What has Trump done now?

[rgmwa]

Try living in the US and see if you still think it’s so bad over here. You could start with the criminal in the White House and his corrupt Justice Department. 

Edited yesterday at 01:06 PM by rgmwa

[rgmwa]

Here's an interesting perspective on the current unrest in Los Angeles that doesn't suit Trump's MAGA agenda given the inconvenient fact that Los Angeles was once part of Mexico. 

 

I was there as protesters flooded the streets of downtown Los Angeles, their chants rising over sirens and the buzz of low-flying helicopters. The air was thick with smoke, and the sharp, acrid sting of chemicals burned the throat and made eyes water. Loud bangs echoed off concrete buildings, followed by the thud of rubber bullets hitting pavement and bodies. A wall of L.A. police officers stood unmoving at the edge of the crowd. And above it all, in the chaos and confrontation, was a sea of raised fists and Mexican flags. Not tucked in a pocket or painted on a cheek, but unfurled and waving high, as if daring the city, the country, to see them. 
We know what came next. The outrage. The backlash. Not discomfort, but anger. Real, visceral anger. For many, seeing the Mexican flag waved during a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement doesn’t just raise eyebrows; it feels like an affront. They ask: If you’re demanding rights in this country, why wave the flag of another? But that flag, at that moment, is not about rejecting the United States. It’s about refusing to be erased. It’s layered with history, memory and defiance. It calls into question who we are as a country and, more important, who we’re willing to include. It forces a reckoning with a national identity far more complicated than many are ready to admit.

 

At a time when immigration is no longer merely debated but wielded as a tool to stoke fear, consolidate power and dehumanize an essential part of our society, and when the political cost of empathy has grown prohibitively high, moments like this don’t just spark controversy; they become crucibles. They force us to confront questions without easy answers: Who truly belongs in this country? And at what cost? Can American identity contain this kind of complexity, or is belonging still tethered to silence, assimilation and the quiet erasure of everything that doesn’t conform?

Los Angeles is the perfect place to ask these questions because Mexican identity isn’t foreign there. It’s foundational. This was Mexico once and remains part of the memory, culture, street names, food and families who never crossed a border because the border crossed them. In that context, the Mexican flag isn’t necessarily a symbol of separation or rejection. Sometimes, it’s a claim: We are both. We are Mexican and American, not divided but layered. This is what our identity looks like.

 

But American pluralism has never been as open-armed as we pretend. It often tolerates presence but punishes visibility. Mexican Americans are deemed essential when the country needs labor — in the fields, in hospitals during the covid pandemic, in our homes, in our schools and in the armed forces — but suspicious when they demand dignity, political voice or the freedom to show pride in where they come from. The message has always been: Contribute, but don’t complicate.

[nomadpete]

I bet they don't teach much border growth history in USA schools. Their old imperialism took a lot of Mexico by force - to make the states of Arizona, Utah, Texas, etc.

 

After all that, taking Greenland would not be so surprising. They don't look like nice neighbours, to me.

 

 

Edited 23 hours ago by nomadpete

[Jerry_Atrick]

9 hours ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

It's a pity law and order wasn't restored down here .. look at all the crime, it's shocking.

Jeepers you spew a lot of poop.. ever thought media needs eyeballs to pay for advertising: https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/aus/australia/crime-rate-statistics

 

In case you're hard of reading crime down significantly since 1990

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

1 hour ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

In case you're hard of reading crime down significantly since 1990

The usual generic cliche. Statistics hardly matter when every second teen carries around a machete or a knife, and nearly every Lebonese is a drug dealer, and an Asian kills a whole family then we never hear any more about it. A black African teen stabs to death a woman trying to lock her car, and still no court case ensuing, he's being protected by the multiculturalism brigade. 

 

It's the lack of any societal human brain cells involved in today's vicious crimes, and sentencing, that we should be looking at, not cooked up statistics

[octave]

5 minutes ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

Statistics hardly matter

Statistics matter more than emotional irrationality.  

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

You reckon you wouldn't get emotional if a machete was held at your neck?

[octave]

Just now, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

You reckon you wouldn't get emotional if a machete was held at your neck?

Of course, but rationally, I understand the odds of that happening, and I can avoid hysteria. 

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

Have you seen families exiting court houses saying "There's no justice any more"?

[octave]

4 minutes ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

Have you seen families exiting court houses saying "There's no justice any more"?

 

 

I have actually been involved with a legal situation for the last 18 months regarding drug dealers next door in a housing department property.  Instead of getting hysterical, we organised our neighbours, made allies in the police and housing department educated ourselves and appeared to give evidence. We won, and these people are going to be evicted by the police and the property is going on the private market.

