Yet none of the Republicans I personally know will acknowledge the link between Trumps refusal to authorize the weapons shipment and Ukraine defense capabilities. Every time I mention it I get, “ Yeah but Hunter Biden…” as if Hunter Biden caused this war. The ignorance of these cultists is astounding.
Looks like Liz Cheney just gave us the one-liner we've been looking for: "The Putin wing of the Republican Party." And that has the added "panache" of being truthful, not hateful.
Michael, Generally speaking, I imagine these people’s perspectives, at least to some degree, would be less foolish and more reasoned were it not for media that continue poisoning the conversation by peddling outright falsehoods and conspiracy theories. Though I don’t have a ready solution to offer, the situation clearly demands one.
Lynn, Another possibility is to work with our providers to remove Fox from our respective packages. Though I imagine the initial response would be something to the effect “that can’t be done,” I’ve been advised, were I to persist, I could get it done.
I tried in Vermont, twice contacting the CEO of GMA Video. He said, of course, that he couldn't remove fox from the bundle because "people want it". I asked him if he really wanted to be giving people disinformation and lies, thus undermining our democracy. Asked him to think of his children. I canceled the package but least I got my protest to him and I did get replies. Maybe Vermonters here could also try, and others nationwide? If enough of us do it, we will show that "people don't want it"!
It is not only the most popular "news" show by all entertainment polling ratings, it is the dominant TV "news" channel on military bases. No wonder the top brass is trying to ascertain the degree of, and eliminate, the large amount of white supremacy among the troops. Sad that their "military intelligence" has not correlated the amount of Fox "News" viewing to the extent of it.
The lack of critical thinking skills throughout most of our population reflects rather badly on our educational system. We are well into another generation (each 25 years or so) of Fox's Food for Fools accompanied by increasing civic irresponsibility.
Sally, I imagine you have earned the utmost respect of every subscriber, including yours truly. That said, my understanding is that people are pressing their carriers, with some success, to drop Fox from their individual subscriptions. The thinking is that if enough of us succeed, Fox, over time, will take a substantial financial hit. Of course, if the carrier denies our requests, I imagine the majority will cancel their subscriptions. For now, I think my husband and I will follow your lead and see what we can accomplish by joining up with like-minded folks in our community.
So, I only have wifi on Xfinity now. I am also a Vermonter. For me, the TV spectrum not only included Fox, but also the dearth of meaningful content in their "packages." Now, I am streaming via Apple +. It works for me!
Just get off cable -- then you can tell them to take their "bundle" and...store it in a most unlikely place, far away from you. Of course, you need strong internet access, but now I watch what I want, when I want. The only "ointment fly" I've discovered is that we had to subscribe to YoutubeTV in order to get sports, but Fox is easy to avoid on that platform.
We "cut the cable" years ago, rely on over the air access to local stations, and subscribe to a select number of streaming services PLUS, of course HCR's newsletters.
I cut the cable and switched to You Tube TV where you can select the programs you want to get, “fox news” is not on my list, btw I saved between 50-80 $ a month
Barbara, I sure like knowing you could be able to "Get It Done".. Go Girl. However, as I posted earlier, rather than focusing on the removal of faux, tho done very quietly under the table should be part of it. My thinking is that the effort should be focused on overshadowing their looney toon repub-DUB platform. Making them lost baggage would only be part of slight-entertainment 'this New site' would offer. Because we know 'the faux' will switch every which-way to make ""Us"" to look like we are the fools and libtards trying to undo the country. There is SO MUCH material out there..waiting for The New..tadaa..."Entertainment Today". Again, the "Key" being to not acknowledge their existence. Their guests..? Hahahaa..., those mealy-mouthed POS's.., plenty to "entertain the nation, by "calling out" utter stupidity (U name it).... I call that 'front paging their miserable un-Americn ass. Treat that program (faux) as a non-entity, silence by not addressing that site would drive them ballistic, along with Hannity, Jones, Gewlianni, jerks all.
MadRussian 12A, Though I read your reply with great interest, having devoted a good part of my life to media reform, I mainly care that news media be guided by democratic principles of fairness and accuracy, that it provides open, vibrant, and diverse coverage, and that it fulfills its critical responsibility to expose deception and reveal the truth.
Good idea. Comcast provides Fox free without asking in its basic package. But MSNBC and CNN and other less entertaining news stations cost extra. We pay.
Fox News is openly beyond free speech. Seditious heresy against this nation especially since we have another “undeclared” war on our hands now. I don’t think there is any question that we are for practical purposes at war! We may not be able to hide in the hedgerows until Ukraine bleeds out.
I stopped calling it Fox News years ago, except for Chris Wallace's Sunday program. I call it Fox TV, for that division has been 80% pure propaganda in the classic model set forth by Goebbels since 2007 (apologies to Chris Wallace, Shep Shephard, and Bret Baier). But I do admire the person who coined the term "Faux News."
The 'key' to me is, develop a un-suppressed site that caters to the real facts...like the Guardian does in print, but structured to "entertain" our kind of audience. Give us the "facts" and entertain us with the clear stupidity of repub-DUBS. Call THEM out. Make ZERO ref to faux. Make faux a non-entity. WE DO have million & billion - airs with the wherewithal to do this! Do we have freedom of speech here.., or don't we? Will someone please step up.
Two thou 17 is too long ago. Admire you for noting it. I truly believe that levity is an essential element. Making fun of the repub-DUBs stupidity is the best way to "laugh" together, while being subtle allows a decibel of truth to permeate the thickest of skulls.
I think this is a great strategy. It reinforces their non-legitimacy as a source of hard news, with the benefit of having a court ruling affirm it for anyone
That "ready solution" was available until Reagan took a sledge hammer to fair and honest reporting. Then, the doors were opened wide for the Murdoch sewerage.
Vince, First, an apology for not responding sooner. That said, in my view, though your remark is not entirely inaccurate, it neglects to explain the deregulation pressures that began during the Reagan era and that opened the door to the faux news of Rupert Murdock’s empire. My understanding is that said pressures emerged from a vociferous and relentless right wing campaign buoyed by the Republican National Committee.
Thank you for this clarification. I was unaware of the underpinnings and machinations that set this deregulation in motion. We are the worse off because of it. That is especially true since the arrival of Donald Trump; and, now, a war in Europe. The disinformation being spread is most disturbing.
Vince, Here’s a quote from Thomas Jefferson I imagine you’ll appreciate: “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”
To me, the term "the media" is just a poorly aimed shotgun blast from the hip which misses the real target, ie "the Purveyors". Huh? Yes! To me and many others, "the media" refers to the reporter. I ask for some kind indulgence here, and entertain your well-founded criticism as good commentary. Unfortunately, the "reporter" is the face of the media. And "reporters" are most often the target...getting kicked, spit on, cameras busted, and "the Target" of our disdain for what appears on the nightly news. No? I vote YES. Yes yes.., call the reporter, trying to raise a family, pay bills, spineless for bowing to the constraints imposed. GMAB. Why? Easy, way way in the foggy background lies the purveyor, receiving payment in kind from advertisers and sponsors alike. The latter of course preferring to have their position purveyed. No? C'mon. The 'advertiser(s)' hahaha..meanwhile, are interested most in 'viewer hits'.., the result of the media (ughhh) reporters, faux, presenting crap whatever outlet/program gets plenty of "hits", which make advertisers very happy.... errr ahhh... and the PURVEYOR'(s) two olympic heated swimming pools warm and comfy up in the hills of Kat man Due (or, U-knam-it). So, may we quit blasting the "media" with 00-buck... and address these "purveyors". No? And why not "call them out"...do they have too much clout? H'mm. Spines or Slinky's? Do we have freedom of speech or don't we?
MadRussian12A, First, my apologies for the delayed response. That said, if I understand you correctly, you are asserting that commercially, profit-driven media enterprises can’t make the sort of money they do and still engage in public service and deliver in-depth investigative journalism. Though your point is valid, I take heart in the increasing number of public interest groups (Common Cause among the earliest) that relentlessly press for media coverage governed by democratic principles aimed at shaping the ability of citizens to think critically about important issues.
Barbara.., thank you very much for your response.It appears you rank among a higher echelon of people where 'ethics' prevail. And I recognize the changes you see. However (hahahha here's the good ole "however"..).., at the Big Rountable you have a seat along with a handful & a half of some "others". I would like to be one of them, or at least be offered a seat in the room. The focus of this group is to 'ensure' President Biden WINS the election. Some of the things decided upon might rub you raw, being "ethical". But right now we need to take hold of THIS situation like never before. Again, and I've said this before: "this ain't no puss game". With your altruistic thoughts, your input is invaluable, but I ask that you refer to my previous sentence.
MadRussian12A, I appreciate your reply and would add that because politics largely is perception I’m not beyond doing what’s necessary to achieve certain ends.
thank you for your understanding. There appears so much more Obama might have done. the demo's allowed that to muddle their thinking and lost. All the stuff KingDUB rode in on!! The DEM'S could have grabbed that material and yanked the mat right out from under the DUBS, but they failed to be clever enough to "front page" the shallowminded repubDUBs to show how they got in the way of progress. The good ole Dem's took the high road..., and paid dearly for doing so. This past election, Biden's ability to stand in the face of pure tyranny carried the day which the Dem's would have lost. This coming election, there is so much to to work with... if we are clever.
If you responded, "I do remember Hunter Biden. I don't remember his crime...please refresh my memory?" I bet they wouldn't be able to tell you what he supposedly did that was illegal.
Yes - comprehension and critical thinking skills are definitely taught in schools - more so than in the ‘50’s/‘60’s/‘70’s. That’s why so many Pro-Putin Republican parents are up in arms (some literally) about CRT and books that get kids to think about another person’s perspective - because they don’t want their kids to open up their minds to other ideas and be empathetic to other people’s situations.
Krissy, Yours is a very serious, and revealing observation. To the degree that it is a reflection of Americans' war with the facts, so is it another measure of the great trouble our democracy is in.
It has been a really long time since I was in school but I do remember being horrified that my niece was being tested with a mimeographed multiple choice high school history test in the early part of this century!
Oh c'mon.., surely they would. They read the tabloids. They can tell you all the asspects of the Card-dashigans too. I understand tabloids are placed in all the pews in The Church of Trump. Don't go there Martha...hahahahahhhaaaa. arrrghhh!!
You're forgetting their remarkable critical thinking abilities, their unquenchable thirst for bi-partisan co-operation, and their deep love for free and fair elections.
How 'bout Thiel's comment that democracy has become incompatible with freedom? I think he's defined freedom as the ability to hurt and cheat whomever you please, whenever you please, without some pesky government interfering.
You see, that's what they want. They want a government that too weak to interfere with their activities, but still strong enough to field a police/military to keep the taxpayers, who are paying for it, from exacting revenge. They don't want the United States to fall, they just want it weak and easily manipulated.
Of course, this is painting with a very broad brush and rich people are not all "Rich F**ks." But the Rich F**ks are numerous enough and wealthy enough that their impact is enormous in our society, and the more sensible rich people are too torpid to disengage from them.
Amen, amen, amen! Once children wanted to be cowboys, firefighters, doctors, teachers, football stars, ballerinas, even just mommies. Now, to be rich is their ambition.
Home run Carol. When I entered corporate America our new hires with shiny and impressive business degrees burbled over with enthusiasm only to be the first to triple digits pay grade. They sharpened their knives and drove them into the backs of anyone ahead of them.
Indeed! And comfortably embedded are those "purveyers of death" for democracy.., right along with those who would be prevailed upon. Money isn't a boundary, only the means to the end. Alas, but our country does have the means to deal with it...., if we choose to. Let's never give up.
My ex-classmate in Elkhart has posted support for Ukraine. However, it has been crickets about January 6th. She is one of those who would rather be ignorant rather than understand the problems in this country. I doubt she would acknowledge death star's contributions to the Ukraine mess either. And this week some local here tried to say that something Heather had said was a rumor. I doubt he had any idea who she is, but he does now. Btw, Heather is coming to Portland soon.
Dan Pfeiffer suggests that the problem with Democratic messaging, as reflected in polls, is insufficient education of Republicans. He links to Dr. Richardson’s interview of President Biden as an example of doing it right!
Agree 1000%. Last time I looked, had over 500,000 views on YouTube. I want to add here, Ellie, that I thought it was such a relaxed, yet focused President Biden in that interview. Good leading questions and comments from Professor Richardson, but such active listening on her part. I like when two professors chat.
Yes, two professors who manifest the best of teachers: down to earth, darn knowledgeable with facts at hand, plain spoken, humble yet authoritative, oozing integrity, and good hearted!
I don't get the "insufficient education" angle. That reminds me of those computer programmers of days gone by who would write impossible-to-use applications and then complain because people wouldn't read the manual.
Most people ain't gonna' read the manual or the wordy news analysis. Not now, not ever.
We need to craft simple, concrete and emotionally resonant messages that meet them where they are.
Seasoned teachers work diligently to get the emotionally relevant part. Necessary to really understand needs of students, besides one’s own. Developing that skill in a very sequential, rational way gives rise to the ability to work with any kid, any culture , any race, any disposition etc and form connection which builds trust.
Think of your fave teacher(s) from past? What is it that makes them a fave?
I cannot tell you how many past students say to me years later…”Miss…you drove me crazy at the time but I still think about a lot of things you taught me. And you were right about a lot of stuff. I wasn’t even sure I trusted you, but I knew you loved me.”
YES, even president Biden had to soften his message, "not that they're stupid," they didn't know the affordable care act saved them from getting kicked off their insurance due to a preexisting condition...they just didn't know.....sigh.
If we didn’t learn anything else about TFG it was to” Own The Press”. Every time he stepped out the door to get on that Helicopter they were like ‘Bee’s To Honey ‘. If there was a question he didn’t like he really didn’t answer it but instead took control by answering with is ‘Alternative Facts ‘ . President Biden needs those ‘Bee’s ‘ there and take control with the ‘Fact’s. Hit some out of the Park and walk away. TFG has made it a life long endeavor to be ‘ Relevant ‘.Biden could run circles around them. He’s been at this way longer, he’s an intelligent Statesmen and would never boast. He’s got to know you have to be the Honey to Feed the Bee’s.I know he’s busy but 10-15 minutes on an Exit would help.We live in a world of ‘Sound Bites ‘. Give them some. But I hope there is more interviews with HCR. Once I got over the shock I was delighted and captured. Not to mention so excited. Took a while for my eyeballs to get back to normal. It’s all awesome and good. This guy is profoundly right. Thanks for sharing.
It seems like there’s alway a “good reason” for ignorance. Isn’t it more a lame excuse? How long can we blame the schools for not teaching enough critical thinking skills. What about values and common sense possibly learned at home?
It's less about blame and more about all of us doing our part to support fact-based education, both in the here and now opportunities, and as you point out, with teaching critical thinking skills to young people--at home and in the schools and universities.
Yes, home and schools working together. Quite a challenge with many parents who still believe TFG’s election was stolen, also believing the lies about CRT and wanting to return their schools to a time before the Scopes Trial. Maybe a slight exaggeration but the dismantling of public schools is a big concern. Agreed , we all have to do our parts in supporting education that moves us forward.
I understand and I don't even watch much in the way or click-bait and memes. I do better reading transcripts, I'm print oriented, but I had no trouble (thankfully) staying focused on the interview. Perhaps because I watched it last thing at night with lights out so that the full-screen video was all that was visible?
Additionally, Trump resisted the eventual sending of the Javelin missiles until his aides could convince him that it would be good for American business.
We really need to keep dragging these facts out and making them defend them again, and again and again. Get all up in their faces with it and don't stop.
In addition to being very funny, a keen personality/political test, you had me thinking about whether I know any Republicans. I do know two of high character. They were the in the long gone old world (Eisenhower) branch of the Party.
Just like yeah but Hilary’s emails. Garbage! Agree, in theory, that finding a way to have productive discourse would be ideal…but..fear it is wasted energy on those who appear ignorant but are truly so insecure that truth and reasoning play no part in their thought process.
Michael, my all time fav. Is when he took Ivana and the kids on a Ski Vaca. and his Mistress, Marla to the same place. Here’s his 3 kids watching they’er Mother and his Girlfriend ‘Tongue Lash ‘ each other in front of TV cameras . As sick as it gets.But hey, keep sending him you’re Donations cuz he’s most likely broke if the GOP is paying his Lawyers. Hahaha ! Fools ! I read Ivana got 1/2 of Maralego. Have no idea if it’s true ?
The "ignorance" of these cultist is self-ordained. When one witnesses the likes of Flynn, Bannon, Carlson, Bosar and on and on and on, it is clear there is a huge enemy population right here on home base. They represent the soulless darkness that has overtaken parts of our country. They thrive on tyranny, dishonesty and violence.
With all of the comments on this thread, I am totally curious to know why you resent this comment? I can only think there must be some misunderstanding.
You are on the money! Your use of ‘pat lines’ prompted me to a false indignation . Sorry it caused you any concern. Those of us named Pat are often prodded by our friends. I will have to change my pat answer to ‘ I resemble that.’
This comment has sparked a fiery trail, one of the best I've seen. Yes, the difference between "These truths we hold self-evident" and "that's (not) who we are".
Manhattan District Attorney Bragg’s closing down the grand jury proceedings on possible Trump criminal activities reminds me of Pulitzer-Prize-winning Jesse Eisinger’s book, THE CHICKENSHIT CLUB.
The title came from Southern New York Federal Attorney James Comey’s first meeting with his prosecutorial staff. He asked his prosecutors “Have any of you ever lost a case? If so, please raise your hand.” Not a hand came up. Then Comey said “You are all members of the Chickenshit Club.”
“You are all frightened to take on difficult cases that may blemish your ‘perfect’ records.” Eisinger’s book also described the ‘chickenshits’ in the Department of Justice who chose not to prosecute ‘difficult’ cases.
Keith, thanks. Explaining away Trump's routine escape from prosecution after a lifetime of criminal activity, including sedition in an attempt to overthrow the American government with prosecutorial ambition is a partial explanation.
The most important part of the this story is how two career lawyers spent FIVE years pursuing charges and were in the final grand jury indictment process. That would have wound up pretty soon and the fact that the new NY DA short circuited it is of great importance.
The two lawyers themselves QUIT, after the new DA killed the whole process near the end, in protest so they were willing to take it to the prosecutorial end.
It was a politician, the DA, who killed the final grand jury process.
A more complete hypothesis may include money and fear.
First Money: Trump, or Trump supporters (maybe in Russia) have routinely handed out enough money to insure his absence from prosecution.
It is not just that a DA may want a 100% record, although, many do. It is also that an elected politician, the DA, are more than willing to take money to close the case 10 minutes before charges were produced from the grand jury.
