Craving Waffles

@cravingwaffles@mastodon.world
67 Followers
138 Following
821 Posts
Introvert. Pool player. Humanities. Cheese.
Craving WafflesMay 9, 2024
James GleickMay 9, 2024

If the bribe you’re soliciting is $1,000 in a paper bag, the FBI will arrest you. If it’s $1 billion in dark money, does that make it legal?

https://wapo.st/3UBf4Fy

What Trump promised oil CEOs as he asked them to steer $1 billion to his campaign

Donald Trump has pledged to scrap President Biden’s policies on electric vehicles and wind energy, and other initiatives opposed by the fossil fuel industry.

The Washington Post
Craving WafflesMay 9, 2024
Ricki Bowie Knives TarrMay 9, 2024

Human who works a job, caregives for children, parents, pets, or relatives, cooks, cleans, shops, is on committees, volunteers, helps with family's extracurriculars, tries to make it to family and friend social events, exercise, eat right, and maybe even do a hobby they are interested in: Doc, I don't know why I'm so tired, and stressed all the time.

Billionaires and Politicians: The problem is people are lazy, and just don't want to work.

Craving WafflesMay 9, 2024
MicheleV_AKMay 9, 2024
#BearChoosesBear #IChooseTheBear
Craving WafflesMay 8, 2024
r/Wholesomememes (Bot)May 8, 2024
Everyone needs a friend like this
(by u/populistaphid)
(OCR alt-text)
Craving WafflesMay 8, 2024
DARLENE RYAN 🇨🇦May 7, 2024
Ouch indeed! 👇👇👇
Craving WafflesMay 6, 2024
Church of JeffMay 5, 2024
Show threadCraving WafflesMay 6, 2024
@juglugs 100%.
Craving WafflesMay 6, 2024
Widdershins Smith 🐘May 3, 2024
Craving WafflesMay 6, 2024

@chessert Yep, same with Instagram. You buy one thing from an ad and all you get is ads for everything you look at longer than 2 seconds.

As for YouTube I've been going straight to my subscriptions and scrolling through that way.

Craving WafflesMay 6, 2024
DgarMay 6, 2024
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James GleickMay 9, 2024

If the bribe you’re soliciting is $1,000 in a paper bag, the FBI will arrest you. If it’s $1 billion in dark money, does that make it legal?

https://wapo.st/3UBf4Fy

Show threadjmjmMay 9, 2024

@JamesGleick constitutionally protected free speech, according to the corrupt Roberts Court.

At least one judge on that court had already accepted "loans" and gifts from one of the plaintiffs.

Show threadJayMay 9, 2024

@JamesGleick That’s ‘cause you can seize little bribes like that.

What’re you gonna do, seize money from the rich? Sounds like class warfare to me!

Show threadMacCruiskeenMay 9, 2024
@JamesGleick if it's half million in cash and gold bars in your suit jacket pockets, you still get to show up for your job in the Senate.
Show threadThe WookieMay 9, 2024

@JamesGleick

Sell $100 of addictive drugs on the street corner and you go to jail ..... Sell $1B of addictive pain killers and you go to the C-suite of a pharmaceutical company

Steal a loaf of bread to feed your family and you're a criminal ..... Steal intellectual property to feed your AI bot and you're an innovator

Crime has always been relative to how much money you can allocate to your "Get out of jail free card" expenses.

Show threadRoger MooreMay 9, 2024
@NJWookie @JamesGleick
Steal $10 bucks to feed your family, and they'll throw you in prison. Steal millions in unpaid wages and it's a civil matter.
Show threadThe WookieMay 9, 2024

@VATVSLPR @JamesGleick

Steal millions and just pay $100K fine. It's not a penalty or justice, it's just the transaction and permit fees on the balance sheet.

Show threadDoug Baker - Elbows Up!May 9, 2024
@NJWookie @JamesGleick An old question: what’s the difference between owning a bank and robbing one?
Show threadKevin Karhan May 9, 2024

@NJWookie @JamesGleick Except that AI thing is not true...

GitHub Copilot is not infringing your copyright

Felix Reda
Show threadNoctisEqui 🇺🇦🇵🇸🇪🇹🏳️‍🌈May 9, 2024

@JamesGleick

‘Leave in in small bills in a paper bag in the phone booth’

Watergate is a hiccup to this mass crime.

