Opinion Politics (warning, may contain political views you disagree with)

[BlueE]

And as to the mentioned Republican Senator Ken Buck, quote:

"House Republicans have previously put that claim at the front and center of their investigations into the Bidens. Buck said it is evident now that the information Smirnov relayed was false.

It appears to absolutely be false, and to really undercut the nature of the charges. We’ve always been looking for a link between what Hunter Biden received in terms of money and Joe Biden’s activities or Joe Biden receiving money,” Buck explained. “This clearly is not a credible link at this point.”

Republican: Colleagues were warned informant’s Biden claims were not verified

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) on Wednesday criticized his Republican colleagues for using a former FBI informant’s claims in their impeachment inquiry even though the statements hadn’t been v…

thehill.com

If it is they could have charged and put him on trial three years ago when they re-interviewed him on the FD1023. However they were able to confirm he wasn't using Russian disinformation, his information is reliable and kept using him as a trusted and reliable CHS.

He's vigorously denying the charges and I'd be happy for it to be put on trial where there is the power to subpoena witnesses, three years ago or in April this year.

You are quoting ex representative Ken Buck who went rogue and resigned after voting with Joe Biden many times, including not to impeach the blatantly corrupt Mayorkas and has no idea if the information on FD is false or not.

 

[BlueE]

The issue is the Republicans have senators in their party that won't vote for an impeachment trial.

Who's the embarrassment?

"We've got 3 and a half minutes left, let's impeach!"

Grandstanding despite plenty of evidence and witnesses, but the democratic majority in the Senate will vote against an impeachment.

 

[BlueE]

GOPers Ask If Biden Got 'Defensive' Briefings About Foreign Cash

Republicans are investigating whether Biden received any 'defensive' briefings related to foreign interference amid corruption probes.

thefederalist.com

On Monday, the chairmen of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees sent letters to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines demanding the administration give details of any briefings they gave Biden about his family’s influence-peddling schemes.

“The Committees seek to understand if, because of Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings and his vulnerabilities, Joe Biden was given ‘defensive’ briefings to discuss potential foreign interference either during his time as Vice President or while he was a presidential candidate,” lawmakers write in both letters.

The FBI director and the director of national intelligence were given until April 29 to respond.

In their letters, House Republicans outlined the major findings of their impeachment inquiry that has uncovered a series of financial relationships with foreign oligarchs. Former Biden family business partners have testified about the president’s influence-peddling schemes and claimed they opened risks for national security. Tony Bobulinski went as far as to claim President Joe Biden was "compromised" by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) even before the 2020 election.

“I want to be crystal clear: from my direct personal experience and what I have subsequently come to learn, it is clear to me that Joe Biden was ‘the brand’ being sold by the Biden family,” Bobulinski told lawmakers at a March hearing. “His family’s foreign influence peddling operation — from China to Ukraine and elsewhere — sold out to foreign actors who were seeking to gain influence and access to Joe Biden and the United States government.”

House Oversight Chairman James Comer of Kentucky formally requested testimony from President Biden last month.

“The Committee has identified and successfully traced money from foreign transactions — including from China — to your own bank accounts,” wrote Comer. “…In addition to requesting that you answer the questions posed in this letter, I invite you to participate in a public hearing at which you will be afforded the opportunity to explain, under oath, your involvement with your family’s sources of income and the means it has used to generate it.”

Comer also said last month that Republicans’ impeachment proceedings would most likely culminate in criminal referrals to the Department of Justice.

Hunter Biden, who had previously made a public hearing a prerequisite for cooperation with House Republicans, declined lawmakers’ invitation to testify at an open forum. Instead, Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, demanded House Republicans hold a hearing into a former client’s business deals, in a potential violation of legal ethics rules.

Hunter Biden testified only in private, and, according to Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman, used his addictions as an excuse to avoid answering tough questions.

