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A story about a pathetic man's downfall


Francisco 2.0

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How do you flee the country when you have secret service detail? Wouldn't Biden just be able to have them bring him back?
For those FlightAware experts who are now bored because the UT coaching search is over, it would be an interesting research exercise to see if any civilian planes have landed at Camp David over the last couple of months and never departed.
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5 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

These stupid fucks really thought the stink wouldn’t stick. As Schiff said, with a steel cord. People at Enron could find jobs for years. You enabled a fucking coup, yeah, fuck you 

 

They will all find jobs. But they likely will be with other right wing organizations. They aren't getting invited to nice parties or getting the no-show cushy jobs that these types of places usually get. But they will get high paying jobs with someone. That's why whoever was involved in the insurrection has to be prosecuted. That prevents you from having jobs.

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8 minutes ago, TXSG8R said:

There are absolutely Trumpkins in the military.  I have high confidence they would hold their nose and do their jobs if ordered to.  The penalties for treason for people in uniform is severe to say the least.  Taking up arms against the government (levying war against the government), or disobeying orders to defend it (giving aid or comfort to the government’s enemies), would qualify as treason IMO.  They would be reminded of that before they got on the truck.  

The threat of punishment for treason works when the predicted cost of violation exceeds the predicted cost of compliance. In normal times, when only very few, scattered individuals oppose the state, the former is so much higher than the latter that we take it as a given that would-be insurrectionists will fall in line for fear of the noose. But that is a mirage based on our limited, sheltered experience.

We are not in normal times and I expect matters to get worse. A mob just stormed the Capitol building and caused members of Congress to cower in fear. Those images—and the fact that the vast majority of the mob will return to their normal lives without any penalty—will only embolden the MAGA idiots to push even further. The next mob will be bigger, better prepared, and less hesitant. The Inauguration will be a very dangerous event. 

Maybe Trump’s fall will dissipate this apocalyptic fantasy cult he’s driven into a seditionist frenzy. Or maybe someone else—Flynn, Hawley, Alex Jones—takes the reins and ramps shit up even further. But I worry that Wednesday was just a preview of what’s to come from these maniacs.

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They'll try again on the 20th. The guard better be ten fold what they did for the George Floyd stuff in D.C. Biden might be better off being sworn in by a private televised ceremony from the Rocky Mountain bunker. Then let Garland loose on identifying all the traitors.

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Just now, kevwun said:

Twitter needs to be hammered.  Fucking Facebook had the balls to do the right thing and ban trump until the inauguration.

At least Twitter has labeled all of his bullshit tweets as bullshit.  Facebook still lets right wingers run rampant, don't they?

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19 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I like the idea of Trump self-pardoning himself.  At the very least, it's a shakier strategy than resigning and having Pence pardon him.

Yeah, and I think it has the best chance to get some momentum for adding teeth to all the things that Trump proved were just norms observed by the sane and rational men occupying the Presidency before him.

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20 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

These stupid fucks really thought the stink wouldn’t stick. As Schiff said, with a steel cord. People at Enron could find jobs for years. You enabled a fucking coup, yeah, fuck you 

 

Well, no less than Fiona Hill worked in the Trump Administration, thinking she could make a difference, and lived to regret it.  She also had an extraordinary opportunity to "recant" that isn't available to a lot of lower-rung types.

There are certainly those that deserve to be painted with a trumpkin brush.  There are also those who do not.  It's not a simple thing.

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5 minutes ago, 'stache said:

Biden might be better off being sworn in by a private televised ceremony from the Rocky Mountain bunker.

Does the swearing in have to happen at noon, or is that just convention? What should happen, is the first second into 20 Jan, Biden should be officially sworn in, in private. Trump will not have to know that he is no longer president. Then have the public ceremony, which actually won't count. So Biden will actually be in charge of inauguration security. And if Trump tries to pull any shit he can be arrested on the spot.

We don't normally do it this way, but this isn't normal.

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1 minute ago, pantone159 said:

Does the swearing in have to happen at noon, or is that just convention? What should happen, is the first second into 20 Jan, Biden should be officially sworn in, in private. Trump will not have to know that he is no longer president. Then have the public ceremony, which actually won't count. So Biden will actually be in charge of inauguration security. And if Trump tries to pull any shit he can be arrested on the spot.

We don't normally do it this way, but this isn't normal.

I think the constitution says noon on the 20th. Trump is still president until the clock hits that time. But surely the president elect has some say over inauguration security, the same way he gets briefings before he is sworn in.

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16 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

The threat of punishment for treason works when the predicted cost of violation exceeds the predicted cost of compliance. In normal times, when only very few, scattered individuals oppose the state, the former is so much higher than the latter that we take it as a given that would-be insurrectionists will fall in line for fear of the noose. But that is a mirage based on our limited, sheltered experience.

