Former president trump indicted.

[Trunkage]

What kind of money exactly, and why is there "no way" other than corruption, your spidey-sense not counting?

Well, I would say there was corruption. Just not necessarily anything to do with the US government or Joe. I do not know why people only use corruption when it has something to do with governments. It happens all the time between businesses

I would say the same thing about Hunter as Trump, Musk, Bezos, Gates or SBF. They lie to get positions they dont deserve, spend an extraordinary amount of time destroying the competition, litigate where ever possible (and pretend they won when they settled).

None of these guys are compentent. None of them deserved what they got. They stole off others and canceled anyone who disagreed with them. Hunter is just the next in line

 

[Hades]

There is no way, barring corruption, anyone was paying Hunter Biden the kind of money he was making. So, why was he making it (and as a novice, making $500k for his paintings?) EDIT: The MSM claimed they couldn't report on the laptop as it wasn't corroborated. Well, not a lot of hard work to do to corroborate it. So why wasn't it? Because they didn't do an investigation as they didn't want to know. Not that I have any proof of that: it's just the only thing that makes any credible sense.

isn’t it more likely Hunter was a PR hire? That some guy at the top thought it would be a good look to have someone indirectly connected to a widely admired administration on the board?

Boardrooms are full of rich kids who are only there because their dad knows a guy who knows a guy. Why would Hunter be any more than that?

 

[Ag3ma]

isn’t it more likely Hunter was a PR hire? That some guy at the top thought it would be a good look to have someone indirectly connected to a widely admired administration on the board?

It is very plausible that companies proactively hire relatives and friends of high-ranking politicians in the hope of getting some sort of inside access or favour without the politician pulling any strings or having knowledge or intent.

At the simplest level, there's the networking. The corporation and it's staff now know someone who knows someone, and may be able to arrange a meeting. Then that it's very difficult to fully compartmentalise one's life: even if the politician and relative/friend establish a "firewall", it's not going to be perfect, and chunks of information that cross will undoubtedly skew decision-making, even if subconsciously.

One might note during Trump's presidency the rash of foreign dignitaries who started staying at Trump hotels and golf courses. Trump won't have asked them to, they'll have done it on their own initiative as an easy way to curry favour.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Or are we arguing anyone who breaks any law ever is bad no matter what?

When the person who is breaking laws has harmed countless people, destroyed faith in critical support systems, and promoted a violent coup? I say yes, nail him on anything you can. Remember Al Capone? The Feds never got him on organized crime; they nailed him on tax evasion. Are you going to tell me that he was just some misunderstood hero trying to buck the system?

 

[Silvanus]

There is no way, barring corruption, anyone was paying Hunter Biden the kind of money he was making. So, why was he making it (and as a novice, making $500k for his paintings?)

OK. So you've gotta simultaneously believe the same of thousands of other politicians and their buddies and families, considering how commonplace it is.

There's no way, barring corruption, anyone was paying Trump hundreds of thousands of dollars for a speech. Right?

EDIT: The MSM claimed they couldn't report on the laptop as it wasn't corroborated. Well, not a lot of hard work to do to corroborate it. So why wasn't it? Because they didn't do an investigation as they didn't want to know. Not that I have any proof of that: it's just the only thing that makes any credible sense.

There's two possibilities for why a story isn't corroborated.

1. Noone tried.
2. There's nothing to the story.

In either case, the story gets listed as "uncorroborated". And I hate to be the one to tell you this, but 99 times out of 100, the reason is the second one. In this case, we know they did try, because there were several public investigations, including one run by Biden's opponents. And they found nothing.

 

[Hades]

There's always been something really strange about the smear campaign against Hunter Biden.

The big smoking gun MAGA (thinks it) has about Hunter involves the possibility of nepotism. But this requires MAGA to fiercely oppose something they otherwise celebrate. If nepotism is such a dire crime that Trump is ''forced'' to blackmail Ukraine to get it addressed, then why do they all glorify Trump who's both a product of, and practitioner of nepotism.

Even if we take the best case scenario and assume that Biden got Hunter a job at a foreign company then this is still less bad than Trump personally giving his kids powerful positions in the White House just because they're his kids.

