Posted in: Australian police consider special search powers ahead of pro-Palestinian protest See in context
Countries across the developed world are curbing pro-Palestinian protests out of concern the Israel-Hamas conflict could trigger violence at home
According to the article, the Palestine Action Group Sydney condemned and expelled the trogs who showed up to their rally and chanted "Gas the Jews". So that's good.
But, on Oct 9, I assume these are same guys: "Hundreds of Australians have marched in solidarity with Palestinians after the Israeli government formally declared war against Hamas in response to its surprise attack." https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/09/pro-palestinian-rally-in-sydney-calls-for-australia-to-drop-support-for-israel
Oct 9. Two days after the attack. You gotta squint real hard not to see that as solidarity with Hammas.
So, yeah, I'd say the police have legitimate concern here.
As an American, I would object to barring these people from protesting. But, in the US, we protect our First Amendment rights about as much as possible. Which I favor. Because I often find myself in voicing unpopular postions, and we can say just about anything in the public sqaure, so long as is doesn't incite immediate violence.
How does it work in Australia?
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: Japan to send SDF plane to Djibouti to evacuate citizens in Israel See in context
Well, if Japan is planning to evacuate Japanese from Israel, that tells me they know the war is going to long and dangerous.
Which I take as bad news.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: Israel says it won't allow aid to flow to Gaza Strip until Hamas releases hostages See in context
CatStevens
What do you expect? Should Israel just capitulate? Send them flowers? Hamas brought this on to their own people.
I expect Israel to use Hamas's barbarianism and blood lust as a pretext to do a bit of their own.*
I hope, I support, Israel does what needs to be done to protect itself, and I do not think, as you seem too, that Hamas's atrocity towards the innocent permits Israel to do the same. I remember that a good chunk, what, 1/3? of the people in Gaza are under the age of 14.
[And, no, I am not doing any moral equivalency here. In the end, Hamas is a jihadi terrorist group and and Israel is a country, warts and all ]1 ( +3 / -2 )
Posted in: Israel says it won't allow aid to flow to Gaza Strip until Hamas releases hostages See in context
Hey Strangerland. LTNS!
It's not only terrorism. It's Islamic State Jihadism.
1 ( +2 / -1 )
Posted in: Israel says it won't allow aid to flow to Gaza Strip until Hamas releases hostages See in context
Catstevens.
Most secularly-minded people are largely confused by Jihadist violence. Hamas is Jihadist. There is no possibility of living in peace with Jihadist; they are perpetually at war with us, and we, whether we know it or not, are at war with them. They have very different values about the value of human life. Hamas and the people who like them rejoice at death, carnage and savagery. What we call war crimes, they call justice. And rejoice in it.
[We in the the West, BTW, with our public lynchings picnics, our gas chambers, and Japan with the head chopping contest and the Rape of Manilla. -- all for the demi-god Hirohito --, are only a few generations removed from that kind of barbarism]
That said, this article is about Israel collectively punishing Gaza.
What do you think about that?
2 ( +5 / -3 )
Posted in: Israel says it won't allow aid to flow to Gaza Strip until Hamas releases hostages See in context
Which side are you on?
The innocent. And you?
3 ( +5 / -2 )
Posted in: Supreme Court rules for a designer who doesn't want to make wedding websites for gay couples See in context
The issue is this case is the intersection between free speech AND discrimination when providing goods and services to the public.
[The cause of the discrimination is not germane. Religious freedom is not at issue]
The problem, IMO, with the majority opinion is, under CO law, homosexuality is a protected class, meaning it is considered the same as race and national origin. That is why, as Sotomajor wrote,
“...the decision’s logic cannot be limited to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity."
Do you all you see the problem now?
According to the conservative majority, I can tomorrow start a web design business, and advertise the following:
“I design original, customized Webpages weddings, tailored for you to capture that special moment in your life.”*
*Japanese will not be accommodated, because of my deeply held beliefs.
If you all are ok with that, then there you go. Are you also ok with this?
“I design original, customized Webpages weddings, tailored for you to capture that special moment in your life.”*
*Blacks will not be accommodated, because of my deeply held beliefs."
Read the decision. Sotomajor is right: The decision’s logic cannot be limited to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
3 ( +4 / -1 )
Posted in: Malaysia seeks Interpol help to track U.S. comedian over MH370 joke See in context
Yeah, that ain’t gonna happen.
I guess it’s not such a bad thing after all at the United States Empire, with all its flaws, is on the right side of at least one issue.
