Eric PuryearJan 18, 2023
Please don’t confuse what is legal with what is right. There is some overlap, of course, but not as much as one might think. Laws are generally written by the rich and powerful to protect their interests, often at the expense of the poor and weak. Many atrocities are lawful, and many acts of mercy are unlawful. I say this as an attorney.
Show threadAngie AdamsonJan 18, 2023
@eric
What is the difference between "unlawful" and "illegal"? Is it just a more formal term?
Show threadGurtbeef RobeJan 20, 2023
@serehfas ok they are extremely similar but slightly different. I couldn’t find a good example to show difference but by definition.
Unlawful is not approved by the law but not necessarily against the law either. Seems like it means there’s no law that allows you to do it.
Illegal is a violation of the written law.
Illicit carries strong tone of immorality.
Criminal means it’s punishable
It’s all semantics and all can be punished by law.
Show threadAngie AdamsonJan 21, 2023

@twitterreject Interesting, thank you.
What I am pondering is whether "Robodebt" in Australia was unlawful, because it was never conceived of that the Govt would go outside its own governing legislation, or illegal, because they did ignore their legislation.

When ppl get social security here, their entitlement is calculated week by week depending on what, if any, earnings they had. So-called Robodebt used an algorithm to average their income over 12 months then claim they got too much money.

Show threadAngie AdamsonJan 21, 2023
@twitterreject
They ised tax records for this, which are a simmation of the whole year, not connected to eligibility.
They also required recipients to prove they didn't have a debt, where our law requires the creditor to prove debt.
They took this over longer periods than the 7 years people are legally required to keep tax records.
It was a dodgy attempt to claw back cash from the most vulnerable. There were a large number of suicides. Scandalous; now going through a Royal Commission.
Show threadGurtbeef RobeJan 21, 2023
@serehfas damn! The gop slashed funding to IRS (tax division) so they no longer had the resources to pursue rich people for tax fraud and started auditing poor people where they might get a couple hundred $ at most.
Show threadAngie AdamsonJan 21, 2023

@twitterreject Yes, our ATO was pursuing small business. Huge corporate fraudsters get a fine which is only a % of their actual tax bill. Richard Boyle whistleblew on the practices, and is now being dragged through court for sharing classified info.

Aboriginal women with unpaid parking fines get more jail time than white collar crims.

Show threadGurtbeef RobeJan 21, 2023
@serehfas sounds exactly like here
Show threadAngie AdamsonJan 21, 2023
@twitterreject Covid response, or lack of it, has shown how G7 plus ASEAN and others are all in lockstep.
Show threadAngie AdamsonJan 21, 2023
@twitterreject Hope that's not controversial, but I like my health and I cannot believe public health principles and experience garnered since London's Cholera outbreak in the 1800s have been abandoned.
Show threadGurtbeef RobeJan 21, 2023
@serehfas in Jan 2020, Trump gave author Bob Woodward an interview and let him record it. He’s on record talking about how terrible he believes Covid is and worse than flu before public knew. Then in February, Trump goes on tv and says it’s no big deal. Woodward said absolutely nothing about interviews and trump comments bc he was saving it for his book, 2 years and 1 million dead people later. There’s like 5 authors who did similar w/trump scandals kept quiet for books
Show threadAngie Adamson
@twitterreject Is Woodward a journo? Similar happened here, can't remember the fine detail, but key info was covered up by a journo until publication.
Jan 21, 2023 at 5:32amWeb
Show threadGurtbeef RobeJan 21, 2023
@serehfas yeah. Woodward was a journalist for Washington Post. He got famous for his reporting on Watergate scandal that led to govt investigation & Nixon resigning. Wrote book “all the president’s men” about it. Trump was excited to be interviewed by him bc he’s famous. There’s about 5 people from trump’s inner circle that withheld info on him to put it in their books several years later. Shameless greed. It’s mindblowing the level of corruption and criminal he was daily.
Show threadAngie AdamsonJan 22, 2023
@twitterreject Ah,thought I recognised the name,now I know.