Brutalizing Times

November 27, 2023

Brutalizing Times

Brutaizing Times

Mark Rubin

A swirl of emotions. I read a recent David Brooks piece in the Times a few weeks ago. Mr. Brooks published How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen soon before then. He focuses, in the column, the book, and in many columns, on living successfully in brutalizing times. A must read!

Mr. Brooks reminds us that our advancement to an enlightened and rationale place is, well, not so much. He urges humility for those whose good fortune allows us to even consider how we might think about the failing and falling world circa the 2020s. Then, he urges us to “lead with love in harsh times.”

Mr.

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Trump Redux

November 25, 2023

Trump Redux

trump redux

Donald J. Trump

[Note: Looking for a file, I ran across this piece, first posted on July 23, 2016 and titled, then: Superman Trump: Got It All Covered.* The essay seems quaint, given its lament for times when our leaders asked us come together for the greater good. Leaders? Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan, Obama, and HR Clinton. Hardly a Lefty Crew.

Today the diarrhetic effect of DJT’s words leaves us beyond exhaustion. Nary an uplifting thought about anything! Politics should not define us, fully and completely. However, the notion that this man, this Trump Guy, might spend even a moment in a position of authority over anyone – other than, I guess, those who choose to let him pay

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Trump’s Trial

October 5, 2023

Trump’s Trial

trumps trial

Donald J. Trump

I hope I can shed some light on legal aspects of Former Guy’s trial in New York, now in its fourth day. We’ll do this Q and A style, and I welcome any additional questions.

Q If the loans got paid in full, why are we here?

A New York has a statute – known as 63-12 – which gives its Attorney General authority to seek an order enjoining the continuation of business activities, etc. whenever someone engages in “repeated fraudulent or illegal acts or otherwise demonstrate persistent fraud or illegality in the carrying on, conducting or transaction of business.” The statute vests significant power in the AG and the court to which she applies

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Dysfunctional Democracy

July 1, 2023

Dysfunctional Democracy

dysfunctional democracy

Mark Rubin

Our system broke down, somewhere along the way. I see a Nixon / Goldwater to Reagan to Trump lineage. I know Trump-a-phobes who see Trump as a one-off (and think the other Rs I mentioned served us well), and a significant minority of us think we need Trump to solve our problems.

Without doubt, our divisions weaken us. However, at the end of the day, we have an 18th century system for a 21st century world. A dysfunctional democracy, so to speak.

Many among us venerate the states, yet we expect our federal government to solve our problems. We like the notion of elected representatives to reign in POTUS, but we hold him or

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The U.S. Supreme Court and Ethics

June 22, 2023

The U.S. Supreme Court and Ethics

The U.S. Supreme Court and Ethics

U.S. Supreme Court

The Ethics Watch: Update

Here’s the latest on the ethics front. Justice Samuel Alito took a trip with a billionaire to go fishing in Alaska. No disclosures. Then, he ruled on a case that involved one of the billionaire’s entities, and claims he lacked knowledge about the connection.

Why I’m Writing

I write because, a few months ago, Justice Alito told the Wall Street Journal he thought lawyers should defend the Court, in the face of criticism about the justices’ ethics. I found the comment amusing for its suggestion that nine justices need the legal profession to validate their acts.

Now, with the speaker’s acts, it’s time to speak up. As

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Oh Baby Baby It’s a Wild World

June 9, 2023

Oh Baby Baby It’s a Wild World

wild world

Mark Rubin

[Note: I wrote this piece in February, and it got lost in a shuffle.]

With a nod to Cat Stevens aka Steven Demetre Georgiou (at the outset) and Yusuf Islam (now), Oh Baby Baby It’s a Wild World.

I encountered two real estate situations in the past 10 days. I can’t provide details about the first, due to confidentiality concerns. However, I urge everyone to interpret If You See Something, Say Something® broadly. (Allen Kay created the tagline for the New York MTA.) Regarding the matter I can’t discuss, neighbors paying attention likely helped someone avoid a terrible outcome. Our lives touch vulnerable adults constantly and too many

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U.S.A v. Trump

June 9, 2023

U.S.A v. Trump

federal indictment

Donald J. Trump

A grand jury indicted Donald John Trump in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Let’s be clear about several thing, straightaway:

  • Everyone is presumptively innocent until a jury renders a guilty verdict.
  • The indictment and the evidence have not been shared by the government.
  • No one – in my humble opinion – should take pleasure about the fact of this indictment, but Mr. Trump created this situation completely. The indictment does not make our nation a banana republic. Bad acts deserve appropriate consequences!

People get prosecuted for taking classified documents. Former CIA Director and General David Petraeus. (Probation for 2 years and a $100,000 fine.) Sandy Berger,

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Disney Defeats DeSantis

April 2, 2023

Disney Defeats DeSantis

Disney defeats desantis

Governor Ron DeSantis

disney defeats desantis

Mickey Mouse and his Spouse

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R – Fla.) plays down his background, which includes a law degree from Harvard Law School. (He plays a redneck in real life!) Maybe that explains the governor and wanna be POTUS’s big-time fail on the matter of The Walt Disney Company and the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Some history. By the mid-1960s, Disney owned land in Florida. More than 40 square miles in and around Orlando. Wanting control over its destiny, Disney got the Florida legislature to pass the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Disney got the control it required, along with a money machine. Florida took its cut, and Orlando – or, as an old

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Donald Trump Heads for the Big Apple

March 31, 2023

Donald Trump Heads for the Big Apple

Donald Trump Heads for the Big Apple

Donald J. Trump

Indictments charge people with crimes. No more, no less! But no one should ever want to be indicted! No one!

The wrath of the law approaches Mr. Trump often, but now it has touched him like it never has before. He will be photographed – full on and from the side – and fingerprinted. The court will surely release him on his own recognizance, but I expect that he will have to forfeit his passport. (That assumes he has a current one.) He will likely face other mobility restrictions, and it will be unwise for him to thumb his nose at or raise a middle digit in the direction of

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Bye-bye Matthew Scarber

March 16, 2023

Bye-bye Matthew Scarber

bye-bye matthew scarber

Matthew Scarber

Matthew Scarber has left Rubin & Bernstein PLLC. People come and go in workplaces, but Matt’s departure deserves a few words.

Rubin & Bernstein exists because of Matt. The story was present on our website for years, but it’s worth sharing here:

Mark: Leigh stepped up, when an old friend who taught at the KU law school asked her to look out for a student from Tucson. She did, for there’s no one who needs a little help who Leigh won’t step up for.

Leigh: Mark took on a case in the fall of 2017 and needed help. Lawyers – those with firms and malpractice insurance, etc. – said no thanks, for time

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