• Members 474 posts
    March 10, 2024, 5:43 a.m.

    I guess you decided not to read what the last link said. Here it is again:

    apnews.com/article/trump-rape-trial-columnist-carroll-4974ef026f3da61bc6f1b7ddda3ad10e

    Trump’s lawyers had asked Kaplan to reduce the jury award to less than $1 million or order a new trial on damages. In their arguments, the lawyers said the jury’s $2 million in compensatory damages granted for Carroll’s sexual assault claim was excessive because the jury concluded that Trump had not raped Carroll at Bergdorf Goodman’s Manhattan store in the spring of 1996.

    Kaplan wrote that the jury’s unanimous verdict was almost entirely in favor of Carroll, except that the jury concluded she had failed to prove that Trump raped her “within the narrow, technical meaning of a particular section of the New York Penal Law.”

    The judge said the section requires vaginal penetration by a penis while forcible penetration without consent of the vagina or other bodily orifices by fingers or anything else is labeled “sexual abuse” rather than “rape.”

    He said the definition of rape was “far narrower” than how rape is defined in common modern parlance, in some dictionaries, in some federal and state criminal statutes and elsewhere.

    The judge said the verdict did not mean that Carroll “failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’ Indeed ... the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that.”

    In other words, "rape". But if you want to argue that an unwanted forcible finger job isn't rape, then...

    Russia's nice, I hear:

    www.snopes.com/fact-check/russian-conservative-village/

    By email, Snopes asked Beslangurov if any progress had been made on the village and if plans to begin construction in 2024 were on track. "Yes, we are working to make this happen," he responded.

    Beslangurov is not a "Russian authority," but a private lawyer who provides services for foreigners who wish to move to Russia. While he is evidently well connected, he is not an official voice of the Russian government. According to his Linkedin profile, he does "work closely with the federal agencies and the members and committees involved in the development of laws," however.

    Beslangurov's statements echo similar statements made by the Kremlin seemingly geared at western conservatives. The New Republic wrote that "Beslangurov’s remarks [...] mirror the broader posturing of Russia’s government as “traditional” in comparison to the West’s supposed loose liberalism."

    Beslangurov has regularly been cited on issues related to immigration to Russia and expatriate life in the international press. In 2022, he argued to the Daily Beast that "nothing good would happen" with western sanctions against Russia in response to their invasion of Ukraine and that the move would push Russia closer to China and India. In early 2023, his name appeared in an Indian outlet where he promoted a golden visa program aimed at recruiting Indian investors with offers of Russian residency.

    Because no Russian "authority" is actively part of this project, and because the one person responsible for making the claim has thus far declined to provide evidence to support it, Snopes rates it Unproven.

    But, maybe not. Thoughts and prayers! 😂

  • Members 1062 posts
    March 10, 2024, 6:36 a.m.

    Great Bustard. You told us a few days ago about your experience of being ostracised during a lesson on women's rights. Unfortunately there are women who hate men ( and men who hate women), as you experienced during your course. Some times these women with mental heath issues end up as teachers on "Women's Rights" courses or find them selves in other positions of power where they can cause mischief. I quess this is what happened with the picture in the OP.

    I read in an Italian newspaper, a story about an Italian guy who took a social work course in New York. He took a terrible pounding for bring "White" and was continually reminded that white people are irredeemably racist due to the colour of their skin. The same sort of shit that you got on your 500 course.

    There seems to be a terrible Maoistic type cancer, with self denouncement and all the rest, affecting American accademia at the moment, which we are copying here in Europe too. The anti-semitism of two leading US University principles, did not escape our notice here in Europe.

    Life is never black or white, but is always shades of grey.

  • Members 474 posts
    March 10, 2024, 7:17 a.m.

    Where the "..." omits (among other omissions):

    Kaplan wrote that the jury’s unanimous verdict was almost entirely in favor of Carroll, except that the jury concluded she had failed to prove that Trump raped her “within the narrow, technical meaning of a particular section of the New York Penal Law.”

    Pretty sure it's you, and your "kind", who's doing the spin with regards to the word "rape":

    The judge said the section requires vaginal penetration by a penis while forcible penetration without consent of the vagina or other bodily orifices by fingers or anything else is labeled “sexual abuse” rather than “rape.”

    He said the definition of rape was “far narrower” than how rape is defined in common modern parlance, in some dictionaries, in some federal and state criminal statutes and elsewhere.

