-
Content count
7,068 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Everything posted by Emerald
-
If we have an excess of grain, then the solution is for farmers to stop planting as much grain... which they would already do if it weren't profitable for them to plant more due to the high demand for cheap animal food. It doesn't make sense to say that we should raise more animals to eat that grain to be slaughtered. The reason why we're planting so much grain is not an accident. It's because grain is in high demand for feeding humans, the animals we eat, and sometimes for fuel and other things like that. So, I don't really think that this particular issue is very complicated like you said. It seems quite simple. Unless of course, there's some angle that I'm not considering. It seems like cutting down on breeding animals for slaughter would also cut down on the need for so much grain to be produced and harvested, thus eliminating a large portion of field deaths as well as the deaths that come from the slaughter of animals in the factory farming industry. I really don't see a downside to Veganism here. Now, off course, society is not ready yet to give up animal agriculture because lab-grown meat (dairy and eggs as well) is not widespread yet. But Vegans, Vegetarians, Reducitarains, Pescatarians, Flexatarians, and others that are cutting back meat and dairy consumption are creating a growing demand for such innovations and taking small chips out of the profits of the meat and dairy industry.
-
That might be true if most agriculture wasn't done for sole the purpose of feeding the animals we eat... 7.3 billion animals is a lot of mouths to feed, especially when 160 million of them are cows and pigs. That's half the U.S. population, but cows and pigs eat WAY more crops than we could ever dream of eating. Not to mention the chickens and other farm animals that are slaughtered that are also fed crops. So, either way you slice it, Veganism cuts down significantly on the suffering of animals... not only because of not slaughtering them... but because we could cut back on agriculture that might harm animals in the process.
-
There's a whole niche of writers whom many are either now passed or very old, who focus specifically on Jungian psychology and the rise of the Divine Feminine. Most of them were involved in 2nd wave Feminism and became successful in "the man's world", but then found that there was something still off. And they came to realize that it was not just women who had been oppressed for many millennia, but the Feminine Principle itself and the Divine Feminine had been repressed from collective consciousness. My favorite is Jean Raffa. I also like Maureen Murdoch, Jean Shinoda Bolen, June Singer, Robert Johnson, John Sanford, and Monica Wikman. I've also heard that Marion Woodman's work is wonderful as well as Merlin Stone... I've only read snippets from their work though.
-
I'm glad it was helpful. It can be difficult to find the way out of the whole SJW maze. It's really a place of becoming aware of issues and surface level solutions. But it can be difficult to look deeper at the forces that create those issues in the first place, because most of society firmly believes in the Materialist paradigm. So, the average person is likely to see focus toward feminine/masculine energies as being Woo Woo nonsense that has very little to do with social problems and only functions as a red herring to distract from the problems of society. Unfortunately, this is where the solutions can be found which are quite counter-intuitive and often bear little resemblance to the problem... just like a germ bears very little resemblance to an illness.
-
Unfortunately, Fascism and pedophilia will always be a threat in some way because humans will always be humans. The darkness will always be there somewhat. So, no matter what, there would always be some degree of pedophillia, rape, murder, corruption, etc. So too, there will always be the potential of society being manipulated by Fascists. This is why it would be unwise to muddy the water by disconnecting Fascism from its historical roots by referring to it as something totally different... it is not different and it never will be. The results of Fascism are ALWAYS predictable. So, this potential is still there. And society is very confused right now, so it is ripe for manipulations by Fascists. This is why we don't need ANY more nuance because we're already drowning in enough nuance that we've lost sight of some really obvious and simple things. In fact, the game plan they're using to try to gain more of a foothold in society is to make Fascism seem more normal by divorcing it from its history and creating confusion around what their intentions are. So, a Neo-Nazi or White Nationalist might say something like, "Why are you calling me a Nazi? Clearly the Nazi party disbanded in the 1940s. Instead I'm a Race Realist and Identitarian who believes that white people should have their own ethnostate/homeland... as should all peoples. And this should be achieved through relocation and PEACEFUL removal." So, any obfuscating or muddying of the waters simply makes it much easier for those in those extremist groups to have influence on ordinary people that would otherwise never consider being on the same side as Neo-Nazis and KKK members. Now, it is evident to me that human society is developing rapidly in terms of consciousness. This means that the ails of the world in the future will probably be less pronounced and rare, at a certain point in human development. But the destructive drive will always be there. And the potential for darkness will always be there. There are no utopias. So, it's best not to always reach for "top-shelf" spiritual truths when discussing matters of a practical nature. Sometimes, it is wisest to use the most basic of practical truths. And wisdom comes when you can tell which paradigm is appropriate to use in a given situation.
