New For 2025

Back to work after the holiday…..

There are some new laws that will take effect this year….

Artificial intelligence, abortion, guns, marijuana, minimum wages: Name a hot topic, and chances are good there’s a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another, the AP reports. Many of the laws launching in January are a result of legislation passed in 2024. Others stem from ballot measures approved by voters. Some face legal challenges. Here’s a look at some of the most notable state laws taking effect:

  • Hollywood stars and AI: California, home to Hollywood and some of the largest tech companies, is seeking to rein in the AI industry and put some parameters around social media stars. New laws seek to prevent the use of digital replicas of actors and performers without permission and allow the estates of dead performers to sue over unauthorized AI use.
  • Child influencers: Also in California, parents who profit from social media posts featuring their children will be required to set aside some earnings for their young influencers. A new law also allows children to sue their parents for failing to do so.
  • Social media limits: New social media restrictions in several states face court challenges. A Florida law bans children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for ages 14 and 15, and a new Tennessee law requires parental consent for minors to open accounts. Both are being challenged in court, as are several California measures aimed at combating political deepfakes.
  • School rules on gender: In a first nationally, California will start enforcing a law prohibiting districts from requiring staff to notify parents if their children change their gender identification.
  • Abortion coverage: Delaware will require the state employee health plan and Medicaid plans for lower-income residents to cover abortions with no deductible, copayments, or other cost-sharing requirements.
  • Safer traveling: In Missouri, law enforcement officers have spent the past 16 months issuing warnings to motorists that handheld cellphone use is illegal. Penalties kick in in 2025: a $150 fine for the first violation, progressing to $500 for third and subsequent offenses and up to 15 years imprisonment if a driver using a cellphone causes an injury or death. Montana is now the only state that hasn’t banned texting while driving.

See the complete list, which also includes new laws regarding gun control, medical marijuana, minimum wage, tax breaks, and voting rights, at the AP.

Speaking of AI and the new year….

The Wall Street Journal is out with its annual list of “tech that will change your life” in the new year. A few of the newspaper’s picks for 2025:

  • Artificial intelligence “agents”: The Journal predicts this will be the year we see AI not just creating content, but doing things—think ordering food or other items for you, or booking a trip.
  • AI gadgets: Yes, AI has two different entries on the list. The paper also predicts gadgets from smartphones to speakers will get better with AI integration. This may even be the year Meta brings the world smart glasses.
  • Better weather forecasts: Google’s DeepMind artificial-intelligence lab has come up with a new model, GenCast, that’s much more accurate (and faster to produce) than current forecasts. It will be rolled out to the public in the first few weeks of the new year.
  • Crypto for everybody: It’s been getting increasingly easier to invest in cryptocurrency, and with the incoming administration being particularly crypto-friendly, the Journal predicts that trend will only continue. “Bitcoin in particular is becoming more of a ‘normal’ part of a risk-on portfolio for investor,” says one investment adviser.

There you have it….;2025 is off with a bang….hold onto your butt cheeks it will be a rough if not interesting ride.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

UN Security Council Veto

While the conflict rages in Ukraine….and the idiots here in the US like MTG and Trump and Gaetz mouth their lunacies there is a big story on the international stage…..the UN.

There are 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council and all it takes to kill any legislation is one member to veto the action.

How moronic is that?

First we should ask why 5 permanent members?

The permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (also known as the Permanent Five, Big Five, or P5) are the five sovereign states to whom the UN Charter of 1945 grants a permanent seat on the UN Security Council: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

According to Oppenheim’s International Law : United Nations, “Permanent membership in the Security Council was granted to five states based on their importance in the aftermath of World War II.”

It is the 21st century and those dark days of WW2 are gone….time to re-think the Security Council.

The UN is doing just that…..

The United Nations is on Tuesday set to debate a provision that would require the five permanent members of the body’s Security Council – the United States, United Kingdom, France, China and Russia – to justify invoking their veto powers.

