I still am in disbelief that such a moronic cretin like Doofus Trump was ever elected in the first place. The fact that this imbecile had access to top government secrets is mind blowing to me still.
I still am in disbelief that such a moronic cretin like Doofus Trump was ever elected in the first place. The fact that this imbecile had access to top government secrets is mind blowing to me still.
Yes ,I totally agree. Also, chillingly, is the idea that he wants to run again. A twice impeached egomaniacal liar wants to be POTUS again and has many people behind him including representatives in Congress. This just blows my mind as does these representatives in Congress still representing constituents when they do not believe in the legitimacy of our current POTUS and his entire administration. I am beyond baffled and horrified.
Good morning Terri. I am posting in a few places today an interesting essay by TC on his Substack. For me, a make sense explanation of how the former gets away with his devious, ghastly machinations since childhood. Give it a readтАжperhaps with a favorite beverage in hand.
And the worst of it? It clearly suggests to me what тАЬtrumpismтАЭ is and it is exactly what he has divulged and instructed to his maga baseтАж. тАЬThis is how you do it.тАЭ The man himself is hardly necessary anymore. The art of the lie he has perpetrated upon masses in this country is what must be realized and addressed and excised. The majority of Republicans and subversive candidates around the country have no platform or agenda besides this.
I just read that, great piece. I have a comment on the NY AG case. There is a lot out there about how the appraisers (Cushman & Wakefield) were told to conduct communication by phone rather than email, to reduce the paper trail. I was an appraiser, and worked for Cushman at one point. I would be beyond surprised if the files of those jobs didnтАЩt include detailed, contemporaneous notes of every single phone call. Unless someone has purged the files, of course, but it sounds to me like the analyst who worked on that job was suspicious of the request, and may have backed up his or her notes. I would have. While the documentation requirements arenтАЩt quite as stringent as those for accounting firms who do similar work, they are still there. I canтАЩt imagine that those analysts havenтАЩt been interviewed by the NY AG.
Yes. And if any of the transactions in question had any relationship to the stock market then a SEC audit of such appraisal valuations would be demanded and recorded and easily retrievable by investigators.
I should also note that proving an appraisal wrong is not very easy. An appraisal is an opinion of value, highly dependent on the underlying assumptions. The only тАЬrealтАЭ value would be an actual armтАЩs length transaction; ie a sale between two disinterested parties.
KR was responding to TC Substack piece about the former that I posted. Morning Fern. How are you? Your long informative post this morning reminded me of blog piece from 2016 about the differences between self esteem (Americans get high marks)and self worth (some Americans donтАЩt know the difference).
Thanks, Christine. I'm familiar with the difference between the two. Thank you for your offer. Please post as, perhaps, a review will sharpen my memory.
Oh. Your memory does not need the sharpening. I know you know difference. My thought of the essays came from your post this morning about тАЬwhy is America so dividedтАЭ and the research cited.
Christine, I was thinking of James Madison when I read the Pew analysis about the two parties' role in our toxic division. Now, as to my sometimes 'long' comments, when dealing with an important issue, I don't go for posting a personal opinion, and if I do, it is backed up by solid research. Personal opinions are valuable in the mix of comments, and comments with a selection of quotes and or articles are based on our learning and what each of us thinks may best inform subscribers. So, Christine, another long one is on the way.
'America Is Now the Divided Republic the Framers Feared'
'John Adams worried that тАЬa division of the republic into two great parties тАж is to be dreaded as the great political evil.тАЭ And thatтАЩs exactly what has come to pass.'
'George WashingtonтАЩs farewell address is often remembered for its warning against hyper-partisanship: тАЬThe alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism.тАЭ John Adams, WashingtonтАЩs successor, similarly worried that тАЬa division of the republic into two great parties тАж is to be dreaded as the great political evil.тАЭ
'America has now become that dreaded divided republic. The existential menace is as foretold, and it is breaking the system of government the Founders put in place with the Constitution.'
