Itty53

Yeah this all smacks hard of a con then. You don't publish except to get replication. That's the entire point.

Publishing while being intentionally vague about replication is a huge red flag.

They want to avoid that until the absolute only option that's left is that. Because gag orders are very problematic of the first amendment, and his strategy is entirely trying to make this a referendum on his first amendment rights.

If they don't issue a gag order there's nothing he's being charged with that the first amendment will protect him from. If they do? His argument gets that much stronger.

He is pushing the limits purposefully. He wants a gag order. But he wants it without actually breaking the existing order (which his post over the weekend did not do). If he breaks that he faces additional felonies and they'll be consecutive punishments.

So don't feed into the public demand for retribution, that feeds trump. Let justice grind it's course. The judge and prosecuting attorney are both being meticulous and acting faster than anyone could reasonably expect.

The legal reason for hearing it at all was whistleblower protections. That was what the committee was hearing about, were whistleblower protections actually violated? Watch AOC's line of questioning, it's extremely telling.

The committee exists to oversee exactly that law because the people who would violate it are government employees. The reality of his claims are irrelevant, and the validity of his claims is also irrelevant.

The questions are "did her feel he had a valid concern to report", yes, and "did he report it through the appropriate channels" (we don't really know, this was exactly the topic of AOC's questions, and this made Grusch visibly nervous), and finally, "did he suffer duress from superiors for having made those duly obligated reports?". The answer to the last one depends entirely on what those proper channels are. You do not have protections by simply going to the public. You have to inform superiors up the chain of command.

It all feels incredibly tailored to make Congress a media side show while carefully dodging culpability for doing so. The entire point of "well I didn't see anything, people told me and I believed them" is just far too conveniently placed, the stories he has all fall in line with what the alien sub culture already had well established in their lore. Too too convenient. I believe AOC was on to that because while she's smart, it doesn't take a genius to figure this out.

Fully aware of that, doesn't mean they're incapable of repeating propaganda for the other side. It happens all the time. You know the phrase tax relief right? Of course you do. You've heard it used by people from across the gamut. Every time they do they reinforce what is a distinctively conservative political tenet: that taxes are inherently afflictions to be relieved. Not a debt to society for services rendered.

That's a Republican viewpoint. And it's deliberate. They drilled that phrase like they drilled the words freedom and terrorist down our throats. Coordinated fashion across literally hundreds of talking heads since the 80s. It's so strong that virtually everyone has the same knee jerk reaction to just the thought of taxes. Young Democrats vote against spending bills, vote against higher taxes, all the time. They're afflictions. We believe that now as a society, it only took 30 years or less. That's the effect of propaganda.

It's called framing, and when done correctly you can't even broach topics without reinforcing the opposition unless you're extremely careful.

This panel is a clear example of the power of framing. It's the result of the last three generations being told all politicians are equally scum bags, that the very job itself is dishonest. That's propaganda. It sets up the excuse "the other side does it too" when the damn well don't.

It's reinforcing the notion that the Democrats must be commiting crimes at an equal pace. That's not just false, it's absolutely absurd. There is no comparison to make between the two parties in the regard that this comic makes, and yet it makes it. That begs the question, doesn't it?

Sooo again, all ears on what crimes Democrats might be sweating over (as directly implied by the comic).

No, look at the bird faces and tie colors in each panel. The message is Democrats have some imminent criminal charges to fear here. Which is a very common right wing talking point.

The implication here is that there's a Democrat former POTUS who should be prosecuted for federal crimes?

I'm all ears.

To be entirely fair there's a significant chance some of them are undercover cops. But that's neither here nor there.

No one is demonizing this particular thing. People are complaining about a senator who needs to give way to a younger, more progressive person.

Like a 70 year old. /s Jokes aside this highlights things well.

Seriously though, no one is demonizing the thing. They're pointing out the thing adds strong evidence to the arguments they've been making for the better part of the last 20 years. When W Bush went under the knife he signed over power to Cheney. That's the responsible thing to do. On the same token, Feinstein has indicated the likelihood that she is unable to serve her role in numerous ways, with this just being one more way. If she can no longer speak for herself, how can she speak for Californians? I live here, BTW. I'm affected directly.

Knew a girl who worked her way from a receptionist job to management at a Christian retreat camp. She's been there for probably fifteen years now. Paid very well, good benefits. She's an atheist. Had no problem simply lying and pretending. They loved her.

Ha! Ok. We're done. You're a fascist troll and I'm blocking you, and you're going to tell yourself that's a win but the reality is it isn't. It isn't a win that you can annoy people with your cowardice until they refuse to waste further time on you.

You need to go take a looonnnggg look in the mirror and ask yourself why you act the way you do. It isn't nobility or wisdom. It isn't respectable. It's cowardly and ignorant and lazy. One day you might grow up and realize that. It isn't gonna be today though.

Haha you're just a coward. You want to be a conservative but you know it isn't popular so you won't just be one. Coward. C. O. W. A. R. D.

Republicans are fascists. You seem to be okay with a little fascism. I'm not. There's our disconnect. Fascism is a deal breaker for me.

Alt-right: These people want literal genocide.

"Leftists": These people want healthcare and affordable housing and a true living wage and perhaps not to be afraid of dying every time they interact with police.

You : these two extremes are both untenable, there's a compromise here we can all agree on.

You don't come off as enlightened, you come off as ignorant. Edit, yep he's just a regular, cowardly fascist. Honestly I have more respect for the swastika wearing khaki boi than I do for these pitiful little trolls. At least the guy wearing a swastika has the conviction and the balls to say what he actually thinks. He's wrong, he's awful, but at least he isn't a fucking coward too.

Block the guy, reader, he wants to waste your time and energy and frustrate you. That's his goal.