Some days, it really is like living in an episode of the Twilight Zone. America as we know it was canceled that fateful day in November 2016, when Russia successfully installed Donald Trump into the American presidency. In the twenty months that followed, Vladimir Putin has already gotten his money’s worth out of Trump. Trump has enraged America’s oldest allies. NATO has been weakened. Putin can do whatever he wants in the Middle East and Eastern Europe with no consequences. Trump regularly sells out American interests to further Putin’s goals. None of this is surprising anymore.
The Helsinki summit was dubbed the Treason Summit for good reason, because Trump and his people have committed treason with every breath they’ve taken in the past two years. The summit was a barely-veiled cover for a Russian dictator and handler meeting with one of his most valuable assets. If you can handle it, just watch a few minutes of the dual press conference from Putin and Trump:
What’s remarkable, to me, is not that Trump was so flagrant in his treason, so openly a traitor. What’s remarkable is that people had the audacity to act SHOCKED! So shocking, who could have ever foreseen that Trump would behave like Putin’s lackey, his lap-dog, his puppet? But Her Emails told us, remember? But her emails, which were hacked by Russian operatives at Trump’s public request. Anderson Cooper is getting a lot of credit for calling this what it was: disgraceful.
Suddenly, honest-to-God congressional Republicans were SUPER SURPRISED that all of this treason just now started happening! They couldn’t issue statements fast enough! James Comey’s statement is especially rage-inducing.
This was the day an American president stood on foreign soil next to a murderous lying thug and refused to back his own country. Patriots need to stand up and reject the behavior of this president.
— James Comey (@Comey) July 16, 2018
My statement on today's summit in Helsinki. pic.twitter.com/WSxFGDKMau
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) July 16, 2018
Today’s press conference in #Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.
My full statement on the #HelsinkiSummit: https://t.co/lApjctZyZl
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) July 16, 2018
Paul Ryan’s statement. pic.twitter.com/j5doFcTZ1S
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) July 16, 2018
Paul Ryan is such a douche, my God. I hate to say this though, but Speaker Ryan said more about this than Rand Paul, who apparently lost his friggin’ mind live on CNN as he defended Trump and Putin. So… now we know the Russians have sh-t on Rand Paul.
Damn. Wolf Blitzer is calling Rand Paul out for defending Trump’s un-American defense of Putin today. pic.twitter.com/3T6gkG0n9h
— John Aravosis (@aravosis) July 16, 2018
So, what do you make of this horrible and SHOCKING turn of events? Eh.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
None of it surprised me. In fact I’m surprised that people were surprised.
I think literally half of America has not been paying attention. This is the way the idiot media starts the new fall programming. It’s the teaser trailer for the stupids who say things like “I don’t really pay attention to politics.”
ITA about people not paying attention. After all, Russia didn’t hack the election by interfering with the votes after they had been cast — they did it by convincing idiots to vote for Trump! If people had been paying attention and using their critical faculties, Russia couldn’t have swung the election.
@ Mariposa… exactly. Russia targeted key segments in swing states and either people didn’t bother voting or they voted for Trump based on false propaganda…much like what they do in Russia for Putin. That’s how people were conned. Facebook was key in this if you want to look at how it was done.
The majority of Russia’s hitjob relied on a healthy dose of what make America so special: white folks’s out of control racism. I don’t think people were conned, they wanted to vote for a racist as a payback for the Obama’s presidency.
@Mariposa – I will never not believe that the Russians switched votes. They hacked into every state’s voter database, attempted to hack voting machines (the official line on this being that they were just “testing” what they could do) and they stole 500,000 Americans’ voting data. I doubt they went to all that trouble and didn’t switch votes as needed. Everyone makes much of the fact that across the country we have disparate voting machines, some of which aren’t online during the voting process, but in the microtargeting that Cambridge Analytica had on us and that they appear to have given to Russia, they didn’t need to do every state, every locality – they needed only to do the states they needed.
Also I like your screen name. The Mariposa was the transport ship my malaria-ridden grandfather took back from World War II.
@kate – it was way more precise than that. Yes, there are too many racists in America, but they were very precise in how they targeted people, and racism isn’t the main button for a lot of people. They microtargeted ads on Facebook to a person, so if you happened to be a middle aged white man who is genuinely pretty open minded about race but hate women – voila, an ad that subtly reinforces your misogynistic beliefs about Hillary.
It wasn’t just the Russia targeting key swing states, it’s that the Russians knew exactly where to target because they didn’t just hack John Podesta’s emails, they hacked DNC analytics, which told them exactly where to go. They stole the playbook, it’s detailed in the indictments from Friday. Does it seem strange to anyone that Brad Parscale went from being a guy who designed websites for Trump resorts to his 2020 campaign manager. He was hailed after the election as the guy who knew exactly where to target, exactly what areas to pinpoint for Trump to thread the needle. He sent Melania to the Philadelphia suburbs the day before the election, which everyone dismissed as a waste of time and resources, but he was right. Where did Brad Parscale the web designer get this brilliant intuition on just where to hit? This goes way beyond just influencing voters.
The other thing the FB ads achieved was that people shared them and then all that person’s followers were exposed to a personal endorsement of Trump or rebuke of Hillary. I remember seeing this happen in real time, especially the crazy anti Hillary stuff, and becoming really panicked that Trump might win.
@ Betsy.. considering the margin of victory in Michigan & Wisconsin was razor thin… maybe but switching votes is hard to do without leaving a trail. There are far easier ways to sway an election..which they did..the false propaganda ads. It worked, sadly enough.
I agree with kate. This election was based on stoking racism and white privilege. That was what Russia did. They tapped into the American psyche and our refusal to deal with bigotry and racism courageously and honestly. Our society blames the minority for asking for respect and basic rights and coins phrases like “race card”. If you say this phrase knock it off or you are complicit.
Yes, they targeted certain populations but then they dog whistled and supported people’s latent racism and bigotry. It was about culture wars and a pushback against the inevitable changing demographics and progression. They took away people’s shame at admitting certain thoughts and harbored feelings and made them feel proud and feel free to “keep it real”.
MAGA. What is that about except that?
Perhaps those who aren’t minorities don’t see it because they never had to. They haven’t dealt with being “other” in some way shape or form so it can seem nuanced. Those of us who have dealt with snide side remarks and insensitivity we hear the unsaid words and we interpret benign seeming language very differently.
@Betsy, oh I agree that the microtargeting is suspicious as h*ll (thanks Facebook and Cambridge Analytica!) but I really don’t want us to forget how much racism played a part in the mess we are currently in.
The media and so-called progressives spend a year talking about economic anxiety instead of racism to excuse Trumpsters’ despicable vote, and I do not want to see economic anxiety be replaced by “Russia made me do it”. Russia played into their fears and bigotry, and helped grow something that was already there, but they did not plant the seed, as far as I know.
Absolutely spot on, everyone, but, God Almighty, when is it going to end? When is he going to be finished?
@Purplehazeforever, switching votes without leaving a paper trail is not easy… unless you have officials willing to delete their state’s election data, when confronted to a lawsuit, as it was the case in Georgia. I do not put anything past these GOP “leaders”.
There are two parallel universes in America.
Those who live in the Trump/Fox universe aren’t even heard the basic facts that have emerged in the last twelve months.
It’s a major challenge for all of our democracies: how to dig us out of our self-reinforcing Twitter and Facebook feeds and back into a world where, whatever our opinions, they’re built on common agreed objective facts.
I know! How is anyone shocked? This is so in character.
I think this fake shock by the media and Republicans is dangerous. Stop acting like you didn’t know exactly what was going to happen. Trump has been saying and tweeting the same thing he said at the press conference for two years. So I agree that if you’re outraged by this, you haven’t been paying attention. And now all of this “disappointing” and “deeply troubled” comments have become the new “thoughts and prayers” after a mass shooting.
Nothing is going to change. By the end of the week, we’ll all be outraged by something else.
Agree, by Thursday, this will blow over and the fake hand wringing about something else will begin. So sick of it all.
