Terrific article and on point. I esp resonate with your feelings regarding Obama. Love the man but that was his huge mistake and unleashed the go sign on white collar corruption. Prosecuting Wall St could have changed history
Obama probably saw it as a legal matter, considering he is a lawyer. So he left it to his AG. I believe he suffered from tunnel vision, and did not get 'creative'
I understand prosecutors wanting simple easy to win cases, and the rich rarely provide that. They usually had just enough legal advice to pretend to have 'plausible deniability' or some other technicality, then they have LOTS of expensive lawyers who are only too glad to delay a case for years (did you notice what Trump did?) and at the end, per the rules, since no one ever went after them before, let alone got a conviction, they get off with no actual jail time. So 'going after them' would not seriously impact their lives.
Another idea for such a situation would be to condition the 'bail-out' of the companies to include the requirement that no top executive can be retained at the company, must revoke any 'retirement packages' and the company can not hire (for any position) any executive from any of the other companies that received bailouts.
The boards of Directors should not get away free either, but somebody has to sign the agreement to take the bailout. Each of them should have limits placed upon them, such as goals their company has to meet in cleaning up their act (over and above the crisis) or they will lose all 'retirement bonuses' and be similarly barred from all other bailed out companies.
These actions should be a cautionary message to all such businesses and especially their executives. Otherwise no lesson is learned.
Of course if the law providing the bailouts can be written so as to force the bailout and conditions on the companies, then it should also include the Board of Directors, with each company having a 'special master' placed in charge by a judge, for a period of at least a few years.
If Companies fail in their responsibility to the nation at large, out of sheer greed, the people who made the choices, who were in charge and responsible should not benefit, they should lose something. Since jail is the purview of the courts, other means MUST be found.
I totally agree plus more. It should be so harsh that if they even think about it would scare the bejesus (the hell😊) out of all of them. That’s why the powers that be wouldn’t run for president because the conditions was too high. Over the years we were supposed to add on or revise those conditions to fit our era. You know to keep the flys, mosquitoes and bees away because that’s how we got the biggest nastiest cockroach sitting in the Oval Office right now.
Thank you Mike, this is an incredibly important set of ideas so please share them widely. How do we become the Dems who stand up for decency when so many in our party, not to mention both parties, have bought into the status quo? It's not a question with any one answer, it's a call to action and folks like you are shining light on the path we need to take.
How is it that the media, when hearing "who" he has pardoned now, doesn't say outloud "oh of course yet another felon, pedophile, drug dealer, insert your favorite bad guy here..." I mean I've never seen a presidential pardon for someone who didn't actually deserve one - except for his.
Unfortunately Biden did the very same thing, pardoning his son and political appointees that should have had due process. No side is free of this, that's why Mike's post is so important.
It was very clear that the Hunter Biden pardon was a lot about ending an injustice, not continuing it. Hunter Biden‘s offense was a minor one and it was blown up into a major political scandal. I don’t fault Joe Biden for pardoning his son when all of the rest of the political attacks on Hunter were really about attacking Joe.
yes, biden knew he was operating in a world that was to rapidly become a non-american revenge tour of a very vengeful bully supported by a sycophant political party that really wanted to drink the trump-cult koolaid.....
if it had been more "normal" situation i doubt that biden would have done that...
trump and trumpaholics had a long hit list that would quench their blood-thirst and also serve as distraction to the main show of 'establishing a trump dictatorship dynasty'..
the weaponization of the whole government against all people.
the blatant disregard of all laws.
the excavation of an even more massive gulf between the haves and the have nots.
the abrupt return to the racist, slave mentality.
the completion of the plan to dumb down americans and the consequential laser focus of the media on stories that titilate only the basic instincts of humans....
it is so mind f**king sad....and it's going to take a mamdani, an AOC, a Buttigieg, or anyone else who has not yet been corrupted by the compulsive and obsessive ride towards wealth on the congressional gravy train, to start rehabilitating our country for the greater goos, for equality, for real justice, for compassion, for kindness, and stop all the glorification of wealth and celebrity status....just simple respect...
where is this magnanimus egalitarian and benevolent person that resembles jesus, mohammed, Buddha, krishna, and all the good spirits of our ancestors?
the weaponization of the whole government against all people.
the blatant disregard of all laws.
the excavation of an even more massive gulf between the haves and the have nots.
the abrupt return to the racist, slave mentality.
the completion of the plan to dumb down americans and the consequential laser focus of the media on stories that titilate only the basic instincts of humans....
