Their oligarchs love our oligarch. They buy condos in his buildings, partner for golf tournaments, give his daughter payments, pass huge sums of money to his son in law, and pay "state" visits to his Florida resort.
The desecration of Arlington virtually assures a victory for Kamala Harris. This is the big one that will sink Trump. Not so much the convictions but the army that goes out of its way to avoid anything political to make the statement. It’s huge. It’s bigger than Don-old Trump’s butt. Trust me on this one. And hopefully the down ballots will benefit as well.
And Harris is smart leaving this one alone since it’s a train wreak still in motion. I’m flabbergasted but gratified that Trump and company would think this photo op-Ed would be beneficial. It’s almost humorous if not so pathetic. I think the only thing he could do worse now would by to fly off to North Korea and in another photo op, plunk a big huge kiss on the lips of Kim Jong Un.
Bill Clinton learned a political lesson from Nixon that goes like this: Identify your core voters and then identify what they care about most. Then always address and support those issues without fail. After that you will be free to deal with the other issues your voters don’t prioritize any way you want. That’s what Trump does. As long as he keeps pushing the grievance button and sticking his finger in the eyes of the Democrats he is golden with MAGA. We’ll see how this dust up with the military goes. I hope it’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back with veterans.
There is an underlying support by some who are transfixed by pure white bloodline. They have no capacity to use reason as their guide. Mandy inside are just pure unadulterated racists, in my humble opinion.
The veterans I know are really angry about this although they wouldn't have voted for him in any case. My LMT, a navy veteran, and I talked about this during my massage. He understands how sacred that cemetery is. Death star was aided and abetted by at least some of the families and a couple of them had the their thumbs up as well. I understand how they would like to cast blame, but Biden is not responsible for the Islamic terrorist group that did this. Also death star cannot really say anything about his approach to the Taliban. He is a walking foreign policy (love me some dictators) disaster.
The thumbs up thing really bothers me Michele. How could any normal human being stand at ANyone's grave, and do THAT !? To do so at the grave of a fallen soldier only makes it more despicable. Only a murderer, who wanted someone to die, and then killed them, might see that as a thumbs-up moment. Or, of course, him. This disrespect of our military is a brand new thing that only came about because of, him !
It really bothers me too. Here he is and those who joined him in a very sacred space and they act like they are at the Roman colosseum watching some gladiators and allowing those they favor to live.
Trump is not a normal human being. He’s a long way from being even a decent being. He’s one of the most deeply narcissistic animals in history. Furthermore, Trump wasn’t the only thumbs up scumbag in the photo.
In addition to the 5 'thumbs up' (including tfg), there was someone at the right end (from viewer perspective) giving the Hawaiian hand gesture of thumb & little finger, middle fingers folded down. Looking online , there apparently are various interpretations but all more or less equivalent to 'thumbs up'.
I love your optimism Bill, but the only thing that will ensure the victory we all want to see is getting more votes on Nov. 5. I suppose it's impressive that the Army made a public statement, but even more impressive would have been enforcing the law on the people who broke it and engaged in assault in doing so.
Respectfully, the issue isn't that the failed insurrectionist feels that way although he clearly does, it's that other people enable him behaving as though he is. In this case, the officers senior to the woman who tried to enforce the ANC policy, who did not back her up. At minimum, the individual who had physical contact with her should have been arrested on the spot. Had it been one of us who are discussing it, we would be in a stockade right now.
On one other SubStack column written immediately after the incident, it said that Trump disciple, Mike Johnson, cleared the way with the Army to allow him in. If true, that is even more abominable.
So many things Trump has done or said should be disqualifying -- Jan 6th at the top of the list -- but nothing seems to shake the base of his support. Maybe this one will resonate. It certainly did for me.
Let us not forget that there is nothing he can do that will lose support - NOTHING!! Let's hope that the ignorant voters will see the stark contrast between these two candidates and choose the more likable, which is always the deciding factor in presidential elections, it is not policies, facts, or accomplishments. If those things mattered the Republicans would never have been elected since FDR. The exception was Nixon, who won due to the backlash against the war demonstrators.
I hope you are right Bill. Now it's up to the media. If folks aren't bothered by the arrogance and disrespect of laws and ordinary people, Buddha help us. MAGA supporters cannot see that 45 only cares about them if they have something he wants, and then he'll try to take it.
Check out "Autocracy Inc" by Anne Applebaum. The audio book only takes 4 hours. Quite illuminating.
Seems more like half of the US is yelling once again "LIBERTY!" and helps the Israelis to liberate the Palestinians of their properties, families and friends, lives and limbs.
Believe it or not, most of us also think war is gross. You're not special by reminding us of this. If you ever posted here on any other topic, with any other tone than seething zealotry, you would actually be a part of the community we would be able to take seriously. Instead, we know just what we will see when we see your name, and it is all too easy to scroll on by.
How exactly is that helping the unfortunate people half a world away you are obsessed with? Oh right, it doesn't. Something tells me it isn't about them for you, anyway.
Will, I enjoy most of your post, this one not so much. "We would" "we know", "we will" when "we" see your name. As my daddy would have asked, "have you got a mouse in your pocket?"
I believe Sabine was replying to Betsy's comment about the "Trumplings" (I love and am reusing that Betsy) eyeing the waterfront in Gaza. It made me angry too, remembering when I saw Jared taking about what he would do, build waterfront resorts.
Sabine is a purposefully divisive troll and somebody had to say it. I could have spoken in the singular but it's late into the night and I guess delusions of grandeur crept in lol. Mea culpa!
What I know may be small, but at least I know that telling someone they don't know much of anything is not a good way to win them over. On those grounds alone, between the two of us, looks like I win!
Enjoy stewing in your all-consuming outrage on this single issue, while alienating possible allies to your cause! I'd love to catch up in a while and see how it's workin' for ya!
Sabine the darl is gratuitous and lends zero to the convo here. Social media appears to have helped slay our ability to communicate with one another. We are not here to knock one another down no matter how furious we are about a situation. It is a community of trust and integrity. Name calling does not belong no matter who started it. Please try to hear that as a suggestion. I am sure many people here are interested in the issues facing people in the middle east and would like to converse with you about them. Thanks for listening.
What I do know is that this thread has just been hijacked by this screed. I've spent the last 10 minutes reading through and realizing the main post of HCR has been forgotten. Well done Sabine with the hijack - actually NOT.
I'm moving back to HCR and comments about the cascade of DJT indignities to us veterans and those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice being used as props. We all mourn the war and hate Hamas, Hezbollah and what they have done to Palestinians as well as Jewish people. I remember 1984 Beruit as a Marine Vet and it still seethes, but I don't hijack other topics.
I do blame the US government because our historic policy through the corruption of PACS buying off politicians gave Israel a green light to do anything it has wanted.
I have liked Biden, but he made a HUGE mistake to back Israel without considering that Netanyahu is a butcher. He is riding the wave of war for his own purposes. The moment the conflict halts, Israelis can have an election and vote him out of office. Most of them want to.
Harris has signaled that she has her own view of things and I strongly suspect it does not include backing Netanyahu. Most of us in the US hate watching what Bibi is doing with our weapons. I am ashamed of the death, the starvation, the continuing warfare for the sake of "winning." There is no "winning" for anybody in this carnage. BTW, Trump will give Bibi anything he wants and Trump will love it.
You should blame that part of the US government and the people they represent for the corruption -- not all of us. Capitalism and fascism make an effective, slimy team that now seems to also enjoy the support of much of the press.
The Israelis have received over 500 Airlifts of Munitions since this latest Gaza War has started... They have essentially run out of Munitions... If the U.S. stops replenishing their War Machine, they will stop their Ethnic Cleansing...
Especially yes since no other country would send arms to Israel as we have. Which means that blood spilled is on our hands collectively speaking. When Biden gave Netanyahuyahoo a big huge, I almost vomited.
And someone tossed in polio just for good measure. Every parent there is now terrified of their kids getting polio on top of the constant bombing and shooting. And that's on top of everyone being malnourished and sick from contaminated water. Hell on earth.
This is double-standards on full display. The Zionists and Bibi are the land-grabbing butchers. The U.S. backing of Israel for this human (inhumane) slaughter has given license to rob and kill using Hamas as the targeted reason and justification. The U.S. has failed the Palestinians just as we are failing Ukraine.
I too have questions concerning this slaughter of women, children and elderly Palestinians.
I have multiple questions about the October music festival and why at that time a part of Israel's protective shield over that specific area was not working....so the military did not receive warnings immediately.
Why is it taking so long for the brilliant Israeli military to free the hostages? I guess they are too busy raping their prisoners!!!
Each time I listen to the news and see the devastation of Palestinian humanity in Gaza and other areas of the war, I feel that each death is on me!!! Each rape is on me!!! We are sending the weapons!!!! We share in this destruction.
In my opinion we are neglecting the most important reason to be in this conflict and that is to free the hostages.
I have never seen Netanyahu without a very satisfied smile on his face. He is using the USA to accomplish the destruction of Gaza and the Palestinian people...in my opinion. The longer the hostages are held, the more power he has to use us.
Remember the long term goal of many Israelis is to reclaim the land they say belongs to them from ancient writings.....not from laws concerning a land of their own decided legally following WW11.
This is my opinion....one of my best and most respected friends growing up was Jewish. I am not against Jewish people, Palestinian people or Iranians....etc. I had a wonderful Iranian friend in college.
I care for all persons and value the ideals of freedom and mutual respect. It is often leaders who have an agenda for themselves who are the problem.
Netanyahu has a naked hatred for the Palestinians and his bloodlust is being sated with eacch killing and each taking of more of the Palestinian land. Militant Jews are carving out increasing portions of the West Bank. I, too, have longtime Jewish friends. There is an effort to separate the Jew from the Zionist. I understand that line of demarcation. The current Israel -- note, current -- is behaving in ways that belie her claimed humanity. I borrow a line from the series "Vikings": "I Would Sup With The Devil If He Would Show Me How To Achieve My Earthly Goals."
Bibi and the Likud are seated at the Devil's banquet. To them, Palestinians have no value; human or otherwise.
Apparently, many of the Israelis killed at the Music Festival were 'Friendly Fire' Casualties from the 1st Responder Gunships... They started firing indiscriminately at running people on the Ground... Many of the Israeli Soldiers killed were unarmed Women whose duty was to 'Stare' at the monitors of their 'High Tech' Border Wall that collapsed when a moderately skilled Enemy Assaulted it.... Why was there a lack of an Organized Reaction Team in place? Israel is a small country... Why did it take hours to get unorganized Ground First Responders there? Brilliant Military? Yair Lapid says that Netanyahu was warned of the potential of this Attack a Year prior, and he shrugged it off... Is he now overcompensating, and Slaughtering the Gazans, many of who are the descendants of the 1947 Nakba? Is he Stringing out the War to avoid accountability...?
How is 'The US' failing Ukraine? Most of us support aid to Ukraine. Only one side wants us to stop the aid. Using blanket terms like 'the US' doesn't help.
New York Post, 02 JUL 2024: In his fixation on helping Ukraine in small doses for “as long as it takes,” President Biden is setting Kyiv up for failure, and NATO for a major strategic setback.
That one side is Putin and his serfs. This from Lithuanian Foreign Minister Landsbergis today:
"At the same time, the diplomat is convinced that Europe alone is unlikely to tackle Russia. Noting that history is a bad example for planning the future, but good for explaining what is happening now, Landsbergis said he does not currently see how the European continent can be stabilized without the participation of the United States.
"Throughout the last 100 years, every time U.S. would look inwards, war breaks out in Europe. And this is the thing that keeps on happening. So our job is now, at this point, to build up ourselves, build up our muscle, get stronger, but bring back the U.S. and keep the U.S. as much as possible involved because there's a very easy explanation why it is needed, is it not just for Europe, not just for Ukraine, but for the whole society to work, for the entire global society to work,” the minister emphasized."
No doubt there is an endless campaign for Israelis to divest Palestinians of property and space as they seek to continue to colonize. "one state solution". There is little sentiment in Israel i have heard for an independent, autonomous Palestine, though Hamas has perhaps provided the final nail in the coffin for this. Palestine has been split how between what the PLO used to do (think the Lebanese uncivil war/s of the 70s) and Arafat once espoused, and what Hamas has continued to espouse ever since. Just how can Israelis think there is a firm foundation for a two state solution while a hunk of Palestine still wants to drive Israel "into the sea", a phrase as old as Israel itself.
Well "from the river to the sea" just has become a completely new meaning looking at the increased atrocities they're now committing against the Palestinians in the Westbanks - wonder how long it will take for the US to stuff that slogan down our throats.
It has never felt more disgusting to be - thanks to our morally bankrupt politicians - complicit in this disturbing and unintelligent game of "never blame Israel!"
Sabine this may sound naive to you but hopefully not dismissive: What exactly would you like President Biden, VP/ presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, The Pentagon or whoever else to do about the murderous campaign between Hammas, Israel and probably somewhat Palestine? What power do these people have to fix that problem ( if that is the solution you are hoping for). They are trying negotiation, humanitarian aid and weapons supply. Which of those things should they stop doing? Given they are American citizens and not dictators, colonizers or unopposed leaders of an international military how exactly do you think they should be responding to Israel's retaliatory war mongering or the viscious attacks on Israel by Hamas at the expense of the Palestinian people. And what about Hezbola in Lebannon and the Iranians? Do you think Russia has any involvement in this? None of them are NATO members and the US only recognizes Israel & the PLO (not Palestine proper) as far as I know. I am not very knowledgable on middle east affairs, and it is possible some of what I think is offensive to people who are experts on the middle east - so lets talk about it. For me realistic suggestions are necessary. Israel came into being just before I was born. As long as I can remember there have been issues involving Israel and her neighbor Palestine. Palestine lost a lot when Israel was created. Were bad politics involved? Bad decision making? Should they have made Israel at all? Yes people felt bad about the holocoust. Rightly so in my opinion but I know everyone does not agree. Yes the land had to come from somewhere to make Israel - where should it have been made - what do you think? Now it is 2024 ( about 76 years after Israel was created I think). Americans are facing another tough election where many of us feel we are at risk for losing democracy and our freedom. Israel, our official ally, is at war with Hamas in Palestine once again because Hamas ( whom the US considers a terrorist organization & defacto government that abuses Palestine by sheltering in their homes and indoctrinating their children) aggressively attacked Israel and slaughtered citizens. Again. Israel, led by a war monger in the opinion of many world citizens, has retaliated and been supported in doing so. Who wants to place blame for all of the carnage - do you? Do others engaged here? Who among us has the knowledge of middle eastern culture, religion, politics and war to come up with the right answers? These people do not get along. They have not gotten along for decades and will not likely get along tomorrow. President Biden, VP Harris, Antony Blinkin and all the other experts know a whole lot more than I do and I believe are doing ALL THEY CAN to end this current war. I don't see that they have the power to do more. I also do not see why our election must be focused ( once again) on this recurrent middle eastern issue - why our candidates must be judged by their response to this issue. Please explain to me why the problems in the middle east or Iran or North Korea - or Russia are more important than the problems in the USA. I really do not get it. Thanks.
Agreed there is blame to go all around, straight from the creation of Israel, never any light of day once hostilities began, by all concerned. I'm doing a read of O Jerusalem, a remarkable piece of narrative journalism written in the 70s. Like it or not, this stuff hardly began with Hamas, this is just the latest, perhaps the most horrific outbreak of violence since the wars themselves, most which led to Israel's expansion of its borders. A history of contortions, Sabine.
Why should this be any surprise to anyone? With Jared and his father-in-law, it's always been about the money. Think resort beaches in North Korea. This is typical of and oligarch's mentality taking advantage of those who cannot defend themselves, thinking that they are doing everyone a favor while stuffing their pockets with "easy money."
They definitely are. On a side note, I’ve been watching the conversation going on below on Israel and Gaza. I will say this: lt is very heartbreaking to watch how Netanyahu and his right wing government cause so much destruction in Gaza. While I wish the Biden administration would use an arms embargo as one of the tools, I acknowledge that the Biden administration is still making efforts to get to a ceasefire deal that a Trump administration would not be and in fact, I have heard rumblings that Trump could be trying to kill this ceasefire deal to benefit him politically as he did the border security bill. I don’t know, but it is out there.
With all that said, I know Kamala Harris is the best viable choice for our country this fall. I can not overlook how positive an Harris-Walz administration plus a Democratic Congress would be to reproductive freedom, expanding voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, economic justice, racial justice, immigration, and the like would be compared to Trump who would be several steps backward. We need progress in those areas now and I would say to those who are hesitant to vote Harris-Walz over Gaza particularly the lack of arms embargo part, recognize that you can vote for her for those reasons I listed above and still hold her feet to the fire to try to get her to change whether through writing letters, phone calls, petitions, marches, or other for. You can both vote and protest as you feel you need to and are able to. Sorry this is so long, but I thought it was necessary to add.
If someone cares about what's happening in Gaza, I don't see how they could vote for anyone BUT Kamala Harris. Trump is the worst possible choice on this issue too!
You have a point especially in the two party system that we have which reminds me: Before anyone brings up voting for Jill Stein and Cornel West, let’s be honest: I have just as much a chance of winning the lottery tomorrow as they do of being sworn in as being president: not very high . It’s a fact, not my opinion.
Do not forget global warming. It is bigger than immigration. (Immigration is one result of climate change.) Bigger than reproductive freedom or LGBTQ rights.
Trump promises Drill, baby, drill. And for a billion in funds for his campaign he promises to get rid of regulations which bother the Fossil Fuel Community.
I am not a high finance person, but I am sincerely hopeful that the financial reforms directed by the Biden administration will serve as a way to track and regulate this apparent financial Wild West which a certain ex pres, and his cohorts, have been attempting to partake in for a quite a while.. Three cheers to the Biden admin and thanks to HCR for highlighting it!!
"A year and a half after the Panama Papers revealed an international network of tax havens used by celebrities and politicians, the International Consortium of Journalists released the Paradise Papers...13.4 million documents mostly from one of the largest offshore law firms, Appleby.
"It reveals the offshore interests and activities of over 120 politicians... reveals the financial engineering of 13 advisers, donors, and cabinet members of President Trump, including that of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross that may have implications for the ongoing Russia investigation. Ross holds a stake in a shipping company, Navigator, whose top clients includes a Russian firm called Sibur controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s son-in-law."
From Russia to Ukraine ( Yanocovich’s regime) to Wilbur Ross’s Bank in Cyprus, through Malta to LONDON and NYC real estate, to banks in Sioux Falls South Dakota, and buying and selling distressed commercial real estate/closed factories through out the rust states, and old buildings in disrepair on the other side of the tracks. Christi Noem and Mitch McConnel knows we know. Delaware, Nevada, South Dakota are all havens for money laundering through American real estate. Both parties are complicit, but one is far worse, and the other aims to fix it. Go Harris/Walz!!!
Seems to me that don't ask, don't tell for financial crime has grown since the "Reagan Revolution". This 13 year old story from The Guardian is not atypical of many have read and seen met with virtual indifference.
