Imagine Seeing This and Not Being a Bit Suspicious

 

The media no longer pretends to be impartial. Neither does the FBI. Neither does the tech oligarchy. Neither does the educational establishment. Neither does the unelected bureaucracy. And yet, we’re still expected to pretend to believe all this stuff. Despite evidence like that listed in Alex’s Tweet, we’re still expected to believe that Republicans are greedy and selfish, while Democrats are nice. You believe that, right?

It’s getting harder. So the consequences of reluctance to assimilate become more and more draconian. But still. Despite the consequences, it’s getting harder to pretend to be stupid.

Joe Biden won 81 million votes. He didn’t campaign. While running against a very successful incumbent President. And Biden won millions and millions more votes than Barack Obama. You believe that, right? You’re not an election denier, are you? Of course not. You’re nice. Right?

Donald Trump spent only four years of his life as a public servant, and is now a private citizen. The most thoroughly investigated American in history. But now, after he leaves office, his tax returns are suddenly very important to the security of the United States. Even though his net worth has declined substantially while he was in public service. Unlike the Clintons, the Obamas, and the Bidens. But it is Trump that must be investigated further. Obviously.

You believe that, right? Of course, you do. You’re nice. Right?

Right. No problem.

You can even keep voting. If you’d like.

President Biden likes ice cream! Just like you do!

Everything is ok! Really!

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  1. Modus Ponens Inactive
    Modus Ponens
    @ModusPonens

    If the GOP had any leadership, they would have been returning fire since Biden took office. Everything the left did to Trump should’ve been turned around on Biden. Nonstop. Daily.

    Constant focus on his shady business dealings.

    Kangaroo court style impeachment hearings.

    “Bombshells” and “Walls Closing in” ad nauseam.

    • #1
  2. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    And yet, someone who shall be Nameless says that he “has clearly broken the law.”

    • #2
  3. Barfly Member
    Barfly
    @Barfly

    Modus Ponens (View Comment):

    If the GOP had any leadership, they would have been returning fire since Biden took office. Everything the left did to Trump should’ve been turned around on Biden. Nonstop. Daily.

    Constant focus on his shady business dealings.

    Kangaroo court style impeachment hearings.

    “Bombshells” and “Walls Closing in” ad nauseam.

    ‘cept the hearings would’ve been legit.

    • #3
  4. Red Herring Coolidge
    Red Herring
    @EHerring

    This is no longer a serious country. Everything is a farce

    • #4
  5. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    This has been a heck of a week or two.  I’ve just kinda been quiet, watching the wheels fall off of every car on the track at the same time.  Bewildered.

    And none of it is new!  It’s just coming to fruition.

    • #5
  6. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Flicker (View Comment):

    And yet, someone who shall be Nameless says that he “has clearly broken the law.”

     

    • #6
  7. genferei Member
    genferei
    @genferei

    Americans have been strangely incurious about their ‘elected’ ‘representatives’’ accumulation of vast wealth while in ‘public’ ‘service’ for decades. Things that would earn you a lynching in Ottawa, Westminster or Canberra go unremarked in Washington. Why?

    • #7
  8. Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler Member
    Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler
    @Muleskinner

    genferei (View Comment):

     Things that would earn you a lynching in Ottawa, Westminster or Canberra go unremarked in Washington. Why?

    Maybe it’s expected. At least up to a certain level, and it has been for a long time. Maybe Mr. Trump’s greatest sin was not insisting on being first at the trough, thereby exposing the grift.

    “It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.” —Mark Twain.

    After seeing the rise in Ben “Mr.  Smith Goes to Washington” Sasse’s net worth after one term in the Senate, I empaneled a small, preliminary, exploratory committee for a run at the US Senate on the platform that it’s only fair to give someone else a turn at getting rich, and I’d promise to only help myself to half of what Sasse made. Ms. Skinner wisely noted that if I couldn’t bring myself to be a government consultant, there isn’t enough larceny in my heart to be a Senator.

    • #8
  9. Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler Member
    Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler
    @Muleskinner

    What I’m suspicious of is why the tax-writing Committee in Congress would think it odd that someone who lost $1.3 billion in wealth over six years might not owe much income tax? 

    But once again, Mr Twain provides an explanation.

