Tag: politicians

SNP minister accused of ‘rank hypocrisy’ after boasting about his woodburning stove just days after voting against protecting them for others

An SNP minister has been accused of ‘rank hypocrisy’ after boasting about his woodburning stove just days after voting against protecting them for others.

Jim Fairlie posted a picture of the heater on Facebook at the weekend after Storm Amy knocked out the power to his all- electric house for several days.

‘Thankfully we’ve the wee stove keeping us warm,’ the agriculture minister wrote.

But only last week Perthshire-based Mr Fairlie, as part of the Scottish Government’s rural team, voted with SNP colleagues to defeat a Tory proposal to safeguard woodburners.

Highlands & Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston, who forced the Government to U-turn last year on a proposed woodburner ban in new homes, wanted to protect them long-term.

Mr Halcro Johnston said: ‘It beggars belief to see a Scottish Government minister voting against protections for woodburners in rural and island homes during the week, then message their constituents about the benefits of having one the very weekend when the power goes down.

‘Thousands of homes lost their power over the last few days and were left reliant on the kind of heating that Mr Fairlie enjoys but doesn’t think others should have.

‘Last year, when the SNP/Green coalition attempted to ban stoves in newbuilds, I championed them for these very reasons.

‘I was pleased that we forced them to U-turn then, but was disappointed when Jim Fairlie joined his SNP colleagues last week in voting against my proposed protections that would ensure cack-handed attempts to outlaw woodburners couldn’t happen again without the full scrutiny from the Scottish parliament.

‘To vote against something on Tuesday and sing its praises by Saturday is rank hypocrisy. I know how angry it has made many of my constituents across the Highlands and Islands.’

Mr Halcro Johnson’s amendments to the Housing Bill would have meant woodburners and other ‘direct-emission heating systems’ avoided future bans by creating a ‘presumption in favour’ of such back-ups in island, rural and remote homes.

He told MSPs it would ensure people still had the means to heat, cook and have hot water when ‘essential connections’ were lost.

He said he knew ‘all too well’ how important a backup could be, as he had once been snowed into his Orkney home for five days and his woodburning stove saved the day.

‘It is important that remote, rural and island homes have access to viable and reliable secondary heating options,’ he told Holyrood.

‘They are not luxury items in our homes or just something that looks nice in the corner of the room. They help to keep people safe, warm and alive in the worst of conditions.’

But Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan objected, saying the change would ‘restrict policy making in any future attempt to regulate heating systems’.

She said the Government already protected backup heating systems in rural homes ‘for exactly the circumstances that have been referred to.’

She added: ‘Voting against this amendment is not a vote against wood-burning stoves or other secondary heating systems, because the amendment is not needed to protect their use – it is simply unnecessary.’

Mr Halcro Johnson said the existing regulations on the issue were flawed.

But MSPs, including Mr Fairlie, rejected his proposals by 70 votes to 38.

The ban on woodburning stoves in new-build homes was scrapped last November after a backlash from industry, rural communities, opposition parties and some SNP politicians.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes was among those to raise concerns about the ban, citing the impact it could have on older people in her Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘There are no restrictions on the use of wood-burning stoves in Scotland, in either new or existing homes.’

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Mexico Bill Proposes Prison for AI Memes Mocking Public Figures

Mexico’s Congress is once again at the center of a free speech storm.

This time, Deputy Armando Corona Arvizu from the ruling Morena party is proposing to make it a crime to create or share AI-generated memes or digital images that make fun of someone without their consent.

His initiative, filed in the Chamber of Deputies, sets out prison terms of three to six years and fines for anyone who “create, manipulate, transform, reproduce or disseminate images, videos, audios or digital representations” made with artificial intelligence for the purpose of “ridiculing, harassing, impersonating or damaging” a person’s “reputation or dignity.”

Read the bill here.

The punishment would increase by half if the person targeted is a public official, minor, or person with a disability, or if the content spreads widely online or causes personal, psychological, or professional harm.

