6 ms·

Biden could have addressed this months ago. the fact that he hasn't is very telling. Before he got the nomination, major publications were running stories about

by starkd 6y ago

Biden could have addressed this months ago. the fact that he hasn't is very telling. Before he got the nomination, major publications were running stories about it, like Politico and Bloomberg, etc.

meowface 6y ago
Absolutely, and there're several other indicators as well. I think it's still unclear if all of it's real, and the acquisition story seems sketchy (and very unethical if true), but it seems more likely than not to be legit. I think staying silent about it is absolutely the smartest move on Joe's part. Trying to defend the contents will only draw more attention to them. It's the media's refusal to be actual journalists that's the dumb thing.
- starkd 6y ago
  The fact that he's not addressing this properly is the scandalous part. Don't we deserve answers. Even if he's elected, this is not going away and will only hobble his administration. He needs to clear it up and get it out of the way. There's a troubling trend among democrat nominees to suppress. Like him or hate him, you have to admit Trump holds press conferences and answers questions.
  - meowface 6y ago
    Eh, any politician would probably do the same. I strongly disagree about Trump. That's basically been Trump's exact MO since forever; any real story concerning him just gets instantly dismissed. "It's locker room talk", "it's fake news", etc. Trump and his White House have held far fewer press conferences than past presidents. And at his press conferences, he refuses many questions and dismisses others with either non-answers or just his typical bullshit salesman-speak. I do think this is probably the "Trumpiest" Biden has acted so far, but I think I'd probably do the same thing if I were in his position, honestly. At least until the election is over. It's politics. He doesn't want to throw too much gasoline on the fire. It's just the media's and Twitter's behavior that I just mind-boggling and gross, and the irrational way so much of the left is treating it.
    - starkd 6y ago
      My point is that we can survive a Biden or Trump. But once you start suppressing points of view, in the end, the election outcome won't matter. And if they think they are doing it "just this once" to save the country, they will do it again, as soon as its convenient for them. These are not the signs of a healthy free press.
ivalm 6y ago
What do you mean he knew about it months ago? The point is that this is all just a fabrication, there is no story to address. That’s why they are pushing it now and not months ago.
- meowface 6y ago
  I'd be willing to take a bet with you that they're not a fabrication, if you want. If they were a fabrication, the smartest thing to do would be a vehement pronouncement that it's all doctored, fake bullshit. It'd make sense to do that once and then never talk about it again and refuse questions, but the fact that there's not a single denial is telling. It's definitely not proof, but it's a sign. Also, at least one email thread was corroborated by someone else on the thread as being real. That doesn't prove the rest of the emails are real, but it increases the likelihood. Again, I don't even think there's anything damaging in there. But the absolute kneejerk insistence that they're fabricated, and that even trying to be impartial about it is giving into propaganda, by so many people, is pretty bizarre to me. There's a reasonable, rational, balanced middle ground here that very few people (besides some actual journalists like Matt Taibbi, Ross Douthat, and perhaps Glenn Greenwald - pending exactly what he says in this forthcoming article) seem to be taking.
  - starkd 6y ago
    The drug use and pornography is not relevant and more of a distraction. But the indications he may have been paid off by the CCP is troubling, and would mean he's a compromised candidate. We've spent the last four years of dire warnings from the media about Russian information, only to see them ignore the vast influence of CCP money around the globe.
    - meowface 6y ago
      I don't think the emails show clear signs of any improper behavior with respect to China. It's not necessarily unethical for his family to have had businesses or business relationships in other countries, and it's not necessarily evidence of any relationship with the CCP. The CCP technically controls all business, so it could be said that any business dealing with any part of China is dealing with the CCP, but I think that'd be unfair if there's not an actual, concrete governmental relationship. And so far, there doesn't seem to be any hard evidence that Joe was profiting from or involved with any of the deals himself (though there are some accusations of this). The leaks are worthy of fair assessment and research, but people definitely shouldn't jump to conclusions of corruption.
hackinthebochs 6y ago
No. Responding to smears gives them more attention than they would otherwise get ruminating in the bowels of the internet. Those who are calling for Biden to deny them really want him to legitimize the content by addressing them.