8 ( +10 / -2 )
Posted in: Trump risked national secrets, U.S. prosecutors allege in indictment See in context
Taiwain
Well, when you put it that way, I guess a must agree.
Maga Man is the single worst thing to happen to my country since slavery.
6 ( +10 / -4 )
Posted in: Trump risked national secrets, U.S. prosecutors allege in indictment See in context
EFD "Legally it doesn’t matter."
According to his attorney, that Maga Man is facing a charge under the Espionage Act ( and obstruction of justice, destruction or falsification of records, conspiracy and false statements)
The Espionage Act prohibits " obtaining information, recording pictures, or copying descriptions of any information relating to the national defense with intent or reason to believe that the information may be used for the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation"
You think he was going to sell them to a foreign power and/or use them as blackmail against his own country.
That sure sounds a lot like advantaging any foreign nation and injury to the US, respectively.
8 ( +12 / -4 )
Posted in: Trump risked national secrets, U.S. prosecutors allege in indictment See in context
lincolnman
I sure hope you are right. And it's looking like he will end up incarcerated.
Which is necessary for our republic.
Then and only then will half of those who vote Republican dump him. Because they don't care about right and wrong. They care about winning, and winning only.
To break the spell, Trump must be jailed. Weak, old and jailed. Then they will forget him as quickly as they forgot Shrub.
7 ( +12 / -5 )
Posted in: Trump risked national secrets, U.S. prosecutors allege in indictment See in context
Well, I am lawyer, so ask away.
5 ( +9 / -4 )
Posted in: Trump risked national secrets, U.S. prosecutors allege in indictment See in context
This guy and his followers are the single worst thing to happen to my country since Nixon.
Oh, wait a minute. Nixon: Republican. Southern Strategy. Racist criminal.
This guy: Republican. Racist criminal.
Hm. I just wonder if all of this guys followers really like racist criminlas, well,
Cause they're racist, and they only care about being 'tough on crime' when its a black or brown person who is suspect.
There's a word for this guys followers, the die-hard 28%ers. Starts with a "d"....
Oh right.
Deplorable.
5 ( +10 / -5 )
Posted in: Trump risked national secrets, U.S. prosecutors allege in indictment See in context
28%.
Once convicted, I predict his approval rating will drop to 28%
-1 ( +3 / -4 )
Posted in: Ex-lawmaker GaaSyy arrested upon return to Japan See in context
"“There's no such thing as bad publicity, as long as they spell your name right”
“There's only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”
3 ( +3 / -0 )
Posted in: Indonesia bans sex outside marriage in new criminal code See in context
It will also ban insulting the president or state institutions....
Ah, lèse-maj·es·té, When dissent = treason.
So much for Indonesia and any semblance of democracy.
And what is democracy, stripped of all its ideological dressings, other than feedback to power.
5 ( +5 / -0 )
Posted in: Republicans in struggle to break Democrats' hold on Congress See in context
Anyhoos, amidst the sturm und drang of American politics, I again find myself reminding deeply partisan self: despite the vicissitudes of one glorious squeaker-of-a--victory for my beloved Democratic party candidate versus the ignoble and outrageous defeat by a nefarious and down-right unAmerican Republican stooge...
In the end, we are and have been for, --as far as voting goes and for a very long tome -- 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 nation: 1/3 Democrat,, 1/3 Republican, 1/3 Don't Care Don't Vote.
So, as far as elections and power, it's is as has been for a very long time a near 50/50 split.
Which tells me one thing: we got to learn to TOLERATE the other guy.
5 ( +5 / -0 )
Posted in: Republicans in struggle to break Democrats' hold on Congress See in context
In other words, Control of Congress in the balance between the rich and the rich
Control of Congress between one party and the other the party that denies the results of 2020, wants to tell women what they can do with their bodies, and always, always want to give the rich more.
4 ( +5 / -1 )
Posted in: Republicans in struggle to break Democrats' hold on Congress See in context
Well, it certainly has been a very good day for Democrats.
7 ( +8 / -1 )
Posted in: Australia PM could launch inquiry into secret ministries saga See in context
Albanese has previously said Morrison had attacked the Westminster system of government by secretly appointing himself to the portfolios, which included home affairs, treasury, health, finance and resources between 2020 and 2021.
Could someone in the know explain what power(s) Morrison accrued and how those powers could have been used to undermine the Senate and House?
-1 ( +0 / -1 )
Posted in: China's Pelosi bombast shows insecurity over Taiwan: analysts See in context
Ossan
Do you think it was ever possible for the US to prevent China's economic growth?