And these are the people pushing for a Christian nation????????
Great article. Let me suggest you read "The Invisible Doctrine" by George Monbiot and one other. That will explain how capitalism and democracy are diametrically opposed. What we have with DJT is the end game for capitalism and it is totally devoid of democratic ideals. Neolibralism has unleashed unfettered corporate and wealth power. It is time to rescue democracy with (gulp) democratic socialism. Neoliberal philosophy is why the Democratic party ends up being Republican-lite and ignoring the needs of the bottom 60% of the population. A new paradigm is needed and is emerging; see Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani. David
You are right — we can see how people have become apathetic and disengaged. I can’t blame them but I also know that nothing will change if the compassionate people disengage. Therein lies the rub.
Someone asked me elsewhere why I have posted so much about my perspective as a gay man here on Endless Urgency. And especially, why I have made several lengthy postings about the sexual abuse scandals in the various churches: the Catholics, the southern Baptists, the Assemblies of God, and a few others.
There are a number of reasons for this. First, my being a gay man has given me a lens through which to see all kinds of political, social, and religious institutions. I think I have a fairly keen nose for hypocrisy, duplicity, and prevarication. I have the ability to see it, comment on it, and present it for your dining pleasure.
But there is a second reason, even bigger: CORRUPTION. And I’m not merely talking about mere financial transgressions. I’m talking about absolute moral corruption: becoming that which you allegedly hate and stand against. This goes beyond mere hypocrisy, which as I have said often, would be refreshingly honest in comparison. This is about faithlessness, abandonment of morals, abandonment of principles, empathy, honesty, responsibility, concern for others, And all for the never-ending pursuit of power and money, and their bastard stepchildren, religious dominion and revenge.
All of these religious sexual abuse scandals reveal absolute corruption. It’s not merely about the men of God abusing kids— and occasionally grown-ups— thereby demonstrating that they don’t believe a word of what they’re selling, but the institutional coverups, including transferring offenders to different parishes, ignoring reports, and above all, deflecting blame onto innocent others who are not doing the abusing, the coverups, or the deflecting. This is the moral rot that infects so many conservative churches. And I for one, as a gay man— I am absolutely weary of my community being blamed for what the guardians of morality are doing. They’ve been doing this for the entirety of my conscious and adult life: 60 years now.
As I say, this goes beyond mere hypocrisy. This is about CORRUPTION. And this is what pisses me off beyond measure about this Epstein garbage. Senator Chris Murphy said the other day that “This is most likely the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the country.”
A more Accurate way to state It is that this is among the many corruption scandals that are associated with the Trump administration, And that collection of corruption scandals concentrated in one individual is the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the country. And that includes the Grant administration and the Harding administration.
To me, what is absolutely disgusting and corrupt about this is that it’s very likely going to be sex and sleaze that brings down the Trump administration. Just like the sex and sleaze that is affecting organized religion in this country – or more accurately, conservative organized religion. Seven pastors in the last week arrested, or convicted or sentenced for sexually abusing kids or possessing child pornography or both. And every one of them a member of a conservative denomination.
And that’s just on my newsfeed.
It’s going to be sex and sleaze that brings down the trump administration, and that’s what pisses me off beyond measure. Not the lies. Not the Bigotry. not the demonization. Not the open financial corruption. Not the open taking of bribes. Not the destruction of national heritage and prestige. Not the pardoning of convicted criminals. Not the incompetence. Not the stupidity. Not the murder of people not convicted of any crimes. Not the collusion with Russia. Not the crimes against peaceful and legal immigrants. Not the association with Nazis. Not the corruption of associated evangelical churches. Not a Convicted felon holding office. Not Trump making billions. Not jared making billions. Not junior sitting on the board of a Pharmaceutical company selling pharmaceuticals To drug-selling trumprx.com . Not the destruction of relationships with our allies. Not the threatened invasion of multiple countries. Not the pardoning of convicted and dangerous criminals.