It started when he visited Russia in the late 1980s, which is when the Soviets, with their long view of history, ID'd him as a potential asset who would be easy to use as he was susceptible to flattery and money.
That “pageant” really does tell us all there is to know about him. It’s on his mind all the time. He does the things he does because he wants to host more events like that. He even brought it up during his “perfect” phone calls with Zelensky before the first impeachment!
Long before Miss Universe, Trump properties have been vehicles for Russian money laundering. How many properties in NYC, Florida, and other are owned by Russians? How many are owned or flipped by dark LLC’s? ( before this change in the law, an llc can buy real estate without dis losing foreign partners. This all started after the fall of the USSR and the Eastern bloc. The Russian mafia moved into the west. Russian officials and oligarchs use/sponsor the Russian mafia as an unofficial partner to make and hide illicit money. The Russian Mafia is a different structure than western mafia. Putin rose to power in St Petersburg, with the help of organized crime, stole $100s of millions from the people of the city while working for/with the mayor. With the $, he acquired power to become appointed successor to Yeltsin.
Respectfully, I’m going to be a contrarian on this one. Spreading real capitalism and real democracy do go hand in hand. Republican politicians focus on spreading two opposite things that go hand in hand. One is CAPINO (capitalism in name only), and the other is phony democracy.
Should the fact that the Democratic Republic of Congo calls itself a democracy cause us to believe that democracy is bad? Of course not. We need to recognize what the word “democracy” means so we’re able to recognize when an authoritarian autocracy that calls itself a democracy is the opposite of democracy. Otherwise, organized criminals, corrupt government officials, and business leaders who pose a significant national security threat are effectively, even if unintentionally, being supported.
Real democracy is built on a stable foundation. The definition of “democracy” describes that foundation. The definition of democracy in America—per the United States Declaration of Independence (1776)—is “all men are created equal,” which we now understand to mean that the intrinsic value of any one human life is equal to the intrinsic value of every other human life. A person that believes that the intrinsic value of human life is unequal is effectively, even if unintentionally, supporting DonOld tRump.
Real capitalism is built on the same stable foundation. The definition of “capitalism” describes that foundation. The definition of capitalism is per the name of Adam Smith’s book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759). Smith’s understanding of the movement he inspired that we now call capitalism is the same as the Harris-Walz campaign—an equal opportunity economy. A person that believes that capitalism and morality do not go hand in hand is effectively, even if unintentionally, even if in only a small way, supporting DonOld tRump.
Don't forget the butterfly effect. We live in a large, complex, and adaptive social system in which small positive acts can have enormous positive long-term effects, and small negative acts can have enormous negative long-term effects.
I recall that Trump Tower NYC was purportedly floundering after Kushner made an outsized deal for the property, but came around after Russian oligarchs moved into floors just above his own. I cannot find the sources I remember from ages ago about NYC Tfg Tower. But this article addresses some of the more recent examples: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-trump-property/.
I am sure that I was not alone among bankers who simply assumed that Trump's come-back in the 1990s and thereafter came from laundering dirty money from Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine has made steady progress against this corruption. She is as democratic as we are these days (i.e., a 'flawed democracy').
The Ukrainian people have earned our support. President G.H.W. Bush alienated me in 1992; I regret voting against him to this day. First he said we had won the Cold War, which I felt would rub Russian noses in their own poop. Second, in explaining that victory, President Bush argued that free market values had prevailed. Capitalism has utility, not value.
And the big ones… Russians, and their cut outs in current and former sphere of influence countries pay huge bogus license fees to use his name for building projects and events like Miss Universe.
Yes, the Arlington episode is a disgrace. But just as horrific are the innuendos he's now spewing about the relationship between Harris and Brown and that she owes her career to sexual favors. It is incredibly demeaning and misogynistic - but we all now know that is the point.
I was trained as a Roman historian to be wary of ancient sources, that ancient historians never bothered to look at the deeper questions in their analysis of history of economics or demographics or, that it all had to do with fear, honor, or self interest, as Thucydides famously stated, or the justice of the gods, as per Herodotus, or, as with the Romans - Livy, Sallust, Tacitus - all about morality.
The Roman tendency to moralize has cast a long shadow and made historians gun-shy about looking to moral causality for explanations. But I am just going to say it straight: I know of no MAGA supporter personally who is not well off. But I know many that are addled and cruel. That they support a spectacularly patent monster - Trump is definitionally what moral (and, we can add, intellectual) collapse looks like.
The frog in the pot being slowly stewed is nearly done - if Trump wins in November it will be fully cooked.
Fear, resentment, ignorance, and faith based irrational habits of mind.
Unswerving allegiance to the GOP.
And strategic self interest. Tax incentives and deregulation for the wealthy. Culture war wins for the racist right wing religious extremists. Oh, and the Supreme Court and federal judiciary - for starts.
I can't remember what NPR called the extremist Christian movement that embraces miracles. But those irrational folks are sadly vulnerable to just about any crazy thing. Welcome anyone who does know as it's driving me nuts. It's not "fabulists" but something like it,
Not sure if this provides the answer or term that you’re searching for — but wow, no WOW — this relates with and to a big part of what we’re having to deal with: Christian nationalism thrives — and is a force for returning Trump to power
This was the first thing I found. According to "real" Christians, these people are not "Christians". If you've read any of my comments, you'll know my feelings on that...
All those people wearing RNC designed "bandages" on their ears at the Republican convention was one of the weirdest things ever. Still, maybe there's a historical precedence for such cultish behavior when voting for a presidential candidate?
Thank you for calling them 'bandages' rather than 'Maxi-Pads.' The latter seemed far too close to 'Tampon Tim' - suggesting that feminine hygiene products are inherently shameful and embarrassing.
I think we all engage in cultish behavior to some degree, at least in episodes, projecting onto some person things that we wish were true, yet are not supported by the evidence. Serious cult involve a commitment to a prohibition against questioning or criticizing the cult. Thoughtcrime.
Ordinary people have been set up to believe those who are really the enemies of our interests since at least the beginning of this country. It's part of a 'strong man' strategy which pits us against a faux enemy (slaves, the poor, women, LGBTQ folks, etc ) so we'll follow the 'strong man' who claims he'll protect us. (And I get this from Heather, so don't ask me for a cite because I'll never be able to find it! It was probably in one of her Chats, anyway!)
I suspect racism is both cause and effect. I think we humans can be irrationally wary of people who seem "different" but also "othering" is a go-to ploy for tyrants. I read a book by a black historian who claimed that racism as we experience it in this country, was systematically promoted by slave owners, not just for self-justification, but to prevent the possibility of abused blacks from uniting in common cause with underprivileged whites against plutocracy. They're still at it.
Some may also be motivated by/ misdirected by FB friend groups. When lonely and isolated, it’s easy to get lured into a bubble that is combination support and misinformation pipeline.
Steve, yes there are a lot of well off Trump supporters...but as I travel the backroads between Baltimore and Philly or on the Eastern Shore towards the beaches or out in Appalachia, you find tattered Trump/Pence banners flying, Trump signs and Confederate flags at ramshackle, rundown places...trailers...homes with junk cars, folks who are NOT in the money. The VFWs and "social clubs" are full of Trump/Vance supporters...and they do not waver in their support...they are the ones at his rallies, yelling for him to insult people rather than talk policy. They are the ones who believe that Jesus saved him from the assassin's bullet.
If You Read Roman History.... Rome devolved from a Republic of mainly Small Farmers, then thru Internal, and External Warfare, to Empire... Meanwhile the Internal Fabric Collapsed... It was replaced by Mega Landowners who employed Slaves... What continued Roman Civilization was the creation of the Empire by Augustus... The Empire was powered by Slaves... The Emperor had most of the Wealth... Eventually that System Collapsed... The Masses were managed by 'Bread & Circuses'... Are the Rural MAGAs the new impoverished Plebeians?... DJT is a wannabe Emperor... The MAGAs love his Odorous Cruelty...
Closely paraphrased from: The Shahnameh (The Persian Book of Kings):
There were bad times. Rich men squabbled among themselves and would not pay taxes.
As punishment, a king wanted to raze a city. His vizier said: If you raze the city, then people will heap blame on you. Instead appoint a vulgar, ignorant, loudmouth as governor and he will destroy the city.
A beast appeared on the plains. It attacked the other beasts. It shone like gold, but within was all corruption.
These quotes stayed with me, as I reread it in 2016. Anyone who wants insight into Iran, it's sense of itself, and it's long game, ought read The Shahnameh. It is the founding Persian epic and very beloved. Also it is wonderful to read. Standing before a display case at the Met in NYC, I saw an older man with tears rolling down his face. We chatted. He was very touched to see the illuminated manuscript pages, and that Americans would honor and include it.
I've read both translated editions by British poet Dick Davis. The best.
From the collections of The Library of Congress, examples of Persian calligraphy and painting.
Thank You for sharing... Persia is indeed a very Ancient, Proud Civilization... Many Contemporary Iranians consider themselves Persian that speak Persian... The U.S. should not be manipulated into attacking Iran... Look at how they fought the Iraqis for almost 10-Years...
Apache, I think you may be right about MAGA "plebeians" . During the 2016 election, I drove from Deep Creek Lake to DC on back roads through Western Maryland, WV, through Harpers Ferry and into VA. Trump totally dominated the yard signs in the western more rural areas...some of them VERY poor. As I came east Hillary signs started to show up, until I got past Harpers Ferry and then she began to dominate the scene as I got closer to DC. These days, I don't see nearly as many Trump signs anywhere...but there are some enthusiastic pockets. I told conservative friends 8 years ago that he wanted to be a dictator...they told me I was wrong...some are finally walking away from him. Others won't let go of the Fox propaganda talking points...no matter how much evidence we present.
I had the experience in 2004 of going to DC and seeing so many Kerry signs. I thought that maybe rural Texas was the outlier. Fox and dirty tricks won the day then, they are still busy as beavers.
I think Trump still has dirty tricks up his sleeve, especially when it comes to using Georgia’s election system to try rigging the election to favor himself. Trump also won’t hesitate to threaten or actually use violence whether or not he wins. The insurrection made that quite clear.
They still use the "swift boat" tactics. It's pretty obvious they will use everything in their Lee Atwater/Roger Ailes play books...bless Regan's little heart for getting rid of the fairness doctrine.
I am a sure lot fewer families & friends would not have been separated, as a result of the brainwashing from those kinds of media outlets, and even our Congress wouldnt have been locked into legislative inaction & chaos for so many years.
I remember when we had publishing institutions with integrity, before Rupert. I thought they would always be like that. Of course, I missed the Hearst years
Pretty much...but my question is "how did they get that way ?" What attracted so many to him in 2016 ? He basically insulted his way to the White House. He played divide and conquer with his primary opponents and it worked. He would single out one and give them a "pet name". Then insult them about something. Then when he won the primary he turned to insulting a man with disabilities, the media..."enemies of the state"....if I had been them, I would have turned off my camera and left. Why give him free air time if I'm his enemy ? The media...left, right and middle helped to create this creature. He really is a vampire of sorts...he keeps sucking blood to stay alive...let's hope that the light of day and a worthy opponent end this trail of misery.
Well, there is one good thing I can say about one of the trumpers who live in my area (CT). He recycles (or is an hoarder) and has a Trump 2020 sign up.
Ignorance and money are not mutually exclusive, nor are ignorance and hate. But it seems that ignorance is motivated to vote. The MAGAts I know are not needy, but since he is supported by plenty with money, they do not feel so aligned with the ones you describe. They are a different kind of ignorant, they buy his “Apprentice” persona and the related bullschittery. They are likely the ones spending money on his NFT’s and believing that Fox is News.
JD I'd like to see research, if it exists on how many solid MAGA followers first learned of Trump or became "enamored" of him via the Apprentice and/or his Art of the Deal ghost written book ? I'd bet that the number is high.
Yep, too many people watch crap tv, and the “conservative” cretins have new books out like an assembly line. Pushing the narrative like manna from heaven. I know people who buy them in multiples and give for gifts to the “unsuspecting” as well as the true believers.
Karen, I can relate...he said he needed a writing gig and took it because he needed the money. He also said the experience was unlike any other. He would normally sit down and interview the person and get the material he needed to write the book...so that basically the ghost writer is organizing their thoughts. But in this case Trump could not sit for lengthy interviews. After 15 minutes he had enough...so the writer followed him around and took copious notes for awhile. I've considered myself a "hired gun" with a camera for a long time. I took gigs from opposite sides of the same issue...once renting 2 opposing sides the same VCR in the same day...it was a bizarre experience...and if they had known...but I believed in freedom of speech. Now I'm at a point where I have one production company client that does an annual event in DC with a Conservative "think tank". They do a gala event and give awards to the "best" conservatives. They are not Trumpers. He has never gotten their award...but neither has Liz Cheney. Their next event is next spring. I love my crew...and we make very good money. We are all very liberal and enjoy working together and getting to hear what these folks talk about. But will I do it again ? I don't know.
The author made some comment that he got most of his information by interviewing everyone else. i think it would be hilarious if trump (by himself) wrote a children's book like Obama did or Jill Biden did about her cat.
Damn, I need to do that, a great picker-upper. Hope Devin Nunes gets to see it every day too. Of course, he took his money off the top, like all shysters do.
Mike, I have also seen Trump/pence flags in rural areas..I guess they are living in the past….I have a neighbor who has done work in my house when we remodeled it who would always had fox radio on. I have come to see that it’s not about policy with these folks….Trump is spewing anger and hate and for some reason this really resonates with many who are not in the upper elite class. The lower classes (I hate that terminology,) and undereducated are angry.(perhaps we ought to ask them what they are angry about) Anger and Hate are strong emotions….They identify with that. IDK.
I think it lies in brain design (I don't know what the more accurate term is) where people who self-identify as "conservative" utilize their midbrain for complex decision making (the part of the brain used to identify threat and determine threat response) vs. the people who identify as liberal use the frontal cortex (the part of the brain that knows how to reason).
That is the best description that I have heard to date.
I first met "Fox News" when the terrorists attacked us on 9/11. My brother returned from the barber with a placemat purchased at Ben Franklin that had a map of the world on it. He wanted to find Afghanistan. He turned on Fox and watched it non stop for days with his placemat map in front of him. In a few days he felt he was better informed than any neighbor and at least as able as his construction worker coworkers to discuss foreign affairs. Fox has that sort of pull to the less well educated ( those not given to actual research) among us. I think there are many more people like my brother all around me than there are people who think differently or look for more in a news organization. Not bad people - simple people who have strong ideas about right and wrong, good and evil. Many of these people became MAGA Republicans because of the propaganda they were addicted to - became angry because they were told they should be angry, suspicious because they were encouraged to be suspicious. Eventually they became angry at and suspicious of me and my sister - people they knew who thought differently.
Ally: If it isn't anger, then, we'd call it fear? I can see that. Interesting how closely tied are those two responses. When I am afraid, it is an easy slip into anger at the thing that is threatening.
They are not in it for the tax breaks. The folks you describe are following him because of their fear of “the others”, which trump amplifies and makes permissible.
No realization that they will be far, far, far worse off in every way but one: "owning the libs". Never mind you're reusing coffee grounds, you can "own the libs" and be a "winner".
Drive the back roads of central Florida or eastern NC, and you will see those same tattered Trump and Confederate flags.
As for Jesus saving Trump, that kid was a bad shot, God would not do something like kill an innocent bystander to save Trump. I think the kid was such a bad shot that he missed Trump and that blood on Trump was splatter from the actual victim.
Jenn, just wondering, does anyone recall seeing any sign of bruising after the bandaid was removed? I just had a cyst on my earlobe excised by my dermatologist and it is the deepest purple pink I’ve ever seen. I doubt very much the bruising will be completely gone in 10 days.
Trump and the current Republican Party, hand-picked members of SCOTUS included, seem to have a unifying urge to ignore and breach the laws and customs of their society, while attempting to intrusively dictate the behavior of others. From that frame of mind, the callousness of Trump and his entourage in the National Cemetery is what one would expect from them. It's all about supremacy.
Mike, I’d love for the relatives who had their loved ones gravesites exposed on TikbTok by the Trump campaign to sue the campaign to have the videos removed and to get a public apology from the campaign.
Despicable. And I also feel for the cemetery official who cannot take action because of the possibility of retribution. What kind of society are we living in?!
I see the other ones - the folks that live in busted down houses or trailers. They are led by ignorance, and they blame the very government they from which receive some sort of assistance, for their poverty. They were told that the “left wing” government took away their opportunities and gave them to immigrants and people of color.
The thing all MAGAts have in common is the sense that some undeserving people have or will take away what is theirs. Every Trump commercial bears that out ‘…there’s more for them and less for you.’ This strikes fear at the core of people who either love money or who have already lost most everything.
Brings to mind a conversation I had yesterday with a neighbor who is herself a WW2 war bride from France. In the aftermath of local storms, she was suggesting my husband come remove the bodies of 2 deer electrocuted by downed power lines. She bemoaned the fact that there were no hard working young people around to staff local services for cleanup and I mentioned lots of people want to come to this country to work. (to her credit she has been incredibly hard working since coming to this country in the 50's)She is an ardent MAGA and refuses to imagine our country strengthened by the efforts of immigrants rather than threatened by others. So frustrating.
The most bigoted woman in our neighborhood which is VERY diverse is from Europe in her 80's with a strong accent...and she's the one always complaining about brown & black people or any kind of minority. I just avoid her.
Most of us are hard workers. She made a choice to move here and should be thanking the U.S. People make choices every day to be happy and thankful. If she wasn't so grumpy she would know many great young people! She should call the authorities and deal with those people!
Steve, please add some 'deep history' for us. Which Roman Emperor does Trump most remind you of and which slice of Roman history does our current election season most remind you of. First 'gut feel' that comes to mind regardless of not fitting neatly. Thanks
Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41)
Described as “self-indulgent, cruel, sadistic, extravagant and sexually perverted thereafter; an insane, murderous tyrant who demanded and received worship as a living god, humiliated his Senate, and planned to make his horse a consul.”
Nero... His 'Golden Palace' reminds me of 'Mar-a-Lago;.... From Wikipedia:
"Most Roman sources offer overwhelmingly negative assessments of his personality and reign. Most contemporary sources describe him as tyrannical, self-indulgent, and debauched. The historian Tacitus claims the Roman people thought him compulsive and corrupt. "
None of the above - presidents have destructive power at their finger tips that would have been unimaginable in the pre-modern period, and have used it. Caligula's terror, for example, was really barley even a terror of those beyond the Senate; same with Nero. But because senators were also the main historians of the epoch they tend to be hostile to any emperor who doesn't respect their privileges. So I don't see a parallel between Trump and eccentric emperors. It's worse. Where the real parallel with Roman history is for the US is the epoch in which the republic became a dictatorship. People often refer to the period of the dictatorship as the empire, but Rome was already an empire in the republican period (roughly 509-30 BCE).
What occurs in the period from the 130s going forward is that norms begin to be broken and wealth and power begin to concentrate in the hands of a few. The Roman constitution, which was one of normative custom and tradition, not written, also saw gradual, then rapid erosion, particularly in the period between roughly 88-44 BCE.
