Nice Terror Attack: At Least 84 Killed, Including 10 Children, As Truck Slams Into Bastille Day Crowd

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Election 2016, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

He drove more than a mile through the crowd, swerving at times to make sure he hit people. The videos of the carnage are devastating. The driver, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, was shot and killed. The victims include two Americans: Texas residents Sean Copeland, 51, and his son Brodie, 11, who were on vacation with their family in Nice. Here’s what we know about … Read More

Hail The New PM

Ken AshfordForeign AffairsLeave a Comment

Theresa May just became the 76th prime minister of the United Kingdom. May was first elected as a Conservative member of parliament in 1997. She earned a reputation as a modernizer, calling in 2002 for a more inclusive party and warning that many voters saw the Conservatives as the “nasty party.” She briefly served as party chair before assuming her … Read More

More and More, It Looks Like The Dallas Cop Killer Was A Nut

Ken AshfordCrime, Gun Control, Race, Racial Homicides, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Dallas police now believe that Micah Johnson, who shot and killed 5 Dallas police following a Black Lives Matter march, was actually planning some sort of mass attack, but advanced his plans to take advantage of the BLM march. His house was full of bomb making equipment, far too much to have put together in recent days.  He had received … Read More

Tony Blair Lied Britain Into The Iraq War (P.S. Bush Did, Too)

Ken AshfordForeign Affairs, Iraq, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Across the pond, rather than running bullshit investigations like our Benghazi hearings, the parliamentarian body did something useful and tried to discern how they got involved in a huge quagmire. Sir John Chilcot delivered a devastating critique of Tony Blair’s decision to go to war in Iraq in 2003, concluding that Britain chose to join the US invasion before “peaceful … Read More

Benghaziiiiiiiiiiii! Report!!

Ken AshfordElection 2016, Libya, Obama OppositionLeave a Comment

The New York Times headline says it all: But you wouldn’t know that reading the right wing blogs. Sure the report condemns many things, but not Hillary Clinton.  Of course, wingnuts will try to blur the lines. Here’s what the New York Times says: Ending one of the longest, costliest and most bitterly partisan congressional investigations in history, the House … Read More

More Brexit Fallout

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & Deficit, Foreign AffairsLeave a Comment

The Dow dropped another 250 points today, as it (and other world markets) assessed the fallout from the UK’s decision to leave the EU.  At one point, it dipped to well below 300 points off. In addition, Standard & Poor’s announced that it had lowered the United Kingdom’s sovereign credit rating from “AAA” to “AA,” citing last week’s referendum. Fitch, meanwhile, moved … Read More

Brexit

Ken AshfordForeign AffairsLeave a Comment

As the polls close in Britain, I thought I would weigh in on the historical vote to see if England will leave the European Union. And I say, without a whole lot of knowledge, that is seems like a bad idea to me, and sentiments to get out of the EU seem to be based on nothing more than nationalism, … Read More

RNC Deletes LGBT Reference In Its Orlando Statement

Ken AshfordRepublicans, Sex/Morality/Family Values, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

In its original statement following the Orlando shootings, the Republican National Committee made an attempt to acknowledge that the attack specifically targeted LGBT Americans—a sad attempt, but an attempt nonetheless. But meh, who really cares about that aspect anyway? So they finally just edited gays out altogether. Rebecca Ruiz reports on the line that was just too dangerous to include: “Violence against any group of … Read More

Trump Comes Right Out And Says It

Ken AshfordElection 2016, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

The Washington Post had a headline which said that Trump was suggesting that Obama was somehow in league with terrorists. Trump was incensed and banned Washington Post from Trump events. Then, this morning, Trump outright suggests that Obama is somehow in league with terrorists. An: Media fell all over themselves criticizing what DonaldTrump “may have insinuated about @POTUS.” But he’s … Read More

Americans Reaction To Orlando Shootings

Ken AshfordElection 2016, Polls, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Here are the major take-aways, as I see it Most Americans see Orlando massacre as an act of terrorism and a hate crime Americans are divided on whether the massacre could have been prevented Most Americans approve of Obama’s response to the massacre Americans are split on Hillary’s response to the massacre Most Americans, including Republicans, disapprove  of Trump’s response to the … Read More

Was Trump Wrong About Orlando Shooter Motive? (Were We All?)

Ken AshfordElection 2018, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don’t want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2016 Just a second there, stupid politician man. Palm Beach Post: A former classmate of Omar Mateen’s 2006 police academy class said he believed Mateen was gay, saying Mateen once … Read More

Trump’s National Security Speech: Based on Lies

Ken AshfordCrime, Election 2016, Gun Control, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

In the wake of the Orlando gay nightclub massacre, Trump seized the opportunity to Muslim-bash in a national security speech, even though (as I will write soon) it looks less and less like the shooting was a bonafide Islamic terrorist attack. Vox summarizes the lies: 1) Trump: There’s no screening for refugees coming to the US We’re not screening people. … Read More