ZIMMERMAN ARRESTED AGAIN

NRA and Fox News poster boy and his collection of arrest mug shots. 

George Zimmerman, the notorious Florida defendant acquitted for shooting dead 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, was arrested Friday for assault and domestic violence. It’s at least the fourth time Zimmerman has been accused of violence since the Martin case ended in 2012.

Just this past September, a driver reported that Zimmerman threatened to kill him during a road rage incident, pulling up alongside him and allegedly saying, “Do you know who I am? I will fucking kill you.”

In November 2013, Zimmerman was arrested after his girlfriend Samantha Schiebe called 911 reporting that he pointed a shotgun at her and barricaded himself inside. Deputies moved furniture he had put up against the door to get to him. At the time of his arrest Zimmerman had five guns and 100 rounds of ammunition. But he got his guns back after Schiebe asked that prosecutors drop the charges.

Two months earlier, Zimmerman’s estranged wife also called 911 to report that Zimmerman was threatening her and her family.

In the most recent incident, Zimmerman was booked late Friday night on a charge of aggravated assault with a weapon, according to News 13 Orlando.

George Zimmerman has committed more crimes than Trayvon Martin yet Trayvon is considered a thug. It's only a matter of time before he kills someone else. Thanks Florida for unleashing this sociopath into the world.

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

"BY THE BOOK"

THIS IS WHY THE NYPD HAS THEIR PANTIES ALL WADDED UP?

Bill Maher is back from vacation, and he does not disappoint in his New Rules section from last night.

Maher takes a harsh look into why police circa 2015, why they need to "man-up".

Maher went off on the NYPD for “throwing a tantrum” at Mayor Bill de Blasio and asked when they started “suffering from PMS.”

Maher repeatedly clarified that he supports the police, but he’s a little annoyed that “New York’s whiniest” engaged in a slowdown because they felt “unloved” by their mayor.

He tied this into a broader theme of police officers as these ‘infallible” forces that will justify anything as “by the book.” Maher suggested they should “get a new book,” pointing to cases like Eric Garner and Tamir Rice. And the way some police unions have been particularly ardent about defending the cops struck Maher as the same kind of “union bullshit” that explains why people hate unions in the first place.

Video Courtesy of HBO




Now I am positive that the police will take umbrage to this blog, why, because its a factual depiction of policing.

During a previous segment in last nights show, Salman Rushdie and Maher were discussing the Al Qeada Paris attacks - and Maher stated, [speaking on a few bad apples in the Muslim faith] "when there are this many bad apples, there's something wrong with the orchards". I think this is also very fitting to the bad apples in our police forces today.






NFTOS
Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

FREE COLLEGE FOR ALL?

Today President Obama will announce a plan to make community college free for students who maintain their grades.

The program would be available for both half-time and full-time students who maintain a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) and apply to community colleges that offer occupational training in high-demand fields or credit toward a four-year degree. Tuition costs would be covered up front.

While Obama isn’t expected to discuss how much it would cost or how to fund it, the federal government would share it with states, covering three-quarters of the average cost of community college with states that participate covering the rest. The government already provides about $9.1 billion in aid to community colleges. If all states were to participate, as many as 9 million students could partake and would save an average of $3,800 a year.

Obama will announce the proposal in Tennessee, which has already launched a very similar program. State residents who graduate from high school, maintain a 2.0 GPA, attend mandatory meetings, work with a mentor, and do community service can get the costs of community college tuition that aren’t covered by other programs like Pell Grants paid for. Its program is expected to cost about $34 million a year and has already attracted 58,000 applicants, nearly 90 percent of Tennessee high school seniors and more than twice as many as expected. There is also a higher proportion of Black and Hispanic student applicants for the program than are currently enrolled in college.

Chicago has also launched a program this year that will give students with a 3.0 GPA waivers for tuition, books, and fees at community colleges. Other states, such as Florida, Mississippi, and Oregon, are considering similar plans, while some have looked at “pay it forward” programs that allow students to attend community college or public university at no cost with the requirement that they repay a certain portion of their income after graduation.

If President Obama truly wants to transform the cost of higher education, however, he could make college free for all students without having to lay out more money to pay for it. That’s because the federal government could take the $69 billion it currently spends to subsidize the cost of college through grants, tax breaks, and work-study funds and instead cover tuition at all public colleges, which came to $62.6 billion in 2012, the most recent data. (The government spends another $197.4 billion on student loans.) That would give all students who want to get a college degree a free option to do so. It could also put pressure on private universities to compete with the free option by reducing their costs, which have risen 13 percent over the last five years.

Eliminating college tuition with the money spent on subsidies could also make the system more equal. Currently, the government’s tax-based aid mostly flows to wealthy families instead of low- and middle-income ones. And Pell Grants, which do go to low-income students, have been cut in recent years and cover a small percentage of the cost of college.

[h/t thinkprogress]

NFTOS

STAFF WRITER

ERICK ERICKSON BEING ERICK ERICKSON

ERICK ERICKSON

RedState.com editor and Fox News contributor Erick Erickson opened his radio show Wednesday with the disclaimer that he would be “lighting the ships on fire on the seashore and burning the bridge down behind me.” He proceeded to compare the firing of Atlanta’s anti-gay fire chief to the violent shooting that took place this week at French magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 journalists.

“A publisher published something that offended,” Erickson wrote in an accompanying blog post, “So the terrorists decided they needed to publicly destroy and ruin the publisher in a way that would not only make that destruction a public spectacle, but do it so spectacularly that others would think twice before publishing or saying anything similar.”

He went on to clarify, “It is not because the ideas are bad, but because the ideas offend a group that can destroy and tear down.” Finally revealing that he was talking about Atlanta and not France, Erickson concluded, “The terrorists did what had to be done to publicly destroy and ruin the offender… And the terrorists won in Atlanta.”


Listen to his full segment (via Jeremy Hooper):




When Mayor Kasim Reed announced the firing of Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran on Tuesday, he made it clear that it was not because of his religious beliefs, but for his poor judgment in distributing his self-published book that condemned homosexuality. Atlanta has sexual orientation nondiscrimination protections and Cochran was fostering an unwelcoming working environment that did not represent the city’s values. Moreover, while Cochran was suspended for a month to investigate complaints about how he distributed his book, he openly promised to continue engaging in such actions, which Reed felt seriously undermined his “judgment.”

