Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
from the politics-as-unusual dept
This week, after Elizabeth Warren was blocked from reading a letter by Coretta Scott King in the Senate, we noted the extreme Streisand Effect that resulted. Chris ODonnell won most insightful comment of the week by summing it up nicely:
"She Persisted"
And thus turtle faced KY Senator Mitch McConnell did hand Elizabeth Warren the greatest campaign slogan for her 2020 run for President.
In second place on the insightful side, we've got an anonymous commenter who offered a very interesting angle on the DHS' plans to demand social media passwords at the border:
Isn't the sharing of passwords a violation of every website's Terms of Service? And isn't that (at least in the eyes of the DOJ) a violation of CFAA, and a felony? So every non-citizen who visits the USA will be required to commit a felony before they will be admitted?
The CFAA doesn't seem to grant an exemption for this kind of activity, so any government agent who logs in to another person's account violates that website's TOS, and they also commit a felony? Wonderful.
For editor's choice on the insightful side, we start out with a comment from rytyshy highlighting one of the many noteworthy lines in the appeals court's decision not to overturn the injunction against Trump's immigration order:
The judges also point out that the President's comments (and tweets) are relevant to the intent of this ban. This is important in that it underlines that his words now matter in a legal sense. Something he seems to still not understand.
Next, we've got a comment from That responding to the notion that Trump is just a natural next step after Obama and Bush:
No.
As I've said before, I absolutely agree that each President builds on the powers and policies taken on by his predecessor.
But there is nothing normal or natural about what is happening now. Yes, you can absolutely criticize the bad precedents set by Obama and Bush (and Clinton and Reagan and Nixon and Johnson and on down the line). But stop talking about what's been happening these past few weeks as if it were just politics as usual.
Over on the funny side, first place goes to Roger Strong for offering a bizarre but amusing comparison in response to the silencing of Elizabeth Warren:
1994 - The first piece of spam appears in USENET newsgroups. After much uproar, it is quickly removed and an apology is issued. "Well, that should be the last of THAT", say users.
2017 - The GOP use their new Senate majority to silence Elizabeth Warren on civil rights. "Well, that should be the last of THAT", say Republicans.
In second place, we've got a response from PaulT to one of the many ranting comments about the crazy things that straw-men liberals think (it really doesn't matter which one or on which post):
Yeah, it's amazing what those people who only exist in your head believe.
For editor's choice on the funny side, we start out with a response to the ongoing legal fight in Iowa over police abusing warrant exceptions. TechDescartes expertly co-opted a piece of Star Wars culture and gave it a brand new meaning:
Instead of telling friends to "drive safe" when they leave, maybe we should be saying, "May the Fourth be with you."
Finally, we've got a fantastic observation from Oblate regarding Trump's vague executive order on crime:
Trump's task force is charged with "Crime Reduction And Public safety".
Pretty much what we've come to expect. At least they're correctly labeling what they're giving us now.
That's all for this week, folks!
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You know what?
Apparently he is doing worlds for people appreciating others' insights and expressing their solidarity with their respective views.
A housemate of mine is doing "viking runs" and similar races, crawling through mud, ice-cold water, under electric wires and so on.
She says it's an absolutely exhilarating experience, particularly how the racers support one another morally and physically and try making sure that everyone makes it.
I don't really fancy crawling through mud and rejoice in having made it.
But then I did not vote Trump either.
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Site admins — could you add such a feature?
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more of the same
This entire diatribe is every bit "my candidate was a saint but your is not" bullshit that George Washington was talking about going on.
Nothing new is under the sun and the idea that here is some new dawn or darkness is bullshit. The only people that did not see this coming where asleep at the wheel and somehow think that it is some "new" thing. None you read history apparently!
I told every one of you fuckers that if you like what Obama was doing, then you are going to LOVE what the next guy does when they get in... and fuck if I was not correct. Keep it up, your ignorance is certain to beat reality into submission!
The warning of offered to you guys that are loving what Trump is doing now... cause you are just going to go "sideways" for the next one... ha ha ha!!!
No matter how much truth and information is available, people still refuse to understand! I am just going to sit back and watch you tools tear each other apart, because neither side gives a fuck!
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And clearly you think every one of "us" was loving what Obama was doing, contrary to all evidence. You keep saying how how you warned everyone about Obama, as if everyone here was just down with his whole program. This was never the case, so I am pretty sure that you are the one beyond help.
Further, you do not engage in what anyone else actually says, and act as if you are just a fountain of wisdom trying to flog us poor idiots into awareness by repeating the same generalized crap over and over again.
There is nothing to "get" out of you.
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Did you miss the IF in that sentence? The word does have a function in language. People need to stop taking things to the extreme... that is what is the problem. People find one little thing they don't like and it holy fucking war time baby!
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I bet a lot of thing go over your head... don't they?
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Probably, but I can find the "s" key on my keyboard more than 50% of the time.
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So does the phrase "every one of you fuckers".
I can't imagine why anyone would take the phrase "every one of you fuckers" to some sort of extreme.
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For the brown-nosing political hacks who support their guy no matter what, we already know where their mouths are. May they enjoy the flavor of their favored bodily excretions.
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Donald Trump is Canada's fault.
Canada: I can't believe that Toronto elected that crazy immature right-wing populist mayor Rob Ford! His antics are so insane that even the American press and late-night comedy shows are talking about him.
America: A Canadian mayor?
America: Hold my beer....
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Good show ole chap!
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What? I thought *you* voted him in!
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To paraphrase Jules Winnfield
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It has never ever been any other sport, it is only fools that think the game has somehow changed.
Nothing new is under the Sun. One day you might learn what this means.
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Interesting.
So not only do you assume I voted for Clinton, you also believe that I voted for both Obama and Bush?
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WE ALL VOTED FOR THEM!!!
There are innocent people in jail, but we care more about birth control and non-citizens. Wait for it... Trump is the sound of our hypocrisy biting us in the ass, and boy are there a lot of people screaming.
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And what if I didn't, Chuckles?
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If you had an ounce of sense, you'd know Republicans can barely contain their glee at the thought of Elizabeth Warren winning the Democratic primary. (She won't run, so you're wrong on both counts, but it would be a boon for conservatives if she did.)
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That's what the Democrats thought about Trump.
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She's generally good on civil rights, which is worth appreciating about her. This doesn't mean I agree with all of her stances, of course. The truth is, it's hard to find a politician who pushes all the right buttons. The trick is to find one who pushes enough of them. That's why voting tends to be tactical.
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Well, not in the primary. They'll get behind whoever the nominee is in the general.
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Do the laws apply?
But this happens before the person is admitted, so, if the person is not in the USA, US laws don't apply, do they? So no CFAA violation?
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