Gas Bandit's Political Thread

[Mr_Chaz]

Zimbabwean refugees in the UK protest for the right to be allowed to pay taxes.

I find this absurd, really. If you're not allowed to work or even get benefits, you have nothing to do but resort to crime. In general, small restaurants will employ them in the kitchen, where the customers can't tell who's preparing their food. Or factories looking for cheap labour. And that's pretty much it.

The U.K. has a fairly lengthy immigration process. Comes of being a relatively small country where a lot of people want to live. Well, that, and the immigrant-bashing hysteria the tabloids so enjoy whipping up.

It's a bizarre situation. With our immigration laws currently, they aren't allowed to become legal immigrants because many of them are unskilled, however current UK policy is not to deport people to Zimbabwe because of the human rights abuses there. This leaves them all in limbo, with the government paying to look after them, and not getting anything back from them.

The sooner the govt can sort this one out the better. Just give them legal status and let them find some work. At least then they'll be able to pay some of the money back.

And interestingly, even in the current recession some employers are finding it hard to get labour: many eastern European workers are going home, and the British work force don't want to do these jobs. So at least some of these refugees could get work. If they don't find any then they're still no worse off than before are they?

 

[GasBandit]

Apparently the army is having to turn so many applicants away for obesity they're starting to think about starting a pre-army fat farm.

 

[JCM]

Oh fuck...

Anyway back to the Middle East, the grand Mufti of US-supported Saudi Arabia has declared that it is an injustice to 10 years girls if you disallow them to marry
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldne ... leric.html

Remember Afghanistan? Girls are still getting their faces splashed with acid for attending school, Taliban still being dicks and laughing at the useless government set up by the US
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/world ... 90&ei=5124

Oh, and today the army confirmed the death of Pvt. Sean P. McCune, 20, of Euless, Texas, on Jan. 11, according to washington's post's count, makes it 4845 dead so far in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, 4087 after "Mission accomplished.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/
Iraqi deaths estimated at 1,307,319.

Oh, and Obama's picture is being burned in Iranian protests, never mind he isn't president yet
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow ... 53159.jpg/

With so much war and terrorism going on, the pope prioritizes and declares war on people who claim to have seen Jesus or Mary
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldne ... -Mary.html

 

[Espy]

Oh, and Obama's picture is being burned in Iranian protests, never mind he isn't president yet
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow ... 53159.jpg/

Well, give them points for eagerness.

 

[Futureking]

Remember Afghanistan? Girls are still getting their faces splashed with acid for attending school, Taliban still being dicks and laughing at the useless government set up by the US
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/world ... 90&ei=5124

Oh, and Obama's picture is being burned in Iranian protests, never mind he isn't president yet
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow ... 53159.jpg/

Yeah, but girls are going to school now. What does that say about the Afghan public viewpoint of the Taliban?

And yeah. Arabs hate everyone in general.

 

[JCM]

Remember Afghanistan? Girls are still getting their faces splashed with acid for attending school, Taliban still being dicks and laughing at the useless government set up by the US
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/world ... 90&ei=5124

Oh, and Obama's picture is being burned in Iranian protests, never mind he isn't president yet
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow ... 53159.jpg/

Yeah, but no one's scared of the Taliban likewise. Girls are going to school now.

And yeah. Arabs hate everyone in general.

You did read the article, didn't you? The girls have to walk in hundreds to be safe, still are in danger, and just two months ago
http://jonathanturley.org/2008/11/14/af ... y-taliban/

Not to mention the Taliban are freely executing people in public again, and blowing people up and terrorizing people as usual, including destroying NATO bases and more than a hundred vehicles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban_in ... e_invasion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban#Re ... he_Taliban

Women are still being executed

http://jonathanturley.org/2008/07/18/sh ... stitution/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,386161,00.html (with NSFW graphic videos)

More public executions
http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Taliban_ ... 19581.html

I wonder where do you get that no one is scared of the Taliban?

