October 13, 2014

Held off posting the first story last month, undecided as to forum:

One of two Austrian girls who fled to Syria to fight with IS has been killed

September 15, 2014



Samra Kesinovic was just 16 and her friend Sabina Selimovic 15 when they vanished from their homes in Austrian capital Vienna and then posted images of themselves branding Kalashnikov rifles, and in some cases surrounded by armed men...



Konrad Kogler, Director General for Public Security, refused to confirm which girl was rumoured to have died or where the rumours came from, but said: "The parents of the girl concerned have been informed that there is a risk their daughter is now dead..." 

Interpol has been searching for the girls since April. Both Samra and Sabina's parents were from Bosnia but moved to make new lives for themselves in Austria... 

Police managed to track them to the Turkish border and believe that they went by car into the war zone where they were married to extremists and then sent out to fight. They then regularly posted status updates on social media from Syria.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/511142/One-of-two-Austrian-girls-fled-Syria-fight-IS-killed

May be a women's issue, certainly didn't want it in religion. They're not the only females flocking to ISIS. It's been in stories of Syrian rebels. Some find the 'fighters' appealing. Propaganda works well.

October 12, 2014

Let's not skip over these paragraphs:

Here’s the penultimate question: everything you’re saying are issues that have been important to me most of my adult life. In 2008, I thought I had a candidate who was going to address these things. Right? Barack Obama. Today, my friends and I are pretty disappointed with what he’s done. I wonder if you feel he has been forthright enough on these subjects. And I also wonder if you think that someone can take any of this stuff on without being president. You know, there are a lot of good politicians in America who have their heart in the right place. But they’re not the president. Well anyhow. You understand my frustration…*

I understand your frustration, Tom and, actually, I talk about this in the book. When I think about the president, for me, it’s about both halves. If Barack Obama had not been president of the United States we would not have a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Period. I’m completely convinced of that. And I go through the details in the book, and I could tell them to you. But he was the one who refused to throw the agency under the bus and made sure that his team kept the agency alive and on the table. Now there was a lot of other stuff that also had to happen for it to happen. But if he hadn’t been there, we wouldn’t have gotten the agency. At the same time, he picked his economic team and when the going got tough, his economic team picked Wall Street.

And in case anyone had not noticed this morning, Obama is not running for President again. This post mortem on what was done in the face of the GOP who still say their first action with a Senate majority will be the immediate dismantling of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is a bit odd. But then we are getting used to well coordinated attacks in the media.

We have the power to make the change instead of flogging all that has ever happened. Thinly veiled hit pieces using Warren, who likewise did not fall for the MTP smear job on Obama when she was interviewed, would be moot if the GOP takes over. GOTV and make the government we want, that Sanders and Warren support, even going to the states to fund raise and encourage voters to elect Democrats to make the change. In the article she makes the case for voter involvement and not getting stuck on the negative, as she rehashes her talks with business leaders and then says:

You know, the other side has its advantage, and boy have they played it out for 30 years now - concentrated money and concentrated power. And you can do a lot with concentrated money and concentrated power. But our side - we have our voices and we have our votes. If people get engaged on the issues, the votes are on our side. Seventy-five percent of America wants to raise the minimum wage. That’s where we’ll head.

But he dismisses that:

There’s a lot of issues like that.

And Warren responds:

But that’s the point. Look, there are two ways you can look at that. You can look at that and say, “Well, obviously, democracy doesn’t work.” Or the other way you can look at that is to say, “We have the opportunity. The moment is upon us.” We push back hard enough, we’re pushing for America’s agenda. Not an agenda to help a small group of people, an agenda to build a future for this country. And I believe we win. I believe it.

*This language turns me off. It's irresponsible and unproductive. Tim Wise said this about it:

In short, if you’re still disappointed in Barack Obama, it’s only because you never understood whose job it was to produce change in the first place.

The producers of change in 2010 was the astroturf group the Tea Party. It was the most important year in this quarter of a century. In 2009, the Koch brothers threatened Obama with serious consequences if he did not sign onto the Keystone pipeline that Bush agreed to in 2007. They followed through with their threat, and every CR since then had it on the top of the GOP demands to keep the government running. We saw the fallout of the GOP victory in 2010 in 2011 with threats to shut down the government and default in 2011, resulting in the Sequester. He has still not signed onto it as of 2014 and given many speeches as to why it's very bad thing for the USA, even though in many states the voters want it and may get their way and he will have to let them have it. ALEC has done a wonderful job on this and other issues, that Obama cannot control without being a dictator.

Obama counted on the Bush tax cuts sunsetting in December 31st, 2010 and set his infrastructure and other policies around increased funding. It was demagogued and only partially sunsetted, then they fought every one of his stimulus policies, from the auto industry to his alternative energy and they have never stopped.

It was a Census year and their majority in the state houses and in the House gave them the legal right to gerrymander districting on an unprecedented level. They used that majority and those state houses to break public unions, sell off assets, privatize and give deals to the Kochs and their pals, restore Jim Crow, steal the rights of women and minorities and we're still living with the fallout.

And it was preceeded by the same kind of language used in this Salon piece by Tom. I'm tired of this.

Warren isn't running for POTUS, and Obama is not running, either. Just being published at Salon does not make an author worthy of my respect.

That's just my opinion, and all I have to say. It is unpopular this morning. EOM.

October 12, 2014

Warren has no antipathy to cat pictures. She can handle more than one thing at a time:

AFAIK.