But a goddamn sex scandal. Because when it comes down to it, that’s what the American public is interested in.
All individuals involved in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, whether concerning children or adults, should face the appropriate consequences if their identities are revealed, regardless of their party affiliation, nationality, rank, race, or gender.
Furthermore, elected officials, particularly those in the majority, who have facilitated the corruption of our governmental institutions or who are too old to effectively advocate for necessary reforms should be voted out of office. They should be replaced by younger representatives in their early thirties, elected by voters aged 18 to 25 who harness their social media influence to engage in the electoral process, thereby fostering a greater interest in shaping their futures.
While the current system is flawed, it remains a valuable institution; however, it is often mismanaged by individuals under the influence of money.
Young adults aged 18 to 25, who may be earning around $15 per hour and perceive a bleak future, will soon recognize their circumstances and rapidly shift their focus to politics, akin to the inevitability of gravity.
When I observed the elderly Democratic representatives at the podium, struggling to articulate their reasoning for supporting a detrimental resolution to reopen the government—only after their airline PACs were impacted—I noted their disconnect from the realities of our lives.
Senator Schumer, your presence is reminiscent of a walking casket.
The dynamics witnessed in the New York mayoral race should be replicated nationwide.
I urge those aged 18 to 25 to become actively engaged in determining their futures during the upcoming midterm elections, rather than remaining passive on platforms like TikTok.
It is straightforward to make a change by running for office and replacing these aging incumbents in preparation for an AI-driven future.
Many current officeholders are over 50 years old, treating their positions as retirement packages funded by political action committees. It is time to challenge their narratives.
Sorry, but “airline pac” is just a supposition, and unless one knows the accuracy of that, invalidates one’s argument.
No good outcome either way, but at least some people do not have to starve now. One can survive without medical insurance or housing, but not without food.
And the senators from Nevada knew their state could not survive economically, with the damage to Las Vegas tourism. Perhaps they were selfish to consider their state’s welfare above that of the rest of the country, but I doubt they did it for their “airline pac”. And New Hampshire, because too many rely on food stamps.
I agree, this is an excellent article. However, you left out the most important part. What can we, the common people, do about this cancer in our country? I very much want to know, and when I hear some useful, executable solutions, I will share them.
My only real quibble with this article is the assumption, which might turn out to be true but I think probably isn't, that the files will expose a significant number of people having been involved with the disgusting sex trafficking of underage girls.
Again, we won't know until even more information comes out but I suspect that people who hope that malefactors will be exposed and ruined will be disappointed. It wouldn't surprise me if the conspiracy that so many people imagine as widespread was instead rather narrow, like just Epstein and Maxwell and some small single digit number of other people.
I also think there is a legitimate concern for unjustified damage to the reputations of people who knew Epstein but never did anything wrong. Especially who knew and occasionally associated with Epstein before all of this terrible stuff was known.
Enjoy is the wrong word. Frustrate is more like it.
The situation is so rotten, so deep, that billionaires make other billionaires and coddling them is just one of the perks.
Think of the “no kings” protest. Oh, we’re out there all right. And we’re seriously pissed off. But you tell me how we can fight back. Voting? Yeah, if they don’t figure out a way to screw up the election. I don’t think, if we manage to prevail, that we’ll let them get away with these travesties. But will they let us? I think boycott, very effective but unlikely when our very subsistence is dependent on the billionaires merge, purge, and charge.
Nellis has said it all - every bit right on target. You can bet there are those Democrats, like Republicans involved disgustingly, in the Epstein trash. It’s so true we’ve got to get back to decency or we’re all doomed. By golly this is getting to the point in the”Bible” where it got so degrading and perverted. Time to wake up and time to realize no matter your party we are in this together and we need to work together to make corrections and hold those accountable.
Terrific article and on point. I esp resonate with your feelings regarding Obama. Love the man but that was his huge mistake and unleashed the go sign on white collar corruption. Prosecuting Wall St could have changed history
Obama probably saw it as a legal matter, considering he is a lawyer. So he left it to his AG. I believe he suffered from tunnel vision, and did not get 'creative'
I understand prosecutors wanting simple easy to win cases, and the rich rarely provide that. They usually had just enough legal advice to pretend to have 'plausible deniability' or some other technicality, then they have LOTS of expensive lawyers who are only too glad to delay a case for years (did you notice what Trump did?) and at the end, per the rules, since no one ever went after them before, let alone got a conviction, they get off with no actual jail time. So 'going after them' would not seriously impact their lives.
