"The American dream turned into a nightmare."

Submitted by CB on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 10:40am

Maria Butina is now back in Russia after serving 18 months in American gulags after being convicted of, basically, a process crime - failing to register as a foreign agent.

In her first interview after returning home to Russia, she speaks of the nightmare treatment she had to endure from federal agents and the American "justice" system.

In the following video she shows she is an intelligent and articulate woman who simply desired to have better relations between the peoples of both countries - Russia and the USA.

The American media (and the US citizens who blindly accepted the nonsensical McCarthyism of their reporting) should be ashamed of themselves. She also shows how much of American viewpoints are molded by the ubiquitous deep state controlled media in combination with decades of Hollywood stereotyping in forming their belief systems.

NRA Darling And Russian Spy Maria Butina Prepares To Sign A Plea Deal

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Comments

Submitted by Lookout on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 11:20am

Wasn't her real goal...

to create a NRA and more gun rights in Russia? That was my understanding at the time. I found her prison sentence ridiculous and a stunt merely as more justification for the russiagate hoax.

CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou explains...
In need of a “collusion” connection, top FBI officials have now been shown to be behind the false portrayal of an unregistered lobbyist as a spy.
https://consortiumnews.com/2019/08/28/john-kiriakou-in-search-of-a-russi...

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by CB on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 11:30am

You are overly simplifying

@Lookout

Submitted by edg on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 12:14pm

Please explain.

@CB

What was her real goal?

Submitted by Lookout on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 1:01pm

I don't doubt it

@CB

I've not researched this well. I did read John' article which I linked...

We know that she was very active in the gun rights movement in both Russia and the U.S. and that she sought to improve contact between gun groups in both countries. We also know that she met and began dating Patrick Byrne, the founder and CEO of Overstock.com. We learned recently, thanks to Byrne himself, that he was a longtime FBI source and that the FBI directed him to begin dating Butina. He did so. And he reported back to the FBI that she was simply a graduate student. That wasn’t good enough for the FBI, though and, according to Byrne, he was instructed to go back to Butina, to begin a sexual relationship with her, and to again report back to the FBI. He did that, too.

Which was the main source of my understanding. Pluto says below she was mentored by Susan Rice which does mean there's lots more to the story than my elementary understanding.

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by CB on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 1:54pm

Here's some more info

@Lookout
that explains my belief that Butina honestly thought she could improve relations between Russia and the US (which have now sunk to 1950's McCarthyism level) and why she failed. The Military-Industrial-Media Complex has a vested interest in ensuring the people of various nations do not communicate with each other - god/godess forbid that peace should break out.

I Ain’t Got No Quarrel with Them Russians
December 15, 2018

The entire anti-Russia brouhaha has reminded me of what Mohammad Ali stated after receiving notice from his local draft board that he was being forced to serve in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. Ali declared. “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong.”
...
One can easily recognize this phenomenon in the activities of the 28-year-old Russian graduate student Maria Butina, who is now being forced to plead guilty to failing to register as an agent of the Russian government. Mind you, U.S. officials are not accusing her of spying for Russia. They are complaining that she tried to befriend the United States on behalf of Russia. After all, openly going to conferences sponsored by such conservative organizations as the Heritage Foundation, CPAC, and others and networking with members of the conservative movement is not exactly the best way to spy on the Pentagon and the CIA. All of Butina’s activities point to one aim: to improve relations between Russia and the United States.

That’s her real “crime.” Forcing her to plead guilty for failing to sign an official U.S. government registry and then forcibly deporting her is both a sham and a disgrace. She is being punished for committing the cardinal sin of the U.S. national-security establishment: trying to improve relations between the Russia and the United States.
...
It’s worth noting that Congress has never enacted any lawmaking Russia an official enemy. Congress has also not declared war against Russia. Therefore, why should any American have to treat Russia as an enemy? What’s wrong with Maria Butina trying to improve relations between the two countries?What’s wrong with Trump doing so?

The answer to these questions and the root of the entire anti-Russia brouhaha lies squarely within the U.S. national-security establishment, i.e., the Pentagon, the CIA, and the NSA.

These three agencies, which are the most powerful section of the federal government, know that the reason they were called into existence after World War II was to wage the Cold War against the Soviet Union, which, ironically, had been Hitler’s wartime enemy and America’s partner and ally. But once the war against Hitler ended, there were people who favored converting the federal government from a limited-government republic into a national-security state, a type of governmental structure that is inherent to totalitarian regimes, including the Soviet Union.
...
Then, in 1989 the Soviet Union unilaterally ended the Cold War, which, in turn, shocked the national-security establishment. Suddenly,their justification for existence and ever-increasing tax largess was no longer present.