 

[Absent]

Heartwarming.

 

[Thaluikhain]

There's always been something really strange about the smear campaign against Hunter Biden.

The big smoking gun MAGA (thinks it) has about Hunter involves the possibility of nepotism. But this requires MAGA to fiercely oppose something they otherwise celebrate. If nepotism is such a dire crime that Trump is ''forced'' to blackmail Ukraine to get it addressed, then why do they all glorify Trump who's both a product of, and practitioner of nepotism.

Even if we take the best case scenario and assume that Biden got Hunter a job at a foreign company then this is still less bad than Trump personally giving his kids powerful positions in the White House just because they're his kids.

Compare their complaints about corruption. Or abusing kids.

 

[Absent]

Compare their complaints about corruption. Or abusing kids.

Or "cancelling culture".

 

[Thaluikhain]

Or "cancelling culture".

Oh, that's a good one, yeah. Anything to do with censorship or free speech.

Or religious freedom.

 

[Dwarvenhobble]

When the person who is breaking laws has harmed countless people, destroyed faith in critical support systems, and promoted a violent coup? I say yes, nail him on anything you can. Remember Al Capone? The Feds never got him on organized crime; they nailed him on tax evasion. Are you going to tell me that he was just some misunderstood hero trying to buck the system?

So I take it the guards Robin and his Merry men harmed are something that shouldn't be brought up right?
Robin Hood helped destroy faith in the crown in his stories.
The Merry men were likely seen by the sheriff as a violent group.

Pretty sure Al Capone didn't pretend to be changing the system and was pretty open about wanting to get tons of money lol

There's always been something really strange about the smear campaign against Hunter Biden.

The big smoking gun MAGA (thinks it) has about Hunter involves the possibility of nepotism. But this requires MAGA to fiercely oppose something they otherwise celebrate. If nepotism is such a dire crime that Trump is ''forced'' to blackmail Ukraine to get it addressed, then why do they all glorify Trump who's both a product of, and practitioner of nepotism.

Even if we take the best case scenario and assume that Biden got Hunter a job at a foreign company then this is still less bad than Trump personally giving his kids powerful positions in the White House just because they're his kids.

It's less the nepotism angle more the sheer fuckery of it.
The joke being it was the LLs criticising Trump for nepotism but seem fine with it for Hunter.
The LL criticised Trump for not being a great family man but apparently Hunter Biden with hookers and blow is just fine.
Trump's nepotism was mostly filling government positions (which you'd want some-one you trust in and well plenty of people trust their families so it makes far more sense.

With the sort of corporate nepotism it very much seems like the company paying Hunter a big salary just to keep him employed and pay him well as a favour to Joe rather than because Hunter actually knows his stuff too or has much other reason to be there.

I'd be more fearful and concerned about corporate influence on politics than nepotism in putting people into positions in government personally.

 

[Silvanus]

I'd be more fearful and concerned about corporate influence on politics than nepotism in putting people into positions in government personally.

'Course you would, because this totally isn't just about who says stuff you like and who doesn't.

 

[Ag3ma]

The joke being it was the LLs criticising Trump for nepotism but seem fine with it for Hunter.
The LL criticised Trump for not being a great family man but apparently Hunter Biden with hookers and blow is just fine.
Trump's nepotism was mostly filling government positions (which you'd want some-one you trust in and well plenty of people trust their families so it makes far more sense.

Sure, because there's no difference at all between what a private citizen does in their home life and what a public official does with government resources.

 

[gorfias]

What kind of money exactly, and why is there "no way" other than corruption, your spidey-sense not counting?

For starters, $500K for the paintings of a middle aged hedonist amateur. $1.4 billion not for him, but collected by him and Joe Biden in USAF 2 in China. 10% for the big guy and more.

isn’t it more likely Hunter was a PR hire? That some guy at the top thought it would be a good look to have someone indirectly connected to a widely admired administration on the board?

Boardrooms are full of rich kids who are only there because their dad knows a guy who knows a guy. Why would Hunter be any more than that?