Show threadAmoshiasMay 9, 2024
@JamesGleick they will arrest you, but the supreme Court will say that it wasn't actually a bribe unless the bag has a giant cartoon dollar sign on it and you then took it and were still holding it in your hand as you cast a vote or signed an executive order. Otherwise, the supreme Court has said that that is just sparkling politics and there's nothing illegal about it.
Show threadMike McGrawMay 9, 2024
@JamesGleick And today’s trial in Manhattan is over a “puny” $130K that Trump paid to squash a damaging story before the 2016 election!! This guy is pure corruption from his heels to his hair follicles.
Show threadMichael OrmsbyMay 9, 2024

@JamesGleick To be clear, I despise Trump.

What makes him dangerous is that, based on his behavior, people think he’s a clown. But he has one enormous talent and that is knowing what he can get away with. And he’s spent a lifetime doing it. It’s why he gets up in the morning. The man is an artist of fraudulent behavior.

I hope to god he doesn’t win the next election, but the smallest possibility that he might scares the hell out of me.

Show threadRoy Brander🇨🇦May 9, 2024

@JamesGleick

I don't understand why the executives were "stunned".

Was anybody reading this "stunned"?

How come we're better informed than a bunch of CEOs?

Or...just a thought...was a journalist being nice to CEOs? Does that happen?

Show threadPatrick Morris MillerMay 9, 2024
@JamesGleick Kill one person and you are a murderer; kill ten people and you are a monster; kill a million people and you are a statesman. Same principle.
Show threadgaryMay 9, 2024
@JamesGleick his platform is the total A-hole platform obviously - disregard him as the campaign is not serious - the gop is sinking by and large and he is a liability not an asset I think that is the common consensus for the majority going forward - we''ll see. If he does end up winning i will still be happy as it will prove my theory that america is an insane moral cesspool correct #vindicated either way
Show threadAviva GaryMay 9, 2024

@JamesGleick No.
And not just because of what the comments said it's because everyone wants in on that sweet sweet money scheme. 🤑

The SC is obviously for sale like this, businesses like it because it is easier to get things done this way, other gov officials get a slice of the pie... everyone wins!

Except... you know... the country.

With smaller amounts, less people can share and it is probably poor people business anyways... 🤔

Show threadOtownKimMay 9, 2024
@JamesGleick The FBI is apparently in the bag for the Rich and Wealthy. The Mercan way anymore 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
Show threadLuka RubinjoniMay 9, 2024
@JamesGleick It's called "lobbying" and "fundraising", and I believe it's legal in the West.
Show threadSean Eric FaganMay 9, 2024

@JamesGleick Contributing to a political campaign because you want the stated policies is not bribery. Neither is meeting large donors to discuss your successful campaign and what those large donors are looking forward to, according to SCOTUS.

These are the joys of privately funded political campaigns.

Show threadJohn MastodonMay 9, 2024
@JamesGleick it is only called corruption outside the USA!
Show threadGerard CunninghamMay 9, 2024
@JamesGleick Who can say what Dark Scotus might decide when faced with that question? A mystery wrapped inside a riddle for the ages.
Show threadbakunins_ambivalenceMay 9, 2024
@JamesGleick That is usual in Washington D.C.
Happens all the time.
Show threadKevin Karhan May 9, 2024

@JamesGleick That's because #Corruption is legal in #America...

#USA #Cleptocracy #AmericanOligarchy #Oligarchy #Democracy

Corruption is Legal in America

Learn more at http://Represent.Us/TheProblem, and go to https://represent.us/TheSolution to see our plan and join the Anti-Corruption Movement. Click on "sho...

YouTube
Show threadMister Moo 🐮May 9, 2024
@JamesGleick In his 2010 State of the Union after Citizens United, Obama said, "Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections..." and that prompted Alito to mouth the words "not true." I guess we know who was right.
Show threadStarkRGMay 9, 2024
@JamesGleick I imagine it works like tax evasion. If you fail to pay $10k in taxes, the IRS will hound you until they're satisfied they're squeezed everything they can from you. If you fail to pay $10m, though, they're not going to bother because, apparently, it's just too much work for them.
Show threadIn Search of a Better WorldMay 10, 2024
@JamesGleick I'll ask Ginny Thomas, she is the expert
Show threadmike805May 10, 2024
@JamesGleick The cynical view: government is organized crime. Law enforcement is to prevent competition.
Show threadJohn GriffithMay 10, 2024

@JamesGleick

https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674659988

Well worth a read on how we got here and how the courts kept narrowing the legal meaning of corruption since the early days of the Republic.

Show threadPhilip C JamesMay 10, 2024

@JamesGleick

If you owe the bank $100, that's your problem.

If you owe the bank $1 billion, that's the bank's problem.

Show threadVoronMay 11, 2024
@JamesGleick in America, probably