It's an interesting experiment, but my take is that in a country where we can't even seem to accept the conclusion that drug use should be dealt with by treatment rather than incarceration, the chances that positive reinforcement for psychopaths becomes something that catches on is pretty much nil. Meaning that a.) alot of the public will not want to hear this b.) 90% of politicians wouldn't touch this idea with a 10-foot pole and c.) the prison industrial complex won't let it go beyond a few test scenarios.
I think the key finding here is that psychopaths flat-out don't register negative reinforcement. They can't process it. Yet carrots still work for some reason.
There has been alot of talk the last few days about Mueller not having the ability to make anymore announcements between now and the election, since we have entered the so-called "60 days out" mark (though this rule seemingly went out the window when an announcement about Hillary was made a mere 10 days before an election). First off, this isn't an actual rule, more like long-standing protocol. And secondly, Donald Trump may be the main driving factor about how people cast their ballots, but he is not ON the ballot in 2018, so there is no possible way an announcement could be seen as a violation of this tradition unless it pertained to an actual Congressional candidate.
Liu Qiangdong, a Chinese billionaire, was briefly detained in Minneapolis under suspicion of committing sexual misconduct. He was released without posting bail and is already back in China. The police have stated that they will be perfectly capable of having the right "conversations" with Liu even if he's all the way in China.
I don't know how much truth there is to the allegations. But you don't get to flee the country right after you've been arrested for allegedly committing a sex crime. I know for a fact that even if Liu is 100% guilty, there is no chance at all that he will ever face justice now that he's back in China where everyone from a police officer to a high-ranking government official can be bribed into silence. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Liu attempted to pay off the American officials into letting him go, though it would shock me if he succeeded.
The police say they are investigating. But what the hell are they going to do if they find out there is credible evidence that Liu is guilty? Do they think that a fabulously wealth sex criminal will willingly fly to the other side of the Earth to show up for a trial? Do they think that anyone in the Chinese government would dare to send a billionaire to the United States to make sure he answered for his crimes?
I very much doubt anyone in the Minneapolis police service or criminal justice system seriously believes that Liu is ever going to come back to the U.S. They've willingly let a suspected criminal flee the country--to a country filled with people who would gladly shield a wealthy businessman from extradition--and I cannot think of any other explanation than corruption or fear.
I don't know if Liu committed any crime while he was here. But you don't get to flee the country when you're still under criminal investigation, even if you are a billionaire. You don't get diplomatic immunity unless you're a diplomat.
It reminds me of that time when Erdogan's bodyguards committed multiple felony assaults--which put some victims in the hospital--in front of dozens of witnesses, in broad daylight, and yet were allowed to run back to Turkey without even being detained.
Liu Qiangdong, a Chinese billionaire, was briefly detained in Minneapolis under suspicion of committing sexual misconduct. He was released without posting bail and is already back in China. The police have stated that they will be perfectly capable of having the right "conversations" with Liu even if he's all the way in China.
I don't know how much truth there is to the allegations. But you don't get to flee the country right after you've been arrested for allegedly committing a sex crime. I know for a fact that even if Liu is 100% guilty, there is no chance at all that he will ever face justice now that he's back in China where everyone from a police officer to a high-ranking government official can be bribed into silence. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Liu attempted to pay off the American officials into letting him go, though it would shock me if he succeeded.
The police say they are investigating. But what the hell are they going to do if they find out there is credible evidence that Liu is guilty? Do they think that a fabulously wealth sex criminal will willingly fly to the other side of the Earth to show up for a trial? Do they think that anyone in the Chinese government would dare to send a billionaire to the United States to make sure he answered for his crimes?
I very much doubt anyone in the Minneapolis police service or criminal justice system seriously believes that Liu is ever going to come back to the U.S. They've willingly let a suspected criminal flee the country--to a country filled with people who would gladly shield a wealthy businessman from extradition--and I cannot think of any other explanation than corruption or fear.
I don't know if Liu committed any crime while he was here. But you don't get to flee the country when you're still under criminal investigation, even if you are a billionaire. You don't get diplomatic immunity unless you're a diplomat.
It reminds me of that time when Erdogan's bodyguards committed multiple felony assaults--which put some victims in the hospital--in front of dozens of witnesses, in broad daylight, and yet were allowed to run back to Turkey without even being detained.
