[JP] When the people of Egypt decided to overthrow its (allegedly) democratically elected Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi through a military coup, the United States was not pleased. Hissy fit ends. Contractors resume production as ValJar relents.
Never mind that Morsi, during his exceptionally short 11-month tenure as president, tore up the old constitution and began replacing it with a strict Islamist document that would hurtle Egypt back through time, negating any progress in the area of human and equal rights.
Nope. Obama and his crowd was not interested in punishing Morsi, an anti-West, anti-modernity Egyptian leader who had attained power through the revolutionary crucible of what was initially believed to be an "Arab spring."
Instead, the U.S. punished the new democratically-elected leader, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, as his rise to power was via the military. Sisi's, unlike Morsi's, was not a pure people's revolutionary paroxysm and therefore was not embraced. The U.S. punished Egypt for this unacceptable folly by imposing an arms freeze.
But on Tuesday, March 31, the White House announced that it was lifting that arms freeze. The U.S. removed its hold on the delivery of F-16 aircraft, Harpoon missiles and M1A1 tank kits, according to the New York Times.
But it's so confusing the way Champ keeps bouncing back and forth between Iran and Soddy Arabia. Kinda looks like all the Soddy cash still has some influence.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/01/2015 12:05 Comments ||
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#6
#3 General Dynamics Given Consensus Rating of “Buy”
Veridian Dynamics is also a solid "Buy". I see a trend.
As for al Sisi, I've been pleasantly surprised. Especially when it comes to Paleos. The fact that Champ hates him is unsurprising. Our Prez was on the wrong side in that Honduras thing, too.
The economy is still a problem, but Egypt just might make it as a country. There was no such hope under Morsi.
[FOX Politics] President Champ on Tuesday shortened the prison sentences of nearly two dozen drug convicts, including some given life in prison for their crimes. Simply an extension of Champ's Robben Island and GITMO vision.
The White House said the action continued Champ's effort to reduce harsh sentences imposed under outdated guidelines, a step that could lead him to use his powers to grant clemency more often in the final 22 months left in his term.
Neil Eggleston, the White House counsel, said many of the 22 people whose federal sentences will be cut short by Champ's action would already have served their time and paid their debt to society had they been sentenced under current laws and policies.
"Because many were convicted under an outdated sentencing regime, they served years -- in some cases more than a decade -- longer than individuals convicted today of the same crime," Eggleston said in a post on the White House blog.
He said the commutations granted underscore Champ's "commitment to using all the tools at his disposal to bring greater fairness and equity to our justice system."
With those granted Tuesday, Champ has now approved a total of 43 commutations. A commutation leaves the conviction in place and ends the punishment.
Eggleston said that Champ's predecessor, George W. Bush, had commuted just 11 sentences during his two terms.
#2
Were a proportionate number of whites, Asians, Hispanics, Middle-Easterners, Latinos, Native Americans, and .... oh, yeah ... blacks released? I mean proportionate to the general population, not the incarcerated population.
Interesting that the Constitution does not allow ex post facto to put you in prison, but it can be applied - by constitutional scholars - get you out quicker.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/01/2015 7:21 Comments ||
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#3
Interesting that the Constitution does not allow ex post facto to put you in prison
That is what reparations are for; applying today's standards to historical norms.
#4
I don't have a problem with this. Previous sentencing guidelines for some drug crimes were indeed unreasonable. And the whole "War on Drugs" is foolishness squared.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/01/2015 8:47 Comments ||
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#5
He probably has the pardon letters for Holder, Lerner, Hilary, etc al. already typed up, just awaiting his signature.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
04/01/2015 9:01 Comments ||
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#6
I wouldn't have a problem with it either, if done in a court.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/01/2015 9:09 Comments ||
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#8
Commutes does not equal pardon. They still keep their federal felony convictions. Not that it matters when it comes to voting anymore regardless of what the 'law' says (see-MN).
#9
And the whole "War on Drugs" is foolishness squared.
I must disagree with you about the stated intent of the war on drugs. I believe that keeping hard narcotics away from our children is a good idea. I believe that starting every day with a blunt is a bad idea. But we're talking here about a president whose DEA parties with prostitutes provided by Colombian drug cartels and leaves the border wide open for anybody who wants to walk right across it. Gotta wonder if they scored any blow for the Champ. So, yeah. Foolishness.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/01/2015 12:17 Comments ||
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#10
Either that or it's one more step in his continuing effort to bring about the demise of Western Civilization.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/01/2015 12:19 Comments ||
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#11
> The big release day will come on the last day in office.
So its foolish to fight and incarcerate those who traffic heroin, crack cocaine and meth amphetamine?
These substances are poison and destroy the lives of everyone who uses them. I can see no rationale to make them legal.
Posted by: El Jefe ||
04/01/2015 12:29 Comments ||
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#13
The "war on drugs" has totally failed. It's a total failure the only beneficiary are police departments, prison builders and the criminally minded who sell drugs at much higher profits.
All It's managed is to profit criminals, supplying more dangerous drugs at more random concentrations to more people in far less controlled circumstances with far greater externality on the rest of us.
It was the excuse for all the security theatre before terrorism became a problem, it's armed up the "police" to securitate levels, imported more dangerous criminals and locked up people who have'nt actually harmed anyone else.
What next, the war on riding a motorbike fast, or the war on rock-climbing?
#14
The war on drugs is a failure because of politicians like Obama who fail to prosecute it. And if you think there are too many meth dealers in prison there is a simple yet effective solution: shoot them.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/01/2015 12:57 Comments ||
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#15
You think it should be legal to buy any narcotic you want without so much as a subscription? Really? No age limit?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/01/2015 13:04 Comments ||
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#16
I like the pic in the article, he is where he should be. Behind Bars - if only.
#17
"Neil Eggleston, the White House counsel, said many of the 22 people whose federal sentences will be cut short by Champ's action would already have served their time and paid their debt to society had they been sentenced under current laws and policies."
How many Neil?
I'd also like to say, if we change sentencing laws why don't they go over everyone arrested under the previous law and consider that fact at the next available parole hearing?
#20
Yes. Buy any drug you want. But only if you have a Druggie Permit from th government. A permit which also absolves the government from ever pro dining financial, food, Heath, legal, housing and medical assistance. And also the permit would forbid private entities from doing the same except with charitably donated funds. And severe penalties for being under the influence on any public property, including highways' streets, public conveyances and parks.
Basically do all the drugs you want, but stay out if the public so you don't hurt others, and all the consequences are borne by you and you alone.
#21
Democrats need 60% of the Latino vote and 90% of the Black to win in 2016 and that is what this is all about. All non-whites are considered "Political Prisoners" in in Obama and Holders view.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