 

[Randomizor]

GOPers Ask If Biden Got 'Defensive' Briefings About Foreign Cash

Republicans are investigating whether Biden received any 'defensive' briefings related to foreign interference amid corruption probes.

thefederalist.com

On Monday, the chairmen of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees sent letters to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines demanding the administration give details of any briefings they gave Biden about his family’s influence-peddling schemes.

“The Committees seek to understand if, because of Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings and his vulnerabilities, Joe Biden was given ‘defensive’ briefings to discuss potential foreign interference either during his time as Vice President or while he was a presidential candidate,” lawmakers write in both letters.

The FBI director and the director of national intelligence were given until April 29 to respond.

In their letters, House Republicans outlined the major findings of their impeachment inquiry that has uncovered a series of financial relationships with foreign oligarchs. Former Biden family business partners have testified about the president’s influence-peddling schemes and claimed they opened risks for national security. Tony Bobulinski went as far as to claim President Joe Biden was "compromised" by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) even before the 2020 election.

“I want to be crystal clear: from my direct personal experience and what I have subsequently come to learn, it is clear to me that Joe Biden was ‘the brand’ being sold by the Biden family,” Bobulinski told lawmakers at a March hearing. “His family’s foreign influence peddling operation — from China to Ukraine and elsewhere — sold out to foreign actors who were seeking to gain influence and access to Joe Biden and the United States government.”

House Oversight Chairman James Comer of Kentucky formally requested testimony from President Biden last month.

“The Committee has identified and successfully traced money from foreign transactions — including from China — to your own bank accounts,” wrote Comer. “…In addition to requesting that you answer the questions posed in this letter, I invite you to participate in a public hearing at which you will be afforded the opportunity to explain, under oath, your involvement with your family’s sources of income and the means it has used to generate it.”

Comer also said last month that Republicans’ impeachment proceedings would most likely culminate in criminal referrals to the Department of Justice.

Hunter Biden, who had previously made a public hearing a prerequisite for cooperation with House Republicans, declined lawmakers’ invitation to testify at an open forum. Instead, Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, demanded House Republicans hold a hearing into a former client’s business deals, in a potential violation of legal ethics rules.

Hunter Biden testified only in private, and, according to Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman, used his addictions as an excuse to avoid answering tough questions.

Direct links from China to his bank accounts?

Because from what I’ve seen it’s been more like: Someone in China pays someone else, that someone then sends that money to their family in America, the family in America pays their landlord with the money, the landlord buys a hat on Biden’s website, Biden gets his cut into his bank account. OMG BIDEN GOT MONEY OF CHINESE ORIGIN.

It’s a bit different than, oh I dunno, foreign nationals staying in a hotel Biden owns and him directly profiting from it. Or maybe his son in law getting paid 2 billion by the Saudis into his investment firm.

You’re meant to run an impeachment inquiry after the crime, not call an inquiry and then flail about trying to find a crime.

 

[King Huskii]

I can't believe the United States is having their citizens choose between two corpses. Surely there is someone else capable of running the country?

 

[Randomizor]

I can't believe the United States is having their citizens choose between two corpses. Surely there is someone else capable of running the country?

Needs to be a maximum age requirement.

I think 64 makes sense. It’s the maximum age for a US military officer. Don’t see why it shouldn’t be the same for the commander in chief.

 

[BlueE]

Direct links from China to his bank accounts?

Because from what I’ve seen it’s been more like: Someone in China pays someone else, that someone then sends that money to their family in America, the family in America pays their landlord with the money, the landlord buys a hat on Biden’s website, Biden gets his cut into his bank account. OMG BIDEN GOT MONEY OF CHINESE ORIGIN.

It’s a bit different than, oh I dunno, foreign nationals staying in a hotel Biden owns and him directly profiting from it. Or maybe his son in law getting paid 2 billion by the Saudis into his investment firm.

You’re meant to run an impeachment inquiry after the crime, not call an inquiry and then flail about trying to find a crime.

Well they found 20 shell companies to hide payments from foreign adversaries they wouldn't have without IRS whistleblowers.

