Merged So what's next for Trump?

[DrZoidberg]

From a European perspective I think this "scandal" reads like this. Trump is awesome and fucks porn stars. Democrats are pathetic moralists who can't deal with a guy enjoying life a little.

This entire indictment makes USA look bad.

You're missing the whole point.

The case isn't about his fucking a porn star. It is about the illegal actions done to cover up the fact that he fucked a porn star.

And why would he need to do that unless a lot of Americans are boring prudes? Do you remember when women who slept around were considered sluts? That's a value that hasn't aged well. Seeing this with my glasses the entire indictment looks like slut-shaming. The point is that a grown man shouldn't have to hide having sex on the side. But here we are.

 

[Patooka]

Seeing this with my glasses the entire indictment looks like slut-shaming.

Then your glasses are fucked. The "slut" in question doesn't care and more importantly we still don't know what he is being indicted with. I'm guessing its fraud and not porn star fucking, although a lot of Q-tards are going to try to hijack the narrative that way. Good job getting played by them.

If I am right, and Trump viewed campaign funds as his own personal savings account, then that has serious implications. Would you like me to explain them to you or are you having too much fun on that high horse no one gives two fucks about.

 

[Swammerdami]

The case isn't about his fucking a porn star. It is about the illegal actions done to cover up the fact that he fucked a porn star.

And why would he need to do that unless a lot of Americans are boring prudes? Do you remember when women who slept around were considered sluts? That's a value that hasn't aged well. Seeing this with my glasses the entire indictment looks like slut-shaming. The point is that a grown man shouldn't have to hide having sex on the side. But here we are.

The case has nothing to do with sex . . . nor with the hush money had it been accounted as required by law.

The charges are accounting frauds associated with the hush-slush: Misreporting of income and expenses. Recall that Al Capone was a horrific murderer who was finally sent to Alcatraz Prison on a charge of . . . tax evasion.

For example, a company which buys caviar for its executive must report the cost of that caviar as income for the executive. Paying for a steak dinner, a vacation, a yacht -- these must all be properly accounted. Do you somehow think that payments to a call-girl are exempt from this accounting requirement?

Spoiler: Personal Anecdote

I once submitted a hotel bill to a client. The bill showed a massage, so I listed it on the expense report.

I got a call from the company's business manager. He was going to reimburse me for the massage no matter what! He just wanted to confirm that I needed the massage to clear my head and thus to better conduct company business the next day; otherwise he would report it to the IRS as income to me.

 

[DrZoidberg]

Seeing this with my glasses the entire indictment looks like slut-shaming.

Then your glasses are fucked. The "slut" in question doesn't care and more importantly we still don't know what he is being indicted with. I'm guessing its fraud and not porn star fucking, although a lot of Q-tards are going to try to hijack the narrative that way. Good job getting played by them.

If I am right, and Trump viewed campaign funds as his own personal savings account, then that has serious implications. Would you like me to explain them to you or are you having too much fun on that high horse no one gives two fucks about.

I'm not defending Trump. I think he's the scum of the Earth. Yes, I agree. He's got difficulties with separating fun money from public funds.

What I am saying is how this indicment looks like from my perspective. The fact that a man is put into a position where he needs to pay off people from keeping silent about consensual sex, in order to be eligable for election, is not a good look for USA.

Or to put it another way, do we really want Trump to be a symbol of sexual liberty and the rebel against outdated sexual norms?

 

[marc]

 

[DrZoidberg]

The philosopher Alexander Bard (Netocracy etc) has called the government of this age "sensocracy". What matters isn't what's true. But what we feel is true. What we care about is authenticity in communication. And what people are best at faking authenticity? Narcissists and psychopaths.


Bard's explanation to why Trump is successful is that he's too stupid to be smooth. We confuse his stupidity with authenticity. I'm convinced Trump believes all the dumb shit he keeps saying. I think he's geniunely a lunatic. Fully on narcissist.

And there lies the rub. We don't trust a powerful man who doesn't sleep around. It's weird. All Trump's visible foibles makes him human. And in this age that makes him likeable.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The philosopher Alexander Bard (Netocracy etc) has called the government of this age "sensocracy". What matters isn't what's true. But what we feel is true. What we care about is authenticity in communication. And what people are best at faking authenticity? Narcissists and psychopaths.