The reform to the Security Council has been floated for years at the UN but has regained new traction following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Currently, the five permanent members can veto any resolutions put forth by the Security Council. Meanwhile, the rotating 10 other members have no such power.

The latest proposal, put forth by Liechtenstein, is co-sponsored by 50 countries including the US. No other permanent members are currently co-sponsors, although France has indicated it will support the move, according to the AFP news agency.

The text of the proposal, obtained by the AFP, calls for the 193 members of the General Assembly to gather “within 10 working days of the casting of a veto by one or more permanent members of the Security Council, to hold a debate on the situation as to which the veto was cast”.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/19/un-to-debate-security-council-permanent-member-veto-power

This is a major item for accountability….but most people will ignore this simply because they hate the UN for whatever reason….but I think that hatred is misplaced and I have let my thoughts on it be known…..

Why Hate The United Nations (UN)?

After WW2 and the founding of the UN much has happened……

World War II demonstrated this ugliness in the Holocaust and in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. From Hiroshima and the Holocaust rose two mighty movements, one for peace and against the perils of further nuclear attacks, and the other for an end to the divisions of humanity and for a nonalignment from these divisions. The Stockholm Appeal of 1950, signed by 300 million people, called for an absolute ban on nuclear weapons. Five years later, 29 countries from Africa and Asia, representing 54 percent of the world’s population, gathered in Bandung, Indonesia, to sign a 10-point pledge against war and for the “promotion of mutual interests and cooperation.” The Bandung Spirit was for peace and for nonalignment, for the peoples of the world to put their efforts into building a process to eradicate history’s burdens (illiteracy, ill health, hunger) by using their social wealth. Why spend money on nuclear weapons when money should be spent on classrooms and hospitals?

Despite the major gains of many of the new nations that had emerged out of colonialism, the overwhelming force of the older colonial powers prevented the Bandung Spirit from defining human history. Instead, the civilization of war prevailed. This civilization of war is revealed in the massive waste of human wealth in the production of armed forces—sufficient to destroy hundreds of planets—and the use of these armed forces as the first instinct to settle disputes. Since the 1950s, the battlefield of these ambitions has not been in Europe or in North America, but rather it has been in Africa, Asia, and Latin America—areas of the world where old colonial sensibilities believe that human life is less important. This international division of humanity—which says that a war in Yemen is normal, whereas a war in Ukraine is horrific—defines our time. There are 40 wars taking place across the globe; there needs to be political will to fight to end each of these, not just those that are taking place within Europe. The Ukrainian flag is ubiquitous in the West; what are the colors of the Yemeni flag, of the Sahrawi flag, and of the Somali flag?

Now is the Time for Nonalignment and Peace

I believe that the world would be better off without these powers of veto in the hands of a single nation.

All nations need to be held to the same standard and the elimination of this silly veto power would be a great step forward.

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“lego ergo scribo”

Anti-Protest Law

Once again the state’s GOP is showing that they have NO concern for the US Constitution……almost every state with a GOP leadership in government is trying to take away the right to vote for many Americans…..and now another state is attempting to ban protests for social injustices….this time it is Florida (go figure)……

Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed into law a bill that civil rights groups warn is designed to crack down on peaceful demonstrations and criminalize dissent by redefining “rioting” in an overbroad way and creating draconian new felonies for protest-related offenses.

While DeSantis and the bill’s Republican sponsors in the Florida legislature presented HB1 as a response to the attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters earlier this year, critics say the measure—crafted well before the January 6 attack—is in fact a reaction against the racial justice protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd last May.

“Let’s be clear: this is not an anti-riot bill, regardless of what supporters claim,” Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, said in a statement Monday. “It is a bill that criminalizes peaceful protest, and the impact HB1 will have on Floridians cannot be disputed. Each and every provision harkens back to Jim Crow.”

Kubic went on to warn that under the new law—which is part of a wave of similar Republican measures under consideration nationwide—protesters could be arrested and charged with a felony if others at a protest or gathering became violent or disorderly, even if they themselves didn’t.” According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, HB1 defines rioting as a public disturbance by at least three people with “common intent to mutually assist each other in disorderly and violent conduct.”