The bill presents itself as protection against digital abuse but is, as always, a new attempt at censorship.

The initiative would insert Articles 211 Bis 8 and 211 Bis 9 into the Federal Penal Code, written in vague and sweeping terms that could cover almost any form of online expression.

It makes no distinction between a malicious deepfake and a harmless meme.

By criminalizing content intended to “ridicule,” the bill allows courts or public figures to decide what counts as ridicule. That opens the door to arbitrary enforcement.

There are no explicit protections for parody, satire, or public-interest criticism, all of which are essential to a free society.

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Burchett chides colleagues over insider trading: ‘Crooked as a dog‘s leg’

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) has slammed his colleagues in Congress who engage in insider trading, saying they should be “on Wall Street” instead of on Capitol Hill.

“Americans understand what’s going on with Congress,” Burchett said Sunday on the “Cats Roundtable” radio show hosted by John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AM. “When they see their members of Congress making three, four, 500 percent returns, dadgum it, they ought not be in Congress, they ought to be on Wall Street.”

Burchett called it wrong and said “everybody knows it, and I think it’s crooked as a dog’s leg, and we need to outlaw it.”

On Sept. 3, a bipartisan group of legislators introduced a bill that would ban stock trading by members of Congress and their close family members.

The “Restore Trust in Congress Act” mixes together several past proposals intended to stop members of Congress from trading stocks.

Should the bill pass, lawmakers who violate the law would face financial penalties equal to 10 percent of the value of their investment and would be forced to relinquish any earnings from the violation.

“If you want a day trade, leave Congress,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), one of the bill’s co-sponsors, previously said. “It’s that simple.”

“We’re not going to judge what you did before now, but now that this bill is going to come to the floor — and we’re going to make sure of that — it’s your chance to get right with the American people because at the end of the day, Congress is not a casino,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) also said.

In August, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called for a ban on members of Congress trading individual stocks. Bessent specifically named former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and said they have “eye-popping returns.”

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The Greater Israel Cult & the US Alliance

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was recently asked on Israeli i24 TV whether he supported the idea of a Greater Israel — the biblical land that God purportedly promised to the Jewish people encompassing a major portion of the Middle East — he replied “very much.” 

While the interview went virtually unnoticed in the Western media it attracted wide condemnation throughout the Arab world. Jordan called it “a dangerous and provocative escalation,” Qatar said it was “arrogant and destabilising” and the Arab League declared it was “blatant violation of Arab sovereignty.” 

The Zionist vision of a Greater Israel has remained mostly unspoken by Israel’s leaders because they want to maintain the fiction that Israel’s control over the occupied territories is strictly for security purposes.

But Netanyahu let the cat out of the bag. His comment is a bold assertion that Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and occupation of the West Bank are just the first stages of an expansionist Greater Israel vision.

Far from sitting on the sidelines, the U.S. is a full partner in this project that aligns with their objectives in the region. The idea that Netanyahu has a pliant U.S. President Trump (and Biden before him) wound around his little finger is strictly political theatre and a convenient cover for American ambitions.

The U.S. has always called the shots and, if anything, Israel is a useful proxy to further American economic and strategic interests in the region which includes tacit support for Greater Israel.

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House members to get $10k a month for personal security after Charlie Kirk assassination

ouse members will get $10,000 a month for personal security after the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, the chamber’s leaders announced.

The effort follows the assassination last week of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.

On Wednesday, House leadership made the decision to double the monthly total currently available to legislators in a pilot program created this summer to increase security for members, POLITICO reported.

House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil said that the funds to increase the pilot program amount were previously allocated and have been repurposed to bump it up to $10,000, according to the Washington Examiner.

Several House Republicans discussed their dissatisfaction over the $10,000 monthly amount with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Steil.

The additional security funding comes after Kirk, 31, was shot and killed by an assassin last week at Utah Valley University during a Turning Point USA event. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been arrested as the suspected shooter.

