Mikey Likes It!: 2024

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Sugar Britches Moulton needs to realize he represents his district - not transphobes across the country

Can Sugar britches Seth Moulton just shut his mouth? Seriously.

Enough.

He's given another interview about his trashing of transgender people:

What do you think about the backlash to your comments?

We’ve worked so long to become tolerant as a party by addressing every interest group that we’ve become intolerant. And so you can’t even have a debate about certain issues without sparking a backlash. And the backlash proved my point.

What has been the response behind the scenes from members of your party?

I’m no stranger to controversy. I don’t mind sticking my neck out and saying the difficult thing, but I’ve never received a more positive response across the board from Democrats. Of course, there are some who disagree, but I received support calls and emails and texts from Democrats across the ideological spectrum, including a lot of LGBTQ Democrats. Of course, this is reflected in the polling: We know that the vast majority of Americans think that we should have reasonable restrictions for competitive women’s sports.

But the broader point — that we can’t even take on difficult issues because of the cancel culture in our party — is what I think most Democrats are responding to. And whether it’s this issue or any other number of issues, if we can’t even have a good debate than that’s a real problem for our party going forward. The Republicans are banning books and we’re banning discussions.

Let's break some news to the idiot first. My cousin just polled for his district as part of her college course. 72% of the people in the sixth district did not agree or support his comments. 7.5% agreed with him. Whatever the remainder -- I didn't write it down -- had no opinion.

So Seth, you're not getting positive response across the board from Democrats in your district.

If you're not lying -- big if -- then you're hearing from Democrats who are transphobes and live in other areas.

So stop lying and stop pretending.

Your district is educated.

Either represent them or get your fat ass kicked out.

I don't know if your apparently lavender marriage will survive that or not.

I would think not.

Here's the thing about Big Mass, we'd forgive you being gay, heck we'd embrace you all the more for it. But we're not Conn. Meaning, Joe Liberman wouldn't have lasted here as an independent.

So you can move to that state or you can stop trashing transgender children.

Oh, my cousin, she also had a question about whether or not you were gay and, if so, did the voter think you were attacking transgender kids so you could hide in your closet? The majority said yes to both.

I told you. That's my home state. We always assumed Seth was gay. He 'read' gay. No one held it against him back in the day. Everyone assumed that as he got comfortable in office, he'd announce at some point that he was gay.

His attack on trans people is hurting him.

We're not the state of Riley Gaines or whatever that flat chested, ugly faced woman's name is. That's not us. Big Mass is not ugly people. We are people who love our neighbors and value our long history of being leaders who forge ahead.

Seth wanted to play the coward. I predict he'll face a strong primary challenge in two years.

What might save him?

Announcing that he's gay. We'd probably forgive him for that.

That's about it, though.

Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Wednesday, November 20, 2024. Mika and Joe soil themselves while nut jobs like Francis Boyle harm the left.

Did Mika and Joe destroy MSNBC this week?

I heard what they'd done Monday afternoon and immediately removed their video from the snapshot -- they were talking about Pete Hegseth. When the shock faded, the anger remained. And I wasn't a big fan of MORNING JOE. Two cowards went and sucked up to save their own asses and their viewers b e damned.

There was no excuse for it. It tars them as traitors -- they betrayed the audience -- and as liars because how could you say all that they have said about the great Satan and then turn around and make nice with him?

They now make clear that, at least their section of MSNBC, is nothing but posing and acting -- and that's really not something a so-called news network wants to be known for.

Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid, Ari, Chris Hayes, all of them are now suspect.

I'm not saying they should be -- I can't imagine a time when I won't applaud and defend Chris -- someone who actually keeps their word and has a record for doing so -- but I am saying that two on airs embarrassed the network and put a question mark over the network and the other on air personalities.

Ron Filipkowski (MEIDASTOUCH MEDIA) notes:

After social media across multiple platforms erupted over Joe and Mika’s trip to MAL to kiss the ring, or, as Joe put it, “restarting my communications with Trump,” the response this morning was to insult the critics. Scarborough opened the show with this:

“Yesterday, I saw for the first time what a massive disconnect there was between social media and the real world because we were flooded from phone calls from people all day, literally around the world, very positive, very supportive.”

So, the millions of people who expressed outrage that J&M went to the home of the man they have called a serial sexual abuser of women and the second coming of Hitler are disconnected from the real world, but J&M’s friends calling them from around the world have their finger on the pulse? I guess we will find out when the ratings from this week come out whether this is just cranks on social media or real people who used to watch their show. (The show’s ratings had already tanked since the election even before this).

Sure, the consensus of the opinions on social media don’t always reflect society as a whole or the views of the entire country. I get that. But that’s not really the issue here. Morning Joe’s audience is largely the very same people who are complaining on social media - educated, sophisticated people who follow the news very closely and are on social media. So, with this dismissive statement, Joe insults his own audience yet again.

