runs in different circles than you and me...

they are removing posts on reddit now lol

Can you give me more info? I actually liked a lot of his work. Damn.

Some background info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_impact_of_Taylor_Swift

She didnt make one peep when ICE used her song. Almost every other artist strongly objected when Ice did that to them

Explain her inviting a concentration camp contractor, do tell, why was he there?

As a general rule, anyone can license musical works from the performing rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc.). All you have to do is pay the appropriate licensing fee and you get to use it. All of these public objections are just for show - but legally meaningless.

The only potential out is that some of the performing rights organizations have specific licensing for political purposes. If the artist licenses their works through one which has a separate political use license, the artist can purportedly exclude their works from political use. But the validity of a license which excludes some, but not all, works from political use (especially if it is a party-specific use has not yet been tested.

If nothing else - making a public statement or even sending a cease and desist letter is NOT a valid way to opt out of permitting your works to be used for political purposes.

Many other artists did that. Its kind of the bare minimum moral responsibility. Calling it 'just for show' is pretty short sighted.

and she invited that Armentum scumbag to her wedding. He runs the largest concentration camp in the country. What about that?

But from a legal perspective, announcing to the world (as Cohen's estate did recently) that they do not give permission for Freedom 250 to use Hallelujah (when they actually did by making the works available through a PRO) is just for show.

"Just for show' is a completely dismissive take on someone taking a moral stand.

You don't just make a big PR announcement which has no legal, effect, but pretend that it does. At least take the step of educating the public (and maybe even yourself) about why - as a general rule - there is nothing you can do to stop the performances so the public doesn't believe you are doing something that you aren't actually doing.

And, if you really want to prevent Trump from using your works, at a minimum, choose to license them only through a PRO which has a political license exclusion - and use some of your fame and fortune to take the case to court to establish that artists really are entitled to exclude their works from being performed by someone with whom they disagree.

Even more effective, remove your works from being licensed through a PRO.

Or explore other legal avenues to prevent Trump from using your works - pursue a claim under the Lanham act because his use creates a false impression of endorsement, or a right of publicity/persona which prohibit the use of a person's voice, likeness, etc. without their consent.

Sending a cease and desist letter or a press release is all something people without a public voice and financial means may be able to do. But for someone with financial means and media access - it costs literally nothing (compared to the resources these folks have) - AND - has little potential to do anything other than to curry public favor from folks who don't understand how little it actually means.

If it's a moral stand, than back it up. Otherwise it's just words from folks who have the ability to do so much more.

the legalistic framing and pseudo-intellectual air of dismissiveness is the most basic parts of the propagandists toolkit.

not the ICE contractor who has the same name.

Never trust a right wing rag like the New York Post.

Just look up the two photos. It's the Armentum guy who went to the wedding.

The guy got the red carpet treatment. Why are you ok with that? Can you articulate it beyond calling someone a 'hater', which is junior high rhetoric?

if you missed the reference of this post and took offense, that is ironic

counteract his being a concentration camp contractor!

This thread has lost the thread.

That is why the Demetrious were at the wedding. Swift is not the reason they were there, Kelce is.

consistently beclown themselves.

through hoops to prove her allegiance to one side or the other.

????

her to stand by with Sharpie marker to cross “undesirables” off the list?

Why would anyone associate with such a scumbag? This is indefensible, and it's all just 'she can't be bothered to check' excuses

Perhaps at this event she can persuade this individual to do the same. That would be a good thing, do you agree?

I mean wtf. You cant give charity and just erase that crime

It's silly. She is worth more than $2 billion dollars.
The $26 million is a fraction of a fraction of her wealth.
She will make back that money before the end of the weekend.

The point has always been about them being billionaires at all, not about the pennies they through around for the halo effect.

Billionaires, all billionaires, are antithetical to a free and fair society.

Sinatra didn’t accidentally become a millionaire, but he was a good hearted, generous person also.
They both worked hard in their craft and with supportive, well paid staffs and management, reaped the rewards of their labor.
Taylor’s recent 26 million donation would indicate she had donated large amounts of cash throughout her successful career.
“A free and fair society “ allowed them to make those choices.

Is done through "hard work" is such an old cliche as to be meaningless.

No one becomes a billionaire through "hard work". I've known a lot of incredibly hard working people that are many things but wealthy is not one of them.
Your post also implies that those of us that aren't millionaires or billionaires, somehow we made poor choices or just aren't good enough.

All billionaires are scum just by virtue of the fact they are billionaires.

Taylor and Frank started out on the “ground floor” and over the years, through talent, hard work and management skills, were able to build their fortunes.

I’m no millionaire myself but it’s not because I made “poor choices” or “just wasn’t good enough”.
I

As you said

Over 20 years go he invested into low income areas of the black community in L.A. creating hundreds of local job opportunities. It’s still growing.
I doubt anyone who benefited from his entrepreneurial skills would be calling Magic “evil”.
Anyway, I have no objections to folks who embrace the ideology of Karl Marx or any other anti-capitalists.
It’s time for me to hit the hay, so
Good night

Last edited Sun Jul 5, 2026, 08:15 AM - Edit history (1)

1. Inherit money

2. Win the lottery

3. Steal money

4. Create goods or services that other people will buy

You don't have to work hard for 1 and 2. However, you do have to work hard for 3 and 4. Not only do you have to work hard but you have to work smart.

