In the movie The Untouchables, there is a gruesome scene in which Robert DeNiro, playing the mob boss Al Capone, beats a man dead with a baseball bat. I couldn’t help but think of that scene when I saw Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social yesterday. It’s difficult to make sense of such imagery without outrage clouding analysis, let alone put it and Trump’s other threats into meaningful legal context, but it remains important that we try to do so. As I explain below, Trump’s actions are not just dangerous; his lawyers should be telling him in no uncertain terms that they could carry real legal consequences as justice finally catches up to him.
OMG, this one bugs deeply. You know how many black men have been meted out "justice," "intimidation" at the hands of white men? Can you imagine the reaction among - everyone, but especially republicans - if this were an image of a Black man with a bat, and a picture of a White female, DA who was looking to indict or prosecute him? Our "measured" approach to white collar crime, especially when attached to potential political issues, in an effort to appear "even-handed" is enabling at its absolute worst.
That he is able to get away with this is absolute BS. I blame the Justice system for not locking him up immediately with an "implied threat" such as this. Even if you have to release him, you let him know, "NO, you cannot do that!" I blame the public for not insisting, "What? No! Arrest him!" This enabling is absolute BS.
I at least hope that a gag order is imposed, and when (in his case it certainly won't be "if") violated, it's enforced. His calling Bragg an "animal" is a Nazi tactic, serving to dehumanize and create that rationalization in his sycophants' brains providing justification for violent action. Trump needs to have his lines of public communication severed.
To paraphrase Professor Cox Richardson, once you deny freedom for one group, you've given up the whole game; here, once you've excused one Trump crime, you've pardoned them all and are impermeable to matters of justice or reason or law. You have segmented and compartmentalized what little rationale you have remaining such that you can readily justify your Trumpy recalcitrance.
Remember that Capone got busted for tax evasion, not for the other crimes he committed as a gangster as it was the only crime where there was a paper trail that could be used in court. Also remember that Capone died in lockup from the effects of untreated secondary syphilis…we should be so lucky with trump…
He wants to project the image of a mob boss. Someone who has no fear of the law and no respect for the law. And the only way to disabuse him of that image is to arrest and arraign him. I wish the Georgia case was first, but this will do.
This behavior has to have a huge implication in his January 6th incitement case as it proves that he is a person who purposely incites violence every chance he gets.
The lack of the support for the separation of powers in government is astonishing -- particularly because is being done in plain sight. Force, or the threat of force, is in the fascism playbook.
We are into the seventh year of the "t" - this feeble imitation of an actual human - dominating our discourse, our news, our politics, our thinking. Instead of bending all efforts to silence him and lessen his influence, the Left is relatively silent, and so he continues to wreak his own particular brand of havoc, influencing others to join him in continuing the descent into insanity. Even after he is gone from this earth, I don't see the creatures that emerged from the box he opened fleeing back into the darkness. Legal issues aside, this has undermined public discourse and political action to the point that they are almost irrelevant. Yes, I'm having a bad day.
By allowing him his own media platform with no restrictions as to violence, racism, homophobia, anti-antisemitism or xenophobia, he gets an open forum to call for threats and intimidation. The fact that so many of his cult listen to him and respond to his calls for criminal actions (and money) at their expense but never his, makes no rational sense. But then again, consider the source. In any case, the country is at a very dangerous point. Do we stay a democratic republic or devolve to a fascist, nationalistic christian dictatorship, an "illiberal democracy"?
We all know who he is appealing to (deplorables comes to mind) but I know enough ex-trump supporters to know that he is further digging his own grave with this nonsense.
"Bunker Boy" likes to pose as a strong man. (Remember the "Trump as superhero" trading cards scam?) He is also obsessed with actors that have portrayed strong men, one of them notably being Robert De Niro. He has however demonstrated to any true observer that he is an abject physical and moral coward. The former POTUS has only POS left in his title.
OMG, this one bugs deeply. You know how many black men have been meted out "justice," "intimidation" at the hands of white men? Can you imagine the reaction among - everyone, but especially republicans - if this were an image of a Black man with a bat, and a picture of a White female, DA who was looking to indict or prosecute him? Our "measured" approach to white collar crime, especially when attached to potential political issues, in an effort to appear "even-handed" is enabling at its absolute worst.
That he is able to get away with this is absolute BS. I blame the Justice system for not locking him up immediately with an "implied threat" such as this. Even if you have to release him, you let him know, "NO, you cannot do that!" I blame the public for not insisting, "What? No! Arrest him!" This enabling is absolute BS.
I at least hope that a gag order is imposed, and when (in his case it certainly won't be "if") violated, it's enforced. His calling Bragg an "animal" is a Nazi tactic, serving to dehumanize and create that rationalization in his sycophants' brains providing justification for violent action. Trump needs to have his lines of public communication severed.
I'm waiting for the usual pathetic GOP excuses of "That's not really what he meant though..." Lock him up! Just LOCK HIM UP!
Eleven years would be good in this case. Wishing Mr. Bragg safe and well
Pretty obvious that Trump is threatening Bragg. He should be arrested now, before it is too late, and denied bail.
To paraphrase Professor Cox Richardson, once you deny freedom for one group, you've given up the whole game; here, once you've excused one Trump crime, you've pardoned them all and are impermeable to matters of justice or reason or law. You have segmented and compartmentalized what little rationale you have remaining such that you can readily justify your Trumpy recalcitrance.
Such is the state of the GOP.
Remember that Capone got busted for tax evasion, not for the other crimes he committed as a gangster as it was the only crime where there was a paper trail that could be used in court. Also remember that Capone died in lockup from the effects of untreated secondary syphilis…we should be so lucky with trump…
He wants to project the image of a mob boss. Someone who has no fear of the law and no respect for the law. And the only way to disabuse him of that image is to arrest and arraign him. I wish the Georgia case was first, but this will do.
trump is a thug.
This behavior has to have a huge implication in his January 6th incitement case as it proves that he is a person who purposely incites violence every chance he gets.
The lack of the support for the separation of powers in government is astonishing -- particularly because is being done in plain sight. Force, or the threat of force, is in the fascism playbook.
We are into the seventh year of the "t" - this feeble imitation of an actual human - dominating our discourse, our news, our politics, our thinking. Instead of bending all efforts to silence him and lessen his influence, the Left is relatively silent, and so he continues to wreak his own particular brand of havoc, influencing others to join him in continuing the descent into insanity. Even after he is gone from this earth, I don't see the creatures that emerged from the box he opened fleeing back into the darkness. Legal issues aside, this has undermined public discourse and political action to the point that they are almost irrelevant. Yes, I'm having a bad day.
By allowing him his own media platform with no restrictions as to violence, racism, homophobia, anti-antisemitism or xenophobia, he gets an open forum to call for threats and intimidation. The fact that so many of his cult listen to him and respond to his calls for criminal actions (and money) at their expense but never his, makes no rational sense. But then again, consider the source. In any case, the country is at a very dangerous point. Do we stay a democratic republic or devolve to a fascist, nationalistic christian dictatorship, an "illiberal democracy"?
We all know who he is appealing to (deplorables comes to mind) but I know enough ex-trump supporters to know that he is further digging his own grave with this nonsense.
"Bunker Boy" likes to pose as a strong man. (Remember the "Trump as superhero" trading cards scam?) He is also obsessed with actors that have portrayed strong men, one of them notably being Robert De Niro. He has however demonstrated to any true observer that he is an abject physical and moral coward. The former POTUS has only POS left in his title.