Justice – Page 40 – Politics Plus

Open Thread April 1, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:06 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Apr 012023

Yesterday, reading Heather Cox Richardson’s Letter from an American for Thursday, I stumbled on a piece of information which I suspect has mostly gotten lost in the brou-ha-ha over The Indictment. And that is that Turkey has dropped it’s objections to Finland joining NATO – and that this was all that was needed for Finland to become a NATO member. That is great news for Finland, but also for all democracies, since it also strengthens NATO, both in reality and symbolically.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Daily Kos (Dartagnan) – Oh no! CNN says we’re in ‘uncharted waters!’
Quote – We had a president who embraced white supremacy and intentionally inspired terrorist attacks against Americans. Those are “uncharted waters.” We had a president who was defeated soundly in 2020, then proceeded to lie about the results, corroding our democracy, probably irreparably. Those are “uncharted waters.”… So please, don’t even talk to me about “uncharted waters.” That ship sailed a long, long time ago.
Click through for aall the points. This should go viral.

Civil Discourse – Indicted
Quote – Expect a circus in the courthouse on Tuesday when Trump arrives for arraignment. He is a different kind of defendant, so there will be some differences in how he’s treated—for one thing, he’ll be accompanied by at least one Secret Service agent as he goes through the booking process and there will be a focus on safety so don’t expect a traditional “perp walk”. But essentially, Trump will find himself in the same position as any other defendant, submitting to the booking process, being fingerprinted, photographed and arraigned in open court. He will also face a judge. There has been some suggestion it will be Judge Juan Manuel Merchan, who was in charge of the Manhattan DA’s prosecution of the Trump Organization, and who ran a tight ship.
Click through for details. There is a lot of speculation on what the arraignment will look like, and I wanted to capture the speculation of a former federal prosecutor in her own words. It’s still speculation, but it experience-based.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 3/31/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:08 pm Open Thread, Politics

Mar 312023

(The Liberal Redneck is from Tennessee, and I keep expecting avideo from him about the Nashville mass shooting. There hasn’t been one yet – and it really wouldn’t surprise me if he finds it just too hard to talk about – but i’ll keep looking.)

Glenn Kirschner – NY DA Alvin Bragg pauses grand jury investigation of Donald Trump’s NY crimes. What might this mean?

Meidas Touch – Tennessee Republican makes STUNNING admission during live interview

MSNBC – Fox News aired Dominion conspiracy theories despite fact-checking unit’s disproval

Robert Reich – The Hidden Costs of Denying Paid Sick Leave

Pittie Lets Foster Kittens Nurse On Her

Beau – Let’s talk about 2 big Trump developments, privilege, and jurors….

Open Thread March 31, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:59 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 312023

Yesterday, I made a couple of cartoons. I don’t need all that many, but I did need two for the first week. I won’t need another before the 20th, so that gives me some slack. And did y’all see the breaking news comment in yesterday’s OT? Or did you get the news elsewhere? Are the able bodied among you dancing in the streets?

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Conversation – This course uses science fiction to understand politics
Quote – What does the course explore? We explore issues of racism, gender, anarchy and the end of civilization. I chose books that encourage students to focus on the political aspects of each work. At the beginning of the course, I ask students how closely they connect science fiction and politics. At the end of the course, students have the opportunity to revisit and revise their response to that question. By that point, students have participated in discussions, written papers and completed short assignments that ask them to explore and articulate political themes in each book.
Click through for details. If Beau sees this, he’ll be tickled. He’s a big fan of using science fiction to understand, not just politics, but much of the human codition.

The Atlantic (no paywall) – My 6-Year-Old Son Died. Then the Anti-vaxxers Found Out.
Quote – My grief is profound, ragged, desperate. I cannot imagine how anything could feel worse But vaccine opponents on the internet, who somehow assumed that a COVID shot was responsible for my son’s death, thought my family’s pain was funny. “Lol. Yay for the jab. Right? Right?” wrote one person on Twitter. “Your decision to vaccinate your son resulted in his death,” wrote another. “This is all on YOU.” “Murder in the first.”
Click through for full story. This is no way to run a civilization. This kind of harassment needs to be made a felony in all states and all territories (and, as I think I may have said before, there will be plenty of room in prisons if we just release all those convicted of personal use drug possession and breathing while black.)

Food For Thought

Video Thread 3/30/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:04 pm Open Thread, Politics

Mar 302023

Glenn Kirschner – Judge ORDERS Mike Pence to testify to the grand jury about the crimes of Donald Trump

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party – March 28, 2023

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers speech in Ghana during tour of Africa (8 minutes, but full speech would have been too long)

Farron Balanced – Confused Lauren Boebert Derails House Hearing With Insane Request (Could we use this to discuss putting schoolchildren and teachers on the endangered species list due to mass shootings?)

