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  • Current Events & Politics Moderators: deficiT | tryptakid | Foreigner

Terror attack in NYC involving truck.

The soviet union disbanded over 25 years ago.

I'm not sure why you keep trolling when i try to engage you in mature discussion.

Wow...holy shit bluelight is so different on PC!!! Sorry I was posting that in this thread! Uhh....trust me....my bluelight experience looks totally different on PC...I cannot believe I posted so out of topic as a mod. Err sorry.

PS SPacejunk....do I really need to remind you I affectionately call Russia alternately the soviet union? Really?
 
I simply don't believe trump can be said to have knowingly rigged the election. Illegally influenced? Perhaps. But rigged to the point of a foregone conclusion? No way.

Trump strikes me as the kind of guy who detests being wrong. Looking for any excuse after the fact to make clearing being wrong not being wrong.

If he knew he was gonna win, he wouldn't have ranted over and over that it was rigged against him. I think he believed he was quite likely to lose. And let's face it, a lot of us thought the same at the time. Him saying it was rigged against him was a precaution so that if he lost, which at the time he considered the more likely outcome, he could jump up and down and say "see? I told you!" To his supporters.

I just don't see him saying it was rigged against him if he knew he was most likely to win.

Obviously that doesn't rule out the kind of unlawful immoral tactics and influences he and his campaign may have engaged in preelection. But I think suggesting he outright "rigged it" is going too far.
 
Wow...holy shit bluelight is so different on PC!!! Sorry I was posting that in this thread! Uhh....trust me....my bluelight experience looks totally different on PC...I cannot believe I posted so out of topic as a mod. Err sorry.

PS SPacejunk....do I really need to remind you I affectionately call Russia alternately the soviet union? Really?

I dunno, it doesn't make much sense to me. It's russia, and not the CCCP.

It's a shame the soviet union collapsed, because at least the soviets weren't exporting mafia kleptocrat oligarchy to other world powers. They were just trying to make a better world through prolitarian revolution, and there ain't nothing wrong with that.

So, trump is attacking another democratic principle - the presumption of innocence.
A bit hard for a guy to get a fair trial when the president of the country is baying for his blood.

I imagine if trump had his way, there would be public executions in the mall in Washington DC beneath the monument to his YUGE hands.

In all seriousness though - how depressing is that?
 
Not at all, no.

I believe in socialism, and am pro-communist for sure, but i don't consider myself a marxist.
Autonomy is too important to me to conform to any sort of dogma. I'm an anarchist at heart.

I don't think the cold war is as simple as "won" or "lost".
If the USA won, they've absolutely squandered any advantage it got them - the US is in a far worse state now than it was in the second half of the 20th century, and the current administration has been infiltrated by the dark, dysfunctional forces that took over russia when the USSR collapsed.
The "freedom" of the so-called "free world" has been greatly eroded, and i imagine a lot of americans are nostalgic for the days when they could afford housing and other necessities with the wages they toil for.

Certainly a lot of surveys indicate that a lot Russians think they were better off under communism. Capitalism is unsustainable; infinite economic growth is impossible in a world of finite resources.

I suspect climate change will force humans to reassess our priorities soon enough, but i fear by then it will be too late.

One of the sad things about that is the fact that climate change will create millions of refugees, and the world is being trained to be hostile and cold towards people running for their lives.

Either way, i think governments need to govern for people, not corporations. The sad thing about the cold war is this lasting misconception about socialism; as if socially-driven governance is a bad thing for people.
That's an impressive bit of spin...
 
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Back on topic - trump's latest assault on US democratic institutions;

Trump's 'alarming' death penalty call threatens suspect's chance of fair trial, experts warn

Donald Trump’s decision to call for the death penalty for the suspect in this week’s terrorist attack in New York could threaten his chance of a fair trial, legal experts have warned.

The president first called for the execution of Sayfullo Saipov on Wednesday and renewed his call on Thursday morning.

“NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!” Trump tweeted on Wednesday night.

On Thursday morning he followed up by appearing to rule out sending Saipov to the Guantánamo Bay detention facility in Cuba, something he had mooted on Wednesday.

“Would love to send the NYC terrorist to Guantanamo but statistically that process takes much longer than going through the Federal system,” the president tweeted. “There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed. Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!”