History is full of examples of all four categories losing money because of stupidity.

I had a good career and have a very comfortable retirement. However, I am not what most people would call rich. A colleague of mine, who did the same job as me, was smarter. He did something with investments that I was too dumb to do. He is now rich.

Another friend of mine worked harder. While I sat on my butt on the weekends he was out renovating houses. He now has a lot more money than I have. A result of his hard work.

You have to either be extremely lucky (winning the lottery type luck), get inside trading (stealing) or just work hard learning the market and making the right investment choices. You also have to have money in the market to make money.

Back in the late 1970s I did a little homework and determined that buying Disney stock would be a good investment. I took one of my yearly bonuses from my engineering job and bought Disney stock. In the 1980s and 1990s the stock really took off. I made enough money off that investment to send both my sons to college without any debt.

I have also did not do enough homework and and have lost money on other investments.

Last edited Sun Jul 5, 2026, 03:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Would make this about common people's situation and level of hard work.

It's just not comparable at all to billionaires and trillionaires.

Completely different scope. Not even in the same zip code.

Also, my issue isn't with people being successful or even wealthy.

The point is, as a billionaire or trillionaire, they are making the choice to horde so much wealth, take so much from the system, that their wealth is world breaking, economy breaking, breathtaking amount of wealth that the average person cannot even begin to comprehend.

There is the problem. Anyone that tells you they understand what billions or even trillions of dollars of wealth looks like, even from a billionaire or trillionaire, is lying because they don't. Once you reach billions of dollars it no longer definable.

That level of wealth is incredibly destructive: economically, socially and politically. It has the ability to drown out all other voices, to dominate an agenda and be the only voice in the room.
That is, very literally, what is happening right now with billionaires absolutely dominating this administration agenda.

My issue is not with wealthy or successful people. My beef is with billionaires and trillionaires. The top .1% control over 30% of all wealth in our economy. The top 10% control over 60% of the wealth. The top 50% control the wealth of 98% of the economy.

That is not sustainable.

Reference: https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/issues/economic-justice/what-percent-of-the-worlds-wealth-is-controlled-by-billionaires/

After they pay taxes.

I am not envious of people making more money than me.

Sometimes I even use the products or services that made them rich or even know somebody that they employed or benefit from the government services that they paid taxes to.

That my comments are about evvy or jealousy means you didn't read what I wrote nor understand the scope of the issue. The top 1% control over 50% of the country's wealth.

That means a couple hundred thousand people control over half the economy.

That is not sustainable.

I had a good career and now have a good retirement. My sons are doing well.

I am not concerned with people that have more than I do.

I have no desire to have this conversation with you. Hope you have a good weekend.

$26 million is fine. Her wealth largely isn't liquid anyway.

It’s her wedding! I don’t care how many people attend. You don’t think she has a say so in who’s invited?

“rap sheet” on potential evil doers.
Take her off your Xmas list.

The company is a major contractor for NASA, nuclear clean up, maintenance for the Air Force.

The contract for ICE is to improve conditions in the detention center. Should nobody be willing to improve the conditions? By leaving that out, you seem to be implying they are supporting the current conditions or worse. Not really telling the full story here.

Kinda shocked someone would use this tactic to defend this crap. Here's the company you say will improve conditions-

Amentum’s various companies have racked up 112 federal regulatory violations over the years, including one for a 2024 fatal workplace accident in Virginia and a 2023 OSHA citation for exposing employees to toxic vapors at CIA headquarters.

A report about Camp East Montana’s contractors by the nonprofit government watchdog group Public Citizen argues DHS is replacing one troubled contractor with another company that may endanger civilians in government care.

You're going to need to cite your sources. Amentum has 34 violations since they were founded in 2020. Walmart has over 780 in that same period.

https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/establishment.search?p_logger=1&establishment=amentum&State=all&officetype=all&Office=all&sitezip=&p_case=all&p_violations_exist=all&startmonth=01&startday=01&startyear=2020&endmonth=07&endday=03&endyear=2026

I found another site that came up with 112, but the majority of those weren't safety violations. 42 were safety, 3 were environmental. Doesn't really suggest that you're arguing in good faith that you either didn't know or failed to mention that.

I'm shocked anyone here cares about someone else's wedding this much. And yes we absolutely should be supporting improving the conditions for people detained. That you don't seems weird. Or think that the groups who deal with the nuclear stuff would be the ones to have a single reported issue that you talk about. That's literally the hazard of dealing with it. What's the frequency of that? Plane crashes make the news, but it's still much safer than driving.

I never knew about about her before that. She may have paid a high price for that public humiliation and decided she has done her part and just wants her life back. Her husband belongs to a very different club than she came from. I'm sure she can't control everything that happens around her. I vote that we give her a break.

lol the billionaire has no agency

I can tell. Except i think it's personal with you.

