by Mark Snider, Hamilton
As most American citizens are aware, the Federal government, including many in Congress, as well as Supreme Court justices and the executive branch, has lied to the public. And I am furious over it.
Unfortunately, the Federal government, including all three branches, has never created a law prohibiting the government or its elected officials from lying to the public. However, our government has made strict laws preventing private citizens from lying to the government, for example:
Federal law prohibits knowingly and willfully making false statements to the government. The statute addressing this is 18 U.S. Code § 1001. This law criminalizes specific actions related to false statements in matters within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branches of the US Government. Violations include penalties of imprisonment for up to five years, or up to eight years in some instances, as well as a substantial fine. These charges are sometimes associated with other offenses, such as perjury and obstruction of justice. Perjury is a separate federal offense involving false statements made under oath, as covered by statutes such as 18 U.S. Code §§ 1621 and 1623.
The injustice and unfairness of these laws are extreme and pose a significant threat to the nation’s well-being. If a person lies to a federal court to cover up a crime they may have committed, such as attempting to import banned items, they may face five years in prison for lying and a $ 20,000 fine. Plus another 15 years for committing the crime. While in prison, his wife may divorce him, he might lose his job and kids, and he may be beaten by guards and raped by prisoners.
However, if the government lies to the public, which allows elections to be stolen, or private lands to be confiscated, or public health clinics are closed, and many people die, there is no consequence. And if the public official has taken a bribe from a lobbyist to do these things, he gets to keep the money.
Our justice system is so corrupt and disproportionate in its application of justice that it mocks and derides the very concept. Our presidents and congressmen, who are supposed to protect us, uphold the Constitution, and be honest representatives, can lie and then reap the rewards of their injustice, counting on the courts to protect them.
And since we no longer have a path to petition the government for a redress for its obvious grievances, we are no longer a democracy, but a kleptocracy, a government run by crooks, and their enforcers and a stupid and idiotic king who is a convicted criminal, a rapist and more than likely, a pedophile who deports American citizens to prisons overseas without cause.
Bill Cavanaugh says
Mark is clearly for the Imprisonment of John Brennan, Hillary Clinton and Adam Schiff then given they all lied to Congress and the American People about Trump being tied to Russia all based on a paid for by the DNC and the Clintons bogus report that multiple CIA analysts said was untrustworthy, yet they put the country through sham impeachment trials based on it. Brennan is on video lying to congress about the use of the Steele Dossier, which is perjury. You can also throw that clown Vindman in there for his lies about “the phone call”.
Howard S. says
You are only writing about the “Russia Hoax” now, 9 years after the fact, because Trump is desperately trying to distract people from the Epstein mess. It is an indisputable fact that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump. Every single one of our intelligence agencies agrees with this. It was also the conclusion of a Republican-led senate investigation. It is also a fact that Trump’s son, son-in-law, and campaign chief met with a Russian operative who was offering dirt on the Clinton campaign. The Trump campaign also had over 140 different contacts with individuals with close ties to the Kremlin including one instance where the Trump campaign shared internal polling data identifying key voting districts they were focused on, districts which were then targeted by fake, anti-Clinton social media posts that have been linked to the Russians. Russian hackers gained access to emails from the Clinton campaign and strategically leaked their contents, even leaking a bunch the day after Trump publicly asked them to do so.
As far as attacking Vindman for lying about the phone call goes, it was recorded. You can listen to it. Trump threatened to withhold military aid to an ally unless they gave them something that would benefit him politically. It’s exactly the type of thing the founders were concerned about the President doing when they came up with the idea of impeachment. It’s also the exact type of threat to US national security that Vindman was on the phone to be listening for.
And getting back to the real reason this “Russia Hoax” nonsense is being dredged up now, Trump was very good friends with someone whose main activities seem to be centered around providing very young/underage girls to wealthy men. If you think that Donald Trump would refrain from relations with an attractive 16 y/o girl if the situation presented itself, then you don’t know the man (and I use that word loosely). What we’re witnessing now is a blatant and desperate attempt at distraction by a very threatened and scared Trump.
Bill Cavanaugh says
I love how Howard says there is “Indisputable” evidence that Russia interfered in the election to help Trump, but does not know over 20 career CIA agents told John Brennan that the evidence was not real, but he put it forth because it fit their narrative. This is plain as day in all of the e-mails sent by Brennan, who has been rumored to have fled the country. It was brought and paid for scam by the losing party and the deep state which is a proven fact. On top of Schiff’s lies and waste of money and time on a scam impeachment, he is blatantly guilty of Mortgage loan fraud. He’s well overdue for stripes and license plate making shifts.
Howard S. says
What evidence was not real? Are you talking about the Steele Dossier? The intelligence agencies did not use the dossier as a basis for their investigation. They had plenty of other information to go on. I mean, Putin himself declared publicly that he wanted Trump to win. Have you ever wondered why? Do you think he wanted to see Trump “make America great again”, or did have a more sinister motive? Could it be that he believed Trump would weaken our relationships with our allies, and thus weaken the US in the process? Maybe he thought he could trick Trump into abandoning Ukraine, which might be about to happen?
Linda Schmitt says
Not to mention the firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one of the most reliable agencies in the government. They collect data, verify it and report it. But the head got fired because Trump didn’t like like numbers. How’s that for truth telling?
Bill Cavanaugh says
In the Real World where you are expected to do your job properly, if you had to adjust your numbers down by 48% after Q1 2024, You’d be fired! This Lady had to adjust her numbers down for over 2 years straight. Here reporting is unreliable, Wall Street prices equities based on these numbers and they aren’t worth the paper they are written on. She Got DOGE’d and I am here for it. You can just clutch your pearls harder.
Linda Schmitt says
That nails it. You have no clue about what you are talking about. The BLS is renowned for its integrity, its commitment to accuracy. I know this personally. It makes me wonder why dedicated public servants do what they do, in the face of the vicious lies irresponsible people throw around, disparaging their work. .
Bill Cavanaugh says
Renowned by Who? you guys are great at saying “Experts say” or “Well respected” but never say by who. They have never gotten their numbers even close to correct in well over 3 years (probably more). And give me a break with the “Dedicated public servants” garbage. The bulk of them in “Administrative services” are lazy slobs who milk the taxpayer for benefits and overblown salaries. You are clueless.
John Grant says
Quoting experts in any field, on any side if any issue is a far more reliable, not to mention factual than our President, to backup whatever drivel of the moment says “they say” , the anonymous “they”
Pretty hard to pin down “anonymous”.