Jussie Smollet got a sandwich

[Crunch]

Unless you’re living in a cave, you know Jussie had a tough week.  The guy, deep in MAGA country, you know - Chicago, went out on a Subway run at 2 AM.A couple of Trump supporters recognized him and, shouting racist and homophobic slurs, informed Jussie that he was in MAGA country and viciously beat him. Jussie tells us he fought back but ultimately they ended the brutal atrack by wrapping a noose around his neck and dousing him in a unknown chemical (bleach?).

The crowd went wild. Outrage, wailing, gnashing of teeth.

Do you believe this actually happened? I’m not sure.

Turns out this section of deep red MAGA country is blanketed with video surveillance cameras. The police have Jussie walking to Subway and back except for a slightly sub 60 second gap. They can’t find anyone else on camera. There were a couple of “persons of interest” identified but the timeline puts them some distance away, 30 minutes prior to the attack, walking away from the area. At best, they could have seen something.

Jussie says he was on the phone with his manager at the time of the attack. CPD says he hasn’t let them examine his phone (Jussie also insisted they turn off body cams before he’d speak to police). During this brutal attack, Jussie managed to keep both his phone and sandwich and went on home. The police were notified about 40 minutes later. When they showed up, Jussie still had the rope around his neck. That’s really weird.

Do we really believe a couple of MAGA guys were cruising around at 2 AM  in the -20 temps of Chicago with rope and chemical products somehow recognized Jussie and managed to maneuver him into the one blind spot in video coverage to attack him, all the while avoiding ever being seen on video entering or leaving the area? Come on, really?

I guess the big question is, did Jussie eat that sandwich and, if so, when?

[TheDeamon]

I was given to understand the "unknown chemical" was still on has face as well upon the police arriving, or maybe he washed that off upon getting home and that's why it remains "unknown" although I'd think residue could have possibly been found on his (outer) clothing. But the whole "Called 40 minutes later raises questions in that regard, if it was bleach, and he hadn't washed it off, I'd think he'd have chemical burns from it(which would make me wonder why he didn't wash it off, but then leaves open questions about the rope around his neck).

Refusal to turn over his phone is also interesting, although I guess they can request phone records instead.

It is interesting to also learn his attackers managed to completely evade the numerous security cameras in the area.

Maybe they doused him in vinegar instead?

[Crunch]

It is interesting to also learn his attackers managed to completely evade the numerous security cameras in the area.

It really is. As I understand it, the police can track Jussie on video all the way from his apartment to subway and back but for a little less than a minute. Of all the holes in this story, and there are many, this is one of the biggest.

At this rate, it’s probably worth asking where Ralph Northam was during this “attack”.

[TheDeamon]

It is interesting to also learn his attackers managed to completely evade the numerous security cameras in the area.

It really is. As I understand it, the police can track Jussie on video all the way from his apartment to subway and back but for a little less than a minute. Of all the holes in this story, and there are many, this is one of the biggest.

At this rate, it’s probably worth asking where Ralph Northam was during this “attack”.

I'd be even more interested on if they have video indicating when the noose appeared around his neck.

And how much information they have as to how big the "physical hole in coverage" was that covers his 60 seconds off camera. 

Are we talking a relatively small area maybe a dozen feet across with a hidden alcove(with other means of entry/exit)? (perfect place for an ambush{

Or are we talking about an area say 100 feet or so across that is effectively contained due to walls/other factors which would force movement past other cameras going and coming? Of course, the problem is if its a "100 foot hole" then he has 60 seconds to walk 100 feet(not hard, average person walks 1.4 m/s or 4.59 feet/s), giving them about 40 seconds to confront him and for him to walk away.

Although honestly, if I'd just encountered something like that, I'd probably been running "for a good distance" to ensure they weren't right behind me before resuming walking. Does the surveillance video reflect anything like that?

Almost have to feel bad to Chicago PD on this one, as bad as their "race relations" are with the Black/African-American communities, finding "no supporting evidence" that an assault happened as Jussie described is going to be framed as both victim blaming and a cover up.

[Crunch]

The FBI is also investigating. That will give CPD cover.

