ck4829
ck4829's JournalThe most generic election ballot ever
What color of socks you are going to wear should be a harder choice than this America.
Please don't repeat anything claimed by Russia's govt or state media without additional verification
On DU, any other site, on social media, face to face conversations, etc.
It is pretty much standard operating procedure that Russian state media claims are followed by contradictory claims.
Observe:
1. Russian state media claim Moscow announces temporary ceasefire to let civilians leave two Ukraine cities
Russia’s state-controlled media claimed Saturday that the country’s Defense Ministry has announced a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine to allow civilians to leave the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha.
https://democraticunderground.com/10142882368
And the subsequent reality:
Russian attacks halt plans to evacuate Ukrainian civilians
A second attempt to evacuate civilians from a besieged city in southern Ukraine collapsed Sunday as Russian attacks stopped plans to create a humanitarian corridor, a Ukrainian government official said, and Pope Francis called for an end to the “rivers of blood and tears” created by the war.
https://democraticunderground.com/10142882911
2. Russia added 7k troops near Ukraine border, says US official
Russia actually added another 7,000 troops to the region, according to White House officials on Wednesday as satellite images captured in the last 48 hours seem to bolster skepticism the United States and its NATO allies have about the Russian assertions that it is withdrawing forces surrounding Ukraine.
https://democraticunderground.com/10142871923
And the subsequent reality:
Russia-Ukraine war live updates: Russia investigated for war crimes as peace talks stall
The International Criminal Court said Monday that it will open an investigation into whether Russia has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine, hours after peace talks in Belarus ended without a clear resolution and shelling continued across Ukraine.
https://democraticunderground.com/10142879586
3. Russia denies looking for pretext to invade Ukraine
Russia's top diplomat angrily rejected U.S. allegations that Moscow was preparing a pretext to invade Ukraine, as Russian troops that are amassed near the Ukraine border launched more drills Monday.
https://democraticunderground.com/10142854788
And the subsequent reality:
Russia invaded Ukraine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine
4. Russia says it won't start a war as Ukraine tensions mount
Russia’s top diplomat said Friday that Moscow will not start a war but warned that it wouldn’t allow the West to trample on its security interests amid fears it is planning to invade Ukraine.
https://democraticunderground.com/10142860308
And the subsequent reality:
Russia invaded Ukraine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine
5. Russia says attacks not hitting civilians. Scenes in cities tell a different story.
https://democraticunderground.com/10142877729
And the subsequent reality:
Putin and Russian generals served notice by British ambassador they'll be tried for war crimes
Appearing on MSNBC's "The Sunday Show," the British ambassador to the U.S. made it clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin should be held to account for war crimes and send served notice to every Russian general that they will be won't be let off the hook for their actions in Ukraine.
https://democraticunderground.com/10142891576
Kremlin defends bombing hospital
A hospital complex in Mariupol bombed Wednesday resulted in at least three deaths, including one child, Ukraine authorities say. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the claim Thursday, saying the hospital had been emptied of patients and was being used as an extremist base.
"This is not the first time when we see pathetic cries about so-called atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces," Lavrov said. "Our delegation presented facts at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council proving that the maternity hospital had long been seized by fighters of the Azov battalion and other radicals. They kicked all patients, all nurses, and all service personnel out."
Later, Russia denied responsibility entirely and claimed the attack was staged to make the Kremlin look bad. Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov denied the strike. He claimed that the two explosions that ravaged the building were caused by explosive devices planted nearby in what he described as a “staged provocation to incite anti-Russian agitation in the West.”
https://democraticunderground.com/10142885816
6. Russia Says They Won't Overthrow Zelensky, Occupy Ukraine
Russia was also pursuing the "demilitarization and denazification" of Ukraine, she said, and sought to eliminate the military threat Ukraine posed to Russia due to its ties with NATO.
https://democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2884919
But also:
Russian Orthodox Church Leader Blames Invasion on Ukraine's 'Gay Pride'
Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, during a Sunday sermon called Russia's "military operation" in Ukraine a conflict over "which side of God humanity will be on" between Russia and Western countries that embrace more progressive values. In particular, he called attention to Ukraine's support of gay rights and the presence of gay pride parades, The Moscow Times reported.
https://democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2884444
Russian, officially here, has done nothing but lie. A whole country with a government on par with Gateway Pundit.