But Erickson and other conservatives have made a martyr of Cochran. “He has been fired for being a Christian,” Erickson concluded, dismissing Reed’s statements to the contrary. “The fire chief wasn’t passing the book around, except to people who asked for it,” Erickson claimed to know via “inside sources” in Atlanta’s City Hall.

Last week, Erickson criticized the notion that a transgender teenager’s suicide after her family rejected her identity epitomized a form of social genocide against LGBT people, suggesting that such a claim was offensive to Holocaust survivors, though no such comparison was made.

But Erickson defended the comparison he was openly making between Cochran’s firing and the death of 12 journalists:

“We gotta talk about what happened in France, but I just think it is worth pointing out that one group destroys the livelihood of those who dare to mock or dissent, and the other took their lives, but both are doing it to drive debate from the public square… to shut them up and shut them down, segment them away from society.”

NFTOS
STAFF WRITER

ATTORNEY GENERAL IN CALIFORNIA TO TACKLE POLICE BRUTALITY

CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL KAMALA HARRIS

When California Attorney General Kamala Harris was sworn in for her second term on Monday, she announced plans to address excessive use of force and continue the dialogue about policing tactics. Harris hopes to ease the tension between police officers and the general public, as other attorney generals stay silent on the issue of police conduct.

During her inaugural speech, Harris outlined her plan to investigate how the state’s Department of Justice conducts training on bias and use of force. Specifically, the state’s Division of Law Enforcement has been asked to produce a thorough report of special agent training.

The attorney general also committed to talking with law enforcement and the communities they serve, in order to address the tensions between them. “The work to build trust with the communities we are sworn to protect never ends. Trust is a reciprocal relationship. We must acknowledge that too many have felt the sting of injustice,” she said. “As a career prosecutor, I have always known one central truth: the public and law enforcement need each other to keep our communities safe.”

In light of numerous police killings of unarmed civilians last year, which disproportionately impacted mentally ill persons and people of color, Harris’ remarks seem hopeful. However, tied in with national demands for a reduced use of force are calls for independent prosecutors to review incidents of police brutality, which Harris does not endorse.

“I don’t think it would be good public policy to take the discretion from elected district attorneys,” she expressed last month. “I don’t think there’s an inherent conflict. … Where there are abuses, we have designed the system to address them.”

Most officers are not charged, let alone convicted in excessive force cases, and prosecutors have a far-reaching hand in those trials. Many believe there are conflicts of interest when local prosecutors, like Robert McCulloch in St. Louis who oversaw the grand jury review of Darren Wilson, are involved in the investigation of officers they work with on a daily basis and lean on for re-election.

So if the way indictments and prosecutions are conducted is not reformed, a commitment to addressing excessive force cases may not actually lead to the reforms people want. Still, it remains to be seen if and how Harris will address the deaths of Ezell Ford and Omar Abrego, who were killed by police in Los Angeles. Local police say they are still investigating the cases in the face of community protest. And the autopsy in Ford’s case dubs it a homicide. People have petitioned the attorney general to either appoint a special prosecutor to investigate their cases or press charges herself.

NFTOS
STAFF WRITER

THREE RING CIRCUS TENT NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO HOUSE ALL THE LUNATICS IN THE GOP

While the House is scheduled to reelect Rep. John Boehner to Speaker on Tuesday, the vote may not go as smoothly as expected. Rep. Louie Gohmert , one of a number of Republicans displeased with Boehner’s leadership, announced on Fox News Sunday that he would challenge the standing speaker for his role.

In an interview with Glenn Beck on Monday morning, Gohmert outlined changes he would make in Congress if he were to serve as speaker of the House. In additional to removing the current “dictatorship in Congress,” and calling for abolishing at least two-thirds of regulations, he said he would defund “everything that means anything” to Obama until the border is secured.

“We secure the border and we make it clear to the president, yes we know we need immigration reform but we’re not changing anything until you secure the border and here’s the money to do it,” the tea party representative said. “We’re defunding all of these things until you secure the border.”

Listen here:




He also called for fiscal changes including throwing out the current tax code and ending automatic increases to federal agencies’ budgets.


In the interview, Gohmert touched on government surveillance, saying Congress should “stop the government spying on American people” and said that the government’s energy policies should not provide subsidies for any particular types of energy. “Let’s let the market tell us which energy to use,” he said.

Gohmert’s announcement came a day after conservative Rep. Ted Yoho  said on Facebook that he would throw his name into the pool of representatives challenging Boehner for the Speaker role. A number of representatives have said they would not support Boehner’s reelection, including Reps. Steve King , Paul Gosar and Jim Bridenstine , while a few freshman House members ran campaigns in which they promised to stand up to Boehner if elected.

The GOP circus needs to add another tent for the ever growing population of the assclown club. The usual three-ring circus tent is just not large enough.

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

GRAND JUROR IN BROWN CASE SUES TO LIFT GAG ORDER

FERGUSON PROSECUTOR BOB MCCULLOCH

A Ferguson grand juror who heard the case of Darren Wilson previewed potentially scathing criticism of St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch, in a lawsuit alleging that McCulloch skewed the views of jurors when he delivered a lengthy public presentation to announce that the jury wouldn't file any charges against Wilson for killing Michael Brown.

The juror filed a federal lawsuit Monday anonymously to challenge a gag order that prevents him from talking about the grand juror proceedings at all. But even in this lawsuit seeking more permission to speak publicly, the juror dubbed “Grand Juror Doe” reveals a host of significant concerns about the case, and asserts he would have a whole lot more to say if permitted.

Among Grand Juror Doe’s concerns are that Wilson’s case was treated dramatically different than hundreds of other cases he heard during his grand jury service. In addition to prosecutors devoting exponentially more time to the case than most, Grand Juror Doe also believes McCulloch made the “insinuation that Brown, not Wilson, was the wrongdoer” and placed much more emphasis on the victim than in any other case he heard.

He also questions “whether the grand jury was clearly counseled on the law.” And he believes the skewed picture of grand jury deliberations to the public was exacerbated by how evidence was released. With “heavy redaction's and the absence of context, those records do not fully portray the proceedings before the grand jury,” the lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri asserts.

