Category: Terrorism

Athenae, Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks, Terrorism9 Comments

The Moment Mitt Romney Lost The Election

Allison Hantschel

This is it. Because here’s Obama’s speech from the Rose Garden: And here’s why this, and not the end of the debate in which Obama picked up a keggerator and slammed it down on every single bit of Romney’s bullshit, is the reason Obama is the president, and Romney is a fucking assclown who is unfit to serve in any national office. You don’t DO THIS. Look. I don’t care if your general policy is to nuke anything that bugs you. When something like this happens you take five seconds to think before you shoot off your fucking mouth. Obama … Continue reading The Moment Mitt Romney Lost The Election

Athenae, Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks, Terrorism9 Comments

The Moment Mitt Romney Lost The Election

http://anomaly.realgravity.com/flash/player.swf This is it. Because here’s Obama’s speech from the Rose Garden: And here’s why this, and not the end of the debate in which Obama picked up a keggerator and slammed it down on every single bit of Romney’s bullshit, is the reason Obama is the president, and Romney is a fucking assclown who is unfit to serve in any national office. You don’t DO THIS. Look. I don’t care if your general policy is to nuke anything that bugs you. When something like this happens you take five seconds to think before you shoot off your fucking mouth. … Continue reading The Moment Mitt Romney Lost The Election

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media, Stupid Republican Tricks, Terrorism8 Comments

Given All the Fucking Givens

Allison Hantschel

Via the Crack Den’s comments thread, here’s a particular piece of stupidity amidst the avalanche of stupidity coming from the Romney campaign right now: Another adviser expressed frustration with horserace reporters declaring Romney’s campaign dead fatally behind, as President Obama pulls ahead in the polls. He said he suspects the press is projecting their own hopes for an Obama re-election at best — and purposefully cheerleading the incumbent, at worst. “I mean, I was expecting this narrative in October,” he said. “You know, the polls are close, and so the media starts cheering on their guy, saying Romney’s doomed. But … Continue reading Given All the Fucking Givens

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media, Stupid Republican Tricks, Terrorism8 Comments

Given All the Fucking Givens

Via the Crack Den’s comments thread, here’s a particular piece of stupidity amidstthe avalanche of stupidity coming from the Romney campaign right now: Another adviser expressed frustration with horserace reporters declaring Romney’s campaign dead fatally behind, as President Obama pulls ahead in the polls. He said he suspects the press is projecting their own hopes for an Obama re-election at best — and purposefully cheerleading the incumbent, at worst. “I mean, I was expecting this narrative in October,” he said. “You know, the polls are close, and so the media starts cheering on their guy, saying Romney’s doomed. But I … Continue reading Given All the Fucking Givens

Athenae, Big Damn Heroes, Terrorism10 Comments

With Us

Re-posting for the umpteenth time because it was the first thing I read after that day, after that blur of a day and the two-three weeks that followed, that didn’t feel like a fucking greeting card, that made any kind of sense to me at all: As we approach the Brooklyn Bridge, a ferry pulls in to the pier, calling for passengers to Jersey City. That’s where Don lives. We both stop, frowning, and for a moment we just stand there together as others pass us with their heads down, concentrating on going. We don’t want to leave each other. … Continue reading With Us

Athenae, Big Damn Heroes, Happy Democrat Photo, Political Crack, So Called Liberal Media, Terrorism, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq4 Comments

Shorter John Kerry: Who You Callin’ A Bitch?

U-N-I-T-Y: Ask Osama bin Laden is he is better off now than he was four years ago. [snip] You know it isn’t — it isn’t fair. It isn’t fair to say that Mitt Romney doesn’t have a position on Afghanistan. He has every position. (APPLAUSE) He — he was against — he was against setting a date for withdrawal. Then he said it was right. And then he left the impression that maybe it was wrong to leave this soon. He said it was tragic to leave Iraq. And then he said it was fine. He said we should have … Continue reading Shorter John Kerry: Who You Callin’ A Bitch?