Bard's explanation to why Trump is successful is that he's too stupid to be smooth. We confuse his stupidity with authenticity. I'm convinced Trump believes all the dumb shit he keeps saying. I think he's geniunely a lunatic. Fully on narcissist.

And there lies the rub. We don't trust a powerful man who doesn't sleep around. It's weird. All Trump's visible foibles makes him human. And in this age that makes him likeable.

As a reminder, populists are always "likeable" by enough people. Trump is actually quite hated in the US, by the right-wing and left-wing. His base want to have his babies, but that represents around 33% of the right-wing voters. Much of the right-wing otherwise compromised on principles of decency to try and flip SCOTUS, while the McConnells absolutely love the cash Trump manages to wrangle from his base, so they hold their nose and count the money... and the SCOTUS justices they got appoint because of him. The left-wing hates the guy because he is as authentic as a three dollar bill and he really is a nasty asshole.

As far as not trusting a man that doesn't sleep around, you really have absolutely no right to say that, not having lived in America in the late 90s and the never fucking ending moaning and crying over Clinton and Lewinsky. It wouldn't fucking end. And after... we got the prim and proper dimwitted son of a Statesman to be our President and restore the honor of America. That these exactly same people would vote for Trump, and with pride... is merely a reflection of how free of principles they are. It is funny, that we went from W, instead of McCain (after the successful black child push poll... get where the right-wing successfuls get their support from?) to a pod person McCain (in a race no one in the GOP could win) to a begrudging Romney (last actual conservative) to Donald Trump. A guy that was palling with the Clintons but helped push a racist trope against Obama to become popular among the deplorable part of the right-wing.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Seeing this with my glasses the entire indictment looks like slut-shaming.

Then your glasses are fucked. The "slut" in question doesn't care and more importantly we still don't know what he is being indicted with. I'm guessing its fraud and not porn star fucking, although a lot of Q-tards are going to try to hijack the narrative that way. Good job getting played by them.

If I am right, and Trump viewed campaign funds as his own personal savings account, then that has serious implications. Would you like me to explain them to you or are you having too much fun on that high horse no one gives two fucks about.

I'm not defending Trump. I think he's the scum of the Earth. Yes, I agree. He's got difficulties with separating fun money from public funds.

What I am saying is how this indicment looks like from my perspective. The fact that a man is put into a position where he needs to pay off people from keeping silent about consensual sex, in order to be eligable for election, is not a good look for USA.

Or to put it another way, do we really want Trump to be a symbol of sexual liberty and the rebel against outdated sexual norms?

I think you suffer from a rather poor understanding of how courts work in the US. This crime was committed within a particular jurisdiction. So the DAs there work on it. His election fraud conspiracy was committed in another jurisdiction. The DAs there are working on that. The classified documents are in another jurisdiction(s) and involve federal crimes. So that investigation at a whole different level of prosecution.

The Stormy Daniels case is most certainly the least of my personal concerns, but breaking law is breaking the law. And the various criminal investigations into Trump aren't working together or stepping aside for the bigger criminal investigation. Daniels is the oldest crime, so it should be expected to be the first one up.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

From a European perspective I think this "scandal" reads like this. Trump is awesome and fucks porn stars. Democrats are pathetic moralists who can't deal with a guy enjoying life a little.

This entire indictment makes USA look bad.

You're missing the whole point.

The case isn't about his fucking a porn star. It is about the illegal actions done to cover up the fact that he fucked a porn star.

And why would he need to do that unless a lot of Americans are boring prudes? Do you remember when women who slept around were considered sluts? That's a value that hasn't aged well. Seeing this with my glasses the entire indictment looks like slut-shaming. The point is that a grown man shouldn't have to hide having sex on the side. But here we are.

Trumpo the Clown has ben playing the religious charleton to woo the Q-tards. And the Bible commands the death penalty for adultery.to not commit adultery is one of the oh so very important ten commandments. Trump knew all of this. That is why he payed $130,000 to buy Stormy Daniel's silence. Committing crimes to do so. If the religio-tards are going to buy into Leviticus 20 to make a crusade against gays, they have no right then to not go to war on adultery, condemned in the same set of verses, when some adulterer like Trump proclaims himself falsely to be oh so very Christian.

 

[Shadowy Man]

Of course it does. Ignoring the pointless "whataboutism" in your response, I am curious should anyone who espouses law and order think that criminal business fraud be ignored? Is it because Mr. Trump got some nooky from a porn actress?