-
Let's try your idea and replace "Nazism" with "Pedophilia" and see if you still think it's a good idea. 'I believe the label should be dropped as you progress up the spiral. Like you could say Pedophilia on the lower levels is about sexually abusing children. And then as you move up, it's about sexual exchange for two people... and then you could theorise that on higher levels it's about sexual exchange for two people and for all people equally. But at some point you to have to drop the term Pedophile because it bears no resemblance to what is actually going on in the way it is manifested in reality.' Personally, I think this is the PERFECT way to make Fascism distance itself from the horrors of humanity's past. So, it can be rebranded as something totally different that seems more permissible. So, the label "Nazi" stays, because it makes it clear to everyone that it's a bad thing that should be avoided. Nice try though.
-
Unfortunately, I'm willing to bet that it won't. He's the type of person that can worm their way out of anything. Plus, even if Trump were impeached, he would still have a lot of influence over the masses. There would be many people who would interpret his impeachment as a sign of the corrupt government kicking him out of office because of politically correct Leftists and marginalized groups having so much influence in the political sphere. So, it would potentially even encourage more polarization. And more people would become more sympathetic to the extremes of the right wing. So, this would be a difficult thing to navigate if he did wind up being impeached. It's not like the problems would go away. Pandora's box has already been opened, and none of that ugly stuff is going back in the box. It can't be swept underneath the rug. The only way out of this problem is through it. And that entails collective awareness really examining the contents of what comes out of that box and understanding more about the core emotions that are not being addressed that Trump and his rhetoric are meeting for people (albeit in a really harmful way).
-
This is true. But it is also probably not backed up by you actually abiding in a state of consciousness where this functions as more than just an empty belief. It's one thing to say these things and a totally different thing to abide in the state where this is the way of things. It is easy to default to 'top-shelf' spiritual insights (turned beliefs) and use the truth to lie to one's self and bypass a situation... or perhaps to secretly feel a little superior to those who aren't so 'detached' and 'wise' as you are. But if it were something that effected you negatively or that you were averse to, there would be no talk about "floating clouds" and "blades of grass" used to justify it. What if there was a candidate who was elected that was making efforts to undermine the first amendment... I'm willing to bet that you wouldn't be all "corruption is in every human being" about it. You'd want to speak out against them and stop it, would you not? It's only because Trump's rhetoric doesn't effect you negatively that you can be all "blades of grass" about it.
-
I didn't make the post, nor would I. I'm responding to the post, so it is relevant. It certainly relates to consciousness. It is also relevant because there is a lot of spiritual bypassing that goes on where there are many people trying to think their way to non-duality and decide that matters of a practical nature are to be bypassed based on insights that they've come to adopt as a belief. So, I disagree firmly with the idea that matters of a practical nature are unrelated to consciousness work. The fact of the matter is that this political situation we're in is a huge tell about the collective Shadow of humanity, and there are a lot of things to be learned from the situation that we are all facing. And if we hope to re-integrate our personal Shadows and our collective Shadow, we need to start looking at all the ins and outs of this political situation and the effects that it's having on ourselves and society at large. But I think that most would rather bypass the situation because it's uncomfortable and because "it's irrelevant to consciousness work." But this is just a repression by another name.
-
That's just not a wise decision to make. I am normally one to go with the flow of things as long as no one gets hurt. And truly, I'm not demonizing Trump and saying that he deserves to suffer or is inherently evil or anything like that. I'm simply calling a spade a spade. He is corrupt. He is having a negative effect on society and making it less healthy. These things are true. And the truth should be stated and restated. So, when I see something harmful that will effect many people, I find it is wise to stand against it. And so I do. I will not spiritually bypass a potentially negative situations by saying, "There is no self" "All is one" and all those non-dual higher truths. This does nothing to increase consciousness. It actually decreases consciousness because it bypasses the emotional reality of living in the dualistic world. I will not pretend to live at a level I'm not at yet, and to assume that those who are "enlightened" are politically disengaged and will just allow terrible things to come to fruition. I'm sure they would not. And even enlightened people like That Nich Hanh, did quite a lot of political activism. So, to think that spiritual seekers and enlightened folk are disengaged from social concerns in simply not true. Sometimes, higher truths like "All is one" and "There is no self" are the most helpful perspectives that can be provided. But other times, more practical truths are more appropriate like "If a lion is chasing you, run away." and "There is corruption happening in society, so try to fix it." It's a matter of being wise enough to choose which paradigm to function from, and not simply defaulting to those "top-shelf" spiritual truths and bypassing the phenomenal world. As it is said, "Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water."