I guess I’m just not sophisticated enough to understand why a TV host would go to someone’s house to kiss and make up who accused him of murdering a staffer to cover up an extramarital affair (with no evidence). Or who viciously insulted his wife over her intellect, looks, and plastic surgery. I guess those of us in the imaginary social media world don’t get the nuance of how it is necessary to kiss the ring of that person in order to provide TV commentary to a largely progressive audience.

People around the world? Joe is such a damn liar. No one gives a damn about MORNING JOE in Japan or France or any country that has their own media. There is no excuse for what took place.

While Joe lied and invented world wide fans, MEIDASTOUCH actually polled:

After we reported that Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski admitted to bending the knee to Trump at Mar-a-Lago this past weekend, we decided to conduct a survey to see if it impacted viewers of Morning Joe. We were Morning Joe fans, and it made us not want to watch them again. We wanted to see if MeidasTouch viewers felt as we did.

We surveyed 9,686 people, and the results were shocking: 90.3 percent of those surveyed say they will not watch Morning Joe ever again. It’s sad that Morning Joe screwed over its audience like this and lost the credibility and trust it had gained from us and others

Mika and Joe are exposed as actors, not as journalists. They will say and do anything for a check.

They are not alone.

Remember that as you read over Lynda Williams (COMMON DREAMS):

As a physicist and concerned citizen, I find myself outraged every time I scroll through social media and encounter tweets from the Department of Energy, or DOE, and the Office of Nuclear Energy, or ONE, touting nuclear power as “clean, safe, and carbon-free.”

This narrative not only misrepresents the dirty reality of nuclear power but also obscures the significant environmental and health risks associated with its production and waste. It’s infuriating to see government agencies knowingly lie and promote such misleading information, while ignoring the pressing issues faced by communities affected by the toxic reality of the nuclear power industry—propaganda paid for by U.S. taxpayers!

Oh, Canada! Leading the Charge Against Nuclear Greenwashing

Finally, someone is doing something about it—but not in the U.S., where you’d expect it. In Canada, a coalition of seven environmental organizations recently filed a formal complaint with the Competition Bureau against the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA), accusing it of misleading the public by marketing nuclear power as “clean” and “emissions-free.” Based on Canada’s Competition Act, the complaint challenges the CNA for violating provisions related to false or misleading advertising, similar to greenwashing regulations in other countries, where deceptive environmental claims distort market competition and misinform consumers.

The complaint argues that the CNA omits critical information about the environmental damage and health risks associated with the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium mining, radioactive waste management, and the impacts on communities near nuclear facilities. By selectively framing nuclear power as a climate solution, the CNA diverts attention and resources away from truly sustainable alternatives like solar and wind energy.

In confronting the extremism of a potential Trump administration, it’s more vital than ever to collaborate with Canada and other nations committed to challenging nuclear misinformation.

In the U.S., similar deceptive practices could be challenged under the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act, which includes the FTC’s Green Guides. These guidelines require that any environmental claims be substantiated, transparent, and not misleading about the overall environmental impact. Yet, organizations like the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the American Nuclear Society (ANS) continue to promote nuclear power as a “clean” energy solution while conveniently ignoring the lifecycle emissions, radioactive waste, and long-term environmental costs.

Leading the charge in Canada are groups such as the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), Environmental Defence Canada, and the Sierra Club Canada Foundation. Here in the U.S., organizations like the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Sierra Club could take similar action against the NEI and ANS by leveraging the FTC’s guidelines to expose deceptive marketing practices in the nuclear sector.

Let’s Be Real: Nuclear Power is Not Clean or Green

Sure, nuclear fission may not produce direct carbon emissions, but the nuclear fuel cycle—including uranium mining, reactor construction, radioactive waste management, and decommissioning—creates significant greenhouse gas emissions. In places like the Navajo Nation, uranium mining has already caused immeasurable harm. Over 523 abandoned uranium mines and mills continue to contaminate the land and water with radioactive waste, leading to severe health problems that affect multiple generations. The DOE’s failure to address these ongoing harms while simultaneously promoting the narrative of “clean, safe, carbon-free” nuclear power is not just unethical—it’s a dangerous distraction from real solutions for our energy needs and the fight against climate change.

Nuclear energy is not safe. The byproduct of it is not safe and is deadly for millions of years. A nuclear plant makes a much better target for terrorism than a world sky scraper. It is a danger to all of us.

Some people got taken in by Oliver Stone. He's a pig and he lies. But some on the left treated him like a god.

Words? Pretty words trick a lot of people. Equally true, there are a lot of sell outs.

And there is just the grotesque. That would be people like John Stauber who made their money and name on the left but turned out to be psycho nut jobs who now platform and embrace Laura Loomer and other hate merchants.

I'm not in the mood to play. What John Stauber puts on his social media is disgusting but the left -- even those who promoted him -- looks the other way and refuses to call out what he's become -- a racist troll.

I'm not playing that game.

Francis A. Boyle is a legal professor who once had a working brain. He's repeatedly sent stuff to this site over the years and I've tried to include it where possible. Didn't mean I agreed, didn't mean I disagreed.

