Because it’s a holiday, and I really need one, the blog, feeding me, and spending a few hours on George are my only plans for the day.
Special Announcement:
I am very sorry to inform you that JLA has resigned her post as an Author here at Politics Plus. She said this is no longer the best place for her efforts, because she feels unable to support Hillary Clinton, if she is the nominee, and all the other Administrators and Authors promote supporting the Democratic nominee, whoever that is. JLA is still welcome here and I thank her for her excellent work on our behalf. We hope she will not be a stranger.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today.s took me 3:40 (average 5:41). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Upworthy:
Myth 1: Higher incarceration rates cause corresponding decreases in crime.
Truth: Imprisoning people isn’t always a good way to fight crime.
A study by The Sentencing Project found that simply putting more people in prison isn’t an effective strategy for fighting crime.
In fact, states that imprisoned fewer people actually saw significant improvements in crime reduction compared with states who were more aggressive about incarceration.
In the words of the study’s authors, "Increasing incarceration while ignoring more effective approaches will impose a heavy burden upon courts, corrections and communities, while providing a marginal impact on crime."
This is the first of five myths about prisons. I agree with the author, based on my many years as a prison volunteer. My only issue is that rather than myths, some are lies to justify continuing the status quo. Click through fir the other four.
From Think Progress: There is no drought in California
Donald Trump told an audience in Fresno that “there is no drought” in California. According to Trump, the state has plenty of water but it’s being held hostage by environmentalists in government. The idea that the government is engineering the drought was popularized by professional conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones.
California, in fact, is facing a severe drought of historic proportions that covers nearly 95% of the state.
The state is drier than it has been in at least 500 years.
This is one of twelve InsaniTEA based conspiracy theories propagated by Rump Dump Trump. Click through for the other eleven.
From TPM: The Libertarian Party has nominated former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson as its presidential candidate just as it did in 2012.
Delegates to the party’s convention in Orlando on Sunday picked Johnson on the second ballot over Austin Petersen, the founder of The Libertarian Republic magazine, and anti-computer virus company founder John McAfee.
Johnson got about 1 percent of the popular vote in 2012.
Voting for this and other third party candidates is a great solution for disgruntled neocons, theocons, corporacons, plutocons, and TEAbaggers. Lefties, on the other hand, have only one viable solution:
Vote Blue No Matter Who!
Cartoon:
22 Responses to “Open Thread – 5/30/2016”
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5:21 (5:41) Surprised to have done that well.
I echo TC's sentiments on JL and wish the best.
Upworthy – Someone once defined a myth as "breathing a lie through silver." I think these lies which have become myths may have been breathed through lead.
TP – There are really no words to describe someone who says/thinks there is no drought in California. Even the unprintable words do not do justice to this. And the others are just as wild. Some are old, some new, but all are nuts (although I wonder if the only reason the one about Ted Cruz' dad ISN'T true is that no one ever invited him. I mean, that one is at least in character.)
TPM – It's only in some Presidential years that one needs to worry about third parties being spoilers. They have usually just gotten a few votes and not changed the two-party dynamics. Unfortunately, this year is a must-worry year. And they are becoming more frequent.
Cartoon – Not only no benefits to pay, but wow, those Marines look sharp in their desss blues!!!
The potential felony federal violations which have emerged from her emails and investigation into them cover areas that some nonpartisan analysts have grounds to speculate could even support a treason charge, though not likely…that is how serious this problem is no matter how others choose to misrepresent it.
http://time.com/4348675/terry-mcauliffe-hillary-clinton-china-investigation/
http://time.com/3740357/hillary-clinton-emails-search/
And it was politics that apparently protected them in the beginning with Whitewater:
http://time.com/4276988/jim-comey-hillary-clinton/
so, Trump is better?!?
he has legal troubles, too…but not ones that could make him ineligible for POTUS…both could be on trial before the inauguration so VP choices will be exceedingly important
You have a choice. You either vote for Clinton or you vote for Trump if you want to have an impact on who is president. A third party vote is the same as not voting when it comes to the selection of president.
ttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-abramson/how-to-explain-the-sanders_b_10206250.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2016
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carbonatedtv/a-bernie-win-in-californi_b_10155072.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2016
Hillary’s Problem Isn’t Bernie – It’s Hillary
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-bhaerman/hillarys-problem-isnt-ber_b_10156090.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2016
I am on the list the Party considers their most active supporters–today's survey on the election included the option that Clinton should drop out for the good of the Party. I am focused on what is good for Democrats and will let us have a real chance of beating Trump–not on supporting someone who has been proven to be lying to us for a year, dividing the party and running a campaign even her own people know she cannot win at this point against him since their only hope, who was to reel in GOP that won't vote for Trump is now VP for the Libertarian candidate.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/les-leopold/why-bernies-strong-poll-n_b_10146980.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
My efforts are on getting the DNC to pressure Clinton to do what is good for the party so a DEM can win in Nov. That is what a person loyal to the Party and who does not want Trump to win would be doing right now.
The Clinton supporters are getting nasty, for sure, but so are Bernie's. The Democratic party needs a reassessment, and Shultz needs to resign as head of the DNC.
I totally agree with the Huffpo article, she is her own problem, and I sincerely hope that Bernie wins the nomination.
The articles in Time are correct, but they report possibilities only.
These articles imply wrong doing, but offer no proof, maybe there is guilt, but it has not been proven yet.
Same here, I wish JL the very, very Best!