 

[Futureking]

Remember Afghanistan? Girls are still getting their faces splashed with acid for attending school, Taliban still being dicks and laughing at the useless government set up by the US
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/world ... 90&ei=5124

Oh, and Obama's picture is being burned in Iranian protests, never mind he isn't president yet
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow ... 53159.jpg/

Yeah, but no one's scared of the Taliban likewise. Girls are going to school now.

And yeah. Arabs hate everyone in general.

You did read the article, didn't you? The girls have to walk in hundreds to be safe, still are in danger, and just two months ago
http://jonathanturley.org/2008/11/14/af ... y-taliban/

Not to mention the Taliban are freely executing people in public again, and blowing people up and terrorizing people as usual, including destroying NATO bases and more than a hundred vehicles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban_in ... e_invasion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban#Re ... he_Taliban

Women are still being executed

http://jonathanturley.org/2008/07/18/sh ... stitution/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,386161,00.html (with NSFW graphic videos)

More public executions
http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Taliban_ ... 19581.html

I wonder where do you get that no one is scared of the Taliban?

I noticed that. And I edited that statement half an hour ago.

Let me put it this way. Afghans are standing up to them now. Its like standing up to a bully. You're definitely scared. But you're standing your ground.

 

[Jake]

Remember Afghanistan? Girls are still getting their faces splashed with acid for attending school, Taliban still being dicks and laughing at the useless government set up by the US
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/world ... 90&ei=5124

Oh, and Obama's picture is being burned in Iranian protests, never mind he isn't president yet
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow ... 53159.jpg/

Yeah, but girls are going to school now. What does that say about the Afghan public viewpoint of the Taliban?

And yeah. Arabs hate everyone in general.

So much dumb in this post and so little time. I'll just go for the easy one: Iranians aren't Arab, dumbass.

 

[JCM]

Remember Afghanistan? Girls are still getting their faces splashed with acid for attending school, Taliban still being dicks and laughing at the useless government set up by the US
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/world ... 90&ei=5124

Oh, and Obama's picture is being burned in Iranian protests, never mind he isn't president yet
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow ... 53159.jpg/

Yeah, but girls are going to school now. What does that say about the Afghan public viewpoint of the Taliban?

And yeah. Arabs hate everyone in general.

So much dumb in this post and so little time. I'll just go for the easy one: Iranians aren't Arab, dumbass.

Yeah, that explains why "girls having to group in hundreds to be able to muster courage to go to school, and still MAY BE attacked is in any way a good thing.

Let me put it this way. Afghans are standing up to them now. Its like standing up to a bully. You're definitely scared. But you're standing your ground.

:roll: Thats why they fought and tried to save those being executed publicly, womenbeing stoned and Taliban throwing acid?

Oh wait, they didn't, they merely sat in fear, and actually watched. The only ones standing up here are the girls (like many women during the Taliban's rule) and they might pay a hefty price for it (like the aforementioned women during the Taliban's rule).

I still don't see from where you are finding this is in any way a good thing, post-US invasion, to have the Taliban do the same shit as always, now without having to bother administering a government.

 

[GasBandit]

My question is, where is the Taliban getting all this acid? Is Afghanistan the new Mad Scientist capital of the world or something?

Ok, enough levity... time for today's links...

The "down payment on socialized medicine" sCHIP extension has made it through the house.

Obama's appointing one of the biggest unapologetic earmark enthusiasts to be in charge of highway spending.

President Bush has declared Washington DC in a state of emergency. The emergency: the inauguration of Barack Obama. This promises to be the most expensive inauguration in history, costing over $150 million. Just for kicks .. take a look at this article from Bush's last inauguration. The liberals threw a fit over the cost and extra security. As you can imagine, that was nowhere near what we are gearing up to spend for Obama.... but now it's just business as usual.