But we're done.

I knew of him through members of Congress -- including John Conyers.

He keeps sending garbage and doesn't seem to realize that it's not being missed in the inbox. That can happen. That's not what's happening with him.

I don't care that he wants to impeach Joe Biden.

That is his 'new' and 'productive' effort.

Joe Biden steps down in January, it's almost Thanksgiving, buy a damn clue, read the room. Francis is a damn loser. Maybe he always was, maybe he just became it.

But not only do I not have time for that garbage nonsense, I also don't have time for Alex Jones. Is this the first time his name has appeared here in our two decades? Ava and I covered his nonsense for a media piece at THIRD.

But Francis has sat down with Alex Jones and done a great interview on impeaching Joe Biden and . . .

And shut the hell up.

Seriously, you embarrass yourself. You shame yourself.

I am appalled that no one calls out John Stauber. But when I saw all the e-mails of Francis trying to promote himself and Alex Jones, my first response was to just ignore it. So maybe that's why some on the left who were so cozy with John Stauber have refused to call him out for the hate merchant he's become? I don't know but I'm not playing that game.

Francis A. Boyle is nuts and has no place on the left. He can join the other grifters like Glynneth Greenwald and Fatt Taibbi in promoting and defending Alex Jones.

We won't miss him. If you're looking what's going on in this country right now and your 'answer' is to impeach Joe Biden? You're beyond insane.

People are living in fear of what's coming.

And your answer is to defocus with a bunch of nonsense while you play footise with Alex Jones?

You're a disgrace and a good reason why our country is at the point it is right now and why so many Americans rightfully are worried about what's coming after the January inauguration.

Senator Elizabeth Warren issued the following:

Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to the news that President-elect Donald Trump has named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. poses a danger to public health, scientific research, medicine, and health care coverage for millions of Americans. RFK Jr. wants to stop parents from protecting their babies from measles and his ideas would welcome the return of polio. He has spread conspiracy theories on everything from COVID to mass shootings. I will have a lot of questions about Mr. Kennedy’s fitness to serve as health secretary when he appears before the Finance Committee.”

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Senator Ron Wyden issued the following:

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on Donald Trump picking Chris Wright to be nominated for Department of Energy secretary and Doug Burgum to be nominated for Department of Interior secretary.

“It’s sadly not the least bit surprising that Trump’s picks to do his bidding at the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior have long track records cheerleading for Big Oil, corporate America, and the ultra-wealthy gas executives plotting to fill their already over-stuffed pocketbooks,” Wyden said. “These nominees were selected with the goal of taking our country back in time and rolling back climate progress. American workers and families will pay a steep price as Trump's agenda destroys jobs and shuts down renewable energy projects all over the country that Americans overwhelmingly support.

“But make no mistake: as a senior member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I will watchdog the Trump administration’s every move. Oregonians voted for elected officials who will stand up to Trump’s climate denying policies and keep fighting to protect our state’s beloved public lands from being pillaged for profit. That’s exactly what I’ll do–all while keeping a spotlight on the urgent need for climate action so all Oregonians have a bright and better future.”

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Senator Richard Blumenthal issued the following:

[HARTFORD, CT] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and all Senate Judiciary Democrats in a letter to the House Ethics Committee urging the House Ethics Committee to preserve and transmit to the Senate Judiciary Committee all relevant documentation on former Congressman Matt Gaetz, including the report that the House Ethics Committee was reportedly prepared to vote to release tomorrow. The letter follows Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from Congress yesterday after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Mr. Gaetz to serve as Attorney General.

The Senators wrote, “The sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report and findings. We cannot allow this critical information from a bipartisan investigation into longstanding public allegations to be hidden from the American people, given that it is directly relevant to the question of whether Mr. Gaetz is qualified and fit to be the next Attorney General of the United States.”

The Senators continued, “The Senate has a constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on presidential nominees, and it is crucial that we review all of the information necessary to fulfill this duty as we consider Mr. Gaetz’s nomination. We thus request that you immediately provide to the Senate Judiciary Committee your Committee’s report and all documentation related to your investigation into Mr. Gaetz’s alleged misconduct. The Senate Judiciary Committee will accept this information in any format that accords with your Committee’s rules, but please include all underlying source materials on which you relied, including interviews and contact information for any of these sources.”

In April 2021, the House Ethics Committee announced that the Committee was “aware of public allegations that Representative Matt Gaetz may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct,” and as a result, the Committee had “begun an investigation and will gather additional information regarding the allegations.”

In June 2024, the House Ethics Committee issued a statement noting that the Committee had “determined that certain of the allegations merit continued review” and that “the Committee has also identified additional allegations that merit review,” including allegations pursuant to Committee Rules 14(a)(3) and 18(a) that Representative Gaetz may have: engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.”

