Scam Bunkum-Fraud

 Here's a description of Bunkum-Fraud's wet kleenex defense from Alex Kirshner at Slate. What Kirshner doesn't really try to explain is why Scammie thought he could go to trial, take the stand, and get acquitted when he is obviously guilty, all of his co-conspirators took the stand to say so, and there is nothing in the least complicated about it. He stole depositors' money, and spent it on a lavish lifestyle, paying reporters to write hagiographies about him, and making political contributions to buy influence.* He did all this while adopting a carefully cultivated eccentric persona and spouting bullshit his paid lackeys pretended to take seriously.  Give Atrios credit for seeing through it from the beginning, or at least very early on. Here's his latest quick take. 

The explanation for why he thought he could get away with is not that hard to see, but it's an important lesson. He was raised in extraordinary privilege. Not only are his parents highly affluent, they travel in rarefied intellectual circles. While surrounding him with influential and conceited thinkers, they constantly flattered little Scammie and extolled his own genius. He was never wrong and his most ridiculous ideas were actually unprecedented brilliance. (They were co-conspirators in his fantasy and took big bucks for themselves, by the way.) That he was able to gull so many experienced, accomplished and presumably smart people should be a warning to us all.

However, the fog of bullshit that surrounded Scammie is not like the MAGA cult, because when the truth came out, people got it. He isn't fooling anybody any more. It's worth thinking about why there turned out to be a difference.

Regarding Social Security: Yes, Republicans want to cut social security benefits, and Democrats want to raise taxes on wealthy people to a little bit closer to where they were six years ago in order to avoid doing that. I agree, that's a difference.

 

 

*He publicly pretended to support Democrats, but he actually supported conservative candidates in Democratic primaries, and secretly supported many Republican candidates. Just to be clear.