The US Department of Justice is out of control!

@ThunderClap said in #17:
What do you think of the responses to the lack of oversight being allowed ? @Gitananda & of the responses here so far' ?

It is known that a 'strong' leader gives some people warm feelings inside - that I understand. I still don't understand how anyone can continue to deny what is going on. The next step is to either provoke the people enough to get a violent reaction and then invoke the Insurrection Act - or just claim that a rebellion is happening - even if the streets are quiet - and then invoke the Insurrection Act.

Donald J Trump is also out of control

Brennen and Clapper are next! YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tl/dr: I doubt this will be read by many. It's probably easier just to quickly down vote it. If so, that's fine. Be happy!

It would be nice if everybody were willing to expand beyond their habitual, favored and comfortable news sources.

Some sources paint one picture while other sources paint another.

Constant certainty isn't typically a sign of a healthy news variety, I believe. But many apparently convince themselves that such variety isn't really necessary.

I recall a lot of things that some of my friendly political adversaries have, over the years, seemed certain about, at least at one time. And why wouldn't they be certain, if they heard the same refrains over and over from their favored news sources. But ... did what they hear turn out to be accurate? Some of them STILL apparently don't realize what was accurate and what was not.

Here are some questions to ponder (not that I'll hold my breath waiting for many to do so):

Was America's southern border REALLY "secure" as we were repeatedly lectured by some in the preceding administration? Was it REALLY the best version of Biden ever? Was he REALLY out-working the youngsters? If so, why did he not run for another term, after all?

Was the laptop REALLY likely "Russian disinformation" having nothing to do with Hunter? What did his lawyers think?

Did Covid REALLY come from pangolin soup?

Was Trump REALLY a foreign agent? Was the Steele Dossier REALLY dependable?

Is New York covered by water yet, after the passage of decades? Indeed, can anybody notice a significant difference -- or ANY difference -- with his or her own eyes yet, at the New York shoreline? Do the eyes confirm an "emergency" ?

Were the burning businesses REALLY burned in "mostly peaceful" protests? Was it REALLY a "summer of love" ?

Is crime and violence REALLY under control? Are ICE agents not being doxed and attacked? How many people were shot in Chicago last week? Do we actually know, or bother to inquire?

And on and on and on.

We are now assured by some that the Trump administration is "lawless." If so, why has it won so MANY appeals? Indeed, why did it even BOTHER to appeal to BEGIN with, if it's so "out of control" ? Do "lawless dictators" and "autocrats" REALLY bother to appeal at all?

Trump was hit relentlessly with legal actions. His home was raided. And yet some think it's TRUMP that's massively using baseless lawfare for revenge? Really?

The House has already passed a clean, continuing resolution -- and the Dems in the Senate COULD just pass it (simply leaving the status quo for a period of negotiation to continue without prejudicing EITHER side). Instead, America currently has to live with a government "shut down" as Dems in the Senate refuse to vote yes and try to get more than a TRILLION of additional spending!

Is that wise, with an already massive national debt? Will it actually work -- or will it merely make a lot of people unnecessarily suffer? Why are they refusing to pass a continuing resolution NOW when they've insisted that Republicans do the same for them when the shoe was on the other foot in previous administrations?

I wish EVERYBODY on the Right and on the Left and on the Center would not treat their politics like a religion, listening only to the media "ministers" of their own sect and being oh-so-very-certain that they understand everything perfectly.

Look for actual videos showing FACTS not merely angry opinion. Look for real, unedited statements and original documents. Read judicial opinions. Try to find hard fact, as opposed to attending only to the reassuring, bias-confirming, often-angry spin from the same people over and over.

Be willing to at least SUSPECT that the Supreme Court and its brilliant clerks might understand law better than most "celebrities" and "news personalities."

Or don't. Whatever. But it's helpful to realize that angry insult isn't really convincing. It's merely a substitute for hard evidence and effective argument. If strong, factual arguments are available, why bother to insult?

In the meantime, try to notice when peace breaks out -- over and over -- as the Trump administration continues to work to CAUSE that to happen, successfully. Indeed, it looks like there's more good news today! I wonder how many don't know that yet.

#25
Why do you write about stuff irrelevant to the thread?

That was a really fast response, @what_game_is_this ! Thanks!

Did you have time to ponder the post?

If you'll carefully ponder the post, I think you'll notice that it addresses whether the current administration is ACTUALLY "out of control" (to use the words of the title -- and see #22) -- and it addresses whether it's really dependable to seize upon one-sided characterizations of Trump or his administration, generally.

More particularly, I really don't see how attempting to enforce American law, or appealing (often successfully) any lower court decision, would make any Department be "out of control"

Perhaps more than one opinion should be considered? From time to time? I hope we all try to avoid living, metaphorically, in a mere echo chamber.

@Noflaps said in #25:

tl/dr: I doubt this will be read by many. It's probably easier just to quickly down vote it. If so, that's fine. Be happy!

---

It would be nice if everybody were willing to expand beyond their habitual, favored and comfortable news sources.

Some sources paint one picture while other sources paint another.

Constant certainty isn't typically a sign of a healthy news variety, I believe. But many apparently convince themselves that such variety isn't really necessary.

I recall a lot of things that some of my friendly political adversaries have, over the years, seemed certain about, at least at one time. And why wouldn't they be certain, if they heard the same refrains over and over from their favored news sources. But ... did what they hear turn out to be accurate? Some of them STILL apparently don't realize what was accurate and what was not.

