What's in the News 3.0

[Humble Scribe]

I've been taking a break from Elliquiy, but I wanted to come back to echo Annaamarth's comments. Fingers crossed for Poland, because the PiS were the vanguard of the wave of populism we've all endured and it's good to see that wave cresting. All we got in the UK were some clowns who took us out of the EU and crashed the economy, but the PiS were trying to dismantle courts and rig elections.

[Beorning]

An update regarding the Polish elections: the exit polls turned out to be correct! The opposition won the elections and secured 249 MPs in the new Sejm (against 194 MPs for PiS and 18 MPs for Konfederacja).

So, it seems the opposition is going to be forming the new government... the question is, when exactly they will be taking over. At this point, the ball is on the President's side (unfortunately), as he needs to appoint the date for the 1st session of the new parliament - and he can set it even around November 15th. Also, the President has the first turn when it comes to appointing the new Prime Minister - who will have 2 weeks to win the vote of confidence. So, President Duda (being a faithful PiS ally) can appoint someone from PiS as the new PM. In the end, after 2 weeks, this PM would fail the vote of confidence, allowing the opposition to form the new government... but it gives PiS even more time to do shady things.

At this point, PiS members insist they won the elections... which is technically correct, as they got the most votes. But the three opposition blocs were running the campaign on the promise they plan on forming the government together... and they have the majority now. So, in practical terms, it is them who won. But PiS tries to sell the narrative that *they* are the winning party and have a solid chance at forming a government with... someone.

It's worth noting that this is not only something PiS politicians say - the same narrative is being pushed by the state-owned TV. Yes, these propagandists are still solidly on the side of PiS, boldly claiming that PiS won the elections and trying to scare the viewers with the evils of a potential opposition government.

Coming back to PiS - their leader, Kaczyński, has recently made a speech about the reasons for the election's results. Among other things, he concluded that the voters were "ungrateful" for all money PiS was giving away. He also claimed that the opposition received some shady "foreign aid" in getting voters. Finally, he almost openly accused one of the opposition parties of having been created by Russians...  *rolls eyes*

On darker note, there are leaks that claim PiS might currently be trying to use some government agencies to spy on the opposition politicians and try to disrupt the process of forming the new government:

https://notesfrompoland.com/2023/10/23/polish-government-denies-order-to-wiretap-opposition-ahead-of-elections/


As I mentioned last week: PiS loves their dirty tricks...

[Missy]

At this point it seems like an expected setback, but while i have no personal investment it seems overall, to be more optimistic to me, despite the obvious issues at hand.

[Chulanowa]

In the ongoing contention for US speaker of the House, we've got a new name in the ring!

Jesus Christ.

...No, really, I'm not just going "Jesus Christ," Donald Trump has endorsed Jesus Christ to be Speaker of the House.

“I said there’s only one person that can do it all the way, you know who that is?” Mr Trump asked reporters. “Jesus Christ.”
“Jesus came down and said ‘I want to be Speaker,’ he would do it. Other than that, I haven’t seen anyone who can guarantee it.”

Jesus Christ (okay that time was just exasperation.)

[Laughing Hyena]

Translation "I want my GOP minions to dig their heela in and delay the house so it can't pass anew budget much less keep the lights on with a bipartisan nominee.

My following will still vote for me anyway"

[Laughing Hyena]

Well we have a new Speaker of the House at the very least. Mike Johnson. For better or worse but better is all I can hope for. 

[TheGlyphstone]

Johnson is an election denier, anti-LGBTQ crusader, and generally the rest of the hard right-wing ideology package. I know there was no chance a moderate would be chosen but its still disappointing.

[Laughing Hyena]

Johnson is an election denier, anti-LGBTQ crusader, and generally the rest of the hard right-wing ideology package. I know there was no chance a moderate would be chosen but its still disappointing.

Exactly. Better is all I can hope for. His track record is terrible. At this point, the bare minimum in the house (keeping the lights on and nothing else.) is all I can expect. If a spiteful shutdown happens, I know who and which party is to blame. 

[Missy]

but how long will he stay speaker though?

