Ten days after he was taken from a plane diverted to Minsk by autocrat Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, 26-year-old opposition journalist Roman Protasevich appeared on state television. Visibly injured, Protasevich praised Lukashenko and parroted his government’s story that protests are backed by the West. He disavowed his past opposition and confessed to organizing “mass unrest.”
In the 1970s, I spent a few years working for the Royal Bank of Canada in Montréal and worked on some projects concerning the distribution of retail branches in Canada and thereafter spent some time in the Public Relations Division. For an internal magasine article, I once asked a senior international banker, after he had downed 2 Manhattans befor eating, why there was such an abnormal concentration of bank branches in Southern Florida (from which RBC was totally absent, I must say). He laughed and said that it certainly wasn't a question of the Floridians, retirees and the "snow geese" but to capture and whitewash all the cash coming from black market and undeclared financial and commercial operations in the Carribean, Central America and Venezuala/ Columbia. He then ordered another Manhattan to drink while eating!
Innocence cohabiting with horrors in the sunshine. All the sharks are not in the seam. I remember some really interesting projects with island oligarchs in Haiti and Jamaica for whom Miami was their town...bank, coiffeur, resto...whenever! Just hop a flight.
Florida...one of the great states of corruption. I live here so I can say that. My long-time neighbor was a big-time cocaine dealer working with Colombian king pins. I never knew until he was hauled away I and read about it later. They had an “excavation” company and dug up and buried things in their back yard.. which gives me the willies to think about now.
No, of course not. He was on loan to the Federal Government at the time. The article was about this cooperative program and him. I also found out why he and several other "shelved" senior executives always are "unavailable and in a meeting" every afternoon from 2 till 4 and why they all have "dragons" as secretaries and large comfortable sofas in their offices!
“In my book it’s pretty simple. If you work hard to PREVENT people from voting, you pretty much admit that your ideas aren’t popular and you fear the verdict of the people.” Dan Rather
Oh my. Springsteen's rendition of Woody Guthrie's song and his love for our country choked me up. An old song, so relevant for how so many Americans feel about our Constitutional crises today. There is a growing list of songs that could become multiple anthems for the states of our democracies around our world today.
Wow... thanks for the quote and the video. I have wondered what has become of our great protest singers... when the 60’s were chock full of them, now we just hear crickets. I wish the movement could swell up again and help empower us.
I miss them too, Pamsy, but otherwise respectfully dissent. They are out there, though it's harder to spot them with YouTube and Twitter so cluttered. It's interesting that you say "protest singers" rather than folk singers. Hip hop is probably the genre most committed to overt political themes. I dislike its unmelodic style, but the political content is all we could wish for. From Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, through Blaxploitation films, to rap and hip hop, the Civil Rights movement ended the (self) censorship imposed on R&B, jazz, and other Black artists. This is progress -- let's have more!
I'm not so sure we were braver - perhaps more terrified when the issues were go to Vietnam and die, or speak up and be assassinated. What was left? We had no choice. Today everything can look peachy keen while the RQC and Qanon and Proud Boy sheep plan their 2nd insurrection attempt for August under our happy, vaccinated, sunburned noses. I also think "The Media" in the 60's and 70's was pretty concentrated to 3 TV stations, plus the 3 radio ones (country, polka and the cool new FM one) so young Bruce Springsteen had one big audience (not the polka station) for young people. We ALL heard and sang the same protest songs. Now artists and athletes and heroes have so many multiplex forums, blogs, podcasts, sites, channels, uploads , substacks, tik toks, and smartspeakers (I listen to my daughter delivering morning news briefs for the Chicago Tribune and others - I'm putting in a plug here for "Spoken Layer", currently looking for more great audio talent!) that the message and the songs gets diluted and dispersed. Plus, how many rock or folk concerts have you been to in the past year. Like, NONE, Right?! That's where we got our communal energy and focus, and, well, bravery. We do need that movement again, that clear message, that unifying song, an anthem for oir new democracy. Fer Sure.
Thanks you for this, Ted. A deep truth, beautifully said, and a lovely song of our shared beliefs that nowadays seem buried under the deluge of propaganda that has muffled us (whether self-marketing on social media or the more institutional variety).
As far as voting rights, please read this LA Times analysis of how SCOTUS has been morphed in supporting the Republicans' concept re voting. (IMHO, the Federalist Society' efforts over the past 40 years have paid off (I use that term deliberately, since it has been taking dark money, per Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse's piece titled "The Third Federalist Society" that appeared in Medium 3/27/19.) Here's the LA Times analysis: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-06-04/how-supreme-court-tilted-election-law-favor-gop
Roman Protasevich. As a parent, my heart breaks for his family.
So much news today but this one piece is so sad.
As for 45, it continues to astonish and perplex me how such a mentally ill, morally bankrupt and inhumane organism has so many loyal dedicated (gullible?) followers who seem to believe all his lies... just astounding and frustrating.
I just got a new batch of postcards from Postcards To Voters today and will continue to do my small part towards preserving our democracy.
Thank you, Dr. Heather, for keeping us informed. I refer others to you, and to Gabe at Wake Up to Politics. Individually we may be tiny voices but together en masse we can make a difference.
How wonderful that you do the postcards! I've been looking for a way to help, and I'm told I have "enviable penmanship." Will check out Postcards to Voters. Thank You.
Whew - the political gamesmanship here and around the world this week! We all watch like an enrapt audience at a championship chess match. It also demonstrates that an autocrat’s will is much stronger than his mind.
Oh - in PA, there is no legal mechanism to do what they are doing in AZ. Any recount must be brought to court the way Trump’s team did, and AFTER finding fault in the process, petitions must be signed in EACH AND EVERY VOTING PRECINCT to be recounted. It is an extremely arduous and expensive process that cannot originate from the same government that already certified the election results. Plus, they don’t have support from the governor or the courts.
Morning, ted!! Exactly as you say. I have been overwhelmed by the idea that "they can't do that...it's not legal" with the reality that "they" don't care about the rule of law anymore.
I'm afraid you are correct. This 'fraudit' will become a permanent feature of the "electoral" process. But, you have to hand it to them. This is an ingenious con. It produces significant free cash flow, is very scalable, and has a high barrier to entry for any potential competitor.
They would have to break a lot of the PA Constitution, even if the governor’s seat is flipped. The PA Supreme Court will shut them down. It’s one of the few backstops that PA has and WI doesn’t have.
PA’s problem right now is the redistricting as a result of the 2020 Census is one more opportunity for the PA Legislature to gerrymander the state.
Mark Elias said exactly that during his interview with Rachel Maddow last night. He also made a clear statement about his hope and expectation was for the legal process he is pursuing is meant to buy time so that the political process could “catch up” and correct itself. Fat chance. Regarding the multiple and ongoing lawsuits he is filing in states that continue to pass laws that suppress the vote of black, brown and younger citizens, he indicated that this tactic will only go so far because “the big lie is quite literally becoming a matter of state policy.” OK, so now what??? At what point does the justice department step in, if they have not done so already? Remembering HCR’s recounting the historical fact that the whole reason for the existence of the justice department at its founding was to root out and put an end to the illegal activities of the KKK? So here we are, again. So where are they?
Trust Robert. I’m not about to second guess Merrick Garland regardless of how infuriating that the wheel turns so slowly. But what I believe 100%+ is that Lady Justice is at his right hand and that Merrick Garland is there.
I'm with you on that point. I have no doubt about Merrick Garland's facility and integrity with regard to the pursuit of justice, but to hear Marc Elias sound the alarm as he did last night, that the legal path he is pursuing can only do so much, well, that just raises a lot of questions in my mind about who does what and when. Taking to the streets in protest is one thing. Getting the levers of government working to uphold the Constitution is another. Are we supposed to wait and see where the SDNY comes down on Trump Org to save us? I don't think so.
Thanks for the info - I will take a listen today. And regarding the DOJ? Who knows where their investigation into Jan 6th will lead ... But, I expect they are being very careful not to tread on the space that even smells like the persecution of previous administrations. It's a thorny issue when the previous administration attempted a coup?
As thorny as it may be politically, it appears to me that the attempted coup issue is pretty black and white (sorry, no pun intended) but I was naive about how the Constitution and its amendments are enforced:
15th Amendment:
Section 1
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Section 2
The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
I feel like they don’t want to pursue anything that might even smell like partisanship. I know it’s a thin line between that and making a valid case, but what is the law for if they’re afraid to use it? (I’m feeling so discouraged today, if you can’t tell.)
I think the brains behind Trumpism have that thin line figured out, and they are ready with more Big Lies, and supporting Little Lies, to assert that any attempt to prosecute the former guy and his minions is Partisan.
Which, in a sense, is true, because their Party is opposed to democracy and the rule of law.
If I were to take the idea of a GOP insurrection literally, it would have to come from the states ruled by the GOP, enlisting their Nat’l Guard to take up arms against our federal government? I’m having a hard time envisioning some proud boys with their uzi’s up against army tanks. I would really appreciate it if someone could spell out for me what an insurrection would look like now that we have sanity in the Oval Office.
More subtle than that. Like a slow creepy coup...it’s been happing since 1980, so slow most have not noticed. The courts, local and state governments. Read Snyder’s substack today, it’s brilliant.
That is what worries me most. With Flynn’s recent comments about a Myanmar- style coup being possible in this country, it does seem credible that Trump is coaxing supporters towards taking up arms. Terrifying to me.
Anyone that thinks a bunch of wannabe paramilitaries has the remotest chance of defeating our military doesn’t know anything about our military. I don’t know if they have any brains 🧠, apparently they don’t, but most creatures on our planet aren’t hell bent on suicide, which would be the result of attacking our military. I think we were way too easy on the attackers on 6 January, it’s time for the gloves to come off, send them to hell where they belong. Good morning everyone 🌅
I had had my coffee alright. I'm a VN vet that served with a Ranger company until I was wounded, I'm lucky, I got out alive. If I had been 6" slower in my movements I would not be writing this. I get what it means to take an oath to defend the constitution, more than 500,000, way more, have given life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, to defend everything that is enshrined in our capitol. The rioters and seditionists that attacked our shrine to democracy are beneath contempt, I'm no saint, but I know which side to stand with. I'm not consumed with anger, like most of us I don't have time for that, but if you ask me if what I watched on 6 January made me angry I would have to answer yes. Thanks for the reply, like all of them, it made me think about what I had said
I agree. The Capitol Police should have had the right to defend themselves with lethal force Jan 6th. They will next time. I really hate to say that, but sometimes you have to escalate the conflict in order to resolve it. Democracy is one of the times.
I like the image of him as a mound of dirt topped by a DRIP sign: Don't Rest in Peace. For all the wrong he's done and continues to do - blatantly and without any regard for the real America - he deserves exactly that.
As Noa Laundau of Haaretz puts it, “fasten your seatbelts, this is going to get ugly now.”
Not just in Israel. Those of our readership who thought they were going to get to sleep peacefully from now on after January 20 look to have "another think coming."
Like Saul Alinsky (who was NEVER the "radical" the right made him out as - trust me, I met him and had one hell of an argument with him over his support of Johnson and Vietnam - some "radical") once said - and it's something everyone involved in politics should tattoo on their frontal lobes:
"The *real* fight starts AFTER you win the election!"
Dr Richardson, Does the commitment to fight corruption address the current laws allowing for foreign real estate investment trusts and LLCs to blindy purchase real estate property in the US? Does today’s news address these gaps in our country’s complicity in money laundering through real estate trading?
Is it coincidence that after the Great Recession 2007-2009 (caused in part the sub prime lending and trading of shady real estate debt and subsequent financial crisis) left the US more vulnerable to pervasive real estate corruption?
Does this also help explain the rise of a bankrupt DT, saved by both becoming a Reality TV star and dark loans via Deutsche banc? DT from fiction to power. Did our Gov change the law then in 2007-10 to help salvage both the real estate and financial sectors, stimulated back to life by becoming money launders?
Has it always been so easy to invest foreign dark money into US real estate with the goal of laundering it for foreign dictators? Was it intentional, like an invitation from President Bush, who said he looked into Putin’s soul?
Just to add a little to the fire.....the US is 25th out of 179 countries on the Corruption Perception Index! Not Glorious....on a level with Chile! Australia, Western Europe and Japan fill the top ten places behind the shining example of New Zealand, the least corrupt of us all..
If Trump has convinced himself he will be reinstated, it's out of desperation born of knowledge of his guilt in the crimes for which he is being investigated. Or maybe Q has promised to save him.
He has always been delusional--remember, we had absolutely no legitimate medical reports on his condition for his entire "presidency," and the lack of information also includes no info at all on the kinds of meds he has been taking. Similar to Reagan when he began to show clear evidence of dementia, and the only reports from the WH for the last 2 years of his second term were that he was sleeping. A lot. But Cheeto also is disgruntled because, banned from FB and Twitter, he has no easily-accessed medium with which to spread his lies. He just shut down his "blog" because it had a pitiful number of subscribers.
I would like to point out that no matter what his convictions are about his "reinstatement" in August, and no matter how much he tries to encourage his Hitler Youth Army to engage in a putsch to effect such a reinstatement, the reality is that no such thing is going to take place. However, all this signaling might also be a deliberate ploy on the part of the Ghastly Obstructionists to tie up the Biden Justice Department and the FBI: the tactic of frivolous lawsuits is sometimes effective. I don't think it will be in this instance, because both Biden and Harris can walk and chew gum at the same time, but Moscow Mitch is likely trying to find some cover for the Quislings who are going to be dealing with massive law suits over voter suppression all summer.
I wish that the wheels of justice were swift, but they are not. This is going to take awhile, folks. We might as well settle in for the long haul. I know that my blood pressure can't take the kind of "excitement" it experienced for the last 5 years.
"Moscow Mitch is likely trying to find some cover for the Quislings who are going to be dealing with massive law suits over voter suppression all summer."
Marc Elias has said he cannot do it alone. Listening to him describe the avalanche of lawsuits already underway, I was reminded of the story of Hans Brinker with his finger in the dike. I am wondering if, perhaps, we need to start some sort of online fundraising to offset the costs. I don't know how he's financing all of this pushback.
I know--he's heroic but can't do it alone. The good news is that the ACLU and NAACP are also flooding the courts with lawsuits. I think that there are probably any number of legal defense funds that could be donated to that will be helping with this. I would recommend checking with the Act Blue folks--they're a clearinghouse.
In 2 interviews in the last 2 days, Marc Elias said that "federal law is the ONLY way to stop voter suppression." And that means passing the "For the People Act". Voter suppression is based on a lie because there was no fraud in the election. The Brennen Center for Justice reported that restrictive bills against voting rights are proposed in 48 states. $'s needed NOW.
Will the Supreme Court support it? That’s a big question. If the red states do what they are planning, will anyone even pay attention to the Supreme Court?
That would assume a degree of rationality that he doesn't seem to possess. His capacity to distinguish his fantasies from reality and right from wrong is not exactly great...psychopath or "just" sociopath" that is the question for this Perverse Narcissist?
Narcissistic sociopath for sure but as rational as Hitler was in order to inspire his ardent followers. Have you read about the newly translated Mein Kampf? Apparently the first published version tried to make Hitler seem more literate than he was but this new version has his writing more accurately as disconnected racist rants.
Apparently, it was leaked to the press this week that whenever anyone tries to approach him with any version of the truth, according to them "it's like p***ing" in the wind.
We are witness to a man having a complete psychotic breakdown. Any psychiatrists out there who care to comment on the process in general - not this person?
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell hosted Lance Dodes, a retired Harvard professor of psychiatry, who holds that Trump is delusional, actually believes the election was stolen, and also believes he'll be reinstated. Dr. Dodes says he will never accept the truth, and his behavior will get worse and he'll deteriorate. Whether he publicly falls apart in public, or is charged and convicted of criminal activity, I hope it's soon enough to save this country.
It’s part and parcel of malignant narcissism. He should have been put in a strait jacket long ago. I have little doubt that he was heavily medicated by his handlers on many occasions while living in our White House.
It's trump's fault. He messes up my grammar, as well as my ability to properly proof posts (like the alliteration?). I'm hoping to return to the "me" I used to be 5 years ago. . . .
Good luck with that! The frustration in watching the idgts politician "followers" gets to the point that I have to stop watching. Can feel my BP rising - know what I mean?
Charlie, Nancy provided an excellent answer to your question. Here is an excerpt of the interview that O'Donnell had with Dr. Lance Dodes:
'... He contributed to the book "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 psychiatrists and mental health experts assess a president."
Dr. Dodes, thank you for joining us once again tonight. It was the talk of being reinstated that made me want to talk to you again tonight. This is Donald Trump thinking, perhaps, that in August he will be president again.
What is your professional reaction to that?
DR. LANCE DODES, RET. CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY, HARVARD 'MEDICAL SCHOOL: Donald Trump is delusional. But this is not news. We`ve known this for the past four years at least.'
'He keeps insisting on things as true which are demonstrably false. That is the definition of delusion. I think what we are seeing is a continuation of his grandiose delusion that he is better than everyone, more important than everyone, and consequently no one else matters. He doesn`t care about anyone else. It is all about his own power.'
'Part of the hell that you speak of is that I think that he is enraged which is not unusual for him. I don`t think that he is capable of being sorrowful at his loss though because he doesn`t know that he`s lost. He is deluded about it.''
'So I think that what we are seeing is the increasingly desperate attempts to hold on to this power which will continue. We`ve said this for the last four years. The more pressure he is under the more he will be outrageous in his demands, the more the lies will increase. The big lie technique will get bigger and bigger.'
'O`DONNELL: Yes. You have consistently said in effect it will get worse. Donald Trump`s condition will get worse. And it will get worse because the pressure increases. That was one of the factors.'
'Certainly a grand jury investigation in Manhattan is a very significant increase in pressure along with the other grand jury investigation that`s happening in Georgia over his election interference. Those are new kinds of pressures for him because he is no longer president. There is nothing he can do to interfere with those.'
'DR. DODES: Right. And lack of power is the thing that he can`t stand and doesn`t acknowledge. Since it can`t be true in his world, in his delusional world, he has to do -- he has to change reality to the extent he can to make it so.'
'So he creates, you know, the illusion that he has some information and things are going to happen. He promises that he`ll be back in office and what not. It is, you know, it`s more of the same and I think that if none of these things pan out for him I think what we`ll see is that he will become even more overtly deluded.'
'And I`ve said for sometime although I can`t be sure but he is probably -- he is certainly at risk of leaving the country rather than facing the law.'
'O`DONNELL: So is it possible that there might come a day if he is, say, convicted of a crime in New York that something could happen where he could have that moment where he kind of admits where he really is in the world?'
'DR. DODES: I don`t think so. That would be a sign of mental health actually. You know, the ability to grieve is normal. I don`t think he can do that. I think he can only become more enraged and more psychotic.'
Fern, Thank you. That completely answers my question. I should stay up later and watch MSNBC. The pressure is mounting. I wonder when the time will come where he needs to be institutionalized?