    “All Congresses and Parliaments have a kindly feeling for idiots, and a compassion for them, on account of personal experience and heredity.”
    – Mark Twain’s Autobiography

    • #9
  10. GrannyDude Member
    GrannyDude
    @GrannyDude

    There is a certain expression that Democrats of my acquaintance tend to get on their faces when I bring up the many times in which Joe Biden demonstrated his mendacity, racism and profound lack of concern/respect for women. Actually, what they exhibit is more a lack of expression, a strange blankness.

    It’s not the blankness of true ignorance, nor even of disbelief, but  but rather of a profound and almost aggressive disinterest. This is something I am not interested in knowing.

    The same thing happened when I’d show them evidence of the wildly disproportionate participation of black men in (especially) violent crime, with other black people the usual but by no means the only victims. This is something I am not interested in knowing.

    The history of the flourishing and very cruel Arab slave trade that continued well into the twentieth century and targeted both black Africans and white Europeans wherever and whenever these were vulnerable. This is something I am not interested in knowing.

    That the word “Nazi” stood for “National Socialism,” and their program was explicitly that of big-government redistributive socialism, not anything resembling free market capitalism. That their T-4 eugenics program was an expression of progressive “scientific”  ideas shared (still shared, frankly) on both sides of the Atlantic. That their arguments for euthanizing the terminally ill, mentally ill and mentally or physically handicapped were identical with those now publicly offered by the active and growing “Death With Dignity” programs in, for example, Canada and the Netherlands, right down to the cost-effectiveness of killing the imperfect.  This is something I am not interested in knowing. 

    Et cetera.

    • #10
  11. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    genferei (View Comment):

    Americans have been strangely incurious about their ‘elected’ ‘representatives’’ accumulation of vast wealth while in ‘public’ ‘service’ for decades. Things that would earn you a lynching in Ottawa, Westminster or Canberra go unremarked in Washington. Why?

    This, for sure, take out the “probably”.

    “It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.” —Mark Twain.

    Add to it that  “they really know how to keep their mouths shut when it comes to this”.

    • #11
  12. MWD B612 "Dawg" Member
    MWD B612 "Dawg"
    @danok1

    GrannyDude (View Comment):
    The history of the flourishing and very cruel Arab slave trade that continued well into the twentieth century and targeted both black Africans and white Europeans wherever and whenever these were vulnerable.

    It’s continued into the 21st century, @grannydude. There are slave markets in Tripoli as I type this. No one with power to stop it cares.

    • #12
  13. Phil Turmel Inactive
    Phil Turmel
    @PhilTurmel

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    There is a certain expression that Democrats of my acquaintance tend to get on their faces when I bring up the many times in which Joe Biden demonstrated his mendacity, racism and profound lack of concern/respect for women. Actually, what they exhibit is more a lack of expression, a strange blankness.

    It’s not the blankness of true ignorance, nor even of disbelief, but but rather of a profound and almost aggressive disinterest. This is something I am not interested in knowing.

    The same thing happened when I’d show them evidence of the wildly disproportionate participation of black men in (especially) violent crime, with other black people the usual but by no means the only victims. This is something I am not interested in knowing.

    The history of the flourishing and very cruel Arab slave trade that continued well into the twentieth century and targeted both black Africans and white Europeans wherever and whenever these were vulnerable. This is something I am not interested in knowing.

    That the word “Nazi” stood for “National Socialism,” and their program was explicitly that of big-government redistributive socialism, not anything resembling free market capitalism. That their T-4 eugenics program was an expression of progressive “scientific” ideas shared (still shared, frankly) on both sides of the Atlantic. That their arguments for euthanizing the terminally ill, mentally ill and mentally or physically handicapped were identical with those now publicly offered by the active and growing “Death With Dignity” programs in, for example, Canada and the Netherlands, right down to the cost-effectiveness of killing the imperfect. This is something I am not interested in knowing.

    Et cetera.

    Ergo, the need for Godwin’s Law and its various Corollaries.

    • #13
  14. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    You could cough up the stats for House members and Senators of both parties and come up with similar results . . .

    • #14
  15. EJHill+ Podcaster
    EJHill+
    @EJHill

    Taxes are the least interesting thing about Donald Trump. The FBI never brought down Capone but the IRS did. If there was a “there” there, they would have exploited that first.

    What’s not in the discussion is any supporting documentation. And that is what makes the whole “honest politicians release their tax returns public” argument a farce. The numbers on the page mean nothing without the proof that backs them up.