So unless another country or other reputable third party verifies it, you should consider whatever Russia states to be a lie.
When the Right praises "Daddy Putin", this is what they mean
Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections?
0/4
Nope. "Constitutional amendments adopted in 2020 allow Putin, but not future presidents, to run for an additional two terms as president, potentially extending his rule to 2036. Like past elections, President Putin’s 2018 reelection campaign benefited from advantages including preferential media treatment, numerous abuses of incumbency, and procedural irregularities during the vote count. His most influential rival, Aleksey Navalny, was disqualified before the campaign began due to a politically motivated criminal conviction, creating what the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) called “a lack of genuine competition.” The funding sources for Putin’s campaign were also notably opaque."
Republicans need the electoral college to win.
Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections?
0/4
Nope. "the Kremlin, as usual, eliminated any serious opposition candidates before the election took place, and their candidates won all 18 governors’ races and 11 regional legislative elections. In the 22 regional capital city council elections, Navalny’s allies were able to win a few seats in Tomsk and Novosibirsk, preventing the Kremlin from maintaining its majorities and demonstrating Navalny’s influence even outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg."
Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies?
0/4
Nope. "Russia’s electoral system is designed to maintain the dominance of United Russia."
Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings?
1/4
Nope.
There are... parties besides United Russia, but don't ever expect United Russia to become the minority.
Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections?
0/4
Nope.
You will never see a party besides United Russia take the reins of power. It's part of the system.
Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government?
0/4
Nope.
Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights– and governance-related work?
0/4
Nope.
Is there protection from the illegitimate use of physical force and freedom from war and insurgencies?
0/4
Nope.
Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population?
0/4
Nope.
No guarantee of equal treatment of segments of the population? Forget mere interest, right-wingers will ditch their spouses and the people they are having affairs with on their spouses, and want to put a ring on this concept!
www.freedomhouse.org/country/russia/freedom-world/2021
Brought to you by the No Trumps and No Flynns Club.
Saying "I am a moron" does not necessarily mean one is, in fact, a moron
More likely it means the person saying this made a mistake and feels pretty bad about making that mistake, it may also mean the person saying it has a lack of confidence in their own mental abilities and they may be not a moron at all, these two things are not mutually exclusive, and there may be other issues at play here as well.
Now, saying "I stand with Putin" on the other hand...
MTG COULD be out there saying "Why won't Joe Biden say 'Radical Russian Terrorist'? Huh? Huh? Huh?!"
And it would be right up her alley too, almost copying her messiah's work in 2016.
All you have to do is change one word...
I remember this being a big issue in 2016. I seem to remember there was even a small contingent here on DU saying it made Obama look weak, it made the Democrats look weak, and that it would hurt our chances in the election.
Here are some choice pieces from that time, and it wasn't backrooms chatter on 8chan or whatever mass shooter manifesto-posting place it's called now, no, it got in Obama's face, they put it in Hillary's face, and they made it an issue.
At one point, Gold Star mother Tina Houchins asked President Obama why he refuses to use the term "radical Islamic terrorist" to describe the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations that have organized attacks against Americans.
"The truth of this matter is that this is an issue that has been sort of manufactured," Obama said.
Several political opponents, including Republican nominee Donald Trump, have criticized Obama for not using the term radical Islamic terrorism, and have said it indicates the president is soft on terrorism.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/09/28/obama-town-hall/91245328/
Here's Trump speech on it:
However, Hillary Clinton – who has been forced to say the words today after policies she supports have caused us so much damage – still has no clue what Radical Islam is, and won't speak honestly about what it is.
