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posted by cmn32480 on Friday March 10 2017, @02:30AM   Printer-friendly
from the unleash-the-hounds dept.

Update: BBC and Reuters report that South Korean President Park Geun-hye has been removed from office. The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment in an 8-0 decision.

Samsung Group's vice chairman and "de facto leader" Jay Y. Lee and four other executives have denied the charges against them in what is being called South Korea's "trial of the century":

Five executives at Samsung, including the conglomerate's de facto leader, Lee Jae-yong, formally denied bribery charges against them on Thursday, in a preliminary hearing for a trial with the potential to shake South Korea.

Mr. Lee, who also goes by the name Jay Y. Lee, and the other executives face charges that strike at the heart of the deep ties between the South Korean government and powerful family-controlled businesses, a source of growing public resentment. Parliament voted in December to impeach President Park Geun-hye over accusations of corruption and other abuses of power, and she could be formally removed from office soon.

But the related arrest of Mr. Lee, scion of the country's biggest and most profitable conglomerate, or chaebol, is a momentous turn in itself. Chaebol bosses, including Mr. Lee's father, have been convicted in previous corruption cases, but punishments have usually been light or commuted. Many see Mr. Lee's trial as a test of whether South Korea can change by abandoning longstanding deference to the business clans that have dominated the country's glittering economic rise. The chief prosecutor has said it could be the "trial of the century."

Also at CNN and The Verge.

Previously: Samsung Vice Chairman a Suspect in South Korean Presidential Bribery Probe
Warrant Sought for the Arrest of Samsung's Vice Chairman


Original Submission

Related Stories

Samsung Vice Chairman a Suspect in South Korean Presidential Bribery Probe 1 comment

Samsung's vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, aka Jay Y. Lee, has become a suspect in a corruption probe linked to the South Korean President:

A South Korean special prosecutor's office will question Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee as a suspect in a widening influence-peddling scandal that may force President Park Geun-hye from office. Prosecutors have been looking into whether Samsung payments of about 30 billion won ($25 million) for a business and foundations backed by Park's friend, Choi Soon-sil, were connected to a 2015 decision by the national pension fund to back a controversial merger of two group affiliates.

Park could become South Korea's first democratically elected leader to leave office early after parliament voted in December to impeach her over the corruption scandal, which has triggered big weekly rallies calling for her to step down. The impeachment must be upheld or overturned by the Constitutional Court.

Meanwhile, protests against President Park Geun-hye, who has been impeached but has resisted stepping down, are heating up:

A Buddhist monk in South Korea has died after setting himself on fire in protest over a 2015 deal struck with Japan on wartime sex slaves. The monk, named as Venerable Jung-won, 64, staged the protest on Saturday at a rally against President Park Geun-hye. He died on Monday night at a hospital in Seoul due to multiple organ failures caused by his burns.

[...] In 2015, Ms Park reached a deal with Japan which saw it promise to pay into a fund for South Korean women who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War Two. As part of the deal, the two countries agreed that the compensation and an apology would "finally and irreversibly" resolve the matter.


Original Submission

Warrant Sought for the Arrest of Samsung's Vice Chairman 7 comments

It's about time for Jay Y. Lee to flee the country, as South Korean prosecutors are seeking a warrant for his arrest:

Prosecutors are seeking a warrant to arrest Samsung Group's Jay Y. Lee for allegations including bribery and embezzlement, a stunning turn for the scion of South Korea's richest family groomed for decades to take over the company from his father.

Lee, 48, the de facto head of the Samsung Group and vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., is accused of participating in payments that Samsung made to a close friend of South Korean President Park Geun-hye in exchange for government support in the company's succession planning. A court will still have to determine whether to approve the warrant, which was announced by prosecutors in a briefing on Monday. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

Also at CNBC and NYT:

The special prosecutor, Park Young-soo, said the money represented bribes from Samsung. He said that he had asked a Seoul court to issue an arrest warrant for Mr. Lee; it usually takes a few days for a court to decide whether to grant such a warrant.