Second Fear: In Trump's case he has been supported by Russian Oligarchs for roughly 30 years.
Who wants to have one of their kids disappear for going after a loser like Trump?
Nobody.
The above observations are hypotheses based on the fact that poor people routinely go to jail for no crime or minor crime mostly because of lack of representation and advocacy. For more info on going to jail innocent if you are poor see....
The corruption in the USA is sky high and so is hurling accusations, which are readily accepted due to bias and or general beliefs on the part of large groups of people. This comment by you Mike would be of more consequence with evidence attached. Why has the IRS not had a case against Trump for all these years? How are our economic and legal systems corrupt - systematically so? They are major contributors to the heinous wealth gap in the country. This needs to be spelled out, so that the MAGA crowd, in addition to everyone else, knows how we have been and continue to be robbed, in part by those who so easily manipulate the American people.
But, Fern, there will not be a public link to an article outlining how John Doe lawyer/DA took money into a secret Swiss Bank account, then, one week later dropped a case against Trump.
So, let me modify my comment to include the words hypothesis.
❤️Bravo. You understood. Eliminating the 'truth' was a forte of you know who. It is one of the oldest games around. It has to be addressed in government and in what comes out of our mouths and what is expressed in our writing. Propaganda isn't limited to one side of an argument.
Fern, it is not propaganda that two career lawyers quit after having pursued the case for five years and were in grand jury indictment proceedings when the new DA called off the whole thing after being on the job a month.
The above is fact.
It is imperative that people who can think then come up with the most probable reasons that the case was dropped when it was so close to producing charges.
Links to payoffs will not be found on the web for posting here Fern.
To kibbitz a bit: Yes, The New York case is fact, and we know it, but for the sake of others who might read it and NOT know it; a citation of the printed information from a trusted source makes us different from talking heads who don’t have to prove anything — but just keep repeating it!
Gus, my intent concerns the value of facts, coming as close to the truth as we can and not indulging in unsupported accusations and the thoughtless use of language. Truth has taken a terrible beating; deep divisions among people encourages biases, finding fault to find fault, mistrusting almost everything and everyone. Standards disappear, incivility grows and 'reality' evaporates. Such behavior are aspects of a collapsing democracy.
I don’t know how I know it’s true, I just know it’s true. Usually takes 20-30 years for any kind of public verification. Hoping for faster verification on the Kennedy/Deutsche Bank connection. So our deliberately molasses-paced legal system is a set up for the mob…
Amen, Fern! The corruption and the wealth disparity of the U.S., as well as the dynamic interaction of the two, is something all Americans should be taught until they understand. Otherwise, those degenerate conditions will continue and progress until we are a truly failed state with the vast majority of Americans becoming serfs with very few rights. It's no wonder that revolution took place in late19th/early 20th century Russia considering that some 80% of the people were serfs or slaves. They had very little to lose by rebelling to get their rights.
We need a Department of Honorable Conduct to serve as a beacon as well as insure honest and moral methods of running a government are established and enforced. Employees would take an oath with serious consequences if they break their oaths. It might be like the Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome who faced death if they betrayed their oaths. Or like Elliot Ness and the Untouchables who were beyond corruption (as I recall). Individually, members of the DoHC could serve in the model of General George C. Marshall who was a person of immense character and ability completely dedicated to serving his country. FDR chose him [above 34 leaders who outranked him] to build the U.S. WWII military. The whole U.S. respected and fully trusted Marshall. We desperately need a George C. Marshall now. Winston Churchill named him "the architect of the Allied victory" in WWII. When Marshall had a stroke and was dying, Churchill visited him. After leaving Marshall's room, Churchill said Marshall was "the greatest Roman of them all." Funny enough, he stood up to Churchill as no one else would. After WWII, President Truman chose Marshall to be Secretary of State where he developed the Marshall Plan. As soldier and civilian, he was one of a kind. (As an aside, my father knew Marshall well [officially] as he had to brief Marshall daily on Soviet Affairs.)
Hayden I consider George C. Marshall the greatest American of the 20th century. He was the lynch pin of WW II, could face down and be highly respected by Churchill, had incredible integrity and professional selflessness, and saved Ike’s ass several times (which Ike neglected to acknowledge when he was campaigning in Wisconsin in 1952.
Forrest Pogue’s 4-volumes on Marshall I find definitive many years later. There was also an 88-minute video (S. C Humanities Council?) that filled in some human spots from Pogue and others. Marshall’s assessment of Western Europe, after he returned from an unproductive meeting with Stalin, was the spark for the Marshall Plan, which couldn’t have been approved by a Republican Congress without Marshall’s robust support. Also, because of Marshall, the House approved the second year of the peacetime draft in 1941 by one vote.
I believe that he was the only general to receive the Nobel Peace prize.
Keith, I'm glad to see another admirer of General Marshall. Yes, Marshall saved Ike's ass on at least a few occasions. I'll mention a lesser-known example of this here. I'll wind around a bit to finally get to that instance.) My father was part of Ike's General Staff in London starting in September 1942 as they planned Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. The planners were really rushed for time and worked round the clock, doing in two months which normally would take at least six months. Ike arrived in Algeria in late Nov. or Dec. [after the Op. Torch landing] with half of his staff to set up his HQ in Algiers. The second half of Ike's staff, which included my father, sailed from Scotland on the SS Strathallan with 5,000 British and American soldiers on Dec. 12 headed for Algeria. Also on board were American photographer Margaret Bourke-White and Ike's driver/companion Kay Summersby. After a rough crossing through the Bay of Biscay with 60 ft. waves, the ship passed through the Straits of Gibraltar and into calmer waters. It was the night before their scheduled arrival, and around 1:30-2:00 am, they were torpedoed, and the ship started going down. My father went over the side and ended up in the water clinging to a piece of flotsam and swallowing sea water and oil all night long. He lost everything on the ship and swam [naked] to the beach the next morning. Dad was in hospital for at least a week with horrendous headaches. So, he arrived at the Algiers HQ at the end of December, a few weeks before the Casablanca Conference in January. FDR and Gen. Marshall wanted Ike to come there from Algiers which he did of course.
Now, here's an item which you probably won't find in history books or at least I didn't nor was this item known by the librarian at the Eisenhower Library; and it relates to Ike being saved by Marshall. After Ike went back to Algiers and while the Casablanca Conference was still going on, Ike sent Marshall a telegram, asking him to make a stop in Algiers before returning to Washington, D.C. Ike was having a lot of problems with antagonism between British and American staff members, notably the officers. There had been some serious fights and supposedly one British officer was killed. Ike didn't know how to handle it all since he was really OJT in his command position. Marshall did stop by for a quick meeting with all the staff officers. Gen. Marshall had such presence, and he simply told the American officers that if they didn't behave properly, they'd be sent home, which meant in shame. Marshall's experience and bearing saved Ike in this case.
Ref. the Wisconsin incident, I believe Ike's ambition to be President is what led him to leave Gen. Marshall "out to dry" after Wisconsin's Senator Joe McCarthy had made allegations about Marshall leading a secret communist gathering in Washington. I've read that Ike regretted his behavior in that incident for the rest of his life. The guilt must have been horrendous--that is, to abandon the esteemed Marshall who had given Ike every opportunity to be where he was.
I better stop for now. I really get carried away on this subject. I wrote a book about my parents' journey through WWII ("Buck and Bernice: Love in the Reign of War") in which I wrote a chapter about General Marshall. I'd be happy to send you a copy of that chapter if you write me at: buckandbernice@gmail.com and request it.
Sadly, they don't care. They simply assume "all politicians are the same" and one of the enduring appeals of Trump is he isn't one (amusing, isn't it?)
“Who wants to have one of their kids disappear for going after a loser like Trump? Nobody.” I agree, Mike. I also know that our IRS - as a tool to fight this corruption- has been systemically underfunded for decades making it unable to pursue high net-worth corruption. You need excellence and time to peruse these corrupt power-mongers. IRS cannot afford the best and brightest, nor have they extensive time to deeply untangle the intentionally made knot of secrecy needed to peruse these cases. So paying off Congress, for decades, to underfund the IRS, has crippled our best, first tool fighting corrupt players like trump.
They go after the small fry they have a chance in hell of netting with limited effort OR PUSHBACK. The wealthy, with their tax attorneys on retainer, make a hell scape for IRS white collar investigators. But oh my! The USA is sloshing around in hidden money. Fully funding the white collar crime unit of IRS would reap America billions that its owed.
That's it - so really the only advantage of the West is, that it can lay its hands on Trump - what it will do with that still very much remains to be seen. Do your thing, US of A.
In South Florida there are a lot of Russians. Store signs are written in Cyrillic in Sunny Isles. Also, we have had Russian Mob attacks like throwing acid in ppl's face.
We were staying in Sunnyvale maybe 10 years ago, we were surprised at the number of Russians there. Trump has a hotel/condo there that then seemed mostly empty.
Mike, your arguments make no sense, and as Fern said, you provide no evidence. Heat but no light. The last thing the new DA wants to do is drop the case against Trump. Unless he sees that the case is weak. It lacks hard evidence, as the NYT explained in detail today. There are no emails or correspondence from Trump (he doesn’t use email for this reason, and he tears up all the notes from his meetings) stating that he knows he was cheating on his taxes or on loan applications. There is no credible insider willing to testify (Weisselberg is willing to go to prison rather than turn state’s evidence - he’s the guy who has all the financial info on Trump). The 2 attorneys who have invested 5 years in this case hate to give it up, and don’t want to admit that their case isn’t strong enough. Think about this - if they had the evidence would they still not have indicted Trump after 5 years? I understand that Trump is guilty as sin, a fraud and a con man. But I also get that Trump is slippery enough (trained by Roy Cohn) to leave no evidence and avoid prison. It’s not the new DA’s fault. Can you imagine how bad it would look if the new DA indicted Trump, and the jury found him not guilty due to insufficient evidence? Nor is there a fix. in. There are far more wealthy people who’d love to see Trump behind bars, if that sort of thing was purchasable. Trump is despised in NYC, and hated by the wealthy elites (with a few exceptions, like My Pillow guy). There’s no conspiracy (leave those to the Qanon wackos).
JR, I think your opening line needs qualification. Mike's comment makes perfect sense, as does yours, which opposes Mike's conclusion. This is exactly why many (if not most) conspiracy theories work. The heart of any conspiracy theory is, "Here is the truth, which makes perfect sense. However, there is no evidence for this truth, because it has been deliberately concealed. And there is no evidence for the concealment, because the people who concealed it were good at their job."
Or the evidence is inherently unknowable. For instance, you state, "The last thing the new DA wants to do is drop the case against Trump." You have no evidence for that statement, and even if you knew the new DA personally, you could have no evidence, because he could be lying to you. You are talking about how another person ranks internal motivations. Hardly anyone living has an especially clear notion of their OWN ranking of motivations, much less someone else's.
One rule used in science is Occam's Razor, which gives preference to simplicity. That works reasonably well with "inanimate" reality, because we assume electrons and gasses don't have "motivations" at all. Move it up to the level of "animate" reality, even at the level of microbes, and you suddenly get "motivations." How, exactly, does a yeast colony work? Certainly not like an ideal gas.
I've dismissed a lot of "hearsay" about Trump and Putin that is, right now, starting to look a WHOLE lot more probable. For instance, John Bolton has said that Putin held off on his invasion of Ukraine because he expected Trump to withdraw the US from NATO in his second term. In 2017, this would have sounded like a completely wild conspiracy theory. In 2022, it makes perfect sense. Is there evidence beyond Bolton's statement? ::shrug:: Time will tell.
Sorry Joe, not buying it. The reason it makes no sense for the DA to kill this case is that doing so likely ends his political career. He is an elected official, in a post that most pursue as a stepping stone to higher, state-wide office. Said DA is being pilloried today by commenters here, in the NYT and elsewhere. Most accuse him of taking bribes or being a secret Trump enabler. All promise to never vote for him again. Others call him a coward. His political career is over. The cowardly, low-risk thing to do for the DA would have been to issue an indictment he didn’t believe in and go to trial. If Trump was declared not guilty, the blame would go to Cyrus Vance, or the 2 career lawyers. The DA could say, “I just got here, I was following their advice”. Or he could blame the judge, or the jury.
Meanwhile, Mike’s saying the case was dropped because of bribes by mythical (Russian or otherwise) billionaires or fear of children being assassinated by Russian oligarchs. You know, logical stuff.
Mike, that’s the silliest conjecture I’ve heard here so far (which is saying something). How about, “Let’s say that Danaerys Targaryan threatened to fry the DA with dragon fire unless he dropped the case.” You’re just making stuff up. We have to be better than the MAGA crowd. No baseless conspiracies, stick to facts.
“Bragg, a Democrat, earned his A.B. from Harvard University, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, clerked for Hon. Robert P. Patterson, Jr. in the Southern District of New York, and was a Visiting Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Racial Justice Project at New York Law School. Alvin is a former member of the Board of Directors of the New York Urban League and a Sunday School teacher at his church…. In 2017, Eric Schneiderman, then serving as attorney general, appointed Bragg Chief Deputy Attorney General of New York. Bragg ran the criminal justice and social justice divisions, overseeing lawsuits brought by the state against the Donald J. Trump Foundation, Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company, and the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 United States Census. He left the position in December 2018 and became a professor at the New York Law School, where he was co-director of the Racial Justice Project. Bragg is a member of the board of directors for the Legal Aid Society. He has represented the families of Ramarley Graham and Eric Garner in civil litigation against New York City.”
Does he sound like a Trumpite? Can we not resort to ridiculous conjecture?
You say Mike's comment makes 'perfect sense'. Can you present an argument for that Joseph that will not take up more that two legal size pages and make sense as well?
Two lead attorneys spend five years building a difficult case, with support of their boss, and are coming to the end of the process, and suddenly, they have a new boss who quashes the investigation. They quit. Those are the basic facts, right? The question is, why?
Two hypotheses are obvious, amid others.
1) Michael's hypothesis is that the new boss is a shill who shut down the investigation for corrupt motives, and the attorneys quit in disgust.
2) JR's hypothesis is that the new boss is clearer-eyed than the old boss, concluded that the case could not succeed, and decided to shut down the investigation as a waste of time and resources. The attorneys quit in disgust.
A third variant suggests itself.
3) The new boss, taking over, started asking some hard questions of the two attorneys, the attorneys did not have good answers and, "not feeling appropriately supported" by their new boss, threatened to walk out. The boss, angry at being railroaded by his subordinates and concerned by the lack of good answers, decides to call their bluff and shut down the project, after which the attorneys quit.
All three of these hypotheses, in the absence of evidence, make perfect sense. I've seen all three scenarios play out in corporate environments over much lower-stakes conflicts.
Fern is correct; it`s called an "Opening Argument" which must resonate with a Jury & be supported by copious amounts of admissible evidence. Note, jurors have done their own property evaluations.
Two career lawyers with the NY DA office spent five years pursuing this case and at no time indicated they wanted to throw in the towel. They were in the final stages of sorting grand jury indictments. To kill the case BEFORE that outcome is what makes no sense JR.
But, to make sense of what makes no sense, I wrote what I wrote.
The two lawyers on the case, at no time, bagged it or said it was not possible to win indictments.
Then, one month after a new DA was elected, he killed the grand jury standard process.
The US can thank Robert and Diana Mercer for funding Cambridge Analytica's development in Britain, then paying to establish it in the US and paying the Trump campaign to adopt it; then paying for Facebook to use it. The Mercers also paid for Steve Bannon's and KellyAnne Conway's salaries to take over the floundering Trump campaign in 2016 after Manafort resigned.
Then there's the deal Trump made with Sheldon Adelson--always transactional. Just as Trump adopted the Federalist Society List of potential SCOTUS nominees in exchange for money and votes, Trump adopted Adelson's wish list for Israel in exchange for Adelson's money. (not being antisemitic; had friends in ZOA who bragged about the deal.) One more item on Adelson's list: Marion Adelson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump.
And all of this took place in plain view of those who are heavily involved in political matters. It's no wonder that our democracy is in peril, and that's not hyperbole.
Republicans not only knew; made crucial introductions and applauded—and voted for Trump. It’s a pivotal moment for the US, as Heather stated with President Biden
I thought the practically synchronized timing of (1) the closing of those grand jury proceedings (and the resulting/nearly immediate resignation of the two attorneys who had invested so much time in the case’s investigation), and (2) the invasion of Ukraine was not coincidental. The news barely covered (1), buried as it was under the rumble of Russia’s invading tankers. That TrumPutin mutual admiration and alliance has never been more suspicious!
It is not only Prosecutorial Fear (the Cs Club); proseccutors need a cohesive team with capable investigatory skills and an experienced Trial Attorney`s knowlege of the "FRE", Federal Rules of Evidence. Much broader use of Pre-Trial motions called motions in limine would help too. Check out the skilled lawyers in the Backroom of the Jan 6th Committee offices. Team members do not have to be lawyers. It's called good legal work.
Bryan Manhattan DA Vance brought in two superbly qualified lawyers to handle the Trump criminal prosecution. They pleaded with DA Bragg to continue the case. When he refused, they resigned the same day. These prosecutors were ready to risk their reputations in trying a ‘difficult case.’
I am well aware of the new DA`s blunder. As to the specific prosecutors who resigned, their sterling reputations & skill are already well known well beyond NY.
Barb As Manhattan DA Bragg has the ultimate authority, as did Vance, to decide whom to prosecute. Only if there were an avalanche of protest to his decision might it be possible to have a reversal. Bragg is elected and, thus, can not be fired.
I’m not completely up to date—I knew the two staff members resigned…but has it now been confirmed Bragg stopped the grand jury activity? If so, what is the reasoning? Is this a final decision after all that work?
Something, as we all know, is wrong with our tax code if people's businesses and money situations are so complex that they can hide and deceive. It pisses me off that us little guys are getting picked on by the IRS because we're easy pickings. To me, this is the heart of the problem. Business accounts must be more transparent, less complex, somehow, so that it does't take a small army working for years to uncover wrongdoing. I hope an in depth investigation to how this Trump thing (and countless others not discovered, I'm sure) will be done and out lawmakers will be pushed to face this issue. I know, good luck.
Kim Spot on! Since 2010 the Republicans have assiduously and sharply reduced the IRS’s personnel and technical resources to investigate the tax returns of fat cats and major corporations. Forensic accounting on any complex tax return could require hundreds or thousands of hours by highly skilled IRS professionals, of which there are only a handful
The game for tax specialists is to spend a few years with the IRS and then go into private practice to earn zillions befuddling their ex-buddies who seek to enforce IRS tax codes. Fat cats against $60,000 a year civil servants—guess who wins?
Keith, I don't know that it was such an open-and-shut case. There were a good deal of questions raised about whether the DA had a strong enough case.
