Edward Snowden: The US Government Wants to Murder Me

The ultimate dead end of libertarian ideology
US News • Views: 30,521

Let’s examine some of the claims made by NSA leaker Edward Snowden in his Q&A session (stage-managed by demagogue Glenn Greenwald) this morning, shall we? Edward Snowden Q and A: NSA Whistleblower Answers Your Questions

SNOWDEN: First, the US Government, just as they did with other whistleblowers, immediately and predictably destroyed any possibility of a fair trial at home, openly declaring me guilty of treason and that the disclosure of secret, criminal, and even unconstitutional acts is an unforgivable crime.

This, my friends, is what is known as complete, utter bullshit. The US government did not “openly declare” Snowden guilty of anything. It’s a pure paranoid fantasy.

Congress hasn’t declared war on the countries - the majority of them are our allies - but without asking for public permission, NSA is running network operations against them that affect millions of innocent people. And for what? So we can have secret access to a computer in a country we’re not even fighting? So we can potentially reveal a potential terrorist with the potential to kill fewer Americans than our own Police?

How insanely naïve does a person have to be to believe that governments should only try to gather intelligence from other governments in time of war? Seriously? This is the deep thinker who’s going to reveal the truth to us all?

All I can say right now is the US Government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me. Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.

Yes, that’s right — Edward Snowden says the US government is plotting to murder him. Another self-aggrandizing paranoid fantasy, and an especially vicious one.

As for the grandiose claims that he’s an agent of TRUTH, practically every troll who’s ever registered a sock puppet at LGF says the same thing.

I can’t take much more of this over-privileged ultra-libertarian BS, but here’s one more quote — Snowden explaining why there’s a discrepancy of about $80,000 in his claims about his Booz Allen salary:

I was debriefed by Glenn and his peers over a number of days, and not all of those conversations were recorded. The statement I made about earnings was that $200,000 was my “career high” salary. I had to take pay cuts in the course of pursuing specific work. Booz was not the most I’ve been paid.

Right. And the dog ate his homework, too.

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259 comments
1 darthstar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:07:08am
2 Gus  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:07:52am

Greenwald and Snowden are both cousins to the Sovereign Citizens.

3 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:08:21am

Snowden has proven himself paranoid, naive and stupid at every turn.

4 Political Atheist  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:08:38am

Yo Ed, try acquiring and leaking some Chinese government and military secrets. Then see how long you live or stay out of jail.

5 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:08:49am
Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.

Street shouter signage.

6 dragonath  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:08:50am

Shut up, Snowden. You’re not helping yourself.

7 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:09:51am

Wait for the book & movie deals, and the reality show.

8 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:10:59am
9 Killgore Trout  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:11:58am

Dkos is pretty excited about derailing Obama’s capitalist agenda
The Beginning of The End - The Undoing of The Corporate State

This is the real thing. The global revolution has started. What’s happening in Turkey, and Brazil, as a write this, are not unrelated events. The revelations about how corparatist cartels are using government institutions to cast a wide net of surveillance over the entire population (NSA spying) with the intent of using it as a tool to control, manipulate and exploit the citizenry, is part of the collusion.
…
These shifty corporatists, like Clapper (Obama administration’s chief intelligence official), warn about the “great damage” Snowden’s revelations have caused. Well, yes, he’s partly right: It has caused a great damage to their plans to keep the cesspool of corruption caused by the takeover of our government institutions by corporatist cartels, of which the Carlyle Group and Booz Allen, are members of.

10 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:12:07am

re: #8 Kragar

I see Mr. Fischer is engaging in anti-Catholic baiting now. Because pedophila has never been a problem in your church has it you hypocritical fuckwad?

11 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:13:11am

Ed, if they wanted to kill you, they would have done it already. Can it with the martyr complex and own up.

12 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:13:50am

Tom Cruise could play Ed Snowden in the movie.

13 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:13:59am

re: #9 Killgore Trout

The revelations about how corparatist cartels are using government institutions to cast a wide net of surveillance over the entire population (NSA spying) with the intent of using it as a tool to control, manipulate and exploit the citizenry, is part of the collusion.

The Google ads, they keep following me. It must be the NSA that’s at fault.

14 Locker  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:14:02am

Please tolerate this brief comment:

Fuck Snowden.

15 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:14:32am

Oh, Eddy. I don’t want to cover up what you’ve released: now that the most involved parties know it publically, the rest of the population probably ought to know it too. Cat out of bag and all that.

What I do want is for you to rot in prison for your traitorous espionage+. And there, the penalty is its own reward.

Kisses!

16 Killgore Trout  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:14:59am

re: #13 jaunte

The Google ads, they keep following me. It must be the NSA that’s at fault.

Obey your corporate masters!

17 dragonath  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:15:00am

re: #13 jaunte

The Google ads, they keep following me. It must be the NSA that’s at fault.

Since this story broke, I keep getting ads for Chinese women.

18 kirkspencer  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:15:24am

re: #12 Vicious Babushka

Tom Cruise could play Ed Snowden in the movie.

I’m not sure his ego’s big enough.

19 wrenchwench  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:16:00am

re: #2 Gus

Greenwald and Snowden are both cousins to the Sovereign Citizens.

And not just sovereign US citizens. They’re Sovereign World Citizens. That’s even more special.

20 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:16:03am

re: #16 Killgore Trout

I guess I’ll have to break down and buy that prefab in-ground tornado shelter.

21 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:16:26am

Palin writing ‘legalese’ book to fight the ‘War on Christmas’

In her first appearance on Fox News after once again becoming an employee of the network, Palin was asked by Fox News host Megyn Kelly to fill in the audience about how she had been spending her time.

“I’m doing great,” the former Alaska governor explained. “I’m very busy of course with my kids — two beautiful grandkids — writing a book, a book about Christmas and pushing back on the politically correct who would try to take Christ out of Christmas.”

“We talk a lot about that in the book,” she continued. “Kind of a legalese how-to push back and protect the heart of Christmas. At the same time, a very festive and happy and jolly book about tradition and recipes and fun things about Christmas.”

Kelly wondered with all the time she was spending on her book, was Palin able to keep up with the recent scandals involving Benghazi, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and National Security Agency surveillance?

Image: Excitement.jpg

22 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:16:31am

re: #18 kirkspencer

I’m not sure his ego’s big enough.

Gonna need a method actor. Actually, if he were five-ten years younger, Ed Norton?

23 The Ghost of a Flea  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:16:42am

re: #10 HappyWarrior

I see Mr. Fischer is engaging in anti-Catholic baiting now. Because pedophila has never been a problem in your church has it you hypocritical fuckwad?

What the youth pastor gets up to with his female charges is totally different. It’s not tainted by The Gay.

24 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:17:46am

re: #12 Vicious Babushka

Tom Cruise could play Ed Snowden in the movie.

I’m thinking more along the lines of PeeWee Herman…

25 Gus  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:17:48am

re: #9 Killgore Trout

Dkos is pretty excited about derailing Obama’s capitalist agenda
The Beginning of The End - The Undoing of The Corporate State

They remind me of Teabaggers.

26 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:18:04am

re: #22 HappyWarrior

Gonna need a method actor. Actually, if he were five-ten years younger, Ed Norton?

Tom Cruise could totally play Ed Snowden even though he is 30 years older. After all he played Jack Reacher even though he is 11” shorter.

27 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:18:40am

re: #26 Vicious Babushka

Tom Cruise could totally play Ed Snowden even though he is 30 years older. After all he played Jack Reacher even though he is 11” shorter.

True but Ed Norton’s the better actor.

28 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:19:00am

re: #27 HappyWarrior

True but Ed Norton’s the better actor.

Hey it ain’t fuckin’ Shakespeare.

29 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:19:10am

Your GOP ladies and Gentlemen.

Image: GOP.jpg

30 Charles Johnson  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:19:18am

Greenwald fans deluging Twitter with smears about me today. Fun!

31 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:19:29am

re: #21 Kragar

Palin writing ‘legalese’ book to fight the ‘War on Christmas’

Image: Excitement.jpg

Over and under that Sarah’s new book on Christmas has a cheap dig or ten against Obama.

32 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:20:03am

re: #28 Vicious Babushka

Hey it ain’t fuckin’ Shakespeare.

True but I try to avoid Cruise.

33 kirkspencer  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:20:17am

re: #27 HappyWarrior

True but Ed Norton’s the better actor.

Low bar.

34 HSG  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:20:22am

I have some doubts Snowden was writing the answers on this chat. Compare the writing style to his public posts found on the web. The spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, and usage are all considerably better than one sees from a high school dropout. Color me skeptical.

Edited to add: I notice that CNN is using language like “a series of blog posts on Monday purportedly by Edward Snowden” and “in 90 minutes of live online chatting, the person identified as Snowden by Britain’s Guardian newspaper.” They too are not accepting as proven gospel Snowden was actually responding.

