars.
Under the Justice Department guidelines, the attorney general must approve the investigation or charging of a member of the news media with a crime. That led Judge Faruqui to ask the obvious question of whether the guidelines were followed or whether the Biden Administration simply refused to recognize Shroyer’s claim of journalistic status. The judge noted that “The events of January 6th were an attack on the foundation of our democracy. But this does not relieve the Department of Justice from following its own guidelines, written to preserve the very same democracy.”
The Justice Department however simply defied the court and said the regulations were “scrupulously followed,” but refused to explain how the guidelines were satisfied. John Crabb, head of the Criminal Division of the U.S. attorney’s office in D.C., wrote “[s]uch inquiries could risk impeding frank and thoughtful internal deliberations within the Department about how best to ensure compliance with these enhanced protections for Members of the News Media.”
Faruqi was not satisfied by such refusals and noted “the Department of Justice appears to believe that it is the sole enforcer of its regulations. That leaves the court to wonder who watches the watchmen.”
The court’s inquiry highlighted the fact that the earlier pledge is worthless without some ability to review such decisions and, most importantly, some definition of those protected by it.
It is not just the Justice Department that is discomforted by the question. The media itself is equally uneasy. As with the status of Julian Assange, the media would prefer not to address the distinction between Shroyer and other advocates in the media.
Newspapers like the New York Times have rallied around journalists like Nikole Hanna-Jones who have declared “all journalism is advocacy.” She is now going to teach journalism at Howard University and other academics are encouraging the abandonment of traditional views of objectively and neutrality in the media. Stanford journalism professor, Ted Glasser, insisted that journalism needed to “free itself from this notion of objectivity to develop a sense of social justice.” He rejected the notion that the journalism is based on objectivity and said that he views “journalists as activists because journalism at its best — and indeed history at its best — is all about morality.” Thus, “journalists need to be overt and candid advocates for social justice, and it’s hard to do that under the constraints of objectivity.”
Once you discard objectivity, the rest is easy. Schroyer was an “overt and candid advocate” but he was not deemed an “advocate for social justice.” Thus, advocacy on sites like Infowars or Fox News is not real journalism, because it is false or “disinformation” while advocacy on sites like the Daily Kos or CNN is based on truth.
Reporters not only now define what is true but can actively protest against those with opposing views. Recently, National Public Radio made it official and said that, for the first time, its journalists will be allowed to actively participate in protests. However, NPR will pick the causes that journalists can openly join. The rule allows reporters to become protesters for causes that support “the freedom and dignity of human beings, the rights of a free and independent press, the right to thrive in society without facing discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, disability, or religion.” Two examples of worthy causes offered by NPR are Black Lives Matter protests and Gay pride protests. It is doubtful that NPR would view pro-life or pro-police protests to fit that vague definition. Like the Justice Department, it reserves to itself to state which causes are worthy and which are unworthy.
Advocacy in the media is now rampant. Indeed, the White House regularly promotes the views of media figures like MSNBC’s Joy Reid and the Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin who have been long criticized for their blind advocacy of pro-Democratic and anti-Republican causes. They would likely be protected under the Justice Department rules. Even when they are proven false in their assertions, they are treated as media advocates for the truth.
Advocacy reporting is the new touchstone of the journalistically woke . . . unless, that advocacy is for conservative causes or groups. I do not agree with Shroyer any more than I agree with Reid. However, they are both engaged in what is now celebrated as advocacy journalism. It is bad enough to witness the demise of traditional journalism but the Shroyer case may foreshadow an even worse future where only certain forms of advocacy will be allowed. As with NPR, what is being advocated will determine who is still a journalist. That will bring the movement of advocacy journalism to its inevitable end, leaving only advocacy in the wake of journalism.
More of this please:
https://nypost.com/2021/08/26/ma-cancels-refunds-36000-worth-of-tickets-following-covid-vax-policy/
Go on stage. Say your lines. Do your little dance. And stay the hell out of our private medical decisions!
Looking back at the events leading to the horrors of the French Revolution one of the major problems was that it wasn’t clear who was actually in charge, if anyone.
That sounds familiar these days. Is anyone in charge here or is power shifting as opportunities present between various groups and cabals with varying goals and ideals?
During a major crisis threatening the lives of American citizens and the destruction of American credibility among the nations, Biden went to his basement, Psaki went on vacation, and who knows where Kamala went while different departments scrambled to shift blame.
Maybe we should wonder who the Geppetto is in ‘Government’.
“present between various groups and cabals with varying goals and ideals?”
Agree. I had similar thoughts in an earlier discussion with Olly. Many groups on the left hate America and even though they have different purposes in mind, they want similar things. In the fight for power, those groups have been winning, and America is losing.
