I hate not being in control of the loud noise. GETTY

Comments

1

I agree it was sad that Alexei Nalvany died before the prisoner exchange; but there was no way in hell that Putin was ever going to let him out.

2

The anti-loitering plan is a good idea. It has its drawbacks but the way the pimps have it now with underage girls has got to stop.

3

Americans Love them
some Big Trucks & Big
Burgers & the Big Buns
that go with. more Meat

baby? and fuck you*
Macdonalds oh &
you Too donOLD.

Go Dick's!

*a little Mark Knopfler:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fifjOF8niHw

4

Seriously??

Do musicians practice? Sportsball teams?

They practice because they fly close, low, and fast. They practice to familiarize themselves with the airspace in which they’re going to operate.

You might not like the “noise,” and that’s fine. But asking why they need to practice is a silly question.

5

When you have planes flying mere inches from each other, it’s good to practice even though you already know the routine.
Mistakes at The Stranger may have no consequences, but mistakes for the Blue Angels are deadly.
Rittenhouse must have been inspired by the heroic ‘Uncommitted’ Movement. He at least has the guts to carry it through to the general election.
If Biden hadn’t been forced out by The Party, all of the uncommitted folks would have fallen in line and voted for old…what is it you all called him…Genocide Joe?

6

5: Flying planes mere inches from each other shouldn't be a thing to practice in the first place.

7

speaking of 'movements':

"[the deadly assassin] Rittenhouse
must have been inspired by the
heroic ‘Uncommitted’
Movement." --@5

my gawd
an Even Bigger
Jerk than ole Wormtongue.

you'll do Well in the
upncoming Fascist
Takeover sax2bu

8

@5: Please have some sympathy for our local Purity Trolls, as the poor dears have it even tougher now. As you noted, they had talking points ready to go, about how their perfectly pure selves couldn’t possibly withstand contact with voting for the Democratic candidate. Now they risk looking less than perfectly committed* to the DEI cause (they’re not, but we’re here talking vanity, not reality) when they inevitably manufacture their cheap reasons not to vote for Harris.
——
*See what I did there?

9

@2 you may not be aware but pimping is already illegal

10

9: Of course, so what suggestions do you have?

11

@6
Why?
These are people are at the absolute top of their profession who are driven to keep honing their skills.
Not everyone is satisfied with mediocrity.

12

@10 enforce the criminal laws already on the books don't create new ones that only serve to harm the people we're purporting to try to help. And, most importantly, dramatically scale up services to help trafficking victims escape the sex trade.

Of course those actions do nothing to help the business community with their aesthetic concerns so don't expect the current Council to have any interest.

13

Nothing against the Blue Angels, but IMHO, they have been upstaged by Ukrainian pilots trying to rally their public with flights over Lviv in their first batch of F16s.

14

https://tenor.com/view/excited-ronpaul-itshappening-lights-gif-4724084

15

UN report: Palestinian detainees held arbitrarily and secretly, subjected to torture and mistreatment - 31 July 2024

GENEVA - The UN Human Rights Office today published a report on arbitrary, prolonged and incommunicado detention by Israeli authorities, affecting thousands of Palestinians since last October. The report also covers allegations of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, including sexual abuse of women and men.

Since 7 October, thousands of Palestinians - including medical staff, patients and residents fleeing the conflict, as well as captured fighters - have been taken from Gaza to Israel, usually shackled and blindfolded. Thousands more have been detained in the West Bank and Israel. They have generally been held in secret, without being given a reason for their detention, access to a lawyer or effective judicial review, the report states.

At least 53 Palestinian detainees are known to have died in Israeli military facilities and prisons since the horrific attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups against Israeli civilians on 7 October.

The staggering number of men, women, children, doctors, journalists and human rights defenders detained since 7 October, most of them without charge or trial and held in deplorable conditions, along with reports of ill-treatment and torture and violation of due process guarantees, raises serious concerns regarding the arbitrariness and the fundamentally punitive nature of such arrests and detention, said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk.

“The testimonies gathered by my Office and other entities indicate a range of appalling acts, such as waterboarding and the release of dogs on detainees, amongst other acts, in flagrant violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” he said.[..]

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/07/un-report-palestinian-detainees-held-arbitrarily-and-secretly-subjected

16

@15: Why stop there? "Tonnes more," as a seriously superannuated kid might say, and all of it worth reading:

"Accounts of hostages taken by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups last October also described appalling conditions of captivity, including lack of food, water and poor sanitary conditions, and lack of fresh air and sunlight. Some described being beaten while being taken into Gaza, or seeing other hostages being beaten while in captivity; receiving surgery or stitches without anaesthetic. There were also reports of sexual and gender-based violence in captivity. In addition, the report criticises the Palestinian Authority for continuing to carry out arbitrary detention and torture or other ill-treatment in the West Bank, reportedly principally to suppress criticism and political opposition."

"The High Commissioner reiterated his call for the immediate release of all hostages still held in Gaza. All Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel must be released. He also called for prompt, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all incidents that have led to serious violations of international law; ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and that all victims and their families are provided with their right to remedy and reparations."