-
Trump's rhetoric has normalized a lot of anti-immigrant sentiments and racist sentiments especially. I have people that I've know my entire life VERY intimately who had no signs of racism, now be so casual with their racism that it's disturbing how a person could go through such a radical change simply because their candidate was elected. And the change happened directly after he won the election. With regard to one person in particular, I don't think she would be saying these things if he had lost. But Trump's rhetoric doesn't effect men as a group because he rhetoric isn't anti-male. Trump's rhetoric doesn't effect people born in America as a group because his rhetoric isn't anti-U.S. nationals. Trump's rhetoric doesn't effect heterosexual people as a whole group because his rhetoric isn't anti-heterosexual. Trump's rhetoric doesn't effect white people as a group because his rhetoric isn't anti-white. So, there may be men who are negatively effected by his rhetoric, but they aren't negatively effected because they're men. Or there may be white people who are negatively effected by his rhetoric, but they aren't negatively effected because they're white. I just don't understand how you can believe that particular groups of people may be effected differently based on what a politician does. There are plenty of examples in history books (and the news) of this happening. For example, cutting funding for breast cancer screenings for people who are too poor to afford them, would effect mostly women and poor people. While men and rich people would be largely unaffected by such a political move. So, the decisions a politician makes, including the type of rhetoric they use, has and ACTUAL effect on people's lives. And it effects different groups of people differently. And some groups have it worse than others.
-
I understand, AND Trump is a master manipulator. He ran as an anti-establishment candidate with a populist message about improving the status quo, bringing back jobs, improving the economy, and draining the swamp. So, people wanted to believe it so much that they easily ignored or explained away any of the problems. Trump is excellent at appealing to people and making them want to be on his side. His confidence, charisma, and APPEARANCE of "telling it like it is", establishes rapport with many people. It also helped that he was running against a very unpopular candidate who was no stranger to dabbling in corruption. So, it was easy for him to leverage public opinion in his favor, because he could always frame his opponent as the "status quo" (which is actually true) and market himself out as a catalyst for change. But what you'll find (and have found) is that it's all just been lies. He's marketed himself to every one of his voters. And there's a significant portion of his voters that are SOOO identified with him, that they take personal offense when he is criticized and jump to his defense. And it's all because they so deeply want to believe... and to admit that they've been tricked at this point in the game would be embarrassing because they are so heavily identified. He promised to bring back jobs, but outsourced 93,000 jobs in his first year alone... I think Obama's worst year was somewhere in the 80,000s if memory serves, and Obama was awful about it. He also promised to pull out of NAFTA, which he didn't do. That was one of the only platforms that I liked that he proposed. And even though the unemployment rate has decreased slightly, wages in general have decreased by quite a large margin. And then there's lie after lie after lie, to where people get lost and swept up and can't tell the difference between truth and lies anymore, because of he way his propaganda works. So, I actually sympathize in some ways with people who voted for Trump because I can see how someone would resonate with his campaign promises, especially when the other candidate had no substantial change to propose and just marketed herself as "potential first woman president" with no clear platform. That said, whenever someone says that the status quo has remained the same and that Trump and his politics doesn't effect everyday life for people, then I know that person is not yet aware of the way social patterns have changed or intensified since Trump took office.
-
If you're not effected by Trump, then you are lucky... not on some higher ground. There are people in this country who are deeply affected by his presidency. It puts me on edge because my husband is an immigrant. He is a permanent legal resident, but with all the anti-immigrant sentiments being stirred up, there are even policies floating around that would make it impossible to get full citizenship if he wanted to. So, if you say that Trump being president has no effect on your life, it doesn't mean that it doesn't have effects on other people's lives. It probably just means that you are probably a white heterosexual man who was born in America. But there is great value in re-stating what's true, when truth itself is under attack.
-
It's already happening. And it has nothing to do with censorship. In fact, it's quite the opposite. As our demons rise to the surface to be seen, the average open-minded person will recognize patterns that they did not before see. So, there is actually a huge expansion in consciousness relative to this whole Trump thing. Most don't really talk about it because of the push-back they'll get from Trump supporters. But most now realize how much of an issue these things are and much influence our political leaders have on the state of our society. And the world doesn't need everyone to be on board with this expansion of consciousness for that forward momentum to continue. We just need the biggest influencers to set the tone for heightened consciousness social patterns, laws, and beliefs. And those who don't make the jump in consciousness will have to navigate taboos around their lower consciousness beliefs which will discourage them from spreading them to others. Then, this generation will die and the younger generations will be indoctrinated into higher consciousness ways of thinking, and we'll lose lower consciousness beliefs to the sands of time just as it has happened in all of human history. But occasionally, when necessary, those taboo lower consciousness beliefs will rise to the surface and create extreme discomfort. Then, society will have to go through this cycle again, which is very distressing but certainly a catalyst for heightened awareness.