If Mr. Lee is arrested, it will be a landmark in South Korea's efforts to fight corruption in the country's powerful family-controlled conglomerates, known as chaebol, and could disrupt his efforts to inherit management control of Samsung, whose tentacles in telecommunications, shipbuilding and a range of other industries reach throughout South Korea's economy.

Previously: Samsung Vice Chairman a Suspect in South Korean Presidential Bribery Probe


Original Submission

Ousted South Korean Leader Behind Bars After Arrest on Bribery Charges 22 comments

Ousted South Korean leader Park Geun-hye was behind bars in the Seoul Detention Centre on Friday after her arrest, on charges including bribery, in a corruption scandal that has brought low some of the country's business and political elite.

In a dramatic fall from power, Park, 65, became South Korea's first democratically elected leader to be thrown out of office. She is accused of colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to pressure big businesses to contribute funds to foundations that backed her policy initiatives.

She and Choi, who is already in custody and on trial, deny any wrongdoing.

In the early hours of Friday, the Seoul Central District Court approved prosecutors' request for an arrest warrant for Park after she gave about eight hours of testimony.

Park and her lawyers had argued that she should not be arrested because she did not pose a flight risk and would not try to tamper with evidence. But the court disagreed, and said she might try to manipulate evidence.

Also at Straits Times, Korea Herald, and the Washington Post. Korea Times editorial.

Previously: South Korean President Park Geun-hye Impeached
President Park Geun-hye's Impeachment Upheld as South Korea's "Trial of the Century" Begins


Original Submission

Samsung Vice Chairman Ruling Expected on August 25 2 comments

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Lee could face 12 years in prison if found guilty on August 25th:

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee fought back tears and denied wrongdoing on Monday as prosecutors sought a 12-year jail term on charges that include bribing the former president to help cement control of the South Korean tech giant.

Lee, the de facto leader of one of Asia's largest conglomerates, has been in detention since February on trial for charges ranging from embezzlement to perjury, in a scandal that gripped the country for months and led to the ouster of former president Park Geun-hye.

He will face the longest prison term on record for a South Korean conglomerate executive if the court finds him guilty when it makes a ruling Aug. 25, two days before Lee's current period of detention ends.

Other charges he faces include wrongfully transferring assets overseas and hiding the proceeds of a crime.

Previously: Warrant Sought for the Arrest of Samsung's Vice Chairman
Samsung Vice Chairman a Suspect in South Korean Presidential Bribery Probe
President Park Geun-hye's Impeachment Upheld as South Korea's "Trial of the Century" Begins


Original Submission

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Sentenced to Five Years in Corruption Scandal Ruling 6 comments

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and "de facto chief" of Samsung Lee Jae-yong (aka Jay Y. Lee) has been sentenced to five years in prison for bribery, embezzlement, perjury, and other charges:

A South Korean court has found Lee Jae-yong, the de facto chief of the sprawling Samsung business empire, guilty of bribery and other corruption charges. Lee, the billionaire son of Samsung's ailing chairman, was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday, well short of the 12-year sentence prosecutors had sought. The criminal conviction is a blow for Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker and South Korea's biggest family-run conglomerate whose businesses are estimated to account for around 15% of the country's entire economy.

The so-called "trial of the century" has gripped South Korea for months. It's part of a huge influence-peddling scandal that brought down the government of former President Park Geun-hye. "The public is disappointed that this kind of large-scale crime caused by cozy relations between politics and business still happens -- it's not in the past but remains a reality," Judge Kim Jin-dong said in court. He also laid some of the blame on Park, saying the former president made "aggressive demands" of Samsung.