After the dictatorship of Caesar there was a feeble attempt at restoration of republican government, but that died on the beaches of Formiae with the death of Cicero in December of 43.
We might well remember, folks, that Rome was always an aggressor, clever by half with its citizenship offers, the road of conquest was littered with flat out atrocities. Eg Corinth, Carthage, Palestine. Not that this kind of thing was all that unusual. Heavy handed tactics abound in the history books.
lol, remember, Constantine and company ended the most severe persecutions against Christian Romans under Diocletian and company in the closing/opening years of the 3rd/4th centuries. He also presided over and insisted on legislated solutions to the doctrinal disputes among the various factions of Christian leaders in his day. To wit, the Nicene Council, the Apostles Creed kind of thing. He initially only removed the persecution (after all, this growing but substantial minority were all fellow citizens and slaves) but quickly provided funding for messaging (50 copies of the Bible) , restoration of confiscated properties, then augmenting facilities. In the century that followed, esp with recognition of Christianity as a legal religion, numbers swelled, and pro Christian support continued apace (as well as discrimination against Jews, thanks to those fine Christians) until, after countered a few imperial attempts to revive/suppress paganism/Christianity , Theodosius outlawed paganism, though pagan practices continued in decline for some centuries anyay. During this century, and after, there was indeed destruction or repurposing of pagan temples et al. Remember, Jen, the Roman empire was "Christianized" by the Romans themselves, with most of that after Constantine was gone. I do agree, there was indeed much muscling and take up in the process. In a world where dictatorship was sine qua non, Christianity was remarkably "democratic". Relatively few people were outright taken out "by the sword" and in fact it wasnt even a prime instrument of change. My reading of history. Try Diarmaid McCollough's History of Christianity, though a bit heavy on detail and length.
This is a really interesting discussion. At what point does an expanding polity transform from a state to an empire? In the case of Rome, was it the acquisition of Egypt? Did the sheer size and complexity of this conquest require the creation of an administration capable of managing it? It might be argued that the Ottoman Empire was similarly transformed 1500 years later by the same acquisition.
I don’t think an apt parallel can be found in that period. Like him or not, Julius Caesar was a soldiers soldier, a leader of men, an ambitious over achiever. - yes, but they say Trump was ambitious - who I would hazard to say, loved Rome more than himself and wished to earn greatness by making it greater, through both expansion, and greater unity…under him. He was one hard act to follow. Donald Trump …?? Seriously ? Ditto, Augustus who I understand took on the title of “Imperator”, then deified and raised a statue to himself on Corfu or someplace in the western Isles of Greece after winning a naval battle over his rivals.
By that time as you point out, “Rome” was already the epicenter of a juggernaut of territorial and social domination by means of force, in other words, “imperialism”. There was then some nexus between leadership capabilities and this. But as the decades go by, with a few notable exceptions, there there is a steady in this causal connection, to the point where emperors become merely fleas on the back of a galloping horse. That is the period in which I would look for a parallel.
It’s called misogynoir, a toxic blend of racism and sexism specifically directed against Black women. Trump doesn’t think Kamala Harris could make it in politics on her own talent, but she has. Trump being Trump, he won’t ever believe it, and he fears strong, outspoken Black women.
In all seriousness, his malignant type sees woman as sex toys first, lil' helpers second, full people never. Their tiny brains literally can't process a female having a larger brain. They seem to truly reject that such a thing is even remotely possible.
How satisfying helping power-wash away not just this embarrassment to the Y chromosome but his whole rancid non-philosophy is proving to be.
We must pour out the pot and wash the remains down the sewer. Time to take our country back. Go out by the millions and vote! Clean these evil doers out of the people’s house and run off Donald Trump. It is shameful and embarrassing that such low class and lack of moral character ever held the office of president. Oh yeah, then we must clean up the Supreme Court and do away with the electoral college. Take our Country on to the future we deserve and need. We can do it.
50/50 is the best we can do this time, realistically. However, that will be enough if everyone sticks together and votes to send the filibuster to the dustbin. The stakes are so high that I suspect we shall see the dam burst.
I'm hoping the momentum we're seeing so far has room to grow now that the campaign is heating up. None of the polls published reflect the ending of the DNC and the subsequent weeks of active campaigning. Kamala and Tim are not about making anyone think their messaging is "complicated".
The other factor with people voting for Trump is what Dr. Richardson has identified-the vilification of the word “socialism” that the Movement Conservatives hung around the necks of anyone (ie, Democrats) that did not support their desire the keep wealth for the very wealthy.
Where I ran into that personally is a recent conversation with my cousin, who is in her later 70’s. She has spent her life learning that Democrats are socialists, and she can only vote Republican.
She personally despises Trump. She wishes he was in jail. But she read Harris’ father was a Marxist (I looked it up, he did support Marxism), so that is all she needs to veer away from Harris, “hold her nose and vote for Trump again”.
In a previous conversation, she said she fears socialism.
There are many like her, I am afraid. Intelligent people of her age(and she is smart) who have been so indoctrinated with fear of socialism all their lives, have been indoctrinated that Democrats are socialists, that the fact that Harris’ father supported Marxism (even though Harris herself has never supported Marxism that I have seen, and wasn’t even raised by her father)is all she needs to vote for someone she despises and she knows is a convicted felon. She feels this is the ultimate issue of this election.
The Movement Conservatives really were successful with their messaging to a lot of Boomers.
Maybe ask her what "socialism" means to her? That's become my go-to response when someone dismisses an argument with a term like that. It's always interesting to hear what someone else's thinking is based on.
I remember in my 8th grade US History class the teacher had us read, among other original sources, Marx's Tenets, and asked us to compare and contrast with what we knew of the US. As I recall, 8 of the 10 tenets were intrinsic to US government.
As a resident of Appalachia, I can assure you that there are millions of MAGA supporters who are not only not well off, but are so economically challenged that they are on government support. Don’t try to convince them that their means of support will disappear once Trump is back. They think he actually cares about them.
I find this not just sad — but frighteningly and frightfully SAD!!! I guess it’s due to a combination of ignorance, bigotry, jealousy, hate, laziness and just plain fear?
Heavens. Rural America is chock full of poor and struggling MAGAs. Undereducated and brainwashed by decades of hate radio and Fox. I live in rural Virginia. The enthusiasm is less than in 2020 for sure but I still won’t put a Harris Walz sign in my yard.
I’m in rural Virginia also, but while there is much poverty the monster Trump/Whittman/Cao signs are on property owned by community leaders, who should know better. Their resentment is deep seated and generational.
Trump often accuses others of deeds he himself commits. I’ve seen Trump’s “letters of adoration” to Putin and can’t help but suspect that Trump offered sexual as well as other favors to Putin to in order to receive so much help for his political career.
"he himself commits"... that is indeed a basic Maga messaging technique. Any freedom and democracy the Dems have come up with has been instantly by "us too" and throw the book at them, of course, they have brought out their "communism/socialism" fear mongering, which they have for generations now, kinda goes back to the Red Scare of 1920, well as Heather has aptly reminded us the industrialists and southerners of the late 19th century. God, such a long, worn down story! Never occurs that any financial hand up flows straight back into the economy, creating demand for businesses, payrolls, profits, tax revenues, all to the net benefit of all concerned. I so repeat myself on this one.
What Greek and Roman wisdom thankfully got right is that *all politics* depends on people of *virtue*, of which Trump can claim no part. Intemperate. Imprudent. Cowardly, no courage. Injust to the nth degree. Without love, hope, charity or faith of any sort, while claiming to be the Second Coming (of Jesus, Lincoln, whoever). Virtue is an ideal, offering these measure of one striving for good. That Trump registers a zero on each measure is a telltale sign for his supporters to abandon him for their own sake.
Steve! It’s as though we are back in middle school with “everyone” wanting to be in the clique with “the mean girls”. Now, as then, the acts and support required starts out small and includes small acts of cruelty towards outsiders. Those who walk the hallways, preening, know that any show of disloyalty to the leader will result in expulsion as well as immediate attack. There is also the mandatory jostling to be seen among the pack members as closest to the leader.
It’s a shame that the “Gang That Couldn’t Legislate” (nod to The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight) enables the whitewashing of their leader while he listens to the “evil boyfriend” (Stephen Miller) who delights in pulling wings off flys (ripping nursing babies from their mothers’ arms).
The ones I know are just never wealthy enough. My ex husband is a diagnosed sociopathic narcissist. I don't know if it's possible but I think he may also have turned my daughter into one.
The “incident” at Arlington, the disregard for the rules, mistreatment of the soldier who tried to stop them (including calling her mentally ill) and the final act of the tfg campaign manager putting the video on X with the snide comment about the “hacks” in the Secretary’s office should be, prima facie, disqualifying for tfg. Anyone who sneers at our military, among his other many, many other flaws, is unfit to serve as president, CoC.
As a drafted Army veteran, I am appalled and angry at Trump’s abuse of our sacred ground for our fallen! It personifies the abuse Trump, his paid staff, his complicit media on Fox and other vehicles and his most ardent followers have inflicted first on on political system at large and second on what was formerly known as The Republican Party! Their stain runs deep and will last decades! What Harris and Walz bring to the rest of our society are steps in the right direction of honor, national purpose and sound economic and social policy.
But we must win BIG for that to happen and for it to last more than one term in office! If we succeed in 2024, our younger voters will save us in 2026 and 2028 and beyond! That’s why we must focus the next two months on registering massive numbers of 18 to 29 age
Sorry hit the wrong button: please go to www.TurnUp.US which is run by brilliant Harvard students registering these young new voters focused only on 23 “truly competitive” Congressional Districts and key Senate elections based on abortion rights, gun safety and climate change! It is tax deductible as well as a 501C3 charitable organization! Let’s get it done folks NOW before it is too late? Thank you!
I am sorry that you or anyone else was drafted stealing two or more years of your life from you and the hundreds of thousands of others that went through the same thing.
As the son of a WWII disabled veteran and several other family members who served in WWII, Korea and Viet Nam I am seething at the events that took place at Arlington.
I was watching MSNBC the day Trump's brown shirts started firing tear gas and rubber bullets to clear Lafayette Square for CFDTs unauthorized photo-op in front of a church. The protest was scheduled to be over 20 minutes after the shooting started.
Before now, this is the most glaring example of Fascism I know of on American soil.
But the Arlington event was much worse in my opinion. To dishonor fallen veterans and their family members is as low as one can go. And then to push an US Army employee out of the way to perform an illegal activity is truly despicable. But perhaps the worst thing about it is convicted felon five time draft dodger Donold Trump and his thugs masquerading as campaign staff will NEVER be held accountable. Just like with Lafayette Square.
A big fuck you goes out to Trump and anyone who supports him.
(Actually almost 5 yrs) but tRump has gotten his ass kicked when this backfired on this sneaky attempt to accuse her of not attending a solemn memorial! Haven’t seen a serious poll of what vets really feel about this and voting— has anyone?
Thank you for stating your perspective. I wish more service members and their allies would speak up. And that "Republican" members of our congress and military would do the same.
Plenty of people have said what needs to be said about the Arlington disgrace. Three out of four of my grandparents served, and while I am typically distrustful of holding too many things precious and sacred, some things just command that reverence. Burial groud of fallen heroes is one of them. This was a desecration, plain and simple, and I pray I will never be jaded enough for something this gratuitously disgusting not bring me to a boil.
But what really, really, really got me going was the detail about blaming the poor woman doing her job as having a "mental health episode." UGH. Obviously it was a lie, but beyond that... I struggle mightily with mental health issues/illness, and I've encountered this trope among right-wingers before. Everyone who is inconvenient or threatening to their conformity is "mentally ill" and gets mocked as part of a nebulous blob of craaaaazy. Lady at the cemetary just doing her job? Mentally ill. Trans people in a pride parade? Mentally ill. Protestors that aren't theirs? Mentally ill. Literally anyone with a funny hair color? Mentally ill. On the flipside... school shooter? Mentally ill, but eh, what can you do? It's a catch-all intended to put everyone they don't see as one of them on one spectrum of untrustworthy and maladjusted and erratic.
Mental health issues are common in loads of well-adjusted people. Conversely, one can be a total psycho without having psychosis in the diagnosed clinical sense. The cult leader clown, for instance. Actually, he probably is both. His existence has provoked a "mental health episode" for this whole damn country. He and his top sycophants should be forced to pay all our therapy bills, class-action style.
Thanks, Will. It’s been nine years of trauma. Nine years I can’t get back. With the exception of the days preceding January 6th and after the election was called for Biden the mental stress has been ever present. I’m pissed.
CFDT wouldn't hesitate to name names and give addresses and phone numbers if the shoe was on the other foot. The only name I've seen is Steven Cheung the former sumo wrestler turn Trump spokesperson for Trump calling her mentally unstable or something like that.
Well, if the Trump Organization wasn't already on its last legs, the new anti-money laundering rules would be their death blow. No more "most of our money comes from Russia" as Eric Trump said seven years ago.
Dodson had planned to play nine holes with Trump and Eric, along with pro golfer Greg Norman and Trump’s bodyguard, and when he got there, Dodson asked where Trump was getting money. “He just sort of tossed off that he had access to $100 million,” said Dodson, whose curiosity was piqued:
“So when I got in the cart with Eric,” Dodson says, “as we were setting off, I said, ‘Eric, who’s funding? I know no banks—because of the recession, the Great Recession—have touched a golf course. You know, no one’s funding any kind of golf construction. It’s dead in the water the last four or five years.’ And this is what he said. He said, ‘Well, we don’t rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia.’ I said, ‘Really?’ And he said, ‘Oh, yeah. We’ve got some guys that really, really love golf, and they’re really invested in our programs. We just go there all the time.’ Now that was three years ago, so it was pretty interesting.”
If the dates in tonight's Letter that these rules go into effect are correct, the money laundering will go on for more than a year after the 2024 election. My hope is that the "Trump Organization" will be history when these finally go into effect.
So many people seem involved in taking down our country that I doubt our prisons can hold all of them.
And why does it take a year? Why does every good decision or bit if legislation or legal challenge take one year, two years etc etc in the USA? That's just too much bureaucracy.
In case anyone here missed Harris and Walz's CNN interview, I have pasted the transcript below, lightly edited for clarity. You're welcome.
Voiceover: A few weeks ago on this network, we let an honorable senior citizen implode in front of us and instead of offering him a glass of water, made his life hell for the next several weeks. Our plan worked too well, for now he has been replaced on the Presidential ticket by SOME LADY. No one knows who this woman is, where she came from, what she stands for, or what crazy sh!t she has planned, because without an exclusive interview, there is truly no way to know. Thank God for us, and now Dana Bash will get to the bottom of things.
Bash: VP Harris, let's begin. Things are more expensive than they were several years ago. This has been the case since forever, but it's really harshing our vibes. Despite all the actual facts saying so, you can't possibly think the economy is good, can you?
Harris: Well, it inarguably objectively is, so I don't wanna be a liar by saying it isn't, but I also don't wanna seem uppity, so... I'll just say we can always improve.
Bash: Why haven't you already solved all our problems?
Harris: I actually haven't been in charge, and I'm not made of fairy dust.
Bash: There are some very minor policy stances you seem to have changed since several years ago. Can you explain?
Harris: Sure! I'm a politician, so I change my mind on details if they are no longer popular.
Bash: Huh. Shoot. I didn't have anything beyond that. Um... do you agree with the campus loonies that want Israel destroyed?
Harris: No. I don't want any country destroyed, actually.
Bash: *turn to Walz* Tim, you're just sitting there. Surely there is some minor fib we might have caught you in?
Walz: You could dig up an oopsie if you tried, but I'm a nice guy who's just happy to be here, so let's not nitpick, shall we?
Bash: This is boring! Hey Kamala, can we talk about your rival instead?
Harris: No.
Bash: How about your boss? He's so OLD! Why doesn't it gross you out?
Harris: I think he is a nice person who has done a good job for a lot of people.
Bash: How about your niece? She's adorable!
Harris: Yes, she is. Absolutely darling. The children are the future.
**THE GHOST OF CRONKITE APPEATS OUTSIDE THE WINDOW. CUT TO COMMERCIAL.**
Kamala and Tim are getting way too much good press and continue to rise in almost every poll.
Convicted felon draft dodging Donold Trump posted 50 times on the night of the Arlington debacle trying to find something to take the focus off of the chaotic photo op.
Nothing he posted is sticking.
And JD even told Kamala to go to hell for her non-response response to the Arlington chaos.
Yes , that is true. Trumps desperate and will do anything for his political campaign that is sinking. Let him keep putting his foot in his mouth. It would be to Kamala's advantage at the polls in November.
What a contrast between Bone Spur Donald’s blatant effort to politicize the solemnity of the Arlington National Cemetery while Vice President Harris conducted herself presidentially at the first serious presidential candidate media interview of 2024.
My family proudly listened to Kamala speak with dignity, authority, and a clear grasp of how she intends to lead the United States of America.
I have met several presidents and served under four presidents, two Republican and two Democratic.
Kamala Harris clearly is presidential.
I look forward to the September 10th ABC presidential ‘debate.’ Her opponent has been ranked the worst president in American history by a distinguished panel of historians and political scientists.
Some observers have described this event as ‘a seasoned prosecutor against a fact-less felon.’
I think Trump giving a “thumbs up” at a soldier’s gravesite was tasteless and disrespectful. When one goes to a cemetery, especially one for fallen military, one should behave respectfully.
Kathy He was making a video that would be used in an ad. The theme was that he cared to honor the soldiers killed in Afghanistan, while President Biden chose not to appear.
Trump’s hypocrisy is extraordinary. He didn’t want wounded soldiers to appear in a military parade, because ‘it didn’t look good.’
Despite the overriding strictures prohibiting using Arlington National Cemetary for political purposes, Trump sought to use these ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’ to his political advantage.
Why any veteran would vote for Bone Spur gobsmacked me—who voluntarily was a ‘sucker’ and almost a ‘loser’ in service to my coiuntry.
She will not be in a courtroom w judicial representatives and armed guards. She has yet to show she can counter gishgalloping! Simply politely disrupting as she did w Pence will be wholly ineffectual w Trump. Does she know how and is she willing to do what it takes to counter the gishgalloping of a psychopath? Someone please convince me.
She will hold her own just fine. The "gallop" is a transparent ploy, not some dark wizardry with no comeback available to us mere mortals. The proper thing to do is to let him hang himself by looking insane, ignore it, and use her time to reinforce her mesage without engaging with the nonsense other than a cursory "that's a lie!"
Biden did just fine onstage against the Gish gallop in 2020. He failed to counter it this time because, well, it is clear in hindsight that he had simply become too infirm to campaign/debate effectively regardless of opponent. I admire the man and thank him for his service, but every day since he passed the baton has been a night-and-day demonstration of what we were missing and now have.
Biden misjudged jet lag and the power of anger (his) to disrupt one’s train of thought when jet lagged. Americans, except the few of us who survived Covid, as excited as we may be about the change in candidates, remembering Der Alte and understanding that physical limitations do not necessarily diminish mental acuity, recognize that 1) it was no debate, and 2) the firehose of lies could have brought down a younger jet-lagged president.