'Mr. Bragg’s choice not to pursue charges is reminiscent of the high hurdle that others have failed to clear over the years as they sought to hold Mr. Trump criminally liable for his practices as a real estate mogul. Mr. Trump famously shuns email, and he has cultivated deep loyalty among employees who might otherwise testify against him, a one-two punch that has stymied other prosecutors in search of conclusive proof of his guilt.' (NYTimes) Link below.
I hope the NYT or WAPO will do an in depth investigation into system. These accountings are so complex, valuations etc. and how does anyone know what the true value is? What went wrong here because we know Trump is guilty. Someone has a humongous super-complex business--it takes so much to pick through and find discrepancies. The IRS is underfunded so they just don't. Meanwhile they pounce on the rest of us.
The IRS has pounced on me, due to an error by my accountant. He's been trying to correct it since last August, cannot get through on the phone, letters ignored and fines increasing. Now the IRS is starting to garnish my social security benefits and I can't seem do a thing about it! The IRS badly needs an infusion of funds and qualified people.
Oh no Sally! I'm so sorry to hear that. I've had a similar debacle and understand that you just cannot get through to them. Their garnishing like that is terrible. They shouldn't have a right to do that.
Two career lawyers believed in the evidence enough spend five years of their lives pursuing charges and were in the final, grand jury process of producing some charges when the DA told them to drop the case.
They quit instead.
So, if two career lawyers felt that the case was worth pursuing, I would not get too excited about a NY Times article supporting Trump getting off again.
NY Times is a for profit entity open to collecting money from whereever.
This comment is too loose for me. Did you read the article? How good is your case against it and the NY Times for publishing it? Two damned good lawyers and five years doesn't prove anything. That the NY Times is a corporation is not proof that they were paid-off to print an article raising issues about the strength of the case, You seem mighty determined to make accusations without evidence. In terms of journalism, I'd go with the NY Times on this one.
Fern, I read the article when it first came out. Yes.
I think that a better approach would have been to let the final stages of the grand jury indictment process move forward rather than Bragg killing the investigation and then giving his opinion to the NY Times on background.
The NY Times echoes what Bragg told them, BUT, they did not spend any time exploring why the two lawyers who QUIT did so.
So, beware of believing in something Fern just because NY Times published it.
You continue to accuse without end. You might think about what you are so fast to dish out. That you tell me to 'beware' of what I think is an insult to yourself. That you assume what I do and don't 'believe' in the NY Times or anywhere else without knowing what my standards are or how much I know about journalism … oh, my. You've got a fast and furious mind, Mike.
Mike, I’m with Fern. I understand that those 2 attorneys were angry that the new DA wouldn’t proceed with an indictment. I also understand that they’ve been running this investigation for 5 years and had yet to build a case convincing enough to go to trial. This came to a head not because they were ready to indict and the DA refused, but because the Grand Jury will soon be shutting down and they were running out of time. They’ve been pitching their case to the Grand Jury for almost a year, and no recommendation to indict has come forward to date. The new DA looked at everything and decided their case is weak.
“They hammered Mr. Pomerantz and Mr. Dunne about whether they could show that Mr. Trump had intended to break the law by inflating the value of his assets in the annual statements, a necessary element to prove the case.” The key phrase is “intended to break the law”. There has to be evidence that when Trump inflated or deflated his property values he knew it was illegal. Evidence like emails from Trump, notes or correspondence from Trump, or recordings of or testimony from people in meetings with Trump. None of that exists. Trump doesn’t use email. Trump won’t allow recordings or notes to be taken in meetings. Weisselberg, who could bury Trump if he agreed to turn states’ evidence, is willing to go to prison rather than testify. There is no hard evidence of Trump’s intent.
Mike, Bragg didn’t kill the case or stop the grand jury. He just said he wasn’t ready to bring an indictment today. The investigation and grand jury continues. By the way, last fall, before Cyrus Vance stepped down, he also said he wasn’t ready to bring an indictment.
Fern I never implied that was an ‘open-and-shut case.’ (Relatively few high profile cases are.) Manhattan District Attorney Vance initiated this criminal case against Trump, hired two outstanding prosecutors to pursue it, and proceeded with grand jury hearings. Bragg, the young new Manhattan DA considered ‘pausing/shutting’ down the grand jury proceedings. The two distinguished prosecutors argued their position for proceeding and then the DA, after discussions that excluded these two distinguished prosecutors, informed them that the hearings were ‘postponed.’
These two prosecutors apparently interpreted this as ‘case closed.’ I am personally familiar with chickenshit. As a kid I would, with boots on, slosh through chickenshit to recover chicken eggs every morning. Regarding the Bragg incident, if it looks like chickenshit, and smells like chickenshit, then, almost certainly it is chickshit.
Keith, Having walked through so much of a certain brand, you believe yourself to be an expert at spotting it in very different terrain. I don't doubt that your good at it, but that is not the sort of evidence that supersedes all other forms. I'm not making a case for or against Bragg. From what I have read, there are legitimate reasons to think that the case has a couple of important weak spots. The deep need to have Trump pay for his lethal behavior can for some make the case. In fact, I am as enthusiastic as almost anyone to see justice done with reference to Trump and all the other members of his treasonous cabal.
Fern, you find the little "envelope" icon which means "share this article" and click on it, opening an email to send with the "gift" link. Copy that link.
Actually the icon that works for that is the one that looks like a "Gift." It is a black square with a white cross inside and an infinity symbol (ribbon) on top. Clicking on that will start the process -- what you want in this case is "Copy the Link."
Does Merrick Garland belong to the Club? Is he afraid that in the annals of history it will look bad if he is the first to bring charges against an ex-President and then loses? I suspect so but I also think there will NEVER be a risk-free case that could be brought against Trump because of the burdens of proving intent and securing unanimity in a jury. I believe that in the eye of history the failure to at least try (pun intended) will be seen as close to a crime!
Bill You raise a core question. I don’t recall that any ex-president has ever been tried in a criminal court of law. Clearly the House 1/6 Committee is signaling to Attorney General Garland that they are gathering ‘smoking pistol’ evidence against Trump and his Trump Pissers.
Already the word ‘sedition’ has been used in some of DOJ 1/6 indictments. During the House 1/6 Committee’s public hearings, some of the seditionists will be be on center stage. The DOJ may choose to indict the low-hanging fruits. As for the big enchilada, the issue of indicting an ex-president who had 74 million votes in the 2020 could have profound political repercussions with such crazies as the Proud Boys and the Oath Takers.
Personally, I consider Trump guilty of sedition and, with a broad interpretation of the Constitution, treason. At a minimum, he could be an unnamed indictee in the prosecution of others.
Trump is now the heaviest ex-president in American history (William Howard Taft lost 50 pounds before being seated as Chief Justice). With all the prospective trials that are lurking around Tubby Trump (the IRS has a pending $100+ million matter with Trump since 2010 and lots more peccadillos to explore subsequently), perhaps Trump will fall of his own weight.
I don't know how satisfying "unnamed indictee" would be. From what you're saying about Tubby, wouldn't that just be another case of letting the little guys take the fall?
Agreed and that's why I think a trial is needed even if there's a mistrial With the passage of time the vast majority of Americans concluded that OJ did it even though he was acquitted--but without a trial it might not have been so clear
My “Pollyanna” alter ego sees a possible (although admittedly highly unlikely) reason for Bragg to pause the grand jury proceedings. TFG is fighting being deposed in the civil case against him in part because he states it’s a fishing expedition for information that can be used in the criminal investigation. Could it be that the grand jury is being paused (yes, I prefer to think of it as merely paused) to remove this argument and compel TFG and offspring to testify in the civil case?
Cathy Though on occasion I admire Pollyannas (especially when I personally am playing such a role), I don’t believe that what’s happened to the grand jury examining evidence of Trump’s criminality is ‘the pause that refreshes.’ [That was a Coke slogan back when I was an itty bitty boy.]
Keith, I wonder if your comment would have been stronger had you incorporated the bit about the “two superbly qualified lawyers” invested in the case, who resigned when the investigation abruptly was closed.
Barbara Often my fingers function faster than my top-of-head thoughts. I included the abrupt resignation of “two superbly qualified lawyers” in a subsequent post. When two top-flight prosecutors are fighting to continue the criminal case against Trump, it seems that the new Manhattan DA is suffering from chickenshititis.
Unlike this forum, the minder’s at the NYT will not post anything that deviates from their published pov, I've stopped trying, it's not worth the effort. 🤷♂️
Dick I share your frustration with some of my rejected NYT posts. However, I have been surprised at some of my Trump turds that have been published, at times hours after being submitted. I think this partially depends on the luck of the draw with individuals editors. I had one post that was a TimesPick and then was deleted a few hours later. Even for the NYT that it most unusual.
Interesting. But I think there is probably more to this decision than we can see. I don't think they are afraid of Trump. Also I thought I read that it wasn't closed just paused and a new prosecutor was assigned...I could be wrong. Also the new guy gets to work with whomever he wants so just maybe he didn't want to work with them on this. Like I said, we were given no reason for the change of guard.
Martha You may be right that the resignation of two top prosecutors does not necessarily mean that the grand jury (expires in April) investigation of Trump’s criminality will not continue. However, I find merit in the saying “Don’t change horses in mid-stream.”
Putin says that placing economic sanctions against Russia is the equivalent of making a declaration of war. Well - no. Maybe someone should explain that if Russia wants to be included in the international economy, then it has to conform to and respect international laws. The international economy is for countries that want to be members of the world, not for those who want to destroy it.
Here is where we, the US bear responsibility for current events where ignoring "law" is relevant.
In 2003, based on what was widely viewed, EVEN AT THE TIME, as a lie, the United States of America invaded a sovereign country that we had previously supported in a war with Iran in the late 1980's. Iraq.
We actually invaded to grab Iraq's oil resources.
The televised bombing of Baghdad showed the world that illegal invasions were totally OK if you had enough power and bombs.
So, now? We reap what we sowed.
Putin, having watched the US get way with occupying Iraq's oil fields and privatising that wealth, is invading Ukraine.
Ukraine is one of THREE COUNTRIES WITH THE LARGEST DEPOSITS OF LITHIUM. The others being China and Australia.
Yep. We reap what we sow. But, most Americans either cannot make the connection for emotional reasons or were not paying enough attention to know the real truth about Iraq.
That's right, Mike S, our invasion of Irag was both illegal and shortsighted and detracts from our attempt to now occupy the moral high ground with respect to Putin.This does not mean that our Government's position is wrong now, just hypocritical. And there was little chance of igniting general nuclear war in 2003. So we have every reason to both oppose Putin and try to do better ourselves.
I'm not sure that "cannot" shouldn't be "will not". I do not understand certain components of the psyche that thirsts for war, combat, and conflict, and how that thirst is slacked.
We did not invade Iraq to grab their oil resources, they continue to sell their oil on the open market. We invaded to force regime change which we achieved with mixed results, it was never about grabbing their oil.
That's a good question, Stuart. My glib answer is, "by not invading Taiwan". And being a nation of 1,4 billion people may have something to do with it. Clearly the people of China benefit economically from China staying engaged with the world and avoiding stupid wars. And how much they yearn for personal liberty is, I think, hard to quantify.
By owning a substantial amount of US Debt? Also, Stuart, you make me curious if Biden can continue to help foster strong condemning financial sanctions against Putin for invading Ukraine, maybe China will hold off on its Taiwan ambitions. Xi is sitting back taking notes, I’m sure.
No sooner does Putin create an alliance with xi than Russia sends troops to Belarus during the Beijing olympics. is xi thinking, oh how nice of you to not invade til the games are over? No, xi is thinking that Putin thinks that Russia is the senior partner, with 1/10th the population. The honeymoon is over. Meanwhile, has it been two weeks since the invasion? That is how Russians measure time, in two week intervals. If they don’t succeed by then at a task that seemed so straightforward they will become very discouraged. They “worked like Russians” but did not succeed. There will be a big change.
"Possibly eager to show their participation in Ukraine’s defense, when Zelensky spoke to Congress this morning, two Republican senators—Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Steve Daines (R-MT)—shared screenshots of his Zoom call while it was going on, despite the explicit request of Ukraine’s ambassador not to share details of the meeting until it was over, out of concern for Zelensky’s safety."
It boggles the mind how we continue to see Repugnants switch positions so seamlessly, AND, at the same time, manage to put their feet in the situation -- in this case, endangering the life of the person they are supposedly supporting!
Thank you, Heather for your incredibly poignant letter revealing such important intellectual analyses of the war, not to mention the updates. Your assessments on the home front and abroad are more exceptional by the day!
Marco Rubio is showing beads of sweat on his forehead regarding upcoming election. Adopting totally false, blustering trumpian attitudes to bolster support as a “tough” candidate. Could not be further from the truth. Support Val Demings. She is the tough American in this race. Will be an exceptional Senator.
Twitter was absolutely lit up last night blasting away at both Senators for their attempts to “appear” tough on Putin! Rubio was really getting the worst of it. Was fun to help spread the criticism. I’m also going to make a small gift to Val Demings today. Florida would be very well served with her in the Senate!
Oh we do. In fact, IDK why these Repugnants even tweet their misdeeds, because the following comments are mostly detractors like me taking them to task for it. They really are dense. On this issue I replied to Rubio that he confirmed my suspicions that he is a Russian Asset.
BetsyC….Nikki Fried, current Commissioner of Agriculture, and Charlie Crist are two top Dem Candidates. My fervent wish is that they combine on one ticket.
I can barely listen to anything that Gov DeSantis speaks about. All tinged with sarcasm and vitriol against democracy. Yet, he considers himself a great patriot of the people. Not.
Yes Rowshan—the beat goes on with Repugnants doing what they’re good at —obstruction and hope for Trumpian bs—and Dr. Richardson pointing out the facts. Our minds are all boggled for sure with the plight of the good Ukrainian people who were just hoping they could keep on with their lives in their country. Instead they’re being massacred by an evil autocrat.
Morning Rowshan. Have not heard from Allen in past 24 hrs. Let’s send Light clearing a path on this Sunday for all people in Ukraine just getting out of the way of war’s bluster and bravado. Your comment regarding two-faced, meddling, weak, manipulative politicians is spot on. I loathe Rubio and his ilk.
Good morning, Christine! I've been looking for his post, to no avail. Of course, we must send Light and Love to Allen, his family, and all people in living in Ukraine. United, indeed!
Yesterday, I went to a pro-Ukraine rally -- it was a small turnout, but moving and filled with heart. It felt good to turn up for our Ukrainian kin. It's one thing to support via invisible ways, and quite another to be there for those who still have family in Ukraine.
Kathy Perhaps Putin, with the flight attendants, was fantasying about Yeltsin, who was an alcoholic and a womanizer. There is a story, which might have been apocryphal, that President Yeltsin, on a long distance flight, was asked what he wanted for lunch. His reply “Could you bring me the names of the flight attendants?”
Can you be absolutely sure that this is not true? As for Putin, another fantasy.
Kathy What a heartwarming contrast—Putin with flight attendants and Kezensky, unshaven and flat out exhausted, exhorting the world to provide guns and planes to enable Ukrainian patriots to resist Putin’s bloody invasion of his country.
“Killer Putin meets with female airline attendants” certainly reveals where his head is, while thousands are dying and millions are evacuating Ukraine. Stalin would be proud of Putrid Putin’s absence of a sense of humanity.
Putin and members of the GOP are discovering the truth of the adage about “the best laid plans of mice and men.”. Lest the rest of the world grow complacent in the face of Putin’s seeming incompetence regarding Ukraine, we must remember that a cornered rat it at its most dangerous. Now is the time the strengthen our support of Ukraine through tightening sanctions, military hardware and humanitarian aid. And if the GOP is mortally crippled as a result it’s support of Putin, I will not shed a single tear.
All we're going to have to do this fall is run ads with Trump saying nice things about Putin to defeat them. I really don't think they're going to win, and when they don't, the blood on the floor is going to be neck deep at their conclave.
Beto O’Rourke Easily Wins Democratic Governor Primary in Texas
"Beto O’Rourke Easily Wins Democratic Governor Primary in Texas. O’Rourke, 49, had received 92% of votes in the primary race Tuesday, according to a partial count tabulated by the Associated Press. He faced four challengers, none of whom received more than 3% support, according to the early tallies."
Unfortunately, that's the Democratic primary. Rec'd email from Beto's campaign which informed that Beto is down 10 points against Abbott. Checked online polls, all showed Abbot with substantial point lead with UT/TX Tribune at Abbott +10. It's going to be a steep uphill battle for Beto.
A terrible tragedy unfolding. The ego and obsession of one man threatening the world, never mind potentially reducing a country to rubble. There is one element of the wonderfully positive reactions to help and support Ukraine and the desperate refugees that troubles me - dare I say it is because they "look like us"? Afghanistan is literally dying before our eyes, famine in the Yemen, the catastrophe of Syria.... so much else. These are situations caused by people, by massive, evil egos.
That was posted in a newspaper some where. I recoiled. Absolutely not. My hope is that the U.S. and the rest of the free world will begin using economic sanctions elsewhere as they are here. We spent years and billions of dollars, and loss of American lives in the middle east. It was a lost cause. The difference here is that the people themselves want democracy and will fight for it.
Or maybe the need for a leader like Zelensky in Afghanistan? Or perhaps it’s too difficult to know who’s on your side? Plenty of people willing to and did fight for democracy.
I'm a bit feeble with computers. Mr. Dooley, or anyone, how do I get that wonderful interview moved so I can send it to my friends and to my FB account?
There should be a share option you can use. Options will come up, and select which option you want. For more detailed steps, Google it - search “how to share a YouTube video”. Hope that helps.
Simply go to the Youtube page (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6Ks3BnFymQ) and click on the "Share" option... or copy the Youtube address and post it in your email and/or Facebook post.
Dr. Richardson: I think this is one of our most important letters, at least for me. It completely captures the WHY of how Putin and Trump became the moral center of Christianity in the far right in the United States.
I knew that evangelicals were travelling to Russia at puzzling rate for the last 15 years. But, I never understood why until very, very recently, just the last two days. Why Russia?? Your writing completely clears it up for me.
The Russian state sponsors Orthodox Christianity under Putin. So, evangelicals confuse this state sponsorship with morality and support Putin instead of understanding that Orthodoxy in Russia is just a random outcome of history of Christianity and its adoption and growth mostly associated with Constantine's willingness to conquer land mass and his own conversion to Christianity.
Now, in a truly zany moral thread: Putin supports Trump so? Evangelicals support Trump AND Putin.
This totally irrational thought pathway for evangelicals TRULY defines the threat that growing up in belief space rather than being taught analytical analysis and questioning presents.