Yes. Haven’t we known he was the Moscovian Candidate since 2015? Putin loathes America with every fiber of his being and has some valid reasons for it. We like to think he is popular in Russia solely because he is bullying thug but it is also because he is serving the West our asses on a platter. A lot of Russians and others around the world feel like we had this coming.
So it will get worse. And the GOP will do nothing.
It doesn’t mean we don’t do things to fight against it.
This Republic OMGing is so disgraceful and dishonest. They don’t care. When will the media stop pretending to not know why? WE KNOW WHY.
As far as I know, Bankrupcy Batista’s collusion and treason is a proven fact now.
But once we are done with the who knew what and who did what in 2016, I want us to look into the MSM’s behavior troughout the campaign and now during this presidential term. Shameful does not even begin to describe what they are doing.
Not only are they unable and unwilling to do their job of investigation and reporting news, but they mock and harass those who are willing to.
Sarah Kendzior for exemple is often mocked by NYT “journalists” when she connects the dot on Sweet Potato Saddam’s mob ties and money laudering. Half of the time, she is using past stories from the very same NYT!
What is happening? Why is the press so complicit? Dear M. Habberman’s mom workef for the Kushner family. Who is next? Who has ties to this shameful administration and is hiiding it?
Twinkle twinkle little czar
Putin put you where you are…
#Traitor
I’m not surprised. Just horrified at the rapidity with which democracies collapse.
I use to believe it was impossible for democracies to collapse so fast but then Erdogan and Turkey happened and I got really worried. I know that they are many differences and that the American democracy is older but what’s happening in Turkey should alarm us.
Erdigan and Dump fist-bumped each other the other day by the way.
What Germany taught us is that for a democracy to collabse it doesn’t just need a brutal dictactor and his cronies, it needs millions of “good people” to look the other way and say “Remember, he vowed to make our country great again. Let’s trust him.”.
Yep.
Rand Paul is going to Russia next month, btw….no joke.
Wonder what he sold and told to Putin to get his property deals approved by Putin – he WILL have sold the USA to Russia to line his pockets with all the silver pieces he could get. The 2 hour private meeting just between the 2 of them should scare the sh!t out of everyone, EVERYONE!!!
He do not care about the country, only what he can bleed from it – his base will lick all this up and he think he’s untouchable, he’s gotten away with it all his life and thinks that he can pardon himself. Please please indict him before he starts WWIII and kills us all jus so he can get his hotels all over Russia.
I wonder if the intell community will ‘leak’ damaging footage of him again. He’s sold them out to a KGB thug.
Part of my wishes someone bugged the private meeting. Like an acting third party.
I have secretly been wish that as well.
Trump’s interpreter at that meeting works/worked for the State department. A news article was debating the merits of a subpoena for her from Mueller.
Unfortunately this is not going to get Congress to do anything. They’re acting shocked to help boost Republican chances in the fall. Most of what I have read is that most won’t speak out against Trump and the ones that are really speaking out have nothing to lose. Pretty words mean nothing. Actions will speak louder than words.
They’re afraid that is they speak out against him, he will take his cultish fan club and start his own party…….which is actually very likely. As far as I can see, there is simply no way that both democracy and the Republican party can survive as is in the U.S., so they are all choosing party over country.
Trump already has his own party and it’s called the GOP. He’s totally taken control and usurped it…..he owns it lock, stock and barrel. For people who consider themselves Republican but don’t support Trump it would be better to become an Independent.
Some people are switching to Independent…maybe after yesterday more will defect. The Never Trumpers? I don’t know..over the past two years I have seen a few defections from the Republican party.
The Never Trumpers are cute and all, but they tolerated the likes of Sarah Palin and the whole Tea Party’s racist shenanigans. They can shove it.
This noise started with Nixon. The dots connect the players but the effing MSM refuses to report on it.
Many of the Republicans are issuing statements that are anti-Russia but not condemning or mentioning Trump. In other words, they’re still publicly backing Trump.
That press conference basically proves that Putin has a truckload of dirt on 45. The question is what does he have on 45( it is bigger than any pee tape)?
Did anyone watch Chris Wallace interview Putin? Putin is always in control, nothing ruffles him. It is rather scary to watch.
Wonder what skeletons Rand Paul has in his closet?
Yes, he laundered money for them for two decades. Plus the twitterers I read insist that the kompromat tapes, plural, are real and have nothing to do with urine. They are far darker. So go darker. Much darker.
My husband guesses it to be a tape of him with Ivanka or an Ivanka lookalike.
That’s how conspiracy theories get started. I despise Trump but random twitterers can make up anything.
That wouldn’t bother his voters at all..only if it’s him and a donnie Jr. lookalike..meanwhile, the phoney repub ‘shock’ is getting old–how many times have they pulled this s*#t already? They’ll all put on their kneepads and scurry back..
There is also the alleged footage of him beating the crap out of Melania in a elevator that TMZ helped cover up. So yeah, I would add video tapes of him physically abusing women to that long list, plus I wouldn’t be surprised if there was evidence of some dark involving him and Ivanka.
@Zip – I’ve read the publicly available accusations by the then 13 year old against Donald, know that he’s friends with Jeffrey Epstein, defends every sexual assaulter and brags of himself, and seen the grody pictures of him with Ivanka. It doesn’t strain credibility to think perhaps he gets up to some dark stuff. Kompromat is Russia’s stock in trade.
Ivanka’s been quiet lately, hasn’t she?
Lilacflowers, any sense of what’s up with Princess Nagini?
Hudson’s Bay Co. (Canada) finally started phasing out her wares. Cannot for the life of me come up with a reason why Canadian women would not buy from a Trump. LOL.
@WhoAREThesePeople, no, Nagini has NOT been quiet. She has been very busy on Twitter blaming American workers for their own unemployment because, in her propaganda, they choose to be on the sidelines instead of participating. She is also spending loads of our money promoting herself as the savior of working families with her “paid parental leave” policy, which is a multipronged attack on Social Security and the Family & Medical Leave Act disguised as a benefit and attacking Democrats for pushing a plan different from hers. Nagini’s plan – married couples will be able to get “paid” for leave for a newborn but that “pay” comes from Social Security and they will have to delay retirement to make up for it at the end of their careers. Note: married couples and newborn. Her plan obliterates the existing unpaid family and medical leave, which is available for workers to take time for their own serious illnesses without losing their jobs or to care for their five year old with leukemia or their teen with scoliosis or their spouse with MS or their grandmother with dementia. Nagini would wipe that out and allow companies to fire them but hey, you can use your social security for six week when you have a baby!
I mean, the unfamous pee pee tape is not some kind of conspiracy theory. It was directly alleged in the Steele dossier and so far, every part of the Dossier turned out to be true.
As for Ivanka, no need to go into conspiracy theories. We have decades of gross, widly inappropritate, PUBLIC statements directly from Trump who by his own admission, would have sex with her if he was not married (loooool, when has it ever stopped him?!). He also said that sex was something they had in common. And let’s not forget the way he was touching her, again in public, at the GOP convention. I have never seen any POTUS, Republican or Democrat, act that way with his daughter
@Betsy: I read and know all this stuff, too. It would not surprise me if there was an Ivanka tape as your husband guesses. Still, I would not throw around theories like this without proof and would not use unnamed twitter users insisting on something as a source. That’s something birthers do.
I think it is very very dark. There have always been rumors about him and how physically abusive he is and I think I brought it up before. It just feels nasty even typing about it.
I was told Complicity is actually afraid of him. Not to make her vile actions not her own. She has chosen to stay close and reap the financial benefits no matter what he does so she has to own that.
He has displayed very very violent behavior before. He was put in a military school for behaving violently as a child and there were whispers that they didn’t feel safe with him in the house. At military school, he was violent and went beyond bullying and seriously hurt people. He has hurt people who have worked for him and there were rumors that he mistreated people who worked in his homes.
