The American justice system, a thread:
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For those who don't wish to read the totality: the author is a public defender. They have a client who is in jail awaiting trial for attempted murder, though no one in the system seems to believe that the kid will be convicted...rather, the charge itself is the punishment, because it means that the kid will have to wait in jail for a lengthy period (thus far almost a year) awaiting trial. Public defender presents evidence of police malfeasance in the case, and then suddenly finds a warrant out for their arrest, from a place where they haven't been in years. A warrant that would require the lawyer to be jailed for 14 days without bond. Paperwork seems to have been completely falsified (it involved a bench warrant for missing a court appearance on a date where court could not have been in session) and the warrant against the lawyer was dismissed. Police refuse to hand over any documentation concerning how any of this came to be.
Does all this sound highly improbable? It should, because in a functioning society this stuff simply wouldn't happen, but it isn't uncommon in the US. Hell, it's happening in plain sight right now, as a police department in Virginia is trying to hang felony charges on a bunch of opponents, including a state Senator, public defenders, leaders of the NAACP and others for felony damage to a monument, despite there being no indication that any of these individuals participated in the damage of a Confederate monument. But they were all vocal supporters of police reform:
https://www.pilotonline.com/news/cr...0200820-62euq7bbhrfoxergv4ewpigiou-story.html
So what will happen in these cases? Literally nothing. The felonies against the lawmaker and others will likely be dropped, message sent. The kid in prison will likely see the attempted murder charge dropped as well, but will have no recourse for the year or more of their life spent in prison for a crime no one seems to believe they committed. The public defender has a slim chance of winning a civil suit, but it's unlikely. No one's losing their job never mind facing legal consequences for using the cover of law as a weapon against any of these people.
The killings get most of the attention, and they should be featured prominently. But the rot goes far deeper than that. The police act in their own interests, not the interests of the communities they are meant to police. Sunday, they allowed a group of Trump supporters (including members of a couple hate groups) show up armed in Portland, pepper spray protesters, beat them with batons, and point firearms at them. The police didn't step in until the Trump supporters left...after which they declared the remaining protest to be unlawful. Because the Proud Boys and III Percenters and the QAnon wackos support the police, so the police support them, even if they're actively and blatantly violating the law.
Immigration is going to be a real problem for Labour. If we take a pro immigration line it's going to be incredibly easy for the Tories to exploit. The way I see it is this: At least 50% of the electorate will see large scale immigration of the type proposed by Labour at the last election as potentially eroding their living standards. Whether it's true or not is another matter, but that is what they think.
Given that perception it's going to be easy for a party as morally bankrupt as they are to persuade 40% of the electorate to support to take a hard line. We need a discussion on immigration that runs Europe wide, otherwise populism will win out. I'm quite prepared here to be the messenger that gets shot but it's very easy to assume that people are generous and welcoming when at least half of them are not. If we go into the next election with anything like the last policy we will get slaughtered again. My suspicion is that the old Corbynite wing won't mind that at all. It keeps them clean and gives them a get out.
The way to tackle this absurd debate is to point out what will happen to people’s living standards if there is NO immigration. The NHS will cease to exist, skilled trades will be few and far between, agriculture will have no cheap labour for harvest time, and so on and so on. The reason? Decades of lack of training, under the Tories AND under Labour.Immigration is going to be a real problem for Labour. If we take a pro immigration line it's going to be incredibly easy for the Tories to exploit. The way I see it is this: At least 50% of the electorate will see large scale immigration of the type proposed by Labour at the last election as potentially eroding their living standards. Whether it's true or not is another matter, but that is what they think.
Given that perception it's going to be easy for a party as morally bankrupt as they are to persuade 40% of the electorate to support to take a hard line. We need a discussion on immigration that runs Europe wide, otherwise populism will win out. I'm quite prepared here to be the messenger that gets shot but it's very easy to assume that people are generous and welcoming when at least half of them are not. If we go into the next election with anything like the last policy we will get slaughtered again. My suspicion is that the old Corbynite wing won't mind that at all. It keeps them clean and gives them a get out.
Immigration is going to be a real problem for Labour. If we take a pro immigration line it's going to be incredibly easy for the Tories to exploit. The way I see it is this: At least 50% of the electorate will see large scale immigration of the type proposed by Labour at the last election as potentially eroding their living standards. Whether it's true or not is another matter, but that is what they think.
Given that perception it's going to be easy for a party as morally bankrupt as they are to persuade 40% of the electorate to support to take a hard line. We need a discussion on immigration that runs Europe wide, otherwise populism will win out. I'm quite prepared here to be the messenger that gets shot but it's very easy to assume that people are generous and welcoming when at least half of them are not. If we go into the next election with anything like the last policy we will get slaughtered again. My suspicion is that the old Corbynite wing won't mind that at all. It keeps them clean and gives them a get out.
The way to tackle this absurd debate is to point out what will happen to people’s living standards if there is NO immigration. The NHS will cease to exist, skilled trades will be few and far between, agriculture will have no cheap labour for harvest time, and so on and so on. The reason? Decades of lack of training, under the Tories AND under Labour.
I absolutely agree, and would remind everyone of that.Whichever party is in power, and whatever our relationship with Europe there will be immigration. Migration across the globe is only going to accelerate, and we can’t unilaterally opt out if that economic and social reality.
If political parties like Labour would only show genuine leadership over immigration and tackle the racist subtext head on, rather than just saying what will win votes, many of us would gain a huge respect for them. Tell the truth about the vast amount of economic benefit immigrants bring to this country, and call the racists out.Well perhaps you live in a more cosmopolitan area than me. Immigration has been a big issue in a East Anglia with UKIP and Brexit making big inroads into the vote. I'm quite pessimistic about being able to change opinions on this issue. Raising the large number of immigrants in NHS and the care sector seems to just prompt more racist responses. I don't rate my chances of persuading those sort of people. I am intending to stand for Labour in a ward I represented for eight years. It's a very middle class area with a clear majority who voted against leaving the EU and that may well work at Council level but nationally I think immigration is going to be a real problem for us.
I agree that immigration as a topic is only going to get hotter....we can only be a few years away from a mass exodus of areas of the world where it will be too hot to grow the food to support the local population, and I can only see Britain more firmly shutting the borders, we already have politicians inciting the use of military to turn away dinghies.
The annoying thing to me that many of the people who oppose immigration are the same ones that don't want to do low paid jobs, expect their hospitals to be clean, want cheap food and cheap holidays and deny climate change and any scientific fact that does not sit well with their way of life.
As for what the Labour party can do about it and still get elected is difficult - I think they will have to concentrate on helping rebuild Syria and other areas, make out that will stem the need to leave those areas - they will also need to twin it with stopping climate change and global co-operation.

What an utter and complete **** he is.You must log in or register to see media
What an utter and complete **** he is.
Couldn't agree more Chilcs, but you're preaching to the converted on this thread (in the main, I don't speak for all).If political parties like Labour would only show genuine leadership over immigration and tackle the racist subtext head on, rather than just saying what will win votes, many of us would gain a huge respect for them. Tell the truth about the vast amount of economic benefit immigrants bring to this country, and call the racists out.
