Watching the news, I hear reports that Trump is criticizing Sweden for charging a rapper named A$AP Rocky with assault after an altercation on the streets of Stockholm. He claims concern that Sweden (Sweden!) is letting the African-American community down. Sweden?Rocky, it turns out, has been incarcerated since the fracas, which occurred about three weeks ago, and the commentators seemed puzzled about why Trump, the grand incarcerator, is speaking up now.
Huh???
Think, people! In the aftermath of the Mueller hearings, the pundit chatter hasn't been as devastating as we might have expected, but it hasn't been all sweetness and light either. Distraction, deflection, the glow of global attention: Trump's strategy doesn't change much from one day to the next. And his finger-pointing (not to mention projection) knows no bounds.
Anyway ... I understand Trump spoke to the Swedish prime minister and offered to guarantee Rocky's bail if Sweden would release him. And with Trump's (claimed) pile of money and his alleged ability to honor such a financial commitment, why not accept the ... Oops! Never mind! The Swedes probably have their reasons. (They may have heard about his penchant for stiffing contractors, making false claims, lying. ... You know how it is.)
Aside from all that, there are other relevant facts: Sweden's constitution bars the prime minister from interfering in pending legal cases; foreign visitors regarded as flight risks are routinely held in jail until trial, and there is no such thing as bail in that country. It might be wise to check these things out before you put your foot in your mouth. (Now, there's a visual for you.)
And why is there no such thing as bail in Sweden? Well, according to the secretary-general of the Swedish Bar Association, Ann Romberg, it's because a bail system would give wealthier people an advantage. "We believe it has to be the same rules for everyone," she says.
A foreign concept in the USA these days.
Can't you just imagine how Trump would respond if another nation suggested it behooved us to release one of their countrymen jailed on a similar charge?
The outrage! The insults! The angst! Oh, my!
Huh???
Think, people! In the aftermath of the Mueller hearings, the pundit chatter hasn't been as devastating as we might have expected, but it hasn't been all sweetness and light either. Distraction, deflection, the glow of global attention: Trump's strategy doesn't change much from one day to the next. And his finger-pointing (not to mention projection) knows no bounds.
Anyway ... I understand Trump spoke to the Swedish prime minister and offered to guarantee Rocky's bail if Sweden would release him. And with Trump's (claimed) pile of money and his alleged ability to honor such a financial commitment, why not accept the ... Oops! Never mind! The Swedes probably have their reasons. (They may have heard about his penchant for stiffing contractors, making false claims, lying. ... You know how it is.)
Aside from all that, there are other relevant facts: Sweden's constitution bars the prime minister from interfering in pending legal cases; foreign visitors regarded as flight risks are routinely held in jail until trial, and there is no such thing as bail in that country. It might be wise to check these things out before you put your foot in your mouth. (Now, there's a visual for you.)
And why is there no such thing as bail in Sweden? Well, according to the secretary-general of the Swedish Bar Association, Ann Romberg, it's because a bail system would give wealthier people an advantage. "We believe it has to be the same rules for everyone," she says.
A foreign concept in the USA these days.
Can't you just imagine how Trump would respond if another nation suggested it behooved us to release one of their countrymen jailed on a similar charge?
The outrage! The insults! The angst! Oh, my!
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