Damned right.

I'm glad to see the UN no longer waits for prompts from the New York Times.

17

“Hey, keep the noise down! It’s bothering my pet.”
OK Boomer!

18

The Blue Angels Suck and so does Jay Inslee
I know, every year after Seafair some dumbass bitches about the Blue Angels and all the noise they make, that’s NOT what this is. I could give a shit about the noise. As my girlfriend pointed out, playing in a punk rock band in my youth probably did more damage to my hearing than the stupid Blue Angels airplanes. Fair point. No, that’s not what has my whitey tighties in a bunch. Two things. First, Jay Inslee who pretends to be Mr. Environmentalist, but he is actually so completely ignorant and invites the Blue Angels to an event to celebrate his bill that spends $40B of taxpayer money on EV rebates while the Blue Angels dump 2,600 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere during Seafair weekend. The average EV saves 0.36 metric tons of CO2 per year. The average life span of an EV is 15 years, so I’ll do the math for you, it would take about 500 EV’s 15 years to equal one Blue Angel Seafair weekend. And keep in mind they do that year after year. So, basically they wipe out all the savings that Inslee’s dumbass rebate will save in carbon and then some. Hey Jay, are you really that fucking stupid!
And while I am ranting here. What the Blue Angels do is not the least bit impressive as far as I am concerned. They fly low. Oooohhh. Let’s see, that’s what a cruise missile does. And cruise missiles have been around for 50 years. So, these super impressive pilots can do what a 50-year-old 8-bit microprocessor can do. I guess that’s impressive if you have a hamster brain.
Oh, and by the way, those hydros, add that carbon into the equation along with everything else and you end up with a climate change nightmare. It’s time to shift Seafair into the reality of the 21st century. How about electric boat race powered by the sun. And a UAV race over water all charged by solar.
I know, everyone will say I am a buzz kill. But here’s the thing. You want a buzz kill, just read up on where things are headed on climate. And our fearless dumbass governor is a clueless idiot.

19

Kyle Rittenhouse and Kshama Sawant agree: Voting third-party really works!

20

Poopycusion12358 dear, welcome to Slog. I think you'll find us to be a loving community.

And let just quietly whisper to you that....
1) Seafair is a 501c3 charity, financed by local companies
2)The Blue Angels have been coming to Seafair since 1972, long before Governor Inslee graced the Mansion
3) Boeing, producer of the Airshow, is the second largest employer in the state
4) The hydro races date back to 1950 (which is earlier than 1972), and Seattle natives - or at least the older Seattle natives - love it. I've never understood the appeal but to each his own.
6) The US Navy, operators of The Blue Angels, has a huge presence in the Puget Sound Region. It has six bases, one of which has the third-largest fleet concentration in the country. That translates to thousands of employees, both civilian and military, as well as veterans.

Governor Inslee and the state of Washington have nothing to do with Seafair. In any event, no governor, of any party, would dare "disinvite" the Blue Angels.

21

In order for the Democrats to keep up the long running ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, potential vice president Governor Shapiro from Pennsylvania is going to walk back his time working with (for)? the IDF.
Democrats are really going to try to lose Michigan.
Not sure someone who serves in the military for a different country is the best 2nd in line candidate for the oval office. In fact, serving in the military of another country generally is a good way to lose citizenship. But certain countries insist on an exception...

22

I LIKE Walz:

“Here’s a guy who actually knows how to fish, this is a guy who actually knows how to hunt, this is a guy who served our country in the National Guard,” said Heidi Heitkamp, a former senator and fellow Democrat who lost her post representing nearby North Dakota, a rural and conservative state, in 2018.

As a running mate to Ms. Harris, Mr. Walz could help Democrats shore up support in battleground states by appealing to the working-class, white, rural voters who have drifted away from the party, Ms. Heitkamp said.

“When you look at Tim Walz, what you have is someone with a lived experience that is so comparable to so many of the people in rural America who are willing to maybe reconsider just blindly voting for the Republican Party candidate,” she said.

As governor of Minnesota, though, Mr. Walz’s policy moves have sharply steered the state to the left.

Mr. Walz won a second term in 2022 as Democrats flipped the State Senate. That sealed a trifecta that gave Democrats control of the State Capitol and Mr. Walz presided over the state’s most productive legislative session in decades.

Democrats enshrined a right to abortion under state law, legalized recreational marijuana, funded free meals at schools across the state, required employers to offer paid medical and family leave, expanded background checks for gun purchases and established a goal to transition to a carbon-free electricity grid by 2040.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/us/tim-walz-minnesota-kamala-harris.html

Whoa!

and if we Gotta Choose
'twixt "SOCIALISM!!!"
& fucking Fascism

I'll take the Former
for $500 Every
Day o' the
Week,
Bob.

23

I like Shapario (PA) but he
& wormmy're on the
Same Page re Israel
apparently; a real
Deal Breaker to
me and likely
Countless
others.

