Updating the never ending saga of my wife and my travels through immigration pt infinitum

My wife has grown tired of the Chinese idiocy surrounding COVID19.

Every three days, he isn't "forced" to test, but if she doesn't, her green status on their tracking people app turns yellow, meaning if she leaves to go anywhere, she will be required to quarantine up to seven days before doing anything in the new location, even if she just goes one city in either direction.

While we hear about Shanghai, no one mentions the Chinese countryside where my life lives. Things are dire there.

She has had it with this, and with the Chinese "family means everything, except yours" attitude. They won't even adjust their incoming direct flight policy to reunite a family. And there are now no direct flights that cost less than $18K USD until the beginning of August.

We have decided to go to other countries: Either Taiwan, Korea, or Thailand.

The GFM I started will make that possible.

China and the US have gone to great lengths to keep us apart. I am soured to there. She is soured to coming here alone.

Governments are going off the deep end.

Republicans cheer possible Twitter-Musk deal, hoping Trump will return

Source: Reuters via AOL

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives welcomed reports that Twitter Inc is poised to agree to a sale to Elon Musk and called on the Tesla chief executive to return former President Donald Trump to Twitter.

"Hey, @elonmusk it's a great week to free @realDonaldTrump," tweeted the House Republican Conference, which currently represents 209 lawmakers.

U.S. Representative Jim Jordan, a member of the Freedom Caucus of conservative House Republicans, said the deal would be good for shareholders and good for free speech.

Jordan and other Republicans have been critical of Twitter for banning Trump and other notable conservatives.



Read more: https://www.aol.com/finance/1-u-republican-lawmaker-jordan-131020976-141010963.html

Can someone please explain to me what the right wing meme "woke" means?

Let's go Brandon was beyond stupid and made no sense.
CRT is idiotic and means next to know, only "we don't like it so it needs to be gone."
Cancel culture was inane and meant "how dare you argue with my bigotry, nativism, ethnocentrism, and religious intolerance."

Does "woke" means "you realize I'm full of crap and how dare you make others realize it too?"

What is all of this mean and how does it help Americans keep a roof over their heads, pay the bills, and keep food on the table?

To mean, it all seems like a bunch of right wing whining. "Triggered" as an insult also confuses me. All it seems to mean to me is "you can't handle my bullying."

DU question about the rules: Re: Sinema

If we have a primary challenge against her, do we still need to be held to the rule of not attacking Democrats since the primary challenger isn't an elected Democrat to the position?

15 Year Old Owns Police, Gets Officers Fired

Russia claims to have 'liberated' Mariupol after weeks of bombardment

Source: Yahoo via AOL

LONDON — Russian officials claimed Thursday that the port city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine had came under their control. The besieged city has been reduced to rubble since the launch of the invasion on Feb. 24 as Russian forces attempted to capture the city for eight weeks.

“Mariupol has been liberated by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the forces of the People’s Militia of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” Kremlin Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin during a televised meeting in Moscow. Shoigu called the city “a powerful, fortified area, equipped with a large number of heavy weapons and military equipment.”

Also during the televised address, Shoigu said that around 2,000 Ukrainian troops were continuing to hold out in the massive Azovstal steel plant, which spans 4 miles. He then alleged that the troops were using their civilians as human shields and that the Russian army “took all measures to preserve the lives of civilians.”

It is estimated that at least tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in Mariupol, with the city’s mayor stating last week that around 100,000 still remain there. On Wednesday, an adviser to the mayor said the 1,000 civilians inside the steel building, believed to be the last stronghold, had no access to “normal” supplies of food and water. The Kremlin has denied intentionally targeting civilians.

Read more: https://www.aol.com/news/russia-claims-liberated-mariupol-weeks-123655819.html`

Suspect in South Carolina mall shooting on house arrest after judge sets $25,000 bond

Source: NBC via AOL

The suspect in a South Carolina mall shooting in which nine people were wounded has been released under house arrest and ordered to wear an ankle monitor after a judge set a $25,000 surety bond.

The suspect, Jewayne Price, is also barred from contacting any of the victims, Columbia police said on Twitter.

Price will be allowed to travel from his home to work while he is under house arrest.

Neither Price nor his attorney could immediately be reached for comment.

Initially three people were suspected and detained, but two were released, officials said.

Read more: https://www.aol.com/news/suspect-south-carolina-mall-shooting-201239239.html

Trumpworld Attempts Damage Control After Oz Endorsement Angers MAGA Crowd

Source: Talking Points Memo

Burned by the backlash that ensued upon former President Trump’s endorsement of celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz in the hotly contested Pennsylvania Senate GOP primary, Trumpworld figures are rushing to contain the fallout that has MAGAland in a frenzy.

After a slew of Trumpworld figures expressed shock over Trump’s new endorsement, questions remain on who, or if any of Trump’s closest allies have gotten behind Oz. A new report in Politico signals that a handful of Trump’s allies are in full-on damage control mode.

A number of prominent Trumpworld surrogates are expected to stump for Oz on the campaign trail, which reportedly includes Ben Carson, who formerly served as Trump’s Housing and Urban Development secretary, people familiar with the Oz campaign’s operation told Politico.

One of Trump’s prominent allies at Fox News has also made it clear that he’s firmly in Oz’s corner.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trumpworld-attempts-damage-control-after-oz-endorsement-angers-maga-crowd/ar-AAWe15S?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=d023e328ac914a92a17ae96c7a4ffff2

A quick lesson on despotism and authoritarianism from a historian's POV

These two ideas are two of the most successful theories and practices in the history of civilization.

All you need is someone with no remorse (psychopath), no empathy (narcissist), ego driven (megalomaniacal), who only sees two ways (binary) and sees enemies everywhere (paranoia). The authoritarian despot must also know how to charm and appeal to people (manipulative) and create a world where all that matters is the despot (cult of personality). Finally, the despot must have the ability to justify everything and regret nothing (Machiavellian), as well as convince the people that they are safer with the despot (gaslighting).

Creating this world is extremely easy. Maintaining it is also extreme easy. All one has to do is:

1) Appeal to nationalism and xenophobia
2) Scapegoat a popular boogeyman
3) Discredit than eliminate the opposition
4) Create an apparatus that is loyal to the despot more than the country
5) Terrify the people into submission
6) Give the spoils to your most loyal supporters

Every despot in history has done this. Murdering unarmed people is easy. Look at Papa Doc, Idi Amin, the Kims, Mao, Pol Pot, Rhee, Pinochet, and the others (I am leaving the big names out because it is too easy to point them).

Controlling a population is easy when they are defenseless.

It's just when they are trying to kill people that shoot back is where they begin to have their problems. And that usually leads to their downfall.

Film Festival awards show tonight. I'm best out of 2000 entrants

Won the best screenplay award tonight.