Another idea for such a situation would be to condition the 'bail-out' of the companies to include the requirement that no top executive can be retained at the company, must revoke any 'retirement packages' and the company can not hire (for any position) any executive from any of the other companies that received bailouts.
The boards of Directors should not get away free either, but somebody has to sign the agreement to take the bailout. Each of them should have limits placed upon them, such as goals their company has to meet in cleaning up their act (over and above the crisis) or they will lose all 'retirement bonuses' and be similarly barred from all other bailed out companies.
These actions should be a cautionary message to all such businesses and especially their executives. Otherwise no lesson is learned.
Of course if the law providing the bailouts can be written so as to force the bailout and conditions on the companies, then it should also include the Board of Directors, with each company having a 'special master' placed in charge by a judge, for a period of at least a few years.
If Companies fail in their responsibility to the nation at large, out of sheer greed, the people who made the choices, who were in charge and responsible should not benefit, they should lose something. Since jail is the purview of the courts, other means MUST be found.
I totally agree plus more. It should be so harsh that if they even think about it would scare the bejesus (the hell😊) out of all of them. That’s why the powers that be wouldn’t run for president because the conditions was too high. Over the years we were supposed to add on or revise those conditions to fit our era. You know to keep the flys, mosquitoes and bees away because that’s how we got the biggest nastiest cockroach sitting in the Oval Office right now.
Thank you Mike, this is an incredibly important set of ideas so please share them widely. How do we become the Dems who stand up for decency when so many in our party, not to mention both parties, have bought into the status quo? It's not a question with any one answer, it's a call to action and folks like you are shining light on the path we need to take.
How is it that the media, when hearing "who" he has pardoned now, doesn't say outloud "oh of course yet another felon, pedophile, drug dealer, insert your favorite bad guy here..." I mean I've never seen a presidential pardon for someone who didn't actually deserve one - except for his.
Unfortunately Biden did the very same thing, pardoning his son and political appointees that should have had due process. No side is free of this, that's why Mike's post is so important.
It was very clear that the Hunter Biden pardon was a lot about ending an injustice, not continuing it. Hunter Biden‘s offense was a minor one and it was blown up into a major political scandal. I don’t fault Joe Biden for pardoning his son when all of the rest of the political attacks on Hunter were really about attacking Joe.
yes, biden knew he was operating in a world that was to rapidly become a non-american revenge tour of a very vengeful bully supported by a sycophant political party that really wanted to drink the trump-cult koolaid.....
if it had been more "normal" situation i doubt that biden would have done that...
trump and trumpaholics had a long hit list that would quench their blood-thirst and also serve as distraction to the main show of 'establishing a trump dictatorship dynasty'..
Absolutely the point. You said it better
Because, trump. Biden knew his son would not get equal justice, so he was preempting that. Not a both sidesism at all.
Pardoning the son was a basic safety thing. Most people would pardon their own child(ren).
yes. agree completely.
the sheer magnitude of corruption.
the complete and utter disdain for morality.
the weaponization of the whole government against all people.
the blatant disregard of all laws.
the excavation of an even more massive gulf between the haves and the have nots.
the abrupt return to the racist, slave mentality.
the completion of the plan to dumb down americans and the consequential laser focus of the media on stories that titilate only the basic instincts of humans....
it is so mind f**king sad....and it's going to take a mamdani, an AOC, a Buttigieg, or anyone else who has not yet been corrupted by the compulsive and obsessive ride towards wealth on the congressional gravy train, to start rehabilitating our country for the greater goos, for equality, for real justice, for compassion, for kindness, and stop all the glorification of wealth and celebrity status....just simple respect...
where is this magnanimus egalitarian and benevolent person that resembles jesus, mohammed, Buddha, krishna, and all the good spirits of our ancestors?
the sheer magnitude of corruption.
the complete and utter disdain for morality.
the weaponization of the whole government against all people.
the blatant disregard of all laws.
the excavation of an even more massive gulf between the haves and the have nots.
the abrupt return to the racist, slave mentality.
the completion of the plan to dumb down americans and the consequential laser focus of the media on stories that titilate only the basic instincts of humans....