“Plaintiff would like to speak about the experience of being a grand juror, including expressing Plaintiff’s opinions about the evidence and the investigation, and believes Plaintiff’s experience could contribute to the current public dialogue concerning race relations,” the complaint states. “In Plaintiff’s view, the current information available about the grand jurors’ views is not entirely accurate—especially the implication that all grand jurors believed that there was no support for any charges. Moreover, the public characterization of the grand jurors’ view of witnesses and evidence does not accord with Plaintiff’s own.”

The issues raised by Grand Juror Doe have been raised by others before. As McCulloch delivered his grand jury announcement in an ill-timed evening press conference, many balked at the lengthy presentation of evidence that not only felt to many like a defense of Darren Wilson rather than an attempt to file charges against him; it also purported to explain the grand jurors’ decision even though McCulloch was not a part of grand jury deliberations. As Grand Juror Doe points out, a decision not to indict simply means an insufficient number of jurors wanted to file charges; it doesn't mean that jurors could not have vehemently disagreed in their decision, let alone about the reasons why.

Grand Juror Doe’s concern that jurors were not properly briefed on the law is also grounded in some facts that have already emerged. Among the issues that have come to public light: Assistant prosecutor Kathi Alizadeh instructed grand jurors on how to decide the case based on a statute that was invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court two decades ago. Months later, she handed corrected instructions to the jury without ever explaining what the error had been in the first ones.

And the notion that this grand jury case was not treated like the vast majority of others in the criminal justice system was among the first evident differences in this case and other recent cases involving police officers. Most grand jury cases involving defendants without the power or influence of police officers last a few days at the most. Prosecutors often present 40 indictments in a day, albeit not necessarily in homicide cases. That’s because the prosecutor’s burden is merely to establish that probable cause exists such that jurors can decide whether to indict — not to try the case.

But some legal experts pointed out that the grand jury presentation was treated more like a trial than an indictment, which makes it a particular problem that the process was shrouded in secrecy, because trials are inherently public proceedings. As University of Illinois criminal law expert Andrew Leipold said:

“If my client killed someone tomorrow and claimed it was in self-defense, he would be arrested and required to post bond while awaiting a grand jury decision. Then, the prosecutor would not be allowed to bring both sides of the story into the building.”

Other problems have been raised that are not even the subject of Grand Juror Doe’s lawsuit, including that McCulloch admitted to putting a witness on the stand whom he knew was lying. But Gov. Jay Nixon said he won’t exercise his power to appoint a new special prosecutor to file new charges; and no one expects McCulloch to exercise his own option to do so. There is one other avenue that could yield new charges against Darren Wilson: Under Missouri law, the presiding judge in that district could appoint a new special prosecutor at any time if she determines that the case was tainted by bias or conflict.

Grand Juror Doe’s lawsuit suggests there may have been other problems with the case that could be illuminated if a court lifted the gag order. In several other racially charged cases that have been the subject of public scrutiny, jurors who participated in actual trials have had the freedom to come forward after the trial was over. And they spoke publicly how Stand Your Ground and other expansive self-defense provisions played a role in the deliberations in the trials of George Zimmerman, Michael Dunn, and others. Behind the cloak of grand jury proceeding secrecy, we know much less about the proceedings that yield indictments in almost every single case.

NFTOS

STAFF WRITER

TIN FOIL HAT SCOIETY MEMEBER AND IGNORAMUS LOUIE GOHMERT TO SEEK SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

Watch out John Boehner! The Tin Foil Hat Society in the House are revolting! Wingnut Rep. "Terror Babies" Louie Gohmert made a "major announcement" on Fox this Sunday and said he's challenging Boehner for Speaker.

In the olden days, crazy-stupid men like Louie Gohmert were satisfied with living in attics, emerging only to yell at children and at inanimate objects from time to time.

Now men like him are elected to Congress, and for some perverse reason, his party and his constituents aren't ashamed to have him there.

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

THE BENEFITS OF THE NYPD NOT DOING THEIR JOB

NYPD LOOK THE OTHER-WAY PROGRAM IN FULL SWING

In response to growing tensions between the New York Police Department and the city, police unions encouraged officers last week to not make arrests “unless absolutely necessary,” resulting in a 66 percent drop from the same period last year. While the protests have drawn scrutiny for “squandering the department’s credibility” and leaving the city’s streets virtually unattended, they have also had the unintended effect of benefitting New York’s low income residents who are usually the target of the city’s tough-on-crime practices.

The work stoppage is a result of outrage by police officers — led by union chief Patrick Lynch — over how Mayor Bill de Blasio responded to a grand jury’s decision not to indict the police officer who killed Eric Garner, an unarmed African American man. The brutal murders of two New York city officers by a troubled man from Maryland in an apparent retaliation for the Garner killing has only inflamed tensions, leading Lynch to blame de Blasio for the killing and scores of police officers to engage in protest actions against the mayor.

The signs of tension first became apparent when some police officers turned their backs to de Blasio when he spoke in the hospital following the assassinations and then engaged in a mass back-turning when the mayor spoke at the funeral of Officer Rafael Ramos. Last week, the police went a step further and stopped arresting New Yorkers for small crimes or ticketing people for minor offenses like parking violations, carrying open containers of alcohol or public urination.

As a result of what the New York Post is calling a “virtual work stoppage,” tickets and summonses for minor offenses have plummeted by 94 percent and overall arrests have fallen 66 percent. Theoretically, the practice will strain police budgets, which rely on fines from tickets to make-up for funding shortfalls. ​

Although it’s not the intended goal of the work stoppage, the decline in arrests could save New Yorkers money. The city residents who are normally hit with tickets for minor violations tend to be low income individuals who are forced to pay up a hefty portion of their paychecks.

The city began following the broken-windows style of policing in the early 1980s, a strategy championed by NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton which focuses on eliminating low-level crime to prevent more violent offenses in the city’s neighborhoods. But a report earlier this year by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan found that the NYPD’s practice of arresting more people for minor offenses since 1980 has disproportionately affected young black and Latino men.

While de Blasio and Bratton have followed through on their promise to reform the city’s stop and frisk practices and the mayor announced in November that police would stop making arrests for low-level marijuana possessions, there are still racial biases in police practices throughout the city that result in a tougher financial burden on those already struggling to make ends meet.

