Welcome to Sott.net
Sat, 06 Nov 2021
The World for People who Think

Society's Child
Map

Windsock

If you're shocked that Trump won, you need a head check

clinton babies
© Getty Images
In the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump's victory is continuously being called "shocking."

The reality is that the result wasn't a shock at all. The graphic from Real Clear Politics below is its final prediction of where the states would land, published on the day before the election. All Trump needed to do to overcome Hillary Clinton's slender lead was win a few thousand more votes in New Hampshire. Anyone who looked at this graphic alone would have said that the only certainty was a close race.

projected states
© Real Clear Politics

USA

Symbolic? Bald eagle rescued from Florida storm drain (VIDEO)

Bald eagle rescue in Florida
© sbullet187 / Instagram

Two bald eagles were found stuck in a Florida storm drain in what may be the most apt metaphor for the 2016 election. While one was able to fly away, another was caught in the storm drain and retreated further into it.

The pair managed to shut down a busy street during peak rush hours in Orange County, Florida. Although one was able to fly away, it stuck around in solidarity.

A reporter for WFTV claimed that 250 people came to watch the rescue efforts after the trapped eagle fell deeper into the storm drain.The bird was rescued by a wildlife expert and taken to receive veterinary care.


Bizarro Earth

Antagonize, antagonize, antagonize: Israel's ban on the Muslim call to prayer in Jerusalem - just the tip of the iceberg

Call to prayer
Something is in the air in Jerusalem and if Israel has its way it soon won't be; the Muslim call to prayer - the adhaan - is under threat. The state which is built upon the ethnic cleansing of the majority of the indigenous Palestinian people is inching its way towards banning the call for prayer, which was probably first heard in Jerusalem in 637 AD. That was the year in which Caliph Umar Ibn Al-Khattab travelled to Palestine to accept its surrender from Patriach Sophronius, bringing a six-month siege of the Holy City to a peaceful end.

The required respect for people of other faiths was exemplified by one of Caliph Umar's first acts upon entering Jerusalem. He understood the sensitivity surrounding religious sites and the potential danger of changing the status quo. He thus declined an invitation from Sophronius to pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre lest Muslims turn it into a mosque. Instead, he stepped outside the Church to perform the midday prayer; a mosque named after him was later built on the site and exists to this day. This is in sharp contrast to the establishment of Israel in 1948, when 750,000 Palestinians were driven from their homeland at gunpoint. Villages and towns were ethnically cleansed and wiped from the face of the earth, and their mosques were also destroyed or turned into synagogues or museums; at least two became cafes and one became a cowshed.

Chart Pie

Amnesty: Pentagon killed 10-20x more civilians than it's letting on

ramadi
© AP Photo/ Maya Alleruzzo
The Pentagon's conclusion that 119 deaths have resulted from US-led coalition strikes in Syria and Iraq represents only 5 or 10 percent of the actual civilian death toll in those countries, Neil Sammonds, an Amnesty International researcher focusing on Syria, told RT.

In the latest incident not included in the official tally, at least 23 people, including seven children and nine women, were killed after the US-led anti-terrorist coalition bombed the village of Heisha in rural Raqqa on Tuesday, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces said in a statement.

While condemning the "horrific incident" the rebel group, supported by the West, called on the US coalition to stop "these repeated incidents" in which civilian areas were bombed.

"The Coalition reiterates calls for a thorough investigation into such incidents and for reviewing the rules procedure of operations against ISIS and holding accountable those responsible," the statement said.

Comment: The Red Cross (ICRC) concurs, saying:
"We do not have detailed information about how many people fell victim to US airstrikes in Syria for the said period. However, even according to the most rough estimates, the real number may be much higher than this figure," the ICRC source said.

Asked to specify by how much, the source said "by several times."
How many? According to a source in Russian Defense Ministry (who obviously has a motive to present the U.S. in a negative light, but just as obviously has the means to determine a more accurate figure):
"Listening to such statements from the US Central Command spokesman, we have an impression that the Pentagon does not consider the remaining thousands of Syrian and Iraqi civilians killed in US Air Force strikes to be humans. But even such an advanced stage of dishonesty and cynicism of US colleagues should have its limits," the Russian source said.

The statement noted that US Air Force has been conducting up to 20 strikes per day in Syria and Iraq, or about 7300 strikes in the past year.

"Moreover, a significant part of this 'work' has been assigned to the B-1B to the B-52H bombers, while the 'humanity' and 'accuracy' of their carpet bombings are well known since the days of the Vietnam War," the statement added.
Ouch.


