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I just discovered this person on YouTube, member name is LegalEagle (real first name is Devin) who is a real life lawyer, and has been doing videos discussing the accuracies (or mistakes) TV shows or movies make when featuring real legal matters.

He already has many videos up, but this video is a good starting point, where he discusses the infamous series finale to Seinfeld.


Mod Note

There is a forum-wide ban on discussing US politics, which remains in place as long at the dedicated US Politics thread is locked.

If a new episode goes back onto that subject (or any of the other banned topics) then you are not allowed to discuss it. You can discuss any video about anything else, just not related to US politics.

If this becomes a problem, posts will be thumped and there may be further consequences.

We've already had to lock this thread once. If we have to lock it again, it's likely to remain locked for a very long time — and may not get unlocked at all. We'd really like to avoid that.

Edited by kory on Sep 22nd 2024 at 9:15:19 AM

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#1026: Oct 28th 2023 at 1:23:10 AM

What do you mean?

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Ookamikun This is going to be so much fun. (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
This is going to be so much fun.
#1027: Oct 28th 2023 at 4:26:58 AM

Like before the infamous election he was just some random cameo-ing guy in movies and commercials

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#1028: Oct 28th 2023 at 4:47:06 AM

I think you are underplaying just how famous he was before he got into politics. There is a reason he made all those cameos, you know. There is a reason we have a Trumplicate trope.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Discar Since: Jun, 2009
#1029: Oct 28th 2023 at 6:12:28 AM

And the reason being that he was rich and loud. Remember that no one ever actually liked Trump. He was basically the quintessential Corrupt Corporate Executive for decades. But between him being, well, rich and flying just under the radar enough that his crimes weren't public knowledge (I mean all his business crimes like fraud, not his personal crimes), very few people actually cared what he was up to.

It's only now that he forced himself into the public consciousness that people are going after him legally in every way they can. This is also why he's having so much trouble; he's not really doing anything different than he ever has in his entire life. But now he's finally being held to account.

Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#1030: Oct 28th 2023 at 6:39:29 AM

Trump made himself into a household name through an exquisitely crafted branding campaign. He put an enormous amount of effort into looking rich and successful. Unfortunately, that image suckered in an enormous number of people because this nation has a wealth fetish. Having become "Trump loyalists", they subsequently refused to believe or acknowledge all of his many crimes and scandals when they became public.

Edited by Fighteer on Oct 28th 2023 at 9:40:15 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#1031: Oct 28th 2023 at 6:52:46 AM

Yeah, and in turn that image of being rich and successful is what made him seem like a prime candidate for president to a lot of people. I have seen people argue that Trump as president made perfect sense because he was an excellent businessman, and government should be run as a business (I'm not saying any of that is true, mind you, just that that was the reasoning).

In hindsight, it is not so surprising that he did so well politically: he is a natural demagogue who knows how to craft and maintain a devoted following, and his position as political outsider was a perfect fit for an electorate that was deeply sceptical and suspicious of politicians in general, and the Washington elite in particular. Remember "drain the swamp"?

And it is hardly unique, either. Reagan used to be an actor, Zelensky used to be a stand up comedian, and yet they managed to rise to political leadership. Sometimes the time is just right for such outsiders to rise to power.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#1032: Oct 28th 2023 at 7:20:44 AM

[up]

The "excellent businessman" thing always baffled me because even though I'm not American, I was very much aware of the multiple bankruptcies.

If people on the other side of the globe knew about that, you'd think most Americans would as well. tongue

Edited by DrunkenNordmann on Oct 28th 2023 at 4:21:12 PM

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#1033: Oct 28th 2023 at 7:30:17 AM

Trump's target audience (prior to his Presidential run) can be divided into two main groups: people who are so low-information that they simply don't know or understand about all his disastrous financial dealings or those who are so cynical that they view his ability to weasel out of debts and con money out of people as virtues rather than vices.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
ShinyCottonCandy Everyone's friend Malamar from Lumiose City (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Everyone's friend Malamar
#1034: Oct 28th 2023 at 8:24:54 AM

Even though before the election I didn't know the extent of his crimes, I already had a low opinion of corporate executives in general, which easily extended to Trump. I'd imagine I'd have been part of a camp that the inverse of the camp that believes wealth indicates merit, back before I moved to a more politically informed position.

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Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#1035: Oct 28th 2023 at 8:25:51 AM

I didn't really know anything about him, beyond some vague notion that he was a billionaire businessman.

Come to think of it, I have to wonder how much people generally really know about the people they vote for. We tend to be very high information on this website, but most people aren't, and most people won't look too deeply into the person they vote for beyond what the media tells us.

And with a media and political landscape as divided as that in the US, it also becomes very easy to dismiss negative stories as mud-slinging, especially for a political system that routinely engages in such character assassination of political opponents anyway.