“The goal of this law is to silence dissent and create fear among Floridians who want to take to the streets to march for justice,” said Kubic. “Every single Floridian should be outraged by this blatant attempt to erode our First Amendment right to peacefully assemble. It is outrageous and blatantly unconstitutional. Gov. DeSantis’ championing of and signature on this law degrades, debases, and disgraces Florida and our democracy.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/04/19/desantis-signs-outrageous-and-blatantly-unconstitutional-anti-protest-bill-law

Just how selective will this law be?

I will watch to see where this law goes.

Turn The Page!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

Hammurabi’s Laws

Most people that ever been in a world history class will remember that Hammurabi gave the world its first categorized laws….

As an Assyriologist I studied the Laws in great detail…..but most people have no idea what is in the Laws other than they were the first on record……besides these laws were not exactly what you were taught back in the day.

Found in 1901 by a team of French archeologists in the ancient city of Susa in Iran, the Hammurabi Laws seem to have been created to govern day to day life in Babylonia. While the Hammurabi Laws are not the earliest written laws nor the first of its kind, they are the most complete and incredibly well-preserved. 

The laws were created while Hammurabi reigned in Babylon from 1792 till 1750 BCE. It is widely believed that the Hammurabi Laws have been created on the grounds of Sumerian documents that predate Hammurabi Laws. They seem to have been written by the king of Ur, Ur-Namma, and Lipit-Ishtar of Isin. The Hammurabi Laws have been carefully collected and written on a diorite stela in the temple of Marduk. 

The laws, 282 of them, centered around economic dealings such as commerce, prices, trade and tariffs, as well as family law, civil law, and criminal law. The punishment for breaking any of the laws was different and dependant on the circumstances as well as the offenders’ status. 

There were three distinct social classes in ancient Babylonia – the elite (amelu), the free man (mushkenu), and slaves (ardu). Interestingly enough, while the elite had various privileges and their births and deaths were recorded, under the laws, they were also subjected to harsher punishments and pricier fines.

Written in cuneiform (a system of writing used by Sumerians) and the Akkadian language, the laws are divided into several parts: prologue, legal procedures, family law, slavery, economic dealings, religion, and epilogue. More than just being a vital part of history and allowing people from the 21st century a glimpse into life and culture long gone, the Hammurabi Laws also introduce many concepts we still find relevant today.

Some of the issues mentioned include the necessity for providing evidence if a crime has been committed, making sure there is a minimum wage for workers as well as presuming the accused is innocent until his guilt is proven. The laws also have a rather modern take on incest, divorce, and property rights.

Naturally, there are also segments, especially those about punishment, that most of the people today would find shocking such as cutting off son’s hand if he hit his father or if one man broke the bone of another, the same shall be done to him. Nota bene, these are some of the more “tame” punishments. Parts of the Hammurabi Laws so seem barbaric, as we mentioned, especially when it comes to “an eye for an eye” practices. However, some parts prove that the ancient Babylonians had some rather forward-thinking ideas such as refusal to accept marriage by capture or blood feuds. 

There are also some interesting parts concerning women’s rights. While women were, in a sense, considered to be the property of the husband, the husband was also responsible for providing the woman with an income should they divorce at some point. He also had to return her dowry, and the woman got the custody of children. On the other hand, if a woman was judged to be a bad wife, she could become a slave in her former home or be sent away.  

Be Smart!

Lern Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Espionage Act of 1917

Yes dear it is time for a little history since many are as ignorant about history as they are about civics.

For over 100 years a full century the US has had espionage law on the books….and it has been used in many and various ways…

Let’s look at the Act….