And New Yorkers of all income levels are also saving money on one of the most consistent ways the city can slam people with tickets— parking violations are down by 92 percent, from 14,699 to just 1,241 this year.

NYPD officers have long spoken about quotas which require them to issue a certain number of summons per month to maintain statistics showing a reduction of crime in the city’s neighborhoods. Although Bratton promised an end to arrest quotas when he took office in January, the city’s police are still operating under a quota system which is illegal under state law, according to a recent report by the Police Reform Organizing Project. The group called on Bratton and de Blasio to end the quota system in its October report, which described how police are still using the quota system, as evidenced by the number of misdemeanor arrests and the poor quality of those arrests under Bratton.

[h/t think progress]




NFTOS
STAFF WRITER

NYPD OFFICER TURNS HIMSELF IN AFTER BEING SEEN ON VIDEO

NYPD Ofc. Mirjan Lolja Caught On Video

An NYPD officer turned himself in after recognizing himself in a surveillance video, released by the NYPD after he allegedly attacked a female subway conductor.

Police Officer Mirjan Lolja, 37, was suspended after the assault in which the Metropolitan Transportation Authority worker — who was on-duty and in her uniform — was allegedly put into a bear hug, thrown to the floor and choked, cops said.

“I’m totally outraged,” Joe Costales, chairman of Transport Workers Union Local 100, said of the allegations. “We’re not safe with members of the public, and now we’re not safe from the police.”

The 28-year-old conductor was on the southbound D train platform at the Tremont Ave. station when Lolja confronted her about 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 23, officials said. She was hospitalized with minor back and neck injuries.

Lolja was caught on surveillance video running from the station with a smirk on his face, according to cops.

Once Lolja saw the video on the news, he turned himself in at the 25th Precinct in Harlem, where he’s been a cop for seven years, police sources said.

The officer said he fought with the conductor after she cursed at him for asking when the next train would arrive. When he demanded her ID and took out his phone to take a picture of her, she grabbed it, prompting a struggle, he alleged.

NFTOS 

STAFF WRITER

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015

Happy New Year from the NFTOS family to yours.


Our motivation tool when not wanting to blog, enjoy. Video courtesy of Fede Rabaquino






NFTOS
Blogger-In-Chief
Roger West

NY TIMES TELLS NYPD, "DO YOUR JOBS"!

NYPD OFFICER "HARD AT WORK"

The New York Times issued its second editorial against the NYPD in two days, this time excoriating the department for its alleged work slowdown.

The New York Post reported yesterday that police activity had plummeted since the union called for a work “slowdown” in response to Gotham Mayor Bill de Blasio’s remarks following the Eric Garner decision and the ambush-style murder of two NYPD officers. (The protracted contract dispute has a good deal to do with it as well.)

The department’s “list of grievances adds up to very little, unless you look at it through the magnifying lens of resentment fomented by union bosses and right-wing commentators,” the editorial board wrote Wednesday. (On Tuesday they chided the department for its “snarling sense of victimhood”.)

The Times reminded the NYPD Wednesday morning that de Blasio was elected by a landslide to enact the sort of reforms, such as ending Stop and Frisk and quota-based policing, that he had since implemented, and that he had pumped millions of dollars into the department while overseeing a 4.4% drop in crime.

“Do your jobs,” the paper advised. “The police are sworn public servants, and refusing to work violates their oath to serve and protect. Mr. Bratton should hold his commanders and supervisors responsible, and turn this insubordination around.”

[h/t New York Times]

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

CONGRESSIONAL THUG, CONVICTED FELON, REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL GRIMM TO RESIGN

CONGRESSIONAL BULLY AND CONVICTED FELON MICHAEL GRIMM SAID TO RESIGN

Rep. Michael Grimm who plead guilty to one felony count of tax evasion last week, will give up his seat in the House after talking to Speaker Boehner.

As MSNBC's Steve Kornacki discusses in the clip below, now figuring out what to do about Rep. Steve Scalise visit to a racist convention - will be Boehner's biggest conservative hemorrhoid when they return for the new session of Congress.

Video Courtesy of MSNBC




GRIMM THREATENING TO THROW REPORTER OFF BALCONY




Don't worry for Grimm, he'll be fine, as he now qualifies to be an analyst for Fox News.

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

WHATS IN A NUMBER?

AFGHANISTAN, A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS

Afghanistan, the astounding numbers it racked up:

The longest war in American history came to a close on Sunday, marked by a ceremony in Kabul 13 years after it started in 2001 following the terrorist attacks on September 11 of that year.

“Resolute Support will serve as the bedrock of an enduring partnership” between NATO and Afghanistan, said General John Campbell, commander of the International Security Assistance Force at the ceremony. He furled the ISAF flag and unfurled the “Resolute Support” flag, denoting the beginning of the new international mission, which will focus more on supporting Afghan troops that have faced a growing insurgency in recent weeks.

The decision to officially end the war, announced back in May, does not mean that there will be no U.S. or foreign troops on Afghan soil by any stretch of the imagination. In 2015 and 2016 the already-reduced levels of troops will drop by half, consolidating around Kabul and Bagram Air Force Base, and finally down to normal Embassy staff.

Here are some numbers to provide a sense of scope to the war’s impact, longevity, toll, and effect:

13: number of years the war lasted, making this the longest war in American history

140,000: highest number of U.S. troops present in the country, in 2010, during the surge begun at President Obama’s behest

13,500: number of international troops that will stay in country for Resolute Support, including roughly 10,800 U.S. troops (a number that will continue to fall through 2015 and 2016), and 1,000 more than planned earlier this year

38,000: number of U.S. forces that were in Afghanistan at the beginning of 2014

2,224: the number of U.S. troops, according to an AP tally, who were killed in Afghanistan during the war, with more than 1,000 international coalition troops killed

17,674: estimated number of U.S. troops wounded during Operation Enduring Freedom, according to the website iCasualties.org

21,000: estimate number of Afghan civilians killed since 2001 as a result of “crossfire, improvised explosive devices, assassination, bombing, and night raids into houses of suspected insurgents,” according to the website Costs of War

90: percentage of troops that are now home from Iraq and Afghanistan from the 180,000 that were in both countries when President Obama took office, according to a White House statement noting that 15,000 troops remain

747,000: estimated number of weapons the U.S. provided to the Afghan National Security Forces, many of which experts say have gone missing, prompting worries they will be used in escalating insurgency attacks by Taliban fighters

3,380: estimated number of people who died in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, including those on the hijacked planes, first responders, and victims in the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon

35: number of years since the Marxist revolution, which essentially kicked off a near-constant period of brutal civil conflict

69: the number of women in Afghanistan’s parliament, which is proportionately more than the number in the U.S. Congress. To be fair, when written, their constitution set a quota of at least 27 percent female representation in parliament, a quota that was recently revised to 20 percent.