[Crunch]

Although honestly, if I'd just encountered something like that, I'd probably been running "for a good distance" to ensure they weren't right behind me before resuming walking. Does the surveillance video reflect anything like that?

Not that I’m aware of. He just walks calmly around, sandwich in hand. It’s almost as if nothing really happened.

[TheDeamon]

The FBI is also investigating. That will give CPD cover.

Not with Trump as President. 

[Crunch]

The FBI is also investigating. That will give CPD cover.

Not with Trump as President. 

Ha.

By the way, Jussie has motive. Here’s one of his tweets:

Shut the hell up you bitch ass nigga. You will continue to run this country further into the ground and risk lives every time you breathe. You’re not the president. Just a dumpster full of hate. FOH. Sick to my stomach that literal *censored* currently represents America to the world.

Yeah, I’m about 90/10 in calling it all a hoax.

[TheDeamon]

Would be par for the course with a number of reported "hate crimes" since 2016.

I was 50/50 on it when he was being described as "vocal activist for gay rights" and a few other issues that have a significant portion of their number linked solidly with anti-Trump.

Activists have been known to do things to "raise awareness" up to and including faking things, and this guy is an actor as well. It just appears whichever flavor of activist was involved, Anti-Trump or Pro-Trump "MAGAs," they either had lousy venue selection(if anti-Trump), or "great" venue selection if it really was a Pro-Trump group that did it. We're largely working on innuendos and rumor at this point as the police haven't released anything to speak of.

But if the reports you're mentioning pan out as correct, it looks to be a hoax.Which is very bad for the very people he claims to be trying to help, but then, he probably didn't expect Chicago's camera coverage to be that good, so he didn't expect to be called out on it--he wanted an unsolved case.

[Pete at Home]

"Hate crimes" understates the crime.  This is terrorism and chemical warfare and needs to be treated accordingly.  Hate crime makes it sound like just one more of those stupid Feminarc/SJnarc games where they say that it's only aggravated because the culprit was white and the victim not white.  That's precisely the cause of uneducated white tweakers behaving like, well the nazis who invented meth in the first place.  Last May I told the Aryan Nation personally*** when it showed up in my car and demanded that I move a pound of meth that  methamphetamine is the greatest crime ever perpetrated against the caucasian race.  But the second greatest crime against American Caucasians is also the 1st greatest existing ongoing crime against all other
"races" in America: unequal standards and laws resulting in a culture of competitive collective self-pity (CCSP).

That's my take on it. Back to you.

[cherrypoptart]

So let's look at the facts and the assertions and go ahead and make some educated guesses. Despite the area being covered by video cameras there is no surveillance evidence of any potential assailants fitting that description anywhere in the area. Now what are the odds that people who actually are MAGA types, and I count myself as one, would watch the show Empire enough to even know who this guy is and be able to recognize him as a random passerby in the middle of a cold, dark winter night when everyone is bundled up against the polar vortex? I'm going to say pretty low. And then why would he keep wearing the noose for forty minutes even after he got to a a place of safety? Sure you don't want to tamper with evidence but you could probably take it off at least, especially if you had gloves on, without messing up fingerprints or DNA on it.

No, it's pretty obvious what really must have happened here.

This was a well planned surgical strike by a very sophisticated, highly coordinated, technologically savvy, elite hate crimes black ops organization. They are tied into the camera feeds so know exactly how to avoid them and / or they hacked into the cameras to loop the scene and / or hacked into the servers to erase the real footage and substitute in fake files. And why keep the noose around his neck? He didn't mention it but could the evil organization, perhaps an aptly named one like Division, be threatening further action against him or a beloved pet to make him keep it on for a certain period of time? That would serve to cast doubt on his story because people like me would wonder why didn't he just take it off. Then why not tell him to keep quiet about the whole thing with the same threat? That would defeat the purpose. They want this hate crime well publicized but to add insult to his injury they know they've covered their tracks so well that he is obviously being framed to make it look like it is a fake hate crime when it was all entirely too real. They know they are tarnishing his good name by covering up all the evidence and that is another purpose to this specific attack, to both sow fear into those who believe it is real as well as to sow doubt into those who can be easily confused so that other such attacks will also be questioned. Now who could or would want to go through all this trouble and have the means to do so?