Don’t lose sleep, Charlie. You know the forces we face. There aren’t enough sanatoriums, prisons and detention centers to hold Trump, his older children, cohorts, the Republican Party, Cult Members and Dark Money. We need to mobilize, demonstrate against legislators passing bills to limit access to voting and putting people in position to manipulate voting results. Massive marches in Washington DC and in the states to demonstrate in favor of the For the People Act and Democracy are called for — an absolute necessity. Our future is truly in jeopardy.
As the court cases tighten, and the Deutsche banc debts go unpaid, the former guy must be really losing his mind as his world crumbles. I give Melania 3-6 more money months. She could still save Barron...maybe.
When I bother to think about Melania, I can't help but wonder why she's waiting. Much longer, and I doubt he'll have enough cash to fund that renegotiated prenup that she crafted with lawyers before she agreed to leave NYC and move to D.C. Poor Barron's chances of avoiding the trump curse of questionable IQ, coupled with inherited mental health issues, diminish every day he remains in that cesspool.
That prenup is now a historical document, right? Oh the fun the next generation is going to have with it? Donnie, couldn’t even get his wife to move into the White House without a new deal!!!
Melanie ain’t there for anything but the money. Any threat to that she’s getting the f out. That’s ur sign he’s broke. The day M hits the road with Baron.
Fern, u probably right. She hasn’t given any us any reason for confidence. That green coat of hers... that is going to be what she is remembered for, “ I really don’t care do you”
Many have been trying to warn about it since 2016. There are others, with the morals of TFG who have done all they could to shut the good ones up. https://worldmhc.org/
Do not underestimate the delusional mass who obey the delusional narcissist who still takes orders from the Russian narcissist. We, and our democracy, remain in real danger.
A little late on this bandwagon, but why is there no federal investigation of TFG being Putin’s Patsy? I think 🤔 it would be most compelling to show his subordination to Putin as seditionist/treasonous behavior. If it is true how hard could it be to prove?
I find him more and more delusional/crazy. At some point he is going to show the world (and the press will report it) that he has slipped into the paranoia that comes with full blown dementia.
I think it's really hard to tell whether Trump is actually delusional. Yes, he raves. Yes, he tells flagrant lies. But this has been a very successful strategy for him in the past, and there's no easy way to determine what he actually believed, and what he simply used to manipulate others.
It's somewhat comforting to think that he IS delusional, because it means he is now trapped in a mental device of his own making, and has thrown away the key.
He might not be delusional. He might be very deliberately playing a role. I note that he has been dismissed as delusional, mentally-ill, incompetent, etc., etc. for many years now -- and yet here we are, discussing the threat he STILL represents to US democracy. His delusion, if it is a delusion, is very potent, and contagious. It serves a purpose that goes beyond the mumbled ravings of a madman. Which means there could still be malign intelligence behind it.
I believe his mentor, Roy Cohn died similar, in a delusional state? Similar to joe McCarthy too? So there is a pattern for these types. Maybe not 100%...but ...
Yes his desperation will cause him to become more and more unhinged and reckless. We're in for a roller coaster ride like we've never seen. Put your money where your mouth is and help elect democrats in the state houses and congress!
Squeezing every bit of cash out of the big lie. I think there is psychology to suggest once you buy in to something, but also give materially to a cause, you are even more cemented in your beliefs, even when evidence is contrary.
I think Trump is the kind of person who spent his life pushing the envelope just to see what he can get away with. I picture him amazed at how no one stops him on much, and that just encourages him to find another more outlandish norm/law to break. The more outrageous, the better. No doubt he was ecstatic watching his insurrectionists on January 6th. His latest proposed cliff-hanger, the August reinstatement (concocted by the pillow guy, I’ve read), is looney, but the potential consequences are pretty scary. What are they up to, now?
IMHO: trumpublicans are victims of “Grooming”, and Jan 6 is not a one off. Over many years/months, small lies have been repeated so often that they are soon accepted as fact by the targets of the grooming. That sets the stage for not only the Big Lie, but other big lies as well (eg:trump will be reinstated in August).
They were groomed for the insurrection of Jan 6 with many seemingly innocuous statements like: Pence can change the outcome, come to Washington it will be wild, fight like hell to save democracy and many more. Each one relatively harmless but, when added together, resulted in the Jan 6 violence.
Now, they are continuing to groom for the next insurrection. The victims of the grooming are hearing that trump will be reinstated in August, audits will find widespread voter fraud, the 2nd amendment guarantees the right to bear arms against the government, we should have a coup just like Myanmar, along with many more.
Those who are being groomed will absolutely feel justified when they rise up and save their country.
Agree. Unfortunately. More evidence is the uptick in gun sales. I would love to hear an expert social psychologist's analysis of this situation. And some good responses for how to defuse and manage it.
Relaxing gun laws result in direct and indirect intimidation. Just the other day, one big guy sat at a popular lunch counter with his giant holster and gun hanging out for all to see that he was loaded. I will not stay in a public place with these crazies. This was a city, not the northern remote hunting grounds. As gun owners get increasingly more relaxed laws for owning and operating their kill devices, I feel less and less safe or free to be where I wish to be and, perhaps more importantly, I hate to admit this, to speak my mind on political issues. Along w the “grooming” (mentioned above) of his believers, there is also this process of active and not so subtle “intimidation” going on nationally. I too am deeply concerned along w the legion of others. I watch the slow wheels of justice (5 years now!!) and pray.
You brought up an important point. It’s not just that they get to carry and flaunt guns and nearly run people off the road in their big trucks with impunity. I have become afraid to put on a bumper sticker, put up a political sign, or even now, go to a protest. When I went to an “Impeach Trump” rally, there was so much hostility from the cars going by that I was concerned we would be run through by one of them, or shot. I have never experienced this before, in this country.
I hear you. The last 5 years I worked, I was "Ally of Mayberry" in the town of Creswell, Oregon (daytime contract deputy). It is a town of about 5,000+ that is becoming a bedroom community to Eugene (there are wood houses of 900 square feet to huge 2500 square foot homes with 3 car garages within the city limits). They had a small BLM demonstration scheduled in late October that was postponed once, and ultimately held on November 1. I'm guessing there might have been 50-75 Creswellians supporting BLM, and perhaps double that protesting the demonstration. A group of over 100 arrived from Springfield (just up the road and Eugene's sister city) in their large trucks and multitudes of flags, TBL, Confederate, US, and TFG. Very, very ugly.
The West has way more Bundy-wannabees than many East Coasters think. In 2009 the Tea Party took these self-styled survivalist militia-types with rabid territoriality and gun-toting tendencies and added a racist switch.
Am I the only one who has trouble seeing a path forward with people like this?
Who led the counter protest? Who encouraged the intimidation? See any long guns, high cap magazines in Hawaiian shirts? “Is this land still made for you and me?”
Any future insurrection will need the help from the military. I'm hopeful that the Defense Department is right now searching out any dissident officers and purging the top brass of traitors.
Curious as to what will that look like. Who are they planning to aim their guns at? Unless they are snipers won’t they be facing army tanks? Just having a hard imagining what it would look like. Jan 6th happened because Putin’s puppet was running the show.
It will be another (now armed) attack on the Capitol, maybe the White House, etc. and it will also be in state capitols (like in Wis, GA, AZ, MI) where there is deep hatred and unrest about those states' election results. I live in WI and the downtown area around the capitol in Madison was boarded up last summer and I think continues to be. The insurrectionists won't face tanks but they hopefully will meet armed troops)
I seriously doubt there will be another attack on our Capitol under this administration, state capitols are likely more vulnerable, with those with GOP governors probably the most vulnerable
I have to say, the blatant coup on our country for the past few decades and rapid destruction of our democracy the past five years whilst at the same time huge societal Change movements have arisen such as Me,Too & BLM. Political awareness and education of our people about our democracy and activism has grown, and brilliant women are rising as major leaders. It is chaotic, lovely an exhausting all at the same time. Yes, whilst I read HCR and several other info/ed sites, and try to get through books like Caste, I find it can become very overwhelming. I consider myself fairly educated about black history, but this book, and the atrocious stories, one after another contained within it, are slamming my heart and head that I have to turn it off and gather myself for awhile before I return. And, in that moment this morning, I vowed to myself that no matter how hard this is, I did not live or die because of white supremacists and it is my responsibility as an American to bear witness to what white supremacists and eugenics does to a fearful, power hungry, group of people. Because, if we do not remember the colonial lies and inhuman massive slaughter and trauma of our Native and African Peoples, it will be repeated. That is why history is so important. That is why witnessing this growing coup on reality and the dismantling of our democracy is critical to keep our eyes and hearts open and to act together. I don't know the answer, but I am always heartened that we try to do something and educate one another here. And hold each other up when we feel it is all futile and some want to move to another country. Why should we leave this democracy? They should leave-- there are plenty of authoritarian regimes they can emigrate to.
When it is all too much, I take a break and videos of silly things that make me laugh or cry such as watching innocent pet otters get a swimming pool and just play and squeal with no thoughts of Nazis or lynchings or cyberwarefare in their psyches. And I wonder why we are all here on this spinning little planet involved in this torturous play of good and evil? And the only answer I ever find is to be a witness and be part of the Resistance to Life. Evil is Live spelled backwards. If this is just a tragedy/comedy Shakespearean play, and we are all dreaming, will we be able to eventually just love one another when the play ends and the players remove their masks and drop their roles? No matter if they are American, Russian, Chinese, Middleeastern? When I think like that, I know I have to stay conscious, keep my eyes and my heart open, like Roland demonstrated up above, and do my very best.
PSA I feel much of your pain here. Would love ❤️ to have those who support TFG open their eyes to the destruction of our government. Caste is indeed hard to read. Makes me want to scream at times. So hard to see racists who just need another being to disparage to make themselves feel good about theRepublican agenda.
Beautifully written, with clear eyed rapt attention to all sorts of excruciating detail. One of those powerful books where no earnest reader can come away from it unchanged. I still see that little black boy, at the segregated Indiana town pool, celebrating the end of the season win with his little league team. Segregation rules meant he was forced to watch from the sidelines with the parents. After his team had all finished swimming and the pool emptied out, and with pleading from the other parents that this black child be allowed to enjoy a swim, the lifeguard conceded a bit by leading him around on a float in the town pool, all other swimmers safely out. Team buddies and parents stood on the sidelines as the lifeguard repeatedly reminded the little boy to keep his hands and feet out of the water. After that humiliating experience, the boy eschewed offers for rides home for team parents, and walked the 3 miles home alone, something in him forever changed, Wilkerson notes. Wish I had read this a million years ago in HS. And, I thought the war was heartbreaking. Little did I understand, when I thought I understood so much.
Yes, I agree Cathy. We Michiganders see it coming perfectly clearly. Our Capitol was the site of the 1st insurrection dress rehearsal. Many of us have neighbors arming for the next attempt in Washington. It's real. And our Republican legislators here are still encouraging the violence, grooming them, as you say, for the war for "reinstatement." A very scary summer coming up.
Belarus violated international laws by ordering the EU flight to land in Minsk to abduct Protasevich. What would have happened if the EU had not allowed a Belarus plane to leave an EU airport until Belarus released the abductees? Would this have been a proper way to make Belarus conform to international law?
Just regular Belarussians on the plane? Better to sanction Luckashenkos oligarchs and Russian facilitators. Notice that’s what we did, and immediately our private companies get hacked, their computer systems held in blackmail. It’s gonna keep escalating. Maybe Patton was right?
I don't really know who did it, but there's good news on the crime-fighting front from Brian Krebs of KrebsonSecurity.com (posted May 14):
The DarkSide ransomware affiliate program responsible for the six-day outage at Colonial Pipeline this week that led to fuel shortages and price spikes across the country is running for the hills. The crime gang announced it was closing up shop after its servers were seized and someone drained the cryptocurrency from an account the group uses to pay affiliates.
“Servers were seized (country not named), money of advertisers and founders was transferred to an unknown account,” reads a message from a cybercrime forum reposted to the Russian OSINT Telegram channel.
How do you think the situation should be handled? Lukashenko, just as other dictators, have no boundaries and respect no norms. So how do we reign them in without escalating the situation?
I received this email yesterday from Senator Mark Warner, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee:
When Democrats reclaimed the majority in the U.S. Senate, I became the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Intelligence Committee oversees the entire U.S. Intelligence Community: from the CIA to the Defense Intelligence Agency to the intelligence elements of our Armed Forces. Many of the brave men and women who serve in our intelligence community live and work right here in Virginia.
This is not a job I take lightly, especially given the events of the recent Colonial Pipeline hack. Many of our critical pipelines and electrical grids are vulnerable to cyberattacks, and I know there’s broad bipartisan support for safeguarding our national infrastructure. I pledge to work as quickly and efficiently as I can to protect Americans from cyberattacks.
There’s also the matter of cleaning up the mess left by the previous administration. The Trump White House spent their entire time in office undermining and politicizing the Intelligence Community, which threatens lasting damage to America’s national security. Furthermore, in recent years we’ve seen an alarming rise in anti-government extremism and increasing cyber espionage conducted against the United States by hostile foreign actors.
In light of these grave threats, I have several top priorities for the Intel Committee:
Strengthen America’s cybersecurity capabilities so we never have a repeat of cyber attacks like the Colonial Pipeline hack or the 2020 SolarWinds cyber-espionage campaign.
Root out anti-government extremism, including the white nationalist militias who participated in the January 6th insurrection at our Capitol.
Rebuild intelligence community agencies and departments that were understaffed and under-resourced in the previous administration.
Depoliticize our intelligence-gathering apparatus, so these tireless and patriotic public servants can stay above the partisan fray and focus on their jobs: defending the American homeland.
I am honored to serve as Senate Intelligence chairman. So, here is my promise to you, to all Virginians, and to our career intelligence professionals on the front lines: I will not let you down. To the best of my ability, I will work to tackle extremism and cyberattacks, rebuild and depoliticize our Intelligence Community, and maintain the committee’s reputation for bipartisan work so we can protect America’s national security.
You can read more about my plans as Senate Intelligence Committee chairman in this recent article from The New York Times.
I think I’ll move to VA—it’s only about 2 hours away—so I can have an actual senator who cares about me as a citizen and our country’s democracy. I surely do NOT have that in Blackburn and Hagerty (who just went with Cruz and Graham to Israel to run down Biden).
Colonial pipeline and SolarWinds are private businesses correct? Why are government resources being spent on their security? I understand the colonial pipeline hack simply disrupted the company's ability to know who got how many gallons of gas dispensed thru the pipeline, so the company turned off it's taps.
The electric and water companies are public entities (I think) is the pipeline now public?
That would be the last straw for Putin as China would be the "puppet master" and thereafter probably replace Putin with someone amenable to them. His situation with regard to the Chinese is similar in this respect to Lukashenko. Putin needs to be able to "pair strategically" with China but stay at arms length. Putin essentially doesn't have the economy to support his strategic pretensions....china does.
Seize all Putin’s and oligarchs personal foreign accounts and real estate. Hold it till he leaves office and holds a fair election maybe? I really do not know what would work.
I am puzzled as to why the West doesn't seize their foreign accounts and real estate. Not doing that just gives license to dictators to continue their internationally illegal activities.
I suspect because there are more DT's here in the US than we think or can know. I suspect that after '07-'10 Great Recession, that foreign investment and capital was badly needed to triage the economy. Ethics and Morals always decline in times of great financial stress, so regulators were told to loosen up the banking & real estate industry on what American Oligarchs were doing in order to climb out of economic hole, by accepting that foreign capital. But once this corruption gets going, and everybody starts banking profits, and the excess goes to what? Well that is hard thing to let go. The excess cash goes to political campaigns in order to keep it loose and keep that fire hose spigot of cash on. And so it gets worse, until...
"American Billionaires have more in common with Russian Oligarchs than with regular Americans"-Tim Snyder, The Road to Unfreedom
"Nothing was more to be desired than that ever practicable obstacle should be opposed to cabal, intrigue, and corruption. These most deadly adversaries to republican government might naturally have been expected to make their approaches from the more than one 'querter', but chiefly from he desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils. How could they better gratify this, than by raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy of the union? -Alexander Hamilton ( The Road to Unfreedom, -Tim Snyder, p.217)
We don't have that many "tanks" in the area to lead the charge....Putin does and knows that he would have a short-term advantage on the ground as he shares a common border. NATO deployment around the Baltic States is a defensive deterrent not an offensive military posture
Blackmail or ransom? Not pretty and probably not effective....certainly an encouragement for others to do likewise. If we are trying to make the rule of law, "democratic elections and institutions" and an independent judiciary the "norm" it doesn't exactly offer a very good example...not that Lukashenko gives a witt for any such "fripperies"...nor for his planes and people one must say either. The only way to make him bend without invading is to make him hemorrhage financially it would seem but in this case any hurt imposed by the West drives him ...and his people...deeper into Putin's clutches. Seperating these 2 is the key to freeing the Byelorussian people.
Lukashenko has been walking a fine line since "Ukraine" staying as far as possible from the "bear hug" with which Putin would envelop him with growing integration and too much independence which would incite Putin to overthrow or abandon him to the "charms" of the West.
Not blackmail or ransom; merely a matter of logistics: all Belarusian planes grounded in all foreign airports until Belarus followed international law. It would have produced the media storm that makes things happen nowadays.
Everything would just then pass by Moscow Airports or be transfered to road and rail. Lukashenko can not afford to give in as that would put his head on the block. Only pressure from his own oligarchs will shift him...or the advantage that Putin will see for himself. Media storms work here. Over there the press is far from free. They are part of the official propaganda machine.
Grounding all Belarusian planes might have been similar to monetary sanctions. I wonder if this would have worked to force Lukashenko to release his abductees. It seems that something more would be required. Of course, the grounding could go on for months.
Please understand I have spent at least a week in intense and protracted engagement with the members of the Russian government here. I have learned many things which I have not shared with all of you. Now if you want to question my mental health, go right ahead, one of my close friends has done precisely that. However let me point out that I have been accused of many things in my life, but being called a fool or being called stupid doesn’t show up very often. On the contrary.
We have received the attention of the Kremlin. Believe me, don’t believe me, but wisdom suggests keeping an open mind.
We are no longer just having a friendly debate among ourselves.
New people are showing up. They are steering the conversation in a particular direction. They are free to do that. There is no rule that says “no government officials allowed“ or “no intelligence agents allowed“ or even “no deputies of world leaders allowed.“ Nor does it say “Kremlin not permitted here“ or “Mossad (CIA, State Dept, et al) not permitted here.“
Unless you know the person you are speaking with, from long experience on this forum, it would be a mistake to assume you know anything about them or who they are.
I think these are wise words for any political discussion group in these times. At least these discussions have substance and reasoning. People just parroting sound bites from media or parties without being able to defend them don't last very long in this group. Very much enjoy this group and the regulars who are becoming new friends.
