Trump committed crimes: he should be impeached and removed from office

Then he should be tried in criminal court and sent to jail.

The fact that these proceedings are occurring only as a result of Democrats' craven and cynical fear related to protecting one of their own, politically, instead of for all the numerous other crimes the Idiot in Chief has committed, does not mean Trump didn't do anything illegal or deserving of impeachment and conviction in the Ukraine matter.

I cannot believe that I've seen comments and essays:

* denying the plethora of first-hand witness testimony to criminal acts
* making the testimony out to be just a bunch of unfollowable gossip (that's basically what Jordan's "prayer chain" bilge was)
* suggesting or asserting that what Trump did was simply his prerogative and a legal foreign policy shift (absolutely blown away by this one)
* that there is some deep state conspiracy to trump up any charge that will stick or constantly interfere with Trump

Y'all can read my past essays; it's been a while, but you will see I've had, and be assured continue to have, nothing but contempt for the Democrats and our political process in general. But that hasn't blinded me to the evils the current president is engaged in, and if what gets him is analogous to the tax related violations that put away Capone, so be it.

With conspiracy theories about Russia, "deep state" this, and so on, sometimes when I read the essays and comments here I get confused and think I accidentally went to a Faux News comment page or something.

Just because the Democrats are terrible doesn't mean every nutty conspiracy theory the Republicans peddle about Trump, Russia, Ukraine, or the law is true or deserves more attention than the time it takes to mercilessly ridicule the peddler.

The fact is Trump engaged in criminal activity with respect to Ukraine and the investigations. It's not ambiguous or unimportant: our terrible record on holding politicians to account lies at the heart of why we are all in this mess. I say: go further, there are surely many more office holders abusing their power for personal political gain and we should impeach them, too.

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Lookout's picture

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXA--dj2-CY]

I remember going over and convincing our team, others, to convince that we should be providing for loan guarantees. And I went over, I guess, the 12th, 13th time to Kiev. And I was supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko and from Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor. And they didn’t.

So they said they had—they were walking out to a press conference. I said, nah, I’m not going to—or, we’re not going to give you the billion dollars. They said, you have no authority. You’re not the president. The president said—I said, call him. (Laughter.) I said, I’m telling you, you’re not getting the billion dollars. I said, you’re not getting the billion. I’m going to be leaving here in, I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said: I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money. Well, son of a b-tch. (Laughter.) He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time.

All this to protect his son's corrupt position.

Please explain to me how this is better the Trump requesting info on crowdstrike?

The other issue in my mind is the way the obummer admin supported fascists in order to over throw the pro-Russian Ukrainian gov't?
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/11/17/blowback-us-funded-ukraine-neo-naz...

Then they all profited. Kerry's kid got a sweetheart deal just like Hunter Biden, and the $hill got lots more money for their so called foundation. You think all that won't come up? Some of the RW suggest they are going to have a trial in the Senate where they will control the narrative and reveal the dims foolery.

Now I'm no fan of Trump, but if they were going to impeach him it should have been for the obvious crimes of emoluments which is easy for most citizens to clearly see....and it should have happened two years ago. Only partisans with TDS are buying this. In fact Trump has had a 6 point up tick in his support from independents and massive amounts of fund raising over it.

So yes Trump broke the law...so did the dims...and it won't play to the public. I predict this will come back the bite the dims in the ass, and I stand by that prediction.

The better strategy would be to pound the policies and beat him in the election...but bankrupt pro-corporate dims don't want progressive policy. They prefer this inane distraction on par with russiagate.

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

@Lookout

Biden's actions then only matter insofar as it shows the hypocrisy of the democrats (in which case it just adds to the mountain of evidence we already have got). It doesn't really have anything concrete to do with whether Trump committed crimes.

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vtcc73's picture

of being constantly bombarded by partial truths, misinformation, disinformation, opinions/beliefs stated as fact, and pure processed bullshit. They’re not hard to see if we step back and watch objectively. Of course, objectivity is really hard to find when we become so invested in bullshit and outrage.

The other big problem I see so often is an inability to keep issues separate. While I agree with your point that Trump is a criminal to his very core, I also appreciate the hard feelings for Dems and their shinanigans. These are separate things with common features. Getting them hopelessly entangled is almost impossible in this environment. I know too many really good people who have become so partisan that they can’t be objective or stick to on issue at a time.

I have thought exactly like you do. The clearly stated hatred of Dems isn’t without good reasons. Neither is the same hatred for Trump or any one of hundreds of other things going on in the asylum. Each is separate but entwined. It’s inevitable that people won’t be able to take an issue and stick to it. No?

I have to stay back from the craziness seeing it for what it is. I think we’re all a little crazy most of the time. People deserve some slack. There are some incredible people here. It’s not worth letting differences drive wedges between us. Or more correctly driving wedges over perceived differences.

Don’t get me started on the anger and stated hatred. Those are the real problems.

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"Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now..."

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@vtcc73

At least, not for me.

The general opinion of this site seems to be that none of us places loyalty to party or person above reason, facts, and truth.

The same goes for animosity to party or person.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Raggedy Ann's picture

I think you are missing the point that we are pretty fair around here. We call BS when we see/read it. The Dims could have impeached Herr Drumpf on so many other things than this weak argument on Ukraine. They are, fortunately for us, exposing the fact that our very own deep state does not want the POTUS, whoever that may be, to make foreign policy - or rather - change it from what THEY want.

You need to be concerned about this instead of telling us we are faux news.

Dividing us has been tried before but doesn't work well. We are pretty sure of who we are and where we stand on the issues. We are driven by facts and truth not fantasy and innuendo.

Catch up - we'll wait for you! Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

WaterLily's picture

@Raggedy Ann Well said.

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@Raggedy Ann Yes indeed- thank you for saying that.