The Espionage Act of 1917, passed by Congress two months after the United States declared war against Germany in World War I, made it a federal crime for any person to interfere with or attempt to undermine the U.S. armed forces during a war, or to in any way assist the war efforts of the nation’s enemies. Under the terms of the act, signed into law on June 15, 1917, by President Woodrow Wilson, persons convicted of such acts could be subject to fines of $10,000 and 20 years in prison. Under one still-applicable provision of the act, anyone found guilty of giving information to the enemy during wartime may be sentenced to death. The law also authorizes the removal of material considered “treasonable or seditious” from the U.S. mail.

Key Takeaways: Espionage Act of 1917

  • The Espionage Act of 1917 makes it a crime to interfere with or attempt to undermine or interfere with the efforts of the U.S. armed forces during a war, or to in any way assist the war efforts of the nation’s enemies. 
  • The Espionage Act of 1917 was passed by Congress on June 15, 1917, two months after the United States entered World War I. 
  • While The Espionage Act of 1917 limited Americans’ First Amendment Rights, it was ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court in the 1919 case of Schenck v. United States. 
  • Potential punishments for violations of the Espionage Act of 1917 range from fines of $10,000 and 20 years in prison to the death penalty.

https://www.thoughtco.com/1917-espionage-act-4177012

One hundred years ago, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Espionage Act into law, and since then it has been used to criminalize the disclosure of national defense and classified information.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/06/one-hundred-years-espionage-act

Further reading…..http://totallyhistory.com/espionage-act-of-1917/

I bring up this bit of history because of the this current administration is dealing with “whistle blowers”….they are being persecuted and prosecuted…..

But in the House a reform bill to the Espionage Act is being offered……

Legislation proposed in Congress would amend the United States Espionage Act and create a public interest defense for those prosecuted under the law.

“‘A defendant charged with an offense under section 793 or 798 [in the U.S. legal code] shall be permitted to testify about their purpose for engaging in the prohibited conduct,” according to a draft of the bill Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard introduced.

Such a reform would make it possible for whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, Reality Winner, Terry Albury, and Daniel Hale to inform the public why they disclosed information without authorization to the press.

The legislation called the Protect Brave Whistleblowers Act is supported by Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg.

https://dissenter.substack.com/p/proposed-reform-to-us-espionage-act

I was around for the Pentagon Papers and the trial of Ellsberg for their release….I have always felt the American people should not be put in the dark by the government….that is what the USSR did and what China still does.  This country is better than that….that is until we elected that dude on the Golden Throne in DC.

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“lego ergo scribo”

Space Law–Part 2

I am a student of international relations….of laws and diplomacy……but could I expand that into the regions we call “Outer Space”?

Our president has proposed a new branch of our military, a Space Force…….personally I do not think it is a good idea from a monetary point but could there be other reasons just as valid?

I wrote about what I thought about this idea from a legal point of view……https://lobotero.com/2019/04/12/space-law/

Scientists have considered setting parts of space as “wilderness”..this would preclude the encroachment of humans into the regions of the unknown….

The resources of the solar system only seem infinite. They’re not, say scientists who have proposed declaring more than 85% of the solar system “space wilderness,” safe from human development. The primary goal, the Guardian reports, is to keep us from using up all the resources within our reach. That runs counter to mining companies’ argument that taking minerals from other planets would preserve Earth’s environment, per the BBC. “Once you’ve exploited the solar system, there’s nowhere left to go,” said Martin Elvis, a senior astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Massachusetts. Elvis and British philosopher Tony Milligan say that opening one-eighth of the solar system to mining is less restrictive than it sounds; one-eighth of the asteroid belt’s iron could supply Earth for centuries, their report estimates.

Space mining companies have their sights set on iron and precious metals in asteroids, as well as minerals and water on the moon, per the Guardian. The European Space Agency is planning a village on the moon. Deciding which areas to protect is difficult, Elvis and Milligan write in Acta Astronautica, which is among the practical and ethical issues that they point out would have to be settled. Mining missions could begin within 10 years, Elvis says. “Once it starts and somebody makes an enormous profit, there will be the equivalent of a gold rush,” he says. “We need to take it seriously.”