We are not in normal times and I expect matters to get worse. A mob just stormed the Capitol building and caused members of Congress to cower in fear. Those images—and the fact that the vast majority of the mob will return to their normal lives without any penalty—will only embolden the MAGA idiots to push even further. The next mob will be bigger, better prepared, and less hesitant. The Inauguration will be a very dangerous event. 

Maybe Trump’s fall will dissipate this apocalyptic fantasy cult he’s driven into a seditionist frenzy. Or maybe someone else—Flynn, Hawley, Alex Jones—takes the reins and ramps shit up even further. But I worry that Wednesday was just a preview of what’s to come from these maniacs.

Also, "economic" theories of deterrence, like this, depend, as do most things economic, on rational actors.

And that is a flaw here as it is with many economic theories.

But these people aren't like the general population, who can't be counted upon to act rationally.

They can actually be counted upon to act irrationally and not just in some economically suboptimal manner, but actually, expressly, insanely irrational.

 

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Fuck twitter.  JFC, I cannot believe they gave him access again before the end of his term.  Cunts.

It’s total bullshit. I am suspended for 7 days for telling a total Trump/Q asshole that I would enjoy punching him in the face.

But hey - start a fucking coup and you get 12 hours off.
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28 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

It only takes one truckfull of them....ask Sadat's ghost about that....

Our country is under sustained terrorist attack, and the attack is being dispatched from within the White House.  I cannot emphasize enough how bad this is.

 

19 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

The threat of punishment for treason works when the predicted cost of violation exceeds the predicted cost of compliance. In normal times, when only very few, scattered individuals oppose the state, the former is so much higher than the latter that we take it as a given that would-be insurrectionists will fall in line for fear of the noose. But that is a mirage based on our limited, sheltered experience.

We are not in normal times and I expect matters to get worse. A mob just stormed the Capitol building and caused members of Congress to cower in fear. Those images—and the fact that the vast majority of the mob will return to their normal lives without any penalty—will only embolden the MAGA idiots to push even further. The next mob will be bigger, better prepared, and less hesitant. The Inauguration will be a very dangerous event. 

Maybe Trump’s fall will dissipate this apocalyptic fantasy cult he’s driven into a seditionist frenzy. Or maybe someone else—Flynn, Hawley, Alex Jones—takes the reins and ramps shit up even further. But I worry that Wednesday was just a preview of what’s to come from these maniacs.

There is a wide gulf between what most of the idiots that stormed the capitol believe and understand of the law, and what the NG will.  That doesn't mean it will impede someone that's decided to go full jihad suicide bomber, but when you're a guy standing on the line with a gun, and you've got guys left, right, and behind you that also have guns, the calculus is a little different.  Hasan killed a lot of people at Fort Hood, but he did it by being the only armed guy in the room.  The NG guys aren't hard by any means, they are weekend warriors.  Even if some are truly radicalized and decide to go out in a blaze of glory, they will still have a hard go of it.  None of them will have any access to Biden or Kamala, even with a long gun.  They will probably be forward facing outside the police line, and certainly outside the SS bubble.  It wont stop them from indiscriminate spraying of the crowd, but there is little to no chance they even get a LOS to the seated audience.  The SS is running the inauguration, not the capitol police.  

Many in the MAGA crowd still truly believe they did nothing wrong, or that they wont face serious charges.  The military has a different rule book, and like I said, if someone decides to pop off, its a suicide pact.  I haven't seen anyone in MAGA show that mindset yet, the ones that stormed the capitol didn't do it guns drawn.  Not dismissing their intentions, but a chickenshit in the crowd that pops off some rounds at a door is much different than a uniformed soldier turning on their oath, service members, and country.  

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There is a wide gulf between what most of the idiots that stormed the capitol believe and understand of the law, and what the NG will.  That doesn't mean it will impede someone that's decided to go full jihad suicide bomber, but when you're a guy standing on the line with a gun, and you've got guys left, right, and behind you that also have guns, the calculus is a little different.  Hasan killed a lot of people at Fort Hood, but he did it by being the only armed guy in the room.  The NG guys aren't hard by any means, they are weekend warriors.  Even if some are truly radicalized and decide to go out in a blaze of glory, they will still have a hard go of it.  None of them will have any access to Biden or Kamala, even with a long gun.  They will probably be forward facing outside the police line, and certainly outside the SS bubble.  It wont stop them from indiscriminate spraying of the crowd, but there is little to no chance they even get a LOS to the seated audience.  The SS is running the inauguration, not the capitol police.  
Many in the MAGA crowd still truly believe they did nothing wrong, or that they wont face serious charges.  The military has a different rule book, and like I said, if someone decides to pop off, its a suicide pact.  I haven't seen anyone in MAGA show that mindset yet, the ones that stormed the capitol didn't do it guns drawn.  Not dismissing their intentions, but a chickenshit in the crowd that pops off some rounds at a door is much different than a uniformed soldier turning on their oath, service members, and country.  

