John Oliver: Civil Forfeiture

Posted by khalling 9 years, 7 months ago to Culture
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humorous commentary should take the sting out of this very serious problem in the US...but it doesn't. Banana republic tactics (I stole that from someone in the gulch)



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  • Posted by $ allosaur 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Such racketeering is run by uniformed criminals far lower than your common criminal. Those dirty cops took an oath when they put on their badges--unless swearing to protect and serve is not required in some police forces.
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  • Posted by JCLanier 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Yes, you are right! And these out of State people were helpless to get their cars back and by the time they could get help from where ever they were from- the cars were sold as the law permitted. In the search of these vehicles, when stopped by law enforcement, these officers were planting drugs and that is how they assumed the right to sell the cars.
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  • Posted by $ allosaur 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I saw that. A camera crew drove along Interstate 10 in Louisiana in a cop-targeted expensive vehicle.
    I recall them being pulled over at least twice for "improper lane change." I think they went to traffic court with video evidence that they never made a lane change at all.
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  • Posted by Technocracy 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    It could be true, would not really surprise me. I was up in new england by that time and any state is a big place.

    We did elect Edwin Edwards multiple times despite his known activities.

    Also after watching police looting during Katrina, anything is possible

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  • Posted by JCLanier 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Technocracy: Where there's a will there's a way...
    Actually, there was a documentary on this happening do frequently in Louisiana to out of State people passing through... I believe it was circa 1995-96 and was produced by "60 minutes".
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  • Posted by 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    people have to spend their time working. It takes you 60% of your earning life to pay taxes and comply with regulations. people stop complaining when they become deadened to teh power grab. boiling frogs
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  • Posted by Technocracy 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I grew up there and never heard of that.

    What was common knowledge however was that if you could pay a speeding ticket on the spot, it mysteriously never got filed.

    Friend of mine got out of several high dollar tickets that way.
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  • Posted by JCLanier 9 years, 7 months ago
    Very, very scary... Some years ago I was told that the State of Louisiana's law officers were infamous for doing this "civil forfeiture" in particular to those passing through the State and had little recourse at the time their money, car, etc., was confiscated... I have always driven around that State.
    If this "forfeiture" is so common, and to watch this commentary it seems the case, then why has there not been more of an outcry by the citizens to change the loopholes in the laws that allow for this outrageous interpretation- a reckoning is way past due.
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  • Posted by $ puzzlelady 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Even a Lib can be right once a day.Thanks for this link. It was right on, and scary. They could use the confiscated funds to buy their own drones.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 7 months ago
    Sorry. Not funny, creepy.
    Just one more thing to have me lose faith in what I used to believe was one of the last benevolent countries on earth. Peikoff equates faith with blind acceptance. In my case, there was much evidence to shore up my faith, and besides, I can't think of a word substitute. It's really rather depressing to see my country, that I have loved so much, sliding down that well-known slippery slope into totalitarianism.
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  • Posted by $ allosaur 9 years, 7 months ago
    The following is a message to the president I want to send via whoever Big Brother may have keeping tabs on the Gulch--
    President Obama, you might as well relax and play more golf. We have already become the banana republic you've been trying so hard to reduce us into. .
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  • Posted by mspalding 9 years, 7 months ago
    John Oliver does a good job in spite of his liberal bent. There are several issues where liberals agree with us: drug legalization, gay marriage, civil asset forfeiture, some wars, etc.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I don't watch him, so I wouldn't know. Perhaps I should not have promoted this, but it was a good segment
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  • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 7 months ago
    In some ways it's typical US liberal/looter humor, laughing at how liberal looters have caused these problems by their big government policies, while having no intention of ever changing any of it.
    Ha-ha-ha, look what we did to you. Too bad. Everybody laugh at how I can poke fun at you. Har har.
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  • Posted by Snoogoo 9 years, 7 months ago
    That was funny, although Oliver is a total Lib, and a lot of his other pieces support the establishment that allow this to go on, namely government intervention in everything. Now if he could go full circle and logically break that argument apart, he could really be something. Although at that point, he may cease to be popular. A more libertarian version of these John Steward spin-offs would be interesting.
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  • Posted by Zenphamy 9 years, 7 months ago
    Now that's a laugh and cry at the same time. Thanks for posting.
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