Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[gondrin]

It wasn't just "a few million", though. One company had 3.2 million shares, and could have seen a profit of $90-140 per share, depending on when they sold, yielding a windfall profit of roughly $300-450 million.

The other company "only" had 2.4 million shares, so figure another $250 million.

Well, maybe they were just being modest. I've heard people talk like that about stuff like that.

[Levelfive]

The tyranny of bIg TeCh:

"Twitter has admitted it amplifies more tweets from rightwing politicians and news outlets than content from leftwing sources.

The social media platform examined tweets from elected officials in seven countries – the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and Japan. It also studied whether political content from news organisations was amplified on Twitter, focusing primarily on US news sources such as Fox News, the New York Times and BuzzFeed.

The study compared Twitter’s “Home” timeline – the default way its 200 million users are served tweets, in which an algorithm tailors what users see – with the traditional chronological timeline where the most recent tweets are ranked first.

The research found that in six out of seven countries, apart from Germany, tweets from rightwing politicians received more amplification from the algorithm than those from the left; right-leaning news organisations were more amplified than those on the left; and generally politicians’ tweets were more amplified by an algorithmic timeline than by the chronological timeline."

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...d-news-outlets

[Nastard]

People who got Covid-19 vaccines were less likely to die from any cause compared to unvaccinated people, study finds

Does that surprise anyone? People who take their health seriously are more apt to eat healthy and not devour Cheeto casserole for dinner four nights a week. Not to mention other health hazards like looking down the barrel of their shotgun to see if they remembered to load it.

[Breccia]

If the name John Eastman sounds familiar to you, it should. The "Eastman Memo" was first reported here by @cubby and @Levelfive and you can read it here.

I'll sum up: Eastman wrote the playbook for "how to overthrow democracy". It says Pence should refuse to certify to avoid getting lynched, keep the flip states from giving Biden 270 by throwing them out, and hand the election to Trump without having a vote in the Senate.

It was horrifying. So horrifying, in fact, Eastman told the National Review he admits he was wrong changed his mind after thinking it over I do plan to finish eventually that...wow, this sounds like the @Kaleredar handbook. That he didn't write it, and if he did write it he didn't mean it, and if he did mean it he didn't think anyone would do it, and if someone did do it he'd really like not to be charged.

They were internal discussion memos for the legal team. I had been asked to put together a memo of all the available scenarios that had been floated. I was asked to kind of outline how each of those scenarios would work and then orally present my views on whether I thought they were valid or not, so that's what those memos did.

Eastman went on to say that the information was to be provided to Pence/Trump purely as an objective statement about what was possible, not what he was recommending or his advice, please don't charge me please.

That sounds vaguely Giuliani/Cohen, in the "my client asked me to do it, what choice did I have?" and of course we all know the answer, "Refuse because it's immoral, illegal, and stupid, and he insists quit in protest".

So it's good to know that even the people who tr--

"Um, Breccia? You're forgetting the important part."

...National Review uses a paywall?

"No, you idiot. Anyone searching with your block quotes will find a readable source. No, you forgot the part where Eastman is lying."

Well I mean it's implied, he worked for Trump--

"Dumbass, he was at the rally and here's the transcript."

And all we are demanding of Vice President Pence is this afternoon at 1:00 he let the legislators of the state look into this so we get to the bottom of it, and the American people know whether we have control of the direction of our government, or not.

We no longer live in a self governing republic if we can’t get the answer to this question. This is bigger than President Trump. It is a very essence of our republican form of government, and it has to be done. And anybody that is not willing to stand up to do it, does not deserve to be in the office. It is that simple.

"He was telling the truth about one thing: it's not a self-governing republic, because people who don't like the results use their authorative, dictatorish powers and organize violent rebellion to stop it. But trying to say this wasn't his meaning or intent? He's lying. Pure and simple".

EDIT Oh, and because it came up:

Anyone that points a weapon at another and pulls the trigger is responsible for all harm caused by that action. Ignorance of safety precautions is not an excuse.

Does that apply to mobs of violent people? Asking for an Eastman.

[Hollycakes]

The tyranny of bIg TeCh:

"Twitter has admitted it amplifies more tweets from rightwing politicians and news outlets than content from leftwing sources.

