Trump charged

[Pcdunn]

That Guardian article was very good. I frankly had never heard of the Italian goodfella till recently, and still get Trump and Johnson confused at first glance, but the writer was dead right about the damage all three have done to their countries' reputations and governmental institutions.

One U.S. observer I follow on social media stated our solution to the Republican problem succiently: "They all have to go." Easier said than done, but if they have seen the same evidence we have, and continue to defend Trump... what else is there to do?

[Fiver]

That Guardian article was very good. I frankly had never heard of the Italian goodfella till recently, and still get Trump and Johnson confused at first glance, but the writer was dead right about the damage all three have done to their countries' reputations and governmental institutions.

One U.S. observer I follow on social media stated our solution to the Republican problem succiently: "They all have to go." Easier said than done, but if they have seen the same evidence we have, and continue to defend Trump... what else is there to do?

In fall of 2015 I thought the worst thing that could happen to the Republican Party was for Trump to form a third party, split the vote, and Hillary Clinton elected. By spring of 2016, I realized that was the best thing that could happen to the Republican Party.

A lot of Republican politicians who didn't support Trump have either retired or not been re-elected, but there are a few left, like Romney. Then there are people like Pence, still trying to reach out to the Trump supporters. Will Pence ever realize that to the MAGA base, he is the Judas that betrayed their Messiah?

The MAGA base is large enough that Republicans need them to get nominated, but that scares off enough people that they lose elections. If they stopped pandering to the MAGA types, they would lose them, but the party would have a chance to recover in the long term. But too many aren't thinking in the long term and try to keep swimming after tying themselves to an anchor..

[caz]

But too many aren't thinking in the long term and try to keep swimming after tying themselves to an anchor..

...or something that rhymes with anchor.

If Boris Johnson apologists are still trying to swim, the one consolation is that they might finally do something about all the raw sewage they will be ingesting.

Love,

Caz
X

[jason_c]

Congratulations to Hunter Biden, no prison time. And people still try to argue the Feds aren't corrupt. I'd be against a long prison term had this been prosecuted under a Republican President. His father as President and it looks very suspicious indeed. I wonder whether Don Jnr would have got off so lightly under a Biden Presidency? I suspect not.

[jason_c]

I should have pointed out the average time in prison in the US for tax fraud is around 18 months, more if using 'sophisticated' means to hide income. Hunter Biden set up shell companies for his undeclared income. Do folk still want to argue the Feds aren't corrupt?

[Fiver]

Congratulations to Hunter Biden, no prison time. And people still try to argue the Feds aren't corrupt.

The prosecutor who investigated Hunter Biden and offered the plea bargain is David Weiss, a Republican who was appointed by Donald Trump.

I should have pointed out the average time in prison in the US for tax fraud is around 18 months, more if using 'sophisticated' means to hide income. Hunter Biden set up shell companies for his undeclared income. Do folk still want to argue the Feds aren't corrupt?

You are wrong about the average prison time, its 16 months.

Using "'sophisticated means" to avoid paying taxes often leads to increased sentences. So far, I've seen no credible evidence that Hunter Biden did that.

Things that result in reduced sentences are:

* Hiring competent defense attorneys.
* Listening to them.
* Not repeatedly publicly attacking the person investigating them.
* Fully repaying everything owned, plus the fines.
* Plea bargaining, which saves the government the time and expense of a trial.

But Trump would rather play the victim card than do any of those.

[Al Bundy's Eyes]

I should have pointed out the average time in prison in the US for tax fraud is around 18 months, more if using 'sophisticated' means to hide income. Hunter Biden set up shell companies for his undeclared income. Do folk still want to argue the Feds aren't corrupt?

White collar crime truly is bi-partisan. Politics don't come into it, the rich avoid tax regardless. It ain't 'the feds' that are corrupt, it's the whole lot of them. The system of shell companies exists to facilitate tax aversion, the wealthy and their hedge funds depend on it. It's a token charge against Hunter, in the grand scheme of things it makes no difference. The rich don't pay tax.

[jason_c]

The prosecutor who investigated Hunter Biden and offered the plea bargain is David Weiss, a Republican who was appointed by Donald Trump.



You are wrong about the average prison time, its 16 months.

Using "'sophisticated means" to avoid paying taxes often leads to increased sentences. So far, I've seen no credible evidence that Hunter Biden did that.

Things that result in reduced sentences are:

* Hiring competent defense attorneys.
* Listening to them.
* Not repeatedly publicly attacking the person investigating them.
* Fully repaying everything owned, plus the fines.
* Plea bargaining, which saves the government the time and expense of a trial.

But Trump would rather play the victim card than do any of those.

You forgot being the President's son as being an important factor in light sentencing. I'd like to ask you a serious question: do you think being the President's son led to Hunter getting a worse plea deal? Also, no prosecution for Hunter under FARA violations, prostitution, sex trafficking etc.

As for the prosecutor being a Trump appointed Republican: I don't care. Enough Trump appointees were RINO's that I have no confidence in this particular Republican being anything other than a Deep State actor. Trump only had a limited number of MAGA Republicans to choose from. For every MAGA Republican there were 20 moderate Republicans, RINO's, Independents, or Dems to fill any particular vacancy. My assumption is that your average bureaucrat will choose what is best for his or her career, not what is necessarily right or wrong. I like the Joseph Heller line: 'some men are born mediocre, some achieve mediocrity, some have mediocrity thrust upon them'.

