44 Comments

Reading shit like this is depressing. I was talking to younger coworkers last month about how genuinely free the country felt pre-9/11 and the constant surveillance, militarized police always on edge, and legal theatrics for overcompensation. All they've known is the post-paranoia world where everything you say or post is stored in some useless data mining facility

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I know exactly what you mean. It feels like we never really turned the page from 9/11.

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It was traumatic. Emotionally even I haven't totally moved past it. 9/11 *is* the new page, seemingly for eternity. Until the next one. To Jorge's comment, I often wonder whether I'd be happier or more well adjusted if I was too young (or not born yet) to experience and attempt to process it, or whether I should be thankful that it was the "event" that finally woke me up.

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The motto of the United States government: “We screw up. You pay (literally and figuratively).”

Anyone with a functioning brain cell predicted trouble on 1/6, so I’ve always wondered if the government security apparatus wanted it to happen. The security “lapse”, if that’s what it was, was never addressed by the J6C, which struck me as odd.

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It was not a proper root cause analysis. It was Congress doing the police's work for them (as they're not equipped to address crimes of the wealthy elite).

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Part of me is glad Trump won.

Look at the spineless ass-kissers that run the Democrats now - after being crushed by an orange half-witted clown, they are working not to win elections, but to assure that the corporate patrons will not have their taxes raised by Democrats that might actually win elections.

I have been saying this since 2015 - the Democrats don't care if they win. As long as they prevent the fair taxation of the oligarchs they so dutifully serve, they will always be able to look forward to a nice position after they lose telling rich people how great oligarchs are.

Supporting the Democratic leadership is the same as supporting the Republicans, because the point of the Democratic leadership is to prevent anyone who would really challenge the Republicans from ever being elected, or crushing those who did (like Lapdog Ocasio-Cortez).

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Good cop, bad cop. The Corporate Democrats are the 'conservatives' and oligarchy's bulwark against the left.

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"And while we sought justice and got justice"

What an ass-kissing load of shit.

"Revenge" is the word he was aiming for.

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A million dead Iraqis and a region destabilized = "mistakes"

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Yup. Ruling-class lingo for "with deliberate intent"

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We're not terrorists because when we kill innocent women and children (in much higher numbers), we close our eyes and yell, "Whoops! Human shields!"

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How I wish Israel had heeded Biden's advice ..... but then Biden backed their extreme reaction all the way.

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There's always a failure of imagination ... Trump tells Proud Boys to stand by, calls a rally that is billed as being "wild", claims with no evidence election fraud, then tells everyone at his wild rally to go to the Capitol ... To stop the steal. Nobody could imagine the outcome significant enough to take preventative action. But now that it's happened, no need for imagination. Some poor librarian schmuck gets dangled out "see we are protecting you" This wrong parker is going to face justice and now you're safe!

The whole thing is hilarious except it's not, because we have to take off our shoes, and our library cards can be used against us. If we complain too loudly to the insurance company which is denying us or our family member healthcare with impunity and for pecuniary reasons, CLINKER FOR YOU.

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It does occur to my rather paranoid mindset around the new president-elect, that the reason there was so little NSSE participation in the January 6, 2021 insurrection may have been because many (if not most) members were Trump enablers. This would not surprise me at all. However, to waste money now on NSEE preparations is quite crazy. And depressing.

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"In fact, the opposite happened, with more resources lavished on the same agencies that had dropped the ball."

Including by some Representatives associated with the "Defund the Police" movement. I suppose it's different when you are the one the police are protecting.

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You’re giving Biden way too much credit if you think he has any say in these designations

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He could if he wanted to but I agree it's very unlikely he cares about any of this.

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DECEIT UNCOVERED: FBI’s story on Las Vegas bomber Falls Apart

Smells on CIA PsyOp – Extensive IDs found in burnt car – Wrong corpse - DNI likely to be faked

https://youtu.be/-46i-jba34o?si=gY5R_oQweTU3qfNm

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Well said Ken.

Makes one ponder why didn't Condie Rice resign her office immediately (or be let go) post 9/11? All that was required to prevent 9/11:was 1) secure cockpit doors and 2) train flight crews that no matter what is going on in the passenger area, no one gets into the cockpit uninvited---ever. I believe El-Al Airline already had this process in place.

Instead Condie was rewarded with a Stanford position and given a complete pass for her shameless incompetence.

Just sayin'...

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One day, people on BOTH sides will finally realize that any and all excuses will be blown up beyond reasonable proportions in order to: 1. Claim they need more taxpayer money 2. Enact more draconian laws

Never, ever trust anything the news doesn't move on from quickly.

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Poor politicians. Do too little: “How dare they not respond in time!” Do too much: “Ugh, such overreach, there is no threat, my liberties!” They can never win.

As always, humans always overreact to the last event, and never anticipate the next event. Do not become a politician for you can never win.