'Though AmericaтАЩs two-party system goes back centuries, the threat today is new and different because the two parties are now truly distinct, a development that I date to the 2010 midterms. Until then, the two parties contained enough overlapping multitudes within them that the sort of bargaining and coalition-building natural to multiparty democracy could work inside the two-party system. No more. America now has just two parties, and thatтАЩs it.'
'The theory that guided Washington and Adams was simple, and widespread at the time. If a consistent partisan majority ever united to take control of the government, it would use its power to oppress the minority. The fragile consent of the governed would break down, and violence and authoritarianism would follow. This was how previous republics had fallen into civil wars, and the Framers were intent on learning from history, not repeating its mistakes.'
'James Madison, the preeminent theorist of the bunch and rightly called the father of the Constitution, supported the idea of an тАЬextended republicтАЭ (a strong national government, as opposed to 13 loosely confederated states) for precisely this reason. In a small republic, he reasoned, factions could more easily unite into consistent governing majorities. But in a large republic, with more factions and more distance, a permanent majority with a permanent minority was less likely.'
'The Framers thought they were using the most advanced political theory of the time to prevent parties from forming. By separating powers across competing institutions, they thought a majority party would never form. Combine the two insightsтАФa large, diverse republic with a separation of powersтАФand the hyper-partisanship that felled earlier republics would be averted. Or so they believed.'
Fern, it is the TCinLA piece Christine linked and that I responded to. I read about CushmanтАЩs involvement somewhere else, let me do a bit of sleuthing as I donтАЩt remember where.
KR, Rather than suggest subscribers go on a fox hunt to read what you have recommended, why not copy the link and provide it as part of your comment? How many times has Christine posted? You are suggesting I check each one to find the link to TC's piece. Luckily, I subscribe to his 'Another fine mess...'
Subscribers are presumed by you to know that. In addition, replies are often separated from the initial comment. My suggestion would make follow-up easier for subscribers reading your comment.
Doofus Trump has only a desperate, amoral willingness to do anything to get what his id demands. I have never seen any real intelligence in him. The man doesnтАЩt read! His would be replacements are pale imitations to his cult. I find him so loathsome, I simply cannot comprehend how he, of all people, became a cult leader. I have read extensively on it but as far as understanding it-no. I do agree his cult no longer needs him to carry on their craziness. So frightening!
Thank you for sharing this commentary. Enlightening, and we knew. Or some of us did. This quote from the post: тАЬThat inability to perceive that the threat is an Actual Threat is the common thread in all histories of fascism, of how the fascists obtained power. The people who lived in Berlin between 1928-32, who told my friend that he was тАЬa crankтАЭ for seeing Hitler and the Nazis as the threat they really were, who called the Nazis тАЬclowns,тАЭ werenтАЩt morons, fools or idiots. Most of them were the complete opposite.тАЭ I continue to be surprised that tfg still has so many followers. Even before first election and his refusal to provide financial records, we knew that this тАЬgreat business manтАЭ had filed bankruptcy seven times. The fact that his misdeeds and lies are out there, didnтАЩt stop the repub party heads or public to vote for him not once but twice.
I think we will find he was installed. He was talking about rigging back then. He is a man who cannot keep his trap shut when he knows something he can project propaganda-wise on someone else.
Many moronic cretin knuckle-dragging doofuses were first distracted into commiserating about their undeserved plight instead of working to better themselves...then they were deceived into believing they found the solution to their self-imposed lowly social status...the one who needed to destroy American Democracy
I knew when Trump won the Republican primary heтАЩd be elected. That every Republican who denounced him would vote for him, or not defend against him by voting for the Democrat. Republicans will line up to vote for a tree stumpтАФ74 million just demonstrated they still want TrumpтАФand he knows it.
I still am in disbelief that such a moronic cretin like Doofus Trump was ever elected in the first place. The fact that this imbecile had access to top government secrets is mind blowing to me still.
Yes ,I totally agree. Also, chillingly, is the idea that he wants to run again. A twice impeached egomaniacal liar wants to be POTUS again and has many people behind him including representatives in Congress. This just blows my mind as does these representatives in Congress still representing constituents when they do not believe in the legitimacy of our current POTUS and his entire administration. I am beyond baffled and horrified.