3 million: approximate number of girls who are now enrolled in school, while under the Taliban, virtually no girls attended school — and USAID helped to train 25,000 female teachers

1: the ranking Afghanistan received when Thomson Reuters released its list of most dangerous countries for women in 2011

9: the percentage of women who die in childbirth in Afghanistan

4,000: approximate number of midwives, up from less than 500 under Taliban rule — and half of the new ones were trained by USAID-supported programs

87: percentage of women who are illiterate

70-80: percentage of girls forced into marriage

14: cases of polio in 2013, which is a drop from 80 cases in 2011

7 million: approximate number of Afghan voters took part in last June’s presidential elections

46: number of people (20 civilians, 26 Afghan troops) who were killed due to attacks on Election Day

68: number of private television channels, not including 23 state and provincial networks — though journalists face many threats from security forces and religious entities

9.4: percentage of Afghanis who have internet access, according to a 2013 Ministry of Information report

3.3 million: new Afghani customers linked to 172 megawatts of new electricity on the nation’s grid — a six to twenty-eight percent jump in the number of Afghans with access to reliable power

34 million: amount, in dollars the U.S. spent trying, unsuccessfully, to provide Afghan farmers with soybeans as a new cash crop option

63.7 billion: dollars appropriated to “overseas contingency operations” in Iraq and Afghanistan for the coming year in the latest appropriations bill passed by Congress, including $2.9 billion for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense

62: percent drop in child mortality since 2002; infant mortality decreased 53 percent

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

REPORTER QUERIES NYPD UNION THUG PATRICK LYNCH ON BACK TURNING INCIDENT

NYPD ACTING LIKE IMMATURE BRATS AT FELLOW OFFICERS FUNERAL.

Instead of focusing on a dead officer yesterday, we got photo bombed and news bombed with selfish immature bratty officers. Well played NYPD, well played, if your PR campaign wasn't shit prior too, it's in epic fail mode now.

CNN Newsroom, Dec. 27, 2014. Reporter Miguel Marquez questions NYPD union head Patrick Lynch about the disrespect they showed NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio by turning their backs on him during the funeral for slain Officer Rafael Ramos.



Its not a far leap to imagine that a police dept that disses its own mayor on-camera would do the same to ordinary citizens off-camera.

Officer Ramos was tragically murdered by a man who should never have had a gun. Perhaps, maybe, I am just guessing here, but maybe the NYPD officers should have turned their backs on the NRA instead of the Mayor

This was not the time, nor place, nor the moment to demonstrate their displeasure with the mayor. Just because you can do something does not mean you should do something. In my opinion those officers who turned their backs to the mayor showed a profound disrespect for the family of Officer Ramos. Their action became more important than the officer who died.

How naive of Mayor de Blasio and the 72% of New Yorkers who voted for him to think that the NYPD is answerable to them. As if! If most of us treated out boss like this we'd be fired ASAP. Maybe a few days without pay would garner the attention of these selfish bastards?

A tasteless, selfish act of profound disrespect.

NYPD, congratulations, you are today's worst people in the world -  for making a funeral about you and not the deceased. 

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

STAY CLASSY NYPD - SOCIETIES RULES, CONSIDERATIONS BE DAMNED

POLICE BANNER DEFYING NYPD MAYOR

Stay Classy NYPD:

Most people respect the police, including myself, but to see how quick some of them can turn into a horde of tea party type whiners - over taking some criticism for bad conduct committed by their fellow brethren, is really something that should not be done, especially by adults who are sworn to protect and serve.

Are police officers supposed to be immune from all criticisms and honest observations about some them because it will hurt their feelings? Are they supposed to be granted privileges and immunity because they wear a badge?

49 officers of the law were slain this year while dawning the blue uniform, in the same breath, every 28.8 hours an African-American is killed by a uniformed officer.

If they are so angry and feel this is justified, then why are they hiding behind the cloak of anonymity when asked who paid for the banner?

Plane Flying Over NYC: "De Blasio, Our Backs Have Turned to You"

Friday morning, a small plane flew over New York City with a banner attached that read: "De Blasio, Our Backs Have Turned to You." The sign, a reference to some NYPD officers protesting against Mayor de Blasio following the shooting deaths of Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos last weekend, was the work of a "large and unified group of current and retired NYC Police Officers, Detectives, & Supervisors," according to blogger and former cop John Cardillo.

Ashley Chalmers, the owner of the plane, told the New York Daily News that the people who rented it "wish to remain anonymous," though Cardillo said he was contacted by the NYPD group on Friday and asked to release a statement. The statement, via Cardillo's blog, is below.

As a large and unified group of current and retired NYC Police Officers, Detectives, & Supervisors, we are outraged by the mayor's incendiary rhetoric, and for facilitating the current hostile climate towards the NYPD. We understand that the department and even our own unions can only go so far in their public condemnation of the mayor as to not irreparably damage the working relationship with the city, or future contract negotiations.

"It is our opinion that Mayor de Blasio's dangerous and irresponsible comments about his and his wife's concern for their son's safety at the hands of the NYPD fueled the flames that led to civil unrest, and potentially to the deaths of PO Wenjian Liu and PO Rafael Ramos, as well as the continued threats against NYPD personnel. The Mayor shows us no respect, and encourages the public to follow his lead.

"Mayor de Blasio clearly doesn't understand nor care that every man and woman of the NYPD would give their life to protect his son, his family, and every other resident of New York City. Tragically, two of our Finest made that ultimate sacrifice days before Christmas.

"We no longer have confidence in Mayor de Blasio, nor in his ability to lead New York City and promote the values that both the NYPD and the good law abiding citizens of the city hold dear. Mayor de Blasio turned his back on us long before we turned our backs on him."

