Former President Donald J. Trump

[Snarfyguy]

https://thebaffler.com/salvos/there-goes-the-neighborhood

Jimbo, treat yourself to a well written and thought-out essay that confirms your gripe (and mine) about the Obama/Library/Gentrification issue you posted on.

[Jimbo]

https://thebaffler.com/salvos/there-goes-the-neighborhood

Jimbo, treat yourself to a well written and thought-out essay that confirms your gripe (and mine) about the Obama/Library/Gentrification issue you posted on.

Very sleazy business which a good liberal would hope/assume the Obamas are above. But they ain't. They're as dirty as any crook. And they talk of Putin's palace like he's dirty. If it is true about Putin's ill gotten gains certainly any Obama fan has no grounds to throw stones.

Left out of Perlstein's article is how messed up the Clinton Library story is. Not sure why that is. My Jimbo sez because the author is overly-symathetic to HRC in this time of Trump. Needn't heap more dirt on her when she's already down. But if you care to see for yourself see http://charlesortel.com

[Davey the Fat Boy]

I’m fascinated by the small things that outrage you vs. the giant things you play apologist for.

[BARON CORNY DOG]

I’m fascinated by the small things that outrage you vs. the giant things you play apologist for.

Anyway, back to Trump.

Whatta week, eh?

[Spock!]

Thought more people would see this if I post it in this thread.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

Maybe it’s the Jews. Eh Jimbo?

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/putin-m ... -1.5888887

[Jimbo]

It ain't about hacking r democracy. it's all about oil and that kind of shit. The quotes below come from an actual US Army paper and lays out just what the fuck the US wants to do about Russia. Read the article for an analysis or just read the quotes and ask yourself if all this Russia bullshit is about, you know, what they are saying it is. I said it was an op to win the hearts and minds of dumb assed Americans to go along with Exxon and BP. Meanwhile, better dust off your bomb shelter and hunker down.

Army document: US strategy to ‘dethrone’ Putin for oil pipelines might provoke WW3

A study by the US Army’s Command and General Staff College Press of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth reveals that US strategy toward Russia has been heavily motivated by the goal of dominating Central Asian oil and gas resources, and associated pipeline routes.

https://off-guardian.org/2018/03/11/arm ... ovoke-ww3/

Vast reserves of oil and natural gas in and around the Caspian Sea were the primary source of the US’s initial interest in the region. That interest could provide the foundation for stronger ties between the US and regional states, with the US providing protection to ensure regional stability and the political independence of the littoral countries. (p. 8)

… strengthen the political and economic independence of the countries of the region from possible resurgent Russian ambitions. But even before its completion, it had also marked the beginning of the new ‘Great Game’ with global and regional powers such as the US, China, and Russia vying for influence in the area. Once again the region became very attractive for global geopolitics, enhanced by the discoveries of natural resources in Afghanistan such as natural gas, oil, marble, gold, copper, chromite, etc.”

At the same time, Afghanistan’s significance stems from its geopolitical position as a potential transit route for oil and natural gas exports from Central Asia to the Arabian Sea. This potential includes the possible construction of oil and natural gas export pipelines through Afghanistan, which was under serious consideration in the mid-1990s. The idea has since been undermined by Afghanistan’s instability.

… safeguard US economic interests and continue to promote economic reform so that the five nations can be better embedded in the global economy.

But also, the region is awash in natural resources. Turkmenistan has the fourth-largest natural-gas reserves in the world. Kazakhstan has the second-largest oil reserves of the former Soviet Union, second only to Russia, and US and European international oil companies early on made major investments there that continue to this day. Uzbekistan is a major producer of uranium, as is Kazakhstan, and has large natural-gas reserves, as does, quite likely, Tajikistan. Both Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan hold significant gold deposits. In addition, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have world-class hydropower potential, as demonstrated by the current casa-1000 project to deliver their summer-excess hydroelectricity across Afghanistan to electricity-starved Pakistan.