Here are some questions to ponder (not that I'll hold my breath waiting for many to do so):

Was America's southern border REALLY "secure" as we were repeatedly lectured by some in the preceding administration? Was it REALLY the best version of Biden ever? Was he REALLY out-working the youngsters? If so, why did he not run for another term, after all?

Was the laptop REALLY likely "Russian disinformation" having nothing to do with Hunter? What did his lawyers think?

Did Covid REALLY come from pangolin soup?

Was Trump REALLY a foreign agent? Was the Steele Dossier REALLY dependable?

Is New York covered by water yet, after the passage of decades? Indeed, can anybody notice a significant difference -- or ANY difference -- with his or her own eyes yet, at the New York shoreline? Do the eyes confirm an "emergency" ?

Were the burning businesses REALLY burned in "mostly peaceful" protests? Was it REALLY a "summer of love" ?

Is crime and violence REALLY under control? Are ICE agents not being doxed and attacked? How many people were shot in Chicago last week? Do we actually know, or bother to inquire?

And on and on and on.

We are now assured by some that the Trump administration is "lawless." If so, why has it won so MANY appeals? Indeed, why did it even BOTHER to appeal to BEGIN with, if it's so "out of control" ? Do "lawless dictators" and "autocrats" REALLY bother to appeal at all?

Trump was hit relentlessly with legal actions. His home was raided. And yet some think it's TRUMP that's massively using baseless lawfare for revenge? Really?

The House has already passed a clean, continuing resolution -- and the Dems in the Senate COULD just pass it (simply leaving the status quo for a period of negotiation to continue without prejudicing EITHER side). Instead, America currently has to live with a government "shut down" as Dems in the Senate refuse to vote yes and try to get more than a TRILLION of additional spending!

Is that wise, with an already massive national debt? Will it actually work -- or will it merely make a lot of people unnecessarily suffer? Why are they refusing to pass a continuing resolution NOW when they've insisted that Republicans do the same for them when the shoe was on the other foot in previous administrations?

I wish EVERYBODY on the Right and on the Left and on the Center would not treat their politics like a religion, listening only to the media "ministers" of their own sect and being oh-so-very-certain that they understand everything perfectly.

Look for actual videos showing FACTS not merely angry opinion. Look for real, unedited statements and original documents. Read judicial opinions. Try to find hard fact, as opposed to attending only to the reassuring, bias-confirming, often-angry spin from the same people over and over.

Be willing to at least SUSPECT that the Supreme Court and its brilliant clerks might understand law better than most "celebrities" and "news personalities."

Or don't. Whatever. But it's helpful to realize that angry insult isn't really convincing. It's merely a substitute for hard evidence and effective argument. If strong, factual arguments are available, why bother to insult?

In the meantime, try to notice when peace breaks out -- over and over -- as the Trump administration continues to work to CAUSE that to happen, successfully. Indeed, it looks like there's more good news today! I wonder how many don't know that yet.

PDX is not a 'warzone' and I've lived around the area, seen the stats, and traveled the country enough to know.

Why aren't they going to Memphis, TN? and New Orleans top homicide rate city in US, alongside Jackson, MS? What about St. Louis?

The most dangerous cities aren't being addressed, LA isn't up there, PDX is not even remotely close. Chicago isn't.

It's 100% political, and right-wing news sources have been preparing the political stunt for years with their portrayal of PDX as some kind of communist abomination lmao.

how is he using ice as terror? if people come to us illegally, they are criminals.

You ask, @salmon_rushdie , why aren't they going to Memphis? What makes you think they aren't?

I believe they are, indeed! And when I checked with AI just now, it quickly seemed to confirm my impression.

AI just now provided me with the following response -- which might be considered, although (of course) I make no claim that AI is always right:

"Yes, the National Guard is deploying to Memphis as part of the "Memphis Safe Task Force." The exact number of troops and their arrival date have not yet been announced, but it is confirmed that the National Guard and other federal agencies will begin arriving in Memphis this week. The deployment is part of a broader effort to address high crime rates in the city.
USA Today"

And are the number of weekly shootings in Chicago just not sufficiently numerous to be of sufficient concern to consider some change from the status quo? I certainly don't feel that way. But we can each form our own opinion.

By the way, "rates" of violence are one thing -- but when applied to a large enough population center, even a slightly lower rate than the maximum rate possible STILL can create a large, absolute number of incidents.

Furthermore, wouldn't cities vary in the rate of horrible attacks on ICE agents or other federal institutions? And might that influence where additional federal assets were sent? Do your sources tell you anything about the rates at which such terrible attacks are occurring, or where such rates are higher, or about any trends in such rates?

I think such things are worth considering, before coming to definite conclusions about the relative propriety of any particular governmental response.

In any event, would it have been better if Trump had NOT worked to make Washington D.C. safer? Do you think the average city dweller wishes he had not? Have you considered a variety of sources to evaluate the matter?

With regard to Memphis, in particular, have you yet determined from those sources what Governor Lee and Mayor Young think about federal help regarding the matter? Do you think all city fathers (or mothers) and governors nationwide object to federal help in dealing with crime? That's not my impression.

Perhaps that should be ascertained? I've looked into that -- but we all find more convincing what we determine for ourselves, I guess. But sometimes that might require consulting a variety of sources.