24

a real deal breaker as far as
VP Choice is concerned.
when it comes to the
Fascist or the Dems
there really IS
no choice.

25

@21: "In fact, serving in the military of another country generally is a good way to lose citizenship. But certain countries insist on an exception..."

Indeed, in decent societies, such a disreputable near-traitor should be shunned and humiliated in every country concerned! But certain countries simply do see it differently. That would make them pretty awful countries, wouldn't it?

"Lafayette was ultimately permitted to command Continental Army troops in the decisive Siege of Yorktown in 1781, the Revolutionary War's final major battle that secured American independence. After returning to France, Lafayette became a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830 and continues to be celebrated as a hero in both France and the United States."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_du_Motier,Marquisde_Lafayette

26

one reader's comment
on the article @22:

I have lived in Minnesota nearly all my life. Everyone I know, even moderate Republicans, appreciates and respects Governor Walz.

He is sharp, hardworking, respectful, compassionate, and fair. His policies are common sensical and focus on supporting working, middle-class families (paid family leave, reproductive rights, etc.).

He is dignified and always respectful. He is not egocentric or motivated by power. How refreshing. I don't know if he would be Kamala's best choice because I don't know what she needs on her ticket to be elected.

However, I do know that Gov. Walz has proven himself to be a decent, fair, smart, hardworking and truly likable leader for those of us who live in this state, and most of us are very thankful for his leadership. He is awesome.

Thank you, Governor Walz!

Catherine; Minnesota, July 29

tonnes More:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/us/tim-walz-minnesota-kamala-harris.html

oh and No One
Loves the IDF
more than
wormmy

(see
above)

surprised
nutnyahoo
hasn't paid
his way to the
Genocide as of yet

27

@26: “ oh and No One
Loves the IDF
more than
wormmy”

Read harder:

“All Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel must be released. He also called for prompt, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all incidents that have led to serious violations of international law;”

28

@21: “In fact, serving in the military of another country generally is a good way to lose citizenship.”

As you’ve explicitly stated this as fact, please give the number of persons who have had their citizenships revoked for this reason. Or, if that number proves elusive, you can provide the number of laws on the books worldwide which, if enforced, would have this effect. You will provide numbers/quotes and URLs for the source citations as well, of course.

29

@20. Oh my gosh, you are so sweet and wonderful with your cheap wig. I know, you are such a better person than me, I am horrible. I wonder, what all that lovey dovey stuff will play when the temperature of the pacific causes hyper-canes, that's higher than cat 6 hurricanes hit Seattle or the Ross ice shelf in the artic breaks loose and the sea level rises above four meters. I wonder if you will be all lovey dovey then? I wonder if there is a time when lovey dovey needs to go out the window and shit needs to get real? Nah, when the next generation says, hey, what were you guys thinking, you will say something like yeah but we had fun at seafair watching idiots doing what a fifty year old microprocessor could do and our hampster brain thought that was so cool, sorry we completely fucked up the planet, but you get it, we were loving people who were super stupid and we just wanted to watch idiots flying planes low to the ground which a 50 year old 8 bit microprocessor can do but we are really dumb and thought that was cool and shit on people who told us that this was ruining the planet. Oh well, you get it, you guys get to live in hell but all that is important is how we got to be entertained by super stupid things.

Oh, I know, you are so much better of a person than me because you are all loving and excepting or something but here is the thing that you do not seem to comprehend. The planet is dying.
So sure, I am terrible and you are amazing and wonderful.
Yeah. Tell that to the next generation that gets to deal with your greed.
When I was in college in 1976, a friend of mine explained global warming to me, yeah, they knew about it back then. I thought at the time, surely, people with see thing and do something about it right? Except, everything he said has happened, even sooner. And no one has done a thing.
So, cool, you are loving and groovy. That's great, Awesome. I am a bad person for pointing out the problem. I am terrible. OK. You win.

30

@29 I wouldn’t say you’re terrible but you sure are miserable. Banning the Blue Angels will do nothing to prevent the calamities you mention nor will allowing them to fly hasten it. They are a negligible portion of any emissions. Banning them would only be virtue signaling. Beyond that we will never solve this problem through rationing and restrictions. Doing what you think needs to be done will lead to millions of people dying. The only solution is advances is clean energy like fission and carbon capture. Pour your energy into promoting and advocating for that instead of being a curmudgeon.

31

and, in Other News:

Harris to Interview V.P.
Contenders in Final
Test of Chemistry

At least three candidates — Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania — are scheduled to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday.

oodles more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/03/us/politics/harris-running-mate-kelly-walz-shapiro.html

awesomefuckingsauce.

she’ll Kick literal
Ass with Walz and
when he’s Prez in ‘29
she can head over to the
newly-Supreme Court where
Katanji Brown Jackson’s replaced
dread pirate Roberts as Chief fucking Justice

& amy covey barret’s
Not a Sure Thang
not any more

& the ‘jusices’ taking the Bribes?
Long Fucking GONE
de-robed and
Disbarred

Adiosa
Omorosa

32

Justices fffs.

where's my damn
Edit Button? what
IS this ~ the Daily
Provincial?

