TURMOIL AT DHS AND STATE DEPARTMENT THERE ARE PEOPLE LITERALLY CRYING IN THE OFFICE HERE; https://theintercept.com/2017/01/30...e-people-literally-crying-in-the-office-here/
This is making it way around on facebook.
Its been interesting to watch my family sorta implode over this shit. My mom is Iranian and her whole family bounced during the revolution in the 70s. Most of them for better or worse are pretty Pro-Shah and Pro-America and have been treated like shit for their entire time here. I would go pickup my grandma from the airport when she was getting back from visiting family in the UK and the TSA would rip her luggage apart throwing it through tons of machines and extreme vetting. This was in 1998 as well before the worst of Islamaphobia began here.
She had a greencard and was a valid resident of the country but if they detained her in an airport for 20 hours I would have been furious. I can entirely understand the fear and anger people are feeling. My hillfolk(apalachian american) side of the family is having a hard time reconciling the fact hat if my grandmother was still alive she easily could have been caught up in this and my Iranian side of the family who very much so hate the current Iranian government are trying to justify the reason that can't safely leave the country and come back without being harassed as being worth the cost. IRONICALLY its my hillfolk family that are easier to persuade that the situation is fucked since they don't have as strongly negative feelings towards the Iranian government where as my Iranian family are deflecting how fucked up this is and saying its all Iran's fault.
This is making it way around on facebook.
when people rely on Facebook for news, you know it's fucked up
Annoying Facebook friend said:Unlawful immigration bans are unlawful immigration bans, regardless of administration. I'm not sure if the suspended illusion of Obama's "righteousness" will ever subside, but I guess that's going to be up to the party that chose to ignore every single crime against humanity he ever perpetrated. Also, want to know how to avoid a Syrian exodus of refugees? Stop shipping weapons and resources to our enemies (rebels) so they can slaughter innocents who have nowhere else to go and then calling it "foreign aid". Maybe you should have reminded your Nobel Peace Prize winning president of that instead of hailing him as the greatest occupant of the Oval Office we'll ever see.
Obama deported more people than ALL 20TH CENTURY U.S. PRESIDENTS COMBIMED.
He bombed 7 Muslim countries and then bragged about it: "It turns out that I happen to be really good at killing people."
While he "inherited" the Iraq war, he also commenced bombing the country again after he allegedly ended our presence there the first time. He waged war on Libya without congressional approval. He started a covert drone war in Yemen. He sharply escalated the wars in Somalia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. These were NOT inherited wars. Stop trying to shield him behind this "alternative fact".
He signed the NDAA in secret and extended the Patriot Act repeatedly.
He signed the Monsanto Protection Act.
The list is so long, my fingers would break if I tried to continue.
But honestly... what will it take for you to see all of this?
As much as I want to combat the executive abuses of our new president, I can hardly stomach it while standing next to those who refused to do it for the previous one.
Stand for people, not for parties.
For Liberty.
What's your problem exactly with what he said?This right-leaning "Libertarian" I'm friends with on Facebook constantly spews bullshit about Obama. He just posted a long rant that I don't feel qualified to respond to - because I'm not educated enough on these topics. Does anyone mind retorting what he says so I can respond back? I'm so sick of his shit. Long Facebook rant incoming...
I guess my main problem is I'm not sure how factual everything is, and if it is factual if it's worse than what prior presidents have done (Bushs with Iraq, Eisenhower with Vietnam, etc.). Also, as terrible as civilians killed by drones is, are they really worse than sending in soldiers? Especially soldiers who can be mentally unstable and terrorize citizens in their own way?What's your problem exactly with what he said?
I won't speak to the domestic side of things, but your friend is right that Obama's foreign policy was a colossal disaster. And he's frankly right about the absurdity of people who refused to combat Obama's excesses now whining after Trump. A microcosm of this could be seen yesterday, when the news came out that Trump's first counterterrorism op in Yemen had ended with a daed soldier and dead civilians. There were actually people who didn't know that we were in Yemen, and who were appalled by the outcome to Trump's order. Which stands in contrast to hardly anyone in the media or in major political circles being willing to hold Obama's feet to the fire for the massive humanitarian disaster that he helped create in Yemen. Most people are probably barely even aware of the actual war crimes that have been conducted with our weapons and by our "allies" there.
Something like half a million children are starving there, and hardly a word was said. This:
Is what has been perpetrated in your name, by your government. And it's disgusting. There are more gruesome photos, but I'll actually spare you. So I'll repeat what I've said before. Fuck Obama, and fuck everyone who was silent about Yemen and other Middle Eastern disasters.
That said, if you want a retort to what he said, here's what I would say:
It also makes me sick to have to stand next to those who kept silent in the face of Obama's excesses. But my ill-feelings towards those people are not really important right now, because our country is under perhaps its gravest existential threat since the Civil War. So at this moment, I will forgive people their past failures, and stand proudly with them against Trump. We need as many allies as we can get, as flawed as they might be.