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ggersh's picture

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-end-of-the-rule-of-law/

In a letter on Friday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also signed by Ralph Nader and Louis Fisher, Fein warns that Trump is “shattering our entire constitutional order.” He lists as the president’s most serious constitutional violations the “defiance of congressional subpoenas and oversight; spending billions of dollars on a southern border wall not appropriated for that purpose; continuing or expanding presidential wars not declared by Congress; exercising line-item veto power; flouting the Emoluments Clause; and, playing prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner to kill any person on the planet based on secret, unsubstantiated information.” But he also notes that many of these violations are not unique to Trump and were also carried out by Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

He shouldn't of left off bubba, bush 41, raygun, etc.etc.

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I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

Raggedy Ann's picture

@ggersh
Thanks for posting it - it is exactly what I was trying to refer to in my response to BAL!

On another note - unless BAL engages us in the comment section, would we consider BAL a BOT trying to divide us up with drama? Perhaps!

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

@Raggedy Ann

I am not a bot. I disagree that conspiracy theories used as support for opposing impeachment are appropriate, and I disagree with the notion that impeachment is unimportant.

I am on the fence about whether it's a distraction. I think plenty of Dems don't give a fig if Trump is impeached, but I also think some actually do care.

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Raggedy Ann's picture

@BayAreaLefty
you are not a BOT. We don't need those around here - it's bad enough when people try and divide us.

You said:

I disagree that conspiracy theories used as support for opposing impeachment are appropriate, and I disagree with the notion that impeachment is unimportant.

1. Remember that conspiracy theories have an element of truth and might BE the truth but others are trying to throw you off the trail by calling it CT. That happened on KOS a lot back in the day.
2. The impeachment is unimportant if it continues as it is because it is kabuki theatre. Unless the dims get down to business and really try and impeach him on his ACTUAL crimes, then it is completely UNIMPORTANT and a DISTRACTION.

I know you are grappling with this. Read more - but stay away from the MSM. Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

@Raggedy Ann

with is how people who constantly criticize DK can turn around and engage in the exact same thing they accuse that site of. Any "element of truth" to CTs generally is only marginally related to the CT itself, to provide some plausible believability for people who want to believe anyway. Pointing that out doesn't mean the CT is true, or that the messenger is part of a cover-up/gaslighting attempt.

I have a history of essays here, by the way, from 2016/2017 when Hillary and the Dems took down Bernie; it's a bit hilarious to be accused of being a bot or shilling for Dems, etc., just because I happen to not have bought into the CT other have.

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snoopydawg's picture

@BayAreaLefty

that have covered the impeachment hearings? If not then how can you come to your conclusion that we believe in conspiracy theories? Many have given you links to read that have supported what we think, but if you don't read them because you don't like where they came from then how can you determine if we're wrong or not?

I happen to not have bought into the CT other have.

I haven't read the rest of the comments, but again I'm asking what law Trump broke that warrants his impeachment?
The journalists who go on RT have years of quality journalism behind them and they are no longer invited on the main stream media sites. This especially goes for Rachel who has never heard from anyone who has different opinions than her. This seems pretty biased IMO.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg

It's pretty clear what laws he's broken: bribery, obstruction, and solicitation in violation of campaign finance laws are the ones the dems seem to be going after. I'm not a lawyer; I can't name the specific Titles and subsections, but I have access to non-biased sites (like https://news.law.fordham.edu/blog/2019/11/06/hang-on-a-minute-did-trump-...).

However, and everyone here ought to know this, "high crimes and misdemeanors" doesn't require running afoul of a specific statute, and if/when it does not run afoul of such that does not automatically imply the case is purely politically motivated.

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Azazello's picture

That is the issue. I quote from a piece by Ron Paul published at antiwar.com and brought to my attention by C99-er Linda Wood here: Ron Paul summation of Impeachment Tyranny

Vindman continued, “While my interagency colleagues and I were becoming increasingly optimistic on Ukraine’s prospects, this alternative narrative undermined US government efforts to expand cooperation with Ukraine.”
Let that sink in for a moment: Vindman did not witness any crimes, he just didn’t think the elected President of the United States had any right to change US policy toward Ukraine or Russia!

Do you have a favorite candidate in the 2020 presidential election ?
Suppose that candidate were to win the election, would you be OK with the "intelligence community" taking down your president with a trumped-up scandal ?
Like it or not, Donald Trump won the election fair-and-square and nearly half the country still supports him.
Forget impeachment, let's beat him in an election.

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

thanatokephaloides's picture

@Azazello

Like it or not, Donald Trump won the election fair-and-square and nearly half the country still supports him.
Forget impeachment, let's beat him in an election.

Not to mention that other reason to oppose impeachment: No sane person wants Mike Pence in the Oval Office!

Diablo

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

@thanatokephaloides realistically thinks this impeachment process will result in a President Mike Pence.

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@wokkamile
If the president leaves office for any reason the vice president takes his place. Period. That's his job.

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On to Biden since 1973

@doh1304 in the senate virtually assured, are you a/o thana saying Trump would leave anyway??

Um, not very likely either.

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thanatokephaloides's picture

@wokkamile

So with acquittal in the senate virtually assured, are you a/o thana saying Trump would leave anyway??

Um, not very likely either.

No, I'm not saying that.

I'm saying I'd vote for Trump, even with what I know about him today, before through inaction allow Mike Pence to become President.

I belong to a non-Abrahamic religion. I DO. NOT. need a hardcore Christofascist in the Oval Office.

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

@thanatokephaloides before, but let my fingers do the talking once more: there is no way that the charisma-challenged christian nut job Mike "Half" Pence, taking office less than a year before he must vacate it, would hold half as much sway with the R grass roots and therefore with Rs in congress as does Donald. Trump knows how to threaten to get results in behavior, and knows how to rouse the rabble on the stump. Mikey knows neither.