Osama bin Laden had a message for Barack Obama, calling for jihad against Israel amongst other things. Question .. why always audio tapes? Why no video?

Did you hear that Mexico bears the risk of a rapid and sudden collapse? Why? Drugs. And what would happen if we legalized those drugs?

As Barack Obama gets ready to enter the White House, people are still concerned about the color of reporters in the White House press corps. :roll:

Here's a no brainer: A majority of voters say their confidence in the federal government's ability is falling. Actually, that's a good thing. Are we ready to rely on ourselves again yet?

Russia stops supplying oil to the EU and guess who gets blamed... the United States. Yyyyep. That's right. Everything's our fault.

A bill has been proposed in Colorado that would allow cops to ticket anyone going under the speed limit and blocking traffic.

The city of Madison, Wisconsin is doing some re-zoning in the name of "climate change." In related news, city officials in the Indonesian town of South Jakarta must now ride their bicycles to work... in order to battle global warming.

When your government school sends home a flyer titled "Why I hate Black History month"... someone is bound to say something.

 

[JCM]

Osama bin Laden had a message for Barack Obama, calling for jihad against Israel amongst other things. Question .. why always audio tapes? Why no video?

Maybe that foolish Hakim left the camera at Tora Bora?

 

[Espy]

Osama bin Laden had a message for Barack Obama, calling for jihad against Israel amongst other things. Question .. why always audio tapes? Why no video?

Maybe that foolish Hakim left the camera at Tora Bora?

He is ALWAYS forgetting something! I think maybe we need to get him a bigger suitcase!

 

[JCM]

Time magazine ha just published its 15th Obama cover. I wonder how they'll come up with more covers for when he,you know, becomes president for 4 years and beyond.

Both Isreal and Hamas are using white phosphorus bombs on the other- http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/01/white-phosphoru.

Attack by Israeli forces on a United Nations compound in Gaza. http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/01/b ... srael.html

Al Jazeera Releases Gaza Video Archive Under Creative Commons License, make your own youtube video with a few hundred dead kids and the such http://www.boingboing.net/2009/01/13/al ... eases.html

 

[Espy]

Time magazine ha just published its 15th Obama cover. I wonder how they'll come up with more covers for when he,you know, becomes president for 4 years and beyond.

It's just nice to see such balanced coverage from the mainstream media. I'm sure McCain was on it pretty much the same amount of times right?

 

[JCM]

My question is, where is the Taliban getting all this acid? Is Afghanistan the new Mad Scientist capital of the world or something?

Nah, the Taliban just rented a VHS of "Fight Club"

 

[Mr_Chaz]

Russia stops supplying oil to the EU and guess who gets blamed... the United States. Yyyyep. That's right. Everything's our fault.

Sounds about right yeah :moon:

 

[JCM]

Barack Obama- it is no longer essential to kill Osama bin Laden (WTF?)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 520116.ece

Guess the last president to actually put up a fight against Osama was Clinton *sigh*

 

[GasBandit]

My question is, where is the Taliban getting all this acid? Is Afghanistan the new Mad Scientist capital of the world or something?

Nah, the Taliban just rented a VHS of "Fight Club"

... but wouldn't burning them with lye require their faces to be wet first? Do they squirt them with water and THEN throw lye?



Aaaaanyway... today's links-

Just in time for the Obama administration... warrantless wiretaps ruled legal. I'm sure people are just lining up to tell Bush "sorry about all that demonizing."

Obama's pick for treasury secretary has some tax problems. It's being called an "honest mistake, gets made all the time." I'm sure they'd have treated a republican nominee the same. After all, you know how often the IRS says "Ah, it was just an honest mistake. No worries."

The Senate voted yesterday to clear the rest of the $350 billion in bailout funds.

We have something new that makes you a racist .. opposing drilling for oil and gas because this "could lead to higher energy prices for inner-city residents." Hunh?

Henry Waxman is already busy at work to pass legislation to curb all of this global warming we are experiencing.