His children have always cowered and acted terrified in his presence. Poor Barron just like he is living in pure misery. Ever see that clip of Tiffany voiding him kissing her. That was spontaneous and self protective.
If he is that way with his own family imagine how he is when given free reign over people who have no recourse or power. Putin knows this. So if you wanted to have someone in your power what better way than to feed their darkest appetites and then collect the evidence? I would think they have him raping people and beating up underage prostitutes. He punched a 13 child in the face and raped her so we know that but what else would be worse? Plenty.
It has been said Complicity traded sexual favors for his business deals. We know MT was a gift from an oligarch for doing shady mob business deals. (Again MSM where are you on the MT bio?) He used his modeling agency for human trafficking and the trafficked Russian would be models. They falsified passports and visas to do it. Lots of paths leading back to one place.
I believe it involves mob style behaviors, human trafficking, dark sex, and money.
@magnoliarose, you are again raising yet another important point, regarding Dump’s childhood. Why on earth was he even send to military school at such a young age?
There are litteraly hundreds of private schools all over Manhattan where he could have studied. If he was being a bit unruly, a stinch to some private boarding schools in New England would have been the solution. It’s the usual way. But a military school? Me think there was something else, smething terribly wrong with his behavior, even as a child, and that his parent felt the family was safer without him.
Magnolia, you hit on some stuff here that I definitely think is true, and overlooked too often. There are rumors that there’s an elevator tape of him beating Melania. This stuff is all rumors, but the body language we have witnessed…yes he’s abusive. I think he beats them. He beat his first wife and raped her, we KNOW this from her affidavit. People just don’t want to face this stuff.
Dump is an amoral psychopath so him being violent when he was younger and stronger shouldn’t be a surprise. There was a story of him slapping Jr in the face for not wearing a suit for a baseball game. That’s pretty minor, but that is what people feel comfortable talking about.
@zip – I am permitted to share theories.
@Nic, kate and Darla
I always think that if a person behaves terribly in front of an audience that what they are like behind closed doors has to be a nightmare. What we know and see is very bad. Some of the things I wrote have been written down by journalists before but the majority of it has disappeared. Other countries have written shocking things about him but those are gone too. Before the election is like someone just went through and axed a bunch of articles and old blogs.
@Betsy
Tbh, the only thing that would wake his base and supporters up at this point is if it was an Obama lookalike.
Steele seems right on the mark about everything else, so I would expect his reports of the nature of the tape to be accurate. I just don’t think it matters – Trump is shameless and also he could claim the tape was doctored. The Russians are known for doing just that.
Money laundering with Russian oligarchs is a given at this point. One of the idiot, ugly sons – either Don Jr or Reric – almost confessed it on video.
The existence of a tape of him with sex workers urinating on him is getting more and more likely altought I have a hard time understanding why Bankrupcy Batista is so worried about that. His supporters could explain away anything .
So, it could be something much darker than that. We know the Trumpsters don’t care about underage girls being molested (cc: all the white women who voted for Roy Moore) but what about underage BOYS. The GOP is by and large homophobic as h*ll and I don’t think they could forgive that.
They would have a hard time forgetting an incestuous tape as well, and we know how the Dump feel about Ivanka.
“The GOP is by and large homophobic as h*ll and I don’t think they could forgive that.”
Trump potentially being with underage boys has nothing to do with homosexuality.
But if your point is that the GOP is softer towards molesting underage girls versus molesting underage boys, then I would agree with you.
Sick f*cks that they are.
I know Kitten but will the MSM understand that? Will his voters? I don’t think so.
The assumption that homosexuality, sexual assault and pedophilia are linked is still disturbinly present in our society. Look at what Kevin Spacey did when he was accused.
I really think that him being caught with underage boys would upset his base way more than underage girls because of homophobia. There is a reason why we have the expression “dead girl or live boy”. A sexual scandal involving a boy is already a scandal in itself, whereas we have to add murder to the list if it’s with a girl.
I don’t necessarily think he needs to have some dark secret to hide…it is just one big “secret”: he’s been funded by Russia for close to two decades now and his wealth is all shell game of moving debt around.
McCain, Flake, Ryan, McConnell and the rest can all go straight to hell.
Faux republican outrage is just part of the daily news cycle.
Don’t forget Corker, Collins, Murkowski, and “Democrat” Joe Manchin.
Yup – with exception of McCain who I suppose has nothing left to lose, the other evils will continue to support him despite their statements now. Disgusting.
(Don’t get me wrong, McCain is the worst)
Most of their statements are only anti-Russia but still supporting or not mentioning Trump at all.
It took all of 30 minutes for the majority of Trump supporters to twist the narrative again to “Trump just wants peace, why wouldn’t he want to play nice with Putin if it achieves peace?” And “How was Obama ever tough on Putin?”
And Rand Paul kept doubling down on his defense of the whole treasonous sh^tshow, saying on PRS Newshour that we all suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome. I. can’t.
Rand Paul is hardcore compromised. His family’s foundation has been taking Russian money for a very long time. That money has some very, very strong ties.
His father, Ron Paul, is always on the RT television network, which pretends to be independent, but is just an arm of the Russian government. They are long-time sell outs to Russia.
Yeah, I was reading the Daily Fail (sad, I know – but it’s my guilty pleasure sometimes!) and all the commenters on the article about Trump meeting Putin was… surreal. Clearly all the Trump supporters were out in full force – all the highest upvoted comments were about how Trump is doing the country good, mending relations, etc. Insanity!
it is insanity. As I followed the” treason summit,” all I could feel was rage and dismay knowing that once again Teflon Don will escape any repercussions for his idiocy and corruption.
Yup! Those are the two new justifications that the Trumpies are trotting out.
I don’t even bother. If I feel like trolling them, I just ask them why they hate America so much or call them traitors to the country. Targeting their faux patriotism usually triggers them.
Is there anything Robert Mueller can do?
Serious question
No. Robert Mueller is not going to stop this. The only one who can stop this is Congress. However, the Republicans are too busy stuffing their pockets with tax cuts cash and the Democrats can’t stand up because they have no spine.
However, I will say that the arrest of Mariia Butina yesterday was interesting timing. I would watch this story.
The American people can stop this by walking out of their jobs and into the streets every single day going forward to cripple the economy. Every single day until Trump is removed and as many Republicans as possible resign in disgrace. Short of that … stop waiting for someone else to do the job. They’re not going to do the job. People do not understand the power that they have to make this happen.
Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck. They can’t just walk out of their jobs. It’s completely unreasonable to expect Americans to take to the streets everyday when most people are just trying to make a living and take care of themselves and their families. Not to mention the dangers of people of colors taking to the streets. What do you think the cops are going to do then?
I have to agree with Jenns. It is never going to happen that we will get each and every one of our 325 million citizens to commit to marching in the streets. People have families, jobs and daily responsibilities like caring for older relatives, etc.
Honestly, attending protests is a luxury that is not accessible to the average struggling American. When I march or protest, I am always hyper-aware of how lucky we are to be able to attend.
And as Jenns said: if that DID ever happen, our militarized police force would kick into gear and people would likely end up dead either from being trampled or shot, whatever. I actually think a massive protest like that would be catastrophic. All the open carry states would have their militia groups out in the streets carrying their military-grade rifles. It scares me to think about the level of violence that would result from a mass protest like that.
And honestly, people are relatively powerless here. There were protests in front of the White House last night. There have been protests all across the country almost every weekend since this guy was elected. I think protesting is a great way to feel like you are doing something–they are cathartic in a sense–but ultimately the protests haven’t changed anything. He is still there and the GOP is still insulating him.
Even with the ACA sit-ins. We managed to hold off an ACA repeal for 6-8 months or whatever but here we are again with the GOP talking about getting rid of Obamacare.
The people in power don’t care what Resisters think or want, they only care about Trump and Trump’s base AKA their constituents.
I know it’s hard for people to accept, but as long as the GOP is protecting Trump, all the protesting in the world won’t get him out of the Oval Office.