The victim answered that himself with his honestly felt words exposing Trump for an evil hateful villain. But of course that's just a little too obvious. Trump hasn't really said anything against gays and has never come out against gay marriage, unlike both Obama and Hillary Clinton. No, if you've watched 24 you know the score. Who has the most to gain by watching Trump fall? Well who is next in line to become President and has a history of homophobia? It both makes as well as rhymes with common sense. This is a smear campaign on so many levels. Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. Quite elementary indeed.

References: 24, Nikita (the TV show), Sherlock Holmes.

[Crunch]

Here’s a theory. It was the Subway employees. They see Jussie and know it’s their chance. Being in the store, they don’t show up on cameras entering or leaving the area. They have chemicals and a noose under the counter for just these moments. After the beating, they hand him his sammy and send him on his way.

It fits. If it had been a chik-fil-a, this would be a very talked about theory. How long before the media floats this one?

Although, the media has inexplicably kind of gone dark n this story....

[TheDeamon]

So he turned up and held a performance last night, and read a statement about his condition as part of it.

Awfully convenient that he escaped with only minor injuries that had him sufficiently recovered in time for his next scheduled gig. (Particularly given the allegation that the camera footage never indicates he was in distress)

Almost like he might know somebody sufficiently skilled in a fighting art that they could "rough him up just enough" to make the story believable, but not bad enough as to threaten him in a meaningful way.

Could also explain the 40 minute wait upon getting back to the apartment. The one-sided "sparring session" started shortly after he made it back, and most of the wait was for the bruising to stabilize before calling the police in to investigate.

[Crunch]

It’s been a week, the FBI and CPD have used Chicago’s extensive surveillance system to narrow down the window of attack to about 60 seconds. So far, they don’t see anyone on the recordings that could be Smollett’s attackers.  They’d have to have been ninjas or something.

Given all the other details and those that have been changing, I really can’t see this as anything other than a hoax. Maybe something will break and we’ll find out otherwise but that timing and lack of assailants is hard to get past. CPD says they will change Smollett if it turns out to be false.

[DonaldD]

Pass the popcorn

[TheDeamon]

So his assailants have evidently been identified, one of them was an extra on Empire, which is the show Smollet stars in.

It also appears they were difficult to find because shortly after the incident happened, they left the country to go to a place where Racist MAGAs are just so eager to go visit... Nigeria, a trip from which they just recently returned.

Not to worry, police have executed warrants, searched their residences, and seized most of their electronics. Phones, computers, etc.

[Crunch]

The 2 nigerians have been released.

Reports are that Smollett has hired a high end defense attorney.

[TheDeamon]

The 2 nigerians have been released.

Reports are that Smollett has hired a high end defense attorney.

I really liked the twist where it turns out the two brothers share a social media account, and Smollett happens to be a follower of theirs(and the reverse as well). What are the odds that a black actor gets assaulted by some MAGAs, and the only two suspects surveillance video turns up are two black, Nigerian men, who happen to be known by the victim?

It's looking like the attack was either personal in nature, or staged. Politics likely had little to nothing to do with his becoming an assault victim. That they released the two suspects without charges says they also have little to no evidence to support the personal attack angle... Or those brothers being involved in staging anything. Which puts the ball into the court of figuring out what went on in Smollett's apartment building, where he says nothing happened. But then, investigators are claiming he isn't considered a suspect at this time...

[Crunch]

Several CPD sources confirmed detectives were able to show the 2 Nigerian brothers questioned by police had purchased the rope found around Smollett’s neck at an Ace hardware. The brothers agreed to cooperate with police who are investigating whether Smollett made up the story after police threatened to charge them with battery.  The brothers attorney said both brothers knew Smollett.  There are unconfirmed reports that Smollett paid the two brothers to perform the alleged scheme. 

The CPD flipped those 2, which explains why Smollett went out and got a high priced defense attorney.

How soon before we hear something like, “yeah it was fake but it started an important conversation”?

[Crunch]

Sources say at least one of the brothers purchased the rope used in Jussie Smollett incident at Crafty Beaver hardware store the weekend of Jan 25th.