I’m too dumb to be wise here. I’m not entirely sure what you are advising...not responding here? Not having a private conversation? I don’t even know how to do that. I’m trying to understand...
It's ok, Marcy. This is a good place with good people. Just trying to make us aware of potential bad actors/posters seeking to cause confusion and dissension.
I don't normally write into chat rooms or "threads", comment spaces and the like, but I guess I feel like I have to get something off my mind. The news and the "fake news" i.e. the "blogosphere" etc. are aflame and have certainly been exacerbated since the beginning of the Trump era. I'm 70 now and having lived thru the Vietnam era as well as all the subsequent seesawing social and political upheavals and multiple military quagmires of the last three plus decades I can truthfully say I am more concerned than ever before (with the possible exception of the Watergate epoch) that our democracy is in existential danger. Sure the tensions have been there forever between the imperial presidency and the notion of leadership with constitutional limits. Now however, and as never before, we have treason openly and overtly advocated by major political figures seemingly without censure and certainly without the fear of criminal prosecution. What is happening. Have we lost our will to protect the fundamentals of democracy. I'm sorry but where is the Biden justice department? Why is no-one being prosecuted for sedition?
Thank you for sharing. I have the very same questions and fears. I just don’t understand why the hammer isn’t coming down... unless there is some heavy stuff going on behind the scenes. And there better be, or we’re lost.
Why does the press keep covering this idiot? I think their constant coverage in 2016 helped him overcome election hurdles and now they’re keeping his crazies on edge. I’m so frustrated.
Perhaps the fact that he has dedicated zealots trying to dismantle both past election results and future voting restrictions in states across the country dictates that he and his extreme racists must be followed? We are never safe trying to ignore the mad dog in the room....
Competition is raging in media. Outrage works for higher ratings which equals higher rates in an hyper competitive advertising market. Remember, your attention is the product the networks are selling.
For 1-2 weeks or so, I have been engaged in intense and protracted dialogue with the Kremlin and with Russian government agents. Most of the dialogue has been with “Peter C. Burnett,” our Kremlin contact, but also exchanges with “Jack Leon” and one brief but memorable interaction with “Hugh Spencer.” Brief contact with “David Carroll,” equivalent to “Jack Leon” in behavior and function.
I have learned a great, great deal from these interactions about how the Russian government employees operate. I am not at liberty to share everything I know in open forum, it’s the old canard about sources and methods, in this case only the methods portion applies. All my sources are right here: I just listed them.
And there are new HCR Substack community members whose identities I suspect.
Privately I could tell you everything I know, and perhaps that would persuade.
Believe me, don’t believe me, but ignoring my words puts you at risk of being a victim to outright harassment and to subtle manipulation.
Bottom line: if it’s somebody you know from long association here, fine. If it’s a name unknown to you, look at what they say and do, and who they refer to and associate with.
Refer to HCR April 29, the report about FSB Moscow, the Russian government disinformation agency which speaks through “Jack Leon.” The HCR April 28 conversations with them provide the basis of that report.
The intense dialogue with the Kremlin diplomat, “Peter C. Burnett,“ initiated somewhere around the middle of May. May 24 is a good one, but all of that week is chock-full of eye-opening material.
A few tidbits I can share here:
(1) I have memorized the time difference between California and Moscow. On occasion, I have made allowances for Peter because he’s reading some challenging statements of mine when it’s pushing midnight in Moscow, and he’s understandably irritated or toasted.
(2) I have inadvertently terrified one of them, through no fault of my own, and had to apologize deeply. I don’t ever want somebody to be terrified on my account. Kindness first.
(3) I have had Jack Leon treat me with kid gloves.
(4) Peter, the Kremlin representative, has suggested having a conversation with me over beer or coffee. He has chided me, kindly and respectfully, for “trolling” him back on Memorial Day when I invited him to share a personal story about the battles between Russia and Germany, knowing full well he couldn’t do that without blowing his cover. It was a gentle tease, but I had him at a disadvantage, so it wasn’t fair of me.
2, 3, and 4 are in the record here. All of our exchanges are.
I trust my intuition. It is a tool of perception, like eyes or ears. It’s not infallible, but it serves me well a good portion of the time.
It’s good enough that the Kremlin gave me a grudging compliment.
In a democracy, the agency which corresponds to the FSB in the Russian autocracy is perhaps the CIA
For the GRU, it is the DIA.
The old KGB is equivalent to the Gestapo, the GEheime STaatsPOlizei, the “Secret State Police.”
The Russian govt. agents working through aliases like “Jack Leon,” at least prior to our discussions with “Peter,” would be equivalent to thugs and bullies who harass, mock, ridicule. Jeering. Sneering. Gloating. Snickering. Equivalent might be Hitler’s brown shirts, the thugs he engaged for the Sturmabteilung, the “Storm Division”. A “storm“ is a metaphor for chaos, division, mayhem, and malicious mischief.
Autocracy is self service.
Democracy is public service, service for the benefit of society.
It’s a black-and-white issue, fundamentally.
But there are shades of gray, because Putin wears many hats. He is obviously attending to all the same types of duties that Biden is, like the pandemic, the economy, and all the functions of govt.
Within the typical governmental duties, there is the autocratic system, trying to control and manipulate society, both at home and overseas like here on HCR, in order for Putin to maintain his position on top.
Everyone here already understands that.
A big part of why the Russian government is so invested in engaging social media, so invested and intent on Internet technology expertise, is the growing threat to the autocratic message from technology like TikTok which have become popular in Russia in the 20-something and 30-something generation. When you see the odd news reports about Russian concerns about corruption of children during protests, that’s the issue. The “exploitation” of children is the freedom exercised by the TikTok generation. That’s the future. Tass and state media are becoming a relic of the past.
Repost of my final core communication to Peter. HCR May 24.
I have studied closely what Peter has said in his posts. For example, he mentions the sword of Damocles, and I countered with my story about a pet tiger that could, conceivably, eat its master. I did my best to respond to his various laments and musings.
[begin post to Peter, HCR May 24]
Since you are a busy man and I don’t want to presume upon your time, I am keeping the chatter to a minimum.
You and I both know that the challenge of arranging an actual chat over a beer or coffee might well be insurmountable. So for now, I will let you take the lead should you choose to use this forum as a coffeehouse or Kofe Khauz (I had to Google that) for “Kaffeeklatsch” or “Stammtisch in unsere Stube” purposes, i.e. for chatting. I did notice that you used the word “Herrenvolk” once. As you know if you’ve seen my posts, I spent part of my youth growing up in Germany and my parents were born there.
Perhaps the benefit to both of us in having this HCR forum is to reduce the pressure of the mental constipation, by providing an outlet and release. (I am still getting a chuckle out of that statement of yours: my mental constipation). When I told you that you had landed in a pot of gold, I was not exaggerating. This forum is magical, filled with an amazing group of incredibly knowledgeable people, most of them, including you, far more educated than I am in matters of history and world politics. Not my strength. And by no means is that their only area of expertise, no no no no no, on the contrary. If one person mentions something that they’ve seen or heard, anywhere in world culture and anywhere in history, invariably another person will chime in with the precise reference. Notice the immediate praise expressed after your Anushka Russian fable endorsement.
Introduction complete, and now to the point:
The source, the origin, of Orthodox Christianity in Russia.
Orthodox Christianity is by far the most intriguing strain of Christianity, because it is the earliest and therefore closest to the source, it goes without saying.
One search would take a person to your special towns in Russia. This is a symbolic step in a personal quest, because of course there may not be anything to find in those towns now.
However, the first step, even if momentarily disappointing, is merely the prelude to a grander adventure.
Here is where you and I have common ground with each other, and with many others in this community. Here in this forum, the concrete and asphalt road foundation (from an earlier point in our conversation) is that moral base which you might identify as the origins of Russian Orthodox Christianity. Others here might identify it in different terms, but it is the same jewel viewed through different facets.
Over the course of my life I have been a student of master teachers and their wisdom. Just as an example, the founder of any orthodox Christian church is of course, if the rumor is to be believed, Joshua of Nazareth. I use the name “Joshua” rather than the more common “Jesus” for 2 reasons:
(1) the name Joshua is a much closer approximation to the original than “Jesus,” which is more of a translation, since as everyone knows, 2000 years can cause a lot of dilution and alteration in both the person’s name and their message
(2) it differentiates my statements about Christianity from those of popular culture. As you noted, a lot of Christians may no longer be real Christians. Led astray.
In comparison, since 2000 years is a long time, we have Mohandas K Gandhi. I have given cursory study to his life.
Remember I said we all look through a different facet of the same jewel? In similar fashion, the master teachers all have the same message. Now here’s one curious example, among many: both Joshua and Gandhi were “no respecter of persons.” They would speak with anyone on equal terms, without regard to apparent differences (of gender, race, appearance, wealth, status, you name it), which they would consider superficial and merely a curiosity or perhaps a delight to indulge in.
So both Joshua and Gandhi would be equally willing to speak with both me and you.
Conversely, if you and I were physically chatting, whether by phone or in person, I would have, with your permission and approval of course, a brief interchange with your translator to see how he or she is doing, and to ask, specifically, if they have an outlet for the pressures of their job. A person they visit with in order to debrief, to decompress, to vent. Someone who will hold the confidences, but who is a sympathetic ear, an outlet. I would introduce myself and learn the other persons name, and I would treat them with respect and care, as I treat you, as I treat myself.
At this point, there are a multitude of directions this conversation could take. Treat others as you would be treated, and as in addition you would treat yourself. In other words, with care and with kindness. With compassion.
Of course you and your colleagues, and anybody else listening, can take that specific thought into your negotiations with the American political team which, of course, is merely a representative of the American people as I am, as everyone in this HCR community is. Merely a representative of humanity, actually, as both you and I and they are. However, short of widening our discussion to all of humanity, I prefer to keep the focus on Russia, for obvious reasons.
With your permission, I would take us in the following direction:
Nations are speaking with nations. You have stated this as a lament, words to the effect of “nations are not speaking with nations.” In the very near future, in fact probably already at this very moment in preparation for the physical event, a nation is speaking with a nation.
The destiny of Russia, the promise of Russia, is the demonstration of the workers paradise. The workers paradise made physical, in the real world. The hammer and the sickle. The ideal of a worker-centric society.
The USA is a different demonstration, it would appear. Call it democracy, call it what you will. US society is an experiment, a demonstration model, with the same ideals and the same ultimate goal as yours, creating Heaven on Earth, but approaching in a different way and using different terminology and ideology.
Your choice, dear Peter and colleagues in the Kremlin, is whether or not to fulfill your duty as caretakers and public servants to the Russian people in carrying out the Russian experiment in “communism,“ the ideal of the worker paradise made real.
Hence why I said that “communism” and “democracy“ are much closer than most people would think. They are different ideologies with the same goal: the ideal society.
You said that much of the world is downstream of America.
I offer you an alternative proposal:
What if Russia were also a beacon of light, of a different variety, to which much of the world turned to for guidance and inspiration. What if both America and Russia were upstream of much of the world.
The question of how the pet tiger behaves in the future hinges on the Kremlin. If you have the courage, you and your colleagues can lead a brilliant new social experiment in introducing the Russian worker-paradise-in-the-making to the world. And then you too would become a fish bowl, and a magnet, and the world would be examining your unique process in all its intricacy, including its mistakes and flaws along with its inspiring, perhaps glorious, successes.
The alternative is waiting around to see if the tiger becomes your friend or eats you.
The choice is yours.
Something tells me the tiger is a lot more likely to be your friend if you put your efforts into encouraging it, supporting it.
It’s your choice Peter. It’s your country’s destiny that the Kremlin holds in its hands. The American team is no different than me, we just want to support you in doing what’s best for you and the Russian people.
At times there may be fear, on both sides, there may be suspicion, other emotions will appear, anger, but feelings are just dust in the wind. They come and they go.
Ultimately there is no malice. We all want the same thing. A better life, more love and kindness in the world, more joy and happiness and delight and wonder and laughter.
Roland, this, and you are fascinating. Thank you for demonstrating how to communicate so respectfully and with keen interest in the other's position and, possibly, mutual goals wrought by different paths. A few days ago, I mentioned here that I think this forum is being watched by the Kremlin. This is a community of thinkers that will not easily be propagandized. But I do think we need to be wary that we may be a social experiment for their higher levels of cyberwarefare. Keeping each other aware and having one another's backs is good training. Communications on the level you have exposed to us today is, extraordinary. Thank you!!
Morning everyone! Morning Roland and Pamsy and Diane and Penelope!
I am a beekeeper. If there is an attack on the hive by a larger creature like a mouse or a rat, they will of course first sting it to death. Since they can't remove it and don't want it to rot in place, they'll mummify it by covering it with propolis, a dark brown sticky substance that they typically use to seal joints and openings in their hive.
It's really lovely seeing a similar process in play within this community whenever we have an obvious Troll or delusional person that carries destructive tendencies. Having spent time in other forums over the past few decades, I've never seen such a surgical strike as I've seen in this group. And I've seen groups (which are basically inconsequential in the bigger picture) torn apart by one or two ill-intentioned souls.
Such intelligence, such heart, such good bones we have here.
Roland, this is a lot to take in with my first cup of coffee. As people, we have so much more in common than we realize on this tiny jewel of a planet.
Beautifully written. If Peter is Soviet, it's very respectful. If he is not, it's still very respectful.
I'm still not sure where the "Russian Orthodox Christianity is closest to the source" comment comes from. It does not match anything I've ever read about Christian history. Is that part of Christian mythology in Russia? That seems to be a feature of all of the sects of Christianity -- from the hagiographies that associate each sect with one of the Apostles (e.g. Thomas in southern India), right up through the modern American fundamentalists, who claim to be "returning to the original Christianity" in (say) Texas or Alabama.
The "Orthodox" name did not come into existence until some time after the 11th century, as a result of the Filioque Controversy, which split the Roman church from the rest of the communion, making Roman Catholicism the "unorthodox" church, and the remaining churches the "orthodox" churches: in the centuries prior to that, Christianity was simply the Catholic (Universal) Church. The translation of the Latin Byblos (translated from Hebrew, Koine, and a bit of Aramaic into Latin in the 4th and 5th centuries) into Slavonic happened in the 9th century, at which time the principle religious sentiment of the Rus was pagan. The prominence of the Russian Orthodox Church rose during the rebuilding Kievan Rus after the Mongol invasions of the 13th century.
Thank you Joseph, this piece of yours would be of interest to Peter. My historical knowledge is thin. You are proving my point that others here will step in to provide detail and context. I was merely doing a broad brush stroke, connecting the source of the Christian tradition to Russia. I can speak with more authority and conviction on the subject of the messages, not the history of the evolution of the tradition.
Roland, Russia hasn't been communist for the past three decades. And as a communist country, it worked poorly, which is why the US "won" the cold war. Central planning is insensitive to peoples' desires. There are a lot of Russian jokes about how poorly it worked. One in which the head of the collective farm is praising the progress the farm is making to its workers, telling them they'll have bicycles in five years, cars in another five, and airplanes in another five. At the latter, one of the workers asks what they'd need airplanes for. "If shoes become available in Moscow, you can fly up there and be first in line."
My late father, one of the foremost experts on the Soviet economy, got interested in it as an undergraduate, having heard that the USSR maintained full employment during the Depression. He learned the language while stationed on two of three US bases in USSR during WWII (see: Forgotten Bastards of the Eastern Front, by Serhii Plokhii about how the cold war began with friction between USSR and US over those bases. Among other things, the Soviet authorities told a Russian woman he was going out with that she had to break up with him. He never knew what had happened; we only learned about this, and that the KGB had had a file on him in 2017).
It was pretty obvious to him very early on in his career that it wasn't working well, and he--a lefty, earned powerful praise for a book he wrote about it in the early '50s from Marshal Goldman, who was on the opposite end of the political spectrum, who told the writer of my father's NYT obituary that he (MG) wished he'd written that book. My father remained wistful about USSR's failures throughout his life.
You’re proving my point that there is so much knowledge on tap here. I told Peter very early on, before I even knew that he was linked to Russia, that he landed in a pot of gold here.
To the rest of your excellent message, I am just too damn fried to respond. Perhaps tomorrow.
David—indeed, Substack, all members of this community—in my last message to Roland, who started off by being friendly to me when I joined in these conversations, but subsequently took to trolling me in increasingly what-have-you-been-smoking? terms... I asked (if I recall rightly) “What constitutes trolling?”
Roland's response was “touché”.
Now, I am asking myself what the purpose of all this nonsense could be. The effect, in any case, is not just to try to drive me out but to sabotage the conversation.
If that is not trolling, what is?
You picked on something that makes it seem unlikely (albeit by no means impossible) that Roland is doing this on someone else's behalf because... yes... the Russia of which Roland has sung the praises to me (yes, to me) bears no relation whatever to the tight gangster oligarchy we have to live with and the poor wretched Russians have to live IN. It comes straight out of GOODBYE LENIN... Resurrected Ulbricht propaganda from the good old DDR...
At the same time, I haven't a clue what the praises of the Russian Orthodox Church are doing mixed up with this zombie Communist orthodoxy...
Now, I did write one or two things about the Kremlin regime that would be rather close to the bone for them. Those, however, correspond to my observations and insights, not to inside information (which would in any case be injurious to the regime's interests).
Timothy Snyder writes of Cassandra's pain. I know that pain too... The pain of seeing what's coming and being utterly helpless to do anything about it when it comes.
If Roland's purpose, or that of any shadowy persons averse to my comments on the Russian president and cronies, wants to give me a stroke, they have gone about it the right way: by accusing me of being a member of the organization that runs (and ruins) Russia, one whose mindset combining paranoia, cruelty, a total lack of empathy and immeasurable greed, is so well represented by the man at the top.
(And don’t get me wrong by imagining that I have any love for the bastards’ NeoCon and other opposite numbers.)
I see hatred as a weakness, understandable but not pardonable. We should not lower ourselves to hating anyone, least of all wretched criminal madmen. That would stain us with their filth. It is bad enough hating the foul things such men do, here again we are touched by their evil. But the organization which Roland persists in calling me a member of is one I regard as an abomination, a stain on mankind. And utterly irrelevant, to boot. Yet another idiot relic of 19th century imperialism—read Conrad’s Secret Agent, same old reactionary blight…
A vaccine against groupthink fever might be in order... We shall need all the lucidity we've got if we are to resist and defeat the enemies of a free, open society and strive against all odds for a world worthy of today's children and those still unborn.
They matter. For them I care and so should we all.
Peter, Please do not leave us. I think that these times are so worrisome that sometimes goblins come out of the woodwork and crowd the mind.
People do need a subscription to the Financial Times in order to read the article, which you recommended. I believe that most of us are familiar with 'groupthink'. This group of subscribers is with you, not as a gang or mafia.
