That is the only way I can view this story, which shows that Obama kept a Yemeni journalist in jail, where he was held under false charges because he reported on drone strikes within Yemen.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/23/yemen-journalist-us-drone-strike-released
QuoteA Yemeni journalist who was kept in prison for years at the apparent request of the Obama administration has been released in the Yemeni capital of Sana'a, according to local reports.
Abdulelah Haider Shaye was imprisoned in 2010, after reporting that an attack on a suspected al-Qaida training camp in southern Yemen for which the Yemeni government claimed responsibility had actually been carried out by the United States. Shaye had visited the site and discovered pieces of cruise missiles and cluster bombs not found in Yemen's arsenal, according to a Jeremy Scahill dispatch in the Nation.
Shaye was arrested in August 2010 and charged, the following month, with being an al-Qaida operative himself. He was known for his ability to make contacts with extremist groups, skills that led to regular work reporting for western media outlets such as ABC News and the New York Times. At his trial, his reporting work was marshaled as evidence of terrorist ties. In January 2011, he was sentenced to a five-year term.
The charges against Shaye provoked an outcry among tribal leaders, human-rights activists and fellow journalists. Bowing to the pressure, then-president Ali Abdullah Saleh pardoned Shaye weeks after his sentencing. But in a February 2011 phone call with Saleh, President Barack Obama "expressed his concern over the release" of Shaye. The pardon was revoked.
Utterly disgraceful, as is anyone who supports the man.
Heh. First amendment only applies on american soil.
This is some pretty fucked up shit.
Yeah, it's like having Nixon and Kennedy in the same man's head, gibbering at each other.
Well, fuck.
Yeah, anyone who thinks Obama is on their side needs to remember that he's a politician.
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on July 24, 2013, 04:04:56 PM
Yeah, anyone who thinks Obama is on their side needs to remember that he's a politician.
To be fair, Anyone that thinks
any politician is on "Their side" probably needs help for their mental health issues.
Quote from: Junkenstein on July 24, 2013, 04:20:15 PM
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on July 24, 2013, 04:04:56 PM
Yeah, anyone who thinks Obama is on their side needs to remember that he's a politician.
To be fair, Anyone that thinks any politician is on "Their side" probably needs help for their mental health issues.
DING DING DING DING DING!
WE HAVE A WINNER!
Politics: The act of voting for which slimy bastard you'd like to get fucked in the ass by for the next couple of years
There's no box for "Not being fucked in the ass" so I don't tick any
Apparently this makes me part of the problem
Unlike people who keep voting for what they hope will turn out to be the smallest dick :kingmeh:
Quote from: Junkenstein on July 24, 2013, 04:20:15 PM
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on July 24, 2013, 04:04:56 PM
Yeah, anyone who thinks Obama is on their side needs to remember that he's a politician.
To be fair, Anyone that thinks any politician is on "Their side" probably needs help for their mental health issues.
That's pretty much what I just said.
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on July 24, 2013, 07:28:59 PM
Quote from: Junkenstein on July 24, 2013, 04:20:15 PM
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on July 24, 2013, 04:04:56 PM
Yeah, anyone who thinks Obama is on their side needs to remember that he's a politician.
To be fair, Anyone that thinks any politician is on "Their side" probably needs help for their mental health issues.
That's pretty much what I just said.
I know, sometimes people tend to start thinking that the "other guy" will fix shit instead so it seemed worth stating.
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on July 24, 2013, 07:15:34 PM
Politics: The act of voting for which slimy bastard you'd like to get fucked in the ass by for the next couple of years
There's no box for "Not being fucked in the ass" so I don't tick any
Apparently this makes me part of the problem
Unlike people who keep voting for what they hope will turn out to be the smallest dick :kingmeh:
I do vote. It's the least I can do. I really mean that.
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on July 24, 2013, 07:15:34 PM
Politics: The act of voting for which slimy bastard you'd like to get fucked in the ass by for the next couple of years
There's no box for "Not being fucked in the ass" so I don't tick any
Apparently this makes me part of the problem
Unlike people who keep voting for what they hope will turn out to be the smallest dick :kingmeh:
100% agree
plus as long as politicians are paid by others than the public, they don't work for us so what's the point.
Quote from: GrannySmith on July 25, 2013, 06:28:07 AM
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on July 24, 2013, 07:15:34 PM
Politics: The act of voting for which slimy bastard you'd like to get fucked in the ass by for the next couple of years
There's no box for "Not being fucked in the ass" so I don't tick any
Apparently this makes me part of the problem
Unlike people who keep voting for what they hope will turn out to be the smallest dick :kingmeh:
100% agree
plus as long as politicians are paid by others than the public, they don't work for us so what's the point.
FUCKING BINGO
If you wanted to expand on this I think it would be a perfect theme to include in the Bitter Tea project. Not to be singleminded, but I think that's a really important element.
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on July 25, 2013, 07:12:48 AM
Quote from: GrannySmith on July 25, 2013, 06:28:07 AM
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on July 24, 2013, 07:15:34 PM
Politics: The act of voting for which slimy bastard you'd like to get fucked in the ass by for the next couple of years
There's no box for "Not being fucked in the ass" so I don't tick any
Apparently this makes me part of the problem
Unlike people who keep voting for what they hope will turn out to be the smallest dick :kingmeh:
100% agree
plus as long as politicians are paid by others than the public, they don't work for us so what's the point.