There has been interests shown in mining in space in one form or another…..https://lobotero.com/2013/02/02/mining-a-new-frontier/

The World Economic Forum sees a problem with a space “gold rush”……

The US president, Donald Trump, has stuck to his plan to send humans back to the moon in the next five years, recently giving the project a US$1.6 billion shot in the arm. Whether he succeeds or not, the first successful landing on the lunar far side by China, the European Space Agency’s recent “lunar village” concept and a myriad of private companies all gearing up for commercial human spaceflight indicate that a human return to the moon may be about to begin in earnest.

But is it a good idea? A new study suggests that, to avoid material exhaustion of the solar system, humans ought to limit ourselves to developing just one-eighth of the available resources. As we may be witnessing the start of a new lunar gold rush of sorts, this new proposal may be put to the test sooner than we think – and the moon will serve as an early test bed.

There is a treaty for space…it may be little known but it is still in place….let me help you grasp this…..

The Outer Space Treaty was considered by the Legal Subcommittee in 1966 and agreement was reached in the General Assembly in the same year ( resolution 2222 (XXI)). The Treaty was largely based on the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, which had been adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 1962 (XVIII) in 1963, but added a few new provisions. The Treaty was opened for signature by the three depository Governments (the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) in January 1967, and it entered into force in October 1967. The Outer Space Treaty provides the basic framework on international space law, including the following principles:

  • the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind;
  • outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States;
  • outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means;
  • States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner;
  • the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes;
  • astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind;
  • States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities;
  • States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and
  • States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.

But this could be a moot point sense Trump has backed out of every treaty the US has signed (an overstatement but you get the point)

Space is NOT a domain exclusively for the US and his new Space Force.  Time for this treaty to see the light of day yet again…..or for the world to design and sign a new one.

Closing Thought–02Nov18

All this talk these days about extremist groups…they have been all over the news for several years now…….not just in the US nope even Pakistan is having a problem with extremist groups (go figure)….and the US has told Pakistan that it needs to ban such groups…..

The US has urged Pakistan to immediately enact a legislation that formally ban extremist religious groups, a media report said on Thursday.

The US’ suggestion on Wednesday followed a decision announced last week for ending a ban on Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), which Washington designates as terrorist groups, the Dawn report said.

The Pakistani media late last month had reported that the two outfits, that manage a large charity network with the help of thousands of volunteers, temporarily came off the list of banned outfits in Islamabad because the ordinance that proscribed them under a UN resolution had lapsed.

The Imran Khan government is working on a proposal to extend the ban.

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/international/americas/us-urges-pakistan-to-enact-law-banning-extremist-groups

Does anyone have an example of extreme arrogance?

Yep the US telling Pakistan to ban extremist groups…..and yet allows  the same types free rein in our government…..true the the Constitution protects these groups but telling another country what to do is just arrogant.

But then I am sure that it is different in some way…..I am just having a hard time finding the difference.

The “Law And Order” Nation

For as long as I can remember the US has run on a political platform of “law and order”….and especially the GOP, it is the Law and Order party.

We are a country that prides ourselves on being a nation of laws and the use of courts to maintain order.

It is not a perfect system but a system that we are very proud of….if all that is true why is the International Criminal Court (ICC) catching Hell from Our Dear Leader and his minions?

John Bolton gave his first major speech as national security adviser Monday, and it was a doozy. He unloaded on the “illegitimate” International Criminal Court and warned its judges they will pay a stiff price if they go after US troops in Afghanistan, reports the New York Times. “The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution,” said Bolton. “We will ban its judges and prosecutors from entering” the US, “we will sanction their funds in the US financial system, and we will prosecute them in the US criminal system.” He added that the same punishments apply to “any company or state that assists in an ICC investigation of Americans.” The speech came as the US took a related action by shutting down the Palestine Liberation Organization’s office in DC.

