The joke about Vance killing him? I don’t think people mean it as a joke. That’s how the mob-like tactics work. It’s a very real consideration. Organized crime is intertwined deeply in American government and geopolitics.

Shit even the Vatican was wrapped up in mafia stuff in the past and probably still is.

Sorry but I used AI for this;

"The Vatican has been associated with mafia connections, particularly during the papacies of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. These connections have been linked to financial scandals and criminal activities involving figures like Michele Sindona and Roberto Calvi. Sindona, a reputed international mafia chieftain, was appointed as the Vatican banker by Pope Paul VI, leading to significant financial disasters and frauds. Calvi, the head of Banco Ambrosiano, was also deeply involved in money laundering and had ties to the mafia and the Vatican Bank under the leadership of Archbishop Paul Marcinkus. Marcinkus faced criticism from Pope John Paul II’s inner circle but was protected by the Pope, highlighting the complex relationships within the Vatican during this period.

In recent years, efforts have been made to address these issues. The Vatican created a working group in honor of Rosario Livatino, a Catholic judge killed by the mafia, to study the expulsion of criminal organizations from the Catholic Church. These initiatives reflect ongoing efforts to separate the Church from criminal influences and to promote integrity within its financial and organizational structures.

The Vatican’s financial dealings have long been a source of scandal and embarrassment, contributing to a “black legend” that mars the Church’s image. Pope Francis has been particularly active in reforming Vatican finances, centralizing control over Vatican assets to reduce the risk of corruption and illegal activities.

Despite these efforts, concerns about mafia influence persist, with investigations and arrests involving mafia members and their alleged cooperation with the Vatican Bank."

And trump…

"Donald Trump has been linked to organized crime figures throughout his career. He has been accused of doing business with and receiving favors from the Mafia during his early years as a developer in New York City. For instance, Trump used concrete supplied by companies controlled by the Mafia to build his properties, including Trump Tower, at a time when the concrete industry was under Mafia control.

Trump’s lawyer, Roy Cohn, had ties to several Mafia bosses, and Cohn introduced Trump to some of these figures. Trump also had business dealings with individuals who had connections to organized crime, such as John Staluppi, a “made” member of the Colombo crime family, and Kenneth Shapiro, who worked for Philadelphia mobster Nicodemo “Little Nicky” Scarfo.

In 2013, Trump admitted on David Letterman’s show that he had encountered “characters” associated with organized crime during his time in New York, but claimed he tried to stay away from them.

These allegations have been detailed in various books and articles, including Wayne Barrett’s biography “Trump: The Deals and the Downfall” and a book titled “‘MAFIA’ Don: Donald Trump’s 40 years of Mob ties” by H.B. Glushakow."

Organized crime is a key player in national and geopolitics. It never went away, they got better at it. And corrupted officials got better at hiding them. America is probably currently dominated by organized crime right now.

There are four main rulers of humanity, nations/politicians, organized religions, 1% wealth business, and organized crime. They all mingle and all manipulate the poor and vulnerable to gather followers, soldiers, and sycophants in order to maintain control. It’s very real war happening.

Ah yes, the expected purity test. Let’s just ignore any progress made and make snark remarks online while we wait for the 100% ideologically pure.

i’d just like to say this aged badly. not quite like milk, but still rancidly

You’ll understand if I honestly don’t care if a fundamentally hateful and harmful org broke up.

If “maybe we should stop supporting transphobia and rape and…” will kill an org… that org probably shouldn’t exist at all.

True but he exceeded the existing bar by a lot.

China disappeared the Panchen Lama, the second-most important religious figure in Tibetan Buddhism, and replaced him with a China-selected puppet.

But the Panchen Lama is not the successor to the Dalai Lama. The whole point is that the Dalai Lama will be reincarnated when he dies, so his successor isn’t born yet.

The Dalai Lama recently proclaimed that his successor will be born in the free nations outside China - allowing him to be born, say, among the substantial Tibetan refugee populations in Nepal or India.

However, it’s a near-certainty that China will select its own successor from a family loyal to the CCP, and from within China-controlled Tibet, while Tibetans outside the country will likely recognize another.

AI slop