Letters to the Editor
Fraud Guy
Published Letters: 337
-
More random stops
[Read the article: Forcing Larry Craig's resignation while embracing David Vitter]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]casual_observer,
I have to find the Supreme Court case, but, as I said before, I believe that the finding was that truly "random" stops were considered constitutional.
I don't agree with that, but, alluding to my comment in the next thread, a government that wants "warrant-less" warrantless wiretapping (i.e., without a reason) to prosecute its war on terror(tm) will have no problem pushing for "random" stops to check for violators in its war on drugs (tm).
Actually, from a business perspective, I can think of one reason for choosing lower value cars to "randomly" stop: costs. My later post on paying for the toll violation covers this--a wealthier person is more likely to be able to pay for legal advice and/or representation, and therefore would cause the village to fight the citations in court, as opposed to the poor schlubs who have to take off work (without pay) and can't afford the bond to come back for another court date (and another day without pay). You accept a "no contest" plea, pay the fine, and hope it drops off your record soon enough to not impact your insurance payment, and try to make up the shortfall in you budget (if you can afford one). The village doesn't have to pay its officer to show up, or an attorney to show up, and just collects more revenue. That's why "we don't pull them over."
And then the Jaguar drivers look at all those older, poorer cars on the side of the road, knowing it only seems to happen to other people....
And then their kids in the back seat, not wearing the seat belts, watching their parents drive without turn signals and over the limit, learn that this is how "we" drive....
And then they get their car for their 16th, another at graduation, and it's so much better than the car of the kid who has to work after school to pay for hers, who always seems worried about following the "rules of the road", why can't she get a better car....
And dad is downsizing his division again, cutting jobs or moving them overseas, to keep costs down and his bonuses up, cause he has to pay for his kids college and car (and his), you know....
Living between two demographically elite towns, this is what I see on a regular basis It's not a total fit, as there are exceptions, but it is extremely frequent.
American justice(tm)--nice if you can afford it. Privelege is getting kind of rank.
-
@ Pedinska
[Read the article: Warrantless surveillance and the new Coretta Scott King disclosures]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"military-industrial-congressional-executive complex"
Hmm, M.I.C.E. nibbling away at the paper of our constitution. Oops!, there's a hole where the 4th amendment used to be.
I like the metaphor, but of course, they smell more like rats.
-
Add on.
[Read the article: Warrantless surveillance and the new Coretta Scott King disclosures]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]continuing previous thought.
And look, these droppings seem to spell "unlimited executive power"; amazing what those m.i.c.e. can do. Reminds me of "Charlotte's Web".
-
Casual names
[Read the article: Warrantless surveillance and the new Coretta Scott King disclosures]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]casual_observer,
Is that his name or his nickname for Bush?
Rove = Turdblossom
Gonzales = Fredo (cue Godfather music)
Petraeus = David (& Goliath--but who's the giant?)
-
Country still here, good....
[Read the article: A one-day guide to war supporters and their enablers]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I pulled these from the Book of Lists (can't recall which volume, but from the mid-80's), of the Laws Murphy didn't think of.
Rule of Research:
If the facts do not conform to the theory, they must be disposed of.
Golden Rule:
Whoever has the gold makes the rules.
They seem appropriate, for some reason.
-
Italian enemies
[Read the article: Brit Hume and the Bush administration take propaganda to a new level]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Kitt,
Tell it to the Austo-Hungarians.
Actually, Italy pretty much fell to 2nd tier enemy during 1942, and then collapsed after it was invaded. Germany and Japan are remembered because they stuck it out to the end.
Hmm--kind of ties in to the current war--if Bush continues to cravenly let his legacy degrade until his term is over, then it is the next Pres who will get the (dis)credit for the war because they brought it to an end.
Win-win for the Republicans.
-
Press passes
[Read the article: Brit Hume and the Bush administration take propaganda to a new level]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]IIRC, to some degree, the press credentials are given by consensus of the other press organizations in the room. Someone here pulled (months ago) a story on how radio press was kept out for years by the newsprint group, until they became too big to be ignored.
This may have been about Congress instead of the President's, but wouldn't it be nice if the other news organizations could agree that Fox no longer counts as news, and excluded them?
-
Militaristic?
[Read the article: One-sided rules of political debate]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Carolyn C,
It is interesting that we are becoming more militaristic, while fewer and fewer citizens choosing to be part of the military. I guess that means we will have to turn our defense over to Blackwater sooner than later, and we all know how well mercenaries turned out for previous global empires...
-
Another one sided argument
[Read the article: One-sided rules of political debate]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Why is Bush in favor of pulling out...
when used as birth control
but not in favor of pulling out...
when it causes death and destruction
then he prefers to surge.
-
getting off topic, even Glenn
[Read the article: Selective defenders of free expression]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]And the main point, of course, is the hypocrisy (surprise, surprise, surprise) of the defenders of free speech (for themselves and their point of views) but asking everyone else to shut up when they don't agree with the position.
We would rather have a rational debate, but it is debatable that you can have one with such people.
Of course, you could take George Carlin's spin on it:
Live and let live, that's my motto. Live and let live. If anyone can't agree with that, take them outside and shoot the motherf***er
(without the
-
It's the hypocrisy...
[Read the article: Selective defenders of free expression]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Rosenkavalier,
The majority of the comments here are not celebrating the comments, but deriding the hypocrisy of our "defenders of free speech" who have condemned the speech.
Paying attention, good; hypocrisy, bad.