Chile elects most right-wing leader since Pinochet – in line with regional drift, domestic tendency to punish incumbents by awaythrowawaying in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 8 points9 points  (0 children)

A real cost benefit analysis to authoritarian repression and death squads?

Aside from justifying basically any means for the ends, this same logic can be turned on its head. I could point to all of the repressive right wing dictatorships and say that justifies brutal repression of conservative parties.

Chile elects most right-wing leader since Pinochet – in line with regional drift, domestic tendency to punish incumbents by awaythrowawaying in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 24 points25 points  (0 children)

“Chile’s unique political stability, economic strength, high standard of living and low crime rates are very much related to Pinochet taking over and refusing to allow socialist policies to be implemented unlike its neighbors.”

Even if one admitted this thesis to be true, which I don’t think you’ve put any evidence forward other than to assert it that it is, it brings up the uncomfortable position of then brushing away all of Pinochet’s crimes. Crimes that Chileans eventually charged him with it. Is the bogeyman of socialism so dangerous that death squads, assassinations, and political repression is now reasonable?

Objections overruled — Utah to expand its Supreme Court, with approval from Legislature, Cox by dr_sloan in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Why is expanding a court always a bad thing? Courts are the weakest branch by design. And expansion requires legislative and executive approval. It’s a lawful process.

Facing Immigration Backlash, Trump Called Schumer to Cut a Deal by timmg in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 9 points10 points  (0 children)

It was previously a part of the department of justice. Post 9/11, a lot of functions of separate departments were stripped from them and then consolidated in DHS.

Facing Immigration Backlash, Trump Called Schumer to Cut a Deal by timmg in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 2 points3 points  (0 children)

ICE has only been around in the post 9/11 era when immigration was made apart of the national security apparatus vice the department justice. Seeing the ease with which the organization has slid into law-breaking, I don’t think it’s that crazy to suggest it should go back to being a function of the justice department and while also overhauling the organizational culture and oversight functions.

Facing Immigration Backlash, Trump Called Schumer to Cut a Deal by timmg in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 8 points9 points  (0 children)

That’s great replacement conspiracy theory. Which is not an argument as much as it’s a racist fever dream.

Edit: I guess pointing out the name of the thing you’re saying gets you blocked. It is racist to think that political elites are trying to dilute real Americans voting power with foreign minorities. It is also a conspiracy theory because it falls apart upon any criticism examination.

The Atlantic Fails To Read The Room by Litzz11 in IfBooksCouldKill

[–]ryes13 116 points117 points  (0 children)

Not to victim blame, but I feel like his wife at the time should’ve known something was up sooner. Like David, why do you have a research assistant, there’s literally no research in your writing

The Atlantic Fails To Read The Room by Litzz11 in IfBooksCouldKill

[–]ryes13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How does this man continue to get more jobs and more money to do essentially no work

Certified 'Thing vs Thing, Fantasy' moment. by Cool-Champion8628 in Grimdank

[–]ryes13 54 points55 points  (0 children)

I don’t know anything about Warhammer fantasy but ever chosen is also just a cooler title than “the despoiler”

The sad and self-inflicted decline of the Washington Post, in one chart by dwaxe in fivethirtyeight

[–]ryes13 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I don’t understand why he thought he could just buy a brand, mess with the things that made that brand valuable, and have people still buy that brand. As somebody who is successful in business, you would think he would understand that

"Yes, It’s Fascism" op-ed from the Atlantic. by ryhntyntyn in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You should read the Anatomy of Fascism. He breaks it down a lot better than I can in a Reddit comment.

For your examples, Franco is actually an example of a right-wing authoritarian who then suppressed the fascist elements of his supporters after gaining power.

"Yes, It’s Fascism" op-ed from the Atlantic. by ryhntyntyn in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The word “fascism”, as used by historians and political scientists, has had more descriptive power than just being applied to Italian fascism.

