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If Only Stephen Paddock Were a Muslim
The New York Times ^ | October 3, 2017 | by Thomas L. Friedman

Posted on 10/03/2017 9:29:48 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

If only Stephen Paddock had been a Muslim … If only he had shouted “Allahu akbar” before he opened fire on all those concertgoers in Las Vegas … If only he were a member of ISIS … If only we had a picture of him posing with a Quran in one hand and his semiautomatic rifle in another …

If all of that had happened, no one would be telling us not to dishonor the victims and “politicize” Paddock’s mass murder by talking about preventive remedies.

No, no, no. Then we know what we’d be doing. We’d be scheduling immediate hearings in Congress about the worst domestic terrorism event since 9/11. Then Donald Trump would be tweeting every hour “I told you so,” as he does minutes after every terror attack in Europe, precisely to immediately politicize them.

What happens when the killer was only a disturbed American armed to the teeth with military-style weapons that he bought legally or acquired easily because of us and our crazy lax gun laws?

What to do?

Forget about persuading legislators. They are not confused or under-informed. They are either bought or intimidated. Because no honest and decent American lawmaker would look at Las Vegas and Puerto Rico today and say, “I think the smartest and most prudent thing to do for our kids is to just do nothing.”

So there is only one remedy: Get power. And the first chance we have to change the balance of power is the 2018 midterm elections. Forget about trying to get anything done before then. Don’t waste your breath.

Just get power. Start now.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; News/Current Events; US: Nevada
KEYWORDS: friedman; idiotorial; journalism; mediabias; stephenpaddock; vegasmassacre
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1 posted on 10/03/2017 9:29:48 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Who says he wasn’t?


2 posted on 10/03/2017 9:30:10 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

He might just get his wish.


3 posted on 10/03/2017 9:31:02 AM PDT by 17th Miss Regt
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Hitlery Rotten Clinton politicized this in her first post shooting tweet by saying don’t politicize this, get the NRA


4 posted on 10/03/2017 9:31:17 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Did Barack Obama denounce Communism and dictatorships when he visited Cuba as a puppet of the State?)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

ISIS disagrees with this SHJ


5 posted on 10/03/2017 9:31:52 AM PDT by A_Former_Democrat ("I am SpartaLee" Hey, NFL, why didn't you any of you bold guys hire Kaepernick? #GoodbyeGoodell)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

All the news that’s fit to chuck.


6 posted on 10/03/2017 9:33:18 AM PDT by RckyRaCoCo (FUMSM)
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To: A_Former_Democrat

Where do you get full-auto rifles?

Who has them?

Lemmie seem now.................................who?


7 posted on 10/03/2017 9:33:56 AM PDT by Flintlock (The ballot box STOLEN, our soapbox taken away--the BULLET BOX is left to us.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
What is this guy talking about?

The Democrats had a perfect opportunity to pass whatever gun control legislation they wanted in 2009-2010 when they controlled the White House and both houses of Congress.

They didn't.

It should come as no surprise that people like Tom Friedman and his fellow hacks at the New York Times are completely out of touch with the rest of America.

8 posted on 10/03/2017 9:33:59 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("Tell them to stand!" -- President Trump, 9/23/2017)
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To: a fool in paradise

And Hillary speculated how much worse it could have been if he had a silencer.

I thought that was such an odd thing to say, that it could have been worse if he had a silencer. Heck it could have been worse if he had done many other things. What the heck is Hillary’s point, to try to make a half assed political statement, and minimal sympathy for the victims???


9 posted on 10/03/2017 9:34:12 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Don’t politicize this
And by the way, vote Rat in the 2018 midterms

Because a bisexual leftist loon obama voting jihadist didn’t really shoot up a gay danceclub in Orlando....


10 posted on 10/03/2017 9:34:35 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Did Barack Obama denounce Communism and dictatorships when he visited Cuba as a puppet of the State?)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

If Paddock had been Muslim, the Times would not be discussing the shooting.


11 posted on 10/03/2017 9:35:24 AM PDT by ArtDodger
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To: Flintlock

Gun shows?

Your next door neighbor?

The Mafia?

MS-13?

Eric Holder?


12 posted on 10/03/2017 9:35:40 AM PDT by A_Former_Democrat ("I am SpartaLee" Hey, NFL, why didn't you any of you bold guys hire Kaepernick? #GoodbyeGoodell)
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To: Dilbert San Diego

She’s trying to have silencers banned.

He was also a pilot. Why? Ban civilian pilots!


13 posted on 10/03/2017 9:35:41 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Did Barack Obama denounce Communism and dictatorships when he visited Cuba as a puppet of the State?)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
So there is only one remedy: Get power. And the first chance we have to change the balance of power is the 2018 midterm elections. Forget about trying to get anything done before then. Don’t waste your breath.

Just get power. Start now.


Big Media's condescending formal declaration of war on America and all for which we stand, and of course, the ends always justify the means to do so.
14 posted on 10/03/2017 9:35:59 AM PDT by treetopsandroofs (Had FDR been GOP, there would have been no World Wars, just "The Great War" and "Roosevelt's Wars".)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The Israelis are saying he converted. They also say his girlfriend was an Indonesian muslim. That isis doesnt claim responsibility for something unless they have a hand in it.


15 posted on 10/03/2017 9:36:14 AM PDT by txgirl4Bush (Impeach obama)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Thomas Friedman must have an orgasm everytime the death toll goes up because it means more oppresion by the government.


16 posted on 10/03/2017 9:36:29 AM PDT by frogjerk (We are conservatives. Not libertarians, not "fiscal conservatives", not moderates)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

He was in the Middle East last year.


17 posted on 10/03/2017 9:37:39 AM PDT by kaehurowing
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Thomas Friedman proves once again how he’s one of the biggest frauds in journalism, which is saying a lot. He repeats, ad nauseum, the boilerplate of the liberal establishment, talking point by talking point, and by doing it often enough he manages to convince his readers that he’s a deep and original thinker. His pet causes and enemies lists change from week to week, so his real “skill” come down to knowing what trendy wave to surf from op-ed to op-ed.


18 posted on 10/03/2017 9:38:39 AM PDT by ek_hornbeck
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The NY Times wants power.

Well, so much for journalistic professionalism. Just the facts and ALL THE NEWS THAT IS FIT TO PRINT.

GTH NY TIMES. You start growing some corn and make a contribution to society, I may listen.


19 posted on 10/03/2017 9:38:50 AM PDT by eyedigress ((Old storm chaser from the west))
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Inspector Friedman has closed the case in less than 48 hours. He knows all there is to know about the killer. Perhaps he should be made FBI Director.


20 posted on 10/03/2017 9:38:51 AM PDT by Stingray51
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