I dont agree with everything be writes, but I found it informative, since although it contains nothing I myself do not know, it saves me the time to invent a time consuming essay on the subject. I also like that he links to all his points. Means that you can use the article a bit like a lexicon, which is good.
I also dont agree, at all, that the US institutions survived Trump, for in my view they clearly shattered and failed gravely when Congress, one of the most important institutions, decided against convicting Trump despite unprecedented mountains of evidence, and galaxies of indisiums. A catatastrophic failure that no one will ever forget.
But he is conservative, have a different world view than I have. Thats not important if the facts are good though, as I just ignore the polemic.
Norwegian media claiming that he has vetoed the crisis package that Reps and Dems have spent months negotiating. But my twitter sources seem to suggest that he is currently only threatening to do so.
However, the HILARIOUS part is that the Reps were not at all those who wanted to alleviate the economical suffering of the average Joe, but now that Trump complains on lack of relief, it is a propaganda package to the Dems.
This circus is insane.
Note: William Kristol has the best of sources within the GOP. Someone has actually told him this and Bill is genuinely alarmed. Perhaps we should be too. He is probably not talking about these latest pardons. He is probably insinuating something worse, as it has long been expected by many that Trump will pardon himself and all of his family. And of course, Trump is still trying to mount a military coup but finding it hard to do so.
As a sidenote, the Republicans are not normally referred to as Reps, because Rep. is the common abbreviation for a member of the House of Representatives.
Noted. My own abbreviation was not the best then, but I trust no one can misunderstand me !
Just to put some content into my answer to you, since this thread is insane and off the charts anyway, feel free to have a smile knowing this exists (I thought it was fake at first):
And while he’s busy pardoning corrupt/criminal/murdering cronies and his lawyers are engaged in unchecked malpractice and Congress and he are playing games with the stimulus, 322K people have passed away and 19 million people are at risk of being evicted from their homes during the darkest winter, including children.
Compassion is out of the window. I’m not even surprised. I’m just sick to my stomach.
I would trust much more in he compassion and heart warmth of Vladimir Putin and his closest cohort, than Trump. At least Putin ruthlessly seeks to advance what he thinks is his countries interests, while Trump only cares about himself and his closest kin. His empathy is only for them (though he loathes those of his children who are not pretty enough), and those who praise him lavishly will be rewarded with pardons for their crimes, as long as they massage his ego with their every breath. But it is all about him. Just him. It is a charismatic cult, and his followers are still spellbound, his enablers still enabling him.
It will be a black stain on US history, people in the future will ask questions such as “what went wrong?” And “how could he almost have been reelected despite all of the corruption?”.
To continue my thought above, just imagine for a minute or two, think, consider, what would Trump have done/ been willing to do, if he had the freedom of maneuver that Vladimir Putin has? What would Trump have been willing to do, to what lengths would he have gone to “win”, had the US no democratic safe guards, if the US had been a proper autocracy ?
His empathy may be tested soon. I have seen a few reports that anyone he pre-pardons may forfeit their 5th amendment rights and have to testify in any litigation brought against Trump. The article above is dated, but I’ve seen several now—this one seemed more detailed.
The Blackwater pardons are so offensive and yet another example of Trump using death, particularly the death of non-white people, as a tool to play to his base.
No. The Constitution gives the president an absolute authority to pardon individuals for federal crimes. He cannot pardon people convicted by states or counties of states, however. Whether he can pardon himself has never been adjudicated.