33

& then there
were but Two?

Uh-oh wormmy
looks like your
Go-to guy’s
gotta few
Probs to
deal w/

nyt:

Shapiro
Faces Scrutiny
Over Sexual Harass-
ment Complaint Against Aide

The case has attracted
renewed criticism now that
Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania,
is on the short list to be Kamala Harris’s running mate.

Until recently, criticism of how the governor’s office reacted to the complaint was largely restricted to female Republican lawmakers.

Kim Ward, a high-ranking Republican state senator, was among the most vocal, calling Mr. Shapiro’s response “appalling and infuriating.”

Then last week, Erin McClelland, the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania state treasurer, posted a message on X saying — without naming Mr. Shapiro — that she favored a vice president who “doesn’t sweep sexual harassment under the rug.”

Colleen Kennedy, a member of the state’s Democratic committee, criticized the nondisclosure agreement that bars the parties from discussing the complaint, telling The Times that the case showed a “systematic failure” that should disqualify Mr. Shapiro as a vice-presidential pick.

more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/03/us/politics/shapiro-aide-sexual-harassment.html

his seemingly pro-Genocide
stance already rules him
Out as Kamala’s VP
at Least it does
for Me.

also
I'm Delighted
to hear Kamala's not
only Heard of tS but likely Reads*
it as well. I do hope she Sees these in time.

*see:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/business/media/the-stranger-seattle-new-owner.html

35

https://www.usa.gov/renounce-lose-citizenship#:~:text=You%20may%20lose%20your%20U.S.%20citizenship%20in%20specific%20cases%2C%20including,of%20giving%20up%20U.S.%20citizenship

For tensora

How you may lose your U.S. citizenship
You may lose your U.S. citizenship in specific cases, including if you:

Run for public office in a foreign country (under certain conditions)
Enter military service in a foreign country (under certain conditions)
Apply for citizenship in a foreign country with the intention of giving up U.S. citizenship
Commit an act of treason against the United States
Are a naturalized U.S. citizen who faces denaturalization due to committing certain crimes
Learn more about acts that could result in losing your U.S. citizenship.

36

Oh now, poopycusion12358, there's no need to play the victim and get all butthurt just because I pointed out a few "inconvenient truths", as it were.

Further, I'd say that most people understand that there is something going on with the climate. We don't need moral scolds to harp on it

Finally, Governor Inslee is on his way out. I don't know why a certain sector of the population has such disregard for him, but you and your contemporaries should be preparing to hate the new governor, whoever that is.

37

"Further, I'd say that most people understand that there is something going on with the climate. We don't need moral scolds to harp on it" --@Catalina

We are numero Uno
when it comes to Oil Exports
in the World, baby! Profiteers DGAF

if the Biosphere
happens to be Melting
Down around us. if not fot us
Moral Scolds, who tf's gonna make us
feel Worse as we perish in global Conflagration?

which could be either
Nukualar -- thanks, bibi, et al*
or Wildfires or Extreme Heat or Hurricanal
we'll soon have myriad choices perhaps Sooner than

*You Know Whom you Are

38

omg: speaking of Blue Angels*
déjà vu all Over again?
from The Needling:

Denny Blaine Residents Furiously Text-
ing Mayor Harrell About Oiled-Up
Blue Angels Pilots Playing
Beach Volleyball

The Blue Angels pilots’ attempt to unwind with a game of oiled-up beach volleyball was the source of controversy today after Denny Blaine residents texted Mayor Harrell to complain about the sizzling scene.

“Brucey, it’s Stu—you have to do something this time, those hotshot pilots are out there playing oiled up beach volleyball again! I’m being blinded by the sun reflecting off their glistening abs!” texted U Village owner Stuart Sloan, photographing the scorching athletic display from his mansion.

“The beach is no place for greased up hunks playing shirtless volleyball, it’s disgusting! Don’t worry, I’ve been photographing them and recording them for hours so I have plenty of evidence.”

--the Needling, Seattle's
Only Real Fake News

more, stimulatingly:
https://theneedling.com/2024/08/02/denny-blaine-residents-furiously-texting-mayor-harrell-about-oiled-up-blue-angels-pilots-playing-beach-volleyball/

it truly IS Disgusting.

*so Glad they're
OUR Angels! it's a
Damn Shame we don't
Export them so Foreigners
might enjoy the Show in Their
shithole countries too. it's just Sad

39

@35: Your original statement, @21, stated as fact, “serving in the military of another country generally is a good way to lose citizenship.” In response to my request for support of your proclaimed “fact,” you responded with a statement which was far weaker, “You may lose your U.S. citizenship in specific cases…”, so right there, your claim of a general rule was shown to be false.

You’d also clearly stated that not losing citizenship would be an exception to this general rule. But the loss of citizenship, already conditional, would still depend upon “certain conditions.” So, your claim of a general rule, which would always apply unless a specific exemption is made, has been shown false, twice over.

