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What the MAGA party faithful appear either unable or unwilling to understand is that by ordering a DOJ investigation last Friday, Trump has effectively sealed the files once more. It is no coincidence that he did this just a few days after the House of Representatives scheduled a vote to compel the release of the files. He is truly a master of manipulating his supporters.
When I changed my avatar to the Ministry of Truth about a decade ago, it was part of a running gag here on the forum, in which three other members were the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Love, and the Ministry of Plenty. Braineack still has his.
If you weren't a member back then, you'll have to trust me that it was a very clever joke at the time. I don't remember what the joke actually was, but I'm certain that it was clever.
I honestly never imagined that it would become a fairly accurate picture of the US Presidency in 2025.
The problem "the Right" has with MTG and Massie is that they didn't care about the Epstein list while Biden was president, and never brought it up. Now they are cashing in on their "principled stand" on this issue. As far as I'm concerned, they appear to be performative hacks. MTG has especially changed her tune, about Israel, about deportations, and (it seems) even about Hillary Clinton. Massie seems like the paragon of virtue by standing up to his own party, except it never ever does anything but give himself a platform from which to ask for campaign dollars.
Trump has been his own worst enemy on the Epstein issue, as he simply doesn't explain himself. There's a large contingent of lawmakers who realize that releasing all the files without the victims redacted names can cause them harm (again), and potentially open up the gov't to law suits. Also, Trump keeps calling this a "hoax", instead of saying that the hoax is the part where he's involved, was a regular at Epstein's island, etceteras. I dunno, maybe it's another case of Trump saying that there were "fine people on both sides of the argument" and having it taken out of context.
Regardless, it looks like it's coming out and it almost looks like Trump baited the Democrats into this happening just like it is now. If it all comes out, Larry Summers will be the least of the fallout.
Continuing on with my rant, I consider Rand Paul to be a performative hack as well. The latest proof is his "Six Penny Plan", which is a weaker version of the original Penny Plan of years ago. Again he wants to seem like he's a hero of the debt and deficit, except I'm not even sure there's a plan except what's on his senate floor props.
And if he was truly serious, wouldn't he have put together a coalition of senators to sign onto his plan PRIOR to releasing it? And last, I have no doubt that he's pulled in tons of campaign cashed based this latest performative stunt.
Whether Democrat or Republican, we lose unless the government gets much, MUCH smaller.
You sure do throw a lot of rocks at some of the most financially conservative members, for someone espousing fiscal responsibility.
Did you read the substack article I posted that had some clear information on Trump and Epstein's relationship, as well as detailed stories and names of visitors to Epstein in Manhattan?
You sure do throw a lot of rocks at some of the most financially conservative members, for someone espousing fiscal responsibility.
Did you read the substack article I posted that had some clear information on Trump and Epstein's relationship, as well as detailed stories and names of visitors to Epstein in Manhattan?
My general feeling is this: talk is cheap. I've seen lots of talk from Massie / MTG / Paul, but no discernible progress. I guess I could expand the list to the rest of Congress, but I digress.
I have not read the Substack regarding Trump and Epstein, but run on the logic that if there was any "there" there, Trump would already be in prison. Beyond that, if the conversation isn't about Clinton then it certainly doesn't need to be about Trump.
I have not read the Substack regarding Trump and Epstein, but run on the logic that if there was any "there" there, Trump would already be in prison. Beyond that, if the conversation isn't about Clinton then it certainly doesn't need to be about Trump.
Then you probably need to read it because it paints Trump in a good light.
It is time that some popple scamming the US taxpayer were put up against the wall and shot.
In all sincerity, I do believe that we as a nation benefitted from hosting public executions, rather than hiding those who have committed capital crimes in a prison cell for life.
The gallows, and the guillotine (last used in Sep 1977), projected an image of a nation which does not tolerate provocation.
Instead, we have situations such as Lawrence Reed here:
The photo on the right is a still image from a security camera inside a Blue Line L train right here in Chicago this past Monday. That's the one which has a stop two blocks from my house, which I ride anytime I need to go downtown.
In it. we see Mr. Reed pouring gasoline onto a random stranger, and in the next few seconds, setting her on fire.
Mr. Reed then shouted "Burn alive, bitch!" before exiting the train at the next stop (Clark & Lake, which is two stops away from Sears Tower.)
The victim, a 26-year-old woman, was transported to a local hospital in critical condition with severe burns to her face, head, arms and torso, and will likely be crippled for life, if she survives.
Now, this is Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzales:
Judge Molina-Gonzales decided that Mr. Reed should not be incarcerated while he awaits trial for beating a social worker unconscious three months ago.
