"Main" role? Nice qualifier. How about just any role in his success? Most people don't have someone playing a role, even if not the "main" role, in helping them along.

When you type all that out do you think to yourself, "Oooo, that'll really get 'em".

No, he was convicted of illegally structuring of bank withdrawals to evade bank reporting requirements.

Had he said "I'm paying hush money to someone I sexually abused a few decades ago earlier", the whole financial part of it would have been legal.

No, having preferential treatment for one race over another is the past mistake you want to correct. You recognize in that statement why it was wrong to do to black people. How do you not recognize that that is universal truth and wrong to do to any race, any person? DEI is harmful to black people, anyway. In your world you believe black people don't have professional jobs and you are trying to balance that. In reality what it does is it undermines every black person that got there on there own merit because now there's a good chance they are there from DEI instead of just being damn good at what they do. Now when choosing between a black professional or say an asian one, well you choose the asian one because there's odds the black person isn't as skilled and got there on lowered standards.

The kind of hiring practices you describe have been illegal for decades. That's how to get sued. That all was true once, but it's not anymore. Rich people don't care about color, they care about being rich. Quit making that racial divide, it's an intentional distraction. You notice how hard they started pushing divisive politics after Occupy Wall Street happened?

So you're saying the only reason a group of people do not perform the same as other groups is racism? That's the only answer? There's no culture or genetics at play at all? What about Asians the do better that everyone else? In what way has their racist behavior lowered everyone else's scores vs them?

The real problem you're fighting is that for many blacks, education is a white thing. You're educated? Then you're an Oreo (black on the outside, white on the inside). It's certainly not all of them, but theres enough to control their culture.

It doesn't matter if "historically" white men had an easier time getting a job. First off, it's today. Quit clinging to the past cause it will always be there and no amount correction will ever change that. Also, if the goal is to combat racism, you can't do that by oppressing another race. It's like nothing is ever actually learned.

So name another empire that had a rapid military expansion just before it died. Militaries cost money, something dying empires lack. All those empires endured a long decline usually followed by a coup de grace to finish them off. You're just making up a bad narrative for the US and then claiming some historical precedence when you're wrong. The Roman empire, the Aztec, the Mali, the UK and most of Europe... all slow declines, some punctuated by an invading army.

So invade and install a new leader or keep sending them money in the hopes it doesn't just line some pockets?

Right, cause piracy has been a big problem in SE Alaska. You don't have any idea who is passing you in the water. In all my years boating, and I live in Alaska with no super yacht, you never pass someone in the water who needs help. Ever.

Define "fascist". Are we like the Fascista or is it more of a fascist=bad and Trump=bad, therefore Trump=fascist?

Names don't mean anything. DPRK (North Korea) is a great example. Confederation would probably describe it best.

But if you call it a tariff you can apparently make the percentage a lot bigger.

He's not helping but let's not act like he's the first president to try to consolidate power. Our last president tried to enact a 1984 style ministry of truth. How far back you want to go to look? Gulf of Tonkin? A lazy Congress is there every time to hand over more power.

I got a couple temp bans back to back for pointing out to the moderators that the spirit of liberalism and free speech means protecting speech you disagree with. I was a 15+ year reader of Fark. Once I got off the site I found the real, actual liberalism was being supported more by the right than the left now.