1 ( +2 / -1 )
Posted in: China's Pelosi bombast shows insecurity over Taiwan: analysts See in context
Predictable and sad to see Republicans here put partisanship before country and repeat any lie, no matter how stupid, to "win" a point on some imaginary board.
Kinda like the communists they used to pretend to hate ( that was, again, all performance to bash their domestic opponents), but now are free to show how they just can't get enough of.
Vote Putin! Vote Xi!! Own the LIbs!!! VOTE REPUBLICAN!!!
1 ( +3 / -2 )
Posted in: Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri killed in CIA drone strike in Afghanistan See in context
Good.
This took a long time and no one administration can claim total responsibility, to be sure. A team effort.
Still, the success of this killing vindicated the US's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. That is to sayL
Biden was right. And his critics were wrong,
3 ( +14 / -11 )
Posted in: A look at the Unification Church's ties to Japan's politics See in context
Jean,
(Form the poster formerly known as Dananator)
It's been a long time. Good to see you here and I trust you are doing well.
Hm. Sussing out intent is a tricky business. Even for those intimate with a case. Let alone we, the hoi palloi,
I prefer to stick with facts and sound assumptions. This we know:
For the past 50 years, Japan has been a "safety-county". Access to politicians has been quite easy. That is to say, it was only a matter of time that a politician would be gotten to.
Another thing: why Abe? Why would some conspiracy target Abe?
1 ( +2 / -1 )
Posted in: A look at the Unification Church's ties to Japan's politics See in context
As far as the Abe and the LDP's links with the Moonies: People correctly id the Unification Church's as a cult and a scam. Because it is both.
Now, cults and religions are to me pretty much the same. Both assert fantastic claims and demand fealty to those assertions -- not merely in the absence of reasonable supporting evidence but often in contradiction to what we all know to be empirically sound and rationally defensible. What's more, both cults and religions preach as virtue the suspension capacity for reason and the embracing of our emotional impulses.
Y'know, faith. Belief in absence of good cause.
So what is the difference between a cult and religion? Some say time. 150 years ago, Mormons were a cult. Some say the absence of a charismatic leader.
I say election, seclusion and ostracism.
If you are part of a religion -- as understood as any spiritual or supernatural belief system -- that is super, super, special so that only the speical have access to super special ____, and you are secluded from interacting with anyone not part of your group and you are ostracized if you refuse to bow to the will of the (leadership/leader) of the group because you socialize with others...
Congrats, you're in a cult.
4 ( +4 / -0 )
Posted in: A look at the Unification Church's ties to Japan's politics See in context
Abe was known for his arch-conservative views on security and history issues ...
Perhaps. But the author of this article, and all of us, do not know what lay in Abe's heart.
As far as his actions, Abe was a pragmatic nationalist.
In Japanese security, he supported dumping Art. Nine and cooperating with allied foreign powers -- the US and shared allies -- to promote Japan's interests and defense. Arch-conservatives are unilateral with national security, distrust entangling alliances and aim for maximal autarky. The emphasis on independence is what puts the "arch" in arch-conservative.
Re: history: Abe was a conservative. "Arch-conservatives" don't flip-flop on the WWI Korean sex-slaves. On Japanese aggression/advancement. They deny it now. They deny it forever. Abe denied it, then admitted it, then denied it, then regretted it, then denied it and finally admitted/regretted/denied it. Abe was all things to all men. About the sex slaves. About his grandparents aggression. About much of everything.
Abe personified Japanese conservatism: pragmatic nationalism.
Very typical of the LDP. Which is why he led it and Japan longer than anyone else.
Mori. Now there was an arch-conservative....
-7 ( +2 / -9 )
Posted in: Russia sanctions 384 Japanese lawmakers See in context
Er. Russia just gave the finger to Japan. In a big way.
Ooops.
-2 ( +2 / -4 )
Posted in: 6 dead, 30 wounded in shooting at Chicago-area July 4 parade; man detained See in context
'Cause nothing says essential liberty like shooting children on the 4th of July.
31 ( +38 / -7 )
Posted in: Capitol riot panel blames Trump for Jan 6 'attempted coup' See in context
Trump is a traitor.
20 ( +40 / -20 )
Posted in: Canadian police face off with protesters opposed to mandates See in context
"Freedom!"
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
---- Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride.4 ( +5 / -1 )
Thank you putin for uniting Europe!
Posted in: An expanding NATO uses its diversity as strength
Posted in: Chinese professor at Japanese university missing after visiting homeland
Posted in: An expanding NATO uses its diversity as strength
Posted in: Police to strengthen anti-stalking measures