[...] Samsung Electronics' (SSNLF) shares closed down 1.1% in Seoul following the verdict Friday. But the stock is still not far below the record high it hit last month. And although the guilty verdict is a black mark on Samsung's reputation, analysts said Lee's prison sentence is unlikely to affect the tech giant's day-to-day operations. The company has continued to post strong profits since he was first detained in the case.

Lee is following in the footsteps of many other chiefs of South Korea's big family-run conglomerates, known as chaebol. His father, Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee, was twice sentenced to prison -- and twice pardoned. Serving jail time "is like a rite of passage," David Kang, director of the University of Southern California's Korean Studies Institute, said in an interview before the verdict was announced. "The question will really be how long does he serve."

Lee will appeal the conviction.

Also at Bloomberg (opinion) and NPR (analysis).

Previously: Warrant Sought for the Arrest of Samsung's Vice Chairman
Samsung Vice Chairman a Suspect in South Korean Presidential Bribery Probe
President Park Geun-hye's Impeachment Upheld as South Korea's "Trial of the Century" Begins
Samsung Vice Chairman Ruling Expected on August 25


Original Submission

Politics: South Korea's Former President Park Geun-hye Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison 8 comments

South Korea's former President Park Geun-hye has been imprisoned for 24 years for her role in a corruption scandal:

Park became South Korea's first democratically elected leader to be forced from office last year when the Constitutional Court ordered her out over a scandal that landed the heads of two conglomerates in jail. The court also fined Park, the daughter of a former military dictator, 18 billion won ($16.9 million) after finding her guilty of charges including bribery, abuse of power and coercion.

"The defendant abused her presidential power entrusted by the people, and as a result, brought massive chaos to the order of state affairs and led to the impeachment of the president, which was unprecedented," judge Kim Se-yoon said as he handed down the sentence.

Up to 1,000 Park supporters gathered outside the court, holding national flags and signs calling for an end to "political revenge" against her.

The court found Park guilty of colluding with her old friend, Choi Soon-sil, to receive about 7 billion won ($6.56 million) each from Lotte Group, a retail giant, and Samsung, the world's biggest maker of smartphones and semiconductors, while demanding 8.9 billion won from SK, an energy conglomerate. Most of the money was intended to bankroll non-profit foundations run by Choi's family and confidants, and to fund the education of Choi's horse-riding daughter, the court said.

Also at BBC and NYT.

Previously: South Korean President Park Geun-hye Impeached
President Park Geun-hye's Impeachment Upheld as South Korea's "Trial of the Century" Begins
Ousted South Korean Leader Behind Bars After Arrest on Bribery Charges
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Sentenced to Five Years in Corruption Scandal Ruling


Original Submission

Samsung Heir Lee Jae-yong Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison for Bribery Scandal 5 comments

Lee Jae Yong: Samsung heir gets prison term for bribery scandal

Samsung heir Lee Jae Yong has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison by a high court in South Korea.

The bribery case is a retrial of an earlier one involving the country's former President Park Geun-hye, who was also jailed for bribery and corruption.

Lee has been the de facto head of Samsung Electronics since 2014.

The ruling is likely to have ramifications for the future of his role at the tech giant.

News of the sentence sent Samsung electronics shares more than 4% lower before they began to claw back some ground.

Also at Wccftech.

Previously: Samsung Vice Chairman a Suspect in South Korean Presidential Bribery Probe
Samsung Vice Chairman Arrested For Bribery, Perjury And Embezzlement
President Park Geun-hye's Impeachment Upheld as South Korea's "Trial of the Century" Begins
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Sentenced to Five Years in Corruption Scandal Ruling


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 2) by jasassin on Friday March 10 2017, @12:04AM (10 children)

    by jasassin (3566) <jasassin@gmail.com> on Friday March 10 2017, @12:04AM (#477193) Homepage Journal

    Is he in jail now? No.

    Will he go to jail? No.

    Does anyone expect anything else? No.

    --
    jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday March 10 2017, @12:33AM (3 children)

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday March 10 2017, @12:33AM (#477201) Journal

      Perhaps the answers to the first 2 question are in negative due to the fact she's a female?