It's entirely possible that the only thing that really matters in regards to criminal justice is how much money you have, how much you can afford for a high-quality attorney, and what your connections are. Mind you, it is still POSSIBLE to be convicted of a crime if you are rich, but your chances of being let off the hook go way, way, WAY up if you have all the money in the world to throw at the problem. I mean, OJ Simpson is the best example, but even Phil Spector, which was as open and shut a case as I have ever seen, required MULTIPLE trials to secure a conviction. Because finding 12 American adults where one or two of them aren't blithering idiots capable of being manipulated by a charismatic trial attorney is an almost impossible task.
By contrast, if you have no money at all for a lawyer, you will be thrown to a public defender who has an impossible to manage caseload, who will likely tell you to plead out whether you are guilty or not, simply because there is no way they can possibly go to trial with all their clients.
And yeah, Mr. Liu is back in China, free from all consequences. Meanwhile some hypothetical guy they picked up on Hennepin Ave. last night for shooting heroin will be behind bars right up until his inevitable conviction at trial (and yes, Hennepin Ave. is an actual street in Minneapolis).
Liu Qiangdong, a Chinese billionaire, was briefly detained in Minneapolis under suspicion of committing sexual misconduct. He was released without posting bail and is already back in China. The police have stated that they will be perfectly capable of having the right "conversations" with Liu even if he's all the way in China.
I don't know how much truth there is to the allegations. But you don't get to flee the country right after you've been arrested for allegedly committing a sex crime. I know for a fact that even if Liu is 100% guilty, there is no chance at all that he will ever face justice now that he's back in China where everyone from a police officer to a high-ranking government official can be bribed into silence. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Liu attempted to pay off the American officials into letting him go, though it would shock me if he succeeded.
The police say they are investigating. But what the hell are they going to do if they find out there is credible evidence that Liu is guilty? Do they think that a fabulously wealth sex criminal will willingly fly to the other side of the Earth to show up for a trial? Do they think that anyone in the Chinese government would dare to send a billionaire to the United States to make sure he answered for his crimes?
I very much doubt anyone in the Minneapolis police service or criminal justice system seriously believes that Liu is ever going to come back to the U.S. They've willingly let a suspected criminal flee the country--to a country filled with people who would gladly shield a wealthy businessman from extradition--and I cannot think of any other explanation than corruption or fear.
I don't know if Liu committed any crime while he was here. But you don't get to flee the country when you're still under criminal investigation, even if you are a billionaire. You don't get diplomatic immunity unless you're a diplomat.
It reminds me of that time when Erdogan's bodyguards committed multiple felony assaults--which put some victims in the hospital--in front of dozens of witnesses, in broad daylight, and yet were allowed to run back to Turkey without even being detained.
If they do press charges, he’ll never be able to step foot in any country that would extradite him to the United States again.
If they detained him, China may have considered it was political, any start pressing charges of their own, where Justice isn’t as reputable as it is in the states. To the point of the charges are dropped, the perception would be it was The Chinese influence that had them dropped and not him actually being innocent.
Trump attacked Sessions and the Justice Department on Monday in connection with the indictments of two GOP congressmen on corruption charges, saying they could hurt the Republican Party in the midterm elections.
His tweet indicated that his attorney general should base law enforcement actions on how it could affect the president and the Republican Party’s electoral success. It also seemed to indicate that electoral popularity should influence charges, as in you are popular you should be able to get away with crime.
Trump attacked Sessions and the Justice Department on Monday in connection with the indictments of two GOP congressmen on corruption charges, saying they could hurt the Republican Party in the midterm elections.
His tweet indicated that his attorney general should base law enforcement actions on how it could affect the president and the Republican Party’s electoral success. It also seemed to indicate that electoral popularity should influence charges, as in you are popular you should be able to get away with crime.
Wow, what if you're popular, good looking AND rich! I'll bet you could get away with just about anything. Just like at every other point in human history...
To be fair, corruption is relative. We have a relatively fair justice system compared to a lot of countries, if not other developed countries (I don't know about that; it could be either way). The situation in China is much more grim than here in the states. Corruption is systemic, and Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive seems more about appearances and cracking down on his domestic opponents than actually fixing the root causes of corruption. In China, your local officials and prominent businessmen are effectively beyond criticism--if an official or a businessman is committing a crime and you state it publicly, the police are going to punish you instead of the actual criminal. People get beaten up and sometimes even killed for daring to offend rich men.