That assault, incidentally, brought Mr. Reed up to a total of 53 criminal charges just in Cook County alone since 1993. His arrest record spans a broad range of felonies including multiple instances each of arson (including trying to burn down city hall), aggravated battery, and narcotics.
He is the 19th person charged with murder or attempted murder in Chicago this year while on felony pretrial release.
In all sincerity, I do believe that we as a nation benefitted from hosting public executions, rather than hiding those who have committed capital crimes in a prison cell for life.
The gallows, and the guillotine (last used in Sep 1977), projected an image of a nation which does not tolerate provocation.
Instead, we have situations such as Lawrence Reed here:
The photo on the right is a still image from a security camera inside a Blue Line L train right here in Chicago this past Monday. That's the one which has a stop two blocks from my house, which I ride anytime I need to go downtown.
In it. we see Mr. Reed pouring gasoline onto a random stranger, and in the next few seconds, setting her on fire.
Mr. Reed then shouted "Burn alive, bitch!" before exiting the train at the next stop (Clark & Lake, which is two stops away from Sears Tower.)
The victim, a 26-year-old woman, was transported to a local hospital in critical condition with severe burns to her face, head, arms and torso, and will likely be crippled for life, if she survives.
Now, this is Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzales:
Judge Molina-Gonzales decided that Mr. Reed should not be incarcerated while he awaits trial for beating a social worker unconscious three months ago.
That assault, incidentally, brought Mr. Reed up to a total of 53 criminal charges just in Cook County alone since 1993. His arrest record spans a broad range of felonies including multiple instances each of arson (including trying to burn down city hall), aggravated battery, and narcotics.
He is the 19th person charged with murder or attempted murder in Chicago this year while on felony pretrial release.
It's disgusting enough that it happened. It's got to hit twice as hard when it's in your neighborhood. As bad as our Congress is (noted above), heinous judges are mostly appointed to their positions with no public input. We certainly know less about the people inhabiting the Judicial Branch than any other.
So who should get the guillotine? The person who committed the crime, or the person who facilitated it? Or both?
I consider that to be a stylistic preference. The decision should be left to the individual states.
EDIT:
I interpreted this question as meaning who should be put to death via the guillotine, vs. who should hang at the end of a rope.
In terms of public perception, I do recognize a huge distinction between these two methods of execution.
Hanging at the gallows is a much more visceral display, in which the condemned is seen to struggle for some time, and then even after the life has departed from their body, said body continues to swing in accordance with the laws of Newtonian physics or several minutes, and can be left to hand for several days or weeks.
The guillotine strikes me as a much less visually engaging method of execution. There is the drop, and then a few twitches, and after that there is only stillness, apart from whatever performative display is done by the executioner grabbing the head and placing it, for instance, stop a pike.
I have sometimes wondered, in all seriousness, about what the condemned is able to experience during the beheading process. Is the brain able to continue processing sensations in the second following its departure from the body? If so, what is the nature and fidelity of such sensations?
These are questions which the biomedical science of future generations may be able to answer, but for our own, are likely to remain entirely speculative.
Last edited by Joe Perez; Nov 21, 2025 at 10:22 PM.
So who should get the guillotine? The person who committed the crime, or the person who facilitated it? Or both?
It should be easier to remove judges who don't do their jobs properly, and there should be better definitions of what the removal process looks like.
And as for the guillotine, justice delayed is justice denied. Everyone seems to forget about the victims. This judge certainly didn't care about any future victims.
Last edited by cordycord; Nov 21, 2025 at 10:51 PM.
The victim, a 26-year-old woman, was transported to a local hospital in critical condition with severe burns to her face, head, arms and torso, and will likely be crippled for life, if she survives.
She is still alive, and now we know her name.
Bethany MaGee, 26, is employed as a business research analyst for Caterpillar, which employs roughly 2,000 people at its corporate office here. She is expected to remain hospitalized for at least 3 months.
We can assume that her race was not a factor in this attack, of course.
Originally Posted by Joe Perez
Now, this is Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzales:
About her, yes...
"I can’t keep everybody in jail because the State’s Attorney wants me to, but I understand and respect your position."
That's what Judge Gonzales said to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, after they cautioned her against releasing the attacker with an electronic ankle monitor after his most recent prior arrest, (the one where a knocked a social worker unconscious) saying:
"There is nothing here indicating that the defendant was provoked, this was a random act, your Honor, and electronic monitoring would be wholly insufficient. It could not protect the victim or the community from another vicious, random, and spontaneous attack.”
It is my hope that Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzales is haunted by those words every night for the rest of her life.
Last edited by Joe Perez; Nov 24, 2025 at 04:46 PM.