Reader mailbag: March 23, 2024

I may start trying this occasionally - opening the floor to interesting emails and comments - whether they are directly related to articles or not

Half the fun of writing Unreported Truths is hearing what you think. And sometimes your comments or expert analysis demand sharing. Here’s a short selection, edited only for grammar or length - these are your words.

Let’s with a great question from Kenneth S.:

Re: covid lack of cynicism by the intellectuals

One aspect of the entire covid response discussion, analysis, etc is this:

Why were the same people, my generation (coming of age during Vietnam) who were completely, and correctly not buying the Johnson, Nixon, Westmoreland scenario about the war, and then thirty years later all over Bush, Cheney, etc about the invasion of Iraq, non inquisitive about the government’s policies and proclamations regarding covid? Not only obsequious, but castigating all those who raised issues.

This same group that lionized Daniel Ellsberg, David Halberstam and Gene McCarthy (rightly so, imho), not only refused to listen to the authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, or you, but actively tried to silence discussion and ostracize anyone who refused to walk one way in a supermarket.  These same educated, well-off supporters of the ACLU completely morphed into something unrecognizable.

WHY?

Keep up your good work.

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From Mark K., on the practical obstacles the state of New York may face if it tries to seize Donald Trump’s assets:

They can serve restraining notices on banks and then go to grab. Presumably, Trump moved his cash and securities out of state. So, restraining notice problematical.  For real estate, AG [Attorney General Letitia James] has to sue for foreclosure then get a sheriff in Westchester or a Marshall in the city to set up an auction.

Judgement is a lien like a filed mortgage. But, AG has to start a new lawsuit to foreclose. Takes time. Once foreclosure judgment is granted, then Sheriff has to publish, etc... then schedule auction. Takes time. Months.

Trump can file illiquidity bankruptcy on the day of sheriff sale in order to stop the auction. I think he can also get a bond at any time before the auction.

It’s pretty tough to line up a mortgage in 30 days, but maybe he is getting one for $500 million over the next 60 days. Would need complex escrow. He has a $500 mm judgement against him which would be superior to the new mortgage. Maybe mortgage proceeds would go to escrow agent to acquire the bond. Agent would then use the proceeds of the mortgage to collateralize the bond. And bond would remove judgement lien…

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From Peter T., also in response to the Trump article:

I disagree with you about most things, but not this one. Personally I think Donald Trump would be a disaster as president and I will vote against him. But the NY court decision is a travesty for all the reasons you mentioned. 

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(Mailbags, lawsuits, investigative reporting you won’t see anywhere else - Unreported Truths has it all! For 20 cents a day.)

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Monday’s TikTok piece (in which I said I thought it was a close call but the United States should force ByteDance, a Chinese company, to divest TikTok) generated a lot of feedback.

From David L.:

Alex, this is a threat to the first amendment which trumps vague security concerns from China.

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Meanwhile, Terry K. argued for a full TikTok ban:

Congress has the authority to regulate interstate commerce and trade. The TikTok challenges alone that result in a death are reason enough to ban it. Forcing sale of TikTok to a non-Chinese entity would only relocate the problems in a different guise.

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And let’s end the mailbag with a seven-word question I know a LOT of you have:

From Greg H., in response to the Trump lawfare piece:

Now are you going to vote for him?

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I’m sorry, callers, I wish I could get to that question, but it seems we’re out of time…