She is in total denial, and her continuing reluctance to ever name the enemy broadcasts weakness across the world.
In fact, just a few weeks before the San Bernardino slaughter, Hillary Clinton explained her refusal to say the words Radical Islam. Here is what she said: "Muslims are peaceful and tolerant people, and have nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism."
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-saint-anselm-college-manchester-new-hampshire-0
On NBC’s Today show on Monday, Hillary Clinton took a different tack. Referring to the Orlando massacre, she said “…we face terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering people. We have to stop them and we will. We have to defeat radical jihadist terrorism, and we will.” She added that “…radical jihadism, radical Islamism, I think they mean the same thing. I’m happy to say either, but that’s not the point.”
Simply using a phrase the president rejects made Clinton’s TV appearance a news item in Politico. And Donald Trump was thrilled, saying she “broke” after he criticized her for not using the term.
https://fortune.com/2016/06/13/obama-trump-clinton-radical-islamic-terrorism/
It's funny, "Radical Russian" is an alliteration. A person is more likely to remember something if it's alliteration. So that means voters will remember that.
So when Marjorie, Boebert, Mandel, Gosar, Trump, blah, blah, blah are out campaigning, tweeting, or attending Neo-Nazi conferences; they could totally be out there DEMANDING that Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and other Democrats say "Radical Russian" or "Radical Russian Terrorist", and yet they're... not.
And it kind of gives me the heebie-jeebies. And now I can't un-think it, you know?
So what's going on?
Most Medical Debts to Be Removed From Consumers' Credit Reports
The biggest credit-reporting firms will strip tens of billions of dollars in medical debt from consumers’ credit reports, erasing a black mark that makes it harder for millions of Americans to borrow.
Equifax Inc., Experian, and TransUnion are making broad changes to how they report medical debt beginning this summer. The changes, which have been in the works for several months, will remove nearly 70% of medical debt in collections accounts from credit reports.
Beginning in July, the companies will remove medical debt that was paid after it was sent to collections. These debts can stick around on a consumer’s credit report for up to seven years, even if they are paid off. New unpaid medical debts won’t get added to credit reports for a full year after being sent to collections.
The firms are also planning to remove unpaid medical debts of less than $500 in the first half of next year. That threshold could rise, according to people familiar with the matter.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/most-medical-debts-to-be-removed-from-consumers-credit-reports-11647604803
Go down in the article, this is because of Biden's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Big stuff!
Russia's "stop list" has basically polonium-ed the idea that "both parties are the same"
2016 - Hillary Clinton (D) vs Donald Trump (R)
2020 - Joe Biden (D) vs Donald Trump (R)
But yet only two of the three people here were sanctioned by Russia today.
You can get some pretty cool scientific swag from Fisher Scientific
You can get tubes, test tubes, tubes designed for immunological assays, you got flasks, cell culture flasks, you can get some Erlenmeyer flasks, it's the place to get some beakers, if you want sera for some reason, vials, and you can get some histology stuff.
What's the point of this post?
Well you see, this is the amazing thing about ALL of these items... You can photograph them. You can make videos of them. You can hold them. You can look at the labels on them. You can compare them to other samples. You can even take a little bit out of them to do your own science stuff on them. And if nobody believes you, can hold it up to the world and say "Look at this! Look at it! It exists! It is real!"
Amazing, right?
Something more physical and substantial than "Dude trust me" or "Just take Russia's word for it about the biolabs" and isn't that amazing? Right, Tucker Carlson? Right, Tulsi Gabbard? Right, QAnon acolytes?
Can GoFundMe continue to safely operate in Texas, Idaho, Missouri, etc.?
According to the letter of the law in Texas, this anonymous donor just used GoFundMe to knowingly aid and abet a Texan woman's abortion.
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Member since: Sat Mar 20, 2004, 11:37 AMNumber of posts: 35,045