There is substantial precedent for the release of such materials in both chambers of Congress. In 1987, the House Ethics Committee released a preliminary report about former Rep. Bill Boner after he left Congress, stating: “In the Committee’s view, the general policy against issuing reports in cases such as here involved is outweighed by the responsibility of the Committee to fully inform the public regarding the status and results of its efforts up to the date of Representative Boner’s departure from Congress.” Similarly, in 2011, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics released its preliminary report on former Senator John Ensign after he resigned from Congress. The House Ethics Committee has also continued investigations after Members have left Congress, such as in 2010 when it twice reauthorized its investigation into former Rep. Eric Massa after his departure.

Along with Blumenthal, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Laphonza Butler (D-CA).

Full text of today’s letter is available here and below:

November 14, 2024

Dear Chairman Guest and Ranking Member Wild:

In light of President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of his intent to nominate former Congressman Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General, we request that the House Committee on Ethics immediately preserve and transmit to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary all relevant documentation on Mr. Gaetz, including the report that your Committee was reportedly prepared to vote to release tomorrow.

In April 2021, you announced that the Committee was “aware of public allegations that Representative Matt Gaetz may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct,” and as a result, the Committee had “begun an investigation and will gather additional information regarding the allegations.”

In June 2024, the Committee issued a statement noting that the Committee had “determined that certain of the allegations merit continued review” and that “the Committee has also identified additional allegations that merit review,” including “allegations pursuant to Committee Rules 14(a)(3) and 18(a) that Representative Gaetz may have: engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.”

The sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report and findings. We cannot allow this critical information from a bipartisan investigation into longstanding public allegations to be hidden from the American people, given that it is directly relevant to the question of whether Mr. Gaetz is qualified and fit to be the next Attorney General of the United States.

The Senate has a constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on presidential nominees, and it is crucial that we review all of the information necessary to fulfill this duty as we consider Mr. Gaetz’s nomination. We thus request that you immediately provide to the Senate Judiciary Committee your Committee’s report and all documentation related to your investigation into Mr. Gaetz’s alleged misconduct. The Senate Judiciary Committee will accept this information in any format that accords with your Committee’s rules, but please include all underlying source materials on which you relied, including interviews and contact information for any of these sources.

Thank you for your time and prompt consideration of this important request.

Sincerely,

US House Rep Joaquin Castro's released this:

WASHINGTON — Today, Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sen. Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led the release of a new report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) that examines the role of U.S. firearms in Caribbean arms trafficking. The report found that nearly three-quarters of firearms recovered from the Caribbean and traced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) could be sourced back to the United States, with many originating from U.S. retail sales.

A bicameral group of top Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, and Judiciary Democrats joined Castro, Meeks, and Durbin in releasing this report, including Reps. Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, Lou Correa (CA-46), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement, Dan Goldman (NY-10), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement and Intelligence, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Co-Chair of the House Haiti Caucus.

Key findings in today’s report include:

73% of firearms recovered from 25 Caribbean countries and tracked by ATF’s eTrace system between 2018 - 2022 could be sourced to the United States. Among these firearms, 45 percent could be sourced back to an initial retail purchase in the United States, with most sales originating in Florida, Texas, and Georgia.

Handguns represented the majority (88 percent) of firearms recovered and traced from the Caribbean. During the study period from 2018 to 2022, the number of long guns submitted for tracing across the Caribbean nearly tripled from five percent to fifteen percent of all weapons examined.

A full copy of the report can be found here.

“The most effective way to address violence and instability in the Caribbean is to prevent U.S. guns from falling into the hands of criminals,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. “During my time on the Foreign Affairs Committee, I’ve met with dozens of leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean who plead with the United States to stop the gun trafficking that is wreaking havoc on their countries. Today’s report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office demonstrates how criminal organizations across the Caribbean source their weapons from the United States in a deadly trade that has contributed to the collapse of Haitian society and devastating loss of life across the region. The Biden-Harris administration has taken important steps to curb gun trafficking, including through strict enforcement of penalties in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the subsequent establishment of a Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions at the Department of Justice. To continue this progress, Congress must pass my Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act, which mobilizes resources across the federal government to disrupt firearms trafficking from the United States. No approach to the challenges facing our hemisphere can be complete without a comprehensive strategy to end gun trafficking. I hope the next administration will treat this issue with the gravity it deserves.”

“Leaders across the Caribbean have long called on the United States to address the pernicious effects of arms trafficking from our shores to their countries. These weapons destabilize communities and compound the challenges faced by our Caribbean neighbors, enabling gangs and transnational criminal networks to perpetrate crime that undermines U.S. national security and regional stability. We must invest in efforts to stem the flow of illicit weapons from our shores to the Caribbean. Doing so will protect communities in the United States, Caribbean and wider Western Hemisphere,” said Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks.

