***Official Political Discussion Thread***

[RIP sleazyy]

https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/29/neo-nazi-site-stormfront-taken-down/

 

[rexanglorum]

https://qz.com/1064364/hurricane-ha...ed-urban-development-and-wetland-destruction/

Thumbs up for any articles about urban planning and housing policy. I usually comment here in the capacity as a citizen and an activist and someone who care about and is always trying to learn about social justice but in my dry, technical life as an academic, urban economics and housing policy is my greatest interest.

In a perfect world, we would pursue affordable housing and take into account walkability/livability and environmental impact and public safety and historical/architectural integrity in a neighborhood in a city, in a metro area. With the right political will, we could have a great deal of all of those aforementioned qualities.

Sadly, the political will is not there. We end up having two models. We have the Houston model of build, build build and you have very affordable housing but you are sacrificing every other quality that you want. The other model is the California model where incumbent home owners cynically restrict the housing supply and then cite some other public good as an excuse for not letting anyone built new homes.

In some towns, nothing can be built because of historical preservation reasons, other cite a fear of urban sprawl, others claim that restrictions on development is for environmental reasons. Ventura County cites preservation of farmland and even claimed that without local farmland, children in ventura county would be vitamin deficient because there would be no more locally grown oranges and lemons.

It's all a ruse to enrich local realtors and, more importantly, long time home owners and landlords. While stagnant wages and lack of collective bargaining power is the biggest driver of inequality, housing prices being artificially inflated is also a huge driver of inequality. The lack of commitment to affordable housing in places where there are lots of jobs also makes people who are not already born in the big city or those who don't have a trust fund, that can pay for a $3,000 a month studio apartment, feel left out and politically alienated.

So while Houston's development model is also bad, after seeing the bevy of lame excuses, used in the nation's bluest of counties, that are designed to make housing unaffordable, I can understand the appeal of the Houston model of just letting the people build where every they can.

 

[Belgium]

https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/29/neo-nazi-site-stormfront-taken-down/

Well they did break the ToS of their domain host. That being said, it's largely symbolic as they will simply build a new version and presumably host it somewhere that doesn't mind their actions. They'll take a financial hit and probably lose many of their members but you can't really block something on the internet. If someone wants Stormfront back and has the money, it will inevitably be back.

 

[Based Jesus]

https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/29/neo-nazi-site-stormfront-taken-down/

Stormfront was good for a chuckle every now and then. The comments on this article tho

 

[RIP sleazyy]

Well they did break the ToS of their domain host. That being said, it's largely symbolic as they will simply build a new version and presumably host it somewhere that doesn't mind their actions. They'll take a financial hit and probably lose many of their members but you can't really block something on the internet. If someone wants Stormfront back and has the money, it will inevitably be back.

Definitely symbolic, I just like that they're taking a hit and that their host finally gave in to the pressure after all this time. Shows hosts are becoming ready push back against this stuff.

They'll likely be back on a foreign host and probably move to a deep site. You can't block something on the net but you can damn sure make it harder.

 

[IATT]

 

[Belgium]

Definitely symbolic, I just like that they're taking a hit and that their host finally gave in to the pressure after all this time. Shows hosts are becoming ready push back against this stuff.

They'll likely be back on a foreign host and probably move to a deep site. You can't block something on the net but you can damn sure make it harder.

Over here the internet providers/government just said **** it and blocked access to Stormfront and others. Of course all it takes to bypass that is changing your IP address to a non-Belgian IP with a VPN. But it probably keeps many of them dusty old racists from figuring out how to access the site.
Idk exactly how long it's been that way but it's the same message you get on most torrent sites here. Pretty sure it was at least 5 years ago but the government made a large effort to block conventional access to torrent sites using that same message form.

 

[noskey]

No more SF? What's blco and copper tea to do now??

 

[RustyShackleford]

Bruh

This piece of **** actually commented on the crowd size.

I hope this is fake or out of context. He can't be that stuuuu.....shut the **** Rusty

 

[AEA18]

Da dapper don loves a big crowd.

 

[Mr.Guy]

But Texas didn't need help from the Feds though.

 

[Belgium]

Bruh

This piece of **** actually commented on the crowd size.

I hope this is fake or out of context. He can't be that stuuuu.....shut the **** Rusty

New rule: Never underestimate da Don's ignorance and capacity for continually lowering himself
http://thehill.com/homenews/348424-...e-fire-station-where-he-was-briefed-on-harvey

 

[iamdef]

No more SF? What's blco and copper tea to do now??

Come back in here and ruin the circle jerk *spits in hand*

 

[rolaholic]

Heh...

 

[IATT]

 

[Belgium]

I'm not very familiar with the legal system that would apply here. Since the special counsel investigation sent a subpoena to Manafort's former lawyer, how do you square that with attorney-client privilege? They're obviously pushing pretty aggressively on Manafort and his associates about whatever exactly it is they're looking into. Maybe the special counsel's team wants to ask the lawyer questions that don't fall under attorney-client privilege. Or otherwise, perhaps there is some way to bypass attorney-client privilege but I'm not sure what would be the legal requirement to do so. I would assume the alleged crime would have to be ongoing and/or an imminent threat.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/29/politics/mueller-manafort-attorney-spokesman-subpoenas/index.html

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has issued subpoenas to a former lawyer for Paul Manafort and to Manafort's current spokesman, an aggressive tactic that suggests an effort to add pressure on the former Trump campaign chairman.

The subpoenas seeking documents and testimony were sent to Melissa Laurenza, an attorney with the Akin Gump law firm who until recently represented Manafort, and to Jason Maloni, who is Manafort's spokesman, according to people familiar with the matter.
Manafort is under investigation for possible tax and financial crimes, according to US officials briefed on the investigation. The allegations under investigation largely center on Manafort's work for the former ruling party in Ukraine, which was ousted amid street protests over its pro-Russian policies.

