July 12, 2019

"...he was protected by a vision of the good life in which girls and women are objects of pleasure."

Insightful opinion piece on the broader culture that supports "how heterosexual pedophilia is both normalized and often cast as aspirational: the reward for male success."


Opinion
US news The Guardian
Too many men think teenage girls are fair game. That gave Jeffrey Epstein cover
Moira Donegan

Epstein is an extreme example of how heterosexual pedophilia is both normalized and often cast as aspirational: the reward for male success

Wed 10 Jul 2019 17.02 BST

Snip

It seems clear that Epstein was protected by his many powerful connections, as many abusers are, and because they were wealthy, powerful and famous, their protection was extremely effective at shielding him from consequence. And like other rich people, Epstein used his wealth to evade the criminal justice system, purchasing the services of skilled defense attorneys and leveraging his status in order to procure the favor of prosecutors.

But Epstein, with his opulent life of multiple homes, private jets and lavish parties for the elite that were populated heavily by girls and very young women, also benefited from a culture that interprets male heterosexual pedophilia of his type as benign or even aspirational, a facet of the good life and a privilege of the ruling class. There is a vision of the life of a very rich man that Epstein pursued for himself and that those around him approved of him having, and this vision is grounded heavily in a kind of indulgent sensualism, one in which the very rich man is privileged to enjoy lavish trips, rich wine, fine food and beautiful views.

The sexual abuse of teenage girls and young women is part of this vision; the pleasure that they afford the rich man is considered largely interchangeable with that that he gets from a rare steak or a nice cigar. But Epstein’s victims were not mere party props; they were not cocktails or expensive clothes. They were little girls. “I had braces on,” Epstein victim Courtney Wild told ABC news after his arrest. When she says that he abused her, she was 14.

Epstein was protected by his money, and by his well-positioned friends, and by the corruption of those tasked with stopping him. He was protected by the broad cultural antipathy toward treating sexual abuse as real harm, the often hostile reaction to the premise that teenage girls should matter as much as adult men. But he was also protected by an idea of teenage girls as fair game for adult men to pursue and abuse, by a chuckling acceptance of May-December “romances” that begin mid-March. But he was also protected by a vision of the good life in which girls and women are objects of pleasure more than they are subjects with their own free will and their own demands on justice, dignity and freedom. It is a life that many men still covet for themselves.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jul/10/teenage-girls-jeffrey-epstein-fair-game?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVUy0xOTA3MTE%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS&CMP=GTUS_email

July 12, 2019

Real-Life Heroes in Thai Cave Rescue Set to Play Themselves in Movie Version

https://www.thedailybeast.com/house-judiciary-approves-subpoenas-for-12-mueller-witnesses-including-jared-kushner?via=newsletter&source=CSPMedition

This inspired a lot of us here when it happened. Good to have something inspiring!

Real-life divers and rescue volunteers who saved a soccer team of 12 Thai boys and their coach stuck in a cave will make their big-screen debut in a dramatization of the rescue operation. The Cave, which is directed by Thai-Irish director Tom Waller, will feature Belgian cave rescue diver Jim Warny and dive instructors Erik Brown from Canada, Mikko Paasi from Finland, and Tan Xiaolong from China, Variety reports. The real-life American journalist Todd Ruiz, who covered the rescue mission for a Thai-based English newspaper, will also play himself in the movie. Hundreds of extras in the film will be comprised of both actors and people who were present at the event. Waller told Variety: “Like the rescue itself, I wanted the cast to be made up of both local and international characters, speaking in their own tongue.” The movie is expected to be released in Thailand later this year.

June 29, 2019

Waiting for house committees to investigate McConnell's Russian connections

and Chao's and his Chinese connections, while they're at it.

Remember this thread? (and more has come out since then, but I can never understand why it doesn't get more attention at least from Rachel, etc.)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211668442

Mitch McConnell and "The Chao Connection"
"...the Chao family had by far the most significant effect on McConnell’s personal life and career. Thanks to second wife Elaine and her family, McConnell became a millionaire many times over and forged ties with contacts at the highest echelons of Chinese government and business.

Elaine Chao’s father is shipping magnate, James Chao.
As McConnell’s acquaintance with Elaine Chao developed into a serious relationship, contributions began to pour into his campaign from the Chao family and their business associates. Their wedding ensured that the spigot was never turned off."

"Fast forward to 2018: McConnell retains his position as senate tyrant after the midterms; Elaine Chao is the Secretary of Transportation in Trump’s cabinet, and the Chao family maintains extensive contacts and business investments in China including a seat on the Board of the Bank of China which is partnered with the Russian VTB Bank that is part-owned by oligarch Oleg Deripaska who shares ownership in Rusal with Viktor Vekselberg whose business partner Len Blavatnik donated $3.5million to McConnell’s Senate Leadership Fund.
It’s little wonder then that he’s blocked every bipartisan bill to protect the Special Counsel’s investigation."