If the mayor, telling his "bi-racial" son - warning his son, that probably in his young life, that a NYPD officer will indeed stop and frisk him unwarranted, that he will be pulled and found guilty of driving a vehicle while black - this is a 100 percent probability, and somehow this offends you as an officer of the law - then might I suggest another career for you!

Mayor DeBlasio should be held as a poor parent, had he not had this communiqué with his son.

A-typical of a human under fire [no pun intended] - do they always deflect from the problem, and point somewhere else.

NYPD, the mayor is not the fault of these two slain officers, nor is Obama, nor is the protesting movement of bad policing tactics in this country, this was a "lone wolf" [what we call white people who kill with guns], a mentally ill human with 21 registered crimes reported by the system who was allowed to get a gun. A country who fails its mentally ill and a country with way to many guns [over 400 million to date]. This is your problem NYPD, any other way you spin this is pure immaturity and ignorance on your part.

It has been my experience that employees who lash out at their boss, these are typically the ones who do the worst kind of job.

This story is more than a classless act by NYPD, this is defiance in the face of their civilian authorities and the people who pay them, the tax payers. Essentially a police state. They are responsible to no one, they investigate themselves. As a result, they hold themselves above all criticism and they consider those who question the consequences of their military style occupation policing the enemy - as we aren't intelligent enough to see society from their lens. Because they have voluntarily chosen a career field that requires them to put their lives and safety on the line, they play by no ones rules but their own ... societies rules and considerations be damned.

RELATED: How Guns make police less safe, their jobs more difficult, and communities less trusting.

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

SELF PROCLAIMED OBL SHOOTER BEING LOOKED AT FOR CLASSIFIED LEAKS

ROBERT O'NEILL SELF PROCLAIMED SHOOTER OF OBL IN POSSIBLE TROUBLE FOR LEAKS

Robert O’Neill, the Navy SEAL who has publicly come out to take credit for shooting Osama bin Laden in that infamous raid, is being investigated for potentially leaking classified information.

O’Neill was one of the members of SEAL Team Six that raided bin Laden’s compound in 2011, and last month he went public and gave an extensive interview with Fox News. A former Navy SEAL on Fox, at the time, had criticized O’Neill for both going public and for divulging classified information.

And it’s on that latter point where O’Neill, according to a new Daily Beast report, could be in trouble, because the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating allegations that he “revealed classified information to persons not authorized to receive such information.”

They are investigating whether those allegations have any merit.

NFTOS

STAFF WRITER

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I believe in Father Christmas - Greg Lake - Ian Anderson




From the NFTOS family to yours, a very Merry Christmas.

Be kind to one another this season and be safe. Peace on earth for the Christ is born.

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

FOX NEWS DOCUMENTARY THAT EXPOSES THE NEWS GROUP - IS OUT FOR ALL TO SEE

Cross-posted from RawStory.com:

Brave New Films has put Robert Greenwald’s anti-Fox News documentary Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism online in its entirety.

The film charts the rise of Fox News, outlining the marketing-based techniques that make the channel such “compelling” viewing — the “Fox News Alert,” the blurring of journalism and commentary, and the deceptive use of the chyron, i.e. the lower third of the viewing area on a typical television screen.

In addition to that, the film also reviews Fox New’s coverage both of the 2000 presidential election and the run-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, demonstrating how the network successfully established the talking points used by those in the so-called “liberal media.”

Fox News responded to the film first by claiming that director Greenwald had engaged in serial copyright infringement when he used clips from Fox News programs, then by attacking the reputations of all the former Fox News employees who testified to their experiences at the network in the film.

Watch Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism in its entirety below via Brave New Films on YouTube.

NFTOS
Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

KIMMEL SLAYS FOX NEWS AND CONSERVATIVES FOR ITS WAR ON CHRISTMAS

JIMMY KIMMEL MOCKS THE CONSERVATIVE WITH CLASSIC CHRISTMAS MOVIE

Jimmy Kimmel repurposes the "It's A Wonderful Life" trailer to mock conservatives and Fox News' "War on Christmas."

FOX NEWS PRESENTS ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE




This is so brilliant because this couldn't be any more true. 

It's A Wonderful Life is about community and giving to others without expecting something in return for yourself - things that go completely against everything conservative in circa 2014. Today's "Christian Conservative Republican" would pummel George and Mary at the mere notion for giving away their honeymoon money to the poor lazy townspeople.

How dare they shame the one percent by giving to the lazy peasants. Republican Jesus would be so irate with George and Mary. Money is supposed to trickle down the hayseed as Republican God Ronnie had planned, not merely handed out as if its candy at Halloween. 

This goes against the very moral fiber that is conservatism as written by Mitt Romney. Conservatives have spent eons ensuring that the rich get richer, while the peasant becomes more destitute. 

If only these poor lazy schmucks would go out and get their forth job - they wouldn't be so dependent on handouts, welfare and entitlements.

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

IS THERE A POLICE PROBLEM IN AMERICA?

AND SOMEONE THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?

Let it be clear to all, that the assassination of two NYPD officers is disgusting, but in the same breath, especially for this blogger, I can say, and It's possible for Americans to be both appalled by senseless executions of cops, and angry at unjustified killings by cops.

Police lives matter, but so do black lives, especially unarmed black men. This is not a choice of either/or, its both. Since when did it become controversial to believe that both NYPD officers and unarmed black NYC residents don't deserve to die?

From Sally Kohn on twitter:

"When there’s a school shooting, we don’t blame it on critics of public schools. Equally absurd to blame cop shootings on critics of police."

When a police union can publicly debase a Mayor and threaten the citizens they're paid to protect, this should make us pause. This is not just about Eric Garner, nor is this just about Michael Brown, this is about a systemic problem that has been allowed to go on for way to long.

I keep hearing readers tell me that "we are better than this". Well to you I say, evidentially not.


Below, two recent stories of cops being, oh do I dare say it, racist:

Police Officer In Ohio Acts Racist, Gets Caught And Then Blames It All On Immaturity


An auxiliary officer with the Fairview Park Police Department, who had written that black people should be "exterminated," resigned from the force last week.