“Enabled by the NRA and Republican extremists, our country’s lax gun laws have created a vicious cycle of firearms trafficking to international drug cartels and criminal organizations, recklessly destabilizing countries throughout the region. Today’s report demonstrates the severity of this phenomenon, which unleashes violence, drug trading, and chaos in its wake. We need to stem the ‘iron river’ of firearms trafficking and pass additional commonsense gun safety legislation. I stand ready to do so with any of my colleagues ready to fight this fight,” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“As this report shows, the overwhelming majority of guns recovered in the Caribbean were trafficked from the United States. We need to ensure that guns from the U.S. are not getting in the hands of the cartels and criminal organizations. Our homeland security depends on it,” said Congressman Bennie Thompson, Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee.

“As this nonpartisan report highlights, nearly three-quarters of firearms recovered in the Caribbean can be traced back to the United States, underscoring the urgent need for stronger action to combat arms trafficking. We must strengthen screening and enforcement at our ports and hold bad actors accountable for smuggling firearms into the region. That’s why I introduced the Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causing Harm (CATCH) Act — to build on the progress we made with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act by specifically targeting illegal gun exports to the Caribbean. Together, these efforts will help curb the flow of deadly weapons, reduce violence, and enhance security for our neighbors and ourselves,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Co-Chair of the House Haiti Caucus.

“Illicit firearms trafficking from the U.S. is fueling violence in Caribbean countries including Haiti, destabilizing the region and causing a growing number of people to flee their home countries for their safety,” said Congressman Seth Magaziner, Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement and Intelligence. “We need double down on efforts that will crack down on illicit firearms trafficking and stop cartels from spreading violence using U.S. weapons.”

"American firearms traffickers aren’t just fueling a gun violence epidemic here at home, they’re also arming cartels abroad and contributing to the drug and human trafficking operations at the border, including the fentanyl crisis,” said Congressman Dan Goldman. “The GAO's startling report drives home the urgent need to crack down on the trafficking of American firearms abroad. Congress must pass legislation like Congressman Castro's ARMAS Act and my Disarming Cartels Act – to keep these American manufacturers from fueling the crisis at the border.”

Background

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Caribbean countries accounted for six of the world’s 10 highest national murder rates in 2021, with the majority of homicides stemming from gun violence. Data from the Small Arms Survey indicates that legal civilian firearm ownership rates in the Caribbean are relatively low, with gun laws and regulations that are restrictive by global standards. Nevertheless, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has reported a significant increase in the quantity, caliber, and type of firearms illegally trafficked from the U.S. to the Caribbean. Particularly in Haiti, the flow of illicit firearms from the United States has facilitated the growth of violent gangs and contributed to increasing displacement and U.S.-bound emigration.

In 2022, Congress passed, and President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which created new federal criminal offenses for firearms trafficking. More than 500 defendants have been charged to date under these new provisions. In 2023, the Department of Justice appointed a Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions to elevate regional firearms trafficking investigations and prosecutions. In today’s report, GAO recommended that the State Department additionally establish indicators specific to firearms trafficking in the Results Framework for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a longstanding security cooperation partnership between the United States and thirteen Caribbean countries. The State Department has concurred with GAO’s recommendation.

But we've got nut jobs like Boyle taking up oxygen with nonsense about impeaching Joe?

The left is never wrong to promote the expansion of civil rights and liberties and that battle does not hurt election results. What does hurt is nut jobs and not calling them out to make clear that we do not stand with them.

The following sites updated:

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Idiot of the Week Social Media Freak Division

My daughter and I are planting carrots for the winter and spinach and radishes. And Betty shared a science story with her that she wants me to include:

Imagine an object so terrifying that its mere sound could make your blood run cold — a sonic weapon designed to disrupt the brain and induce pure dread. This isn’t the plot of some horror movie, researchers say it’s actually ancient history! Their new study is revealing the shocking secrets of the Aztec death whistle.

A team from the University of Zurich examined these skull-shaped artifacts, uncovering how the Aztecs may have used sound as a psychological tool during their most sacred and brutal rituals.

When blown, the death whistle produces a sound so unsettling that listeners today describe it as “extremely chilling and frightening.” Unlike any musical instrument we know in modern times, these whistles create a sound that eerily mimics a human scream — a calculated design that seems purposefully horrifying.

Now let me do an Idiot of the Week Social Media Freak Division.

It goes to White Karen -- the Ultimate White Karen. Karen F. Duncan. She's a stupid woman. She tried to be a blogger. Like Peter did on FAMILY GUY.

You think I'm making this up? Her blog is titled "Karen F. Duncan: Life in the Time of Cornoavirus."

Like Peter, she was all "never forget." Like Peter she was lazy and stupid which is why her blog only had 13 posts.

When not blogging, White Karen likes to be on BLUE SKY and X. Mainly, I'm guessing, to show what happens when women don't wear bras and their boobs hang down to their bellies. (Yes, Karen, my balls will sag with age, but you won't catch me wearing a tight sweater around them the way you do with your saggy boobs.)