You're committing an ad hominem fallacy right now.

Ive met a couple millionaires in my time, and they were bad enough. So youre not very perceptive

Celebrate love! We need all the good news we can get!

Then write about a hundred letters to those in government allowing ICE to do what they are doing. I am really pissed about ICE too. I am pretty sure dissing Taylor Swift for a shitty guest at her wedding won't help a soul, including yours.

Inviting him to this huge publicity wedding is kind of the opposite of that. I think you dont know what you're talking about really.

She also has Steven Colbert at her wedding
Quite a few other celebrities who are well-known liberals.
Nice, huh?

And her family and the groom's family who many times have input to the guest list. Especially when we're talking about a thousand people.

This is why we lose elections to idiots & villains.
Purity tests are electoral sink holes.

It's too much to ask not to socially reward them with a wedding invitation to the most publicized wedding since who knows when?

...doesn't obviate the silliness.

Nothing substantive to say

back it up. Thank you in advance.

How do YOU describe ICE detainment camps? They fit the technical definition of a concentration camp

Steven J. Demetriou is the Executive Chair of the Board of Directors at Amentum. They have a contract with an Ice detention facility.

So, I've completely backed up what I wrote.

I must assume this is some sort of very primitive tactic of distraction

Also...."So disgusting and evil Taylor Swift," sounds just a little bit biased.

Steven J. Demetriou
https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/2516781

Amentum Services named new contractor for Camp East Montana detention center

EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed engineering and technology services company Amentum Services Inc. will now be the new contractor responsible for managing El Paso's Camp East Montana, the largest immigration detention facility in the country.

In a statement on Monday, an ICE spokesperson confirmed to KFOX14/CBS4 that Amentum Services Inc. will be taking over as the primary contractor for the detention facility, replacing the previous contractor, Acquisition Logistics LLC. Amentum Services was initially the subcontractor for the facility.


"Amentum has been a close partner with ICE in managing Camp East Montana and was best suited to take over as the prime government contractor for this facility. Amentum’s size, maturity, and pedigree make them the right partner at the right time, and we will work closely with them in their implementation of higher standards of medical care, more thorough case processing and intake procedures, and delivery of performance requirements according to well-defined accountability measures," an ICE spokesperson said.

ICE added that it "will continue to ensure that all of the detainees in our custody receive the level of care, service, and medical support they need to match our high detention standards.”

…

It’s disappointing coming from here.

Looks like both were on the invite list but could be a + 1. Again,who cares. It’s absurd to worry about it without knowing why. Ultimately it is a private event.

'ultimately it is a private event'. At Madison Square Garden with a red carpet? lol

his other one that I've forgotten.

Kelce and Swift may not even be aware of his company's recent ICE contracts.

Let's say you personally threw a party and a nazi was invited. Would you later say something about it to everyone, emphasizing your stance, or just keep silent?

I can't say I care who attended Taylor Swift's wedding any more than I care who attended anyone else's.

Apparently though you cared enough to comment here, when you could have not.

It was less than I expected and expressed my feelings, thusly.

I got married in a courthouse. I didn't know my best man. I was also his best man. Our brides share a similar story.
I have no idea who might have been there; who knows what I might be guilty of through association.

Got it

I don't care what Taylor Swift wants to do in her own free time given the number of times my life and interests intersect with hers is exactly 0.

If I wasted my time worrying about every association of every celebrity on the planet, I would never do anything else with my life.

Nothing about your posts is doing anything to help Democrats win the mid-terms. If they don't do that, then we have two more years of actual fascists running everything unchecked. This celebrity distraction and division bullshit is what's actually giving cover for fascists.

voters to vote in the midterms. Other than that …

He spoke to the press after the event.

https://www.ohiohouse.gov/members/steve-demetriou/biography

Why are we discussing anything they have to say about anyone as if it were worthy news?

at the wedding. Why do you want to avoid the issue?

BOYCOTT

Is that difficult to understand ?

Given that she endorsed both Biden and Harris I think she is on our side. I hope her new friends haven’t caused her to move to the dark side.

When inviting guests each family list half of the people. He gets half and She gets half.
The parents of each can list people they want to add to the list. This invitation could have come from someone's Uncle as a business thing. Or he might have been someone's Plus One.
Ya'll just don't know.

Sandler, friend of Netanyahu. What does that tell you?

that changes everything...

He's a friend of Netanyahu, why isn't that fair game for commenting?

There appear to be quite a long list of liberals, but you are laser on a couple of guests.

Do we require perfect purity?

While Sandler has expressed his support for Israel in the past, he’s never been to Israel nor is there any evidence that he’s ever interacted with Netanyahu or Likud or has characterized himself as MAGA.

But hey if you want to slander every Jew who has expressed support for Israel and tag them as MAGA and a friend of Netanyahu go ahead. It tells a lot of Jewish DUers everything we need to know about you.

I’ll watch how TS lives her life, her actions and her close friends and judge from there. I refuse to be the wedding police.