Does it matter if it's worse?I guess my main problem is I'm not sure how factual everything is, and if it is factual if it's worse than what prior presidents have done (Bushs with Iraq, Eisenhower with Vietnam, etc.). Also, as much as a travesty as civilians killed by drones is, are they really worse than sending in soldiers? Especially soldiers who can be mentally unstable and terrorize citizens in their own way?
This is making it way around on facebook.
Appreciate the response.Does it matter if it's worse?
This is actually where your friend is going wrong too. It doesn't matter "who did more wrong." We're not in grade school. We're not playing the blame game. We stand up to what is wrong and what is unjust wherever it appears. We don't sit around measuring the differences between past offenses .
As to your second question, I'm not really qualified to speak about the differences in collateral damage that soldiers and drones might cause. The problem isn't that we're conducting our own unilateral drone strikes though, that would be bad enough. The problem is that we've been aiding a Saudi-led coalition force there. And that coalition has made a complete disaster of Yemen, put millions on the brink of starving, killed thousands of Yemeni civilians and committed many human rights violations.
I guess my main problem is I'm not sure how factual everything is, and if it is factual if it's worse than what prior presidents have done (Bushs with Iraq, Eisenhower with Vietnam, etc.). Also, as much as a travesty as civilians killed by drones is, are they really worse than sending in soldiers? Especially soldiers who can be mentally unstable and terrorize citizens in their own way?
Also, want to know how to avoid a Syrian exodus of refugees? Stop shipping weapons and resources to our enemies (rebels) so they can slaughter innocents who have nowhere else to go and then calling it "foreign aid". Maybe you should have reminded your Nobel Peace Prize winning president of that instead of hailing him as the greatest occupant of the Oval Office we'll ever see.
Obama deported more people than ALL 20TH CENTURY U.S. PRESIDENTS COMBIMED.
He bombed 7 Muslim countries and then bragged about it: "It turns out that I happen to be really good at killing people."
While he "inherited" the Iraq war, he also commenced bombing the country again after he allegedly ended our presence there the first time. He waged war on Libya without congressional approval. He started a covert drone war in Yemen. He sharply escalated the wars in Somalia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. These were NOT inherited wars. Stop trying to shield him behind this "alternative fact".
He signed the NDAA in secret and extended the Patriot Act repeatedly.
He signed the Monsanto Protection Act.
The list is so long, my fingers would break if I tried to continue.
But honestly... what will it take for you to see all of this?
As much as I want to combat the executive abuses of our new president, I can hardly stomach it while standing next to those who refused to do it for the previous one.
Stand for people, not for parties.
For Liberty.
I resent being called biased about this, when there's really nothing debatable about Obama's foreign policy, especially in Yemen, being a goddamn travesty. I will never accept opinions contrary to that when there have been literal war crimes committed with our weaponry there. The Saudis are a fucking disgusting regime, and this is just another example, in a long history of examples, of us aiding and abetting their crimes. The lines of the original Facebook critique may certainly be debatable, but the basic thesis that Obama was not held properly accountable for many things is absolutely a fair thing to be upset about with many on the left.The guy you are responding to and first responded to you is pretty biased, you can see it easily in his post. There are a lot of things in that post you mentioned that is quite debatable.
As for this, I didn't bother addressing it in my first post, but this is actually an alleged quote from the book Double Down. As far as I remember, it was never actually disputed.I do not recall this.
They always go for the jpegs for some reason.
That's interesting for sure.btw, this thread about Big Data being used for the election (both Brexit and the US presidential ones, and presumably also upcoming European ones) might be a reason why people's social media are being checked. Not because of their migrant status, but because they're not on the wire-tap, if you will.
Which coincidences with Trump immediate EO on privacy rights for non-citizens, since that effectively circumvents EU data protections if those companies also seek to rig EU elections.
And nobody knows exactly who owns those companies either, btw. Sound familiar?
So... are there any untruths in that Facebook post? Cause it seems all true to me, though I haven't had time to dig deeper into the claims it makes.
As for this, I didn't bother addressing it in my first post, but this is actually an alleged quote from the book Double Down. As far as I remember, it was never actually disputed.
President Obama was overheard bragging to administration aides about his ability to kill people with drones, a new book about the 2012 campaign season that's due for release on Tuesday (2013).
The president's specific words: I'm ”really good at killing people," authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann write in ”Double Down: Game Change 2012," The Daily Mail reported. They get their claim from a Washington Post report that buries the statement as a brief anecdote in an article, in which the president is described as speaking to aides about the drone program and then making the claim.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/4/obama-brag-new-book-im-really-good-killing-drones/
So... are there any untruths in that Facebook post? Cause it seems all true to me, though I haven't had time to dig deeper into the claims it makes.
The "But Obama..." claim that's really been debunked is the one about Obama's EO on Iraqi refugees.Yes, many. The 'but Obama' claims have been debunked several times in this thread. Excuse posters for not bothering to repeat it.