The two developments are related in that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is threatening to take Israel to the ICC, reports CNN. The “PLO has not taken steps to advance the start of direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel,” says the State Department in justifying the office closure. And Bolton added, “We will not allow the ICC, or any other organization, to constrain Israel’s right to self-defense,” per the Wall Street Journal. Bolton, along with many on the right, has long viewed the ICC as hostile to America, notes the Times. “The largely unspoken, but always central, aim of its most vigorous supporters was to constrain the United States,” Bolton said Monday. Now, he says, per the Guardian, “the ICC is already dead to us.”

Seriously?  A nation that prides itself on living a life of “law and order” does not want to live by “law and order”?

Bolton took the occasion of an appearance before a group of lawyers to declare the US government’s defiance of any constraint on its actions under international law, which he characterized as an attack on American sovereignty. His main concern was not so much for front-line soldiers, as for the decision-makers, from military commanders on the battlefield to war planners and strategists in Washington, right up to the White House itself, who he said were in danger of being “intimidated” by the threat of war crimes charges.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/09/11/bolt-s11.html

This is the perfect situation to explain a Trump as president.  The rules and laws do not apply to the US for we can do as we want with no interference of laws.

I feel it should be mandatory if a nation is to do business globally then the ICC member they should be.

Closing Thought–16Feb18

Dictators always get their due! (most times)

There is one thing, well there are many but in this case there is just one, about Trump and his seemingly admiration for authoritarian leaders like Putin, Erdogan and Duterte…..these types of leaders seem to always have a heavy hand when dealing with there population especially those in opposition…..and an American president seems to like their actions.

Duterte has even gone so far as to brag about personally killing people……his boasting may have got his cocky ass in hot water with the ICC……

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte welcomes a preliminary investigation into allegations of crimes against humanity now underway by the International Criminal Court, a spokesman said Thursday, marking an about-face for a man who once described the ICC as “bulls—.” Duterte is “sick and tired of being accused” and is prepared to defend himself in court, though the investigation is “a waste of the court’s time and resources,” spokesman Harry Roque said in announcing the inquiry that is to decide whether there’s evidence to build a case, report the New York Times and Guardian. Roque maintained the government crackdown that’s left an estimated 12,000 people dead under Duterte’s leadership—though police put the number at 4,000—is a “legitimate police operation” to weed out drugs.

Duterte swore to “kill” criminals when he took office in June 2016. He has since faced accusationsof mass murder while keeping up a “great relationship” with President Trump. It’s those allegations that launched the ICC probe, confirmed by a prosecutor, per the Guardian. In a complaint sent to the ICC last April, a Filipino lawyer representing two men who say they were assassins for Duterte called him a “mastermind” of killings spanning the three decades since he became mayor of Davao in 1988. “Hopefully a warrant of arrest will be issued by the ICC against Duterte and his cohorts,” 11 of whom are named in the complaint, the lawyer said, per the Times. Arguing the government is attempting a cover-up, Duterte political opponent Gary Alejano says ICC officials “are the only ones who can step in.”

To illustrate what a “swell” guy this toad Duterte truly is……

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told soldiers last week to shoot female rebels in their genitals, the latest of several violent, misogynistic remarks.

Addressing a group of former communist rebels on Wednesday, Duterte, who served as a mayor before becoming president, appeared to encourage the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to target women in conflict.

“Tell the soldiers. ‘There’s a new order coming from the mayor. We won’t kill you. We will just shoot your vagina,’ ” he said.

“If there is no vagina, it would be useless,” Duterte continued, according to local media reports, appearing to imply that women are useless without their genitals.

This is the little prick that Trump had glowing remarks about….

Personally I think all nations should be members of the ICC but some countries are afraid to be held up to international laws…..countries like the USA.

Sharia Along The Way

NOTE:  This post will probably get me the wrath of the rabidly stupid….but someone has to stand up to the lunacy….so why not me.

In 2008 when the country elected Obama as president the idiots went batcrap crazy….first it was that he was a secret Muslim….and that morphed into the push for Sharia law as the predominate law of the land.