The social media platform examined tweets from elected officials in seven countries – the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and Japan. It also studied whether political content from news organisations was amplified on Twitter, focusing primarily on US news sources such as Fox News, the New York Times and BuzzFeed.

The study compared Twitter’s “Home” timeline – the default way its 200 million users are served tweets, in which an algorithm tailors what users see – with the traditional chronological timeline where the most recent tweets are ranked first.

The research found that in six out of seven countries, apart from Germany, tweets from rightwing politicians received more amplification from the algorithm than those from the left; right-leaning news organisations were more amplified than those on the left; and generally politicians’ tweets were more amplified by an algorithmic timeline than by the chronological timeline."

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...d-news-outlets

I saw this lol.
We can't make this stuff up.
Not only do they decry being silenced/not having free speech whilst still being able to speak without the govt stopping them, they are in fact getting a boost from the tech that's so out to get them.
Not sure they can play the victim card anymore than they do.

In other news, the let's go brandon idiot rapper got his dumb song banned on youtube for promoting vaxx misinformation lel

[Levelfive]

Does that apply to mobs of violent people? Asking for an Eastman.

I particularly enjoyed Talking Points Memo's headline: "Eastman Insists He Def Doesn’t Believe Memo’s ‘Crazy’ Plots To Steal Election Were Real"

"John Eastman, the Trump legal adviser behind the infamous memo (which had two similar drafts) detailing various strategies for then-Vice President Mike Pence to thwart the 2020 election certification, is insisting that he totally didn’t think those options were legit and were, in fact, totally bonkers, and Eastman does not believe in ideas that are bonkers, thank you very much!

...

In one particularly bold moment in the interview, Eastman tried to paint himself as defender against Trump’s more extreme attacks on the election, claiming that he was the one who convinced the then-president that Pence couldn’t cancel the votes entirely. So Trump settled for the idea that Pence could just give states time to certify new electors instead, according to Eastman.

“Call me the white-knight hero here, talking [Trump] down from the more aggressive position,” the attorney told the National Review."

Someone also pointed out somewhere that it would be pretty wild to countenance claims that all the stuff you put in writing was a list of all the things you were definitely advising against.

[Breccia]

"Call me the white-knight hero here"

I've lost count of the number of "only sane person in the White House keeping Trump from doing all those horrible things he did". But yes, it's getting more and more ridiculous. Eastman personally and directly talked to the Jan 6th crowd, and when he did so, was 100% espousing all those views he had.

Based on what he said and how he said it, I'm wondering if this is less "please don't hate me for having a deplorable job, I was young, I needed the money" and more "the Jan 6th committee is about to get proof I was pushing for a violent revolution, and I don't want to go to jail for the crime I committed".

[Gorsameth]

I've lost count of the number of "only sane person in the White House keeping Trump from doing all those horrible things he did". But yes, it's getting more and more ridiculous. Eastman personally and directly talked to the Jan 6th crowd, and when he did so, was 100% espousing all those views he had.

Based on what he said and how he said it, I'm wondering if this is less "please don't hate me for having a deplorable job, I was young, I needed the money" and more "the Jan 6th committee is about to get proof I was pushing for a violent revolution, and I don't want to go to jail for the crime I committed".

I think there might be a word for writing a plan on how to overthrow a legitimate election and then putting that plan into action by riling up a mob to execute on said plan.

Its treason.

[Levelfive]

I saw this lol.
We can't make this stuff up.
Not only do they decry being silenced/not having free speech whilst still being able to speak without the govt stopping them, they are in fact getting a boost from the tech that's so out to get them.
Not sure they can play the victim card anymore than they do.

In other news, the let's go brandon idiot rapper got his dumb song banned on youtube for promoting vaxx misinformation lel

And just to follow up on your train of thought, I bring you The Radical Right Successfully Working the Refs, Chapter Gazillion:

"A new whistleblower reportedly claimed Facebook exempted right-wing outlet Breitbart from certain rules because it didn't want to 'start a fight with Steve Bannon'"

"Facebook "whitelisted" Breitbart to avoid angering Republicans, a new whistleblower told The Washington Post.

When an employee questioned the move, an exec reportedly said "do you want to start a fight with Steve Bannon?""

https://news.yahoo.com/whistleblower...k=tw&tsrc=twtr

- - - Updated - - -

I've lost count of the number of "only sane person in the White House keeping Trump from doing all those horrible things he did". But yes, it's getting more and more ridiculous. Eastman personally and directly talked to the Jan 6th crowd, and when he did so, was 100% espousing all those views he had.

