(02-16-2017 12:19 PM)JSA Wrote: (02-16-2017 10:42 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote: (02-16-2017 09:13 AM)JSA Wrote: For me, there's at least a prima facie case that Trump is hundreds of millions of dollars
in debt to Russian banks and investors. Which to one degree or another means Putin.
If not, he could/should dispel it.
OO, I was in kindergarten across the Red River from Barksdale AFB (SAC) during the Missile Crisis .
The skies were busy.
He may well owe money in Russia, to the tune of say, 5% of his net worth. You really think that means Putin has him by the ying-yang, and he will do anything to save it? I don't. What is Putin going to do, threaten to call his debt? Confiscate his hotels? Then what?
Trump's net worth is subject to guess, as are his debts to Russia. The most common figure I've seen for the former is $3 billion and for the latter is $600 million, so theoretically his debt is a lot more than 5%. And $600 million is a lot of money no matter what the denominator is.
There are reports the Russians are the only ones who would loan to him. I also don't know what his liquidity is like.
As for falling behind in his payments, what if it's more like Goodfellas? "**** you, where's my money?"
So now we are reaching for Trump being in fear for his life, or family's lives, or of broken knees if he doesn't dance to Putin's tune? Seems very unTrumplike to me. First he won't back off and will get us into war, now he is a limp strand of spaghetti that can be pushed around easily for fear of bodily injury.
Your numbers are on the extreme range, but even at 20% the whole idea that he would be so fearful of loss that he would cave is ludicrous.
Let me see if I can recap this and the other conspiracy theories.
First, years ago, Putin, a genius like we have never seen before, crafted this plan and put it into place.
First, he loaned Trump money, thus setting the hook. He knew that Trump was deathly afraid of declaring bankruptcy. Never would do that.
Once he had Trump on the hook, he set about making him President, first by suborning the Republican nomination, then by easily stealing Clinton's emails and seeing that they were published without modification. When it looked like it might be getting away, he made the FBI director, another Russian asset, make an announcement. Putin must be Machiavelli to the tenth power.
Then, once he had his guy elected, he made him hire all the other assets Putin had been cultivating, a veritable bevy of retired generals, CEOs, and rich people, all obviously working for Russia. Then, unable to contain himself any longer, he instructed his guy Flynn to call his ambassador and tell him things might be different once Trump was in office, something Putin should know already since he gives Trump his instructions. He sent planes to buzz a US ship and a ship to international waters along our coast, because this would help Trump by...well, I don't know how this helps Trump, but we know if Putin did it, it must be genius.
Well, I have government work to do - my 1040. Amazing how they require my help against my will and make me pay for it. what a concept.
I would defy any of you to look at my 1040 and come up with a reasonable estimate estimate of my net worth, or the sources of any significant portion of my net worth. Even the CPAs.