He wants to stay out of jail, and sees the presidency as a get out of jail free card, as well as a great grift.
Nailed it!
Good morning Terri. I am posting in a few places today an interesting essay by TC on his Substack. For me, a make sense explanation of how the former gets away with his devious, ghastly machinations since childhood. Give it a readтАжperhaps with a favorite beverage in hand.
https://tcinla757.substack.com/p/how-he-gets-away-with-it?r=l2aa7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=direct
And the worst of it? It clearly suggests to me what тАЬtrumpismтАЭ is and it is exactly what he has divulged and instructed to his maga baseтАж. тАЬThis is how you do it.тАЭ The man himself is hardly necessary anymore. The art of the lie he has perpetrated upon masses in this country is what must be realized and addressed and excised. The majority of Republicans and subversive candidates around the country have no platform or agenda besides this.
I just read that, great piece. I have a comment on the NY AG case. There is a lot out there about how the appraisers (Cushman & Wakefield) were told to conduct communication by phone rather than email, to reduce the paper trail. I was an appraiser, and worked for Cushman at one point. I would be beyond surprised if the files of those jobs didnтАЩt include detailed, contemporaneous notes of every single phone call. Unless someone has purged the files, of course, but it sounds to me like the analyst who worked on that job was suspicious of the request, and may have backed up his or her notes. I would have. While the documentation requirements arenтАЩt quite as stringent as those for accounting firms who do similar work, they are still there. I canтАЩt imagine that those analysts havenтАЩt been interviewed by the NY AG.
Yes. And if any of the transactions in question had any relationship to the stock market then a SEC audit of such appraisal valuations would be demanded and recorded and easily retrievable by investigators.
Great post. Thank you KR.
KR, Please provide the link for the article you mentioned at the beginning of your comment or where it appeared. Thank you.
https://tcinla757.substack.com/p/how-he-gets-away-with-it?r=l2aa7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=direct
Thanks, Kim. I subscribe, so once I received a hint from KR, I knew where to go. Cheers, Kim!
Here is a piece by CNN which mentions avoiding a paper trail with appraisers: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/19/politics/takeaways-trump-organization/index.html
I should also note that proving an appraisal wrong is not very easy. An appraisal is an opinion of value, highly dependent on the underlying assumptions. The only тАЬrealтАЭ value would be an actual armтАЩs length transaction; ie a sale between two disinterested parties.
KR was responding to TC Substack piece about the former that I posted. Morning Fern. How are you? Your long informative post this morning reminded me of blog piece from 2016 about the differences between self esteem (Americans get high marks)and self worth (some Americans donтАЩt know the difference).
Would you like to see the essays?
Thanks, Christine. I'm familiar with the difference between the two. Thank you for your offer. Please post as, perhaps, a review will sharpen my memory.
Oh. Your memory does not need the sharpening. I know you know difference. My thought of the essays came from your post this morning about тАЬwhy is America so dividedтАЭ and the research cited.
Christine, I was thinking of James Madison when I read the Pew analysis about the two parties' role in our toxic division. Now, as to my sometimes 'long' comments, when dealing with an important issue, I don't go for posting a personal opinion, and if I do, it is backed up by solid research. Personal opinions are valuable in the mix of comments, and comments with a selection of quotes and or articles are based on our learning and what each of us thinks may best inform subscribers. So, Christine, another long one is on the way.
'America Is Now the Divided Republic the Framers Feared'
'John Adams worried that тАЬa division of the republic into two great parties тАж is to be dreaded as the great political evil.тАЭ And thatтАЩs exactly what has come to pass.'
'George WashingtonтАЩs farewell address is often remembered for its warning against hyper-partisanship: тАЬThe alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism.тАЭ John Adams, WashingtonтАЩs successor, similarly worried that тАЬa division of the republic into two great parties тАж is to be dreaded as the great political evil.тАЭ
'America has now become that dreaded divided republic. The existential menace is as foretold, and it is breaking the system of government the Founders put in place with the Constitution.'