She likes the disgusting David Sirota. Remember when he attacked Cloy's mom Tina? Remember that great Sirota moment. A wounded veteran and his mother. And they had the 'nerve' (common sense) to call out Davey Sirota's boss (David Obey) and so Davey Sirota stamped his feet and had a hissy fit and attacked and insulted her online. That's the type of person White Karen Duncan loves. She loves a man who attacks a mother who is just trying to defend her son and stop an illegal war.

White Karen is so disgusting. I took another look, her boobs actually hang down below her waist. Is that some nod to Carol Burnett's Stella Todler?

This is her idea of sounding informed:

Journalism died a long time ago it’s time for Democrats to invest in and support a sustained media ecosystem that can go toe to toe with the right wing ecosystem that has powerfully amplified the Republican talking points while drowning out our messaging.

Uhm, dummy, that's why AIR AMERICA RADIO was created. It's why INDYMEDIA was created. It's why PACIFICA RADO was created. There was also NOVA M RADIO and IE AMERICAN RADIO NETWORK (which was with UAW).

She's so stupid. She has no sense of history. She's just a dumb and annoying idiot. She's blaming trans rights because she's such a damn fool.

Trans rights, she insists, cost Kamala the election. She got into that fight online with a guy I know. That's how I first learned of her.

No, you stupid, stupid, idiot. First off, Kamala has 48.3% of the vote and Satanic Trump has 50%. That's probably going to grow to an even smaller difference once California finishes counting -- 6% of the votes to go. Oregon and Washington together have another 6% of the vote to count. Colorado and New York together also have 6% of the vote left to count.

For someone who was not the nominee at the start of July and only became the nominee in August? That's damn impressive.

And we don't need to be throwing trans people under the bus.

She's got an answer!!!! The looney has an answer!!!!

Media!!!!!

Idiot, Media is what hurt Kamala. And I don't mean THE NEW YORK TIMES or THE WASHINGTON POST that you rail against.

Ava and C.I. covered this:

Before the voting began, weeks and weeks before, they were explaining what was happening.

And I think even Karen, presented with reality, would agree this was what happened.

COMMON DREAMS spent all of August and September and 1/2 of October attacking Kamala every day. This included 'Democrat' Norman Solomon's column announcing that he was voting for Jill Stein. (Norman pulled that back when C.I. spoke with those who donate to Norman's ridiculous organization -- all the sudden he was for Kamala after he learned donations were going to go elsewhere).

Karen, imagine you're a lefty but not a Democrat. And you go to COMMON DREAMS each day and each day everything Kamala does is evil and wrong.

Now grasp that was just COMMON DREAMS. At THE NATION, only Joan Walsh and John Nichols wrote positively about Kamala and they did not write every day. But every day THE NATION attacked Kamala online with a Gaza piece or a healthcare piece or a this piece or a that piece and did so daily in August, September, October and November. Grasp that. Grasp that they let the 'interns' (really Katrina vanden Heuvel - publisher of the rag - tell them what to write) do an editorial against Kamala.

I'm not done, Karen.

THE PROGRESSIVE? One article attacking Kamala after another. She never got a word of praise. IN THESE TIMES? Not one article ever praising her. Daily visits to those websites would tell you how awful Kamala Harris was.

Still not done.

DEMOCRACY NOW! Segment after segment in August on Kamala -- each one attacking her. Same in October up to the 30th. Then Amy found one group that liked her. Then back to trashing her.

As Ava and C.I. argued in real time, this was going to depress turnout. People were excited about Kamala's run. But day after day, trusted left outlets attacked her.

Again, I think Karen could grasp that. The fact that these attacks were intended to harm her -- Amy Goodman and DEMOCRACY NOW! helped elect Donald Trump, let's be honest. That was the plan, to attack her. They didn't do this to Barack Obama. These same outlets -- as Black women across the net have noted -- treated Barack's run as something to celebrate. But when it was a Black woman?

And grasp the racism in this. A Black woman -- more than qualified -- runs and they savage her and they attack her. This was racism and the left needs to stop pretending it doesn't have any racism.

It has plenty. And Karen might try writing about that. But she apparently doesn't know about. She doesn't know about the vacation Black women are taking because they (rightly) feel betrayed and stabbed in the back.

That's what happened.

And maybe if Karen wasn't so enthralled with David Sirota (a man who also did not elevate Kamala's campaign but trashed it regularly) and actually consumed social media created by Black women, I wouldn't need to be pointing this out to her? Myself? I've always loved Olay. Through C.I.'s work, I've begun to love TABITHA SPEAKS and Danielle Moodie.

Karen, you might not be an idiot.

You clearly think you're educated. But you're not. You think media is the answer -- but you don't know what the media did -- media supported and funded by Democrats -- to Kamala.

Picture yourself being bombarded with this anti-Kamala message over and over. The attacks on her from Jill Stein and the Gaza Freaks (Gaza Freaks is not people who want to help Palestinians -- Gaza Freaks are Americans -- Muslim or not, Arab or not -- who were willing to risk the lives of Palestinians to try to make a point that would help no one). Left media that picked up those attacks and used that framework. I've noted some above. But that's not all. THE MAJORITY REPORT repeatedly attacked her over Palestine. As did THE LEFTIST MEDIA and SECULAR TALK and THE HUMANIST REPORT and . . .