-
The posts I've been making on this thread don't follow that pattern too much. I think, with regard to this issue, speaking the truth bluntly with little nuance and no sugar coating is important... mostly because nuance is being weaponized to trick people more. So, I'm being very blunt without regard to where anyone is since it's a public post and these things need to be said. That said, generally speaking, it's best to meet someone where they are and to empathize with where they are. So, if I were trying to help a specific person and not just dig my heels in with regard to speaking what's true, I would certainly be more nuanced with my approach and focus less toward the solid truth of the matter and more toward what brings people to resonate with non-truth and how it involves a vulnerability that all human beings share.
-
Thank you!
-
Many are very resistant to becoming more aware and have tons of defenses against becoming aware. It's a huge social pattern, to which you belong. So, what I'm doing here with you is an indication of what I plan to do. I truly don't believe that I'll be able to sway you because you are deeply embedded into this worldview. But because this is a public forum, others will see our interaction and some will see the value in my advice because it makes sense and is in alignment with becoming more conscious and evolved as human beings. And by and large, this pattern of improved consciousness has been going on throughout all of human history. So, it has a natural flow to it. I'm just trying to bump people a little so that they stop resisting that natural flow. So, I may not be able to "win" them all. But I try to help the momentum of the changes that are already happening and bringing us to a more evolved and integrated state of existing as a species.
-
My solution to each of these things requires for people to look inside themselves and to realize that we have unconscious biases that we all hold. So, that means no deflection, no self-deception, and no assuring one's own self of their own virtue and rightness. We must all look at ourselves warts and all to see how these patterns function below the surface. And these patterns must be brought to light. That's what's happening now, and why the most progressive people are the most maligned and demonized in the political sphere as of late. They're pointing out what we all already knew deep down, but tried to avoid. You could also argue that Trump has been bringing things to the light of consciousness as well in a more volatile and harmful way... but consciousness is consciousness none-the-less. I know that I've learned so much about how unconscious masses can be lead and weaponized by charismatic leaders, and how much further we still have to go with eliminating resistance toward a fully integrated world. Right now, the majority of the population thinks of these things in terms of the most extreme groups that overtly hate the others groups. So, the idea is akin to, "Racists are only people in the KKK". So, it's a good way for people who aren't being effected by racism to wash their hands of blame and responsibility toward helping remedy those issues. They can just comfort themselves in the thought, "Well, I'm not racist, and racists are only a small group of people in hate groups that have no power." But all of these "isms' are both pervasive and subtle. An oppression on the macro level functions similar to a repression of the human psyche on the micro level. So, everyone is effected negatively by these resistances that we hold. And our consciousness gets squelched, which leads to more chaos and social decay. But if we as a society become more aware of the mechanisms behind oppression and prejudice and notice them in ourselves, we can be aware of these traps and avoid them in the future. And eventually, we will cycle out of them so that it's completely incompatible to society in future generations. Also, the integration of the Divine Feminine will help us with finding our capacity for compassion, trust, understanding, and empathy. This will help the process along. Until then, we have to continue staying on point and not being distracted by deflections and "what-about-isms" and the tone of moral certainty that less conscious people are better able to wield. We must speak what is true to the fullest extent of our ability. And we all know deep down what that means.
-
They're definitely difficult to work through... some of them, anyway.
-
You have a very limited idea of ethical behavior then. Also, you're supposed to expect more from a leader and an influencer than you would of an average person who doesn't hold that level of power. Racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and other such things are huge burden upon the world and on collective consciousness. Real people deal with the consequences of these ideas. And when a popular political leader espouses such viewpoints, then the world become more dangerous for people who exist within those groups. And it can lead to all kinds of truly horrible things. So, those things are definitely unethical and unbecoming of a leader, especially in the year 2018. But I can tell by the way you talked about it as "blahblahblahisms" that you're not aware enough to notice just how negative these things are. But it's not that Donald Trump is an asshole that's the problem. It's that he's creating really unhealthy patterns and brainwashing people. But the so-named "Free-Speech Defense" is a common way for people with harmful opinions and beliefs to deflect from criticism or to avoid undermining their worldview. And I see the same thing going on in your posts. This is the reason why Donald Trump's harmfulness goes under so many people's radars. He knows how to manipulate and trick people who are Orange and below, which is most people. And when someone calls him out, he'll just cry "fake news", and 30% of the population will just eat it up because it's what they want to hear.