Everyone could do a one day protest. I understand all the arguments and I agree but people in desperate countries risk their lives in the hopes of democracy. It nearly ALWAYS comes down to the citizens taking the power back and feeling as if the fight is worth the cost.
It is BECAUSE we won’t give anything up to stop him that he keeps getting passes.
Peaceful protests only work if the people in power have a sense of shame or a conscience. He has neither. Those who support him and have power don’t. So nothing short of stunning them will get their attention.
Americans have never had to go through what people around the world have and do every single day just to have some slice of freedom.
Complete disruption is the only thing that will change this.
Yes but people risked their lives because they were desperate and had nothing to lose. Try convincing Americans that they are in that same state right now and I bet you would find that most disagree. People look around and see that the world is still humming along, they are still alive, healthy, and gainfully employed. Their perception is that life is still relatively good in the US compared to other countries.
Honestly, the largest protests we have ever seen have been in India and even then we are talking tens of millions of protesters, not hundreds of millions of protesters. Additionally, these countries are more homogeneous in terms of religion, culture etc. Part of the reason why we have Trump is because our country is so polarized. Even among the Left, there exists a wide spectrum of different opinions. Getting every American on the same page is no easy task.
But there have been one day protests. Look at the women’s march and the protest over families being separated. And yet kids are still in cages and Roe v. Wade is on the chopping block. Protests aren’t enough to change this. And let’s be honest, some people just don’t care about this enough to protest. As I stated above, Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. They have so many more concerns than Putin, Trump and Russia. The system is stacked against them. And they know that the people in power don’t give a sh*t.
@Kitten – I understand that Donald was given a warm welcome with bullhorns and much banging of pots and pans last night at 1600 Pennsylvania. So some folks are doing a great job picking up the fight.
I mean, that’s great, but bullhorns and pot /pans aren’t going to get him to resign. Or do anything, really.
I know what you all are saying. I think the key is the weekdays and maybe it is something like a large swath of people cancels their cable or millions don’t use their credit cards or debit cards or I don’t know something that can’t be traced to an individual. A day where no one buys gas en masse.
No Marshall Law can force anyone to do any of those things.
A day of a pure boycott of everything Koch brothers. Target the business interests of their supporters and donors.
There’s been a huge push to boycott Amazon because of the treatment of their employees. So what happened yesterday when it was time for Prime deals? The site crashed because so many people were trying access the site.
Remember this – a boycott won’t put a dent in the Koch brothers, or any of these corporate lords, pockets. And if there were repercussions, the only ones affect would be the minimum wage workers. This is the system that was created by the GOP. They want to make it impossible to fight against them. They do the exact same thing with the voter laws. And given that they’re about to take full control of the Supreme Court, this is unlikely to change anytime soon.
I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, but I think their needs to be a reality and a privilege check when it comes to the idea of protests and how much power the average American has at this point.
When you finally get sick and tired of being sick and tired, then that’s when change really happens. Just ask the people in Birmingham, Alabama who chose to walk and carpool for months instead of ride city buses until city busses were finally desegregated. The problem is that many people in the US are content with the status quo and have the attitude “as long as I got mine, I don’t care about anyone else and I’m not sticking my neck out to support/help anyone else.” Yes, this country is fractured and it’s getting worse by the day. But the majority of people in this country don’t like what’s happening and those are the people who need to band together….even if it’s for one hour out of one day. Folks have to raise their voices above the noise and chaos to be heard. I’m just thankful MLK never stopped or gave up because things just looked too impossible.
I have to disagree with you Jenns and agree with Islalund.
When Americans are fed up then perhaps things will get serious and make sacrifices. Fascism is allowed to take root because people argued the same reasons. It is when mass disruption happens and Americans decide it is worth it.
Any movement from the Suffragettes to Civil Rights was a success because people were willing to lose things to have their voices heard and they were determined. They risked their lives and they lost their lives.
If we don’t want to be under a dictatorship then it will take similar measures to make it NOT happen. The average American CAN do more than cowering in fear.
Other countries including in Europe take their strikes seriously and it works. These aren’t special or unusual people. They just take their collective power and remind those who pull strings that they are the real power and they have had enough.
Amazon Prime Day boycott was not very organized and Jeff Bezos isn’t a politician. In fact, 45 has gone after him because of the Washington Post so I just shrug at that failure.
What do I make of it? I posted Good morning, comrade in Russian on my facebook page today. It’s best to be prepared. That’s how nihilistic I’m feeling.
I have many theories on various parts of this mess and one of my theories for the GOP’s complicity is that when Russia hacked the RNC, they found email references to the GOP having stolen elections via Diebold and other voting machines for years. I would argue that this is why some of them on whom there probably isn’t much, if any, kompromat are still very much in line with acting on Russia’s behalf instead of America. If it were something comparatively piddly like taking Russian money – which they have, at least through the NRA – no one would bat an eyelash. So it must be something enormous to keep the entire party under their thumb,
Interesting theory. It would be naive to think that they did not hack the RNC as well.
I am sure they hacked the RNC as well and are blackmailing GOP officials with whatever depraved info they have found.
They hacked the RNC. Ryan was making noises that he was going to change the nominating rules prior to the convention in an effort to have a brokered convention that would shut Trump out. But a week before the convention, all rumors and noises and rule change plans stopped and Ryan was on board with Trump.
Very interesting, Betsy, and not something I had thought about….
Look at Scott Walker’s wins, especially during his recall. He squeaked that one out. And Thune in SD, that young guy in Georgia whose name escapes me momentarily (where the voting machines were put in the back of a volunteer’s car after Election Day but before the recount could be done) – there have been a number of elections that have all, mysteriously, bent Republican.
^^^I agree with you Betsy.
The reason your theory scares me so much, Betsy, is that it sounds so likely.
I just cannot think of another reason for so many of them to act so flagrantly against the will of the people, to support TREASON WITH RUSSIA. I fully believe that there is kompromat on some of them, especially for those GOPers who are in the closet (I don’t think it’s anything that liberals would consider bad – just male consenting adults.), but that doesn’t explain all of it. It doesn’t explain excusing treason.
The targeting and possible laundering of Russian money through the NRA and right wing Christian groups is giving me a speck of hope. Mueller, keep following the money.
I felt a little hopeful about this too.
Betsy – Your theory makes more sense than assuming all those people have skeletons in their personal closets damaging enough to go along mindlessly with Trump, even the ones who initially refused to do so. All signs point to the Republicans selectively hacking the vote counts since at least 2004, when the Diebold machines popped up everywhere with no ability for recounts. One Ohio precinct ended up with more votes for Bush than voters. A one-character typo in a simple vote-shifting program (intended to shift every tenth vote for Kerry to Bush) would explain that. People were reporting seeing their vote for Kerry shifted to Bush on the display just before leaving the booth, suggesting a flaw in such a vote-shifting program (either a timing error or a display error). Some Obama voters reported the same in 2008.
Exit polls no longer matched results. And the Nickelodeon kids election no longer picked the winner….
I lost faith in the voting system at that point and felt I was just going through the motions, results were predetermined. I suspected there might have been a built-in vulnerability in Diebold machines to make it easier, but there are other ways that also don’t require the machine to be connected to the net. The ballot has to be loaded and almost inevitably has been on the net at some point. But the bad actors can be at any level – local, state, national, or now international. They don’t need the net, malware can be introduced on the ballot itself via a usb stick that fits on a keychain. Do the machines themselves have USB ports? In any case, the technology for altering things inside a box has advanced considerably in the past decade.
The safest approach is paper ballots and mandatory hand recounts. Trying to secure machines against such attacks is practically a lost cause and the situation will continually shift. We know how to protect paper ballots and monitor hand recounts.
He was so tongue tied afraid of saying the wrong thing in front of his de facto boss… that Putin had to fed him lines and answers. Until finally Putin answered all his questions for him.
This was from the guy who could not shut up about everything else in front of everyone else.