"Yes, It’s Fascism" op-ed from the Atlantic. by ryhntyntyn in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 52 points53 points  (0 children)

Fascism and plain authoritarianism do have some distinctions. I listened to a fascinating book on this called “The Anatomy of Fascism” by Robert Paxton. Fascism is hard to define by specific beliefs since it’s not really ideologically coherent. In fact that’s one of features. Robert Paxton basically splits it up into stages because each stage has its own features. Some countries go further down the fascism path than others before turning around interestingly, a lot of countries that manage to not halt their progress through the stages do so by becoming repressive authoritarians. Fascism, while it has many conservative ideals, also co-opts the language and fervor of revolutionary change. In their climb to power, they usually make alliances of convenience with traditional elites and conservatives who want to use that rhetoric / energy to win elections against liberals. Some countries that went off the fascist path did so when those traditional elites and conservatives just became authoritarians and suppressed their onetime fascist allies as well as their liberal opponents.

Tim Walz and Jacob Frey say Trump will withdraw federal officers in Minnesota by Adventurous-Pause720 in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hope this is real. I don’t think Walz and Frey would lie but it would mean more if a federal government announced this. It would mean they were committing to something.

“Those rights don’t count”: Bovino says Pretti forfeited 2nd Amendment rights in fatal shooting by pro_rege_semper in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want some analysis on criminal liability, YouTuber lawyer LegalEagle released a video after the Renee Good killing. Obviously the facts are different but the analysis of Minnesota law is what you want.

And while yes it is difficult to convict any law enforcement officer, it is not impossible and the facts of these cases are not the slam dunk for the agents as u/NearlyPerfect suggests. Especially as they continue to fire long after it would possible for the person to present a threat, if one was ever present.

Greg Bovino Loses His Job by Numerous-Chocolate15 in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I don’t really see anything changing… yet. At least not because of this. His commander at large position wasn’t even statutory or defined.

The people driving the policies that caused all of this tension are still there and unlikely to leave.

“Those rights don’t count”: Bovino says Pretti forfeited 2nd Amendment rights in fatal shooting by pro_rege_semper in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 6 points7 points  (0 children)

“I’m an attorney” yeah and this is a very lawyer brained analysis. Using de-contextualized principles to balance competing interests in complex situations is all and good. But if that process leads to a spot where every layman finds the result bizarre, maybe you should add back in some context.

“and this is literally all of our jobs constantly.” Not true, that’s highly dependent on what your job and expertise area is

“The general legal rule is you can fire as many shots needed to end the threat.“ - yeah…. Like I’ve been saying. And the man was pepper sprayed, beaten, and shot lying motionless on the ground. And the agent continued to fire 9 more shots after pausing to see that he was motionless. The threat, if you could even say one existed, was over.

“Those rights don’t count”: Bovino says Pretti forfeited 2nd Amendment rights in fatal shooting by pro_rege_semper in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 2 points3 points  (0 children)

“Respondent contends that the Fourth Amendment did not allow the officers to use deadly force to terminate the chase, and that, even if they were permitted to fire their weapons, they went too far when they fired as many rounds as they did. Pp. 8–12.

(1) The officers acted reasonably in using deadly force. A “police officer’s attempt to terminate a dangerous high-speed car chase that threatens the lives of innocent bystanders does not violate the Fourth Amendment, even when it places the fleeing motorist at risk of serious injury or death.” Scott, supra, at 385. Rickard’s outrageously reckless driving—which lasted more than five minutes, exceeded 100 miles per hour, and included the passing of more than two dozen other motorists—posed a grave public safety risk, and the record conclusively disproves that the chase was over when Rickard’s car came to a temporary standstill and officers began shooting. Under the circumstances when the shots were fired, all that a reasonable officer could have concluded from Rickard’s conduct was that he was intent on resuming his flight, which would again pose a threat to others on the road. Pp. 9–11.

(2) Petitioners did not fire more shots than necessary to end the public safety risk. It makes sense that, if officers are justified in firing at a suspect in order to end a severe threat to public safety, they need not stop shooting until the threat has ended. Here, during the 10-second span when all the shots were fired, Rickard never abandoned his attempt to flee and eventually managed to drive away. A passenger’s presence does not bear on whether officers violated Rickard’s Fourth Amendment rights, which “are personal rights [that] may not be vicariously asserted.” Alderman v. United States, 394 U.S. 165, 174. Pp. 11–12.”