Another approach might be to wait until that animate object (45) stops spewing, I mean talking, and then she turns, looks into the camera, and says what she wants to say to the American People. At every pause in his spewing. Don't play his game. He uses the "debate" as a free platform to spew his schtick. She can use the platform in a similar way, to clearly explain policy or whatever to the viewing audience. It is impossible to have a rational dialogue with an irrational humanoid. Don't play his game -- he's not playing your game, as he is not capable of doing so. Keep your cool and act like he doesn't exist.
Have you never seen the garbage that defense attorneys come up with? I've had the opportunity to testify under oath in criminal trials, and they really come up with some doozies in those low-level trials. VP Harris can handle it.
So, on the one hand, we have a principal political actor to whom law is an impediment unless he can wield it as a club against his enemies. On the other, we have government workers (“faceless bureaucrats”) working to create and operate a legal system that will protect financial transactions from being used to cheat, steal, defraud and bully honest businesses and citizens. Got it. Amazingly, many of those citizens support that actor, often vociferously. I know, because I was phone-banking for Kamala yesterday, and I ran into a number of them. Showing, once more, that Churchill was right about democracy.
There is a 0.00% chance that Liz Cheney will be in a Harris cabinet. She is uber-right-wing on every policy position which is kind of a deal-breaker when it comes to serving under a center-left President.
I appreciate what she did on the Jan 6th Committee, I really do. But the fact that she (with her old guard family ties) felt compelled to do the bare minimum in standing for rule of law, and no one joined her, says more damnable things about the party than it does about her general reasonableness, which is basically nonexistent.
Kinzinger seems like a nice person, yet if such a move comes true it'll probably be someone retired who takes over Agriculture or something. Obama tried floating the same idea and it didn't last long in practice.
Bingo Will! If Liz was still in the House in a position of power as she was, would she have supported any of the major legislation that the Democrats have passed over the previous four years?
I think we tried working with a republican in high office when AG Garlad was given the management responsibility for prosecuting DJT. I think he did a more forceful job with Hunter Biden's legal woes.
JD When the Phoenix rises from this soul less party what will it look like?
The Southern Republicans and their followers aren't going to change their stripes anytime soon and I haven't seen any interest in bipartisanship from any of them except for the border bill which Trump killed. When there are NEVER any consequences for their actions except to get reelected what hope is there for the NEW Republicans party?
Costal and other progressive states carry the southern states. They do not have enough of a stake in their own success so they have the freedom to indulge in nostalgic racism, rural and small town happiness, homecoming queens, etc. Some of those things are fine so long as the people enjoying them are helping to make them happen. If you are sitting on a curb with a cup collecting $ to fund a bender I think it is in poor taste to bite the leg of the one who throws coin in your cup. Most of the legislators from that place (MTG, Tommy Tuberville,, etc) don't seem to agree on that.
We have heard that America has a housing shortage. We have also heard that corporations have been busy purchasing residential real estate to use as rental properties as a lucrative source of income. We have also heard, from Matthew Desmond in "Poverty, By America" that owners of rental properties like to target people of color, and jack the rent in certain neighborhoods for maximum lucre extraction. Now money laundering via US real estate investment enters the equation. We should wonder how much of our affordable housing shortage is a function of foreign money laundering. It will be a challenge for our new Democratic President.
I am thinking the same thing. And wondering how/ why all this real estate chicanery was ignored from 2011 on. Too many people continue to benefit from this fundamental corruption while the homeless crisis has ballooned way beyond decency.
It is a huge challenge that needs to be addressed, it isn't just certain neighborhoods, housing has gone off the charts. People are complaining about increasing homeless populations but not acknowledging the reality that this isn't only the irresponsible or disadvantaged, homelessness is a real, constant threat that it never was for people that are in fact working, starting out or retired.
As a civil servant for 33 years, most within DOD, I agree the Army NeVEr makes such statements unless they cannot avoid it. This truly crossed a line. But, that is the point: for DJT and autocrats, he alone gets to make the lines so of course he ignored rules, beat up on someone doing his job, then lied and laughed. This is the attack on a journalist reporting on a campaign rally in 20215 redux.
Good point David. Should the Judge wait until after the election to sentence him knowing that CFDT will milk the sentence for political gain?
I would love to see 500-1000 hours of community service determined by whoever is in charge of that in New York. The more public it is, the better. House arrest would be a joke.
A Corps of Engineer Vet and Retiree of 34 years applauds your verification of the care the military takes in statements.
But I also noticed the Army Official pushed aside at Arlington was female and wonder how much of the Trump Party blunder was also tainted by their obvious misogyny in tune with the Master of Blunder.
The female soldier was doing her job protecting the hollow grounds at the cemetery when she was physically and mentally attacked by Trump’s goons. He is a mob boss and this soldier knew she was forced into a form of submission where she could only file a report. It’s shameful and that sonofabitch should’ve been hauled away with his bouncers in a proverbial paddy wagon. Unfortunately, that did not happen and he trampled on those grounds with (again unfortunately) real ignorant people who were so enamored with him or didn’t know the rules of Arlington. Maybe they were both, but they were Gold Star families who legitimately lost loved ones. The good thing is that it made Trump look like the fool he is and I believe many have taken note.
FinCen’s ruling is way past due but comes at the heels at Trump’s “investments” in real estate. This is nothing short than awesome because I have no doubt that he has been the recipient of money laundering from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, and now Egypt. Also heard that a Ukrainian oligarch has been imprisoned in Ukraine for almost a year because of his money laundering. The US wants to extradite him here because he was involved with banks. I really feel this is going to blow the lid off of shell companies and maybe even “charitable” organizations.
I so agree with your last sentence. It will also be fascinating to watch how the FinCen investigations affect the politics in the UK regarding those political operatives who campaigned for the severing of UK links with the post war EU peace project and then imposed the most extreme politically isolating Brexit.
"The Pentagon avoids statements like this at all costs. But a draft dodging traitor decided to lie about our armed forces staff, so they went to paper.” And what is the penalty for this traitor who once again violated some sacrosanct rules?
For everything he has done? To women, to minorities, to the environment, to American democracy, to democracy world wide? In my opinion, there is no punishment that would ever suffice.
He's gotten plenty of negative press (finally) for this latest ploy; maybe some MAGAs or on-the-fence folks will move away from him, especially if there are veterans in their families.
He never gets enough negative press. He broke the law again; he already is a convicted felon multiple times over WHEN is all this enough to get him into jail?
Has anyone else wondered how a veteran could possibly admire Donald Trump? I do not mean to ask how a veteran could support a Trump second term ( or even first term) - I mean admire the man? I am not a veteran so I do not get it. Admiring DJT does not fit in the same duffle bag as "no man left behind", "some gave all", honored to serve" - does it?
Thank you Professor Richardson. Another great thought-provoking LFAA.
Trump's disdain for decorum, tradition, law, and anything that is not "Trump" or "Trump" in big gold letters is as clear now as it was when he was mocking differently-abled reporters.
Of all of the various investigations, indictments, and convictions, I suspect FinCEN strikes fear into Trump's tiny, orange, still-beating, Burger King surrounded heart. And it's likely why Trump famously stated "Trump after Mueller appointment: "This is the end of my presidency. I'm f*cked."
Dec 21, 2018 — In the fall of 1992, after he cut a deal with U.S. banks to work off nearly a billion dollars in personal debt, Donald Trump put on a big ...
Marlene if I could raise enough money for a (highly) leveraged buy out of Wired, WashPo, and the NYT and most all content that should be public domain -I would do it for all of us (and in memory of Aaron Swartz). If you open your browser in "incognito" mode or "private" mode it should be readable (that's what I did without a subscription).
Thank you, George. This is heavy. It's been a few years now, but I watched several of Sheldon Whitehouse's Scheme episodes where he addressed the issue of shell companies, and other related topics that your links have written about.
I also feel the need to give a shout-out to Greg Olear, author of "Dirty Rubles, an Introduction to Trump/Rusia," published in 2018.
His Prevail substack has many articles on Trump's Russian ties. Here's just one:
Thank you for sharing Lynell. The corruption and financial crimes truly transcend borders. Although I think of Russian-influence in dividing and weakening the United States, it’s really a global crime syndicate working to amass as much money and power as possible.
Morning, Ally! My circle was small back then; so, he seemed to be the lone voice calling out the chicanery. Of course, I also need to include his partner on the Five/8, Stephanie Kopf - LB!
''“I don’t think I can adequately explain what a massive deal it is for the Army to make a statement like this,” political writer and veteran Allison Gill of Mueller, She Wrote, noted. “The Pentagon avoids statements like this at all costs. But a draft dodging traitor decided to lie about our armed forces staff, so they went to paper.”''
Trump is a traitor to all that's decent and good...a loser.
Trump and his campaign were trying to politicize the tragic accident that took place as the US withdrew from Afghanistan with a photo-op in a restricted area.
I extracted this from a YouTube video. Unfortunately, I didn't save the link.
Afghanistan Withdrawal Facts:
Trump not Biden Negotiated directly with the
Taliban terrorists and excluded the Afghan army.
Trump not Biden Drew down US forces from
13,000 to 2,500, making them vulnerable to attack.
Trump not Biden Ordered the release of 5,000
Taliban fighters from prison, one of whom would
become the new leader of Afghanistan.
Trump not Biden Wanted to invite the Taliban
leaders to Camp David on the anniversary of
September 1lth. Seriously.
Trump not Biden Agreed to a May Ist exit
from Afghanistan, then bragged that he didn't
need an exit strategy.
Trump not Biden Refused to brief Biden's
incoming team on the situation in Afghanistan.
Trump not Biden Shut down every airbase
in Afghanistan except one, crippling the US's
ability to extract US citizens."
Biden alerted US citizens in Afghanistan to leave starting four months before the extraction began to evacuate. Thousands chose to ignore Biden's warning (pleading). A few died.
Sadly, we left allies behind who have since been treated with the same disrespect they were treated with before W. invaded Afghanistan in October, 2001. The war cost the US $300 million a day and the Republicans willing financed the war for 20 years.
When we arrived in Afghanistan the GDP of the entire country was so low it was unmeasurable according to economists. When we left 20 years later it was still in the bottom 10% of all countries in the world and it only cost us around $2 trillion.
Sorry, I don't have a Facebook account so I can't. But earlier today I found the first part (thru ability to extract US citizens on Hopium in Substack and noticed that he had a copyright symbol by the story. So I should probably delete my post. Or at least edit out the Hopium part. The rest is mine and you're welcome to it.
I've spent the last 45 minutes searching for the content and link to that. Simon Rosenberg is responsible for putting it together and he put it in a VISIO type graphic. I am coming up empty. Sorry. I don't know why I didn't keep the link. My bad. If I see it again I will send you the link.
Their oligarchs love our oligarch. They buy condos in his buildings, partner for golf tournaments, give his daughter payments, pass huge sums of money to his son in law, and pay "state" visits to his Florida resort.
Is there any question why DJT prefers Dictators... Didn't DJT say that he wanted to build Resorts in North Korea?
And the Trumplings are eyeing the waterfront of Gaza...
The desecration of Arlington virtually assures a victory for Kamala Harris. This is the big one that will sink Trump. Not so much the convictions but the army that goes out of its way to avoid anything political to make the statement. It’s huge. It’s bigger than Don-old Trump’s butt. Trust me on this one. And hopefully the down ballots will benefit as well.
I hope you are correct, Bill. It seems every vile act he commits isn’t low enough because he and his ilk ALWAYS find a way to go lower.
They get as far as the deep hole will go...and then they bring in their shovels. Not sure where I heard that one but it's so accurate!
I don't know how ANY veteran could vote for him. He has done nothing but denigrate the military and anyone who has served.
And Harris is smart leaving this one alone since it’s a train wreak still in motion. I’m flabbergasted but gratified that Trump and company would think this photo op-Ed would be beneficial. It’s almost humorous if not so pathetic. I think the only thing he could do worse now would by to fly off to North Korea and in another photo op, plunk a big huge kiss on the lips of Kim Jong Un.
This photo op reminds me of holding the Bible upside down.
I wouldn't put it past him! :)
He may be flying to Kim land after he loses the November election!
lips?
Bill Clinton learned a political lesson from Nixon that goes like this: Identify your core voters and then identify what they care about most. Then always address and support those issues without fail. After that you will be free to deal with the other issues your voters don’t prioritize any way you want. That’s what Trump does. As long as he keeps pushing the grievance button and sticking his finger in the eyes of the Democrats he is golden with MAGA. We’ll see how this dust up with the military goes. I hope it’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back with veterans.
Sadly, a friend of mine a Vietnam vet ,who has Parkinson’s as a result of agent orange exposure , is a devoted supporter! Go figure!
There is an underlying support by some who are transfixed by pure white bloodline. They have no capacity to use reason as their guide. Mandy inside are just pure unadulterated racists, in my humble opinion.
Dementia is common in Parkinson's disease. Speaking as a retired internal medicine M.D.
Another deadly kind of agent orange...Trump
45 will take his health care away
Is your friend white? If so, no further explanation need education.
That's what I thought about women after the Hollywood Access tape...and yet...
Even Trump thought the Access Hollywoid tape was the end. It wasn’t because racism trumps everything.
The veterans I know are really angry about this although they wouldn't have voted for him in any case. My LMT, a navy veteran, and I talked about this during my massage. He understands how sacred that cemetery is. Death star was aided and abetted by at least some of the families and a couple of them had the their thumbs up as well. I understand how they would like to cast blame, but Biden is not responsible for the Islamic terrorist group that did this. Also death star cannot really say anything about his approach to the Taliban. He is a walking foreign policy (love me some dictators) disaster.
The thumbs up thing really bothers me Michele. How could any normal human being stand at ANyone's grave, and do THAT !? To do so at the grave of a fallen soldier only makes it more despicable. Only a murderer, who wanted someone to die, and then killed them, might see that as a thumbs-up moment. Or, of course, him. This disrespect of our military is a brand new thing that only came about because of, him !
It really bothers me too. Here he is and those who joined him in a very sacred space and they act like they are at the Roman colosseum watching some gladiators and allowing those they favor to live.
Trump is not a normal human being. He’s a long way from being even a decent being. He’s one of the most deeply narcissistic animals in history. Furthermore, Trump wasn’t the only thumbs up scumbag in the photo.
In addition to the 5 'thumbs up' (including tfg), there was someone at the right end (from viewer perspective) giving the Hawaiian hand gesture of thumb & little finger, middle fingers folded down. Looking online , there apparently are various interpretations but all more or less equivalent to 'thumbs up'.
I love your optimism Bill, but the only thing that will ensure the victory we all want to see is getting more votes on Nov. 5. I suppose it's impressive that the Army made a public statement, but even more impressive would have been enforcing the law on the people who broke it and engaged in assault in doing so.
The crux of it is that Trump believes he is above the law - no matter what the situation.
Respectfully, the issue isn't that the failed insurrectionist feels that way although he clearly does, it's that other people enable him behaving as though he is. In this case, the officers senior to the woman who tried to enforce the ANC policy, who did not back her up. At minimum, the individual who had physical contact with her should have been arrested on the spot. Had it been one of us who are discussing it, we would be in a stockade right now.
Yeah... They probably paid them off with cash & threats!
"Paid them off with cash" is slander to the people who tried to uphold the law. You need to rethink this.
On one other SubStack column written immediately after the incident, it said that Trump disciple, Mike Johnson, cleared the way with the Army to allow him in. If true, that is even more abominable.
So many things Trump has done or said should be disqualifying -- Jan 6th at the top of the list -- but nothing seems to shake the base of his support. Maybe this one will resonate. It certainly did for me.
Let us not forget that there is nothing he can do that will lose support - NOTHING!! Let's hope that the ignorant voters will see the stark contrast between these two candidates and choose the more likable, which is always the deciding factor in presidential elections, it is not policies, facts, or accomplishments. If those things mattered the Republicans would never have been elected since FDR. The exception was Nixon, who won due to the backlash against the war demonstrators.
The "thumbs up" photo op was particularly vile.
I hope you are right Bill. Now it's up to the media. If folks aren't bothered by the arrogance and disrespect of laws and ordinary people, Buddha help us. MAGA supporters cannot see that 45 only cares about them if they have something he wants, and then he'll try to take it.
Check out "Autocracy Inc" by Anne Applebaum. The audio book only takes 4 hours. Quite illuminating.
May the Universe hear you loud and clear. I will offer a toast to your predictions!!
Yes, let’s hope every new vote gives us more down ballot leverage in the year 2025!
Seems more like half of the US is yelling once again "LIBERTY!" and helps the Israelis to liberate the Palestinians of their properties, families and friends, lives and limbs.
Look, we get it.
Believe it or not, most of us also think war is gross. You're not special by reminding us of this. If you ever posted here on any other topic, with any other tone than seething zealotry, you would actually be a part of the community we would be able to take seriously. Instead, we know just what we will see when we see your name, and it is all too easy to scroll on by.
How exactly is that helping the unfortunate people half a world away you are obsessed with? Oh right, it doesn't. Something tells me it isn't about them for you, anyway.
Will, I enjoy most of your post, this one not so much. "We would" "we know", "we will" when "we" see your name. As my daddy would have asked, "have you got a mouse in your pocket?"
I believe Sabine was replying to Betsy's comment about the "Trumplings" (I love and am reusing that Betsy) eyeing the waterfront in Gaza. It made me angry too, remembering when I saw Jared taking about what he would do, build waterfront resorts.
I agree with Betsy, actually.
Sabine is a purposefully divisive troll and somebody had to say it. I could have spoken in the singular but it's late into the night and I guess delusions of grandeur crept in lol. Mea culpa!
Thank you Will. Both sides need to find leaders who are willing to negotiate. If not perhaps there is a way to do it for them.
Does it, Will? I don't think you know much of anything, darl.
What I know may be small, but at least I know that telling someone they don't know much of anything is not a good way to win them over. On those grounds alone, between the two of us, looks like I win!
Enjoy stewing in your all-consuming outrage on this single issue, while alienating possible allies to your cause! I'd love to catch up in a while and see how it's workin' for ya!
Sabine the darl is gratuitous and lends zero to the convo here. Social media appears to have helped slay our ability to communicate with one another. We are not here to knock one another down no matter how furious we are about a situation. It is a community of trust and integrity. Name calling does not belong no matter who started it. Please try to hear that as a suggestion. I am sure many people here are interested in the issues facing people in the middle east and would like to converse with you about them. Thanks for listening.
What I do know is that this thread has just been hijacked by this screed. I've spent the last 10 minutes reading through and realizing the main post of HCR has been forgotten. Well done Sabine with the hijack - actually NOT.
I'm moving back to HCR and comments about the cascade of DJT indignities to us veterans and those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice being used as props. We all mourn the war and hate Hamas, Hezbollah and what they have done to Palestinians as well as Jewish people. I remember 1984 Beruit as a Marine Vet and it still seethes, but I don't hijack other topics.
Have a better day.
Good Lord, you sound like Trump's people. If you think this is helping your cause, you'd better think again.
I sincerely believe that most Americans do not like what’s going on. But do not blame America for what Netanyahu is doing.
