No Sleazeballs Left Behind

[babylonsister]

No Sleazeballs Left Behind
by Jaime O’Neill | December 7, 2022 - 7:50am


I don't like to think of myself as a cynic, but it's hard to get as old as I am without at least a crust of cynicism about the ways of the world. "Behind every great fortune lies a great crime" is a thought that, once heard, is hard to dispute or unthink. And the more one knows of history, the more difficult it becomes to question such a notion.

I'm writing this just moments after hearing the news that the Trump organization was found guilty of tax fraud on all 17 counts brought against that so obviously crooked outfit. Like so many of the allegations that have been floating around like scum on a very rotten stew, it's difficult to think anyone could be naïve enough to be surprised by this news.

Trump, a liar and a thief? No way, Jose. And, speaking of Jose, what about all that taxpayer money paid to outfits that housed those asylum seekers and refugees from Mexico that Trump and Co. demonized so consistently? If we could follow the money, damn near every fortune in the country got made with selective big cash handouts from the government, from the railroad moguls of the 19th century to the techies of our time. Massive government contracts pour out of the Pentagon, for instance, to build stuff that a) often doesn't work, or b) is priced far beyond what a truly competitive marketplace could ever justify. Free market capitalism; are you fuckin' kiddin' me? Self-made men? Right.

So, was I surprised to learn, officially, that Trump is a crook? No, I wasn't. Were you? But I also had the uneasy feeling that if you shined a light on any of the corporations headed up by CEOs who make tens of millions per year that they would be scuttling like cockroaches when the lights come on, looking for the lawyers who helped make the laws that protect them from culpability for the crime of quasi-legal stealing with both hands.

Are people paid off the books, rewarded for their contributions in ways that are hidden, to the advantage of both payees and payers? Ya think?

more...

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/jaime-o-neill/104244/no-sleazeballs-left-behind

[TigressDem]

1. Some people obey the law because the fear getting caught.

Some obey the law because they know it all works better that way.

IF everyone were breaking the law, we wouldn't have even the patina of progress and ability to get day to day work done.


But the percentage is creeping up and probably a lot of CEOs have done something unethical here and there in order to prevent their company from going under. Sometimes I think some of the CEOs paying themselves huge bailouts, actually invest some of it back but this is a tax dodge even so.


BUT people have choice, EVEN CEO's.

So to me, we dole out the consequences to raise the fear of being caught and if people make mistakes but do so to try and save their company, we cut them a small amount of slack but still give them consequences.

White collar crime is NOT a victimless crime.

It's a crime.


AND those companies that play fair, should be the list we go to for government contracts and just cut out all that other crap.


MOST HONEST bidder, not lowest bidder might keep us from dealing with pond scum anyway.

[llashram]

2. we

are a slowly progressing democracy. Oh so very slow precisely because of people who are afraid to share power. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. America has been run sometimes, by very frail
and corrupt leadership locally and nationally. Our history is rife and now is swarming with individuals intent on a government, Executive, Supreme Court(done deal, so far) and Legislative being run by racist, sexist, homophobic individuals. We as the US, in the millions, held the line for our democracy this time and didn't break. Yet while celebrating the Republicans' narrow victory in the House and our gaining an outright majority in the Senate I am now immediately looking toward the future which may well offer up a fascist-leaning individual(from many comes one)with honeyed words of reassurance that they will offer us "peace and safety". TFG did this for certain constituents in 2015. Appealed to Americans that represent the very underbelly of the American dream. They were defeated in this past election yet are still milling about with the hangman's noose in their hand...

Our vigilance is the glue holding this democracy together as proven by US in this latest round of elections. Yes, America still has sins to be accounted for and I believe as individuals we have a chance to progress to a full, overwhelming democracy of citizens intent on living in an unassailed domestic society without militias with their fascist leaders intent on murdering, hanging or otherwise trying to suppress our rare form of democracy.

I have been called naive many many times in my adult life for saying words like this and sharing my dreams. I say this is one of the reasons my heart led me to join the Army to help protect what I and millions of others dream of as an ideal democracy even with our shortcomings as human beings. And I say so be it. I am proud of my naivety and at 74 I shall continue to strive for our appreciable democracy being distinguishable from ALL other societies.

[TigressDem]

3. Yeah, and we as a Democracy are in that stage where many break.

At this point, we are the longest STANDING Democracy in the World at 219 years.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/08/countries-are-the-worlds-oldest-democracies/



KEEPING the POWER in the HANDS OF THE VOTERS is where it gets dicey.

We have to keep our election process FAIR and TRANSPARENT

We have to keep CHECKS and BALANCES in place so no one branch can ram partisan policies through against the PEOPLE

We have to crack down on HATE groups as the Terrorist Cells that they are and break them up. Bullets aren't free speech.

We have to reverse Citizens United, money ain't free speech either. It's called bribery and needs to be prosecuted.


Thanks for your service.

My Dad was in the Army. Korean Conflict. But he was hung up on a tree when he parachuted into jungle. Someone shot up his spine and his people got him out. He was in a body cast for about a year. At that time spinal fusions was a new thing.

So I was raised to respect people who serve as long as they honor the uniform.

Grew up in Seattle during the Black Panther Riots and my parents still let me play with all my friends.

I remember one girls' Mother telling me she couldn't play with ME because I played with Indian kids. I told my friend, I was sorry her Mother wasn't very nice or smart and left. I was about 5 at the time. I try to keep the courage and honestly of the heart I had back then. I need it daily it seems.


Peace,

Tigress

[llashram]

4. +++