Groundhog Brings His Son To Visit His Human Best Friend

Beau – Let’s talk about Colorado, the GOP, and trends…. (Heaven knows want a more progressive Demoratic Party. But I don’t think that’s necessarily going on state wide. I would look first at the caucus system becoming less important, and the flexibility that being unaffiliated in Colorado gives voters to vote in whchever primary they would prefer to vote in. I also think, though I may be wrong, that there is actually aparty on Colorado called the Independent Party which people who don’t realize it exists may get attached to unless they specifically say “unaffiliated. In any case, we do have a small Green PArty and a small LibertarienPartyand,though small, their numbers should be included in a discussion like this.)

Video Thread 3/29/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:54 am Open Thread, Politics

Mar 292023

Glenn Kirschner – Donald Trump’s threats to NY DA Alvin Bragg VIOLATE BOTH NEW YORK AND FEDERAL criminal statutes.

PoliticsGirl – TikTok Ban

Ring of Fire – Jim Jordan’s Staffers Whine That Manhattan DA’s Office Keeps Hanging Up On Them (I’d be inclined to send everything to VMX, with an OGM which apologizes to legitimate callers and explains why. Put one person – maybe hire someone for it – to traanscribe it all overnight.)

Mrs. Betty Bowers – The Game of Anti-Woke DISTRACTIONS

Hissing Feral Cat Falls In Love With The Guy Who Rescued Him

Beau – Let’s talk about a win at the Supreme Court for Americans with disabilities….

Open Thread March 29, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:13 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 292023

Yesterday, Looking at the 10-day weather forcast, I said to myself, “I guess spring is really here.” But for those who haven’t lived in the Rockies, I think I had better qualify that. The predominant spring weather in Colorado is wind. And six of those ten days, including both the 30th and the 31st, showed wind as the predominant weather. So, after coming in like a grumpy lamb, March may go out like a blustery lion after all. (But we can also expect some warmer, possibly up to 70°F.) Also, I found I had overcut the extra yesterday – here’s the correct link (plus it’s now on YouTube.)

Cartoon – 29 Niagara rtl

Short Takes –

The 19th – Nashville shooting suspect’s gender sets attack apart from most mass shootings
Quote – Law enforcement officials in Nashville released the identity of the shooter, whose last name was Hale. Chief John Drake of the Nashville Police said the authorities currently believe that the shooter is transgender. However, local authorities and news media reports have varied on how they refer to Hale’s gender identity, as well as what pronouns they have used. The 19th is waiting on further information related to Hale’s identity before publishing a first name.
Click through for more. Yes, everyone has heard about the shots and the victims. I’m using the 19th because it is not afraid to look at this from a different perspective (and is being very careful not to over-report.)

PolitiZoom – Will Ivana Sabotage Donald From the Grave? SECRET FBI Files Released Under FOIA Reveal Investigation
Quote – What if I was to tell you that I was writing a fiction story about a supposed KGB asset, groomed since the 80’s, and his fashionista wife, whom the FBI has also been watching since the 80’s, and then we fast forward to the 21st century, where the alleged asset has been elected president of the United States, with the help of Vladimir Putin, and then a few years later the fashionista wife tumbles down the stairs of her condo one night when she’s alone and breaks her neck?
Click through for juicy details. This seems pretty far-fetched to me. But then everthing involving Trump** is far-fetched. And Ursula doesn’t even mention the suspicious weight of the coffin considering she was cremated.

Bonus News of the Weird:

Law & Crime – Jurors subject ‘dominatrix’ to potential 25-year prison term for trying to murder lookalike eyelash stylist with cheesecake tainted by powerful Russian benzo
Quote – Nasyrova allegedly fled Russia in 2014 before she could be charged with the drugging and murder of a different friend, this one a man. During a 2018 interview with 48 Hours while she was detained at Rikers Island, the so-called dominatrix Nasyrova was also asked whether it was true that she had also drugged and robbed men she met through dating sites. Nasyrova denied the allegations and said (according to a translation), “I would be happy to comment on that, but I can’t talk about it.”
CLick through for story. The concept of identity theft is not new. It appears in countless fairy tals, certainly from all over Europe – I can specifically pint to one in Czechoslovakia,one in Scandinavia, and at least a dozen in Germany collected by the Grimm brothers. And the victimgenerally either survives or is magically resurrected – fairy tales are big on justice for victims. But the detail of the perp being an alleged “dominatrix” is new.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 3/28/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:09 pm Open Thread, Politics

Mar 282023

Glenn Kirschner – NY DA Bragg dismisses IN A TWEET Jim Jordan’s latest attempt to interfere in NY prosecution of Trump

Politics Girl – Trump is just like us

MSNBC – GOP reps treated jailed Jan. 6 defendants ‘like celebrities’ says Rep. Garcia

Robert Reich – We Need to Make Banking Boring Again

Gander thinks woman is his wife

Beau – Let’s talk about the Navy renaming ships….

Video Thread 3/27/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:54 am Open Thread, Politics

Mar 272023

Glenn Kirschner – Donald Trump THREATENS NY DA Alvin Bragg in violation of NY state law; additional charges likely?

The Lincoln Project – Mr. DeSantis

Ring of Fire – Fox Host Begs Trump To Shut The Hell Up About 2020 Election

Armageddon Update – HELLthcare

Cat Is SO Gentle With His Squirrel Brother

Beau – Let’s talk about if NY is handling it wrong with Trump….

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