With Donald, the Rs have their Trumpolini tough guy authoritarian that they've long secretly hoped for. He speaks their language of racist fascism and does so in entertaining fashion. With Mikey, the rabble would walk away bored to death halfway into HalfPence's speeches. He has the charisma of a cigar store Indian. The rest of the country, including millions of suburban Rs and Indies would react in horror to Pence's vision of an American Theocracy.

In the very unlikely event HalfPence somehow ends up as prez, the Ds could look forward to an easy clean sweep next Nov, landslide proportions. Going up against Donald however, it will be a tougher, garden variety clean sweep and not a slide of land at the presidential level.

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Not Henry Kissinger's picture

@wokkamile

No sane person realistically thinks this impeachment process will result in a President Mike Pence.

are either insane for believing impeachment will remove Trump or lying because they know it won't.

Sounds about right.

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The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

@Not Henry Kissinger any sober person favoring impeachment who has two political brain cells to rub together who thinks the process will result in Trump being convicted in the senate, so there is no insanity nor lying about it.

It's the right thing to do sometimes, esp with an out of control president who threatens to do still more wrt undermining the constitution if congress does nothing. And this is so even knowing the political outcome in the senate will not be favorable to the forces upholding democracy.

By contrast the Rs during Clinton did the wrong thing and for purely hardball partisan political purposes -- to tarnish not only BC but expected nominee Al Gore in 2000 -- knowing full well that the articles voted on in the House would fail in the senate.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@Not Henry Kissinger

...thanks to this partisan neocon show trial.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Not Henry Kissinger's picture

@Pluto's Republic

for every time some centrist told me that there is no point in advocating for Progressive initiatives because they will never pass.

Yet now they expect us all to tilt at their giant hallucinatory windmill even though they fully admit there's not a snowball's chance in hell of success.

Absolutely shameless.

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The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

Pluto's Republic's picture

@Not Henry Kissinger

...and create a suspicion around him, even if the charges were vague. The idea was to cast suspicion on Trump and erode his support leading up to Election Day. They know the Impeachment Ploy weakened them, and Democrats have much less campaign cash than the Republicans do.
.
So, what are they doing?  They are using tax payer money to smear Trump in Congress, and are dragging it out for as long as they can. It doesn’t matter that the Impeachment Ploy will fail, because the constant smears involved will weaken Trump’s campaign. Or, so they hope.

There is also an element of distraction involved to mute the Investigation report on the Origins of the Russia Hoax coming on December 9th. This directly impacts the Neocon agenda for war with Russia. However, Barr is part of the Deep State, so it is unlikely that anything meaningful will come of it. The swamp is not in danger.

I can’t remember who said it but I think it was one of the best lines addressed to the "witnesses" of the "impeachable crime":

So neither of you were part of any phone calls with the President. And neither of you have spent any time personally with the President. You fellas understand that this proceeding is about impeaching the President, don’t you?

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato

@Not Henry Kissinger Gawd damn one of Clinton's most passionate speech was on "fuck you you ain't getting no health care". BTW, she was in Wales giving a speech in Wales, tripped and fell, breaking her toe. Socialist medicine treated here and as far as I can tell, paid jack for the treatment.

But just amazing how her most emotional speeches were telling people fuck you.

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snoopydawg's picture

@MrWebster

Clinton, not Trump, is the one more influenced by foreign governments

The Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party have used one statement by Donald Trump to make wild assertions about foreign influence in the 2016 presidential election.

"Russia, if you are listening I hope you are able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," Trump said on July 27. That one remark is the basis for massive attacks launched by the Clinton campaign.

Clinton accused Trump of encouraging "espionage against our people," ignoring the fact that it was too late to obtain those emails through "espionage" because Clinton already destroyed them. If Russia obtained the emails prior to their destruction by Clinton, it would be much better for the United States if Russia released them rather than retain them for a possible blackmail file to have over Clinton.

Clinton went on to say, "I think this is such an unprecedented situation, we've never had a foreign government trying to interfere with our elections." Other Clinton surrogates accused Trump of treason.

Clinton could only make that statement if she were sure no one in the media would look very deeply into it. Because there actually have been two far more penetrating foreign operations that influenced U.S. elections — one in 1996 and another possibly in 1992.

Those attempts to influence elections involved agents from communist China who sought to help Bill Clinton get re-elected in 1996 by donating millions of dollars illegally to Clinton and the Democratic National Committee. Clinton's relationship with the Chinese goes back prior to the 1992 election through James Riady, of the Riady banking family of Indonesia and China.

-----
From the moment Clinton took office in January 1993, he decontrolled advanced strategic weapons technology to China over the objections of his own Department of Defense Export Control Regime, and his own director of central intelligence. Those practices continued through the 1996 election and represented a drastic change from his bellicose words for China in the 1992 campaign for which he cited their atrocious record on "human rights," and their proliferation of "dangerous weapons technology" — weapons technology that was far less dangerous than what Clinton provided them.

The Chinese reciprocated by pouring millions of dollars in illegal campaign donations and even contributed to Clinton's Personal Legal Expense Trust Fund through multiple sources that were identified by congressional and FBI investigations to have come from high level Chinese intelligence agents. House and Senate investigations of what became known as the "China/Democratic National Committee Fundraising Scandal" turned up startling details of how deep the Chinese penetration of the Clinton administration was. All of this was documented in congressional reports on the subject and by nearly every major news agency as well as in the documentary "Trading with the Enemy."

The Department of Justice investigation under then-Attorney General Janet Reno sounds familiar to the present day. Reno steadfastly refused to appoint an independent counsel to investigate despite demands not only from Congress, but from her own FBI director, Louis Freeh, and Charles LaBella, a senior U.S. attorney whom Reno appointed to oversee the investigation. The Reno DOJ indicted several figures in the money laundering scandal.

Sadly, those who became the most important witnesses for the government's case received the harshest penalties, while those who kept quiet and handled the most laundered funds were let off with virtually no punishment at all.

Well that's kinda awkward don't you think? As the saying goes, accuse someone of doing something because you are actually the guilty party.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg

for over a decade. "Whataboutism" doesn't exonerate Trump.

