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[bob_arctor]

I wasn't going to revert, but some of the posters are acting like Caliban raging at their own reflection.

When even liberals are raging with emotion when they are called out, and attacking someone for daring to have a different opinion, and attacking the messenger rather than engaging with the debate, then at what stage does the average liberal differ from the alt right or the tea party.

Is it really the case that if you peel away the politics you get an emotive nationalist underneath?

Like I originally said, it's sociological in this thread.

Litzy, Litzy, Litzy. Did the Matrix gif do nothing for you? Sigh. Now you'll have to excuse me, I need to go gnash my teeth at other perceived slights.

 

[RustyNails]

I don't think I would personally brag about Chinese government while Xi Jinping is trying to seize more dictatorial power.

The Party is splintered enough that there have been a shit-ton of leaks from Chinese government officials talking to the NYT about how worried they are about Xi's recent moves.

Last I heard, Chinese government was arresting Muslims for practicing their faith. Wow what an exemplary government to criticize US for!

 

[NobleGundam]

Lol. Actually I am based in Asia and I can say with reasonable authority that the Chinese are laughing as the US system is so polarised, so, dominated by media optics, and so screwed up that you have to choose between a corrupt lifelong insider and an incompetent halfwit. And that the public is so manipulated that each side willingly overlook their candidates deficiencies.

It's got to the position where other nations don't need to bad mouth the US to justify their positions. You guys do it for them.

Talk about rapid decline of empire.

This is pretty inflammatory.

 

[rjinaz]

It's actually amazing that this was supposed to be huge news talked about until the election (according to some in this very thread) and it hasn't even been on topic for a while now. There is literally nothing else to say about it.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Last I heard, Chinese government was arresting Muslims for practicing their faith. Wow what an exemplary government to criticize US for!

I mean, that's pretty expected unfortunately.

They did a false flag thing 15 years ago where they had government officials pretend to be members of the most popular religion in China and then set themselves on fire on public TV to make the Chinese people think that religion was a cult (because The Party was worried about the growing power of that religion).

As of now, the Chinese government murders members of that religion so that they can steal their organs.

It's a pretty messed up government when it comes to religion.

 

[vonStirlitz]

Litzy, Litzy, Litzy. Did the Matrix gif do nothing for you? Sigh. Now you'll have to excuse me, I need to go gnash my teeth at other perceived slights.

Sorry. I am as guilty of perceived slights. Clearly, I took the wrong pill.

 

[teruterubozu]

It's actually amazing that this was supposed to be huge news talked about until the election (according to some in this very thread) and it hasn't even been on topic for a while now. There is literally nothing else to say about it.

Well, whether something stays on topic in a GAF thread is a pretty lousy metric.

 

[BobLoblaw]

Lol. Actually I am based in Asia and I can say with reasonable authority that the Chinese are laughing as the US system is so polarised, so, dominated by media optics, and so screwed up that you have to choose between a corrupt lifelong insider and an incompetent halfwit. And that the public is so manipulated that each side willingly overlook their candidates deficiencies.

It's got to the position where other nations don't need to bad mouth the US to justify their positions. You guys do it for them.

Talk about rapid decline of empire.

Off topic, but has China even landed on the moon yet? Tried democracy?

 

[Chezzymann]

Please stop pretending you were looking for a discussion when you opened with insults, calling us kids, you are not above it all nor are you emotionally free of it.

To be a little fair, he was immediately met with replies like "you don't know what you're talking about" and "your false sense of superiority is pathetic", I think it could have been handled better by arguing why this isn't an echo chamber and why the Hillary email shenanigans are full of crap. Which could be done very easily. Yeah calling us an echo chamber and kids is inflammatory but fighting insults with insults will just re affirm his views.

 

[MIMIC]

A Newsweek article explaining the whole Abedin-Weiner-Clinton thing. Here's the relevant portion

Hillary Clinton's Emails: The Real Reason the FBI is Reviewing More of Them

The FBI found the new evidence during an unrelated inquiry into former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner regarding an allegation that he sent illicit, sexual text messages to an underage girl in North Carolina. In the course of that investigation, agents seized a laptop computer Weiner shared with his wife, Huma Abedin, a longtime Clinton aide who has already been questioned by the FBI during its investigation. The bureau found the emails now being examined on this shared device, which agents obtained some time ago.

