The Democrat Thread

[Balta1701]

Almost, but not quite.

 

We have some competition these days, in the form of ATT vs Verizon vs Sprint vs Tmobile vs US Cellular, etc...

 

That's better than, say...having JUST AT&T.

 

You're cell phone bill would be 1k a month right now if that was the case.

But seriously though, it really is impressive that AT&T was literally able to merge with every single company that was created when Ma Bell broke up.

[Y2HH]

But seriously though, it really is impressive that AT&T was literally able to merge with every single company that was created when Ma Bell broke up.

 

It's close...

 

[pettie4sox]

I know, thats one of the things that bothers me when I wonder why liberals didnt just move instead of having to stay here and ruin America.

 

How are liberals ruining America?

[BigSqwert]

How are liberals ruining America?

They tolerate neanderthal conservatives.

[StrangeSox]

Kirk Dale, the township supervisor of Marlette, Michigan, has first-hand experience of what it means to spend less on infrastructure. Thirty years ago, he felt his small town was on the rise when Cooper Road, a local residential street, was first paved. But today, Marlette cannot afford the maintenance and has joined a number of small communities that have pulverised their streets and gone back to gravel.

 

“You make a calculated, rational decision on which mile to do,” said Mr Dale, the township supervisor. “And then you look long-term down the line saying ‘Hey, even if we were to pave this, how are we going to repave this 10 or 15 years down the line?’”

 

(paywalled)

[StrangeSox]

Illinois House votes for marriage equality

 

Bill is going back to the Senate, but it's basically a formality and will soon be on Quinn's desk to be signed into law.

[Soxbadger]

Should have been sooner, but it is what it is.

[southsider2k5]

There are zero laws requiring you to stay in this country.

 

Try it without a passport.

[Jake]

Except a competing private conpany, in a perfect world without state endorsed oligopolies, will keep them honest by offering identical services at lower prices.

 

Government just tells us how much something costs then forces us at gunpoint to buy it.

 

You actually have something to do with government. You can vote, you can call your representatives, you can lobby, you can donate to candidates, you can run for office, you can become a political pundit, etc....

 

It isn't "the government" pointing a gun at you to make you do the things "it" wants. It is actual people, freely choosing other people they think are more capable of governance than they are who go on to make up our government. If you don't like the people, try to do something about it. If your vote isn't working, try to tell people what's wrong with their votes. Don't pretend the government is some singular entity, operating independently of all of us. It is anything but that, as you can see right now as our legilsative arms interact with one another and the other branches.

 

This isn't really true anymore...because the second you get dubbed a monopoly, you are shattered into tiny pieces now.

 

Laws changed this view pretty drastically.

 

Yes, we have changed them into oligopolies. Not much has changed.

[StrangeSox]

This is pretty horrible:

 

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s320930...ml#.UnpuhvleZly

 

The incident began January 2, 2013 after David Eckert finished shopping at the Wal-Mart in Deming. According to a federal lawsuit, Eckert didn’t make a complete stop at a stop sign coming out of the parking lot and was immediately stopped by law enforcement.

 

Eckert’s attorney, Shannon Kennedy, said in an interview with KOB that after law enforcement asked him to step out of the vehicle, he appeared to be clenching his buttocks. Law enforcement thought that was probable cause to suspect that Eckert was hiding narcotics in his anal cavity. While officers detained Eckert, they secured a search warrant from a judge that allowed for an anal cavity search.

 

[...]

 

While there, Eckert was subjected to repeated and humiliating forced medical procedures. A review of Eckert’s medical records, which he released to KOB, and details in the lawsuit show the following happened:

 

1. Eckert’s abdominal area was x-rayed; no narcotics were found.

 

2. Doctors then performed an exam of Eckert’s anus with their fingers; no narcotics were found.

 

3. Doctors performed a second exam of Eckert’s anus with their fingers; no narcotics were found.

 

4. Doctors penetrated Eckert’s anus to insert an enema. Eckert was forced to defecate in front of doctors and police officers. Eckert watched as doctors searched his stool. No narcotics were found.