That’s when they inculcated Americans with a deep fear of Saddam Hussein, which lasted for about 10 years. Then after the 9/11 attacks, it became the terrorists, then the Muslims, and for a time ISIS. Sometimes drug dealers and illegal immigrants have been thrown into the fear mix for good measure.

But all those fears are transitory. They don’t compare to the fear of Russkies and the Reds, such as those in China, Cuba, and North Korea and even Iran. That’s why the Pentagon, the CIA, and the NSA are hell-bent to do whatever is necessary to keep all of these nations at arms-length and viciously oppose anyone who dares to establish peaceful and friendly relations with them and the United States.
...

Submitted by wendy davis on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 5:35pm

RT also provided

@CB

the transcript, for those of us who need printed words, not sounds. several other articles are on the left sidebar.

i thank you profusely for putting this up, CS, as i'd been following some of it on Ruptly on twitter the past couple days while collecting and posting tweets of the epic anti-neoliberal protests and election news, esp. in 'our backyard'.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 12:11pm

Tiny missing details change everything.

@Lookout

Mariia Butina was mentored by Susan Rice. The two shared an office at American University.

—

Carry a flame and share the light.

Submitted by CB on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 12:58pm

Guilt by association?

@Pluto's Republic
Butina shared a workspace close to Susan Rice's office because she studied cybersecurity policy at the School of International Service. Butina is exactly the type of person the school attempts to enroll.

Here's a detailed report:

Maria Butina's Russian pride stood out at American University
July 25, 2018

WASHINGTON - On a campus full of ambitious students aiming to land influential U.S. government and policy jobs, Maria Butina cut an unusual profile.

It wasn't just the outspoken conservative politics of the auburn-haired Russian woman that drew the attention of other graduate students at American University. There was also her almost zealous embrace of her homeland.
...
During her time on the manicured campus in a tony northwest Washington neighborhood, Butina embraced the opportunities available to graduate students at the university. She had a student job with a workspace near the office of former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice, a visiting research fellow. She co-authored a paper on cybersecurity with two professors at the business school.

She studied cybersecurity policy at the School of International Service, which prides itself on drawing students from around the world for a program designed to educate future global leaders. One person affiliated with the program noted that the school is known for attracting well-connected foreigners, many of whom work for their home country's embassy while enrolled.
...
Butina, now 29, pursued several advanced degrees in Russia before arriving in the United States, including master's degrees in political science and education and a doctorate, according to biographies she posted online. During that time, she became a well-known personality in Russia as an advocate for loosening the country's restrictive gun laws.
...
But Robert Driscoll, Butina's attorney, said that she was not a Russian agent and that her interest in the AU program was genuine. He said she was eager to be closer to Erickson and was winding down her gun rights activities in Russia. She also believed that an American graduate degree would help her make a career change into business, perhaps with a focus on cryptocurrency, he said.

"What was left for her in Russia?" Driscoll said. "America was looking pretty good."
...
In November 2016, just three months after arriving, she hosted a "Stars and Tsars"-themed costume party at a Washington, D.C., restaurant, Cafe Deluxe, to celebrate her birthday

Erickson was there, dressed as the Russian mystic Rasputin, while Butina went as Empress Alexandra, the wife of the last emperor of Russia, as the Daily Beast first reported in February 2017. One person who attended the party said there was a giant glass bottle shaped like a Kalashnikov rifle. Guests poured shots of vodka from the barrel of the glass gun.
...
Butina also got two student jobs, first as an assistant in the School for International Service's undergraduate honors program and then as a research assistant in the Kogod School of Business, according to an AU spokesman and her LinkedIn profile.

At the international service school, she had a desk in a suite near an office for Rice, who joined AU as a professor after President Barack Obama left office, according to people familiar with the location.

Rice, who worked in the office only briefly, did not know Butina, according to a person familiar with the matter.
...

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 1:33pm

Butina led her classmates in creating dossiers

@CB

...on the persons Susan Rice doxxed using the NSA database.

