Usa Thread

[Flashermac]

The new so called 'Blue Lives Matter' laws states like Louisiana and others have are basically laws that make it virtually impossible for cops to be convicted of murder. All the cop has to do is say he felt his life was threatened. It doesn't question the absurdity of the threat, such as the 12 year old boy in a park in Cleveland with a toy gun and was shot literally upon arrival, as soon as the cop opened the car door. And this is in an open carry state where its legal to have a gun on you publicly. No conviction. Or the Walter Scott case where the cop got off claiming fear of life while on video shooting a fleeing man in the back and planting evidence on him.

 

Cops have an extremely high degree of suicide and domestic violence. Far above the rates for virtually all professions. Yet, they have great press. The 'its a tough job' is trotted out and it is. Its stating the obvious. It's also a job that isn't forced on anyone. Just like my 4 older brothers who joined the military and a few saw combat. They knew it was a possibility.

 

The right has elevated cops to deity, while demonizing teachers. Why? Teachers and teacher unions are huge and vote Democrat. Teacher unions are vilified. But you never, ever hear the anti union chants against police unions who have some of the cushiest contracts of any blue collar/middle class profession. Why? They (and the firefighters union) tend to vote Republican in national elections.

 

I have a HS classmate who is a Penna. cop and I have a very good friend who is an LA county deputy sheriff who I introduced to his wife and they have two beautiful kids. From what I know of them they are great guys. The problem and they will tell me privately is that if you are a cop that tries to stop or report the bad ones you are ostracized and your career will suffer.

 

 

 

There is a 2006 FBI report stating that law enforcement nationally has been infiltrated by white supremacists.

http://www.pbs.org/n...aw-enforcement/

 

NOTHING has been done about by the justice department. Shocking..but maybe if I really think about it, I shouldn't be. If there was a report of moslem extremists, chinese american double agents, infiltrating law enforcement, it would be a top priority, but since neo nazis and KKK members don't affect the 86% of the population that isn't Black (in theory as to effect), who cares? You're white, doesn't affect you.

 

The country seriously fucked up. It will reach a breaking point in some form or fashion. My personal opinion and I've stated this before, is its reminiscent of the fall of Rome. It will be a too little, too late proposition. I think a lot of things we see bad going on is out of fear by some groups over demographic and economic changes. The 1% have a divide and conquer strategy that has worked not only in America but historically. Why re-invent the wheel?

 

The 1% pays for the elections so they call the shots. China is not perfect but they have a strategy that makes China win. America doesn't and have sped up its own demise and downward spiral.

 

If a President Chocolat Steve was elected, among a myriad of things.

 

1. No kid leaves HS without knowing basic coding along with the 3 R's (reading, writing, arithmetic). We live in a society that its a must to know it. Even if you don't use it. I don't care if you are going to be a dancer, painter or football player, the world is tech.

2. Massive infrastructure spending. 90 percent of Americans haven't been to the other G8 nations and so are woefully ignorant of just how decrepit our infrastructure is and it would solve a lot of employment issues. Those coal miners could transition to local projects. Same with the urban poor. Only use U.S. companies with U.S. labor. Those dollars are recycled locally, organically creating more jobs. These include STEM related jobs

3. Demographic and economic trends is now pretty much a precise science. Carrot for jobs that are needed. Free or reduced tuition for majors in desperately needed occupations. Google and the tech industry lacks programmers with the skills needed and want sub continent asians because they can't find enough domestic talent. Free tuition for those majors, zero if you want to major in women's studies, african american or chicano studies, LBGT studies or even white studies if there is such a thing. Do that in your own spare time or through electives. Do the carrot and stick with regards to the free tuition proposal Bernie Sanders suggests.

4. Areas that are over invested in dying industries (coal for example). They knew that 20 or 30 years ago. Those areas should have been transitioned into new, needed jobs. The now deceased Senator Byrd of West Virginia used his power to move some of the FBI processing of paperwork to that state. When I need to get an FBI background check done its send to W. Virginia. Doesn't take much for a coal miner to learn how to process paperwork. That building had to be built, local labor. That building needs security, janitors, etc. Re-start 'Enterprise zones' that was proposed in the '90s for such chronically poor areas.

 

 

CS, I said long ago that you had my vote for President. The problem is you're too intelligent and sensible ever to be nominated. Bernie Sanders already scared the daylights out of the powers that run the Democrats. The "deep state" is in charge and isn't about to give it up.

[Coss]

Sean Spicer Resigns as White House Press Secretary

 

WASHINGTON — Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, resigned on Friday morning, after denouncing chaos in the West Wing and telling President Trump he vehemently disagreed with the appointment of the New York financier Anthony Scaramucci as communications director.

 

Mr. Trump offered Mr. Scaramucci the job at 10 a.m. The president requested that Mr. Spicer stay on, but Mr. Spicer told Mr. Trump that he believed the appointment was a major mistake, according to a person with direct knowledge of the exchange.

 

A spokeswoman for the president, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was elevated to press secretary. She said Mr. Trump is grateful for Mr. Spicer’s service and that the president believes Mr. Spicer will succeed going forward.“Just look at his great television ratings,†Mr. Trump said in a statement read by Ms. Sanders during a White House briefing on Friday.

 

Mr. Spicer’s turbulent tenure as the president’s top spokesman was marked by a combative style with the news media that spawned a caricature of him on “Saturday Night Live.

 

He had hoped to last a year. He lasted six months and a day.

 

https://www.nytimes....trref=undefined

[bust]

Embattled Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau has resigned after coming under fire for not returning from a holiday when one of her officers shot unarmed Australian woman Justine Damond.