Athenae, Film, Stupid Republican Tricks, Terrorism4 Comments

Bin Laden’s Death Has a Pro-Obama Bias

Allison Hantschel

How dare you use the killing of Bin Laden to point out that Bin Laden was killed?DON’T YOU KNOW IT MAKES OBAMA LOOK GOOD?!11! In their first interviews about the secrecy-shrouded project, Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal — who each claimed Oscars for 2009’s Iraq-war drama The Hurt Locker — insist their film is a study of the unsung heroes who worked behind the scenes to take down bin Laden, not a celebration of Pres. Barack Obama’s decision to authorize the strike that killed him, in May 2011. ‘There’s no political agenda in the film. Full stop. Period,’ says Boal, … Continue reading Bin Laden’s Death Has a Pro-Obama Bias

Athenae, Film, Stupid Republican Tricks, Terrorism4 Comments

Bin Laden’s Death Has a Pro-Obama Bias

How dare you use the killing of Bin Laden to point out that Bin Laden was killed?DON’T YOU KNOW IT MAKES OBAMA LOOK GOOD?!11! In their first interviews about the secrecy-shrouded project, Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal — who each claimed Oscars for 2009’s Iraq-war dramaThe Hurt Locker — insist their film is a study of the unsung heroes who worked behind the scenes to take down bin Laden, not a celebration of Pres. Barack Obama’s decision to authorize the strike that killed him, in May 2011. ‘There’s no political agenda in the film. Full stop. Period,’ says Boal, a … Continue reading Bin Laden’s Death Has a Pro-Obama Bias

Athenae, Terrorism3 Comments

What It’s Time To Talk About

In answer to Charlie’s question here. No, it is not time to talk about gun control. It is time to talk about Chick-fil-A, and whether the president is secretly a communist, socialist, or Kenyan Muslim Marxist. It is time to talk about how Christians are persecuted for not being able to slap the Ten Commandments on every inch of every courthouse. It is time to talk about how anybody in the military who voices an opinion about the war is a terrorist-loving traitor. It is time to talk about how anyone who wants reasonably inexpensive medical care is a freedom-hating … Continue reading What It’s Time To Talk About

Athenae, Immoral Values, Terrorism8 Comments

In Which I Agree with David Frum

Allison Hantschel

I know, I feel gross about it, but: TV news — and especially local TV news — is dominated by news of violent crime, the more spectacular and murderous the better. TV news creates a false picture of a country under attack by rampaging criminals, and especially nonwhite criminals. The people who watch the most TV news, Americans older than 50, also happen to be the group most likely to own a gun. Only one-fifth of young Americans own a gun; one-third of over-50 Americans do.Republicans are twice as likely to own a gun as Democrats. Maybe not so coincidentally, … Continue reading In Which I Agree with David Frum

Adrastos, Law/Justice, Terrorism8 Comments

Not legally crazy

Peter Adrastos Athas

Accused mass murderer James Holmes remains in the news; especially because he looked so wild eyed and out of it in his court appearance.There’s a bit of hysteria on the internets that he might get off with an insanity defense. Not bloody likely: there’s big difference between crazy and legally crazy. Holmes may well be insane BUT this carefully planned murder scheme as well as the booby trapped apartment means that he is NOT legally crazy. I hope that some of the folks who are freaking out about this will take a deep breath and relax. Holmes is more likely … Continue reading Not legally crazy

Athenae, Immoral Values, Terrorism8 Comments

In Which I Agree with David Frum

I know, I feel gross about it, but: TV news — and especially local TV news — isdominated by news of violent crime, the more spectacular and murderous the better. TV news creates a false picture of a country under attack by rampaging criminals, and especially nonwhite criminals. The people who watch the most TV news, Americans older than 50, also happen to be the group most likely to own a gun. Only one-fifth of young Americans own a gun; one-third of over-50 Americans do.Republicans are twice as likely to own a gun as Democrats. Maybe not so coincidentally, Republicans … Continue reading In Which I Agree with David Frum