I do blame the US government because our historic policy through the corruption of PACS buying off politicians gave Israel a green light to do anything it has wanted.
I have liked Biden, but he made a HUGE mistake to back Israel without considering that Netanyahu is a butcher. He is riding the wave of war for his own purposes. The moment the conflict halts, Israelis can have an election and vote him out of office. Most of them want to.
Harris has signaled that she has her own view of things and I strongly suspect it does not include backing Netanyahu. Most of us in the US hate watching what Bibi is doing with our weapons. I am ashamed of the death, the starvation, the continuing warfare for the sake of "winning." There is no "winning" for anybody in this carnage. BTW, Trump will give Bibi anything he wants and Trump will love it.
You should blame that part of the US government and the people they represent for the corruption -- not all of us. Capitalism and fascism make an effective, slimy team that now seems to also enjoy the support of much of the press.
The Israelis have received over 500 Airlifts of Munitions since this latest Gaza War has started... They have essentially run out of Munitions... If the U.S. stops replenishing their War Machine, they will stop their Ethnic Cleansing...
Especially yes since no other country would send arms to Israel as we have. Which means that blood spilled is on our hands collectively speaking. When Biden gave Netanyahuyahoo a big huge, I almost vomited.
And someone tossed in polio just for good measure. Every parent there is now terrified of their kids getting polio on top of the constant bombing and shooting. And that's on top of everyone being malnourished and sick from contaminated water. Hell on earth.
This is double-standards on full display. The Zionists and Bibi are the land-grabbing butchers. The U.S. backing of Israel for this human (inhumane) slaughter has given license to rob and kill using Hamas as the targeted reason and justification. The U.S. has failed the Palestinians just as we are failing Ukraine.
Keltik_Warrior (Vince T)
I too have questions concerning this slaughter of women, children and elderly Palestinians.
I have multiple questions about the October music festival and why at that time a part of Israel's protective shield over that specific area was not working....so the military did not receive warnings immediately.
Why is it taking so long for the brilliant Israeli military to free the hostages? I guess they are too busy raping their prisoners!!!
Each time I listen to the news and see the devastation of Palestinian humanity in Gaza and other areas of the war, I feel that each death is on me!!! Each rape is on me!!! We are sending the weapons!!!! We share in this destruction.
In my opinion we are neglecting the most important reason to be in this conflict and that is to free the hostages.
I have never seen Netanyahu without a very satisfied smile on his face. He is using the USA to accomplish the destruction of Gaza and the Palestinian people...in my opinion. The longer the hostages are held, the more power he has to use us.
Remember the long term goal of many Israelis is to reclaim the land they say belongs to them from ancient writings.....not from laws concerning a land of their own decided legally following WW11.
This is my opinion....one of my best and most respected friends growing up was Jewish. I am not against Jewish people, Palestinian people or Iranians....etc. I had a wonderful Iranian friend in college.
I care for all persons and value the ideals of freedom and mutual respect. It is often leaders who have an agenda for themselves who are the problem.
Netanyahu has a naked hatred for the Palestinians and his bloodlust is being sated with eacch killing and each taking of more of the Palestinian land. Militant Jews are carving out increasing portions of the West Bank. I, too, have longtime Jewish friends. There is an effort to separate the Jew from the Zionist. I understand that line of demarcation. The current Israel -- note, current -- is behaving in ways that belie her claimed humanity. I borrow a line from the series "Vikings": "I Would Sup With The Devil If He Would Show Me How To Achieve My Earthly Goals."
Bibi and the Likud are seated at the Devil's banquet. To them, Palestinians have no value; human or otherwise.
Apparently, many of the Israelis killed at the Music Festival were 'Friendly Fire' Casualties from the 1st Responder Gunships... They started firing indiscriminately at running people on the Ground... Many of the Israeli Soldiers killed were unarmed Women whose duty was to 'Stare' at the monitors of their 'High Tech' Border Wall that collapsed when a moderately skilled Enemy Assaulted it.... Why was there a lack of an Organized Reaction Team in place? Israel is a small country... Why did it take hours to get unorganized Ground First Responders there? Brilliant Military? Yair Lapid says that Netanyahu was warned of the potential of this Attack a Year prior, and he shrugged it off... Is he now overcompensating, and Slaughtering the Gazans, many of who are the descendants of the 1947 Nakba? Is he Stringing out the War to avoid accountability...?
How is 'The US' failing Ukraine? Most of us support aid to Ukraine. Only one side wants us to stop the aid. Using blanket terms like 'the US' doesn't help.
New York Post, 02 JUL 2024: In his fixation on helping Ukraine in small doses for “as long as it takes,” President Biden is setting Kyiv up for failure, and NATO for a major strategic setback.
That one side is Putin and his serfs. This from Lithuanian Foreign Minister Landsbergis today:
"At the same time, the diplomat is convinced that Europe alone is unlikely to tackle Russia. Noting that history is a bad example for planning the future, but good for explaining what is happening now, Landsbergis said he does not currently see how the European continent can be stabilized without the participation of the United States.
"Throughout the last 100 years, every time U.S. would look inwards, war breaks out in Europe. And this is the thing that keeps on happening. So our job is now, at this point, to build up ourselves, build up our muscle, get stronger, but bring back the U.S. and keep the U.S. as much as possible involved because there's a very easy explanation why it is needed, is it not just for Europe, not just for Ukraine, but for the whole society to work, for the entire global society to work,” the minister emphasized."
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3900535-conflicts-in-europe-can-be-prevented-only-if-ukraine-comes-out-victorious-from-war-with-russia-landsbergis.html
No doubt there is an endless campaign for Israelis to divest Palestinians of property and space as they seek to continue to colonize. "one state solution". There is little sentiment in Israel i have heard for an independent, autonomous Palestine, though Hamas has perhaps provided the final nail in the coffin for this. Palestine has been split how between what the PLO used to do (think the Lebanese uncivil war/s of the 70s) and Arafat once espoused, and what Hamas has continued to espouse ever since. Just how can Israelis think there is a firm foundation for a two state solution while a hunk of Palestine still wants to drive Israel "into the sea", a phrase as old as Israel itself.
Well "from the river to the sea" just has become a completely new meaning looking at the increased atrocities they're now committing against the Palestinians in the Westbanks - wonder how long it will take for the US to stuff that slogan down our throats.
It has never felt more disgusting to be - thanks to our morally bankrupt politicians - complicit in this disturbing and unintelligent game of "never blame Israel!"
Sabine this may sound naive to you but hopefully not dismissive: What exactly would you like President Biden, VP/ presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, The Pentagon or whoever else to do about the murderous campaign between Hammas, Israel and probably somewhat Palestine? What power do these people have to fix that problem ( if that is the solution you are hoping for). They are trying negotiation, humanitarian aid and weapons supply. Which of those things should they stop doing? Given they are American citizens and not dictators, colonizers or unopposed leaders of an international military how exactly do you think they should be responding to Israel's retaliatory war mongering or the viscious attacks on Israel by Hamas at the expense of the Palestinian people. And what about Hezbola in Lebannon and the Iranians? Do you think Russia has any involvement in this? None of them are NATO members and the US only recognizes Israel & the PLO (not Palestine proper) as far as I know. I am not very knowledgable on middle east affairs, and it is possible some of what I think is offensive to people who are experts on the middle east - so lets talk about it. For me realistic suggestions are necessary. Israel came into being just before I was born. As long as I can remember there have been issues involving Israel and her neighbor Palestine. Palestine lost a lot when Israel was created. Were bad politics involved? Bad decision making? Should they have made Israel at all? Yes people felt bad about the holocoust. Rightly so in my opinion but I know everyone does not agree. Yes the land had to come from somewhere to make Israel - where should it have been made - what do you think? Now it is 2024 ( about 76 years after Israel was created I think). Americans are facing another tough election where many of us feel we are at risk for losing democracy and our freedom. Israel, our official ally, is at war with Hamas in Palestine once again because Hamas ( whom the US considers a terrorist organization & defacto government that abuses Palestine by sheltering in their homes and indoctrinating their children) aggressively attacked Israel and slaughtered citizens. Again. Israel, led by a war monger in the opinion of many world citizens, has retaliated and been supported in doing so. Who wants to place blame for all of the carnage - do you? Do others engaged here? Who among us has the knowledge of middle eastern culture, religion, politics and war to come up with the right answers? These people do not get along. They have not gotten along for decades and will not likely get along tomorrow. President Biden, VP Harris, Antony Blinkin and all the other experts know a whole lot more than I do and I believe are doing ALL THEY CAN to end this current war. I don't see that they have the power to do more. I also do not see why our election must be focused ( once again) on this recurrent middle eastern issue - why our candidates must be judged by their response to this issue. Please explain to me why the problems in the middle east or Iran or North Korea - or Russia are more important than the problems in the USA. I really do not get it. Thanks.
Agreed there is blame to go all around, straight from the creation of Israel, never any light of day once hostilities began, by all concerned. I'm doing a read of O Jerusalem, a remarkable piece of narrative journalism written in the 70s. Like it or not, this stuff hardly began with Hamas, this is just the latest, perhaps the most horrific outbreak of violence since the wars themselves, most which led to Israel's expansion of its borders. A history of contortions, Sabine.
Hard to believe but then I see https://apnews.com/article/jared-kushner-trump-israel-waterfront-property-901895eeafee867e69d0c4582a4deb47
Why should this be any surprise to anyone? With Jared and his father-in-law, it's always been about the money. Think resort beaches in North Korea. This is typical of and oligarch's mentality taking advantage of those who cannot defend themselves, thinking that they are doing everyone a favor while stuffing their pockets with "easy money."
Just "move the people out of there and rebuild....". As I live and breathe...sounds like royalty to me...
They definitely are. On a side note, I’ve been watching the conversation going on below on Israel and Gaza. I will say this: lt is very heartbreaking to watch how Netanyahu and his right wing government cause so much destruction in Gaza. While I wish the Biden administration would use an arms embargo as one of the tools, I acknowledge that the Biden administration is still making efforts to get to a ceasefire deal that a Trump administration would not be and in fact, I have heard rumblings that Trump could be trying to kill this ceasefire deal to benefit him politically as he did the border security bill. I don’t know, but it is out there.
With all that said, I know Kamala Harris is the best viable choice for our country this fall. I can not overlook how positive an Harris-Walz administration plus a Democratic Congress would be to reproductive freedom, expanding voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, economic justice, racial justice, immigration, and the like would be compared to Trump who would be several steps backward. We need progress in those areas now and I would say to those who are hesitant to vote Harris-Walz over Gaza particularly the lack of arms embargo part, recognize that you can vote for her for those reasons I listed above and still hold her feet to the fire to try to get her to change whether through writing letters, phone calls, petitions, marches, or other for. You can both vote and protest as you feel you need to and are able to. Sorry this is so long, but I thought it was necessary to add.
If someone cares about what's happening in Gaza, I don't see how they could vote for anyone BUT Kamala Harris. Trump is the worst possible choice on this issue too!
You have a point especially in the two party system that we have which reminds me: Before anyone brings up voting for Jill Stein and Cornel West, let’s be honest: I have just as much a chance of winning the lottery tomorrow as they do of being sworn in as being president: not very high . It’s a fact, not my opinion.
Do not forget global warming. It is bigger than immigration. (Immigration is one result of climate change.) Bigger than reproductive freedom or LGBTQ rights.
Trump promises Drill, baby, drill. And for a billion in funds for his campaign he promises to get rid of regulations which bother the Fossil Fuel Community.
"Trumplings"... perfect. I've always enjoyed the old style fairy tales with deceptively evil children.
Very trumpian to feast on other’s misery’
Not for the impoverished North Korean population to enjoy, I would guess.
Nope. Just for their labor unions. Oh wait. There aren’t any…
Unbelievable? No, but certainly unimaginable to most of us. See https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2018-06-12/trump-sees-potential-for-north-korean-beach-hotels-condos-video
At least oceanfront condos! He will need one after loses the next election!
He might have!
How about the building in Moscow that he worked on getting during his first campaign?
I am not a high finance person, but I am sincerely hopeful that the financial reforms directed by the Biden administration will serve as a way to track and regulate this apparent financial Wild West which a certain ex pres, and his cohorts, have been attempting to partake in for a quite a while.. Three cheers to the Biden admin and thanks to HCR for highlighting it!!
@ Joyce. How soon we forget. "I have no loans in Russia. I don't have any deals in Russia." White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said, "He [Trump] has no business in Russia. He has no connections to Russia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_projects_of_Donald_Trump_in_Russia#:~:text=I%20have%20no%20loans%20in,has%20no%20connections%20to%20Russia.%22
Michael Cohen went to jail for lying about the number of Trump attempts to invest in Trump Moscow. Meanwhile Russians invested in Trump properties here and abroad. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-trump-property/
"A year and a half after the Panama Papers revealed an international network of tax havens used by celebrities and politicians, the International Consortium of Journalists released the Paradise Papers...13.4 million documents mostly from one of the largest offshore law firms, Appleby.
"It reveals the offshore interests and activities of over 120 politicians... reveals the financial engineering of 13 advisers, donors, and cabinet members of President Trump, including that of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross that may have implications for the ongoing Russia investigation. Ross holds a stake in a shipping company, Navigator, whose top clients includes a Russian firm called Sibur controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s son-in-law."
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/paradise-papers-and-trump-administration
https://www.icij.org/investigations/paradise-papers/paradise-papers-exposes-donald-trump-russia-links-and-piggy-banks-of-the-wealthiest-1-percent/
More recently, Russian money saved Truth Social. https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a43329318/russian-investment-trump-media/
From Russia to Ukraine ( Yanocovich’s regime) to Wilbur Ross’s Bank in Cyprus, through Malta to LONDON and NYC real estate, to banks in Sioux Falls South Dakota, and buying and selling distressed commercial real estate/closed factories through out the rust states, and old buildings in disrepair on the other side of the tracks. Christi Noem and Mitch McConnel knows we know. Delaware, Nevada, South Dakota are all havens for money laundering through American real estate. Both parties are complicit, but one is far worse, and the other aims to fix it. Go Harris/Walz!!!
Seems to me that don't ask, don't tell for financial crime has grown since the "Reagan Revolution". This 13 year old story from The Guardian is not atypical of many have read and seen met with virtual indifference.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-drug-gangs
JL,
https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/us-trusts-offshore-south-dakota-tax-havens/
Strange how tolerant we as a society seem to be of abuses by the wealthy.
Oligarchs of whatever nation or ideology seem more alike than different.
When DJT went to Moscow for 'The Miss Universe Pageant', the Russians sized him up, and liked what they saw... Birds Of A Feather...
Worse, they saw a rube they could control.
Not just a rube, but an effing moron, to quote Rex Tillerson.
DJ T is their puppet, actually a marionette, but what are they going to do now that he has a few strings broken?
He’s still functional for their needs. They’ll keep on using him now, and when he’s dead and buried, to keep on manipulating his supporters.
But even a useful idiot is still an idiot. Trump's shameless narcissism is both an asset and a liability for those who would be kings.
And when he went to Helsinki, I would suggest that deals were made which are just waiting for the clown with the flamethrower to perform again.
It started when he visited Russia in the late 1980s, which is when the Soviets, with their long view of history, ID'd him as a potential asset who would be easy to use as he was susceptible to flattery and money.
That “pageant” really does tell us all there is to know about him. It’s on his mind all the time. He does the things he does because he wants to host more events like that. He even brought it up during his “perfect” phone calls with Zelensky before the first impeachment!
He was itching to display his "might" with Soviet-style military parades, but the military resisted it.
Long before Miss Universe, Trump properties have been vehicles for Russian money laundering. How many properties in NYC, Florida, and other are owned by Russians? How many are owned or flipped by dark LLC’s? ( before this change in the law, an llc can buy real estate without dis losing foreign partners. This all started after the fall of the USSR and the Eastern bloc. The Russian mafia moved into the west. Russian officials and oligarchs use/sponsor the Russian mafia as an unofficial partner to make and hide illicit money. The Russian Mafia is a different structure than western mafia. Putin rose to power in St Petersburg, with the help of organized crime, stole $100s of millions from the people of the city while working for/with the mayor. With the $, he acquired power to become appointed successor to Yeltsin.
Long before thet
Also filmed him and built a vast kompromat file
Curiously, Trump shares the same taste for gilt and mirrors that Saddam Hussein had.
I think you meant guilt and mirrors
I love the way HCR leaves us readers to our own conclusions and, bingo, you nailed it, short, sweet and spot on.
Respectfully, I’m going to be a contrarian on this one. Spreading real capitalism and real democracy do go hand in hand. Republican politicians focus on spreading two opposite things that go hand in hand. One is CAPINO (capitalism in name only), and the other is phony democracy.
Should the fact that the Democratic Republic of Congo calls itself a democracy cause us to believe that democracy is bad? Of course not. We need to recognize what the word “democracy” means so we’re able to recognize when an authoritarian autocracy that calls itself a democracy is the opposite of democracy. Otherwise, organized criminals, corrupt government officials, and business leaders who pose a significant national security threat are effectively, even if unintentionally, being supported.
Real democracy is built on a stable foundation. The definition of “democracy” describes that foundation. The definition of democracy in America—per the United States Declaration of Independence (1776)—is “all men are created equal,” which we now understand to mean that the intrinsic value of any one human life is equal to the intrinsic value of every other human life. A person that believes that the intrinsic value of human life is unequal is effectively, even if unintentionally, supporting DonOld tRump.
Real capitalism is built on the same stable foundation. The definition of “capitalism” describes that foundation. The definition of capitalism is per the name of Adam Smith’s book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759). Smith’s understanding of the movement he inspired that we now call capitalism is the same as the Harris-Walz campaign—an equal opportunity economy. A person that believes that capitalism and morality do not go hand in hand is effectively, even if unintentionally, even if in only a small way, supporting DonOld tRump.
Don't forget the butterfly effect. We live in a large, complex, and adaptive social system in which small positive acts can have enormous positive long-term effects, and small negative acts can have enormous negative long-term effects.
Thank you for this excellent explanation of the American Democracy/Capitalism Vision,
James! May I share?
Yes, please share. And thank you.
Key West is owned by Russian oligarchs.
And 40% of Trump flordia properties.
Not conch-heads?
I recall that Trump Tower NYC was purportedly floundering after Kushner made an outsized deal for the property, but came around after Russian oligarchs moved into floors just above his own. I cannot find the sources I remember from ages ago about NYC Tfg Tower. But this article addresses some of the more recent examples: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-trump-property/.
Interesting. Miami, yes, but I’ve not seen much evidence in Key West. More info please? I thought Pritam Singh was the local oligarch.
And THE ONLY people to benefit from all these financial shenanigans are the trumps.
Disgusting Criminals! Why isn't this public knowledge? Maybe the media is too afraid for their lives if they report anything.
I am sure that I was not alone among bankers who simply assumed that Trump's come-back in the 1990s and thereafter came from laundering dirty money from Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine has made steady progress against this corruption. She is as democratic as we are these days (i.e., a 'flawed democracy').