by starkd 6y ago

Biden could have addressed this months ago. the fact that he hasn't is very telling. Before he got the nomination, major publications were running stories about it, like Politico and Bloomberg, etc.

meowface 6y ago

Absolutely, and there're several other indicators as well. I think it's still unclear if all of it's real, and the acquisition story seems sketchy (and very unethical if true), but it seems more likely than not to be legit. I think staying silent about it is absolutely the smartest move on Joe's part. Trying to defend the contents will only draw more attention to them. It's the media's refusal to be actual journalists that's the dumb thing.

starkd 6y ago
The fact that he's not addressing this properly is the scandalous part. Don't we deserve answers. Even if he's elected, this is not going away and will only hobble his administration. He needs to clear it up and get it out of the way. There's a troubling trend among democrat nominees to suppress. Like him or hate him, you have to admit Trump holds press conferences and answers questions.
- meowface 6y ago
  Eh, any politician would probably do the same. I strongly disagree about Trump. That's basically been Trump's exact MO since forever; any real story concerning him just gets instantly dismissed. "It's locker room talk", "it's fake news", etc. Trump and his White House have held far fewer press conferences than past presidents. And at his press conferences, he refuses many questions and dismisses others with either non-answers or just his typical bullshit salesman-speak. I do think this is probably the "Trumpiest" Biden has acted so far, but I think I'd probably do the same thing if I were in his position, honestly. At least until the election is over. It's politics. He doesn't want to throw too much gasoline on the fire. It's just the media's and Twitter's behavior that I just mind-boggling and gross, and the irrational way so much of the left is treating it.
  - starkd 6y ago
    My point is that we can survive a Biden or Trump. But once you start suppressing points of view, in the end, the election outcome won't matter. And if they think they are doing it "just this once" to save the country, they will do it again, as soon as its convenient for them. These are not the signs of a healthy free press.

ivalm 6y ago

What do you mean he knew about it months ago? The point is that this is all just a fabrication, there is no story to address. That’s why they are pushing it now and not months ago.

meowface 6y ago
I'd be willing to take a bet with you that they're not a fabrication, if you want. If they were a fabrication, the smartest thing to do would be a vehement pronouncement that it's all doctored, fake bullshit. It'd make sense to do that once and then never talk about it again and refuse questions, but the fact that there's not a single denial is telling. It's definitely not proof, but it's a sign. Also, at least one email thread was corroborated by someone else on the thread as being real. That doesn't prove the rest of the emails are real, but it increases the likelihood. Again, I don't even think there's anything damaging in there. But the absolute kneejerk insistence that they're fabricated, and that even trying to be impartial about it is giving into propaganda, by so many people, is pretty bizarre to me. There's a reasonable, rational, balanced middle ground here that very few people (besides some actual journalists like Matt Taibbi, Ross Douthat, and perhaps Glenn Greenwald - pending exactly what he says in this forthcoming article) seem to be taking.
- starkd 6y ago
  The drug use and pornography is not relevant and more of a distraction. But the indications he may have been paid off by the CCP is troubling, and would mean he's a compromised candidate. We've spent the last four years of dire warnings from the media about Russian information, only to see them ignore the vast influence of CCP money around the globe.
  - meowface 6y ago
    I don't think the emails show clear signs of any improper behavior with respect to China. It's not necessarily unethical for his family to have had businesses or business relationships in other countries, and it's not necessarily evidence of any relationship with the CCP. The CCP technically controls all business, so it could be said that any business dealing with any part of China is dealing with the CCP, but I think that'd be unfair if there's not an actual, concrete governmental relationship. And so far, there doesn't seem to be any hard evidence that Joe was profiting from or involved with any of the deals himself (though there are some accusations of this). The leaks are worthy of fair assessment and research, but people definitely shouldn't jump to conclusions of corruption.

hackinthebochs 6y ago

No. Responding to smears gives them more attention than they would otherwise get ruminating in the bowels of the internet. Those who are calling for Biden to deny them really want him to legitimize the content by addressing them.