Adrastos, Law/Justice, Terrorism8 Comments

Not legally crazy

Accused mass murderer James Holmes remains in the news; especially because he looked so wild eyed and out of it in his court appearance.There’s a bit of hysteria on the internets that he might get off with an insanity defense. Not bloody likely: there’s big difference between crazy and legally crazy. Holmes may well be insane BUT this carefully planned murder scheme as well as the booby trapped apartment means that he is NOT legally crazy. I hope that some of the folks who are freaking out about this will take a deep breath and relax. Holmes is more likely … Continue reading Not legally crazy

Current Affairs, Doc, Terrorism3 Comments

Colorado Shooting Evokes Memories of “Never Again…”

vffilak

The last time Colorado experienced something like this, I was in a newsroom in Missouri with a kid who would later become a good friend and the best man at my wedding. It was 1999 and he was a junior in college. I, all of 24, was in my first real job as staff editor and adviser. Adam was from Colorado and he knew the area surrounding Littleton. He still had friends in that area. He had connections to that zone based on football rivalries, overlapping proms and other such things that happen to bring high schools from across the … Continue reading Colorado Shooting Evokes Memories of “Never Again…”

Current Affairs, Doc, Terrorism3 Comments

Colorado Shooting Evokes Memories of “Never Again…”

The last time Colorado experienced something like this, I was in a newsroom in Missouri with a kid who would later become a good friend and the best man at my wedding. It was 1999 and he was a junior in college. I, all of 24, was in my first real job as staff editor and adviser. Adam was from Colorado and he knew the area surrounding Littleton. He still had friends in that area. He had connections to that zone based on football rivalries, overlapping proms and other such things that happen to bring high schools from across the … Continue reading Colorado Shooting Evokes Memories of “Never Again…”

Athenae, Terrorism4 Comments

Crazy Talk

Allison Hantschel

On developments in Syria, this caught my eye: By formally designating Syria a civil war, the International Committee of the Red Cross may have inadvertently revealed an uncomfortable prospect for the country’s future: Civil wars are typically protracted and bloody as both sides fight with their backs to the proverbial wall. And they rarely result in the complete vanquishing of either combatant party; far more common are political and territorial compromises that redefine the state. I have no idea what that would look like. NO CLUE. Do you? One of the things that continues to infuriate me about our punditry … Continue reading Crazy Talk

Athenae, Terrorism4 Comments

Crazy Talk

On developments in Syria, this caught my eye: By formallydesignating Syria a civil war, the International Committee of the Red Cross may have inadvertently revealed an uncomfortable prospect for the country’s future: Civil wars are typically protracted and bloody as both sides fight with their backs to the proverbial wall. And they rarely result in the complete vanquishing of either combatant party; far more common are political and territorial compromises that redefine the state. I have no idea what that would look like. NO CLUE. Do you? One of the things that continues to infuriate me about our punditry (not … Continue reading Crazy Talk

Athenae, Big Damn Heroes, Happy Democrat Photo, Political Crack, So Called Liberal Media, Terrorism, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq4 Comments

Shorter John Kerry: Who You Callin’ A Bitch?

Allison Hantschel

U-N-I-T-Y: Ask Osama bin Laden is he is better off now than he was four years ago. [snip] You know it isn’t — it isn’t fair. It isn’t fair to say that Mitt Romney doesn’t have a position on Afghanistan. He has every position. (APPLAUSE) He — he was against — he was against setting a date for withdrawal. Then he said it was right. And then he left the impression that maybe it was wrong to leave this soon. He said it was tragic to leave Iraq. And then he said it was fine. He said we should have … Continue reading Shorter John Kerry: Who You Callin’ A Bitch?

