Displaying 2,101 To 2,130 Of 19,504 Comments Celebrate 5 Years of PlanetPOV – Join Our Donation and Membership Drive Cheers Nirek, thanks for all your support of The Planet! So glad you’re a part of the community here! Please feel free to email me about donating and we’ll figure it out. Thanks so much! » Posted By AdLib On September 3, 2014 @ 6:58 pm James, first off, it’s very inspiring to read of your contributions to the lives of young people most in need of them. And your generosity towards Darren Wilson reflects your professionalism as a journalist. Very appreciated. There are different themes covered in your article so to begin, indeed, Americans have always had a fascination with real life “bad guys”. The film industry’s early talkie days were built upon gangster films and stars like Bogart and Cagney. The Godfather and The Sopranos continued that tradition as did Breaking Bad. In music, we’ve seen the same thing but I never saw white people deemed “thugs” for being fans of the meth crime lord and murderer Heisenberg. So no question, there is a double standard applied to black people who are fans of the bad guys in music and white people who are fans of the bad guys in films and tv. Keeping all this in perspective though, it is grit thrown in the eyes of the public to blind them from focusing on the actual and only crime that matters here, a cop shooting an unarmed teen. The rest is truly character assassination, promoted by the Ferguson PD to spread the propaganda that Michael Brown “had it coming”, he deserved to be murdered and/or at least society is better off with him dead…and to protect their own officer from being held responsible for his actions. The thing about stereotypes is that there is always a basis for building them but they are of course lies because you can’t apply a blanket characterization of individual human beings and be fair or honest. Suge Knight lived the thug (kingpin) life like a number of rappers. There was an addictive rush to it that they couldn’t resist. There’s a reality too, to glamorizing a life of crime, greed and egotism…and that’s what happened to Knight and others. But if being a fan of rap automatically makes one a thug, there are a lot of nerdy suburban white kids who should also be deemed thugs. As to Wilson, I would suggest that it is far too early to conclude a great deal about his character. He was a cop in a police force that was disbanded due to the racism and corruption that plagued it. He’s a member of the FPD which has clearly expressed its hostility to its majority black citizenship. I wouldn’t expect to see Wilson or any officers have much of a disciplinary track record for acting in a hostile or prejudicial way in an organization where hostility and prejudice is the norm (the FPD issued over 30k arrest warrants in their town where there are only 22k residents). So, the lack of a documented history of abuse or corruption with regards to Wilson doesn’t mean he’s not a problem cop. The only real evidence we have on Wilson is his shooting of an unarmed teen, and, as a member of the FPD, seeing how they all treated blacks in their community during the protests and before. With that concrete evidence, I am less inclined to start from a position of assuming Wilson is devoid of race-based motivations. As for Michael Brown’s character, I admit I am interested in seeing the full picture of who he was but IMO, it’s an ancillary thing to a policeman shooting an unarmed teen. There are all manner of actions a cop can take in dealing with an uncooperative citizen, if he truly was, (giving Wilson the full benefit of the doubt in his representation of what happened) but shooting them and murdering them is difficult to justify. We’ll see what happens and develops on the prosecution of Wilson but based upon the shooting itself of an unarmed teen and the shots into the top of Brown’s head that seem to illustrate the gunning down of Brown even as he was falling to the ground, I believe Wilson needs to be prosecuted and if the facts continue to support it, held responsible for his actions. » Posted By AdLib On August 28, 2014 @ 11:00 am Help Us Test Drive Our New Chat System! Dbos, so what happens when you try to comment? Are you able to type in your comment? Does it disappear or just not post? It will help me more to have as much detail as possible. » Posted By AdLib On August 25, 2014 @ 6:45 pm Try the New Vox Populi Tonight! Live Chat About the Week’s Events! ppo – Weird in a way but others have had similar issues. Hmm…maybe it’s a Java or Flash issue, assuming they use one or the other for their software. WIll check with them first then if it is that, I’ll let you know so you could try updating both. Thanks again! » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2014 @ 11:08 pm Glad you finally got in. Do you know what you did that solved the problem? » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2014 @ 10:19 pm ppo, very sorry you couldn’t get on Vox tonight/today. So the issue you encountered was that there was no Chat or Vox Populi bar at the bottom right corner of the page? Did you try refreshing the page? Did you try closing your browser and restarting? Really sorry about this! Missed you too tonight, want to try and fix this if possible. So many pluses to this system…but this is a big drawback. » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2014 @ 9:57 pm Sabreen, so you were able to get in to the chat window but when you did, you couldn’t see any comments and there were no names in the box that shows who’s on line? What operating system are you using, Windows XP, Windows 7 or 8? Very sorry you couldn’t get on tonight, missed you! I want to try and fix it by next week, much to like about it but its not allowing members in is a dealbreaker. So again, please let me know in detail what happened, really will help! » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2014 @ 9:44 pm CL – Very sorry you couldn’t get on Vox tonight! Can you tell me exactly what happened so I can try to resolve it? Where did the small box open up? Did you try reloading your page and trying again? The more details I have, the better chance I have to get it fixed. Missed you tonight! » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2014 @ 9:36 pm Ferguson Police Force Deployed to Iraq Thanks monicaangela! Unfortunately, I think the FPD see the Iraqi Army as their role models. So, when faced with having to confront an equally armed swarm of militants, they are trained to drop their weapons, turn and rush off yelling, “Run away!” » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2014 @ 5:58 pm M Cubed, great to see you and thanks so much for the props! My pleasure indeed…and my apologies for getting you shushed at the library! » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2014 @ 5:53 pm Murph, I saw Honore interviewed and expressing those views and it’s not surprising. Someone who was actually in the military and understands military discipline has to look at these yahoos calling themselves police and be disgusted. As others have mentioned, all the military equipment the FPD has was only meant to be used against enemies of the American people. Turning them against American citizens in such an unrestrained way is an offense to our citizens, police forces everywhere and the military. » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2014 @ 4:33 pm Kes, I think you’re onto something! We should put together an American Injustice League and send them into Iraq! Including: The Bundymen – Super Powers: Invulnerable ignorance, ability to love inanimate objects that fire bullets. The Fergusons – Super Powers: Chameleon-like powers to appear like military troops, race-vision The Westburrows – Super Powers: Bitten by radioactive rodents, they have the ability to descend lower than any other humans, can make anyone appear reasonable just by standing next to them. Down, down and away!!! » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2014 @ 4:24 pm Thanks Murph! Yes, they should be the next to go to Iraq. They want so desperately to use their guns and fight for liberty, send those militia nuts to Iraq and let them see how far their posing with guns will get them then. » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2014 @ 2:14 pm CL – Nice to see you! The FPD is trained??? It’s so easy to be brave when you’re armed like a military force against unarmed citizens but put some of these bullies in an actual battle surroundings, where such equipment is intended to be use and I know many of them would be running for the hills. » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2014 @ 2:10 pm Undermining ISIS on Five Fronts- The Emerging Strategy Murph, generally, I do like the Guardian but when I see the same expert being quoted by multiple news entities and his representations aren’t in line with other experts, I put that aside until I see at least two other verifications. I think his numbers are suspect for practical reasons but also because he doesn’t have an organization that could be doing the legwork needed…he’s just making an assumption from all I can see. Not trying to make this a big deal out of this but as the war machine seems to be roaring to life, experts like this who may be exaggerating the enemy and threat can end up being the one whose quotes are echoed by those rallying for a misguided war. I’m concerned that the success of our limited air strike war on ISIS could lead to a much larger and broader war that could turn out to be another disaster. And as we saw with Iraq, there’s never a shortage of experts who can serve the goals of war mongers in their quest for war. » Posted By AdLib On August 21, 2014 @ 10:46 pm He may be correct but he is the only one I can find claiming this and it seems a bit far fetched to go all the way up to 50,000. I get very suspicious when there is one person like this represented as an expert who makes claims far outside of what other sources represent. You remember how this kind of thing happened before the war in Iraq, with Ahmed Chalabi and “Curve Ball” regarded as experts making claims that were highly exaggerated and used by the neocons as evidence for why we needed to go to war in Iraq. My concern is that al-Hashimi could be this type of exaggerating expert as well, used to justify greater military involvement. We need corroborating, independent evidence to be sure, not trust one man who may or may not have an agenda. The NYT disputes his count and al-Hashimi’s high number is five times higher than NYT’s low number, I wouldn’t hang my hat on either’s count right now but I find the assertion of up to 50,000 as very hard to believe, with an army that huge they would be able to take