35 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:20:35am

re: #32 HappyWarrior

True but I try to avoid Cruise.

He utterly, totally fucked up the Jack Reacher movie beyond recognition.

36 The Ghost of a Flea  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:20:48am

re: #25 Gus

They remind me of Teabaggers.

Purity spiral plus confirmation bias: it knows no partisan borders.

37 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:21:02am

Great flaming phoenix!
7 New Revelations from Edward Snowden

5.) He claims that NSA warrants aren’t real

“Even in the event of ‘warranted’ intercept, it’s important to understand the intelligence community doesn’t always deal with what you would consider a ‘real’ warrant like a Police department would have to, the ‘warrant’ is more of a templated form they fill out and send to a reliable judge with a rubber stamp.”

How would the tech guy know that?

38 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:21:33am

re: #37 jaunte

Great flaming phoenix!
7 New Revelations from Edward Snowden

How would the tech guy know that?

He is just making shit up.

39 Charles Johnson  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:22:00am

re: #37 jaunte

Great flaming phoenix!
7 New Revelations from Edward Snowden

How would the tech guy know that?

Sound like it came straight from Greenwald.

40 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:22:00am

re: #38 Vicious Babushka

He is just making shit up.

And his fans are buying it right up.

41 dragonath  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:22:02am

re: #34 hsg9000

“You know how Einstein got terrible grades? Well, mine are even worse!”

42 StephenMeansMe  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:22:04am

He should change his name to Edward Snowflake. Edward Special Snowflake. Or maybe Edward LOOK AT ME! Special Snowflake.

43 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:22:05am

ZING

44 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:22:11am

re: #38 Vicious Babushka

The “legal” warrant is not “real.”

45 b.d.  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:22:35am

Snowden really has to be doing some sort of perfomance art bit? Right?

Please tell me I’m right.

46 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:23:44am

re: #35 Vicious Babushka

He utterly, totally fucked up the Jack Reacher movie beyond recognition.

Didn’t catch it. I was already disappointed when he played Stauffenberg in Valkyrie. Couldn’t tale ot seriously with Cruise in the lead role even if it had Ken Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, and some other good ones supporting him.

47 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:24:35am

re: #21 Kragar

Palin writing ‘legalese’ book to fight the ‘War on Christmas’

Image: Excitement.jpg

Is “kind of a legalese” sort of like “kind of a Bengalese”?

48 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:24:44am

re: #46 HappyWarrior

Didn’t catch it. I was already disappointed when he played Stauffenberg in Valkyrie. Couldn’t tale ot seriously with Cruise in the lead role even if it had Ken Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, and some other good ones supporting him.

He fucked that movie up too.

49 simoom  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:25:16am

re: #372 simoom

Anthony De Rosa was responsible for getting that key question in which lead to Snowden’s goalpost moving:

50 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:25:23am

What if Ed Snowden was a Juice?

51 Killgore Trout  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:25:25am

re: #25 Gus

They remind me of Teabaggers.

I guess there are some similarities. I think this is just a symptom of dumbed down political discourse and populist rhetoric without much practical input from reasonable adult voices.

52 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:25:38am

Greenwald Scoop:
governing (something the government has to do) is sometimes like making sausage.

53 otoc  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:25:49am

I’ll have to check my PPD list off with these guys. I’m seeing a trend here with all the backtracking going on supplemented by anger towards those who don’t agree with their take on reality.

54 b.d.  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:26:27am

“If I was a spy how come I’m not in Beijing?”

How many defectors would the USA would get if we told them they had to live in DC?

55 Ace-o-aces  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:27:31am

re: #10 HappyWarrior

I see Mr. Fischer is engaging in anti-Catholic baiting now. Because pedophila has never been a problem in your church has it you hypocritical fuckwad?

For Protestant fundies like Fischer, it’s ALL about the Catholics. They believe everything they complain about is part of a secret plot by the Catholic Church.
Islam - Mohammed was an agent of the Vatican sent to subjugate the Arabs.
Communism - Marx, Lenin, Stalin…Vatican agents all.
Gay Rights - Do I even have to explain this one?

56 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:28:22am

re: #55 Ace-o-aces

For Protestant fundies like Fischer, it’s ALL about the Catholics. They believe everything they complain about is part of a secret plot by the Catholic Church.
Islam - Mohammed was an agent of the Vatican sent to subjugate the Arabs.
Communism - Marx, Lenin, Stalin…Vatican agents all.
Gay Rights - Do I even have to explain this one?

I actually wouldn’t know being Catholic albeit in name only.

57 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:29:14am

re: #54 b.d.

“If I was a spy how come I’m not in Beijing?”

How many defectors would the USA would get if we told them they had to live in DC?

Half-ass rhetorical-question responses are the best way to convince me you’re a Legitimate Crusader for the Troof.

Er wait.

58 Charles Johnson  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:29:20am

Don’t miss Glenn Greenwald at SOCIALISM 2013!

socialistworker.tumblr.com

59 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:29:45am

re: #54 b.d.

“If I was a spy how come I’m not in Beijing?”

How many defectors would the USA would get if we told them they had to live in DC?

Is he really retorting with that? Dayum.

60 lawhawk  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:30:02am

re: #1 darthstar

He’s got the trace on him, so the only way to travel is to by phoenix, or broom. And he don’t look like a witch to me. /

61 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:30:23am
62 lawhawk  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:31:11am

re: #50 Vicious Babushka

He’d still be likely in violation of the Espionage Act in multiple counts. And pushing an anarchist agenda that ignores nation-state actions for hundreds of years.

63 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:31:15am

re: #54 b.d.

“If I was a spy how come I’m not in Beijing?”

“All spies for China go to Beijing. Therefore anyone not in Beijing is not a spy.”

64 dragonath  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:31:21am

re: #55 Ace-o-aces

Bryan Fischer was probably read Chick Tracts as bedtime stories.

65 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:33:10am

How Edward Snowden’s New Leaks Are Distracting From The Conversation He Wanted

The problem with all of these revelations is not that they’re happening at all or that they’re being released at inopportune moments. Instead, the issue is that rather than exposing potential harm, they are now instead bringing to light clandestine activities the NSA is tasked under law to do. Spying on other countries may be morally questionable to some, including Snowden as he made clear in a question and answer session on Monday. But these actions are neither illegal nor counter to the Constitution. It’s entirely within the mission of the National Security Agency to do these things, and revealing them actually takes away from the focus on the agency’s more questionable practices.

66 Ace-o-aces  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:33:15am

re: #56 HappyWarrior

I actually wouldn’t know being Catholic albeit in name only.

They believe (and just to be clear I don’t believe this) the whole Priest sex scandal is due to the fact that the Vatican is really HQ of the global gay rights agenda. Yeah, wrap you brain around that one!

67 dragonath  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:33:29am

re: #58 Charles Johnson

Socialist Worker? Boy, Greenwald is moving on up!

68 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:33:40am

re: #64 dragonath

Bryan Fischer was probably read Chick Tracts as bedtime stories.

“Mommy tell me the one about how the Catlicks are responsible for why Daddy doesn’t love me enough.”

69 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:34:23am

re: #66 Ace-o-aces

They believe (and just to be clear I don’t believe this) the whole Priest sex scandal is due to the fact that the Vatican is really HQ of the global gay rights agenda. Yeah, wrap you brain around that one!

Well this Irish Catholic boy needs some whiskey to digest that one and it’s only 2:30 here on the East Coast. Yikes.

70 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:34:28am

TEH DERPULARITY

71 Killgore Trout  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:35:40am

re: #58 Charles Johnson

Don’t miss Glenn Greenwald at SOCIALISM 2013!

socialistworker.tumblr.com

Ali Al-Arian speaking on Obama’s war on Civil Liberties and tons of anti-Zionist crap too.

72 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:36:10am

re: #70 Vicious Babushka

TEH DERPULARITY

Well that will be fun. Surely, any liberal who thinks Jackson is a bigot will be accused of being a real bigot even though we are a state that has gone for Obama twice and elected the first African American governor but that won’t stop Bryan and the “good reverend” from jacking that horse off.

73 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:36:34am

re: #65 Kragar

How Edward Snowden’s New Leaks Are Distracting From The Conversation He Wanted

Speaking as a rather frequent reader, when you’ve lost Think fucking Progress…

74 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:36:53am

re: #58 Charles Johnson

He’s got himself a little cottage industry there.

75 Killgore Trout  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:37:50am

re: #71 Killgore Trout

Ali Al-Arian speaking on Obama’s war on Civil Liberties and tons of anti-Zionist crap too.

Oops, Sami is still in jail. Ali is someone different.

76 StephenMeansMe  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:38:36am

re: #74 freetoken

Yeah, the “We Don’t Like It, So Let’s Burn It All Down” industry.