Thomas Jefferson routinely wrote about how important education was in maintaining Democracy.
Now? We can see how irrational, belief oriented thinking can push our Democracy to the edge.
Again, thank you for a crystal clear connection between Putin, Trump, Russia and and evangelicals.
I am utterly astonished at the path by which evangelicals have followed true evil and convinced themselves of that evil's "moral values".
True corruption of the message of the sermon on the mount. Agape I am today.
Mike, thank you. The conceptualization of "growing up in belief space" and how it overpowers any rational or analytic thought and prevents questioning of whatever is being presented sheds light on why these folks are immune to facts and reason.
Jesus? What relevance does he have to “Christian” moral values? Those have to do primarily with sex. Why is that? He said very little about that except for telling people to refrain from stoning to death a WOMAN taken in adultery, reflect on your own sins first.
I am in conversations with people in Ukraine and was able to post this there for the Ukrainians and others to see because many believe that the West is not helping them. Thank you amazing woman for constantly giving us the right information to share around the world. So many are angry that America and NATO are helping Ukraine but never helped their countries. Somehow all of this needs to be addressed. To witness Yemen. Afghanistan. Other countries where the people feel that we have turned our backs on them.....
I read in an article yesterday that ordinary citizens are buying AirBnB rooms in Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine that they never intend to stay in, just to get a little money to the people there. What a fantastic, modern day, grassroots war effort! If you deside to do it (I did, I'm spending 3 nights is an adorable little apartment right now...lol), just make sure the Host is a person and not a company.
Besides not liking AirBnB, she points out that without electricity, electronic transfers don't get through nor are ATMs available. A better way to help is through organizations such as UNICEF, doctors without borders, Red Cross, etc.
Thanks for the additional tip, too. I tried this yesterday but was nervous about sending money to a “person” called City. I will try again and look for a name.
I prefer donations to established charitable organizations already active in Ukraine, some with a religious base. The Joint Distribution Committee (Jewish) and Caritas Internationalis (Roman Catholic) are two which have 'boots on the ground' there.
It is such a volatile moment. The US must resist at all costs direct engagement, which would give Putin the legitimacy he needs back in Russia for his unpopular invasion. Once our jets enter Ukrainian airspace, we lose the ability to drive a wedge between Putin and the Russian public.
Historically any war kills the innocent while the organizers stay safely behind the lines arranging how to profit from the manufacturing of the supplies delivered to the young sacrificed patriotic victims. Nothing about war ever has changed except the efficiency of the tools used by the soldiers to kill one another.
Some criticism of our Ukraine policy claims that we limited what we had been doing in terms of military aid to protect that nation from Russia (just as Henry Kissinger had capped military aid to Israel to 'just enough') thereby encouraging Putin's military attack. Even today, we correctly oppose the 'no-fly-zone' that Zelenskyy wants since, in enforcing it, the danger of direct conflict between American resources with those of Russia would risk igniting a nuclear World War Three. Zelenskyy responds that World War Three has already started, in Ukraine. Western democracy has to do better for Ukraine than what it did for Spain in 1938, but the danger of nuclear war limits options.
Jack, all true. It may be, as Zelensky and many others have suggested, that WWIII has begun -- but it is not nuclear war yet. And Joe Biden with NATO are trying to keep it that way, with the hopes of all rational humans upon them. We must agonize over the suffering of an innocent population, in order to avoid the annihilation of potential billions of humans. It is that simple.
Do all you can do: Support our President, send prayers, send courage, send Light, and maintain your hearts and humanity.-- it probably will get much, much worse.
I believe that Vladimir Putin calculated that, through his unwitting (witless?) agent Donald Trump, he had divided and weakened the US and NATO to the point where he could begin to re-assemble the Soviet Union and no one could stop him.
Not only was Putin wrong, his misadventure into Ukraine has undone the real damage to the US and NATO body politic done by the former president. There is determined unity across the US/NATO political spectrum except of course for the hapless US Republican Party who, having long ago abandoned any kind of platform, have, at this point, nothing to stand on.
Hi Ralph. Not sure - Erdogan isn't exactly part of the Western European coalition, is he? I wonder - is this just Putin, or is it also the old guard contingent that uses him and his ego to front for their agenda? Fiona Hill says those people are the ones Putin has to worry about ... who really runs this show?
And I wonder if you know ... what would we find if we looked a few hundred feet under the Kremlin? It feels to me like the docking station for the "mother ship" ... is that too far-fetched?
“He’s Not The Superman We Think Of” - Fiona Hill On Vladimir Putin
Every space alien I know has assured me that Putin is an Earth-born homo sapien who, like many other humans of his character, placed too much faith in his own judgement.
☺️😊☺️ ... so then, he must have an Achilles heel - somewhere in his gut ... or some piece within that would welcome release from the prison of static, stubborn pride ... maybe Erdogan can get through to him ... I have a feeling none of these challenges are about one person only ....
... and, if there is a child heart still beating in Putin, Erdogan would be like a father figure - the foundation of love and respect could unlock the door to peace more than sanctions and opposition ever could ....
"Trump when he withheld $391 million in aid for Ukraine that Congress had appropriated"
Could it be that trump knew that Russia wanted Ukraine, or that trump knew beforehand some Putin's plans, and withheld it for that reason? Disbanding NATO also would have served Putin's goals.
Also, a bombed out Ukraine would provide ripe grounds for investment in real estate and construction - maybe a way to offset some of his debts to new age oiligarchs looking for lucrative opportunities to expand their wealth ...?
Thanks, as always, Heather. I apologize that I still haven't had time to watch your interview with the President (been proofreading a book, sorry). Wow, this piece reminds me of another thing remiss: I only selectively view media these days (you, Nextdraft, 1440, bits and pieces of FP, Economist, etc) and somehow Doug MacGregor going off the rails had totally escaped my notice these past few years. Disclosure: I was one of the passionate readers of Breaking the Phalanx back in the day (circa 1998), and full-on in my criticism of Army leadership (it remains, but I'm also not current anymore AND former peers of mine are now 2-Star generals). But wow, to read MacGregor's foreign policy comments...geez--stick to tactics, man. He's become the military version of Rudy Giuliani. Look, he was ALWAYS a bit of a self-promoter, but... people should understand that, in the late 90s this guy was mentioned in the same breath as H.R. McMaster...wow, what a fall (proof of this: his ambassadorial nom was simply returned. That speaks volumes). And proof that you can be intelligent, articulate, successful...and be an absolute crackpot too. His comments about Ukraine and Zelensky are not only, at best, a slanted assessment...they suggest a simple lack of understanding what's even going on there; they are lazy too. Sad, very sad.
McMaster's dropped a peg or two, proving that "Everything Trump touches, dies."
When I read his "masterful book" on Vietnam as research for my two books on the war, I was singularly unimpressed by it; most everything he went on about I had read in serious antiwar critiques written DURING THE EVENT. In the end I didn't use anything from it, since everything had been better said by others earlier. At best, that book qualifies as a "Master's thesis" at some "military history department" in an online "university." If that's something revolutionary, you Ringknockers have a long way to go. I've actually heard a couple guys who formerly had stars on their shoulders say the same things I have said here.
I had to look up "ring knockers," a term I'd never heard before. It refers to US military academy grads who call attention to their status by gently rapping their big, bold class rings against a hard surface in social situations. "They never shy away from bragging about their time at the academy" -- Eric Milzarski, www.wearethemighty.com
Thank you, I was planning to look that term up as well, when I finished reading the comments on this thread. Valuable time saved for research on other items of interest or in question! Dr. Richardson's LFAA and the ensuing comments never fail to inform, with links to articles and citations from books that go one my "To be Read" list. Always more to learn!! Always!
Well, I think McMasters, perhaps less capably than Mattis--but still-commendably, did the best he could as NSA in what we all know now was a 100% hopeless situation. Ring-knocker? I guess. Find me any general--or any high-level leader at all--who doesn't have an ego...but I never heard HR talk about the academy either. Anyway, I actually agree on the Vietnam analysis...but that's not the thing that got him notoriety. What did were the in-house critiques and assessments that were far more specific, and forward-looking ideas for the force. His assessments 14 years ago of where the Russians were going turned out to be spot-on when they invaded Crimea. My uncle--the second-most well-read human I've ever known (to Mattis. Mattis has 11k books and has read them all. I'm not kidding), worked with HR for about 2 years before he left to the White House and had only good things to say about him--and my uncle is notoriously critical of almost everyone. So...I guess my point is, it's almost universally-easy to take shots at these guys once they reach public status. Is H.R. McMaster a "genius?" No, I don't believe so. But within the incredibly conservative, intransigent bureaucracy known as the U.S. Army, he was able to find a balance between between outspoken maverick...and rising high enough to actually MAKE a difference (I believe he did)--and yes, I had a friend in 1998 who got into a full-out email FEUD with him about "selling out," (part of an anti-Boomer op-ed I'm writing right now AMAF)--so it's not a "pure" thing either. Yet, I still think he did more good than harm, by a lot. And he certainly never disgraced himself like MacGregor has.
That's interesting about the rest of HR's C.V. Thanks for pointing out. Glad to know we agree about the Vietnam analysis. You might find "The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club: Naval Aviation in the Vietnam War" of interest. It even includes how the "North Vietnamese torpedo boats" at Tonkin Gulf were actually the reflections of the moon and the lightning flashes off an enormous school of flying fish that annually transit the Gulf at that time of year; LBJ was actually the only guy who got it right when he said - on being first informed of the "incident" - that "... Those poor dumb sailors were probably shooting at flying fish."
Mattis and your dad had a close competitor - Dick Best, the guy who sank the Akagi at Midway. The living room of his house here in L.A. was two stories high, and lined with book shelves to the ceiling on all four walls. And he'd read them all.
If you haven't yet watched her interview with President Biden, I urge you to find 30 minutes to do so. I finally did last night and plan to watch again.
As always, thank you for your succinct distillation of what’s afoot here and abroad. You educate as well as inform me - and that’s so very helpful because it’s important for me to be an advocate for democracy and good governance.
And now I trust that, like me, you’re done for the day. Thank you again for your good service to US.
Yet none of the Republicans I personally know will acknowledge the link between Trumps refusal to authorize the weapons shipment and Ukraine defense capabilities. Every time I mention it I get, “ Yeah but Hunter Biden…” as if Hunter Biden caused this war. The ignorance of these cultists is astounding.
Another "but her e-mails". They don't think, so they repeat slogans.
But blathering hateful one-liners is what made Fox billions of bucks
TRUMP = Twisting Reality Using Malicious Platitudes
Love this
love it!
Perfect!
Billboard material!
That's perfect!
❤️
Looks like Liz Cheney just gave us the one-liner we've been looking for: "The Putin wing of the Republican Party." And that has the added "panache" of being truthful, not hateful.
Like. We could even shorten it a bit and just call it the Putin Party.
G.O.P. = Government of Putin
The Putrid Putin Party
Yes!
Agree and like (heart feature not working, again).
I believe that to be quite a sizable wing.
Right! How about the fuselage of the Republican party?" 'cause it is.
Well . . . when one does not have a brain of their own. Pavlov working well!
Michael, Generally speaking, I imagine these people’s perspectives, at least to some degree, would be less foolish and more reasoned were it not for media that continue poisoning the conversation by peddling outright falsehoods and conspiracy theories. Though I don’t have a ready solution to offer, the situation clearly demands one.
Call out fox "news" as fox entertainment would be a good place to start. After all, that is their defense of peddling lies and propaganda.
Lynn, Another possibility is to work with our providers to remove Fox from our respective packages. Though I imagine the initial response would be something to the effect “that can’t be done,” I’ve been advised, were I to persist, I could get it done.
I tried in Vermont, twice contacting the CEO of GMA Video. He said, of course, that he couldn't remove fox from the bundle because "people want it". I asked him if he really wanted to be giving people disinformation and lies, thus undermining our democracy. Asked him to think of his children. I canceled the package but least I got my protest to him and I did get replies. Maybe Vermonters here could also try, and others nationwide? If enough of us do it, we will show that "people don't want it"!
It is not only the most popular "news" show by all entertainment polling ratings, it is the dominant TV "news" channel on military bases. No wonder the top brass is trying to ascertain the degree of, and eliminate, the large amount of white supremacy among the troops. Sad that their "military intelligence" has not correlated the amount of Fox "News" viewing to the extent of it.
FOX: So popular that it was/is often in medical and business waiting rooms. I ask to turn it off or do it myself. TFG’s damaging influence continues.
Scary!
The lack of critical thinking skills throughout most of our population reflects rather badly on our educational system. We are well into another generation (each 25 years or so) of Fox's Food for Fools accompanied by increasing civic irresponsibility.
Sally, I imagine you have earned the utmost respect of every subscriber, including yours truly. That said, my understanding is that people are pressing their carriers, with some success, to drop Fox from their individual subscriptions. The thinking is that if enough of us succeed, Fox, over time, will take a substantial financial hit. Of course, if the carrier denies our requests, I imagine the majority will cancel their subscriptions. For now, I think my husband and I will follow your lead and see what we can accomplish by joining up with like-minded folks in our community.
So, I only have wifi on Xfinity now. I am also a Vermonter. For me, the TV spectrum not only included Fox, but also the dearth of meaningful content in their "packages." Now, I am streaming via Apple +. It works for me!
Just get off cable -- then you can tell them to take their "bundle" and...store it in a most unlikely place, far away from you. Of course, you need strong internet access, but now I watch what I want, when I want. The only "ointment fly" I've discovered is that we had to subscribe to YoutubeTV in order to get sports, but Fox is easy to avoid on that platform.
We "cut the cable" years ago, rely on over the air access to local stations, and subscribe to a select number of streaming services PLUS, of course HCR's newsletters.
Me too, cheaper
Easy to avoid on Youtube TV but unfortunately it's still on their list.
We don't have strong internet access in rural Vermont.
Hopefully that will soon change
I have read of people getting that accomplished and I am going to do a little more research and ask them to remove News Max and OAN
I cut the cable and switched to You Tube TV where you can select the programs you want to get, “fox news” is not on my list, btw I saved between 50-80 $ a month
Barbara, I sure like knowing you could be able to "Get It Done".. Go Girl. However, as I posted earlier, rather than focusing on the removal of faux, tho done very quietly under the table should be part of it. My thinking is that the effort should be focused on overshadowing their looney toon repub-DUB platform. Making them lost baggage would only be part of slight-entertainment 'this New site' would offer. Because we know 'the faux' will switch every which-way to make ""Us"" to look like we are the fools and libtards trying to undo the country. There is SO MUCH material out there..waiting for The New..tadaa..."Entertainment Today". Again, the "Key" being to not acknowledge their existence. Their guests..? Hahahaa..., those mealy-mouthed POS's.., plenty to "entertain the nation, by "calling out" utter stupidity (U name it).... I call that 'front paging their miserable un-Americn ass. Treat that program (faux) as a non-entity, silence by not addressing that site would drive them ballistic, along with Hannity, Jones, Gewlianni, jerks all.
Well, I see it this way. Russian warship-Fox News….Go f*ck your self.
MadRussian 12A, Though I read your reply with great interest, having devoted a good part of my life to media reform, I mainly care that news media be guided by democratic principles of fairness and accuracy, that it provides open, vibrant, and diverse coverage, and that it fulfills its critical responsibility to expose deception and reveal the truth.
Good idea. Comcast provides Fox free without asking in its basic package. But MSNBC and CNN and other less entertaining news stations cost extra. We pay.
Fox News is openly beyond free speech. Seditious heresy against this nation especially since we have another “undeclared” war on our hands now. I don’t think there is any question that we are for practical purposes at war! We may not be able to hide in the hedgerows until Ukraine bleeds out.
Well said!
I stopped calling it Fox News years ago, except for Chris Wallace's Sunday program. I call it Fox TV, for that division has been 80% pure propaganda in the classic model set forth by Goebbels since 2007 (apologies to Chris Wallace, Shep Shephard, and Bret Baier). But I do admire the person who coined the term "Faux News."
I refer to it as POX.
He just showed up on CNN — hm-m-m-m
The 'key' to me is, develop a un-suppressed site that caters to the real facts...like the Guardian does in print, but structured to "entertain" our kind of audience. Give us the "facts" and entertain us with the clear stupidity of repub-DUBS. Call THEM out. Make ZERO ref to faux. Make faux a non-entity. WE DO have million & billion - airs with the wherewithal to do this! Do we have freedom of speech here.., or don't we? Will someone please step up.
Bloomberg, Dems are sorry they dissed you. We need you
Um-m-m — that’s been done and it has gradually been part of change.
From “The Week” in 2017:
“How a new generation of left-wing podcasters are dethroning Rush Limbaugh and right-wing talk radio”
Sorry, I was unable to copy the live link.
Could we call it something catchy like “Voice of the Free World”?
Two thou 17 is too long ago. Admire you for noting it. I truly believe that levity is an essential element. Making fun of the repub-DUBs stupidity is the best way to "laugh" together, while being subtle allows a decibel of truth to permeate the thickest of skulls.
I think this is a great strategy. It reinforces their non-legitimacy as a source of hard news, with the benefit of having a court ruling affirm it for anyone
who tries to push back.
That "ready solution" was available until Reagan took a sledge hammer to fair and honest reporting. Then, the doors were opened wide for the Murdoch sewerage.
Vince, First, an apology for not responding sooner. That said, in my view, though your remark is not entirely inaccurate, it neglects to explain the deregulation pressures that began during the Reagan era and that opened the door to the faux news of Rupert Murdock’s empire. My understanding is that said pressures emerged from a vociferous and relentless right wing campaign buoyed by the Republican National Committee.
Thank you for this clarification. I was unaware of the underpinnings and machinations that set this deregulation in motion. We are the worse off because of it. That is especially true since the arrival of Donald Trump; and, now, a war in Europe. The disinformation being spread is most disturbing.
Vince, Here’s a quote from Thomas Jefferson I imagine you’ll appreciate: “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”
Ignorance, the root and the stem of every evil. -- Plato.
Good memory Vince - a benefit to those of us who didn't recognize the writings on the wall.
Thank you! I intuited Reagan as a shill for evil well before he became president.
as a Californian, so did I..