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snoopydawg's picture

@BayAreaLefty

on whether you have read our essays?

But I guess you missed the part in the article that said that Trump didn't actually ask for Russia's help? The whole Russia Gate propaganda BS was made up by Hillary's team to keep people from focusing on the content of the Wikileaks releases. Or do you also think that Russia interfered with the election and Assange helped them do it?

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg

I answered your question in my essay: your (collective) essays and comments are what prompted me to write my essay. Someone around here has to act as a counterweight to the CTs that have proliferated.

Here is what matters regarding the impeachment: what did Trump and his proxies do?

Everything else is a distraction, at best.

One can argue that the impeachment itself is a distraction, and as I wrote elsewhere I'm of mixed mind about that: I think some democrats are using it for that purpose, but I think some genuinely care that Trump abused the powers of his office. Here's something else to consider, especially for those that think our foreign policy is too aggressive and intrusive on others: what do y'all think the result of letting a president get away with extortion does for us? It certainly doesn't win us any friends, and it's arguably a worse transgression than the "business as usual" FP we have.

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snoopydawg's picture

@BayAreaLefty

I have provided documentation that backs up my points in my essays. Did you read those or just mine and others comments to form your opinion that we are spreading CT here? How about this:

Here is a witness saying that he did not see anything happening. There have been others that have had to admit that when they were crossed by the GOP.

Did you read this:

The Real Ukraine Controversy

Again if you are only getting you facts from one side then you are not getting all the facts to form an opinion. IMO of course. Deciding that you won't read certain sites just because you think the are state TV (RT) or Fox is one way to not get the whole story. You put us down for where we get our facts because of your beliefs when the facts should just speak for themselves.

There are plenty of other issues that democrats could have brought him up on and that they didn't speaks volumes. Trump is not going to be removed from office. Even democrats are now going back on thinking they think it's worth impeaching and will just go with censorship. That trial balloon is already being floated. So big deal. He might get a check mark on his presidency, but democrats will let him go on asset stripping the country because the don't actually disagree with what he is doing. IF they did then they would have charged him for those things. IMO.

I answered your question in my essay: your (collective) essays and comments are what prompted me to write my essay.

Seems many others disagree with you as they have said in their comments.

As for this not being a distraction from the other things in congress how many site have you seen covering this?

Senate Democrats Join GOP to Back 'Automatic Austerity' Bill That Would Gut Social Programs, Hamstring Bold Policies

A handful of Senate Democrats joined forces with Republicans last week to advance sweeping budget legislation that would establish an "automatic deficit-reduction process" that could trigger trillions of dollars in cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, and other social programs—and potentially hobble the agenda of the next president.

The Bipartisan Congressional Budget Reform Act (S.2765), authored by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), passed out of the Senate Budget Committee on November 6. The legislation is co-sponsored by five members of the Senate Democratic caucus: Whitehouse, Mark Warner (Va.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Chris Coons (Del.), and Angus King (I-Maine).

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snoopydawg's picture

@BayAreaLefty

The Ukraine Influence 3

This sets up why Trump asked for an investigation into what happened during the last election and why he has every right to do so. Parts 1-2 are linked.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@snoopydawg

No surprise here:

z.clinton-fund.jpg

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Centaurea's picture

@Pluto's Republic

I'm sure it means nothing.

Blum 3

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"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone

@Centaurea n/t

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Not Henry Kissinger

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

ggersh's picture

@Pluto's Republic @Pluto's Republic all wrapped up in hopey changey

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/26/obama-privately-considered-...

"Publicly, [Obama] has been clear that he won't intervene in the primary for or against a candidate," Politico reported Tuesday. "There is one potential exception: Back when Sanders seemed like more of a threat than he does now, Obama said privately that if Bernie were running away with the nomination, Obama would speak up to stop him."

I guess leaking this doesn't count Dash 1

tRumpolini before SandersAggressive

empty suits legacy keeps growing

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I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

thanatokephaloides's picture

@wokkamile

No sane person realistically thinks this impeachment process will result in a President Mike Pence.

From your keyboard straight to Ceiling Cat's tufted ears!!

Wink

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@thanatokephaloides

near the red phone.

Though perhaps that's an old-fashioned and quaint notion of how the United States decides to fire nukes at another major nuclear superpower.

Still, I'd prefer Pence be nowhere near where those decisions are made.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Pluto's Republic's picture

@Azazello

Bernie Sanders, however, is the only candidate that can do it. A vast voting block that is not represented at the Federal level will come out for him. None of the other candidates can beat Trump, and that's a fact. It's almost impossible to win over an incumbent President, unless you have a wildly charismatic truth-telling populist challenging him.

Will the Democrats let Bernie run if he wins the Primary majority?

Would they impeach Trump for the war crime he committed on April 4, 2018?

Will the Democratic Party make their first priority providing healthcare to all Americans, which is their constituent's No. 1 desire? Or will they continue to betray them?

The Democratic Party is too corrupted to act with integrity and intellectual honesty.
They are financially obligated to serve the billionaires.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato

True. Which reveals what hypocrites the establishment dems are, and what a farce the impeachment hearings are.

@Pluto's Republic

They insist that Trump is Satan, and that he should be removed. But then they cheat, lie, and smear Bernie to impede his progress in the 2020 primaries. So it is clear that the only thing that the dem establishment fears more than Trump is Bernie.

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@entrepreneur

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/obama-bernie-sanders-2020-nomination_n_5d...

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Cassiodorus's picture

@entrepreneur why Barack Obama has come out against Bernie Sanders. So predictable. Giving all branches of the Federal government and 900+ state legislative seats to the Republicans, and that's still not enough.

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"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

@Azazello

No favorites this time; last time I maxed out for Bernie. I mean, I went all-in: maxed out donations, cobbled together the canvassing and other campaign operations in my area that I could, etc.