Handcuffs

Cop sucker-punches handcuffed woman in the face; gets 2 years paid vacation

Adley Shepherd
© seattlepi.com
Officer Adley Shepherd on patrol duty in South Seattle in 2009.
You've heard the old adage, "Justice is swift," but when it comes to justice in cases where police are the perpetrators, often times, it's "justice delayed." Oregon's KATU 4 reported Wednesday the Seattle Police Department has fired Officer Adley Shepherd over his involvement in an incident which took place in 2014. He's been on paid vacation ever since.

On June 22nd, 2014, Officer Shepherd responded to a domestic disturbance involving Miyekko Durden-Bosley, then 23, and another man. The decision was made by Shepherd to arrest Durden-Bosley, whom he placed in handcuffs, and walked to his cruiser. As Shepherd was attempting to seat Durden-Bosley into the back of his patrol car, she resisted arrest, and kicked the officer. Shepherd exclaimed, "You kicked me!" then, in what appeared to be a full-force right hook blow, the officer punched the defenseless woman in the face.

Durden-Bosley and her lawyers sued the police department for the officer's violent actions against a handcuffed subject while in police custody. Three separate investigations took place into the incident, and all the while, Shepherd was placed on paid leave from his duties on the force.

Bullseye

Pack your bags! A few suitable countries where grieving Killary supporters might find a new home

crying hillary supporters

Hollywood A-listers and celebrities across America vowed to leave the country if Donald Trump was elected. We at The Duran have decided to compile a list of suitable countries to help these gloomy stars find a new home.


It's official: Donald J. Trump WILL be the next President of the United States of America.

The world has been saved from utter destruction and the most corrupt politician to ever run for president has been routed in historic fashion. However, many celebrities, athletes, and famous people (clearly much smarter than the rest of us) have promised to leave the U.S. if 'The Donald' was elected POTUS - well, pack your bags!

People

Wave of racist bullying and vandalism spreads fear across US after Trump victory

Racist graffitti
© @donscottart / Instagram
Reports of racist incidents and hate crimes have risen in the wake of Donald Trump's election win - including two separate attacks on hijab-wearing women by men allegedly invoking the new president-elect.

Many of the incidents have been posted on social media sites, with a large number reportedly happening at educational institutions across the country.

A Muslim woman in California wearing her hijab was robbed of her car Wednesday by two men who made comments about Trump and the Muslim community at San Diego University, according to a police statement.

Heart - Black

Elderly Chicago man repeatedly kicked in head, has car stolen as bystanders shout 'You voted Trump'

A shocking video of a white man being beaten by a group of black youths while witnesses shout, "You voted Trump," and, "Don't vote Trump," has been posted online.

WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO

The disturbing footage shows the man lying on the ground, struggling to get up as he is repeatedly punched and kicked in the head.


The incident happened in broad daylight at the corner of South Kedzie Avenue and Roosevelt Road in Chicago.

Bomb

Huge explosion near German consulate in Afghanistan, Taliban claims responsibility

An Afghan policeman
© Reuters
An Afghan policeman
A huge explosion has occurred near the German consulate in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif, officials say. Mass casualties are feared as a result of the incident, for which Taliban took responsibility.

NATO troops have been deployed to the scene, a German military spokesman told Reuters, confirming that shots had been heard outside the consulate. Alliance troops are now investigating the blast, he added.

Sheriff

Turning Tide? Sheriffs LEAVE Standing Rock, Saying 'It's Completely Unethical'

standing rock, #nodapl
© Reuters
Widespread outrage over both the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline and violent police crackdowns rages on. That outrage is spreading even to police agencies now returning from deployment to the reservation. Two departments have already refused to return, citing personal and public objections. As if that wasn't enough, an army of sympathizers is re-purposing social media to combat police efforts in Standing Rock.

Minnesota's Hennepin County Sheriff's Department is among that group. Lawmakers, according to MPR News, found police activities in Standing Rock "inappropriate". It's to the point where they're considering rewriting legislation to avoid future deployments to incidents like the pipeline resistance.

Smith's comments split the state's government, however, and she was targeted. Minnesota State Rep. Tony Cornish condemned Smith for prioritizing "the rights of protesters over the needs of law enforcement", saying she should apologize to the cops.

Sheriffs from Wisconsin's Dane County were more empathetic, pulling out and refusing to return. According to the Bismarck Tribune, Sheriff Dave Mahoney made the decision after a "wide cross-section of the community" decried the deployment. "All share the opinion that our deputies should not be involved in this situation", says Mahoney. Dane County's deputies were deployed to Standing Rock for around a week. Sources report Dane County wasn't involved in recent arrests, a string of which scooped up an alderwoman from Madison Wisconsin.