Two Ohio Cops Suspended With Pay Over ‘I Hate N***ers, I’ll Stab A Coon’ Texts

Two cops were suspended in Ohio after the Dayton chapter of the NAACP brought a string of racist texts to the attention of authorities.

Captain Thomas Flanders and Michael Sollenberger, a detective, both working for Montgomery County, Ohio, were placed on indefinite leave with pay for their part in the scandal.

The department has not released the names of three others who were implicated in the texts, and the individuals have not been suspended, though Sheriff Phil Plummer did confess that the investigation is “in its early stages.”

WHIO-TV reports that it was NAACP Dayton President Derrick Forward who brought the racist texts to light. He would not reveal how he got them or the names of anyone who may have provided them.

What do you think should happen if these allegations turn out to be true, readers? Is it possible for an officer to effectively do their duty while harboring racial biases or telling racist jokes? Should the cops suspended be fired altogether?

An eye for an eye only leaves the world blind. Hey Merica, you claim to be a Christian nation, with Christmas upon us, how about proving to the world that you are indeed a civilized nation and not some rogue killing machine. America kills more humans via gun by nine am, than the entire world does in a day.

There are three problems in this country as I see it, the preponderance and overwhelming amount of guns in this country, mental illness, and the systemic and epidemic problems in policing of our communities.

With 400 million guns in this country, a failure to check the NRA - and a gun lobby that owns politicians, can we really do better?

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

NYPD UNION PRESIDENT BLAMES EVERYONE BUT THE KITCHEN SINK FOR TWO NYPD KILLINGS

NYPD UNION PRESIDENT PAT LYNCH BLAMING EVERYONE BUT THE KILLER

Pat Lynch, the president of the largest police union in New York City — the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association — blamed protesters and Mayor Bill DeBlasio for the execution-style murder of two police officers on Saturday.

Lynch said there was “blood on many hands tonight” including “those that incited violence on the street under the guise of protest” and starting with “the office of the mayor.”

NYPD UNION REP PAT LYNCH




Previously, a spokesman for the union told BuzzFeed that “President Patrick Lynch did not make the comment about the mayor’s hands ‘dripping with our blood.'”

The two officers that were killed were Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos. The prime suspect for the murder is Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who also shot his girlfriend in Baltimore and killed himself.

It would seem that the problem in America is the police union, And so it begins, the dead officers aren't even cold yet and the Union is invoking diarrhea of the mouth and constipation of the brain.

Stay classy NYPD police union, Don't denigrate your fallen brethren by using their deaths to justify police brutality. This would be double travesty.

Maybe It wouldn't be so easy for folk to just walk up and shoot cops if we didn't allow our citizenry to have the same firepower as the cops.

When we treat every act of violence against humans the same, whether it be a cop or a unarmed black man - when both acts are seen as an attack on civil society and not just - "business as usual" for the killing of unarmed black man, then and only then can we begin to move forward.

With over 400 million guns in Merica, what do we expect? We have proven as a society, time and time again, that we cannot be "responsible" with guns.

Already blamed for the horrific murder of two NYPD officers:

1. Bill DeBlasio

2. Eric Holder

3. Al Sharpton

4. Obama

5. Protestors

6. Everyone else but they guy with the gun and the gun itself.

NYPD Union representative Pat Lynch, the major difference between this killing and the other ones your officers did to Eric Garner - is that no one is rushing to defend this killer.

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

The Suborned Perjury

PROSECUTOR SAYS HE IS OK WITH WITH LYING WITNESS

Robert McCulloch In His Pompous Ignorance Says Has No Regrets Letting Non-Credible Witnesses Testify:

After the news broke that a witness lied under oath to the grand jury that did not indict Officer Darren Wilson of the death of Michael Brown, St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch had admitted that while she should not have testified, he didn’t regret letting her onto the panel.

“Clearly some were not telling the truth,” he said to local radio station KTRS 550, referring to Sandra McElroy, known as “Witness 40.” McCulloch acknowledged that this “lady clearly wasn’t present,” and that “she recounted a story right out of the newspaper,”

Video Courtesy of MSNBC

However, “early on I decided that anyone who claimed to have witnessed anything would be presented to the grand jury,” and therefore he let McElroy testify.

Earlier this week, The Smoking Gun revealed that not only was McElroy nowhere near the neighborhood where Brown was shot by Wilson on the day of his death, but that McElroy had an extensive history of lying to police about witnessing high-profile cases. She also has a history of mental illness, and admitted to the grand jury that a car accident left her with faulty memory. Nevertheless, her testimony was not only allowed, but cited by many as credible proof that Wilson’s story was correct — despite evidence that she was simply repeating media reports of his account.

McCulloch was heavily criticized for his handling of the Brown case, specifically for taking it to a grand jury in the first place, and in an unprecedented move, releasing all the available evidence to the public after the grand jury failed to indict Wilson.

Fact: McElroy was the only witness with a record of lying to the police about being a witness to shootings. Yes, she is pathological with lying to police. She was disproved by the feds and McCullough put her on the stand anyway. McElroy's testimony muddied the waters.

McCullough's job was to present factual evidence, either for or against. His job was to work ethically without malice aforethought. McCulloch operated more like Wilson's defense attorney rather than being an impartial entity. 

This prosecutors malfeasance ebbs into the absurd. McCulloch should be stripped of his elected office and he should be disbarred from ever being able to operate in the court of law again, that is unless he himself is being prosecuted for his wrongs. Sleep well Robert McCulloch, sleep well.

They ultimate suborned perjury.

Robert McCulloch, congratulations Einstein, you are today's worst person in the world.

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

SMART GUNS

ARMATIX SMART GUN TECHNOLOGY

How do you eliminate a majority of gun murders in the United States, use smart guns. But, because this technology involves the word "smart" - ignorant gun huggers are having any part of it.

Smart guns, the iPhone of weaponry?

Technology has been proven to solve today's greatest social challenges, and curbing gun violence in this country is one of the greatest challenges we face as a country.

HAYES PART ONE Video Courtesy of MSNBC




There is a battle going on in the U.S. over the development and sale of so-called "smart guns" — handguns that proponents say should improve safety and lower gun murder rates because they can only be fired by owners.

