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Senate approves Syria, anti-BDS[*] bill
The Senate passed legislation on Thursday breaking with President Trump's Syria policy. Senators voted 77-23 to send the legislation to the House that includes a provision warning Trump against a "precipitous" withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan. It also asks the administration to certify that certain conditions have been met "for the enduring defeat of al Qaeda and ISIS before initiating any significant withdrawal of United States forces from Syria or Afghanistan."
[...] In addition to the Syria amendment, the bill also included sanctions against the Syrian government, increased support for Israel and Jordan and a provision that would let states penalize businesses that take part in boycotts or divestments of Israel.
Both the Syria amendment and the anti-BDS provisions sparked division among Democrats. [...] Democrats had raised First Amendment concerns about the anti-BDS provision, which splintered most of the party's 2020 contenders and caucus leadership. "While I do not support the BDS movement, we must defend every American's constitutional right to engage in political activity. It is clear to me that this bill would violate Americans' First Amendment rights," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a statement last week.
[*] BDS: boycott, divestment and sanctions.
Also at NYT.
See also: Is the Anti-BDS Bill Constitutional? Yes, But...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 08 2019, @05:25AM (4 children)
Just playing devils advocate here, but aren't those the immigrants you don't want?
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday February 08 2019, @06:49AM (3 children)
...the point is that the ones who get through the wall are motivated criminals, man. It's by analogy with the fact that no standard residential front door will stop a determined criminal from getting in, and even I have at least one method I know works.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 08 2019, @07:15AM (1 child)
> ..the point is that the ones who get through the wall are motivated criminals, man.
Yes, with or without a wall the determined criminals will get in. The point was that a wall will keep out the lazy, the stupid and the weak.
They are just a drain on society, and without them, the criminals will find it harder to hide.
> It's by analogy with the fact that no standard residential front door will stop a determined criminal from getting in, and even I have at least one method I know works.
Yes, but I bet you still have a lock on your door because it does keep out the lazy, stupid and weak.
Damn, I've almost convinced myself that the wall is a good idea.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday February 09 2019, @06:04AM
In this case, to expand the analogy further, you're saying "well, criminals are still getting in even though you have a cheap, flimsy door. Make a better one." But then the data show that most of them are actually people I invited in as guests and gave a copy of my house keys to, and that the ones leaving drug paraphernalia in my house are actually dropping it in through the chimney rather than the front door.
Does that help any?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 10 2019, @05:37PM
You don't have to be motivated to use a ladder. Literally, there are videos of people using ladders are other simple tools to climb over the sections of the US border that actually do have walls. So, Trump's wall is also useless at keeping out the occasional intruder.