This new evidence relates to how Abedin managed her emails. She maintained four email accounts—an unclassified State Department account, another on the clintonemail.com domain and a third on Yahoo. The fourth was linked to her husband’s account; she used it to support his activities when he was running for Congress, investigative records show. Abedin, who did not know Clinton used a private server for her emails, told the bureau in an April interview that she used the account on the clintonemail.com domain only for issues related to the Secretary’s personal affairs, such as communicating with her friends. For work-related records, Abedin primarily used the email account provided to her by the State Department.

Because Clinton preferred to read documents on paper rather than on a screen, emails and other files were often printed out and provided to her either at her office or home, where they were delivered in a diplomatic pouch by a security agent. Abedin, like many State Department officials, found the government network technology to be cumbersome, and she had great trouble printing documents there, investigative records show. As a result, she sometimes transferred emails from her unclassified State Department account to either her Yahoo account or her account on Clinton’s server, and printed the emails from there. It is not clear whether she ever transferred official emails to the account she used for her husband’s campaign.

Abedin would use this procedure for printing documents when she received emails she believed Clinton needed to see and when the Secretary forwarded emails to her for printing. Abedin told the FBI she would often print these emails without reading them. Abedin printed a large number of emails this way, in part because, investigative records show, other staff members considered her Clinton’s “gatekeeper” and often sent Abedin electronic communications they wanted the Secretary to see.

This procedure for printing documents, the government official says, appears to be how the newly discovered emails ended up on the laptop shared by Abedin and her husband. It is unclear whether any of those documents were downloaded onto the laptop off of her personal email accounts or were saved on an external storage device, such as a flash drive, and then transferred to the shared computer. There is also evidence that the laptop was used to send emails from Abedin to Clinton; however, none of those emails are the ones being examined by the FBI. Moreover, unless she was told by Abedin in every instance, Clinton could not have known what device her aide was using to transmit electronic information to her.

If the FBI determines that any of the documents that ended up on the shared device were classified, Abedin could be deemed to have mishandled them. In order to prove that was a criminal offense, however, investigators would have to establish that Abedin had intended to disclose the contents of those classified documents, or that she knew she was mishandling that information.

If the documents were not classified, no crime was committed. But either way, this discovery has embarrassed Clinton, even though there is no evidence at this point suggesting she has been implicated in any potential wrongdoing.

Newsweek

 

[EatinOlives]

To be a little fair, he was immediately met with replies like "you don't know what you're talking about" and "your false sense of superiority is pathetic", I think it could have been handled better by arguing why this isn't an echo chamber and why the Hillary email shenanigans are full of crap. Which could be done very easily. Yeah calling us an echo chamber and kids is inflammatory but fighting insults with insults will just re affirm his views.

I don't think there was any possible response to his initial post that would've done anything but reaffirm his views. He had made up his mind before he even hit Post.

 

[psynergylover]

Your post wasnt anodyne at all, and trying to play coy about it makes you look even worse.

You thought you could come in here saying you dont give a flying fuck about this while simultaneously saying all our choices are terrible and playing up the both sides cha-cha was gonna be allowed to stand. You thought you could stand on your high horse, say China and the world are ridiculing us, and "talk about the decline of the Republic" or whatever trash heap TRIPE you called commentary and you werent gonna get called on it.

Sorry, dont work that way. You know jack and shit about our elections, demonstrably are profoundly ignorant about our candidates - especially Hillary - and then dare say WE are living in an echo chamber and cant view things critically. You are the worst type of ignorant poster. Willfully so.

Ethered!!!

Bless you Amir0x!!!

 

[You Are Viewtiful]

Last I heard, Chinese government was arresting Muslims for practicing their faith. Wow what an exemplary government to criticize US for!

He should have just said he was British. Even Brexit is less embarrassing than the Chinese government in general.

 

[Man Called Aerodynamics]

Hopefully this blows up in Comey's face. It was irresponsible for him to be so vague so close to the election with no real concrete evidence of anything bad.

The only way he could try make an attack like this effective is to make it so vague and substance-less that Hillary can't defend against it, and her detractors can read whatever they want into it. If he had anything tangible that even related to HRC, much less made her look bad, you better believe he would have led with that.