The Ukrainian people have earned our support. President G.H.W. Bush alienated me in 1992; I regret voting against him to this day. First he said we had won the Cold War, which I felt would rub Russian noses in their own poop. Second, in explaining that victory, President Bush argued that free market values had prevailed. Capitalism has utility, not value.
2 Words - Deutsche Bank, :)
And the big ones… Russians, and their cut outs in current and former sphere of influence countries pay huge bogus license fees to use his name for building projects and events like Miss Universe.
Yes, the Arlington episode is a disgrace. But just as horrific are the innuendos he's now spewing about the relationship between Harris and Brown and that she owes her career to sexual favors. It is incredibly demeaning and misogynistic - but we all now know that is the point.
I was trained as a Roman historian to be wary of ancient sources, that ancient historians never bothered to look at the deeper questions in their analysis of history of economics or demographics or, that it all had to do with fear, honor, or self interest, as Thucydides famously stated, or the justice of the gods, as per Herodotus, or, as with the Romans - Livy, Sallust, Tacitus - all about morality.
The Roman tendency to moralize has cast a long shadow and made historians gun-shy about looking to moral causality for explanations. But I am just going to say it straight: I know of no MAGA supporter personally who is not well off. But I know many that are addled and cruel. That they support a spectacularly patent monster - Trump is definitionally what moral (and, we can add, intellectual) collapse looks like.
The frog in the pot being slowly stewed is nearly done - if Trump wins in November it will be fully cooked.
Many of them are not well-off. They are motivated by fear, anger and hate to support those who are, in reality, their worst enemies.
Fear, resentment, ignorance, and faith based irrational habits of mind.
Unswerving allegiance to the GOP.
And strategic self interest. Tax incentives and deregulation for the wealthy. Culture war wins for the racist right wing religious extremists. Oh, and the Supreme Court and federal judiciary - for starts.
I can't remember what NPR called the extremist Christian movement that embraces miracles. But those irrational folks are sadly vulnerable to just about any crazy thing. Welcome anyone who does know as it's driving me nuts. It's not "fabulists" but something like it,
Not sure if this provides the answer or term that you’re searching for — but wow, no WOW — this relates with and to a big part of what we’re having to deal with: Christian nationalism thrives — and is a force for returning Trump to power
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/14/1073215412/christian-nationalism-donald-trump
Thanks JL for the NPR link. Christian has nothing to do with it. The soul-less Trump bunch should be called Antichrist Nationalists.
They make me glad I am not a Christian, even though I do practice some of the concepts. I like the Girl Scout motto/slogan: Do a good turn daily.
This was the first thing I found. According to "real" Christians, these people are not "Christians". If you've read any of my comments, you'll know my feelings on that...
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/29/1234843874/tracing-the-rise-of-christian-nationalism-from-trump-to-the-ala-supreme-court
All those people wearing RNC designed "bandages" on their ears at the Republican convention was one of the weirdest things ever. Still, maybe there's a historical precedence for such cultish behavior when voting for a presidential candidate?
Thank you for calling them 'bandages' rather than 'Maxi-Pads.' The latter seemed far too close to 'Tampon Tim' - suggesting that feminine hygiene products are inherently shameful and embarrassing.
I think we all engage in cultish behavior to some degree, at least in episodes, projecting onto some person things that we wish were true, yet are not supported by the evidence. Serious cult involve a commitment to a prohibition against questioning or criticizing the cult. Thoughtcrime.
Are you thinking of the Seven Mountain Mandate?
That proclivity seems to have kept tyrants in business for millennia.
Ordinary people have been set up to believe those who are really the enemies of our interests since at least the beginning of this country. It's part of a 'strong man' strategy which pits us against a faux enemy (slaves, the poor, women, LGBTQ folks, etc ) so we'll follow the 'strong man' who claims he'll protect us. (And I get this from Heather, so don't ask me for a cite because I'll never be able to find it! It was probably in one of her Chats, anyway!)
And racism, Jon. That is a huge part of their motivation.
I suspect racism is both cause and effect. I think we humans can be irrationally wary of people who seem "different" but also "othering" is a go-to ploy for tyrants. I read a book by a black historian who claimed that racism as we experience it in this country, was systematically promoted by slave owners, not just for self-justification, but to prevent the possibility of abused blacks from uniting in common cause with underprivileged whites against plutocracy. They're still at it.
I think you can be all those things and be morally bankrupt like Steve is pointing out.
Some may also be motivated by/ misdirected by FB friend groups. When lonely and isolated, it’s easy to get lured into a bubble that is combination support and misinformation pipeline.
Steve, yes there are a lot of well off Trump supporters...but as I travel the backroads between Baltimore and Philly or on the Eastern Shore towards the beaches or out in Appalachia, you find tattered Trump/Pence banners flying, Trump signs and Confederate flags at ramshackle, rundown places...trailers...homes with junk cars, folks who are NOT in the money. The VFWs and "social clubs" are full of Trump/Vance supporters...and they do not waver in their support...they are the ones at his rallies, yelling for him to insult people rather than talk policy. They are the ones who believe that Jesus saved him from the assassin's bullet.
If You Read Roman History.... Rome devolved from a Republic of mainly Small Farmers, then thru Internal, and External Warfare, to Empire... Meanwhile the Internal Fabric Collapsed... It was replaced by Mega Landowners who employed Slaves... What continued Roman Civilization was the creation of the Empire by Augustus... The Empire was powered by Slaves... The Emperor had most of the Wealth... Eventually that System Collapsed... The Masses were managed by 'Bread & Circuses'... Are the Rural MAGAs the new impoverished Plebeians?... DJT is a wannabe Emperor... The MAGAs love his Odorous Cruelty...
Closely paraphrased from: The Shahnameh (The Persian Book of Kings):
There were bad times. Rich men squabbled among themselves and would not pay taxes.
As punishment, a king wanted to raze a city. His vizier said: If you raze the city, then people will heap blame on you. Instead appoint a vulgar, ignorant, loudmouth as governor and he will destroy the city.
A beast appeared on the plains. It attacked the other beasts. It shone like gold, but within was all corruption.
These quotes stayed with me, as I reread it in 2016. Anyone who wants insight into Iran, it's sense of itself, and it's long game, ought read The Shahnameh. It is the founding Persian epic and very beloved. Also it is wonderful to read. Standing before a display case at the Met in NYC, I saw an older man with tears rolling down his face. We chatted. He was very touched to see the illuminated manuscript pages, and that Americans would honor and include it.
I've read both translated editions by British poet Dick Davis. The best.
From the collections of The Library of Congress, examples of Persian calligraphy and painting.
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/thousand-years-of-the-persian-book/epic-of-shahnameh.html
https://www.si.edu/object/siris_sil_1089690
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahnameh
Thank You for sharing... Persia is indeed a very Ancient, Proud Civilization... Many Contemporary Iranians consider themselves Persian that speak Persian... The U.S. should not be manipulated into attacking Iran... Look at how they fought the Iraqis for almost 10-Years...
And remember who took that enemy away so that they can concentrate on us.
I have never heard of this. I will read it.
I am so grateful for those who bring me gems I never knew about. Thank you.
Thank you for this.
Apache, I think you may be right about MAGA "plebeians" . During the 2016 election, I drove from Deep Creek Lake to DC on back roads through Western Maryland, WV, through Harpers Ferry and into VA. Trump totally dominated the yard signs in the western more rural areas...some of them VERY poor. As I came east Hillary signs started to show up, until I got past Harpers Ferry and then she began to dominate the scene as I got closer to DC. These days, I don't see nearly as many Trump signs anywhere...but there are some enthusiastic pockets. I told conservative friends 8 years ago that he wanted to be a dictator...they told me I was wrong...some are finally walking away from him. Others won't let go of the Fox propaganda talking points...no matter how much evidence we present.
I had the experience in 2004 of going to DC and seeing so many Kerry signs. I thought that maybe rural Texas was the outlier. Fox and dirty tricks won the day then, they are still busy as beavers.
I think Trump still has dirty tricks up his sleeve, especially when it comes to using Georgia’s election system to try rigging the election to favor himself. Trump also won’t hesitate to threaten or actually use violence whether or not he wins. The insurrection made that quite clear.
And collateral damage is no problem for this crowd. In fact, may be useful. They aren’t the first but they may turn out to be the best.
They still use the "swift boat" tactics. It's pretty obvious they will use everything in their Lee Atwater/Roger Ailes play books...bless Regan's little heart for getting rid of the fairness doctrine.
Every last dirty trick they know, and some new ones they are inventing right now. As for Ronnie, he was just the right dummie in the right place.
What could our national life be like without Fox, NewsMax, and One America News Network?
I am a sure lot fewer families & friends would not have been separated, as a result of the brainwashing from those kinds of media outlets, and even our Congress wouldnt have been locked into legislative inaction & chaos for so many years.
I remember when we had publishing institutions with integrity, before Rupert. I thought they would always be like that. Of course, I missed the Hearst years
Just last weekend we drove out that way and took notice. Fingers crossed.
I am absolutely convinced that people are addicted to faux news and have been brainwashed.
It is a cult. Pure and simple.
Pretty much...but my question is "how did they get that way ?" What attracted so many to him in 2016 ? He basically insulted his way to the White House. He played divide and conquer with his primary opponents and it worked. He would single out one and give them a "pet name". Then insult them about something. Then when he won the primary he turned to insulting a man with disabilities, the media..."enemies of the state"....if I had been them, I would have turned off my camera and left. Why give him free air time if I'm his enemy ? The media...left, right and middle helped to create this creature. He really is a vampire of sorts...he keeps sucking blood to stay alive...let's hope that the light of day and a worthy opponent end this trail of misery.
Deliberate ploy
the eternal problem of "trusted sources"
Well, there is one good thing I can say about one of the trumpers who live in my area (CT). He recycles (or is an hoarder) and has a Trump 2020 sign up.
And as a tool of conquest they spread Christianity. Constantine's Sword.
If Caligula and Nero had a baby…
Ignorance and money are not mutually exclusive, nor are ignorance and hate. But it seems that ignorance is motivated to vote. The MAGAts I know are not needy, but since he is supported by plenty with money, they do not feel so aligned with the ones you describe. They are a different kind of ignorant, they buy his “Apprentice” persona and the related bullschittery. They are likely the ones spending money on his NFT’s and believing that Fox is News.
JD I'd like to see research, if it exists on how many solid MAGA followers first learned of Trump or became "enamored" of him via the Apprentice and/or his Art of the Deal ghost written book ? I'd bet that the number is high.
Yep, too many people watch crap tv, and the “conservative” cretins have new books out like an assembly line. Pushing the narrative like manna from heaven. I know people who buy them in multiples and give for gifts to the “unsuspecting” as well as the true believers.
The author of The Art of the Deal said trump was awful, and that the only reason he did it was trump offered him a lot of money. Never again he said.
Karen, I can relate...he said he needed a writing gig and took it because he needed the money. He also said the experience was unlike any other. He would normally sit down and interview the person and get the material he needed to write the book...so that basically the ghost writer is organizing their thoughts. But in this case Trump could not sit for lengthy interviews. After 15 minutes he had enough...so the writer followed him around and took copious notes for awhile. I've considered myself a "hired gun" with a camera for a long time. I took gigs from opposite sides of the same issue...once renting 2 opposing sides the same VCR in the same day...it was a bizarre experience...and if they had known...but I believed in freedom of speech. Now I'm at a point where I have one production company client that does an annual event in DC with a Conservative "think tank". They do a gala event and give awards to the "best" conservatives. They are not Trumpers. He has never gotten their award...but neither has Liz Cheney. Their next event is next spring. I love my crew...and we make very good money. We are all very liberal and enjoy working together and getting to hear what these folks talk about. But will I do it again ? I don't know.
The author made some comment that he got most of his information by interviewing everyone else. i think it would be hilarious if trump (by himself) wrote a children's book like Obama did or Jill Biden did about her cat.
I bet they also are buying DJT long and will get badly burned when he loses. The stock is slowly tanking.
May I live long enough to see chump go broke.
May we all live long enough to see chump go to prison!
I’d hang around for that
I think a lot of the stock was bought by people who didn't care if it was lost. They did it to show support for trump.
I have to admit I’m somewhat addicted to watching his stock go lower… and lower.
Exciting tv, I’ll have to check it out. As long as I don’t have to look at his putrid mug
It’s a saved ticker on my phone. Love seeing his
stock in red amidst a sea of green!
Damn, I need to do that, a great picker-upper. Hope Devin Nunes gets to see it every day too. Of course, he took his money off the top, like all shysters do.
Here’s a source or symptom of a BIG part of what we have to concern ourselves with:
Christian nationalism thrives — and is a force for returning Trump to power
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/14/
and
Christian nationalism on the rise as it enjoys more Republican support
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/14/1156642544/more-than-half-of-republicans-support-christian-nationalism-according-to-a-new-s
It’s just the inquisition in black robes, and sycophants to carry out the orders
Mike, I have also seen Trump/pence flags in rural areas..I guess they are living in the past….I have a neighbor who has done work in my house when we remodeled it who would always had fox radio on. I have come to see that it’s not about policy with these folks….Trump is spewing anger and hate and for some reason this really resonates with many who are not in the upper elite class. The lower classes (I hate that terminology,) and undereducated are angry.(perhaps we ought to ask them what they are angry about) Anger and Hate are strong emotions….They identify with that. IDK.
I think it lies in brain design (I don't know what the more accurate term is) where people who self-identify as "conservative" utilize their midbrain for complex decision making (the part of the brain used to identify threat and determine threat response) vs. the people who identify as liberal use the frontal cortex (the part of the brain that knows how to reason).
That is the best description that I have heard to date.
I first met "Fox News" when the terrorists attacked us on 9/11. My brother returned from the barber with a placemat purchased at Ben Franklin that had a map of the world on it. He wanted to find Afghanistan. He turned on Fox and watched it non stop for days with his placemat map in front of him. In a few days he felt he was better informed than any neighbor and at least as able as his construction worker coworkers to discuss foreign affairs. Fox has that sort of pull to the less well educated ( those not given to actual research) among us. I think there are many more people like my brother all around me than there are people who think differently or look for more in a news organization. Not bad people - simple people who have strong ideas about right and wrong, good and evil. Many of these people became MAGA Republicans because of the propaganda they were addicted to - became angry because they were told they should be angry, suspicious because they were encouraged to be suspicious. Eventually they became angry at and suspicious of me and my sister - people they knew who thought differently.
I know educated people who do the same and think that they are the cream of the crop
No, it's not about policy. It's about racism.
I mentioned earlier that I saw I vote for felon signs. That says something about trumpers
When I have asked about the anger, the answer has been: "I'm not angry." Nowhere to go from there, I figure.
Melinda, look at my response to Nancy. They probably are not angry; their brain is identifying things that we find as reasonable as a threat.
Ally: If it isn't anger, then, we'd call it fear? I can see that. Interesting how closely tied are those two responses. When I am afraid, it is an easy slip into anger at the thing that is threatening.
They are not in it for the tax breaks. The folks you describe are following him because of their fear of “the others”, which trump amplifies and makes permissible.
So sad
No realization that they will be far, far, far worse off in every way but one: "owning the libs". Never mind you're reusing coffee grounds, you can "own the libs" and be a "winner".
Drive the back roads of central Florida or eastern NC, and you will see those same tattered Trump and Confederate flags.
As for Jesus saving Trump, that kid was a bad shot, God would not do something like kill an innocent bystander to save Trump. I think the kid was such a bad shot that he missed Trump and that blood on Trump was splatter from the actual victim.
Jenn, just wondering, does anyone recall seeing any sign of bruising after the bandaid was removed? I just had a cyst on my earlobe excised by my dermatologist and it is the deepest purple pink I’ve ever seen. I doubt very much the bruising will be completely gone in 10 days.
Trump and the current Republican Party, hand-picked members of SCOTUS included, seem to have a unifying urge to ignore and breach the laws and customs of their society, while attempting to intrusively dictate the behavior of others. From that frame of mind, the callousness of Trump and his entourage in the National Cemetery is what one would expect from them. It's all about supremacy.
For Arlington, the Army and the Pentagon to all speak out about this issue shows just how egregious they believe it is.
Mike, I’d love for the relatives who had their loved ones gravesites exposed on TikbTok by the Trump campaign to sue the campaign to have the videos removed and to get a public apology from the campaign.
There has been blowback from the family whose soldier is buried next to the one of the "thumbs up" photo.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/28/us/politics/trump-arlington-cemetery.html?unlocked_article_code=1.G04.8gTF.uS-E-NgdlT0I&smid=url-share
Should be a gifted link.
Despicable. And I also feel for the cemetery official who cannot take action because of the possibility of retribution. What kind of society are we living in?!
And what to expect if he “wins.”
Its not SCOTIS that is the problem. Rather it is the Republicans on the court , who should be called SCROTUS
I see the other ones - the folks that live in busted down houses or trailers. They are led by ignorance, and they blame the very government they from which receive some sort of assistance, for their poverty. They were told that the “left wing” government took away their opportunities and gave them to immigrants and people of color.
The thing all MAGAts have in common is the sense that some undeserving people have or will take away what is theirs. Every Trump commercial bears that out ‘…there’s more for them and less for you.’ This strikes fear at the core of people who either love money or who have already lost most everything.
Brings to mind a conversation I had yesterday with a neighbor who is herself a WW2 war bride from France. In the aftermath of local storms, she was suggesting my husband come remove the bodies of 2 deer electrocuted by downed power lines. She bemoaned the fact that there were no hard working young people around to staff local services for cleanup and I mentioned lots of people want to come to this country to work. (to her credit she has been incredibly hard working since coming to this country in the 50's)She is an ardent MAGA and refuses to imagine our country strengthened by the efforts of immigrants rather than threatened by others. So frustrating.
The most bigoted woman in our neighborhood which is VERY diverse is from Europe in her 80's with a strong accent...and she's the one always complaining about brown & black people or any kind of minority. I just avoid her.
Most of us are hard workers. She made a choice to move here and should be thanking the U.S. People make choices every day to be happy and thankful. If she wasn't so grumpy she would know many great young people! She should call the authorities and deal with those people!
That’s the ones I know. Fear, loathing and envy
Steve, please add some 'deep history' for us. Which Roman Emperor does Trump most remind you of and which slice of Roman history does our current election season most remind you of. First 'gut feel' that comes to mind regardless of not fitting neatly. Thanks
Caligula?
Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41)
Described as “self-indulgent, cruel, sadistic, extravagant and sexually perverted thereafter; an insane, murderous tyrant who demanded and received worship as a living god, humiliated his Senate, and planned to make his horse a consul.”
Nero... His 'Golden Palace' reminds me of 'Mar-a-Lago;.... From Wikipedia:
"Most Roman sources offer overwhelmingly negative assessments of his personality and reign. Most contemporary sources describe him as tyrannical, self-indulgent, and debauched. The historian Tacitus claims the Roman people thought him compulsive and corrupt. "
The Evil Siths Are Eternal...
Nero & Caligula are quite a pair...Donald seems to have plenty of their traits...
Quite an overlap, although a well trained horse is surely more competent than Jared,
Mine is. And pleasant to look at as well, compared to that vulpine monster.
I don't think I've ever used the word "vulpine" before and have no idea where it came from.
