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Comment by berberous | Hacker News Reader

What about the NYTimes's attempt to influence our democratic process by publishing Trump's tax returns? "While in the past I viewed the media as a crucial part of openness and democracy, I'm very suspicious of their current sources, and their intentions. Not to mention the journalists' personal interests (many have expressed hatred towards Trump)."

(Not that I'm a Trump supporter -- I just wonder if you can distinguish the above from your views on Wikileaks. I suspect you may just feel the way you do given your thoughts on Trump.)

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Not just publishing his tax returns, but spinning the rather boring fact that businesses can carry forward losses as an evil tax avoidance scheme he could use to dodge paying taxes on all the money he apparently made (if he never actually turned a net profit), and even as some kind of government bailout not available to ordinary people.

Trump's loss was as claimed as an individual, on an income tax return, not as a business carrying forward.

Traditionally, presidential candidates release their tax returns. All candidates have for decades. The information in them is considered of public interest. The mundane internal communication of a campaign is not. So no, one of these things is not at all like the other, the distinction is easy to make.

NYTimes isn't a guest in Ecuador's embassy releasing documents from anonymous Russian hackers?

My gosh is the Russia did it meme still floating around?

The US gov is 99% certain it was and is Russia.

Remember how certain the US government was about chemical and biological weapons in Iraq?

I do not consider the US government a credible source in these matters. Especially since the pointing to Russia seemed more about distracting from the content of the documents WikiLeaks released.

Care to point to proof?

It was widely reported that the US Goverment said it was the russians - so its 100% true!!!11!!!1

Yes, The US Govt. would never have an agenda. I dont regard Russia as some democratic bastion, quite the contrary, but let's not pretend that the U.S is a democratic bastion, its more of an oligarchy compared to most industrialized countries with legalized bribery.

Even the oligarchy has multiple factions. In the most partisan era since the civil war how could the White House expect to release a statement that Russia is attempting to subvert our elections without being called out as fraud? They either have no dignity or are absolutely certain. You can say a lot about Obama but he certainly has dignity.

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