CDZ Endorsing State Retaliation

[Harpy Eagle]

Democrats question TV carriers' decisions to host Fox, OAN and Newsmax, citing 'misinformation'

The lawmakers sent letters to AT&T, Verizon, Roku, Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Charter, DISH, Cox, Altice, Hulu and Alphabet.

www.politico.com

N.C. Democrats launch boycott of businesses owned by conservative financier Art Pope | Facing South

The North Carolina Democratic Party has called for a boycott of the business owned by leading conservative benefactor Art Pope to protest what it calls his "corporate takeover" of elections.

www.facingsouth.org

IRS Apologizes For Aggressive Scrutiny Of Conservative Groups

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced settlements in two long-running cases against the IRS, saying, "There's no excuse" for the agency's treatment of the groups, which sought tax-exempt status.

www.npr.org

Redirect Notice

Thanks. The first one was letter, not a bill designed to punish.

The 2nd is individuals acting, not the same as the Govt doing it.

The IRS scandal is just that, a scandal because we all agree it is wrong for them to do that, I bet even you think it was wrong. So, again it does not really compare to what is happening in Florida.

You didn’t answer the question. Typical.

What do you think the word "yes" was....it answered your question.

 

[AzogtheDefiler]

Thanks. The first one was letter, not a bill designed to punish.

The 2nd is individuals acting, not the same as the Govt doing it.

The IRS scandal is just that, a scandal because we all agree it is wrong for them to do that, I bet even you think it was wrong. So, again it does not really compare to what is happening in Florida.


What do you think the word "yes" was....it answered your question.

Semantics

 

[AzogtheDefiler]

Thanks. The first one was letter, not a bill designed to punish.

The 2nd is individuals acting, not the same as the Govt doing it.

The IRS scandal is just that, a scandal because we all agree it is wrong for them to do that, I bet even you think it was wrong. So, again it does not really compare to what is happening in Florida.


What do you think the word "yes" was....it answered your question.

Would the IRS have been wrong for going after every business equally?

 

[AzogtheDefiler]

Can you provide some links to Dem Govts going after employers, bank accounts credit card companies, gofundme acts, PayPal ect of people they disagree with politically.

Like this?

Redirect Notice

www.google.com

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Semantics

Not even a little bit. Can you truly not see the difference between an individual doing something and the Govt doing it?

Would the IRS have been wrong for going after every business equally?

If they were breaking the law in how they went after them yes. If they were just enforcing the laws equally, then no. That is what they should be doing. Instead they are harassing people like me.

Like this?

That is a criminal probe, not a law being written to punish the Trump's specifically.

 

[Oddball]

Democrats question TV carriers' decisions to host Fox, OAN and Newsmax, citing 'misinformation'

The lawmakers sent letters to AT&T, Verizon, Roku, Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Charter, DISH, Cox, Altice, Hulu and Alphabet.

www.politico.com

N.C. Democrats launch boycott of businesses owned by conservative financier Art Pope | Facing South

The North Carolina Democratic Party has called for a boycott of the business owned by leading conservative benefactor Art Pope to protest what it calls his "corporate takeover" of elections.

www.facingsouth.org

IRS Apologizes For Aggressive Scrutiny Of Conservative Groups

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced settlements in two long-running cases against the IRS, saying, "There's no excuse" for the agency's treatment of the groups, which sought tax-exempt status.

www.npr.org

Redirect Notice

Don't forget the de-banking of legal firearms merchants.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Don't forget the de-banking of legal firearms merchants.

When did the Govt do that? Do you have a link?

 

[Pellinore]

In 2012, the Obama administration was embroiled in a controversy over the accusation that they had instructed the IRS to target conservative political groups for special review of their tax exempt status. When the accusation became public, the Obama administration went into damage control mode, denying that it happened and trying paper over it and "move on" as best they could. Did they do it? Were they guilty of targeting political opponents for state persecution? Maybe. Probably. The point is, they knew it was wrong. Or, at the very least, they knew that voters would think it was wrong - even Democrat voters.

Do we still see it that way?

During the Trump administration, Republicans threatened to repeal section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act in response to social media companies that had been censoring right wing content. Many people, on both sides of the aisle, saw this as political retaliation, that it was Trump "punching back" at the tech companies who spoke out against him, who censored his, and others' posts. But even then, they knew that it was wrong to do so as a means of gaining political advantage, that we shouldn't allow our leaders to target political opponents for persecution. Even Republicans who supported the proposal seemed to recognize this and worked hard to rationalize the attack terms of legal principles. They claimed it was an unfair, special perk, that should have never been passed, that doing so now wasn't persecution against Facebook and Twitter, but a principled change to a flawed law. That they were fighting for freedom of speech, and not just getting revenge on political enemies.

Now we have Desantis and the Florida legislature. They seem ready to throw off the pretense altogether. They've been quite open that they are revoking laws perceived to be benefitting Disney as punishment for opposing a recently passed law. Regardless of the rationale offer for revoking the law, the intent was clear. It was Disney's stated intent to fight the law that prompted the legislative action.



My question is - are we ready to endorse that kind of government? Should we allow government, local, state, federal or whatever, to punish political opposition with legal action? Is it ok for our leaders to "punch back" via the power of the state?

Reminder - this is CDZ. Trolls will be reported.

I see this as a blatant attack on our democracy.

Even those who agree with DeSantis politically have to look at the precedent that it sets democratically. It is, at its core, a State government retaliating against a private corporation because it disagrees with their party line politically. That is the action of someone pushing for a one-party state that punishes dissent, not a healthy democracy that acts by reasoned discourse and popular sovereignty.

