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The week's question
In March 2025, in the thread "Re: OT, out", Umm asked the members: "Do you think it is because America is made up of magical soil that makes businesses based in America magically profitable?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Personal Finance / Macroeconomic Trends & Risks
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Author: albaby1 ✶❂🐝 GOLD
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Number: of 4582 
Subject: Re: ExxonMobil Position on Venezuela
Date: 01/12/26 11:33 AM
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Given his history with lawyers (not to mention prosecutors) so far, I’m assuming you’re typing this with a smile on your face.

Of course!

But also, DOJ has always bunch of very good lawyers on their civil side, and Bondi/Trump probably haven't messed too much with the folks whose specialty is dealing with government asset disposal and finance rules. Those lawyers are the technical specialists whose fields haven't been in the political crucible that much in the first year.

So they probably still have the folks who have the technical skills to figure out how the U.S. government can "receive" a physical asset like oil and then sell it (or just receive money directly after the sale) without it landing on their books in a way where the money is subject to Appropriations. There are a lot of very specific rules governing that stuff. It's not like no one's previously thought about, say, having the military or law enforcement seize assets and then have a pot of money available. So there are explicit, direct statutes on how that money is allowed to be used or moved around - so Trump would have to avoid all of those statutes in order to get this done the way he wants.

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