Later, when asked if Republican leadership would add more money for member security to the stopgap directly, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said there were “ongoing conversations.”

“We said that at the beginning of the week — is that we’re working with our members to find out how to properly make sure that everybody has the security they need to be safe,” Scalise said.

New York Democratic Rep. Joe Morelle said that “more needs to be done” to ensure the security of lawmakers and congressional staff, “but this is an important and necessary start.”

Steil said, “The goal is having leg[islative] branch [appropriations], which is engaged right now in a conference, of them identifying the appropriate funding level as we go forward.”

The additional security funding announcement comes after a $32 million injection in funds for a program that has been in existence that lets Congress members request security through partnerships between the Capitol Police and local law enforcement agencies. The $32 million is part of the stopgap spending bill. The expansion of the pilot program is funded from a separate pot of money from the current fiscal year.

“The funding can be authorized, we need to make sure that that money is in the right buckets,” Steil said.

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Holding Politicians Accountable: Using Civil Litigation To Combat Incitement To Violence

In an era of heightened political polarization, inflammatory rhetoric from public figures has increasingly been linked to real-world acts of violence.  While freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy, there are legal boundaries where words cross into incitement.  This article explores how civil lawsuits can serve as a mechanism to hold politicians accountable for fomenting violence, regardless of party affiliation.  By examining the legal framework, historical precedents, and potential impacts, we can understand how the courts might act as a bulwark against dangerous discourse—focusing on truth-seeking principles rather than partisan blame.  The horrendous assassination of Youth Leader and Turning Point Founder Charlie Kirk brings this discussion to the forefront of our world culture.

The Legal Foundation for Civil Suits Against Politicians

Under U.S. law, politicians are not immune from accountability for their words if they directly contribute to harm.  The primary vehicle for such claims is 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a federal statute that allows individuals to sue state officials (including governors, mayors, and lawmakers) for violations of constitutional rights while acting “under color of state law.” If a politician’s statements or actions are alleged to incite violence that results in death, injury, or deprivation of rights—such as the right to life or due process—victims or their families could pursue damages.

However, the bar is high.  The First Amendment protects speech unless it meets the strict criteria established in *Brandenburg v. Ohio* (1969): it must be directed at producing “imminent lawless action” and be likely to produce such action.  Mere hyperbolic or critical language, even if divisive, typically doesn’t qualify.  Additionally, officials often benefit from qualified immunity, which shields them unless their conduct violates a “clearly established” right.  Sovereign immunity may also apply to actions taken in an official capacity, although personal-capacity suits can bypass this immunity.

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US Condemns Prosecution of Finnish Lawmaker Over Bible Verse Tweet

Finland’s prosecution of Päivi Räsänen has drawn sharp condemnation from the US State Department, which labeled the charges “baseless” and included a Bible verse in a rare public gesture of support.

This comes as Finland’s Supreme Court prepares to hear a case widely regarded as a test of whether expressing religious beliefs can be treated as a criminal act in a democratic nation.

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor made its position clear on X, stating: “In a democracy, no one should face trial for peacefully sharing their beliefs. The case against Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen, which accuses her of hate speech for simply posting a Bible verse, is baseless, as two courts have unanimously found.”

The post included a verse from Matthew 5:11: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

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“I’m So F**king Sick Of Watching Politicians Get Rich While They’re In Office…”

Ilhan Omar: Preaching Socialism, Practicing Capitalism 

I am so f**kng sick of watching politicians on both sides of the aisle get rich while they’re in office. But when politicians rail against millionaires and billionaires while quietly joining their ranks, it’s even worse, because it’s hypocrisy dressed up as virtue.

Few examples are as glaring as Rep. Ilhan Omar’s latest financial disclosure.

Just months ago, Omar dismissed rumors about her personal wealth as “ridiculous” and “categorically false,” insisting she was just a working mom with student loan debt.

Now, according to filings reported by the New York Post and Washington Free Beacon, Omar and her husband, Tim Mynett, are sitting on a net worth of up to $30 million. That’s a 3,500% jump in a single year.