And its possible Jussie Smollet was jumped by two white MAGA supporters who were looking for him at 2 AM during an Arctic Blast in Chicago. I just think we can reasonably know this is all corruption.

I'm good with nepotism in the private sector: they pay for what they get. When it is ultimately on the public dime? You and I are paying for it.

Hunter was expensively educated, and graduated from top universities. This gave him a good foundation for his early career in banking, where he was apparently successful enough, and then he did a stint in the Department of Commerce before moving on to lobbying and hedge fund management. There is no clear evidence he as seriously underperformed in his jobs. On paper at least, there really is nothing that says he has gained positions beyond his merits.


They did do an investigation into the laptop and its contents, more than one, I think. There was just nothing verifiable that provided significant evidence of corruption or misconduct.

This is the core issue: there is no good evidence Hunter Biden's career is the product of corruption. Privilege and potentially advantageous social connections almost certainly, but not foul play. Simply claiming that the lack of evidence of corruption is the result of conspiracy just isn't very useful.

I don't know if you've seen him speak or not, but it reminds me of a 30 year old critique of Harvard in National Review. "It is not that you cannot get a good education at Harvard. You can. The problem is you (Like Ted Kennedy) can graduate from there without having gotten a good education.

Well. At least well after the 2020 election, after Joe Biden looked into the camera during a debate and noted 50 deep state intelligence assets have stated that the laptop has all the ear marks of Russian disinformation (I don't recall off hand what he called it) they at least admit now that it is real.

ITMT: The Trump surrender is supposedly happening today.

 

[Silvanus]

I'm good with nepotism in the private sector: they pay for what they get. When it is ultimately on the public dime? You and I are paying for it.

So... the Clintons taking money for speaking engagements and Hunter Biden taking money for paintings from private entities are fine, whilst Trump appointing completely unqualified family members to government positions is unacceptable?

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Pretty sure Al Capone didn't pretend to be changing the system and was pretty open about wanting to get tons of money lol

The only difference is that Trump fooled you into thinking he didn't want to get tons of money.

 

[Trunkage]

There's always been something really strange about the smear campaign against Hunter Biden.

The big smoking gun MAGA (thinks it) has about Hunter involves the possibility of nepotism. But this requires MAGA to fiercely oppose something they otherwise celebrate. If nepotism is such a dire crime that Trump is ''forced'' to blackmail Ukraine to get it addressed, then why do they all glorify Trump who's both a product of, and practitioner of nepotism.

Even if we take the best case scenario and assume that Biden got Hunter a job at a foreign company then this is still less bad than Trump personally giving his kids powerful positions in the White House just because they're his kids.

I wanna be clear. Hunter Biden probably can't be smeared. He shown he's been pretty useless

If your going to smear someone, at least have some form of evidence to back it up. Or, in Hunters case, provide a smear that's actually a smear

 

[Trunkage]

The only difference is that Trump fooled you into thinking he didn't want to get tons of money.

I'm pretty sure Al Capone stated many times that he wanted to change the system

 

[Ag3ma]

For starters, $500K for the paintings of a middle aged hedonist amateur.

Are you also going to criticise that Trump spawn for her jewellery and shoes, the best ones of which were ripped off an Italian designer?

Mediocre scions of the rich trading off their family name isn't the real problem. The real problem is things like a president sticking much of his family in The White House occupying positions of governance for which they appear to have few, if any qualifications. It doesn't become okay just because he was obvious about it.

Let's face it, Trump's corruption and nepotism is staring us in the face. Trying to manufacture conspiracies about Hunter Biden as a retort is tantamount to admitting Trump wasn't, and still isn't, fit to hold office.

 

[Absent]

I'm pretty sure Al Capone stated many times that he wanted to change the system

Well, he was apparently appreciated for charities (charity soups, if I remember well), and played it "I just give people what they want" (alcohol during the pretty dumb prohibition era), so yes, he had a bit of a populist politician aspect and some supporters. Escobar was also liked for local investments and stuff.

There's nothing you can do on Earth that is too horrible to get some moronic fandom. Heck not even in fiction. Trump's popularity is safe. Imbeciles are a solid investment.