Yes. Trump talks over everyone, he usually won’t allow anyone else to get a word in whether he understands the topic being discussed or not. So this was very telling
Yup. And although he towers over him by height, he was so small next to Putin. They both sat with their legs spread all gross. I also noticed dildo breath didn’t do his usual hand wrestle handshake. He knows tooty pooty could crush his hand with some other kraftiness. He emasculated the crap out of him.
Everyone in America will remember where they were when this evil man was a traitor to our country. He should be sued for the PTSD he is inflicting on us on a daily basis. What’s next? Handing over the Nuclear Football to Putin along with the codes to our nuclear arsenal?
*shudder*
I shudder as well. I’ve been depressed and sick to my stomach since yesterday.
Yeah, I’m going to take a hard pass from the Republican pearl clutching over this meet up between 45 and Big Daddy for the following reasons
1. The ties between 45 and Russia were known before the election.
2. McConnell had a chance to address this pre-election when Obama brought it up and he shut it down.
3. For all the tough talk, they’ve ignored any kind of actual action on said interference and attacked anyone who’s pursued it.
4. Most of them are equally complicit
After all the posturing dies down nothing is going to come from Treason Summit because in order for that to happen, a whole bunch of other people are going to be exposed and they are all prepared to sign the country over to Putin to prevent that from happening and he knows it.
Good God, we are so fucked.
I had the impression that Trump seemed intimidated, especially at the beginning of the press conference when he was just reading his BS from the paper. His body language and way of speaking was different than usual. It’s like Putin spent those 2 one-on-one hours showing Trump what he had on him.
Plus, Putin kills anyone who disagrees with him, so there’s that.
Putin is smarter than to kill high-level, foreign politicians. Many state leaders disagree with him and they are all still alive. Trump is more useful to him when he is not dead.
Trump’s unhinged fear of being poisoned may not just be paranoia…..
My jaw hit the floor when I watched this yesterday, but I’m honestly not surprised that Trump behaved so shamefully and weak. There is no doubt in my mind that Putin and Russia have something bigly damaging that they’re blackmailing Trump with.
Can someone with the legal knowledge explain to me how what he said yesterday is not treason? He sided with a foreign power instead of his own country and institutions? He is a traitor.
Norm Eisen flat out called it treason. Most people did. Because it was.
I don’t have legal experience but with Trump the goalposts keep getting moved. You can bet that Repubs would have called it treason had Obama pulled anything even remotely close to what Trump did yesterday.
That was 100% treason by a traitor, no other way to describe it
Technically, treason involves some aspect of war. It was definitely crimes against the US, which is the peace time version of treason.
Cyberwarfare – not war in the traditional sense – but this is the twenty first century with its technological advances – and this war can be just as destructive, perhaps more, than guns and bombs. Trump = Treason in my book.
I wrote but think I forgot to post it that the 12 indicted Russians were Russian Military Intelligence. War.
Sooooo an ignorant, out of control dumbass took a meeting with a trained kgb agent who has magically disappeared opposition for years, and were surprised trumpikins came out looking like a buffoon?
To be fair, Mcain and Mitt Romney have always criticised Trump. Ryan is an ass and so is Mconnell. America should ditch the Republicans in the midterms but I keep wondering why they are still winning elections despite Trump.
They win elections by cheating, just as they did with the presidential election. They win through gerrymandering, through voter restrictions such as too few polls/short hours/long times, through voter ID laws, through compromised voter registration and registration databases, through compromised electronic voting systems that lack paper trails, through focus on local and state elections that ensure all of the above, and so on. Pay attention! Seemingly minor figures such as a state’s Secretary of State can have massive influence over a national outcome.
Support local and state races and vote Every Single Time. This isn’t only about Donald Trump; this is about the Republican Party as every single level of governance.
Exactly! Scream this would you? 🙂
Thank you!!!
“If the right to vote didn’t matter, they wouldn’t be trying so hard to take it away.”
LOL!
https://twitter.com/MittRomney/status/965782061503062016
Don’t give people like McCain or Romney any credit.
Romney was ready to become Bankrupcy Batista’s Secretary of State? He does not deserve any kind of credit for anything. As for McCain, he has no excuse. He is well-liked by the DC political/media circus, he is DYING and he will not face any kind of repercussion for caucusing with Democrats, yet he is not doing anythig meaningful expect sad statements. It is useless and pathetic and shameful.
Black women, autharitarian regime specialists such as Sarah Kendzior, President Obama, HRC herself … We all told y’all that this would end in an unprecedented disaster. But her emails, but Bernie, but she’s unlikable, but we want an outsider … Y’all have an outsider all right, he’s so outside the USA, he is actually in freaking Russia.
And to all the so-called journalists who are acting surprised now but spent the better part of 2016 sharing stolen, hacked emails, even liveblogging them (Politico), without wondering where they were coming from, how they were obtained by Wikileaks, and why they were released, … a heratfelt f*ck you.
As a woman of color, I have to work really hard to contain my anger at times. I go days without watching media and and consuming anything related to politics. Because it pisses me off that people sit here now and act like no one saw this sh@t happening. People were so far up there asses, rolling in what about meism, and not thinking big picture and that’s how this piece of sh@t got elected. And even now, all the hand wringing and people not “following politics.” Problem is those with the least power and the most to lose, suffer the most. I’m just through with this country and it’s citizens.
Can In suggest imagining them picking up trash by the side of the road? It helps me sometimes.
Frankly, I do not understand how black people in general but the women in particular keep breathing. I think I have felt honest rage strokes on a daily to weekly basis (depending on how much attention i’m paying) since November 8, 2016. My hat is off to black culture.
Yes Kate. 100%
I love this comment. This is the 100% truth. There is a lot of blame to go around for the sh*tshow we find ourselves in.
Sarah kendzior has been on the money with this. I didn’t realize how much the GOP would cave to him, but they have. Butina’s indictment confirms that she met with GOP leaders and I am positive McConnell is dirty. Rorhbacher is certainly toast.
The only good thing about that summit was that now there is video for the world to see just how cowardly Dump is and how much he is beholden to Putin. Even Putin couldn’t believe just how submissive he was.
His macho America First rhetoric has been blasted away and while some of the trumpanzees will never change their minds, that visual of a weak snivelling US president is going to work on some of them.
Putin looked embarrassed FOR him.
He’s shaking things up don’t you see? *projectile vomit*
Poor Paul Ryan, if only there was something he could do. Oh, right, he could do his damn job! If he had ethics, morals, and love of country, and any integrity at all, he would have demanded Trump’s resignation yesterday with the provision that if he did not have that resignation within 24 hours, impeachment proceedings would start in the House immediately. But he didn’t. And please spare me the “spineless” rhetoric. Ryan has a spine. It takes courage to collect a paycheck while defiantly refusing to do the job he’s being paid to do. He lacks integrity,morals, ethics. His Washington phone line will be disconnected today. Call his Wisconsin office numbers; they’re available on his House website.
Mittens Romney is the king of the waffling flip flop and will be singing Trump’s praises by tomorrow.
They’re all trying to pin this on Obama. Even the NRA is out in force trying to pin this on Obama. Pin it right where it belongs on Mitch McConnell.
Truly a freaking miracle Paul Ryan can stand on his own when he does not have a f**king SPINE. The mind reeels.
Again, he HAS a spine. Saying he doesn’t gives him far too much credit. He has a spine. He has no morals, ethics, integrity or a conscience.
Ryan has to stay focused on his longtime goal of gutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The clock is ticking, and he can’t be pulled away from sneaking in those cuts while Tweetolini provides cover.
Anyone who has followed Trump over the years knows he has no ethics/morals, except to greed. IMO all of this is because Russia could break him financially, they pretty much own him, along with the Chinese oligarchs, just look at the sales transaction at many of his properties, etc.
Republicans in Congress have sold their souls, if they ever had one, to get their regressive to women and make the rich richer policies passed. They don’t give a fig about anything else but staying in DC, growing their power and control by just about any means necessary.
Yes I believe Putin intimated or even showed actual photos of Emperor Zero in Russia with the Algarovs (who were instrumental in getting a signed Trump Tower brokered in Russia).
