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BamaATL

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Posts posted by BamaATL

  1. 1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

    I'm afraid I don't see a whole ton of liability for him there.  I think he resisted the subpoena to avoid further implicating Trumpco more than himself.

    I would be happy to be wrong.

    I remember reading that when he finally did appear at the grand jury in Atlanta, the jurors walked away saying they liked him and his testimony.  I would guess that it's unusual to have that said if they also indicted him.  Not impossible mind you, but rare.  I'm guessing if he did anything it would have been to walk in the grey, but I'd be stunned if he actually did anything overtly illegal.  

  2. 16 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

    The last minute of that long video for those that didn’t watch:

    A Russian military leader says something to the effect of “I wouldn’t get too excited about any defenses we have managed to put up. This isn’t the main attack, they have 600 tanks waiting just behind the front.”

    Please, please, please be an absolute slaughter.

    This looks wide enough to get a major mechanized force thru.  If they can get thru behind them, man o man would that be the best news.  Even if right now they can only get the rest of Kherson and East Zaporizhzhia this is a huge success.  Fingers crossed.  

  3. 5 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:


    Sad that you don’t realize that most cops are Trumpers who will side with the traitors when the shit goes down.

    Gee, maybe it's not a great idea to deputize some of dumbest citizens and give them guns.  But that's just me, and a judgment of my local sheriff's office.  

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  4. 2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

    Possible, yes.  I think this is it, though, for Trump and the documents.  

    There's no "theft of documents" crime, per se.  18 USC 793 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/793 does make it an offense to " copies, takes, makes, or obtains, or attempts to copy, take, make, or obtain" defense information.  But, I don't think they have solid evidence of knowledge and intent on the days surrounding January 20, 2021.

    As we have seen with Biden and Pence, shit happens packing out, what makes it criminal is what happens later, when it's discovered.

    So, although technically they could attempt to charge him with 793(b) for the initial taking, I think for evidentiary reasons (lack of) and policy reasons, they won't.

    Ok, so that makes sense.  The entire time I was reading the indictment I kept thinking to myself that the initial taking was still a crime, but given that everyone seems to accidentally leave with stuff that would make some sense.  It's a crime, but intent is really difficult to prove, unless of course he said to steal them on tape, despite protests from his attorneys, then he acknowledge that he was in fact stealing them.  

    Not that he has a history of something like that now.  

  5. Something isn't right here to me.  I've read the indictment and as fully encompassing as it seems to be, I don't think this is the end of the document stuff, but just part of it.  For one, Meadows, who helped orchestrate the original taking of the documents isn't mentioned in the indictment (unless I missed a page).  That seems like a big missing piece of this.  I'm beginning to wonder if there are actually 2 different grand juries working on 2 different parts of this.  We obviously know about the grand jury in Florida where the indictments are happening Tuesday, but we also know of another grand jury in DC.  It was long presumed that the case would be handled in DC, but as the lawyers here made clear for venue reasons and to prevent technicalities being open to appeal, this part of the indictment was made in Florida.  A couple of questions about this:

    1.  The crimes outlined in the indictment all pretty much seem to have occurred in Florida, is this because of where it happened?  (I realize some of the evidence also points to happenings in New Jersey, but mostly Florida).  

    2.  Is it possible to have an entirely separate case in DC about the original theft by taking?  Basically, different crimes, different jurisdiction?  I have no idea if this is even potentially a thing.  

    So basically, might this not be the end of the document scandal, but rather the beginning?

    I think everyone automatically assumes that since this indictment was done that the grand jury in DC must now be fully related to Jan. 6th, is it possible that there is more than one grand jury in DC, one for more of the documents, and one for Jan. 6th?

     

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  6. You guys think too much in small scale, this is an article 5 type of violation and demands reciprocity.  

    I give you the board of directors for Restaurants Brands International:  https://www.rbi.com/English/about-us/board-of-directors/default.aspx

    With a bit of online sleuthing, I'm betting you can determine what neighborhoods these folks live in.  From there, you can establish which home owners association management company oversees each.  Additionally, you can pose as a neighbor and start filling complaints and requesting that fines be issued for non compliance.  (Google street view is your friend in this endeavor).  