Based on what he said and how he said it, I'm wondering if this is less "please don't hate me for having a deplorable job, I was young, I needed the money" and more "the Jan 6th committee is about to get proof I was pushing for a violent revolution, and I don't want to go to jail for the crime I committed".

"I was just modelling all the things you shouldn't say to a crowd you've deliberately gathered and enraged in order to overturn a free and fair election, duh! Call me a savior, if you must."

I wonder if he now realizes how utterly, insanely out of bounds and antithetical to democracy his written plan of attack was (now that he'll probably have to testify)--it certainly seems like he felt 100% justified, just like all the other fascist sycophants (the Democrats are worse! or, They deserve it! or, They'd do it to us! not really sure what they tell themselves). This is a shared psychosis / collective frenzy of naked illiberalism for power's sake "in defense" of the country they're betraying--what is the possibility that all has ebbed from him in the meantime and now he gets what he was actually suggesting and actively plotting?

[Endus]

I think there might be a word for writing a plan on how to overthrow a legitimate election and then putting that plan into action by riling up a mob to execute on said plan.

Its treason.

Ehh, technically, no, it isn't;

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2381

"Treason", under US law, requires you be acting to benefit enemies of the state or levying war against the USA.

But that's okay. There's another entry that fits;

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2383

"Rebellion or insurrection". Fun note; anyone providing any aid or comfort to any insurrectionist is also guilty of insurrection.

Second fun note; both these charges mean that, when convicted, the perpetrator can't ever hold any position in the US government ever again. If they're a sitting member of Congress or even the current President, such a conviction would immediately remove them from office, and bar them from ever running again.

[Gorsameth]

Ehh, technically, no, it isn't;

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2381

"Treason", under US law, requires you be acting to benefit enemies of the state or levying war against the USA.

But that's okay. There's another entry that fits;

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2383

"Rebellion or insurrection". Fun note; anyone providing any aid or comfort to any insurrectionist is also guilty of insurrection.

Second fun note; both these charges mean that, when convicted, the perpetrator can't ever hold any position in the US government ever again. If they're a sitting member of Congress or even the current President, such a conviction would immediately remove them from office, and bar them from ever running again.

wikipedia (I know, I know, hardly a good source) defines levying war as "Levying war means the assembly of armed people to overthrow of the government or to resist its laws." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaso...States#Federal

I'd argue the jan 6 murderous insurrection fits the definition of an armed group of people aiming to overthrow the government.

Ofcourse no one is actually going to be found guilty of treason but jan 6th comes about as close as you can get to actual legit treason against the state without being at war.

[Endus]

wikipedia (I know, I know, hardly a good source) defines levying war as "Levying war means the assembly of armed people to overthrow of the government or to resist its laws." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaso...States#Federal

I'd argue the jan 6 murderous insurrection fits the definition of an armed group of people aiming to overthrow the government.

Ofcourse no one is actually going to be found guilty of treason but jan 6th comes about as close as you can get to actual legit treason against the state without being at war.

Hence the "technically", and the note about the precise wording of US law.

After the Beer Hall Putsch in the Weimar Republic, Hitler went to prison for treason, for the reasons you're saying. That's why this is very much a technical distinction on a specific jurisdiction's legal terminology.

But, being accurate on that terminology makes it easier to avoid having some bad-faith actor come in ignoring your point and saying it's not treason and therefore we shouldn't think it was illegal at all. They'll do it anyway, of course, but it's nice to have the technical details on your side too.

[Breccia]

Hence the "technically", and the note about the precise wording of US law.

Yeah, we're more discussing which name the horribly unethical, horribly immoral, completely deplorable action should be given. It's like the difference between slander and libel when both mean "lying in public to damage someone".

[Endus]

Yeah, we're more discussing which name the horribly unethical, horribly immoral, completely deplorable action should be given. It's like the difference between slander and libel when both mean "lying in public to damage someone".

Yeah. I just don't like providing them even a shred of possible uncertainty they can use to pretend they have a valid counterpoint with.

Like, it's insurrection. That's still illegal, still bars you from any federal public office forever, and still justifies locking every one of these fuckos away for up to 5 years, even just for driving family to attend the event, or not reporting said family members to the police when they knew what they'd done, or calling them "patriots" on television in the aftermath.