Putin continues:
“Here is another photo of DT Jr with Maria Butina and Alex Torshin. And another at an NRA event….look who’s here. Here’s Jared and Kislyak at TT NY. Michael Flynn there too, da? This is Erik Prince in the Seychelles with us. This photo is Jeff Sessions with Kislyak. Here’s you and Lavrov and Kislyak in the Oval. Here’s the tape of that discussion.
Is this you with under-aged girls? Pity. Isn’t that Epstyn? Here’s Gorka, Manafort, and Eric Trump having meetings with us. Look. It’s Wilbur Ross actually money-laundering our money in Cypress. Say what I want and none of it will come out.”
My hope is that money crimes will be the ultimate downfall.
That sounds about right, Eric.
The predictable but still appalling display at the #TreasonSummit yesterday overshadowed another indictment, that of Maria Butina, a Russian gun rights activist with close links to the NRA.
In the related affidavit, it is written that she said the GOP would “likely obtain control over the U.S. government after the 2016 elections”.
This was in MARCH 2015.
Who, in MARCH 2015, tought the GOP had any chance to win the next presidential election. HRC had just announced she was running and was widely seen as the favorite to be the next POTUS. That a Russian operative was asserting with such confidence that the GOP was “likely to obtain control of the US gouvernement after the election” is alarming and constitutes yet another proof that there was a long-term plan to install Real Estate Hitler in the White House.
Last but not least, it also explains McConnell’s behavior with the Supreme Court vacancy. I always thought it was odd that he would let the seat vacant when everybody thought the next potus would be HRC or at the very least another Democrat. What was he going to do after she was elected? Refuse to hold hearings for the next four years? No, of course not. He knew he only needed to wait after the election, when a Republican would be “elected”. It’s mindblowing.
Sorry for the long comment but I think this kind of info is hugely important because it shows just how many people were likely implicated in that mess, way more than the inner Trump circle. If, as I am more and more convinced, other Replublican officials, were involved, it also explains their reluctance to stand up to Dump and do their goddam job of checks and balances.
McConnell was heavily compromised. The Supremes seat. The push back at Obama against taking action on Russia trying to influence the election. He was compensated by his wife getting a job in Trump’s administration.
There is so much overt corruption in this admin that I sometimes forget part of it. Indeed, the McConnells were heavily rewarded for their support.
Let’s not forget the third Mrs Gringrinch, whose main political claim is sleeping with a married congressman for six years and who is now serving as Ambassador to the Vatican, no less.
This all makes 100% sense to me. But if it is true……how on earth do you proceed? Its stage 4 cancer……only the most aggressive strategies stand a chance of working…..
I believe what you say is true. A lot of dirty hands. Who? Anyone trying to stop the investigation is corrupt and worried their evil plans will be revealed. I pray these investigators will get to the bottom of this mess.
That is chilling information. Thank you for bringing it to our attention, kate.
His supporters don’t care if he is compromised by Putin. They love Putin and want a similar dictator here. One that opresses ethnic and religious minorities and the lgbtq community and women. One that rigs elections so the outcome is foregone and white men stay in power forever. They pretend to love freedom but in reality hate liberty for anyone but themselves and those like them.
Not only do they hate liberty for anyone but themselves, but they are willing to have LESS libery if it means minorities are even MORE oppressed.
And one thing that is often overlooked with the whole Russia collusion is that, in many ways, Putin’s Russia is a dream state for Trump and his white supremacists voters. A predominantly white, Christian, authoritarian state with a supreme leader, who is overtly hostile towards the LGBTQ community and journalists. This is what they want for the US.
This is it, Aang. There are plenty of Putin supporters in the US who think a Trump-Putin run world is a good thing.
And that’s why nobody should expect “the others” to change their mind, to finally give up on him, or to abandon him.
The politicians, media, businesses, etc. will be with him until they no longer can get any profit.
That’s why nobody should wait for them, everybody has to keep resisting and fighting back.
Rand Paul, who has been mocked by Trump, is planning a trip to Russia in the next few months. It’s looking more and more like Republicans are now all being paid by Putin.
His vehement defense of drump was moronic and absurd and pretty much confirmed how Russia is blackmailing the Republican party.
I saw his interview with Wolf yesterday, and it was crystal clear he is up to his eyeballs (or hair gel) in something. Finding out he’s planning a trip soon just cements it.
None of them—either media types or legislators—were really shocked. I think they just finally felt safe to state the obvious. That he finally effed up on a big enough stage that they could let loose. Maddow and Nicole Wallace have been the only two I know of regularly calling him out on his crap.
Regardless, the GOP won’t do anything substantive. There’s a better chance that a NATO country will finally take matters into its own hands than the GOP growing a spine.
No puppet… no puppet.
Trump, the POTUS, is compromised and being blackmailed by an enemy who hacked his way through our democracy and installed a man he’d been funding with dark money for decades. Congressmen and women can tweet all they want, but nothing matters unless they actually do something about it.
I will never again listen to Trumpanzees about “respect for the flag.” Their idol just let Putin wiped his butt with it.
Just so you know, I am totally going to steal (and use the hell out of) “Trumpanzees”.
I definitely read it somewhere so I can’t take credit, but use away!
In front of the whole world we saw the transistion from Dum-Dum Donnie to Treasonous Trump. To me he now looks like a giant cockroach wearing a t-shirt with Vlad standing in front of the Russian flag on it. No legislator should keep their seat unless they actively work to impeach Trump.
Well well well… Who is THIS in the Oval Office with Trump, Lavrov and Kislyak?
Is that Maria Butina???
No way….
Look it up. “Maria Butina in the Oval Office Picture.” Images.
OMFG, good catch eric. Treason in plain sight should be the title of the movie/documentary/200-part Tv show.
And If I remember correctly, US journalists were not allowed to take pictures for that meting, only Russians one.
At the meeting during which he gave intelligence from Israel to Russia, risking the life of a MOSSAD agent. Countries have been very careful about what they give us since that meeting. And MOSSAD will not forget. He can kiss up to Netanyahu all he wants but MOSSAD doesn’t play.
Mossad, ISI(Pakistan), RAW (India), MSS (China), BND(Germany) and now MI6 (UK) and DGSE (France) will probably stop sharing anything with the CIA because of him. He has made people all over the world less safe. These are the top agencies in the world with the highest success rates and prestige and this compromised lunatic has cut us off from them.
I wish Mossad would quit playing already and release a bit of the intelligence on Trump that they have.
Actually I wish all our allies would release just a bit of the related intelligence that they have. Most of us didn’t want him. Most of us didn’t vote for him. Of course, most Americans didn’t bother to vote, so there’s that. I want everyone to vote, but I will make excuses for the working poor not to vote as they have so many more barriers, but your average cream cheese suburbanite? Get a clue. Stop focusing on whatever baloney keeps their days chugging and do the bare gosh darn minimum and vote. For those of us who are privileged, there’s no excuse.
I wish a little leak would happen too. Maybe in the end they will when it seems nothing else is available.
Daniel Dale is reporting that the woman is not Butina but an NSC staffer. I did think she looked like Butina, but on comparison there are differences.
It’s bad enough he’s meeting with Lavrov and Kislyak without American media.
Yes, she looks a little different from Butina ti me, too, but maybe it,s her. There’s also another woman hidden in that pic – you can see just a bit of red brown hair behind a shoulder.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/accused-russian-spy-mariia-butina-photographed-oval-office/
According to Snopes, the woman in the Oval Office photo was actually an NSC staffer (possibly Cari Lutkins) who vaguely resembles Maria Butina. In any case, it’s more than clear that Butina has been a very busy girl in D.C.
James Comey can go sit on a cactus with his sanctimony. “Patriots need to stand up and reject the behavior of this president.” EXCUSE ME. YOU had the power to stand up and reject the behavior of this president before. He. Was. The. President. You had the ability to tell the American people, 2 years ago, what we now see right before our eyes. And you chose not to. I don’t give a sh!t how much moral high ground James Comey tries to build for himself— he will have to live with this for the rest of his life. He is part of the reason we’re here. He’s still in denial and maybe always will be. He’s still trying to assuage his guilt by placing the onus of responsibility on OTHER patriots. But history will not remember him kindly.