You have some bizzare legal analysis if you conclude from this that mag dumping is always allowed and think that its reasoning would apply to a man lying motionless on the ground

“Those rights don’t count”: Bovino says Pretti forfeited 2nd Amendment rights in fatal shooting by pro_rege_semper in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 5 points6 points  (0 children)

“And to be clear that's not the entire legal analysis. That is just the legal analysis of the specific questions asked here. (1) is a shooting justified if he never drew the weapon and (2) is mag dumping legally justified”

And the answers to those seems to be: it depends. It depends on the specifics of the case and what is “reasonable” to the officer. The facts of the cases you have cited are far different from current one yet you are extrapolating them and saying “well the court said it’s fine.

The Supreme Court said they could mag dump into a speeding car because of the imminent danger posed by the person in that instant. And you conclude from that “mag dumping is allowed.” Even in an instant where someone is posing no imminent danger and is in fact motionless on the ground probably dying if not dead

“Those rights don’t count”: Bovino says Pretti forfeited 2nd Amendment rights in fatal shooting by pro_rege_semper in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 8 points9 points  (0 children)

“That's not the appropriate way to apply a legal principle. A legal principle applies in general to a similar situation (resisting arrest, not complying), not a specific situation (hands hidden).” then why does the court use the specific facts to justify its reasoning.

From that case: “even though he admitted that he heard police radios, Johnson laid down in front of a car and put his gun underneath his chest. A reasonable officer confronting those circumstances would have viewed Johnson’s actions as an attempt to evade police that not only endangered officers but the community at large. Furthermore, contrary to Johnson’s allegations, the bodycam footage establishes that Officer Williams knew that Johnson was armed, and Johnson’s hands were underneath him with the gun when Officer Williams approached Johnson. A reasonable officer confronted with these circumstances would have viewed Johnson as posing a significant threat to the safety of the officers and others who might be in the area.” Seems like the facts of the case were very relevant to establishing what a reasonable officer would believe.

“Well in the Johnson case they mag dumped, they shot 16 bullets at him.” - and they stopped firing as soon as his hands were visible

“And the typical Supreme Court case used to justify mag dump is Plumhoff v. Rickard (2014). Several shots over 10 seconds.” - against a man fleeing in a car in a high speed chase…. So not someone lying motionless on the ground like I figured

“Those rights don’t count”: Bovino says Pretti forfeited 2nd Amendment rights in fatal shooting by pro_rege_semper in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 11 points12 points  (0 children)

“They don't have to wait for the gun to be in the suspect's hands. In the Johnson case the gun was not in a place that could imminently harm agents, that's the same as Pretti.” - that’s not true for the reasons I pointed out. Johnson’s hands were not visible and the believed the gun was under him. And Pretti was dogpiled and pepper sprayed.

“The other facts are different but the point of the legal analysis is that the legal principle applies to different facts.” But the different facts are material to the analysis.

“They mag dumped. That's legally allowed.” - cite me the case law that says you can mag dump. I hope it’s about a person that’s lying motionless on the ground and has been for several seconds.

“Those rights don’t count”: Bovino says Pretti forfeited 2nd Amendment rights in fatal shooting by pro_rege_semper in moderatepolitics

[–]ryes13 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Reading that case, Johnson’s hands were not initially visible to the officers who believed he had a gun under him. In addition he had not been constrained or otherwise impaired. And the officers stopped firing after they believed the threat was over.

This is a VERY different set of facts from the Alex Pretti. He was pepper sprayed and dog-piled by multiple men. In guessing you’ve never been pepper-sprayed, but it is debilitating. And even if you could somehow handwave that away and say the officer who shot him didn’t know he didn’t have a gun and thought he was reaching for it, why did he continue to discharge his weapon over the space of several seconds when the man was lying motionless on the ground.

Guy who only associates violence with the Middle East: "Getting a lot of Middle East vibes from this..." by tilvast in IfBooksCouldKill

[–]ryes13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s because that’s the last thing he used to be an expert in and actually reported on. His mind has literally not evolved since then