I don't think our political system works for anybody but the very wealthy and connected. I've thought that for some time, but it has really become crystal clear in the last 8 years or so.

I'm not convinced Trump can be beat in an election, and I think there's a 0% chance of impeachment leading to conviction in the Senate, so I'm just girding myself for another four years of this disaster.

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edg's picture

I have personally cast shade on the national security establishment's unanimous agreement that Russia hacked the 2016 election. Foolishly, I thought my 40+ years experience in the computer industry, which includes stints in programming as well as cybersecurity, prepared me to judge the validity of their stellar findings. Unfortunately, my misguided assessment of the facts (refusal to let FBI examine server; analysis conducted by a private company headed by a well-known Russia hater; amateurish hacking and phishing attempts) caused me to temporarily lose my mind to a Fox News inspired miasma of counterfactual reality.

In essence, I was brainwashed.

However, I am now properly chagrined. My behavior was unworthy. I failed miserably in the role of judging Trump guilty because he's Trump. I unconscionably believed that finding Trump impeachable on a minor technicality was worth ignoring the actual war crimes he has committed (bombing Syria based on phony chemical weapons reports; selling arms to Saudi Arabia so they can continue to massacre Yemeni civilians; aiding Netanyahu's crimes against Palestinians).

I am truly contrite for my unbridled miscreancy. I sincerely hope you and the world can forgive me my sins.

Amen.

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@edg be the first to congratulate you on this Beautifully written piece. @edg

Edit to add; I forgive you, my son. go forth
and sin no more

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Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .

Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .

If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march

edg's picture

@Tall Bald and Ugly

I shall say my 10 Hail Mary's and eat no meat this coming Friday. Excepting turkey leftovers, that is.

BTW, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and friends.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@edg

...you might find this somewhat astonishing:

DNC Russian Hackers Found!
You Won’t Believe Who They Really Work For

I'm not sure what to think of the narrative, but the facts check out.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
edg's picture

@Pluto's Republic

I doubt Dmitri hacked the DNC server. He simply exploited the incident to push his own agenda and narrative.

My personal belief is that of the 195 countries on Earth, 194.5 of them cyberspy on the United States. It makes sense. If you're a small fish and there's a hungry shark in the water, you keep both eyes on that shark.

That does not mean that all of those countries hack the US. Some do; some don't. On the other hand, it's highly likely that the US hacks all of those countries.

As for the DNC and DCCC servers and Podesta's email account, my sense is that those were all targets of opportunity exploited by run-of-the-mill hackers. A combination of lax security, poor system administration, and sloppy practices created openings cybercriminals happily used. They were likely searching for financial information to leverage -- credit card numbers, bank accounts, etc. -- and probably just dumped any other files they downloaded on the dark web after determining they held no value (to them). After that, "Guccifer 2.0" published and took credit.

It's also important to remember that because of the lax security on Democratic servers, dozens or even hundreds of hackers strolled through the servers at will. Was Russian security one of them? Highly likely, just like the US strolls through insecure Russian computers whenever possible. Was it part of a massive, coordinated operation by Russia to influence the US election and elect Donald Trump? I'm 100% certain that's not the case. Despite the best efforts of Democrats and the MSM and Dmitri to link Podesta, servers, Facebook ads, etc. into some massive anti-Hillary conspiracy by Vladimir Putin, it just doesn't pass the smell test.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@edg

I wasn't referring to the top half of the story. I think we all have a pretty good idea of how those files were copied from the server, in house, and made their way to Assange in London. While there may have been some kiddy code hacking of the server, none of it had to do with the Russia Hoax. We've seen no forensic evidence regarding that. Guccifer2 was, of course, a staged Crowdstrike cover-up.

I should have mentioned that I was looking at the second half of the story that begins:

Alperovitch’s “Unbelievable” History

Sorry for the mis-direction. I don't have the cybersecurity experience to analyze it, and thought it would click for you. The scope of this exploit is too large for me to grasp, technically. Please don't feel you need to waste another minute on this. I just wanted to clarify that what I found astonishing is not related to the DNC false flag. It was about the nation's crypto-codes and Dimitri's CIA-asset father, Michael Alperovitch:

Michael Alperovitch was in possession of those impenetrable codes when he was a top scientist in Russia. It was these very codes that he shared with the CIA on his first trip to America. These codes got him spirited into America and “turned into” the best cryptologist in the world. Michael is simply using the effective codes of Russia to design his codes for the many systems he has created in America for the CIA.
....
It is highly likely that the criminal activities of Dmitri Alperovitch, which were supported and sponsored by the FBI, created the very hackers who he often claims are responsible for cyberattacks. None of these supposed “attackers” have ever been found or arrested; they simply exist in the files of CrowdStrike and are used as the “usual culprits” when the FBI or CIA calls in Dmitri to give the one and only opinion that counts. Only Dmitri’s “suspicions” are offered as evidence and yet 17 U.S. intelligence agencies stand behind the CrowdStrike report and Dmitri’s suspicions.
....
Michael Alperovitch – Russian Spy with the Crypto-Keys

Essentially, Michael Alperovitch flies under the false-flag of being a cryptologist who works with PKI. A public key infrastructure (PKI) is a system for the creation, storage, and distribution of digital certificates which are used to verify that a particular public key belongs to a certain entity. The PKI creates digital certificates which map public keys to entities, securely stores these certificates in a central repository and revokes them if needed. Public key cryptography is a cryptographic technique that enables entities to securely communicate on an insecure public network (the Internet), and reliably verify the identity of an entity via digital signatures. Digital signatures use Certificate Authorities to digitally sign and publish the public key bound to a given user. This is done using the CIA’s own private key, so that trust in the user key relies on one’s trust in the validity of the CIA’s key. Michael Alperovitch is considered to be the number one expert in America on PKI and essentially controls the market.