And these are the people pushing for a Christian nation????????
Great article. Let me suggest you read "The Invisible Doctrine" by George Monbiot and one other. That will explain how capitalism and democracy are diametrically opposed. What we have with DJT is the end game for capitalism and it is totally devoid of democratic ideals. Neolibralism has unleashed unfettered corporate and wealth power. It is time to rescue democracy with (gulp) democratic socialism. Neoliberal philosophy is why the Democratic party ends up being Republican-lite and ignoring the needs of the bottom 60% of the population. A new paradigm is needed and is emerging; see Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani. David
You are right — we can see how people have become apathetic and disengaged. I can’t blame them but I also know that nothing will change if the compassionate people disengage. Therein lies the rub.
Someone asked me elsewhere why I have posted so much about my perspective as a gay man here on Endless Urgency. And especially, why I have made several lengthy postings about the sexual abuse scandals in the various churches: the Catholics, the southern Baptists, the Assemblies of God, and a few others.
There are a number of reasons for this. First, my being a gay man has given me a lens through which to see all kinds of political, social, and religious institutions. I think I have a fairly keen nose for hypocrisy, duplicity, and prevarication. I have the ability to see it, comment on it, and present it for your dining pleasure.
But there is a second reason, even bigger: CORRUPTION. And I’m not merely talking about mere financial transgressions. I’m talking about absolute moral corruption: becoming that which you allegedly hate and stand against. This goes beyond mere hypocrisy, which as I have said often, would be refreshingly honest in comparison. This is about faithlessness, abandonment of morals, abandonment of principles, empathy, honesty, responsibility, concern for others, And all for the never-ending pursuit of power and money, and their bastard stepchildren, religious dominion and revenge.
All of these religious sexual abuse scandals reveal absolute corruption. It’s not merely about the men of God abusing kids— and occasionally grown-ups— thereby demonstrating that they don’t believe a word of what they’re selling, but the institutional coverups, including transferring offenders to different parishes, ignoring reports, and above all, deflecting blame onto innocent others who are not doing the abusing, the coverups, or the deflecting. This is the moral rot that infects so many conservative churches. And I for one, as a gay man— I am absolutely weary of my community being blamed for what the guardians of morality are doing. They’ve been doing this for the entirety of my conscious and adult life: 60 years now.
As I say, this goes beyond mere hypocrisy. This is about CORRUPTION. And this is what pisses me off beyond measure about this Epstein garbage. Senator Chris Murphy said the other day that “This is most likely the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the country.”
A more Accurate way to state It is that this is among the many corruption scandals that are associated with the Trump administration, And that collection of corruption scandals concentrated in one individual is the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the country. And that includes the Grant administration and the Harding administration.
To me, what is absolutely disgusting and corrupt about this is that it’s very likely going to be sex and sleaze that brings down the Trump administration. Just like the sex and sleaze that is affecting organized religion in this country – or more accurately, conservative organized religion. Seven pastors in the last week arrested, or convicted or sentenced for sexually abusing kids or possessing child pornography or both. And every one of them a member of a conservative denomination.
And that’s just on my newsfeed.
It’s going to be sex and sleaze that brings down the trump administration, and that’s what pisses me off beyond measure. Not the lies. Not the Bigotry. not the demonization. Not the open financial corruption. Not the open taking of bribes. Not the destruction of national heritage and prestige. Not the pardoning of convicted criminals. Not the incompetence. Not the stupidity. Not the murder of people not convicted of any crimes. Not the collusion with Russia. Not the crimes against peaceful and legal immigrants. Not the association with Nazis. Not the corruption of associated evangelical churches. Not a Convicted felon holding office. Not Trump making billions. Not jared making billions. Not junior sitting on the board of a Pharmaceutical company selling pharmaceuticals To drug-selling trumprx.com . Not the destruction of relationships with our allies. Not the threatened invasion of multiple countries. Not the pardoning of convicted and dangerous criminals.
But a goddamn sex scandal. Because when it comes down to it, that’s what the American public is interested in.
All individuals involved in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, whether concerning children or adults, should face the appropriate consequences if their identities are revealed, regardless of their party affiliation, nationality, rank, race, or gender.
Furthermore, elected officials, particularly those in the majority, who have facilitated the corruption of our governmental institutions or who are too old to effectively advocate for necessary reforms should be voted out of office. They should be replaced by younger representatives in their early thirties, elected by voters aged 18 to 25 who harness their social media influence to engage in the electoral process, thereby fostering a greater interest in shaping their futures.
While the current system is flawed, it remains a valuable institution; however, it is often mismanaged by individuals under the influence of money.
Young adults aged 18 to 25, who may be earning around $15 per hour and perceive a bleak future, will soon recognize their circumstances and rapidly shift their focus to politics, akin to the inevitability of gravity.
When I observed the elderly Democratic representatives at the podium, struggling to articulate their reasoning for supporting a detrimental resolution to reopen the government—only after their airline PACs were impacted—I noted their disconnect from the realities of our lives.
Senator Schumer, your presence is reminiscent of a walking casket.
The dynamics witnessed in the New York mayoral race should be replicated nationwide.
I urge those aged 18 to 25 to become actively engaged in determining their futures during the upcoming midterm elections, rather than remaining passive on platforms like TikTok.
It is straightforward to make a change by running for office and replacing these aging incumbents in preparation for an AI-driven future.
Many current officeholders are over 50 years old, treating their positions as retirement packages funded by political action committees. It is time to challenge their narratives.
Sorry, but “airline pac” is just a supposition, and unless one knows the accuracy of that, invalidates one’s argument.
No good outcome either way, but at least some people do not have to starve now. One can survive without medical insurance or housing, but not without food.
And the senators from Nevada knew their state could not survive economically, with the damage to Las Vegas tourism. Perhaps they were selfish to consider their state’s welfare above that of the rest of the country, but I doubt they did it for their “airline pac”. And New Hampshire, because too many rely on food stamps.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, as usual.
Thanks for the refinement.
Perhaps, PAC money erodes credibility, allowing for the perception of conflict of interest. From which my remarks, reasonably stem from.
I agree, this is an excellent article. However, you left out the most important part. What can we, the common people, do about this cancer in our country? I very much want to know, and when I hear some useful, executable solutions, I will share them.
My only real quibble with this article is the assumption, which might turn out to be true but I think probably isn't, that the files will expose a significant number of people having been involved with the disgusting sex trafficking of underage girls.
Again, we won't know until even more information comes out but I suspect that people who hope that malefactors will be exposed and ruined will be disappointed. It wouldn't surprise me if the conspiracy that so many people imagine as widespread was instead rather narrow, like just Epstein and Maxwell and some small single digit number of other people.
I also think there is a legitimate concern for unjustified damage to the reputations of people who knew Epstein but never did anything wrong. Especially who knew and occasionally associated with Epstein before all of this terrible stuff was known.
I sometimes wonder if what trump doesn’t want revealed are the financial shenanigans, possibly as damning as anything else.
absolutely agree...more likely harmful business info in there than sexual info
Enjoy is the wrong word. Frustrate is more like it.
The situation is so rotten, so deep, that billionaires make other billionaires and coddling them is just one of the perks.
Think of the “no kings” protest. Oh, we’re out there all right. And we’re seriously pissed off. But you tell me how we can fight back. Voting? Yeah, if they don’t figure out a way to screw up the election. I don’t think, if we manage to prevail, that we’ll let them get away with these travesties. But will they let us? I think boycott, very effective but unlikely when our very subsistence is dependent on the billionaires merge, purge, and charge.
I wish us all luck.
Buzzards of a corrupt feather, stick together.
Thank you for another great article
Nellis has said it all - every bit right on target. You can bet there are those Democrats, like Republicans involved disgustingly, in the Epstein trash. It’s so true we’ve got to get back to decency or we’re all doomed. By golly this is getting to the point in the”Bible” where it got so degrading and perverted. Time to wake up and time to realize no matter your party we are in this together and we need to work together to make corrections and hold those accountable.
Amen, Mike. Amen
Thank you for this article, expresses my views completely!