 

[Chezzymann]

I don't think there was any possible response to his initial post that would've done anything but reaffirm his views. He had made up his mind before he even hit Post.

It's just kind of frustrating how not once this election cycle I've seen a single person on any message board go from one viewpoint on the election to another from pure discussion. No matter how it starts (usually with someone condescending another group of people) it always ends in personal insults and someone giving up trying to talk to the other. I feel like this dynamic is dangerous to our democracy as this inability to debate with others results in people grouping together with people they agree with. And this "war" mentality of us reasonable people versus the unreasonable people develops. Hell that's why I post on GAF all the time, I can't stand trump supporters being everywhere on other websites.

 

[rjinaz]

A Newsweek article explaining the whole Abedin-Weiner-Clinton thing. Here's the relevant portion

Hillary Clinton's Emails: The Real Reason the FBI is Reviewing More of Them

Newsweek

So nothing. New information came up, and because Huma has these ties with Clinton, the information needed to be added to the case.

Way to go Comey for creating a shit storm that could influence the election.

 

[gutter_trash]

I hate everything now

 

[Ambient80]

Clinton campaign should just post the itsfuckingnothing.gif on their Twitter and never address this again.

 

[Owzers]

I hate everything now

I was there before this. Trump having breaking news at a rally saying the FBI was going to correct their mistake and justice will be served to "lock her up" screams was too much. Thanks Comey.

 

[MIMIC]

So nothing. New information came up, and because Huma has these ties with Clinton, the information needed to be added to the case.

Way to go Comey for creating a shit storm that could influence the election.

If he waited, found something, and it was leaked, that would cause a shitstorm, too.

The fact that it happened at this point during the election is unfortunate, but he said that he'd rather have his judgment questioned, rather than be accused of hiding information.

 

[StrikeNinja24]

If he waited, found something, and it was leaked, that would cause a shitstorm, too.

The fact that it happened at this point during the election is unfortunate, but he said that he'd rather have his judgment questioned, rather than be accused of hiding information.

Then the report should be clear and concise rather than what we got.

 

[royalan]

If he waited, found something, and it was leaked, that would cause a shitstorm, too.

The fact that it happened at this point during the election is unfortunate, but he said that he'd rather have his judgment questioned, rather than be accused of hiding information.

No. The bold is exactly what the FBI does in most circumstances. They don't comment on ongoing investigations.

If all options are going to cause a shitstorm, you follow normal protocol.

 

[D4Danger]

So nothing. New information came up, and because Huma has these ties with Clinton, the information needed to be added to the case.

Way to go Comey for creating a shit storm that could influence the election.

if she was copying emails from a private server that shouldn't exist to something like a Yahoo mail (remember 500m accounts were recently compromised) or another personal account then that's potentially something.

 

[cackhyena]

No. The bold is exactly what the FBI does in most circumstances. They don't comment on ongoing investigations.

If all options are going to cause a shitstorm, you follow normal protocol.

Yup. He's trying to save face as much as possible. He's still gonna get it from all ends if nothing turns up.

 

[MIMIC]

No. The bold is exactly what the FBI does in most circumstances. They don't comment on ongoing investigations.

If all options are going to cause a shitstorm, you follow normal protocol.

Well I wouldn't say that this email controversy applies to "most circumstances." The FBI doesn't publicly announce recommendations for or against prosecution, but that's exactly what Comey did during that press conference back in July.

This situation is way past normal.

 

[3rdman]

If he waited, found something, and it was leaked, that would cause a shitstorm, too.

The fact that it happened at this point during the election is unfortunate, but he said that he'd rather have his judgment questioned, rather than be accused of hiding information.

I get it but his letter was so damn vague that if was left to too broad an interpretation by everyone.

 

[Armaros]

Well I wouldn't say that this email controversy applies to "most circumstances." The FBI doesn't publicly announce recommendations for or against prosecution, but that's exactly what Comey did during that press conference back in July.

This situation is way past normal.

So that's an excuse for him to double down on it?

 

[DR2K]

If he waited, found something, and it was leaked, that would cause a shitstorm, too.