Yeah....all that is unimaginable...until it isn’t. We’ve see an unending parade of “unprecedented” and “unimaginable” things from this president and his cult. It’s irrational to think that there is a line that they won’t cross. There are no lines when you are fighting a holy war.
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14 minutes ago, Vito Andolini said:

I read his tweet as, “Evildoers, do what you want on the 20th, I won’t be there to catch friendly fire.”

That's exactly how I read it too. You bet the trip to Camp David that got put off will happen that weekend? I do.

If he originally thought it might work on the 6th, then he'd have been at that location after this week of disruption after emerging from the WH bunker, ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work (cough cough).

They're going to have another go, now that they know further about what to do to succeed. Let's hope the opposition holds firm. I don't trust any of these guys. None of them.

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18 hours ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Forbes going in dry.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/randalllane/2021/01/07/a-truth-reckoning-why-were-holding-those-who-lied-for-trump-accountable/?sh=384ea25b5710

 

 

 

 

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As American democracy rebounds, we need to return to a standard of truth when it comes to how the government communicates with the governed. The easiest way to do that, from where I sit, is to create repercussions for those who don’t follow the civic norms. Trump’s lawyers lie gleefully to the press and public, but those lies, magically, almost never made it into briefs and arguments – contempt, perjury and disbarment keep the professional standards high.

So what’s the parallel in the dark arts of communication? Simple: Don’t let the chronic liars cash in on their dishonesty. Press secretaries like Joe Lockhart, Ari Fleischer and Jay Carney, who left the White House with their reputations in various stages of intact, made millions taking their skills — and credibility — to corporate America. Trump’s liars don’t merit that same golden parachute. Let it be known to the business world: Hire any of Trump’s fellow fabulists above, and Forbes will assume that everything your company or firm talks about is a lie. We’re going to scrutinize, double-check, investigate with the same skepticism we’d approach a Trump tweet. Want to ensure the world’s biggest business media brand approaches you as a potential funnel of disinformation? Then hire away.

This isn’t cancel culture, which is a societal blight. (There’s surely a nice living for each of these press secretaries on the true-believer circuit.) Nor is this politically motivated, as Forbes’ pro-entrepreneur, pro-growth worldview has generally placed it in the right-of-center camp over the past century — this standard needs to apply to liars from either party. It’s just a realization that, as Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, in a thriving democracy, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. Our national reset starts there.

 

Everyone associated with Trump needs a giant scarlet T branded on their taints.

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22 minutes ago, Vito Andolini said:

I read his tweet as, “Evildoers, do what you want on the 20th, I won’t be there to catch friendly fire.”

same. 

there should be round-the-clock security of that area starting yesterday.  they already had pipe bombs. 

we should be expecting a full scale domestic terrorist attack and just be relieved if/when it doesn’t happen. 

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28 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Also, "economic" theories of deterrence, like this, depend, as do most things economic, on rational actors.

And that is a flaw here as it is with many economic theories.

But these people aren't like the general population, who can't be counted upon to act rationally.

They can actually be counted upon to act irrationally and not just in some economically suboptimal manner, but actually, expressly, insanely irrational.

 

That’s true. But what is rational for an individual is often different than what is rational for a mob. The difference between treason and heroic rebellion is numeric.

Edited by BrickHorn
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1 hour ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

It's so stupid because if they made him use his official account then he couldn't say some of the things he does, which he knows and that's why he doesn't tweet from it.

He probably got it back because he agreed to delete some of the tweets and leave them deleted. That's often the same for other users I think.

One of my burner accounts got suspended for calling Mo Brooks a fucking moron. I didn’t know you could get suspended for speaking the truth. 

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43 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Between COVID and domestic terrorists we need to skip the public inauguration this year.

Seriously.  Use Covid as cover and tie it into a public health statement encouraging more distancing.  Quote the horrific numbers going on right now.  And swear Joe and Kamala in from inside the White House or something.

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18 hours ago, Pancho said:

Article from Politico this morning...

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/08/post-trump-jobs-national-security-456180

Quote

“People who are hiring see everything that’s happened and have to question your morals and ethics — especially in terms of what continues to happen today — on why you chose to work for that environment," she said.

Ya think?

Quote

In some cases, the resistance that officials are meeting from would-be employers is extreme. One senior defense official, who has been looking for a new job for two years without luck, recalled a conversation in which they were told that they were considered part of the "Hitler Youth.” 

lol

Quote

During her own job search this summer, Troye was told directly by one potential employer that they could not offer her a job because she was a “liability.”

“I can’t tell you how hurtful it was to hear that,” said Troye, noting that the incident was a reality check.

