Usa Thread

[Coss]

Steve, I'm with you on this, the cops in the USA seem to have decided that, if in doubt, shoot. And if the victim doesn't look like Bill Clinton, forgo the doubt.

 

But also, this is a problem that Maori in NZ have been complaining about for a long time, not that we shoot many people in NZ, but Maori are the main prison populace. It could be that Maori do commit most of the jail-able offences, certainly the three robberies I've been subject to were by Maori.

 

However, there is a growing feeling in NZ that people get into serious trouble by making their own luck. I've known people, of different colours, that have been arrested, because they confronted police, rather than being docile and doing what was asked.

 

In the USA it seems the police substitute death for arrest.

 

Terrible state of affairs, if means the police think they are justified when they shoot people, but then if I was faced with an aggressive meth fuelled nutter, going off in my face, and I had a gun, I don't know if I'd sacrifice myself, rather than shoot the nutter.

 

The irony of all of this, is the HUGE amount of Christianity in the USA, not much goodwill amongst men...

[Steve]

Coss, its been that way historically. Not for decades but for the entire 400 years of existence. Civil Rights changed nothing. In pre civil rights south, you could not find a more compliant black person for obvious reasons and cops killed us. Same anywhere. The cops to be truthful are the enforcers of a larger system. As for the crime issue. Statistically, crime is committed by all groups. Also, crime is and always has been a fucnction of poverty in every society i history. In the mid 1800s in America, the Irish committed about 70 percent of all crime in NYC. The US term 'Paddy Wagon' came about because so many police wagons were filled with Irish, the moniker just stuck. Its no different with blacks. There are several middle and upper middle class predominantly black areas in America (Lauderhil, Florida, Windsor Hills, Los Angeles, Shaker Heights, Cleveland) and all have low crime rates because its a class issue. The middle class in every society, even in the most abject countries do NOT commit violent crimes. The crime stats in America are skewed. Blacks are simply targeted more. 80% of drug black drug arrests are for personal use quantity of pot. The same drug thats now legal. You can go to any frat house in America on a Friday night and get your fill of pot users. Maine is one of the highest use drug states and nearly all white. Sentencing is another issue. Minorities get longer sentences and more court cases. These are all proven statistically.

There will be an argument raised about social welfare and its role on blacks and the family, etc. Lets look at it. The civil rights era blacks NEVER asked for social welfare. They asked for equal access to jobs and public places. There were two government studies that looked fairly objectively at black poverty in the '60s, with Johnson's 'War on Poverty'. The first was the Moynihan Report and after several urban riots in 1968, another called the Kerner commission. BOTH said the issue is jobs. BOTH said that blacks wanted to work but systemic issues such as denial to trade unions, etc. limited job options. One of them, the MOynihan report said, if you want to stop black poverty, increase the male's job options so that he can be the head of the home and raise a stable family. So, what did the government do? The complete opposite. They expanded and changed social welfare. Made it easy to get and added this component. NO male over 18 can be in the home. Blacks NEVER asked for social welfare. Now, its plainly obvioius that such a program would destroy the family structure. So, when it did work and you had hundreds of thousands into the millions of single family, female headed homes who got extra money for more kids, we (society) then blamed the very same people for a result that was known and expected to happen. You can't make it up. SO, one has to ask. why did the government do that in the first place? And its not a liberal issue. It was BOTH. Nixon and the Republicans were just as complicit as Johnson and the Democrats. Your private thoughts on why it was initiated against reports saying the complete opposite are accurate. There is no other logical way to see it. Today's stats also say that Black college grads. These one would have to assume aren't lazy, they did what society said they were to do, have a higher unemployment rate than even white non college grads.