To me, the term "the media" is just a poorly aimed shotgun blast from the hip which misses the real target, ie "the Purveyors". Huh? Yes! To me and many others, "the media" refers to the reporter. I ask for some kind indulgence here, and entertain your well-founded criticism as good commentary. Unfortunately, the "reporter" is the face of the media. And "reporters" are most often the target...getting kicked, spit on, cameras busted, and "the Target" of our disdain for what appears on the nightly news. No? I vote YES. Yes yes.., call the reporter, trying to raise a family, pay bills, spineless for bowing to the constraints imposed. GMAB. Why? Easy, way way in the foggy background lies the purveyor, receiving payment in kind from advertisers and sponsors alike. The latter of course preferring to have their position purveyed. No? C'mon. The 'advertiser(s)' hahaha..meanwhile, are interested most in 'viewer hits'.., the result of the media (ughhh) reporters, faux, presenting crap whatever outlet/program gets plenty of "hits", which make advertisers very happy.... errr ahhh... and the PURVEYOR'(s) two olympic heated swimming pools warm and comfy up in the hills of Kat man Due (or, U-knam-it). So, may we quit blasting the "media" with 00-buck... and address these "purveyors". No? And why not "call them out"...do they have too much clout? H'mm. Spines or Slinky's? Do we have freedom of speech or don't we?
MadRussian12A, First, my apologies for the delayed response. That said, if I understand you correctly, you are asserting that commercially, profit-driven media enterprises can’t make the sort of money they do and still engage in public service and deliver in-depth investigative journalism. Though your point is valid, I take heart in the increasing number of public interest groups (Common Cause among the earliest) that relentlessly press for media coverage governed by democratic principles aimed at shaping the ability of citizens to think critically about important issues.
Barbara.., thank you very much for your response.It appears you rank among a higher echelon of people where 'ethics' prevail. And I recognize the changes you see. However (hahahha here's the good ole "however"..).., at the Big Rountable you have a seat along with a handful & a half of some "others". I would like to be one of them, or at least be offered a seat in the room. The focus of this group is to 'ensure' President Biden WINS the election. Some of the things decided upon might rub you raw, being "ethical". But right now we need to take hold of THIS situation like never before. Again, and I've said this before: "this ain't no puss game". With your altruistic thoughts, your input is invaluable, but I ask that you refer to my previous sentence.
MadRussian12A, I appreciate your reply and would add that because politics largely is perception I’m not beyond doing what’s necessary to achieve certain ends.
thank you for your understanding. There appears so much more Obama might have done. the demo's allowed that to muddle their thinking and lost. All the stuff KingDUB rode in on!! The DEM'S could have grabbed that material and yanked the mat right out from under the DUBS, but they failed to be clever enough to "front page" the shallowminded repubDUBs to show how they got in the way of progress. The good ole Dem's took the high road..., and paid dearly for doing so. This past election, Biden's ability to stand in the face of pure tyranny carried the day which the Dem's would have lost. This coming election, there is so much to to work with... if we are clever.
Michael, They, those Republicans you know, remember the name 'Hunter Biden'. That's amazing, what good memories they have!
If you responded, "I do remember Hunter Biden. I don't remember his crime...please refresh my memory?" I bet they wouldn't be able to tell you what he supposedly did that was illegal.
Oh, Martha, do you think your question would be understood? Comprehension, is it still taught in the schools?
Yes - comprehension and critical thinking skills are definitely taught in schools - more so than in the ‘50’s/‘60’s/‘70’s. That’s why so many Pro-Putin Republican parents are up in arms (some literally) about CRT and books that get kids to think about another person’s perspective - because they don’t want their kids to open up their minds to other ideas and be empathetic to other people’s situations.
Krissy, Yours is a very serious, and revealing observation. To the degree that it is a reflection of Americans' war with the facts, so is it another measure of the great trouble our democracy is in.
It has been a really long time since I was in school but I do remember being horrified that my niece was being tested with a mimeographed multiple choice high school history test in the early part of this century!
Oh c'mon.., surely they would. They read the tabloids. They can tell you all the asspects of the Card-dashigans too. I understand tabloids are placed in all the pews in The Church of Trump. Don't go there Martha...hahahahahhhaaaa. arrrghhh!!
You're forgetting their remarkable critical thinking abilities, their unquenchable thirst for bi-partisan co-operation, and their deep love for free and fair elections.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣
Bruce, you are absolutely right, but I wanted to name one thing that 'they' can do!
Lie.
B.I.N.G.O.
point taken Fern :<)
Bruce, What's with your nose? :>)
Isn’t that last sentence true of all cults,
Just ask them,
"How did Trump putting military aid on hold unless Zelensky launched an investigation HELP Ukraine?"
"What did you find so admirable about Trump withholding aid from Ukraine?"
"Tell me what makes this a good and decent thing to do."
"Tell me how your support of Trump pressuring Zelensky in exchange for military aid is a good look for you."
If they say, "yeah, but Hunter Biden..."
Ask, "What did Hunter Biden do to make Trump's friend Putin invade? Give me a detailed breakdown"
Ask, "What was good about Trump saying that he trusted Putin more than US intelligence?"
When dealing with people who don't know anything about anything, always ask open questions to demand detailed explanations of uncomfortable truths.
How bout a new one liner to reiterate: freedom is not free
How 'bout Thiel's comment that democracy has become incompatible with freedom? I think he's defined freedom as the ability to hurt and cheat whomever you please, whenever you please, without some pesky government interfering.
You see, that's what they want. They want a government that too weak to interfere with their activities, but still strong enough to field a police/military to keep the taxpayers, who are paying for it, from exacting revenge. They don't want the United States to fall, they just want it weak and easily manipulated.
Of course, this is painting with a very broad brush and rich people are not all "Rich F**ks." But the Rich F**ks are numerous enough and wealthy enough that their impact is enormous in our society, and the more sensible rich people are too torpid to disengage from them.
Amen, amen, amen! Once children wanted to be cowboys, firefighters, doctors, teachers, football stars, ballerinas, even just mommies. Now, to be rich is their ambition.
Home run Carol. When I entered corporate America our new hires with shiny and impressive business degrees burbled over with enthusiasm only to be the first to triple digits pay grade. They sharpened their knives and drove them into the backs of anyone ahead of them.
Thiel best example of turncoat American
Steve Bannon ties Thiel for that title.
Thiel: “Excellent non-definition of freedom!
Indeed! And comfortably embedded are those "purveyers of death" for democracy.., right along with those who would be prevailed upon. Money isn't a boundary, only the means to the end. Alas, but our country does have the means to deal with it...., if we choose to. Let's never give up.
Yes, what a laundry list. And to think we should have read George Orwell as non-fiction.
Also to quote Daniel Kahn, "Freedom is not a verb"
A right slogan for decades
Live while you can.
Their ignorance is their badge of courage.
My ex-classmate in Elkhart has posted support for Ukraine. However, it has been crickets about January 6th. She is one of those who would rather be ignorant rather than understand the problems in this country. I doubt she would acknowledge death star's contributions to the Ukraine mess either. And this week some local here tried to say that something Heather had said was a rumor. I doubt he had any idea who she is, but he does now. Btw, Heather is coming to Portland soon.
Our Heather is going to Portland??
Yes, I will look up the place and time. I think it's in April.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland OR, April 12, 2022
The ignorance is deliberate, I just call it stupid since it is intransigent
Dan Pfeiffer suggests that the problem with Democratic messaging, as reflected in polls, is insufficient education of Republicans. He links to Dr. Richardson’s interview of President Biden as an example of doing it right!
https://messagebox.substack.com/p/the-democratic-communications-chasm?r=6pp8t&s=r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Agree 1000%. Last time I looked, had over 500,000 views on YouTube. I want to add here, Ellie, that I thought it was such a relaxed, yet focused President Biden in that interview. Good leading questions and comments from Professor Richardson, but such active listening on her part. I like when two professors chat.
Yes, two professors who manifest the best of teachers: down to earth, darn knowledgeable with facts at hand, plain spoken, humble yet authoritative, oozing integrity, and good hearted!
Good summarizing skill, Ellie. 😂
I don't get the "insufficient education" angle. That reminds me of those computer programmers of days gone by who would write impossible-to-use applications and then complain because people wouldn't read the manual.
Most people ain't gonna' read the manual or the wordy news analysis. Not now, not ever.
We need to craft simple, concrete and emotionally resonant messages that meet them where they are.
Exactly our task of education: "Craft simple, concrete and emotionally resonant messages!"
Seasoned teachers work diligently to get the emotionally relevant part. Necessary to really understand needs of students, besides one’s own. Developing that skill in a very sequential, rational way gives rise to the ability to work with any kid, any culture , any race, any disposition etc and form connection which builds trust.
Think of your fave teacher(s) from past? What is it that makes them a fave?
I cannot tell you how many past students say to me years later…”Miss…you drove me crazy at the time but I still think about a lot of things you taught me. And you were right about a lot of stuff. I wasn’t even sure I trusted you, but I knew you loved me.”
Bam! That’s everything!
YES, even president Biden had to soften his message, "not that they're stupid," they didn't know the affordable care act saved them from getting kicked off their insurance due to a preexisting condition...they just didn't know.....sigh.
Can you bring up the volume on that 'sigh'? Thanks, Lynn.
Yeh... it was KABOOM...so good.
LOL ! No Kidding !
If we didn’t learn anything else about TFG it was to” Own The Press”. Every time he stepped out the door to get on that Helicopter they were like ‘Bee’s To Honey ‘. If there was a question he didn’t like he really didn’t answer it but instead took control by answering with is ‘Alternative Facts ‘ . President Biden needs those ‘Bee’s ‘ there and take control with the ‘Fact’s. Hit some out of the Park and walk away. TFG has made it a life long endeavor to be ‘ Relevant ‘.Biden could run circles around them. He’s been at this way longer, he’s an intelligent Statesmen and would never boast. He’s got to know you have to be the Honey to Feed the Bee’s.I know he’s busy but 10-15 minutes on an Exit would help.We live in a world of ‘Sound Bites ‘. Give them some. But I hope there is more interviews with HCR. Once I got over the shock I was delighted and captured. Not to mention so excited. Took a while for my eyeballs to get back to normal. It’s all awesome and good. This guy is profoundly right. Thanks for sharing.
It seems like there’s alway a “good reason” for ignorance. Isn’t it more a lame excuse? How long can we blame the schools for not teaching enough critical thinking skills. What about values and common sense possibly learned at home?
It's less about blame and more about all of us doing our part to support fact-based education, both in the here and now opportunities, and as you point out, with teaching critical thinking skills to young people--at home and in the schools and universities.
Yes, home and schools working together. Quite a challenge with many parents who still believe TFG’s election was stolen, also believing the lies about CRT and wanting to return their schools to a time before the Scopes Trial. Maybe a slight exaggeration but the dismantling of public schools is a big concern. Agreed , we all have to do our parts in supporting education that moves us forward.
I think that the barrier is more Pavlovian. Some of us like to consider and discuss; some of us merely salivate when the right noises are heard.
I think it would be most appropriate to send them back to school, sentenced until they are able to graduate with a passing grade.
It would be interesting to require passing the citizenship exam before being allowed to opine on political issues.
I understand and I don't even watch much in the way or click-bait and memes. I do better reading transcripts, I'm print oriented, but I had no trouble (thankfully) staying focused on the interview. Perhaps because I watched it last thing at night with lights out so that the full-screen video was all that was visible?
Additionally, Trump resisted the eventual sending of the Javelin missiles until his aides could convince him that it would be good for American business.
We really need to keep dragging these facts out and making them defend them again, and again and again. Get all up in their faces with it and don't stop.
Over the years I have weeded out the knuckleheads in my life. At this point I personally don't know any Reps.
In addition to being very funny, a keen personality/political test, you had me thinking about whether I know any Republicans. I do know two of high character. They were the in the long gone old world (Eisenhower) branch of the Party.
That may be why we are in separate armed camps.
Just like yeah but Hilary’s emails. Garbage! Agree, in theory, that finding a way to have productive discourse would be ideal…but..fear it is wasted energy on those who appear ignorant but are truly so insecure that truth and reasoning play no part in their thought process.
That's why we go for the influenceable folks in the middle.
Productive, schmucktive. We need to nail their hides to the barn door.
Michael, my all time fav. Is when he took Ivana and the kids on a Ski Vaca. and his Mistress, Marla to the same place. Here’s his 3 kids watching they’er Mother and his Girlfriend ‘Tongue Lash ‘ each other in front of TV cameras . As sick as it gets.But hey, keep sending him you’re Donations cuz he’s most likely broke if the GOP is paying his Lawyers. Hahaha ! Fools ! I read Ivana got 1/2 of Maralego. Have no idea if it’s true ?
The "ignorance" of these cultist is self-ordained. When one witnesses the likes of Flynn, Bannon, Carlson, Bosar and on and on and on, it is clear there is a huge enemy population right here on home base. They represent the soulless darkness that has overtaken parts of our country. They thrive on tyranny, dishonesty and violence.
They got nothing, they never have anything, so they just respond with the pat lines from their playlist. Over and over and over.
I resent that.
With all of the comments on this thread, I am totally curious to know why you resent this comment? I can only think there must be some misunderstanding.
You are on the money! Your use of ‘pat lines’ prompted me to a false indignation . Sorry it caused you any concern. Those of us named Pat are often prodded by our friends. I will have to change my pat answer to ‘ I resemble that.’
Oh jeez! I am so sorry. That was funny. I didn't see it. Thanks for letting me know!
You stepped right in to that.
Ha! Ha! That’s what I resorted to years ago. One unexpected consequence of our current era seems to be that folks are losing their sense of humor 😉
I am actually dealing with a death in the family so this one can't be blamed on politics.
This comment has sparked a fiery trail, one of the best I've seen. Yes, the difference between "These truths we hold self-evident" and "that's (not) who we are".
The NYT rejected my latest comment:
Manhattan District Attorney Bragg’s closing down the grand jury proceedings on possible Trump criminal activities reminds me of Pulitzer-Prize-winning Jesse Eisinger’s book, THE CHICKENSHIT CLUB.
The title came from Southern New York Federal Attorney James Comey’s first meeting with his prosecutorial staff. He asked his prosecutors “Have any of you ever lost a case? If so, please raise your hand.” Not a hand came up. Then Comey said “You are all members of the Chickenshit Club.”
“You are all frightened to take on difficult cases that may blemish your ‘perfect’ records.” Eisinger’s book also described the ‘chickenshits’ in the Department of Justice who chose not to prosecute ‘difficult’ cases.
Keith, thanks. Explaining away Trump's routine escape from prosecution after a lifetime of criminal activity, including sedition in an attempt to overthrow the American government with prosecutorial ambition is a partial explanation.
The most important part of the this story is how two career lawyers spent FIVE years pursuing charges and were in the final grand jury indictment process. That would have wound up pretty soon and the fact that the new NY DA short circuited it is of great importance.
The two lawyers themselves QUIT, after the new DA killed the whole process near the end, in protest so they were willing to take it to the prosecutorial end.
It was a politician, the DA, who killed the final grand jury process.
A more complete hypothesis may include money and fear.
First Money: Trump, or Trump supporters (maybe in Russia) have routinely handed out enough money to insure his absence from prosecution.
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/332270-eric-trump-in-2014-we-dont-rely-on-american-banks-we-have-all-the-funding-we
It is not just that a DA may want a 100% record, although, many do. It is also that an elected politician, the DA, are more than willing to take money to close the case 10 minutes before charges were produced from the grand jury.
Second Fear: In Trump's case he has been supported by Russian Oligarchs for roughly 30 years.
Who wants to have one of their kids disappear for going after a loser like Trump?
Nobody.
The above observations are hypotheses based on the fact that poor people routinely go to jail for no crime or minor crime mostly because of lack of representation and advocacy. For more info on going to jail innocent if you are poor see....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Mercy_(book)
Trump: Has PLENTY of people advocating for him with plenty of money.
The corruption in the USA is sky high and so is hurling accusations, which are readily accepted due to bias and or general beliefs on the part of large groups of people. This comment by you Mike would be of more consequence with evidence attached. Why has the IRS not had a case against Trump for all these years? How are our economic and legal systems corrupt - systematically so? They are major contributors to the heinous wealth gap in the country. This needs to be spelled out, so that the MAGA crowd, in addition to everyone else, knows how we have been and continue to be robbed, in part by those who so easily manipulate the American people.
Fern. Thanks for your effort to ensure veracity in published comments.
Here is one quote from Eric Trump outlining the source of Trump's money:
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/332270-eric-trump-in-2014-we-dont-rely-on-american-banks-we-have-all-the-funding-we
But, Fern, there will not be a public link to an article outlining how John Doe lawyer/DA took money into a secret Swiss Bank account, then, one week later dropped a case against Trump.
So, let me modify my comment to include the words hypothesis.
❤️Bravo. You understood. Eliminating the 'truth' was a forte of you know who. It is one of the oldest games around. It has to be addressed in government and in what comes out of our mouths and what is expressed in our writing. Propaganda isn't limited to one side of an argument.
Fern, it is not propaganda that two career lawyers quit after having pursued the case for five years and were in grand jury indictment proceedings when the new DA called off the whole thing after being on the job a month.
The above is fact.
It is imperative that people who can think then come up with the most probable reasons that the case was dropped when it was so close to producing charges.
Links to payoffs will not be found on the web for posting here Fern.
To kibbitz a bit: Yes, The New York case is fact, and we know it, but for the sake of others who might read it and NOT know it; a citation of the printed information from a trusted source makes us different from talking heads who don’t have to prove anything — but just keep repeating it!
Fern, I will be monitoring my own comments even more for cites and sources than I already do; however, I like the other replies to your reply as well.
Gus, my intent concerns the value of facts, coming as close to the truth as we can and not indulging in unsupported accusations and the thoughtless use of language. Truth has taken a terrible beating; deep divisions among people encourages biases, finding fault to find fault, mistrusting almost everything and everyone. Standards disappear, incivility grows and 'reality' evaporates. Such behavior are aspects of a collapsing democracy.
I don’t know how I know it’s true, I just know it’s true. Usually takes 20-30 years for any kind of public verification. Hoping for faster verification on the Kennedy/Deutsche Bank connection. So our deliberately molasses-paced legal system is a set up for the mob…
Amen, Fern! The corruption and the wealth disparity of the U.S., as well as the dynamic interaction of the two, is something all Americans should be taught until they understand. Otherwise, those degenerate conditions will continue and progress until we are a truly failed state with the vast majority of Americans becoming serfs with very few rights. It's no wonder that revolution took place in late19th/early 20th century Russia considering that some 80% of the people were serfs or slaves. They had very little to lose by rebelling to get their rights.