77 Eclectic Cyborg  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:38:57am

Supreme Court rules FTC can challenge generic drug delay rules

When a generic version of a drug comes on the market, the holder of the brand-name drug’s patent stands to see a steep drop in sales as many customers switch to the lower-price option. Thus, some companies will go to great lengths to delay the release of generics. One such method, dubbed “pay-for-delay,” involves the patent-holder suing manufacturers of generics and then settling for millions of dollars with the agreement that the generic suppliers will hold off on releasing their product. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Federal Trade Commission has the right to challenge these sorts of deals.

The case before the Supremes involves Solvay, the makers of brand-name Androgel, the drug for patients with low levels of testosterone. Solvay sued three manufacturers of generic versions of the drug, alleging patent infringement, but the FTC has long contended that the purpose of the suits was to reach a settlement that would have Solvay paying up to $30 million a year to these companies, which then agreed to hold off on releasing their products until a given point in the future.

The agreement gives the generic suppliers some of the profits they would have made, but they don’t have to make or sell a single dose, while Solvay continues to rake in profits of around $125 million from the sale of Androgel.

But the FTC believes that such deals violate antitrust laws, effectively allowing Solvay to maintain a monopoly by giving it permission to simply share some of its profits.

78 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:41:57am

FBI: Passenger Claims Everyone On Inbound Flight To Newark, New Jersey Is Poisoned

FBI agents are going to meet an incoming flight at a New Jersey airport after reports that a passenger claimed he’d poisoned everybody on board.

United Airlines Flight 116 from Tokyo is scheduled to land at 2 p.m. Eastern on Monday at Newark Liberty Airport, outside New York City.

An FBI spokesman says the passenger stood up and made the statement several hours ago and that the decision was made to continue on to Newark.

79 dragonath  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:42:52am

re: #78 Kragar

FBI: Passenger Claims Everyone On Inbound Flight To Newark, New Jersey Is Poisoned

The real question is, will that passenger survive the flight?

80 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:43:06am

re: #63 jaunte

“All spies for China go to Beijing. Therefore anyone not in Beijing is not a spy.”

Is that the new logic?
Neither deductive, nor inductive but preductive?

81 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:43:07am

re: #78 Kragar

FBI: Passenger Claims Everyone On Inbound Flight To Newark, New Jersey Is Poisoned

Possible in principle, but less plausible than even some of Snowden’s claims.

82 StephenMeansMe  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:43:24am

re: #78 Kragar

Does this guy fancy himself a Justice League villain or something?

83 lawhawk  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:46:59am

re: #78 Kragar

The suspect is in custody and is believed to be mentally ill.

84 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:47:00am

re: #60 lawhawk

He’s got the trace on him, so the only way to travel is to by phoenix, or broom. And he don’t look like a witch to me. /

Bet he’s kicking himself that he didn’t go to Palin first…

85 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:48:43am

rawstory.com
In episode 505 of the National Review and John Debryshire suck major balls, I present this special episode where John Derbyshire claims that female service members pointing out sexual abuses are committing hoaxes. So Derbyshire is a sexist pig along with a racist pig. Great hire NR.

86 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:48:50am

re: #69 HappyWarrior

Well this Irish Catholic boy needs some whiskey to digest that one and it’s only 2:30 here on the East Coast. Yikes.

As a fellow Catholic yet only half-Irish, I say:
It’s Monday…it’s ok.

87 Eclectic Cyborg  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:49:44am

re: #69 HappyWarrior

Well this Irish Catholic boy needs some whiskey to digest that one and it’s only 2:30 here on the East Coast. Yikes.

It’s 5:00 somewhere.

:P

88 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:50:47am

re: #85 HappyWarrior

Derbyshire looks like the prick that he is.

89 Joanne  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:52:43am

re: #85 HappyWarrior

rawstory.com
In episode 505 of the National Review and John Debryshire suck major balls, I present this special episode where John Derbyshire claims that female service members pointing out sexual abuses are committing hoaxes. So Derbyshire is a sexist pig along with a racist pig. Great hire NR.

The National Review knows its audience.

90 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:52:45am

re: #88 freetoken

Derbyshire looks like the prick that he is.

Heh yeah I saw his photo and thought goddamn if that isn’t a case of a book matching its cover.

91 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:53:01am

re: #89 Joanne

The National Review knows its audience.

They sure do. Fucktards.

92 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:53:38am

re: #87 Eclectic Cyborg

It’s 5:00 somewhere.

:P

Yep on the ocean. A whiskey and ginger ale will do me good after I get back from my daily swim.

93 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:53:54am

Female inmates sue Texas county for running ‘rape camp’ at jail

In a court filing obtained by Courthouse News Service, inmates J.A.S. and J.M.N name Live Oak County and former jailers Vincent Aguilar, Israel Charles Jr. and Jaime E. Smith as defendants.

Although the three guards were arrested in 2010 on charges of sexual assault and are now serving time in Texas state prisons, the women have brought to light new disturbing details about the abuse. They are seeking punitive damages for civil rights violations, assault and emotional distress.

“Beginning sometime in 2007 to at least August of 2010 the Live Oak County Sheriff’s office ran a ‘rape camp’ known as the Live Oak County Jail,” according to the lawsuit. “In this facility, numerous jailers, all employed by the Live Oak County Sheriff’s Office, repeatedly raped and humiliated female inmates over an extended period of time.”

94 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:55:01am

re: #86 Backwoods_Sleuth

As a fellow Catholic yet only half-Irish, I say:
It’s Monday…it’s ok.

Indeed, whiskey in the morning, whiskey in the afternoon, and whiskey at night, it’s all right!

95 The Ghost of a Flea  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:55:37am

re: #80 Walking Spanish Down the Hall

Is that the new logic?
Neither deductive, nor inductive but preductive?

It’s Colbert’s “truthy-ness,” except not played for laughs.

The whole Snowden thing is like a floor demonstration of fallacious thinking.

96 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:55:47am

Beck’s Burden: Someone Has to Tell the World ‘We’re on the Titanic [and] Not All of Us are Going to Make it’

Beck became increasingly worked up as he went through the litany of massive projects he is working on, explaining that he is trying to “fundamentally transform the media” on television, radio, and the internet while building motion picture production and distribution capacities at the same time that he is putting on massive stage productions and even writing novels.

“I’m hemorrhaging money,” Beck bellowed. “I have spent all of the money that I have put away, because I believe in something.”

Saying that when he finally sees “somebody else step up to the plate, I will so gladly go away … You can have my effin’ company, you can have it; I don’t care!” But so far, nobody has done so.

And so Beck must continue to bear this burden, because somebody needs to be willing to stand up and tell the world that “we’re on the Titanic, not all of us are going to make it and unless you have some urgency, we’re all going to die”

97 AntonSirius  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:56:42am
I had to take pay cuts in the course of pursuing specific work

Did Snowden just kind-of acknowledge the theory that he took the BAH gig so he could swipe some secret stuff?

98 HappyWarrior  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 11:57:03am

re: #96 Kragar

Beck’s Burden: Someone Has to Tell the World ‘We’re on the Titanic [and] Not All of Us are Going to Make it’

Paranoids and crybabies, first.

99 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:00:02pm

re: #96 Kragar

Beck’s Burden: Someone Has to Tell the World ‘We’re on the Titanic [and] Not All of Us are Going to Make it’

It’s been five odd years. I still don’t know if Glenn is real or if he’s a professional troll.

100 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:00:42pm

re: #99 erik_t

Glenn/Glen - is there a difference?

101 Spocomptonite  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:02:47pm

re: #63 jaunte

“All spies for China go to Beijing. Therefore anyone not in Beijing is not a spy.”

I went to Beijing once. I must be a spy.

102 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:03:22pm

re: #101 Spocomptonite

I went to Beijing once. I must be a spy.

I went to HK once. Therefore I am not a spy.

103 Ace-o-aces  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:03:23pm

re: #64 dragonath

Bryan Fischer was probably read Chick Tracts as bedtime stories.

I’m guessing this is a favorite of his:
chick.com

104 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:04:17pm

re: #96 Kragar

“I’m hemorrhaging money,” Beck bellowed. “I have spent all of the money that I have put away, because I believe in something.”

If Beck needs $$ maybe he should talk to the Kochs. Or he could just get a job.

105 Eclectic Cyborg  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:05:10pm

re: #96 Kragar

Beck’s Burden: Someone Has to Tell the World ‘We’re on the Titanic [and] Not All of Us are Going to Make it’

If you believe for a second that Glenn Beck is “Hemorrhaging money”, I have a nice ocean front property in Arizona you might be interested in.

106 FemNaziBitch  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:05:34pm

Afternoon all!

How is it today?

107 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:05:39pm
“I have spent all of the money that I have put away, because I believe in something.”