The fact that it happened at this point during the election is unfortunate, but he said that he'd rather have his judgment questioned, rather than be accused of hiding information.

It's not just unfortunate it's a partisan move to save house and senate seats for the election.

 

[Quote]

if she was copying emails from a private server that shouldn't exist to something like a Yahoo mail (remember 500m accounts were recently compromised) or another personal account then that's potentially something.

Did you read the quote? Potentionally something how?

Well I wouldn't say that this email controversy applies to "most circumstances." The FBI doesn't publicly announce recommendations for or against prosecution, but that's exactly what Comey did during that press conference back in July.

This situation is way past normal.

Things going off the rails in the past does not change the way things are supposed to be done.

 

[Zoggy]

Huma abedin is wow

 

[rjinaz]

if she was copying emails from a private server that shouldn't exist to something like a Yahoo mail (remember 500m accounts were recently compromised) or another personal account then that's potentially something.

Something for who? Huma? I doubt it's going to change the decision against indictment against Clinton at any rate.

 

[Garlador]

We're now at 50 pages. Has anything substantial developed, or did Comey just screw up and the GOP is still running with it?

 

[rjinaz]

If he waited, found something, and it was leaked, that would cause a shitstorm, too.

The fact that it happened at this point during the election is unfortunate, but he said that he'd rather have his judgment questioned, rather than be accused of hiding information.

Yeah I know what he said. But, even the justice people were telling him it was bad idea. Maybe he honestly thought it was the best course of action, I don't know. It's against their policies but sure. But how he went about it all just stinks either way.

 

[MIMIC]

So that's an excuse for him to double down on it?

He says he was being transparent. Who had a problem when he pre-empted the Justice Department and said not to prosecute?

I'm not excusing him. I just see WHY he's doing it.

 

[D4Danger]

Did you read the quote? Potentionally something how?

what part is tripping you up? if Huma Abedin was copying emails to be printed and those emails were classified then that's potentially a crime. If they weren't classified then it's obviously not a crime but it's still sloppy. It doesn't directly implicate Clinton is anything and I never said it did.

 

[4Tran]

If he waited, found something, and it was leaked, that would cause a shitstorm, too.

And if he robbed a bank, then he'd be put in jail too. What does that possibly have anything to do with what Comey did?

The fact that it happened at this point during the election is unfortunate, but he said that he'd rather have his judgment questioned, rather than be accused of hiding information.

It was unethical, irresponsible, and utter stupid, but "unfortunate" doesn't even come close to describing this mess. And good work too, because it's guaranteed to ruin Comey's career.

We're now at 50 pages. Has anything substantial developed, or did Comey just screw up and the GOP is still running with it?

It's a scandal about nothing, so how can anything substantial possibly develop? Even if there's something juicy in the emails being examined, it'll take a long time before they will surface so don't expect anything real anytime soon. The only possible new event would be for Comey to make a statement.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

We're now at 50 pages. Has anything substantial developed, or did Comey just screw up and the GOP is still running with it?

A friend of a friend of a friend who's friends with a 400lb cyber told me that Huma's laptop contains an email with an attachment of a photo showing Weiner taking a dick-pic selfie, and in the background you can see Huma helping Hillary wrap the body of Benjamin Ghazi in a Persian rug.

Spoiler

Nothing.

 

[rjinaz]

We're now at 50 pages. Has anything substantial developed, or did Comey just screw up and the GOP is still running with it?

Nothing much has changed. The thread blew up for other reasons not related to the topic. Well most of it earlier was about Comey's decision to go forward with it, but then there was other things like alt right meme failing and then how China is laughing at our fallen empire.

 

[Amir0x]

Comey is a partisan hack punk who is about to have his career decimated for breaking protocol multiple times and self evidently trying to influence the election for a racist fascist. Only a complete goddamn moron would make the choices he has made. Fuck this incompetent buffoon.

He will be held to account for his sins. We will burn him down next to his Trump idol.

 

[ponpo]

Got damn, Americans sure are defensive when someone says their country is being laughed at.

Off topic, but has China even landed on the moon yet? Tried democracy?

lol

 

[dramatis]

I wasn't going to revert, but some of the posters are acting like Caliban raging at their own reflection.

