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Imagine a scenario in which presidential son and serial grifter Hunter Biden owns a bowling alley. Then the China-funded Sino-American Bowling League chooses Biden’s Bowlarama as the venue for its season-ending Bowling Bonanza. Terms of the deal are not disclosed.
Do you know what would happen next? The head of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) would literally explode, along with that of every congressional Republican. That’s what.
And rightfully so.
Yet hardly anybody seems to be batting an eyelash while former President Donald Trump is doing the exact same thing.
The Saudi-funded LIV Golf League announced this week that its season-ending championship will not be held in Saudi Arabia after all, as had been originally planned. Instead, the event will be played at Trump National Doral, which is owned by the former president.
Now, there is nothing wrong with a private citizen making a buck. Well, in this case, because of where the money is coming from, there is a lot wrong with it, both ethically and morally — just not legally. It ought to be, but it isn’t.
And if the Saudis want to line Trump’s pockets with their oil money, then they can do that. Just like some Chinese businessman can give Hunter Biden a diamond or a bunch of cash.
Again, it’s shady, but as long as they get nothing in return, it’s not illegal. In theory, the recipient of that largesse could even make a vague promise of “putting in a good word” with somebody who has the authority to make decisions. Because, once again, they are private citizens.
None of that would be good, whether it’s Hunter Biden “earning” large sums of money for “consulting” services or Jared Kushner being handed $2 billion by the same Saudis.
But things change if the beneficiary of that foreign government money holds an actual position of power, say, for example, undersecretary of agriculture for food, nutrition, and consumer services.
Or president of the United States. That would be a biggie.
And that is what we are dealing with here.
In a world in which ethics matter, it would be unfathomable for the government-controlled Saudi Public Investment Fund to be allowed to funnel an undisclosed amount of money to Trump now that he is once again running for president.
Again, if he no longer harbored these ambitions, it would be ok.
However, seeing how Trump is the likely GOP nominee, it should not be permissible for a foreign government to just shovel cash his way.
He should have to choose whether he wants that money or the power. He can’t have both… well, at least not in a less-corrupt world.
Also, although it doesn’t matter all that much, let’s not forget that Saudi Arabia is not one of the good guys. It is a repressive government profiting off of making our planet increasingly uninhabitable for human beings.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of this entire sordid affair is that nobody seems to care.
As a society, it seems that we have become so used to the corruption of those in power, especially Trump, that it doesn’t even raise eyebrows anymore.
It doesn’t help that both parties seem more intent on excusing the behavior of “their” people than pointing out that, with this corruption, we all lose.
Well, not Trump, of course; he is getting all of that Saudi money.
