Distraction to divert attention away from the controversial "Inflation Reduction Act", perhaps?
FBI Searches Trump’s Home in Florida
81–90 of 90 posts
Re: FBI Searches Trump’s Home in Florida
#82@dang, while this is getting flagged because the nature of the story is contentious, I think it's absolutely legit for HN given that it's exceptionally newsworthy (as an unprecedented event), sits at the intersection of privacy vs police power (a perennial topic on HN), and raises questions about the consistency of the legal system (ditto). Also, it's just going to keep getting posted if people keep trying to flag it…
I've given up. HN considers any serious discussion of politics anti-intellectual to the degree HN avoids intelligent discussion about politics. It's so risk averse it's become 180 degrees from, and thus manages to be even worse than, Reddit. Like how could you possibly be worse than Reddit?! I know! Flag controversial political discussions! It's a great way to coddle those most needing accountability as if the mere existence of the topic is the problem! Imagine people so disturbed by a topic they want to ensure everyone else avoids it.
Re: FBI Searches Trump’s Home in Florida
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
Making sure no one is above the law is a cornerstone of our legal system, so I would argue it is in fact essential. Of course this is assuming there must be really strong probable cause in this case.
If "being above the law" is discretionary prosecution and investigation letting some people off the hook, then it actually is for good or ill a cornerstone of our legal system. FBI has broad discretionary ability to pick and choose who to go after, and ensuring that is done in a uniform and politically unbiased way could arguably trump priority of any particular person being prosecuted. It may be the case this is not…
Being above the law is less like discretion, and more like a pardon. If you know something is prosecutable, but you decide not to on the basis of the person (being more important than accountability), you're pardoning.
Re: FBI Searches Trump’s Home in Florida
#84@dang, while this is getting flagged because the nature of the story is contentious, I think it's absolutely legit for HN given that it's exceptionally newsworthy (as an unprecedented event), sits at the intersection of privacy vs police power (a perennial topic on HN), and raises questions about the consistency of the legal system (ditto). Also, it's just going to keep getting posted if people keep trying to flag it…
I've given up. HN considers any serious discussion of politics anti-intellectual to the degree HN avoids intelligent discussion about politics. It's so risk averse it's become 180 degrees from, and thus manages to be even worse than, Reddit. Like how could you possibly be worse than Reddit?! I know! Flag controversial political discussions! It's a great way to coddle those most needing accountability as if the mere e…
It's not risk aversion. Hacker News doesn't avoid intelligent discussion about politics, rather this community has proven time and time again that it isn't even capable of it, especially where Trump is concerned, and people are pre-emptively flagging what's likely to be a very high noise, low signal thread.
This is a community whose education on computer science comes from MIT and Stanford, but whose education on politics comes from 4chan and the Unabomber manifesto.
I mean, I would love to see intelligent political discussion on Hacker News, politics is one of the great intellectual pursuits. But it just isn't going to happen here.
Re: FBI Searches Trump’s Home in Florida
#85Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've given up. HN considers any serious discussion of politics anti-intellectual to the degree HN avoids intelligent discussion about politics. It's so risk averse it's become 180 degrees from, and thus manages to be even worse than, Reddit. Like how could you possibly be worse than Reddit?! I know! Flag controversial political discussions! It's a great way to coddle those most needing accountability as if the mere e…
It's not risk aversion. Hacker News doesn't avoid intelligent discussion about politics, rather this community has proven time and time again that it isn't even capable of it, especially where Trump is concerned, and people are pre-emptively flagging what's likely to be a very high noise, low signal thread. This is a community whose education on computer science comes from MIT and Stanford, but whose education on pol…
but whose education on politics comes from 4chan and the Unabomber manifesto
Being very familiar with both I wish it rose to the level of the worthwhile political content in those examples, but instead seems to sink to the least interesting aspects of both. C'est la vie.
Re: FBI Searches Trump’s Home in Florida
#86Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Watch the January 6th hearings if there is any doubt in your mind. The evidence is laid out quite clearly. If you can’t even summarize a crime in one sentence then it’s anything but “quite clear”.