"...It’s hardly surprising when you realise how enmeshed he is in corruption. He must be terrified of being caught — so the last person he’d want to protect is Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
This also explains why he was so aggressively opposed to President Obama going public with warnings regarding Russia’s attack on American democracy in 2016."

"Because the tyrant in charge of the senate isn’t just flawed, isn’t just inadequate to the enormity of the situation, he’s also corrupt. No honorable man would subject his fellow citizens to such privation and misery if he had the power to prevent it."

"Addison Mitchell McConnell is without conscience, without benevolence and without honor."

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/13/1825790/-McConnell-and-the-Agents-of-Power-and-Influence?utm_campaign=recent

Excellent breakdown of McTurtle's ties to Chinese and Russian oligarchs.

June 28, 2019

So overall, what do you all think of the effectiveness of this 10 at a time debate format?

Seems to me like it isn't going to give the voting public much to go on as far as narrowing the field; not enough time to get into anything really substantive, but then that is often the case with debates.

I still like the candidates I liked and still don't like the ones I didn't. The ones who interrupt are obnoxious, and may well filter themselves out, but there are lot of candidates who are saying really good things and who are likable. It will be really interesting to see how this field gets narrowed down, but I really question if these debates help that process, other than weeding out the interrupters. That is if others also find that obnoxious.

Mostly my concern is if this will help the voters at all in making decisions. Seems there has to be a better way.

Curious to hear what your perspectives are.

June 19, 2019

Rachel covering Orlando Sentinal editorial in depth. Editor on next.

Rachel read most of it just before the break and pointed out that they usually endorse Rs.
He's on now. Letters to editor:
At this point, 112 liked it. 108 didn't.

June 18, 2019

SCOTUS Reaffirms 'Double Jeopardy' Exception With Mueller Probe Implications (good news!)

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday reaffirmed a 170-year-old exception to the Constitution’s double-jeopardy clause, and left the door open for state prosecutors to prosecute Trump campaign officials regardless of whether federal officials have already done so. The case, Gamble v. United States, has drawn attention for its potential effect on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s federal prosecutions on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Had the “dual sovereignty doctrine” been repealed, states would not be able to pursue investigations parallel to the federal government, the National Law Journal reports. State prosecutors in New York have brought charges against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort Jr., who was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, in the event that President Trump pardons him.

In the 7-2 majority decision, Justice Samuel Alito Jr. wrote that the separate sovereigns exception “honors the substantive differences between the interests that two sovereigns can have in punishing the same act.”


https://www.thedailybeast.com/scotus-reaffirms-double-jeopardy-exception-allowing-trump-campaign-officials-to-be-tried-by-state-feds?via=newsletter&source=CheatAMTest

June 18, 2019

Oregon governor Kate Brown signed 5 year fracking ban into law today!

Food and Water Watch was very involved with this. Just got an email from them today.

June 18, 2019

California State Capitol Flies LGBT Pride Flag for First Time Ever

Happy to have some GOOD news!

https://www.thedailybeast.com/california-state-capitol-flies-lgbt-pride-flag-for-first-time-ever

https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/1140655137192439808/photo/1
California raised the LGBT pride flag over its capitol building in Sacramento on Monday for the first time ever in the state’s history. “In California, we celebrate and support our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community’s right to live out loud—during Pride month and every month,” Governor Gavin Newsom (D) said in a press release. “By flying the pride flag over the State Capitol, we send a clear message that California is welcoming and inclusive to all, regardless of how you identify or who you love.”

California joins Colorado and Wisconsin this year in raising the pride flag for the first time. The decision came after several U.S. embassies flew the flag in defiance of a new State Department policy requiring diplomats to get top-level permission to put them up. The flag will remain raised at the California capitol for the remainder of LGBTQ Pride Month, until July 1.

June 14, 2019

Lawrence just reported on Kevin McCarthy saying Putin paid Trump! And Chris Hayes said it earlier.

Finally they are giving it air time. I have been waiting a long time for this. I could never understand why even people like Rachel didn't give it more attention. Now if they would just report the part of the tape where Paul Ryan said let's keep that in the family after McCarthy said he thought Putin was paying Trump.

June 13, 2019

Adam Schiff on Rachel: "I'm losing patience." RE subpeona Chris Wray.

Maybe Trump's comments today about FBI/Russia will push this over the edge. I can hope...