 

5. Doctors penetrated Eckert’s anus to insert an enema a second time. Eckert was forced to defecate in front of doctors and police officers. Eckert watched as doctors searched his stool. No narcotics were found.

 

6. Doctors penetrated Eckert’s anus to insert an enema a third time. Eckert was forced to defecate in front of doctors and police officers. Eckert watched as doctors searched his stool. No narcotics were found.

 

7. Doctors then x-rayed Eckert again; no narcotics were found.

 

8. Doctors prepared Eckert for surgery, sedated him, and then performed a colonoscopy where a scope with a camera was inserted into Eckert’s anus, rectum, colon, and large intestines. No narcotics were found.

 

Throughout this ordeal, Eckert protested and never gave doctors at the Gila Regional Medical Center consent to perform any of these medical procedures.

 

I'd hope that everyone involved in this, from the police to the doctors to the magistrate that issued the warrant, are fired and face criminal charges, but I know that'll never happen.

 

oh and apparently this sort of thing must be somewhat common:

 

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S321035...04#.UnpvIvleZlw

 

Police reports state deputies stopped Timothy Young because he turned without putting his blinker on.

Again, Leo the K-9 alerts on Young's seat.

Young is taken to the Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City, and just like Eckert, he's subjected to medical procedures including x-rays of his stomach and an anal exam.

 

Again, police found nothing, and again the procedures were done without consent, and in a county not covered by the search warrant.

 

We've learned more about that drug dog, Leo, that seems to get it wrong pretty often. He might be getting it wrong because he's not even certified in New Mexico.

 

If you take a look at the dog's certification, the dog did get trained. But his certification to be a drug dog expired in April 2011. K-9s need yearly re-certification courses, and Leo is falling behind.

 

"We have done public requests to find anything that would show this dog has been trained, we have evidence that this dog has had false alerts in the past," Eckert's attorney Shannon Kennedy said.

 

The doctors from the Gila Regional Medical Center have been turned over to the state licensing board. It's possible they could lose the ability to practice to medicine.

 

And the police officers will be answering to a law enforcement board.

 

I'm a little more hopeful that the police involved are fired, that the dog is removed from service, and that the doctors who did this lose their medical license for life.

Edited November 6, 2013 by StrangeSox

[cabiness42]

Crap like this is what makes me very thankful that I have a cousin who is a Sergeant with the State Police and a very close friend who is an Assistant US Attorney. Local police and prosecutors will be in a deep pile of s*** if they try to violate my rights like that.

[iamshack]

Crap like this is what makes me very thankful that I have a cousin who is a Sergeant with the State Police and a very close friend who is an Assistant US Attorney. Local police and prosecutors will be in a deep pile of s*** if they try to violate my rights like that.

It doesn't sound like they have any aversion to piles of s***, if you ask me.

[Balta1701]

It doesn't sound like they have any aversion to piles of s***, if you ask me.

[Jenksismyhero]

And the guy was sent a $6,000 bill for the whole ordeal!! Hope that guy makes millions and never has to work another day in his life.

 

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/1...-in-drug-search

 

[bmags]

And the guy was sent a $6,000 bill for the whole ordeal!! Hope that guy makes millions and never has to work another day in his life.

 

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/1...-in-drug-search

 

Wow.

[Texsox]

I know, thats one of the things that bothers me when I wonder why liberals didnt just move instead of having to stay here and ruin America.

 

Because this has been a liberal country from the start. Conservatives stayed loyal to the King.

[Texsox]

And the guy was sent a $6,000 bill for the whole ordeal!! Hope that guy makes millions and never has to work another day in his life.

 

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/1...-in-drug-search

 

That's pretty liberal of you. And congrats on 10,000 posts. I remember when that was an accomplishment around here.

