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US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400k on Maduro raid

cnn.com

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Re: US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400k on Maduro raid

#641

Post by mrguyorama »

jubilanti wrote: post #455
vlan0 wrote: post #402

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly this. They live in houses with glass windows. We could take this world any time we choose.

But the people almost never do, and that reason is power.

The reason is gambling.

The vast majority of people don't want to take the bet of a tiny chance of doubling their lot in life for the downside risk of literally being tortured and dying and probably ruining the life of any loved ones.

Most people aren't degenerate gamblers.

The workaround is organization. With sufficient organization, you can start to drag the tiny chance to a slightly bigger chance, and slightly reduce the downside risk maybe.

Some parts of American society are absurdly bad at organizing, and basically gave up 60 years ago.

Re: US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400k on Maduro raid

#642

Post by rabidonrails »

delecti wrote: post #428
jjk166 wrote: post #410

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I’d argue that the level of corruption we’re seeing, not just in the USA but all over the Western world, hasn’t risen to a level that warrants revolutionary action. What level of corruption would warrant revolutionary action? How much more corrupt can you get than sending forces into combat in a war of choice that disrupts the global economy and kills thousands to win a bet on a crypto platform and shift the news c…

I doubt they did it for the purpose of crypto bets, that was just a side benefit. They did it because Israel owns our government, and this is the first time we've had a president far enough out of touch with reality to not push back. Age limits (for Congress/Judiciary/Presidency) would be a much more targeted fix. Past ~75 you just don't have enough years left to be at risk of being affected by the things you're impl…

Israel owns out government? You have proof of this outlandish claim?

Re: US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400k on Maduro raid

#643

Post by pjio »

pjc50 wrote: post #260
pjio wrote: post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In theory the separation of powers should prevent this.

What does separation of powers mean when both houses, the president, and the Supreme Court are controlled by the same party? At the moment the US is just Big Poland (PiS era).

I meant the separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Maybe this is more of a thing in Europe, even if not perfect here.

Re: US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400k on Maduro raid

#644

Post by NoGravitas »

Pay08 wrote: post #509
jjk166 wrote: post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Return? We never had a reign of terror. There have been hundreds of peaceful revolutions.

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

“THERE were two “Reigns of Terror,” if we would but remember it and consider it; the one wrought murder in hot passion, the other in heartless cold blood; the one lasted mere months, the other had lasted a thousand years; the one inflicted death upon ten thousand persons, the other upon a hundred millions; but our shudders are all for the “horrors” of the minor Terror, the momentary Terror, so to speak; whereas, what is the horror of swift death by the axe, compared with lifelong death from hunger, cold, insult, cruelty, and heart-break? What is swift death by lightning compared with death by slow fire at the stake? A city cemetery could contain the coffins filled by that brief Terror which we have all been so diligently taught to shiver at and mourn over; but all France could hardly contain the coffins filled by that older and real Terror—that unspeakably bitter and awful Terror which none of us has been taught to see in its vastness or pity as it deserves.” ― Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Re: US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400k on Maduro raid

#645

Post by NoGravitas »

Pay08 wrote: post #506
harimau777 wrote: post #361

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's your alternative? The present situation is intollerable and even a bad solution is better than no solution.

The present situation is very tolerable, actually.

For you.

Re: US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400k on Maduro raid

#646

Post by vlan0 »

kergonath wrote: post #381
Razengan wrote: post #358

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> their relationship to power The word "power" is so ironic in human cultures: It's the people with the guns (and muscles) that have the literal physical power. They could shoot the aristocrats dead if they wanted to. The aristocrats' "power" is make-believe like the rest of their papers and numbers: The various psychological barriers which dissuade the gun-bearers from ever reaching the "want to" part.

> It's the people with the guns (and muscles) that have the literal physical power. They could shoot the aristocrats dead if they wanted to. What matters is not raw power, it’s balance. The power of one guy with guns is kept in check by the power of other guys with guns who stand to benefit from the status quo. The aristocracy’s game is to play with this balance to make sure that no other rival force emerges. They do…

This is true up until it isn't. Their security is through obscurity. Being able to deflect the masses. Manipulating the balance, if you will. But they are not special. They are still unprotected sacks of flesh. And we've recently seen just how vulnerable they are. If that desire spread, you will see more.

Re: US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400k on Maduro raid

#647

Post by kennywinker »

gadders wrote: post #557
kennywinker wrote: post #341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well documented historical events aren’t urban myths.

People died, yes. But there was no white supremacism. There was no Wall Street. It was just like any high street. It was triggered by an attempted rape.

> there was no white supremacism

People were murdered and homes and businesses destroyed by a white mob because they were black. How is that anything but white supremacy?

> There was no Wall Street. It was just like any high street.

It was one of the wealthiest black communities in america at a time. “Black wall street” was a nickname, not a literal description of a stock exchange.

> It was triggered by an attempted rape.

No, it was triggered by an attempted lynching of a black man. Or if you want to be more specific, because the community there stood up to protect the arrested man. It was triggered by a black community stopping a lynching.

Your assertions are an ahistorical revisionist fantasy.

Re: US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400k on Maduro raid

#648

Post by joquarky »

sleepybrett wrote: post #473
PunchyHamster wrote: post #312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just ban gambling. That solves good part of it. Then ENFORCE EXISTING LAWS. That solves good part of it. Talking about any other solutions will have to wait for govt that's not crooked. It doesn't need revolution, it needs to not have criminals at helm

> Just ban gambling. That solves good part of it. does that include the stock exchange?

I think a good compromise there is to get rid of shorting.

And tax capital gains at a rate inversely proportional to how long the shares were held. E.g., 90% if held less than a second, 10% if held over 10 years.

Re: US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400k on Maduro raid

#649

Post by soledades »

looksjjhg wrote: post #177

That’s hilarious … so he’s arrested and put on trial and all the senate and congress are doing the exact same and free? lol

My first thought as well, but you can imagine how dangerous it would be if special forces started tanking their performance due to betting market considerations.
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