On Michael Alperovitch’s Linked In page we find some of his illustrious history that paints a picture of either the most brilliant mind in computer security, encryption, and cyberwarfare, or a CIA/FBI backed Russian spy. Imagine that out of all the people in the world to put in charge of the encryption keys for the Department of Defense, the U.S. Treasury, U.S. military satellites, the flow of network news, cell phone encryption, the Pathfire (media control) Program, the Defense Information Systems Agency, the Global Information Grid, and TriCipher Armored Credential System among many others, the government hires a Russian spy. Go figure.

It continues in a most bizarre direction.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
edg's picture

@Pluto's Republic

Well, Dmitri was a snitch who sold out other people to keep himself out of jail. He's been under the FBI's thumb ever since. Daddy was assuredly a CIA asset.

Technical points -- Yes, backdoors are common. No, Daddy doesn't have Russia's current "impenetrable" code; it's been updated. Yes, Daddy is a PKI and security guru. Dmitri, not so much. I don't know if there's anything else you wondered about, but those are the key points regarding the "Unbelievable" section.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@edg

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Roy Blakeley's picture

@edg but I think the material from the DNC server was a leak and Grucifer 2.0 was a clumsy false flag operation to make the leak seem like a Russian hack. Certainly, the FBI report on the Podesta spearfishing was complete garbage. A lot of irrelevant background on Russian intelligence to make them seem scary followed by a page or so which showed that the spearfisher used publicly available code (somewhat out of date code at that--the FBI omitted the fact that everyone has access to this code, not just Russians) and a server (possibly spoofed--hard to say) in Ukraine (this was supposedly the evidence that Russia did it), followed by several pages on how to keep your network safe. The US security apparatus has been lying to me all my life. I am not sure why I should believe them now.

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edg's picture

@Roy Blakeley

The US security apparatus has been lying to me all my life. I am not sure why I should believe them now.

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k9disc's picture

I mean, because Drumpf needs to be impeached.
@Roy Blakeley

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“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu

Centaurea's picture

@edg , or anyone else reading this who might know. It's something I've been wondering for a while.

Where does the company's name, "CrowdStrike", come from? Is it a term that has meaning in the world of cybersecurity?

I've read numerous articles about CrowdStrike, and interviews with its founders Alperovitch and Kurtz, hoping (with no luck) that there would be some explanation as to how they came up with the name and what it means to them and their clientele.

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"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone

janis b's picture

@Centaurea

but my association to the word ‘CrowdStrike’ is somehow related to the label, ‘WarOnTerror’. ‘Strike’ has a kind of military sound to me. Also, they both profess to protect.

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Centaurea's picture

@janis b
How does that word fit? I associate "crowd" with a large, unorganized group of people who don't necessarily know each other.

The first mental image I get when see the word "CrowdStrike" is a drone bombing a village, or a terrorist attack in a public place.

"CrowdStrike" ... what, exactly, is the impression it's meant to convey, to whom, and for what purpose(s)?

Who is "the crowd"? Who is doing the "striking", and how is it done?

How does the name serve the company? I'm sure they chose the company name deliberately.

I mean these questions seriously. CrowdStrike is a key player in a lot of what's been going on the past several years. They show up in Wikileaks a lot, and they obviously have deep connections in American intelligence and with the DNC.

Why are they calling themselves by that particular phrase?

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"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone

@Pluto's Republic
not to mention every other report on the DNC hack?

IP addresses

Without IP addresses then none of this means anything.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@gjohnsit

My interest had nothing to to with the DNC hack. But your point is true, One thing that no one produces is the forensic evidence necessary to analyze what, if anything, occurred. That was scrubbed. IP addresses can be spoofed, of course. VIPS provided forensics based on metadata taken from copies of the leaked documents. We learned from that several important facts concerning how the documents were transferred from the DNC. We also learned that the perps compiled the stolen emails using software registered to Joe Biden's office. Small world.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Pluto's Republic

and his reward was to get treated to some Rovian propaganda courtesy of some of the other members of VIPS.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@edg

I'm glad to know you.

Respect.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Lookout's picture

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

Raggedy Ann's picture

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

snoopydawg's picture

@Lookout

On a side note Putin and Zelensky are once again working towards peace with help from Germany and France. Let's see how many congress members work to derail that again. You'd think if we want to help Ukraine with their Russia 'problem' we would jump all over a chance for the fighting to stop and therefore Ukraine won't need those lethal weapons. Sure the pork will stop flowing to congress, but I think lives should be more important than money.

US impeachment furor sabotages Ukraine peace talks

Weeks of impeachment hearings in the House of Representatives, accusing President Trump of abusing his office with regard to Ukraine, have achieved very little except for two things. Ukraine’s international image has been trashed with corruption claims and depiction of the country as having vassal-like dependency on the US, and secondly, demonization of Russia which has been heightened as an “aggressor” supposedly out to destroy Ukraine.

The irony is that Washington purports to be an ally of Ukraine to promote democracy, sovereignty, and independence of the former Soviet republic. But the upshot of the impeachment inquiry is that Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty is gravely undermined.

When President Zelensky holds multilateral talks soon with Putin, the Ukrainian leader will have little room to maneuver as a result of the cacophony back in the US.

The two leaders are due to meet on December 9 in Paris as part of a four-way summit also involving German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting is a return to long-suspended peace talks and an attempt to revive the 2015 Minsk accords for ending conflict in eastern Ukraine.

It is over three years since the so-called Normandy Format last convened. The Minsk peace deal was never implemented, mainly because former Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, refused to fulfill commitments to give regional autonomy to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Consequently the war has dragged on for nearly five years.

But as it is, Zelensky is going into negotiations with Putin as an isolated figure who has been demeaned by Washington’s squabbling and caricatured as a stooge.

Thus, what is being set up for the Ukrainian leader is an almost impossible task. If he were to agree with Putin to a further withdrawal of military forces from the contact line with pro-Russian separatists, or if he commits to implementing Minsk provisions for regional autonomy, then the uproar in Washington is predictable. Zelensky will be cast as selling out to Putin and capitulating to “Russian aggression.”