We need a Department of Honorable Conduct to serve as a beacon as well as insure honest and moral methods of running a government are established and enforced. Employees would take an oath with serious consequences if they break their oaths. It might be like the Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome who faced death if they betrayed their oaths. Or like Elliot Ness and the Untouchables who were beyond corruption (as I recall). Individually, members of the DoHC could serve in the model of General George C. Marshall who was a person of immense character and ability completely dedicated to serving his country. FDR chose him [above 34 leaders who outranked him] to build the U.S. WWII military. The whole U.S. respected and fully trusted Marshall. We desperately need a George C. Marshall now. Winston Churchill named him "the architect of the Allied victory" in WWII. When Marshall had a stroke and was dying, Churchill visited him. After leaving Marshall's room, Churchill said Marshall was "the greatest Roman of them all." Funny enough, he stood up to Churchill as no one else would. After WWII, President Truman chose Marshall to be Secretary of State where he developed the Marshall Plan. As soldier and civilian, he was one of a kind. (As an aside, my father knew Marshall well [officially] as he had to brief Marshall daily on Soviet Affairs.)
Hayden I consider George C. Marshall the greatest American of the 20th century. He was the lynch pin of WW II, could face down and be highly respected by Churchill, had incredible integrity and professional selflessness, and saved Ike’s ass several times (which Ike neglected to acknowledge when he was campaigning in Wisconsin in 1952.
Forrest Pogue’s 4-volumes on Marshall I find definitive many years later. There was also an 88-minute video (S. C Humanities Council?) that filled in some human spots from Pogue and others. Marshall’s assessment of Western Europe, after he returned from an unproductive meeting with Stalin, was the spark for the Marshall Plan, which couldn’t have been approved by a Republican Congress without Marshall’s robust support. Also, because of Marshall, the House approved the second year of the peacetime draft in 1941 by one vote.
I believe that he was the only general to receive the Nobel Peace prize.
Keith, Listening to you and Heydon is close to heaven.
Keith, I'm glad to see another admirer of General Marshall. Yes, Marshall saved Ike's ass on at least a few occasions. I'll mention a lesser-known example of this here. I'll wind around a bit to finally get to that instance.) My father was part of Ike's General Staff in London starting in September 1942 as they planned Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. The planners were really rushed for time and worked round the clock, doing in two months which normally would take at least six months. Ike arrived in Algeria in late Nov. or Dec. [after the Op. Torch landing] with half of his staff to set up his HQ in Algiers. The second half of Ike's staff, which included my father, sailed from Scotland on the SS Strathallan with 5,000 British and American soldiers on Dec. 12 headed for Algeria. Also on board were American photographer Margaret Bourke-White and Ike's driver/companion Kay Summersby. After a rough crossing through the Bay of Biscay with 60 ft. waves, the ship passed through the Straits of Gibraltar and into calmer waters. It was the night before their scheduled arrival, and around 1:30-2:00 am, they were torpedoed, and the ship started going down. My father went over the side and ended up in the water clinging to a piece of flotsam and swallowing sea water and oil all night long. He lost everything on the ship and swam [naked] to the beach the next morning. Dad was in hospital for at least a week with horrendous headaches. So, he arrived at the Algiers HQ at the end of December, a few weeks before the Casablanca Conference in January. FDR and Gen. Marshall wanted Ike to come there from Algiers which he did of course.
Now, here's an item which you probably won't find in history books or at least I didn't nor was this item known by the librarian at the Eisenhower Library; and it relates to Ike being saved by Marshall. After Ike went back to Algiers and while the Casablanca Conference was still going on, Ike sent Marshall a telegram, asking him to make a stop in Algiers before returning to Washington, D.C. Ike was having a lot of problems with antagonism between British and American staff members, notably the officers. There had been some serious fights and supposedly one British officer was killed. Ike didn't know how to handle it all since he was really OJT in his command position. Marshall did stop by for a quick meeting with all the staff officers. Gen. Marshall had such presence, and he simply told the American officers that if they didn't behave properly, they'd be sent home, which meant in shame. Marshall's experience and bearing saved Ike in this case.
Ref. the Wisconsin incident, I believe Ike's ambition to be President is what led him to leave Gen. Marshall "out to dry" after Wisconsin's Senator Joe McCarthy had made allegations about Marshall leading a secret communist gathering in Washington. I've read that Ike regretted his behavior in that incident for the rest of his life. The guilt must have been horrendous--that is, to abandon the esteemed Marshall who had given Ike every opportunity to be where he was.
I better stop for now. I really get carried away on this subject. I wrote a book about my parents' journey through WWII ("Buck and Bernice: Love in the Reign of War") in which I wrote a chapter about General Marshall. I'd be happy to send you a copy of that chapter if you write me at: buckandbernice@gmail.com and request it.
Heydon, I had the chills reading your eloquent and historical reply. It is a keeper, and I still have the chills. Thank you.
Thanks, Fern. I appreciate that.
With utmost respect, Heydon.
Sadly, they don't care. They simply assume "all politicians are the same" and one of the enduring appeals of Trump is he isn't one (amusing, isn't it?)
🎯
Gotta ❤️this one, Fern!
We need more heart than ever! Thank you, Marlene. Here's to looking at you❤️🌿❤️🌻❤️!
“Who wants to have one of their kids disappear for going after a loser like Trump? Nobody.” I agree, Mike. I also know that our IRS - as a tool to fight this corruption- has been systemically underfunded for decades making it unable to pursue high net-worth corruption. You need excellence and time to peruse these corrupt power-mongers. IRS cannot afford the best and brightest, nor have they extensive time to deeply untangle the intentionally made knot of secrecy needed to peruse these cases. So paying off Congress, for decades, to underfund the IRS, has crippled our best, first tool fighting corrupt players like trump.
Yes, the IRS has limited funding, but, they DO go after people and they NEVER went after Trump.
They go after the small fry they have a chance in hell of netting with limited effort OR PUSHBACK. The wealthy, with their tax attorneys on retainer, make a hell scape for IRS white collar investigators. But oh my! The USA is sloshing around in hidden money. Fully funding the white collar crime unit of IRS would reap America billions that its owed.
Yes, well TFG and the other so-called millionaires/billionaires as well.
Michelle, totally agree with you.
That the IRS is underfunded is FACT. My thoughtful ‘hypothesis’ is that some of the IRS officials are overfunded....
Gus, very good hypthesis indeed!
That's it - so really the only advantage of the West is, that it can lay its hands on Trump - what it will do with that still very much remains to be seen. Do your thing, US of A.
In South Florida there are a lot of Russians. Store signs are written in Cyrillic in Sunny Isles. Also, we have had Russian Mob attacks like throwing acid in ppl's face.
We were staying in Sunnyvale maybe 10 years ago, we were surprised at the number of Russians there. Trump has a hotel/condo there that then seemed mostly empty.
Thought it had more than a few Russian pregnant girls.
Mike, your arguments make no sense, and as Fern said, you provide no evidence. Heat but no light. The last thing the new DA wants to do is drop the case against Trump. Unless he sees that the case is weak. It lacks hard evidence, as the NYT explained in detail today. There are no emails or correspondence from Trump (he doesn’t use email for this reason, and he tears up all the notes from his meetings) stating that he knows he was cheating on his taxes or on loan applications. There is no credible insider willing to testify (Weisselberg is willing to go to prison rather than turn state’s evidence - he’s the guy who has all the financial info on Trump). The 2 attorneys who have invested 5 years in this case hate to give it up, and don’t want to admit that their case isn’t strong enough. Think about this - if they had the evidence would they still not have indicted Trump after 5 years? I understand that Trump is guilty as sin, a fraud and a con man. But I also get that Trump is slippery enough (trained by Roy Cohn) to leave no evidence and avoid prison. It’s not the new DA’s fault. Can you imagine how bad it would look if the new DA indicted Trump, and the jury found him not guilty due to insufficient evidence? Nor is there a fix. in. There are far more wealthy people who’d love to see Trump behind bars, if that sort of thing was purchasable. Trump is despised in NYC, and hated by the wealthy elites (with a few exceptions, like My Pillow guy). There’s no conspiracy (leave those to the Qanon wackos).
JR, I think your opening line needs qualification. Mike's comment makes perfect sense, as does yours, which opposes Mike's conclusion. This is exactly why many (if not most) conspiracy theories work. The heart of any conspiracy theory is, "Here is the truth, which makes perfect sense. However, there is no evidence for this truth, because it has been deliberately concealed. And there is no evidence for the concealment, because the people who concealed it were good at their job."
Or the evidence is inherently unknowable. For instance, you state, "The last thing the new DA wants to do is drop the case against Trump." You have no evidence for that statement, and even if you knew the new DA personally, you could have no evidence, because he could be lying to you. You are talking about how another person ranks internal motivations. Hardly anyone living has an especially clear notion of their OWN ranking of motivations, much less someone else's.
One rule used in science is Occam's Razor, which gives preference to simplicity. That works reasonably well with "inanimate" reality, because we assume electrons and gasses don't have "motivations" at all. Move it up to the level of "animate" reality, even at the level of microbes, and you suddenly get "motivations." How, exactly, does a yeast colony work? Certainly not like an ideal gas.
I've dismissed a lot of "hearsay" about Trump and Putin that is, right now, starting to look a WHOLE lot more probable. For instance, John Bolton has said that Putin held off on his invasion of Ukraine because he expected Trump to withdraw the US from NATO in his second term. In 2017, this would have sounded like a completely wild conspiracy theory. In 2022, it makes perfect sense. Is there evidence beyond Bolton's statement? ::shrug:: Time will tell.
Sorry Joe, not buying it. The reason it makes no sense for the DA to kill this case is that doing so likely ends his political career. He is an elected official, in a post that most pursue as a stepping stone to higher, state-wide office. Said DA is being pilloried today by commenters here, in the NYT and elsewhere. Most accuse him of taking bribes or being a secret Trump enabler. All promise to never vote for him again. Others call him a coward. His political career is over. The cowardly, low-risk thing to do for the DA would have been to issue an indictment he didn’t believe in and go to trial. If Trump was declared not guilty, the blame would go to Cyrus Vance, or the 2 career lawyers. The DA could say, “I just got here, I was following their advice”. Or he could blame the judge, or the jury.
Meanwhile, Mike’s saying the case was dropped because of bribes by mythical (Russian or otherwise) billionaires or fear of children being assassinated by Russian oligarchs. You know, logical stuff.
JR. Let's say you were a DA but were offered $45 million to kill the case.
Would you worry much about re-election after the deposit was made in the Swiss Bank account??
:-)
I think not my friend.
Mike, that’s the silliest conjecture I’ve heard here so far (which is saying something). How about, “Let’s say that Danaerys Targaryan threatened to fry the DA with dragon fire unless he dropped the case.” You’re just making stuff up. We have to be better than the MAGA crowd. No baseless conspiracies, stick to facts.
That's a good argument, given that this is a New York DA. OTOH, if he's a Trumpite....
A Trumpite? Do you know anything about the man?
“Bragg, a Democrat, earned his A.B. from Harvard University, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, clerked for Hon. Robert P. Patterson, Jr. in the Southern District of New York, and was a Visiting Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Racial Justice Project at New York Law School. Alvin is a former member of the Board of Directors of the New York Urban League and a Sunday School teacher at his church…. In 2017, Eric Schneiderman, then serving as attorney general, appointed Bragg Chief Deputy Attorney General of New York. Bragg ran the criminal justice and social justice divisions, overseeing lawsuits brought by the state against the Donald J. Trump Foundation, Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company, and the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 United States Census. He left the position in December 2018 and became a professor at the New York Law School, where he was co-director of the Racial Justice Project. Bragg is a member of the board of directors for the Legal Aid Society. He has represented the families of Ramarley Graham and Eric Garner in civil litigation against New York City.”
Does he sound like a Trumpite? Can we not resort to ridiculous conjecture?
You say Mike's comment makes 'perfect sense'. Can you present an argument for that Joseph that will not take up more that two legal size pages and make sense as well?
It seems pretty obvious to me.
Two lead attorneys spend five years building a difficult case, with support of their boss, and are coming to the end of the process, and suddenly, they have a new boss who quashes the investigation. They quit. Those are the basic facts, right? The question is, why?
Two hypotheses are obvious, amid others.
1) Michael's hypothesis is that the new boss is a shill who shut down the investigation for corrupt motives, and the attorneys quit in disgust.
2) JR's hypothesis is that the new boss is clearer-eyed than the old boss, concluded that the case could not succeed, and decided to shut down the investigation as a waste of time and resources. The attorneys quit in disgust.
A third variant suggests itself.
3) The new boss, taking over, started asking some hard questions of the two attorneys, the attorneys did not have good answers and, "not feeling appropriately supported" by their new boss, threatened to walk out. The boss, angry at being railroaded by his subordinates and concerned by the lack of good answers, decides to call their bluff and shut down the project, after which the attorneys quit.
All three of these hypotheses, in the absence of evidence, make perfect sense. I've seen all three scenarios play out in corporate environments over much lower-stakes conflicts.
Does that clarify?
Joseph.
Yes, Why would the new DA interrupt the grand jury process EVEN if he had a perception different from the people who spent FIVE years on it.
Let it play out like all the rest of them do. If the grand jury produces no indictments, well, there you have it.
BUT WE WILL NEVER KNOW now will we.?
Much time and many suppositions would have been unnecessary had you read the article in question. See the link below.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/05/nyregion/trump-investigation-manhattan-da-alvin-bragg.html?searchResultPosition=1
Fern is correct; it`s called an "Opening Argument" which must resonate with a Jury & be supported by copious amounts of admissible evidence. Note, jurors have done their own property evaluations.
Bryan, Thank you for the amicus brief. Can I take you with me?
Joseph,
Makes perfect sense. I am sure if Trump wins, he will remove us from NATO.
Tucker Carlson will tell Americans what to think about that, and, they will think what Tucker Carlson wants them to think.
Thank you JR for your perspective on this.
JR.
Thanks.
Two career lawyers with the NY DA office spent five years pursuing this case and at no time indicated they wanted to throw in the towel. They were in the final stages of sorting grand jury indictments. To kill the case BEFORE that outcome is what makes no sense JR.
But, to make sense of what makes no sense, I wrote what I wrote.
The two lawyers on the case, at no time, bagged it or said it was not possible to win indictments.
Then, one month after a new DA was elected, he killed the grand jury standard process.
Why?
I've been thinking along the same lines. Trump was never alone in his crimes. He would never have made it into the Oval Office alone.
The US can thank Robert and Diana Mercer for funding Cambridge Analytica's development in Britain, then paying to establish it in the US and paying the Trump campaign to adopt it; then paying for Facebook to use it. The Mercers also paid for Steve Bannon's and KellyAnne Conway's salaries to take over the floundering Trump campaign in 2016 after Manafort resigned.
Then there's the deal Trump made with Sheldon Adelson--always transactional. Just as Trump adopted the Federalist Society List of potential SCOTUS nominees in exchange for money and votes, Trump adopted Adelson's wish list for Israel in exchange for Adelson's money. (not being antisemitic; had friends in ZOA who bragged about the deal.) One more item on Adelson's list: Marion Adelson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump.
Yes exactly…😡
And all of this took place in plain view of those who are heavily involved in political matters. It's no wonder that our democracy is in peril, and that's not hyperbole.
Republicans not only knew; made crucial introductions and applauded—and voted for Trump. It’s a pivotal moment for the US, as Heather stated with President Biden
He was a useful idiot, not only to Putin, but also the Republicans, and will continue to be - until he is viewed as a liability.
Head spinning here…
Thanks Mike. After following your link I was hooked. I feel compelled to read it.
Yes indeed.
I thought the practically synchronized timing of (1) the closing of those grand jury proceedings (and the resulting/nearly immediate resignation of the two attorneys who had invested so much time in the case’s investigation), and (2) the invasion of Ukraine was not coincidental. The news barely covered (1), buried as it was under the rumble of Russia’s invading tankers. That TrumPutin mutual admiration and alliance has never been more suspicious!
One of the articles (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/05/nyregion/trump-investigation-manhattan-da-alvin-bragg.html) about Bragg's take over from Vance makes some of the turmoil around the iDJiT investigation appear to be an interoffice kerfuffle.
Pamela, we can assume that new DA provided the information to the NY Times, hence, it is biased to make it look like the new DA's perspective.
The truth is, two career lawyers were in the process of closing out indictments in a grand jury process that needed NO interruption whatsoever.
The DA's keebosh on the case smells so bad I can hardly breathe.
I feel the fire coming from all ends of your body. Oh, it’s mine!
It is not only Prosecutorial Fear (the Cs Club); proseccutors need a cohesive team with capable investigatory skills and an experienced Trial Attorney`s knowlege of the "FRE", Federal Rules of Evidence. Much broader use of Pre-Trial motions called motions in limine would help too. Check out the skilled lawyers in the Backroom of the Jan 6th Committee offices. Team members do not have to be lawyers. It's called good legal work.
Bryan Manhattan DA Vance brought in two superbly qualified lawyers to handle the Trump criminal prosecution. They pleaded with DA Bragg to continue the case. When he refused, they resigned the same day. These prosecutors were ready to risk their reputations in trying a ‘difficult case.’
I am well aware of the new DA`s blunder. As to the specific prosecutors who resigned, their sterling reputations & skill are already well known well beyond NY.
So what happens now? Is there any way to override DA Bragg’s decision?
Barb As Manhattan DA Bragg has the ultimate authority, as did Vance, to decide whom to prosecute. Only if there were an avalanche of protest to his decision might it be possible to have a reversal. Bragg is elected and, thus, can not be fired.
And, I wonder who helped get him elected?
Then Manhattan DA Vance supported Bragg in an election where nomination meant election. Ethics and principles are not hallmarks of New York elections.
How do we let his office know how we feel?
Bragg has been beset with an avalanche of protest surrounding many of his decisions. He might be fired when he’s up for re-election.
If Bragg’s actions might possibly affect his re-election, by then I will be in my 90s. I’m not holding my breathe.
Barb, not a god damn thing. Again we handed Trump something else to put on his silver plate. Disgusting.
Grrrrr. Infuriating and frustrating.
I’m not completely up to date—I knew the two staff members resigned…but has it now been confirmed Bragg stopped the grand jury activity? If so, what is the reasoning? Is this a final decision after all that work?
YES. The two lawyers were in the final stages of grand jury indictment proceedings.
See, Pamela's NYT link above with 3 bylines.
Something, as we all know, is wrong with our tax code if people's businesses and money situations are so complex that they can hide and deceive. It pisses me off that us little guys are getting picked on by the IRS because we're easy pickings. To me, this is the heart of the problem. Business accounts must be more transparent, less complex, somehow, so that it does't take a small army working for years to uncover wrongdoing. I hope an in depth investigation to how this Trump thing (and countless others not discovered, I'm sure) will be done and out lawmakers will be pushed to face this issue. I know, good luck.
Support Yellen's 15% minimum corporate tax. It's needed as much or more in the US than worldwide.
Kim Spot on! Since 2010 the Republicans have assiduously and sharply reduced the IRS’s personnel and technical resources to investigate the tax returns of fat cats and major corporations. Forensic accounting on any complex tax return could require hundreds or thousands of hours by highly skilled IRS professionals, of which there are only a handful
The game for tax specialists is to spend a few years with the IRS and then go into private practice to earn zillions befuddling their ex-buddies who seek to enforce IRS tax codes. Fat cats against $60,000 a year civil servants—guess who wins?