The solution? Integration didn't work as a collective. Learn the lessons of other groups who were excluded from the greater economy. Build your own parallel economy via entrepreneurship such as the Jews, Koreans, Chinese, etc. Buy mainly from each other, sell to anyone. The difference between Koreatown in LA, the varios Chinatowns in America, and before they were integrated, Jewish neighborhoods and black areas was that in the former, they owned all the businesses, buildings, etc. in their own area which insulate them from the majority culture while blacks control nothing in their own areas. Thats the solution. Cops do not harrass blacks in the upper middle class predominantly black areas. Why? There are consequences. These residents are doctors, lawyers, accountants, small business owners, all homeowners. Just the same in a middle class white neighborhood. But in the inner city, there are no repurcussions. Ferguson is an anomoly. For every Ferguson outrage, the other 99 get no attention or have consequence. Ferguson was a 'last straw' scenario after numerous issues nationwide. The stark reality that the majority have not accepted is that no one gives a f*ck. Really, they don't. So, trying to protest and explain the fact as I did, really have no value. The solution is to do what Jews, Gays and other maligned groups did. Build and control your own to insulate yourself. Econmic power is the ONLY thing thats understood. The Irish did that. They learned that if they chose one of their own and supported him for mayor, police chief, etc. they could help each other through patronage and they had the numbers to make it happen. So, they dominated cityjobs, union jobs. Instead of being in the Paddy Wagon, they were now cops. Hence the new stereotype of the Irish cop on the beat.

[unit731]

Former Defense Department Employee Sentenced

To 40 Months in Prison for $2.5 Million Health Care Fraud

-Veteran Admits Submitting Fraudulent Claims for Medical Expenses-

 

WASHINGTON – Jonathan M. Hargett, a former civilian employee of the Department of Defense, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison on a charge of health care fraud stemming from a scheme in which he collected over $2.2 million after submitting fraudulent claims for federal health care benefits.

 

The sentencing was announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Robert E. Craig, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS); Patrick E. McFarland, Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM); Gregg Hirstein, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General, Central Field Office of Investigations; and Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit.

 

Hargett, 42, formerly of Germany, pled guilty on Sept. 8, 2014, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was indicted in October 2013, extradited from Germany, and returned to the United States in July 2014. He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman. Upon completion of his prison term, Hargett will be placed on three years of supervised release. The plea agreement also calls for Hargett to pay over $2.2 million in restitution to the United States. He also is subject to a forfeiture money judgment in the same amount. The government has seized more than $704,000 from Hargett’s bank accounts, and German authorities have seized or frozen over $500,000.

 

“Jonathan Hargett is headed to prison because he ripped off more than $2 million from the American taxpayer,†said U.S. Attorney Machen. “His bogus medical claims drained resources from a program designed to serve wounded veterans. Defending the integrity of federal health care programs is a top priority because it protects the funds needed to provide medical services to our veterans and other deserving citizens.â€

 

“Protecting the integrity of the Department of Defense's programs and resources, to include health care funding, is of critical importance to the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),†said Special Agent in Charge Craig. “When government personnel display a blatant disregard for the law and intentionally divert taxpayer money to enrich themselves, DCIS and our law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate, work to ensure prosecution to the fullest extent possible, and seek to recover all available funds so they may be returned to proper use.â€

 

“The purpose of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program is to provide for the health and well-being of Federal employees, retirees, and their families,†said Inspector General McFarland of the OPM. “Through his unscrupulous actions, Mr. Hargett not only stole from enrollees and the American taxpayers, he also violated their trust. We are all gratified to see that he will be held accountable.â€

 

“The VA's Foreign Medical Program is extremely important to veterans who need medical care while residing or traveling abroad,†said Special Agent in Charge Hirstein. “Today's sentencing reaffirms the VA Office of Inspector General's commitment to bring to justice those who steal from such programs which promote the health and well-being of our nation's deserving veterans.â€

 

We applaud Mr. Hargett's sentencing and are pleased that he has been brought to justice for fraud and stealing from the American taxpayer,†said Director Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “We cannot emphasize enough that if you attempt to steal and commit fraud against the DOD and U.S. Army, you will be caught and brought to justice. Mr. Hargett is a prime example.â€

 

According to a statement of offense submitted to the Court at the time of the guilty plea, Hargett worked from 1996 through 2012 in various positions as a civilian employee for the Department of Defense in Germany. From January 2011 through May 2012, he was an intelligence analyst stationed in Heidelberg. Previously, he had served in the U.S. Army from 1992 to 1996.

As a federal employee stationed overseas, Hargett was enrolled since 2002 in the Foreign Service Benefit Plan (FSBP), a health care benefit program. Because of his service in the Army, he also was eligible for health care coverage from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. For veterans working or residing abroad, the VA provides this coverage through its Foreign Medical Program (VA-FMP).