[StrangeSox]

Richard Cohen didn't realize slavery was all that bad until someone made a movie about it:

 

I sometimes think I have spent years unlearning what I learned earlier in my life….slavery was not a benign institution in which mostly benevolent whites owned innocent and grateful blacks…Steve McQueen’s stunning movie “12 Years a Slave” is one of those unlearning experiences.

 

How is it even possible for someone to live in 2013 as a political opinion writer who;s been in the industry for decades and is at one of the most prominent papers in the country to not realize the horror and brutality of slavery? And Cohen's supposedly one of the liberals at WaPo. It's not like 12 Years A Slave is even the first movie to depict the awfulness of slavery.

 

http://wonkette.com/533655/terrible-column...ally-really-bad

[CrimsonWeltall]

Richard Cohen didn't realize slavery was all that bad until someone made a movie about it:

 

Mostly benevolent whites owning grateful blacks? Geez. Lost Cause Southerners barely even believe that anymore.

[Balta1701]

Mostly benevolent whites owning grateful blacks? Geez. Lost Cause Southerners barely even believe that anymore.

Because they now call themselves Tea Partiers.

[StrangeSox]

[DukeNukeEm]

You actually have something to do with government. You can vote, you can call your representatives, you can lobby, you can donate to candidates, you can run for office, you can become a political pundit, etc....

 

It isn't "the government" pointing a gun at you to make you do the things "it" wants. It is actual people, freely choosing other people they think are more capable of governance than they are who go on to make up our government. If you don't like the people, try to do something about it. If your vote isn't working, try to tell people what's wrong with their votes. Don't pretend the government is some singular entity, operating independently of all of us. It is anything but that, as you can see right now as our legilsative arms interact with one another and the other branches.

 

Yes, we have changed them into oligopolies. Not much has changed.

Voting is a ridiculous proposition and I'm nearly done bothering with it.

 

But honestly my main gripe with what you're saying is that law of physics that for every action there's some reaction applies to government. Everything you put in trying to "work within the system" just feeds the monster and like those Chinese finger traps just tightens the noose of oppression around your neck. By the way, we are oppressed now. Were spied on constantly, were basically being occupied by police forces that better resemble mechanized infantry than law enforcement and our money is stolen from us in every way possible

 

And, I think I've made this clear before but I'll reiterate, if your paycheck is directly a result of taxpayer dollars and youre not part of a legitimate arm of the government (military, police, judge, fireman) you aren't really a person... you're just the enemy.

 

[Balta1701]

you aren't really a person... you're just the enemy.

get off the highways. You didn't build that, you don't deserve them. You're not a person, you're a parasite. Your job relies on something that shouldn't exist.

[DukeNukeEm]

According to the liberals I didnt build anything. That money I make? Its not my money, its our money. And it doesnt get to be "ours" until its filtered through a pile of private sector washouts.

 

I just want to live one day in pre-Reagan America. Just a day, see what it was like. Ive seen nanny state, big government, "FOR YOUR PROTECTION AND UH.. ERR.. BENEFIT? LOL" America and it bores the s*** out of me. Give me the place where even the most mundane expansion of the state was leading us on the path of our bitter rival. Get rid of all these bulls*** government employees I pay for and just see what happens because this going-on 6 year recession isnt being cured and, worse yet, I cant have any f***in fun.

[BigSqwert]

According to the liberals I didnt build anything. That money I make? Its not my money, its our money. And it doesnt get to be "ours" until its filtered through a pile of private sector washouts.

 

I just want to live one day in pre-Reagan America. Just a day, see what it was like. Ive seen nanny state, big government, "FOR YOUR PROTECTION AND UH.. ERR.. BENEFIT? LOL" America and it bores the s*** out of me. Give me the place where even the most mundane expansion of the state was leading us on the path of our bitter rival. Get rid of all these bulls*** government employees I pay for and just see what happens because this going-on 6 year recession isnt being cured and, worse yet, I cant have any f***in fun.

 

Go move to one of those military-like communities in Montana and have sex with guns with the rest of those weirdos.