[pstuart]

My take on the Hunter Biden affair -- low level, old school, genteel corruption. Akin to the corruption that political "donations" bring.

Disclaimer, I voted for Biden but am willing to call out his failures at any time.

The reason why I'm ok with "censoring" the Hunter stories at that time is that it was purely whataboutism and a distraction. Just like with the buttery males, it was never about the professed concerns, it was about making them look bad.

If this issue (and others like it) could be discussed in a non partisan way I'd be all for it, but it's not. This hand wringing is insincere at best and should be ignored.

I've yet to see anything that indicates these concerned citizens care about principles rather than tribal politics. Happy to be proven wrong, but not holding my breath.

[barbacoa]

The whole central claim that started this was the allegations that Joe Biden pressured Ukraine to fire the prosecutor investigating the company that was paying Hunter for his "services". If it's true that foreign interests were bribing the vice president of the USA though payments to his son in order to change American policy then that is indeed a staggering level of corruption. For comparison the president of South Korea was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a comparable scheme.

[pstuart]

Yes, that was claimed. It's been thoroughly disputed. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/10/21/fac...

Even if there was truth to it (I do think a genteel corruption was in play but not to this extent), these arguments are being made in bad faith. There's no concern for actual corruption as they don't seem to care when it happens in any other context -- it's just "gotcha" politics.

US foreign policy in its very nature is corrupt (it's the lobbying arm of big business). Let's shine a light on it but that light needs to be colorblind to red and blue.

Without recognition of the corruption of the previous administration this dialog is simply partisan pandering. I'd be more than happy to share my criticisms for the administration and its party (including this aforementioned corruption) but if your concern does not cross party lines then it's no concern of mine.

[barbacoa]

>that was claimed. It's been thoroughly disputed.

And you will always find news articles telling you not to believe your lying eyes. Sadly most Americans have grown a default assumption that the media is lying to you, which at least in this case is true. Reading the first hand emails gives a very different impression.

"The scope of work should also include organization of a visit of widely recognized and influential current and/or former US policy-makers to Ukraine in November aiming to conduct meetings with and bring positive signal/message and support on Nikolay’s issue to the Ukrainian top officials above with the ultimate purpose to close down for any cases/pursuits against Nikolay [Burisma founder] in Ukraine."

https://thenewamerican.com/assets/sites/2/251024_1.jpg

It's very difficult to read that email and not come to the conclusion that Hunter was being paid to ask his dad to shut down the investigation into Burisma. Especially since later emails indicate that Joe Biden ultimately did meet with Burisma execs.

>but if your concern does not cross party lines then it's no concern of mine.

Make no mistakes I would love to see any elected official that engages in corruption -- Republican or Democrat -- dragged to prison.

While there are a large number of who are just using this to play political gotcha, it is going too far to accuse anyone concerned about this scandal.

[pstuart]

The whole point of this had nothing to do with rooting out corruption -- it was to discredit Biden as a candidate. This was Benghazi v2 (or higher).

I am among those that see another Trump presidency as an existential threat and am willing to look the other way if it helps prevent that.

As long as the political climate remains as it is I don't feel I have any other choice.

[zimpenfish]

> the allegations that Joe Biden pressured Ukraine to fire the prosecutor investigating the company that was paying Hunter for his "services"

The fact checking suggests an entirely different interpretation - https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/10/21/fact...

Not least that everyone wanted Shokin out. And this is before you get to Shokin investigating Burisma re: the years 2010-12; i.e. before Hunter Biden even joined the company. Also Shokin's Burisma probe was in 2014; the international pressure to oust Shokin was in 2016.

It all just falls apart under the barest fact check. C'mon.

[pstuart]

Agreed. But Hunter's only qualification for his role was who his dad was. It smells funny to me.

What gets conveniently overlooked by those pushing this story is the fact that the only interest was in the story itself, as an attack angle. To hell with that.