'Though AmericaтАЩs two-party system goes back centuries, the threat today is new and different because the two parties are now truly distinct, a development that I date to the 2010 midterms. Until then, the two parties contained enough overlapping multitudes within them that the sort of bargaining and coalition-building natural to multiparty democracy could work inside the two-party system. No more. America now has just two parties, and thatтАЩs it.'
'The theory that guided Washington and Adams was simple, and widespread at the time. If a consistent partisan majority ever united to take control of the government, it would use its power to oppress the minority. The fragile consent of the governed would break down, and violence and authoritarianism would follow. This was how previous republics had fallen into civil wars, and the Framers were intent on learning from history, not repeating its mistakes.'
'James Madison, the preeminent theorist of the bunch and rightly called the father of the Constitution, supported the idea of an тАЬextended republicтАЭ (a strong national government, as opposed to 13 loosely confederated states) for precisely this reason. In a small republic, he reasoned, factions could more easily unite into consistent governing majorities. But in a large republic, with more factions and more distance, a permanent majority with a permanent minority was less likely.'
'The Framers thought they were using the most advanced political theory of the time to prevent parties from forming. By separating powers across competing institutions, they thought a majority party would never form. Combine the two insightsтАФa large, diverse republic with a separation of powersтАФand the hyper-partisanship that felled earlier republics would be averted. Or so they believed.'
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/two-party-system-broke-constitution/604213/
Fern, it is the TCinLA piece Christine linked and that I responded to. I read about CushmanтАЩs involvement somewhere else, let me do a bit of sleuthing as I donтАЩt remember where.
KR, Rather than suggest subscribers go on a fox hunt to read what you have recommended, why not copy the link and provide it as part of your comment? How many times has Christine posted? You are suggesting I check each one to find the link to TC's piece. Luckily, I subscribe to his 'Another fine mess...'
Fern, itтАЩs literally in the post I was responding to. Hardly a fox hunt.
Subscribers are presumed by you to know that. In addition, replies are often separated from the initial comment. My suggestion would make follow-up easier for subscribers reading your comment.
Wow ok here ya go. https://tcinla757.substack.com/p/how-he-gets-away-with-it?r=l2aa7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=direct
Doofus Trump has only a desperate, amoral willingness to do anything to get what his id demands. I have never seen any real intelligence in him. The man doesnтАЩt read! His would be replacements are pale imitations to his cult. I find him so loathsome, I simply cannot comprehend how he, of all people, became a cult leader. I have read extensively on it but as far as understanding it-no. I do agree his cult no longer needs him to carry on their craziness. So frightening!
OK to be scared. Just do not be afraid.
voting intelligently will always overcome fear
Thank you for sharing this commentary. Enlightening, and we knew. Or some of us did. This quote from the post: тАЬThat inability to perceive that the threat is an Actual Threat is the common thread in all histories of fascism, of how the fascists obtained power. The people who lived in Berlin between 1928-32, who told my friend that he was тАЬa crankтАЭ for seeing Hitler and the Nazis as the threat they really were, who called the Nazis тАЬclowns,тАЭ werenтАЩt morons, fools or idiots. Most of them were the complete opposite.тАЭ I continue to be surprised that tfg still has so many followers. Even before first election and his refusal to provide financial records, we knew that this тАЬgreat business manтАЭ had filed bankruptcy seven times. The fact that his misdeeds and lies are out there, didnтАЩt stop the repub party heads or public to vote for him not once but twice.
Ahhhh...Vintage 1989 The Balvenie PortWood Single Malt Scotch Whisky, neat...double...wonderful!
Even the name sounds delish.
I think we will find he was installed. He was talking about rigging back then. He is a man who cannot keep his trap shut when he knows something he can project propaganda-wise on someone else.
Many moronic cretin knuckle-dragging doofuses were first distracted into commiserating about their undeserved plight instead of working to better themselves...then they were deceived into believing they found the solution to their self-imposed lowly social status...the one who needed to destroy American Democracy
I knew when Trump won the Republican primary heтАЩd be elected. That every Republican who denounced him would vote for him, or not defend against him by voting for the Democrat. Republicans will line up to vote for a tree stumpтАФ74 million just demonstrated they still want TrumpтАФand he knows it.