 

From January 2007 through April 2012, according to the statement of offense, Hargett carried out a scheme to submit fraudulent claims and invoices to the FSBP and the VA-FMP. The claims falsely represented that Hargett bought prescription medications and other pharmaceutical items from a pharmacy in Germany. They also falsely represented that he had received and paid for various health care items and services from a doctor in Germany. Hargett also created and submitted forged invoices and other fraudulent paperwork, and admitted creating many of the false invoices on his government computer at the U.S. Army base in Heidelberg, Germany.

 

All told, Hargett submitted more than $2.5 million in false claims to the two government health care programs, for items and services Hargett never received and never paid for. As a result, Hargett wrongfully obtained more than $2.2 million, including about $943,519 from the FSBP and $1,261,512 from the VA-FMP.

 

This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Office of the Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Assistance was provided by the Office of International Affairs in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; the Department of Defense; U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) Legal Office; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney G. Saleski; Paralegal Specialist Donna Galindo, and former Paralegal Specialist Nicole Wattelet.

 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ted Radway and Peter Lallas, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, of the office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.

 

LINK

[Flashermac]

How stupid can you get?

 

US Army 'surprised' to be labelled racist following 'chinks' tweet

 

The US Army has expressed its surprise after being inundated with accusations of racism following a seemingly innocent post on social media site Twitter.

 

The forces posted a tweet to its 589,000 followers on Thursday (29 January), which read: "Chinks in special ops' digital and physical armor poses challenges, experts say."

 

However, some users of Twitter were apparently unfamiliar with the literal definition of the word "chinks" – as in a weak spot that may leave one vulnerable, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary – and misinterpreted it for the racially offensive term for Chinese people.

 

The Twittersphere erupted with outrage shortly after, which left some demanding an apology.

 

...

 

http://www.ibtimes.c...s-tweet-1485974

[unit731]

Apparently, there are a lot of Asians in the armour and metallurgy business.

[jitagawn]

That's so hilariously stupid and PC.

[Flashermac]

Southern California Edison layoffs get U.S. Senate attention

 

 

 

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who heads the Senate's immigration subcommittee and has emerged as a strong critic of the H-1B visa, cited SCE's layoffs in a speech in the Senate on Thursday.

 

"Apparently, Southern California Edison -- a power company rooted in the United States of America... [and] a quasi-almost-government entity under the regulatory powers of the State [is] terminating the employment of people who have been with them for a number of years," said Sessions.

 

The utility, Southern California's largest, is cutting about 500 IT workers, 100 of them through voluntary departures and others through layoffs. The layoffs have been happening in phases since August. A group was due to be laid off today, and another group is scheduled to go on March 6. The company says the layoffs will be completed by the end of the March.

 

SCE "is transitioning those positions to foreign employees who have come in under the H-1B visa program for the sole purpose of taking a job. They are not coming under the immigration policy where they would move from green card into permanent residence and into citizenship. They come solely for a limited period of time to take a job, and they work for less pay too often," said Sessions.

 

The layoffs began after SCE began transitioning some of its IT work to two India-based IT services firms, Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services.

 

Sessions, on the floor of the Senate, read parts of Computerworld's story about the workers -- along with some of their quotes -- while adding in his own observations.

 

Sessions criticized President Barack Obama's support for an increase in the H-1B cap, but some in his own party support an H-1B cap hike.

 

"What is in the interest of American workers at a time when we are laying off large numbers of workers -- skilled and unskilled?" said Sessions. "Do we really need massive increases in foreign workers? Do we need to pass legislation that would double the number of guest workers that come into the country at this time? I think not."

 

Here is a partial transcript of Session's remarks from the Congressional Record:

 

"Here is a dramatic article in Computerworld about the big power company in California--Southern California Edison. What have they done recently? Information technology workers at Southern California Edison are being laid off and replaced by workers from India. Some employees are training their H-1B visa-holding replacements, and many have already lost their jobs. The employees are upset and they say they can't understand how H-1B guest workers can be used to replace them since they are already doing the job now.

 

"Apparently, Southern California Edison -- a power company rooted in the United States of America -- is converting, laying off, and terminating the employment of people who have been with them for a number of years. Southern California Edison is transitioning those positions to foreign employees who have come in under the H-1B visa program for the sole purpose of taking a job. They are not coming under the immigration policy where they would move from green card into permanent residence and into citizenship. They come solely for a limited period of time to take a job, and they work for less pay too often.