Missing from the political fight in Washington are the following key issues: it was American and Europe interference in Ukraine, not Russian, that plunged the country into ongoing conflict. That interference peaked with the CIA-backed coup in Kiev in February 2014, which led to Crimea seceding in a referendum and joining the Russian Federation. The coup also led directly to the war in eastern Ukraine by a neo-Nazi regime in Kiev against the ethnic Russian population who understandably have demanded autonomy.

The $400 million in military aid that Trump is accused of using as leverage on Zelensky, obscures the bigger picture of why the US has sent a total of $1 billion in military aid to the country in order to antagonize Russia. This has long been the agenda of Washington’s foreign policy establishment, to destabilize Russia by pushing Ukraine to join the NATO alliance.

The impeachment hearings against Trump have obscured and turned reality on its head. The anti-Trump Democrats, media and ‘deep state’ operatives want to exclude any wider investigation into corrupt dealings by the former Obama administration in Ukraine by asserting that any such claims are merely “Russian disinformation.”

I recommend reading the whole article so people can see what is happening there.

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@Lookout

I'm as disinclined to trust the RT as a source as I am to trust Trump's Whitehouse. What's next, Pravda or the National Enquirer?

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edg's picture

@BayAreaLefty

1. The linked piece is an op-ed, not a news report.

2. RT is demonstrably more reliable than the Washington Post, et al. The vast majority of its news reports (not opinion pieces) are accurate and factual. If you have actual examples disproving this, please post them. As for WaPo, I need only point you to their breathless and false "reporting" on the Vermont utility "hack".

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@edg and WaPo. RT, which used to be on my cable lineup before being pulled for no good reason, was the channel I watched consistently for int'l news and views. Most of their commentators (which once included Abby Martin) are left-leaning, and even the one conservative host (guy with the bow tie) is honest and not in the tank for Donald.

Jeff Bezos' WaPo is even more of a sellout to the MIC/CIA/DS than it was when Kate Graham ran the place.

Is Woodward still working there?

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@edg @edg @edg including Chris Hedges, INSIST they can say what they want, and that they are not censored or controlled
in any shape, form, or fashion by Russia.
To claim RT is nothing but a Russia propaganda organization is ct.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@edg

That was a bad one.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

@BayAreaLefty Pravda On The Hudson, along with the rest of MSM, has lied about every single act of US aggression and fomentation your entire life if you were born after WWII. There's an element of blindness in denying that easily demonstrable fact. They are the ear mongers propaganda outlet. Why trust them instead of honest reasoning?

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Orwell: Where's the omelette?

@jim p

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Orwell: Where's the omelette?

@jim p

that I trust them? RT is a propaganda organ of the Russian state, much like WaPo is of Bezos and the other media outlets in this country are of their respective patrons.

There are just some weird CTs being promoted around here.

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snoopydawg's picture

@BayAreaLefty

There are just some weird CTs being promoted around here.

Limiting where you get your information on issues just limits your information. And who gets to decide what is CT or not? You seem to be painting with a very broad brush here. Calling things CT is just a way to shut down conversations.

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@snoopydawg

as a conspiracy theory.

https://caucus99percent.com/content/outside-asylum-11

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

enhydra lutris's picture

@BayAreaLefty

There can be no conspiracy theories because there are no credible sources to debunk any theory of any kind whatsoever in a credible fashion

The impeachment reeks of partisanship and there are no impartial witnesses.

Trump is obscene and has committed many crimes but the Dems have been politically afraid to go after them.

If a US president discovered that a US citizen, perhaps a mobster, had strong armed a corrupt foreign government into stopping an investigation into certain corrupt and illegal behavior on the part of the US citizen and his associates and family, and as a result requested that the new leadership of said foreign government restart that investigation in order to prove that it was no longer corrupt and not beholden to the mobster US citizen and his accomplices as a condition to receiving US aid, would that be bribery? Would it be a crime? Would it suddenly become a crime if the mobster decided to run against the US president in the next election. Does it matter which crime family the mobster belonged to?
Replace Biden with John Doe and there is nothing at all wrong here, so why does the fact that he is a candidate change that?

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

CB's picture

@BayAreaLefty

I remember arguing about the situation in Libya, Ukraine and Syria as the US began to destroy these countries. All the facts I reported were rejected by the majority on the very grounds you are now describing. But, as time passed, my sources turned out to be highly accurate unlike the propaganda they were pedaling (and unfortunately believing).

BTW, I was not the only one. There are many here in C99 who have stood up to the PTB in DKos that did not like the truth exposed and ended up BOJO'd.

I'm not about to put up with that kind of bullshit here.

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@jim p

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

thanatokephaloides's picture

@BayAreaLefty

I'm as disinclined to trust the RT as a source as I am to trust Trump's Whitehouse. What's next, Pravda or the National Enquirer?

You insult RT and Pravda alike.

These sources have proven very reliable with regards to news about the USA. Especially political news, which our own mainstream media (MSM) doesn't cover worth cat feces any more. (Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, where are you when we need you?)

Admittedly, one might be well advised to take their coverage about Russia with a grain of salt; but their coverage of the USA is actually pretty good!

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Pluto's Republic's picture

@thanatokephaloides

I don't remember when I've ever seen a show about Russia.... oh wait, the World Cup. That was the only Russian show I recall. It looked cool. The Russians looked like us. Mostly I watch the shows like Chris Hedges, Renegade, Peter Lavelle (which is produced in Russia — but they don't talk about Russia, now that I think about it). Most all the shows are hosted by well known American journalists.