Mine are too, Jen! Trump’s lack of feeling towards animals mirrors his lack of feeling towards people.
😂👏
None of the above - presidents have destructive power at their finger tips that would have been unimaginable in the pre-modern period, and have used it. Caligula's terror, for example, was really barley even a terror of those beyond the Senate; same with Nero. But because senators were also the main historians of the epoch they tend to be hostile to any emperor who doesn't respect their privileges. So I don't see a parallel between Trump and eccentric emperors. It's worse. Where the real parallel with Roman history is for the US is the epoch in which the republic became a dictatorship. People often refer to the period of the dictatorship as the empire, but Rome was already an empire in the republican period (roughly 509-30 BCE).
What occurs in the period from the 130s going forward is that norms begin to be broken and wealth and power begin to concentrate in the hands of a few. The Roman constitution, which was one of normative custom and tradition, not written, also saw gradual, then rapid erosion, particularly in the period between roughly 88-44 BCE.
After the dictatorship of Caesar there was a feeble attempt at restoration of republican government, but that died on the beaches of Formiae with the death of Cicero in December of 43.
We might well remember, folks, that Rome was always an aggressor, clever by half with its citizenship offers, the road of conquest was littered with flat out atrocities. Eg Corinth, Carthage, Palestine. Not that this kind of thing was all that unusual. Heavy handed tactics abound in the history books.
Don't forget Constantine's sword, Christianity. Clever.
lol, remember, Constantine and company ended the most severe persecutions against Christian Romans under Diocletian and company in the closing/opening years of the 3rd/4th centuries. He also presided over and insisted on legislated solutions to the doctrinal disputes among the various factions of Christian leaders in his day. To wit, the Nicene Council, the Apostles Creed kind of thing. He initially only removed the persecution (after all, this growing but substantial minority were all fellow citizens and slaves) but quickly provided funding for messaging (50 copies of the Bible) , restoration of confiscated properties, then augmenting facilities. In the century that followed, esp with recognition of Christianity as a legal religion, numbers swelled, and pro Christian support continued apace (as well as discrimination against Jews, thanks to those fine Christians) until, after countered a few imperial attempts to revive/suppress paganism/Christianity , Theodosius outlawed paganism, though pagan practices continued in decline for some centuries anyay. During this century, and after, there was indeed destruction or repurposing of pagan temples et al. Remember, Jen, the Roman empire was "Christianized" by the Romans themselves, with most of that after Constantine was gone. I do agree, there was indeed much muscling and take up in the process. In a world where dictatorship was sine qua non, Christianity was remarkably "democratic". Relatively few people were outright taken out "by the sword" and in fact it wasnt even a prime instrument of change. My reading of history. Try Diarmaid McCollough's History of Christianity, though a bit heavy on detail and length.
This is a really interesting discussion. At what point does an expanding polity transform from a state to an empire? In the case of Rome, was it the acquisition of Egypt? Did the sheer size and complexity of this conquest require the creation of an administration capable of managing it? It might be argued that the Ottoman Empire was similarly transformed 1500 years later by the same acquisition.
I don’t think an apt parallel can be found in that period. Like him or not, Julius Caesar was a soldiers soldier, a leader of men, an ambitious over achiever. - yes, but they say Trump was ambitious - who I would hazard to say, loved Rome more than himself and wished to earn greatness by making it greater, through both expansion, and greater unity…under him. He was one hard act to follow. Donald Trump …?? Seriously ? Ditto, Augustus who I understand took on the title of “Imperator”, then deified and raised a statue to himself on Corfu or someplace in the western Isles of Greece after winning a naval battle over his rivals.
By that time as you point out, “Rome” was already the epicenter of a juggernaut of territorial and social domination by means of force, in other words, “imperialism”. There was then some nexus between leadership capabilities and this. But as the decades go by, with a few notable exceptions, there there is a steady in this causal connection, to the point where emperors become merely fleas on the back of a galloping horse. That is the period in which I would look for a parallel.
Steady decline …
For me, a horrendous mix of Nero (the vanity, fickleness and cowardice) and Caligula (the cruelty and moral and sexual depravity).
It’s called misogynoir, a toxic blend of racism and sexism specifically directed against Black women. Trump doesn’t think Kamala Harris could make it in politics on her own talent, but she has. Trump being Trump, he won’t ever believe it, and he fears strong, outspoken Black women.
In all seriousness, his malignant type sees woman as sex toys first, lil' helpers second, full people never. Their tiny brains literally can't process a female having a larger brain. They seem to truly reject that such a thing is even remotely possible.
How satisfying helping power-wash away not just this embarrassment to the Y chromosome but his whole rancid non-philosophy is proving to be.
Will, He sees wives as powerless women who have loveless transactional relationships with their husbands. How sad.
And he thinks HE's made it? on his own talent? He fears what he can't dominate.
He's correct to fear her - she going to slaughter him!
We must pour out the pot and wash the remains down the sewer. Time to take our country back. Go out by the millions and vote! Clean these evil doers out of the people’s house and run off Donald Trump. It is shameful and embarrassing that such low class and lack of moral character ever held the office of president. Oh yeah, then we must clean up the Supreme Court and do away with the electoral college. Take our Country on to the future we deserve and need. We can do it.
We can only do that if we get a large enough majority in the Senate. Even if we control the Senate, we can’t do much without substantial control.
50/50 is the best we can do this time, realistically. However, that will be enough if everyone sticks together and votes to send the filibuster to the dustbin. The stakes are so high that I suspect we shall see the dam burst.
and remove the filibuster, of course!
You have a valid point. I know this campaign between Trump and Kamala will be close. But I believe Kamala will win.
I'm hoping the momentum we're seeing so far has room to grow now that the campaign is heating up. None of the polls published reflect the ending of the DNC and the subsequent weeks of active campaigning. Kamala and Tim are not about making anyone think their messaging is "complicated".
The other factor with people voting for Trump is what Dr. Richardson has identified-the vilification of the word “socialism” that the Movement Conservatives hung around the necks of anyone (ie, Democrats) that did not support their desire the keep wealth for the very wealthy.
Where I ran into that personally is a recent conversation with my cousin, who is in her later 70’s. She has spent her life learning that Democrats are socialists, and she can only vote Republican.
She personally despises Trump. She wishes he was in jail. But she read Harris’ father was a Marxist (I looked it up, he did support Marxism), so that is all she needs to veer away from Harris, “hold her nose and vote for Trump again”.
In a previous conversation, she said she fears socialism.
There are many like her, I am afraid. Intelligent people of her age(and she is smart) who have been so indoctrinated with fear of socialism all their lives, have been indoctrinated that Democrats are socialists, that the fact that Harris’ father supported Marxism (even though Harris herself has never supported Marxism that I have seen, and wasn’t even raised by her father)is all she needs to vote for someone she despises and she knows is a convicted felon. She feels this is the ultimate issue of this election.
The Movement Conservatives really were successful with their messaging to a lot of Boomers.
Exactly so.
Maybe ask her what "socialism" means to her? That's become my go-to response when someone dismisses an argument with a term like that. It's always interesting to hear what someone else's thinking is based on.
I remember in my 8th grade US History class the teacher had us read, among other original sources, Marx's Tenets, and asked us to compare and contrast with what we knew of the US. As I recall, 8 of the 10 tenets were intrinsic to US government.
Interesting take… ignore the real cause and blame the innocent. Yeah… that’s the MO.
As a resident of Appalachia, I can assure you that there are millions of MAGA supporters who are not only not well off, but are so economically challenged that they are on government support. Don’t try to convince them that their means of support will disappear once Trump is back. They think he actually cares about them.
Recall the Tea Party sign: "Get your government hands off my Medicare". You can't make this stuff up.
I find this not just sad — but frighteningly and frightfully SAD!!! I guess it’s due to a combination of ignorance, bigotry, jealousy, hate, laziness and just plain fear?
Heavens. Rural America is chock full of poor and struggling MAGAs. Undereducated and brainwashed by decades of hate radio and Fox. I live in rural Virginia. The enthusiasm is less than in 2020 for sure but I still won’t put a Harris Walz sign in my yard.
I’m in rural Virginia also, but while there is much poverty the monster Trump/Whittman/Cao signs are on property owned by community leaders, who should know better. Their resentment is deep seated and generational.
Trump often accuses others of deeds he himself commits. I’ve seen Trump’s “letters of adoration” to Putin and can’t help but suspect that Trump offered sexual as well as other favors to Putin to in order to receive so much help for his political career.
"he himself commits"... that is indeed a basic Maga messaging technique. Any freedom and democracy the Dems have come up with has been instantly by "us too" and throw the book at them, of course, they have brought out their "communism/socialism" fear mongering, which they have for generations now, kinda goes back to the Red Scare of 1920, well as Heather has aptly reminded us the industrialists and southerners of the late 19th century. God, such a long, worn down story! Never occurs that any financial hand up flows straight back into the economy, creating demand for businesses, payrolls, profits, tax revenues, all to the net benefit of all concerned. I so repeat myself on this one.
I figured out a long time ago that if I want to know what Rs have in mind, just listen to what they're accusing Ds of.
I imagine that he had so much more to offer. That strategy is straight from Goebbels.
What Greek and Roman wisdom thankfully got right is that *all politics* depends on people of *virtue*, of which Trump can claim no part. Intemperate. Imprudent. Cowardly, no courage. Injust to the nth degree. Without love, hope, charity or faith of any sort, while claiming to be the Second Coming (of Jesus, Lincoln, whoever). Virtue is an ideal, offering these measure of one striving for good. That Trump registers a zero on each measure is a telltale sign for his supporters to abandon him for their own sake.
Steve! It’s as though we are back in middle school with “everyone” wanting to be in the clique with “the mean girls”. Now, as then, the acts and support required starts out small and includes small acts of cruelty towards outsiders. Those who walk the hallways, preening, know that any show of disloyalty to the leader will result in expulsion as well as immediate attack. There is also the mandatory jostling to be seen among the pack members as closest to the leader.
It’s a shame that the “Gang That Couldn’t Legislate” (nod to The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight) enables the whitewashing of their leader while he listens to the “evil boyfriend” (Stephen Miller) who delights in pulling wings off flys (ripping nursing babies from their mothers’ arms).
The ones I know are just never wealthy enough. My ex husband is a diagnosed sociopathic narcissist. I don't know if it's possible but I think he may also have turned my daughter into one.
It's sick.
I can't "like" this post. I am so sorry.
Jen, I hope that you are wrong about your daughter.
The “incident” at Arlington, the disregard for the rules, mistreatment of the soldier who tried to stop them (including calling her mentally ill) and the final act of the tfg campaign manager putting the video on X with the snide comment about the “hacks” in the Secretary’s office should be, prima facie, disqualifying for tfg. Anyone who sneers at our military, among his other many, many other flaws, is unfit to serve as president, CoC.
As a drafted Army veteran, I am appalled and angry at Trump’s abuse of our sacred ground for our fallen! It personifies the abuse Trump, his paid staff, his complicit media on Fox and other vehicles and his most ardent followers have inflicted first on on political system at large and second on what was formerly known as The Republican Party! Their stain runs deep and will last decades! What Harris and Walz bring to the rest of our society are steps in the right direction of honor, national purpose and sound economic and social policy.
But we must win BIG for that to happen and for it to last more than one term in office! If we succeed in 2024, our younger voters will save us in 2026 and 2028 and beyond! That’s why we must focus the next two months on registering massive numbers of 18 to 29 age
Sorry hit the wrong button: please go to www.TurnUp.US which is run by brilliant Harvard students registering these young new voters focused only on 23 “truly competitive” Congressional Districts and key Senate elections based on abortion rights, gun safety and climate change! It is tax deductible as well as a 501C3 charitable organization! Let’s get it done folks NOW before it is too late? Thank you!
I am sorry that you or anyone else was drafted stealing two or more years of your life from you and the hundreds of thousands of others that went through the same thing.
As the son of a WWII disabled veteran and several other family members who served in WWII, Korea and Viet Nam I am seething at the events that took place at Arlington.
I was watching MSNBC the day Trump's brown shirts started firing tear gas and rubber bullets to clear Lafayette Square for CFDTs unauthorized photo-op in front of a church. The protest was scheduled to be over 20 minutes after the shooting started.
Before now, this is the most glaring example of Fascism I know of on American soil.
But the Arlington event was much worse in my opinion. To dishonor fallen veterans and their family members is as low as one can go. And then to push an US Army employee out of the way to perform an illegal activity is truly despicable. But perhaps the worst thing about it is convicted felon five time draft dodger Donold Trump and his thugs masquerading as campaign staff will NEVER be held accountable. Just like with Lafayette Square.
A big fuck you goes out to Trump and anyone who supports him.
With both fingers.
Awww, our go to is "with a red-hot poker".
(Actually almost 5 yrs) but tRump has gotten his ass kicked when this backfired on this sneaky attempt to accuse her of not attending a solemn memorial! Haven’t seen a serious poll of what vets really feel about this and voting— has anyone?
Well said, sir
He’s the personification on impunity.
👍👍👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💥💥💥🙏
Army veterans must remember this disgraceful act by Trump when they vote in November.
Military veterans. All of them. Sadly, so many are firmly behind him.
Well , maybe what Trump did at Arlington will resonate in their minds and will make them think twice before voting for Trump.
Thank you for stating your perspective. I wish more service members and their allies would speak up. And that "Republican" members of our congress and military would do the same.
Plenty of people have said what needs to be said about the Arlington disgrace. Three out of four of my grandparents served, and while I am typically distrustful of holding too many things precious and sacred, some things just command that reverence. Burial groud of fallen heroes is one of them. This was a desecration, plain and simple, and I pray I will never be jaded enough for something this gratuitously disgusting not bring me to a boil.
But what really, really, really got me going was the detail about blaming the poor woman doing her job as having a "mental health episode." UGH. Obviously it was a lie, but beyond that... I struggle mightily with mental health issues/illness, and I've encountered this trope among right-wingers before. Everyone who is inconvenient or threatening to their conformity is "mentally ill" and gets mocked as part of a nebulous blob of craaaaazy. Lady at the cemetary just doing her job? Mentally ill. Trans people in a pride parade? Mentally ill. Protestors that aren't theirs? Mentally ill. Literally anyone with a funny hair color? Mentally ill. On the flipside... school shooter? Mentally ill, but eh, what can you do? It's a catch-all intended to put everyone they don't see as one of them on one spectrum of untrustworthy and maladjusted and erratic.
Mental health issues are common in loads of well-adjusted people. Conversely, one can be a total psycho without having psychosis in the diagnosed clinical sense. The cult leader clown, for instance. Actually, he probably is both. His existence has provoked a "mental health episode" for this whole damn country. He and his top sycophants should be forced to pay all our therapy bills, class-action style.
Thanks, Will. It’s been nine years of trauma. Nine years I can’t get back. With the exception of the days preceding January 6th and after the election was called for Biden the mental stress has been ever present. I’m pissed.
Commander in Chief. Steward of national security secrets and nuclear codes. We elect an irresponsible, incompetent con artist at our own dire peril.
He probably has turned it all over to Vladimir Putin!
Or will finish the job if given the chance. Vlad is waiting…
The Army should file charges against the thugs who shoved the cemetery employee. She should not have to do that personally. They broke federal law.
CFDT wouldn't hesitate to name names and give addresses and phone numbers if the shoe was on the other foot. The only name I've seen is Steven Cheung the former sumo wrestler turn Trump spokesperson for Trump calling her mentally unstable or something like that.
MLMinET,
The "incident" at Arlington: just revealing who Trump's minions are.....and who he is.
Well, if the Trump Organization wasn't already on its last legs, the new anti-money laundering rules would be their death blow. No more "most of our money comes from Russia" as Eric Trump said seven years ago.
From Vanity Fair:
+++
Dodson had planned to play nine holes with Trump and Eric, along with pro golfer Greg Norman and Trump’s bodyguard, and when he got there, Dodson asked where Trump was getting money. “He just sort of tossed off that he had access to $100 million,” said Dodson, whose curiosity was piqued:
“So when I got in the cart with Eric,” Dodson says, “as we were setting off, I said, ‘Eric, who’s funding? I know no banks—because of the recession, the Great Recession—have touched a golf course. You know, no one’s funding any kind of golf construction. It’s dead in the water the last four or five years.’ And this is what he said. He said, ‘Well, we don’t rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia.’ I said, ‘Really?’ And he said, ‘Oh, yeah. We’ve got some guys that really, really love golf, and they’re really invested in our programs. We just go there all the time.’ Now that was three years ago, so it was pretty interesting.”
+++
The Heart of Darkness…..
Trump as Col Kurtz! Trump is so far imbedded in the evil upriver.
Yes KD! 100%
Effective date for those rules is 2026. A lot of time for the kleptos to develop a new scheme.
Plenty more time, too, KEM, for Clarence to rake in more millions in "gratuities."
What I don't understand, is why the 1-2 year delay??
Me too. It is as if the gov't is announcing a fire sale lasting 2 years.
I suppose it’s to get the accounting systems in place but the delay is frustrating. I’d like some urgency.
Part of a compromise? Thinking maybe if 45 is back it will get scraped? That's my guess.
Yes, and dont forget running on “NO taxes on tips” . As a side, if employers paid the waitstaff a proper wage that wouldn’t really matter , would it?
They are already planning ahead. Contributing to a chump win.
If the dates in tonight's Letter that these rules go into effect are correct, the money laundering will go on for more than a year after the 2024 election. My hope is that the "Trump Organization" will be history when these finally go into effect.
So many people seem involved in taking down our country that I doubt our prisons can hold all of them.
I dream, but they are like vampires, rising to suck the blood out of all of us.
And why does it take a year? Why does every good decision or bit if legislation or legal challenge take one year, two years etc etc in the USA? That's just too much bureaucracy.
I hope you're right TC, but we are talking about the teflon king.
He has bonds securing over half a billion in penalties for defamation and fraud that appear for cases being slow walked in New York.
I'm more concerned that FinCEN has just given the Russians more incentive to work to get their buddy re-elected
In case anyone here missed Harris and Walz's CNN interview, I have pasted the transcript below, lightly edited for clarity. You're welcome.
Voiceover: A few weeks ago on this network, we let an honorable senior citizen implode in front of us and instead of offering him a glass of water, made his life hell for the next several weeks. Our plan worked too well, for now he has been replaced on the Presidential ticket by SOME LADY. No one knows who this woman is, where she came from, what she stands for, or what crazy sh!t she has planned, because without an exclusive interview, there is truly no way to know. Thank God for us, and now Dana Bash will get to the bottom of things.
Bash: VP Harris, let's begin. Things are more expensive than they were several years ago. This has been the case since forever, but it's really harshing our vibes. Despite all the actual facts saying so, you can't possibly think the economy is good, can you?
Harris: Well, it inarguably objectively is, so I don't wanna be a liar by saying it isn't, but I also don't wanna seem uppity, so... I'll just say we can always improve.
Bash: Why haven't you already solved all our problems?
Harris: I actually haven't been in charge, and I'm not made of fairy dust.
Bash: There are some very minor policy stances you seem to have changed since several years ago. Can you explain?