-
Whenever someone's view on Donald Trump gets thrown into question, they always jump to the constitution to hide under. This is part of that cognitive dissonance. I'm a free speech absolutist myself. But many of those issues extend beyond just free speech, and you know it. That's why you only picked like 7 out of the 40 lawsuits that I posted. You left most of what I wrote on the table. But a person who espouses such ugliness has the ability to create mob mentalities against certain groups of people. And I've seen a HUGE shift for the worst since he got elected. So he should not be in power because he is fundamentally corrupt and not fit to lead... And he DOES incite violence mostly indirectly. In fact, inciting violence at his rallies was one of the suits that I listed. But you're so concerned with protecting your beliefs about him, that you've lost track of what I originally said to Leo that you answered to. I said that I doubt he will have to answer for what he's done. He's done SOOO many things in the past, and come out smelling like a rose. He's one of those kinds of people that can do the most horrible things so tactfully that he tricks everyone into allowing him to do whatever he wants. I will be surprised if he ever faces ANY real consequences for his actions.
-
@Outer Cognitive dissonance also refers to the state of discomfort that arises when reality clashes with a person's worldview... which often causes them to do mental gymnastics, extreme rationalizations, obfuscations, and deflections in order to keep their worldview in place.
-
Feel how you're feeling now. This is what cognitive dissonance feels like. It doesn't matter what he does, his supporters will always support him as his loyal subjects.
-
I'm Vegan actually. Are you Vegan? Here's a list... The guy has quite the track record of fuckery.... I wonder how much jail time he's served.... "Trump initially came to public attention in 1973 when he was accused by the Justice Department of violations of the Fair Housing Act in the operation of 39 buildings. The Department of Justice said that black "testers" were sent to more than half a dozen buildings and were denied apartments, but a similar white tester would then be offered an apartment in the same building.[9] The government alleged that Trump's corporation quoted different rental terms and conditions to blacks and made false "no vacancy" statements to blacks for apartments they managed in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.[10]" "In 1985, New York City brought a lawsuit against Trump for allegedly using tactics to force out tenants of 100 Central Park South,[17] which he intended to demolish together with the building next door." "In 1988, the Justice Department sued Trump for violating procedures related to public notifications when buying voting stock in a company related to his attempted takeovers of Holiday Corporation and Bally Manufacturing Corporation in 1986." "In late 1990, Trump was sued for $2 million by a business analyst for defamation, and Trump settled out of court.[20] Briefly before Trump's Taj Mahal opened in April 1990, the analyst had said that the project would fail by the end of that year. Trump threatened to sue the analyst's firm unless the analyst recanted or was fired. The analyst refused to retract the statements, and his firm fired him for ostensibly unrelated reasons.[21] Trump Taj Mahal declared bankruptcy in November 1990, the first of several such bankruptcies.[22] After, the NYSE ordered the firm to compensate the analyst $750,000; the analyst did not release the details of his settlement with Trump." "In 1991, Trump Plaza was fined $200,000 by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission for moving African American and female employees from craps tables in order to accommodate high roller Robert LiButti, a mob figure and alleged John Gotti associate, who was said to fly into fits of racist rage when he was on losing streaks.[29] There is no indication that Trump was ever questioned in that investigation, he was not held personally liable, and Trump denies even knowing what LiButti looked like." "In 1991, one of Trump's casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was found guilty of circumventing state regulations about casino financing when Donald Trump's father bought $3.5 million in chips that he had no plans to gamble. Trump Castle was forced to pay a $30,000 fine under the settlement, according to New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement Director Jack Sweeney. Trump was not disciplined for the illegal advance on his inheritance, which was not confiscated." "In 1993, Vera Coking sued Trump and his demolition contractor for damage to her home during construction of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino. In 1997, she dropped the suit against Trump and settled with his contractor for $90,000.[41] Coking had refused to sell her home to Trump and ultimately won a 1998 Supreme Court decision that prevented Atlantic City from using eminent domain to condemn her property." "In 1996, Trump was sued by more than 20 African-American residents of Indiana who charged that Trump reneged on promises to hire 70% of his work force from the minority community for his riverboat casino on Lake Michigan. The suit also charged that he hadn't honored his commitments to steer sufficient contracts to minority-owned businesses in Gary, Indiana. The suit was eventually dismissed due to procedural and jurisdiction issues." "In April 1997, Jill Harth Houraney filed a $125,000,000 lawsuit against Trump for sexual harassment in 1993, claiming he "'groped' her under her dress and told her he wanted to make her his 'sex slave'". Harth voluntarily withdrew the suit when her husband settled a parallel case. Trump has called the allegations "meritless"." "In the late 1990s, Donald Trump and rival Atlantic City casino owner Stephen Wynn engaged in an extended legal conflict during the planning phase of new casinos Wynn had proposed to build. Both owners filed lawsuits against one another and other parties, including the State of New Jersey, beginning with Wynn's antitrust accusation against Trump.