It seems you were trying really, really hard to insinuate the person in question had gotten away with something nefarious, but was granted a special exemption for his bad behavior, because “certain countries insist on an exception..." (ellipsis in your original). Too bad you didn’t understand something which should be obvious, which is that serving in the military of a long-standing ally need not be a disqualification for citizenship in one’s own country.

40

@30 "we will never solve this problem through rationing and restrictions"

We will never solve this problem (global warming) without accounting for sustainability. There is a tomorrow for our children and grandchildren. Let's make sure it is a pleasant one instead of wasting resources for the sake of profit and destroying ecosystems as if there were no tomorrow.

"The only solution is advances is clean energy like fission and carbon capture"

It'd better not be since we need to cut carbon emissions now, not may be in the future when new fission technology and carbon capture are beyond the R&D stage. If global warming deniers had gotten along with the program 30 years ago rather than prevent cutting emissions, we may have had the luxury of waiting 30 years for a new nuclear plant fleet to be be built. Not all carbon capture schemes will be part of the solution given the possibility they cause more intractable problems.

Fortunately, the technology for clean energy transitioning is already available but let's make sure it is a transition rather than just adding clean energy to the existing, and increasing, mix of technologies as is currently happening.

41

@39 "something nefarious"

Like serving in an army that commits war crimes, crimes against humanity and likely genocide? Is that "nefarious" enough for YOU? Never mind your commentary for the last 10 month has already shown you'll bring up any excuses for the perps to not bear responsibility for their actions

42

relax.
it's merely
Genocide LITE

and if Shapiro happens
to Support That, well
then I 'spose he's in
the same boat with
ole wormmy.

hmmm

yep.
Keep
the FUCK
AWAY from
Governor Shapiro
Kamala. he's tainted

43

@41: Look, your little attempt at a drive-by smear failed, exactly because you don’t actually know anything of what you’re talking about. Instead of recognizing your own ignorance of the topics upon which you freely choose to comment as a serious problem you might want to address, you just dig yourself even deeper into that hole, stating unproven allegations as fact — even though stating your ignorant opinion as fact is what got you here in the first place.

Furthermore, if you’d done any research at all, you could have known Shapiro never served in the Israeli army. His claim to have done so was a youthful embellishment of his actual story, as a volunteer on various service projects in Israel:

‘In the [college opinion] article, Shapiro also claimed he once volunteered for the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), but his campaign said Friday that he was “required to do a service project” in high school and volunteered “on service projects on an Israeli army base” without engaging in any military activities.’
(https://whyy.org/articles/governor-josh-shapiro-vice-president-israel-antisemitism-palestine-gaza/)

So, if he ever did serve in the Israeli army (which he didn’t; you’re welcome), then he served decades ago. Your beef with him would then be about how he had utterly failed to predict that decades later, you’d be throwing around unproven allegations about the Israeli military. That’s not a crime either, nor would it result in loss of his citizenship.

And, for the third time in this thread alone, I will indicate my strong and complete agreement with the concept of investigating, trying, and punishing all war crimes, Israeli ones not excepted:

“All Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel must be released. He also called for prompt, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all incidents that have led to serious violations of international law;”

(That’s a great report. You might try reading the entire thing sometime.)

44

@33, @42: As I've never expressed an opinion on "Shapario" [sic, @23] becoming VP Harris' running mate, you'll have to explain how he became my guy. Probably the same way your definition of "genocide" magically becomes whatever it is you want it to become, because the actual definition makes Hamas the only genocidal organization currently operating in Gaza.

45

wrong
yet again
Wormtongue:

Hamas is NOT
currently Genociding
Israel: Israel, however, IS
Genociding The FUCK outta Gaza
as we sit here so amiably chatting away

but back to Shaprio
who seems to voice your
same Israel-can-only-Be-a-VICTIM trope

he has NO Place in
a Non-Genocidal
administration's
second-highest
Office.

nyt:

Harris Faces
Party Divisions as She
Chooses a Running Mate

The vice president conducted interviews with potential candidates over the weekend and has fielded concerns from donors and activists over the choice.

The competitive, divisive primary that many Democrats long wanted to avoid has arrived anyway — playing out largely behind closed doors in a fight over the bottom of the ticket.

The final stage of the campaign to be Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate reached something of an ugly phase in recent days as donors, interest groups and political rivals from the party’s moderate and progressive wings lobbied for their preferred candidates and passed around memos debating the contenders’ political weaknesses with key demographics.

They turned most sharply on one of the favorites to join the ticket, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, who has drawn opposition from progressives and even a senator in his home state.

A vigorous debate has been waged on an email group for the Democracy Alliance, where left-wing donors have expressed concerns about Mr. Shapiro.

Another group of progressive activists, communicating through an email group called Gamechanger Salon, have come out against Mr. Shapiro and pushed its members to highlight his stances on Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The debate grew heated during a discussion about whether using the phrase “Genocide Josh” to describe Mr. Shapiro, who is an observant Jew, was antisemitic.