The audacity of that mother******. Urgh. Shut the eff up, Jim.
I am beginning to think his ass is dirty too. I still DO NOT BUY his explanation.
I buy it. Sort of – I think he has very much created a rosy picture of his own behavior that conveniently forgives himself for his wrongs. He waves his hands in apology, but doesn’t actually own up.
https://goo.gl/images/1t9SVK
Maria Burina in the Oval. Here’s the pic I think
Yep, it’s her. They are not even hiding what they are doing, which makes some people’s denials even more suspect.
It’s been confirmed that it’s not her.
Wherever you live make certain that your voters registration is accurate: That’s how they will muck up our next elections – by altering registration information so you can be denied your right to vote. Check once a month if you have to, especially before the election.
And take your registration card with you when you go to vote.
With SCOTUS’s decision to basically allow the purge of voting rolls, I am afraid a lot of black and brown voters willing to vote in the Midterms will have some ugly surprise come Election Day.
The courts matter, folks.
Christ on a bike, though – they shouldn’t. The courts should not be allowing/encouraging/staying mum on voter suppression, especially when it’s just basically the same crap that they did during Reconstruction and Jim Crow.
Check your voter registration. Do it before the cut off date
And tonight in DC: Occupy Lafayette.
Just called my congressman, but with no hope.
Republicans can miss me with this bullshit. Don’t sit here and pretend to care now that the damage is done.
If you watch Stephen Colbert, he’s been talking for months and months about his trip to Russia. He said again last night how he was followed and taped while he was there. He has also said in passing that he talked to people who saw Trump “at a party” and they knew what was going down. Colbert has not come out and said what is on the tape, but he insists the tape exists and that Russians know it does and they told him it does. Come on. This is Stephen Colbert. An American comedian, and even he knows it exists. I’m pretty sure the intelligence community knows the dossier is true. More and more of it is proven true each day. No reason to suspect the tape isn’t true.
I’m with you on this one. Every part of the dossier turned out to be true, why not this one? And we know Trump likes to desacrate anything Obama touched as well as sex workers.
For me, one word says it all – TREASON
It’s a pity we cannot have a recall election because this would just the right time to have one.
OK people…TRUMP IS WORKING FOR RUSSIA. Now the whole world knows it.
I genuinely do not understand how so many Americans are able to put up with what is happening in their country on nearly daily basis.
Vast majority of people in my country would be in the streets, huge and peaceful demonstrations would be going on, general strike would be happening on weekly basis and mass resignations would be on the menu, regardless of the consequences.
Many would be willing to go to jail and even worse…
I’m stunned, outright treason in the front of the whole world and most Americans are just complaining on social media.
In the meanwhile Trump’s campaign is racking up the millions upon millions for Trump’s re-election campaign, but the Democrats and a lot of the US public is asleep at the wheel.
This is not going to end well.
Many of us in the world considered United States of America a beacon of freedom, albeit a flawed one with pervasive racism and other issues, but still a beacon.
How shocking, truly shocking.
There are literally demonstrations on a daily basis here. The United States is nearly the same size as the entire continent of Europe. Our population density in the major urban areas outstrips all but the most heavily populated regions of Europe. I honestly do not think people outside of the United States can comprehend just how massive and culturally varied this country really is.
@ Veronica S.
I watch the news on TV, read the papers and avidly follow social media, I have for years, but since Trump’s candidacy and presidency even more so, but I have yet to see a general strike for example.
Yes, there have been demonstration, like the Women’s March and some other smaller gatherings, but the scale seems really small considering how United States seems to be lurching from one crisis to another one (or controversy) that has a significant impact.
My apologies, I’m not trying to place blame on Americans, I’m just genuinely surprised how much is being tolerated on daily basis in a country where freedom has such an important meaning to many.
That any country would dare to meddle in the US elections is just beyond my understanding and that the response of so many Americans is so mild is truly astonishing to me.
My experience when I was visiting the US four times for business and twice for vacation does not mesh with what I’m seeing since Trump.
He has changed the country for the worse and the reaction of the American population seems so mild to such profound transformation.
I do wish there were more protest too. But I’ve been to 3 protest. I am 50 years old and NEVER attended a protest before the Trump presidency in my life. I was so nervous the first time because I’m a bit shy & was worried I’d be but a few that attended, but I was one among hundreds. Hope this new outrage sparks more & frequent protests.
Doesn’t matter how diverse the population is, how big the population is or how different culturally, if a foremost democratic country in the world that has been a champion of free election can’t even agree on a free election within their own borders, what hope is there left???
@ Veronica S, Please check out London, now that’s heavily populated and diverse.
Trump is thankfully not their president, but they were out in force against him.
Of course, there are demonstrations in America, I don’t doubt it for one second, but it’s peanuts compared to the crisis Americans are heading into. You would have to have 2-3 massive general strikes which would threaten the American economy for the Deplorables to get it…….
It’s TREASON, no other word for it.
Watching from far away, can somebody explain me, how exactly was that Russia interfered with the USA elections? I mean, really how ? I keep reading and hearing this but I find it incredible to say the least
@ Ferdinand
Two words : Eastern Europe.
Certainly different methods, there was no social media when the Berlin Wall was dividing
Germany and when the Iron Curtain was in existence which held all of Eastern Europe in the grip of the Soviet Union.
Putin was a well known, very cruel KGB major that served in the former Soviet Union.
He was very much feared in Eastern Europe.
Putin can’t use such methods anymore, he evolved and now effectively uses cyber warfare.
Hackers are heavily funded in Russia, spreading hate, misinformation, stealing information, emails, influencing ill informed people with their garbage.
Putin didn’t want Hillary for US president, because she is a centrist in foreign policy, maybe even leaning more right than left, tough on dictators like Putin, demanding democracy and human rights for all that doesn’t square well with autocrat Putin that is used to rule with iron fist.
Plus Putin is angry about Russia losing so much of their grip on Eastern Europe, they used to be their puppets.
Anyways, you can google the details, just broad strokes here.
It’s a big subject to deal with in the comment section of a fun gossip site.
One of the easy reason that some people can understand on how they threw the election to the doofus was, they would fill the internet with false information, lies on Hillary. This would turn some people against her. If enough people changed their votes in certain states then their job was done. As you know, Hillary received about 3,000,000 more votes than 45. So, he’s not in power by the majority of the people, but he’s using his 35-40% of the voters to pretend he’s legitimate. He’s afraid to admit he was given the job by cheating, lying and stealing.
@B n A fan : Exactly right, the short and simple version of how Russia helped elect that Idiot Trump, the Russian asset.
They also hacked into various websites via their stats. I remember seeing on my clients Google Analytic ‘trump 4 win’ or ‘trump for president’ and it all pointed from Russia. As soon as Trump won, those junk stats disappeared.
I agree, they filled the internet with junk/false information and using web stats – i a small way brain washed some people.
The only thing that gets me through the news are fantasies of the Trump clan being dragged around in orange jumpsuits and handcuffs. Seeing Donald Jr. and Sarah Suckabee picking up trash by the side of the road.
@WendyNerd : I wish, but unfortunately, it will never happen. We Americans are very spoiled, in many places around the world millions of people paid with their lives for democracy and BASIC freedoms. Most Americans are not even willing to peacefully demonstrate, forgot GENERAL STRIKE, because they might lose their JOB. (mind you not their lives) Many are complicit in what is happening and not just republicans who are terrified of losing their seats, because of the Deplorables.
Agreed.
Can’t wait! Justice is coming for them all. Look at the Manafort mugshot when you have doubts. The Rule of Law is alive and well in the USA.
That’s because there are absolutely no consequences for his bad behavior, lying, bullying, and name calling. The twitter, republicans, the press, WH reporters, and civility Democrats are all complicit.