#1.2 Butina shared a workspace close to Susan Rice's office because she studied cybersecurity policy at the School of International Service. Butina is exactly the type of person the school attempts to enroll. Here's a detailed report: Maria Butina's Russian pride stood out at American University July 25, 2018 WASHINGTON - On a campus full of ambitious students aiming to land influential U.S. government and policy jobs, Maria Butina cut an unusual profile. It wasn't just the outspoken conservative politics of the auburn-haired Russian woman that drew the attention of other graduate students at American University. There was also her almost zealous embrace of her homeland. ... During her time on the manicured campus in a tony northwest Washington neighborhood, Butina embraced the opportunities available to graduate students at the university. She had a student job with a workspace near the office of former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice, a visiting research fellow. She co-authored a paper on cybersecurity with two professors at the business school. She studied cybersecurity policy at the School of International Service, which prides itself on drawing students from around the world for a program designed to educate future global leaders. One person affiliated with the program noted that the school is known for attracting well-connected foreigners, many of whom work for their home country's embassy while enrolled. ... Butina, now 29, pursued several advanced degrees in Russia before arriving in the United States, including master's degrees in political science and education and a doctorate, according to biographies she posted online. During that time, she became a well-known personality in Russia as an advocate for loosening the country's restrictive gun laws. ... But Robert Driscoll, Butina's attorney, said that she was not a Russian agent and that her interest in the AU program was genuine. He said she was eager to be closer to Erickson and was winding down her gun rights activities in Russia. She also believed that an American graduate degree would help her make a career change into business, perhaps with a focus on cryptocurrency, he said. "What was left for her in Russia?" Driscoll said. "America was looking pretty good." ... In November 2016, just three months after arriving, she hosted a "Stars and Tsars"-themed costume party at a Washington, D.C., restaurant, Cafe Deluxe, to celebrate her birthday Erickson was there, dressed as the Russian mystic Rasputin, while Butina went as Empress Alexandra, the wife of the last emperor of Russia, as the Daily Beast first reported in February 2017. One person who attended the party said there was a giant glass bottle shaped like a Kalashnikov rifle. Guests poured shots of vodka from the barrel of the glass gun. ... Butina also got two student jobs, first as an assistant in the School for International Service's undergraduate honors program and then as a research assistant in the Kogod School of Business, according to an AU spokesman and her LinkedIn profile. At the international service school, she had a desk in a suite near an office for Rice, who joined AU as a professor after President Barack Obama left office, according to people familiar with the location. Rice, who worked in the office only briefly, did not know Butina, according to a person familiar with the matter. ...

—

Carry a flame and share the light.

Submitted by CB on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 2:17pm

Link?

@Pluto's Republic @Pluto's Republic

You can't make such a statement as this w/o offering proof of your assertion. This place is starting to remind me of fucking DKos.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 2:02pm

No.

@CB

I saw it in the actual court documents filed in Butina's case. The judge made a demand that Butina flip on her classmates at AU before her defense could proceed. Perhaps those court documents have not yet been sanitized....

—

Carry a flame and share the light.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 2:28pm

By the way, I am not saying Butina was a spy.

@Pluto's Republic

In fact, she wasn't. She was an open book and completely vulnerable. The connections she made were for her own career development. She wanted to use her education to become a diplomatic peacemaker. She saw guns as a strong point of common interest between Russian and American civilians and collectors. It could have been orchids or ballet, but it was guns.

She was repeatedly set up, used, and abused — both before and after her arrest — by every spook agency in DC. Ugly stuff.

—

Carry a flame and share the light.

Submitted by CB on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 2:37pm

I notice you have Butina

@Pluto's Republic
writing "dossiers" on various people. How soviet of you. Every single foreign office produces biographies of the people they are required to deal with.

I'm taking a break.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 2:51pm

How very French of the Soviets.

@CB

It was the language used by her accusers in Butina's court documents. Take it up with the FBI. They've gone all "dossier" since they collaborated with Christopher Steele on the Russia Hoax.

—

Carry a flame and share the light.

Submitted by wokkamile on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 3:00pm

A judge requiring

@Pluto's Republic a criminal defendant in his court to perform some act, here one of informant, before she can get her constitutional rights? Ianal, but this bizarre assertion sounds like not just unethical but illegal judicial behavior. Call me a tad skeptical.

And you somehow have access to court documents not generally available to the public?? Again, skeptical.

Also, as a general matter, I would imagine the prosecution and its agents can always present their distorted and one-sided documents to a court -- this means nothing until the other side has had its day in court to test such documents.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 11:42pm

Stop being such a tool.

@wokkamile

https://www.scribd.com/document/397081041/Transcript-of-plea-bargain-hea...