      Otherwise, time will tell. After all, unexpected happens from time to time. Look, Hillary lost - sorta Pyrrhic victory, true.

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday March 10 2017, @12:35AM (2 children)

        by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday March 10 2017, @12:35AM (#477202) Journal

        Sorry, I only now that I read the name TFA is about - it's not about South Korea's president. My bad.

        --
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
        • (Score: 2) by captain normal on Friday March 10 2017, @03:21AM (1 child)

          by captain normal (2205) on Friday March 10 2017, @03:21AM (#477245)

          Get a good night's sleep, then reread TFAs. I'll bet it makes more sense then.

          --
          When life isn't going right, go left.
          • (Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Friday March 10 2017, @03:54AM

            by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday March 10 2017, @03:54AM (#477251) Journal

            The irony (of sleep time)... now that I read TFS again, it just happens it is about she being impeached as well.
            I was right ahead of the times, even when I was wrong (grin)

            --
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 0, Flamebait) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday March 10 2017, @01:22AM (5 children)

      by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Friday March 10 2017, @01:22AM (#477208) Homepage

      Let me tell you about who will go to prison, though -- Lynch, Comey, Hill-Dawg (a half-melted rubber bulldawg, to be exact), and the usurper Grand Emperor-for-Life Baraq Hussein Soetoro himself.

      Well, okay, not all of them will go to prison. Lynch and Comey are playing hot-potato now and the one who feels the wrath of the potato has to roll over on the higher-ups.

      You think Trump and his henchmen and henchwomen are running around like panicked retards? Hell no, they're playing for keeps. Soon they will expose the usurper Soetoro and his seditious attempt to turn all of America into one big Chicago.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @01:51AM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @01:51AM (#477222)

        What the fuck you drinking?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @03:13AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @03:13AM (#477243)

          Ummm... D'ya think maybe he's drinking ethanol??
          Hint, shit posting often involves being shit faced.

      • (Score: 1, Flamebait) by arslan on Friday March 10 2017, @02:26AM (2 children)

        by arslan (3462) on Friday March 10 2017, @02:26AM (#477232)

        They're already in a prison... a mental one where they're trapped in a reality where their worst enemy, the god emperor orange one, is king of the world.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @02:15PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @02:15PM (#477349)

          Not me. He's not my president. If they come for me, I have some good friends by the names of Smith and Wesson who will speak up for me. Otherwise I don't care.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @06:33PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @06:33PM (#477457)

            Park Geun-hye is female.

  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @02:24AM (18 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @02:24AM (#477231)

    The Constitutional Court of S. Korea just confirmed the impeachment.

    • (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday March 10 2017, @02:34AM

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday March 10 2017, @02:34AM (#477236) Journal

      Updated and added Breaking News.

      --
      [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @02:36AM (6 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @02:36AM (#477238)

      The bitch and her gang will enjoy all the high-tech amenities of Korean prison.

      Trump, don't be like this moron.

      • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @02:43AM (4 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @02:43AM (#477239)

        > Trump, don't be like this moron.

        She was warped by a predatory cult that usurped the role of her family when she was orphaned.

        He is a cult.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @02:47AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @02:47AM (#477240)

          He is a cult.

          Well, that's a relief. I guess.

        • (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday March 10 2017, @02:53AM (2 children)

          by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday March 10 2017, @02:53AM (#477241) Journal

          Damn, i want to be a cult. I should buy some Trump bookz.