The main opponent is the Ammosexual Association, better known as the National Rifle Association. But it will not speak. The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader left six messages on the phone and with a secretary over two weeks for the one spokesman designated to talk to the media, Andrew Arulanandam, in the national office in Virginia. He did not respond. Eventually, the newspaper requested someone — anyone — to send a statement on the group's position on smart guns. The organization never replied.

HAYES PART TWO Video Courtesy of MSNBC




Currently, there is not a gun dealer in the U.S. willing to offer a smart gun for sale. A company called Armatix, based in Germany with an office in California, this year had two gun dealers — one in Maryland and one in California — ready to offer its .22-caliber handgun. The safety measure is a stopwatch worn on the wrist that sends a radio transmission, with a range of 10 inches, to the gun. The radio transmission enables the gun to fire.

The company promoted the breakthrough, and the national media jumped on the news. As a result, the two gun-shop owners were thrust into the eye of a national storm. They caught overwhelming criticism from gun owners and Second Amendment proponents. Both backed down and decided not to sell the gun.

"I won't touch it again," says Andy Raymond, 34, who owns Engage Armament in Rockville, Md. He had agreed to sell the gun simply because he thought he could pick up a few more customers. But his life changed when Armatix put him front and center in a media campaign.

Smart guns, a technology without a market? Smart gun technology, like most things that escape the cognitive thought process of the low educated gun hugger - the fear of not being able or willing to accept things that are not within your IQ capability - is a travesty in itself, multiply this and the number of innocent humans being killed by "responsible gun huggers" - then smart guns seems like a very viable option.

"Propaganda works best when the audience, when those who are being manipulated are confident that they are acting on their own free will." Fox News and the NRA are masters at this. Fear the ignorant beast that knows no better.

Imagine a gun that could never be turned against you by an intruder, a gun that would never go off in the hands of a child accidentally, a gun that would be useless as a paperweight if it were stolen. 

Unfortunately, a technology that could significantly improve gun safety in America and prevent certain acts of violence has become caught up in a hopelessly polarized national gun debate - and the country is yet again held hostage by the NRA.

One might think gun-rights advocates would be eager to remove some of the most powerful arguments for limiting the sale of firearms. But they aren’t. The National Rifle Association plays up the fact that, for now, “smart guns” are less reliable and more expensive. Gun-rights advocates worry that the technology that renders a gun inoperable in the hands of thief could also allow the government to shut a gun down in the hands of a legitimate owner. But the biggest reason for the opposition to “smart guns” stems from the fear that they will prompt a ban on ordinary guns.

This mentality, like when Obama was elected, that he and DOJ top dog Eric Holder would go door-to-door confiscating guns. Yes this ignorance is matched - by none.

When does America, a country of 350 million, say fuck you to the NRA, a membership of only 4 million. When does the NRA stop bullying this country, our gun stores and our politicians? Until we put these greedy bastards in their place, only then can we start to use "smart" technology.

NFTOS

Blogger-In-Chief

Roger West

RIGHT WING NUT JOBS HYPOCRISY TO THE OBAMA CUBA POLICY

OBAMA MEETING CUBA'S RAUL CASTRO

Republicans and at least one senior Democrat swiftly condemned President Barack Obama’s announcement on Wednesday of a normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba.

The announcement came after the Cuban government released Alan Gross — a prisoner who was being held on espionage charges for trying to establish a telecommunications network outside of government control — and another U.S. intelligence agent. The United States sent back three Cuban spies in exchange. The U.S. will also begin the process of removing Cuba from the list of states that sponsor terrorism. The new approach represents the largest policy change since the U.S. imposed its embargo against Cuba in January of 1961 in the aftermath of the communist revolution led by Fidel Castro.

Republicans expressed enthusiasm for Gross’ release but spoke out against the administration’s new approach. House Speaker John Boehner argued that America’s policy toward the island nation “should not be revisited…until the Cuban people enjoy freedom — and not a second sooner” and characterized the move as “another in a long line of mindless concessions to a dictatorship.”

Sen. Marco Rubio — who is of Cuban descent — gave interviews to every news organization promising to “make every effort to block this dangerous and desperate attempt” as the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Western Hemisphere subcommittee. He argued the “new policy is based on an illusion, on a lie” and sets a “dangerous precedent” that “will only cause other tyrants from Caracas to Tehran to Pyongyang to see that they can take advantage of President Obama’s naiveté during his final two years in office.” Sen. Bob Menendez , the outgoing Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair, generally echoed Rubio’s criticism.

But the Republicans’ outcry against the new policy contradicts their own faith in the power of free market economies. Under the administration’s policy, the U.S. will restore full diplomatic relations, ease travel in 12 existing categories, allow the U.S. to import more goods, expand exports to Cuba, among other changes. Opening up trade and investing opportunities will likely push Cuba toward a more American-style economy — the kind Republicans argue leads to freedom.

“We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries,” Obama said. “These 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked. It’s time for a new approach.”

The Castro government in Cuba — led by Fidel’s brother Raul — has also adopted significant reforms in recent years. Cuban citizens can now work in private-sector jobs and own property, engage in some degree of criticism against the government, and prominent dissidents can travel abroad. The government also encourages foreign investment and has released political prisoners. It estimates that the embargo has cost the economy more than $975 billion.

In his remarks, Obama argued that the 50-year embargo has failed to upend the Castro regime, only “providing the Cuban government with a rationale for restrictions on its own people” and pointed out that the United States has long ago re-established diplomatic relations with China, “a far larger country also governed by the Communist Party” that is similarly responsible for squashing dissent and other human rights abuses.

“I am convinced that through a policy of engagement, we can more effectively stand up for our values and help the Cuban people help themselves as they move into the 21st century,” he said.

Polls have consistently found that a majority of Americans, Cuban Americans, and even Republicans support normalization of relations with Cuba. According to a survey poll conducted for the Atlantic Council, 56 percent of Americans and 52 percent of Republicans support “normalizing relations or engaging more directly with Cuba.” More than half of Cuban Americans in Miami agree.

The deal came after 18 months of secret talks with Cuba that were encouraged by Pope Francis. Obama and President Raúl Castro held a 45-minute telephone conversation on Tuesday to finalize the details. It was the first time leaders of the two countries had spoken directly in more than 50 years, administration officials claimed.

NFTOS

STAFF WRITER