Athenae, Terrorism3 Comments

What It’s Time To Talk About

Allison Hantschel

In answer to Charlie’s question here. No, it is not time to talk about gun control. It is time to talk about Chick-fil-A, and whether the president is secretly a communist, socialist, or Kenyan Muslim Marxist. It is time to talk about how Christians are persecuted for not being able to slap the Ten Commandments on every inch of every courthouse. It is time to talk about how anybody in the military who voices an opinion about the war is a terrorist-loving traitor. It is time to talk about how anyone who wants reasonably inexpensive medical care is a freedom-hating … Continue reading What It’s Time To Talk About

Athenae, Terrorism6 Comments

On Police States

Allison Hantschel

Show me what a police state looks like? I’m on record any number of times saying that Godwin’s Law is a law for a reason, and that Hitler is like Hitler and pretty much nobody else is like Hitler. If you’re going to call somebody a Nazi, they’d better be invading Poland. So no, Chicago is not like Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia this morning. But it is possible to hold in our minds the idea that this is not in fact an actual police state, and also that “Not Soviet Russia” is not, shall we say, the highest standard … Continue reading On Police States

Athenae, Terrorism6 Comments

On Police States

Show me what a police state looks like? I’m on record any number of times saying that Godwin’s Law is a law for a reason, and that Hitler is like Hitler and pretty much nobody else is like Hitler. If you’re going to call somebody a Nazi, they’d better be invading Poland. So no, Chicago is not like Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia this morning. But it is possible to hold in our minds the idea that this is not in fact an actual police state, and also that “Not Soviet Russia” is not, shall we say, the highest standard … Continue reading On Police States

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media, Terrorism7 Comments

OMFG PROTESTERS

Allison Hantschel

Journalism at its finest. Just fucking shoot me. Look, there is legitimate reporting about actual security concerns, disruptions to commutes, etc, and then there is this hicktown fucking freakout like oh, God, we’ve never had a major event around here before so let’s scare the people in the ‘burbs who last were downtown for a play three years ago and got nervous about parking under fucking Navy Pier. One downside to all the fine weather is that it seems to have spurred Asshole Season to arrive somewhat early. A. Continue reading OMFG PROTESTERS

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media, Terrorism7 Comments

OMFG PROTESTERS

Journalism at its finest. Just fucking shoot me. Look, there islegitimate reporting about actual security concerns, disruptions to commutes, etc, and then there is this hicktown fucking freakout like oh, God, we’ve never had a major event around here before so let’s scare the people in the ‘burbs who last were downtown for a play three years ago and got nervous about parking under fucking Navy Pier. One downside to all the fine weather is that it seems to have spurred Asshole Season to arrive somewhat early. A. Continue reading OMFG PROTESTERS

Athenae, Big Damn Heroes, Terrorism4 Comments

Some People Spoke Up

Never let it be said that everybody went along: Over and over again, in Afghanistan and Iraq, in Guantánamo, in secret CIA black sites and at CIA headquarters, in the Pentagon, and in Washington, men and women recognized the torture for what it was and refused to remain silent. They objected, protested, and fought to prevent, and then to end, these illegal and immoral interrogations. While the president and his top advisers approved and encouraged the torture of prisoners, there was dissent in every agency, at every level. The documents are full of these voices. In fact, it is thanks … Continue reading Some People Spoke Up

Athenae, Big Damn Heroes, Terrorism7 Comments

Protesting Too Much

So a few hundred people with signs was enough toscare the G8 to Camp David instead of my home base, and reporters are acting like small-town beauty pageant losers all HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO POOR WIDDLE US, and I can’t tell you the bitching that was going on for the past month or so. About how there were going to be all these awful protesters mucking up the pretty pretty downtown that’s there for people from Wisconsin and Michigan to visit, getting their unwashed free speech all over everything and how horrible that they raise their voices. You know, … Continue reading Protesting Too Much

Athenae, Terrorism5 Comments

You Have No Rights Here

Not once somebody says the word “terrorist,” anyway: TheNational Defense Authorization Act covering $662 billion in defense spending for the next fiscal year includes a provision requiring military custody of a terror suspect believed to be a member ofAl Qaeda or its affiliates and involved in attacks on theUnited States. A last minute amendment allows the president to waive the authority based on national security and to hold a terror suspect in civilian rather than military custody. But the bill would deny US citizens suspected of being terrorists the right to trial, subjecting them to indefinite detention, and civil libertarians … Continue reading You Have No Rights Here