This is making it way around on facebook.
Obama deported more people than ALL 20TH CENTURY U.S. PRESIDENTS COMBIMED.
Comparing apples and oranges
He bombed 7 Muslim countries and then bragged about it: "It turns out that I happen to be really good at killing people."
Knowing Obama, if he did say that, I don't think he was bragging about it. Obama is no Trump.
While he "inherited" the Iraq war, he also commenced bombing the country again after he allegedly ended our presence there the first time.
Well... ISIS
He waged war on Libya without congressional approval.
Not a fan of how this was done, but I feel when it comes to Libya, everyone forgot how the whole world was panicking over Benghazi - not the US consulate, the people facing immediate slaughter. Which might explain reluctance in Syria when a similar situation popped up with Aleppo. Of course, Assad has friends that Qaddafi didn't, so that also had an impact on the non-action.
He started a covert drone war in Yemen.
Right, because no liberals ever criticized Obama for his drone warfare. /s His two criticisms from progressives are: a) he didn't do enough on X liberal issue and b) drones
He sharply escalated the wars in Somalia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. These were NOT inherited wars. Stop trying to shield him behind this "alternative fact".
Afghanistan/Pakistan not inherited? Bush also bombed Somalia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhusamareb_airstrike. Not defending Obama, but to say he is the first to get involved in those three countries is a lie.
He signed the NDAA in secret and extended the Patriot Act repeatedly.
Regarding the NDAA... what? Google "Obama NDAA secret", all that comes up is conspiracy websites?
He signed the Monsanto Protection Act.
That was to avoid a government shutdown, and expired after six months. But just like the drones, liberals did protest it.
Yeah actually I didn't see that part of the image. That the USA refused to take Jewish refugees is not something we should be touting WTF.Ah yes, the reason FDR is considered one of the greatest US presidents in history: he saved the country from radical Jewish terrorism and banned "refugees" from pouring into the country.
The fuck is wrong with these people for thinking that that was a good thing?
I resent being called biased about this, when there's really nothing debatable about Obama's foreign policy, especially in Yemen, being a goddamn travesty. I will never accept opinions contrary to that when there have been literal war crimes committed with our weaponry there. The Saudis are a fucking disgusting regime, and this is just another example, in a long history of examples, of us aiding and abetting their crimes. The lines of the original Facebook critique may certainly be debatable, but the basic thesis that Obama was not held properly accountable for many things is absolutely a fair thing to be upset about with many on the left.
As for this, I didn't bother addressing it in my first post, but this is actually an alleged quote from the book Double Down. As far as I remember, it was never actually disputed.
I mean, no country is a "good guy" or "bad guy"; human nature and history isn't as black and white as that.I can agree with this, but your tone before definitely leads me to believe you are biased on it. There is no such thing as perfect President, but in terms of Presidential standards, Obama was a good one.
U.S was never and have never been a "good guy" you know, it has always done terrible things and justified it's actions when it could.
I mean if you want me to admit to some partisan bias about this, I won't do that. I'll gladly admit that I have a special bias towards the issue because of the background of many friends who come from places that he's bombed.I can agree with this, but your tone before definitely leads me to believe you are biased on it. There is no such thing as perfect President, but in terms of Presidential standards, Obama was a good one.
U.S was never and have never been a "good guy" you know, it has always done terrible things and justified it's actions when it could. The Iraq War unfortunately expanded all of this shit and made it worse, so I largely blame Bush for many of the issues occurring today as people try to find solutions and unfortunately go the wrong route as they exacerbate it or put band aide solutions on it looking for a "quick fix".
His foreign policy is completely debatable, but you dislike it so much, you do not believe it is. This is the very definition of biased.
As long as people know the difference between Trump and Obama's EO use and understand that past (unjust or just) uses of EOs do not excuse unjust EOs in the future/present, then it is all good.
President Trump appoints Homan acting director of U.S. ICE
The evidenceWhat is being hid?
Sen Dianne Feinstein taking the Trump admin to task right now on CNN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HORiDWC5gIo
- Jeff sessions being a yes man
- Unconstitutional Immigration ban
- Trumps petty reactions being alarming and dangerous
- Trump being a danger to women, and reproductive rights.
- Violation of civil liberties
- His support for torture and unlawful imprisonment
- Praising Sally Yates for disobeying the OE
A Melbourne schoolboy claims to be the first Australian denied a US visa following President Donald Trump's controversial entry bans.
Pouya Ghadirian, 15, was born in Australia but holds dual Iranian-Australian citizenship by descent.
The consulate officers said the rules had changed.
"They were a bit shocked and they didn't know how to handle it. They said they had terrible news," he says.
"They said it was the first time it had happened in an Australian embassy."
http://live.reuters.com/Event/Live_US_Politics?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialKelly says websites, social media will be used when screening visa applicants.
What do I say to someone who says "what about the Obama's Cuban ban?!"