What does he believe in? Anti-Obamaism?

108 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:05:53pm

re: #100 freetoken

Glenn/Glen - is there a difference?

Glenn or Glen-Derp

109 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:06:03pm
110 FemNaziBitch  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:08:18pm

re: #77 Eclectic Cyborg

Supreme Court rules FTC can challenge generic drug delay rules

And people wonder why others order their meds from foreign countrys.

111 darthstar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:09:42pm
112 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:09:42pm

re: #107 Bulworth

What does he believe in? Anti-Obamaism?

Why is ‘believing in something’ desirable?

113 FemNaziBitch  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:10:35pm

re: #66 Ace-o-aces

They believe (and just to be clear I don’t believe this) the whole Priest sex scandal is due to the fact that the Vatican is really HQ of the global gay rights agenda. Yeah, wrap you brain around that one!

HQ of global gay rights agenda?

now that is a new one on me.

I do, however, think it’s interesting that the Catholic Church is the only religion to have it’s own country and to have that country represented at the UN.

Leads me to believe their power is derived from something other than G-d.

114 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:11:55pm

KOCH BROS TWEET:
SAVE MILLIONAIRES & BIG AG!!11

115 lawhawk  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:14:52pm

re: #101 Spocomptonite

I went to Beijing once. I must be a spy.

I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. I must be NSA./

116 FemNaziBitch  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:15:24pm

re: #115 lawhawk

I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. I must be NSA./

I tend to stay at Marriotts, because of the points. What does that make me?

117 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:15:31pm

re: #114 Vicious Babushka

The problem in the upper midwest, where farm land prices have found very high new heights the past few years, is that a farm can easily be valued over $3.5 million. When land can go for $10k/acre the farm values can get amazingly high.

118 darthstar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:16:25pm
119 lawhawk  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:16:26pm

re: #116 FemNaziBitch

Romney’s sugar daddy? /

120 dragonath  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:17:03pm

re: #96 Kragar

Image: panic.gif

121 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:17:15pm

re: #117 freetoken

A lot of the family farmers, though, lease their land, or have it mortgaged so that their actual taxable estate is quite small. A family farm that actually had assets clear of debt of several million would be one that was doing outstandingly well.

122 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:19:21pm

re: #121 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

I have a relative whose farm land is valued between $10 and $20 million, depending on local auction fluctuations. They own it outright, because it was in his family for a long time. They live comfortably but hardly luxuriously. “Land rich”, as the term goes.

123 Flounder  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:20:19pm

Tweekers say the craziest things!

124 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:23:43pm

re: #122 freetoken

I have a relative whose farm land is valued between $10 and $20 million, depending on local auction fluctuations. They own it outright, because it was in his family for a long time. They live comfortably but hardly luxuriously. “Land rich”, as the term goes.

Well, they still own land worth millions of dollars. I am going to inherit, with my brothers, a house in San Francisco. It is worth millions of dollars. I didn’t do anything to earn this house, my grandfather happened to buy it without really imagining it would increase in value that way. I would like it if we could keep it in the family, but my biggest possible problem is that we would have to sell the house to pay the taxes on it and I would be a millionaire. That is the worst-case outcome, if the estate tax is anything like what it is now.

125 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:24:25pm

re: #114 Vicious Babushka

I think the family farm’s been gone for years.

But I didn’t realize that 3.5M was the threshold. /

126 FemNaziBitch  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:24:57pm

re: #121 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

A lot of the family farmers, though, lease their land, or have it mortgaged so that their actual taxable estate is quite small. A family farm that actually had assets clear of debt of several million would be one that was doing outstandingly well.

3.5M doesn’t sound like a whole lot for a farm, considering the outbuildings and house could and equipment. The equipment could cost $1M per.

127 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:25:45pm

re: #125 Bulworth

I think the family farm’s been gone for years.

But I didn’t realize that 3.5M was the threshold. /

The Koch Tweet is misleading, they are not referring to only “Family Farms” but to all inheritance of > $3.5mil.

128 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:26:02pm

re: #73 erik_t

Speaking as a rather frequent reader, when you’ve lost Think fucking Progress…

You think that’s extreme? Try lunatic moonbat Naomi Wolf. Oh sure, she supports “the cause” and all that bullshit, but even she realizes that Snowden has an agenda that isn’t part of his public mythos. Naturally, though, she sees a tremendous Police State conspiracy behind it all. Still, she inadvertently stumbles very close to making a couple of good points before snatching defeat from the savage jaws of victory:

a) He is super-organized, for a whistleblower, in terms of what candidates, the White House, the State Dept. et al call ‘message discipline.’ He insisted on publishing a power point in the newspapers that ran his initial revelations. I gather that he arranged for a talented filmmaker to shoot the Greenwald interview. These two steps — which are evidence of great media training, really ‘PR 101″ — are virtually never done (to my great distress) by other whistleblowers, or by progressive activists involved in breaking news, or by real courageous people who are under stress and getting the word out. They are always done, though, by high-level political surrogates.

..

WHERE IS SNOWDEN’S LAWYER as the world’s media meet with him? A whistleblower talking to media has his/her counsel advising him/her at all times, if not actually being present at the interview, because anything he/she says can affect the legal danger the whistleblower may be in . It is very, very odd to me that a lawyer has not appeared, to my knowledge, to stand at Snowden’s side and keep him from further jeopardy in interviews.

129 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:27:31pm

re: #127 Vicious Babushka

No deathtax=Freedumb

130 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:28:32pm

re: #126 FemNaziBitch

3.5M doesn’t sound like a whole lot for a farm, considering the outbuildings and house could and equipment. The equipment could cost $1M per.

Sure. And the very easy ways to avoid the estate tax are:

1. Set up transfer of ownership while you’re alive. Make it into a corporation, and have the other family members earn shares by working on it. If they never sell, they’ll never be taxed on the profit of the increase of the land.

2. Acquire debt to cancel out the assets. This is what most farmers do out of necessity. They mortgage, at pretty good rates (since their asset is so strong) their equipment, their land, to pay for new capital costs, sometimes just to make payroll in the more intensive places, or even to buy more land.

There is no way that having an estate worth millions is a bad thing for anyone. At most, it’s a painful choice to sell a property with sentimental value and wind up just very, very rich. I would like to see an exception made where someone could promise not to sell, but that’s too full of holes tto actually work. Still, land trusts can help here.

131 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:29:03pm

re: #124 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

The particular problem with farm land is that the transfer of farms from family owned to corporate owned is enhanced by forcing families to sell land. Land to which they are more than financially tied but also emotionally and historically. This has been a long process, but as bigger family farms bought out smaller ones what we are left with is the farms so large that an ordinary family can no longer buy them.

Thus, unlike housing, the next person to own this farm very well may not be a person, but a company who through the wonders of the tax code will evade a lot of taxes and make decisions outside of the community.

Maybe I’m just being romantic here, but I’d like to believe that farms could still be owned and operated by people.

132 Dr. Matt  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:30:29pm


I got fired by Roger Sterling. I guess I should take that as a badge of honor.

133 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:30:46pm

re: #131 freetoken

“Companies are people, my friend.”

134 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:31:40pm

re: #132 Dr. Matt

Who is Roger Sterling?

135 krypto  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:31:46pm

So now Snowdon is spewing about how the United States is trying to kill him, so that if he suddenly disappeared while in Hong Kong, minus the computer data he brought with him, China would have a great cover story for what happened to him. They wouldn’t even have to suggest it themselves.

Did someone accuse Snowdon of being smart?

136 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:32:04pm

re: #117 freetoken

The problem in the upper midwest, where farm land prices have found very high new heights the past few years, is that a farm can easily be valued over $3.5 million. When land can go for $10k/acre the farm values can get amazingly high.

Farms are businesses that get business deductions are they not?

137 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:33:08pm

re: #136 Walking Spanish Down the Hall

We’re talking about the estate tax, when someone dies.

And yes, in the US agriculture has been subsidized for quite some time.

138 geoffm33  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:33:11pm

Unrelated boast post:

I just learned that my neighbor was named valedictorian in his HS graduating class. He attends an alternative school that specializes in kids with past substance abuse. So proud of him!

Carry on..

139 Dr. Matt  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:33:14pm

re: #134 Bulworth

Who is Roger Sterling?

A character from Mad Men.

140 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:34:27pm

re: #131 freetoken

The particular problem with farm land is that the transfer of farms from family owned to corporate owned is enhanced by forcing families to sell land. Land to which they are more than financially tied but also emotionally and historically. This has been a long process, but as bigger family farms bought out smaller ones what we are left with is the farms so large that an ordinary family can no longer buy them.

Thus, unlike housing, the next person to own this farm very well may not be a person, but a company who through the wonders of the tax code will evade a lot of taxes and make decisions outside of the community.