It never ended. And as C.I. noted, these outlets should have been educating voters, not steering them away from Kamala. The US relationship with Israel is a historic one. To change that relationship was going to take a lot more work than any of the Gaza Freaks had done.

Just not in the mood for Karen -- especially her conclusion that the media is the answer.

Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Tuesday, November 18, 2024. The exodus from Twitter continues, the silence on Black women also continues, Hegseth is not qualified for the role of Secretary of Defense, and much more.

You ready to get off Elon Musk's plantation?

. Elon Musk was born and grew up in South Africa and he loved it. Until apartheid began to crumble. The thought of Black people having the same rights as he did caused him to flee South Africa. The racism is ingrained in him and that's the only 'free speech' that he ever tolerates.

THE GUARDIAN, The Free Press, Gabrielle Union, Jamie Lee Curtis and so many others are doing the right thing and leaving the racist's social media. He's lost money on Twitter but that doesn't matter to him because he has influence as long as he owns it -- if it remains popular. If we leave it, it's over. It's nothing but a nest of racists, sexists and homophobes and then it has no cachet and popularity.

Over on Blue Sky . . .

"I-I-I-I-I-I Ain't Gonna Tweet on TWITTER (Ava and C.I.)" -- let's all say goodbye to X and to Twitter and to racists who actively work to destroy our lives.

Let me note one more to join Bluesky.

I called Alyssa out two weeks ago for not being on BlueSky. Now the reason most give me is that they're afraid they'll lose their following. Most of the people refusing to budge -- racist Katrina vanden Heuvel of THE NATION, for example, don't have a following. Alyssa built up her TWITTER following and has huge numbers. Knowing Alyssa, I doubt she's stopped Tweeting but at least she's also gone to BLUESKY. And I will say thank you and I will applaud.

Or I will applaud those of you going to BlueSky.

If, on the left, we can't even do that -- and do it to oppose racism, sexism and homophobia -- it says a great deal about our lack of priorities.

Run X into the ground and Elon Musk is just another ugly man with ass hair implanted on his scalps and jowls.

Now let's note this from Reshonda Tate on THE DEFENDER NETWORK.

Community member Keesha weighed in on that video above noting that this is the big story of the post-election period "but no Democracy Now segment, nothing on The Majority Report or at The Progressive or In These Times or The Nation. The same outlets that ignored us in the lead up to the election are ignoring Black women after the election. I guess they couldn't do all their lying if they had to listen to Black women. So they just ignore us instead. I'm registering and I doubt I'm the only one who is."

It is very hard to ignore the silencing that's taking place.

An e-mail to the public account (common_ills@yahoo.com) is from a woman asking how long she should sit it out? You'll know when -- and if -- you're ready to take part again. Some will need longer to take care of themselves and to heal. Some will never come back (and I don't blame you if that's what you need to do).

This is a very important time and you need to take care of you because the 'left' has demonstrated that they won't -- not just before the election but also, as Keesha points out, after as well.

Don't let them steal your joy -- we've all heard it.

But damned if they didn't try, right?

Kamala was the first Black woman to run for the presidency on a major ticket. And to even be joyful about that brought attacks from others. Brought nonsense about Gaza.

Most political nominees aren't tasked with solving the world's problems before they're even elected president. Not so with Kamala. She had to solve everything and please everyone and do so before she was in the Oval Office.

Yeah, let's pretend like she was being judged by the same standard. That's what so many on the left who helped derail her campaign want us to believe.

We're not that stupid.

We grasp that every column attacking her, every segment attacking her, every speech attacking her was devaluing her -- intentionally devaluing her.

And they try to act like she's the failure.

My state's still got 6% of the vote to count but per the official results nationwide right now, Kamala got 48.3% to Trump's 50%.

That's a less than 2% difference. For a candidate who had to hit the ground running in August.

But don't the White men like Seth Prissy Moulton want to attack. Hey, Seth, unlike you, she had a general election opponent. You didn't. So you should have gotten 100% of the vote -- running uncontested. But you didn't, did you?

So maybe you're the last White windbag that needs to be speaking right now and maybe people need to grasp that when you speak -- running unopposed, he couldn't even get 100% of the vote this time.

Let's note Satanic Trump's unqualified nominees. Pete Hegseth is not qualified to be the secretary of any department. You didn't have to go left to find a qualified candidate. There are people serving in leadership of the military that could have been elevated. There are people in the Senate who are Republicans who would be qualified -- Joni Ernst, Mike Rounds, Roger Wicker, Bill Cassidy, etc.

They have the knowledge base. Hegseth doesn't have the knowledge base or the experience. What he does have is a sad and drunken assault. It was seven years ago. It is not the distant past. He was 37 years old. David Kurtz (TPM) notes:

More details emerged over the weekend about the sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for secretary of defense.

