Octopus Overlords

A texting company run by one of President Donald Trump’s top campaign officials sent out thousands of targeted, anonymous text messages urging supporters to rally where votes were being counted in Philadelphia on Thursday, falsely claiming Democrats were trying to steal the presidential election.

The messages directed Trump fans to converge at a downtown intersection where hundreds of protesters from the opposing candidates’ camps faced off Thursday afternoon. Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground state where former Vice President Joe Biden’s jumped ahead Friday and in a televised address later predicted a victory that would give him the presidency.

“This kind of message is playing with fire, and we are very lucky that it does not seem to have driven more conflict,” said John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s online watchdog Citizen Lab. Scott-Railton helped track down the source.

YellowKing wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 11:24 am I just don't see the party allowing Trump to come back in 2024. Trumpism? Absolutely. But he'll have the stench of loser on him after this and I don't think they're going to want to jump back into that chaos again. Plus he's going to be 4 years older by that time with his brain even more deteriorated than it already is.

Daehawk wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 1:06 pm [url=https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2 ... llots.html]

Daehawk wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 6:19 pm Dang thought that was new or an update. Sorry. Why old shit pops up in my news I dont know.

YellowKing wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 8:18 pm I haven't seen much anti-Biden sentiment from my Facebook, but it's probably because I purged most of the vocal Trump supporters. The closest thing I've seen is a bunch of "God is weeping for our country" type posts.

Begone! Your God has no power here.

The police chief of Marshall, Arkansas [Pop 1,355 - Isg] is out of a job after social media posts under his name called for violence against “Marxist Democrats.”

“When this is over and Trump is president for 4 more years,” said an account in the name of chief Lang Holland, “Do not go to sleep. Do not forget what these Marxist Democrat bastards have tried to do. When you see one in public get in their face do not give them any peace. Throw water on them at restaurants. Push them off sidewalks. Never let them forget they are traitors and have no rights to live in this Republic after what they have done.”

“Death to all Marxist Democrats. Take no prisoners,” the account author wrote in response to another post, “Leave no survivors!!”

The posts reportedly appeared on Parler, a social media platform that positioned itself as a conservative alternative to Twitter. Another account under Holland’s name denied that he was behind the violent posts.

“I am NOT an ignorant, violent, racist Trump disciple like I have been depicted,” this new account stated. “I actually lean hard left on most issues BUT I am professional so my political beliefs would never affect my duty to protect ALL citizens in my jurisdiction.”
...
“Upon my meeting with Mr. Holland he resigned as Police Chief for the City of Marshall effective immediately,” Mayor Kevin Elliott (D) said in a statement posted to Facebook. “Mr. Holland is no longer employed with the city.”

Holland previously caught some national attention as one of the law enforcement official who refused to enforce mask mandates amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daehawk wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 7:59 pm Oh scroll FaceBook. Its full of them. They say things like " I dont hate Biden but I dont think he is mentally fit to run this great country" and "Trump did so much for us and you voted him out" and also the lovely "Trump is a man of God who cares deeply for his supporters" ...yadda yadda yadda stupidity stupidity repeat repeat.

raydude wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:08 pm My personal trigger is a person from high school saying "President Trump has denounced white supremacy numerous times. Joe Biden, on the other hand, was and is for segregation and abortion."

Holman wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:34 pm

raydude wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:08 pm My personal trigger is a person from high school saying "President Trump has denounced white supremacy numerous times. Joe Biden, on the other hand, was and is for segregation and abortion."

That's one of the ways the more polite neighborhoods of the Right try to dodge the charge of white supremacy. They tell themselves that access to abortion is actually a scheme to lower minority birthrates, so therefore Planned Parenthood is more racist than the KKK.

Among the 32 areas that reported cross-classified race/ethnicity data for 2016, non-Hispanic white women and non-Hispanic black women accounted for the largest percentages of all abortions (35.0% and 38.0%, respectively), and Hispanic women and non-Hispanic women in the other race category accounted for smaller percentages (18.8% and 8.2%, respectively)

Kansas billionaire Charles Koch now says that he regrets his partisan spending—admitting in his new book that it only made things worse, according to The Wall Street Journal. The 85-year-old tycoon’s book, Believe in People: Bottom-Up Solutions for a Top-Down World, says that he is shifting his focus from intense Republican partisanship to finding unifying answers to social issues instead. “Boy, did we screw up!” Koch writes. “What a mess!” He now wants to work together with Democrats and liberals like the American Civil Liberties Union, the LeBron James Family Foundation, and Democratic state legislative campaigns.

Defiant wrote: Fri Nov 13, 2020 11:45 pm

Kansas billionaire Charles Koch now says that he regrets his partisan spending—admitting in his new book that it only made things worse, according to The Wall Street Journal. The 85-year-old tycoon’s book, Believe in People: Bottom-Up Solutions for a Top-Down World, says that he is shifting his focus from intense Republican partisanship to finding unifying answers to social issues instead. “Boy, did we screw up!” Koch writes. “What a mess!” He now wants to work together with Democrats and liberals like the American Civil Liberties Union, the LeBron James Family Foundation, and Democratic state legislative campaigns.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/billionai ... rtisanship

dbt1949 wrote:l like reading the Al Jazeera site. Gives me a different look on the world. Anyrate one of the the things I like to read is their opinion section. Half the articles are about the USA. They are never flattering. Still interesting tho. But it makes me wonder why they care about writing about the faults of USA? They all have major problems in their own countries they seemingly ignore. But they seem to think the most important thing is to put down the USA.

$iljanus wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 9:40 am

dbt1949 wrote:l like reading the Al Jazeera site. Gives me a different look on the world. Anyrate one of the the things I like to read is their opinion section. Half the articles are about the USA. They are never flattering. Still interesting tho. But it makes me wonder why they care about writing about the faults of USA? They all have major problems in their own countries they seemingly ignore. But they seem to think the most important thing is to put down the USA.

I think many of their journalists would like to write about regional issues but they need to step carefully since the local governments may not take too kindly to a critical story and act accordingly.

Also local AL Jazzera coverage probably takes more of a regional news bent and covers more local interest stuff in addition to reporting on the Great Satan

Defiant wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 1:05 am https://twitter.com/lmansley/status/1327641142624546818


(I dunno, it might be better without the comma.)

The Russian parliament's lower house - the Duma - has backed a bill granting the Russian president and his family immunity from criminal prosecution after he has left office.

It is among constitutional amendments approved in a referendum in July. Supporters of President Vladimir Putin dominate both houses of parliament.

Mr Putin's fourth term ends in 2024, but the bill, if passed by parliament, would let him run for two more terms.

He is 68 and has no obvious successor.

Under the immunity provisions, a former president and his family would have immunity from any police searches or questioning, or any confiscation of their property.

They would not be prosecuted for any crimes committed in their lifetime, except for alleged acts of treason or other grave crimes in exceptional circumstances.

Under the immunity provisions, a former president and his family would have immunity from any police searches or questioning, or any confiscation of their property.

They would not be prosecuted for any crimes committed in their lifetime, except for alleged acts of treason or other grave crimes in exceptional circumstances.

Max Peck wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 3:56 pmI can't help but feel that Putin is just doing this to show Trump how a real president takes care of business.

Paingod wrote: Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:50 am There has to be some limit or he'd be an Emperor and not a President.

Max Peck wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 3:56 pmI can't help but feel that Putin is just doing this to show Trump how a real president takes care of business.

That and to protect the billions he has stashed away for his own retirement. He's getting up there in age and the thought of relaxing must be appealing. There's speculation that he's managed to siphon anywhere from $70b to $200b in cash and has it tucked away for a rainy day.