Maybe I’m just being romantic here, but I’d like to believe that farms could still be owned and operated by people.

Owning the farm as a corporation doesn’t mean that you don’t own it anymore. A family can enjoy corporate protection for their farm without losing their emotional attachment to it.

That the various economics of the food industry has made megafarms more profitable than smaller farms is a whole ‘nother kettle of fish. Even if we raised the estate tax limit to 20 million the family farm would keep disappearing and wouldn’t make a comeback. The changes that need to be made for that are regulatory ones, holding the farms more accountable for their pollution— but right now, attempts to do that hurt the family farms too because they can’t afford as many lawyers.

It’s another problem of unchecked growth in industry.

141 goddamnedfrank  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:36:14pm

re: #127 Vicious Babushka

The Koch Tweet is misleading, they are not referring to only “Family Farms” but to all inheritance of > $3.5mil.

More crucially, it ignores the current federal exclusion amount of $5.25 million. Only the portion of any estate exceeding that amount it taxed. Et ouilla, the farm is saved.

142 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:38:09pm

re: #140 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

By “company” and “corporation” I did not mean the use of incorporation by a farmer for tax, legal or financial reasons.

Rather, I mean Monsanto, any of the other numerous BigAg companies, Walmart, holding companies for diversified conglomerates, and the like.

Imagine Walmart owning 100,000 acres in some county. Do you really think they’ll going to care about the welfare of the townships? If you think that, then I’ve got a garment factory in Bangladesh to sell you.

143 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:38:28pm

re: #140 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

The changes that need to be made for that are regulatory ones, holding the farms more accountable for their pollution— but right now, attempts to do that hurt the family farms too because they can’t afford as many lawyers.

I’m not even certain that would do it. There are technologically advanced systems that dramatically enhance productivity that are so capable that a single family farm cannot fully utilize them, but cannot be downsized past a certain point in a cost-effective manner.

A ten acre farm isn’t going to be able to make full use out of a FUSION POWERED HYPERCOMBINE. Such is life. The alternative of forcing everyone to revert to ox teams is not really a palatable one, even if it would result in more farming being done in the family context.

144 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:39:09pm

re: #137 freetoken

We’re talking about the estate tax, when someone dies.

And yes, in the US agriculture has been subsidized for quite some time.

That’s not really what I meant.

My business deductions drop my taxable income well below that of my wife’s even though my gross income is much higher. With that in mind, even if estate taxes are high, the family farm has the advantage of being a business so general decreases can offset much of whatever taxes are there.

Unfortunately I don’t know much about how the US tax system works so I’m asking questions more than making statements.

145 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:41:08pm

re: #142 freetoken

I’m sorry, I’ve totally lost track of your argument. My argument is that the estate tax does not threaten family farms in a significant way because estate taxes only apply to estates and there are significant ways to transfer property and keep it largely untaxed, so the problem can be solved during life, and because family farms normally also have a great deal of debt to balance their assets. What is destroying the family farm is not the estate tax.

146 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:42:54pm

re: #140 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

Owning the farm as a corporation doesn’t mean that you don’t own it anymore. A family can enjoy corporate protection for their farm without losing their emotional attachment to it.

That the various economics of the food industry has made megafarms more profitable than smaller farms is a whole ‘nother kettle of fish. Even if we raised the estate tax limit to 20 million the family farm would keep disappearing and wouldn’t make a comeback. The changes that need to be made for that are regulatory ones, holding the farms more accountable for their pollution— but right now, attempts to do that hurt the family farms too because they can’t afford as many lawyers.

It’s another problem of unchecked growth in industry.

Loss of family farms to megafarms is true up here too. A lot of the younger generation don’t want to farm, so their parents sell their farms to corps intent on maximizing profits which means multi-section farms.

147 freetoken  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:43:13pm

re: #144 Walking Spanish Down the Hall

re: #145 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

Very well then, but I still object to forcing farmers to go down the route of finding ways to avoid estates. It’s just more shell games.

148 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:43:47pm

re: #143 erik_t

Really, so much in the economy would have to shift. I mean, it is possible now to have a family farm in pretty much only one way, which is growing and selling locally at a premium people are willing to buy precisely because it is a family farm. If we actually moved towards sustainability in the economy in general, smaller farmers would also get a boost. But you’re right, farming is one of those things that only happens at scale, and economy of scale is enormous.

149 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:43:49pm

And now I really, really want to design and engineer a FUSION POWERED HYPERCOMBINE.

150 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:46:55pm

re: #147 freetoken

re: #145 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

Very well then, but I still object to forcing farmers to go down the route of finding ways to avoid estates. It’s just more shell games.

No, it’s really not, no more than taxation is a shell game. The main purpose of the instruments that I’m suggesting is that they can create a legal assurance that the land will not be sold— so if the family wants to continue working and living on the land, the value of the land becomes immaterial. This is not a shell game, it’s a legal bond of trust where, as long as they don’t sell, they don’t have to pay taxes.

How is this not exactly what you want, a mechanism for family farms to be able to hold onto the land if they want to continue working it and not sell it? How would you like this codified, if not as a trust?

151 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:48:42pm

re: #149 erik_t

And now I really, really want to design and engineer a FUSION POWERED HYPERCOMBINE.

Image: pure_steam___steam_harvester_by_47ness-d5gkirt.jpg

152 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:49:44pm

re: #151 Kragar

Image: pure_steam___steam_harvester_by_47ness-d5gkirt.jpg

Now strap a Mr. Fusion on the back of that sucker… maybe add some gratiutious lasers… I’ll be in my bunk.

153 dragonath  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:50:16pm

re: #149 erik_t

Are you related to Groundskeeper Willie?

154 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:50:43pm

re: #151 Kragar

If ever get megarich I totally want to collect harvesters.

Image: BoganGate011.jpg

155 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:51:13pm

re: #151 Kragar

Image: pure_steam___steam_harvester_by_47ness-d5gkirt.jpg

You should see the size of some of the combines here. You could plant an aircraft carrier on their backs.

156 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:51:51pm

re: #155 Walking Spanish Down the Hall

You should see the size of some of the combines here. You could plant an aircraft carrier on their backs.

Could… or should?!

157 Stanghazi  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:52:04pm

re: #132 Dr. Matt

I got fired by Roger Sterling. I guess I should take that as a badge of honor.

LOL

158 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:57:55pm

re: #155 Walking Spanish Down the Hall

You should see the size of some of the combines here. You could plant an aircraft carrier on their backs.

One of the coolest fight scenes in a 40k novel took place in a giant harvester. 100 yards wide and 500 yards long, with a crew of 200.

159 darthstar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:58:56pm
160 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 12:59:23pm

re: #156 erik_t

Could… or should?!

Oh, that would be cool, driving behind a train of combines with a carrier on their backs doing 50 km/hr. Not!

161 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:02:16pm

Pratt to Headline Event Hosted by Holocaust Denier Who Thinks Israel Was Behind 9/11

The anti-Semitic weekly American Free Press reports that Pratt, Traficant and McKinney are all signed up to speak at the southeastern Pennsylvania “Freedompalooza,” hosted by Paul Topete. Topete heads the rock group Poker Face, which got national attention in 2010 when the Anti-Defamation league reported that it had licensed a song to and defended the violent right-wing Hutaree militia. Topete himself is an unabashed anti-Semite who, according to the ADL, once called the Holocaust “one of the largest if not THEE largest scam every played on humanity” (sic).

Topete’s anti-Semitic view of world history doesn’t stop there. He has also claimed that “the Rothchilds set up the Illuminati in 1776 to subvert the Christian basis of civilization.”

Responding to the ADL’s report, Topete’s band issued a statement saying, “We are not anti-Semitic, but, we will shine the spotlight on those of Jewish faith who use their heritage to escape criticism, especially when it comes to crimes against this country, but also against their own people.” In the statement, the group also doubled down on its speculation that Israel was behind the 9/11 attacks: “Was Israel involved? It’s not beyond the scope of reasonable doubt.”

Topete is so extreme that, according to an NAACP report, his band has “been kicked off venues at Rutgers University in 2006 and a Ron Paul campaign event in 2007.”

In 2010, the Colbert Report reported that now-Sen. Rand Paul attended a gun rally where Topete threatened an armed revolt against the government.

162 Eclectic Cyborg  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:03:10pm

re: #161 Kragar

Pratt to Headline Event Hosted by Holocaust Denier Who Thinks Israel Was Behind 9/11

“Freedompalooza”

Really?……….REALLY??

163 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:03:46pm

according to
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

The estate tax is a tax on property (cash, real estate, stock, or other assets) transferred from deceased persons to their heirs. Only the wealthiest estates in the country pay the tax because it is levied only on the portion of an estate’s value that exceeds a specified exemption level, currently $5.25 million per person (effectively $10.5 million per married couple).[1] The estate tax thus limits, to a modest degree, the large tax breaks that extremely wealthy households get on their wealth as it grows, which can otherwise go completely untaxed. Though the estate tax has been an important source of federal revenue for nearly a century, a number of myths continue to surround it.