Saipov, 29, has been charged with causing the deaths of eight people and providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization – Islamic State. He is accused of driving the truck down a bike path on Manhattan’s west side, and was hospitalized after being shot by a police officer and arrested.

He told investigators he had been inspired by watching Islamic State videos and began planning Tuesday’s attack a year ago, according to a criminal complaint filed against him on Wednesday.

“Making a broad statement that he deserves the death penalty before he has stood trial is something that absolutely influences jurors – this is coming from the most powerful person in the United States,” said Anna Cominsky, a law professor at New York Law School.

She added: “What happened here was a horrible tragedy, but our constitution says no matter how egregious a crime, a defendant is innocent until proven guilty and in effect the president has already said the person is guilty. It’s very disappointing and it’s not how the system works. I think the legal community is surprised and it’s this particular comment that’s alarming.”

Gannon Coens, a defence attorney at Bodiford Law in Tallahassee, Florida, said Trump was “a very divisive person”.

“If I was defending this client I certainly would not be pleased. It does not help in any way and it would make my job more difficult.”

Coens said the comments might not make it impossible to pick a jury, but would probably slow the process down. The selection process, during which potential jurors are asked if they have heard or seen things that might make them biased in a case, can take weeks or even months in high profile cases.

One legal expert, who asked not to be named, said: “Comments like this could pollute the jury pool. It was inappropriate.”

The judge in the case of army sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who is waiting to be sentenced for walking off his post in Afghanistan, said recently that his punishment might end up being lighter because of harsh comments made about the soldier by Trump on the campaign trail.

The chances of Saipov receiving the death penalty on federal charges in a court in New York are slim. The last time a federal case tried in New York ended in an execution was 1954. In the most recent case, Ronnell Wilson, who was sentenced to death for murdering two undercover detectives in 2003, had his death sentence overturned based on his reduced mental capacity.

Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said: “No one is on federal death row in the US for a crime committed in New York state.” There have only been three federal executions since 1963.

Vehicle assaults similar to the New York attack took place in Spain in August and in France and Germany last year, claiming dozens of lives. Saipov told authorities he made a trial run with a rental truck on 22 October to practise turning the vehicle and “stated that he felt good about what he had done” after the attack, the complaint alleged.

The 10-page charging document said Saipov waived his rights to remain silent and avoid self-incrimination in agreeing to speak to investigators without an attorney present from his bed at Bellevue hospital center in Manhattan.

The complaint said Saipov had requested permission to display the Islamic State flag in his hospital room.

Eight people killed after truck drives on to New York bike path – video report
It said he was particularly motivated by seeing a video in which Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi – who led the campaign by Isis to seize territory for a self-proclaimed caliphate within Iraq and Syria – exhorted Muslims in the US and elsewhere to support the group’s cause.

Investigators found thousands of Isis-related propaganda images and videos on a cellphone belonging to Saipov, including video clips showing Isis prisoners being beheaded, run over by a tank and shot in the face, the complaint said.

US law enforcement officials, speaking anonymously, said Saipov had been in contact with Kadirov and another person of interest in the investigation, though they did not elaborate.

Tuesday’s assault was the deadliest in New York City since 9/11, when suicide hijackers crashed two jetliners into the World Trade Center, killing more than 2,600 people.

Of those killed, five were Argentinian tourists, who were among a group of friends visiting New York to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their high school graduation, one was a Belgian citizen, one was a New York resident and one lived in New Jersey.

Saipov allegedly used a pickup truck rented from a New Jersey Home Depot store to run down pedestrians and cyclists along a 20-block stretch of the bike path beside the Hudson river before slamming into a school bus.

According to authorities, he then left his vehicle shouting “Allahu Akbar” and brandishing what turned out to be a paintball gun and a pellet gun before a police officer shot him in the abdomen.

Saipov, seated in a wheelchair, appeared for a brief hearing in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday evening. Saipov did not ask for bail and was remanded to federal custody. It was not immediately clear where he would be held.

Saipov lived in Paterson, New Jersey, a one-time industrial hub about 25 miles (40km) north-west of lower Manhattan.

On Wednesday there people reacted with terror, disbelief and shock that a neighbor may have perpetrated such an act. But one reaction appeared common: a desire to stay out of the spotlight.

Hilmi, a 56-year-old man who refused to give his last name, said he had seen Saipov once or twice at Omar Mosque, “but he’s not like a member”.

Multiple neighbors confirmed that Saipov had two daughters and a young son, but few were able to describe him beyond that.