Even when asked, they cannot even cite the so-called 'evidence' that is laid out 'clearly'. Assuming they have watched the so-called 'J6 hearings', it should be quite straightforward and easy to do so, but ever since they have started the hearings they have been struggling to mention a crime and summarize it in a single sentence. Which leads me to believe that they haven't watched it at all or have read only as far a…
Trump knowingly and willfully engaged in an attempt to defraud and deprive the American public from a free and fair election. He knew he lost the election. He supported the fake alternative Electors scheme, knew it was illegal. He supported the illegal scheme for the Vice President to unilaterally discard state certified Electors. He supported the murder of the Vice President.
“Based on the evidence the court finds that it is more likely than not that President Trump and Dr Eastman dishonestly conspired to obstruct the joint session of Congress on January 6 2021,” -Judge David Carter, March 2022.
The first clue of his autocratic tendency came just before the 2016 election when he would not agree to respecting the outcome of the election if he lost. His plan always had been, in business and then in politics, to lie about losing. In his mind its better to discredit a system of government than admit loss. He does not believe in the peaceful transition of power. And tried and succeeded in inciting a riot to try and prevent it. The attempt is the crime.
And people were killed as a result of this plan.
Re: FBI Searches Trump’s Home in Florida
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
Examples of similar raids?
https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/3594107-the-mar-a-lago... This article shows a barrage of Democrats not raided on similar warrants and a whole slew of Republicans raided on similarly-flimsy ground. It's simple: the FBI is the enforcement arm of the democratic party, and it operates transparently as such. It is in no way a legitimate law enforcement agency.l, and performs no legitimate function.
I think it's noble that you wish for equality. We all do.
Let's hope you press for the same in all other aspects of your life and your vote at the ballot box. Vote for the candidates that work to represent everyone and not just wealthy white males.
Re: FBI Searches Trump’s Home in Florida
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
If "being above the law" is discretionary prosecution and investigation letting some people off the hook, then it actually is for good or ill a cornerstone of our legal system. FBI has broad discretionary ability to pick and choose who to go after, and ensuring that is done in a uniform and politically unbiased way could arguably trump priority of any particular person being prosecuted. It may be the case this is not…
Being above the law is less like discretion, and more like a pardon. If you know something is prosecutable, but you decide not to on the basis of the person (being more important than accountability), you're pardoning.
Discretion isn't just about the subject but also about greater society and even the one investigating. Sometimes a fleeing traffic violator are let go not because they individually are somehow worthy but so that a chase doesn't result in greater risk to innocents. Sometimes a cop walks away from a riot because he'll get his ass beat if he tries to seek justice. Sometimes a brutal dictator is allowed to walk away into exile in the interest of greater peace of society. It's not as simple as you say "on the basis of the person."
Re: FBI Searches Trump’s Home in Florida
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
For example, from the Presidential Records Act: > Allows the incumbent President to dispose of records that no longer have administrative, historical, informational, or evidentiary value, once the views of the Archivist of the United States on the proposed disposal have been obtained in writing. (emphasis mine) > Establishes that Presidential records automatically transfer into the legal custody of the Archivist as s…
Yeah, I'm not surprised if Trump didn't follow proper procedures. Disdain for proper procedures is very on-brand. But the PRA [1] doesn't appear to contain any penalties. What happens when someone disobeys a law that doesn't specify a penalty? (One section, 2209, does specify a penalty for official business conducted using non-official electronic messaging accounts, but that penalty is limited to suspension or reduct…
> Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
> Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States.
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2012-title18/html...
Re: FBI Searches Trump’s Home in Florida
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
Whatever evidence was presented, it’s damning, based on a the approval chain to execute such a search (DOJ + a federal judge). Most likely it was the National Archives. Federal law bars the removal of classified documents to unauthorized locations.
Surely the President has the power to authorize locations and/or declassify documents.
Nuclear related documents: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-08-11/fbi...
> U.S. federal agents were looking for documents relating to nuclear weapons when they searched former President Donald Trump's home in Florida this week, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.