Guess what country the United Nations has chosen to chair the multibillion-dollar United Nations Development Program... Iran.

Here's a scenario: gypsies set up camp next to a highway, and then they demand that the government build them a wall to shield them from the noise of the traffic. And the government complies.

A British historian says that history will show that George Bush was right. I'm flabbergasted this made it to print.

But here's something sensible coming out of the UK that I think we should adopt - A city council in Great Britain is offering workers time off if they get a boob job because it would 'generate goodwill' among staff. Sounds like a plan.

Iran says that it is not feasible for Israel to live. I don't think that word means what you think it means, Achmedinijanutjob.

 

[Covar]

Obama's pick for treasury secretary has some tax problems. It's being called an "honest mistake, gets made all the time." I'm sure they'd have treated a republican nominee the same. After all, you know how often the IRS says "Ah, it was just an honest mistake. No worries."

The irony that this man didn't pay taxes is so thick you have to eat it with a spoon.

 

[Krisken]

Obama's pick for treasury secretary has some tax problems. It's being called an "honest mistake, gets made all the time." I'm sure they'd have treated a republican nominee the same. After all, you know how often the IRS says "Ah, it was just an honest mistake. No worries."

The irony that this man didn't pay taxes is so thick you have to eat it with a spoon.

True, people on the far left would probably be bitching about it as well if roles were reversed. Good to know you don't disappoint in the other direction. I'd hate to think that people who make a stink about a situation that was corrected as soon as the person was made aware of the mistake only occurred on one side of the political aisle.

Oh, and :aaahhh:

 

[Covar]

Obama's pick for treasury secretary has some tax problems. It's being called an "honest mistake, gets made all the time." I'm sure they'd have treated a republican nominee the same. After all, you know how often the IRS says "Ah, it was just an honest mistake. No worries."

The irony that this man didn't pay taxes is so thick you have to eat it with a spoon.

True, people on the far left would probably be bitching about it as well if roles were reversed. Good to know you don't disappoint in the other direction. I'd hate to think that people who make a stink about a situation that was corrected as soon as the person was made aware of the mistake only occurred on one side of the political aisle.

Oh, and :aaahhh:

I'm commenting about the fact that the man being put in charge of most the nations finances, including the IRS, can't even manage to pay his taxes.

 

[Krisken]

Obama's pick for treasury secretary has some tax problems. It's being called an "honest mistake, gets made all the time." I'm sure they'd have treated a republican nominee the same. After all, you know how often the IRS says "Ah, it was just an honest mistake. No worries."

The irony that this man didn't pay taxes is so thick you have to eat it with a spoon.

True, people on the far left would probably be bitching about it as well if roles were reversed. Good to know you don't disappoint in the other direction. I'd hate to think that people who make a stink about a situation that was corrected as soon as the person was made aware of the mistake only occurred on one side of the political aisle.

Oh, and :aaahhh:

I'm commenting about the fact that the man being put in charge of most the nations finances, including the IRS, can't even manage to pay his taxes.

He did pay his taxes. He sent them in with a mistake, they informed him he made a mistake, then he paid them. You can comment that he fucked up, but to say he didn't pay the taxes is disingenuous and wrong.

 

[Dieb]

Just in time for the Obama administration... warrantless wiretaps ruled legal. I'm sure people are just lining up to tell Bush "sorry about all that demonizing."

Wrong. The court ruled that the 2007 Protect America Act, passed by Congress, was constitutional, thus saying that warrantless wiretaps are constitutional. However, the whole point of the entire scandal was that from 2001 (or whenever they started) to 2007, warrantless wiretaps were ILLEGAL, because they violated FISA (passed by Congress in the 70's). The recent ruling (found here: http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fisa/fiscr082208.pdf) does not address whether Bush violated FISA in authorizing warrantless wiretaps before 2007.