The link discusses “myths and realities of estate tax”.
Not sure of who is behind this think tank.

164 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:04:48pm

re: #162 Eclectic Cyborg

“Freedompalooza”

Really?……….REALLY??

They’re with it. They’re hip.

Youtube Video

165 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:04:52pm

re: #160 Walking Spanish Down the Hall

Oh, that would be cool, driving behind a train of combines with a carrier on their backs doing 50 km/hr. Not!

They could be little bitty carriers. Drone platforms, really. Continuously survey the corn development over a vast swath of land. Send the giant automated never-ceasing never-sleeping FUSION HYPERCOMBINE to where the corn is ready next. Perhaps offload corn and resupply water and fertilizer, C.O.D. style, so the system never sleeps.

I may possibly be slightly overthinking this a hair.

166 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:05:10pm

re: #162 Eclectic Cyborg

Adding “-palooza” gives it that air of serious political thought.

167 Decatur Deb  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:06:09pm

re: #161 Kragar

Really a good sample of one strain of RWNJ, there. It’s hard to remember that walking on the same side of the street would kill off a political career a couple decades ago.

168 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:08:20pm

re: #166 jaunte

Adding “-palooza” gives it that air of serious political thought.

“Our research shows that young people really connect to paloozas, and we love freedom, so the idea kind of just built itself.”

169 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:10:31pm

re: #165 erik_t

They could be little bitty carriers. Drone platforms, really. Continuously survey the corn development over a vast swath of land. Send the giant automated never-ceasing never-sleeping FUSION HYPERCOMBINE to where the corn is ready next. Perhaps offload corn and resupply water and fertilizer, C.O.D. style, so the system never sleeps.

I may possibly be slightly overthinking this a hair.

Now you just need a manufacturing plant.

170 Ian G.  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:10:42pm

re: #161 Kragar

Good to see utter loon and anti-semite Cynthia McKinney in there too. See, the (crackpot) left and (crackpot) right can be brought together in harmonious derp!

171 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:10:51pm
the group also doubled down on its speculation that Israel was behind the 9/11 attacks: “Was Israel involved? It’s not beyond the scope of reasonable doubt.”

It would be irresponsible not to speculate….

//

172 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:13:06pm
The anti-Semitic weekly American Free Press reports that Pratt, Traficant and McKinney are all signed up to speak at the southeastern Pennsylvania “Freedompalooza,” hosted by Paul Topete.

Ugh. SE PA is a little too close to home.

173 darthstar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:13:13pm
174 Decatur Deb  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:14:03pm

re: #170 Ian G.

Good to see utter loon and anti-semite Cynthia McKinney in there too. See, the (crackpot) left and (crackpot) right can be brought together in harmonious derp!

Right. So its a Convergent Nut Job affair.

175 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:14:43pm

re: #174 Decatur Deb

FreedomPalookaStraganza!

176 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:15:27pm

re: #175 jaunte

FreedomPalookaStraganza!

Palooza-Gate

177 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:16:09pm

re: #163 Backwoods_Sleuth

I linked that because I’ve been a farmer most of my life, so I know a lot of other farmers.
The only farms I’ve ever heard of eaten up by estate taxes are ones where the heirs had no interest in farming and just wanted to cash out the estate, and/or where there was absolutely no estate planning done.

178 Occam's Guillotine  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:18:09pm

re: #170 Ian G.

Good to see utter loon and anti-semite Cynthia McKinney in there too. See, the (crackpot) left and (crackpot) right can be brought together in harmonious derp!

Cynbat the Sailor.

179 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:18:17pm

Paloozaghazi!

180 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:19:09pm

re: #177 Backwoods_Sleuth

I linked that because I’ve been a farmer most of my life, so I know a lot of other farmers.
The only farms I’ve ever heard of eaten up by estate taxes are ones where the heirs had no interest in farming and just wanted to cash out the estate, and/or where there was absolutely no estate planning done.

The “BIG OBAMA IZ DESTROYING TEH FAMILY FARM!!11” is just a red herring being used by AFP (a Koch front group) to attack the estate tax on inheritances of > 3.5MIL

181 Decatur Deb  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:20:00pm

re: #180 Vicious Babushka

The “BIG OBAMA IZ DESTROYING TEH FAMILY FARM!!11” is just a red herring being used by AFP (a Koch front group) to attack the estate tax on inheritances of > 3.5MIL

You mean this wasn’t about soybeans?

182 Lidane  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:20:26pm

re: #180 Vicious Babushka

The “BIG OBAMA IZ DESTROYING TEH FAMILY FARM!!11” is just a red herring being used by AFP (a Koch front group) to attack the estate tax on inheritances of > 3.5MIL

Pffft. Farm subisides and Big Agriculture destroyed the family farm long before Obama took office. The Koch brothers can get bent.

183 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:21:08pm

re: #181 Decatur Deb

You mean this wasn’t about soybeans?

Not even about HFCS.

184 Decatur Deb  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:21:54pm

re: #183 Vicious Babushka

Not even about HFCS.

Pot growers—last bastion of the family farm.

185 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:23:31pm

Charisma: Gays Will Destroy America Like Nazis in Germany

Responding to the White House’s LGBT Pride celebration, Pastor Larry Tomczak in Charisma magazine maintained that gays and their allies are putting America “on the path to destruction.” Tomczak writes that events which “brazenly celebrate, legitimize and promote the gay lifestyle in America” are part of the country’s “downward spiral” and gay “tsunami.”

After the pastor shared a story about how his father-in-law, a veteran of World War II, confronted his church for not speaking out more aggressively against homosexuality, Tomczak drew parallels between gays in America and Nazis in 1930s Germany: “It would do us well to recall that in Nazi Germany, only a small percentage of the people were part of the Nazi party. Amid the atrocities, the overwhelming majority were apathetic and afraid to speak up…. Is history repeating itself?”

Please, go ahead with your story.

186 Justanotherhuman  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:23:31pm

I’ve always thought this whole Snowjob thing was an utter distraction the glibertarian/right wing masters engineered. Maybe they should go back to comparing computers and operating systems instead and let the adults take over the conversation about what’s really ailing the country.

Snowden Job: The Media’s Scandal Fever Is Helping Republicans Hide What You Need to Know politicususa.com

After all, Benghazi, the IRS, Africa vacations, and such “scandals” haven’t worked. But Snowjob’s “revelations” gets bile and outrage spewing across the political spectrum (and publicity for him and Glennzilla). It’s more personal to more people, innit? People can resume sending the nude photos now and discuss their awesome weed. I doubt the NSA is interested in people’s petty vices, even for a laugh or two.

187 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:25:26pm

re: #185 Kragar

Please procede, Christianists.

188 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:26:52pm

Pentagon Plans To Slowly Bring Women Into Combat Jobs

Women may be able to start training as Army Rangers by mid-2015 and as Navy SEALs a year later under plans set to be announced by the Pentagon that would slowly bring women into thousands of combat jobs, including those in elite special operations forces.

Details of the plans were obtained by The Associated Press. They call for requiring women and men to meet the same physical and mental standards to quality for certain infantry, armor, commando and other front-line positions across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reviewed the plans and has ordered the services to move ahead.

The move, expected to be announced Tuesday, follows revelations of a startling number of sexual assaults in the armed forces. Earlier this year, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said the sexual assaults might be linked to the longstanding ban on women serving in combat because the disparity between the roles of men and women creates separate classes of personnel — male “warriors” versus the rest of the force.

189 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:28:07pm

re: #188 Kragar

I predict there’s going to be very small numbers of women in those roles because women that athletically gifted can probably do better in professional sports. I think it is fair to keep the requirements the same, and remind everyone that Audie Murphey was a badass and a tiny little thing.

190 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:28:09pm
191 darthstar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:29:23pm
192 simoom  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:30:56pm

Apple put out their law enforcement request #’s now too:

apple.com

We do not provide any government agency with direct access to our servers, and any government agency requesting customer content must get a court order.

…

From December 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013, Apple received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement for customer data. Between 9,000 and 10,000 accounts or devices were specified in those requests, which came from federal, state and local authorities and included both criminal investigations and national security matters. The most common form of request comes from police investigating robberies and other crimes, searching for missing children, trying to locate a patient with Alzheimer’s disease, or hoping to prevent a suicide.

Regardless of the circumstances, our Legal team conducts an evaluation of each request and, only if appropriate, we retrieve and deliver the narrowest possible set of information to the authorities. In fact, from time to time when we see inconsistencies or inaccuracies in a request, we will refuse to fulfill it.