Plain red hats worn by brothers were purchased from an Uptown beauty supply store

CPD has officially announced that Smollett is no longer considered a victim.

[Crunch]

Smollett continues to insist that he’s a victim and his story is true.

I predict verbal attacks on the CPD now, probably about them being racist, maybe homophobic,  and I expect the “fake but accurate“ crowd to jump into this.

[Crunch]

Sources say at least one of the brothers bought the rope used in the incident at Smollett’s request. The sources also say the “Empire” actor paid for the rope, which was purchased at the Crafty Beaver Hardware Store in the Ravenswood neighborhood the weekend of Jan. 25.

The brothers, who were questioned by police this week before being released, were paid $3,500 before leaving for Nigeria and were promised an additional $500 upon their return.
They left for Nigeria later in the day on Jan. 29, after the attack.

Sources said one of the brothers held the rope and poured bleach while the other wore a plain red hat and yelled slurs at Smollett.

The sources say the red hat was bought at an Uptown beauty supply store and that the attack was supposed to happen before Jan. 29. The brothers told detectives the three men rehearsed the attack days prior to it happening.

If this is accurate, and it’s looking like it very well may be, Smollett will be facing up to 3 years in prison.

[TheDrake]

Why so much glee? Smollett is disturbed and will quite likely go to jail, or if his attorney is good enough he'll go straight to probation on a plea deal. I doubt your prediction will come true, even CNN isn't trying to spin this, nor are they burying this.

[Crunch]

Glee? Really? Why do you think I take pleasure in this?

Being smeared as a racist and a homophobe, as someone prone to violence and a threat to any non-white, non-straight person was what happened here. If you want to see the glee, check out CNN, MSNBC, NYT, ABC, CBS, NBC, GQ, virtually every democrat presidential candidate and scores of celebrities. Better do that quick, those tweets are about to disappear. This will be down the memoriy hole asquick as they can push it.

Want to see the spin starting? Check out Brian Stelter. They’re still working on the messaging but it’s happening.

[Crunch]

CNN's Brian Stelter on Smollett: "Perhaps the questioning was not tough enough on Good Morning America, but ultimately this is not about the media or politicians or activists, or any of the other people that might have been fooled. It's about Jussie."

Wrong. It’s about Trump Derangement Syndrome, anti-white racism, and a media that blindly enables it. It’s about a intensely biased media once again so intent on a narrative that it fell down for, what its it, the 6th time this year?

Sure, throw Smollett under the bus, he belongs there. But so does the media and everyone else that fed this to the public for consumption.

[Crunch]

Robin Roberts: “Why do you think you were targeted?”

Smollett: “I come really really hard against 45. I come really really hard against his administration, and I don’t hold my tongue.”

Trump Derangement Syndrome is real.

[Crunch]

Interesting article from 2016.

To gain power, totalitarian movements always portray themselves as victims. And while they are in the process of abusing, they cry in front of the world posing as the abused. They stage “hate-crime” attacks against themselves because hate crimes are their political and cultural capital. When those hate-crimes don’t exist, they must be invented.

We are witnessing precisely this phenomenon at this very moment in regards to the myriad hoax “hate-crimes” that anti-Trump forces are manufacturing out of thin air and blaming on Trump supporters. The media are bolstering the entire hallucination process, with CNN leading the way.

Precisely what we have seen in Smollett.

The left is a victimhood cult. It feeds off pain and fetishizes suffering as a moral commodity to be sold and resold in exchange for political power.

the abuser who pretends to be a victim. His arguments are his feelings. He comes armored in identity politics entitlement and is always yelling about social justice or crying social justice tears. If you don’t fight back, the cry-bully bullies you. If you fight back, the cry-bully cries and demands a safe space because you made him feel unsafe.

If cry-bullies can’t safe-bait you, they will manufacture threats by faking hate crimes against themselves or phoning in bomb threats to validate their need for a safe space in which no one is allowed to disagree with them. Surviving their own fake crimes turns cry-bullies into social justice heroes.

Smollett is just the latest in a long string of hate crime hoaxes. There’ll probably be another one in a couple of months.

