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Sko Hayes's avatar

I find it mildly ironic that many Republicans on Twitter are expressing outrage at Jayapal for her both sidesing, when not too long ago, they were saying things like:

"If rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it."- Clayton Williams, R-TX

"If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to shut that down."- Todd Akin R-MO

"Rape victims should make the best of a bad situation." - Rick Santorum R-US

Let's also acknowledge the fact that rape is often used in wars as a means of establishing control through fear- ISIS was famous for it, and often used in conflicts in Africa.

Let's keep this outrage over innocent women and children being raped and assaulted in war time going!

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Oldandintheway's avatar

Let's stop the wars! They accomplish nothing but death and more wars.

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Sko Hayes's avatar

AMEN!!

You know when the cost of war hit me the hardest (growing up in the 60s and 70s with Vietnam, assassinations and Kent State, mind you) was when we buried my father at Arlington Cemetery. Thousands and thousands of white crosses in every direction, with the average age being somewhere in the 20s. It just takes your breath away how the future of our country is dying in wars.

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Oldandintheway's avatar

"Where have all the flowers gone" is still true.

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Eva Seifert's avatar

Lovely sentiment. Now tell Hamas, Putin, and all the other dictators. And yes, I know that even the US has been complicit in violence. That's what organizations like the UN, NATO and others exist - to try to stop wars or at least contain them.

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Oldandintheway's avatar

The UN was a great idea, but had no real enforcement mechanism. It stopped nations like Russia from going to war -- until they wanted to go to war. Then, they were powerless.

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E2's avatar

The P5 in general, and their veto power in particular, seems destined to have crashed the effectiveness as a global peacekeeper, even if everything else worked.

On the other hand, outside conflict zones, the UN still coordinates and delivers an awful lot of humanitarian and development aid (46 and 29% of the budget, respectively).

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Oldandintheway's avatar

They are the organization that gets tasked with trying to clean up the mess created by the wars they can't stop.

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Eva Seifert's avatar

Lack of enforcement seems to be a problem in many areas - Supreme Court, Congress (thanks McConnell!), even in the Parties themselves.

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Oldandintheway's avatar

As I have said previously, the US courts are proving to be as effective at stopping corruption as the French Maginot Line was at stopping the Germans. Trump seems to be able to bully his way though every felony. Spending tens of millions of dollars on lawyers gives access to a completely different legal system. Any other person would have been in jail months ago. In some countries he would have been executed -- which is what he wants to do to all his critics if he gets reelected.

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Eva Seifert's avatar

Agree in part. Yeah, TFF*G should have been in jail, and Garland should have sicced Jack Smith on him a lot earlier. But TFF*G has been losing cases in court, including several appeals courts lately. Right now, I think the problem we face is that the courts are trying, as is the DOJ, but many areas of the country/society aren't. The GOP is all in on the whiner-in-chief, including those with some semblance of power, and the rabid voters among them are literally threatening people's lives and families. The few Rs with any balls really need to consolidate their money and strengths and actively, openly, oppose both the Party and Trump. Right now, they seem to be scattered voices fighting the tornado. They need to actually, actively consolidate and open their mouths loudly. Pick Cheney, Christie, Bloomberg, someone sane - which leaves out everyone in the current R "candidates".

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suzc's avatar

Mills of the gods grind slowly but they grind exceeding fine. Fingers crossed. I don't think its good lawyering but the apparent awe of the Office of the President no matter who holds it -- and the fear of the armed MAGA mob. But yes he should have been handcuffed Jan 7 and the courts should be pushing these cases through asap instead of deferring to his nonsense.

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SandyG's avatar

I used to feel this way. I was active in the Beyond War movement (http://traubman.igc.org/bwarchive.htm) in the 1980s. I worked at an aerospace company (yeah, lifelong liberal Dem me - I was definitely a fish out of water) where I had a conversation with an engineering manager about the poster popular in those days that said "It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber." His response was yeah, that would be good, but we have enemies that want to hurt us.

Yes, because we have hurt them, I thought. That was also the explanation on the Left of 9/11 - revenge for all of our misdeeds in the Middle East. Same with explaining Hamas by citing all of Israel's misdeeds.

But since Trump, now I see the global conflict we are engaged in as the democratic liberal West vs the authoritarian Russia/Iran/China axis. Same with our national conflict.