    Sounds like a lot to go thru, right?  Well its five dollars, and damn it it's the principle of the matter!

     

    Side note - don't be a lunatic, just eat the five bucks.  

     

  7. 1 minute ago, Gatorubet said:

    MSNBC communists said there is a pending Supreme Court case about a potential clarification in federal criminal venue law in a matter like this.

    The short version was filing in DC with a better jury ran the risk of the indictment being quashed for the wrong venue, or the conviction being overturned on appeal for the same reason.

    I imagine they wanted to be 100% certain that any conviction would stick…. and so here we are in south Florida.

    So Federal Prosecutors have a conviction rate of 95%, in part because most cases don't ever make it to trial.  That having been said, the odds of him beating one of the charges would be small, but possible.  The odds of beating 2 getting real small, but 7?  I'm tired, and I haven't calculated odds on this, but let's just say that would be extraordinary.  

    With that all in mind, getting procedure correct makes a ton of sense, because a overturn on a venue technicality would seem to be the best odds for the defendant, not on the case itself.  

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  8. 16 minutes ago, The Dog said:

    Interesting angle: (I think unlikely since we’re in uncharted territory)

     

    I have no reason to believe this will happen, but wouldn't it be something if he is granted home confinement by the judge and then immediately rearrested and flown to DC to indicted for Jan 6, then remanded?  Now that would be a good day.  

  9. 12 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

    What a fucking day!

    We wake up to news that Pat Robertson is dead.

    And then the Supreme Court told us that the VRA is actually still a thing.

    Then we get to see a Russian get eaten by a fucking shark (which was really fucking metal, BTW).

    And now an indictment?

    Christ almighty, at this rate I half expect to get a blowjob tonight.

    The wife is in for a 30 seconds of misery this evening.  Good news, she can multitask and will likely be reading about this shitshow with glee.  

    A truly nice day.  

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  10. 1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

    And so it begins.  Arrivederci you hateful shill.

    20230608_172319.jpg

    Watch out for anyone in yellow sneakers, I've heard that they cause the gay, FaceAids, hurricanes, El Nino, La Nina, and volcanic eruptions.  

    See, I can do it as well fundamentalists.  Rest in piss Robertson.

    Happy Pride month, be who you are, be proud, and enjoy the freedoms we are afforded like anyone else.  

     

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  11. 2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

    "Ask your Dr. if Bakhmut is right for you.  Do not take Bakhmut if you are allergic to Bakhmut."

    [Camera cuts to scene of dad coaching his kids' soccer game]

    Narrator - Side effects include anal leakage, bowel discomfort and possible kidney and liver failure.  Consult your physician if you start vomiting blood and stool.  

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  12. 14 minutes ago, SL Xpress said:

    Different perspective from a Sweden writer talking about the training the Ukrainians went through with the CV90. It bothers me that the writer calls them tanks, but that's okay. 

    Apparently all the trainees were older men, according to the article. I wonder if that's because they were considered the most competent for the training, or it was in part to give them duties as infantry which didn't require as much physical exertion. Probably a combination of the two. UAF can't afford to send people they don't have a high confidence in that can follow the training and apply it on the battlefield. Especially with the more advanced heavy weaponry, which the CV90 is.

    Also interesting they're sending a model with an upgraded armor package.

    https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/en/news/2023/06/ready-for-the-front/

      Reveal hidden contents

    Ukrainian soldiers ready for the front

    Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters – 8 June 2023 kl: 10.03

    On 24 February 2022, Russian missiles hit Ukraine. 10 days after the outbreak of the war, the first Swedish shipment of helmets, body armour, rations and light anti-tank weapons reaches Ukraine. A year later, the decision is made to send 50 combat vehicle 90 to Ukraine.
    Meet the Ukrainian soldiers who are trained in the systems in secret locations in Sweden and who prepare for the front.

