Khashoggi's torture and murder might just be a warning

[MineralMan]

to journalists. Trump's lack of concern about may be another sign of his contempt for the fourth estate. Clearly, he doesn't like reporters or news people, unless they work for a captive organization that supports him. He calls them "enemies of the people." Now, a journalist who writes for one of the publications that angers Donald Trump has suffered and died, and our temporary President isn't all that concerned, see.

Freedom of the Press may be an endangered right before long, I'm afraid.

[Initech]

1. No it was an act of war.

Calling it anything else is downplaying the severity of the incident. But yeah we are fucked.

[GeorgeGist]

2. 'just' ...

as in 'no biggie'?

[MineralMan]

3. No. "merely" or "only"

Sorry. "Just" is a word with many meanings.

[brush]

4. Erstwhile?

[MineralMan]

5. That's my wishful thinking at work.

I like to think of him as our "former" President. I changed it to "temporary" to prevent confusion.

[brush]

10. Yeah, I wish he was erstwhile too.

[PufPuf23]

6. Seems like Khashoggi's murder could be a flash point for

hostility or even war between Saudi and Turkey.

[gratuitous]

7. The Toady Show had John Brennan on this morning

I just caught a snippet on my way out the door, but Kotb asked Brennan why the Khashoggi episode was so apparently clumsy and amateurish. Brennan said that was a good question, and I missed the rest of the answer.

In my mind, there are a couple of alternatives: The Saudis made a hash of this murder because they're a bunch of amateurs who don't know what they're doing. I think that's unlikely. The other choice is that this was so public and traceable so that they could send an unmistakable message to journalists and perhaps others. They don't have to conduct themselves in anything like a reasonable manner, and they can even carve up a voice of dissent with impunity. They have lots of money and compliant stooges all over the world, including in Washington DC.

[MineralMan]

8. Yes. A warning.

[BeckyDem]

11. +1

[hostalover]

16. Absolutely.

[not fooled]

20. Yep, a warning

and the gruesome way it was done serves as an extra layer of intimidation. The Saudis who are behind this are probably glad the gory details are getting a lot of coverage.

another disgraceful response from the dump administration. pompeo's farcical visit and his connivance with the saudis should disqualify him from further elected office in the U.S. Of course, these days the dimwits who worship donnie thiink it's all just fine.

[kwassa]

21. It wasn't amateurish; the Saudis didn't know their consulate was bugged.

Audio and video.

They would have gotten away with this episode of Dexter if it weren't.

This is about hubris.

[yardwork]

22. It's hard to believe that the Saudis didn't know their embassy is bugged.

If so, that is hubris.

The info getting out seems to have caught the Saudis flat-footed. There is a peculiar absence of troll activity rationalizing the murder. Scripts are missing. Trump the puppet seems not to have been given his lines.

Maybe the prince is murderously insane and sloppy, but that seems unsupported by his reputation for control and detail.

[kwassa]

24. MBS is egotistical, brutal, and inexperienced.

He has made a total mess of Yemen. A humanitarian disaster. And, he isn't winning anything.

And he is doing a clear and obvious power grab in Saudi Arabia to set himself up as the next great middle-eastern dictator. So far, he has been successful. He tolerates no challenges to his absolute power. MBS also tried to bend Qatar to his will.

If Trump and Kushner try to support him, we will have a major mess on our hands.

[C_U_L8R]

9. So much for that plan

"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." - fictitious film quote by Gen Yamamoto

[Botany]

12. When the Nazis were really pissed off @ you they would hang you w/piano wire so you suffered for ...

..... @ least an hour before you died. They did that to many of the people who tried to kill Hitler
in 1944. Cutting up Khashoggi alive is a warning to the media all over the world not to cross
Saudi Arabia, Trump, Russia/Putin, and God only knows who else.

[Johnny2X2X]

13. No "might" about it

This was a message from Trump to journalists who criticize him. The 1st amendment has never been in more jeopardy than it is right now. Trump is already showing that he's going to start using the FBI to punish dissenters.

[HAB911]

14. If he ever thinks he can get away with it here

he will try

[MineralMan]

15. Or, perhaps he'll ask one of our "allies" to handle it?

That seems more likely.

[LanternWaste]

17. It's always been an endangered right.

But for the due diligence of a handful of citizens with the courage of their convictions, it would not exist...

This is not new, I'm afraid.

[MineralMan]

18. You're right. It's not new.

However, a lot of people don't know about the risks of being a journalist. Few are murdered here in the US. Elsewhere, it's a more common event. It may be changing here, though.

[Nitram]

19. There is no freedom of the press in Saudi Arabia. Or Russia, and many other countries.

The US has always strongly backed the rights of journalists, but that won't happen under president Trump.

[randr]

23. This is but the most recent and graphic incident of the war against journalism

The carnage created by the weapons we are selling is far more horrific.
Journalists are our Canaries, so to speak.
The fate of all humankind is on the line.