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Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

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Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#401
post #397

What I'm wondering these last few years is whether American "politics" has anything actually political to discuss like ensuring the pension system is still intact in 30 years, improving access to a solid education (and even more so: what does that mean?), drug prevention, transparent election processes, tax and debt management... Over here in Europe you only hear about "US politics" like guns and cars or DEI ... stuf…

Yes, there is a lot of "actual politics". For instance, the Protect College Sports Act is currently being intensely debated. It centers on the idea of amateurism in college athletics and what that means for things like college football and the Olympic sports. Americans love dominating the world at the Olympics every few years and that's because of the NCAA and college athletes, so people care about it.

> Over here in Europe you only hear about "US politics" like guns and cars or DEI

This is because Europe, and everyone else in the western world, is obsessed with the United States and obsessed with Americans.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#402

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess it’s more accurate to say that corruption didn’t start with Trump (he wasn’t even involved in politics when Citizens United was happening, for example). The US has been marching in that direction for a while. The difference now is the openness and also the scale. If a president does one bad thing the press will dig into it, committees will investigate, etc. But what if the president does 20 bad things every s…

> The difference now is the openness and also the scale. Yes, we just need to go back to the good ol' days of corruption with decorum

as they say, the donald is 'stealing with both hands' and 'not leaving anything for others to eat'.

in the past politicians would steal a little, and there was enough to go around.

a couple of hundred grand on a land deal was OK. but $250B in crypto is just too much.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#403

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What can a single person legally do about corruption though? These days not much it would seem. :(

donate $10 to your local non republican congressional candidate. heck, make it $100

Fastest way to throw away $100

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#404
post #306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you prove any corruption from another President similar to one very obvious case of corruption, where the UAE invested in a very clearly scam crypto company run by Trump's family (who have no crypto expertise) and then very soon after got contentious export licenses for Nvidia chips?

Does Iran-Contra count? Note that it set the terrible precedent of the President pardoning high level crimes.

Iran-Contra was a crime. The executive branch deliberately ignoring a law passed by congress.

But Reagan did not put any money in his pocket. Other than a set of snow tires, Lt.Col Oliver North did not take any money for himself.

It makes it better, somehow, not for money to be the motive. Or maybe it makes it worse.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#405

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m generally aligned with your point, but I also don’t think the official position of the Democratic Party is that we need a cultural revolution, nor do I observe most Democrats feel that way. What I do see is media and politicians on the Right characterizing extreme positions held by a minority of folks on the far Left as though they are adopted by the entire Left, and that weak uncritical minds on the Right believ…

I think you're somewhat underestimating how effectively the far-left minority has scared others into silence. Anyways, I do what I can to push back against them when they say things which seem wacky to me, as in this instance. Maybe I should work harder to make my actual views clear. I added a few sentences to the end of my original comment in this thread: "I don't think this is a slavery thing. Trump just sucks." ht…

> I think you're somewhat underestimating how effectively the far-left minority has scared others into silence

Besides all the YouTube videos, X posts, the addition of two new right-wing TV networks (OANN and NEWSMAX), “Truth” Social, WSJ, NY Post, etc.? Silence is a myth perpetuated by the right (“people are trying to suppress the truth and your 1A rights!”) to build a following when in fact opposition voices are plentiful.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#406
post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Prove him wrong. Show us documented cases of corruption from, say Obama, or Biden, or Bush Jr. And then we'll compare it to the documented cases of Trump corruption, starting with his 2 crypto pump-and-dump schemes and his family's fake crypto company (3 already very brazenly open ones and there are more!) and let's see if you can pull similar for any of the previous presidents of the 21st century

Dick Cheney. Edit: I don’t really care though, I’m not a US citizen. Trump is terrible still. Shouldn’t have voted him in. :shrug:

You can dislike Cheney's actions while in office, but I don't remember any scandals where he put money in his pocket.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#407

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's more like a third. > 35% approve, 61% disapprove, 5% not sure https://www.economist.com/interactive/trump-approval-tracker

> 35% approve I also gotta wonder what percentage of this group is amplified beyond reality by bot armies and hostile foreign actors. There can't really be that many people so completely detached from reality, can there?

There is no local media in the US. A wide swath of the electorate gets 100% of their news from Fox news.

In Texas, it is widely known that the Trump family are experts in crypto finance, and worthy of the gains they have made. (also that sharia law is widely practiced)

When people that aren't highly educated have no source of accurate current events, they have a warped view of reality.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#408

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 35% approve I also gotta wonder what percentage of this group is amplified beyond reality by bot armies and hostile foreign actors. There can't really be that many people so completely detached from reality, can there?

> so completely detached from reality isn't really the crux of the problem with modern day USofA, more and more people are completely attached to their algo tuned bubble , curated for them by the data scientists of . It's not just the hostile bot armies of foreign actors tugging on the strings of perception, the distortion is coming from inside the borders.

It's Zucks fault.

Social media destroyed local media and turned to making money instead of informing the populace.

Let's have another lawsuit about Facebook killing our democracy.

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#409
post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's more like a third. > 35% approve, 61% disapprove, 5% not sure https://www.economist.com/interactive/trump-approval-tracker

That 35% will change their tune if it screws their stuff up. Trump et al is great in the large unless he's your business partner or boss screwing your money and life up, hitting on your wife or daughter, owes you money etc. Cheap symbolism is appealing in a fog only, not in your face.

The stories hit reddit every day.

"ICE deported my wife. She was legal and was following the rules. I still love my Donald and will vote for him again"

Re: Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread

#410
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's more like a third. > 35% approve, 61% disapprove, 5% not sure https://www.economist.com/interactive/trump-approval-tracker

> The national favorability rating for the Democratic Party sits around 39% to 41% favorable, with unfavorable ratings ranging from 48% to 54% across recent mid-2026 polls. [0] And Congress as a whole... > The approval rating for the U.S. Congress stands at 10%, while disapproval has climbed to 86%, according to data from Gallup. [1] So not sure what this is really telling us? [0]: https://fiftyplusone.news/polls/fav…

I hate my congressman. Why, he won't listen to me. No public meetings, no interviews with real press. Only 1 way phone calls, where you can submit questions via e-mail a day before the event.

No private meetings either. I have repeatedly called both his local office and his DC office. If I have a donation, a staffer will meet with me.

His philosophy is simple "You love Donald, I love Donald". It is the focus of the mailers that are sent out every quarter.

This elections democrat has no polling. The prediction markets give her an 8% chance of winning.

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