Names reported in Trump bribery-for-pardon scheme: Elliott Broidy, Abbe Lowell, Sanford Diller, Hugh L. Baras

I’m getting nothing on “apostrophe experts” either. Maybe it’s a newly minted regional expression?

When the redacted documents came out, someone (or several someones) spotted that in some places a redacted name appeared in the possessive like this:

███’s surrender to BOP custody

while in other places you saw this:

███’ clemency petition

i.e., without the terminal “s”. This was used to argue that one of the redacted names must therefore itself end with an “s”, because in such a case you form the possessive by appending a bare apostrophe – e.g. James’ house – rather than an apostrophe and an “s” – e.g. James’s house.

There was an immediate and furious counterargument that this was nonsense on stilts, because you should only use a bare apostrophe in this way when the word in question is plural, e.g. my parents’ house, and not when it’s a singular word that just happens to end in “s”.

The initial argument turned out to be correct, at least as far as official DoJ style goes. (That was also the way I was taught to do it at school.)

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I started long and hard at this and didn’t get it. I only noticed “Hugh Baras” was one of the names on the way out. Grr. Well played, sir.

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And he works for China. (Among others.)

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/trump-fundraiser-elliott-broidy-charged-in-alleged-foreign-lobbying-plot

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OITNB-alex-kidding-me|nullxnull

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It is, but different societies have different levels of corruption. Biff’s regime has brought American society closer to the level of China (obviously trying for the gilded standard of his shirtless hero).

ETA:

No, it’s wrong. Just because a behaviour exists and is persistent doesn’t mean it’s value-neutral. Remedies reduce corruption. For example:

Single-payer universal takes care of that issue, at least as far as specialists are concerned. As for GPs, if one wants to keep their practise closed to that extent I doubt that a one-time $200 payment will do the job.

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I’m sorry, but this is bullshit. Kickbacks for referrals are illegal, the requirement for referrals is due to insurance regs. If you don’t have one, your insurance will not pay. If you are willing to pay out-of-pocket, you don’t need a referral, but most offices will not take the chance on you reneging after the fact.

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Also, there are plenty of things that existed historically that is considered unacceptable today. Something being an “age old custom” doesn’t mean it’s not wrong. Some traditions SHOULD change.

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Nope. Still wrong.

Only assholes offer bribes and only assholes take them.

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Yes, you too can go to prison. Step right up!

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I’m definitely not trying to bothsides here, but Schindler had to bribe the Nazis officials (who yes, were assholes) to save the people working for him from being sent to concentration camps… so not all people who offer bribes are assholes.

I would say that for the vast majority of cases, yeah, it’s assholes.

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In case anyone wants a refresher on the Broidy/Bechard/“David Dennison”/Michael Cohen/Trump schmaschmortion thing

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So is “rich and powerful men avoiding consequences for their crimes.” Doesn’t mean we have to just shrug and accept it whenever we see it happening.

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Would these people insist on going to another hospital if they were taken to St Thomas’ Hospital in London?

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pretty sure you won’t

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Bribery kills. There is a straight line between bribery and the deaths of innocents. Whether it’s for overpresciption of opioids or for poor bridge construction, bribery can and does kill people.

You may give or take bribes, and that tells us a lot about you; but your assertion that everyone else does too tells us even more - that you know it’s wrong and have to rationalize it to live with yourself.

Maybe you should take some time and think about that.

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Eye-for-an-eye, slavery, and sexual violence are age-old customs, too. Come to think of it, so are bullshitting and jiving.

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Broidy is a true scumbag and really one of the lowest life forms in Trump’s circle. I truly believe the stories about him taking the fall for Trump with the Playmate abortion story.

Makes total sense that Trump would be floating a pardon for him - not just as a thank you but in order to ensure his continued silence.

ETA - I see @kthejoker beat me to this above

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