[Crunch]

I doubt your prediction will come true, even CNN isn't trying to spin this, nor are they burying this.

On CNN’s Reliable sources yesterday:

Vox's Liz Plank on "This is MAGA country" quote: "The people who were repeating that quote were not news outlets...It was repeated by, sure, people who maybe had good intentions of wanting to spread the story...We can't confuse celebrity tweets with the media and the press.

It was, in fact, repeated many times on NYT, CNN, WaPo and others.

My prediction is now verified.

[Crunch]

Brian Stelter on CNN this morning

There was a rush to judgment, I think it was mostly in the celebrity press and among activists and among Twitter people. I think it was a really careful reporting by news organizations. But it all gets lumped in together at the end of the day...

This has been definitively shown to be false.

I expect CNN and the redt of the media to double down on this strategy.

[D.W.]

Granted I don't watch TV, but this story finally did make it to the radio.  (holy crap does that make me sound old...)  I use the inter-web though for news I swear! 

It struck me that it was the possibility/probability of a hoax that made it news.  Was this "hate crime" story getting much traction outside of, "I call BS!", coverage?

Just curious, not trying to help sweep an evil-liberal false flag attempt under the rug.    I swear!

[cherrypoptart]

The media will act to cover it up as much as possible with a real hate crime, one caught on video and admitted to by the perp. It may not be as dramatic as a gay black man having a noose put around his neck and bleach poured on him by people doing a MAGA dance around him but at least it will be real. Something simple, like a guy throwing coffee at a Sikh because he mistook him for a Muslim and also apparently didn't feel like paying for the coffee.


https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/man-arrested-punching-pouring-coffee-sikh-7-eleven-clerk-thought-man-muslim-123309882.html

[TheDeamon]

It was major national news for the first several days after it happened. He was routinely getting 1 to 2 minutes a night on the half-hour national evening news programs on NBC and ABC (can't speak for CBS) for the first week. With plenty of attention from CNN, and MSNBC as well no doubt. And because of that, Fox also had a hard time ignoring it, although I'd wager they were a little more skeptical from the start.

"Investigation updates" have been near daily on both NBC and ABC since then. Now that investigators think it might be a hoax, I expect their level of attention is going to wane. But not before playing up Smollet's lawyers claiming he is now on the receiving end of "victim blaming."

I think the media was really hoping for what Smollet was evidently hoping for, that the case would remain open and unsolved in perpetuity. They could just keep hammering away at the MAGAs and Trump without needing to undertake much effort.

[Fenring]

I do think Crunch has a least one point, which is the existence of cry-bullies. It's a cute term, one I've not heard, and I do think it bespeaks a totalitarian mindset. Or at least, it does so to the extent that there's a part of many people - possible all of us - that, deep down, desires to conquer those around us and subjugate them to our will. This isn't the only active desire in us, but it's in there somewhere. And when it's spurred on and incited this part can grow and become a 'moral' center for people who believe so strongly in their rightness that they will determine to eliminate the opportunity for dissent from others. This is no liberal thing but belongs to all, and what I would agree with is that the 'cry-bully' is an especially pernicious variety of this, which wears the wool of the lamb while trying to fleece you of your free will. But to be fair it's probably in the same building, different department, of the religious fundamentalist trying to stamp out evil. For the most part I think these are of such a similar ilk that the fact that they're on diametric opposite ends of the current political spectrum might be dismissed as a mere piece of trivia.

When comparing these two types I'm reminded of Eli and Daniel from There Will Be Blood, who are contrasted in temperament but in basic character are the same: desiring to own those around them. While Daniel is the "I don't need anyone" bootstrap type, and Eli is the "I need everyone to listen to me" manipulative type, fundamentally they're the same and this is brought home at the end, where (SPOILER) Daniel tells him "I won!" That's really all it boiled down to - who was going to win. Their methodology became essentially arbitrary to us, the viewer. So I do worry about the 'moral' types whose motive in their heart of heart is to control others. It gives morality a bad name and I think creates cynicism more than it achieves anything else.