Your thoughtful comments and deep consideration are what we depend upon. I hope that you will accept my plea. May your kindness reach for understanding. That is my hope,
Fern, thank you for your kindness, and no, I am not proposing to leave the group, but I do need to take a break. And even if I should decide at some time soon to keep to myself, my heart will always be with what you represent in America.
Meanwhile, our friend can rant and rave to his heart's content.
While he claims to read my mind and speaks as though he “intuitively” knows it better than I ever did or could, I can't possibly know what has gotten into him. The only trouble is that, regardless of his intentions (or instructions?) his behavior is that of a saboteur, putting the cat among the pigeons. What the Communists would have called “an objective ally” of America's adversaries. What he (and others) call a troll.
I hope to goodness he’s just on an ego trip, those people I’m accused of representing are dangerous and have never been more so.
The nonsense began when I asked that we stick to criticizing (or praising) what people say, avoiding ad hominem attacks. Which was taken as instant proof that I’m in cahoots with… not just the Trumplican party but… Russia…
My reasoning is double: America today is so deeply divided that there's no hope for the country, no hope of reconciliation unless people can come to listen to other voices, however unpleasant. We may all be angry and scared, with good reason, but anger and fear are useful for waking up to danger, a curse when it comes to combating it. A warrior needs to stay cool.
This is particularly important now, when we're faced with mass psychosis. You can't deal with deluded people as you'd deal with sane ones.
I was much taken with the high level of discussion in this forum, having never seen anything like it in British comments threads. But what I'm now realizing is quite how catching paranoia is. Seneca: "In fighting, you come down to your adversary's level..."
Not long after joining the conversation, I read an article which said more or less that Substack was doomed, because there'd be a determined assault on it, to which its openness would leave it unable to respond.
People must pardon me, too, because there have been times when I've not appreciated quite how much on edge they are when they say things that get on my nerves.
Now, I woke up and turned on my computer... but it is 3:38 a.m. my time (CET...). Not the kind of hour for writing cogently.
Anyway, I remain convinced that we need, just as we would if we were all together in a room, to agree on a few simple guidelines, rules of engagement. We need those for our own good. We don't want to end up like the current sedition-torn Congress.
Closing this message, it does feel strange that I, who have since I entered this arena shared most of HCRs outlook—and that of the community—in all that I've written, should, for trying to prevent verbal brawling, have been labelled, not just a troll, but a super-troll.
Either someone won't be happy unless he's dominating the conversation (and haven't we all had four years and more of that?) or he's setting out on a skillful demolition job. Either way, the outcome's the same. The least we can say is that he's not stupid, so why act that stupidly? I leave that question to others, while staying mindful of the fact that when people conduct a gratuitous attack on others, what comes out of that mouth almost invariably tells us far more about them than about those others.
You wrote to me of consciousness and conscience. It was time to call them up. The last couple of days have been troubling for me. Last night, I listened to Marc Elias, who specializes in voting laws and redistricting. He works ceaselessly to protect our access. Marc didn't show exhaustion, instead, he calmly let us know that if the Republicans don't stop attacking democracy, we cannot save it. The difficulties we face seem to scorch inside.
Tonight I realized that the Republicans' target now is Anthony Fauci. He will be a figurehead for their Covid-China connection play. Trump and his cohorts know how to scapegoat. The virus may have started in the lab, and that question is the source of their cover-up for Trump's negligence, dishonesty, lack of concern and preparedness; to my mind, his murder of many of us. Their campaign will blame China - Fauci and the Democratic Party for Covid and the resulting deaths.
I share all this with you because your words to me tonight asked for calmness and warned of fear and the anger, which were building inside of me.. Anthony Fauci hasn't shown anger, perhaps, some annoyance, but he always focuses on science and the work at hand. I needed your wisdom tonight and will refer to this message for a balanced perspective. Thank you.
If we had more private time, your unfortunate experience might be better illuminated. I have learned to ignore some aspects of the forum. People have ticks and twitches, along with intensity and humor. Some bother us and some don't. I believe that what happen to you was the result of imagining; adding 3 and 4 to equal 403.
So, to be old-fashioned, Patrick, I hope that we'll meet again.
I almost stopped reading comments 10 minutes ago. So glad I kept going and came upon this gem. Your outreach to Peter, Roland, is inspiring and uplifting.
Sorry, MaryB, pardon the language but Peter regards what you have just said as perfect balls.
As for Roland... whether it's on his own behalf or someone else's, he's taking us all for a ride, a Magical Mystery Tour. Maybe you and others should read what I've written elsewhere today and reflect on the future of Substack and how to work for it. Above all, how to work for America at this unprecedentedly dangerous time when no one can afford to be led astray into skirmishes with the wind. Or Trump's farts.
Notice how the writer of this post is referring to Peter. This post has a timestamp (figuratively speaking) of circa 4 AM Moscow time. So the real Peter is likely sleeping, and this is likely one of the FSB agents (or GRU or SVB agents, no way to know for certain the actual agency), one of the intelligence agents, speaking through the “Peter C. Burnett” profile/alias/handle.
Peter:
“As for Roland... whether it's on his own behalf or someone else's . . . “
I don’t blame you for being suspicious. Thinking I am not what I say I am. Thinking that I am a representative of some governmental agency or something. However, if you or your colleagues end up speaking to the American team, you will find that they are as mystified as you are. They are probably combing through all of HCR just like you are, reading everything I have written, for clues about me.
I read your other post on this thread, but I am too damn tired to respond. Maybe, just maybe, I really am a working stiff who is squeezing in our conversation into an already full life.
If I were some pro in the intelligence field, don’t you think I’d be on your other post elsewhere in this HCR page, reading it and making comments? Would I be complaining about being tired?
Everybody have a great rest of your day. Over and out.
Take a look how many “likes“ were given to my conversation with Peter last week. Very few. That drops a conversation to the bottom of the barrel. Doesn’t float it to the top. Not complaining, just observing and reporting. So it’s harder to find if you’re just browsing.
Good to know. Sometimes it seems lame to “like” a comment without posting a reply, so I often refrain from doing so. This changes my mind. I always scroll down to try to find your comments. Not exclusively; I’m promiscuous.
Remind me to tell you someday the story of Alexi who boarded with my parents after Perestroika. I can't write it here because he's back in Russia now and would be too easy to identify and possibly harm.
Thank you for this. I have missed you on here, and see that you have been up to your eyebrows in some really interesting engagement(s).
I have thought for a very long time that social media has been being used to "groom" the collective "us" into a society that is divided and ready to war against itself. I also believe that this has both a domestic and a foreign influence, and has succeeded beyond its wildest dreams in its initial phases. I have watched my former colleagues slip down into a Q-filled morass of thoughts that are, frankly, anathema to all that they once stood for. I have also noticed a change in my personal reactions to some of this; before, I was willing to engage and attempt conversation. Now, I am disgusted, and find myself with thoughts that have never been part of my psyche in the 53 more mature years of the 63 I've been around. It is my opinion that this, too, has been manipulated, and I struggle against it mightily.
I profoundly appreciate the work you've done here, and shared with us. Thank you.
Thank you, Ally, for sharing this personal account. You are definitely not alone. The world we live in now is so foreign and baffling and I experience the very same things. It’s as if there is no ground under my feet upon which to get my bearings. People I know... I thought I knew... have become mind-controlled, and when there is little sanity and truth around you, it’s very destabilizing. I’m having to dig deeper into a spiritual practice to ground myself.. and get out in nature, hug a pet, hug a tree, and come back here to find friends who still have their heads on straight.. and who care.
Oh, Ally. I wish I had the answer for you. Perhaps those with bigger brains here could provide some help. If it's any consolation, my 2 sisters are supporters of TFG. In fact, most of my entire extended family are, too. We just never talk about "it" with each other. I can't say whether anybody follows "Q," though one cousin left FB last fall, telling everyone she was joining Parler.
Of course, Roland's approach, empathizing instead of trying to change minds, might be something you could try.
And always, as Pamsy points out, mother nature can be so healing. I depend heavily on her; and of course this page!
Hello, Ally. I would like to add a note of caution to your comment. It is wise of us to think about who we are communicating with on the forum. To be cautious is sensible as the forum has been occupied by several 'tools' (that's my word for them) at the same time. We don't want to encourage discord or distraction be engaging with them, which can take us away for our goals. I think we must also be careful not to vilify innocent or unfamiliar subscribers. If we have a doubt walking away, when the 'subject' seems suspect and or using a Plop warning, indicating that its based on a personal opinion, may be enough.
You have to wonder about things in retrospective. “Star Trek” was written by a man who had great insight into human behavior, and he served it up as “Space Oprey”.
So many of the program plots keep showing up as real-life scenarios. “ I have thought for a very long time that social media has been being used to "groom" the collective "us" into a society that is divided and ready to war against itself” reminds me of the computer-run planet where random people would appear on the ship, check data on a computer, and according to what the data showed, would either return to the planet, or destroy themselves. It’s hard not to think of that program and see the seeds of social media sprout!
Demonstrated by the words being uttered by the young gen in their graduation remarks and speeches. Locally and all over the country. As was shared yesterday with Paxton’s valedictorian address that she altered to address the moment.
The “TikTok” gen will not be silenced. Social media changed repression. In this case, for the better.
Roland, THanks for this info. Confirms some suspicions. Nice to see the names of folks 'not to engage'. I'm curious. This takes a lot of energy on their part. What's the ROI for them? Seems like a low yield operation to me.
I disagree. All you have to do is look at some of the reactions here. Sowing doubt. Sowing chaos and division. Instilling fear. Subtle, like a thousand cuts.
Some minds are as sharp as the best knives. Chop, chop, mince, mince potatoes, carrots, onions, celery and trolls... you better not get under Christy's skin.
Thank You Not-Secret-Agent Roland! Should we feel honored to have this much Russian attention? Does this mean we HCR fans have clout, power, purpose in our democracy's salvation?! Let it be so. We are armed with her knowledge of history and our truths of today. We are a mighty force!
Feeling honored, yes I have that, along with paranoia and many other feelings. It’s been a roller coaster. Intense.
Here’s what it means to the Kremlin:
Peter, among many many many other things he said, was lamenting that he can no longer speak or have a respectful conversation with the other side. So I heard him, and I responded. I can tell you by our conversation, which you can read yourself at any time by reviewing here on HCR, that he was as surprised and amazed as I was that he and I would be speaking with each other. And on a particular day last week he spoke with several other people as well, to his amazement and delight, believe it or not. Did he think he was going to have a respectful and intelligent conversation with progressive America??? I doubt it. Did I think, when I took it upon myself to engage the Russian govt. identity Jack Leon, that I would get the attention of the Kremlin and start having a conversation? Not on your life‼️ Fate brought us together. And everyone here has access to Peter, if you want to have a conversation with the Kremlin. You find a post of his, you post your reply, he gets an email, and lo and behold you’re talking if he chooses to engage.
I can tell you this, he gets as bamboozled by the confusion of this substack thing as anyone else. He prefers an ordered string of posts, like this one.
Be mindful of the time zone difference. The latest he replied to me was probably around midnight his time in Moscow. Mornings is when he does most of his posting.
I’m curious as to how you are able to have private conversations with other subscribers. I occasionally will see someone post their email address, but it’s been very rare.
Thank you for that. I went back and read it again and I see what you say. I think what led me to think there were some private conversations was this: "I have learned a great, great deal from these interactions about how the Russian government employees operate. I am not at liberty to share everything I know in open forum." as someone else mentioned, some of it is a bit cryptic. I appreciate your reply.
Stephen is correct. I apologize for the cryptic portions, I couldn’t possibly explain everything here in writing. Trying to give you the summary, the big picture. Much detail, this has taken a lot of time and work and is complex and tiring. Reminder: I have a full-time job and a life, I’m not retired.
Does anyone think that Protasevich will be alive one year from today? I certainly don't. As for Putin. He is not only light years ahead of us in cyber warfare, he has absolutely no scruples. We cannot expect private companies to develop the capabilities to thwart these attacks. Like the vaccine, government has an important role (and a vested interest) in fighting back against them. That pesky Preamble comes to mind, even if a majority of the GOP thinks it only has just one Amendment and nothing else.
Re Netanyahu:
... “[w]hen you lose an election, you’re supposed to leave. Netanyahu’s not leaving.”
Anyone else see a parallel here?
Thank you, Heather.
Yep. And in Hungry, Turkey, basically all the ‘Stan’s, China, Belarus, and Russia.
In the 1970s, I spent a few years working for the Royal Bank of Canada in Montréal and worked on some projects concerning the distribution of retail branches in Canada and thereafter spent some time in the Public Relations Division. For an internal magasine article, I once asked a senior international banker, after he had downed 2 Manhattans befor eating, why there was such an abnormal concentration of bank branches in Southern Florida (from which RBC was totally absent, I must say). He laughed and said that it certainly wasn't a question of the Floridians, retirees and the "snow geese" but to capture and whitewash all the cash coming from black market and undeclared financial and commercial operations in the Carribean, Central America and Venezuala/ Columbia. He then ordered another Manhattan to drink while eating!
Paradise Papers
Perfect!
Ahhh the Keys in the ‘70’s. 😂
Innocence cohabiting with horrors in the sunshine. All the sharks are not in the seam. I remember some really interesting projects with island oligarchs in Haiti and Jamaica for whom Miami was their town...bank, coiffeur, resto...whenever! Just hop a flight.
Florida...one of the great states of corruption. I live here so I can say that. My long-time neighbor was a big-time cocaine dealer working with Colombian king pins. I never knew until he was hauled away I and read about it later. They had an “excavation” company and dug up and buried things in their back yard.. which gives me the willies to think about now.
Creepy!
Yup. Walsh just gave DeSantis $995K and the Key West vote against cruise ships just went away...
In the sea of course! Agh!
The sharks and pirates are now the pillars of the community. With jets...
Wow. Did you quote him in your article or was that off the record? I suppose since the magazine was internal, that would have been edited out anyway.
No, of course not. He was on loan to the Federal Government at the time. The article was about this cooperative program and him. I also found out why he and several other "shelved" senior executives always are "unavailable and in a meeting" every afternoon from 2 till 4 and why they all have "dragons" as secretaries and large comfortable sofas in their offices!
Very interesting.
Clever how HCR has us draw in the parallel lines. A great teacher and historian.
“In my book it’s pretty simple. If you work hard to PREVENT people from voting, you pretty much admit that your ideas aren’t popular and you fear the verdict of the people.” Dan Rather
“Countries, just like with people, it’s easy, to let the best of yourself slip away”-Bruce Springsteen.
This is what has happened to Mitch McConnel and todays Republican Party.
https://youtu.be/1yuc4BI5NWU
Oh my. Springsteen's rendition of Woody Guthrie's song and his love for our country choked me up. An old song, so relevant for how so many Americans feel about our Constitutional crises today. There is a growing list of songs that could become multiple anthems for the states of our democracies around our world today.
“This machine kills fascists”
I prefer Pete Seeger's "This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender."
yeah, agree. That is better, but that wont fit on my Guitar.
https://www.amazon.com/My-Dusty-Road-4-CD/dp/B0025XV1LW/ref=asc_df_B0025XV1LW/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312149562874&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17548947961285987162&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029448&hvtargid=pla-583998803444&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=62466800336&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312149562874&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17548947961285987162&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029448&hvtargid=pla-583998803444
Penelope, this Spotify version is even better. For u:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4MvJlIpDpdZi4sCXvAhrym?si=AOxvzytaT-KG6feeI2sAqQ
Wow... thanks for the quote and the video. I have wondered what has become of our great protest singers... when the 60’s were chock full of them, now we just hear crickets. I wish the movement could swell up again and help empower us.
I miss them too, Pamsy, but otherwise respectfully dissent. They are out there, though it's harder to spot them with YouTube and Twitter so cluttered. It's interesting that you say "protest singers" rather than folk singers. Hip hop is probably the genre most committed to overt political themes. I dislike its unmelodic style, but the political content is all we could wish for. From Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, through Blaxploitation films, to rap and hip hop, the Civil Rights movement ended the (self) censorship imposed on R&B, jazz, and other Black artists. This is progress -- let's have more!
I’m not able right as this moment TPJ, but I have a few things to say about music and the young people now. And it’s all good.
I love hip hop.
Worth waiting for, C. Take your time.
Yes please
Folk songs...I was raised on it. Still love it.
We were braver then. Not scared to speak out. Artists/Athletes/hero’s need to step it up.
I'm not so sure we were braver - perhaps more terrified when the issues were go to Vietnam and die, or speak up and be assassinated. What was left? We had no choice. Today everything can look peachy keen while the RQC and Qanon and Proud Boy sheep plan their 2nd insurrection attempt for August under our happy, vaccinated, sunburned noses. I also think "The Media" in the 60's and 70's was pretty concentrated to 3 TV stations, plus the 3 radio ones (country, polka and the cool new FM one) so young Bruce Springsteen had one big audience (not the polka station) for young people. We ALL heard and sang the same protest songs. Now artists and athletes and heroes have so many multiplex forums, blogs, podcasts, sites, channels, uploads , substacks, tik toks, and smartspeakers (I listen to my daughter delivering morning news briefs for the Chicago Tribune and others - I'm putting in a plug here for "Spoken Layer", currently looking for more great audio talent!) that the message and the songs gets diluted and dispersed. Plus, how many rock or folk concerts have you been to in the past year. Like, NONE, Right?! That's where we got our communal energy and focus, and, well, bravery. We do need that movement again, that clear message, that unifying song, an anthem for oir new democracy. Fer Sure.
But that is how many scared people at least offer a peep.... through music!!!!’
https://open.spotify.com/track/4MvJlIpDpdZi4sCXvAhrym?si=AOxvzytaT-KG6feeI2sAqQ
"...In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?
Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me."
Woody Guthrie, sigh . . . gone long before his time. Perhaps Pete Seeger living to 94 restored a semblance of cosmic balance.
Pete Seeger. Yes.
https://open.spotify.com/track/4MvJlIpDpdZi4sCXvAhrym?si=AOxvzytaT-KG6feeI2sAqQ
Thanks you for this, Ted. A deep truth, beautifully said, and a lovely song of our shared beliefs that nowadays seem buried under the deluge of propaganda that has muffled us (whether self-marketing on social media or the more institutional variety).
Enjoy this live from 1975 ...
https://open.spotify.com/track/4MvJlIpDpdZi4sCXvAhrym?si=AOxvzytaT-KG6feeI2sAqQ
As far as voting rights, please read this LA Times analysis of how SCOTUS has been morphed in supporting the Republicans' concept re voting. (IMHO, the Federalist Society' efforts over the past 40 years have paid off (I use that term deliberately, since it has been taking dark money, per Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse's piece titled "The Third Federalist Society" that appeared in Medium 3/27/19.) Here's the LA Times analysis: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-06-04/how-supreme-court-tilted-election-law-favor-gop
DE-PRESSING.
MaryPat, here’s a pick me up...
https://open.spotify.com/track/4MvJlIpDpdZi4sCXvAhrym?si=AOxvzytaT-KG6feeI2sAqQ
Spot on!