    The judge said the verdict did not mean that Carroll “failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’ Indeed ... the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that.”

    You're the type who would argue that a husband cannot rape his wife:

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marital_rape_in_the_United_States

    Prior to the 1970s, marital rape was legal in every US state.

    That's another point we disagree on.

    Just like before 1970, no woman [in the US] was raped by her husband.

    No problem -- send Chubb the bill. 😂

    The photo in the OP was clearly sexual assault by today's law. If you disagree, then please post video of you doing that with some woman in a public place. However, at the time the photo was taken, no one batted an eye, but the sailor would absolutely have been charged with sexual assault had he been Black.

    All people are racist and sexist. I mean, of the 8 billion people on this planet, there might be 10 or so that aren't, but as for the rest, yeah, racist. But, as with everything else, it's a matter of degree. The amount of racism against Whites is nothing compared to the racism against Blacks and the sexism against men is nothing compared to the sexism against women, both in amount and degree.

    No -- what it is, is backlash from people who used to be able to be overtly racist and sexist without repercussion now having to answer for their actions. They don't like it. Just like all the "Christians" (in quotes, 'cause they're not even remotely Christian) complaining that they're being discriminated against simply because other religions have the same rights as they do, and that they have less and less power to impose their religion on others (as much as the christofascists are working hard to change).

    Anti-semitism is, and has been, quite real, and needs to be dealt with. But, they have a point, what with "Jewish Space Lasers" aimed at the planet. 😂 In any case, it's important to not confuse anti-Zionism with anti-semitism:

    theweek.com/speedreads/877713/bernie-sanders-declares-not-antisemitic-criticize-israel

    Sanders called out how false "accusations of antisemitism" are often lobbied at progressives, saying "it is not antisemitic to criticize the policies of the Israeli government," Sanders declared, though some of that criticism can "cross the line." "I will always call out antisemitism when I see it," Sanders said, also adding that he will also "rejoin the United Nations Human Rights Council, which Trump withdrew from" and immediately appoint a "special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism." From there, Sanders will continue to call for independent Israeli and Palestinian states and push for "solidarity" among all people working for that same goal.

    I mean, it could not be more clear (although clarity has never really mattered to the MAGA crowd).

    What Hitler did was more on the black and white side. What Mao did was more on the black and white side. What Stalin did was more on the black and white side. What Pol Pot did was more on the black and white side. What the MAGA crowd and US republicans are doing is more on the black and white side. Well, in the case of the latter, more on the White side, actually. 😉

    As for the current situation in the ME, both the Israeli government and Hamas are pure effing evil, and I absolutely give you that some ignorant twats support Hamas because they hate Israel. But Hamas is not being supported by the US government -- that's the difference with regards to the role of the US. But I find it oh so interesting how the MAGA crowd want to support Israel in their evil, and want to withdraw support from Ukraine fighting evil.

  • March 10, 2024, 7:40 a.m.

    When you're arguing the semantics of 'rape' versus 'sexual assault' you're already deep in the moral weeds, I'd think. Whichever, either is something that should disqualify someone from holding public office.
    BTW, on a technical legal matter, the verdict was not 'not guilty', this was a civil case of defamation - the verdict was about fact, not guilt.

  • March 10, 2024, 7:56 a.m.

    I'm not sure I quite agree with that. All people are prejudiced - it's part of the human condition. We're also innately tribal, that's a behaviour that has been evolutionarily advantageous (as it has been for lots of species). However, civilisation is all about the elevation of behaviour based on reason over more basic animal instincts. So, when you talk about 'isms' we're talking about social, ideological things. Prejudice becomes racism (or sexism) when codified into a pattern or thought that justifies toxic behaviour on the basis of this ideology. In the 19th and early 20th century racism (and also sexism) was unashamedly the 'right way' to think. Thankfully nowadays it's widely considered unacceptable - so it's covert. It's also about power relations. It's a category error to accuse a black man prejudiced against white people because the power relation works the wrong way (well, at least in white dominated societies). If you don't have the ideological and power aspect it's just prejudice, which as you say, we're all subject to.

  • Members 2120 posts
    March 10, 2024, 8:36 a.m.

    Havent you ever been on a cruise ship in the late 70s early 80s over new years eve and kissed all the girls 😁😎 so many great memories from my past. its a great image and even better knowing the storey 😊

  • Members 599 posts
    March 10, 2024, 8:40 a.m.