“What exactly do these companies do? What good or service do these companies provide? The answer is nothing. They are not legitimate companies.”
“We found 170 major bank violations. These were from six major banks, and they alleged that the Bidens were, among other things, money laundering, and receiving suspicious wires from state-owned entities. […] The bank is alleging that the Bidens took a suspicious wire from the Chinese government, and then laundered it through these shell companies. Many laws were broken there.”

“We also learned nine Biden family members have received money from foreign entities, including the President’s granddaughter, who received a wire that had been laundered to the shell companies from Romania days after the President left Romania when he was Vice President. That’s hard to explain.

“The Bidens received over 20 million dollars. My question to you: What did they do to receive that money? No one can answer that question.”

Comer: Oversight Committee Has Uncovered Mounting Evidence Tying Joe Biden to Family Business Schemes - United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability

United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability

oversight.house.gov

 

[King Huskii]

Needs to be a maximum age requirement.

I think 64 makes sense. It’s the maximum age for a US military officer. Don’t see why it shouldn’t be the same for the commander in chief.

They are basically walking out with zimmer frames and a bad attitude

 

[BlueE]

I can't believe the United States is having their citizens choose between two corpses. Surely there is someone else capable of running the country?

Being a young President is career hazard.

JFK elected at 43 and RFK 42 and favourite for the Presidency eliminated.

 

[poshman]

Maths has no borders: Professor Rowena Ball brings Indigenous mathematics to ANU

There's a growing movement to decolonise mathematics. Professor Rowena Ball explains what this means and why it is important.

science.anu.edu.au

Universities need an ideological clean out. What a disgrace.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Maths has no borders: Professor Rowena Ball brings Indigenous mathematics to ANU

There's a growing movement to decolonise mathematics. Professor Rowena Ball explains what this means and why it is important.

science.anu.edu.au

Universities need an ideological clean out. What a disgrace.

Disgrace seems like an overreaction, it's such a nothing article and absolutely nothing will come of it. It's a typical woke puff piece that you just roll your eyes and move on from

 

[poshman]

Disgrace seems like an overreaction, it's such a nothing article and absolutely nothing will come of it. It's a typical woke puff piece that you just roll your eyes and move on from

I understand the desire to roll your eyes and move on, as it is the easy path that suggest this line of thinking and the ideology behind it is dangerous. History also shows these things can be implemented when they are not scorned publicly and early.

For example a number of ivy league schools who are now finally going back to test scores as the main indicator of admission rather than DEI. Sounds harmless apart from the many Asians and whites who had careers and future opportunities altered... but who cares right?

There are intended and unintended consequences of these things. And unless we (general public) start to ridicule the ridiculous, the effect is felt on the students coming through these programs.

 

[Taylor]

She's only a professor at the Australian National University, how much reach or influence over the futures of young people could she possibly have??

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

I understand the desire to roll your eyes and move on, as it is the easy path that suggest this line of thinking and the ideology behind it is dangerous. History also shows these things can be implemented when they are not scorned publicly and early.

For example a number of ivy league schools who are now finally going back to test scores as the main indicator of admission rather than DEI. Sounds harmless apart from the many Asians and whites who had careers and future opportunities altered... but who cares right?

There are intended and unintended consequences of these things. And unless we (general public) start to ridicule the ridiculous, the effect is felt on the students coming through these programs.

Like you said, it will rebound. It finds an equilibrium, it always does. Sorry, in terms of so many other things, it just seems like if we are going to start labelling something like that as a disgrace nothing would ever be accomplished. More will be accomplished saying who cares, completely ignoring it and moving on rather than give it any kind of publicity.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

I was wracking my brain trying to think what the left wing equivalent was poshman and because a certain poster is doing a good job making sure we think of every little thing that could effect any of our players mental well being, I've decided this is right wing equivalent of a pearl-clutching Maude Flanders asking why we just wont think of the children

 

[poshman]

Like you said, it will rebound. It finds an equilibrium, it always does. Sorry, in terms of so many other things, it just seems like if we are going to start labelling something like that as a disgrace nothing would ever be accomplished. More will be accomplished saying who cares, completely ignoring it and moving on rather than give it any kind of publicity.

