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Gunnar Miller's avatar

What's so shocking is how blatant it all appears to be. I could almost halfway respect sophisticated attempts to cover their tracks, but all this broad daylight influence peddling, bribery, QVC-style tatty merchandising, front-running, and crypto rug-pulling just adds insult to injury. At least prosecutors won't have to work very hard once the day of reckoning finally arrives.

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/us-defense-secretary-hegseths-broker-looked-buy-defense-fund-before-iran-attack-2026-03-30/

vicster66's avatar

Lovely tribute to your grandmother. She will be proud of you fighting the good fight.

Kledrew's avatar

You are a good man Ed, I think your grandmother would agree. Keep up the good work.

Russell Darnall's avatar

Ed, I am sorry for your loss. Grandparents often become more important as we get older.

Tankster's avatar

As we say in Judaism, blessed I’d the true judge. Maybe I shout ask the next cop who pulls me over if I can pay thr fine now? That would land me in jail. You need to grift bigly, as small time grifters lose. See, e.g., Kristie Noem, who didn’t give up the vig on her $220 million ad buy.

Steve C's avatar

sad to hear of ypur GranMa: please get a politician brave enough to "lock them up". - ypu could stand?

Andres's avatar

Yeah, but that’s all it is, more blatant. Halliburton et al also made a killing from the Iraq and Afghanistan boondoggles, it’s just their corruption was mostly routed thru the Pentagon, not Wall Street

Paul's avatar

Ed - Thank you for sharing your love of your Grandma.

Brancois's avatar

Veru sorry about your gradma, Ed. It’s good that you were able to see her and hold her hand. To paraphrase Prof G, you are an impressive young man.

Your article is spot on. I moved to the States 20 years ago from a very corrupt Eastern European country. Corruption is akin to societal cancer - initially, it slowly then quickly spreads into every system and body of society. In the end, everything evolves to account for the corruption needed for it to function. It starts with government procurement contracts, mining rights and major construction projecs, and ends with needing to bribe the clerk in your hometown city hall to get a copy of birth certificate. The line between the two ends is direct. I am afraid that, without doing what you prescribe in this article, we are beyond help.

Tim King's avatar

So we find the inside traders and put them in jail. Trump will immediately pardon them, which is why they are so brazen now. We just don't know all their names at the moment.

Sue's avatar

Ed, I'm glad you found that time with your grandmother. My much-loved grandfather died when I was about your age - I still miss him but I've always been grateful to have had more time with him in my life than many get. Hope that's the case for you.

CF Miller's avatar

My thoughts & heartfelt sympathy for what you are going through, Ed.. We've all been there & it doesn't get any easier the older you are. As always, appreciate your insight & perspective.