Here in Maricopa County Arizona we call it a “fraudit”.
Coming to a state near you!
😏
Roman Protasevich. As a parent, my heart breaks for his family.
So much news today but this one piece is so sad.
As for 45, it continues to astonish and perplex me how such a mentally ill, morally bankrupt and inhumane organism has so many loyal dedicated (gullible?) followers who seem to believe all his lies... just astounding and frustrating.
I just got a new batch of postcards from Postcards To Voters today and will continue to do my small part towards preserving our democracy.
Thank you, Dr. Heather, for keeping us informed. I refer others to you, and to Gabe at Wake Up to Politics. Individually we may be tiny voices but together en masse we can make a difference.
Is this it? https://m.facebook.com/TonyTheDemocrat.org/
Oops, thought I replied, yes it is!
Thanks!
How wonderful that you do the postcards! I've been looking for a way to help, and I'm told I have "enviable penmanship." Will check out Postcards to Voters. Thank You.
MaryPat, I'm going to do them also. "Enviable penmanship!" Sounds grand!
Whew - the political gamesmanship here and around the world this week! We all watch like an enrapt audience at a championship chess match. It also demonstrates that an autocrat’s will is much stronger than his mind.
Oh - in PA, there is no legal mechanism to do what they are doing in AZ. Any recount must be brought to court the way Trump’s team did, and AFTER finding fault in the process, petitions must be signed in EACH AND EVERY VOTING PRECINCT to be recounted. It is an extremely arduous and expensive process that cannot originate from the same government that already certified the election results. Plus, they don’t have support from the governor or the courts.
What legal mechanism will ever stop them if they get back in power?
Morning, ted!! Exactly as you say. I have been overwhelmed by the idea that "they can't do that...it's not legal" with the reality that "they" don't care about the rule of law anymore.
Oligarchy never cares about the law. To them, they are the law. We can never trust them with power again.
Exactly. It’s why Sinema doesn’t make any sense: why doesn’t she realize even if she wins again they won’t let it stand without HR1 ?
Sinema is playing a totally different game. It's street theatre for her now. She's setting herself up to be primaried.
All the more reason to break the filibuster over voting rights now. If she’s going down anyway, she should at least do it fighting for democracy.
She should be. But it won’t matter - the GQP in AZ will override any dem win.
I'm afraid you are correct. This 'fraudit' will become a permanent feature of the "electoral" process. But, you have to hand it to them. This is an ingenious con. It produces significant free cash flow, is very scalable, and has a high barrier to entry for any potential competitor.
Sinema and Manchin are damn fools being played.
They would have to break a lot of the PA Constitution, even if the governor’s seat is flipped. The PA Supreme Court will shut them down. It’s one of the few backstops that PA has and WI doesn’t have.
PA’s problem right now is the redistricting as a result of the 2020 Census is one more opportunity for the PA Legislature to gerrymander the state.
HR1 - if it passes.
S1 i mean.
If you take Trump at his word, which is always a tricky proposition, it sounds like his is advocating for a Coup.
Mark Elias said exactly that during his interview with Rachel Maddow last night. He also made a clear statement about his hope and expectation was for the legal process he is pursuing is meant to buy time so that the political process could “catch up” and correct itself. Fat chance. Regarding the multiple and ongoing lawsuits he is filing in states that continue to pass laws that suppress the vote of black, brown and younger citizens, he indicated that this tactic will only go so far because “the big lie is quite literally becoming a matter of state policy.” OK, so now what??? At what point does the justice department step in, if they have not done so already? Remembering HCR’s recounting the historical fact that the whole reason for the existence of the justice department at its founding was to root out and put an end to the illegal activities of the KKK? So here we are, again. So where are they?
Trust Robert. I’m not about to second guess Merrick Garland regardless of how infuriating that the wheel turns so slowly. But what I believe 100%+ is that Lady Justice is at his right hand and that Merrick Garland is there.
I'm with you on that point. I have no doubt about Merrick Garland's facility and integrity with regard to the pursuit of justice, but to hear Marc Elias sound the alarm as he did last night, that the legal path he is pursuing can only do so much, well, that just raises a lot of questions in my mind about who does what and when. Taking to the streets in protest is one thing. Getting the levers of government working to uphold the Constitution is another. Are we supposed to wait and see where the SDNY comes down on Trump Org to save us? I don't think so.
It’s Marc’s job right now, among many other tasks, to up the alarm.
In addition any investigation must be absolutely, positively air-tight. That takes time.
Thanks for the info - I will take a listen today. And regarding the DOJ? Who knows where their investigation into Jan 6th will lead ... But, I expect they are being very careful not to tread on the space that even smells like the persecution of previous administrations. It's a thorny issue when the previous administration attempted a coup?
As thorny as it may be politically, it appears to me that the attempted coup issue is pretty black and white (sorry, no pun intended) but I was naive about how the Constitution and its amendments are enforced:
15th Amendment:
Section 1
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Section 2
The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Thanks for the reminder, if only the members of the US senate could read
I feel like they don’t want to pursue anything that might even smell like partisanship. I know it’s a thin line between that and making a valid case, but what is the law for if they’re afraid to use it? (I’m feeling so discouraged today, if you can’t tell.)
I think the brains behind Trumpism have that thin line figured out, and they are ready with more Big Lies, and supporting Little Lies, to assert that any attempt to prosecute the former guy and his minions is Partisan.
Which, in a sense, is true, because their Party is opposed to democracy and the rule of law.
Wait, did you use the words 'brains' and 'Trumpism' in the same sentence?
If I were to take the idea of a GOP insurrection literally, it would have to come from the states ruled by the GOP, enlisting their Nat’l Guard to take up arms against our federal government? I’m having a hard time envisioning some proud boys with their uzi’s up against army tanks. I would really appreciate it if someone could spell out for me what an insurrection would look like now that we have sanity in the Oval Office.
How long will we have sanity in the Oval Office? It has already departed the Senate.
Any reason to think we won’t have sanity in our Oval Office for the next 3+ years??
I meant after this current administration. I should have clarified!
More subtle than that. Like a slow creepy coup...it’s been happing since 1980, so slow most have not noticed. The courts, local and state governments. Read Snyder’s substack today, it’s brilliant.
Here’s how:
https://snyder.substack.com/
That is what worries me most. With Flynn’s recent comments about a Myanmar- style coup being possible in this country, it does seem credible that Trump is coaxing supporters towards taking up arms. Terrifying to me.
Anyone that thinks a bunch of wannabe paramilitaries has the remotest chance of defeating our military doesn’t know anything about our military. I don’t know if they have any brains 🧠, apparently they don’t, but most creatures on our planet aren’t hell bent on suicide, which would be the result of attacking our military. I think we were way too easy on the attackers on 6 January, it’s time for the gloves to come off, send them to hell where they belong. Good morning everyone 🌅
Oooo. Wonder what you have to say after coffee!
😂🥷🏽
I had had my coffee alright. I'm a VN vet that served with a Ranger company until I was wounded, I'm lucky, I got out alive. If I had been 6" slower in my movements I would not be writing this. I get what it means to take an oath to defend the constitution, more than 500,000, way more, have given life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, to defend everything that is enshrined in our capitol. The rioters and seditionists that attacked our shrine to democracy are beneath contempt, I'm no saint, but I know which side to stand with. I'm not consumed with anger, like most of us I don't have time for that, but if you ask me if what I watched on 6 January made me angry I would have to answer yes. Thanks for the reply, like all of them, it made me think about what I had said
Thank you for your service. And I agree. Jan 6th was Terrorism.
I have a Marine friend who says exactly the same thing. These wannabes won't even know what hit them if they try anything like a second coup.
Thank you 🙏. Good morning !
I agree. The Capitol Police should have had the right to defend themselves with lethal force Jan 6th. They will next time. I really hate to say that, but sometimes you have to escalate the conflict in order to resolve it. Democracy is one of the times.
Yes it is.
I like the image of him tied up and fighting with the chickens for corn in my son’s backyard coop—-
I like the image of him as a mound of dirt topped by a DRIP sign: Don't Rest in Peace. For all the wrong he's done and continues to do - blatantly and without any regard for the real America - he deserves exactly that.
None of the damage he’s done would have been possible without the complicity of the GOP and especially their members of the Senate.
And we know which ones they are.
Just like his blog.
Maybe this is how he finally gets handcuffed and taken away? One can only hope.
Maybe Bibi needs to go first. Somehow we need to realize our country is not that exceptional.
And grooming his followers to believe that it is the only way to save democracy.
No doubt.
As Noa Laundau of Haaretz puts it, “fasten your seatbelts, this is going to get ugly now.”
Not just in Israel. Those of our readership who thought they were going to get to sleep peacefully from now on after January 20 look to have "another think coming."
Like Saul Alinsky (who was NEVER the "radical" the right made him out as - trust me, I met him and had one hell of an argument with him over his support of Johnson and Vietnam - some "radical") once said - and it's something everyone involved in politics should tattoo on their frontal lobes:
"The *real* fight starts AFTER you win the election!"
I have been saying that the inauguration was but the starting line, not the finish line. And this isn't the 100 meter dash, it is a steeplechase.
I believe JFK said something like "The real politics start after you're in office"
Dr Richardson, Does the commitment to fight corruption address the current laws allowing for foreign real estate investment trusts and LLCs to blindy purchase real estate property in the US? Does today’s news address these gaps in our country’s complicity in money laundering through real estate trading?
Is it coincidence that after the Great Recession 2007-2009 (caused in part the sub prime lending and trading of shady real estate debt and subsequent financial crisis) left the US more vulnerable to pervasive real estate corruption?
Does this also help explain the rise of a bankrupt DT, saved by both becoming a Reality TV star and dark loans via Deutsche banc? DT from fiction to power. Did our Gov change the law then in 2007-10 to help salvage both the real estate and financial sectors, stimulated back to life by becoming money launders?
Has it always been so easy to invest foreign dark money into US real estate with the goal of laundering it for foreign dictators? Was it intentional, like an invitation from President Bush, who said he looked into Putin’s soul?
And who thinks we owe them for such a bailout?
Just to add a little to the fire.....the US is 25th out of 179 countries on the Corruption Perception Index! Not Glorious....on a level with Chile! Australia, Western Europe and Japan fill the top ten places behind the shining example of New Zealand, the least corrupt of us all..
https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2020/index/nzl
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index#:~:text=The%20Corruption%20Perceptions%20Index%20(CPI,corruption%20as%20an%20%22abuse%20of
What does corruption really hide? What does it prove?
Excellent, scary questions.
Excellent question.
Kinda scary for the answers.
If Trump has convinced himself he will be reinstated, it's out of desperation born of knowledge of his guilt in the crimes for which he is being investigated. Or maybe Q has promised to save him.
He wants to be reinstated by August rather than being arrested by September?
.....and Bingo was his name-o!
Ha ha ha
Funny that.
Lynn, u just won the internet.
Truly the malignant narcissist is now delusional.
He has always been delusional--remember, we had absolutely no legitimate medical reports on his condition for his entire "presidency," and the lack of information also includes no info at all on the kinds of meds he has been taking. Similar to Reagan when he began to show clear evidence of dementia, and the only reports from the WH for the last 2 years of his second term were that he was sleeping. A lot. But Cheeto also is disgruntled because, banned from FB and Twitter, he has no easily-accessed medium with which to spread his lies. He just shut down his "blog" because it had a pitiful number of subscribers.
I would like to point out that no matter what his convictions are about his "reinstatement" in August, and no matter how much he tries to encourage his Hitler Youth Army to engage in a putsch to effect such a reinstatement, the reality is that no such thing is going to take place. However, all this signaling might also be a deliberate ploy on the part of the Ghastly Obstructionists to tie up the Biden Justice Department and the FBI: the tactic of frivolous lawsuits is sometimes effective. I don't think it will be in this instance, because both Biden and Harris can walk and chew gum at the same time, but Moscow Mitch is likely trying to find some cover for the Quislings who are going to be dealing with massive law suits over voter suppression all summer.
I wish that the wheels of justice were swift, but they are not. This is going to take awhile, folks. We might as well settle in for the long haul. I know that my blood pressure can't take the kind of "excitement" it experienced for the last 5 years.
Exactly! Thank you for saying it so well.
"Moscow Mitch is likely trying to find some cover for the Quislings who are going to be dealing with massive law suits over voter suppression all summer."
Marc Elias has said he cannot do it alone. Listening to him describe the avalanche of lawsuits already underway, I was reminded of the story of Hans Brinker with his finger in the dike. I am wondering if, perhaps, we need to start some sort of online fundraising to offset the costs. I don't know how he's financing all of this pushback.
I know--he's heroic but can't do it alone. The good news is that the ACLU and NAACP are also flooding the courts with lawsuits. I think that there are probably any number of legal defense funds that could be donated to that will be helping with this. I would recommend checking with the Act Blue folks--they're a clearinghouse.
In 2 interviews in the last 2 days, Marc Elias said that "federal law is the ONLY way to stop voter suppression." And that means passing the "For the People Act". Voter suppression is based on a lie because there was no fraud in the election. The Brennen Center for Justice reported that restrictive bills against voting rights are proposed in 48 states. $'s needed NOW.
Will the Supreme Court support it? That’s a big question. If the red states do what they are planning, will anyone even pay attention to the Supreme Court?
My Boogaloo Boy neighbor would disagree with you.
Lord have mercy MaryPat! You have your own Boogaloo Boy? I can only offer up 2 Qanon believers and 1 white supremacist!
Excellent statement of the situation
He always was - going back the past 40 years.
And, as is normal in such cases, his biggest delusions are about himself and his place in society.
...to the extent that 'normal' can be used anywhere near TFG.
I don’t think he believes it but I think he believes he can convince his supporters more than ever that he deserves to be reinstated.
That would assume a degree of rationality that he doesn't seem to possess. His capacity to distinguish his fantasies from reality and right from wrong is not exactly great...psychopath or "just" sociopath" that is the question for this Perverse Narcissist?
Narcissistic sociopath for sure but as rational as Hitler was in order to inspire his ardent followers. Have you read about the newly translated Mein Kampf? Apparently the first published version tried to make Hitler seem more literate than he was but this new version has his writing more accurately as disconnected racist rants.
I heard or saw a blip that Mein Kampf has long been the not so hidden book on his bedside table.
So interesting— I thought he hardly read but honestly I think he might be Hitler’s soul mate.
First wife Ivanna testified to that fact under oath in their divorce proceedings.
Being published now in France at 100 Euros per copy.
So I read yesterday Stuart. I’m curious about it but probably won’t pay that price.
Wasn’t It Goebbels who helped Hitler write it while in prison after the beer hall putsch?
Goebbels makes sense.. But it was Rudolf Hess, imprisoned in Landsberg with Hitler, who served ghost writer/editor.
R Evans, Coming of the Third Reich
I Kershaw, Hitler, vol 1
Not sure but it sounds like a likely scenario.
It is his MO. That he became president in the first place is proof.
Apparently, it was leaked to the press this week that whenever anyone tries to approach him with any version of the truth, according to them "it's like p***ing" in the wind.
Back to the golden shower, eh?
We are witness to a man having a complete psychotic breakdown. Any psychiatrists out there who care to comment on the process in general - not this person?
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell hosted Lance Dodes, a retired Harvard professor of psychiatry, who holds that Trump is delusional, actually believes the election was stolen, and also believes he'll be reinstated. Dr. Dodes says he will never accept the truth, and his behavior will get worse and he'll deteriorate. Whether he publicly falls apart in public, or is charged and convicted of criminal activity, I hope it's soon enough to save this country.
It’s part and parcel of malignant narcissism. He should have been put in a strait jacket long ago. I have little doubt that he was heavily medicated by his handlers on many occasions while living in our White House.
"...publicly falls apart in public..." now that's a meme best handled by the Department of Redundancy Department.
It's trump's fault. He messes up my grammar, as well as my ability to properly proof posts (like the alliteration?). I'm hoping to return to the "me" I used to be 5 years ago. . . .
We all hope the same for ourselves
Good luck with that! The frustration in watching the idgts politician "followers" gets to the point that I have to stop watching. Can feel my BP rising - know what I mean?
Charlie, Nancy provided an excellent answer to your question. Here is an excerpt of the interview that O'Donnell had with Dr. Lance Dodes:
'... He contributed to the book "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 psychiatrists and mental health experts assess a president."
Dr. Dodes, thank you for joining us once again tonight. It was the talk of being reinstated that made me want to talk to you again tonight. This is Donald Trump thinking, perhaps, that in August he will be president again.
What is your professional reaction to that?
DR. LANCE DODES, RET. CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY, HARVARD 'MEDICAL SCHOOL: Donald Trump is delusional. But this is not news. We`ve known this for the past four years at least.'
'He keeps insisting on things as true which are demonstrably false. That is the definition of delusion. I think what we are seeing is a continuation of his grandiose delusion that he is better than everyone, more important than everyone, and consequently no one else matters. He doesn`t care about anyone else. It is all about his own power.'
'Part of the hell that you speak of is that I think that he is enraged which is not unusual for him. I don`t think that he is capable of being sorrowful at his loss though because he doesn`t know that he`s lost. He is deluded about it.''
'So I think that what we are seeing is the increasingly desperate attempts to hold on to this power which will continue. We`ve said this for the last four years. The more pressure he is under the more he will be outrageous in his demands, the more the lies will increase. The big lie technique will get bigger and bigger.'
'O`DONNELL: Yes. You have consistently said in effect it will get worse. Donald Trump`s condition will get worse. And it will get worse because the pressure increases. That was one of the factors.'
'Certainly a grand jury investigation in Manhattan is a very significant increase in pressure along with the other grand jury investigation that`s happening in Georgia over his election interference. Those are new kinds of pressures for him because he is no longer president. There is nothing he can do to interfere with those.'
'DR. DODES: Right. And lack of power is the thing that he can`t stand and doesn`t acknowledge. Since it can`t be true in his world, in his delusional world, he has to do -- he has to change reality to the extent he can to make it so.'
'So he creates, you know, the illusion that he has some information and things are going to happen. He promises that he`ll be back in office and what not. It is, you know, it`s more of the same and I think that if none of these things pan out for him I think what we`ll see is that he will become even more overtly deluded.'
'And I`ve said for sometime although I can`t be sure but he is probably -- he is certainly at risk of leaving the country rather than facing the law.'
'O`DONNELL: So is it possible that there might come a day if he is, say, convicted of a crime in New York that something could happen where he could have that moment where he kind of admits where he really is in the world?'
'DR. DODES: I don`t think so. That would be a sign of mental health actually. You know, the ability to grieve is normal. I don`t think he can do that. I think he can only become more enraged and more psychotic.'
Fern, Thank you. That completely answers my question. I should stay up later and watch MSNBC. The pressure is mounting. I wonder when the time will come where he needs to be institutionalized?