To add a bit more nuance, the economies of Central Asia are more than the sum of their natural resources and energy-generating potential. Kazakhstan’s early commitment to macro-economic reform has, 20 years later, created a financial-services hub for the region. Uzbekistan’s educated population of about 30 million has a real potential to provide entrepreneurial and innovative economic growth.” (pp. 28–29)

Russia is currently seeking to create security and economic organizations that could be used to rival the existing structures such as NATO and the World Bank. Russia, China, Iran, and other countries have undertaken these and other steps which are not in the national security interests of the United States.

It is obvious that Russia-China rapprochement presents a profound challenge to the United States. The realpolitik question for US policy makers would be how to prevent this historically unlikely alliance between the two major global and regional players.

Recently declassified Soviet papers, articles, and meeting minutes indicate that the Soviet leadership had no intention of invading Europe.

Therefore, the Soviets developed and tested a nuclear device in 1949 in order to counter the West’s advantage.

Simply put, Russian leaders want to limit the expansion and influence of NATO, create a buffer between Russia and NATO, re-establish its influence in former Soviet states, and return to being a regional and global power.

Considering that NATO was created to counter the expansion of the Soviet Union, it is not surprising that the Kremlin views expansion as a threat. Every time a former Soviet state is incorporated into NATO, the buffer shrinks. Without that physical buffer, Western military forces move closer to Moscow, eliminating the Kremlin’s ability to trade space for time. Similarly, missile defense erodes the Kremlin’s most powerful strategic and political weapons, its nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. From the Kremlin’s perspective, the West is willing to attack any ‘disruptive’ country that lacks nuclear capability in order to ‘force its political will’ on international and regional affairs. Therefore, the Russian leadership views its nuclear weapons as its most important political tool because they would have limited to no ability to affect regional and international affairs without them.

Without dialogue, the risk of another Cold War and possible nuclear confrontation is high.

… an economically open and growing FSU (former Soviet Union) would likely have significant trade and investment benefits for the United States.

With the 2018 Russian presidential elections, watch for a fourth-term bid by Putin, then look for possible changes to allow more. How to start thinking about it — be deviant and do not forget the old ways. The key is creating a strategy of one’s own, not an ‘anything but’ strategy as Russia appears to have. It will be reactive to a degree, but should focus on putting Putin off balance, without becoming too defensive… The US and the West need to determine what they want Russia to look like, how they want it to behave and if they care if Vladimir Putin is president.” (p. 106)

the US and the West wrestle with what they want Russia to look like, they would be well served to pursue a tiered strategy of appeasement, persuasion, and deterrence without seeking to escalate already bloody friction points.

Another possible strategy option for the US would be to seek to dethrone Putin, in hopes of a more cooperative successor. Rather than Iraq-like military ousting, the US and the West could drive a cohesive information, economic and diplomatic campaign helping Putin’s supporters choose a new leader… This strategy seems to have fits of starts and stops by the US and several others in the West. Putin is a master at navigating these kinds of threats, and almost seems to invite them, knowing this is a game he excels at. An anti-Putin campaign probably isn’t what the US and the West really want. Rather, it is to minimize new aggression and mitigate behaviors to date.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

You don’t see how this context actually strengthens the likelihood that Putin would attempt a cyber campaign against us?

[Jimbo]

You don’t see how this context actually strengthens the likelihood that Putin would attempt a cyber campaign against us?

Again, even if … governments run cyber shit against one another all the time. The US is the biggest hacker, thats for sure. But even if… by hyping up a piddly cyber attack as a prelude for a war - sanctions are an act of war - not only are we are provoking Putin, we are preparing - gas lighting - the US people to expect a war. Sadaam Hussein, Osama Bin Ladin, Assad and on and on - all paper tigers. All to get the resources. You know we could do/have done? The same as we do everyday. If you want Russia's oil, fucking buy it - with money. But nooooo.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

Governments may indeed “run cyber shit against one another all the time”. But the rise of social networking has changed the context and rendered it a greater threat. What we just endured was unprecedented - and it needs to be addressed. Your characterizing it as “piddly” does not conform with the reality as we lived it, nor as the mounting evidence suggests.