An organizer called for calm and rebranded the email chain as “Why Josh Shapiro should not be the VP.” Some of the emails also called for members to push for Mr. Walz, who has become a favorite of the party’s most liberal contributors, about 60 of whom he addressed on Friday.

Progressive groups have trained their criticisms on Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Kelly, who they accuse of being too conservative on key issues.

Shawn Fain, the president of the United Automobile Workers union, said during a Sunday interview on CBS that Mr. Kelly had “not really” assuaged the union’s concerns about his commitment to pro-labor legislation and that the organization had “bigger issues” with Mr. Shapiro’s support for school vouchers.

One message, written by Billy Wimsatt, an executive director of a liberal donor group known as the Movement Voter Project, said that Mr. Shapiro could cause a drop in turnout among progressive voters who are concerned about the war in Gaza.

“He risks significantly depressing enthusiasm for the Harris ticket among key constituencies of young voters, Arab and Muslim voters, and to some degree labor,” he wrote in an email thread, which was shared with The New York Times. “Tim Walz is the perfect Harris VP unicorn for this moment.”

--by Reid J. Epstein, Theodore Schleifer, and Nick Corasaniti; Aug. 4, 2024

more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/04/us/politics/kamala-harris-vp-democrats-divided.html

I’m with Billy:

“Tim Walz is
the perfect Harris VP
unicorn for this moment.”

and for the Next
Four fucking Years.

46

@tensora,
we get it you are cool with IDF war crimes but are you cool with a vp candidate not being truthful on his resume up until it becomes important? Sounds like a great way to feed the GOP 'Dems are liars' theme.
Maybe he just handed out sandwiches? Would you give the same benefit of the doubt to someone working with the Russians in Ukraine? You seem to need to label anyone for peace as a Hamas sympathizer.
Also, the rule is clearly stated, you just don't want to understand it. But that is par for the course. Do you get tired of always being wrong?

47

"Well What SHOULD Israel Have Done After October 7?"

People often object to criticisms of Israel’s ongoing mass atrocity in Gaza by saying, “Well what SHOULD Israel have done in response to October 7 then?” They say it like the question should confound you, as though it’s some kind of thought-terminating unanswerable Zen koan or something.

But it isn’t. The question is very answerable, and the most correct answer is that Israel should have done what it always should have done: right the wrongs of the past and make peace.

October 7 was entirely a response to generations of abuse against the Palestinian people by the state of Israel, so the correct response to it would have been to heal those abuses in a way that is agreeable to the Palestinians.

This would likely include ceding large amounts of land, the payment of very extensive reparations from Israel (and ideally from its wealthy western allies as well), eliminating all unjust laws and apartheid systems, a comprehensive push to purge society of the toxins of anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia, the right of Palestinians in exile to return to their homeland, and the negotiation of a peace agreement which yields so much that even the most hardline factions in Palestinian society would be compelled to agree with it.

And when you say this the common objection is “Yeah well Israel was never gonna do that!” To which the most correct answer is: duh.

Of course not. Israel is a murderous apartheid state built on racism and hate and trauma, and on the premise of existing in a continuous state of mass-scale violence at home and abroad.

That’s the problem here. Not Hamas. Not October 7. The problem is that Israel is a settler-colonialist project made of hatred and abuse and ceaseless violence. Which was why October 7 happened.

he fact that Israel would not have responded to October 7 by ending the abuses which caused it doesn’t change the fact that this would have been the correct thing for Israel to do. It just means the same depravities and injustices which gave rise to the state of Israel continue to exist and express themselves to this day. It means Israel itself is the problem.

Which means the real issue with the objection “Well what SHOULD Israel have done in response to October 7 then?” is that it’s asking the wrong question.

The correct question to ask is, what should the world do about Israel? What should the world do about this murderous entity which keeps trying to drag us all into a horrific new war with Iran and its allies?

What should the world do about this apartheid ethnostate whose relentless abuses were so egregious that Palestinians felt they had no choice but to carry out the October 7 attack?

--Caitlin Johnstone; Aug 05, 2024

tonnes more:
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/well-what-should-israel-have-done

meanwhile
Israel is tilting
Our Democracy
it it's favor thru AIPAC
the Pro-genocide Super Pac
currently spending 100's of Milllion$
to end Democracy in America. that wormmy's

totally Onboard with this
shold come to No
One's surprise.

48

@45, @46: Still no word on how I became a supporter of "Shapario,” eh? Is it somehow tied to how I informed you his story of his serving in the “Israeli army” was fake? Whatever.

“Also, the rule is clearly stated,”

Yes. Yes it is. It clearly may or may not apply in certain, specific situations. It’s not the overarching, general rule you described it to be, and if Shapiro had served in the “Israeli army,” (which he had not; you’re welcome), it would be no threat to his American citizenship now. (Your love of issuing threats notwithstanding.) You really should just admit this and move on, instead of continuing to humiliate yourself again and again with your same mistake.

@47: oooh, your imaginary girlfriend is really getting angry now! She’s just itching to make a Protocols reference, isn’t she?