 

"This is what one person said: 'They are bringing in people with a couple of years' experience to replace us and then we have to train them,' said one long-time IT worker. 'It's demoralizing and in a way I kind of felt betrayed by the company.''

 

"SCE, Southern California's largest utility -- which is a quasi-almost-government entity under the regulatory powers of the State -- has confirmed the layoffs and the hiring of Infosys, based in Bangalore, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Mumbai. They are two of the largest users of H-1B visas.

 

"Apparently, what happens is these companies sign up workers in -- in this case -- India, and they call up the big power company and say: Look, we have all these young people who have an education, and your salaries are real generous to them, they like your salaries, and we will just send them over on H-1B visas. They can stay 3 years and then return to their country and you can get rid of all those American workers. Maybe you will not have to pay such high retirement or health care benefits.

 

"The article goes on to say: Computerworld interviewed, separately, four affected SCE IT employees. They agreed to talk on the condition that their names not be used. The IT employees at SCE are 'beyond furious,' said a second IT worker. The H-1B program 'was supposed to be for projects and jobs that American workers could not fill,' this worker said. 'But we're doing our job. It's not like they are bringing in these guys for new positions that nobody can fill.'

 

"It goes on to say: 'Not one of these jobs being filled by India was a job that an Edison employee wasn't already performing,'' he said.

 

"It goes on to talk about this. Professor Ron Hira, who studied this in great depth and has written about this problem for some time, made some comments on it, too: The SCE outsourcing 'is one more case, in a long line of them, of injustice where American workers are being replaced by H-1B's,' said Ron Hira, a public policy professor at Howard University, and a researcher on offshore outsourcing. Adding to the injustice, American workers are being forced to do 'knowledge transfer,' an ugly euphemism for being forced to train their foreign replacements.'

 

"He goes on to say: 'Americans should be outraged that most of our politicians have sat idly by while outsourcing firms have hijacked the guest worker programs.''

 

"So the guest worker program is supposed to help businesses. If they can't get people to work, then they can apply to this program, which has some limits. Yet the President proposes doubling the number of people who can come in with H-1B visas to work. He wants to double that number. He has been demanding that.

 

But Mr. Hira said:

 

"'The majority of the H-1B program is now being used to replace Americans and to facilitate offshoring of high wage jobs.'

 

"So this is a pretty thorough article in Computerworld, and it is a growing problem in the high-tech industry."

 

http://www.computerw...-attention.html

[cavanami]

Hellllllllllllllllllo...welcome to the 21st century!

 

What company hasn't outsourced to India and China in the past few decades?

[Steve]

Truly, truly shocking. The lack of outrage is the scariest thing and truly signals what we already know. America is not a country of laws, principle and no longer a Republic.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/22/netanyahu-to-address-congress-on-march-3-boehner-says/

 

Boehner, openly breaks the law. [The Logan Act (1 Stat. 613, 30 January 1799, currently codified at 18 U.S.C. § 953) is a United States federal law that forbids unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments. It was passed in 1799 and last amended in 1994.] and brazenly defends it on the news show Meet The Press. Its mind boggling. He openly says he did not tell the White House, clear and unquivocal violation of the Logan Act. No wiggnle room.

 

ANY congressman that attends the speech is supporting violation of the law. No ifs, ands or butts. We used to have principles, the constitution and rule of law over anything, party, personal feelings, etc. I was just as adamant when Clinton skirted US law by getting us into Bosnia as a NATO act.

 

Its been a long standing tradtion that the President does not entertain any head of state who has an election in the near future as to be fair to the democratic process. A photo op with the President of the US is one of the most valuable photo ops for any world leader, even opposing ones.

 

The lack of outrage is astounding to me. This also illustrates how on the extreme right they have never recognized Obama as a legitmate President. Chris Matthews of MSNBC would do an exercise where he would routinely ask Republican guests if Obama is the lawful President and a scary number of them would refuse to acknoweldge that fact. You can all use your own reason and logic as to why they don't. Some hide behind the 'birther' issue to mask the elephant in the room.

 

We have reached a nadir, not seen for many years.

[cavanami]

Our "masters", the politician are waaaaaaaaaay above any law and can freely do what they want!

 

...maybe start hanging a few in the public square to get some attention on matters!!!