Edited by Redmess on Oct 28th 2023 at 5:28:41 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Discar Since: Jun, 2009
#1036: Oct 28th 2023 at 8:38:48 AM

That's what happens when we're all so busy with our own lives that we don't have time to read the full details on everyone. All we can do is check our favorite news sites for some basic information and hope for the best. There are a number of neutral political sites that display candidate stances in an easy to understand format, but they take time to find, and they're not that helpful on the local level.

This is why the October Surprise is so devastating, even when it's blatant bullshit like with Hillary. People just hear "Hillary being investigated for something" and decide they're not going to bother voting for her.

Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#1037: Oct 28th 2023 at 9:26:36 AM

I'm not going to read two dozen party programs, then dig through the personal histories of however many people are on the voting list of whatever party I decide to go with. That's like a full time job. That's what that would look like in the Netherlands, since you don't necessarily have to vote for the front runner of a party.

And you'd have to, because that's not even going to decide who is going to run the country.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#1038: Oct 28th 2023 at 10:17:50 AM

He also ran on a platform of "anyone who disagrees with or criticizes you in any way is actually an enemy - the htings they're saying don't actually exist, they're just trying to keep you from being great, so you need to take back your right to be great."

His platform spoke to comfortable people tired of being told that the systems that made them comfortable also victimized other people, and were resistant to those systems being changed to be better for everyone but less comfortable for themselves. Eventually it led to the furor of his emboldened party members trying to do things like claim that teaching about racism is wrong or that prejudice doesn't exist, or remove the right to vote from people who don't support them on the grounds that they don't deserve to have it.

Even back when he was first campaigning was president, he was cultivating this with the Fake News thing, trying to spin the press - who were already pointing out his shortcomings - as being liars who were only trying to discredit him for their own profit. Ever since the beginning, he's been building a perception around himself that any time someone takes him to task for anything he's done, he - and by extension his constituency - is actually being victimized.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Oct 28th 2023 at 10:18:34 AM

Brandon Deadly Vu! from Between Thanksgiving and Christmas (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
Deadly Vu!
#1039: Oct 28th 2023 at 11:41:13 AM

This reminds me of a comment I made on Facebook when I said I miss the days when, to me, Trump was just "the guy who gave Kevin directions in Home Alone 2".

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Krory Since: Aug, 2012
#1040: Oct 29th 2023 at 1:35:42 PM

I just remember people saying 'where's the proof he's a criminal?' during the 2016 election, and being like, 'he's a real-estate developer in New York? They're ALL criminals in that business in that city. The mafia owns construction.'

The_Reptile_ Since: Oct, 2010
#1041: Oct 29th 2023 at 1:48:01 PM

More to the point, he's a real estate mogul even other real estate mogul's think is a crook.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#1042: Oct 29th 2023 at 2:05:38 PM

I'm not sure there was all that much evidence back then. That was before all the big exposes and such.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Discar Since: Jun, 2009
#1043: Oct 29th 2023 at 2:21:00 PM

It was one of those things where there was a lot of rumors and "everybody knows" stuff, but little hard evidence. Sort of like the Hollywood sexual harassment scandals. Everyone in the industry knew that Donald Trump is going to stuff you on the bill, but they just worked that into their plans and moved on, instead of gathering evidence that could be provided to a prosecutor.

Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
Dracoblade Since: May, 2009
#1044: Nov 1st 2023 at 1:01:34 PM

I remember back in 2016 Cracked posted this article about why Trump was supported in rural areas; because they felt they had been abandoned by most of society, or worse were the butt of jokes, and Trump was "The brick through the window."

Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#1045: Nov 2nd 2023 at 11:13:59 AM

Discussing how all of Trump's accomplices in Georgia all seem to plead guilty.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#1046: Nov 2nd 2023 at 3:07:03 PM

Trump doesn't really have friends, of course, only pawns and cronies, people that can be useful to him. It would be pretty sad if he wasn't so awful.

It is tempting to blame his upbringing for this, but honestly, I've seen "career advisors" tell an entire class to treat their Linked In contacts list like this, so I suspect this attitude is one that tends to be shared by many big business types raised by bad mentors.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#1047: Nov 8th 2023 at 9:30:28 AM

Turns out Alex Jones' Bankruptcy plan ain't working.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#1048: Nov 8th 2023 at 10:17:40 AM

He ain't no Donald Trump.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#1049: Nov 8th 2023 at 10:18:40 AM

Dunno, like Trump, Jones' hell is mostly self inflicted by using terrible lawyers and being a terrible client.

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#1050: Nov 8th 2023 at 10:41:31 AM

The issue is he kinda sucks to work for. So of course no one that's actually competent wants to do it

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."

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