When even liberals are raging with emotion when they are called out, and attacking someone for daring to have a different opinion, and attacking the messenger rather than engaging with the debate, then at what stage does the average liberal differ from the alt right or the tea party.

Is it really the case that if you peel away the politics you get an emotive nationalist underneath?

Like I originally said, it's sociological in this thread.

I think passion for politics is a good thing, even if it can lead to bad places. It demonstrates care for the world, the nation, and the community. Yes, it is mud, but to those who are in the trenches, volunteering and spreading news and actively doing their part to change the world, it probably feels like insult when someone walks by and laughs at their efforts. Particularly when you are comparing a system that does not change in response to its people's will, versus a system that, however maligned it is, actually does respond to its electorate.

In a sense this is probably why the US election is so compelling around the world, because it's an arena where all sorts of voices are heard and responses come from diverse perspectives.

The average liberal here has offered quite a number of counterpoints to your arguments, but you only attack the passion driving their responses. Emotion by itself is not wrong. Nor is it a case of "emotive nationalism"—it is the clear recognition that even in the messiness of US democracy, we have a say whereas the country you named specifically (China), their people have a say when it is in line with government interest.

If you detach your emotions from the process, you lose the ability to see the stakes, the people affected, and you cease to care about anybody but yourself—and maybe not even that.

 

[marc^o^]

Your post wasnt anodyne at all, and trying to play coy about it makes you look even worse.

You thought you could come in here saying you dont give a flying fuck about this while simultaneously saying all our choices are terrible and playing up the both sides cha-cha was gonna be allowed to stand. You thought you could stand on your high horse, say China and the world are ridiculing us, and "talk about the decline of the Republic" or whatever trash heap TRIPE you called commentary and you werent gonna get called on it.

Sorry, dont work that way. You know jack and shit about our elections, demonstrably are profoundly ignorant about our candidates - especially Hillary - and then dare say WE are living in an echo chamber and cant view things critically. You are the worst type of ignorant poster. Willfully so.

Thank you Amir0x for telling it like it is.

Now would be the time for US celibrities to do the same. i can't believe so few influent personalities had the courage to do what Robert De Niro demonstrated.

 

[Amir0x]

Got damn, Americans sure are defensive when someone says their country is being laughed at.

No we just dont like being condescended to by know-nothing intellectual frauds.

 

[cackhyena]

Comey is a partisan hack punk who is about to have his career decimated for breaking protocol multiple times and self evidently trying to influence the election for a racist fascist. Only a complete goddamn moron would make the choices he has made. Fuck this incompetent buffoon.

He will be held to account for his sins. We will burn him down next to his Trump idol.

Someone take away this man's coffee.

 

[rjinaz]

Got damn, Americans sure are defensive when someone says their country is being laughed at.



lol

I think that's simplifying all that the poster said. I really don't care personally if somebody says they are laughing at my country. Yet I still responded to the person. Trump could be president. I'll laugh too once he fails at it. My country is far from perfect. But then, that goes both ways really.

 

[ponpo]

No we just dont like being condescended to by know-nothing intellectual frauds.

I think that's simplifying all that the poster said. I really don't care personally if somebody says they are laughing at my country. Yet I still responded to the person. Trump could be president. I'll laugh too once he fails at it. My country is far from perfect. But then, that goes both ways really.

I get it, but some of the posts were funny in response. "At least we don't have smog filled cities lmao have you even landed on the moon China????"

 

[dream]

Comey is a partisan hack punk who is about to have his career decimated for breaking protocol multiple times and self evidently trying to influence the election for a racist fascist. Only a complete goddamn moron would make the choices he has made. Fuck this incompetent buffoon.

He will be held to account for his sins. We will burn him down next to his Trump idol.

Are you okay, Amir0x? These are some incredibly worrisome and unstable sentiments.

 

[rjinaz]

I get it, but some of the posts were funny in response. "At least we don't have smog filled cities lmao have you even landed on the moon China????"

heh fair enough.

 

[Feep]

That Newsweek writeup, which makes this crystal clear, is angering me beyond words.

Any drive by shitposter should read that first. And if you still wanna post how above it all you are, expect some well-deserved backlash.

 

[StrikeNinja24]

Someone take away this man's coffee.

I think we've gone past coffee at this point.