Boo fucking hoo

Quote

But many Trump appointees who are now struggling to find jobs — everyone from junior staffers to Cabinet secretaries — are facing questions for not leaving sooner. Many of these officials are the same people who privately bemoaned Trump’s instability, but were “all too willing to enable it,” said another former senior official.

“They are finding that staying silent had a cost: to their consciences and to their careers,” the person said. “People knew Trump would be toxic, yet they hedged anyway in hopes that they might get four more years of job stability.”

Nooo... really?

 

Spoiler

Tarnished by Trump: National security officials struggle to find new jobs

They have been snubbed by potential employers, told they would be a “liability” and in one instance were even compared to the "Hitler Youth."

This is the job market many experienced national security officials who work for President Donald Trump are facing just days before a new president takes office and they will be out of work.

Across the administration, national security officials have been struggling to find new employment, and conversations with seven former and current officials reveal that they have been tainted by their time working for Trump.


The problem became worse on Wednesday, after pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, prompting several senior officials to resign in protest amid wide condemnation of Trump by Democrats and Republicans.

“I’ve had conversations with people who’ve worked on the national security teams, many who are career intelligence officers, who are concerned about what happens next,” said Olivia Troye, a former Homeland Security and White House official who left in August and has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s response to the pandemic.

“People who are hiring see everything that’s happened and have to question your morals and ethics — especially in terms of what continues to happen today — on why you chose to work for that environment," she said.

Officials working in national security are particularly vulnerable to this challenge. Many are tied to controversial Trump policies and scandals, be it child separation at the border or the politicization of the military on display when top Pentagon leaders stood with Trump for a photo op after authorities forcefully cleared Lafayette Square of protesters.

In some cases, the resistance that officials are meeting from would-be employers is extreme. One senior defense official, who has been looking for a new job for two years without luck, recalled a conversation in which they were told that they were considered part of the "Hitler Youth.”

“That attitude is not helpful,” the person said.

The senior defense official broadly described a sense of “Trump administration animus” from potential outside employers, which is frustrating for officials who don't consider themselves "hardcore MAGA folks.”

During her own job search this summer, Troye was told directly by one potential employer that they could not offer her a job because she was a “liability.”

“I can’t tell you how hurtful it was to hear that,” said Troye, noting that the incident was a reality check.

National security jobs are more difficult to get than most, as applicants need a security clearance and a specialized set of skills.

A career civilian rather than a political nominee, Troye said she took the White House job to “make a difference,” and fought against policies she thought were wrong. Yet the incident with the employer “showed me firsthand the repercussions of trying to navigate in that space,” she said.

Elizabeth Neumann, another former civil servant and Homeland Security official who worked on counterterrorism, said she did not directly face challenges in finding a new job after she resigned in April. But that was primarily because she immediately spoke out against Trump’s policies.

Still, she recounted several instances during her job hunt in which she heard through her network that certain companies would never consider hiring her because she worked in the Trump administration.

While junior-level employees working on noncontroversial issues might not have problems finding new employment, anyone associated with controversial Trump policies, such as immigration, were blacklisted, Neumann said.

“There is absolutely an effect of a number of organizations out there trying to blacklist anybody that worked on child separation," for example, Neumann said.

Other former officials say they have heard from many former colleagues struggling to find work after Jan. 20. While more senior officials may have strong networks and won’t have much trouble finding employment, the younger officials who have limited experience and no previous reputation are challenged, said one former defense official.

“Some of these people are really smart, good and hardworking, but they are also strong Trump supporters, which is off-putting to many in the think tank community of D.C.,” the person said. “I think it’s going to be a rough few months for people.”

Another senior administration official looking for a new job compared the challenges Trump appointees will face to the backlash against George W. Bush officials. The person previously turned down a senior White House position, foreseeing that people who worked directly for Trump would be further challenged to find outside employment.

“Headhunters told me that talented people will get hired, it’s just going to be a matter of how many talented people there are,” the person said.

But many Trump appointees who are now struggling to find jobs — everyone from junior staffers to Cabinet secretaries — are facing questions for not leaving sooner. Many of these officials are the same people who privately bemoaned Trump’s instability, but were “all too willing to enable it,” said another former senior official.

“They are finding that staying silent had a cost: to their consciences and to their careers,” the person said. “People knew Trump would be toxic, yet they hedged anyway in hopes that they might get four more years of job stability.”

Others defended their gut-wrenching decision to stay on as long as they did, recalling that they were torn between trying to prevent the president from doing further damage, and taking a stand as an outsider.

Ultimately, Troye got to the point where she felt she was no longer making a difference and had to make a “moral decision,” she said.

But her decision has been a double-edged sword. Not only does she have the “baggage” of working for the Trump administration, she is also a whistleblower. She is concerned that future employers will not see her as someone to be trusted because of her decision to speak out.

“To some people you are a hero, to many you are a traitor,” Troye said.

 

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