    The verdict was total BS. The whole thing where he is being pursued on these trumped-up charges, with judges who were appointed by Democrats ... it is so corrupt.
    Pure political persecution and Banana Republic styled to boot!
    Another example of this persecution is the Trump NY civil fraud ruling. Incredulous verdict that reveals he will never get a fair trial with a corrupt, partisan judge, in a democratic state. The despicable misuse of power with the DOJ, FBI, CIA and the state is so very evident for all to see.

  • Members 2120 posts
    March 10, 2024, 8:48 a.m.

    just another method of controlling population growth. nothing more. 🤐 make the sex'es hate each other.

  • Members 2120 posts
    March 10, 2024, 9:19 a.m.

    havent you been at a party and had an attractive women just walk up to you and plant a kiss. 😎 id feel like a total tosser to take someone to court 20 years later over a flattering experience that i will remember for ever. the worlds gone mad.

  • Members 206 posts
    March 10, 2024, 4:47 p.m.
    Screenshot_20240310-173920.png

    PNG, 979.6 KB, uploaded by finnan on March 10, 2024.

  • Members 599 posts
    March 10, 2024, 5:15 p.m.

    That was politicised...and of course, the mediatards took it to a whole new level. Over 50% of the public no longer trust the media. True journalism hardly exists today. The majority are partisan propagandists and spin jockeys. Especially in the USA where the media is owned by a handful of conglomerates and the majority are
    democrat controlled.

  • Members 474 posts
    March 10, 2024, 7:52 p.m.

    Nope. I got a text from a chick at a party though -- it went like this:

    microbiology.jpg

    😂

    I'm definitely not arguing that point. I guess what I'm arguing is that, say you're in NY Square for New Year's. At the end of the countdown, some random guy grabs your girlfriend or wife and kisses her as shown in the photo. Cool or not cool? JACS would say "cool" -- he'd just do the same to that guy's girlfriend/wife if she were there. What are the odds that that guy would go, "Oh, cool!"?

    But, for sure, there are people that are cool with that. I bet there is at least one woman, somewhere, who wouldn't mind if some hot guy pulled her pants down and pounded her right there in front of God and everyone. But the fact that said woman exists, somewhere, doesn't make it OK. What percent of women have to think this behavior is OK to make it OK, though? Well, based on what I'm reading in this thread is none -- it wouldn't take any women, because this is all based on what the man thinks, and men are the ones making the laws, anyway.

    Greta clearly did not want to reenact the moment -- she enjoyed the fame of the photo and understood what it symbolized. But she didn't want to reenact it, so there seems to be at least some level of discomfort, there. Should that discomfort be criminal? In my opinion, absolutely (not retroactively, though). Now, if straight guys were OK with gay guys doing the same to them, then I guess I'd be the odd one out. But we all know what would have happened back then if a Black man had done the same. So there's something wrong, but "we" just don't want to give up our "privilege".

    As a side, I bet if we polled attractive women about if it's OK if random men grab them and kiss them at a major event, and tell them that the man is attractive, the majority would be OK with it. But if he were an ugly old slob like myself, they wouldn't be OK with it. So, perhaps I'm mistaken -- maybe this is more an issue of "pretty privilege" than "male privilege".

    Seconded!

    But you absolutely do want a man who has been "convicted" of forcibly fingering a woman against her will, a man who creeped out Miss USA pagents by walking into their dressing room unannounced, etc., etc., etc., to be President of the US. Look, I get that you hate the democrats -- that's all fine and dandy (although comparing them to Stalin and Beria is more than a little off the deep end) -- but the fact that "you people" support Trump is more than a little, well, disappointing, to say it as kind as I can.

    Still, I'm not trying to convince you one way or another, any more than I'd try to convince a "Christian" that what they support is, in fact, the opposite of what Jesus preached ("I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." -- Ghandi). People who think like you are a sizable minority -- at least 30% of the population and probably more like 40%. So you're all in "good" company. I further believe in free speech, so I believe you have every right to voice your opinion, but, by the same token, I demand the same for me. So far, this thread has been quite civil, in my opinion, so here's to hoping it stays that way!

    microbiology.jpg

    JPG, 62.9 KB, uploaded by GreatBustard on March 10, 2024.

  • Members 742 posts
    March 10, 2024, 8:52 p.m.

    You are really stretching things suggesting the "handful of conglomerates" are democrat controlled...

  • Members 878 posts
    March 10, 2024, 9 p.m.

    [deleted]