Don’t lose sleep, Charlie. You know the forces we face. There aren’t enough sanatoriums, prisons and detention centers to hold Trump, his older children, cohorts, the Republican Party, Cult Members and Dark Money. We need to mobilize, demonstrate against legislators passing bills to limit access to voting and putting people in position to manipulate voting results. Massive marches in Washington DC and in the states to demonstrate in favor of the For the People Act and Democracy are called for — an absolute necessity. Our future is truly in jeopardy.
I’m listening, Fern. This is the most stern I have read you. Brought me to attention.
Agree. It’s on.
I missed this. Thanks for sharing it.
As the court cases tighten, and the Deutsche banc debts go unpaid, the former guy must be really losing his mind as his world crumbles. I give Melania 3-6 more money months. She could still save Barron...maybe.
When I bother to think about Melania, I can't help but wonder why she's waiting. Much longer, and I doubt he'll have enough cash to fund that renegotiated prenup that she crafted with lawyers before she agreed to leave NYC and move to D.C. Poor Barron's chances of avoiding the trump curse of questionable IQ, coupled with inherited mental health issues, diminish every day he remains in that cesspool.
That prenup is now a historical document, right? Oh the fun the next generation is going to have with it? Donnie, couldn’t even get his wife to move into the White House without a new deal!!!
She claimed to be "protecting Barron" with the new deal, and also ensuring that he had an interest in the business. Shortsighted, eh?
Melanie ain’t there for anything but the money. Any threat to that she’s getting the f out. That’s ur sign he’s broke. The day M hits the road with Baron.
Well, she is certainly not there because of his good looks or social aplomb, and never was. Talk about a deal with the Devil. . . .
She’s just waiting for the next deposit.
It's probably just me, but there isn't enough money in the world to make me do what she did.
Optimistic of you., ted. That's a good trait. I just don't have as much confidence in Melania.
Fern, u probably right. She hasn’t given any us any reason for confidence. That green coat of hers... that is going to be what she is remembered for, “ I really don’t care do you”
So should we care about her at all then?
I don't have a Care package with her name on it.
nope
Many have been trying to warn about it since 2016. There are others, with the morals of TFG who have done all they could to shut the good ones up. https://worldmhc.org/
Do not underestimate the delusional mass who obey the delusional narcissist who still takes orders from the Russian narcissist. We, and our democracy, remain in real danger.
Yes, I completely understand. That's why he needs to be put away.
A little late on this bandwagon, but why is there no federal investigation of TFG being Putin’s Patsy? I think 🤔 it would be most compelling to show his subordination to Putin as seditionist/treasonous behavior. If it is true how hard could it be to prove?
Of the danger I’m absolutely sure.
He has been delusional for years.
So was Hitler...
Now? Ted, have you been doing the Rip Van Winkle thing?
LOL 👍🏼
Always always was.
I find him more and more delusional/crazy. At some point he is going to show the world (and the press will report it) that he has slipped into the paranoia that comes with full blown dementia.
I think it's really hard to tell whether Trump is actually delusional. Yes, he raves. Yes, he tells flagrant lies. But this has been a very successful strategy for him in the past, and there's no easy way to determine what he actually believed, and what he simply used to manipulate others.
It's somewhat comforting to think that he IS delusional, because it means he is now trapped in a mental device of his own making, and has thrown away the key.
He might not be delusional. He might be very deliberately playing a role. I note that he has been dismissed as delusional, mentally-ill, incompetent, etc., etc. for many years now -- and yet here we are, discussing the threat he STILL represents to US democracy. His delusion, if it is a delusion, is very potent, and contagious. It serves a purpose that goes beyond the mumbled ravings of a madman. Which means there could still be malign intelligence behind it.
I believe his mentor, Roy Cohn died similar, in a delusional state? Similar to joe McCarthy too? So there is a pattern for these types. Maybe not 100%...but ...
And remember, when Trump learned Cohn had AIDS Trump turned his back on him. So much for Cohn being a respected mentor, eh?
I Quess Malignant narcissist don’t have relationships.
Indeed, they do not.
He will die alone. Nobody really cares about him. And the world will be better for it.
Yes his desperation will cause him to become more and more unhinged and reckless. We're in for a roller coaster ride like we've never seen. Put your money where your mouth is and help elect democrats in the state houses and congress!
Drsperately trying to keep donations flowing...
Squeezing every bit of cash out of the big lie. I think there is psychology to suggest once you buy in to something, but also give materially to a cause, you are even more cemented in your beliefs, even when evidence is contrary.
I think Trump is the kind of person who spent his life pushing the envelope just to see what he can get away with. I picture him amazed at how no one stops him on much, and that just encourages him to find another more outlandish norm/law to break. The more outrageous, the better. No doubt he was ecstatic watching his insurrectionists on January 6th. His latest proposed cliff-hanger, the August reinstatement (concocted by the pillow guy, I’ve read), is looney, but the potential consequences are pretty scary. What are they up to, now?
Conspiracy to commit treason. I believe another Tim McVeigh is coming. Of course Republicans will say it was Antifa.
The investigational wings of the U.S. need to be keenly attuned to such a possibility.
Or ‘pardon’ him
IMHO: trumpublicans are victims of “Grooming”, and Jan 6 is not a one off. Over many years/months, small lies have been repeated so often that they are soon accepted as fact by the targets of the grooming. That sets the stage for not only the Big Lie, but other big lies as well (eg:trump will be reinstated in August).
They were groomed for the insurrection of Jan 6 with many seemingly innocuous statements like: Pence can change the outcome, come to Washington it will be wild, fight like hell to save democracy and many more. Each one relatively harmless but, when added together, resulted in the Jan 6 violence.
Now, they are continuing to groom for the next insurrection. The victims of the grooming are hearing that trump will be reinstated in August, audits will find widespread voter fraud, the 2nd amendment guarantees the right to bear arms against the government, we should have a coup just like Myanmar, along with many more.
Those who are being groomed will absolutely feel justified when they rise up and save their country.
I don’t see any other possible outcome.
There are so many comparisons to domestic abusers and their "grooming" of their victims and the conduct of the GQP.
Agree. Unfortunately. More evidence is the uptick in gun sales. I would love to hear an expert social psychologist's analysis of this situation. And some good responses for how to defuse and manage it.
Relaxing gun laws result in direct and indirect intimidation. Just the other day, one big guy sat at a popular lunch counter with his giant holster and gun hanging out for all to see that he was loaded. I will not stay in a public place with these crazies. This was a city, not the northern remote hunting grounds. As gun owners get increasingly more relaxed laws for owning and operating their kill devices, I feel less and less safe or free to be where I wish to be and, perhaps more importantly, I hate to admit this, to speak my mind on political issues. Along w the “grooming” (mentioned above) of his believers, there is also this process of active and not so subtle “intimidation” going on nationally. I too am deeply concerned along w the legion of others. I watch the slow wheels of justice (5 years now!!) and pray.
You brought up an important point. It’s not just that they get to carry and flaunt guns and nearly run people off the road in their big trucks with impunity. I have become afraid to put on a bumper sticker, put up a political sign, or even now, go to a protest. When I went to an “Impeach Trump” rally, there was so much hostility from the cars going by that I was concerned we would be run through by one of them, or shot. I have never experienced this before, in this country.
I hear you. The last 5 years I worked, I was "Ally of Mayberry" in the town of Creswell, Oregon (daytime contract deputy). It is a town of about 5,000+ that is becoming a bedroom community to Eugene (there are wood houses of 900 square feet to huge 2500 square foot homes with 3 car garages within the city limits). They had a small BLM demonstration scheduled in late October that was postponed once, and ultimately held on November 1. I'm guessing there might have been 50-75 Creswellians supporting BLM, and perhaps double that protesting the demonstration. A group of over 100 arrived from Springfield (just up the road and Eugene's sister city) in their large trucks and multitudes of flags, TBL, Confederate, US, and TFG. Very, very ugly.
From our only non-Sinclair TV station:
https://www.kezi.com/content/news/Black-Lives-Matter-event-turns-into-dueling-demonstrations--572946011.html
From our liberal weekly paper:
https://eugeneweekly.com/2020/11/05/out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire/
The West has way more Bundy-wannabees than many East Coasters think. In 2009 the Tea Party took these self-styled survivalist militia-types with rabid territoriality and gun-toting tendencies and added a racist switch.
Am I the only one who has trouble seeing a path forward with people like this?
You want strict gun legislation? Organize BIPOC to start buying guns en masse and sit back and watch the GQP backpedal.
“Tear the Fascist down”- Woody Guthrie
Who led the counter protest? Who encouraged the intimidation? See any long guns, high cap magazines in Hawaiian shirts? “Is this land still made for you and me?”
From what I’ve read much of the uptick in gun sales is byBlacks and Hispanics.
Could u site a source?
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/29/us/gun-purchases-ownership-pandemic.html Another.
Great :( mo' guns. NO BUENO!
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/gun-sales-black-buyers-have-surged-gun-store-ownership-black-n1265840 This is one.
Any future insurrection will need the help from the military. I'm hopeful that the Defense Department is right now searching out any dissident officers and purging the top brass of traitors.
Our military academies aren’t perfect, but the do a great job honing integrity and leadership.
I enjoy listening to Rachel Maddow and find this interesting https://youtu.be/TFlXhg5j5q4
Curious as to what will that look like. Who are they planning to aim their guns at? Unless they are snipers won’t they be facing army tanks? Just having a hard imagining what it would look like. Jan 6th happened because Putin’s puppet was running the show.
It will be another (now armed) attack on the Capitol, maybe the White House, etc. and it will also be in state capitols (like in Wis, GA, AZ, MI) where there is deep hatred and unrest about those states' election results. I live in WI and the downtown area around the capitol in Madison was boarded up last summer and I think continues to be. The insurrectionists won't face tanks but they hopefully will meet armed troops)
I seriously doubt there will be another attack on our Capitol under this administration, state capitols are likely more vulnerable, with those with GOP governors probably the most vulnerable
Armed and ready to take them straight to jail.
I can’t let myself take a deep dive into what it will look like; it is just too frightening.
“Do not look away”-Tim Snyder
I have to say, the blatant coup on our country for the past few decades and rapid destruction of our democracy the past five years whilst at the same time huge societal Change movements have arisen such as Me,Too & BLM. Political awareness and education of our people about our democracy and activism has grown, and brilliant women are rising as major leaders. It is chaotic, lovely an exhausting all at the same time. Yes, whilst I read HCR and several other info/ed sites, and try to get through books like Caste, I find it can become very overwhelming. I consider myself fairly educated about black history, but this book, and the atrocious stories, one after another contained within it, are slamming my heart and head that I have to turn it off and gather myself for awhile before I return. And, in that moment this morning, I vowed to myself that no matter how hard this is, I did not live or die because of white supremacists and it is my responsibility as an American to bear witness to what white supremacists and eugenics does to a fearful, power hungry, group of people. Because, if we do not remember the colonial lies and inhuman massive slaughter and trauma of our Native and African Peoples, it will be repeated. That is why history is so important. That is why witnessing this growing coup on reality and the dismantling of our democracy is critical to keep our eyes and hearts open and to act together. I don't know the answer, but I am always heartened that we try to do something and educate one another here. And hold each other up when we feel it is all futile and some want to move to another country. Why should we leave this democracy? They should leave-- there are plenty of authoritarian regimes they can emigrate to.
When it is all too much, I take a break and videos of silly things that make me laugh or cry such as watching innocent pet otters get a swimming pool and just play and squeal with no thoughts of Nazis or lynchings or cyberwarefare in their psyches. And I wonder why we are all here on this spinning little planet involved in this torturous play of good and evil? And the only answer I ever find is to be a witness and be part of the Resistance to Life. Evil is Live spelled backwards. If this is just a tragedy/comedy Shakespearean play, and we are all dreaming, will we be able to eventually just love one another when the play ends and the players remove their masks and drop their roles? No matter if they are American, Russian, Chinese, Middleeastern? When I think like that, I know I have to stay conscious, keep my eyes and my heart open, like Roland demonstrated up above, and do my very best.
Truth is harder. Love is harder. Democracy is harder. Everything worthwhile is harder, but makes life better.
https://snyder.substack.com/p/911-and-16?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo2OTMxNzE0LCJwb3N0X2lkIjozNzE3OTYyOCwiXyI6IjJzejk2IiwiaWF0IjoxNjIyODI3MTMyLCJleHAiOjE2MjI4MzA3MzIsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zMTA4OTciLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.Y0XkcnQd8o85_t_0x8JcTtiI77liB0dRBKcNHQp4OnM
Thanks for that link Ted. Timothy Snyder is da bomb.
PSA I feel much of your pain here. Would love ❤️ to have those who support TFG open their eyes to the destruction of our government. Caste is indeed hard to read. Makes me want to scream at times. So hard to see racists who just need another being to disparage to make themselves feel good about theRepublican agenda.
Beautifully written, with clear eyed rapt attention to all sorts of excruciating detail. One of those powerful books where no earnest reader can come away from it unchanged. I still see that little black boy, at the segregated Indiana town pool, celebrating the end of the season win with his little league team. Segregation rules meant he was forced to watch from the sidelines with the parents. After his team had all finished swimming and the pool emptied out, and with pleading from the other parents that this black child be allowed to enjoy a swim, the lifeguard conceded a bit by leading him around on a float in the town pool, all other swimmers safely out. Team buddies and parents stood on the sidelines as the lifeguard repeatedly reminded the little boy to keep his hands and feet out of the water. After that humiliating experience, the boy eschewed offers for rides home for team parents, and walked the 3 miles home alone, something in him forever changed, Wilkerson notes. Wish I had read this a million years ago in HS. And, I thought the war was heartbreaking. Little did I understand, when I thought I understood so much.
Yes, I agree Cathy. We Michiganders see it coming perfectly clearly. Our Capitol was the site of the 1st insurrection dress rehearsal. Many of us have neighbors arming for the next attempt in Washington. It's real. And our Republican legislators here are still encouraging the violence, grooming them, as you say, for the war for "reinstatement." A very scary summer coming up.
Me neither.
Belarus violated international laws by ordering the EU flight to land in Minsk to abduct Protasevich. What would have happened if the EU had not allowed a Belarus plane to leave an EU airport until Belarus released the abductees? Would this have been a proper way to make Belarus conform to international law?
Just regular Belarussians on the plane? Better to sanction Luckashenkos oligarchs and Russian facilitators. Notice that’s what we did, and immediately our private companies get hacked, their computer systems held in blackmail. It’s gonna keep escalating. Maybe Patton was right?
I don't really know who did it, but there's good news on the crime-fighting front from Brian Krebs of KrebsonSecurity.com (posted May 14):
The DarkSide ransomware affiliate program responsible for the six-day outage at Colonial Pipeline this week that led to fuel shortages and price spikes across the country is running for the hills. The crime gang announced it was closing up shop after its servers were seized and someone drained the cryptocurrency from an account the group uses to pay affiliates.
“Servers were seized (country not named), money of advertisers and founders was transferred to an unknown account,” reads a message from a cybercrime forum reposted to the Russian OSINT Telegram channel.
See more at:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/05/darkside-ransomware-gang-quits-after-servers-bitcoin-stash-seized/
Whacka hacker mole
How do you think the situation should be handled? Lukashenko, just as other dictators, have no boundaries and respect no norms. So how do we reign them in without escalating the situation?
You destabalize Putin's control of Russia by both severely limiting his ability to project cyberwar and massively impact his economic wellbeing.
This means that the West has to improve it's tech skills. I suspect that Russia and China have surpassed us.
I received this email yesterday from Senator Mark Warner, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee:
When Democrats reclaimed the majority in the U.S. Senate, I became the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Intelligence Committee oversees the entire U.S. Intelligence Community: from the CIA to the Defense Intelligence Agency to the intelligence elements of our Armed Forces. Many of the brave men and women who serve in our intelligence community live and work right here in Virginia.
This is not a job I take lightly, especially given the events of the recent Colonial Pipeline hack. Many of our critical pipelines and electrical grids are vulnerable to cyberattacks, and I know there’s broad bipartisan support for safeguarding our national infrastructure. I pledge to work as quickly and efficiently as I can to protect Americans from cyberattacks.
There’s also the matter of cleaning up the mess left by the previous administration. The Trump White House spent their entire time in office undermining and politicizing the Intelligence Community, which threatens lasting damage to America’s national security. Furthermore, in recent years we’ve seen an alarming rise in anti-government extremism and increasing cyber espionage conducted against the United States by hostile foreign actors.
In light of these grave threats, I have several top priorities for the Intel Committee:
Strengthen America’s cybersecurity capabilities so we never have a repeat of cyber attacks like the Colonial Pipeline hack or the 2020 SolarWinds cyber-espionage campaign.
Root out anti-government extremism, including the white nationalist militias who participated in the January 6th insurrection at our Capitol.
Rebuild intelligence community agencies and departments that were understaffed and under-resourced in the previous administration.
Depoliticize our intelligence-gathering apparatus, so these tireless and patriotic public servants can stay above the partisan fray and focus on their jobs: defending the American homeland.
I am honored to serve as Senate Intelligence chairman. So, here is my promise to you, to all Virginians, and to our career intelligence professionals on the front lines: I will not let you down. To the best of my ability, I will work to tackle extremism and cyberattacks, rebuild and depoliticize our Intelligence Community, and maintain the committee’s reputation for bipartisan work so we can protect America’s national security.
You can read more about my plans as Senate Intelligence Committee chairman in this recent article from The New York Times.
Thank you,
Sen. Mark Warner
Here is the NYT article Senator Warner referred to: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/us/politics/biden-russia-solarwinds-hacking.html?emci=d1eafd4b-75c4-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=ee6691d6-86c4-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=4976275
I think I’ll move to VA—it’s only about 2 hours away—so I can have an actual senator who cares about me as a citizen and our country’s democracy. I surely do NOT have that in Blackburn and Hagerty (who just went with Cruz and Graham to Israel to run down Biden).
Thank you, so glad to read this!
Thanks for sharing this!
Colonial pipeline and SolarWinds are private businesses correct? Why are government resources being spent on their security? I understand the colonial pipeline hack simply disrupted the company's ability to know who got how many gallons of gas dispensed thru the pipeline, so the company turned off it's taps.
The electric and water companies are public entities (I think) is the pipeline now public?
And we don’t know what intelligence Trump gave away to Putin. We know that he did.How concerning is that??
Not quite. Maybe be. They don’t advertise the cyber pain we inflict on them, at least I like to believe, even if im just fooling myself.
Yupyupyup
This obliges him to choose between being friendlier to the West or being subjugated by China.
Russia and China may form an alliance.
That would be the last straw for Putin as China would be the "puppet master" and thereafter probably replace Putin with someone amenable to them. His situation with regard to the Chinese is similar in this respect to Lukashenko. Putin needs to be able to "pair strategically" with China but stay at arms length. Putin essentially doesn't have the economy to support his strategic pretensions....china does.