Turley does have a point. There is no real clear definition of what constitutes a journalist. The infowars “reporter” was not a journalist or a reporter.
He was actively participating in the insurrection, not just “reporting”. The only reason he is claiming he was “reporting” was because he was trying to avoid being charged along with everyone else. Infowars is not a news organization. It’s a conspiracy theory factory run by Alex Jones, who often has some apoplectic tirades over the silliest things. That’s not journalism. That’s just a guy who goes off on tirades on the internet.
“ He marched with a crowd toward the Capitol shouting, “We aren’t going to accept it!” However, he insists that he entered the Capitol to report on the events for Infowars.”
If you’re shouting “We’re aren’t going to accept it!” He’s already participating in the insurrection. He’s just one of many “reporting” through their Facebook or Instagram posed like a tourist narrating what he’s doing.
Real journalists didn’t go in with the crowd. All reporting was done from a safety standpoint. Even Jordan Klepper who was doing a segment for the Daily show was actually reporting what was going on. He and his crew had the sense of not going in with the rest of the mob.
Turley then proceeded to muddy the waters by making backhanded insinuations on a real journalist. That was a cheap shot. Turley himself can be described as a journalist since he prolifically pens columns every day. Yet he doesn’t identify as such.
This comment is the stupidest goddam shit I have read this week. It has to be parody. No human can possibly be this dumb.
Biden will probably get another chuckle out of this:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/08/update-gruesome-scene-hundreds-dead-suicide-bombings-near-kabul-airport-warning-content/
It was never going to end well and some deaths were inevitable.
Best to just get the hell out of there.
Been great if we let the women and children go BEFORE the guys with the guns running escort duty. Was the other way ’round wrong?
Mespo, do you expect Anonymous the Stupid to let the woman and children out before he leaves with his armed guard?
Women and children first. Ah, maybe not.
–Anon
That sounds like the new b.s. excuse coming from the White House. Who are you? Psaki? It won’t fly. We aren’t ‘the hell out of there’ as you put it. We have thousands of hostages in country controlled by sheep-shagging savages.
You take the military out last.
You take Americans and protected others out first.
You take or destroy military equipment.
This has been done before by other militaries and by other countries that were not led by half-wits who dance to the YMCA and crash their ships into each other.
The entire world is astonished at the malignant stupidity of Biden’s operation.
Maybe the question now is what machinations will the Democrats resort to so they can get rid of Kamala [Agnew style] so they can appoint a VP who isn’t a roller-heels, cackling incompetent and then get rid of Biden [Nixon style] so the hopefully sane, sober and competent new VP can step up.
You can bet there are a lot of people thinking about this.
That sounds like the new b.s. excuse coming from the White House.
They have made clear what excuse they will lean on…all Americans that wanted to get out will get out. That means they will blame all American civilian casualties on the victims that allegedly made the decision to stay.
Olly — “That means they will blame all American civilian casualties on the victims that allegedly made the decision to stay.”
Yes, I think that is their intention too. They are not only sleazy, they are openly sleazy and shameless.
Olly, young, clearly you don’t understand what’s going on. In their zeal to pin blame on Biden for how things are unfolding in Afghanistan too many, including yourselves are just parroting points that neither of you have any idea what it’s really about.
Biden didn’t choose to leave American citizens behind or allowed Afghan refugees to go first. I strongly suggest you guys research what NGO’s are.
Those Americans refusing to leave are those who are making sure those Afghans who want to leave or were promised safe passage by our own government. They are making sure they can get a flight out. Those staying behind as long as they can are not being left behind.
Thousands of American civilians work for non-profits, are liaisons, civilian military contractors, etc. this situation was going to be chaotic whether it was under trump or Biden. Remember Trump’s original deadline was much earlier and Trump had no plan to evacuate the civilians first. He was always taking about removing the military first.
It’s extremely easy to judge and criticize from the comfort and safety a congressional office.
Trump supporters WANTED out of Afghanistan. Including Trump and most of his inner circle. What they didn’t was the responsibility of actually doing it. Nobody wanted to start pulling out troops, not Obama or Trump. Even the military leadership didn’t know what it would be like. The only thing that guaranteed a mess was Trump’s “peace” deal with the Taliban. He he kept undermining his own negotiations by shooting his mouth off in public about deadlines. Once the Taliban knew of a hard deadline Trump lost all leverage on negotiations. This is exactly why Presidents don’t discuss hard deadlines I’m public, especially before a deal is made.
It was Trump’s incompetent “deal making” that started this chain of events.
It was Trump’s incompetent “deal making” that started this chain of events.
Now tell us what in Trump’s allegedly incompetent deal to leave Afghanistan did Biden not have the authority to change?