193 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:32:13pm

E.W. Jackson: Using My Past Statements Against Me Is ‘Persecution’ and an Unconstitutional Religious Test

E. W. Jackson, the Republican candidate for Lt. Governor in Virginia, was the guest on Bryan Fischer’s radio program today where he was treated to a sympathetic interview by a host who shares his radical views.

During the discussion, Jackson stood by his anti-gay and anti-abortion views and suggested that efforts to hold him accountable for his previous statements now that he is running for office was somehow an unconstitutional religious test.

Jackson seems to believe that things he said about political issues are not relevant to his political candidacy because he said those things in his capacity as a minister and so using them against him in his campaign amounts to anti-Christian persecution:

194 Decatur Deb  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:32:23pm

re: #188 Kragar

Pentagon Plans To Slowly Bring Women Into Combat Jobs

Written by a feathermerchant. There has always been a vast gap between 11B and 35C, and women have nothing to do with it.

195 Eclectic Cyborg  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:32:26pm

re: #191 darthstar

Oh piss off Cruz.

196 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:32:56pm

Bryan Fischer: Christians marrying Non-Christians are sinners

197 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:33:47pm

re: #180 Vicious Babushka

The “BIG OBAMA IZ DESTROYING TEH FAMILY FARM!!11” is just a red herring being used by AFP (a Koch front group) to attack the estate tax on inheritances of > 3.5MIL

yes, THIS.

198 piratedan  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:33:53pm

re: #191 darthstar

nice calculated response, hey guys, lets include something that we know is unconstitutional to the bill to help it along

199 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:35:07pm

re: #184 Decatur Deb

Pot growers—last bastion of the family farm.

Biggest cash crop in my home state: the great Commonwealth of Kentucky.
And people wonder why Rand Paul got elected here…(but I didn’t vote for him).

200 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:37:30pm

re: #193 Kragar


hahahahahahahahaaa…
< wipes eyes >
hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaa

201 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:37:42pm

re: #193 Kragar

During the discussion, Jackson stood by his anti-gay and anti-abortion views and suggested that efforts to hold him accountable for his previous statements now that he is running for office was somehow an unconstitutional religious test.

Translation: taking my statements about policy issues I used to persuade the VA GOP to give me its Lt.Gov nomination is mean and uncalled for.

202 Justanotherhuman  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:38:09pm

re: #191 darthstar

“Cruz has also filed amendments to bar undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States from ever becoming citizens and to ensure green card recipients are not eligible for public assistance even after a five-year waiting period outlined in the current bill.”

Does that also apply to Cubans who get here without papers?

203 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:38:21pm

re: #196 Kragar

Bryan Fischer: Christians marrying Non-Christians are sinners

wow…it’s not even a pup tent anymore….

204 Lidane  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:38:34pm

re: #196 Kragar

Bryan Fischer: Christians marrying Non-Christians are sinners

Which Christians? Which faith? And does that mean that Catholic marrying a Lutheran is a sin?

205 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:38:41pm

re: #201 Bulworth

Translation: taking my statements about policy issues I used to persuade the VA GOP to give me its Lt.Gov nomination is mean and uncalled for.

“Any attempt to quote me is discriminatory.”

206 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:39:25pm

re: #193 Kragar

E.W. Jackson: Using My Past Statements Against Me Is ‘Persecution’ and an Unconstitutional Religious Test

Hahahahahahahaha oh bless his heart I think he actually believes this.

207 Decatur Deb  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:39:34pm

re: #199 Backwoods_Sleuth

Biggest cash crop in my home state: the great Commonwealth of Kentucky.
And people wonder why Rand Paul got elected here…(but I didn’t vote for him).

For a few years we did the “5 Acres and Independence” thing on a remote patch near E-Town. Got occasional queries from guys who wanted us to do a little sharecropping.

208 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:40:20pm

re: #204 Lidane

Doesn’t matter. Catholics and Lutherans are equally heretical and deserve to burn forever in the pit of hell made by our loving creator and savior. //

209 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:40:21pm

re: #204 Lidane

Which Christians? Which faith? And does that mean that Catholic marrying a Lutheran is a sin?

“How can we live in harmony? First we need to know we are all madly in love with the same God.”
- Thomas Aquinas

210 darthstar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:40:57pm
211 Decatur Deb  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:41:23pm

re: #204 Lidane

Which Christians? Which faith? And does that mean that Catholic marrying a Lutheran is a sin?

Lutefisk on Fridays

212 GeneJockey  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:42:06pm

re: #182 Lidane

Pffft. Farm subisides and Big Agriculture destroyed the family farm long before Obama took office. The Koch brothers can get bent.

Efficiency destroyed the family farm, really. We need, what, 2% of Americans to grow more than enough food for all of us? A century ago, it was 80%.

This has happened in industry after industry, but we weep about the death of the family farm, more so than the Mom and Pop hardware store, for example.

213 Lidane  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:42:25pm

re: #206 erik_t

Hahahahahahahaha oh bless his heart I think he actually believes this.

That is by far my favorite Southernism. You can insult someone and make it sound nice in the process. Hahaha.

214 Ian G.  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:42:46pm

re: #196 Kragar

Hmm, I was worried for a moment that my Catholic fiancee might be sinning by marrying my atheist ass, but then I remember that Fischer doesn’t consider Catholics to be real Christians anyway. She’s off the hook!

215 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:43:45pm

re: #214 Ian G.

Hmm, I was worried for a moment that my Catholic fiancee might be sinning by marrying my atheist ass, but then I remember that Fischer doesn’t consider Catholics to be real Christians anyway. She’s off the hook!

HUZZAH!

216 Ian G.  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:45:14pm

re: #193 Kragar

I missed the part of the 1st amendment where freedom of speech and religion also includes freedom from criticism.

217 Bulworth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:46:00pm

re: #204 Lidane

The only religious denomination Fischer cares about is the Republican Party.

218 gwangung  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:47:44pm

re: #212 GeneJockey

Efficiency destroyed the family farm, really. We need, what, 2% of Americans to grow more than enough food for all of us? A century ago, it was 80%.

This has happened in industry after industry, but we weep about the death of the family farm, more so than the Mom and Pop hardware store, for example.

Or blame spotted owls and crazy environmentalists…

219 darthstar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:48:47pm
220 kirkspencer  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:48:53pm

re: #198 piratedan

nice calculated response, hey guys, lets include something that we know is unconstitutional to the bill to help it along

Actually, his proposal isn’t unconstitutional. Well, the one about voter ID, anyway. What it is, however, is opening the door to a helluvan unanticipated consequence.

Federal election requires a Voter ID. Though it can be tasked to states, it is by definition then a federal ID. Do you know how many electrons people on both left and right have killed screaming about a national ID? And here Cruz sticks it in just so states can require it for voting.

Really, really poorly thought out action.

221 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:48:54pm

re: #207 Decatur Deb

For a few years we did the “5 Acres and Independence” thing on a remote patch near E-Town. Got occasional queries from guys who wanted us to do a little sharecropping.

I get DEA helicopters searching my farm every single year (it’s about time for it to start again).
We set up the grill, a cooler and lawn chairs and watch. Great entertainment.

222 GeneJockey  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:49:10pm

re: #218 gwangung

Or blame spotted owls and crazy environmentalists…

Yeah. Might as well blame “You meddlesome kids, and your stupid dog!”
//

223 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:50:31pm

re: #208 Bulworth

Doesn’t matter. Catholics and Lutherans are equally heretical and deserve to burn forever in the pit of hell made by our loving creator and savior. //

and Methodists! I keep hearing from the fundies here that all the Methodist (“even though some of them seem to be very nice people”) are all going straight to hell.
Yes, I have heard that said out loud…

224 Decatur Deb  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:51:33pm

re: #221 Backwoods_Sleuth

I get DEA helicopters searching my farm every single year (it’s about time for it to start again).
We set up the grill, a cooler and lawn chairs and watch. Great entertainment.

The E-town cops had a real, healthy, MJ plant that they used for a training aid. Keeping it in an accessible hallway wasn’t a good idea.

225 A Mom Anon  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:52:20pm

re: #196 Kragar

Fundies call it being “Unevenly Yoked”. It extends in some families to not being allowed to even be friends with or associated with anyone not in your personal christian preferences. Blech. I’m so sick of the Jesus Club nonsense where anyone not in the club gets either a kinder “well bless your heart then” condescending look down the nose or just outright “your going to hell sinner so hahahaha!” horseshit.

Life’s hard enough, is it seriously mandatory to make even more division and separation part of life?

226 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:52:37pm

re: #224 Decatur Deb

The E-town cops had a real, healthy, MJ plant that they used for a training aid. Keeping it in an accessible hallway wasn’t a good idea.

heh!