Hilmi said he saw Saipov, “take the kids from the van,” but that Saipov had only lived there about six months.

Saipov lived in an immigrant neighborhood. His immediate neighbors were from Morocco and Macedonia. Workers at the nearby recycling plant are Polish.

The city clearly had jitters. “It’s terrifying,” said Maria Rivas, a 32-year-old mother who lives a few streets from the suspect.

She said she had left work because she was so scared. “It’s really close to home,” she said.

Link


Speaking of the death penalty, is treason still punishable by death?
 
Lol. Well he was just reacting. That stuff makes people mad though I admit if I were President id avoided his language but thats how people from queens talk. It annoys me too but what cha gonna do?
 
Even CNN as of today says there is no proof of "collusion" and I still don't know what a Russian collusion looks like yet but Im open minded...make the case for me. Trump "rigged" the election.... That's the point you are making? What do you know that CNN doesn't? Facebook told congress a few days ago all of the Russians rigged the election fake news was from Russia.

Trump's never rigged anything other than his hair. His campaign worked with a hostile foreign power, though. That much is sworn testimony.

It's also fact that the Russians interfered with our election, and Manafort, who worked "for" Trump, worked for the Russians recently undermining other presidential elections.

He'll fill in the details soon after his plea deal to avoid life in prison.

None of this is new information, we knew if before the election, but people are finally going to go to prison. Do fans of Trump care? Not at all. They still belittle it.

All the straight line arrows in the world won't budge Trump supporters, but someone says cheese pizza in a Clinton email, and it's all pedophile sex ring.

Clinton continues her predecessor's email habits, and we have like twelve congressional hearings and FBI investigations, and people here who still think she deserves prison for . . . having email. Cause the wrong people might see classified info!!!

But a puppet president, hey, happens all the time.

Maybe skin color matters to you more than I.

My point sir, twice now, was it matters a whole fucking lot to your president and the people who voted for him.
Every single one? Of course not, don't keep that going. A majority of them? Fuck yes.
 
Im not sure how to answer that to be fair due to lack of executive signatures on bills. I can answer using the last guy....knew aca was a loser, liked arab spring back in my more hawkish years but he made me sick when he let assad stay.....seeing syrians shot in the jaw affected me in 2011. I got sick to my stomach upon his reelection. With the whole nsa stuff in that period...I turned then.

I cannot compare Trump to that. His manor isms and speech have always annoyed me....I just hate the way east coasters speak but I cant dislike the man for that.

^ what would trump actually have to do before you’d really give a shit, mgs?

alasdair
 
Ps...now I think arab spring was awful. He really fucked Gaddafi who trusted us. And Mubarak.... That was our friend and way better the brotherhood. Welcome sisi.
 
How are the Syrians doing with your man now?

They were kind of in a pickle when we last saw them, with a civil war going strong in the north, millions of refugees. I think Trump told them to fuck off, right?


Arab spring was when the vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire in protest of corruption, which saw uprisings briefly across the middle east and north Africa. It didn't have any (known) western influence until it looked like qaddafi might be on the ropes.

(Qaddafi was kind of a bad man, not one to root for)
 
Although I agree fully in principle that you stand and respect the flag....i hate football and wish the president did too. Not behind a lot of things he does but mostly because he is brash and primitive. I was never sold on a wall but I agree with border enforcement. I wish he would leave drug addicts alone but I dont blame him for this supposed epidemic.

None of this matters....Ill turn in 4 years if he lives up to nothing....or sooner if he does something....im waiting for stuff to happen.
 
I dont know about Syria. They say daesh is defeated and I really dont believe anyone outside damascus or the aliwait corner likes him. Do syrians miss the caliphate? You tell me.
 
Yeah dude...i didnt root for him. I said obama backstabbed him.
How are the Syrians doing with your man now?

They were kind of in a pickle when we last saw them, with a civil war going strong in the north, millions of refugees. I think Trump told them to fuck off, right?


Arab spring was when the vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire in protest of corruption, which saw uprisings briefly across the middle east and north Africa. It didn't have any (known) western influence until it looked like qaddafi might be on the ropes.

(Qaddafi was kind of a bad man, not one to root for)
 
I think the french might have--they were the ones who paid qaddafi to keep the boat people away from their coast.

Either way, his passing is not a bad thing.
 
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