There is a fundamental problem with this line of thinking. Decolonise maths is part of the decolonisation movement which we are seeing the fruit of internationally at the moment. Billions of dollars is put towards it yearly.

On top of that should we not care about the years it takes to swing back and the people wronged in the mean time?

I mean who cares... unless it is our own kids?

Ridiculous ideas need to be ridiculed because they never stop at the initial idea and we aren't sure of the extent of unintended or intended consequences.

I was wracking my brain trying to think what the left wing equivalent was poshman and because a certain poster is doing a good job making sure we think of every little thing that could effect any of our players mental well being, I've decided this is right wing equivalent of a pearl-clutching Maude Flanders asking why we just wont think of the children

I think you should simply say you don't care that Maths is being racialised with an added spice of socialist decolonialism. I will note that a lot of children have had genitals removed and puberty blockers which have lifelong repercussions using the same logic.

If things become racial tools of the far left, there is no room for discourse, no room for challenge and no room for equal opportunity. We then start to undermine the very ideals that make our nation the place it is. Is this one thing the thing? No. But it needs to be ridiculed so it doesn't form part of the problem. And it is always easier to do it early than late.

 

[Taylor]

Like you said, it will rebound. It finds an equilibrium, it always does. Sorry, in terms of so many other things, it just seems like if we are going to start labelling something like that as a disgrace nothing would ever be accomplished. More will be accomplished saying who cares, completely ignoring it and moving on rather than give it any kind of publicity.

If there were a rigid set of standards and expectations, cultural norms if you will, that were based off of equality of opportunity for all regardless of their race or gender then it might be easier to both identify and react to people acting outside those agreed norms.

It's probably time for a constitutional amendment that the law cannot treat any group of citizens differently or specially on the basis of an immutable characteristic.

It would destroy division politics, it would make it politically impossible to use minority groups as either the target of or to champion on behalf of (to use).

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

There is a fundamental problem with this line of thinking. Decolonise maths is part of the decolonisation movement which we are seeing the fruit of internationally at the moment. Billions of dollars is put towards it yearly.

On top of that should we not care about the years it takes to swing back and the people wronged in the mean time?

I mean who cares... unless it is our own kids?

Ridiculous ideas need to be ridiculed because they never stop at the initial idea and we aren't sure of the extent of unintended or intended consequences.



I think you should simply say you don't care that Maths is being racialised with an added spice of socialist decolonialism. I will note that a lot of children have had genitals removed and puberty blockers which have lifelong repercussions using the same logic.

If things become racial tools of the far left, there is no room for discourse, no room for challenge and no room for equal opportunity. We then start to undermine the very ideals that make our nation the place it is. Is this one thing the thing? No. But it needs to be ridiculed so it doesn't form part of the problem. And it is always easier to do it early than late.

This is the same as the left taking things the right things and extrapolating to the extreme. There is obvious gigantic difference between physically changing someones body and teaching maths in a stupid way.

If someone is dumb enough to pick a course that teachs maths in a stupid way, that is on them when they cant get a job, or get one and find they are out of their league. Universities will also quickly fall in reputation if company's see their graduates as underprepared.

I'm going to stick with it being a complete nothingburger

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

It's probably time for a constitutional amendment that the law cannot treat any group of citizens differently or specially on the basis of an immutable characteristic.

One of those ideas that sounds great in practice and we should all be for but would never be introduced properly or enforced with any kind of reason. I can see the screeching from both sides already

 

[Taylor]

One of those ideas that sounds great in practice and we should all be for but would never be introduced properly or enforced with any kind of reason. I can see the screeching from both sides already

I'm content with both extremes being upset with it. The outcome is an Australia with absolute equality of opportunity. It will mean some money needs to be spent on making sure people get to the start line but it will mean a lot more isn't wasted in trying to make the output the same thing.