Olly, you can’t reason with Svelaz. He will make any excuse he can, even if the excuse evades the truth. Trump would have gotten out the Americans that wanted to leave. He would not have left the weaponry. Bagram airbase would have been used to protect American interests.
I am listening to you, and Young talking about this together and think what you both say is true.
In war, politics should be left at home. The Biden administration was all about politics, and they failed miserably. When people cannot see failure when it is painted on the wall in the blood means their opinions are based on an emotional attachment for leftist politics.
I agree SM. Notice Svelaz and Nutjob won’t attempt to answer the question. It’s simply an inconvenient truth they cannot utter out loud.
Nice to hear Anonymous the Stupid trying to make others look bad, so Biden looks better. Biden is a disaster. How many were killed today? When Trump made an agreement with the Taliban, they broke it, and he bombed the country. Not one American killed since.
Biden is getting Americans killed and giving terrorists the weapons to kill Americans with. Biden has created a hostage crisis. Will we be sending palates of cash to the Taliban as Obama / Biden did for Iran? Everyone now knows America is a paper tiger and will now advance against our interests.
Taiwan has a lot to be afraid of. So does Ukraine. So does SE Asia. So does the American people when terrorists hit us in our own cities and towns.
Now we have 4 Marines killed and 3 reported injured in today’s terrorist attacks in Kabul. It’s unconscionable to conclude we should just tuck tail and run. We had no military casualties for 18 months prior to the Biden administration’s decision to abandon equipment, munitions, aircraft, Bagram airbase and troops, enabling the Taliban and other Islamic terrorists to pin our remaining force inside the Karzai Airport. Whatever remaining Americans, allies and Christians there are will be targets for execution. If we don’t respond to these terrorists with overwhelming force in Afghanistan now, we will without a doubt be dealing with them outside of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan under Biden’s leadership is becoming as deadly as Chicago under Mayor Lightbrain.
If It’s “unconscionable” to “tuck tail and run”, then why did your fat, orange hero agree to reduce our troops from 14,000 to 2, 500, agree to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners, and to demand very little in return from the Taliban? Why did the RNC take down Trump’s comments about leaving Afghanistan from its website? So they could try to blame Biden for the mess left by Trump. The Taliban let loose other prisoners when the Afghans reneged on their promise to keep the place safe until we left, and some of those prisoners were ISIS, which the Taliban are trying to round up. The Biden Administration did not decide to abandon equipment, munitions, aircraft or Bagram air base. That’s on Trump, who even suggested inviting the Taliban to Camp David. Once again, Biden got saddled with problems created by Trump–just like the COVID crisis that Trump makes worse by supporting the disciples who refuse vaccination.
You can only negotiate form a position of strength, not a position of weakness, and Trump’s bad decisions and the crummy agreement he made with the Taliban put America in a position of weakness and tied Biden’s hands. Most of the people who stormed the airport in the early days of the evacuation were NOT entitled to SIVs. They were going to try to get to America no matter when the evacuation happened.
So, what are you saying–let’s just go back to war once again, and kick the can down the road to some other administration?
Natacha– What’s your recommendation for handling the hostages problem?
What hostages? The Taliban is NOT holding anyone hostage: they agreed to allow Americans, Europeans and Afghans that want to leave to go, and they want us gone. When Trump drew down our troops from 14,000 to 2,500 and turned loose 5,000 Taliban prisoners, the Afghans stood down, which nobody predicted, so putting all of the blame on Biden for this is just wrong. I saw an interview the other night with a former US Marine who served several tours in Afghanistan. He said that the Afghans just let the US do most of the work. This rings true, because when it was their time to step up and take over defending their own country, they just gave up–so the US should care more about defending Afghanistan than its own citizens? This war had no potential for a favorable outcome. How can you leave without there being turmoil? We should never have started this war in the first place, and if Bush and his administration had been more vigilant, 911 wouldn’t have happened in the first place. After all, they tried to bring down the World Trade Center previously. We could have gotten Bin Laden without starting this war. We had, and still have, intelligence capability to do what needs to be done to defend our interests and get our people out.
Trump bears much of the blame for the crisis . When the Taliban prisoners were released, ISIS prisoners were also released. A splinter group of ISIS is responsible for the suicide bombing, and they are also enemies of the Taliban, which the Taliban has been trying to round up. Trump is the one responsible for setting the stage for this mess, so what do we do now–stay another 20 years, start the bombing again–what? It’s easy to criticize, but this is a thorny problem with NO easy answers. It has to be taken one step at a time, responding to conditions as they unfold. I saw an interview with a Republican Senator who tried to make the case that Americans should be in the driver’s seat, and we should dictate to the Taliban how it’s going to be because if we don’t, our allies will think we’re weak–the US should determine when we’re going to leave, how we’re going to leave, etc….how do you dictate terms to a country on their soil, and with them in control? Our intelligence did not foresee that the Afghan Army would just give up. Trump certainly didn’t plan for this when he drew down our troops before everyone got out and released 5,000 Taliban prisoners. That said, the US is not necessarily without resources to negotiate. If we don’t meet the 8/31 deadline, it’s likely that the Taliban will not prevent people from leaving. But….dictating to them in advance that we’re not leaving as we agreed is not an effective way to negotiate.
