Let us not forget what is behind the political power grab and culture wars. What these particular politicians are after. The prime motivator for them sits in the shadows, where it has been all along with this cast of characters. There lies its political vulnerabilities, it is an old story that speaks less of omnipotence, but of venal cravenness.

This is an excellent article with very good links to news reporting. Probably the best article I have seen that paints a succinct picture of corrupting influences courted by the Trump administration. There are others too, but the full exposure of regulatory capture, and the dangers it presents to society will take some time to be heard. Best not to let sharp eyes stray off the corruption in the midst of a swirling propaganda chaos crafted to distract.


Kleptocracy, Inc.

Under Trump, conflicts of interest are just part of the system.
By Anne Applebaum

Earlier this year, I published a book, Autocracy, Inc., which argues that many modern dictatorships are best analyzed not through the prism of ideology but through the political and financial interests of the people who run them. The presence in the American government of so many people, most notably the president, whose financial interests can be directly and immediately affected by their political decisions means that we now need a different way of analyzing American policy too.

To understand Trump’s policies toward Russia and Ukraine, for example, one should ask not merely How will they end the war? and How will they shape America’s relationship to Europe? but Who in Trump’s immediate circle will benefit from the lifting of sanctions? and Have the Russians made explicit financial offers already, and to whom? The rare-minerals deal now being negotiated with Ukraine deserves especially close scrutiny. We need to establish which Americans, exactly, will benefit, and how.

The right question to ask about Trump’s tariff policy is also financial: How will this enormous change to American trade policy benefit Trump? One answer is already clear. The countries and large companies damaged by these tariffs, some of which could face huge losses or even bankruptcy, will have an enormous incentive to play up to the president, to offer him political donations, and maybe even to offer business deals to him, his family, or his friends in order to get some kind of exception made for themselves or their industry.

In a law-abiding administration, personal finances wouldn’t be an important part of the public debate. But this administration’s leaders have decided that laws and norms of behavior that have held for a century or more don’t apply to them. The Republican-led Congress has so far decided not to enforce them either. It’s now up to the media, to outside organizations, and to whistleblowers to keep reporting the slide into kleptocracy to the public and to the courts, to make sure that remaining laws are enforced. It’s up to the Democratic Party to follow the lead of opposition movements in other kleptocracies and to put corruption at the center of their arguments. Before it’s too late, everyone who can do so must communicate what is happening: American government, American foreign policy, and American trade policy are slowly being transformed, not to benefit Americans but to benefit the president, his family, and his friends. Only voters can stop them.

Last edited by Johnny_Rotten (2025-04-15 22:47:34)