    4 combat vehiclesSoldier with a backpack
     
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    ENLARGE 
     
    In January 2023, the decision is made to send 50 combat vehicle 90 to Ukraine.Photo: Swedish Armed Forces
    The Ukrainian soldiers come from all parts of society.Photo: Swedish Armed Forces

    A CV90 drives past us in a cloud of gravel, dust and sand. It is followed by another one. And yet another one. There is a smell of dirt, diesel and spring in the air.

    “I haven’t set foot in my home village since the war started”, says Oleksandr and looks at me with tired eyes.

    Oleksandr looks a lot older than his 40 years. He picks up a pack of cigarettes from the side pocket of the Swedish army coat he is wearing. Underneath he is wearing the Swedish Armed Forces’ green motor overall. Oleksandr has just arrived to a spring-like Sweden from the front in Cherzon in southern Ukraine.

    “I worked as a road worker and I had hardly held a weapon before”, he says and lights a cigarette.

    He gives the combat vehicle column, some ten vehicles, an empty look. Inside the armoured vehicles are some of Oleksandr’s colleagues who, just like him, have to learn how to use the systems against Russian vehicles, machine guns and helicopters.

    “In Cherzon, I was in the infantry. Infantry soldier.”

    Oleksandr is not willing to share more than that regarding his experiences at the front. It is easier to talk about life than death.

    “My wife and children are still there. I have two daughters, 6 and 8 years old. They are scared of everything that happens and what may happen, but they have enough food and are healthy. That is good.”

    Perekour”, says one of the Swedish interpreters. Cigarette break in Russian. It is time for Oleksandr’s colleagues to have a smoke. Oleksandr climbs one of the vehicles. The exercise continues. When the training is completed he will be a commander of one of the 50 vehicles that Sweden is sending to Ukraine.

    Early dawn, 24 February 2022. Russian missiles hit military and civilian targets in a number of locations in Ukraine. At the same time, a ground offensive is launched from various flanks.

    Yuryi is 48 years old and an engineer. In fluent English, he tells the story of how the war came to his hometown.

    “The missiles hit everywhere, as from nowhere. I grabbed my wife and daughter and ran. I didn’t have time to think, we just got in the car and drove off, as the missiles were falling around us.”

    Yuryi shakes his head while he is talking.

    “No child should have to experience anything like this.”

    Commentators think that the Kremlin expected the attack to be short, intense – and successful. However, old-fashioned strikes and the Ukrainian air defence stopped the Russian lines of vehicles and missiles from reaching their targets. In backyards in villages and cities, pensioners made Molotov cocktails, home-made fire-bombs. At the same time, there were reports of bombed out Ukrainian cities, the rape of civilians and summary executions performed by Russian soldiers. And not before long, the Kiev suburb of Bucha is put on the world map as a blood red stain.

    Europe and the world respond to President Zelensky’s appeal for help in the fight against the Russian aggressor. The first Swedish delivery consists of 5 000 helmets, 5 000 body armour, 135 000 rations and 5 000 light anti-tank weapons. Ten days after the start of the war, the Swedish supplies reach Ukraine. Over time, the Swedish pledges for aid grow larger. Sweden promises to train soldiers, and as a result, Swedish instructors take part of the British-led training mission Interflex, where Ukrainian civilians receive basic military training in the UK.

    During the autumn and winter of 2022, at the Swedish Government Offices and the Armed Forces Headquarters, top secret discussions are held regarding possible further deliveries. Classified documents reveal Leopard 2 tanks, artillery system Archer and combat vehicle 90. The decision is made in January 2023. Sweden is to send 50 vehicles to Ukraine. The government also promises to deliver the much coveted Archer system. Shortly after, the decision is made to donate tanks. Those who train the personnel, who are otherwise tasked with contributing to the growth of the Swedish Armed Forces by training Swedish conscripts and officers, suddenly receive new followers. On the white name tags, names like Oleksandr, Oleg and Yuryi can be read.

