November 4, 2016

The CIA vs the FBI

Interesting tweet from Jake Tapper

https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/794329908289961984

Looks like the two agencies are opposing each other in this election battle. Maybe we'll hear more about it tomorrow.

July 18, 2016

Turkish Incirlik AFB Commander seeks aslyum from the US?

In response to this news,
I made the following post:

Interesting that Erdogan wants us to believe that the commander of this base was involved with this "coup". With respect to jet activity, all I saw from people who claimed to witness firsthand was that a handful of jets were continually creating sonic booms at low altitudes, probably trying to scare the population.

Possible scenario; commander of base goes to US military, tells them Erdogan is up to something, Erdogan responds by blockading the base until they give him up.

I don't think it's a coincidence that the end of the blockade coincided with the detaining of this commander.

I may have been correct that Bekir Ercan Van, commander of the base, approached the US. According to a Turkish state run news agency, the commander sought asylum before being denied.

http://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2016/07/18/us-rejects-asylum-to-incirlik-base-commander-detained-for-complicity-in-failed-coup-attempt

This was also posted in Russian media, both claiming that a NYT source reported it originally. However, both of these agencies are entirely controlled by Erdogan/Putin, meaning their reliability is in question, and I couldn't find anything in the NYT website about this. I'm not sure what motive Erdogan's media would have in fabricating a claim like this though.

It appears the US did not hand him over to the Turkish authorities until Sunday. I'd be interested in hearing the story he told the US about what had happened.

July 2, 2014

The endgame of the logic used by the SCOTUS to interpret the RFRA

Taking our assumptions:

1. "Deeply held" religious beliefs can be imagined that would make absolutely any law a burden on a plaintiff, these beliefs need not necessarily have any factual basis

2. Testing the sincerity of said beliefs is often impossible

Conclusions

Absolutely every law affecting a plaintiff with said religious beliefs must pass both requirements in the RFRA

From the first amendment, any benefits (relating to exemptions from laws) obtained for one religion cannot be denied to others.


Thus, all laws passed by Congress are for practical purposes invalid unless they pass both requirements in the RFRA, to do otherwise would violate the first amendment.


I imagine some interesting litigation may follow. They may end up regretting not just declaring the RFRA unconstitutional.