We have followed the rapid decline of civil liberties under the authoritarian rule of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the past few years as well as his empowering of Islamic parties in the once secular state. When Erdogan first ran, he assured Turks that he was committed to the secular traditions and constitution of the country. He then did precisely the opposite in power by chipping away at secular laws, introducing Islamic governing principles, and assuming authoritarian power. After the attempted recent coup, Erdogan has arrested thousands of his opponents. He has suspended civil liberties and shutdown the free media. He has also replaced academics and other professionals with Islamic party stalwarts. Now, we have a chilling story of just how Erdogan’s government has wiped out secular values. Dr. Abuzer Meral, an employee of a private hospital in the Turkish city of Yalova, was fired after merely objecting to mandatory religious studies for children.
Category: Bizarre
We recently discussed how Democrats seeking the removal of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi were called “sexist” for merely seeking change after the disastrous 2016 election. Democratic leaders engineered the primary selection of Hillary Clinton despite polls showing that voters did not want an establishment figure and had deep seated misgivings about Clinton’s honestly and integrity. One of those leaders who has been most criticized over the years has been Nancy Pelosi. However, democratic members overwhelmingly elected Pelosi again as minority leader in what was seen as a slap in the face of those who want to see serious change in the party. Within a couple days of her reelection, Pelosi went on the air to declare that everyone is wrong and people really do not want a new direction. They want the same leadership like her to pursue the very same course that has led to historic losses under her leadership in the House. It was the same dismissive logic applied by the Democratic National Committee and Democratic leadership (including Pelosi) in engineering the nomination of Hillary Clinton, the ultimate establishment figure when polls showed an overriding preference for an outsider and record low favorability numbers for Clinton (particularly on issues of honesty). The question is whether the obvious anger inside and outside the party will galvanize into continued opposition. The establishment seems to be betting on people forgetting about serious reforms or wanting other options than the current duopoly of power held by the Republicans and Democrats. Retaining the very same leadership in both parties may be just what reformers had hoped: a clear signal that any changes in Washington will require the continuation of the popular movement seen in the last election.
Continue reading “Pelosi: “I Don’t Think People Want A New Direction””
On this blog, we have often discussed and lamented how billions are wasted in the government, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, without the slightest accountability of officials or serious reforms. The problem is especially prominent in the military. Now, the Washington Post has acquired an internal study that found $125 billion in waste from bloated staff to needless redundancies. The response of the Defense Department in the Obama Administration was swift and firm . . . it buried the report so neither Congress nor the media would see it. It is good to see that our bureaucrats can still move aggressively when called to action.
Hampshire College in Massachusetts caused a national outrage when the Administration ordered the placing of the American flag at half staff after Election Day. It then ordered the the removal of all flags after the flag was found burned on the ground. The flag has now been returned and College President Jonathan Lash is insisting that it was all a positive exercise of free speech. I disagree.
Continue reading “Hampshire College Raises American Flag After Weeks of Controversy”
The medieval Islamic system enforced in Saudi Arabia is on display this week after Malak Al Shehri decided to do what most women around the world do without a second’s thought: she went out into public without covering herself up with a veil or hijab. Malak then posted herself on a public street. The result has been volcanic with some supporting her courage but many others calling for her to be beheaded or “thrown to the dogs.” It is a reminder of the plight of women in the Kingdom and other Islamic countries imposing Sharia law.
There is a truly gruesome controversy in Broward County where parking enforcement officers repeatedly put tickets on the windshield of a SUV three blocks form the Broward County Courthouse without noticing the dead man slumped forward in the front seat. Curious about the stack of tickets on the windshield, Carolyn White walked over to the car and screamed immediately upon seeing the dead body of Jacob Morpeau, 62, in his Isuzu Axiom.
A Thanksgiving charity dinner in San Francisco seems likely to end up in court after three people died and at least 14 people were sickened. The church-sponsored meal at the American Legion hall in Antioch, California served food prepared by various people at home. People became sick within 24 hours of the dinner.
In torts we often discussed plaintiff conduct questions such as assumption of the risk or comparative negligence. A case out of Texas shows how dominant such defenses can be in potential tort actions — negating any potential liability. Tommie Woodward, 28, suffered severe trauma after he reportedly ignored signs, staff warnings, and jumped into a Texas bayou after he taunted an alligator. You can guess the rest of the story.
Continue reading “Texas Man Taunts Alligator and Jumps Into Water . . . Alligator Kills Man”
Young people left a hilarious prank for park rangers after they installed motion-activated cameras near Gardner, Kansas to capture images of mountain lions. What they later found were images of people dressed as animals, monsters and even Santa Claus.
We recently discussed the suspension of Kirk Nurmi, the attorney for Arizona murderer Jodi Arias. Nurmi allegedly sought to cash in on his representation by revealing confidential information in his self-published book, “Trapped with Ms. Arias.” The former lawyer for Casey Anthony has fared little better. Todd Macaluso withdrew from the Casey Anthony case in 2010 after California ethics authorities accused him of mishandling client trust account money. Macaluso has now been arrested for an alleged conspiracy to fly at least 3,300 pounds of cocaine from Ecuador to Honduras in an effort to smuggle drugs into the United States.
Continue reading “Former Lawyer For Casey Anthony Arrested in Massive Drug Smuggling Case”
It was bound to happen once He Who Must Not Be Named lost it in the duel with Harry Potter. Police in Bangkok are looking for the infamous Elder Wand. Natdanai Asavaruks went to see the latest Harry Potter movie, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” and let the Elder Wand in his car. When he returned, it was gone.
Continue reading “The Elder Wand Goes Missing . . . Again”
There is an interesting case out of Denver where Heidi Hemmat at KDVR Fox 31 has resigned after death threats tied to her investigation of a local business. The threat however was not made to her directly but reported by the psychiatrist treating the owner. It appears to be a direct application of the ruling in Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425, 551 P.2d 334, 131 Cal. Rptr. 14 (Cal. 1976), requiring doctors to disclose threats made by patients to their potential victims.
Continue reading “Reporter Resigns After Receiving Threats Over Investigative Story”
Bad taste on ice seems to be the theme this week. First, the wife of President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman faced a storm of criticism on Monday for performing a Holocaust-themed ice-dancing routine with striped costumes based on concentration camp uniforms. Then an ice rink in Kitakyushu, Japan, was shocked when skaters had objections to their arrangement of dead fish in frozen patterns under the ice for them to enjoy. For most skaters, Space World had them lost them at “hello.”
Continue reading “Putting Taste On Ice: Controversies Swirl Around Ice Rinks In Japan and Russia”
I have previously criticized past prosecutions for stolen valor (here and here) as a threat to the first amendment. Such cases are deterred through social stigma and simple research. We have criminal laws allowing for the prosecution of those who use false claims to secure financial gain or benefits. Such is the case with former Marine Brandon Blackstone, who stole a combat veteran’s story of valor to secure a house and benefits. He is now facing 21 years in jail for his crimes in assuming the valor of Casey Owens, left, who lost both legs in combat. Blackstone served in the same unit as Owens.
We have long discussed the abusive Sharia system and its use to impose medieval justice on whole populations in the name of Islamic justice. The latest outrage comes out of our close ally, Indonesia. Videotapes this week show a woman screaming in pain as she was flogged for merely being seen with a male who was not a family member. Others were flogged for premarital sex or gambling or drinking alcohol in the barbaric public spectacle in Banda Aceh.