[48][49] After two years in court, Wynn's Mirage casino sued Trump in 1999 alleging that his company had engaged in a conspiracy to harm Mirage and steal proprietary information, primarily lists of wealthy Korean gamblers. In response, Trump's attorneys claimed that Trump's private investigator dishonored his contract by working as a "double agent" for the Mirage casino by secretly taping conversations with Trump. All the cases were settled at the same time on the planned day of an evidentiary hearing in court in February 2000, which was never held." "In 2001, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission brought a financial-reporting case against Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc., alleging that the company had committed several "misleading statements in the company's third-quarter 1999 earnings release". Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc. consented to the Commission's cease-and-desist order, said the culprit had been dismissed, and that Trump had personally been unaware of the matter." "After the 2008 housing-market collapse, Deutsche Bank attempted to collect $40 million that Donald Trump personally guaranteed against their $640 million loan for Trump International Hotel and Towerin Chicago. Rather than paying the debt, Trump sued Deutsche Bank for $3 billion for undermining the project and damage to his reputation.[74] Deutsche Bank then filed suit to obtain the $40 million. The two parties settled in 2010 with Deutsche Bank extending the loan term by five years." "In 2009, Trump was sued by investors who had made deposits for condos in the canceled Trump Ocean Resort Baja Mexico.[82] The investors said that Trump misrepresented his role in the project, stating after its failure that he had been little more than a spokesperson for the entire venture, disavowing any financial responsibility for the debacle.[83] Investors were informed that their investments would not be returned due to the cancellation of construction.[82] In 2013, Trump settled the lawsuit with more than one hundred prospective condo owners for an undisclosed amount." "In 2013, 87-year-old Jacqueline Goldberg alleged that Trump cheated her in a condominium sale by bait-and-switch when she was purchasing properties at the Trump International Hotel and Tower." Note: This is a suit he made... I kept put it in because "Wow" - "In 2015, Trump initiated a $100 million lawsuit against Palm Beach County claiming that officials, in a "deliberate and malicious" act, pressured the FAA to direct air traffic to the Palm Beach International Airport over his Mar-a-Lago estate, because he said the airplanes damaged the building and disrupted its ambiance.[88] Trump had previously sued the county twice over airport noise; the first lawsuit, in 1995, ended with an agreement between Trump and the county; Trump's second lawsuit, in 2010, was dismissed." "In October 2016, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that Trump, together with two principals of a connected developer, could be sued for various claims, including oppression, collusion and breach of fiduciary duties, in relation to his role in the marketing of units in the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Toronto, Canada.[91] A subsequent application for leave to appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Canada in March 2017.[92] Also in October 2016, JCF Capital ULC (a private firm that had bought the construction loan on the building) announced that it was seeking court approval under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act to have the building sold in order to recoup its debt, which then totaled $301 million.[93] The court allowed for its auction[94] which took place in March 2017, but no bidders, apart from one stalking horse offer, took part." Also, a suit he made... but Wow! - "Also in 2011, an appellate court upheld a New Jersey Superior Court judge's decision dismissing Trump's $5 billion defamation lawsuit against author Timothy L. O'Brien, who had reported in his book, TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald (2005), that Trump's true net worth was really between $150 and $250 million. Trump had reportedly told O'Brien he was worth billions and, in 2005, had publicly stated such.[96] Trump said that the author's alleged underestimation of his net worth was motivated by malice and had cost him business deals and damage to his reputation.[97] The appellate court, however, ruled against Trump, citing the consistency of O'Brien's three confidential sources." Another suit he made after being accused of rigging something - "In 2014, the former Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin ultimately settled a $5 million arbitration judgment against her, having been sued by Trump after alleging that the Miss USA 2012 pageant results were rigged. Monnin wrote on her Facebook page that another contestant told her during a rehearsal that she had seen a list of the top five finalists, and when those names were called in their precise order, Monnin realized the pageant election process was suspect, compelling Monnin to resign her Miss Pennsylvania title. The Trump Organization's lawyer said that Monnin's allegations had cost the pageant a lucrative British Petroleum sponsorship deal and threatened to discourage women from entering Miss USA contests in the future.[99] According to Monnin, testimony from the Miss Universe Organization and Ernst & Youngrevealed that the top 15 finalists were selected by pageant directors regardless of preliminary judges' scores.