Keith, I don't know that it was such an open-and-shut case. There were a good deal of questions raised about whether the DA had a strong enough case.
'Mr. Bragg’s choice not to pursue charges is reminiscent of the high hurdle that others have failed to clear over the years as they sought to hold Mr. Trump criminally liable for his practices as a real estate mogul. Mr. Trump famously shuns email, and he has cultivated deep loyalty among employees who might otherwise testify against him, a one-two punch that has stymied other prosecutors in search of conclusive proof of his guilt.' (NYTimes) Link below.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/05/nyregion/trump-investigation-manhattan-da-alvin-bragg.html?searchResultPosition=1
That's my fear Fern. But to me, this means there is something very wrong with the system.
I hope the NYT or WAPO will do an in depth investigation into system. These accountings are so complex, valuations etc. and how does anyone know what the true value is? What went wrong here because we know Trump is guilty. Someone has a humongous super-complex business--it takes so much to pick through and find discrepancies. The IRS is underfunded so they just don't. Meanwhile they pounce on the rest of us.
The IRS has pounced on me, due to an error by my accountant. He's been trying to correct it since last August, cannot get through on the phone, letters ignored and fines increasing. Now the IRS is starting to garnish my social security benefits and I can't seem do a thing about it! The IRS badly needs an infusion of funds and qualified people.
Oh no Sally! I'm so sorry to hear that. I've had a similar debacle and understand that you just cannot get through to them. Their garnishing like that is terrible. They shouldn't have a right to do that.
I’ve been hoping for the same
Absolutely!
Fern,
Two career lawyers believed in the evidence enough spend five years of their lives pursuing charges and were in the final, grand jury process of producing some charges when the DA told them to drop the case.
They quit instead.
So, if two career lawyers felt that the case was worth pursuing, I would not get too excited about a NY Times article supporting Trump getting off again.
NY Times is a for profit entity open to collecting money from whereever.
This comment is too loose for me. Did you read the article? How good is your case against it and the NY Times for publishing it? Two damned good lawyers and five years doesn't prove anything. That the NY Times is a corporation is not proof that they were paid-off to print an article raising issues about the strength of the case, You seem mighty determined to make accusations without evidence. In terms of journalism, I'd go with the NY Times on this one.
Fern, I read the article when it first came out. Yes.
I think that a better approach would have been to let the final stages of the grand jury indictment process move forward rather than Bragg killing the investigation and then giving his opinion to the NY Times on background.
The NY Times echoes what Bragg told them, BUT, they did not spend any time exploring why the two lawyers who QUIT did so.
So, beware of believing in something Fern just because NY Times published it.
Being a public link does NOT make it the truth.
You continue to accuse without end. You might think about what you are so fast to dish out. That you tell me to 'beware' of what I think is an insult to yourself. That you assume what I do and don't 'believe' in the NY Times or anywhere else without knowing what my standards are or how much I know about journalism … oh, my. You've got a fast and furious mind, Mike.
Fern,
Naw, nothing fast and furious here I am sad to say. Would that my mind was just so though.
I am afraid, Fern, that I just don't have anything I hold as incorruptible. Least of which would be any news source of any type.
Humans put all that together Fern. The NY Times failed to interview the two lawyers who quit.
As soon as you know that, then, you know they got a one sided version of what happened.
Mike, I’m with Fern. I understand that those 2 attorneys were angry that the new DA wouldn’t proceed with an indictment. I also understand that they’ve been running this investigation for 5 years and had yet to build a case convincing enough to go to trial. This came to a head not because they were ready to indict and the DA refused, but because the Grand Jury will soon be shutting down and they were running out of time. They’ve been pitching their case to the Grand Jury for almost a year, and no recommendation to indict has come forward to date. The new DA looked at everything and decided their case is weak.
“They hammered Mr. Pomerantz and Mr. Dunne about whether they could show that Mr. Trump had intended to break the law by inflating the value of his assets in the annual statements, a necessary element to prove the case.” The key phrase is “intended to break the law”. There has to be evidence that when Trump inflated or deflated his property values he knew it was illegal. Evidence like emails from Trump, notes or correspondence from Trump, or recordings of or testimony from people in meetings with Trump. None of that exists. Trump doesn’t use email. Trump won’t allow recordings or notes to be taken in meetings. Weisselberg, who could bury Trump if he agreed to turn states’ evidence, is willing to go to prison rather than testify. There is no hard evidence of Trump’s intent.
JR. I remain convinced that letting the grand jury process play out was better than short circuiting that process.
Nobody knows if the Grand Jury of (12?) people would have pulled out indictments.
But, what if they did?
Mike, Bragg didn’t kill the case or stop the grand jury. He just said he wasn’t ready to bring an indictment today. The investigation and grand jury continues. By the way, last fall, before Cyrus Vance stepped down, he also said he wasn’t ready to bring an indictment.
JR.
The practical outcome of both lawyers leaving the case is to hamstring the process of indictment by the grand jury.
Sure, the people on the grand jury exist. But, nothing is happening.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse, at least not for people who have not been POTUS.
Fern I never implied that was an ‘open-and-shut case.’ (Relatively few high profile cases are.) Manhattan District Attorney Vance initiated this criminal case against Trump, hired two outstanding prosecutors to pursue it, and proceeded with grand jury hearings. Bragg, the young new Manhattan DA considered ‘pausing/shutting’ down the grand jury proceedings. The two distinguished prosecutors argued their position for proceeding and then the DA, after discussions that excluded these two distinguished prosecutors, informed them that the hearings were ‘postponed.’
These two prosecutors apparently interpreted this as ‘case closed.’ I am personally familiar with chickenshit. As a kid I would, with boots on, slosh through chickenshit to recover chicken eggs every morning. Regarding the Bragg incident, if it looks like chickenshit, and smells like chickenshit, then, almost certainly it is chickshit.
Keith, Having walked through so much of a certain brand, you believe yourself to be an expert at spotting it in very different terrain. I don't doubt that your good at it, but that is not the sort of evidence that supersedes all other forms. I'm not making a case for or against Bragg. From what I have read, there are legitimate reasons to think that the case has a couple of important weak spots. The deep need to have Trump pay for his lethal behavior can for some make the case. In fact, I am as enthusiastic as almost anyone to see justice done with reference to Trump and all the other members of his treasonous cabal.
Behind paywall. Can you gift?
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/05/nyregion/trump-investigation-manhattan-da-alvin-bragg.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuomT1JKd6J17Vw1cRCfTTMQmqxCdw_PIxftm3iWka3DODm4fiOIEGYWP-kDLIrZ5et4rmjWdWtJaLL4gTeBzyekaOkVrSwC0vpKC3ZgMZiwxt4O1G2ks1p3CG7Ak9DugJk-IFNBC_pzt9RSXLGr3RvSflC1weVp49sNifF6t2nwXkqjPGvpyj4UuwfYqUpllFj4BYiaNvqO5XhgvK8zGOk-HknQ-WOBdXTzXn9COuflXIEgJVwWwHD4o6n086dhcJNoWIK_7ShYhc8L5irgRYXd6eMbrX9ZiAtiJyMg59OLFuheOy8GpxvgpFakyvLnMsmqyMV1HW6qZ2cLq7plVZejKCTkyPzTe&smid=url-share
Fern, the above worked! Thank you!
Thank you for letting me know, MLM. Now I know how to do it. Thanks to all.
MLM, Try the link below. I apologize if it doesn't work. Gifting is a issue, which I cannot resolve at this time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/05/nyregion/trump-investigation-manhattan-da-alvin-bragg.html?referringSource=articleShare
Does this work? I’ve never gifted an article before.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/05/nyregion/trump-investigation-manhattan-da-alvin-bragg.html?referringSource=articleShare
I was able to read the article. Thank you
Good to hear. Thank you for responding.
Thanks, KR. I'll ask MLM to try it.
I didn’t want to steal your thunder but I wanted to learn how to do it!
I am grateful, KR.
No, it didn’t.
Rats. I don’t know how to fix that. Apologies.
MLM, please try the link that KR provided. Look for her reply to you and let us know. Thanks.
Do you know how I can do it? If so, please reply. I'd be happy to it. The article is too long to copy as a comment.
Fern, you find the little "envelope" icon which means "share this article" and click on it, opening an email to send with the "gift" link. Copy that link.
Actually the icon that works for that is the one that looks like a "Gift." It is a black square with a white cross inside and an infinity symbol (ribbon) on top. Clicking on that will start the process -- what you want in this case is "Copy the Link."
Teacher, Ron Boyd, thank you. 🌿 I am a free-pass giver now!
Thanks, Jeff. My email and the Times don't have a good relationship, but I'll try.
Right. I hope the DOJ does not come up and say, wow, no emails so let him off for attempting overthrow the entire government on live TV.
Does Merrick Garland belong to the Club? Is he afraid that in the annals of history it will look bad if he is the first to bring charges against an ex-President and then loses? I suspect so but I also think there will NEVER be a risk-free case that could be brought against Trump because of the burdens of proving intent and securing unanimity in a jury. I believe that in the eye of history the failure to at least try (pun intended) will be seen as close to a crime!
Bill You raise a core question. I don’t recall that any ex-president has ever been tried in a criminal court of law. Clearly the House 1/6 Committee is signaling to Attorney General Garland that they are gathering ‘smoking pistol’ evidence against Trump and his Trump Pissers.
Already the word ‘sedition’ has been used in some of DOJ 1/6 indictments. During the House 1/6 Committee’s public hearings, some of the seditionists will be be on center stage. The DOJ may choose to indict the low-hanging fruits. As for the big enchilada, the issue of indicting an ex-president who had 74 million votes in the 2020 could have profound political repercussions with such crazies as the Proud Boys and the Oath Takers.
Personally, I consider Trump guilty of sedition and, with a broad interpretation of the Constitution, treason. At a minimum, he could be an unnamed indictee in the prosecution of others.
Trump is now the heaviest ex-president in American history (William Howard Taft lost 50 pounds before being seated as Chief Justice). With all the prospective trials that are lurking around Tubby Trump (the IRS has a pending $100+ million matter with Trump since 2010 and lots more peccadillos to explore subsequently), perhaps Trump will fall of his own weight.
I don't know how satisfying "unnamed indictee" would be. From what you're saying about Tubby, wouldn't that just be another case of letting the little guys take the fall?
Perhaps all this hand wringing about Trump is one of the fundamental limitions of "freedom" and "due process"???
I mean, does anyone question that Trump tried to overthrow the legitimately elected government of the United States on live TV and Twitter??
No. Everyone knows that he did precisely that, but, here we are, wringing our hands about having a case against him.
Honestly, what a mess.
Agreed and that's why I think a trial is needed even if there's a mistrial With the passage of time the vast majority of Americans concluded that OJ did it even though he was acquitted--but without a trial it might not have been so clear
You speak the truth
My “Pollyanna” alter ego sees a possible (although admittedly highly unlikely) reason for Bragg to pause the grand jury proceedings. TFG is fighting being deposed in the civil case against him in part because he states it’s a fishing expedition for information that can be used in the criminal investigation. Could it be that the grand jury is being paused (yes, I prefer to think of it as merely paused) to remove this argument and compel TFG and offspring to testify in the civil case?
Cathy Though on occasion I admire Pollyannas (especially when I personally am playing such a role), I don’t believe that what’s happened to the grand jury examining evidence of Trump’s criminality is ‘the pause that refreshes.’ [That was a Coke slogan back when I was an itty bitty boy.]
Keith, I wonder if your comment would have been stronger had you incorporated the bit about the “two superbly qualified lawyers” invested in the case, who resigned when the investigation abruptly was closed.
Barbara Often my fingers function faster than my top-of-head thoughts. I included the abrupt resignation of “two superbly qualified lawyers” in a subsequent post. When two top-flight prosecutors are fighting to continue the criminal case against Trump, it seems that the new Manhattan DA is suffering from chickenshititis.
Keith. You got the whole thread started. So, thank you.
I had posted the gift link to the NY Times article with my own outrage about a week ago when I first saw it and nobody seemed to care but me.
So, great job. Keep it up.
Excellent! How shocking to see impeachments and court cases ending without ending? There must be a waiting list for the club.
Keith, I’m not surprised at the NYT. Excellent comment! I was unaware of Comey’s ‘Club.’ Thanks!
Unlike this forum, the minder’s at the NYT will not post anything that deviates from their published pov, I've stopped trying, it's not worth the effort. 🤷♂️
Dick I share your frustration with some of my rejected NYT posts. However, I have been surprised at some of my Trump turds that have been published, at times hours after being submitted. I think this partially depends on the luck of the draw with individuals editors. I had one post that was a TimesPick and then was deleted a few hours later. Even for the NYT that it most unusual.
Keith, the NY Times is now playing to the far right hoping to avoid being shut down when Trump becomes President again.
Maybe they think they are The New York Post…
Every day I expect to see an expose of what Bragg did and why. The news is getting lost because of the war in Ukraine.
Interesting. But I think there is probably more to this decision than we can see. I don't think they are afraid of Trump. Also I thought I read that it wasn't closed just paused and a new prosecutor was assigned...I could be wrong. Also the new guy gets to work with whomever he wants so just maybe he didn't want to work with them on this. Like I said, we were given no reason for the change of guard.
Martha You may be right that the resignation of two top prosecutors does not necessarily mean that the grand jury (expires in April) investigation of Trump’s criminality will not continue. However, I find merit in the saying “Don’t change horses in mid-stream.”
I too recall seeing/reading something about the DA assigning a new prosecutor, I think within a week after the 2 attorneys resigned.
Putin says that placing economic sanctions against Russia is the equivalent of making a declaration of war. Well - no. Maybe someone should explain that if Russia wants to be included in the international economy, then it has to conform to and respect international laws. The international economy is for countries that want to be members of the world, not for those who want to destroy it.
Here is where we, the US bear responsibility for current events where ignoring "law" is relevant.
In 2003, based on what was widely viewed, EVEN AT THE TIME, as a lie, the United States of America invaded a sovereign country that we had previously supported in a war with Iran in the late 1980's. Iraq.
We actually invaded to grab Iraq's oil resources.
The televised bombing of Baghdad showed the world that illegal invasions were totally OK if you had enough power and bombs.
So, now? We reap what we sowed.
Putin, having watched the US get way with occupying Iraq's oil fields and privatising that wealth, is invading Ukraine.
Ukraine is one of THREE COUNTRIES WITH THE LARGEST DEPOSITS OF LITHIUM. The others being China and Australia.
Yep. We reap what we sow. But, most Americans either cannot make the connection for emotional reasons or were not paying enough attention to know the real truth about Iraq.
Chomsky: US Push to “Reign Supreme” Stokes the Ukraine Conflict
https://truthout.org/articles/chomsky-us-push-to-reign-supreme-stokes-the-ukraine-conflict/
That's right, Mike S, our invasion of Irag was both illegal and shortsighted and detracts from our attempt to now occupy the moral high ground with respect to Putin.This does not mean that our Government's position is wrong now, just hypocritical. And there was little chance of igniting general nuclear war in 2003. So we have every reason to both oppose Putin and try to do better ourselves.
I'm not sure that "cannot" shouldn't be "will not". I do not understand certain components of the psyche that thirsts for war, combat, and conflict, and how that thirst is slacked.
Energy clearing ...
We did not invade Iraq to grab their oil resources, they continue to sell their oil on the open market. We invaded to force regime change which we achieved with mixed results, it was never about grabbing their oil.
And how does China stay in?
That's a good question, Stuart. My glib answer is, "by not invading Taiwan". And being a nation of 1,4 billion people may have something to do with it. Clearly the people of China benefit economically from China staying engaged with the world and avoiding stupid wars. And how much they yearn for personal liberty is, I think, hard to quantify.
Knowing when to hold’em and when to fold’em, more or less. Could change moment to moment
By owning a substantial amount of US Debt? Also, Stuart, you make me curious if Biden can continue to help foster strong condemning financial sanctions against Putin for invading Ukraine, maybe China will hold off on its Taiwan ambitions. Xi is sitting back taking notes, I’m sure.
No sooner does Putin create an alliance with xi than Russia sends troops to Belarus during the Beijing olympics. is xi thinking, oh how nice of you to not invade til the games are over? No, xi is thinking that Putin thinks that Russia is the senior partner, with 1/10th the population. The honeymoon is over. Meanwhile, has it been two weeks since the invasion? That is how Russians measure time, in two week intervals. If they don’t succeed by then at a task that seemed so straightforward they will become very discouraged. They “worked like Russians” but did not succeed. There will be a big change.
By holding large deposits of rare earth metals. Think solar panels, computer chips, etc. Not a lot of other options?
And he wants to go back to “normal international rules”. Is he really that stupid???
No. He really wants to control one of the world's largest Lithium deposits.
See my other comment above yours.
... other rare minerals, water and fertile soils too, from what I hear ...
Perhaps this question could be put before Putin: "Which would you rather deal with, economic sanctions, or NATO troops in Ukraine?".
Steve, what about a trio -- economic sanctions, NATO troops and more planes for Ukraine? Let's not leave it up to Putin, okay?
Well said! Thank you!
"Possibly eager to show their participation in Ukraine’s defense, when Zelensky spoke to Congress this morning, two Republican senators—Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Steve Daines (R-MT)—shared screenshots of his Zoom call while it was going on, despite the explicit request of Ukraine’s ambassador not to share details of the meeting until it was over, out of concern for Zelensky’s safety."
It boggles the mind how we continue to see Repugnants switch positions so seamlessly, AND, at the same time, manage to put their feet in the situation -- in this case, endangering the life of the person they are supposedly supporting!
Thank you, Heather for your incredibly poignant letter revealing such important intellectual analyses of the war, not to mention the updates. Your assessments on the home front and abroad are more exceptional by the day!
Marco Rubio is showing beads of sweat on his forehead regarding upcoming election. Adopting totally false, blustering trumpian attitudes to bolster support as a “tough” candidate. Could not be further from the truth. Support Val Demings. She is the tough American in this race. Will be an exceptional Senator.
https://www.emilyslist.org/candidates/val-demings-22
She is one I have targeted for support to make Trojan horses irrelevant.
Everyone needs to start hammering him on his Twitter
Twitter was absolutely lit up last night blasting away at both Senators for their attempts to “appear” tough on Putin! Rubio was really getting the worst of it. Was fun to help spread the criticism. I’m also going to make a small gift to Val Demings today. Florida would be very well served with her in the Senate!