Seize all Putin’s and oligarchs personal foreign accounts and real estate. Hold it till he leaves office and holds a fair election maybe? I really do not know what would work.
I am puzzled as to why the West doesn't seize their foreign accounts and real estate. Not doing that just gives license to dictators to continue their internationally illegal activities.
I suspect because there are more DT's here in the US than we think or can know. I suspect that after '07-'10 Great Recession, that foreign investment and capital was badly needed to triage the economy. Ethics and Morals always decline in times of great financial stress, so regulators were told to loosen up the banking & real estate industry on what American Oligarchs were doing in order to climb out of economic hole, by accepting that foreign capital. But once this corruption gets going, and everybody starts banking profits, and the excess goes to what? Well that is hard thing to let go. The excess cash goes to political campaigns in order to keep it loose and keep that fire hose spigot of cash on. And so it gets worse, until...
"American Billionaires have more in common with Russian Oligarchs than with regular Americans"-Tim Snyder, The Road to Unfreedom
"Nothing was more to be desired than that ever practicable obstacle should be opposed to cabal, intrigue, and corruption. These most deadly adversaries to republican government might naturally have been expected to make their approaches from the more than one 'querter', but chiefly from he desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils. How could they better gratify this, than by raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy of the union? -Alexander Hamilton ( The Road to Unfreedom, -Tim Snyder, p.217)
We don't have that many "tanks" in the area to lead the charge....Putin does and knows that he would have a short-term advantage on the ground as he shares a common border. NATO deployment around the Baltic States is a defensive deterrent not an offensive military posture
True. I don't know that military intervention would be the solution. Putin might like to see an escalation.
Depends on his internal popularity. He has elections coming up in September. Dangerous times this summer.
At home and abroad.
Patton knew something ominous in 1945.
Blackmail or ransom? Not pretty and probably not effective....certainly an encouragement for others to do likewise. If we are trying to make the rule of law, "democratic elections and institutions" and an independent judiciary the "norm" it doesn't exactly offer a very good example...not that Lukashenko gives a witt for any such "fripperies"...nor for his planes and people one must say either. The only way to make him bend without invading is to make him hemorrhage financially it would seem but in this case any hurt imposed by the West drives him ...and his people...deeper into Putin's clutches. Seperating these 2 is the key to freeing the Byelorussian people.
Putin released another 500m to Belarus a few days ago in response to the West's outrage. Lukashenko has wanted Russia's help to support his dictatorship all along. He doesn't need sanctions to turn him toward Russia. And, sanctions won't turn the dissenting population toward Russia. They want democracy. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/30/russia-confirms-500m-loan-for-belarus-as-west-toughens-sanctions
Lukashenko has been walking a fine line since "Ukraine" staying as far as possible from the "bear hug" with which Putin would envelop him with growing integration and too much independence which would incite Putin to overthrow or abandon him to the "charms" of the West.
Not blackmail or ransom; merely a matter of logistics: all Belarusian planes grounded in all foreign airports until Belarus followed international law. It would have produced the media storm that makes things happen nowadays.
Everything would just then pass by Moscow Airports or be transfered to road and rail. Lukashenko can not afford to give in as that would put his head on the block. Only pressure from his own oligarchs will shift him...or the advantage that Putin will see for himself. Media storms work here. Over there the press is far from free. They are part of the official propaganda machine.
Grounding all Belarusian planes might have been similar to monetary sanctions. I wonder if this would have worked to force Lukashenko to release his abductees. It seems that something more would be required. Of course, the grounding could go on for months.
And that would do little for Lukashenko's image. It might turn more Belarusans against him.
Blackmail too because there are hacks we don’t hear about.
SHORT VERSION OF MY REPORT
Please understand I have spent at least a week in intense and protracted engagement with the members of the Russian government here. I have learned many things which I have not shared with all of you. Now if you want to question my mental health, go right ahead, one of my close friends has done precisely that. However let me point out that I have been accused of many things in my life, but being called a fool or being called stupid doesn’t show up very often. On the contrary.
We have received the attention of the Kremlin. Believe me, don’t believe me, but wisdom suggests keeping an open mind.
We are no longer just having a friendly debate among ourselves.
New people are showing up. They are steering the conversation in a particular direction. They are free to do that. There is no rule that says “no government officials allowed“ or “no intelligence agents allowed“ or even “no deputies of world leaders allowed.“ Nor does it say “Kremlin not permitted here“ or “Mossad (CIA, State Dept, et al) not permitted here.“
Unless you know the person you are speaking with, from long experience on this forum, it would be a mistake to assume you know anything about them or who they are.
Just a word to the wise.
Hi, Roland. This is cryptic.
I think these are wise words for any political discussion group in these times. At least these discussions have substance and reasoning. People just parroting sound bites from media or parties without being able to defend them don't last very long in this group. Very much enjoy this group and the regulars who are becoming new friends.
I’m listening carefully, Roland. I’m wondering where Jason Bourne fits in this thriller.
I’m too dumb to be wise here. I’m not entirely sure what you are advising...not responding here? Not having a private conversation? I don’t even know how to do that. I’m trying to understand...
It's ok, Marcy. This is a good place with good people. Just trying to make us aware of potential bad actors/posters seeking to cause confusion and dissension.
I'm glad to see you call attention to this. I thought it was just me.
I don't normally write into chat rooms or "threads", comment spaces and the like, but I guess I feel like I have to get something off my mind. The news and the "fake news" i.e. the "blogosphere" etc. are aflame and have certainly been exacerbated since the beginning of the Trump era. I'm 70 now and having lived thru the Vietnam era as well as all the subsequent seesawing social and political upheavals and multiple military quagmires of the last three plus decades I can truthfully say I am more concerned than ever before (with the possible exception of the Watergate epoch) that our democracy is in existential danger. Sure the tensions have been there forever between the imperial presidency and the notion of leadership with constitutional limits. Now however, and as never before, we have treason openly and overtly advocated by major political figures seemingly without censure and certainly without the fear of criminal prosecution. What is happening. Have we lost our will to protect the fundamentals of democracy. I'm sorry but where is the Biden justice department? Why is no-one being prosecuted for sedition?
Thank you for sharing. I have the very same questions and fears. I just don’t understand why the hammer isn’t coming down... unless there is some heavy stuff going on behind the scenes. And there better be, or we’re lost.
Pamsy: Thank you for your support. It makes me hopeful that I'm not just shouting atb the wind. G
Gilco 100%. Keep the comments coming, please. Quality over quantity.
TPJ: Thanks for replying. I suddenly seem to be in the game with some like minded folks and that's comforting.
You are "in the game" with plenty of chips to spare!
Amen
Why does the press keep covering this idiot? I think their constant coverage in 2016 helped him overcome election hurdles and now they’re keeping his crazies on edge. I’m so frustrated.
They are rating whores, plain and simple.
Perhaps the fact that he has dedicated zealots trying to dismantle both past election results and future voting restrictions in states across the country dictates that he and his extreme racists must be followed? We are never safe trying to ignore the mad dog in the room....
Me too, Marcy.
Competition is raging in media. Outrage works for higher ratings which equals higher rates in an hyper competitive advertising market. Remember, your attention is the product the networks are selling.
What Elaine says below. Always, always follow the Benjamin's.
For 1-2 weeks or so, I have been engaged in intense and protracted dialogue with the Kremlin and with Russian government agents. Most of the dialogue has been with “Peter C. Burnett,” our Kremlin contact, but also exchanges with “Jack Leon” and one brief but memorable interaction with “Hugh Spencer.” Brief contact with “David Carroll,” equivalent to “Jack Leon” in behavior and function.
I have learned a great, great deal from these interactions about how the Russian government employees operate. I am not at liberty to share everything I know in open forum, it’s the old canard about sources and methods, in this case only the methods portion applies. All my sources are right here: I just listed them.
And there are new HCR Substack community members whose identities I suspect.
Privately I could tell you everything I know, and perhaps that would persuade.
Believe me, don’t believe me, but ignoring my words puts you at risk of being a victim to outright harassment and to subtle manipulation.
Bottom line: if it’s somebody you know from long association here, fine. If it’s a name unknown to you, look at what they say and do, and who they refer to and associate with.
Refer to HCR April 29, the report about FSB Moscow, the Russian government disinformation agency which speaks through “Jack Leon.” The HCR April 28 conversations with them provide the basis of that report.
The intense dialogue with the Kremlin diplomat, “Peter C. Burnett,“ initiated somewhere around the middle of May. May 24 is a good one, but all of that week is chock-full of eye-opening material.
A few tidbits I can share here:
(1) I have memorized the time difference between California and Moscow. On occasion, I have made allowances for Peter because he’s reading some challenging statements of mine when it’s pushing midnight in Moscow, and he’s understandably irritated or toasted.
(2) I have inadvertently terrified one of them, through no fault of my own, and had to apologize deeply. I don’t ever want somebody to be terrified on my account. Kindness first.
(3) I have had Jack Leon treat me with kid gloves.
(4) Peter, the Kremlin representative, has suggested having a conversation with me over beer or coffee. He has chided me, kindly and respectfully, for “trolling” him back on Memorial Day when I invited him to share a personal story about the battles between Russia and Germany, knowing full well he couldn’t do that without blowing his cover. It was a gentle tease, but I had him at a disadvantage, so it wasn’t fair of me.
2, 3, and 4 are in the record here. All of our exchanges are.
I trust my intuition. It is a tool of perception, like eyes or ears. It’s not infallible, but it serves me well a good portion of the time.
It’s good enough that the Kremlin gave me a grudging compliment.
In a democracy, the agency which corresponds to the FSB in the Russian autocracy is perhaps the CIA
For the GRU, it is the DIA.
The old KGB is equivalent to the Gestapo, the GEheime STaatsPOlizei, the “Secret State Police.”
The Russian govt. agents working through aliases like “Jack Leon,” at least prior to our discussions with “Peter,” would be equivalent to thugs and bullies who harass, mock, ridicule. Jeering. Sneering. Gloating. Snickering. Equivalent might be Hitler’s brown shirts, the thugs he engaged for the Sturmabteilung, the “Storm Division”. A “storm“ is a metaphor for chaos, division, mayhem, and malicious mischief.
Autocracy is self service.
Democracy is public service, service for the benefit of society.
It’s a black-and-white issue, fundamentally.
But there are shades of gray, because Putin wears many hats. He is obviously attending to all the same types of duties that Biden is, like the pandemic, the economy, and all the functions of govt.
Within the typical governmental duties, there is the autocratic system, trying to control and manipulate society, both at home and overseas like here on HCR, in order for Putin to maintain his position on top.
Everyone here already understands that.
A big part of why the Russian government is so invested in engaging social media, so invested and intent on Internet technology expertise, is the growing threat to the autocratic message from technology like TikTok which have become popular in Russia in the 20-something and 30-something generation. When you see the odd news reports about Russian concerns about corruption of children during protests, that’s the issue. The “exploitation” of children is the freedom exercised by the TikTok generation. That’s the future. Tass and state media are becoming a relic of the past.
Repost of my final core communication to Peter. HCR May 24.
I have studied closely what Peter has said in his posts. For example, he mentions the sword of Damocles, and I countered with my story about a pet tiger that could, conceivably, eat its master. I did my best to respond to his various laments and musings.
[begin post to Peter, HCR May 24]
Since you are a busy man and I don’t want to presume upon your time, I am keeping the chatter to a minimum.
You and I both know that the challenge of arranging an actual chat over a beer or coffee might well be insurmountable. So for now, I will let you take the lead should you choose to use this forum as a coffeehouse or Kofe Khauz (I had to Google that) for “Kaffeeklatsch” or “Stammtisch in unsere Stube” purposes, i.e. for chatting. I did notice that you used the word “Herrenvolk” once. As you know if you’ve seen my posts, I spent part of my youth growing up in Germany and my parents were born there.
Perhaps the benefit to both of us in having this HCR forum is to reduce the pressure of the mental constipation, by providing an outlet and release. (I am still getting a chuckle out of that statement of yours: my mental constipation). When I told you that you had landed in a pot of gold, I was not exaggerating. This forum is magical, filled with an amazing group of incredibly knowledgeable people, most of them, including you, far more educated than I am in matters of history and world politics. Not my strength. And by no means is that their only area of expertise, no no no no no, on the contrary. If one person mentions something that they’ve seen or heard, anywhere in world culture and anywhere in history, invariably another person will chime in with the precise reference. Notice the immediate praise expressed after your Anushka Russian fable endorsement.
Introduction complete, and now to the point:
The source, the origin, of Orthodox Christianity in Russia.
Orthodox Christianity is by far the most intriguing strain of Christianity, because it is the earliest and therefore closest to the source, it goes without saying.
One search would take a person to your special towns in Russia. This is a symbolic step in a personal quest, because of course there may not be anything to find in those towns now.
However, the first step, even if momentarily disappointing, is merely the prelude to a grander adventure.
Here is where you and I have common ground with each other, and with many others in this community. Here in this forum, the concrete and asphalt road foundation (from an earlier point in our conversation) is that moral base which you might identify as the origins of Russian Orthodox Christianity. Others here might identify it in different terms, but it is the same jewel viewed through different facets.
Over the course of my life I have been a student of master teachers and their wisdom. Just as an example, the founder of any orthodox Christian church is of course, if the rumor is to be believed, Joshua of Nazareth. I use the name “Joshua” rather than the more common “Jesus” for 2 reasons:
(1) the name Joshua is a much closer approximation to the original than “Jesus,” which is more of a translation, since as everyone knows, 2000 years can cause a lot of dilution and alteration in both the person’s name and their message
(2) it differentiates my statements about Christianity from those of popular culture. As you noted, a lot of Christians may no longer be real Christians. Led astray.
In comparison, since 2000 years is a long time, we have Mohandas K Gandhi. I have given cursory study to his life.
Remember I said we all look through a different facet of the same jewel? In similar fashion, the master teachers all have the same message. Now here’s one curious example, among many: both Joshua and Gandhi were “no respecter of persons.” They would speak with anyone on equal terms, without regard to apparent differences (of gender, race, appearance, wealth, status, you name it), which they would consider superficial and merely a curiosity or perhaps a delight to indulge in.
So both Joshua and Gandhi would be equally willing to speak with both me and you.
Conversely, if you and I were physically chatting, whether by phone or in person, I would have, with your permission and approval of course, a brief interchange with your translator to see how he or she is doing, and to ask, specifically, if they have an outlet for the pressures of their job. A person they visit with in order to debrief, to decompress, to vent. Someone who will hold the confidences, but who is a sympathetic ear, an outlet. I would introduce myself and learn the other persons name, and I would treat them with respect and care, as I treat you, as I treat myself.
At this point, there are a multitude of directions this conversation could take. Treat others as you would be treated, and as in addition you would treat yourself. In other words, with care and with kindness. With compassion.
Of course you and your colleagues, and anybody else listening, can take that specific thought into your negotiations with the American political team which, of course, is merely a representative of the American people as I am, as everyone in this HCR community is. Merely a representative of humanity, actually, as both you and I and they are. However, short of widening our discussion to all of humanity, I prefer to keep the focus on Russia, for obvious reasons.
With your permission, I would take us in the following direction:
Nations are speaking with nations. You have stated this as a lament, words to the effect of “nations are not speaking with nations.” In the very near future, in fact probably already at this very moment in preparation for the physical event, a nation is speaking with a nation.
The destiny of Russia, the promise of Russia, is the demonstration of the workers paradise. The workers paradise made physical, in the real world. The hammer and the sickle. The ideal of a worker-centric society.
The USA is a different demonstration, it would appear. Call it democracy, call it what you will. US society is an experiment, a demonstration model, with the same ideals and the same ultimate goal as yours, creating Heaven on Earth, but approaching in a different way and using different terminology and ideology.
Your choice, dear Peter and colleagues in the Kremlin, is whether or not to fulfill your duty as caretakers and public servants to the Russian people in carrying out the Russian experiment in “communism,“ the ideal of the worker paradise made real.
Hence why I said that “communism” and “democracy“ are much closer than most people would think. They are different ideologies with the same goal: the ideal society.
You said that much of the world is downstream of America.
I offer you an alternative proposal:
What if Russia were also a beacon of light, of a different variety, to which much of the world turned to for guidance and inspiration. What if both America and Russia were upstream of much of the world.
The question of how the pet tiger behaves in the future hinges on the Kremlin. If you have the courage, you and your colleagues can lead a brilliant new social experiment in introducing the Russian worker-paradise-in-the-making to the world. And then you too would become a fish bowl, and a magnet, and the world would be examining your unique process in all its intricacy, including its mistakes and flaws along with its inspiring, perhaps glorious, successes.
The alternative is waiting around to see if the tiger becomes your friend or eats you.
The choice is yours.
Something tells me the tiger is a lot more likely to be your friend if you put your efforts into encouraging it, supporting it.
It’s your choice Peter. It’s your country’s destiny that the Kremlin holds in its hands. The American team is no different than me, we just want to support you in doing what’s best for you and the Russian people.
At times there may be fear, on both sides, there may be suspicion, other emotions will appear, anger, but feelings are just dust in the wind. They come and they go.
Ultimately there is no malice. We all want the same thing. A better life, more love and kindness in the world, more joy and happiness and delight and wonder and laughter.
With love,
Roland
[end message to Peter, HCR May 24]
Roland, this, and you are fascinating. Thank you for demonstrating how to communicate so respectfully and with keen interest in the other's position and, possibly, mutual goals wrought by different paths. A few days ago, I mentioned here that I think this forum is being watched by the Kremlin. This is a community of thinkers that will not easily be propagandized. But I do think we need to be wary that we may be a social experiment for their higher levels of cyberwarefare. Keeping each other aware and having one another's backs is good training. Communications on the level you have exposed to us today is, extraordinary. Thank you!!
Morning everyone! Morning Roland and Pamsy and Diane and Penelope!
I am a beekeeper. If there is an attack on the hive by a larger creature like a mouse or a rat, they will of course first sting it to death. Since they can't remove it and don't want it to rot in place, they'll mummify it by covering it with propolis, a dark brown sticky substance that they typically use to seal joints and openings in their hive.
It's really lovely seeing a similar process in play within this community whenever we have an obvious Troll or delusional person that carries destructive tendencies. Having spent time in other forums over the past few decades, I've never seen such a surgical strike as I've seen in this group. And I've seen groups (which are basically inconsequential in the bigger picture) torn apart by one or two ill-intentioned souls.
Such intelligence, such heart, such good bones we have here.
Idjt 1/45 is also a rotting carcass, right? Hope springs eternal . . . .
Perfect analogy! I'm so glad I have kept on loading comments today.
Roland, this is a lot to take in with my first cup of coffee. As people, we have so much more in common than we realize on this tiny jewel of a planet.
And hopefully the younger generation is starting to take the lead on that. I’m inspired by what Roland said about Tik Tok in Russia.
Beautifully written. If Peter is Soviet, it's very respectful. If he is not, it's still very respectful.