The Democrats and Hillary warned us, she was correct about everything. Hillary told us over and over again that Trump was Putins Puppet, involved with Russia but all most people too lazy or idiots or believing the smear job, wanted to talk about was some email crap! The news media is and was complicit too in helping Trump.
The Democrats warned Americans what would happen if Trump got in office. People were warned, Hillary warned us, Obama warned us.
The Democrats are not complicit, the Americans and anyone who sat home on Election Day or did not vote for Hillary and thereby let Republicans get control of all branches of government except one are the ones who should hang their heads in shame.
People were told to vote or we’d lose the Supreme Court and lose many of our freedoms. It’s happening and now many people who did t even get off their rears, to go vote are seeing that Everthing Hillary warned us about is coming true.
Some people didn’t vote, but that’s not the complete story. The Russians hacked into the voting systems in many of the states that the Dotard won. Remember Reality Winter? We keep being told that votes weren’t changed when no one has actually taken the time to even examine the machines.Then there was voter suppression, the purging of voters, and gerrymandering. One Trump supporter was caught voting twice.
The Democrats are complicit, just look what happened when Nancy and Schumer scolded Maxine for not being civil when she called for people to stand up to the WH staffers as our government separated children from their parents.
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Agreed.
Some people didn’t vote, but that’s not the complete story. The Russians hacked into the voting systems in many of the states that the Dotard won. Remember Reality Winter? We keep being told that votes weren’t changed when no one has actually taken the time to even examine the machines.Then there was voter suppression, the purging of voters, and gerrymandering. One Trump supporter was caught voting twice. Didn’t the Russians also purchase ads on facebook to get people to either vote for another opponent or not show up to the polls at all?
The Democrats are complicit, just look what happened when Nancy and Schumer scolded Maxine for not being civil when she called for people to stand up to the WH staffers as our government separated children from their parents.
As the saying goes : ” It’s the economy st*pid”!
The Orange Bigot has inherited a good economy after the classy President Obama took over the financial catastrophe from that Idiot W.
The Orange Nazi is bragging about the good economy all the time.
So the only way to get his f*cking attention is to hit him where it really hurts : GENERAL STRIKES.
Many people would pay attention to it, many republicans who are scared for their seats and scared of the Orange Dump Truck’s tiny twitter hands.
Sometimes you have to fight for what you believe in and take the consequences, not just complain on social media.
After the President aligns with a tyrant over his own country, how are the NFL players taking a knee still the unpatriotic ones?
It is pathetic.
Many think some GOPers are acting strangely is because Russia has something on them…. what if they’re doing this willingly because of the reward? All carrot, no stick.
JFC. I can’t believe what I just saw. Trump just gave a speech with his arms crossed tightly and said he meant to say “why WOULDN’T Russia do this,” but yesterday by accident he said “why WOULD Russia do this.” BS. Sad to say Trumpsters will believe him and forget everything else he said yesterday
That was truly the lamest excuse for defending Putin over his own country that I’ve ever seen. Lying Trump strikes again.
He’s going to stew on this, get really pissed that he was told to read those remarks, and then tweet the exact opposite of what he said in probably less than 48 hours.
Look at how he read that statement! He looked like a terrorist hostage being forced to read from a script.
This just gives the military-intelligence industrial complex more fodder to demonise certain countries, engage in geopolitical expansion, and hem in Russia at its borders further – the plan all along. Russia didn’t help Trump win; Hillary and the Dems lost their focus and lost. They spent, what, $100K on Facebook ads? In the end, Russia is absolutely no threat to the country with the biggest defense budget by a mile. Yes, you have to protect your sovereignty and Russia is not a friend. But it’s not the threat certain interest groups are making it out to be and you can easily coexist in peace, esp given your huge defense budget.
Putin said yesterday that he had his people help the Dotard in the election because he wanted him to win.
Did you see Chris Wallace’s interview?He asked Putin why his political opponents always end up dead.
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Putin, like a certain NK leader, knows he needs to flex his muscles once in a while. This is just pushing back, not unprovoked aggression. These dwindling would-have-been challengers to the world order do so because they don’t want to be the next Iraq. Or Afghanistan. Or Libya. Or… you get the picture.
Russia is a depopulation time bomb; it has a shrinking population and that’s going to be a huge problem in the decades to come. You don’t see China doing this kind of petty stuff. Why? Because it’s the only serious challengers to the US’s might.
Take a look at this chart: https://www.pgpf.org/chart-archive/0053_defense-comparison
The US has a bigger defense budget than the next 7 defense-big-spending countries combined. There’s no serious challenger to the US for the next 20 years, whether that’s raw physical power in terms of military, hacking prowess, or intelligence. China might catch up after that but it’s the only serious contender.
Trump is political theatre. He says what he wants and then does whatever the military suits nudge him to do. See his huge increases in defense spending https://www.defensenews.com/breaking-news/2018/02/07/congress-reaches-budget-deal-with-huge-defense-boost/. Also see his Space Force plans; this is actually a long-term thing going way back about total spectrum dominance and weaponising the lower and upper atmosphere.
The people of the US need to look deeper and examine its military and intelligence sectors – the real permanent government. You’ve got huge homeless numbers and crumbling infrastructure, but always endless cash for military spending. Trump and Russia is political theatre.
No surprise.
1. Trump has been a Russian stooge since the 1980s.
2. The GOP is compromised too–most recently, by the email hack pre-election, which stole emails from both Democrat and Republican organizations, but only released the Democrat info to hurt Hillary in the election.
3. Sophisticated “disinformation” is being pumped through mainstream and social media sources to confuse and demoralize Americans and their allies. It is designed to make us feel overwhelmed and hopeless.
4. Russia has an economy smaller than that of Italy. It is not a nation state, but just a mob organization. All it has to offer is some oil, that the world doesn’t even need. Russia is a “gas station with nukes.” The population is desperate for change, and Putin has his foot on their necks.
5. The U.S. and allies are powerful. A rogue Executive branch and some corrupt Congressmen can never break us. Ignore depressing headlines. Confirm you are registered to vote. Wake up with hope each day! We will remove this sick administration and fix the loopholes that let bad actors run roughshod over our Republic.
While I appreciate the broach reproach, & it was very thoughtful of the Queen, the dotard’s treasonous ways need a more democratic approach. Arrest the Russian tratior. Prison is too good for this traitor & his swamp buddies.
By the way, if I ever get into a debate with any of you and you make a point that’s devastating to my argument your point won’t stand because I meant the opposite of what I said. Sound reasonable?
I’m very worried that during our next presidential election, Russia will actually hack into our now mostly computerized election system and make sure Trump wins again. If I remember correctly, I believe the Supreme Court gets to decide if a recount is in order. The Supreme Court is now a majority conservative. I really don’t think the Supreme Court or the Republicans will try to do anything about it. If Putin is willing to poison people in the U.K. with nerve gas, he will have no qualms about an actual computerized election hack. What do we do about it if it happens?
I am more concerned about the next steps. Will this move to impeachment? Do we have another elections since they were not rightfully elected? Will Hillary Clinton be President, as she rightfully deserves? Who is going to jail for treason or will we continue to run around in circles for the next year or so?
We know that this ‘president’ is illegitimate. I don’t understand why we still refer to this guy as the ‘president’ of the US. He clearly is not and never should have been.
This is also about justifying the expansion of NATO beyond Germany. If Russia isn’t a threat, the arms sales drop like crazy. Gotta keep the billions flowing for arms sales, especially to Eastern Europe, by demonising Russia. Again, Russia is not an existential threat to the US. No country is! Look at the article about defense budgets I posted above!
The threat to the United States is Trump, the Republicans who seem to be okay with a totalitarian regime as long as they get their way; and, Putin, who is willing to do anything in order to avoid sanctions and “flex” for his people.
Russia is obviously a threat!!! It’s not their weapons that are a threat right now, it’s their influence over Republicans and their meddling in our elections that is the threat.