FUCKING BINGO
If you wanted to expand on this I think it would be a perfect theme to include in the Bitter Tea project. Not to be singleminded, but I think that's a really important element.
Would being able to cut their pay for bad performance help?
*Shrug*.
Quote from: hylierandom, A.D.D. on July 25, 2013, 07:15:01 AM
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on July 25, 2013, 07:12:48 AM
Quote from: GrannySmith on July 25, 2013, 06:28:07 AM
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on July 24, 2013, 07:15:34 PM
Politics: The act of voting for which slimy bastard you'd like to get fucked in the ass by for the next couple of years
There's no box for "Not being fucked in the ass" so I don't tick any
Apparently this makes me part of the problem
Unlike people who keep voting for what they hope will turn out to be the smallest dick :kingmeh:
100% agree
plus as long as politicians are paid by others than the public, they don't work for us so what's the point.
FUCKING BINGO
If you wanted to expand on this I think it would be a perfect theme to include in the Bitter Tea project. Not to be singleminded, but I think that's a really important element.
Would being able to cut their pay for bad performance help?
*Shrug*.
Simply knowing that their employment, and funding for promoting future employment, was dependent on satisfying the needs of their constituents, would be a good start.
I seriously think that a combination of campaign funding reform and a conflict-of-interest policy that ends the revolving-door between corporate boards and policy-making positions would make a world of difference in our political process and public policy.
In other words, we need a legal separation between capitalism and state.
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on July 25, 2013, 07:12:48 AM
Quote from: GrannySmith on July 25, 2013, 06:28:07 AM
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on July 24, 2013, 07:15:34 PM
Politics: The act of voting for which slimy bastard you'd like to get fucked in the ass by for the next couple of years
There's no box for "Not being fucked in the ass" so I don't tick any
Apparently this makes me part of the problem
Unlike people who keep voting for what they hope will turn out to be the smallest dick :kingmeh:
100% agree
plus as long as politicians are paid by others than the public, they don't work for us so what's the point.
FUCKING BINGO
If you wanted to expand on this I think it would be a perfect theme to include in the Bitter Tea project. Not to be singleminded, but I think that's a really important element.
I'll try but I'm terrible at writing!
Quote from: GrannySmith on July 25, 2013, 07:27:00 AM
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on July 25, 2013, 07:12:48 AM
Quote from: GrannySmith on July 25, 2013, 06:28:07 AM
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on July 24, 2013, 07:15:34 PM
Politics: The act of voting for which slimy bastard you'd like to get fucked in the ass by for the next couple of years
There's no box for "Not being fucked in the ass" so I don't tick any
Apparently this makes me part of the problem
Unlike people who keep voting for what they hope will turn out to be the smallest dick :kingmeh:
100% agree
plus as long as politicians are paid by others than the public, they don't work for us so what's the point.
FUCKING BINGO
If you wanted to expand on this I think it would be a perfect theme to include in the Bitter Tea project. Not to be singleminded, but I think that's a really important element.
I'll try but I'm terrible at writing!
I don't know, that bit that Nigel bolded is pretty fucking incisive.
Quote from: FRIDAY TIME on July 24, 2013, 02:03:46 PM
Heh. First amendment only applies on american soil.
This is some pretty fucked up shit.
Obama has consistently shown he believes the letter of the law is more important than the spirit of the law, and that human rights apparently end at America's borders, if they even apply in America at all (see: Bradley Manning).
The problem is one cannot simply view America as America, the geographical/state identity. America is a network of oversea alliances, military and economic linkages, and as such the truth of American power and desires is most clearly expressed in the realm of foreign policy, where legal constraints are at a minimum.
I have no doubt that, were the laws different in the USA, Obama would do the same there, if it were convenient. That the final tattered vestiges of the Constitution are still taken somewhat seriously by people in the USA, and thus the resulting political clusterfuck that would erupt if such a thing were attempted, is probably the only thing restraining him from doing so.
But then again, there are different methods for the same problem, when they exist in the USA. FBI entrapment, NSA surveillance etc etc.
Thanks, i am flattered and trying but can't get much further that that phrase so far... Would that not be enough? without attribution...
Quote from: Cain on July 25, 2013, 09:50:02 AM
Quote from: FRIDAY TIME on July 24, 2013, 02:03:46 PM
Heh. First amendment only applies on american soil.
This is some pretty fucked up shit.
Obama has consistently shown he believes the letter of the law is more important than the spirit of the law, and that human rights apparently end at America's borders, if they even apply in America at all (see: Bradley Manning).
The problem is one cannot simply view America as America, the geographical/state identity. America is a network of oversea alliances, military and economic linkages, and as such the truth of American power and desires is most clearly expressed in the realm of foreign policy, where legal constraints are at a minimum.
I have no doubt that, were the laws different in the USA, Obama would do the same there, if it were convenient. That the final tattered vestiges of the Constitution are still taken somewhat seriously by people in the USA, and thus the resulting political clusterfuck that would erupt if such a thing were attempted, is probably the only thing restraining him from doing so.
But then again, there are different methods for the same problem, when they exist in the USA. FBI entrapment, NSA surveillance etc etc.
There's also the fact that he's Obama. If it were a republican president, conservatives would say that it would be necessary to protect us from our enemies. The liberals would put up a stink, but could safely be ignored.