    We had a tax attorney that specialized in real estate on The Roth Effect during the early days of the Trump presidency and his bottom line was simple: When you’re in that game the more taxes you pay the stupider you are. Real estate development is the best way in America to avoid the tax man.

    • #15
  16. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    EJHill+ (View Comment):
    Real estate development is the best way in America to avoid the tax man.

    I would broaden that to include real estate investment and anyone with a functioning brain gets that.

    • #16
  17. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    The New York Times had a long, breathless article about the tax tactics of the Trump family going back to the 70s. Of course none of it went anywhere. I heard two different tax guys say at the time it wasn’t going to go anywhere. 

     

    • #17
  18. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler (View Comment):
    After seeing the rise in Ben “Mr.  Smith Goes to Washington” Sasse’s net worth after one term in the Senate, I empaneled a small, preliminary, exploratory committee for a run at the US Senate on the platform that it’s only fair to give someone else a turn at getting rich, and I’d promise to only help myself to half of what Sasse made. Ms. Skinner wisely noted that if I couldn’t bring myself to be a government consultant, there isn’t enough larceny in my heart to be a Senator.

    I can’t stand Ben Sasse. He tries to sell books, and not much else, really. He babbles about bipartisanship and being civil, but he doesn’t make it clear how it would ever pay off to conservatives or libertarians. 

    If somebody wants to correct me, have at it.

    • #18
  19. The Cynthonian Inactive
    The Cynthonian
    @TheCynthonian

    Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler (View Comment):

    genferei (View Comment):

    @muleskinner, what is the delta between soon-to-be former Senator Sasse’s prior and current net worth, since you’ve already done the research?   I’m curious, since a) he’s such a preachy, moralistic blowhard, and b) as far as I’m aware, he’s written a couple of books, which made the GOP “Civility” and “Go Along to Get Along” types swoon, but otherwise couldn’t possibly have sold many copies.  Those  surely doesn’t account for a marked increase in his net worth.  Correct?

    • #19
  20. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    Isn’t anyone concerned that a very long-term Soviet sleeper agent was running a computer repair shop in Delaware and was activated to spring a trap on a young artist who happens to be the son of POTUS?

    Only ten or twenty million Americans know that Putin fixed the 2016 election.  Right-wing media has divided us and deluded the majority into overlooking these obvious manipulations.

    How many Americans would have been denied the vote if they had to actually exist and register instead of letting civic-minded folks register and ballot-harvest/mass mail for them?

    How many minorities & LBGTQ+ has Elon Musk murdered because of fostering hate speech?

    Don’t we owe it to the tens of millions pushing our fascistic borders to allow them in as reparations for the climate change that Amerika caused which change wrecked their home nations?

    Will I still have any of the concerns listed above if the new meds work?

     

    • #20
  21. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    Old Bathos (View Comment):
    Will I still have any of the concerns listed above if the new meds work?

    Sounds like you’ve been puffing on Hunter’s pipe…

    • #21
  22. Red Herring Coolidge
    Red Herring
    @EHerring

    genferei (View Comment):

    Americans have been strangely incurious about their ‘elected’ ‘representatives’’ accumulation of vast wealth while in ‘public’ ‘service’ for decades. Things that would earn you a lynching in Ottawa, Westminster or Canberra go unremarked in Washington. Why?

    Because we haven’t attacked them with the same verbal vitriol they have used against Trump. Gloves need to come off. Treat them as they treat us.

    • #22
  23. Red Herring Coolidge
    Red Herring
    @EHerring

    MWD B612 "Dawg" (View Comment):

    GrannyDude (View Comment):
    The history of the flourishing and very cruel Arab slave trade that continued well into the twentieth century and targeted both black Africans and white Europeans wherever and whenever these were vulnerable.

    It’s continued into the 21st century, @ grannydude. There are slave markets in Tripoli as I type this. No one with power to stop it cares.

    One could argue that much of the sex human trafficking today is slavery and with the same party condoning it

    • #23
  24. Red Herring Coolidge
    Red Herring
    @EHerring

    EJHill+ (View Comment):

    Taxes are the least interesting thing about Donald Trump. The FBI never brought down Capone but the IRS did. If there was a “there” there, they would have exploited that first.

    What’s not in the discussion is any supporting documentation. And that is what makes the whole “honest politicians release their tax returns public” argument a farce. The numbers on the page mean nothing without the proof that backs them up.