          --
          [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @03:28AM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @03:28AM (#477247)

            Look in my eyes, what do you see?
            The cult of personality
            I know your anger, I know your dreams
            I've been everything you want to be
            I'm the cult of personality
            Like Jim Jones and Mussolini
            I'm the cult of personality
            The cult of personality
            The cult of personality

            Neon lights, a Penthouse High-rise
            Then a mirror speaks, the reflection lies
            You don't have to follow me
            Only you can set me free
            I sell the things you need to be
            I'm the smiling face on your T.V.
            I'm the cult of personality
            I exploit you still you love me

            I tell you one and one makes three
            I'm the cult of personality
            Like Joseph Stalin and Kony
            I'm the cult of personality
            The cult of personality
            The cult of personality

            Neon lights a Penthouse High-rise
            A leader speaks, that leader dies
            You don't have to follow me
            Only you can set you free

            You gave me fortune
            You gave me fame
            You gave me power in your own god's name
            I'm every person you need to be
            Oh, I'm the cult of personality
            I'm the cult of, I'm the cult of, I'm the cult of, I'm the cult of
            I'm the cult of, I'm the cult of, I'm the cult of, I'm the cult of personality

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @06:42PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @06:42PM (#477462)

              Why is the bar always set so low for Trump? Fewer than a thousand deaths can be attributed to Jim Jones.

      • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday March 10 2017, @04:24AM

        by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday March 10 2017, @04:24AM (#477257) Journal

        The bitch and her gang will enjoy all the high-tech amenities of Korean prison.
        Trump, don't be like this moron.

        Translation: "Trump, don't get caught in US. If you need to, do it in South Korea - the prisons there are so much more modern than the US ones".

        --
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday March 10 2017, @07:23PM (9 children)

      by bob_super (1357) on Friday March 10 2017, @07:23PM (#477479)

      That will teach her about not being one of The Boys.

      I ain't no feminist, but regardless of whether it's CEO or president, the guys seem to get away with a lot more incompetent shit than what gets women caught and pilloried.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @09:22PM (8 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @09:22PM (#477538)

        Read the details.
        She was way above average in her incompetence. Like self-destructively stupid.
        I could have sworn there was an article here when the story first broke in the Fall.
        But I can't find it.

        • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday March 10 2017, @11:01PM (7 children)

          by bob_super (1357) on Friday March 10 2017, @11:01PM (#477578)

          I've read the details, and it's quite amazing how she rode to victory on daddy's memory while being but puppet of her "friend" in most aspects of her life.
          She does deserve getting kicked out. No question.
          I was merely pointing out that many guys who deserve to get kicked out (for incompetence, corruption, or both) are somehow more immune to the systematic denigration which powerful women face at the first misstep.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 11 2017, @12:00AM (6 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 11 2017, @12:00AM (#477596)

            Men getting away with MORE is not the same as more men get away with the same.
            The first is a comment on male mediocrity, the second is simply a function of there being more men in positions to be corrupt.

            Also "I'm not a feminist" is a truly fucked up thing to say in the same way as "I don't believe in equal rights" is a truly fucked up thing to say.

            • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Saturday March 11 2017, @01:17AM (5 children)

              by bob_super (1357) on Saturday March 11 2017, @01:17AM (#477626)

              > Also "I'm not a feminist" is a truly fucked up thing to say in the same way as "I don't believe in equal rights" is a truly fucked up thing to say.

              No. not even close, but thanks for playing.
              I am a strict proponent of equal rights (hence pointing out discrepancies of outcomes) and progress on merit.
              Feminists often fight for actively catching up on years of discrimination, which does require the opposite discrimination...

              • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 11 2017, @01:49AM (4 children)

                by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 11 2017, @01:49AM (#477629)

                > I am a strict proponent of equal rights (hence pointing out discrepancies of outcomes) and progress on merit.

                Whatever you gotta tell yourself to sleep at night.

                > Feminists often fight for actively catching up on years of discrimination, which does require the opposite discrimination...

                If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.

                • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 11 2017, @03:09AM (3 children)

                  by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 11 2017, @03:09AM (#477649)

                  That might be a first.
                  Desmond Tutu, moderated as a troll.