I don’t really understand the logic that views sanctions as an act of war while simultaneously writing off cyber-attacks on our elections as unworthy of concern.

[Jimbo]

Governments may indeed “run cyber shit against one another all the time”. But the rise of social networking has changed the context and rendered it a greater threat. What we just endured was unprecedented - and it needs to be addressed. Your characterizing it as “piddly” does not conform with the reality as we lived it, nor as the mounting evidence suggests.

I don’t really understand the logic that views sanctions as an act of war while simultaneously writing off cyber-attacks on our elections as unworthy of concern.

Have you not heard whatever the Russians may have done did not effect the outcome of the election? Hillary lost and never challenged the vote so fuck her. Surely if a foreign country scrambled up the election system a do over would be in order.

Which is worse dumb ass, a cyber attack or WWIII?

[Davey the Fat Boy]

Nobody can actually say for certain that it didn’t impact the outcome of the election (I think there is a good chance that it did). To say that there is no evidence that it did is not the same as saying it definitively did not.

We’ll never know, as we have no way of knowing what did or did not convince the 77k people who turned the election. Clinton would have had no way to prove her case, and all parties continue to be incentivized to claim that the election wasn’t effected, as the legitimacy of our entire system hangs in that balance.

Meanwhile - there is no question that the attempted (perhaps successfully) subversion of our democracy is a far bigger threat than your chicken little fantasies. In fact - given the current occupant of the White House AND the potential for destabilizing our democracy...I’d argue that WWIII is a LOT more possible because of a cyber attack, dumb ass.

[Jimbo]

dumb ass.

You're the dumb ass dumb ass. No backsies.

I think that plans to subvert these governments is the deep state in action. Whether it was Hillary or Trump, no matter who, maybe even Bernie, Presidents are powerless to stop them.

I await seeing MSNBC report about this document.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

Of course you do.

[Snarfyguy]

Reading that Stormy Daniels has offered to return the $130K will probably be the high point of my day (sadly).

[Sneelock]

I read a really interesting interview with her on Rolling Stone Online. the writer made fun of misspellings in a press release and they ended up hanging out. It's a pretty short piece but it makes quite an impression.

[Snarfyguy]

Holy f#ck, Felix Sater is an FBI informant? I didn't see THAT coming.

I guess that explains why he's not BEHIND BARS!

I imagine this is news to the White House and that many bricks are being shat this afternoon.

Also, this:

"MNUCHIN: I’ll be with my kids this morning, and I’ll be focused on them on what the president is doing to protect the United States, its citizens, and most importantly the economy."

Let it be noted that the Secretary of the Treasury has stated, in so many words, that money is more important than people. Maybe that's a prerequisite for holding the position, I don't know.

[sloopjohnc]

Today in the daily press conference, they asked Sarah Sanders, that since Britain has come out and announced the near certainty that the ex spy was poisoned by Russia, if the President would denounce them too. She said the administration was "outraged" but wouldn't go as far as to denounce Russia.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

Whew!

Avoided WWIII again!

[Jimbo]

Maybe it’s the Jews. Eh Jimbo?

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/putin-m ... -1.5888887

This has been eating at me for a few days wondering how to respond. Is my Putin anti-Semitic? I know he's met with Netanyahu on a number of occasions and he's visited Israel.

I put the question to the commenters over at CN where one woman, Tanya, who describes herself as a Jew from Russia was asked: "Are Jews in Russia not Russian?"

Her answer: They are not. Russians, Ukranians, Tatars, Armenians, Byuriats, Jews and more than 100 other nationalities living in Russia are Rossiyane (or citizens of Russia).

In other words, Putin, speculating as to who dun it if it wasn't him said, as a fellow citizen of Russia might, maybe it was Tartars, Ukrainians or Jews - with Russian citizenship. So it wasn't a particular slur or racist remark. Let's move on to how he mopped the floor with Megyn Kelly.

https://consortiumnews.com/2018/03/12/n ... ent-313714