Either her financial situation changed at the speed of light, or her earlier denials weren’t worth much. And the hypocrisy runs even deeper when it comes to those who spend their careers railing against capitalism, wealth, and inequality. Which is to say nothing of Omar’s critiques of the U.S., calling it “one of the worst countries” in a recent interview.

Her net worth didn’t come from thriftiness on a congressional salary. It came from her husband’s businesses: a California winery and a Washington, D.C.–based venture capital firm, Rose Lake Capital.

The winery was valued at a measly $15,000 to $50,000 last year but is now worth up to $5 million. Normal.

Rose Lake Capital went from essentially worthless to being valued between $5 million and $25 million, while the company boasts of managing a staggering $60 billion in assets.

Not bad for a family that supposedly embodies the struggles of everyday Americans.

And lets just say Omar’s net worth surge was legitimate for a second. She married into wealth — or her husband is just a resounding success — that’s not what bothers me.

What bothers me the most is that Omar has built her career thundering against the wealthy and declaring capitalism a system rigged against the little guy. She lectures about inequality, demonizes people who accumulate fortunes, and paints millionaires as morally compromised. Yet here she is, supposedly reaping the rewards of venture capital and luxury wine—two industries not exactly known for their devotion to socialist ideals.

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More US lawmakers publicly blame Israel for starvation, deaths in Gaza

U.S. lawmakers who may have been silent for the last 22 months are now speaking out publicly and blaming Israel for the starvation and famine conditions in the Gaza Strip.

On CBS’s Face the Nation this Sunday, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and long-time Israel supporter, slammed Jerusalem for Gaza’s growing humanitarian crisis, declaring that “Israel is starving Palestinians with impunity.” Gazans are “systematically being starved to death because Israel is refusing to allow in the humanitarian aid that people need to keep alive,” Shaheen said.

When Brennan asked whether Shaheen should have spoken out earlier she replied, “We should be doing more and we should have done more… not just democrats, but also Republicans.”

Going further than Shaheen, 14 U.S. lawmakers have called Israel’s war on Gaza a genocide to date, including 13 Democrats and one Republican.

Those lawmakers are Reps. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Al Green (D-Tex.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).

To that end, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — the first Republican to do so — has been front and center.

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to pay for genocide in a foreign country against a foreign people for a foreign war that I had nothing to do with,” Greene said on X on Saturday. “And I will not be silent about it.”

While stopping short of calling Israel’s actions a “genocide,” others have also turned up the heat and have called for halting U.S. weapons aid to Jerusalem until it reverses course.

“Israel’s actions in the conduct of the war in Gaza, especially its failure to address the unimaginable humanitarian crisis now unfolding, is an affront to human decency,” Rep. Angus King (I-Maine) declared in a statement at the end of last month. He said he would no longer support aid to Israel, “until there is a demonstrable change in the direction of Israeli policy.”

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Indian Politician Defends Indian U-Turn Trucker

India’s government should oppose a U.S. government crackdown on the 150,000 Indian drivers in the U.S. trucking industry, said an Indian politician whose district includes many of the drivers’ families.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal represents a district in the Punjab region, which is home to many members of the Sikh ethnic group who work illegally or legally in the U.S. trucking industry. They include the Indian truck driver, Harjinder Singh, who is facing homicide charges after killing three Americans in a turnpike U-turn.

Badal was formerly a cabinet minister in India’s federal government, and used Twitter to ask India’s foreign minister to intervene in U.S. politics to protect the Sikh truck drivers:

More than [150,000] Punjabi truck drivers in the US shud not be discriminated against due to Harjinder [Singh]’s mistake & their livelihood shud not be snatched from them by denying them work visas & making it more difficult for them to drive [U.S.] trucks by bringing in new language proficiency rules.

A crackdown would “have a detrimental effect on [the left-behind] families” in India that depend on the wage remittances sent home by Indian migrants, said Badal, who is a Sikh.

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