There was a saying, back in the days when most Americans knew that most politicians were for sale, that “an honest politician is one who, once bought, stays bought”. It was half joke, half serious, I think.
I have said this before, but what we need are less politicians who are “honest” this way. We need more tech titans–some of whom may have “borrowed” money from the Chinese to start up or stay up–who are less “honest” too.
It would be a boss move for Trump to proactively offer to pardon anyone willing to come forward with details. Some people have no consciences to speak of, but there are certainly a lot of people who, in times of duress or hasty greed, made decisions they have come to regret.
What has to be understood is that the tyrants always eat their own. Some of Stalin’s worst excesses were directed at people that helped him and Lenin gain power in the first place, the Old Guard. He hated the Old Guard. They were a threat to him.
EVEN IF you are part of a movement you think will protect you, EVEN IF you think you are safe, you are not safe, if you know too much. There can only be a few. Everyone else is burned in the fire. There are compartments inside of compartments, and if you are not at the middle, you are driftwood once your particular task in the whole thing is complete.