The WaPo was first with extensive new information about the circumstance of the alleged sexual assault, based on (i) a memo it obtained that was provided to the Trump transition team late Wednesday by a friend of the victim; and (ii) a statement from Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore.

The woman later reported the alleged assault to police, but no charges were ever filed:

According to the police statement, the complaint was filed four days after the encounter, and the complainant had bruises to her thigh. The police report itself was not released.

Hegseth settled the woman’s claim for an undisclosed amount, and she signed a nondisclosure agreement.

Trump is standing by Hegseth in the face of the undisclosed settlement of the sexual assault claim.

That's reason enough not to confirm him.

But he's also not qualified for the job.

He shouldn't be confirmed. He shouldn't even be nominated. He's not fit to oversee the Pentagon -- he does not have the background. If the nomination was to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs, I'd have a few problems -- mainly around the issues of female veterans. And I would also question his ability to oversee any department because he just doesn't have that experience -- not in his military service and not in his civilian experience.

This is a huge department that is taxed with many, many duties including ensuring the US military is prepared.

What in Hegseth's past experience argues that he knows a thing about hiring or recruiting, for example?

The last Senate hearing on military readiness was eleven months ago.

At that hearing, US Army Maj Gen Johnny Davis spoke on a number of topics including the statements below:

Today's youth are far more likely to pursue education beyond high school. Currently,

high school seniors and recent graduates account for more than 50% of our annual

contracts. However, they only represent 15-20% of the labor market. We will transform

our prospecting to expand into a greater representation of the labor market and enter

the larger prospect pool. In addition to the high school market, we will target those with

more than a high school diploma, this includes a college degree, some college, or a

technical certification. By FY 2028, it is our goal for one third of new recruits to have

more than a high school diploma. We are growing our analytical capability to incentivize and position our recruiting force, tailor marketing based on segmentation, and place our recruiters in the right place with the right training, products, and tools. Our quarterly Industry Engagement Program allows us to identify new tools to improve operations across the enterprise.

As we transform how the Army prospects for talent, we will continue to innovate and

leverage data analytics, artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to quickly

identify the right talent and provide tailored messaging to potential talent. We are

expanding our presence on both social media and digital job boards to communicate the

Army's Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Expanding our market is critical to

accomplishing the mission today and in the future.

What does Hegseth know about hiring practices, recruitment and retention? Nothing. Can he address, off the top of his head, the issue of evidence-based learning capability? Does he know what a command wide retention surge is? If so, does he approve or does he think it's a waste of time. Each of the four branches needs to be adequately staffed (the Air Force didn't make the goal in 2023). How does Hegseth plan to address this. Does he have an overall plan or is he going to propose piece meal strategies?

He wants this office why? How does he see himself delivering in this office?

Where does he stand on waivers?

Due to his plethora of body markings, I'd assume he is okay with tattoos. But what about age restrictions -- what his top end for someone serving in combat? On drug tests, what's his wait window on retesting -- 60 days, 90 days, less, more? And why? Drug testing does include testing for alcohol.

ESaR has been a semi-successful recruiting tool for the Navy (Every Sailor a Recruiter). Is that a policy Hegseth agrees with? Why or why not?

The Navy's "Make Your Name" series has been successful in recruiting -- noting women's roles and experiences serving in the Navy. It's a fairly inexpensive recruiting tool and it has been successful. Does he endorse this recruiting tool? If not, why not? If not, is it because he has a limited view of what women can do in the military?

Grasp that -- without him -- women have been moving up in the ranks in the military. Are these women going to hit a glass ceiling if he becomes the Secretary? How is he planning to address these issues? How is going to maintain the US military's competitive edge?

Guess what, those are very basic questions about basic duties and that's before we get beyond workforce issues. I see nothing in his background that demonstrates experience with those type of issues.

Again, we still haven't gotten to other issues that include oversight, combat, military exercises and partnering with the VA to improve the transition from veteran to soldier. On that last one? I don't think he has expertise but I think his experience -- personal -- could compensate for the lack of expertise. I do not feel that way about any other responsibility that he would be tasked with should he become the Secretary of Defense.

The US Army is supposed to be refocusing with an emphasis on LSCO (Large-Scale Combat Operations). That is one of the defined 2025 goals. Hegseth will pursue that how?

These are not minor details. And you can't learn it on the job, not as Secretary of Defense. That means being over the defense of this country so Americans are entitled to expect someone in that role to have actual experience.

Hegseth has none.

Again, this isn't a right-or-left issue. There are Republicans who are qualified for this post. Hegseth is not one of them. Any sitting senator on the Armed Services Committee is qualified for the post.

They would know the issues needing to be addressed before they were even sworn into office.

Hegseth doesn't know the issues, he's never overseen any workforce -- let alone a workforce as large as the Defense Dept -- and he would put military readiness at risk as the whole world had to wait for him to learn on the job and familiarize himself with tasks and concepts that he's honestly not suited for.

The following sites updated: