Let's talk about the real world and politics. I am not talking about how you idealistically see how people or governments should act in regard to politics and advantage and strategies. I am talking about how the world full of human beings who have adversaries and their own self-interests who are all strategically seeking advantage and power in politics and business and government is the vehicle that they seek to use to fulfill and secure their interests. It is true in America, and it is true in every other country and throughout human history from day one.
Let us look for instance at the story today in the New York Post:
"Kushner reportedly received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund — with expected annual management fees of $25 million — six months after Trump left office, drawing comparisons to Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings."
Sound familiar? If you have been following the unfolding Hunter Biden "business" revelations about how he also received what is piling up to be tens of millions of dollars, $20 million? $50 million? More? From CCP controlled companies, from Ukraine, from Kasachstan, and probably many other countries. All from companies and countries directly under the portfolio management of the then vice president of the United States, Joe Biden. Apparently for some perceived or realized value by those companies and countries for certain American government policy adjustments that would favor them.
Joe Biden brags on video about having the prosecutor investigating his son and the company that he sat on their board of for corruption: https://youtu.be/S3Ibbq_LG-4 1:15 min. Hubris in this example is the egomaniacal big balls driven, in your face, hiding in plain sight over confidence public move coated in "righteousness".
The Ukraine prosecutor Shokin was fired in order to guarantee that Ukraine received a $1billion dollar loan guarantee by the Obama government. Quid pro quo? Looks like a duck to me. The company needed the prosecutor fired who was investigating them for corruption, and in exchange both Joe and Hunter apparently received $5 million dollars each for their efforts. As per the ongoing Congressional investigation. And this all apparently happened while Joe was the sitting vice president of the United States. And that is a big no, no. That is a line too far.
We all understand the immense pressure put upon politicians for that favor or consideration that the many countries and businesses around the world seek from America. And I assume that this situation involving the vice president and I would assume others in the Senate and the House is an ongoing pressure for all concerned. And they are all loath to "Go there".
The one caveat here? The politically empowered by the people politicians all swear to uphold and protect the Constitution and reject these overt efforts for advantage and consideration under the threat of possible criminal prosecution and or charges of treason!
And any politician who thinks that they are not being compensated enough in their government politically empowered by the people job for sitting on and making the many consequential decisions that they make in the country and the world might get very creative in defining the line between where they can go and where they cannot go related to such things.
Jared Kushner apparently had this deal arranged with the Saudis, but it was consummated six months after the 45th president left office. And of course, Mr. Kushner was and is a legitimate businessman and has a pretty high pile of accomplishments both in business and in government. But maybe you take a pass, it does not look good.
Hunter Biden? Not so much. The computer from hell is truly from hell.
"Hunter - who had by then been battling drug addiction for years - he complained: 'I hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family for 30 years. 'It’s really hard. But don’t worry, unlike Pop [Joe], I won’t make you give me half your salary. It was a text he sent to his daughter Naomi in 2019. Hunter started working for Burisma Holdings, the Ukrainian gas company, in 2014. He earned $83,333-a-month from Burisma until two months after Joe left office."
Joe Biden, long time politician, apparently positioned his son Hunter throughout the years on the boards of domestic companies that he had political policy control or influence over and half of that renumeration paid to Hunter apparently made its way to "Pop"? That is what it clearly seems to be. And then they went international when Joe became the vice president. And that is the big money.
Where is the line on these kinds of convenient political arrangements? You tell me. IMO Joe and company were way to confident and went way, way too far.
Remember all companies and countries want to garner favor or advantage if they can possibly find it from the American government. It is the way of the world, but as a politically empowered politician when you go over the line, and there is a line, then you have crafted an ethical and very possibly a legal situation for yourself.
And Joe Biden seems to have for many years been riding that line between legal and illegal. Culminating in the very financially ambitious and complex international arrangements that apparently included 20 or more LLC shell companies. And these arrangements apparently included Joes brother, son, nephews, nieces and grandchildren in the Biden family legacy orbit.
"Quid pro quo: In business and legal contexts, quid pro quo conveys that a good or service has been exchanged for something of equal value. It has been used in politics to describe an unethical practice of "I'll do something for you, if you do something for me," but are allowable if bribery or malfeasance does not occur through it."
"Bribery and malfeasance" regarding the public trust. This situation appears to be beyond and over the bribery and malfeasance line of the public trust.
From NCSL: "Legislators, public employees, and other public servants may face severe consequences for violating the public trust. The range of penalties includes censure, removal from office, permanent disqualification from holding any state position, restitution, decades in prison, and fines up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars."
Remember, politics is the dirtiest, filthiest most corrupt activity that human beings participate in. And that is as true today as it was 10,000 years ago, really forever. And the Constitution is the attempt to objectively over time counterbalance that fact.
Are you paying attention yet America? What do you think? JGL 8/11/23
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