Many believe that the Taliban don’t want to be thought of as a Stone-Age, backward culture any more, and, at least from the top, they’ve been saying that they don’t support the Sharia law rules not allowing women to be unaccompanied in public, to be required to wear bee keeper suits, or to get an education, but not all of their followers have been abiding by these rules. If they want diplomatic relations with Western countries, they know they can’t abuse or subjugate women like they did in the past. The Taliban leader said that he knows of no forced marriages with underage girls, and that he condemns this practice. Plus, Western countries have a large amount of their money on deposit, so we do have leverage. When Richard Engel interviewed the Taliban leader, he said that henceforth women would be treated with respect, like sisters. He also wants his people to be well-educated. So he says. Time will tell. I think he realizes that the rest of the world is watching and judging them, and they want to at least appear cooperative and a group that keeps its promises. They also know that even in the Middle East, women are gaining ground–they’re even allowed to drive cars in Saudi Arabia, without a man along.
Biden did everything he could to warn about the suicide bombing attack at the Abbey Gate. People were told to stay away, but they didn’t. We have ways of communicating with Americans still in Afghanistan and plans for getting them out. Biden’s not going to discuss this publicly–nor should he.
Now is not the time to show lack of support for our President or our government. I’ve seen the Republicans do a lot of bluster and bloviating, criticizing Biden, calling him weak, accusing him of abandoning our allies, blaming him for everything, but no solid, practical recommendations for doing anything other than what is being done, which is to get out as many people as possible, vet those Afghans without SIVs, and to take matters one step at a time.
“. . . but no solid, practical recommendations for doing anything other than what is being done . . .”
You are militantly evasive.
Such “practical recommendations” have been outlined on this blog countless times, and have been explained, in detail, all over the internet.
“The Taliban is NOT holding anyone hostage: they agreed to allow Americans, Europeans and Afghans that want to leave to go, and they want us gone.”
***************************
Yep but they still want to sell you some ocean front property in Kabul You’ll love it there this time of year.
Olly, per an earlier discussion, who would do this? Only those that hate America. Thanks for the list.
SM,
Sadly, this tragedy is the typical outcome of Democrat policies. Let’s assume they love our country. They seem to set policy for some idealistic future and instead of making a course correction when the results turn out bad, they pile on additional bad policy decisions, one after another. I’ve said before, they are an impatient lot. They don’t know how to manage the gap between what is real and what they want things to become. In that gap is where all the checks and balances exist and Democrats treat those like spike strips.
You know what is truly sad, today’s events in a foreign country halfway around the world, that has the entire world’s attention, is an average weekend right here in places like Chicago. And crickets from the media.
“Let’s assume they love our country. ”
I’m not assuming most Democrats hate this country. I believe these relatively small groups have much more power than their numbers suggest. Small groups of interested people effectively outweigh the much larger groups that are not united on the topic at hand.
I get back to the short-haul, long-haul of the railroads. A short-haul cost was more than a long-haul. Consumers were infuriated. A government committee was formed to figure out how to fix the problem. Who had the interest? The railroad owners. Who was on the committee? The railroad owners.
What was the solution? Increase the price of long hauls.
😀 Reminds me of our local water district when we were forced to cut water usage because of the drought. Their solution for the predictable loss in revenue was to…raise rates.
Problem solved. 🤬
Take a look at California with rivers, vast amounts of money and silicon valley. What have they done to solve their water crisis?
Take a look at Israel which is mostly desert. Their access to water is tiny, and they have farmed the desert. The Jordon River is very small.
Look up Scientific American Israel desalinization) from years ago to see how Israel created less expensive desalinization plants and look up elsewhere how they control water use. Israel has enough water to farm in dry desserts, have plenty of water for its population and enough to help supply Jordon with fresh water.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/israel-proves-the-desalination-era-is-here/?wt.mc=SA_Facebook-Share
I think this is the article I read a long time ago.
Environmentalists in California have made it routine to block desalination plants.
Yes, leftists can be stupid. We see it here on the blog. They are religious zealots that pray to the god of hate and power. In other words they like totalitarianism, Stalinism and the like.
“. . . to block desalination plants.”