I'm still not sure where the "Russian Orthodox Christianity is closest to the source" comment comes from. It does not match anything I've ever read about Christian history. Is that part of Christian mythology in Russia? That seems to be a feature of all of the sects of Christianity -- from the hagiographies that associate each sect with one of the Apostles (e.g. Thomas in southern India), right up through the modern American fundamentalists, who claim to be "returning to the original Christianity" in (say) Texas or Alabama.
The "Orthodox" name did not come into existence until some time after the 11th century, as a result of the Filioque Controversy, which split the Roman church from the rest of the communion, making Roman Catholicism the "unorthodox" church, and the remaining churches the "orthodox" churches: in the centuries prior to that, Christianity was simply the Catholic (Universal) Church. The translation of the Latin Byblos (translated from Hebrew, Koine, and a bit of Aramaic into Latin in the 4th and 5th centuries) into Slavonic happened in the 9th century, at which time the principle religious sentiment of the Rus was pagan. The prominence of the Russian Orthodox Church rose during the rebuilding Kievan Rus after the Mongol invasions of the 13th century.
Thank you Joseph, this piece of yours would be of interest to Peter. My historical knowledge is thin. You are proving my point that others here will step in to provide detail and context. I was merely doing a broad brush stroke, connecting the source of the Christian tradition to Russia. I can speak with more authority and conviction on the subject of the messages, not the history of the evolution of the tradition.
Roland, Russia hasn't been communist for the past three decades. And as a communist country, it worked poorly, which is why the US "won" the cold war. Central planning is insensitive to peoples' desires. There are a lot of Russian jokes about how poorly it worked. One in which the head of the collective farm is praising the progress the farm is making to its workers, telling them they'll have bicycles in five years, cars in another five, and airplanes in another five. At the latter, one of the workers asks what they'd need airplanes for. "If shoes become available in Moscow, you can fly up there and be first in line."
My late father, one of the foremost experts on the Soviet economy, got interested in it as an undergraduate, having heard that the USSR maintained full employment during the Depression. He learned the language while stationed on two of three US bases in USSR during WWII (see: Forgotten Bastards of the Eastern Front, by Serhii Plokhii about how the cold war began with friction between USSR and US over those bases. Among other things, the Soviet authorities told a Russian woman he was going out with that she had to break up with him. He never knew what had happened; we only learned about this, and that the KGB had had a file on him in 2017).
It was pretty obvious to him very early on in his career that it wasn't working well, and he--a lefty, earned powerful praise for a book he wrote about it in the early '50s from Marshal Goldman, who was on the opposite end of the political spectrum, who told the writer of my father's NYT obituary that he (MG) wished he'd written that book. My father remained wistful about USSR's failures throughout his life.
You’re proving my point that there is so much knowledge on tap here. I told Peter very early on, before I even knew that he was linked to Russia, that he landed in a pot of gold here.
To the rest of your excellent message, I am just too damn fried to respond. Perhaps tomorrow.
Thank you Roland.
David—indeed, Substack, all members of this community—in my last message to Roland, who started off by being friendly to me when I joined in these conversations, but subsequently took to trolling me in increasingly what-have-you-been-smoking? terms... I asked (if I recall rightly) “What constitutes trolling?”
Roland's response was “touché”.
Now, I am asking myself what the purpose of all this nonsense could be. The effect, in any case, is not just to try to drive me out but to sabotage the conversation.
If that is not trolling, what is?
You picked on something that makes it seem unlikely (albeit by no means impossible) that Roland is doing this on someone else's behalf because... yes... the Russia of which Roland has sung the praises to me (yes, to me) bears no relation whatever to the tight gangster oligarchy we have to live with and the poor wretched Russians have to live IN. It comes straight out of GOODBYE LENIN... Resurrected Ulbricht propaganda from the good old DDR...
At the same time, I haven't a clue what the praises of the Russian Orthodox Church are doing mixed up with this zombie Communist orthodoxy...
Now, I did write one or two things about the Kremlin regime that would be rather close to the bone for them. Those, however, correspond to my observations and insights, not to inside information (which would in any case be injurious to the regime's interests).
Timothy Snyder writes of Cassandra's pain. I know that pain too... The pain of seeing what's coming and being utterly helpless to do anything about it when it comes.
If Roland's purpose, or that of any shadowy persons averse to my comments on the Russian president and cronies, wants to give me a stroke, they have gone about it the right way: by accusing me of being a member of the organization that runs (and ruins) Russia, one whose mindset combining paranoia, cruelty, a total lack of empathy and immeasurable greed, is so well represented by the man at the top.
(And don’t get me wrong by imagining that I have any love for the bastards’ NeoCon and other opposite numbers.)
I see hatred as a weakness, understandable but not pardonable. We should not lower ourselves to hating anyone, least of all wretched criminal madmen. That would stain us with their filth. It is bad enough hating the foul things such men do, here again we are touched by their evil. But the organization which Roland persists in calling me a member of is one I regard as an abomination, a stain on mankind. And utterly irrelevant, to boot. Yet another idiot relic of 19th century imperialism—read Conrad’s Secret Agent, same old reactionary blight…
I shall not forgive the offense easily.
Today I read an essay in the Financial Times webpages by Tim Harford entitled Some Gripes about Groupthink. I doubt if you can access it here, but it might be a good idea for Substack to obtain and circulate it: https://www.ft.com/content/6d821e56-64f3-4c59-84de-723b15dfc743#comments-anchor
A vaccine against groupthink fever might be in order... We shall need all the lucidity we've got if we are to resist and defeat the enemies of a free, open society and strive against all odds for a world worthy of today's children and those still unborn.
They matter. For them I care and so should we all.
For the hellbent we can only pray.
Peter, Please do not leave us. I think that these times are so worrisome that sometimes goblins come out of the woodwork and crowd the mind.
People do need a subscription to the Financial Times in order to read the article, which you recommended. I believe that most of us are familiar with 'groupthink'. This group of subscribers is with you, not as a gang or mafia.
Your thoughtful comments and deep consideration are what we depend upon. I hope that you will accept my plea. May your kindness reach for understanding. That is my hope,
Fern, thank you for your kindness, and no, I am not proposing to leave the group, but I do need to take a break. And even if I should decide at some time soon to keep to myself, my heart will always be with what you represent in America.
Meanwhile, our friend can rant and rave to his heart's content.
While he claims to read my mind and speaks as though he “intuitively” knows it better than I ever did or could, I can't possibly know what has gotten into him. The only trouble is that, regardless of his intentions (or instructions?) his behavior is that of a saboteur, putting the cat among the pigeons. What the Communists would have called “an objective ally” of America's adversaries. What he (and others) call a troll.
I hope to goodness he’s just on an ego trip, those people I’m accused of representing are dangerous and have never been more so.
The nonsense began when I asked that we stick to criticizing (or praising) what people say, avoiding ad hominem attacks. Which was taken as instant proof that I’m in cahoots with… not just the Trumplican party but… Russia…
My reasoning is double: America today is so deeply divided that there's no hope for the country, no hope of reconciliation unless people can come to listen to other voices, however unpleasant. We may all be angry and scared, with good reason, but anger and fear are useful for waking up to danger, a curse when it comes to combating it. A warrior needs to stay cool.
This is particularly important now, when we're faced with mass psychosis. You can't deal with deluded people as you'd deal with sane ones.
I was much taken with the high level of discussion in this forum, having never seen anything like it in British comments threads. But what I'm now realizing is quite how catching paranoia is. Seneca: "In fighting, you come down to your adversary's level..."
Not long after joining the conversation, I read an article which said more or less that Substack was doomed, because there'd be a determined assault on it, to which its openness would leave it unable to respond.
People must pardon me, too, because there have been times when I've not appreciated quite how much on edge they are when they say things that get on my nerves.
Now, I woke up and turned on my computer... but it is 3:38 a.m. my time (CET...). Not the kind of hour for writing cogently.
Anyway, I remain convinced that we need, just as we would if we were all together in a room, to agree on a few simple guidelines, rules of engagement. We need those for our own good. We don't want to end up like the current sedition-torn Congress.
Closing this message, it does feel strange that I, who have since I entered this arena shared most of HCRs outlook—and that of the community—in all that I've written, should, for trying to prevent verbal brawling, have been labelled, not just a troll, but a super-troll.
Either someone won't be happy unless he's dominating the conversation (and haven't we all had four years and more of that?) or he's setting out on a skillful demolition job. Either way, the outcome's the same. The least we can say is that he's not stupid, so why act that stupidly? I leave that question to others, while staying mindful of the fact that when people conduct a gratuitous attack on others, what comes out of that mouth almost invariably tells us far more about them than about those others.
Matthew 15:10-20 says something about that.
Peter, I hope that you are now sleeping.
You wrote to me of consciousness and conscience. It was time to call them up. The last couple of days have been troubling for me. Last night, I listened to Marc Elias, who specializes in voting laws and redistricting. He works ceaselessly to protect our access. Marc didn't show exhaustion, instead, he calmly let us know that if the Republicans don't stop attacking democracy, we cannot save it. The difficulties we face seem to scorch inside.
Tonight I realized that the Republicans' target now is Anthony Fauci. He will be a figurehead for their Covid-China connection play. Trump and his cohorts know how to scapegoat. The virus may have started in the lab, and that question is the source of their cover-up for Trump's negligence, dishonesty, lack of concern and preparedness; to my mind, his murder of many of us. Their campaign will blame China - Fauci and the Democratic Party for Covid and the resulting deaths.
I share all this with you because your words to me tonight asked for calmness and warned of fear and the anger, which were building inside of me.. Anthony Fauci hasn't shown anger, perhaps, some annoyance, but he always focuses on science and the work at hand. I needed your wisdom tonight and will refer to this message for a balanced perspective. Thank you.
If we had more private time, your unfortunate experience might be better illuminated. I have learned to ignore some aspects of the forum. People have ticks and twitches, along with intensity and humor. Some bother us and some don't. I believe that what happen to you was the result of imagining; adding 3 and 4 to equal 403.
So, to be old-fashioned, Patrick, I hope that we'll meet again.
I almost stopped reading comments 10 minutes ago. So glad I kept going and came upon this gem. Your outreach to Peter, Roland, is inspiring and uplifting.
Sorry, MaryB, pardon the language but Peter regards what you have just said as perfect balls.
As for Roland... whether it's on his own behalf or someone else's, he's taking us all for a ride, a Magical Mystery Tour. Maybe you and others should read what I've written elsewhere today and reflect on the future of Substack and how to work for it. Above all, how to work for America at this unprecedentedly dangerous time when no one can afford to be led astray into skirmishes with the wind. Or Trump's farts.
A sidebar for our readers:
Notice how the writer of this post is referring to Peter. This post has a timestamp (figuratively speaking) of circa 4 AM Moscow time. So the real Peter is likely sleeping, and this is likely one of the FSB agents (or GRU or SVB agents, no way to know for certain the actual agency), one of the intelligence agents, speaking through the “Peter C. Burnett” profile/alias/handle.
Peter:
“As for Roland... whether it's on his own behalf or someone else's . . . “
I don’t blame you for being suspicious. Thinking I am not what I say I am. Thinking that I am a representative of some governmental agency or something. However, if you or your colleagues end up speaking to the American team, you will find that they are as mystified as you are. They are probably combing through all of HCR just like you are, reading everything I have written, for clues about me.
I read your other post on this thread, but I am too damn tired to respond. Maybe, just maybe, I really am a working stiff who is squeezing in our conversation into an already full life.
If I were some pro in the intelligence field, don’t you think I’d be on your other post elsewhere in this HCR page, reading it and making comments? Would I be complaining about being tired?
Everybody have a great rest of your day. Over and out.
Thank you MaryB.
Take a look how many “likes“ were given to my conversation with Peter last week. Very few. That drops a conversation to the bottom of the barrel. Doesn’t float it to the top. Not complaining, just observing and reporting. So it’s harder to find if you’re just browsing.
Good to know. Sometimes it seems lame to “like” a comment without posting a reply, so I often refrain from doing so. This changes my mind. I always scroll down to try to find your comments. Not exclusively; I’m promiscuous.
MaryB, I do believe you are flirting with me
You catch on fast
I'm chuckling
🙏
"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."
This is priceless! I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the subtle feints. I needed a laugh today after another week like this past one.
🙏
Remind me to tell you someday the story of Alexi who boarded with my parents after Perestroika. I can't write it here because he's back in Russia now and would be too easy to identify and possibly harm.
I will.
That’s beautiful, Roland.
Roland, just 4 u!
https://snyder.substack.com/p/911-and-16
Thank you for this. I have missed you on here, and see that you have been up to your eyebrows in some really interesting engagement(s).
I have thought for a very long time that social media has been being used to "groom" the collective "us" into a society that is divided and ready to war against itself. I also believe that this has both a domestic and a foreign influence, and has succeeded beyond its wildest dreams in its initial phases. I have watched my former colleagues slip down into a Q-filled morass of thoughts that are, frankly, anathema to all that they once stood for. I have also noticed a change in my personal reactions to some of this; before, I was willing to engage and attempt conversation. Now, I am disgusted, and find myself with thoughts that have never been part of my psyche in the 53 more mature years of the 63 I've been around. It is my opinion that this, too, has been manipulated, and I struggle against it mightily.
I profoundly appreciate the work you've done here, and shared with us. Thank you.
Thank you, Ally, for sharing this personal account. You are definitely not alone. The world we live in now is so foreign and baffling and I experience the very same things. It’s as if there is no ground under my feet upon which to get my bearings. People I know... I thought I knew... have become mind-controlled, and when there is little sanity and truth around you, it’s very destabilizing. I’m having to dig deeper into a spiritual practice to ground myself.. and get out in nature, hug a pet, hug a tree, and come back here to find friends who still have their heads on straight.. and who care.
Oh, Ally. I wish I had the answer for you. Perhaps those with bigger brains here could provide some help. If it's any consolation, my 2 sisters are supporters of TFG. In fact, most of my entire extended family are, too. We just never talk about "it" with each other. I can't say whether anybody follows "Q," though one cousin left FB last fall, telling everyone she was joining Parler.
Of course, Roland's approach, empathizing instead of trying to change minds, might be something you could try.
And always, as Pamsy points out, mother nature can be so healing. I depend heavily on her; and of course this page!
Bigger brains are better, but no guarantee of proper use.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePh81BnL8hQ
Hope you are feeling better, TPJ. Thanks for the link!
Hello, Ally. I would like to add a note of caution to your comment. It is wise of us to think about who we are communicating with on the forum. To be cautious is sensible as the forum has been occupied by several 'tools' (that's my word for them) at the same time. We don't want to encourage discord or distraction be engaging with them, which can take us away for our goals. I think we must also be careful not to vilify innocent or unfamiliar subscribers. If we have a doubt walking away, when the 'subject' seems suspect and or using a Plop warning, indicating that its based on a personal opinion, may be enough.
Uh, OK
You have to wonder about things in retrospective. “Star Trek” was written by a man who had great insight into human behavior, and he served it up as “Space Oprey”.
So many of the program plots keep showing up as real-life scenarios. “ I have thought for a very long time that social media has been being used to "groom" the collective "us" into a society that is divided and ready to war against itself” reminds me of the computer-run planet where random people would appear on the ship, check data on a computer, and according to what the data showed, would either return to the planet, or destroy themselves. It’s hard not to think of that program and see the seeds of social media sprout!
🙏
Demonstrated by the words being uttered by the young gen in their graduation remarks and speeches. Locally and all over the country. As was shared yesterday with Paxton’s valedictorian address that she altered to address the moment.
The “TikTok” gen will not be silenced. Social media changed repression. In this case, for the better.
Roland, THanks for this info. Confirms some suspicions. Nice to see the names of folks 'not to engage'. I'm curious. This takes a lot of energy on their part. What's the ROI for them? Seems like a low yield operation to me.
I disagree. All you have to do is look at some of the reactions here. Sowing doubt. Sowing chaos and division. Instilling fear. Subtle, like a thousand cuts.
Some minds are as sharp as the best knives. Chop, chop, mince, mince potatoes, carrots, onions, celery and trolls... you better not get under Christy's skin.
LOL Fern! I hope to never use a knife on a person. Please call me on it if you see it. Love your humor though ❤️
I have faith that you will always use your brain --- first.
Aww. Thank you for the love. Right back at ya!!
Thank You Not-Secret-Agent Roland! Should we feel honored to have this much Russian attention? Does this mean we HCR fans have clout, power, purpose in our democracy's salvation?! Let it be so. We are armed with her knowledge of history and our truths of today. We are a mighty force!
Feeling honored, yes I have that, along with paranoia and many other feelings. It’s been a roller coaster. Intense.
Here’s what it means to the Kremlin:
Peter, among many many many other things he said, was lamenting that he can no longer speak or have a respectful conversation with the other side. So I heard him, and I responded. I can tell you by our conversation, which you can read yourself at any time by reviewing here on HCR, that he was as surprised and amazed as I was that he and I would be speaking with each other. And on a particular day last week he spoke with several other people as well, to his amazement and delight, believe it or not. Did he think he was going to have a respectful and intelligent conversation with progressive America??? I doubt it. Did I think, when I took it upon myself to engage the Russian govt. identity Jack Leon, that I would get the attention of the Kremlin and start having a conversation? Not on your life‼️ Fate brought us together. And everyone here has access to Peter, if you want to have a conversation with the Kremlin. You find a post of his, you post your reply, he gets an email, and lo and behold you’re talking if he chooses to engage.
I can tell you this, he gets as bamboozled by the confusion of this substack thing as anyone else. He prefers an ordered string of posts, like this one.
Be mindful of the time zone difference. The latest he replied to me was probably around midnight his time in Moscow. Mornings is when he does most of his posting.
Thank you Roland. Please stay well.
Thank you Pamsy 🙏
I’m curious as to how you are able to have private conversations with other subscribers. I occasionally will see someone post their email address, but it’s been very rare.
I believe he's saying that all his conversations with others have been on this forum, out in the open.
Thank you for that. I went back and read it again and I see what you say. I think what led me to think there were some private conversations was this: "I have learned a great, great deal from these interactions about how the Russian government employees operate. I am not at liberty to share everything I know in open forum." as someone else mentioned, some of it is a bit cryptic. I appreciate your reply.
Stephen is correct. I apologize for the cryptic portions, I couldn’t possibly explain everything here in writing. Trying to give you the summary, the big picture. Much detail, this has taken a lot of time and work and is complex and tiring. Reminder: I have a full-time job and a life, I’m not retired.
Does anyone think that Protasevich will be alive one year from today? I certainly don't. As for Putin. He is not only light years ahead of us in cyber warfare, he has absolutely no scruples. We cannot expect private companies to develop the capabilities to thwart these attacks. Like the vaccine, government has an important role (and a vested interest) in fighting back against them. That pesky Preamble comes to mind, even if a majority of the GOP thinks it only has just one Amendment and nothing else.