Bush argued that he could flagrantly violate the law because we are at war, arguing that his Commander in Chief powers let him ignore Congress. This was why many (including myself) said Bush was tearing up the Constitution (no one is above the law, not even the President in wartime), NOT because of the constitutionality of warrantless wiretaps.

 

[Papillon]

Besides, just because something is legal doesn't make it moral.

 

[ElJuski]

Besides, just because something is legal doesn't make it moral.

And just because something is illegal doesn't make it immoral, either. Life's fun like that.

 

[Mr_Chaz]

But here's something sensible coming out of the UK that I think we should adopt - A city council in Great Britain is offering workers time off if they get a boob job because it would 'generate goodwill' among staff. Sounds like a plan.

The article also says that it doesn't apply to teachers unfortunately. Poor teenage kids.

 

[GasBandit]

Just in time for the Obama administration... warrantless wiretaps ruled legal. I'm sure people are just lining up to tell Bush "sorry about all that demonizing."

Wrong. The court ruled that the 2007 Protect America Act, passed by Congress, was constitutional, thus saying that warrantless wiretaps are constitutional. However, the whole point of the entire scandal was that from 2001 (or whenever they started) to 2007, warrantless wiretaps were ILLEGAL, because they violated FISA (passed by Congress in the 70's). The recent ruling (found here: http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fisa/fiscr082208.pdf) does not address whether Bush violated FISA in authorizing warrantless wiretaps before 2007.

Bush argued that he could flagrantly violate the law because we are at war, arguing that his Commander in Chief powers let him ignore Congress. This was why many (including myself) said Bush was tearing up the Constitution (no one is above the law, not even the President in wartime), NOT because of the constitutionality of warrantless wiretaps.

Way to gloss over the main point... that now it is OK to do so, just in time for Obama to be sworn in, and the silence is deafening in the oh so principled peanut gallery.

 

[GasBandit]

On the eve of Obama's inauguration, the rest of the world is beginning to be wary of Obamamania. And many Americans are preparing for an inevitable let down .. considering the enormous expectations placed on his presidency.

Who do you think were the top donors for Obama's inauguration?

A scholar speaking at Obama's inauguration is from an Islamic group that has been linked to Hamas.

There is going to be a larger security force in Washington DC on Tuesday than there will be serving in Afghanistan.

Some are going to be disappointed, but they have made Washington DC a "prostitution-free zone" for the inauguration. Only the taxpayers get screwed.

According to Jim Hansen of the Goddard Institute of Space Studies, Obama only has four years to save the planet. Hansen is a moonbat.

Nancy Pelosi says that she is open to the idea of prosecuting officials of the Bush administration. Pelosi is a barking moonbat. Nancy is also insistent on repealing the Bush tax cuts immediately .. aka. increasing taxes on the "evil rich."

Hugo Chavez has some welcoming words for Obama .. saying that Obama has the "stench" of President Bush and runs the risk of "being killed if he tries to change the American 'empire.'"

California is having such budget problems that it is going to suspend tax refunds, welfare checks and student grants. Perhaps they need to raise taxes and spend more money!

More than 80% of the nation's top 100 corporations have subsidiary tax havens in countries with lower or no taxes. Now imagine if we lowered taxes (or even better, enacted the FairTax) how many of those companies would return their money to the US?

Your government at work .. a Florida town paid $141,000 to count the number of trees on public property.

The law of unintended consequences .. a Consumer Product Safety law may force libraries to ban children until they get rid of any books containing traces of lead.

A government school teacher in Fort Pierce, Florida wants to rename streets in the black community after tulips, daffodils and birds in order to combat crime.

 

[ElJuski]

Fuck yeah Obama has high expectations from me.

Also, I think that the whole re-naming the streets is a fantastically absurd, and fucking hilarious, idea. I hope it works!

 

[Shakey]

Just in time for the Obama administration... warrantless wiretaps ruled legal. I'm sure people are just lining up to tell Bush "sorry about all that demonizing."