 

Minneapolis Police Department

 

Resignation Statement from Chief Harteau

 

Over the 30+ years that I’ve served as a police officer in the City of Mpls, moving up through the ranks to Police Chief, I have woken up every day knowing that this job is not about me. It is about the members of the communities that we serve and the police officers who protect our residents. I am proud of the great work the MPD has accomplished. For example, I am proud we are already a leader in 21st Century and community policing. However, last Saturday’s tragedy, as well as some other recent incidents, have caused me to engage in deep reflection. The recent incidents do not reflect the training and procedures we’ve developed as a Department. Despite the MPD’s many accomplishments under my leadership over these years and my love for the City, I have to put the communities we serve first. I’ve decided I am willing to step aside to let a fresh set of leadership eyes see what more can be done for the MPD to be the very best it can be. The city of Minneapolis deserves the very best.

 

I want to thank the countless community, business and law enforcement leaders that I’ve partnered with over the past three decades. Together we have built a department to be proud of through our accomplishments including MPD 2.0, our groundbreaking work with the National Initiative, Cops out of Cars, National Night Out Championships, Police Community Chaplains, the Police Community Support Team, increasing our overall department diversity, the Office of Justice Programs Assessment, Bike Cops for Kids, the Body Worn Camera program, Procedural Justice, the Chief’s Citizens Advisory Council, our Community Collaborative Advancement division, the Quality Assurance Division, the Mental Health Co-Responder program, the Leadership and Organizational Development Division and building sustainable relationships within the community.

My goal with MPD 2.0 was to leave the department better than when I became Chief, and I believe that we have.

It’s been an honor to serve the residents of Minneapolis and the officers of the Minneapolis Police Department

[Flashermac]

A former policeman's comment on the shooting: "I'm telling you this is a simple trigger discipline mistake. This idiot had his pistol out with his finger on the trigger and got startled. Gun goes off, girl get hit. Simple as that and totally preventable."

 

In other words, the cop wasn't properly trained.

[Steve]

Without a video, its almost always the cop's narrative that wins out unless they pressure his partner so much that he says different. The code is you support your own. This will get tested as this is now an international story.

[Coss]

On Trump:

 

Most of what I post on Trump is reposting content from elsewhere, in doing so, I'm trying to draw attention to news, that brings it's own message, for which comment is superfluous, to us normal, clear thinking folk, like wot we have here on this board.

 

I've got a couple of comments that are, my own.

 

Snarky comment: If the urination fetish stories are true, that Trump had underage hookers piss on him and enjoys such ablutions, then that would explain the colour of his hair.

 

Observation: I don't think these stories are true, it seems to me, that in all the footage and photos and in the circumstances of Trump and Putin's meetings, that Trump has not behaved, even for a moment, as one who is the subject of blackmail, real or unstated, by Putin.

 

And now this:

 

"While all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us.FAKE NEWS" from the Trump himself.

 

My question is

 

"only crime so far", so far, so far?

 

Either this guy is expecting crimes to be revealed or, his use of English is that of a dolt, oh wait.....

 

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump

[Flashermac]

Without a video, its almost always the cop's narrative that wins out unless they pressure his partner so much that he says different. The code is you support your own. This will get tested as this is now an international story.

 

 

My retired cop friend told me that. His says the pressure is heavily on you to support your colleagues, even when you know they did wrong. He also said he thinks both of these policemen ought to be locked up. That won't happen though.

 

He said the pressure on you is so great that quite a few policemen decide they had enough and resign. One of his police sergeants reached the limit one day. He took of his badge, laid his pistol and belt on the desk, and said, "I've had it. I quit." And he walked out the door never to return, except to hand in his resignation. The guy was more than halfway to a pension too.

[Steve]

I get the back your colleague up right or wrong. I grew up in such an area. My first fights happened because a guy in our crew was a loudmouth and started shit. You can't let him get beat up so you had to help. Later on we would get on his case for starting shit but he knew the neighborhood code would always protect him. It was the same for all urban areas.

In sports its the same. Little leauge, if our pitcher beaned someone and we had a lefty who would do it if he got a homerun hit off him, next time up he'd bean the guy, benches cleared but we had his back.

So, I get it. But when at some point, with lives at stake, it has to take a precedence. How do you sleep at night knowing you let your partner put you and him in a position to kill someone unjustly. I've never been in a war but I'd think its similar too. My uncle was in the Korean war, he said there was a guy, who was a complete nut (and this is an uncle with PTSD and bi polar which is saying something) and would justify killing people running to them for food in case they had a grenade. These were friendly villages. But they backed him when word reached central command. from someone.

[bust]

Trump to Paul Manafort: "…You treat me like a baby! Am I like a baby to you…Am I a fucking baby, Paul?â€

 

 

 

[Steve]

Russia is not our friend. I have to question the patriotism of anyone who puts attempts at infiltration by an enemy state below their own political self interests. I'd be saying the same if it was the GOP who got hacked.

If China prefers a Democratic president and hacks GOP sites and people for info in the next election and the same thing happens is it okay?

There is nothing wrong with 'opposition research'. Its part of a campaign, research what the other guy has done and hit him or hers political missteps. I get that, we accept that.

Not seeing the problem when it comes from an enemy state is another issue. I would ask if it wasn't a Russian who set up a meeting to offer secrets of the opposition and it was a North Korean or Iranian national, how is that different?

There are some things you put above politics.

A suggestion. The GOP should have went to the Democrats and said 'Look, this is about an enemy state. Lets both agree to investigate it fully. Lets also make a gentleman's agreement not to politicize it. Lets not use it in ads about the party as a collective, because we want to encourage people to put principle and ethics and patriotism over party. No matter what, if it turns out to be bad, lets not use it to de-legitimize the election.