It's all a matter of public record. I did the research. So can you.

—

Carry a flame and share the light.

Submitted by wokkamile on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 3:10pm

Links seem to

@CB be in short supply. Bald assertion and hearsay will have to do.

Hope you stick around, CB.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 5:12pm

Says the person who ignores the links people

@wokkamile

post here to constantly debunk what you write. Pot/kettle wokkamile.

—

Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

Submitted by wokkamile on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 9:08pm

Shoot the messenger

@snoopydawg once again. Do you ever stop?

And meanwhile, where are the links? Let's start with just one.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 11:48am

I went very deep in researching this, CB.

Spent nearly a year on Mariia Butina, and occasionally sent summaries to Snoopydawg. Her's was a horrific story. There were many politicians, IC and IC Assets, DC Denizens, and a very compromised Judicial cartel involved. I decided not to write about it and stood by as a witness, instead. That decision changed me.

You summarize it exactly as it was. I've missed seeing you around here.

—

Carry a flame and share the light.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 12:57pm

You should post what you sent me

@Pluto's Republic

I was hoping you would comment on this and would like you to expand on the Susan Rice connection. Can you C&P what you sent me? It is great work that you did.

—

Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 2:37pm

Nothing much to say.

@snoopydawg

Sometimes information is toxic.

Just look at what it has done to CB's mental state in the course of this Essay. [c99 is like fucking Daily Kos.]

This is what toxic information can do.

—

Carry a flame and share the light.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 3:08pm

Sad to see that

@Pluto's Republic

I read most of the links you sent me and appreciate you doing that. The bottom line here is that she was never a Russian agent or spy or a sexbot trap to get people to do whatever people said she did. I've read some of the interview on her at RT. What she went through just to further the Russian propaganda crap was horrible. Unfortunately there are still too many people in our prisons going through it right now. She says that you can tell a lot about a country by how they treat their prisoners. She isn't the first and won't be the last to say it.

—

Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

Submitted by CB on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 3:26pm

I'm not that fucking fragile

@Pluto's Republic
I just want info to backup one sentence accusations by innuendo - that's a trademark of the fuckwits at TOP. I expect better here.

To clarify, it was Butina's defense that requested information from AU

Accused Russian Spy Can Subpoena American University

As laid out in an Oct. 12 memorandum, attorneys for 29-year-old Butina are seeking records on any investigations American University conducted into Butina, rosters of each class she took at the school and documents related to a complaint she filed against a professor who told The Daily Beast Butina bragged in class about her ties to the Russian government.

“The government has alleged that Ms. Butina acted as a Kremlin-agent of influence and that her tenure at American University was merely a ‘cover,'” the 13-page memo had said. “A likely defense at trial will be that Ms. Butina’s academic pursuits were sincere and that she was an ambitious graduate student who sought scholastic rigor, not a ‘cover.'”

With slight changes, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan granted the motion for the subpoena on Wednesday.
...

Submitted by laurel on Tue, 10/29/2019 - 12:05pm

Be cautious re The Daily Beast

@CB . It is an intelligently-written website, but Chelsea Clinton has sat on the Board of Directors of its parent company for many years, and although it works hard to maintain the appearance of impartiality, its inherent pro-Clinton bias slips through. For example, in its early, comprehensive reporting on the Epstein arrest, TDB mentioned Bill Clinton having ridden on Epstein's plane only a few times for the express purpose of conducting charity work with the Clintons on Haiti. The reporting was so good that people constantly referred to TDB article despite the embedded BC alibi. As long as Chelsea is on the board, it's a safe bet that TDB will always reinforce one side of the ongoing Deep State conflict.

—

Lurking in the wings is Hillary, like some terrifying bat hanging by her feet in a cavern below the DNC. A bat with theropod instincts. -- Fred Reed https://tinyurl.com/vgvuhcl

Submitted by CB on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 1:12pm

Lots of interesting angles in this story

@Pluto's Republic
The judge who handled Butina's case, Judge Tanya Chutkan, was also involved with the Fusion GPS and Imran Awan cases.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 1:40pm

I believe the Obama-appointed Judge was

@CB

... appointed to those cases by DNC Debbie's brother.

—

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Submitted by Deja on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 2:35pm

I thought Debbie's bro was the prosecutor

@Pluto's Republic
. . . in the Imran case (if you can call it that). Prosecutors pick the judge they want for a particular case?

Or does she have another brother?

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 2:41pm

As I recall

@Deja

...he was promoted. He assigned the cases in that district court. That should be easy enough to verify.

