tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post493886611588131971..comments2024-03-27T03:19:11.216-04:00Comments on Assistant Village Idiot: Reversing The PolarityAssistant Village Idiothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978011985085795099noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-22826209606582747792018-05-26T19:46:24.907-04:002018-05-26T19:46:24.907-04:00I do remember thinking, in 2008, how odd it was to...I do remember thinking, in 2008, how odd it was to realize that no one was in charge of enforcing the very limited Constitutional requirements for the office of the Presidency. No one at all was responsible for officially obtaining a birth certificate, which would verify both age and nationality (as well as place of birth). <br /><br />It happens that both McCain and Obama were under some cloud at the time, as you may recall -- McCain was born in the Panama Canal zone, if I remember correctly. Nobody was in charge of adjudicating whether or not that was coherent with being a 'natural born' American. Plausibly it was, being that he was born to two American parents on a military deployment; but arguably not. Obama's alleged issues are well-known.<br /><br />I remember thinking that the security clearance process that ordinary employees go through in order to obtain less-responsible jobs requires a vast amount of evidence and examination; I've been through it myself more than once. In this case there was only one document to check. But nobody was responsible for checking it and verifying your eligibility to be on that ballot as a candidate for this most powerful of all offices. <br /><br />It's a bit strange. It's not as if the requirements are a high bar that would take a lot of effort to verify. And while it disqualifies many wonderful people, it leaves some 300 million from which to choose. If none of them are really suitable, perhaps it is the office itself that is undesirable. Grimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07543082562999855432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-65715134362627389012018-05-22T15:22:45.915-04:002018-05-22T15:22:45.915-04:00This will not end well.This will not end well.Sam L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00996809377798862214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-65792737047539872802018-05-22T02:04:32.867-04:002018-05-22T02:04:32.867-04:00I tend to agree with Christopher B. It's one t...I tend to agree with Christopher B. It's one thing for media to investigate or for people to ask questions, but if the FBI had surveilled Obama's campaign, I would have completely seen red over it.<br /><br />This would have been the case even if the results of the surveillance hadn't been channeled to an administration held by the other party (as they were for the Trump campaign), and even if an FBI asset hadn't been embedded in the campaign (ditto). Just having the IC community spy on the opposing presidential candidate is an insanely dangerous thing to do.jaedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03328666344764784829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-68738460036027879262018-05-21T13:02:10.953-04:002018-05-21T13:02:10.953-04:00That "fringe" grew big enough to vote Mr...That "fringe" grew big enough to vote Mr. Trump into office, as the GOP fell apart.Sam L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00996809377798862214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-72278702534742974582018-05-21T10:11:35.418-04:002018-05-21T10:11:35.418-04:00Christopher B: While there was some lawfare from f...<b>Christopher B</b>: <i>While there was some lawfare from fringe GOP elements related to Obama’s birth place ... </i><br /><br />Huh? The fringe became the Republican standard-bearer, and now President.Zachrielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16081260898264733380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-84517201829815374152018-05-21T09:56:28.116-04:002018-05-21T09:56:28.116-04:00While that hypothetical is attractive, I think it ...While that hypothetical is attractive, I think it doesn’t ring true on a number of levels. While there was some lawfare from fringe GOP elements related to Obama’s birth place, I know of no significant Republican calls for police or intelligence investigations into Obama. Conservatives consistently called for <b>media</b> disclosure and investigation of what they apparently already knew about him, and of the kind they did to Romney in 2012. The Republicans controlled, at least nominally, the relevant three letter agencies in 2008 and apparently none investigated Obama, or they did it so discretely that it never became apparent even after the election. If it had become apparent, do you really think we wouldn’t have heard about it? I think that’s a clear indication the institutional GOP was repelled by the idea. I don’t think it’s fair to say hypothetically Republicans would have been ok if the situations had been reversed because they clearly had the means and opportunity in 2008, and by all accounts it didn’t happen.Christopher Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00396671757183163171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-20679701372796935152018-05-21T09:27:04.441-04:002018-05-21T09:27:04.441-04:00Assistant Village Idiot: not even taking possessio...<b>Assistant Village Idiot</b>: not even taking possession of her computer, because THAT was supposed to be too much of an interference with the election? <i>Is there anyone who believes that?</i><br /><br />It's not usual to take possession of the victim's computer when the computer is essential to their operations. More typical is that the IT professionals take immediate action to safeguard the system, then the FBI is called in after the fact. That is what happened here. The independent cybersecurity firm provided the information required for the FBI to conduct their inquiry. That, and other evidence, indicated that the hack came from Russian agents. Recent forensic evidence has shown that the hacker is a particular intelligence officer working out of Russian's Main Intelligence Directorate headquarters. <br /><br /><b>Assistant Village Idiot</b>: <i>Eventually, someone at the table has got to point out that the agency is undertaking to break many rules to investigate a duly-nominated candidate of a major party, at the behest of the leader of the other party.</i><br /><br />Yes. We note that Trump keeps calling for investigations, including of specific named individuals, contrary to long-standing practice meant to enforce rule-based inquiries designed to protect civil liberties.Zachrielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16081260898264733380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-47576901127044711232018-05-20T23:46:52.890-04:002018-05-20T23:46:52.890-04:00I would add perhaps, that the bias is also most de...I would add perhaps, that the bias is also most definitely NOT accidental nor subconscious or beyond awareness. It is intentionally and methodically cultivated, and that is its most chilling feature - that, and the pervasiveness of it. <br /><br />Bias that skews to the extent that it would allow re-classifying your opponents as deserving of outcomes that are different to yours, if the circumstance were reversed, violates our cherished cultural presumption of even-handedness. It is pathological.<br /><br />But worse, it is this very hypocritical embrace of 'otherness' that allows one internally to fully dehumanize their opponents. Properly led, I think that many liberals could accept eventually forcing conservatives to wear the equivalent to the historical yellow Star of David, and all that follows, without losing a moment's sleep over it. And then later deny that they were aware of any of it, at the time.<br />Aggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11089648434324058300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-39070879537494961912018-05-20T23:38:43.292-04:002018-05-20T23:38:43.292-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Aggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11089648434324058300noreply@blogger.com