Live data from Hacker News

Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

bbc.com

91–100 of 139 posts

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#91
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you think there won't be repercussions?

Because we have spent the last 6 years watching dozens and dozens of bad actors get away with it, and never facing repercussion and we have become incredibly cynical of anyone wealthy ever facing justice.

In this case it's too soon to tell what's going to happen; he could still have additional consequences for the perjury.

Link to one of these past perjury situations where there were no repercussions?

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Maybe then people will learn you don't get to sit there spouting blatant lies without consequence. That is partly true. The ruling class gets to lie with impunity whenever they want, for profit or power. Remember WMDs in Iraq? And Iran has been "6 months away from a nuclear bomb" for the past 50 years.

>And Iran has been "6 months away from a nuclear bomb" for the past 50 years. To be fair, that statement has always been "if Iran seriously tried to build a nuclear bomb, it'd take them roughly six months to do so." That is probably fairly true, but they've constantly lied about how serious Iran has ever been about building a nuke while using the statement stoke fears.

Why do you think Iran is just toying with the idea of building a nuke? Doesnt it make sense that if they had the capacity, or if they had the capacity to make one in 6 months, that they would?

For 50 years Iran rules have been on the fence?

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am astounded how someone can sit on the stand and spew lie after lie after lie under oath with no repercussions.

yeah, I guess lying under oath is no big deal? I always thought it mattered. I was deposed to give testimony once in a dispute between two other parties and it was nerve wracking to give testimony about a few questions because it was stuff I hadn't thought about in a couple of year. Turns out it's no big deal to lie under oath? This is really troubling, how can we have the rule of law if lying under oath is allowed f…

I can attest that it's not (a big deal). My ex-wife lied repeatedly in written court certifications about money she was receiving from her parents which I ultimately proved were lies. This, I assumed, was tantamount to perjury (given that these were supposedly 'sworn statements' with all the requisite mumbo jumbo about 'penalties'). Guess what? nothing happened. thanks for paying all of that extra money in alimony that you didn't have to...You lied to the Court.. and me, for years.. eh, no big deal. thanks for playing our super-fun anachronistic, ceremonial scamfest. I believe lying is actually encouraged by the Court system because the onus is the adversary to prove it and, even if you do, nothing really happens. Threats of 'contempt' are just that.. threats. Contempt of Court, contempt of Congress..perjury.. yawn. On another note, getting some rain today..really need it.

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#94

This is neither here nor there but my favorite Alex Jones fun fact is that during his divorce trial he told the judge that he once ate a bowl of chili that was so big that it caused him to forget his children’s names.

I swear that guy should do standup comedy.

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#95

"Speech is free, but lies you have to pay for," lawyers for the families countered in their opening arguments.

This is a great line but also leads to another: "If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the poor."

Interesting fact about this one: it is often attributed to the game Final Fantasy Tactics because of a meme, but it is never actually said in the game.

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#96
post #6

That's probably still a net profit for Alex Jones. According to the documents discussed in court he makes $800,000 a day from his show. If anything, he probably made more covering his own trial than what the trial cost.

Is this from advertising, or are people buying things directly from him? That companies would advertise their wares next to such an absolute shame of a man is beyond comprehension.

Aren't his advertisers mostly supplements and other snake oil? It seems perfectly fitting for them to advertise with charlatans who have cultivated an angry audience whose BS filters have been strategically decimated.

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#97
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If there are no consequences for anything, the system is coming apart. There is a good goddamn reason why lying under oath, or even lying to investigators, is a crime, because truth is the bedrock of accountability. Truth is always the first victim of psychopaths.

Lying to investigators shouldn't be a crime, in my opinion. It too often creates a situation where you can just investigate someone endlessly, find no real evidence, and then convict them of lying based on some flimsy inconsistencies in their statements. I suppose some specific kinds of lies could be crimes, but there should be a high bar for both the type of lie told as well as the certainty that it's really a lie.

That's why there is the fifth amendment.

> there should be a high bar for both the type of lie told as well as the certainty that it's really a lie.

Perjury convictions are a fairly high bar. People don't generally get charged for "flimsy inconsistencies in their statements." Prosecutors, judges, and juries don't have endless time to spend on getting someone.

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#98
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because we have spent the last 6 years watching dozens and dozens of bad actors get away with it, and never facing repercussion and we have become incredibly cynical of anyone wealthy ever facing justice.

In this case it's too soon to tell what's going to happen; he could still have additional consequences for the perjury. Link to one of these past perjury situations where there were no repercussions?

It does happen sometimes. My personal favorite example is this guy. I recommend search terms like "james clapper perjury congress". If this fish never got fried in the biggest pan of all, what chance do these little chefs have?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Clapper

See:

https://jonathanturley.org/2013/07/03/perjury-by-permission-...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/01/19/james-clap...

https://apnews.com/article/business-33a88feb083ea35515de3c73...

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#99
post #4

So all the memes aside, is anyone else astounded at how poorly that went for Alex Jones? Just a shit-show nearly the entire time. From his terrible legal representation, to his own terrible testimony. Just a mess. I mean, his 'on-air' personality is a mess, but I always sort of thought it was just a show. It's interesting to me that it turned out he really is just an absolute train-wreck of a person.

This is a pretty good profile: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/05/magazine/alex-jones-infow... That disabused me of the notion of Jones as an Evil Genius. He's just an alcohol-and-attention-fueled nut.

It's hard to tell a true believer vs a conman, and often that's a false dichotomy anyway. During the 2016 Republican primaries, I thought Donald Trump was doing an act for the type of voter who participates in a Republican primary, and would act "normal" once he won the primary. Obviously that was a mistake.

I also used to have similar ideas about private equity - I thought they were really smart guys with a lot of money, but after working with them a bit, I think they're just guys with a lot of money.

Turns out that money insulates you from the consequences of your bad actions, who would have thought?

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#100
post #95

"Speech is free, but lies you have to pay for," lawyers for the families countered in their opening arguments.

This is a great line but also leads to another: "If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the poor." Interesting fact about this one: it is often attributed to the game Final Fantasy Tactics because of a meme, but it is never actually said in the game.

Fines should be adjusted for income.
Post reply on HN