—

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Submitted by Deja on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 4:15pm

Of course he did

@Pluto's Republic
That's so convenient for him and his handlers. Yuck!

I was not trying to come across as an asshole by asking those questions. I don't know what's going on with you and CB, but I have no dog in it. Just curious and vaguely remember the shit show that snoopy (I think) posted about back when it went down. The whole thing was a farce. The defense being handed the actual server and Debbie's bro "prosecuting" the case were kicks in my sensibilities gut, if you will. Fox, henhouse, and whatnot.

Submitted by Linda Wood on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 11:57am

I've missed

seeing you around here too, CB.

Submitted by Linda Wood on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 1:43pm

As a person

who hasn't followed the Butina story, and with great respect for CB and for Pluto's Republic, I just want to toss in a somewhat anecdotal awareness of CIA sponsorship and manipulation of likely suspects. What emerges from the Russiagate saga is the connection between Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, Joseph Mifsud, Stefan Halper, Oleg Deripaska, and just about every character in the STORY with our intelligence community, or with the FBI, or with military industrial think tanks, or with research organizations aligned with foreign policy.

This control of key characters in narratives goes all the way back to Lee Harvey Oswald and his defecting to the Soviet Union, his welcomed arrival back in the United States into the waiting arms of the anti-Soviet Russian community, his activities in support of Castro simultaneous with his having been photographed in training with anti-Castro covert operators before he went to Russia.

David Talbot's life of Allen Dulles, The Devil's Chessboard, is stunning in its revelation that Dulles ran pro-Soviet and anti-Soviet operatives in support of fascist purposes. So any time someone serves a purpose in the Deep State's narrative, I can't help but think he or she is a witting or un-witting asset of the Deep State, especially if she has been studying cybersecurity policy at a University that honors someone like Susan Rice.

Again, with respect, I think it's possible this person is knowingly or unknowingly a part of the fascist program, just from the details outlined in this thread.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 1:56pm

You'd be surprised at the people

@Linda Wood

...who hide and fester at American University between regimes. The campus serves as a drop-zone for all sorts of diplomatic packets.

—

Carry a flame and share the light.

Submitted by The Wizard on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 3:45pm

A few of my observations about her ordeal

She gave an an interview to RT in English. She talked about her ordeal and total uncertainty about her fate. And then at the airport she saw the Aeroflot airplane with the Russian flag painted on it. Only then did she knew that she was going home. She mentioned in this interview that the morning after the flight she woke up in Russia and finally realized that she was at last free. In school in the US she was recognized as a person who deeply loved her country. As Americans, just understanding these emotions would go a long way to generating understanding between the people of America and the people of Russia.

Her personal goal was to improve relations between Americans and Russians. That's really clear, and I know that every Russian that I have met in Russia feels the same way. She still believes that but had some very negative things to say, believing that there is no real justice in the US, and there is real and tangible racism against Russians. I think that those who promote Russophobia- most of the political class and the MSM, believe that there are no consequences to this. That's not true, there are severe consequences to this in the minds and attitudes of our friends in Russia. Losing Russia's goodwill and friendship has enormous consequences in opportunities lost and it's sad to see American minds poisoned. I have seen this in the last 4 years, Russians who were optimistic about future relations with the US are now downright pessimistic, and believe that it will be a long time before there is a serious opportunity to improve this.

I believe that she was persecuted by some people with the sole purpose of deteriorating relations with Russia. I would not be surprised if this were entirely political and that the persons behind this were hoping that Russia would retaliate on some poor American studying in Russia, thereby creating fear on both sides. So who would have known about a Russian student in the US who could be portrayed as a foreign agent? It's been a sad story but I'm very glad to see that she is free at last.

—

Capitalism has always been the rule of the people by the oligarchs. You only have two choices, eliminate them or restrict their power.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 5:29pm

Well said

@The Wizard

I think that those who promote Russophobia- most of the political class and the MSM, believe that there are no consequences to this. That's not true, there are severe consequences to this in the minds and attitudes of our friends in Russia. Losing Russia's goodwill and friendship has enormous consequences in opportunities lost and it's sad to see American minds poisoned. I have seen this in the last 4 years, Russians who were optimistic about future relations with the US are now downright pessimistic, and believe that it will be a long time before there is a serious opportunity to improve this.