I'd like to point out that one of the investigations Trump today is insisting is a result of an Obama-era Justice Department was in fact the result of suspicions about insider trading that occurred in 2017 (and some of the evidence is video of that Congressman on the phone talking about it at a White House party). So unless we are living in some sort of time-warp, his complaints have no basis in reality. What a shock. Then again, I've seen people in the last year insist that Barack Obama was President during Hurricane Katrina, so maybe it is true that absolutely nothing matters.
Republicans dumped like 40k documents that they'd been withholding on Kavanaugh in the middle of the night for the hearing that started hours later today. They are still withholding another 0k or maybe it's only 60k now but anyway Republicans are up to their evil corrupt dirty tricks.
From what we can find of his record Kavanaugh will gut campaign finance regulations so that unlimited money can corrupt our politicians. He will overturn Roe. V Wae. And he'll protect Trump from facing justice for his blatant law breaking and obstruction of justice.
Are Republicans proud of themselves that they are destroying the country for short term gains and money?
There's a short quiz about fake posts on Facebook in which you try to guess the difference between a fake post from a Russian operative or a real post. The posts are really diverse; it's not just about the standard hot-button issues you'd think of.
I guessed right on each one, but I don't really know how. The reasons the article gave for why each fake post gave away its true nature were completely different from mine.
So Bob Woodward's new book seems to reveal a White House where anyone of any importance spends most of their time trying to prevent Trump from making catastrophic decisions by either ignoring him or tricking him. On the one hand, this is a positive (??). On the other hand, it means we have no actual President, but a lunatic man-child playing the head of state. And his staff has to engage in what can only be described as constant mini-coups to prevent him from going completely off the rails. For instance, apparently Mattis ignored his order to assassinate Assad.
Meanwhile, a farce of democracy is taking place in the Senate, but at least the Dems have grown a spine for 24 hours.
It seems clear the entire Republican party is self interested in making sure the President is above the law and his criminal history with Russian mobsters and money laundering is covered up.
At least he is being afforded a hearing and will be (inevitably) confirmed. Democratic Presidents and their nominees no longer have any such luxury. There isn't a single thing said at these hearings that can come within the same solar system as not allowing a President to make ANY pick for the vacancy. And no liberal who cares about politics is ever going to forget it as long as we live.
What's the catch-22 just shake the guys hand. He lost a child to gun violence shake his hand so what. That's a problem? Instead he took the partisan approach.
Yeah, cuz I'm sure he was there to show his support for Kavanaugh and not promote his own agenda. It was a win-win for Guttenburg. Don't shake his hand, you're an asshole. Shake his hand you have a photo op for calling him an asshole later when he doesn't rule your way. I actually find it refreshing that Kavanaugh chose Door #1 because it shows that he has balls (he may have played it differently if he needed more Democrat votes, I'll admit however). The media and the left are becoming very predictable...
I'm not sure how important this missing handshake is to begin with. Even something as simple as awkwardness and unfamiliarity could explain not shaking somebody's hand... and I don't think this has any real bearing on how Kavanaugh would act as a judge.
I'm not sure how important this missing handshake is to begin with. Even something as simple as awkwardness and unfamiliarity could explain not shaking somebody's hand... and I don't think this has any real bearing on how Kavanaugh would act as a judge.
But the guy was kicked out apparently. That makes it more than meets the eyes imo...
The only thing the entire day does is remind me how the Republican Senate invalidated mine and the votes of roughly 66 million other people when they refused to hold a hearing on Obama's nominee. I could care less if Kavanaugh has to walk on hot coals to get to the hearing every day. It's never been quite such a raw and distinct feeling as today. There is no middle ground to be had here. We either go to scorched earth war with this version of the Republican Party, or get run over by a locomotive trying to play nice.
Yeah, cuz I'm sure he was there to show his support for Kavanaugh and not promote his own agenda. It was a win-win for Guttenburg. Don't shake his hand, you're an asshole. Shake his hand you have a photo op for calling him an asshole later when he doesn't rule your way. I actually find it refreshing that Kavanaugh chose Door #1 because it shows that he has balls (he may have played it differently if he needed more Democrat votes, I'll admit however). The media and the left are becoming very predictable...
Refreshing that the guy acted like a heartless jerk? That's celebrated? Being too chickenshit to shake hands with someone who lost their kid is an accomplishment? I don't see it. I'm glad people are calling him out for it.
Just shake the hand. Hell how about a "sorry for your loss". Why harm is that? His actions are indefensible.