227 Romantic Heretic  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:53:23pm

re: #34 HSG

I have some doubts Snowden was writing the answers on this chat. Compare the writing style to his public posts found on the web. The spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, and usage are all considerably better than one sees from a high school dropout. Color me skeptical.

Please be careful about generalizing. I’m a high school dropout and my vocabulary and use of language are far above the median.

228 Kragar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:54:16pm

An oldie but a goodie:

An old gentleman lived alone in New Jersey . He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent, I am feeling pretty sad because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days. Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Papa, Don’t dig up that garden. That’s where the bodies are buried. Love, Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Papa, Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.

229 Decatur Deb  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 1:58:50pm

Rest easy. The Chinese have told The Guardian that Snowden is not a spy.

guardian.co.uk

230 Decatur Deb  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:00:05pm

Link added.

231 57andFemale  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:02:24pm

re: #44 jaunte

Because it might get extended by waiver which means it isn’t real……

Over this, this guy and his deranged handler, GG, is going to turn the next election over to the bastions of freedom, the 21st century Republicans.

God.

232 darthstar  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:06:13pm
233 Big Steve  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:06:56pm

4:05pm and I for the first time noticed the date….June 17….and realized it is my birthday. Seriously, had to do the math on my fingerss to prove to myself I am 57.

234 stabby  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:07:00pm

You know another way to interpret Edward Snowden is just as a willing agent (or volunteer) for a somewhat despotic government.

The minute he said that Honk Kong has a dedication to privacy and freedom of speech he was either:
A) signalling that he knows how to be the flak for a despot, he knows how to lie shamelessly - he was volunteering to defect

or

B) he was a Chinese agent from long before that and he was playing the Chinese media strategy from within.

235 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:09:34pm

re: #233 Big Steve

4:05pm and I for the first time noticed the date….June 17….and realized it is my birthday. Seriously, had to do the math on my fingerss to prove to myself I am 57.

Are you the Heinz variety?

Happy b-day.

236 simoom  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:20:19pm

WTF CBS:

cbsnews.com

(CBS News) CBS News has confirmed that someone has been breaking into the computer of our investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.

Security experts are still trying to identify who did it.

Sharyl Attkisson said on “CBS This Morning” that the odd behavior of her devices had been going on for months. One example of that was that her home and work computers were turning themselves on and then back off at night.

She said, “I was able to verify and obtain some information on the suspicious activities and then I reported that to CBS News management in January, since it included CBS equipment and systems. CBS then hired an independent cyber security firm which then conducted a thorough forensic analysis and that ruled out the ordinary malware, phishing programs and that sort of thing.”

…

Asked what the intruder did or was looking for, Attkisson said, due to the continuing investigation, she can’t discuss all the details, but added, “the analysis found very unusual activity very deep in the computer.

“The unauthorized party accessed the CBS computer at my home on multiple occasions, and specifically in December, they used sophisticated methods to cover their tracks, meaning they tried to remove the indications of their previous unauthorized activity,” she said. “We’re not prepared to talk more about the who’s and who did this today, but the intruder is considered highly skilled and used very sophisticated methods.”

Sounds like a common RAT trojan:
en.wikipedia.org

So anyway, they state they currently have no idea who did it, but just as an aside, they toss this in the middle of the article:

Attkisson had been reporting on Benghazi, and the Fast and Furious program.

237 wrenchwench  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:22:37pm

re: #236 simoom

WTF CBS:

cbsnews.com

Sounds like a common RAT trojan:
en.wikipedia.org

So anyway, they state they currently have no idea who did it, but just as an aside, they toss this in the middle of the article:

I’m sure her devices have viruses. She’s an anti-vaxxer.

238 thedopefishlives  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:23:18pm

Evening Lizardim.

239 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:24:34pm

re: #236 simoom

WTF CBS:

cbsnews.com

There is literally no word for the lack of credultiy of this story.

240 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:25:58pm
241 wrenchwench  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:26:54pm

re: #238 thedopefishlives

Evening Lizardim.

I hate it when you do that. I’m barely used to the idea that it’s afternoon already.

/

242 stabby  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:27:20pm

re: #240 Vicious Babushka

He only opposes spying on despotic governments that he intends to defect to.

243 Gus  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:27:33pm

re: #240 Vicious Babushka

2) All I can say right now is the US Government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me. Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.

244 erik_t  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:28:28pm

Everyone knows that the correct time to set up your intelligence network in a foreign country is after you’re already at war with that country, amirite.

Jesus.

Fucking kindergartners know to collect intelligence before commiting acts of aggression.

245 thedopefishlives  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:28:33pm

re: #241 wrenchwench

I hate it when you do that. I’m barely used to the idea that it’s afternoon already.

/

Late afternoon, then. :P

246 wrenchwench  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:28:44pm

re: #239 erik_t

There is literally no word for the lack of credultiy of this story.

‘credultiy’ comes pretty close, though. Good job!

247 jaunte  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:29:39pm

re: #243 Gus

So he didn’t say he thinks “the US govt will try to kill him”,
he only said “US Government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me.”

248 Stanghazi  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:29:44pm

Hey WW, you’ve missed something. Comment 231 (whisper voice and eraser)

249 wrenchwench  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:29:53pm

re: #243 Gus

2) All I can say right now is the US Government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me. Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.

See. He didn’t say they’re trying. He said they aren’t going to be able to.

250 wrenchwench  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:32:21pm

re: #248 Stanghazi

Hey WW, you’ve missed something. Comment 237 (whisper voice)

What’d I miss? (I blame the hot sun on my head from going up on the roof to fix my swamp cooler.)

251 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:33:59pm

re: #234 stabby

You know another way to interpret Edward Snowden is just as a willing agent (or volunteer) for a somewhat despotic government.

The minute he said that Honk Kong has a dedication to privacy and freedom of speech he was either:
A) signalling that he knows how to be the flak for a despot, he knows how to lie shamelessly - he was volunteering to defect

or

B) he was a Chinese agent from long before that and he was playing the Chinese media strategy from within.

Or he’s a Rand Paul ideologue who knows that Hong Kong has been fighting with the PRC over free speech, and he’s more about high-falutin’ abstraction than reality. He really does come off as an actual ‘information ought to be free’ Paulian type.

252 Mentis Fugit  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:34:02pm

re: #85 HappyWarrior

rawstory.com
In episode 505 of the National Review and John Debryshire suck major balls, I present this special episode where John Derbyshire claims that female service members pointing out sexual abuses are committing hoaxes. So Derbyshire is a sexist pig along with a racist pig. Great hire NR.

Mr Derpyshire is working true to established form and has even creepier issues with girls women.

253 Stanghazi  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:37:14pm

re: #250 wrenchwench

What’d I miss? (I blame the hot sun on my head from going up on the roof to fix my swamp cooler.)

A hatchling.

254 wrenchwench  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:39:19pm

re: #253 Stanghazi

A hatchling.

Oh, I thought you meant my comment missed something.

I’ve been in and out so much the last few days, I’m counting on you to pick up my slack!

255 wrenchwench  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 2:40:08pm

re: #231 57andFemale

Welcome, hatchling.

256 CriticalDragon1177  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 6:16:46pm

Charles Johnson,

The ultimate irony of all this, given the fact that Snowden is living in China right now, is that they would kill him if wasn’t so well known, and they ever suspected him of doing the same thing he did in the US over there.

257 CriticalDragon1177  Mon, Jun 17, 2013 6:18:57pm

re: #240 Vicious Babushka


Really he expects us to believe that now?

258 Wargala  Tue, Jun 18, 2013 10:52:51am

We’ve already had people say they were tortured, and it was denied time and time again. Then we find out it was true. But let’s deride this guy, even though 3 other former NSA employees have said what he’s saying is true.

259 Jaerik  Wed, Jun 19, 2013 11:07:02am

My privacy is more important than my safety.

There, I said it.

That was my opinion during the Bush era, when these same folks were ranting constantly about the rampant overreach in security power undertaken by the Bush administration. It depresses the hell out of me to watch this site and others rush to its defense and pillory the (unarguably flawed) messenger who’s just telling us stuff we pretty much already knew from six years ago.

I still think the Tea Party is dumb, that the GOP is busted, that conservatism is a pathetic husk of logical inconsistencies, and I will probably never vote for them again. But it leaves a serious distaste in my mouth to see a site, which I once applauded for its independent thinking in splitting with the right-wing, essentially fall 100% in line with the Democratic party line while doing it. If I wanted that, I’d go read DailyKOS.

I’m sure folks will just accuse me of “flouncing” and thumb a “good riddance” at me on the way out. I expect rate downs. That makes me sad, but oh well. But there’s no point in continuing to visit a site when I pretty much know exactly what it’s stance will be on any particular issue of the day — Obama’s — even if I happen to agree with the majority of it. It’s the same reason why I hate Fox with a burning passion but won’t watch MSNBC anymore either.


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