    We had a tax attorney that specialized in real estate on The Roth Effect during the early days of the Trump presidency and his bottom line was simple: When you’re in that game the more taxes you pay the stupider you are. Real estate development is the best way in America to avoid the tax man.

    If something illegal were there, the IRS would have gone after him by now.

    • #24
  25. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    EJHill+ (View Comment):
    Taxes are the least interesting thing about Donald Trump. The FBI never brought down Capone but the IRS did. If there was a “there” there, they would have exploited that first.

    Exactly.  You know people like Trump, Musk, et al. have to be audited constantly.  Besides, even if his tax forms are perfectly clean, they’ll be complicated enough such that the Democrats can point at anything and say, “See?  Trump cheated on his taxes!  He’s a crook!”

    • #25
  26. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    Trump’s taxes are audited every year.  The Democrat hearings haven’t found incriminating evidence in his taxes.  They’re just trying to pretend that they did, hoping that the media will help them create the illusion of guilt. 

    And they know that his tax return is private – they’re just trying to piss Trump off – they’re just being spiteful.  Doing whatever they can to irritate him, purely out of spite.

    And remember, these aren’t drunk sociology majors carrying rude signs on campus.  These are the national leaders of the Democrat party, in Congressional hearings. 

    My God…

    • #26
  27. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    If the head of the Coconino County Principles First Study Committee could weigh in on the justice of this, that would be great. lol

    • #27
  28. Columbo Inactive
    Columbo
    @Columbo

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    There is a certain expression that Democrats of my acquaintance tend to get on their faces when I bring up the many times in which Joe Biden demonstrated his mendacity, racism and profound lack of concern/respect for women. Actually, what they exhibit is more a lack of expression, a strange blankness.

    It’s not the blankness of true ignorance, nor even of disbelief, but but rather of a profound and almost aggressive disinterest. This is something I am not interested in knowing.

    The same thing happened when I’d show them evidence of the wildly disproportionate participation of black men in (especially) violent crime, with other black people the usual but by no means the only victims. This is something I am not interested in knowing.

    The history of the flourishing and very cruel Arab slave trade that continued well into the twentieth century and targeted both black Africans and white Europeans wherever and whenever these were vulnerable. This is something I am not interested in knowing.

    That the word “Nazi” stood for “National Socialism,” and their program was explicitly that of big-government redistributive socialism, not anything resembling free market capitalism. That their T-4 eugenics program was an expression of progressive “scientific” ideas shared (still shared, frankly) on both sides of the Atlantic. That their arguments for euthanizing the terminally ill, mentally ill and mentally or physically handicapped were identical with those now publicly offered by the active and growing “Death With Dignity” programs in, for example, Canada and the Netherlands, right down to the cost-effectiveness of killing the imperfect. This is something I am not interested in knowing.

    Et cetera.

    • #28
  29. Red Herring Coolidge
    Red Herring
    @EHerring

    Stad (View Comment):

    EJHill+ (View Comment):
    Taxes are the least interesting thing about Donald Trump. The FBI never brought down Capone but the IRS did. If there was a “there” there, they would have exploited that first.

    Exactly. You know people like Trump, Musk, et al. have to be audited constantly. Besides, even if his tax forms are perfectly clean, they’ll be complicated enough such that the Democrats can point at anything and say, “See? Trump cheated on his taxes! He’s a crook!”

    You might be on to something. The tax code is so complicated, that innocent mistakes happen. Their intent might be to mine them for inevitable mistakes. However, a Repub committee could subpoena Dem returns for the same thing under guise of looking for common mistakes so laws can be clarified. 

    • #29
  30. Red Herring Coolidge
    Red Herring
    @EHerring

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    Trump’s taxes are audited every year. The Democrat hearings haven’t found incriminating evidence in his taxes. They’re just trying to pretend that they did, hoping that the media will help them create the illusion of guilt.

    And they know that his tax return is private – they’re just trying to piss Trump off – they’re just being spiteful. Doing whatever they can to irritate him, purely out of spite.

    And remember, these aren’t drunk sociology majors carrying rude signs on campus. These are the national leaders of the Democrat party, in Congressional hearings.

    My God…

    We look on them as being wrong. They look on us as evil. Time to treat them as they see us and refer to them as an evil party. Yes, partisanship will escalate for a time but we have tried being nice for years and partisanship increased as has their meanness. Like the playground bully, you punch back and he learns not to punch first. 

    • #30
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