(Must be nice, having the privilege of a platform, whilst wishing the hijab upon other women…)

49

Blue Angels
Monetary Cost per Show: $120,000 to $160,000
Fuel Cost per Hour: $43,200
Jingoism: Priceless

50

@46: “…we get it you are cool with IDF war crimes…”

Fourth time, in just this single thread:

“All Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel must be released. He also called for prompt, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all incidents that have led to serious violations of international law;”

Please let me know if you need to read it. Again.

“…are you cool with a vp candidate not being truthful on his resume…”

Well, you’re the one who accepted his false story as true, while I actually checked into it and informed you of your having gotten fooled (you’re welcome!), so that’s really more of a question for you, isn’t it?

“…the negotiation of a peace agreement which yields so much that even the most hardline factions in Palestinian society would be compelled to agree with it.”

If we imagine she is in any way serious about this, then either your imaginary girlfriend knows she’s effectively called for the elimination of Israel (without being honest enough to admit it), or she’s so ignorant of what “hardline factions in Palestinian society” actually want, she’s not even remotely qualified to comment on the topic. While either or both of these just make you crush all that much harder on her, we don’t have to imagine she’s serious. We can instead accept she’s just trolling your hatred for clicks, have our laugh at your expense, and then go read material which somehow doesn’t ignore rape to justify eliminationism. (Really, it’s out there. Even you might be able to find it.)

51

@Wormtongue

so:

"What should the world do
about this apartheid ethnostate
[Israel] whose relentless abuses were
so egregious that Palestinians felt they had
no choice but to carry out the October 7 attack?"

right Now
as we speak
Israel is Committing
War Crimes. fucking STILL.

but it's all
"Justified" by
October Seventh?

you and bibi
to peas in
a pod.*

*or nutshell
whichever.

52

The Stranger should apply to get Nathalie a Credentialed Media Representative flight with the Blue Angels next year; it would be the greatest in the Play Date series ever!

53

@51: Wow. You’re actually highlighting her apology for terrorism, including kidnapping, rape, and slaughter of unarmed women by armed men. Even I had thought better of you than that. Your barrel truly has no bottom, does it?

Meanwhile, back over here in reality, there might be another explanation for the casualty count in Gaza:

‘In one message to Hamas leaders in Doha, Sinwar cited civilian losses in national-liberation conflicts in places such as Algeria, where hundreds of thousands of people died fighting for independence from France, saying, “these are necessary sacrifices.”'

[...]

"High civilian casualties would create worldwide pressure on Israel, Sinwar said."

(https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/gaza-chiefs-brutal-calculation-civilian-bloodshed-will-help-hamas-626720e7)

Just keep up the pressure. That's all Sinwar asks of you.

54

@47 and if Israel had done as you outlined would the Palestinians and other Arab countries recognize their right to exist and leave them alone? Will they and the other Arab countries who have expelled all Jews from their countries pay reparations as well and commit to allowing them to return home, practice their faith and live in peace? Absolutely not, which is why your entire post is complete malarkey as our dear governor loves to say.

@40 I’m all for sustainability and transition but what’s being discussed will end up as a net loss to our energy supply. When we are already forecast to have a shortage bills like HB1589 that remove 1/3 of the supply with no alternative is reckless and irresponsible. If you have a neutral solution is be interested to hear it.

55

@54 "I’m all for sustainability and transition but what’s being discussed will end up as a net loss to our energy supply"

So you aren't for sustainability, you are for an energy supply consistent with current inefficiencies and wasteful practices even if our children have to suffer so that a small minority of the world population has a carbon footprint that dwarfs the average

As for the 2nd part of your comment: Jews and Arabs mostly lived in peace before Europeans gave Palestinian land to colonist Jews after the holocaust (a European thing) so I don't see any major obstacle to Jews and Arabs living together in peace.

@53 "apology for terrorism"

You mean like your systematic apologies for Israel murdering 10,000's Palestinian civilians? i.e. apology for genocide

In any case, you'd be wrong because understanding why Oct 7 occurred isn't at all equivalent to justifying the war crimes committed by Hamas on that day.

56

War cannot be a mere trading of lives but a meeting of common goal or objectives. What is at stake here and now? What objectives must we overcome together? What must be decided through loss alone and not mutual gain and respect and cooperation? Who decides what to do with your one life and why are you there to live it thusly? If not for principle then for some arbitrary sum or repayment. What is more efficient and valuable than wagering lives in order to "save" them?

57

@55 what inefficiencies and wasteful practices would you eliminate? Feel free to explain how HB1589 addresses that because I didn’t see that outlined anywhere.

“As for the 2nd part of your comment: Jews and Arabs mostly lived in peace before Europeans gave Palestinian land to colonist Jews”

That is not remotely true and even if there was a shred of truth in there the governments that ruled back then are nothing like the hard line islamists today (just ask their women).