Wrong. The court ruled that the 2007 Protect America Act, passed by Congress, was constitutional, thus saying that warrantless wiretaps are constitutional. However, the whole point of the entire scandal was that from 2001 (or whenever they started) to 2007, warrantless wiretaps were ILLEGAL, because they violated FISA (passed by Congress in the 70's). The recent ruling (found here: http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fisa/fiscr082208.pdf) does not address whether Bush violated FISA in authorizing warrantless wiretaps before 2007.

Bush argued that he could flagrantly violate the law because we are at war, arguing that his Commander in Chief powers let him ignore Congress. This was why many (including myself) said Bush was tearing up the Constitution (no one is above the law, not even the President in wartime), NOT because of the constitutionality of warrantless wiretaps.

Way to gloss over the main point... that now it is OK to do so, just in time for Obama to be sworn in, and the silence is deafening in the oh so principled peanut gallery.

Not real sure what this has to do with Obama, except he happens to be taking office now. If by peanut gallery you mean the democrats, they're the ones that passed the new FISA legislation which gave immunity to the telecom's. This was well before Obama was even the presidential candidate.

But after the Democrats took control of Congress in the 2006 midterm elections, the administration agreed to bring the N.S.A. program under the jurisdiction of the FISA court. In 2007, Congress passed the Protect America Act, which was replaced in 2008 by another surveillance law.

The case arose in 2007, when a telecommunications company refused to comply with the government’s demands that it cooperate without warrants under the terms of the Protect America Act. The company was forced to comply, under threat of contempt, while it challenged the law in the FISA court, the opinion noted.

So, what does this have to do with Obama?

 

[GasBandit]

So, what does this have to do with Obama?

Of course the timing was purely coincidental, but it is ironic that days before Obama's inauguration, it has been ruled that Obama is perfectly free to do one of the things for which Bush found himself lambasted, but now everybody's ok with it being done.

 

[Espy]

A scholar speaking at Obama's inauguration is from an Islamic group that has been linked to Hamas.

But in 2007 and as recently as last July, federal prosecutors in Dallas filed court documents linking the Hartford, Conn.-based Islamic society to the group Hamas, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization.

Neither Mattson nor her organization have been charged. But prosecutors wrote in July that they had "a wide array of testimonial and documentary evidence expressly linking" the group to Hamas and other radical groups.

So... is this a big deal or not? It sounds like front page stuff yet this is the first I have heard of it... maybe being linked to a terrorist group doesn't sell papers anymore?

 

[Shakey]

So, what does this have to do with Obama?

Of course the timing was purely coincidental, but it is ironic that days before Obama's inauguration, it has been ruled that Obama is perfectly free to do one of the things for which Bush found himself lambasted, but now everybody's ok with it being done.

From your own article

But the ruling, handed down in August 2008 by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review and made public Thursday

The case was even decided well before the election was even done. Not everything is a conspiracy to give Obama unlimited power. It would have been the same if McCain or any other candidate won the election.

 

[GasBandit]

Oh, I see. No, I wasn't trying to say this was INTENDED to give obama specifically this power, I was comparing the previous outrage with the current silence. That now it's ok with the media and the people.

 

[Espy]

I hate being the last post on a page, no one sees it and I need attention, like a WHORE.
So, repost:

A scholar speaking at Obama's inauguration is from an Islamic group that has been linked to Hamas.

But in 2007 and as recently as last July, federal prosecutors in Dallas filed court documents linking the Hartford, Conn.-based Islamic society to the group Hamas, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization.

Neither Mattson nor her organization have been charged. But prosecutors wrote in July that they had "a wide array of testimonial and documentary evidence expressly linking" the group to Hamas and other radical groups.

So... is this a big deal or not? It sounds like front page stuff yet this is the first I have heard of it... maybe being linked to a terrorist group doesn't sell papers anymore? Or is it nothing, just stupidity?