“FUCK OFF” IS LEGALLY SUFFICIENT, THOUGH IMPOLITE AND PERHAPS ILL-ADVISED: What to Say When the Police Tell You to Stop Filming Them. Or in San Jose you can just say “I’m a Democrat-back activist and the laws don’t apply to me,” and by all evidence they’ll apologize and offer to help you frame your shot.
More from Morgan Manning.
And remember that, entirely apart from the First Amendment, there’s a Due Process right to record the police.
DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE: ‘I Kind of Ruined My Life by Going to College’: 4 Student Debt Horror Stories.
IN THE MAIL: Eden: The Animals Parable.
Plus, today only at Amazon: “The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended Edition), $26.99 (64% off).
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BOB ZUBRIN AND CLAIRE BERLINSKI BOTH SAY THIS IS LEGIT: Vladimir Bukovsky: Brave Freedom Fighter Needs Your Help Now. He’s a Putin critic facing the usual difficulties. More background here.
TAXPROF ROUNDUP: The IRS Scandal, Day 1155.
SO MY Of Coups And The Constitution piece has debuted on the SSRN top download charts at #1. Thanks to everyone who downloaded it!
IN EAST AFRICA, INDEPENDENCE DAYS ARE NO BIG DEAL:
One could be forgiven for thinking that another reason they’re canceling the celebrations is because so few in South Sudan identify themselves as South Sudanese first (rather than Dinka, Nuer, or Fartit). Even then, what few die-hard nationalists there may be would find little to celebrate in their country’s bloody five-year history.
The fact that so many East Africans struggle to celebrate their countries’ Independence Days ought to clue us in that, in this region, non-national identities—ethnicity, clan, tribe, religion—matter much, much more.
Contrary to the globalist conventional wisdom that nationalism is the root of all evil, stronger nationalist sentiments could actually improve the security situation in East Africa. When it comes to engineering harmony between and among groups, talking up a common identity (that is, a national one) is a lot more effective than forcing respect for difference. Until East African countries are able to provide internal security, secure borders, and deliver competent government (as Rwanda has more or less been able to do), it’s likely that future Independence Days will be just as quietly celebrated as the ones being marked by the Burundians, Somalis, and South Sudanese this July.
Wait, I thought diversity was strength.
HILLARY CLINTON IS THE KINDEST, BRAVEST, WARMEST, MOST WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING I’VE EVER KNOWN IN MY LIFE. Stunning: Obama and Comey Clinton Email Comments Sound Eerily Similar.
LAWS ARE FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE (CONT’D): Nancy Pelosi blows off traffic laws — to shop at shoe store!
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THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOR COULD BE PROSECUTED AS A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY, IF ANYONE HAD THE GUTS: Schuette: 40 ‘thugs’ attack Midland home.
Lansing — Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office says 40 “thugs” attacked his Midland home Wednesday afternoon by pounding on the windows and doors while his wife was home alone in protest over a controversial oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.
Michigan State Police troopers assisted Midland police in responding to the scene at Schuette’s home, but “the crowd eventually dispersed and no arrests were made,” state police spokeswoman Shanon Banner said Wednesday.
“This was a cowardly assault by professional protestors whose car license plates mostly appeared to be from out of state,” Schuette spokeswoman Andrea Bitely said in a statement.
The protesters beat on the front door of the Schuettes’ home for about 30 minutes, Bitely said.
“Based on how violent the beating of the front door sounded from inside, Mrs. Schuette believed during the attack that the goal was to break the front door down,” Schuette’s spokeswoman said.
You’ve got the license numbers. If nothing else, sue them for trespass. And can you imagine the national uproar if, say, Tea Party protesters had done this to a Democratic politician?
CROOKED CLINTON KABUKI: What Was the Real Reason Loretta Lynch Met With Bill Clinton At That Airport?
FULL BUTTERFIELD JACKET: “Despite gun control rhetoric, Obama arms federal civilian agencies more than ever.”
The “Despite” is a nice Fox Butterfield-esque touch, considering how much anger the administration directs towards flyover country.
AMERICAN JOURNALISTS COVERING THE TRUMP PHENOMENON COULD LEARN A LOT FROM this piece on Pauline Hanson by Margo Kingston. “Her supporters were by and large nice people with little money who were largely uninterested in politics. They were suffering badly from the effects of competition policy, which had seen basic services and jobs stripped out of their towns. They loved Hanson’s grit and plain speaking. Most of all, they loved that she listened. . . . When I tried to converse with supporters about politics I misinterpreted everything they said, and likewise. I thought they were racists and they thought I was a racist. Communication was impossible without getting to know each other first. . . . Western democracies are splitting up into warring tribes. I think Hanson’s return to our parliament is a chance to bring ours together a little bit. If we try.”
THREAT, OR PROMISE? Obama, Biden won’t visit schools they claim don’t take sex assault seriously.
Flashback: Joe Biden’s Woman-Touching Habit.
Related: Talking Points Memo: Why Does Creepy Uncle Joe Biden Get A Pass From Liberals?
Plus:
TWO DAYS AFTER: It’s still a sellout of the rule of law, Jim. Our laws protecting national security information exist for good reason. Think of them as a type of fortification. The idiots who don’t get that, well…they might be on the other side. Stephen Green just linked to Paul Ryan’s request that Hillary lose access to classified information. She should have already lost her security clearance. She should never have a clearance again, ever. So you ask, how could she serve as president? Well, I reply, she shouldn’t serve as president. If the laws were applied equally, she’d spend oh, three of the next four years serving time.
TO BE FAIR, IT WOULD BE A LOT OF FUN WATCHING THEM TAG-TEAM THE MSM: A Trump–Gingrich Ticket Would Be a Riot of Rhetoric, Jonah Goldberg writes.
I’M SURE THE IRS WILL MOVE QUICKLY FOR THEM, THOUGH, SINCE THEY’RE NOT A TEA-PARTY GROUP: DNC Lacks 501(c)(3) Exemption For Philadelphia Convention, Putting Donors’ Charitable Deductions At Risk.
PUNCHING BACK TWICE AS HARD? Ryan formally urges Clapper to block Clinton from classified briefings.
It’s a start:
Ryan, in a letter to Clapper, said he wants Clinton prohibited from receiving classified information “for the duration of her candidacy for president.”
“There is no legal requirement for you to provide Secretary Clinton with classified information, and it would send the wrong signal to all those charged with safeguarding our nation’s secrets if you choose to provide her access to this information despite the FBI’s findings,” Ryan wrote.
A letter won’t do. If the GOP were smart (I know, I know) Ryan’s idea would be a party talking point during every press appearance. The Democrats are great at this kind of messaging; the GOP, not so much.
PAMPLONA’S RUNNING OF THE BULLS: Deutsche Welle leads with: “The annual ritual leaves dozens injured every year, but the fate of the bulls is far worse.” The Daily Star goes with this headlines: Running of the boobs: Girls flash and let blokes feel breasts at Pamplona festival. The usual animal rights suspects have also shown up and they’re demonstrating in the buff. Somebody call Hemingway. The Sun Also Rises needs an update.
FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORMED: 20 veterans a day committed suicide in 2014, new data show.
FLASHBACK: VA secretary compares long hospital wait times to lines at Disneyland.
GOVERNMENT’S JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR THINGS WE DESTROY TOGETHER: New Mexico fire started by feds has rural residents devastated, angry.
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