And to dump billions of gallons of freshwater. in order to protect the delta smelt.
What the Biden administration has done in Afghanistan is Defund the Police on steroids. I pray the following is not accurate, but if it is, they have armed terrorists AND gave them a vast territory to operate from.
Biden’s gifts to the Taliban include:
✅ 2,000 Armored Vehicles Including Humvees and MRAP’s
✅ 75,989 Total Vehicles: FMTV, M35, Ford Rangers, Ford F350, Ford Vans, Toyota Pickups, Armored Security Vehicles etc
✅ 45 UH-60 Blachhawk Helicopters
✅ 50 MD530G Scout Attack Choppers
✅ ScanEagle Military Drones
✅ 30 Military Version Cessnas
✅ 4 C-130’s
✅ 29 Brazilian made A-29 Super Tocano Ground Attack Aircraft
208+ Aircraft Total
✅ At least 600,000+ Small arms M16, M249 SAWs, M24 Sniper Systems, 50 Calibers, 1,394 M203 Grenade Launchers, M134 Mini Gun, 20mm Gatling Guns and Ammunition
✅ 61,000 M203 Rounds
✅ 20,040 Grenades
✅ Howitzers
✅ Mortars +1,000’s of Rounds
✅ 162,000 pieces of Encrypted Military Communications Gear
✅ 16,000+ Night Vision Goggles
✅ Newest Technology Night Vision Scopes
✅ Thermal Scopes and Thermal Mono Googles
✅ 10,000 2.75 inch Air to Ground Rockets
✅ Reconnaissance Equipment (ISR)
✅ Laser Aiming Units
✅ Explosives Ordnance C-4, Semtex, Detonators, Shaped Charges, Thermite, Incendiaries, AP/API/APIT
✅ 2,520 Bombs
✅ Administration Encrypted Cell Phones and Laptops all operational
✅ Pallets with Millions of Dollars in US Currency
✅ Millions of Rounds of Ammunition including but not limited to 20,150,600 rounds of 7.62mm, 9,000,000 rounds of 50.caliber
✅ Large Stockpile of Plate Carriers and Body Armor
✅ US Military HIIDE, for Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment Biometrics
✅ Lots of Heavy Equipment Including Bull Dozers, Backhoes, Dump Trucks, Excavators
But rest assured, America. None of this equipment or $$ will benefit those who regularly chant “Death to America” nor will any of it ever be used to attack our own soldiers in the future. 🙄
Olly–
I don’t think that much stuff was left on the beach at Dunkirk.
If it is a scandal now [and it is] wait until the fanatics start using this stuff.
Scarborough apparently said this whole Afghanistan thing will blow over in the media soon. Something might blow with savages owning this military crap, but it won’t be the news cycle.
Meanwhile, realizing Biden is very grumpy and hates criticism and reacts bizarrely, I worry that he will try to clean up his mess by waking up from his stupor and deciding to nuke someone. It is imaginable, and it is impossible to guess what he will decide to target.
Young,
What I haven’t seen answered is why our military “leaders” followed orders that would undoubtedly lead to such a catastrophic outcome. The Biden administration had absolutely no duty to follow through on a Trump negotiated timeline. Biden’s civilian and military advisors would necessarily assess threats in real time and then recommend the best path forward that would be in our national security interests. The Biden administration owns every decision that has been made since January 20th, 2021.
Olly — “What I haven’t seen answered is why our military “leaders” followed orders that would undoubtedly lead to such a catastrophic outcome.”
***
Because they are spineless paper pushers more concerned with decorating their offices although, I admit, their Pentagon offices probably look just fabulous.
A General Marshal would have resigned rather than comply with Biden’s insane orders.
Slang for the ribbons and gongs on military uniforms is “Fruit Salad” –really– and I see that Milley has lots and lots of fruit salad on his uniform. The slang was never more appropriate.
I have a moderate quantity of “fruit salad” as well. Some you get for special things you’ve done, some you get for essentially time served. I can assure you that medals and ribbons are not meant to indicate intelligence and wisdom. I sincerely doubt an E-1 with only a National Defense, Rifle and Pistol Marksmanship medals wouldn’t “respectfully” question the decision to leave before the civilians and abandon our military assets.
Olly– What does the ribbon for decorating and flower arrangements look like? I want to pick it out on General Milley’s uniform.
We didn’t have the ribbon in the Navy. I’ll have to ask my good friend Colonel that was in the Air Force. 😉
Actually Olly, all of what you posted was negotiated during the Trump administration. That equipment was for the Afghan government that congress approved including the very republicans who are doing all the armchair general criticism.
Biden didn’t let things get to this point on his own . This is not Biden’s fault. It’s the culmination of 20 years of U.S. government including Trump’s own incompetence on handling the Taliban.