[Crunch]

Down the memory hole:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi deleted a tweet expressing sympathy for Jussie Smollett, posted before allegations he faked a homophobic and racist attack on himself emerged.

She probably won’t be the only one.

[Crunch]

Granted I don't watch TV, but this story finally did make it to the radio.  (holy crap does that make me sound old...)  I use the inter-web though for news I swear! 

It struck me that it was the possibility/probability of a hoax that made it news.  Was this "hate crime" story getting much traction outside of, "I call BS!", coverage?

Just curious, not trying to help sweep an evil-liberal false flag attempt under the rug.    I swear!

It got over 100 minutes of coverage on networks, it was in heavy rotation. Twitter was wall to wall in celebrity, pundit, and political circles. It was regularly reported as a fact that he was attacked by Trump supporters. Smollett did a interview on Good Morning America

[Crunch]

It's a cute term, one I've not heard, and I do think it bespeaks a totalitarian mindset. Or at least, it does so to the extent that there's a part of many people - possible all of us - that, deep down, desires to conquer those around us and subjugate them to our will.

Absolutely not all of us. Probably just the people you most hang out with.

[TheDeamon]

It's a cute term, one I've not heard, and I do think it bespeaks a totalitarian mindset. Or at least, it does so to the extent that there's a part of many people - possible all of us - that, deep down, desires to conquer those around us and subjugate them to our will.

Absolutely not all of us. Probably just the people you most hang out with.

"My will" is that I be left alone to do my own thing as I see fit when I'm on my own time in my own space.

I could care less what others are or are not doing so long as it doesn't impact me directly. Indirect impacts are often unavoidable, and that becomes a matter of scale with respect to impact.

[Fenring]

It's a cute term, one I've not heard, and I do think it bespeaks a totalitarian mindset. Or at least, it does so to the extent that there's a part of many people - possible all of us - that, deep down, desires to conquer those around us and subjugate them to our will.

Absolutely not all of us. Probably just the people you most hang out with.

Shakespeare would scoff at a denial that we have our darker parts. It doesn't mean they have to control or define us; but what if they sometimes do? How terrible it would then be not to be in touch with these influential aspects and to know what they do.

[TheDeamon]

Shakespeare would scoff at a denial that we have our darker parts. It doesn't mean they have to control or define us; but what if they sometimes do? How terrible it would then be not to be in touch with these influential aspects and to know what they do.

Most good writers would scoff on the principle that few people believe themselves to be evil. They believe that what they're doing needs to be done because it in the best interests of everyone involved.

And sadly for FAR too many people, Trump included, its a case of "The world would be a much better place if people didn't disagree with me and instead did what I wanted them to do."

But it seems to me that the left-wits have a far worse case of that than even Trump does. At least he grasps the concept of "Fine, I'll take my toys and go play by myself then." Even if a lot of people are extremely uncomfortable with the scope of what falls under the purview of "his toys" at the moment.

[TheDeamon]

And then somebody points this out as well:

This now evidently makes the 4th Major National News Story this year to turn out to be "Fake News" relative to how it turned out, and we're not even done with the second calendar month yet.

1) Racially motivated drive by shooting of a young black girl by a white male in Houston? Nope, shot by a black man, thinking he was shooting at somebody else(another thug?).

2) BuzzFeed reporting that Trump ordered Cohen to lie before Congress? Fake.

3) Highschool students taunt and harrass a Tribal Elder and Vietnam Veteran? Fake and fake.

4) Gay Black Activist get assaulted by two men yelling "MAGA Country!" as they throw bleach on his face, hang a noose around his head and (lightly) pummel him? Looking like it was Staged(fake), or personal, not Racial/political.

Not a good year so far for the National Press Corps.

[Crunch]

That’s literally every other week. It’s a constant stream of lies from the media and the left.

2019, what an amazing year already.

[yossarian22c]

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/20/695974164/chicago-police-jussie-smollett-under-suspicion-of-filing-false-police-report

One of the top stories on the page.

Just for reference when people on the right decide to say that the retraction got no press.

[Crunch]

CHICAGO -- "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett surrendered to authorities Thursday morning after he was charged with one count of felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.