If they want to come forward and seek a plea deal, we can talk about less than 5 years in prison. If they don't? Every goddamned one of them should be facing the full 5, and that's before we tack on additional charges for various other actions.

If the USA's gonna be a police state with massive levels of imprisonment relative to other nations, the least you can do is punish this kind of shit severely, rather than harassing black kids over a bit of weed.

[Breccia]

harassing black kids over a bit of weed.

I thought it was a bag of Skittles?

[Endus]

I thought it was a bag of Skittles?

I mean, it's for anything, really. Sometimes just for being black and in a cop's sightline.

Or in Tennessee, for literally whatever that one judge just makes up in her own stupid, racist fucking head. Literally; she's putting children in juvenile prison for "crimes" that don't exist. And she's still on the bench. And still doing it. It came to light, and nothing's been done.

[Poopymonster]

I thought it was a bag of Skittles?

With Arizona Iced Tea. It's the two together that's dangerous.

[unfilteredJW]

I mean, it's for anything, really. Sometimes just for being black and in a cop's sightline.

Or in Tennessee, for literally whatever that one judge just makes up in her own stupid, racist fucking head. Literally; she's putting children in juvenile prison for "crimes" that don't exist. And she's still on the bench. And still doing it. It came to light, and nothing's been done.

That article was fucking infuriating.

[Breccia]

Like, the words... I don't even...

I do.

UPDATE: That same Florida doctor were thrown out of a FL Senate meeting for refusing to wear a mask.

"Well surely he wasn't asked."

He was, by a FL Senator who was there, who told them she had a serious medical condition. He still refused.

It shouldn’t take a cancer diagnosis for people to respect each other’s level of comfort with social interactions during a pandemic. What occurred in Senator Polsky’s office was unprofessional and will not be tolerated in the Senate.

"Of course some commie librul socialist would complain!"

Actually that was the head of the FL Senate. A Republican.

- - - Updated - - -

The Jan 6th committee went on Sunday news shows (well some of them did) and said

1) The attack was premedidated
2) Bannon was involved
3) We don't know if 1) and 2) are connected because Bannon refuses to comply with the committee

- - - Updated - - -

Sen. Paul calls for Fauci to be fired for showing "poor judgement".

No, really.

"What poor judgement?"

Getting COVID and going swimming in the Senate pool.

"No no, Fauci."

Oh, that would be funding research that created the COVID virus.

"WHAT? Fauci did that?"

Of course not. But Fauci claims he did.

In the letter they acknowledge that yes, the viruses did gain in function, they became more dangerous. So they've created a virus that doesn't exist in nature to become more dangerous, that is gain of function.

Now they try to justify it by saying well it was an unexpected result. I'm not sure I buy that. Think about it you take an unknown virus, you combine it with another virus and you get a super virus. You have no idea whether it gains functions or loses function, that's what the experiment is, but I don't know how anybody could argue that that's not gain of function research

"Does he have any medical backing for that claim?"

No. He basically said Fauci spliced a pig and elephant together and got the Alien vs. Predator: Requiem movie.

"That doesn't make sense."

Well, neither does what Paul said. Paul continues to push for "investigations" into how Fauci "lied" despite having only fiction to press charges.

But then, that's the Party of Trump playbook, isn't it? Make up a wild accusation and then demand to "restore trust". Election fraud! Clinton had a stroke! Biden and Biden alone and nobody else in any way raised gas prices! We demand an investigation into our baseless claims and anyone who resists is a guilty criminal!

"So...when's Trump taking the stand?"

Oh fuck, no.

- - - Updated - - -

DeSantis bribes out-of-state unvaccinated cops to work in Florida.

Yes, he's intentionally bringing in unvaccinated cops. On purpose. And paying them to relocate.

DeSantis absolutely wants to kill every single human being in his own state.

[Kathranis]

Most of the people holding now are going to lose their shirts based on what little planning and infrastructure this company has actually built up for the trump social media. Its going to be one of the worst product releases ever, that is if it ever does get released.

I wish Trump were a bit more like Mike Lindell, because I'd love to see him hosting a cyber symposium of his own. But you know he's just putting his name on it and letting other people do the work and assume most of the risk, like usual.