Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

US axes website for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces

bbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

161–170 of 453 posts

Re: US axes website for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces

#161

Post by hypeatei »

propagandist wrote: post #140
hypeatei wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One must laud the transparency this administration has introduced. What transparency? What is transparent about running a meme coin that anyone in the world can bribe- sorry, "invest" in with no trace of who they are while you're President? As for the topic at hand: Trump truly has no vision for anything we do on the world stage so I don't believe it's a deliberate effort at "transparency"

It is more transparent than getting out of government then getting "book deals", doing "speaking engagements" and sitting on boards. "Here's my hat, put some coin in" is transparency.

Transparently corrupt, sure. Who is influencing him still isn't transparent though. Book deals, board positions, and speeches all have organizers, company names, etc.. that can be investigated.

How can you trace a block chain transaction back to someone without some sort of OPSEC slip up?

Re: US axes website for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces

#162

Post by jkestner »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #96
wffurr wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The answer is impeachment, but when Congress is stuffed with boot licking toadies, then there is no recourse.

If a population decides to let themselves be run this way then who is at fault? People get the leaders they deserve

We love to blame the common clay, don't we. You can win a majority of voters and lose an election. There are systemic problems, starting with money in politics, two senators per state, the electoral college and gerrymandering.

Re: US axes website for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces

#163

Post by alluro2 »

wffurr wrote: post #21
mikeyouse wrote: post #5

> Tim Rieser, former senior aide to Senator Leahy who wrote the 2011 amendment mandating information gathering, told the BBC the gateway's removal meant the State Department was "clearly ignoring the law". We're in a really bad place... with a servile congress, it turns out there aren't really any laws constraining the executive branch. When everything relies on "independent IGs" for law enforcement inside executive…

The answer is impeachment, but when Congress is stuffed with boot licking toadies, then there is no recourse.

I don't really understand why people still talk about impeachment.

It has been very clearly shown to be a futile formality that only makes the ones doing it look even more powerless and worthy of mockery in the eyes of the other side and their supporters.

In a bygone era, impeachment would rely on concepts of shame, responsibility and public duty - it would be unimaginable that person that was impeached does not step down from the position and likely from political foreground fully - from the moral and social weight of that consequence.

We've seen last 2 times how thoroughly that weight no longer exists in modern society/politics.

Without criminal responsibility, there is no responsibility left at all.

Re: US axes website for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces

#164

Post by hulitu »

nla wrote: post #128

The Leahy Law requires the U.S. government to facilitate receipt of information about alleged abuses by U.S. supported forces. The State Department confirms it no longer operates the HRG, but says it is still receiving reports through other direct channels. I couldn't find any requirement in the law that requires a public website. NGOs can still submit information through established contacts or by email. I would thi…

> The Leahy Law requires the U.S. government to facilitate receipt of information about alleged abuses by U.S. supported forces.

From Wikipedia: "Senator Leahy first introduced this law in 1997 as part of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act."

It is funny that only today they found it. Wikileaks was documenting American war crimes since some time.

Re: US axes website for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces

#165

Post by actionfromafar »

outside2344 wrote: post #141
cheema33 wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Congress should get around to impeaching and convicting the president then! I hope you know that Congress has abdicated all of their responsibilities to the president. I don't know if the founders ever saw this coming.

The thing the founders didn't foresee was that a president could basically threaten to remove any member of Congress by 1) driving their campaign contributions to zero or 2) threatening to sic his mob on them.

Dissenting representatives may very well need Secret Service protection to stay alive. Good luck getting that protection approved.

(The Epstein issue is a special case - some of the MAGA base still believes it was not a hoax and that Epstein was not alone in his crimes.)

Re: US axes website for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces

#166

Post by [deleted] »

nla wrote: post #128

The Leahy Law requires the U.S. government to facilitate receipt of information about alleged abuses by U.S. supported forces. The State Department confirms it no longer operates the HRG, but says it is still receiving reports through other direct channels. I couldn't find any requirement in the law that requires a public website. NGOs can still submit information through established contacts or by email. I would thi…

[deleted]

Re: US axes website for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces

#170

Post by SanjayMehta »

elaus wrote: post #107
dirtyoldmick wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

As someone not from the US and looking from the outside: it seems there is a _significant_ difference between the two administrations in this regard?

As another someone from the outside looking in, the difference is in the reporting in the old media.

Biden had the support of the media and his lawfare and misdeeds were glossed over.

One example was the Hunter Biden laptop. Nord Stream pipeline sabotage was another.

Trump's shenanigans are just getting more attention. But to be fair, his shenanigans are dialled up to 11 while Biden was at a more modest 8.

Post reply on HN