Yeah, cuz I'm sure he was there to show his support for Kavanaugh and not promote his own agenda. It was a win-win for Guttenburg. Don't shake his hand, you're an asshole. Shake his hand you have a photo op for calling him an asshole later when he doesn't rule your way. I actually find it refreshing that Kavanaugh chose Door #1 because it shows that he has balls (he may have played it differently if he needed more Democrat votes, I'll admit however). The media and the left are becoming very predictable...
Refreshing that the guy acted like a heartless jerk? That's celebrated? Being too chickenshit to shake hands with someone who lost their kid is an accomplishment? I don't see it. I'm glad people are calling him out for it.
Just shake the hand. Hell how about a "sorry for your loss". Why harm is that? His actions are indefensible.
That's not why he was there and you know it.
He was there because somebody convinced him that the death of his kid was not 'random' but because of some political bullshit about gun-control being the reason for his loss. Everybody wants somebody to blame for a loss so I don't blame him. That doesn't mean he gets a pass for his ideology...
Yeah, cuz I'm sure he was there to show his support for Kavanaugh and not promote his own agenda. It was a win-win for Guttenburg. Don't shake his hand, you're an asshole. Shake his hand you have a photo op for calling him an asshole later when he doesn't rule your way. I actually find it refreshing that Kavanaugh chose Door #1 because it shows that he has balls (he may have played it differently if he needed more Democrat votes, I'll admit however). The media and the left are becoming very predictable...
Refreshing that the guy acted like a heartless jerk? That's celebrated? Being too chickenshit to shake hands with someone who lost their kid is an accomplishment? I don't see it. I'm glad people are calling him out for it.
Just shake the hand. Hell how about a "sorry for your loss". Why harm is that? His actions are indefensible.
That's not why he was there and you know it.
He was there because somebody convinced him that the death of his kid was not 'random' but because of some political bullshit about gun-control being the reason for his loss. Everybody wants somebody to blame for a loss so I don't blame him. That doesn't mean he gets a pass for his ideology...
It was a handshake. Not an indoctrination.
Brett Kavanaugh is an extreme partisan who refused to even shake the hand of a father who lost his child. And he was so petty that he needed a safe space and had the man removed by security. He revealed his character.
Yeah, cuz I'm sure he was there to show his support for Kavanaugh and not promote his own agenda. It was a win-win for Guttenburg. Don't shake his hand, you're an asshole. Shake his hand you have a photo op for calling him an asshole later when he doesn't rule your way. I actually find it refreshing that Kavanaugh chose Door #1 because it shows that he has balls (he may have played it differently if he needed more Democrat votes, I'll admit however). The media and the left are becoming very predictable...
Refreshing that the guy acted like a heartless jerk? That's celebrated? Being too chickenshit to shake hands with someone who lost their kid is an accomplishment? I don't see it. I'm glad people are calling him out for it.
Just shake the hand. Hell how about a "sorry for your loss". Why harm is that? His actions are indefensible.
That's not why he was there and you know it.
He was there because somebody convinced him that the death of his kid was not 'random' but because of some political bullshit about gun-control being the reason for his loss. Everybody wants somebody to blame for a loss so I don't blame him. That doesn't mean he gets a pass for his ideology...
It was a handshake. Not an indoctrination.
Brett Kavanaugh is an extreme partisan who refused to even shake the hand of a father who lost his child. And he was so petty that he needed a safe space and had the man removed by security. He revealed his character.
I wouldn't shake the hand of somebody who was hostile to me. 'Decorum' is a thin veil to mask the fact that this guy is actively trying to keep him off the bench. All the cards are on the table now.
It is sad when people with different ideas cannot even shake hands. Kavanaugh’s kids were there. What kind of message is that sending to them? Don’t have common courtesy for someone who disagrees with you in a civil manner?
I’m sure there are examples of this happening on the left, as well. It’s all just very sad.
It is sad when people with different ideas cannot even shake hands. Kavanaugh’s kids were there. What kind of message is that sending to them? Don’t have common courtesy for someone who disagrees with you in a civil manner?
I’m sure there are examples of this happening on the left, as well. It’s all just very sad.
Thats what I'm saying. Not only didn't he shake his hand he had the guy kicked out by security.
Obama shook Trump's hand despite Trump calling him every name under the sun and spreading the racist conspiracy lie about his birth certificate for years.
If Trump somehow finishes his term and leaves office and a Democrat takes over will little Trump shake his hand? I don't think he will.