It wasn't OK with the IRS scandal either, which is why there was a years-long investigation and the woman who ring-led it paid for it with her career. There were calls for her boss's impeachment, and it still stands as a black mark on his administration even though the DOJ filed no charges. By contrast, DeSantis called for this personally and publicly and signed it into law. Imagine the outrage if Obama had made the IRS target-shooting a centerpiece of his administration, and signed it into law.

We as a nation are never going to get out of the tailspin we're in until we start insisting on the health of our democracy at least as urgently as we insist on our own ideology. It would be wrong if the Democrats did it, but this time it is up to the conservative Republicans to say that this is the wrong path to take, regardless of how justified DeSantis may or may not have been.

 

[AzogtheDefiler]

Not even a little bit. Can you truly not see the difference between an individual doing something and the Govt doing it?



If they were breaking the law in how they went after them yes. If they were just enforcing the laws equally, then no. That is what they should be doing. Instead they are harassing people like me.



That is a criminal probe, not a law being written to punish the Trump's specifically.

Trump was a resident of NY for 70 yrs? Suddenly they go after him? Everything is an excuse with you. Govt has been targeting businesses and individuals for years based on political ideology but Fla offends you? So silly. So yes. Semantics.

 

[Donald H]

You're from Canaduh, a nation that was founded in groveling and cowering before the same horrendous tyrant against whom we Americans violently rebelled in order to win our independence and establish our nation.

No American of any worth gives a shit what you have to say about our country.

You're the 4th. one who said they don't care Bob. One more and I'll take it as proof Bob.

 

[Oddball]

We as a nation are never going to get out of the tailspin we're in until we start insisting on the health of our democracy at least as urgently as we insist on our own ideology. It would be wrong if the Democrats did it, but this time it is up to the conservative Republicans to say that this is the wrong path to take, regardless of how justified DeSantis may or may not have been.

The "health of our democracy" is related to immense international corporate conglomerates, receiving special dispensation and carve-outs from laws and regulations that no other similar businesses enjoy.

Yet, somehow or another, voiding out such special favors, for whatever reason, is "a threat to democracy".

I don't think so.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Trump was a resident of NY for 70 yrs? Suddenly they go after him? Everything is an excuse with you. Govt has been targeting businesses and individuals for years based on political ideology but Fla offends you? So silly. So yes. Semantics.

You keep trying to compare apples to hand grenades, thus they get rejected.

Since this has been going on for decades, list the laws/bills passed over those decades that were created to punish an individual company.

I will be happy to wait.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Yet, somehow or another, voiding out such special favors, for whatever reason, is "a threat to democracy".

Not at all, not for whatever reason, but for the very specific reason of retribution by the state.

It is the difference between firing someone because they suck at their job and firing them for being female.

 

[sartre play]

They are costing the State and taxpayers money to defend against their legal actions. The people of that state have every right to take away tax breaks that could be used to sue them and cost them money.

No one is going to standby and pay for someone suing you........unless you are married into a divorce and a court order.

Woke Agenda is a Religion................YES OR NO.

Woke agenada is not a religion. Have to think on what is a proper discription of Woke.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Have to think on what is a proper discription of Woke.

I would love to see what this is. Seems to be such a slippery term

 

[AzogtheDefiler]

You keep trying to compare apples to hand grenades, thus they get rejected.

Since this has been going on for decades, list the laws/bills passed over those decades that were created to punish an individual company.

I will be happy to wait.

The laws passed to provide favoritism are just as “bad” as those passed to take them away. Too bad you aren’t smart enough to understand that. Pay for play. That is why lobbyists exist.

 

[sartre play]

In the case of DeSantis vs. Disney, it's more troubling than just punishing political opposition. The Disney Corporation was exercising its First Amendment right. Yes, that's what they were doing. As we all now know, and have for twelve years, corporations have First Amendment rights that are virtually the same as individual Americans. This was made crystal clear by the Citizens United Supreme Court decision in 2010 when the court ruled that companies could make unlimited campaign contributions because the checks are a form of free speech.

So, are we ready for the government to retaliate with legal action when someone uses their First Amendment right to express ideas that are contrary to those held by whosoever is in the seat of power?

For me, the answer is a resounding "fuck no."

I'm no fan of Disney Corp., but I am a huge fan of preserving our First Amendment rights...

Citizens united was a bad deal for the average American, As the big money pretty much owns us now.

 

[BlueGin]

Can you provide some links to Dem Govts going after employers, bank accounts credit card companies, gofundme acts, PayPal ect of people they disagree with politically.

PayPal partners with far left activist groups to de platform conservatives

PayPal Censoring Groups With Help from Leftist, Anti-Christian SPLC

The CEO of PayPal has revealed the multi-billion dollar service partners with the leftist organization Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to decide who should be blacklisted from their company. Using "company corporate values" as their defense, PayPal has taken intentional steps to deny access...

www1.cbn.com

 

[hjmick]

PayPal partners with far left activist groups to de platform conservatives

PayPal Censoring Groups With Help from Leftist, Anti-Christian SPLC

The CEO of PayPal has revealed the multi-billion dollar service partners with the leftist organization Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to decide who should be blacklisted from their company. Using "company corporate values" as their defense, PayPal has taken intentional steps to deny access...

www1.cbn.com

But not governments, as far as we know...

 

[sartre play]

hOPE This is on topic, How many of you for the anti Disney bill acutaly live with in the ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY FIVE MILES that Disney controls? Are you aware that this bill will put the tax burden on tax payers in that area? Are YOU AWARE that Disney paid millions in donations to the Republican party?