    The CV90 instructors Martin and Olof are some of the armed forces employees that have had to make changes in their calendars. They are now standing on a hill watching the Ukrainian soldiers manoeuvre Swedish combat vehicles in the exercise field below. Martin gives instructions on the best ways to use the vehicles and what the drivers need to think about in the various steps of the process. Martin has been here since the beginning of the training mission. Like the other Swedish instructors, he refers to the Ukrainians as his students.

    “They are quick learners and incredibly hard-working. They are particularly skilled in the mechanical details. They are not so used to advanced technology, but they learn quickly. Everyone wants to learn and do their best. It is obvious, also when they are tired and have worked for long periods of time.”

    Olof, who has also been there since the start adds:

    ”Some of them have zero experience of combat vehicles or tanks, but many are familiar with the Russian BMP-1. It helps even if our tanks are sharper and much more advanced from a technical point of view.“

    Sweden is donating 9040C combat vehicles, which is the model that was previously used by Swedish troops in Liberia and Afghanistan. Compared to the standard model, the 9040C has a higher level of protection. The tanks are equipped with 40-mm automatic cannons, smoke dischargers and machine guns. Open source information claims that the automatic cannon could be used again hovering helicopters at a 4-km distance – indeed a very potent arm in battle.

    The interpreter Magnus and the instructor Johannes stand in a large tent. Seated in front of them are some twenty students, most of them around 50 years of age, all of them men. Magnus explains in Russian what Johannes is saying as Johannes demonstrates how to operate the automatic cannon. The training is held at a high pace. There are many steps in the process that must be practiced until the students manage them when they leave Sweden.

    “The challenge for us as instructors is to teach the steps to be taken inside the tank. In order to learn, the student needs hands-on experience and a chance to test the equipment. With such little room inside the tanks and a large number of students who need to learn, it takes time. The more large-scale handling of the vehicles, such as driving in the field, is easier of course”, says Johannes.

    I monitor the Ukrainian students’ training and return several times to firing ranges and exercise fields. The strong morale of the students is subtly expressed as focused tunnel vision, to allow them to learn as much as possible about the systems, no more than that. Most of them probably do not want to think about the fact that every day brings them closer to death and the killing. In a certain way, this is their break from the war. They can call home and sleep well without fear of air alerts and shooting. They get hot food, cold soda, potato chips, cigarettes and professional dental and medical care. The rest will be dealt with later, on location.

    Yuryi says that he knows what he will face when he returns despite the fact that he has never fought in a war earlier.

    “I have lived side by side with the war and I’ve seen what war does to you. Of course I am scared but I try to suppress my feelings.”

    He continues:

    “Of course I would like the war to end today, but that’s not going to happen. I think, or know, that I will have to kill. Any other thought is self-deception. The combat vehicles will be used in the middle of the battlefield. We will be at the centre of it.”

    When I meet the students a few weeks later, spring has turned into summer. Driving exercises have been followed by live firing, tactics, mechanics and repair lessons. Fine caliber firing is heard in the firing range today. In the shade under the trees, in the midst of anemones in full bloom, a group of tank commanders eat their lunch, soup with vegetables, sausage and sour cream served with bread.

    “This is the same food as in Ukraina. Borscht. The Russians claim that it’s a Russian dish, but that’s wrong. It’s a Ukrainian dish. They even try to steal our national dish”, says one of the commanders.

    In the large tent, focus is on medical care, and a last check-up of the tanks. They will soon be on the road through Europe towards the front. Tank commanders, drivers and firers have now formed competent battle units. Thanks to the joint exercise they are now much more coordinated than when I met them the first time.

    In the tent, I find Oleksandr and his group. Together with Swedish personnel, they are putting a masking net on a vehicle. This is one of the last steps before transportation. Yuryi is there as well. We greet each other. Yuryi claps his hand hard on the armoured vehicle they working on.

    “We are ready”, he says.

    This is the last time I see them. A few days later they are on their way to the front.

    In Sweden, the lilacs are in full bloom. Soon, it will be midsummer.

    * For security reasons, all names are fictitious.

     

    I would think its both of those things combined with the notion that you send the most competent older and experienced people to get foreign training so as to impress the trainers.  You want more, you need to show you are dead serious.   Older guys by nature are going to be that way.  

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