This is much more complicated than the blame game republicans are playing right now. They approved much of what Trump offered in his “deal” too.
Biden didn’t let things get to this point on his own . This is not Biden’s fault. It’s the culmination of 20 years of U.S. government including Trump’s own incompetence on handling the Taliban.
As Biden stated himself, The buck stops with him as Commander-in-Chief. 20 years of bad policy may be what Biden inherited, but he owns every decision that was made as of January 20, 2021. If this was Trump and he made these same decisions, there would be overwhelming and bipartisan support to remove him from office. So once again,
Now tell us what in Trump’s allegedly incompetent deal to leave Afghanistan did Biden not have the authority to change?
Apparently Blinken, in May 2020, approved of the diplomatic efforts Trump negotiated to get us out of Afghanistan and he stated that the Biden administration would look closely at the withdrawal to ensure we were able to respond to any rise in terrorist threats.
https://youtu.be/P1HDQC7Jag8
“This [catastrophic exit] is not Biden’s fault.”
Ever notice how spoiled children refuse to take responsibility for their actions?
We need a Sgt. Barnes.
https://youtu.be/1r7YHR1Yscc
“No-snatcha” (AKA Natacha) grades Biden A+ on Afghanistan pullout.
From Business Insider:
Donald Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton criticized former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who negotiated a deal with the Taliban in February 2020, for distancing himself from the Afghanistan withdrawal.
“Trying to extricate yourself from this withdrawal is I think difficult if not impossible to do, especially to rewrite history about what actually happened,” Bolton told Politico in a report published Thursday. “I think that’s a prescription for Democratic attack ads that would be fatal to someone’s credibility.”
Pompeo and Trump have come under attack over their agreement with the Taliban, which stipulated that US troops be withdrawn from Afghanistan within 14 months on the condition that the militant group not turn the country into a terrorist base. At the signing ceremony in Qatar, Pompeo posed for photos alongside the Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is anticipated to head the next Taliban government in Afghanistan.
At the time, critics blasted the Trump administration for excluding the Afghan government, saying it undercut its legitimacy. That criticism has been renewed amid the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the collapse of the US-backed Afghan government on August 15.
Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security advisor from 2018 to 2019, has said both the Trump administration and President Joe Biden are responsible for the chaotic, ongoing removal of US troops from Afghanistan.
Other Republicans who have criticized Trump and Biden over the pullout include Reps. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Liz Cheney of Wyoming. H.R. McMaster, Trump’s national security advisor from 2017 to 2018, denounced Trump’s Taliban deal as a “surrender agreement.”
Pompeo and Trump have attempted to absolve themselves of the situation in Afghanistan and blamed Biden for the fallout.
“I hope this Administration comes to understand that apologizing, placating, appeasing, being weak, only presents risks to American security,” Pompeo tweeted on Thursday.
Read the original article on Business Insider
Why do you blame Biden, instead of Trump? Why didn’t your hero remove these assets when he was in control up to a few months ago? Wouldn’t removing these items make sense before drawing down our troops from 14,000 to 2,500? Why did Trump turn loose Taliban prisoners before removing these assets?
Why do you blame Biden, instead of Trump?
Because as of January 20, 2021, Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump as the Commander-in-Chief. That means every decision made after that date is owned by Biden, not Trump.
Why didn’t your hero remove these assets when he was in control up to a few months ago? Wouldn’t removing these items make sense before drawing down our troops from 14,000 to 2,500?
Because it was a contingent drawdown and those assets, along with Bagram were considered to be necessary to deter the Taliban from doing exactly what they did.
Now tell us what in Trump’s allegedly incompetent deal to leave Afghanistan did Biden not have the authority to change?
To: Olly, August 6, 2921 at 2:31 PM
I bet the Taliban’s new friend, = the Chinese, would also be very happy to have a look at the U.S. military technology (unless they already know about it, because so much work is outsourced by American contractors to the lowest bidder…).
I agree Edo. I thought it was a disastrous decision for Obama to drop pallets of cash in Iran, that of course provided needed financial resources for that state sponsor of terrorism to buy weapons of war. Biden effectively made the U.S. taxpayers the buyers of those weapons of war that have now been delivered to Islamic terrorists.
Olly, that list is unbelievable.
After 7+ months, I have to wonder if this administration is making decisions based on polling data from our enemies.
It makes one wonder if the small groups in control of the presidency hate America.
It sure does.
