By Sandra Ferrante-Kohn
This Kangaroo Court is nearly over and once again The Donald will probably escape unscathed. He has spent his entire life never being told no and that continues today.
Trump and his team have contended that Trump’s decision to withhold aid to Ukraine was simply because he was concerned about corruption. If this were true, then why was US aid given to the following countries without objections:
- Columbia $391 million DESPITE the fact that Columbia is rated as the most corrupt country in the world.
- Mexico $5.8 billion plus another $4.8 billion for development in southern Mexico DESPITE the fact that Mexico is rated as the second most corrupt country in the world.
- Philippines: $193.5 million DESPITE corruption and dictatorship rule.
- Turkey: $154.4 million DESPITE corruption and dictatorship rule.
- Venezuela: $14 million DESPITE rampant corruption and dictatorship rule.
- A few other countries that have received aid without limitations and who have histories of corruption and/or governments that do not support democracy include (to only name a few) — Brazil, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates.
It is interesting to note that Trump has financial interests in nearly all of the countries listed, while having NO FINANCIAL interests in Ukraine.
So, draw your own conclusions as to the honesty of Donald J. Trump.
For my part, I say to my Republican friends (and I really have a few), you will have a difficult decision to make in November. Do you want to vote for continued democracy or a budding dictatorship?
Just remember that Trump’s reputation is that he never pays for anything; however, the people around him most certainly do.
Corruption Personified
However, there is another point to be made that probably solidifies how false Trump’s claim was.
In 1977, Congress passed the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This legislation is defined as follows:
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is a United States law passed in 1977 that prohibits U.S. firms and individuals from paying bribes to foreign officials in furtherance of a business deal. The FCPA places no minimum amount for a punishment of a bribery payment.
Good so far? Well yes, except…
In 2017, Donald Trump (now 45) approached his then Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, about this law. According to Tillerson, Trump wanted the law lifted so that US citizens COULD offer bribes to foreign citizens.
The following is an excerpt from the book, A Very Stable Genius.
The most jarring is a scene from spring 2017, when Trump and then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tussled over the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977. That law, according to the Justice Department, makes it “unlawful for certain classes of persons and entities to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business”.
Trump, the Post reports, bristled at that restriction.
It’s just so unfair that American companies aren’t allowed to pay bribes to get business overseas,” Trump reportedly told Tillerson. “We’re going to change that.” Per the authors, the president expressed frustration “ostensibly because [the law] restricted his industry buddies or his own company’s executives from paying off foreign governments in faraway lands”.
So, the “Leader” is a liar and has no shame about that.
The question then becomes are will you follow the leader without question, or will you stand up for democracy and decency?