That's why we are supporting Ukraine, a sovereign, liberal democracy. What will be the result if Ukraine loses to Russia? Almost everyone I read says Russia will be emboldened. They will invade more countries. I just don't see how we can just stop defending them.

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Oldandintheway's avatar

Yes, sadly we have learned that we can’t unilaterally declare peace. Ironically, the MAGA Party is ready to do that and turn the world over to Russia, China, and Iran.

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SandyG's avatar

Yes, because they have what political psychologist Karen Stenner calls the authoritarian disposition, and those countries are led by dictators.

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GlenD's avatar

Per Edwin Starr and Eric Burdon:

War, huh, yeah

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing, uhh

War, huh, yeah

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing

Say it again, y'all

War, huh (good God)

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing, listen to me, oh

War, I despise

'Cause it means destruction of innocent lives

War means tears to thousands of mother's eyes

When their sons go off to fight

And lose their lives

I said, war, huh (good God, y'all)

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing, just say it again

War (whoa), huh (oh Lord)

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing, listen to me

It ain't nothing but a heart-breaker

(War) Friend only to The Undertaker

Oh, war it's an enemy to all mankind

The thought of war blows my mind

War has caused unrest

Within the younger generation

Induction then destruction

Who wants to die? Oh

War, huh (good God y'all)

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing

Say it, say it, say it

War (uh-huh), huh (yeah, huh)

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing, listen to me

It ain't nothing but a heart-breaker

(War) It's got one friend that's The Undertaker

Oh, war, has shattered many a young man's dreams

Made him disabled, bitter and mean

Life is much too short and precious

To spend fighting wars each day

War can't give life

It can only take it away, oh

War, huh (good God y'all)

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing, say it again

War (whoa), huh (oh Lord)

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing, listen to me

It ain't nothing but a heart breaker

(War) Friend only to The Undertaker, woo

Peace, love and understanding, tell me

Is there no place for them today?

They say we must fight to keep our freedom

But Lord knows there's got to be a better way, oh

War, huh (God y'all)

What is it good for? You tell me (nothing)

Say it, say it, say it, say it

War (good God), huh (now, huh)

What is it good for?

Stand up and shout it (nothing)

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eah's avatar

I might still have that 45 somewhere!

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Carol Nelson's avatar

Don't forget the Russians who liberated Eastern Europe during WWII. Many of the liberated were more terrified of them than the Germans because of their reputation for rape. Just ask the people of Ukraine.

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Colleen Kochivar-Baker's avatar

What struck me about the Jayapal blowback is it was mostly all women bashing another woman. Where are the men condemning rape as in instrument of war? The Russians used the same tactic against Ukrainian women and the press dropped it like a hot potato after nanoseconds worth of coverage. I wonder why that was?

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rlritt's avatar

Men are embarrassed to talk about it.

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Sko Hayes's avatar

Don't we all?

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Rita Parker's avatar

I remember Clayton Williams comment. Ann Richards (D) won the election and became governor of Texas because of it.

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GlenD's avatar

Texas hasn't had a governor worth a shit since Ann Richards. She and another formidable, hurricane force Texas woman (and contemporary of Ann), Molly Ivins, are sorely missed and even more sorely needed today.

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Rita Parker's avatar

Molly Ivins was a force of nature!

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GlenD's avatar

What I wouldn't give to be able to see her eviscerate, emasculate and discombobulate Trump in a live, televised interview.

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Rosemary Orlandi's avatar

I miss Molly like crazy ! My daughters and I saw her in Santa Cruz....❤

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GlenD's avatar

I actually med Molly once. I bullshat my way into a job as a reporter for the local paper. About a month into my employment, I was assigned to report on a program at Austin College in Sherman, TX, at which Molly was the featured speaker. Having just arrived in north Texas from northern Minnesota, I had no -I mean none, nada,zero- idea who in the world Molly Ivins was. It didn't take me long to learn.

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Sko Hayes's avatar

Ann Richards was an amazing woman!

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Kate Fall's avatar

The head of the Republican Party was found liable for rape by a jury.

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CW Stanford's avatar

Are those expressions even comparable? Would it not be better to find expressions of approval for rape/sexual violence in the context of war, or at least in the context of our own military training, staffing and promotion?

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