If I can understand Derec's line of reasoning, New York hasn't prosecuted enough "other" people so Trump should get a walk.

Yes. We can’t prosecute rich people for robbing the government of millions of dollars of tax money until we put every last pick pocket in jail. What don’t you understand about that?????

 

[Elixir]

why would he need to do that unless a lot of Americans are boring prudes?

Asking the wrong question. Try:

why would he need to do that unless he thinks a lot of Americans are boring prudes?

 

[DrZoidberg]

From a European perspective I think this "scandal" reads like this. Trump is awesome and fucks porn stars. Democrats are pathetic moralists who can't deal with a guy enjoying life a little.

This entire indictment makes USA look bad.

You're missing the whole point.

The case isn't about his fucking a porn star. It is about the illegal actions done to cover up the fact that he fucked a porn star.

And why would he need to do that unless a lot of Americans are boring prudes? Do you remember when women who slept around were considered sluts? That's a value that hasn't aged well. Seeing this with my glasses the entire indictment looks like slut-shaming. The point is that a grown man shouldn't have to hide having sex on the side. But here we are.

Trumpo the Clown has ben playing the religious charleton to woo the Q-tards. And the Bible commands the death penalty for adultery.to not commit adultery is one of the oh so very important ten commandments. Trump knew all of this. That is why he payed $130,000 to buy Stormy Daniel's silence. Committing crimes to do so. If the religio-tards are going to buy into Leviticus 20 to make a crusade against gays, they have no right then to not go to war on adultery, condemned in the same set of verses, when some adulterer like Trump proclaims himself falsely to be oh so very Christian.

Look, Christianity has always been hypocritical. When John Knox slammed the pope in 1520 it wasn't for banging hookers in S:t Peters palace. It was because the pope couldn't be bothered to hide it.

Christianity has always been about keeping up a pretence of morality.

When Martin Luther introduced the idea that we should take the Bible seriously, he destroyed Christianity. I’m not sure you are aware of it, but Wittenberg is the general epicentre of current atheism. Roughly spreading outwards from there.

Yes, I know USA was first settled by protestant extremists. But that just means they will be more hypocritical. Not more moral.

Human sexuality has been the same since we were monkeys. If you forbid people from having sex openly, they will have it clandestinely. That's always been the case.

The Internet has made it impossible to keep secrets. Everyone knows everything now.

So the tried and tested Christian tradition of banging boys in the back, is over.

Whether you like it or not, all your heroes will be revealed to be sluts. Sooner or later.

Or to quote a friend of mine, powerful people who aren't getting laid are truly dangerous.

I think our current culture is adapting to the new reality. Unfortunately, Trump is our prophet

 

[Elixir]

From a European perspective I think this "scandal" reads like this. Trump is awesome and fucks porn stars. Democrats are pathetic moralists who can't deal with a guy enjoying life a little.

This entire indictment makes USA look bad.

You're missing the whole point.

The case isn't about his fucking a porn star. It is about the illegal actions done to cover up the fact that he fucked a porn star.

And why would he need to do that unless a lot of Americans are boring prudes? Do you remember when women who slept around were considered sluts? That's a value that hasn't aged well. Seeing this with my glasses the entire indictment looks like slut-shaming. The point is that a grown man shouldn't have to hide having sex on the side. But here we are.

Trumpo the Clown has ben playing the religious charleton to woo the Q-tards. And the Bible commands the death penalty for adultery.to not commit adultery is one of the oh so very important ten commandments. Trump knew all of this. That is why he payed $130,000 to buy Stormy Daniel's silence. Committing crimes to do so. If the religio-tards are going to buy into Leviticus 20 to make a crusade against gays, they have no right then to not go to war on adultery, condemned in the same set of verses, when some adulterer like Trump proclaims himself falsely to be oh so very Christian.

Look, Christianity has always been hypocritical. When John Knox slammed the pope in 1520 it wasn't for banging hookers in S:t Peters palace. It was because the pope couldn't be bothered to hide it.

Christianity has always been about keeping up a pretence of morality.

When Martin Luther introduced the idea that we should take the Bible seriously, he destroyed Christianity. I’m not sure you are aware of it, but Wittenberg is the general epicentre of current atheism. Roughly spreading outwards from there.

Yes, I know USA was first settled by protestant extremists. But that just means they will be more hypocritical. Not more moral.