It's not a "both sides" thing. So far it's just the right. And supposedly Kavanaugh is merely an umpire sent out to call balls and strikes. Obviously not. Obviously not.
Comments
I don't know how much truth there is to the allegations. But you don't get to flee the country right after you've been arrested for allegedly committing a sex crime. I know for a fact that even if Liu is 100% guilty, there is no chance at all that he will ever face justice now that he's back in China where everyone from a police officer to a high-ranking government official can be bribed into silence. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Liu attempted to pay off the American officials into letting him go, though it would shock me if he succeeded.
The police say they are investigating. But what the hell are they going to do if they find out there is credible evidence that Liu is guilty? Do they think that a fabulously wealth sex criminal will willingly fly to the other side of the Earth to show up for a trial? Do they think that anyone in the Chinese government would dare to send a billionaire to the United States to make sure he answered for his crimes?
I very much doubt anyone in the Minneapolis police service or criminal justice system seriously believes that Liu is ever going to come back to the U.S. They've willingly let a suspected criminal flee the country--to a country filled with people who would gladly shield a wealthy businessman from extradition--and I cannot think of any other explanation than corruption or fear.
I don't know if Liu committed any crime while he was here. But you don't get to flee the country when you're still under criminal investigation, even if you are a billionaire. You don't get diplomatic immunity unless you're a diplomat.
It reminds me of that time when Erdogan's bodyguards committed multiple felony assaults--which put some victims in the hospital--in front of dozens of witnesses, in broad daylight, and yet were allowed to run back to Turkey without even being detained.
By contrast, if you have no money at all for a lawyer, you will be thrown to a public defender who has an impossible to manage caseload, who will likely tell you to plead out whether you are guilty or not, simply because there is no way they can possibly go to trial with all their clients.
And yeah, Mr. Liu is back in China, free from all consequences. Meanwhile some hypothetical guy they picked up on Hennepin Ave. last night for shooting heroin will be behind bars right up until his inevitable conviction at trial (and yes, Hennepin Ave. is an actual street in Minneapolis).
If they detained him, China may have considered it was political, any start pressing charges of their own, where Justice isn’t as reputable as it is in the states. To the point of the charges are dropped, the perception would be it was The Chinese influence that had them dropped and not him actually being innocent.
His tweet indicated that his attorney general should base law enforcement actions on how it could affect the president and the Republican Party’s electoral success. It also seemed to indicate that electoral popularity should influence charges, as in you are popular you should be able to get away with crime.
From what we can find of his record Kavanaugh will gut campaign finance regulations so that unlimited money can corrupt our politicians. He will overturn Roe. V Wae. And he'll protect Trump from facing justice for his blatant law breaking and obstruction of justice.
Are Republicans proud of themselves that they are destroying the country for short term gains and money?
I guessed right on each one, but I don't really know how. The reasons the article gave for why each fake post gave away its true nature were completely different from mine.
Meanwhile, a farce of democracy is taking place in the Senate, but at least the Dems have grown a spine for 24 hours.
We will see if it works, so far so good.
whew. You have to love staged photo ops that make one person look bad in his personal catch-22. Amazing picture though.
And if you want a good Canadian perspective of that circus: https://www.macleans.ca/politics/washington/brett-kavanaugh-cant-squeeze-in-a-word-at-his-own-confirmation-hearing/
Also, it goes well beyond the photo:
But hey, I'm been told Kavanaugh coached his daughter's basketball team by every breathing Republican Senator, so I guess he's a-ok.
And even had the guy kicked out. What an asshole.
Just shake the hand. Hell how about a "sorry for your loss". Why harm is that? His actions are indefensible.
He was there because somebody convinced him that the death of his kid was not 'random' but because of some political bullshit about gun-control being the reason for his loss. Everybody wants somebody to blame for a loss so I don't blame him. That doesn't mean he gets a pass for his ideology...
Brett Kavanaugh is an extreme partisan who refused to even shake the hand of a father who lost his child. And he was so petty that he needed a safe space and had the man removed by security. He revealed his character.
I’m sure there are examples of this happening on the left, as well. It’s all just very sad.
Obama shook Trump's hand despite Trump calling him every name under the sun and spreading the racist conspiracy lie about his birth certificate for years.
If Trump somehow finishes his term and leaves office and a Democrat takes over will little Trump shake his hand? I don't think he will.
It's not a "both sides" thing. So far it's just the right. And supposedly Kavanaugh is merely an umpire sent out to call balls and strikes. Obviously not. Obviously not.