TP: My daughter lives in SD, and believe me, there IS a drought, as others can attest to that fact. He's such a BS'er. Sadly, there are those (many) who think like this, and believe the lies. How unfortunate!!
Cartoon: Salute!! BZ to the Marine Honor Guard.!!!
Some company enjoying the sun, (what's that?), and another is napping. I am wore out, but I do love company. This morning, the tribute at the cemetery was beautiful, with the flyover.
Here's the PBS 2014 Armed forces Medley: Guess which medley I stood 'at attention' for? 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoNj8qsptjA
Thanks, Tom for posting. Enjoy the rest of your day, and take care.
Thanks Pat
Thanks Pat. Most appropriate.
JL, all the best, just, please, don't leave C2, as well.
Upworthy: I do not doubt the "truth" as stated. In fact, a reading of "The New Jim Crow, Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness," by Michelle Alexander will show how incarceration spreads criminal activity from one generation to the next.
TP: Alex Jones, and other traitors, spread misinformation faster than a climate change related, drought fed forest fire!
May the Libertarians screw the Teapartarians!
One approach that has hope of disrailing or weakening the Trump campaign is to support Merkeley's effort now:
https://secure.pfaw.org/site/SPageNavigator/action.html?survey_id=11102&autologin=true&utm_medium=email&utm_source=aa&utm_campaign=tax-transparency-act
(Merkeley as a Bernie supporter understands the factors truly affecting DEM chances in Nov. which the articles I just gave links on explain pretty thoroughly)
Thanks Mitch
I fully support Jeff's effort here, and am proud that he is the lone Senator endorsing Bernie.
So Donald Trump really told the crowd in Fresno “there is no drought” in California?
Herr Drumpf obviously received all his Science education at Trump University!
Thanks for your wonderful posts, JL. I hope you will continue to share your concise remarks with us on PP and Care2.
I hope you have enjoyed your holiday today, TomCat and gave George some exercise in the process.
Upworthy: Excellent article, debunking five of the strongest myths, or lies if you will. It all comes down to societies with high incarceration rates taking the easy way out, taking shortcuts to show that policing and the judiciary system is doing its job "well" by putting many people behind bars as fast as possible. This is both penny wise and pound foolish and scratches the surface of the problem by dealing very superficially with symptoms only, but doesn't get to the root of the problem the way prevention, rehabilitation, other types of "punishment" and decriminalizing a number of "offences" would. It seems that societies with a high incarceration rate in which certain groups are overly represented, are more about control and suppression than about justice.
TP: Drumpf telling Californian followers that there's no drought but that the water is held hostage by environmentalists and the government is absolutely ludicrous. He may have ahd the tiniest of points had he claimed that the government has allowed bottled water companies to exploit the little water there's left for too long, but that will have contributed to the worsening of the drought situation but it was not the source, global warming is. So after Drumpf has become president he simply will open up the taps again so his rich voters can start irrigating their lawns again until every reservoir that now holds a little water is completely dry, turning most of the state into a desert and leave the poor to die of thirst because they can't afford that bottled water, right? I really hope that other Californians besides the 1% have more sense than that.
Then I went to read the other 11 conspiracies Drumpf adheres to, but the first one stopped me in my tracks: "Asbestos is really safe" My father died of mesothelioma, a rare cancer cause by asbestos. And how was it diagnosed? By taking built-up fluid around his lungs and seeing the asbestos particles floating in it. According to the World Health Organization, approximately half of all deaths from occupational cancer are caused by asbestos. I couldn't read any further, but I don't need to do so to know this man is a dangerous megalomaniac without a soul or conscience who should never be allowed to visit the White House let alone take residence there.
TPM: Gary Johnson may stand to get a few more votes than last time, given the amount of disappointment on both sides of the political isle with their candidates, but let's hope that the percentage is equal on both sides too and does no harm to the Democratic candidates chances who should remind themselves to Vote Blue No Matter Who and then do everything they can in the next 4 Democratic years to rebuild their party or start a true progressive party in it's wake.
Thanks all!! Hugs!!
Puzzle — 6:19 on my laptop w/o a mouse. Laptops, when not using a mouse, are definitely not conducive to solving jigsaws in a timely fashion.
Upworthy — Nothing to argue about there. There is a place for incarceration such as when a felon is particularly violent and at significant risk to continue the violence. But prisons too frequently don't provide the rehabilitation opportunities needed for people to come out of the crime revolving door. Those opportunities should embrace, at the very least, socialogical, psychological and skill set rehabilitation. It rather mirrors in my mind the saying "Give a person a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a person to fish and he always has something to eat."
Think Progress — Drumpf is a breathing, walking and talking conspiracy theory himself . . . or should I say he is a megalomaniac and nightmare! He should never be allowed anywhere near the White House!
TPM — There is no doubt in my mind that politics is a dirty business because power, or perceived power, corrupts. Effecting political change must be, by definition, a long term, grassroots effort. Significant change cannot be made in one election campaign, or two or three for that matter. But likewise, sometimes one has to pick the "lesser of two evils" in order to maintain a certain momentum towards change.
Vote BLUE No Matter Who!!!
Cartoon — Cannon fodder . . . that's all Republicans see. They do not see the destroyed lives.
I am sorry JL is leaving, I will miss her posts.
Upworthy: I shared this article, and totally agree with it. If anything, prisons create more crime when the people get released. There is no rehabilitation in most of them, and no incentive to reform. We have too many prisons all ready, due to the private prison industry, a money making program.
Think Progress: All his theories have beendebunked, yet people still believe them, unimaginable!