Go Warren!

October 11, 2014

Single women and moms blame GOP men for being too creepy to wed. Take that!

VAFFANCULO REPUBBLICANI !!!

~ Tx4obama

October 10, 2014

He can't post examples, as we very well know here. It'd get hidden as a call out.

I'm not saying your post is asking him to do that, or if you are calling him a troll due to some older charges at him at DU.

But there is a pattern of some taunting posters into doing so to get their post hidden if they respond with examples of what they've read here. It's a well known tactic to make the one being targeted appear to be dishonest.

Knowing that they are constrained from such posts, as the taunters know what will happen if they bait a poster into it, the dishonesty often falls on the taunter and not the one being taunted.

Feel free to look at the example from KOS that I posted here, and replies to it plus the poll. That is a popular internet site, that many posters refer to here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025646840#post102

We really need to discuss the issues and not each other, or celebrities in the media, which is owned by Oligarchs. One might infer you are taunting the OP writer. I want to see it as miscommunication and that you are asking that in good faith. Peace Out.

October 10, 2014

Really? You're one of those who make DU bearable some days. Along with 'my friends' who wouldn't

object to me linking their posts in mine, no hidden posts from them. I post what I'm linking to allow others to not have to go to the hated blue links!

They are not afraid of discussing what is really at stake, but think outside the box of media celebrities. The people that represent us and we have a say so in their elections are what we talk about - but more than that, what the end result of their policies are for millions of real people invisible to media.

Not the ones the media favors and talk about, who don't dwell in our realm. Who are paid to influence our vote pushing whatever triggers necessary to turn people on and off.

The kind of discourse many of us crave is the kind that affects our lives and those we care about, and not just about getting Recs for supporting media favorites. Who are doing what they do for a great deal of money from those wiley Oligarchs/

They deserve scrutiny, or even disdain from those who don't support the 1% who want us to stay home and shut up by not voting.

October 10, 2014

And posting specific examples would get a post hidden, everyone knows that. But since you're here:

An example which has already been objected to:

"Electing more Democrats... accomplishes nothing good." Glenn Greenwald.

That's right--Glenn, who has worked for the Kochs, and apparently does not want people like Elizabeth Warren to be elected, said this....

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/15/1262880/-Glenn-Greenwald-advocates-letting-Republicans-destroy-the-country#

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025642630#post5

Your perfect reply:

All part of the plan ...

Posted earlier:

And "Mission Accomplished" ...

could be heard whispered throughout the land. (It seems)

GOP: "Government doesn't work" ... Check!

Libertarians (right and left): "Government is evil" ... Check!

Tea Party: "Government doesn't work and there is no difference between establishment republicans and establishment Democrats" ... Check!

"Liberals/Progressives": "Government is evil and there is no difference between establishment republicans and establishment Democrats" ... Check!

The media has played this narrative on a 7-day, 24-hour loop.

Result: Only 15% of the American people pay close attention to the only mechanism for change.

Nicely played, Oligarchs!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025642630#post14

That piece and the posts objecting to it on KOS, deserve a full read. The post was objected to here on the basis of personality and not the political issue and real life effects, which would lead to some honest and intelligent discussion. And I posted the poll from the KOS link:

Poll results on question:



http://www.dailykos.com/poll/1708001/vote

29% wanna stand by and watch government, and many of us, burn.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025642630#post24

An excellent reply to me:

I voted 'No." But now it's up to 27.6%. WTF.

People are wrongwrongwrong.There will be NO revolution.

They will turn this country into a big version of current tax havens -- plantation life for the rich with an archipelago of little Dubai's -- namely, entertainments, tours, two-leveled transportation, infrastructure, and service/servants quarters. No schools or medical care except for the rich.

How could our own sell us out?!! Goddammit!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025642630#post47

None of us object to saying what we think here on what's essential, as you brought out in your reply. I read the 'don't vote, will not vote for various causes or to have a revolution, etc.' posts every day.

The fact that we are past the primary season isn't discouraging the don't vote contingent anywhere. There are many reasons given, but it's all about the media atmosphere, which has been cultivated from all sides with millions spent every month.

Our vote is being pooped on while the Teabaggers will be there to vote. At least they believe in voting for themselves, and work daily to deny us a vote. Who is dumber?

Their vote suppression work proves just how very powerful our vote is. For that reason alone, even if one does not care about those who died to get us the vote, I think people should make the effort to vote against suppression and oppression by the purveyors of Jim Crow and feudalism.

But that's just me and a few select friends like you.

October 10, 2014

Yes, you have it right. But take a look at the reasons why by 1SBM:

All part of the plan ...

Posted earlier:

And "Mission Accomplished" ...

could be heard whispered throughout the land. (It seems)

GOP: "Government doesn't work" ... Check!

Libertarians (right and left): "Government is evil" ... Check!

Tea Party: "Government doesn't work and there is no difference between establishment republicans and establishment Democrats" ... Check!

"Liberals/Progressives": "Government is evil and there is no difference between establishment republicans and establishment Democrats" ... Check!

The media has played this narrative on a 7-day, 24-hour loop.

Result: Only 15% of the American people pay close attention to the only mechanism for change.

Nicely played, Oligarchs!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025642630#post14

October 10, 2014

So happy for Wisconsin, PeaceNikki!

October 9, 2014

The use of it would be equal to holding one's breath! Fear the duct tape!