Olly,
“ We had no military casualties for 18 months prior to the Biden administration’s decision to abandon equipment, munitions, aircraft, Bagram airbase and troops, enabling the Taliban and other Islamic terrorists to pin our remaining force inside the Karzai Airport. ”
All those decisions were made long before Biden became president. We didn’t abandon equipment, none of any real military significance. We left equipment that the Afghan government was to use in their own security forces. Bagram airbase was surrendered to the Afghan government long before Biden became president.
Remember it was Trump’s “deal” with the Taliban that set things in motion. He was going to remove troops far sooner than Biden without any plans to evacuate the Afghans who were helping us. His own adviser Stephen miller made sure Afghans that were helping is didn’t get a chance to get visas to come here.
Just like the Kurds in iraq trump was going to give the Afghans who have been working along our troops the shaft.
Everyone who advocated to invade Afghanistan claimed we were not there to do regime change. We were there because of the Taliban and their support for Osama bin laden. We never gave the Afghan government the level of support they needed to be able to stand on their own. We just kept them weak enough to still be reliant on us. That’s why the Afghan government collapsed so quickly. It was because of our own incompetence or need to keep the Afghan government just weak enough to still be able to influence its decisions.
That’s why Trump was able to force the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners in his “peace deal”. Notice how Trump still gives accolades to the Taliban.
All those decisions were made long before Biden became president. We didn’t abandon equipment, none of any real military significance. We left equipment that the Afghan government was to use in their own security forces. Bagram airbase was surrendered to the Afghan government long before Biden became president.
Remember it was Trump’s “deal” with the Taliban that set things in motion. He was going to remove troops far sooner than Biden without any plans to evacuate the Afghans who were helping us. His own adviser Stephen miller made sure Afghans that were helping is didn’t get a chance to get visas to come here.
Now you’re just flat out lying. Your opinion of what Trump was going to do is irrelevant to what Biden has actually done. You haven’t answered this question in response to one of your comments. Give it a go.
Now tell us what in Trump’s allegedly incompetent deal to leave Afghanistan did Biden not have the authority to change?
Get 1 while they last. A talking Joe Biden Bobblehead.
This amazing collectable will be a keepsake & will triple in value as the US crumbles.
Judge Zia Faruqui: “Please explain why Owen Shroyer was acting as an activist and not a journalist on January 6th.”
Biden Administration: “Your honor, any individual that we believe holds views contrary to our Administration must be an activist. Only individuals that hold the same views that we do may be deemed journalists.”
Judge Zia Faruqui: “I see. Good. Then I presume that we may dispense with the normal legal procedures in this case and go straight to sentencing?”
Biden Administration: “That is our position, your Honor.”
Watching, reading, listening to MSM is cringe worthy,
NPR used to be a daily staple in our household. First thing in the morning, till Kai Ryssdal signed off in the evening.
It was easy enough to ignore their slant and bias and still get good reporting/news.
Then 2016 happened and they went all “woke,” and becoming the radio version of CNN, with all agreeing with each other panel-O-pundits.
A few months ago, was driving to the airport, and tuned into Morning Edition. Out of the hour and 15 minutes I listened to, there may have been 15 minutes of news. The rest was social commentary, or opinion.
I hear a lot of “journalist” talk about the truth of a given topic. Their truth. What they do not talk about is facts to back up the truth.
Support alt-media, like Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi, Bari Weiss, Sharyl Attkisson, and more. Support independent bloggers.
Upstate “Support alt-media, like Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi, Bari Weiss, Sharyl Attkisson, and more. Support independent bloggers.”
***
Agreed. And Turley. He is under attack even by some posters here even though he says he is a Democrat, and I believe he is. Their problem with him is that he is honest. That makes him part of the despised alt-media.
-Young,
Well said.
I think the professor started this blog as he was concerned with what he was seeing transpire in America, i.e. attack on free speech, activism journalism, etc.
Probably 95% of reporting (I wont call it news) I read in the mainstream press is heavily littered with bias (the vast majority liberal bias). It’s all but impossible to find real news sources void of any advocacy and condescension and insult for and of conservatism.
Good comment, and truthful.
The issue is obscure only when it seems that it is caused by imprecision and hypocrisy.
It becomes perfectly clear when one realizes the Left is totalitarian. They will do what they want to achieve power without criticism or obstacle.
They don’t sort between ‘real’ journalists and ‘phony’ journalists by mutable definitions.
They sort by who is in their way and they will marginalize or crush those who are.
It is quite simple. Anyone who exposes the crimes of the powerful cannot be a journalist.
Julian Assange is not a journalist but a man thoroughly deserving 175 years solitary confinement in a supermax prison under SAMS for disclosing that helicopter video and Craig Murray deserves 8 months in a frigid Scottish slammer which hopefully will finish him off for disclosing the defence case in the Alex Salmond trial something no British MSM journalist did because they did not want to disturb the agendas of the great and the good.