He faces 3 years in jail. He should get the full 3 as he’d have put innocent people in jail to maintain the hoax.

[Crunch]

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/20/695974164/chicago-police-jussie-smollett-under-suspicion-of-filing-false-police-report

One of the top stories on the page.

Just for reference when people on the right decide to say that the retraction got no press.

This story went viral with heavy news coverage.  CNN is still blaming Trump. But hey, NPR, threw up a post so the media gets a pass!

 

[D.W.]

He faces 3 years in jail. He should get the full 3 as he’d have put innocent people in jail to maintain the hoax.

While I anticipated nothing less than a maximum sentence "throw the book at him" approach from you, isn't this a bit absurd?  (Note:  I'm inclined to agree with that sentiment.)

If it was "staged", (which seems likely) then these were co-conspirators right?  The whole thing would have (and did seemingly) fall apart when these two were found.  I assume the intent was for the "attacker's" identity to never be learned.

Or do you believe (or was it revealed and I just missed it, quite possible I guess) that he framed two random people, or just made it up and didn't care if two random people got swept up in the lie?

[Seriati]

Crunch, very impressed with this thread overall.  Good job on picking up on the narrative early!

Wrong. It’s about Trump Derangement Syndrome, anti-white racism, and a media that blindly enables it. It’s about a intensely biased media once again so intent on a narrative that it fell down for, what its it, the 6th time this year?

This continues to be the biggest issue to me.  The media keeps selling a lie about their opponents.

I saw a headline on a print news source this morning to the effect that Freedom of Press is fundemental to Democracy.  What's missing to me in the constant repetition of the importance of the rights of the press is any acknowledgment of the responsibility of the press. 

Where is their objectivity?  You don't have to avoid having a side to be objective and fair.  Picking how you cover things to sell a story you want to be true is not why we have press freedoms. 

If someone is openly acknowledged as being in the tank for a particular political group how are they "press"?  What is a "press" that only covers stories in a way that promotes a slant?  I can't bring myself to claim they "slant the truth" when I honestly think they do more promotion of lies (e.g., the right is racist and the left is not).

He faces 3 years in jail. He should get the full 3 as he’d have put innocent people in jail to maintain the hoax.

I suspect his intent was that no one would ever get found.  Of course, you may not have wanted to pay the Nigerian brothers with a personal check in that case.  Sigh.

That said, I'm not sure how I feel about the sentence.  It seems too harsh for staging a crime, though I'm still thinking it through.  The more significant damage here wasn't Smollet's crime it was the media's decision to promote it because it supports the lie they want to promote as truth.  That damaged countless people across the nation, it defamed by implication all Trump supporters, and then it added to the mental health problems of the left when it turned out to be a big ole lie.

But the law on fake crimes is doesn't, to my knowledge, consider the media impact.   That means that 3 years is the kind of sentence normal people would face for staging a crime.  Maybe, that's okay, maybe too much.  Sure wish we could add an aggravating factor for the political and media manipulation.  Heck, why can't we, what Smollet did is a hate crime.  He flat out admitted in his texts he hates Trump and his supporters.  What he did was every bit as much a hate crime as what we convict other people for.  If we're going to have hate crimes, then this conduct deserves the additional charge.

[D.W.]

Got to agree with Seriati's (first) sentiment.  While I would have bet this was a Crunch investing in tinfoil type post at the start, you did have it dialed in pretty far in advance.   

[D.W.]

Sure wish we could add an aggravating factor for the political and media manipulation.

  I think recent events have shown you can.  Or at least can make a case for it in court.  Alex Jones for instance can say whatever he pleases.  At issue there seems to be exactly the political / media manipulation (and getting paid there by). 

Maybe "Trump Supporters" can file a class action defamation claim against Smollet?   

[TheDrake]

When someone consistently expresses that reports are false, then when just one of them inevitably is false, that person can appear prescient.

[rightleft22]

I was please that the sources for news that I pay attention to only reported the story as Smollet as having filed a police report that he had been assaulted and that was in under "Entertainment" as he's actor or something. There was no speculation on if it happened or not or what it might mean if it did happen. Only the story that he filed a report. 

Other then this thread, it was the last I heard about it.