The moral of this is that whinging and whining gets you nowhere.     We educated ourselves and kept positive.    I am sorry that you seem to be so unhappy with life.

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

There's a lot more people saying there's no justice anymore.

[octave]

1 minute ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

There's a lot more people saying there's no justice anymore.

I do not form my opinions on the basis of what a lot of people say; I want hard facts. 

[facthunter]

If I was as Pi$$ed off as you are GON, I'd migrate to the Land of the Orange Con Man where Service People are Suckers & Losers and Money is God, and GUNS are everywhere.  Nev

[octave]

23 minutes ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

There's a lot more people saying there's no justice anymore.

AI Overview

 

No, public perception of crime often differs from actual crime rates. While crime rates have generally been decreasing in many areas, public perception tends to be that crime is increasing or at high levels. This discrepancy can be influenced by various factors, including media coverage, personal experiences, and individual biases. 

 

Here's a more detailed look at the factors contributing to this gap:

1. Media Influence:

• Sensationalism:

  News media often focuses on dramatic and violent crimes, which can create a perception that these events are more common than they actually are. 

   
• Repetitive Coverage:

  Even if crime rates are stable or decreasing, continuous media reports can lead to the perception that crime is on the rise. 

   

2. Personal Experiences and Biases:

• Fear of Crime:

  Individuals may develop a heightened fear of crime, even if they haven't been victims, based on personal experiences, stories from others, or general anxieties about their surroundings.
• Social and Economic Factors:

  People with higher socioeconomic status may perceive crime as more prevalent or a greater threat, potentially due to concerns about property values or personal safety.
• Implicit Biases:

  Racial and class biases can also influence perceptions of crime, leading to inaccurate assessments of crime levels in certain neighborhoods. 

   

3. Lack of Accurate Information:

• Official Crime Statistics:

  Public awareness of official crime statistics is often limited, and people may not be aware of trends in crime rates, particularly if they are decreasing. 

   
• Underreporting:

  Crimes may not be reported to the police, leading to an underestimation of the true extent of crime in a community. 

   

4. The Role of "Perceived Crime":

• Impact on Policy:

  Despite the discrepancy between perceived and actual crime, public perception can still influence policy decisions and resource allocation related to law enforcement. 

   
• Community Safety:

  Perceptions of safety can affect people's behavior, such as their willingness to go out at night or participate in community activities. 

   

In conclusion, while crime rates may be declining in many areas, public perception of crime can be significantly higher due to factors like media coverage, personal experiences, and biases. This gap between perceived and actual crime has important implications for public safety and policy decisions. 

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

And those who say there's not much crime, sympathize with the crims and go easy on them, no matter how vicious the crime. 

[facthunter]

BS. Nev

[octave]

28 minutes ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

And those who say there's not much crime, sympathize with the crims and go easy on them, no matter how vicious the crime. 

Nope whether crime has gone up or down is something that can be measured.  The fact that homicides have been declining for many years does not have any bearing on the seriousness of each individual crime.    Your logic seems to be that if I state that homicides have been falling, then I believe that people should not be punished harshly, which makes no sense at all.  

 

Although murders have decreased since the 90s there was a slight uptick recently. This seems to be from Intimate Partner murders.

 

The difference between you and me GON is that you judge these things purely on your gut feeling where as I want the data. 

 

[octave]

Historically low overall homicide rate

The AIC released two reports on statistics emerging from its National Homicide Monitoring Program, a database that has been in operation since July 1989.

The institute reports 232 overall homicide incidents were recorded by Australian state and territory police between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023, which resulted in 247 homicide victims.

The Australian homicide rate (0.87 deaths per year per 100,000 population) remains historically low. There has been a 52 per cent reduction in homicide incidents since 1989‒90, indicative of a long-term downward trend in unlawful killings.

The report reveals police, prosecutors and courts are doing a good job, with 90 per cent of cases being resolved through the justice system. That is, only 10 per cent of homicide incidents in 2022‒23 were not “cleared,” meaning cases where an offender has yet to be identified, a suspect has not yet been charged, or a person is declared missing and police believe it’s linked to foul play.

[facthunter]

Partner  abuse is sometimes related to stress, often of a Financial Nature.  The cost of Gaoling people is very high and Privatised Prisons have no motivation to rehabilitate. The DEATH penalty is Barbarian and a blot on any society that Practices it. . Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

1 hour ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

And those who say there's not much crime, sympathize with the crims and go easy on them, no matter how vicious the crime. 

Now you're just trolling

[Marty_d]

If I were ever face to face with Trump, I'd have just one question -

"Are you evil, or just a truly incompetent narcissist?"

[Jerry_Atrick]

Or both?