                  • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Saturday March 11 2017, @08:50AM (2 children)

                    by bob_super (1357) on Saturday March 11 2017, @08:50AM (#477691)

                    You're right. Maybe I should add a missed-the-point mod.
                    The answer to an injustice is not another injustice, perpetrated mostly on those who had no control over the first one.

                    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 11 2017, @12:37PM (1 child)

                      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 11 2017, @12:37PM (#477724)

                      You're right. Maybe I should add a missed-the-point mod.

                      Oh, so it was you doing a petty-mod because you were frustrated by an argument you could not win on the merits.
                      If that's not a clue that you are too fragile in your own beliefs then I don't know what is.

                      The answer to an injustice is not another injustice, perpetrated mostly on those who had no control over the first one.

                      That is a misdirect.
                      You presume that society is fully egalitarian today.
                      It isn't.
                      You are effectively arguing that we should do nothing because sexism no longer exists.
                      Sounds like you are also a believer in reactionary colorblindness.

                      • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Sunday March 12 2017, @05:20AM

                        by bob_super (1357) on Sunday March 12 2017, @05:20AM (#477939)

                        You can't mod twice, you know?

                        Obviously, understanding what I write really isn't your thing.

                        > You are effectively arguing that we should do nothing because sexism no longer exists.

                        No I'm not. I'm saying positive discrimination tries to right a wrong by wronging people who weren't involved in the first place.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @03:23AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @03:23AM (#477246)

    ... one more to go. Trump delenda est.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @07:03AM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @07:03AM (#477281)

    Trump is mostly despised by the political power corporations in the US. Think about the fact that most of you making these comments against Trump likely consider news like CNN (Time Warner), NBC (Comcast), and so on to be "real" media sources. This is the reason this trial is so unprecedented. Corporations, once they reach a sufficient degree of power, are able to have a strong influence on public opinion and consequently enable strong political control since their influence is usually enough to decide democratic elections. Trump being elected, Brexit, and now this are all along the same lines. It's the public and more independent politicians beginning to turn against a decades old system of "establishment" politicians and corporations that enabled and controlled them. It's ostensibly silly to think a billionaire could possibly be aligned with the people over establishment power systems, yet FDR was as silver spooner as they come and Reagan was as 'of the people' as they come.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @08:03AM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @08:03AM (#477292)

      Think about the fact that most of you making these comments against Trump likely consider news like CNN (Time Warner), NBC (Comcast), and so on to be "real" media sources.

      OK
      I thought about it.
      And now the question I have is, "What do you consider to be "real" media sources?"

      I bet I know!

      • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @03:56PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @03:56PM (#477388)

        Of course you'd think you know. Portraying things as 'us' vs 'them' has become a cornerstone of the dying media trying to maintain slipping numbers. And by the dying media I am of course speaking of both sides. No media source is particularly reliable anymore. Media needs to make money and in order to make money they either need to try to charge a fee to read their news (been tried: failed) or they need to accumulate large number of viewers and advertise to them. The latter is where we're at today but of course it introduces multiple problems. The most fundamental is getting large numbers of viewers. In a world where most people get most of their headlines and news from various forms of social media it leaves the media in effect competing against social media. They've long since lost that battle and are going out in the most disgraceful way possible by mixing click baiting and trying to appeal to peoples' most base emotions.

        In any case, if you're up for a read this [brookings.edu] is an absolutely fascinating read from Robert Kaiser. Kaiser was a reporter and editor for the Washington Post for decades. He discusses the change and reasons for the change with the sort of intimate detail you could only get being an insider. He left the paper shortly after Bezos thought it'd be a nice idea to try to purchase it and monetize it.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @09:24PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @09:24PM (#477539)

          Still waiting for an answer rather than a self-righteous deflection.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @10:15PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @10:15PM (#477563)

        You're thinking TASS, Izvestia, RT, Pravda, Sputnik, Fox, Breitbart, the Washington Times, WND, Infowars, Coast to Coast AM and the Daily Mail...but you're wrong.

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