58

wormmy's
got his Agenda
& he's Sticking to it

moving On:

some Advice from
that olde Jew
guy (I; VT):

Democrats
should run on
a progressive economic
agenda. Americans are ready

Campaigning on an economic agenda that
speaks to the needs of working families
is a winning formula for Kamala Harris

One of the most extraordinary aspects of our corporate-dominated American political system is the degree to which the needs of working-class people, the majority of our population, are systematically ignored by political and media elites.

Americans who are following the 2024 presidential campaign – and the vital campaigns for control of the US Senate and the US House – will see, hear and read a whole lot of rhetoric from political insiders and the corporate media about the “political game”.

They’ll hear about horserace polls, how much money the candidates raise, what billionaire “donors” are demanding, who the vice-presidential candidate might be and, of course, the dumb things candidates said or did five years ago. Or 10 years ago. Or 20 years ago.

But, in the midst of all the political gossip on TV and in the newspapers, what Americans will not encounter is a serious discussion of the multiple economic crises facing the 60% of our fellow citizens who live paycheck to paycheck – the working class of this country.

What you will not hear about is why, in the richest country in the history of the world, so few have so much while so many have so little.

What you will not hear about is the pain, the stress, the anxiety that tens of millions of Americans experience on a daily basis, and how governmental decisions can improve their lives.

In order to combat a political system which ignores so many of the most important concerns facing the majority of our people, my campaign recently commissioned a poll in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

It asked some pretty basic questions: what are the major concerns that you and your families have? What would you like your government to do about them?

The results of the poll are not surprising, and not unlike other polls done over the years.

https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/ak-fbs/other/dfp-battleground-issues-crosstabs.pdf

They show that, at the time of huge income and wealth inequality, unprecedented corporate greed, a failing healthcare system, a grossly unfair tax structure, an extremely high rate of childhood poverty, and too many seniors struggling to pay for their basic necessities, the American people want strong governmental action which addresses the longstanding needs of working families.

In other words, it turns out that progressive economic proposals are extremely popular – not only among Democrats but also among independents, Republicans and even the most ardent Trump supporters.

One of the key findings of the poll is that, on core economic issues, by a wide margin, voters are more likely to vote for a candidate who favors expanding social security benefits by making the wealthy pay the same tax rate as the working class.

They strongly support a candidate who favors expanding Medicare to cover vision, dental and hearing needs, who favors cutting the cost of prescription drugs in half by making sure that Americans pay no more than what they pay in Europe or Canada, and who favors hiking taxes on the rich and multinational corporations so that they pay their fair share.

In other words: campaigning on an economic agenda that speaks to the needs of working families is a winning formula for Kamala Harris and Democrats in November.

Indeed, it is the formula that could give Harris the sort of victory that sweeps in a Democratic Senate and House and allows her to govern in the best tradition of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal and Joe Biden’s Build Back Better program.

--Bernie Sanders; Mon 5 Aug 2024

tonnes More
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/05/bernie-sanders-election-democrats

or, we could go Back to
the Clintons tack to the ‘right’
and when we Lose blame Progressives

yet. Fucking. AGAIN.
fuck That shite.
Go, Kamala.

fucking GO!
With The
People.

59

@58: Yes, I agree, we should have a civic dialog, primarily on domestic economic issues, instead of having one fringe group endlessly making demands of one party, to change longstanding U.S. policy towards Israel OR ELSE!!!!

Please let us know when you’re ready to drop your extremist demands on one foreign policy item, and instead engage with us on domestic issues which affect the majority of voters.

60

but:
Is it "extremist"
to suggest Israel
STOP COMMITTING
WAR CRIMES including
GENOCIDE on a Captive
Population? A. well it IS if
a genocided people genocide
another according to Wormtongue

@59.

61

uh-oh:
Bad News for the
Wormtongue contingent:

Governor of Minnesota
Is a Plain-Spoken Progressive

Vice President Kamala Harris picked Gov. Tim Walz, according to people briefed on the matter. The decision brings Midwestern appeal to the ticket.

more:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/08/06/us/kamala-harris-vp-trump-election

it's

Progressive Politics
vs the Fascists.

62

so glad Kamala
reads these comments
and actually Listened to me!

well-Played
Madame Prez!

63

@57 I am not sure how you concluded that HB1589 would lead to "rationing and restriction". You seem poorly informed: https://www.pse.com/en/press-release/details/Facts-about-HB-1589

Example of inefficiency: A significant fraction of natural gas leaks to the atmosphere during production and transport to the point that NG is worse for climate than coal due to the much greater warming potential of methane.

64

@60: Your dedication to civic dialog about the American economy has been noted.

(Maybe someday, I’ll meet a Bernie-bro’ who actually cares enough about Bernie to, you know, listen to him on something, but I somehow doubt that will happen in Bernie’s lifetime.)

65

"Your
dedication
to civic dialog about
the American economy has been noted."

so sayeth tS's
chief Apologist
for nutnyahoo's
ONGOING Genocide

'cause if we
cannot be Civil
whilst Discussing
US's and wormmy's
Support for an ONGOING
Genocide cum Extensive War
Crimes well That's just as Bad
as a little Genocide. have I got

that correct,
Wormtongue?


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