[Vekseid]

He is an incredibly weak, inexperienced speaker.

If the Democrats pull off upsets like they did with McCarthy, he'll probably get ousted. If that happens that means the Democrats got more or less what they wanted for next year's spending and possibly some further concession like they did with the debt ceiling.

Alternately he could send the government into a protracted shutdown, to the point where some Republicans may be forced by their donors or constituents to drop their party and caucus 'independently'.

He could also come to an understanding of what the job actually means, realize he is not fit for it, and resign. This would surprise me the least out of any outcome.

[Kelindel]

Given that he is one of the main architects of the attempts to subvert the election in 2020 and is a devout Maga Republican, I see the chance of the government shutdown not improving with there being a Speaker now, not with this speaker. 

[ShadowFox89]

Johnson is an election denier, anti-LGBTQ crusader, and generally the rest of the hard right-wing ideology package. I know there was no chance a moderate would be chosen but its still disappointing.

He's also a young earth christian.

[Missy]

He is an incredibly weak, inexperienced speaker.

If the Democrats pull off upsets like they did with McCarthy, he'll probably get ousted. If that happens that means the Democrats got more or less what they wanted for next year's spending and possibly some further concession like they did with the debt ceiling.

Alternately he could send the government into a protracted shutdown, to the point where some Republicans may be forced by their donors or constituents to drop their party and caucus 'independently'.

He could also come to an understanding of what the job actually means, realize he is not fit for it, and resign. This would surprise me the least out of any outcome.

I mean anyone who knows anything knows she got her brain out of a packet of cottage cheese, but really how long can Johnson last when this is what gets taken seriously?


I mean ultimately either way I'm just hopeful this works out well for the Democrats next November.

[Oniya]

Omegle has shut down.

[TheGlyphstone]

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is retiring.

2024 is looking increasingly fraught as we trend closer and closer to a static and gridlocked Senate roster.

[Oniya]

Well, here's one more seat that may be up for grabs.

George Santos has been under investigation for ethics violations committed during his campaign.  The Ethics committee has released a 56-page report on the matter, and Santos has said that he will not seek re-election in 2024.

https://ethics.house.gov/sites/ethics.house.gov/files/documents/ISC%20Report_0.pdf


The Wall Street Journal had this to say (paywall)

Mr. Santos “sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit,” the report said, adding that he sustained his campaign “through a constant series of lies to his constituents, donors, and staff about his background and experience.”
The committee voted unanimously to refer its findings to the Department of Justice, saying that Mr. Santos’s conduct “warrants public condemnation, is beneath the dignity of the office, and has brought severe discredit upon the House.”


And while the panel refrained from recommending any punitive measures, its chairman, Representative Michael Guest, Republican of Mississippi, separately announced that he would introduce a new motion to remove Mr. Santos from office as soon as Friday.
“Most of us have never seen anything like this — this extensive, this brazen, and this bold,” said Representative Glenn F. Ivey, Democrat of Maryland, who sits on the Ethics Committee.
In the hours after the report was released, a handful of Democrats and Republicans who had previously voted to protect Mr. Santos indicated they now supported his removal.

I just want to know where Mr. Ivey was between 2016 and 2020.

[ShadowFox89]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/henry-kissinger-war-criminal-dead-1234804748/

Remind me again, what's the forum policy on celebrating someone's death? 

[Oniya]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/henry-kissinger-war-criminal-dead-1234804748/

Remind me again, what's the forum policy on celebrating someone's death?

Probably shouldn't pull a Wizard of Oz musical number. 

[ShadowFox89]

I totally wasn't going to, honestly. Now excuse me while I put these gifs away....

[GloomCookie]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/henry-kissinger-war-criminal-dead-1234804748/

Remind me again, what's the forum policy on celebrating someone's death?

I don't trust anything from the Rolling Stone. Putting out an article celebrating anyone's death is just par for the course, even if I don't like the man.

[Oniya]

Rolling Stone isn't exactly a 'news' outlet - its focus is on the music industry, and it therefore has a strong bias towards the counterculture.  However, Kissinger's diplomatic record is fairly public.  His role in supporting South American upheaval is well-documented. 