It's not just the Russian phobic comments that get me, but the complete lack of understanding what people think they know about Russia in general. Just yesterday I read that Russians don't even have indoor plumbing. And that Vlad wants to destabilize this country and that is why he supporting white supremacists here. And many other crude talking points. Now just imagine people saying things like that about Israel! People obviously don't know anything about Russia's history or what we did to them during Clinton's tenure. Or how Putin has helped so many poor Russians get out of poverty. He cut his military budget to help more people. We just keep increasing ours while more people fall through the cracks. At least Russia isn't arming terrorists to the tune of billions. Or putting millions and billions into their USAID counterpart to destabilize countries.

I'm just very happy that she is finally home and hope that she can recover from what we did to her.

I would not be surprised if this were entirely political and that the persons behind this were hoping that Russia would retaliate on some poor American studying in Russia, thereby creating fear on both sides.

Russia did arrest an American right after she was sentenced to prison. But from what I read about it he had his hands in lots of IC pies. I don't remember if he has been sentenced yet though. Not a lot of information on him recently.

She gave an an interview to RT in English. She talked about her ordeal and total uncertainty about her fate. And then at the airport she saw the Aeroflot airplane with the Russian flag painted on it. Only then did she knew that she was going home. She mentioned in this interview that the morning after the flight she woke up in Russia and finally realized that she was at last free. In school in the US she was recognized as a person who deeply loved her country. As Americans, just understanding these emotions would go a long way to generating understanding between the people of America and the people of Russia. Her personal goal was to improve relations between Americans and Russians. That's really clear, and I know that every Russian that I have met in Russia feels the same way. She still believes that but had some very negative things to say, believing that there is no real justice in the US, and there is real and tangible racism against Russians. I think that those who promote Russophobia- most of the political class and the MSM, believe that there are no consequences to this. That's not true, there are severe consequences to this in the minds and attitudes of our friends in Russia. Losing Russia's goodwill and friendship has enormous consequences in opportunities lost and it's sad to see American minds poisoned. I have seen this in the last 4 years, Russians who were optimistic about future relations with the US are now downright pessimistic, and believe that it will be a long time before there is a serious opportunity to improve this. I believe that she was persecuted by some people with the sole purpose of deteriorating relations with Russia. I would not be surprised if this were entirely political and that the persons behind this were hoping that Russia would retaliate on some poor American studying in Russia, thereby creating fear on both sides. So who would have known about a Russian student in the US who could be portrayed as a foreign agent? It's been a sad story but I'm very glad to see that she is free at last.

—

Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

Submitted by lotlizard on Mon, 10/28/2019 - 2:44am

Even here, some commenters have tried to sell us that attitude

@snoopydawg

I think that those who promote Russophobia — most of the political class and the MSM, believe that there are no consequences to this. That’s not true, there are severe consequences to this

They were quite flippant and cavalier about it. “So maybe it is just a ploy to cripple Trump, so what? Anything that cripples Trump is a good thing, where’s the harm?”

#5 I think that those who promote Russophobia- most of the political class and the MSM, believe that there are no consequences to this. That's not true, there are severe consequences to this in the minds and attitudes of our friends in Russia. Losing Russia's goodwill and friendship has enormous consequences in opportunities lost and it's sad to see American minds poisoned. I have seen this in the last 4 years, Russians who were optimistic about future relations with the US are now downright pessimistic, and believe that it will be a long time before there is a serious opportunity to improve this. It's not just the Russian phobic comments that get me, but the complete lack of understanding what people think they know about Russia in general. Just yesterday I read that Russians don't even have indoor plumbing. And that Vlad wants to destabilize this country and that is why he supporting white supremacists here. And many other crude talking points. Now just imagine people saying things like that about Israel! People obviously don't know anything about Russia's history or what we did to them during Clinton's tenure. Or how Putin has helped so many poor Russians get out of poverty. He cut his military budget to help more people. We just keep increasing ours while more people fall through the cracks. At least Russia isn't arming terrorists to the tune of billions. Or putting millions and billions into their USAID counterpart to destabilize countries. I'm just very happy that she is finally home and hope that she can recover from what we did to her. I would not be surprised if this were entirely political and that the persons behind this were hoping that Russia would retaliate on some poor American studying in Russia, thereby creating fear on both sides. Russia did arrest an American right after she was sentenced to prison. But from what I read about it he had his hands in lots of IC pies. I don't remember if he has been sentenced yet though. Not a lot of information on him recently.

Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Mon, 10/28/2019 - 11:36am

Their intellectual dishonesty

@lotlizard

...has cost us everything.

—