[jason_c]

White collar crime truly is bi-partisan. Politics don't come into it, the rich avoid tax regardless. It ain't 'the feds' that are corrupt, it's the whole lot of them. The system of shell companies exists to facilitate tax aversion, the wealthy and their hedge funds depend on it. It's a token charge against Hunter, in the grand scheme of things it makes no difference. The rich don't pay tax.

I'd largely agree with this, but I certainly believe politics play a role. Today it's MAGA types getting a raw deal, in former times it was often the left, anarchists, Civil Rights groups etc. Basically anyone outwith a narrow-ish band of centre left & centre right politics are invariably targeted.I take the IRS scandal under Obama as an example. The right flipped their sh*t that they were being unfairly targeted by the IRS, and that was true. However, the left were also targeted. If the IRS can do this sort of stuff you better believe the DoJ and FBI can.

[String]

Hmm pleaded guilty on tax evasion and a gun crime, why is he not a gop hero? He’s one of them.

[Fiver]

Also, no prosecution for Hunter under FARA violations, prostitution, sex trafficking etc.

Why should Hunter Biden be prosecuted for things that there is no evidence that he did.

As for the prosecutor being a Trump appointed Republican: I don't care. Enough Trump appointees were RINO's that I have no confidence in this particular Republican being anything other than a Deep State actor.

Translating from Maga-speak.

RINO = any Republican with enough spine or brains to not worship Donald Trump.

Deep State = any member of the US government who fails to bow to Donald Trump's autocratic whims.

Trump only had a limited number of MAGA Republicans to choose from. For every MAGA Republican there were 20 moderate Republicans, RINO's, Independents, or Dems to fill any particular vacancy.

So you're saying that Donald Trump was corruptly trying to fill government positions based on personal loyalty instead of competence and keeping their oath to to uphold the Constitution? And that Trump was completely inept at it?

That isn't exactly a news flash.

I like the Joseph Heller line: 'some men are born mediocre, some achieve mediocrity, some have mediocrity thrust upon them'.

If only Trump had occasionally risen to the level of mediocrity.

[jason_c]

The exchange yesterday between Rep Jordan and Special Counsel John Durham at the House Hearing on the Durham Report:

Jordan: 'Did the government receive intelligence that Sec Clinton approved a plan to tie Trump with Russia?'

Durham: 'Yes'

Jordan: 'Was that intelligence important enough for Director Brennan to brief the President, Vice President, the Attorney General and the Director of the FBI?'

Durham: 'Yes'

Jordan: 'Did Director Comey share that information[that Clinton okayed a plan to link Trump with Russia] with the FISA Court, the lawyers preparing the FISA application, or the FBI agents working the case?'

Durham: 'No'


No wonder James Comey refused to even talk to the Durham Investigation. Comey should be imprisoned for infringing the rights of numerous Americans with his corrupt use of the FISA Court.

[jason_c]

Why should Hunter Biden be prosecuted for things that there is no evidence that he did.



Translating from Maga-speak.

RINO = any Republican with enough spine or brains to not worship Donald Trump.

Deep State = any member of the US government who fails to bow to Donald Trump's autocratic whims.



So you're saying that Donald Trump was corruptly trying to fill government positions based on personal loyalty instead of competence and keeping their oath to to uphold the Constitution? And that Trump was completely inept at it?

That isn't exactly a news flash.



If only Trump had occasionally risen to the level of mediocrity.

Trump is the man who helped build a multi-billion dollar real estate empire, presented one of the top viewed TV shows for a decade, became President without previously having run for public office, gutted the Republican Party and is currently wearing it's pelt as a second skin, destroyed two political dynasties, and is in the process of destroying two cable news networks. Yes, he has risen above mediocrity.

Edit; with a bit of luck he may yet bring down a US intel agency. I'm not saying this will happen but at least it's on the table.

[Fiver]

Trump is the man who helped build a multi-billion dollar real estate empire..]

Frederick Trump built a multi-billion dollar real estate empire based on good business skills, war profiteering, tax evasion, and buying off politicians.

Donald Trump became the figurehead president of the Trump Organization in 1971, but his father Fred was the one really running things and creating the myth of Donald being good at running businesses. Donald Trump repeatedly went broke in the casino business, where people are literally handing you their money. When Donald tried to trick his father Fred into leaving everything to Donald, Fred saw right through it, even though Fred was senile by that time. Tax records show that between 1985 and 1995 Donald lost over $2 billion dollars. Donald owes over $1.3 billion dollars to his creditors.

For contrast, Oprah Winfrey was born to a teenage single mom who got by on government assistance, but Oprah's estimated wealth is $2.5 billion, just like Donald Trump.

[Fiver]

...became President without previously having run for public office...

Donald Trump 2000 presidential campaign

In 2016, Trump got 2.8 million less votes than Hillary Clinton, the worse margin of any President who won the Electoral College but not the popular vote.