over Syria relatively quickly then take Iraq down. » Posted By AdLib On August 21, 2014 @ 7:52 pm Murph, the NY Times claims that ISIS has half the number of fighters you mention in your post, they say it is about 17,000. That’s still a lot but a lot less to have to battle. » Posted By AdLib On August 21, 2014 @ 5:38 pm Murph, what a fantastic overview and background on ISIS and the conflict. It does seem that the formula to crushing ISIS isn’t so complex but it is difficult. It begins with Iraq’s new government being more inclusive and undermining anti-government support of ISIS by Iraqis. The Kurds are regrouped militarily and getting more support from the US and US air strikes have clearly been hurting ISIS. But the Arab nations supporting ISIS need to be stopped. They give legitimacy and backing that greatly strengthens them. A real complication is that Syria and Iran are also enemies of ISIS. Will other adversaries work with them at risk of undermining our policies against them? ISIS is an enemy of all civilized nations including most Arab nations. They have enemies in all directions, they are doomed as long as their destruction remains the focus. » Posted By AdLib On August 21, 2014 @ 12:25 pm The Revolution Will Be Criminalized…Unless You’re White monicaangela, quite a remarkable rundown you assembled on the deterioration of the nation’s integrity. And I agree that the main rot comes from corrupt capitalism and the glory of greed that’s been cemented in place. The disconnect between what is going on in this country and what people focus their attention on is sometimes surreal. With all that is going on in Ferguson and the terrible truth of our society it reveals, the institutionalized racism and the hidden militarized police state surrounding us that lies dormant until the power of the status quo is too seriously challenged by the people (Occupy Wall Street exemplified this too), so many Americans are more wrapped up with ice bucket challenges, Instagram, the latest on the Kardashians, or video games, movies or tv shows. It’s like the reverse of Nero fiddling while Rome burns, it’s like Romans fiddling while Rome burns. The 1% don’t spend their time on all the entertainment distractions their corporations and media throw like grit into the eyes of the public, they spend each day trying to take more power and money away from the 99%. While many Americans happily embrace the distractions handed to them and just shrug their shoulders at how their democracy, society and future is being taken away by them. And the elevation of corporations not only as people but as people with superiority over all real people in the nation has led to their unprincipled and selfish character influencing the way real people act. This mentality encourages and supports all the other selfish traits of people in addition to greed including racism. People now seem to feel they have permission from our society to be prejudiced against their fellow citizens. The responses of the self-segregated white people in St. Louis seems to make this clear, their stereotyping of all the black people in Ferguson as a single uncivilized entity deserving to be locked in their homes and tear gassed or arrested for being “uppity”, betrays this kind of socially condoned racism. “It’s okay to treat others as below you…because you know they are.” All men are created equal is a phrase the 1% laugh at just as hard as poor racists…but the poor racists have no idea the 1% is laughing at them too as fools doing their dirty work. » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2014 @ 5:26 pm Murph, I sure wish Salon would quit stealing from me…and publishing before I do, that’s really annoying too. Thanks for posting this link, appreciated the article.. True, such racist bravado as you recounted can never fully be known to be empty talk or a game plan. It’s almost surreal, a community is protesting against police and government for the unjustifiable murder of an unarmed teen…and in showing support of the police for being justified in killing Michael Brown, they brag about wanting to commit more unjustified murders of black people. So they are admitting that they support racist murder and somehow see themselves as patriotic instead of pro-criminal. The hypocrisy of racists can never be underestimated. » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2014 @ 1:55 am KT, good proposition here. I do think it’s clear that the white power holders want to assert their dominance over black people…because they feel scared and threatened by them. And to be able to justify their racism, they need to be in denial about the oppression that black people suffer at their hands, directly or indirectly and dehumanize them so mor oppression is justified. The police serve the white community who do seem to get immediately hysterical at the sight of black people pushing back. These white residents (not all, saw white people arrested at the protests while participating) want their police to be militarized and use tanks, choppers and napalm to wipe out the “scary” black people protesting. The police are influenced by that hateful and scared segment, those are their people, their neighbors and family members terrified of the angry black people. And how do such fearful white people want to deal with justifiable anger in their black neighbors? They worship “justifiable” prejudice against them,, What Ferguson proves is what the Arab Spring proved, you can’t oppress people forever, eventually the pressure builds up to a point where the people revolt and they won’t be stopped…even by a military assault on them and their community. The white power structure had better learn to make a lot of compromises or it could end up burning on the trash heap of history. » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2014 @ 1:49 am Monicaangela, there is indeed a facade of what America is that many people believe as being authentic. How much more obvious can entrenched racism be in America since Obama began running for office? And the politically correct in the MSM still turn away from calling racism exactly what it is.. The American Dream, American Exceptionalism, America as a beacon of hope to the world, all these rah-rah beliefs are tumbling down to be exposed for the shams they are. The truth of America as a pot of bubbling racism and power being held by elitists who merely want to oppress the majority, has been made quite clear to those willing to accept reality and toss aside the fairy tales about what America is that they were brainwashed by since their youth. Ferguson is reality that tears away the mask of what America has pretended to be. This is a great country and people in many ways but it’s time to stop the denial about the badness that also thrives here. You can’t fix a problem until you admit there is one. » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2014 @ 1:36 am Nirek, as usually seems to be the case, it seems like things have to get really bad and people have to be severely suffering before they finally demand that something be done. It does seem to be getting to that point though. » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2014 @ 1:26 am slm, that is the irony, these RW loons praise our nation’s enemies like Putin for being their kind of leader, a fascist, while attacking our President and our system of government, frequently threatening to stage an armed revolution if democracy isn’t short circuited in a way that allows them as a minority to dictate their will to the majority. These freaks are unAmerican and treasonous, what about them is reflective of American values and American Democracy? » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2014 @ 1:25 am Murph, what struck me is some of the protesters and black representatives expressing how they too want the police to stop the dangerous people infiltrating the protest, some feel more threatened by them than the militarized police. So some truly bad people are in that crowd but anyone who respects justice and the rights of others would not tear gas everyone just to chase those bad guys away. » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2014 @ 1:20 am RSGmusic, there isn’t a legit militia nowadays. The Founders saw a militia way back then through the eyes of people who had just won a war of independence and were just building a country. Back then, the 2nd Amendment was a safeguard, in case the fledgling nation had to raise an army from the population, if it was attacked, if some undemocratic force like another King took over the US, etc. it was never intended to be needed to fight it’s own democratically elected government. Now, we have a robust army, a National Guard, militarized police forces, no purpose for a militia except to allow out of shape racist white men the ability to show off their guns and pose as “patriots”. » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2014 @ 1:16 am Hey RSGmusic, one main reason we help out our members by removing their email addresses from their comments is because there are spambots that comb the web, including our site, to harvest email addresses to add to spam lists and possibly to hijack email accounts. So, by our privately delivering email addresses from one member to another, their email account and anonymity are protected. » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2014 @ 1:07 am Thanks NoMan, very appreciated! Yes, that’s exactly what I intended when I wrote “black and white definition”, police there and in many cities do indeed seem to think that the phrase “Protect and Serve” only applies to white residents and “Potential Suspect” applies to all black residents. I remember a story a few weeks ago about Klansmen being removed from a southern city’s police force. What a surprise. » Posted By AdLib On August 15, 2014 @ 11:00 am Kalima, well, the Ferguson cops are facing the same kind of threat as our soldiers did in Iraq. Oh wait, the situation in Iraq wasn’t just peaceful protests, my bad. » Posted By AdLib On August 15, 2014 @ 10:55 am Kes, I am glad that this is the policy now being used but listening to Johnson in interviews, it seems like a package deal, “Okay, we’ll treat you citizens decently now but let’s all forget about the racist, militarized police force that attacked you for days.” It’s almost like a battered wife who’s being treated with care after her latest beating, she’s consumed with gratitude for being treated with the level of respect…she should have received anyway. I’m very upset about how swiftly the criminal behavior of the police is being buried. » Posted By AdLib On August 15, 2014 @ 10:53 amComments Posted By AdLib
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