Human sexuality has been the same since we were monkeys. If you forbid people from having sex openly, they will have it clandestinely. That's always been the case.

The Internet has made it impossible to keep secrets. Everyone knows everything now.

So the tried and tested Christian tradition of banging boys in the back, is over.

Whether you like it or not, all your heroes will be revealed to be sluts. Sooner or later.

Or to quote a friend of mine, powerful people who aren't getting laid are truly dangerous

^ is that supposed to be a list of unrelated random human characteristics, or is there some point you meant to imply but couldn’t quite express?

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

I am willing to bet Jean Caroll would have something to say about the concept that important people not getting laid are dangerous.

 

[Elixir]

Trump is our prophet

Speaking for yourself of course. And I think you misspelled "profit".

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

From a European perspective I think this "scandal" reads like this. Trump is awesome and fucks porn stars. Democrats are pathetic moralists who can't deal with a guy enjoying life a little.

This entire indictment makes USA look bad.

You're missing the whole point.

The case isn't about his fucking a porn star. It is about the illegal actions done to cover up the fact that he fucked a porn star.

And why would he need to do that unless a lot of Americans are boring prudes? Do you remember when women who slept around were considered sluts? That's a value that hasn't aged well. Seeing this with my glasses the entire indictment looks like slut-shaming. The point is that a grown man shouldn't have to hide having sex on the side. But here we are.

Trumpo the Clown has ben playing the religious charleton to woo the Q-tards. And the Bible commands the death penalty for adultery.to not commit adultery is one of the oh so very important ten commandments. Trump knew all of this. That is why he payed $130,000 to buy Stormy Daniel's silence. Committing crimes to do so. If the religio-tards are going to buy into Leviticus 20 to make a crusade against gays, they have no right then to not go to war on adultery, condemned in the same set of verses, when some adulterer like Trump proclaims himself falsely to be oh so very Christian.

Look, Christianity has always been hypocritical. When John Knox slammed the pope in 1520 it wasn't for banging hookers in S:t Peters palace. It was because the pope couldn't be bothered to hide it.

Christianity has always been about keeping up a pretence of morality.

When Martin Luther introduced the idea that we should take the Bible seriously, he destroyed Christianity. I’m not sure you are aware of it, but Wittenberg is the general epicentre of current atheism. Roughly spreading outwards from there.

Yes, I know USA was first settled by protestant extremists. But that just means they will be more hypocritical. Not more moral.

Human sexuality has been the same since we were monkeys. If you forbid people from having sex openly, they will have it clandestinely. That's always been the case.

The Internet has made it impossible to keep secrets. Everyone knows everything now.

So the tried and tested Christian tradition of banging boys in the back, is over.

Whether you like it or not, all your heroes will be revealed to be sluts. Sooner or later.

Or to quote a friend of mine, powerful people who aren't getting laid are truly dangerous.

I think our current culture is adapting to the new reality. Unfortunately, Trump is our prophet

It is funny how obsessed with the sex angle of Daniels you are, when we really don't give a fuck that he fucked Daniels. The problem with Daniels is the falsification of documents to hide a payment to her. If I try to open up a bank account under a fake name, I can get into trouble. If I try to get a credit card under a false identity, that can get me (and anyone else in here) into trouble. Why should Trump be able to get away with fraud? Just because he committed worse crimes?

 

[TV and credit cards]

§ 175.10 Falsifying business records in the first degree.


A person is guilty of falsifying business records in the first degree
when he commits the crime of falsifying business records in the second
degree, and when his intent to defraud includes an intent to commit
another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof.

Falsifying business records in the first degree is a class E felony.

 

[Bronzeage]

The philosopher Alexander Bard (Netocracy etc) has called the government of this age "sensocracy". What matters isn't what's true. But what we feel is true. What we care about is authenticity in communication. And what people are best at faking authenticity? Narcissists and psychopaths.


Bard's explanation to why Trump is successful is that he's too stupid to be smooth. We confuse his stupidity with authenticity. I'm convinced Trump believes all the dumb shit he keeps saying. I think he's geniunely a lunatic. Fully on narcissist.

And there lies the rub. We don't trust a powerful man who doesn't sleep around. It's weird. All Trump's visible foibles makes him human. And in this age that makes him likeable.

There is a difference between trust and entrust. Trump was entrusted with a specific task. This may have been an error in judgment, but it had nothing to do with trusting him, in the common sense of the word.