It's unclear what specific information the Mueller investigators believe Laurenza and Maloni may have. But issuing subpoenas to a lawyer of someone under investigation is unusual, in part because it raises potential attorney-client privilege issues that prosecutors tend to try to avoid. Maloni, as a public relations representative, doesn't have the same attorney-client privilege protections.
Subpoenas have not been sent to WilmerHale, Manafort's other most recent lawyers. WilmerHale is the law firm where Mueller worked before being appointed special counsel.
Manafort has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Maloni declined to comment. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment. Laurenza referred questions to a spokesman who didn't immediately comment.

The subpoenas are among dozens that the Mueller investigative team has sent out in recent months since taking over the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
The Manafort investigation has been ongoing for years and as recently as last summer appeared to be stagnated. At the time, Justice Department officials had come to believe there wasn't enough evidence to pursue charges, as CNN has previously reported.
The probe has taken on new life since the beginning of this year, and appears to be taking an aggressive turn under the Mueller investigators.
Andrew Weissmann, who is one of the senior lawyers overseeing the investigation, is known for aggressive tactics. Last month, the Mueller team ordered a dawn raid on Manafort's home in Washington's Virginia suburbs, as Manafort slept in his bedroom. The financial documents retrieved were largely ones Manafort had already turned over to congressional investigators.
Manafort is now represented by Kevin Downing, a Washington lawyer and former Justice Department prosecutor who specializes in tax issues.

Edit:

Heh...

Sadly da Dapper Don Jr will be testifying privately. Unless something changes between now and then.

 

[harlemtothebronx]

https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/29/neo-nazi-site-stormfront-taken-down/

This warmed my heart.

 

[hipstermike]

I really find it sad that you speak to a brick wall when you try to truly engage some people online. It's impossible to have a conversation with anyone anymore that has a differing viewpoint.

 

[chao7]

I really find it sad that you speak to a brick wall when you try to truly engage some people online. It's impossible to have a conversation with anyone anymore that has a differing viewpoint.

What's incredibly concerning to me is how a certain sector of people simply don't even give reasons for their beliefs anymore.

You give them evidence pointing to a certain outcome (climate change), or sometimes straight-up math that debunks their claims.

Then they throw this "well I'm entitled to my own opinion" garbage out as a deflection.

You're entitled to your own beliefs, but not your own facts.

 

[anomolie]

“What a crowd, what a turnout”

 

[rolaholic]

Man just got ****ed by his own defense Secretary

Mattis consistently showing that he's the only grown up in the admin

 

[Belgium]

Man just got ****ed by his own defense Secretary

Best man in that whole administration, though his competition isn't very impressive.
Our government is very positive about him, more so than Pence and who actually hasn't received that much criticism here. They probably have more positivity towards a random turd than da Don. That generally seems to be the case for many other neighboring countries.
Our leaders have spoken very favorably about Mattis being a leavel-headed man who is very professional and reassuring his commitments while Dapper Don continues to wreck international relations by himself. For the most part the same has been said about Pence but less reassuring and more of a smooth talker, able to negotiate and talk comfortably about difficult subjects.

Edit: I hope the idiot in chief doesn't fire Mattis over this

 

[Deleted member 42060]

Donald Trump dont care about Texas people......not katrina all over again kanye

 

[anomolie]

Donald Trump dont care about Texas people......not katrina all over again kanye

“What a crowd, what a turnout”

 

[Belgium]

Sounds like a recipe for success, how could this ever turn into a ****storm b?
The congressman who is joked(?) about as definitely being on Putin's payroll by his party leaders recently went to meet up with Assange and will now be relaying information about the DNC hack he got out of that seemingly directly to the president.
Perhaps this has been altered since then but as far as I am aware, Jeff Sessions has previously stated as AG that arresting Assange/Wikileaks on criminal charges is a priority for him and that he is stepping up efforts to do so. Shouldn't Rohrabacher be going to the FBI, the special counsel, congressmen, ... first instead of going directly to the president? Maybe he has but it doesn't look like it.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/29/politics/kfile-rohrabacher-rendezvous/index.html

Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said Monday that a "rendezvous" is being set up between him and President Donald Trump to relay information he received from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange about the hack of the Democratic National Committee last year.

Rohrabacher, who is considered to be among the most pro-Russia members in Congress, met with Assange earlier this month and claims Assange told him that Russia was not involved in the hacking. Rohrabacher said after the meeting that he wanted to brief Trump on what Assange told him. Appearing on the Sean Hannity radio show Monday afternoon, the California congressman said that meeting was in the process of being set up.
"It is my understanding from other parties who are trying to arrange a rendezvous with myself and the President, it is being arranged for me to give him the firsthand information from (Assange)," Rohrabacher said.

Earlier in the interview, Rohrabacher said evidence he saw painted the Democratic National Committee hack being an "inside job," a claim Rohrabacher has made before. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released an unclassified report in January revealing the conclusions from the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency that the Russian government was behind the hack of the DNC.
"If the information comes out, there will be an outrage among the American people that their time has been wasted," Rohrabacher said. "They've had this story over and over and again shoved down their throats as if the Russians colluded with Donald Trump, and this is an attempt, as I say, to negate their vote in the ballot booth. When the American people realize that this is a con job and a power grab they'll be upset."
"I'm trying to get this out in the public now where we can get this Julian Assange thing straightened out so that people know that it wasn't the Russians that hacked into the system, and that's not how this information was released," he said.
The White House did not return a request for comment on Rohrabacher's comments. Rohrabacher hung up on a CNN reporter who inquired about his comments.