Harris: Sure! I'm a politician, so I change my mind on details if they are no longer popular.
Bash: Huh. Shoot. I didn't have anything beyond that. Um... do you agree with the campus loonies that want Israel destroyed?
Harris: No. I don't want any country destroyed, actually.
Bash: *turn to Walz* Tim, you're just sitting there. Surely there is some minor fib we might have caught you in?
Walz: You could dig up an oopsie if you tried, but I'm a nice guy who's just happy to be here, so let's not nitpick, shall we?
Bash: This is boring! Hey Kamala, can we talk about your rival instead?
Harris: No.
Bash: How about your boss? He's so OLD! Why doesn't it gross you out?
Harris: I think he is a nice person who has done a good job for a lot of people.
Bash: How about your niece? She's adorable!
Harris: Yes, she is. Absolutely darling. The children are the future.
**THE GHOST OF CRONKITE APPEATS OUTSIDE THE WINDOW. CUT TO COMMERCIAL.**
Kamala handle this interview by a conservative like a professional. She was confident and her and Tim knock it out of the park.
Kamala and Tim are getting way too much good press and continue to rise in almost every poll.
Convicted felon draft dodging Donold Trump posted 50 times on the night of the Arlington debacle trying to find something to take the focus off of the chaotic photo op.
Nothing he posted is sticking.
And JD even told Kamala to go to hell for her non-response response to the Arlington chaos.
Yes , that is true. Trumps desperate and will do anything for his political campaign that is sinking. Let him keep putting his foot in his mouth. It would be to Kamala's advantage at the polls in November.
Pure poetry. Thanks, Will. Made my day (night) 🩵
Bash: what’s Willy Brown really like? Why did he dump you?”
Harris: same old playbook, nice try, no cigar, next inane question please
Shades of Dickens here?
HAHAHA! Nailed it!
Funny!
How do Trump and Republicans disrespect America's finest? Check this infographics of the 10 Worst Ways To Insult A Veteran.
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/08/29/trump-arlington-national-cemetery-10-worst-ways-to-insult-a-veteran/
These 10 points, Deepak, all pathetic reminders of the nihilist vulgarity atop Republicans.
What a contrast between Bone Spur Donald’s blatant effort to politicize the solemnity of the Arlington National Cemetery while Vice President Harris conducted herself presidentially at the first serious presidential candidate media interview of 2024.
My family proudly listened to Kamala speak with dignity, authority, and a clear grasp of how she intends to lead the United States of America.
I have met several presidents and served under four presidents, two Republican and two Democratic.
Kamala Harris clearly is presidential.
I look forward to the September 10th ABC presidential ‘debate.’ Her opponent has been ranked the worst president in American history by a distinguished panel of historians and political scientists.
Some observers have described this event as ‘a seasoned prosecutor against a fact-less felon.’
I think Trump giving a “thumbs up” at a soldier’s gravesite was tasteless and disrespectful. When one goes to a cemetery, especially one for fallen military, one should behave respectfully.
Shoulds, rules, and laws don't apply to him, and it's only getting worse if that's possible.
Kathy He was making a video that would be used in an ad. The theme was that he cared to honor the soldiers killed in Afghanistan, while President Biden chose not to appear.
Trump’s hypocrisy is extraordinary. He didn’t want wounded soldiers to appear in a military parade, because ‘it didn’t look good.’
Despite the overriding strictures prohibiting using Arlington National Cemetary for political purposes, Trump sought to use these ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’ to his political advantage.
Why any veteran would vote for Bone Spur gobsmacked me—who voluntarily was a ‘sucker’ and almost a ‘loser’ in service to my coiuntry.
And the family members (?) around him, too, and their thumbs up. 🤦🏼♀️
She will not be in a courtroom w judicial representatives and armed guards. She has yet to show she can counter gishgalloping! Simply politely disrupting as she did w Pence will be wholly ineffectual w Trump. Does she know how and is she willing to do what it takes to counter the gishgalloping of a psychopath? Someone please convince me.
She will hold her own just fine. The "gallop" is a transparent ploy, not some dark wizardry with no comeback available to us mere mortals. The proper thing to do is to let him hang himself by looking insane, ignore it, and use her time to reinforce her mesage without engaging with the nonsense other than a cursory "that's a lie!"
Biden did just fine onstage against the Gish gallop in 2020. He failed to counter it this time because, well, it is clear in hindsight that he had simply become too infirm to campaign/debate effectively regardless of opponent. I admire the man and thank him for his service, but every day since he passed the baton has been a night-and-day demonstration of what we were missing and now have.
Biden misjudged jet lag and the power of anger (his) to disrupt one’s train of thought when jet lagged. Americans, except the few of us who survived Covid, as excited as we may be about the change in candidates, remembering Der Alte and understanding that physical limitations do not necessarily diminish mental acuity, recognize that 1) it was no debate, and 2) the firehose of lies could have brought down a younger jet-lagged president.
Harris should keep the word "lie" out of her debate vocabulary. A better response might be, "(sigh) whatever you say, Donald."
How about “would you mind repeating that, Donald?” after any long spew?
Oh, that would work!!
Another approach might be to wait until that animate object (45) stops spewing, I mean talking, and then she turns, looks into the camera, and says what she wants to say to the American People. At every pause in his spewing. Don't play his game. He uses the "debate" as a free platform to spew his schtick. She can use the platform in a similar way, to clearly explain policy or whatever to the viewing audience. It is impossible to have a rational dialogue with an irrational humanoid. Don't play his game -- he's not playing your game, as he is not capable of doing so. Keep your cool and act like he doesn't exist.
Have you never seen the garbage that defense attorneys come up with? I've had the opportunity to testify under oath in criminal trials, and they really come up with some doozies in those low-level trials. VP Harris can handle it.
So, on the one hand, we have a principal political actor to whom law is an impediment unless he can wield it as a club against his enemies. On the other, we have government workers (“faceless bureaucrats”) working to create and operate a legal system that will protect financial transactions from being used to cheat, steal, defraud and bully honest businesses and citizens. Got it. Amazingly, many of those citizens support that actor, often vociferously. I know, because I was phone-banking for Kamala yesterday, and I ran into a number of them. Showing, once more, that Churchill was right about democracy.
Perfectly said.
Shouldn’t the sane part of the Republican Party at this point be deeply ashamed of their candidate? Has everyone there lost their sense of decency?
There is no sane part in the Republican party. That part died when they voted against the OCF’s (Orange Convicted Felon) impeachment.
The relatively sane people left the GOP already.
For all the good it does us, it's astounding how many rediscover the bits and pieces of a spine once they retire from office.
It seems that any display of decency gets you officially barred from the party.
Sure seems that way... Maybe they've rewritten the statutory requirements.
I believe several moderate Republicans are and will vote for Harris in November.
She said in her interview that she'll consider naming a Republican to her Cabinet. Interesting to speculate who that might be.
My guess? Liz Cheney or Adam Kinzinger.
There is a 0.00% chance that Liz Cheney will be in a Harris cabinet. She is uber-right-wing on every policy position which is kind of a deal-breaker when it comes to serving under a center-left President.
I appreciate what she did on the Jan 6th Committee, I really do. But the fact that she (with her old guard family ties) felt compelled to do the bare minimum in standing for rule of law, and no one joined her, says more damnable things about the party than it does about her general reasonableness, which is basically nonexistent.
Kinzinger seems like a nice person, yet if such a move comes true it'll probably be someone retired who takes over Agriculture or something. Obama tried floating the same idea and it didn't last long in practice.
Bingo Will! If Liz was still in the House in a position of power as she was, would she have supported any of the major legislation that the Democrats have passed over the previous four years?
Nope
It certainly won't be anyone that served on Trump's cabinet or his advisors.
I think we tried working with a republican in high office when AG Garlad was given the management responsibility for prosecuting DJT. I think he did a more forceful job with Hunter Biden's legal woes.
The Republican Party is dead, no sanity left
JD When the Phoenix rises from this soul less party what will it look like?
The Southern Republicans and their followers aren't going to change their stripes anytime soon and I haven't seen any interest in bipartisanship from any of them except for the border bill which Trump killed. When there are NEVER any consequences for their actions except to get reelected what hope is there for the NEW Republicans party?
Costal and other progressive states carry the southern states. They do not have enough of a stake in their own success so they have the freedom to indulge in nostalgic racism, rural and small town happiness, homecoming queens, etc. Some of those things are fine so long as the people enjoying them are helping to make them happen. If you are sitting on a curb with a cup collecting $ to fund a bender I think it is in poor taste to bite the leg of the one who throws coin in your cup. Most of the legislators from that place (MTG, Tommy Tuberville,, etc) don't seem to agree on that.
All RINOs. Soulless RINOs
yes
We have heard that America has a housing shortage. We have also heard that corporations have been busy purchasing residential real estate to use as rental properties as a lucrative source of income. We have also heard, from Matthew Desmond in "Poverty, By America" that owners of rental properties like to target people of color, and jack the rent in certain neighborhoods for maximum lucre extraction. Now money laundering via US real estate investment enters the equation. We should wonder how much of our affordable housing shortage is a function of foreign money laundering. It will be a challenge for our new Democratic President.
We can solve homelessness, it’s more of a matter of political will.
No question this is what has been happening since the 60s.
I am thinking the same thing. And wondering how/ why all this real estate chicanery was ignored from 2011 on. Too many people continue to benefit from this fundamental corruption while the homeless crisis has ballooned way beyond decency.
My non-economist pessimistic outlook is 75%
It would explain a lot.
It is a huge challenge that needs to be addressed, it isn't just certain neighborhoods, housing has gone off the charts. People are complaining about increasing homeless populations but not acknowledging the reality that this isn't only the irresponsible or disadvantaged, homelessness is a real, constant threat that it never was for people that are in fact working, starting out or retired.
As a civil servant for 33 years, most within DOD, I agree the Army NeVEr makes such statements unless they cannot avoid it. This truly crossed a line. But, that is the point: for DJT and autocrats, he alone gets to make the lines so of course he ignored rules, beat up on someone doing his job, then lied and laughed. This is the attack on a journalist reporting on a campaign rally in 20215 redux.
And how are his actions not a violation of his parole??
Are you listening, Judge Merchan? Sept.18 is just around the corner!
Good point David. Should the Judge wait until after the election to sentence him knowing that CFDT will milk the sentence for political gain?
I would love to see 500-1000 hours of community service determined by whoever is in charge of that in New York. The more public it is, the better. House arrest would be a joke.
Oh, that would be rich! CFDT in grey coveralls spooning food at the soup kitchen!!
David, I’d rather see him picking up trash in Manhattan, dressed in the orange jumpsuit!
A Corps of Engineer Vet and Retiree of 34 years applauds your verification of the care the military takes in statements.
But I also noticed the Army Official pushed aside at Arlington was female and wonder how much of the Trump Party blunder was also tainted by their obvious misogyny in tune with the Master of Blunder.
My guess? 95%
The female soldier was doing her job protecting the hollow grounds at the cemetery when she was physically and mentally attacked by Trump’s goons. He is a mob boss and this soldier knew she was forced into a form of submission where she could only file a report. It’s shameful and that sonofabitch should’ve been hauled away with his bouncers in a proverbial paddy wagon. Unfortunately, that did not happen and he trampled on those grounds with (again unfortunately) real ignorant people who were so enamored with him or didn’t know the rules of Arlington. Maybe they were both, but they were Gold Star families who legitimately lost loved ones. The good thing is that it made Trump look like the fool he is and I believe many have taken note.
FinCen’s ruling is way past due but comes at the heels at Trump’s “investments” in real estate. This is nothing short than awesome because I have no doubt that he has been the recipient of money laundering from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, and now Egypt. Also heard that a Ukrainian oligarch has been imprisoned in Ukraine for almost a year because of his money laundering. The US wants to extradite him here because he was involved with banks. I really feel this is going to blow the lid off of shell companies and maybe even “charitable” organizations.
I so agree with your last sentence. It will also be fascinating to watch how the FinCen investigations affect the politics in the UK regarding those political operatives who campaigned for the severing of UK links with the post war EU peace project and then imposed the most extreme politically isolating Brexit.
The UK’s Tories decided to make London a haven for dirty money, and they found out there was a price to be paid for it.
Oh yes, it will be very interesting, indeed!
"The Pentagon avoids statements like this at all costs. But a draft dodging traitor decided to lie about our armed forces staff, so they went to paper.” And what is the penalty for this traitor who once again violated some sacrosanct rules?
Nothing. Except applause from the MAGAt cult camp.
Losing the 2024 election and being prosecuted for felonies galore.
I really, really hope so. Justice is long overdue for this professional criminal.
One wonders what true justice would look like in this case.
For everything he has done? To women, to minorities, to the environment, to American democracy, to democracy world wide? In my opinion, there is no punishment that would ever suffice.
DM, my point exactly.
Some things can get so broken that they can't ever get fixed.
"Justice" is an appealing concept. We like to think it is possible to exact justice, in this life, or some other dimension.
Some things are just unforgiveable.
He's gotten plenty of negative press (finally) for this latest ploy; maybe some MAGAs or on-the-fence folks will move away from him, especially if there are veterans in their families.
He never gets enough negative press. He broke the law again; he already is a convicted felon multiple times over WHEN is all this enough to get him into jail?
Has anyone else wondered how a veteran could possibly admire Donald Trump? I do not mean to ask how a veteran could support a Trump second term ( or even first term) - I mean admire the man? I am not a veteran so I do not get it. Admiring DJT does not fit in the same duffle bag as "no man left behind", "some gave all", honored to serve" - does it?
I am reminded once again of what Octavia Butler said (decades ago now) on how not to choose a leader.
Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought.
To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears.
To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists who control the fool.
To be led by a thief is to offer up your most precious treasures to be stolen.
To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies.
To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love into slavery.
-Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler is included in a small group of authors at the top of my "favorites?" list.
I was deeply disappointed when I learned that she no longer walks among us.
Thank you Professor Richardson. Another great thought-provoking LFAA.
Trump's disdain for decorum, tradition, law, and anything that is not "Trump" or "Trump" in big gold letters is as clear now as it was when he was mocking differently-abled reporters.
Of all of the various investigations, indictments, and convictions, I suspect FinCEN strikes fear into Trump's tiny, orange, still-beating, Burger King surrounded heart. And it's likely why Trump famously stated "Trump after Mueller appointment: "This is the end of my presidency. I'm f*cked."
https://www.axios.com/2019/04/18/mueller-report-donald-trump-im-fucked
https://foreignpolicy.com › 2018/12/21 › how-russian-...
Dec 21, 2018 — In the fall of 1992, after he cut a deal with U.S. banks to work off nearly a billion dollars in personal debt, Donald Trump put on a big ...
https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/21/how-russian-money-helped-save-trumps-business/
Trump Media saved in 2022 by Russian-American under criminal investigation
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/03/trump-media-es-family-trust-2022-loans
Following the Money: Trump and Russia-Linked Transactions From the Campaign to the Presidential Inauguration
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/following-the-money/
If Trump Is Laundering Russian Money, Here’s How It Works
https://www.wired.com/story/if-trump-is-laundering-russian-money-heres-how-it-works/
That last link, George, are you able to gift it by any chance?
Marlene if I could raise enough money for a (highly) leveraged buy out of Wired, WashPo, and the NYT and most all content that should be public domain -I would do it for all of us (and in memory of Aaron Swartz). If you open your browser in "incognito" mode or "private" mode it should be readable (that's what I did without a subscription).
Thank you, George. This is heavy. It's been a few years now, but I watched several of Sheldon Whitehouse's Scheme episodes where he addressed the issue of shell companies, and other related topics that your links have written about.
I also feel the need to give a shout-out to Greg Olear, author of "Dirty Rubles, an Introduction to Trump/Rusia," published in 2018.
His Prevail substack has many articles on Trump's Russian ties. Here's just one:
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/tinker-tailor-mobster-trump?s=r
In this substack, Russia makes an "entrance" after you read about the history of the Mob's interaction with the future 45th president of the U.S.
Thank you for sharing Lynell. The corruption and financial crimes truly transcend borders. Although I think of Russian-influence in dividing and weakening the United States, it’s really a global crime syndicate working to amass as much money and power as possible.
Morning, Lynell! Olear's post chilled me when I read it initially; he's one of the first Substacks I followed after HCR.
Morning, Ally! My circle was small back then; so, he seemed to be the lone voice calling out the chicanery. Of course, I also need to include his partner on the Five/8, Stephanie Kopf - LB!
- Pulled Quote -
''“I don’t think I can adequately explain what a massive deal it is for the Army to make a statement like this,” political writer and veteran Allison Gill of Mueller, She Wrote, noted. “The Pentagon avoids statements like this at all costs. But a draft dodging traitor decided to lie about our armed forces staff, so they went to paper.”''
Trump is a traitor to all that's decent and good...a loser.
Trump and his campaign were trying to politicize the tragic accident that took place as the US withdrew from Afghanistan with a photo-op in a restricted area.
I extracted this from a YouTube video. Unfortunately, I didn't save the link.
Afghanistan Withdrawal Facts:
Trump not Biden Negotiated directly with the
Taliban terrorists and excluded the Afghan army.
Trump not Biden Drew down US forces from
13,000 to 2,500, making them vulnerable to attack.
Trump not Biden Ordered the release of 5,000
Taliban fighters from prison, one of whom would
become the new leader of Afghanistan.
Trump not Biden Wanted to invite the Taliban
leaders to Camp David on the anniversary of
September 1lth. Seriously.
Trump not Biden Agreed to a May Ist exit
from Afghanistan, then bragged that he didn't
need an exit strategy.
Trump not Biden Refused to brief Biden's
incoming team on the situation in Afghanistan.
Trump not Biden Shut down every airbase
in Afghanistan except one, crippling the US's
ability to extract US citizens."
Biden alerted US citizens in Afghanistan to leave starting four months before the extraction began to evacuate. Thousands chose to ignore Biden's warning (pleading). A few died.
Sadly, we left allies behind who have since been treated with the same disrespect they were treated with before W. invaded Afghanistan in October, 2001. The war cost the US $300 million a day and the Republicans willing financed the war for 20 years.
When we arrived in Afghanistan the GDP of the entire country was so low it was unmeasurable according to economists. When we left 20 years later it was still in the bottom 10% of all countries in the world and it only cost us around $2 trillion.
Gary, can you post these points on Facebook?
Sorry, I don't have a Facebook account so I can't. But earlier today I found the first part (thru ability to extract US citizens on Hopium in Substack and noticed that he had a copyright symbol by the story. So I should probably delete my post. Or at least edit out the Hopium part. The rest is mine and you're welcome to it.
Interesting. I'd love the link to that; I pulled a meme off Facebook which listed some of these. I am waiting for the opportunity to post it.
I've spent the last 45 minutes searching for the content and link to that. Simon Rosenberg is responsible for putting it together and he put it in a VISIO type graphic. I am coming up empty. Sorry. I don't know why I didn't keep the link. My bad. If I see it again I will send you the link.
He isn't just a traitor and a loser. That is like saying a 180lb mountain lion is a kitten. All of us need to call him what he is. Flat out.