Recent posts

#1

Off the Record / Re: US - Greenland Crisis Thre...

Last post by bogh - Today at 07:28:08 AM

The Danish DoD is trying to figure out what happens to the 100ish Danish soldiers currently training or working at US military installations in the event of a war. Going directly from ally to enemy will present some odd scenarios for sure.

#2

Off the Record / Re: STAR TREK

Last post by Grey Fox - Today at 07:24:15 AM

La bibliothèque a juste les DVDs, pas de Blurays.

#3

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Crazy_Ivan80 - Today at 06:10:29 AM

At the very least we'll soon know the answer to the question 'why didn't the Germans stop hitler?'.

#4

Off the Record / Re: Go Persians, go!

Last post by Norgy - Today at 05:07:35 AM

At least 4200 killed. Official Iranian reports 5000, including around 500 from the security forces.

Arrests in the tens of thousands.

#5

Off the Record / Re: Fitness 2026

Last post by Duque de Bragança - Today at 05:05:26 AM

Vacant lots, or wastelands (not Mad Max style), disappeared even earlier but I still remember them in the ´80s, bordering the suburbs, in my case.

#6

Off the Record / Re: STAR TREK

Last post by Duque de Bragança - Today at 04:59:19 AM

just returning the dvds.

And here I thought I was the old one here.   

Yeah, you could have switched to blu-ray by now at least ; 4K will have ti wait, along with your VHS and Laserdiscs still lingering on, for some reason.

#7

Off the Record / Re: US - Greenland Crisis Thre...

Last post by Admiral Yi - Today at 04:55:30 AM

A good point though. You take complaints about protesters at face value, but refuse to entertain the notion that ICE may be overstepping their legal boundaries. You may convince yourself thst you are impartial but you are far from it.

How do you  know how I take complaints about protesters? How do you know how I entertain the notion that ICE may be overstepping their boundaries? That's narrative. You make things up and get angry about them.

Yes I have. No they haven't.

#8

Off the Record / Re: US - Greenland Crisis Thre...

Last post by Tamas - Today at 04:19:38 AM

Is there a form of protest of current ICE methods displayed in Minessota and other places that you would find acceptable? Or is your core argument that these methods do not justify any protest?

Also what is the treshold at which voluntary members of an organisation can be held personally responsible for the actions they personally undertake while following guidelines and orders from that organisation (i.e. what's the treshold for personal insults becoming acceptable)?

I asked you a question which you did not answer but rather followed  up with more questions. We grant certain people the authority to ask questions without answering them in turn. The police, the court, counsels in a court case. Clergy, if you swing that way. You are not one of those parties.  Therefore answering your questions is not an obligation on my part. Rather I view it as a courtesy extended on a reciprocal basis. I ask my question, you answer, you get to ask yours.

You haven't asked me any direct questions, the questions you asked have been answered by others.

#9

Off the Record / Re: US - Greenland Crisis Thre...

Last post by viper37 - Today at 01:53:32 AM

New leaked documents reveal US military sought classified info on Greenlandic infrastructure behind Denmark's back 

Danish article about US military shenanigans concerning Greenland.

It seems on one hand, some of the top Generals are pushing back against this, while some others are enabling it.

#10

Off the Record / Re: US - Greenland Crisis Thre...

Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 01:18:18 AM

Jacob described ICE as Trump's Freikorps long before Minnesota. Do believe he was basing his judgement on cases such as the one you cited?  Do you believe there were other activities ICE engaged in that would justify the Freikorps accusation, i.e. render it not demonization?

ICE predates Trump.  It's never been my favorite agency, but with a federal agency you can usually count on some level of professionalism.  You could count on a minimum level of competence in personnel.  You could usually count on some degree of predictability in conduct, following developed standards and procedures and manuals.  This is what the Bannons of the world are talking about when they rant about the "deep state."  It's the operationalization of the rule of law. The people responsible for executing the law take steps to understand the law they are enforcing, and put procedures in place to do it in a reasonably predictable and transparent way.

Trump's first term didn't have much impact on this. The second term has been very different.  There have been purges at the senior civil service level of all agencies. Replacements chosen for personal and ideological loyalty. Expertise is suspect. SOPs and manuals are ignored as deep state BS and extraneous red tape.

ICE is an extreme manifestation of this phenomenon, because of the massive influx of personnel, poorly vetted and lightly trained and because they are charged with implementing a high personal priority for Trump.  The job by is nature is complex because ICE agents are responsible for enforcing both civil and criminal laws.  That distinction appears to have broken down completely, and intentionally so.

We don't have access to internal memoranda or orders yet (perhaps post 26?)  But the following is clear:
1) Enormous pressure is being placed on ICE to maximize the number of removals.
2) Racial and ethnic profiling of the crudest kind is the primary method of investigation. Here the Supreme Court has been a critical enabler.
3) The administration has made it crystal clear, from the very top (Trump, Vance, Noem, Miller) on down, that ICE agents do not need to concern themselves about adverse consequences from exceeding authority or even breaking the law.  They have "absolute immunity."

What we see on the streets of Minneapolis, Chicago, Portland elsewhere is the predictable result of bringing in masses of poorly trained recruits, arming them, pressuring them to achieve results at all costs, referring to the civilian population around them as "domestic terrorists" and "agitators", and telling them they can do whatever they want without negative consequences.  It's textbook behaviorism.