He is incapable. Investors believing that he'll implement policies that will benefit them isn't the same as being capable. — Michael

It will benefit business, including, yes, investors. What's wrong with that? That's what the President is supposed to do.

It will benefit business, including, yes, investors. What's wrong with that? That's what the President is supposed to do. — Agustino

Nothing's wrong with that per se. It just doesn't mean that Trump is capable.

Regulations protects workers, consumers, and the environment. — Michael

Yeah, while crippling my small business which cannot afford to hire 10 Hanovers to find loopholes in the law :-}

Obama had to repair the broken auto. Trump merely stepped in after he got it running. And you're crediting him with what? Not crashing it again in a few months after taking office. OK, well, that's a low bar.

Obama had to repair the broken auto. Trump merely stepped in after he got it running. And you're crediting him with what? Not crashing it again in a few months after taking office. OK, well, that's a low bar. — Baden

Obama made big business stronger than ever in the US. Never has big business, including big banks, been as loved and protected as under Obama. It's the small entrepreneurs that have been crushed.

In fact, that's how he created jobs. By strengthening big business.

Yeah, while crippling my small business which cannot afford to hire 10 Hanovers to find loopholes in the law — Agustino

Perhaps. There are always going to be people who lose out, whether it's the big business owners, the small business owners, the consumers, the workers, or the environment.

You just have to decide which is more important. I think that preventing (or slowing) global warming, ensuring that workers earn enough to live and are safe in the workplace, and that consumers have quality goods are more important than making it easy for small entrepreneurs to succeed.

And why would you be looking to find loopholes in the law anyway?

Perhaps. There are always going to be people who lose out, whether it's the big business owners, the small business owners, the consumers, the workers, or the environment. — Michael

The entrepreneurial part of the economy is the absolute most important part (that doesn't include big business). If you cripple the entrepreneurial part of the economy, everyone else will suffer soon.

Any would would you be looking to find loopholes in the law anyway? — Michael

Of course, if you have more money than you know what to do with, you don't have to be looking, the 10 Hanovers will do that by themselves for you.

The entrepreneurial part of the economy is the absolute most important part (that doesn't include big business). If you cripple the entrepreneurial part of the economy, everyone else will suffer soon. — Agustino

More people will suffer if the environment isn't protected, if workers aren't protected, and if consumers aren't protected.

More people will suffer if the environment isn't protected, if workers aren't protected, and if consumers aren't protected. — Michael

The workers ain't gonna make work for themselves will they? The consumers ain't going to produce for themselves no?

Anyway, should we place bets on who's going to be indicted today?

I'd say Manafort is the best bet. Flynn, Page, and Stone are possible. Also heard that it could be Tony Podesta, although I think investigations into him only started recently, so it would be surprising if they had something on him already.

The workers ain't gonna make work for themselves will they? The consumers ain't going to produce for themselves no? — Agustino

No, but so what? Regulations don't stop business. People had work and consumers had goods to buy under Obama.

Perhaps more work and goods would be available if these regulations were to be cut, but I bet the consequences wouldn't be worth it. Low wages, harm to the environment, injured workers, poor quality goods...

No, but so what? Regulations don't stop business. People had work and consumers had goods to buy under Obama. — Michael

Yes, they do stop entrepreneurship. I don't want us to become a world where we all work for a few big huge corporations, and all of us have jobs - so long as we work for them. That's like communism, except that not the state, but a few large companies are doing it.

Paul Manafort, Who Once Ran Trump Campaign, Told to Surrender

Paul Manafort and his former business associate Rick Gates were told to surrender to federal authorities Monday morning, the first charges in a special counsel investigation, according to a person involved in the case.

The charges aren't known yet.

Paul J. Manafort, Jr., 68, of Alexandria, Va., and Richard W. Gates III, 45, of Richmond, Va., have been indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 27, 2017, in the District of Columbia. The indictment contains 12 counts: conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading FARA statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

Money laundering was what I expected.

Why does it suddenly go up at a faster rate ever since Trump was elected?! — Agustino

Do you understand the market? That's called instability.

The indictment contains 12 counts: conspiracy against the United States

That sounds rather serious.

That sounds rather serious. — Metaphysician Undercover

It's regarding the money stuff. Conspiracy against the Department of Justice and Department of the Treasury.

You can read it all here.

If it gets to Kushner, Trump is toast and Pence's daily diet of shit sandwiches may start to seem sweeter.

I've heard that there's a second indictment, which some are saying is likely Flynn, but they may have just meant a second person which would be Gates who's part of Manafort's indictment.

Although part of the first charge (conspiracy against the United States) says "the defendants PAUL J. MANAFORT, JR., and RICHARD W. GATES III, together with others...". It could be that the second indictment is directed at these "others".

Flynn will definitely cop it, I reckon, but Trump will hobble on, horribly damaged, but still shouting "Fake news! Fake news!" to a dwindling flock of sycophants and fanboys unless dear Jared goes down and then he'll sink like a punctured liner.

Incidentally, I've read that the reason these charges are coming so soon is because the statute of limitations runs out on some of these charges tomorrow. Could always be other stuff that Mueller has more time to build on.

You can read it all here. — Michael

Wow, that's a big pile of evidence of some serious tax evasion and undisclosed lobbying.

George Papadopoulos is the second?

This one is directly about the Trump campaign and Russia. He's admitted to lying to the FBI about his communications with Russian officials whilst foreign policy advisor for the campaign.

Do you understand the market? That's called instability. — Metaphysician Undercover

The market growing at a fast rate is instability? Are you kidding me?

Yeah, I've been following stock markets since I was 14, so I guess I have a better understanding than most.

The market growing at a fast rate is instability? Are you kidding me? — Agustino

Rapid growth, like rapid decline, is indicative of increased high-frequency trading, which is instability in the market place.

Yeah, and supposedly a rising tide lifts all boats except the poor and middle class in America.

Rapid growth, like rapid decline, is indicative of increased high-frequency trading, which is instability in the market place. — Metaphysician Undercover

High-frequency trading isn't the same as instability in financial markets. It would depend on how heavy momentum is, and instability is typically marked by rapidly falling prices.

This article, published July 2016, takes on a new significance in light of the arrests:

The Trump campaign worked behind the scenes last week to make sure the new Republican platform won’t call for giving weapons to Ukraine to fight Russian and rebel forces, contradicting the view of almost all Republican foreign policy leaders in Washington.

Throughout the campaign, Trump has been dismissive of calls for supporting the Ukraine government as it fights an ongoing Russian-led intervention. Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, worked as a lobbyist for the Russian-backed former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych for more than a decade.

Still, Republican delegates at last week’s national security committee platform meeting in Cleveland were surprised when the Trump campaign orchestrated a set of events to make sure that the GOP would not pledge to give Ukraine the weapons it has been asking for from the United States.

Best case scenario - Trump resigns as President and the Government agrees not to pursue him further provided he walks away from politics and goes back to his real job.

Won’t happen, but we can always wish.

Best case scenario - Trump resigns as President and the Government agrees not to pursue him further provided he walks away from politics and goes back to his real job.

Won’t happen, but we can always wish. — Wayfarer

Please put the booze down, it's not doing you any good ;)