Oh we do. In fact, IDK why these Repugnants even tweet their misdeeds, because the following comments are mostly detractors like me taking them to task for it. They really are dense. On this issue I replied to Rubio that he confirmed my suspicions that he is a Russian Asset.
I plan to do just that....asking him if he's a "Putin puppet"
I already did.....
100% agree - Val Demings gets the job!!
Yes… support Val Demings.
Absolutely Val! She is breathing down his neck! She is ready.
Christine, who is running against DeSantis? I want him to go too.
BetsyC….Nikki Fried, current Commissioner of Agriculture, and Charlie Crist are two top Dem Candidates. My fervent wish is that they combine on one ticket.
I can barely listen to anything that Gov DeSantis speaks about. All tinged with sarcasm and vitriol against democracy. Yet, he considers himself a great patriot of the people. Not.
Another selfish and disrespectful move by Marco Rubio.
Yes Rowshan—the beat goes on with Repugnants doing what they’re good at —obstruction and hope for Trumpian bs—and Dr. Richardson pointing out the facts. Our minds are all boggled for sure with the plight of the good Ukrainian people who were just hoping they could keep on with their lives in their country. Instead they’re being massacred by an evil autocrat.
Morning Rowshan. Have not heard from Allen in past 24 hrs. Let’s send Light clearing a path on this Sunday for all people in Ukraine just getting out of the way of war’s bluster and bravado. Your comment regarding two-faced, meddling, weak, manipulative politicians is spot on. I loathe Rubio and his ilk.
United, Rowshan!
Good morning, Christine! I've been looking for his post, to no avail. Of course, we must send Light and Love to Allen, his family, and all people in living in Ukraine. United, indeed!
Yesterday, I went to a pro-Ukraine rally -- it was a small turnout, but moving and filled with heart. It felt good to turn up for our Ukrainian kin. It's one thing to support via invisible ways, and quite another to be there for those who still have family in Ukraine.
Detest Rubio, Cruz, Mitch etc etc
An apoplectic Putin is closeted in his antiseptic cocoon where he refuses to be within 60 feet of President Macron or his cabinet.
In sharp contrast, Russian soldiers, on his cockamamie Ukrainian venture, are being killed and captured by courageous Ukrainian patriots.
What a bizarre example of ‘heroic leadership.’ Putin is as phony a warrior as Bone Spur Trump.
I wish that Charlie Chaplin were alive today so that he could portray Putin with the same ridicule that he aimed at Hitler in THE GREAT DICTATOR.
Latest media shots of Putin show him at lunch with airline attendants; he must have seen a need to change his image.
All female attendants, too!
It was part of a celebration of the upcoming International Women's Day,
Kathy Perhaps Putin, with the flight attendants, was fantasying about Yeltsin, who was an alcoholic and a womanizer. There is a story, which might have been apocryphal, that President Yeltsin, on a long distance flight, was asked what he wanted for lunch. His reply “Could you bring me the names of the flight attendants?”
Can you be absolutely sure that this is not true? As for Putin, another fantasy.
Kathy What a heartwarming contrast—Putin with flight attendants and Kezensky, unshaven and flat out exhausted, exhorting the world to provide guns and planes to enable Ukrainian patriots to resist Putin’s bloody invasion of his country.
“Killer Putin meets with female airline attendants” certainly reveals where his head is, while thousands are dying and millions are evacuating Ukraine. Stalin would be proud of Putrid Putin’s absence of a sense of humanity.
...or not afraid they will be the ones to take him out ......
Keith, I appreciate the texture and imagery in this piece.
Putin and members of the GOP are discovering the truth of the adage about “the best laid plans of mice and men.”. Lest the rest of the world grow complacent in the face of Putin’s seeming incompetence regarding Ukraine, we must remember that a cornered rat it at its most dangerous. Now is the time the strengthen our support of Ukraine through tightening sanctions, military hardware and humanitarian aid. And if the GOP is mortally crippled as a result it’s support of Putin, I will not shed a single tear.
All we're going to have to do this fall is run ads with Trump saying nice things about Putin to defeat them. I really don't think they're going to win, and when they don't, the blood on the floor is going to be neck deep at their conclave.
And the Republicans not voting to impeach him
TC, that's so.... utopian! Worth a smile on a dreary winter Sunday.
My dream in Tx
Beto O’Rourke Easily Wins Democratic Governor Primary in Texas
"Beto O’Rourke Easily Wins Democratic Governor Primary in Texas. O’Rourke, 49, had received 92% of votes in the primary race Tuesday, according to a partial count tabulated by the Associated Press. He faced four challengers, none of whom received more than 3% support, according to the early tallies."
https://betoorourke.com
... sweet dreams!!
What a sweet dream indeed—Beto takes Texas!
Unfortunately, that's the Democratic primary. Rec'd email from Beto's campaign which informed that Beto is down 10 points against Abbott. Checked online polls, all showed Abbot with substantial point lead with UT/TX Tribune at Abbott +10. It's going to be a steep uphill battle for Beto.
Robbie Burns strikes again! Scots solidarity with Ukraine while they face their equivalent of the English invading foe.
A terrible tragedy unfolding. The ego and obsession of one man threatening the world, never mind potentially reducing a country to rubble. There is one element of the wonderfully positive reactions to help and support Ukraine and the desperate refugees that troubles me - dare I say it is because they "look like us"? Afghanistan is literally dying before our eyes, famine in the Yemen, the catastrophe of Syria.... so much else. These are situations caused by people, by massive, evil egos.
That was posted in a newspaper some where. I recoiled. Absolutely not. My hope is that the U.S. and the rest of the free world will begin using economic sanctions elsewhere as they are here. We spent years and billions of dollars, and loss of American lives in the middle east. It was a lost cause. The difference here is that the people themselves want democracy and will fight for it.
Or maybe the need for a leader like Zelensky in Afghanistan? Or perhaps it’s too difficult to know who’s on your side? Plenty of people willing to and did fight for democracy.
Thanks, Constantine, for bringing light to the dire plight of victims of the other autocratic rulers in this world :-(
It was also intended as a warning about megalomaniacs....
Thank you, Professor Richardson. FYI, I've sent your interview with President Biden to just about everyone I know.
I'm a bit feeble with computers. Mr. Dooley, or anyone, how do I get that wonderful interview moved so I can send it to my friends and to my FB account?
You can copy the link at the top of the page that contains the interview and paste it into your emails or FB.
This is the link: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/interview-with-president-biden?s=r
Thanks
There should be a share option you can use. Options will come up, and select which option you want. For more detailed steps, Google it - search “how to share a YouTube video”. Hope that helps.
Thanks
Simply go to the Youtube page (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6Ks3BnFymQ) and click on the "Share" option... or copy the Youtube address and post it in your email and/or Facebook post.
Thanks
Dr. Richardson: I think this is one of our most important letters, at least for me. It completely captures the WHY of how Putin and Trump became the moral center of Christianity in the far right in the United States.
I knew that evangelicals were travelling to Russia at puzzling rate for the last 15 years. But, I never understood why until very, very recently, just the last two days. Why Russia?? Your writing completely clears it up for me.
The Russian state sponsors Orthodox Christianity under Putin. So, evangelicals confuse this state sponsorship with morality and support Putin instead of understanding that Orthodoxy in Russia is just a random outcome of history of Christianity and its adoption and growth mostly associated with Constantine's willingness to conquer land mass and his own conversion to Christianity.
Now, in a truly zany moral thread: Putin supports Trump so? Evangelicals support Trump AND Putin.
This totally irrational thought pathway for evangelicals TRULY defines the threat that growing up in belief space rather than being taught analytical analysis and questioning presents.
Thomas Jefferson routinely wrote about how important education was in maintaining Democracy.
Now? We can see how irrational, belief oriented thinking can push our Democracy to the edge.
Again, thank you for a crystal clear connection between Putin, Trump, Russia and and evangelicals.
I am utterly astonished at the path by which evangelicals have followed true evil and convinced themselves of that evil's "moral values".
True corruption of the message of the sermon on the mount. Agape I am today.
Mike, thank you. The conceptualization of "growing up in belief space" and how it overpowers any rational or analytic thought and prevents questioning of whatever is being presented sheds light on why these folks are immune to facts and reason.
Jesus? What relevance does he have to “Christian” moral values? Those have to do primarily with sex. Why is that? He said very little about that except for telling people to refrain from stoning to death a WOMAN taken in adultery, reflect on your own sins first.
Ha! Ha! I became suspicious when the Texas Rangers went (en masse) to Russia for “a seminar” in 2014.
I am in conversations with people in Ukraine and was able to post this there for the Ukrainians and others to see because many believe that the West is not helping them. Thank you amazing woman for constantly giving us the right information to share around the world. So many are angry that America and NATO are helping Ukraine but never helped their countries. Somehow all of this needs to be addressed. To witness Yemen. Afghanistan. Other countries where the people feel that we have turned our backs on them.....
I read in an article yesterday that ordinary citizens are buying AirBnB rooms in Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine that they never intend to stay in, just to get a little money to the people there. What a fantastic, modern day, grassroots war effort! If you deside to do it (I did, I'm spending 3 nights is an adorable little apartment right now...lol), just make sure the Host is a person and not a company.
You might want to rethink this:
Rebecca Solnit has a few thoughts on this.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159675533915552&id=559835551
thank you for introducing an opposing view. Sorry I cannot read the article as I do not use FB
Besides not liking AirBnB, she points out that without electricity, electronic transfers don't get through nor are ATMs available. A better way to help is through organizations such as UNICEF, doctors without borders, Red Cross, etc.
That's my take aways!
Great idea! Thanks for sharing it, Jenne!
Thanks for the additional tip, too. I tried this yesterday but was nervous about sending money to a “person” called City. I will try again and look for a name.
I prefer donations to established charitable organizations already active in Ukraine, some with a religious base. The Joint Distribution Committee (Jewish) and Caritas Internationalis (Roman Catholic) are two which have 'boots on the ground' there.
I ended up sending money to the Airbnb.org to help pay for refugee short term housing.
It is such a volatile moment. The US must resist at all costs direct engagement, which would give Putin the legitimacy he needs back in Russia for his unpopular invasion. Once our jets enter Ukrainian airspace, we lose the ability to drive a wedge between Putin and the Russian public.
Historically any war kills the innocent while the organizers stay safely behind the lines arranging how to profit from the manufacturing of the supplies delivered to the young sacrificed patriotic victims. Nothing about war ever has changed except the efficiency of the tools used by the soldiers to kill one another.
The definition of war. This reminds me so much of March 2003
That is exactly correct.
JP, so unfortunately true...
Too true.
Some criticism of our Ukraine policy claims that we limited what we had been doing in terms of military aid to protect that nation from Russia (just as Henry Kissinger had capped military aid to Israel to 'just enough') thereby encouraging Putin's military attack. Even today, we correctly oppose the 'no-fly-zone' that Zelenskyy wants since, in enforcing it, the danger of direct conflict between American resources with those of Russia would risk igniting a nuclear World War Three. Zelenskyy responds that World War Three has already started, in Ukraine. Western democracy has to do better for Ukraine than what it did for Spain in 1938, but the danger of nuclear war limits options.
Jack, all true. It may be, as Zelensky and many others have suggested, that WWIII has begun -- but it is not nuclear war yet. And Joe Biden with NATO are trying to keep it that way, with the hopes of all rational humans upon them. We must agonize over the suffering of an innocent population, in order to avoid the annihilation of potential billions of humans. It is that simple.
Do all you can do: Support our President, send prayers, send courage, send Light, and maintain your hearts and humanity.-- it probably will get much, much worse.
So true! I think that, all along, Putin has been looking for “justifications” for starting a war with the West.
I believe that Vladimir Putin calculated that, through his unwitting (witless?) agent Donald Trump, he had divided and weakened the US and NATO to the point where he could begin to re-assemble the Soviet Union and no one could stop him.
Not only was Putin wrong, his misadventure into Ukraine has undone the real damage to the US and NATO body politic done by the former president. There is determined unity across the US/NATO political spectrum except of course for the hapless US Republican Party who, having long ago abandoned any kind of platform, have, at this point, nothing to stand on.
Erdogan will tell Putin to stop Ukraine war in call on Sunday - spokesman
https://www.reuters.com/world/turkeys-erdogan-speak-russias-putin-sunday-spokesman-2022-03-05/
But will Putin listen?
Putin has put himself into a position where he has no face-saving way to back out. That makes him very dangerous.
Hi Ralph. Not sure - Erdogan isn't exactly part of the Western European coalition, is he? I wonder - is this just Putin, or is it also the old guard contingent that uses him and his ego to front for their agenda? Fiona Hill says those people are the ones Putin has to worry about ... who really runs this show?
And I wonder if you know ... what would we find if we looked a few hundred feet under the Kremlin? It feels to me like the docking station for the "mother ship" ... is that too far-fetched?
“He’s Not The Superman We Think Of” - Fiona Hill On Vladimir Putin
https://www.facebook.com/colbertlateshow/videos/hes-not-the-superman-we-think-of-fiona-hill-on-vladimir-putin/4896504940463275/
Hello, Kathleen.
Every space alien I know has assured me that Putin is an Earth-born homo sapien who, like many other humans of his character, placed too much faith in his own judgement.
☺️😊☺️ ... so then, he must have an Achilles heel - somewhere in his gut ... or some piece within that would welcome release from the prison of static, stubborn pride ... maybe Erdogan can get through to him ... I have a feeling none of these challenges are about one person only ....
... and, if there is a child heart still beating in Putin, Erdogan would be like a father figure - the foundation of love and respect could unlock the door to peace more than sanctions and opposition ever could ....
Ralph, so very true and well-put, as usual. Thanks!
"Trump when he withheld $391 million in aid for Ukraine that Congress had appropriated"
Could it be that trump knew that Russia wanted Ukraine, or that trump knew beforehand some Putin's plans, and withheld it for that reason? Disbanding NATO also would have served Putin's goals.
Also, a bombed out Ukraine would provide ripe grounds for investment in real estate and construction - maybe a way to offset some of his debts to new age oiligarchs looking for lucrative opportunities to expand their wealth ...?
Helsinki knows
Sharply put!
Thanks, as always, Heather. I apologize that I still haven't had time to watch your interview with the President (been proofreading a book, sorry). Wow, this piece reminds me of another thing remiss: I only selectively view media these days (you, Nextdraft, 1440, bits and pieces of FP, Economist, etc) and somehow Doug MacGregor going off the rails had totally escaped my notice these past few years. Disclosure: I was one of the passionate readers of Breaking the Phalanx back in the day (circa 1998), and full-on in my criticism of Army leadership (it remains, but I'm also not current anymore AND former peers of mine are now 2-Star generals). But wow, to read MacGregor's foreign policy comments...geez--stick to tactics, man. He's become the military version of Rudy Giuliani. Look, he was ALWAYS a bit of a self-promoter, but... people should understand that, in the late 90s this guy was mentioned in the same breath as H.R. McMaster...wow, what a fall (proof of this: his ambassadorial nom was simply returned. That speaks volumes). And proof that you can be intelligent, articulate, successful...and be an absolute crackpot too. His comments about Ukraine and Zelensky are not only, at best, a slanted assessment...they suggest a simple lack of understanding what's even going on there; they are lazy too. Sad, very sad.
McMaster's dropped a peg or two, proving that "Everything Trump touches, dies."
When I read his "masterful book" on Vietnam as research for my two books on the war, I was singularly unimpressed by it; most everything he went on about I had read in serious antiwar critiques written DURING THE EVENT. In the end I didn't use anything from it, since everything had been better said by others earlier. At best, that book qualifies as a "Master's thesis" at some "military history department" in an online "university." If that's something revolutionary, you Ringknockers have a long way to go. I've actually heard a couple guys who formerly had stars on their shoulders say the same things I have said here.
I had to look up "ring knockers," a term I'd never heard before. It refers to US military academy grads who call attention to their status by gently rapping their big, bold class rings against a hard surface in social situations. "They never shy away from bragging about their time at the academy" -- Eric Milzarski, www.wearethemighty.com
Thank you, I was planning to look that term up as well, when I finished reading the comments on this thread. Valuable time saved for research on other items of interest or in question! Dr. Richardson's LFAA and the ensuing comments never fail to inform, with links to articles and citations from books that go one my "To be Read" list. Always more to learn!! Always!
Well, I think McMasters, perhaps less capably than Mattis--but still-commendably, did the best he could as NSA in what we all know now was a 100% hopeless situation. Ring-knocker? I guess. Find me any general--or any high-level leader at all--who doesn't have an ego...but I never heard HR talk about the academy either. Anyway, I actually agree on the Vietnam analysis...but that's not the thing that got him notoriety. What did were the in-house critiques and assessments that were far more specific, and forward-looking ideas for the force. His assessments 14 years ago of where the Russians were going turned out to be spot-on when they invaded Crimea. My uncle--the second-most well-read human I've ever known (to Mattis. Mattis has 11k books and has read them all. I'm not kidding), worked with HR for about 2 years before he left to the White House and had only good things to say about him--and my uncle is notoriously critical of almost everyone. So...I guess my point is, it's almost universally-easy to take shots at these guys once they reach public status. Is H.R. McMaster a "genius?" No, I don't believe so. But within the incredibly conservative, intransigent bureaucracy known as the U.S. Army, he was able to find a balance between between outspoken maverick...and rising high enough to actually MAKE a difference (I believe he did)--and yes, I had a friend in 1998 who got into a full-out email FEUD with him about "selling out," (part of an anti-Boomer op-ed I'm writing right now AMAF)--so it's not a "pure" thing either. Yet, I still think he did more good than harm, by a lot. And he certainly never disgraced himself like MacGregor has.
That's interesting about the rest of HR's C.V. Thanks for pointing out. Glad to know we agree about the Vietnam analysis. You might find "The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club: Naval Aviation in the Vietnam War" of interest. It even includes how the "North Vietnamese torpedo boats" at Tonkin Gulf were actually the reflections of the moon and the lightning flashes off an enormous school of flying fish that annually transit the Gulf at that time of year; LBJ was actually the only guy who got it right when he said - on being first informed of the "incident" - that "... Those poor dumb sailors were probably shooting at flying fish."
Mattis and your dad had a close competitor - Dick Best, the guy who sank the Akagi at Midway. The living room of his house here in L.A. was two stories high, and lined with book shelves to the ceiling on all four walls. And he'd read them all.
If you haven't yet watched her interview with President Biden, I urge you to find 30 minutes to do so. I finally did last night and plan to watch again.
Thank you Heather.
As always, thank you for your succinct distillation of what’s afoot here and abroad. You educate as well as inform me - and that’s so very helpful because it’s important for me to be an advocate for democracy and good governance.
And now I trust that, like me, you’re done for the day. Thank you again for your good service to US.