[100] As part of the settlement, Monnin was not required to retract her original statements." "On January 17, 2017, Summer Zervos, represented by attorney Gloria Allred, filed a defamation suit against President-Elect Donald Trump for claiming that she had lied in her public sexual assault allegations against him." In July 2011, New York firm ALM Unlimited filed a lawsuit against Trump, who ended payments to the company in 2008 after nearly three years. ALM was hired in 2003 to seek offers from clothing companies for a Trump fashion line, and had arranged a meeting between Trump and PVH, which licensed the Trump name for dress shirts and neckwear. ALM, which had received over $300,000, alleged in the lawsuit that Trump's discontinuation of payments was against their initial agreement. In pre-trial depositions, Trump and two of his business officials – attorney George H. Ross and executive vice president of global licensing Cathy Glosser – gave contradictory statements regarding whether ALM was entitled to payments. Trump, who felt that ALM had only a limited role in the deal between him and PVH, said "I have thousands of checks that I sign a week, and I don't look at very many of the checks; and eventually I did look, and when I saw them (ALM) I stopped paying them because I knew it was a mistake or somebody made a mistake."[102] "In 2013, in a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Trump was accused of defrauding more than 5,000 people of $40 million for the opportunity to learn Trump's real estate investment techniques in a for-profit training program, Trump University, which operated from 2005 to 2011.[106][107][108] Trump ultimately stopped using the term "University" following a 2010 order from New York regulators, who called Trump's use of the word "misleading and even illegal"; the state had previously warned Trump in 2005 to drop the term or not offer seminars in New York.[109][110][111] Although Trump has claimed a 98% approval rating on course evaluations, former students recounted high-pressure tactics from instructors seeking the highest possible ratings, including threats of withholding graduation certificates,[112] and more than 2,000 students had sought and received course refunds before the end of their paid seminars." "In a separate class action civil suit against Trump University in mid-February 2014, a San Diego federal judge allowed claimants in California, Florida, and New York to proceed;[113] a Trump counterclaim, alleging that the state Attorney General's investigation was accompanied by a campaign donation shakedown, was investigated by a New York ethics board and dismissed in August 2015.[114] Trump filed a $1 million defamation suit against former Trump University student Tarla Makaeff, who had spent about $37,000 on seminars, after she joined the class action lawsuit and publicized her classroom experiences on social media.[83] Trump University was later ordered by a U.S. District Judge in April 2015 to pay Makaeff and her lawyers $798,774.24 in legal fees and costs." Also a suit filed by Trump that shows how thin-skinned he is -"In 2013 Trump sued comedian Bill Maher for $5 million for breach of contract.[116] Maher had appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Lenoand had offered to pay $5 million to a charity if Trump produced his birth certificate to prove that Trump's mother had not mated with an orangutan. This was said by Maher in response to Trump having previously challenged Obama to produce his birth certificate, and offering $5 million payable to a charity of Obama's choice, if Obama produced his college applications, transcripts, and passport records.[117][118] Trump produced his birth certificate and filed a lawsuit after Maher was not forthcoming, claiming that Maher's $5 million offer was legally binding. "I don't think he was joking," Trump said. "He said it with venom."[117] Trump withdrew his lawsuit against the comedian after eight weeks." "In 2014, model Alexia Palmer filed a civil suit against Trump Model Management for promising a $75,000 annual salary but paying only $3,380.75 for three years' work. Palmer, who came to the US at age 17 from Jamaica under the H-1B visa program in 2011,[120] claimed to be owed more than $200,000. Palmer contended that Trump Model Management charged, in addition to a management fee, "obscure expenses" from postage to limousine rides that consumed the remainder of her compensation. Palmer alleged that Trump Model Management promised to withhold only 20% of her net pay as agency expenses, but after charging her for those "obscure expenses", ended up taking 80%.[121]Trump attorney Alan Garten claimed the lawsuit is "bogus and completely frivolous".[122][123] Palmer filed a class-action lawsuit against the modeling agency with similar allegations.[124] The case was dismissed from U.S. federal court in March 2016, in part because Palmer's immigration status, via H1-B visa sponsored by Trump, required labor complaints to be filed through a separate process." "In June 2015, the Culinary Workers Union filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging that the owners of Trump Hotel Las Vegas "violated the federally protected rights of workers to participate in union activities" and engaged in "incidents of alleged physical assault, verbal abuse, intimidation, and threats by management".