I have a lot of friends who are Trump supporters. They entrusted Trump with the task of restoring their lives to something they imagined it once was. Instead of "Vote for me and I'll set you free!", Trump's promise was "Vote for me and I'll make everyone else your slave." This does not make him likable. It makes him useful. In the Trumpian universe, cynicism is transactional. It's making friends with the bully, with the hope he shares stolen lunch money. It seldom works that way, but stupidity is a central requirement to even consider the deal.

Meanwhile, in the real world, not a one of them would tolerate Trump behavior in a spouse or employee.

 

[DrZoidberg]

The philosopher Alexander Bard (Netocracy etc) has called the government of this age "sensocracy". What matters isn't what's true. But what we feel is true. What we care about is authenticity in communication. And what people are best at faking authenticity? Narcissists and psychopaths.


Bard's explanation to why Trump is successful is that he's too stupid to be smooth. We confuse his stupidity with authenticity. I'm convinced Trump believes all the dumb shit he keeps saying. I think he's geniunely a lunatic. Fully on narcissist.

And there lies the rub. We don't trust a powerful man who doesn't sleep around. It's weird. All Trump's visible foibles makes him human. And in this age that makes him likeable.

There is a difference between trust and entrust. Trump was entrusted with a specific task. This may have been an error in judgment, but it had nothing to do with trusting him, in the common sense of the word.

I have a lot of friends who are Trump supporters. They entrusted Trump with the task of restoring their lives to something they imagined it once was. Instead of "Vote for me and I'll set you free!", Trump's promise was "Vote for me and I'll make everyone else your slave." This does not make him likable. It makes him useful. In the Trumpian universe, cynicism is transactional. It's making friends with the bully, with the hope he shares stolen lunch money. It seldom works that way, but stupidity is a central requirement to even consider the deal.

Meanwhile, in the real world, not a one of them would tolerate Trump behavior in a spouse or employee.

In a denocracy, I don't think many trusts a political leader blindly. When we argue for a candidate, all we are saying is that the other guy is worse

 

[DrZoidberg]

From a European perspective I think this "scandal" reads like this. Trump is awesome and fucks porn stars. Democrats are pathetic moralists who can't deal with a guy enjoying life a little.

This entire indictment makes USA look bad.

You're missing the whole point.

The case isn't about his fucking a porn star. It is about the illegal actions done to cover up the fact that he fucked a porn star.

And why would he need to do that unless a lot of Americans are boring prudes? Do you remember when women who slept around were considered sluts? That's a value that hasn't aged well. Seeing this with my glasses the entire indictment looks like slut-shaming. The point is that a grown man shouldn't have to hide having sex on the side. But here we are.

Trumpo the Clown has ben playing the religious charleton to woo the Q-tards. And the Bible commands the death penalty for adultery.to not commit adultery is one of the oh so very important ten commandments. Trump knew all of this. That is why he payed $130,000 to buy Stormy Daniel's silence. Committing crimes to do so. If the religio-tards are going to buy into Leviticus 20 to make a crusade against gays, they have no right then to not go to war on adultery, condemned in the same set of verses, when some adulterer like Trump proclaims himself falsely to be oh so very Christian.

Look, Christianity has always been hypocritical. When John Knox slammed the pope in 1520 it wasn't for banging hookers in S:t Peters palace. It was because the pope couldn't be bothered to hide it.

Christianity has always been about keeping up a pretence of morality.

When Martin Luther introduced the idea that we should take the Bible seriously, he destroyed Christianity. I’m not sure you are aware of it, but Wittenberg is the general epicentre of current atheism. Roughly spreading outwards from there.

Yes, I know USA was first settled by protestant extremists. But that just means they will be more hypocritical. Not more moral.

Human sexuality has been the same since we were monkeys. If you forbid people from having sex openly, they will have it clandestinely. That's always been the case.

The Internet has made it impossible to keep secrets. Everyone knows everything now.

So the tried and tested Christian tradition of banging boys in the back, is over.

Whether you like it or not, all your heroes will be revealed to be sluts. Sooner or later.

Or to quote a friend of mine, powerful people who aren't getting laid are truly dangerous

^ is that supposed to be a list of unrelated random human characteristics, or is there some point you meant to imply but couldn’t quite express?

We're having a cultural shift right now. Claiming that my political oponents are stupid, might feel nice. But doesn't explain anything IMHO

It's better to explain it assuming everyone is a rational actor