Murray’s crime was to release information that could allow “jigsaw” identification of the complainants against Salmond. Murray commissioned a survey by a reputable conductor of surveys that concluded that more people considered that they had learned the identity of Salmond complainants from articles in MSM. The judge who sentenced Murray explicitly stated that this was irrelevant as Murray was a blogger not a journalist and needed to be punished more severely than any MSM journalist because MSM journalists operate under a code of conduct but bloggers don’t.
Incidentally Alex Salmond was acquitted on all charges but no MSM organ published the defence case which led to the acquittal. Publishing the defence case is Murray’s real crime as PTB in the UK want Salmond to be seen as as a sex offender who was wrongly acquitted and are pretending that a righteous court should have convicted.
I don’t understand the logic behind the decision to support any effort by the government, either directly or indirectly, abusing the rights of our citizens. Is there any historical evidence to prove a government will end their abuse of power (violating the rights of their citizens) through peaceful means such as the electoral process? In other words, will we be able to vote our way to the equal security of rights? Is there anyone on this blog that opposes the equal security of rights for all of our citizens?
This is a no-brainer. If I can identify as a woman and be incarcerated in a women’s prison, why can’t I identify as a journalist?
Pens, penis – just one letter difference. Journalists need to invent some special pronouns.
The Biden administration is using intimidation of anyone who exercises their free speech.
That is the essence behind the harsh treatment of right-wing journalists and the incarceration of peaceful protestors.
Intimidation… But only of the right.
This attack on free speech and journalism is a very heavy blade that is rapidly gaining momentum and it’s not just the journalists who are going to get their head cut off.
It’s a constant source of amusement/frustrating watching party A introducing legislation that is detrimental to the party B, while completely failing to see that the same legislation will be used by party B against party A.
Our Overlords are clearly worried about something, or perhaps they just don’t care to hide it anymore.
What happened to the Antifa “reporter” who entered the Capital on January 6?
I really like Turley. But he can’t see we are living in a dystopian tyranny and it is not debatable. Jan 6 was a complete fraud by government (FBI), as is COVID, Vaccines, runaway $200 trillion debt. An “inbred elite class” promoting the dumbest people in academia (not one has a clue or held a real job and all are cowards, government (Biden and Harris), government unions (which are unconstitutional – thank you president Johnson and governor Brown), media (all failed actors and racists – Madows, Reid, and Lemon), all mostly unconstitutional institutions (CIA, UN, FBI, CDC, FED, Yellen, Powell, Fauci) and military (Millie, Austin, and other low IQ and moral cowards). This goes back to puppet President Wilson, Communist Sympathizer FDR. Fascist Nixon, Wall Street conversion to a casino Clinton and “fundamentally change the nation” incompetent and “Harvard” legal superstar Obama (his never was involved in any real legal matters and is still clueless.
Gert the shot even though it never worked. The vaccine has been approved – (but it hasn’t). I guess lawyers can’t read. The shot and the unconstitutional regulations from regulatory and corporatists are unconditional and Supreme Court will find ways to allow them. The supreme court views the constitutional as unconstitutional. We are don’t because no one has courage.
Larry Elder is a white supremacist passes for journalism.
One of the major problems is that the future of journalism is been decided by people who are not working journalists. Remove these ivory tower idiots, and let those of us who toil in the trenches decide how this should go.
The article is BLA BLA.
The DOJ and the media have a major problem – James Madison wrote those ten amendments to protect THE PEOPLE, not the media. So-called “Freedom of the Press” applies to anyone who uses the written word to EXPRESS THEIR SPEECH! This is another example of academics applying their personal prejudices to something they don’t like. The reality is that government and academia fear “the people” and wish to suppress any kind of dissent, which is that Madison, prompted by those including Patrick Henry , sought to protect. After all, they had just fought the British king’s forces, who had sought to impose the very restrictions the DOJ and academia seek to impose now by making :”journalists” a special category of person when a journalist is actually anyone with a pen and something to write on.
semcgowanjr wrote…
^^^THIS^^^
They have been b.a.s.t.a.r.d.i.z.i.n.g the Constitution for a while and it won’t stop until We the People put a stop to it!
We even have officials in the United States government openly stating things like Fauci’s recent words, “I know I respect people’s freedom, but…”, whenever you hear the “but” used in this context it’s signature significant of a totalitarian minded government official choosing the power of the state over the power of “We the People” and our Constitutional & human rights. On top of that we have the United States government, including our President of the United States, sidestepping and therefore undermining the very United States Constitution they swore to uphold and protect and putting pressure employers to do the bidding of the government to squash individual and human rights. This is pure totalitarianism and anti-American.
Oh, those Amendments! So messy! Let’s just let government decide!