[141] In October 2015, the Trump Ruffin Commercial and Trump Ruffin Tower I, the owners of Trump Hotel Las Vegas, sued the Culinary Workers Union and another union, alleging that they had knowingly distributed flyers that falsely stated that Donald Trump had stayed at a rival unionized hotel, rather than his own non-unionized hotel, during a trip to Las Vegas." "The state Democratic parties of Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Ohio filed lawsuits against Trump for encouraging illegal voter intimidation. The states' Democratic parties are also suing their respective Republican party counterparts, along with Roger Stone, who is allegedly recruiting poll watchers and organizing ballot security" efforts in a number of states. Stone runs the group "Stop the Steal." It claims Trump supporters yelled at voters outside Las Vegas area polling places when they said they weren't voting for the Republican nominee, and that Stone is asking supporters to conduct an illegitimate "exit polling" initiative aimed at intimidating voters of color." Another suit he filed to criticize polling practices that enabled more people from a majority-Hispanic area to vote in the election - "On November 8, 2016, Trump filed a lawsuit claiming early voting polling places in Clark County, Nevada, were kept open too late. These precincts had high turnout of Latino voters. Nevada state law explicitly states that polls are to stay open to accommodate eligible voters in line at closing time. Hillary Clinton campaign advisor Neera Tanden says the Trump campaign is trying to suppress Latino voter turnout. A political analyst from Nevada, Jon Ralston tweeted that the Trump lawsuit is "insane" in a state that clearly allows the polls to remains open until everyone in line has voted. Former Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, posted the statute that states "voting must continue until those voters have voted". Miller said: "If there are people in line waiting to vote at 7 pm, voting must continue until everyone votes.... We still live in America, right?" "During a campaign rally on March 1, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky, Trump repeatedly said "get 'em out of here" while pointing at anti-Trump protesters as they were forcibly escorted out by his supporters. Three protesters say they were repeatedly shoved and punched while Trump pointed at them from the podium, citing widely shared video evidence of the events. They also cited previous statements by Trump about paying the legal bills of supporters who got violent, or suggesting a demonstrator deserved to be "roughed up."" "Defendant Heimbach requested to dismiss the discussion in the lawsuit about his association with a white nationalist group, and also requested to dismiss discussion of statements he made about how a President Trump would advance the interests of the group. The request was declined, with the judge saying the information could be important for determining punitive damages because they add context." "Adult film actress Stormy Daniels has alleged that she and Trump had an extramarital affair in 2006, months after the birth of his youngest child.[160] Just before the 2016 presidential election Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was paid $130,000 by Trump's attorney Michael Cohen as part of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), through an LLC set up by Cohen; he says he used his own money for the payment.[161] In February 2018, Daniels filed suit against the LLC asking to be released from the agreement so that she can tell her story. Cohen filed a private arbitration proceeding and obtained a restraining order to keep her from discussing the case.[162] According to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump has denied the allegations." "The Special Counsel investigation is a United States law enforcement investigation of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and any Russian (or other foreign) interference in the election, including exploring any possible links or coordination between Trump’s campaign and the Russian government, "and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation."[178] Since May 2017, the investigation has been led by a United States Special Counsel, Robert Mueller, a former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Mueller's investigation took over several FBI investigations including those involving former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn." "Starting in 2003, the Trump Organization worked with Felix Sater, who had a 1998 racketeering conviction for a $40 million Mafia-linked stock fraud scheme, and who had then become an informant against the mafia.[196] Trump's attorney has said that Sater worked with Trump scouting real estate opportunities, but was never formally employed." This is not to mention all of the racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, and misogynistic statements that he's made... or the 22 women who have accused Donald Trump of sexual harassment. Also, not to mention the fact that he wanted to put all Muslims on a registry, Gestapo-style. And the fact that he outsourced 93,000 jobs his first year despite running on the platform of "Keep jobs in America." And the fact that he proposed a "Muslim Ban" that he then referred to as just a ban of people from 'these particular countries that happen to be majority Muslim... but they pose the most risk to us', despite the fact that Saudi Arabia (who he does business with) was NOT on that list. It's like the guy is immune from having any real consequences applied to him. The most he had to do was to give money, which he has a ton of. So, nothing has ever effected him long-term. And no matter what his supporters are always like, "What did Donald Trump do?" (Jackie Chan face) Edit: Also, one of the first things he did when he was in office was to roll back protections to prevent the Dakota Access Pipeline from being built. So many Native Americans protested and fought to have their homes protected against it. And Obama created a law that protected it. But when Trump got elected, rolling back that law was like the first thing he did. Also, not joining the Paris agreement and trying to roll back other environmental protections has been something that he's quite well known for.
-
I certainly hope so. But I feel like he's already done so many things that are wrong and suffered no consequences for them, that he is just the kind of person who knows how to manipulate his way out of legal trouble. I've known a few people like that in my life, who would be into all kinds of illegal stuff and come out smelling like a rose.