When people talk about RT "propaganda" I think they are referring to the fact that most of these shows are critical toward the US. The US News Monopolies are very much the opposite. In fact, their lack of national circumspection is very creepy. It turns American viewers off. Distrust in the US news media is at the highest level ever. The same level of distrust that you find in totalitarian States. The US pretty much killed its own Democracy, when it legalized the brainwashing of Americans via the News Media in 2013. If the Russian Hoax served a purpose, it demonstrated how easily Americans can now be bamboozled. They believe any preposterous, manipulative bullshit that the TV box tells them. People who fell for the Russia Hoax are not mentally capable of participating in an informed Democracy. RIP.

That makes the US two-party "democracy" a sick joke. American's look stupid lining up to vote in their fake democracy: "Heads I win, tales you lose." But they fall for it every time. Six billion dollars later, the election's over and the People have nothing to show for it. For the fourth year in a row, the US life span had dropped significantly. Everywhere else in the world, the life span averages are increasing. They must be gaslighting us to kill ourselves; all part of the Great Depopulation.

On RT, they do talk about verifiable facts like this, facts that are not reported by the US Media Monopolies. Yet at the same time, I am proud that Americans are free to watch RT. Good for the US!

Make Orwell Fiction Again.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato

@Pluto's Republic war correspondent, editor of the NYT, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges is a Russian mouthpiece?
To think otherwise is ct.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

snoopydawg's picture

@Pluto's Republic

This was one of their unforgivable sins. You know after the year before Jill Stein was handcuffed after she tried to get into the debates on main stream media.

Looking like support for impeachment is falling and now democrats might not have the votes for it and might just end up censoring Trump which will give him a huge bump in the polls. Hmm who here thinks that democrats will be sad about that?

This goes to Moon of Alabama and the first few comments really nail it.

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CB's picture

@snoopydawg
From your link: https://www.moonofalabama.org/

If more Democratic swing-state representatives defect from the impeachment camp, which seems likely, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will have a big problem. How can she proceed?

  • If the House votes down impeachment Donald Trump wins.
  • If the House holds no vote on the issue Donald Trump wins.
  • If the House votes for censure Donald Trump will have won on points and the issue will be over.
  • If the House votes for impeachment the case goes to the Senate for trial.

The Republican led Senate has two choices:

  • It can decide to not open an impeachment trial by simply voting against impeachment. Trump wins.
  • It can open a impeachment trial, use it to extensively hurt the Democrats and, in the end, vote against impeachment. Trump wins big time.

Should the House vote for impeachment the Senate is likely to go the second path.

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snoopydawg's picture

@CB

and has opened a can of worms that are going to bite her. B lays out a good case for how this is going to actually hurt democrats. But if you read the 3rd comment there he really nails what democrats are. It boils down to we really only have one party here and the democrats have fooled people by pretending to maybe give them what they want. Some day, but not today. It's an outstanding comment.

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snoopydawg's picture

@Pluto's Republic

If the Russian Hoax served a purpose, it demonstrated how easily Americans can now be bamboozled. They believe any preposterous, manipulative bullshit that the TV box tells them. People who fell for the Russia Hoax are not mentally capable of participating in an informed Democracy. RIP.

This is exactly what the first comment over there says. We know that democrats are the fake opposition party to the republicans. When will others start seeing this?

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Lookout's picture

@BayAreaLefty

RT is the most reliable broadcast news IMO. Perhaps you should watch it more often comrade.

I fear TDS (trump derangement syndrome) has clouded your thought process. As Jimmy says TDS causes people to lose the ability to think rationally.

Let me re-state myself, this impeachment will hurt the dims. It has already pushed Trump up 6 points with independents and brought in massive amounts of money for him. The impeachment is ill conceived and poorly executed and will open the closet door to expose the dims rather rotten and smelly Ukrainian skeletons.

That is why I think focusing on the election is more important.

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

CB's picture

The fact is Trump engaged in criminal activity with respect to Ukraine and the investigations.

I have been following this crap and have yet to see any real facts that are more than innuendo. One would have to be a "true believer" to think that there is anything but smoke and mirrors.

I don't want Trump to get elected in 2020 but I believe that the minions in the DNC, currently slaving for their corporate masters, will scheme against any Democratic candidate that is not "approved" to the point of tossing the election to Trump. As a side note, if Tulsi got elected, the PTB would have to JFK her.

BTW, do you think that Putin/Russia is an existential threat to the US?

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@CB article in particular makes a good argument on the fact that DJT appears to have violated a number of federal laws and specific constitutional provisions. Were it an actual criminal case being prosecuted by Fein, he would appear to have some solid basis for a conviction on at least one count.

Of course, impeachment has nothing to do with what could hold up in court, criminal or otherwise. It's a trial in the senate held before 100 senator "jurors", and the senate has its own rules and rules of evidence, and the outcome has no criminal law implications. The fact this is not a criminal trial is highlighted by the fact that the senator-jurors are not 100 randomly selected impartial citizens who have gone through a rigorous voir-dire process for bias, but rather 2 vastly different highly politically interested groups who are the farthest thing from impartial.

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@wokkamile
in that article are NOT the ones that the Trumpeter is currently being prosecuted for. Do you really think that the House or Senate would actually bring forth charges, let alone try to impeach a sitting President for those 12 offenses?

Bring up impeachment for any of those and I will back it 100%.

Engaging in that sort of shitte is now "business as usual" for ALL branches of government: the executive, the legislative and EVEN the judicial as we have now witnessed in the last decade. The president could not do these things on his own without collusion and support from Congress as a whole. Fein is right about one thing - this rot will eventually destroy the USA - and I see little attempt to stop it. With the neolibs and neocons in full control of the throttle and the brakes we can look forward to the US losing it's world hegemonic position in less than a decade - and that will be a good thing.

The one refreshing thing about this whole sordid affair is the exposing of the so-called "Deep State" as the entity that has usurped the power, more-or-less, of ALL three branches. It is no longer in the realm of conspiracy theory.

I'm looking forward to how the Dems (along with their sycophants within the American power structure) are going to respond when the Trumpster wins a second term 2020 because that's what is going to happen if they keep this up.

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