It gets interesting around things like new child leave, but I am a big supporter of parents being at home as much as possible with a new baby anyway.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Like you said, it will rebound. It finds an equilibrium, it always does. Sorry, in terms of so many other things, it just seems like if we are going to start labelling something like that as a disgrace nothing would ever be accomplished. More will be accomplished saying who cares, completely ignoring it and moving on rather than give it any kind of publicity.

The more you accept, the more they are emboldened to take another step towards unreality and into ideology. Slice by slice of the salami. They’re confident dissenters won’t be game to speak up lest they be shamed with labels of racist or Right wing nutter or boomer. That’s what society has come to.

Anyway, Canberra: headquarters.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

The more you accept, the more they are emboldened to take another step towards unreality and into ideology. Slice by slice of the salami. They’re confident dissenters won’t be game to speak up lest they be shamed with labels of racist or Right wing nutter or boomer. That’s what society has come to.

Anyway, Canberra: headquarters.

Disagree it's a slippery slope on this one, it's stupid idea that would get put on the bin pile extremely quickly and do nothing

 

[poshman]

This is the same as the left taking things the right things and extrapolating to the extreme. There is obvious gigantic difference between physically changing someones body and teaching maths in a stupid way.

If someone is dumb enough to pick a course that teachs maths in a stupid way, that is on them when they cant get a job, or get one and find they are out of their league. Universities will also quickly fall in reputation if company's see their graduates as underprepared.

I'm going to stick with it being a complete nothingburger

I agree with your first and second sentence. I disagree with the outcome. Everything we see now started as a small nothing burger. There is not much effort to call something ridiculous, ridiculous. The only challenge is cost. And the fact there may be a cost in employment or reputation indicates that we are so far down the rabbit hole, the cost needs to be paid.

I am going to stick with it not being a nothing burger when added to the larger picture of the far left agenda.

 

[Bicco]

the far left agenda.

What is the far left agenda?

 

[Taylor]

What is the far left agenda?

Mostly around using minority groups to discredit, demolish, destroy and then replace the existing pillars that built the society they feel so aggrieved by. You'll see this in attacks on things like religion, traditions of state going back to colonial times, attempting to change established structures of law to allow the group they are using to be the vessel through which their agendas are deployed.

The primary difference between a far leftist and a liberal is that the liberal can look out the window and see the wonderful nation for what she is, worth being protected, so that all the programs and uplifting work that both the liberals and far leftists believe needs to be done so everyone can have a chance at living their best life within the nation.

The group itself doesn't matter, the goal is to use that minority against the wider community and established structures of the nation.

It seeks to replace the inherent human need to belong that was previously filled with religion and community with the activist mentality they can then use through those well meaning people to achieve their goals of restructuring the society in as close to a communist state as possible.

Again, as distinct from a liberal, who would find the authoritarian measures required for that to be distasteful.

Liberal in this case is not to be confused with the Liberal Party, I am speaking strictly about people who base their political ideology on liberal ideas.

You can spot the difference between a liberal and a far leftist by asking questions like:

"How would that policy achieve the results you're promising?"
and
"How would you plan to pay for that?"

A leftist will respond to the first question by accusing you of something, or calling you a name designed to discourage people from attempting debate on the issue.

A liberal will engage in debate because the goal matters to them, the goal is not important to the leftist, it is the pathway with which they break the existing systems to they can replace it with as close to communism as possible.

A leftist responding to the second question will always suggest that there is more tax there to be paid by people who earn an unspecified amount with phrases like "their fair share" but never detail what that fair share actually is. It's a mythical phrase similar to "more needs to be done" that is deliberately unspecific and designed to appeal to the emotion of the argument, not the reality.

A liberal understands that the economic power of the nation is directly correlated to the public spending programs it can deploy.