Month: December 2020

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How To Transfer A Trillion

December 22, 2020

Say you have a problem. A laundry problem. You’ve stolen the largest amount of money in history, but you can’t spend it. That would raise questions for someone who has been pulling down no more than a government paycheck during his entire multi-decade career.

Answer: On-line banking! You take control of the government of two large countries. Say, Russia and the United States.

Then the former hacks the Treasury Department of the latter. The leader of the latter, curiously, doesn’t complain.

Putin makes deposits. Trump makes withdrawals.

Problem solved!

MOE

M.I.C.H. – Modernity, Intelligence, Complexity, Humanity

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More on Immunity

December 2, 2020

Here’s an example, from abroad, of what I was talking about in the prior post:

“An MEP from Hungary’s ruling party, which is hostile to LGBT rights, has quit after he was caught attending what Belgian media describe as a gay sex party in Brussels on Friday.

Jozsef Szajer, a top member of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party, was stopped by police after reports of a house party violating lockdown rules.

Prosecutors say he was found with drugs as he tried to flee the gathering, reportedly shinning down a drainpipe.

He apologised for “a personal failing”.

On Friday he had pleaded parliamentary immunity but he is now under investigation – for both non-compliance with measures relating to the Covid-19 pandemic and violation of drug laws.

The European Parliament said the immunity rule only extended to an MEP’s official duties, not to their private life.” BBC World News 12/02/20

MOE

M.I.C.H. – Modernity, Intelligence, Complexity, Humanity

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Presidential Pardons

December 2, 2020

What is all this talk about “pre-emptive” pardons for the Pres, Giuliani, Ivanka and the boys?

They may be guilty of all sorts of things.

But don’t you have to be convicted of something – something specific, a crime – before you can be pardoned for it?

I see Putin has been trying to get Russian law changed so that he can’t be tried for any crime for life – a sort of permanent get out of jail free card. Is that what we are talking about here, but by trying to use an existing constitutional power to do it? Can this be done?

Article Two, Section 2 (Powers and Duties of the President): “…he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.” Doesn’t say he shall have power to grant immunity or to hold harmless in perpetuity, which is what is being discussed. And doesn’t the qualifier about impeachment strongly suggest that the intent of the framers was that the presidential pardon power was not intended for self use?

MOE

M.I.C.H. – Modernity, Intelligence, Complexity, Humanity

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On Fraud and Evidence

December 1, 2020

So the Donald’s myth-making goes like this:

Lawyers: “Your Honor, our client lost the election because of fraud.”

Judge: “What is your evidence?”

Lawyers: “He lost the election.”

Common denominator: their client lost the election.

MOE

M.I.C.H. – Modernity, Intelligence, Complexity, Humanity