[Hades]

Kissinger is another one of those that falls in the category of the quote falsely attributed to Mark Twain (it's actually from Clarence Darrow):

"I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure."

That said, to provide a summary of the war crimes Kissinger is accused of/admitted to doing but denying they were crimes:

Cambodia
In 1969, under orders from Nixon, Kissinger put together a secret bombing campaign in a country that the US was not at war with.  Over the course of 14 months (March 1969 - May 1970), "Operation Menu" saw several ground incursions into the country as well as over using B-52s to carpet-bomb the country without informing Congress about any of this.  But because it was seen as a 'success', Nixon did go to Congress and got permission to expand (or begin as far as Congress was concerned) much more extensive bombing in the country in an effort to defeat the Khmer Rouge with "Operation Freedom Deal", which would run until 1973. Both operations in the end dropped an estimated 2.7 million tons of bombs on Cambodia.  For comparison, a total of approximately 2 million tons of bombs were dropped during World War 2 by the Allies. 

Civilian casualties are difficult to verify given that most villages in that region were remote, with estimates ranging from as low as 25,000 to as high as 150,000.

East Timor
In 1975, Kissinger persuaded President Ford to give tacit approval to Indonesian dictator Suharto in regards to invading the newly declared independent nation of East Timor (which had been a Portuguese colony until 1974).  Kissinger said "It is important that whatever you do succeeds quickly" according to documents in the National Security Archives at George Washington University.  The following day, Indonesia invaded and lead to an occupation that left hundreds of thousands dead and lasted until 2002 when East Timor would once again gain independence.

Chile
Salvador Allende was elected president of Chile in 1970, at a time when most of South America was being lead by military dictatorships.  Unfortunately for Mr Allende, he was an ardent socialist and thus was too dangerous of a threat for Kissinger and Nixon to ignore.  Especially after Allende began to institute national reforms such as nationalizing key industries, providing national health care and education, and normalized relations with Cuba and the Soviet Union.

So Kissinger spearheaded things as the Nixon administration spent millions destabilizing the country to the point where General Augusto Pinochet was able to use CIA support to overthrow the government in 1973 and establish his own military dictatorship that would last until 1990.

And that's just from government archives that have been declassified to date that we are aware of.  There's no doubt there's probably more that either hasn't been sifted through or remains classified still.

[Oniya]

George Santos has been officially expelled from Congress, making him the 6th Representative to be so removed.  Three of that number were expelled for fighting for the Confederacy, and the other two had been convicted on bribery charges (Traficant in 2002 and Myers in 1980)

One of his own colleagues, Rep Max Miller (R-OH) has accused Santos, based on an FEC complaint, of using Miller's credit card and that of Miller's mother to get 'donations' of an additional 10,000 from the pair (5,000 each).

The vote was bipartisan, with nearly half of the Republican House members joining those voting for expulsion.  Notably, the four 'leaders' of the House GOP  (Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Scalise, GOP Conference Chair Stefanik, and GOP Whip Emmer) voted against expulsion.

A special election will be held in New York's 3rd District to fill the vacancy.

[Lilias]

Benjamin Zephaniah has died, aged 65.

Time to go reread Gangsta Rap...

[Oniya]

It's not about 'life'.

A woman in Texas has been working her way through the court system to try to get an emergency abortion.

Kate Cox is currently carrying a fetus with a lethal abnormality.  It would last maybe days outside the womb.  She has two children from two previous C-sections, and any delivery performed would have to be through another C-section, greatly impacting her future fertility - and she does want another child.  She has been to the emergency room at least four times, and her doctor says that the abortion is medically necessary.  Earlier this week, a judge affirmed this.

Despite this, Ken Paxton, the Texas A.G., has stated that this ruling would not insulate the participants from legal action (including the possibility of the doctor performing the surgery losing her license), stating in his filing that 'Nothing can restore the unborn child's life that will be lost as a result.'

This unborn child's 'life' will be measured in hours.  Days, at the outside.  It was never about being 'pro-life'.