And that fear has lingered endlessly for about 8 years…..there have been wasted state votes preventing it from ever becoming the “law of the land”……like that would have ever been possible…..Let me speak slowly for the slower people out there….WILL NEVER HAPPEN!

Now with the horrific attack in Nice the subject of Sharia has once again jumped to the forefront of some political mumbling…..

Newt Gingrich managed to out-Trump Donald Trump in the wake of Thursday night’s horrific attack in Nice, calling for nothing less than the ideological testing of all Muslims in the US and the expulsion of those who don’t pass muster. “Let me be as blunt and direct as I can be. Western civilization is in a war. We should frankly test every person here who is of a Muslim background, and if they believe in Sharia, they should be deported,” Gingrich told Fox News’ Sean Hannity, per CNN. “Sharia is incompatible with Western civilization. Modern Muslims who have given up Sharia, glad to have them as citizens.” Gingrich added that Muslims should also have their mosques and online activities monitored.

The biggest problem is that those that are most in fear know absolutely nothing about it except for the mindless ranting of morons.

Let the old professor help you out a bit…..

Sharia is the laws that all Muslims live by……not completely accurate…..there is NO country that lives by Sharia law solely….however Saudi Arabia and Iran are close but no cigar….but Afghanistan comes the closest.

The term means “way” or ” path”…… it is the legal framework within which the public and some private aspects of life are regulated for those living in a legal system based on Islam.

Sharia deals with all aspects of day-to-day life, including politics, economics, banking, business law, contract law, sexuality, and social issues.

There is not a strictly codified uniform set of laws that can be called Sharia. It is more like a system of several laws, based on the Qur’an, Hadith and centuries of debate, interpretation and precedent.  (thanx to Wikipedia for their help)

Let me reiterate…….Islamic shariah is not implemented in any country of the world, most Muslim countries have their own laws & chosen only few of laws from Islamic shariah.

The laws of Sharia are strict but no more so than the laws of the Old Testament (the Torah)…..but if you would like more background then I suggest a piece written for the Council On Foreign Relations……

Sharia, or Islamic law, influences the legal code in most Muslim countries. A movement to allow sharia to govern personal status law, a set of regulations that pertain to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and custody, is even expanding into the West. “There are so many varying interpretations of what sharia actually means that in some places, it can be incorporated into political systems relatively easily,” said CFR’s Steven A. Cook. Sharia’s influence on both personal status law and criminal law is highly controversial. Some interpretations are used to justify cruel punishments such as amputation and stoning, as well as unequal treatment of women in inheritance, dress, and independence. The debate is growing as to whether sharia can coexist with secularism, democracy, or even modernity, an idea that is being tested by several countries in the Middle East in the wake of popular uprisings and civil wars.

Source: Islam: Governing Under Sharia – Council on Foreign Relations

I want to state gain……there is NO country that governs solely by Sharia Law…..as a matter of fact there is a bit of a movement to separate religion from state…..

There is some news the haters would rather you not hear, see or read……

You know those silly anti-sharia laws passed by evangelicals in US state legislatures? They may as well not bother.

(Sharia is Muslim law; but it is much more diverse and fluid than fundamentalists of both stripes think it is).

It turns out a lot of Muslims want a separation of religion and state, according to a new poll by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Arab Observatory. They polled people in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.

Source: Majorities of Muslim Arabs in N. Africa want a Separation of Religion and State | Informed Comment

Sharia is not the boogeyman that some would have you believe…..I will admit that some governments take its interpretation to barbarous ends….that does not mean that all live by or under the thumb of Sharia Law.

But then I am thinking that someone might like to know what they are hating……I could be mistaken.

I cannot wait to see the comments on this post……ought to be a couple good ones……..

But if these people had half a brain they would use the immigration of Hasidic Jews to make their point….most have NOT assimilated into the greater American society…..they live with their own laws and traditions….but that’s okay they are somehow immune to criticism…..

Those are the facts…but when the facts got in the way of morons?