Buckle up!

[gimmethesimplelife]

As i understand, today the Trump trial goes to the jury and the jury will deliberate.

I am worried - there is no outcome that I find worry free. If Trump walks, it seems as if this is a green light for the United States to move towards further authoritarianism, completely unchecked. If Trump is convicted, I worry regarding political violence. Most specifically, I worry for Judge Merchan and his family - I worry for their physical safety. Truly, the fact that such is a legitimate worry these days shows you a horrid truth about the United States - we already are in the very first stages of Banana Republic. Beyond this fact, I wonder if Judge Merchan and his family would be safest going into hiding in Merchan's native Colombia? With their money and the much lower cost of living in Colombia, they could afford to live on the North Side of Bogota or El Poblado or Laureles in Medellin (relatively safe and upscale areas of urban Colombia).

Regardless, this will be interesting. I am rivited as to outcome as I believe this trial's outcome will be instructive as to how far and to some degree how fast the United States will continue to sink. There really is no best outcome here - though unlike many, I do believe all is not lost if Trump skates. Trump skating and winning I believe equals this country splitting up and splitting up faster than it otherwise would. So maybe there is some consolation for those willing to take a long term view.

What's your take on all this? Are you worried of this trial's outcome? Rob

[bae]

- I do not think the republic lives or dies on the result of a trial for 34 counts of falsifying business records.

- There are plenty of reasons even a single juror might not decide to vote for conviction. This is why we have juries. This is a sign that the system is still functioning, it is a good thing.

- I am concerned in general with the safety of people who serve the public. Civility has been declining the past years. Even in my role as a minor elected official, I receive threats and attempts to intimidate, from both the MAGA folks and the "progesssive" folks. This I think is a sign that I am serving well the 81%+ of the population who voted for me in last year's election.

- Colombia is not safe. It would be laughable to flee there. I have a good friend who did that, who was quite wealthy and connected. After a few years, he had to flee back to the US. Mexico is 26.1 intentional homicides/100k population, Colombia is 25.4, the USA is 6.4 (wedged in-between Zimbabwe and Yemen). I would suggest the UK, at 1.2/100k. Or Spain, at 0.7/100k. Or Monaco, at 0.

[gimmethesimplelife]

- I do not think the republic lives or dies on the result of a trial for 34 counts of falsifying business records.

- There are plenty of reasons even a single juror might not decide to vote for conviction. This is why we have juries. This is a sign that the system is still functioning, it is a good thing.

- I am concerned in general with the safety of people who serve the public. Civility has been declining the past years. Even in my role as a minor elected official, I receive threats and attempts to intimidate, from both the MAGA folks and the "progesssive" folks. This I think is a sign that I am serving well the 81%+ of the population who voted for me in last year's election.

- Colombia is not safe. It would be laughable to flee there. I have a good friend who did that, who was quite wealthy and connected. After a few years, he had to flee back to the US. Mexico is 26.1 intentional homicides/100k population, Colombia is 25.4, the USA is 6.4 (wedged in-between Zimbabwe and Yemen). I would suggest the UK, at 1.2/100k. Or Spain, at 0.7/100k. Or Monaco, at 0.Don't drop dead of shock, bae, I agree with you that Colombia is NOT especially safe. And Thank You for making my point crystal clear for me. That being - should DJT be convicted (still remains to be seen), given the MAGA extremists in this country, likely Judge Mercan and his family are safer in Colombia regardless (in terms of physical safety) - my point is that the United States of America truly has sunk to this level where this man and his familly are safer in Colombia than remaining in the US. Sad, sure, but true, definitely. Rob

[bae]

Don't drop dead of shock, bae, I agree with you that Colombia is NOT especially safe. And Thank You for making my point crystal clear for me. That being - should DJT be convicted (still remains to be seen), given the MAGA extremists in this country, likely Judge Mercan and his family are safer in Colombia regardless (in terms of physical safety) - my point is that the United States of America truly has sunk to this level where this man and his familly are safer in Colombia than remaining in the US. Sad, sure, but true, definitely. Rob

I'm not sure where you got that from the words I wrote.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I'm not sure where you got that from the words I wrote.OK, I'll explain. You stated that Colombia is not safe - and it is a bit dangerous, yes, I agree with you. My point was that with these MAGA extremists running around, Judge Mercan and his family is likely safer from physical harm in Mr Mercan's native Colombia (especially if Judge Mercan is forced to sentence DJT as part of his job) - point being, the United States has sunk that far in this case. Alles klar? Rob