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I don't think that applies here. There was plenty of evidence that January 6, 2021 was going to be violent - the participants weren't subtle about it. There's no evidence that's the case today.

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That was my point: four years ago everyone expected violence — except for the people in charge of security. This year no one expects violence — except for the people in charge of security. So they always fight the last war, and the politicians get the blame.

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Oh, my bad - totally agree.

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"Poor politicians"? They chose to go into elected office. Any one of them could've chosen entirely different career paths if they didn't want public and press scrutiny, even misplaced blame. An eloquent politician could've even corrected the record when the blame is misplaced. Being a politician isn't some evolutionary trait some people are forced into. My sympathy is rather extended to everyone negatively affected by politicians' bad decisions, and there sure have been plenty of those in seemingly every country on Earth for multiple years now. So, in regards to this specific event, both Biden and Trump chose to run for office. They'll be blamed for thousands of incidents they didn't have anything to do with. If they don't like that, choose another job. This goes for my Norwegian prime minister as well; he is polling at record-low rating. My thoughts are "Well, then, resign, if you don't desire that criticism?"

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Define "bad decision" then ask "Who counted this as a bad decision?"

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If a decision by a politician impacts any segment of the population in ways that are actively damaging to their health, is one definition. I'm not even sure how to answer "who counted this as a bad decision", as I would presume "people died as a result" would be a bad policy decision by an almost universal focus group.

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"I would presume 'people died as a result' would be a bad policy decision by an almost universal focus group"

It really depends on the groups involved. Do you think (pace to Godwin), a bunch of American neo-Nazis would would call the deaths of even a few dark-skinned foreigners a "bad policy decision"? Similarly, do you think a panel of bourgeois would call their government (or any government, for that matter) permitting and protecting unionization by workers a "good policy decision"?

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I stand corrected. Good point. I don't know how I would rephrase my original sentiment, I would probably remove that sentence altogether and merely focus on how politicians should react.

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Yeah, a lot of it (certainly the stuff about money and power) depends alot on the class positions the politicians are representing.

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"They can never win"

Never win for whom?

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They can never win for themselves. It’s a mostly thankless job.

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OK, let me get this straight.

Right-wing politicians who've been giving the bourgeoisie basically whatever they wanted (with the complicity of the centrists) aren't "winning"?

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Depends upon your definition of “winning.” Enriching themselves? They got that. Doing right by their constituents? That’s debatable. But my point about “poor” politician is the job comes with non-stop criticism. You never do anything right.

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"Doing right by their constituents? That’s debatable."

Depends on who their constituents are, right? Their "legally appointed" ones and their actual ones; the two aren't always the same.

"the job comes with non-stop criticism" So? Tiny, powerless people kvetching and whining, pissing and moaning, whether or not out of plain ignorance, are easy to ignore, especially when they're doing all that individually. Given right-wing ideology of a "superior" group and an "inferior" group, how many right-wingers do you think are going to pay attention to whatever those little people say?

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Jan 6
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I’m not crying for them. I’m questioning the motives and sanity of anyone who chooses to become a politician.

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Most of them are sociopaths. At least anyone who seeks elected office (and all the ensuing perks) above the local level. Maaaaybe the state level. Anyone who even wants to be President, however, and succeeds in taking office, is a psychopath and certainly already pre-approved if not groomed by the national security state and oligarchy.

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I’ve always said, never trust the person who seeks higher office. Rather assign it to the principled person who has to be dragged into office unwillingly.

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Yeah, similarly ...

"A great man doesn't seek to lead, he's called to it. And he answers."

- Duke Leto Atreides, Dune

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Because it's a job that needs doing, and it needs to be done well. It's one of many noble professions that draws bad people.

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So "The Squad" is a bunch of questionable sorts who're just nuts?

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Howdy Ken Klippenstein :)

You and I might disagree on Palestinian problem.

A Native American parable tells of a young man on his spirit quest. On a high mountain he finds a rattlesnake freezing to death, and takes pity. Puts the snake into his vest and in warm valley releases it. The rattlesnake bites him. He exclaims I saved your life, and now you have killed me!

Rattlesnake replies "You knew what I was when you picked me up"

Kuwait had a rich economy and welcomed Palestinian refugees, offering decent jobs and wages. When Saddam invaded Kuwait the Palestinians cheered and aided the invaders. After coalition ousted Saddam and returned Kuwait to its own people, Kuwaitis expelled the Palestinians.

Please research the fate of other nations that took pity on Palestinians in the past, you will understand why Egypt supports the Palestinian cause, yet adamantly refuses them entry into Egypt.

I pity the Palestinians, my heart breaks for them. But I'm sure as Hell not gonna pick them up.

Cheers !

Payne

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Some missing context here is the near-assassination of Trump just a few months ago (the fresher fed failure).

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