Trump and Russia; Spasiba, Harasho!

[Forty Two]

The Mueller indictment said the Russians organized a rally of 10,000 people against Trump around Trump Tower. What does that mean?

Here are examples of Russia-linked ads purchased on facebook, according to ultra-right-wing New York Times:

[Forty Two]

How will our democracy survive this onslaught from the red menace....?

[Forty Two]

It's the pee pee tapes. Must be.

TRUMP: “I have been much tougher on Russia than Obama, just look at the facts. Total Fake News!” — Trump’s tweet on Tuesday.

THE FACTS: The Trump administration actually lags the Obama administration on this front, by all public evidence.

It has not yet penalized any Russian officials for interfering in the 2016 election, arguing the threat of sanctions has been enough of a deterrent. Meanwhile, Trump’s own officials warn that Russia is already acting to subvert this year’s U.S. midterm elections after having judged its efforts in 2016 a success.

Under a mandate and deadline from Congress, the administration in late January released a public report listing Russians who have gained wealth or power under President Vladimir Putin — 114 politicians and 96 “oligarchs” in all. The list was drawn from Forbes magazine’s Russian billionaires’ rankings, but the Treasury Department said it sent Congress a classified version with additional names. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the report would lead to new sanctions against Russia, but none has been issued.

A week ago, Trump’s national intelligence director, Dan Coats, told senators Russia took “sophisticated advantage of social media” in the 2016 campaign and interfered broadly, in “pervasive” fashion. That conclusion was followed by special counsel Robert Mueller’s indictment against 13 Russians and three Russian companies accused of plotting to meddle in that election, ultimately aiming to benefit Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

But Trump has not responded to that with “tough” words against Russia, lashing out instead against Democrats, other critics and his FBI.

This whole thing is absurd. What the fuck do you people think Russia has been up to for the past 75 years? You think facebook ads and social media organized rallies is a big deal? They are a country that has gotten spies into many levels of the federal government, stolen top secret military and other information, obtained double-agents working in the US government and even backed our enemies in a time of war in proxy wars.

4 years ago, you folks thought Russia was just fine. Remember? "The 1980s called, and they want their foreign policy back" with the media laughing their asses off at the dopey suggestion by Mit Romney that Russia posed a significant foreign policy threat. Jesus fuck, do you think that "meddling" by posting ads and starting social media groups and spreading memes and trying to start rallies (all directed at various candidates, both Democrat and Republican, not just in favor of Trump), is a big fucking deal? A couple million dollars of ad buys (half of which occurred after the election) in an election that saw $1.6 billion spent by the two campaigns combined?

I mean, sure, everyone gets it -- you hate Trump. But come the fuck on. If you wanted something to be a bigger national embarrassment than Trump's uncouth talk, insulting manner and rude tweets, then you couldn't do any better than this Trump-Russia Derangement thing going on.

[Forty Two]

Give it up Forty Two! his own government officials are actually saying he is not in control of foreign policy and he should be ignored
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/w ... fc31939e98

That's not what that article says, but whatever.

It says that unnamed "US officials" tried reassure other unnamed persons, and urged them to ignore his Twitter "rants." Let me guess how much liberty is taken by the HuffPo writer as to the words of the US Officials (the delegation to the Munich conference was led by HR McMaster and Mad Dog Mattis), but nevertheless that doesn't mean that Trump is not in control of foreign policy.

... nor that he can't, won't, or hasn't switch policy on the hoof, undercut Tillerson by Tweet whenever his blood is up, or publicly disagreed with ambassadors about what a policy is or means.

Undercut Tillerson is a characterization, not a fact. For example, he tweeted that Rex was wasting his time negotiating with little rocket man. That's an expression of opinion, it's not US policy. It's not undercutting him at all. It's an insult to Kim, and an attempt at good cop, bad cop. That much is obvious.

I disagree with Trump's Tweet there, though. So, we probably agree more than disagree. With North Korea, honor is vital, and with the Kims, they cannot be seen as caving in. Their survival depends on being able to portray themselves as invincible. So, if Trump wants Kim to stop making nukes or to come to an agreement, calling him names is not a way to get there. What he needs to do is find a way to make peace while allowing Kim to claim that he got the better end of the deal or somehow got us to cave in.

As bitter a pill as that may be to swallow, as long as the Kims are in power, we can't get a peace agreement, IMO, if we demand that they eat crow. They won't eat crow. They'll let their people starve (again) first.

[Brian Peacock]

Robert Mueller files new charges against former Trump aides Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. "Sealed single-page document filed in federal court does not shed light on the nature of the new charges."

[Forty Two]

Mueller indicted Dutch attorney Alex van der Zwaan. https://www.vox.com/world/2018/2/20/170 ... l-manafort

They should call this the Ukraine investigation from now on.

But, one thing is for sure - Dutch indictments are the best indictments.

[Seabass]

[Tero]

Mueller’s Latest Indictment Shows Trump Has Helped Putin Cover Up a Crime. And continues support of Russian hackers.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/20 ... p-a-crime/
This means that Mueller’s probe could yield additional information regarding the details and breadth of the Russian campaign to intervene in the election to assist Trump. The president, who has yet to say anything in public showing he is committed to preventing Russian meddling in this year’s election, can continue to dismiss such material as “fake news” produced by a “witch hunt.”

[Svartalf]

How will our democracy survive this onslaught from the red menace....?

technically, democracy is already dead, it's now obviously a most corrupt plutocracy

[Tero]

It's just so hard to get clearance for my Russians!
https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comme ... _actually/

[Scot Dutchy]

How will our democracy survive this onslaught from the red menace....?

technically, democracy is already dead, it's now obviously a most corrupt plutocracy

America never was a democracy by any stretch of the imagination. The whole system is sick.

[Brian Peacock]

Manafort accused of secretly funding European pro-Russia group.

[Seabass]

Manafort accused of secretly funding European pro-Russia group.

Fake news. Anonymous sources. Trump barely knew him. He was only Trump's coffee boy. Hillary. Emails. Benghazi. Hillary. Hillary. Hillary. HIllary. Hillary.

[Sean Hayden]

The 80s called, they want their foreign policy back seabass.

[Rum]

How will our democracy survive this onslaught from the red menace....?

technically, democracy is already dead, it's now obviously a most corrupt plutocracy

America never was a democracy by any stretch of the imagination. The whole system is sick.

I think you are wrong. At one time it was probably the greatest democracy there has ever been. That maybe started to falter in the 1940s and 50s when corporate capitalism got its hands on the system. Monopoly rather than competition started to come into play, corporations started to buy politicians to protect and enhance their interests - 'legally' of course and the true will of the people began to be shaped by those corporations. Now you have a fat lazy and uneducated electorate lulled into a stupor by high fat food and sugar and a system that tells them that you are a communists and unpatriotic if they resist the 'freedom' to participate in the rigged system.

I think democracy is in a much healthier state in Europe, despite the power of the EU bureaucracy these days. I think the elites here are better motivated and I think the sense of common purpose is at a far higher level.