Make no mistake, the danger to America coming from the “White Nationalist” movement is more than the STUPIDITY of individual 1, because it goes well beyond that. And, most people know the front line offenders to our “way of life” – like Stephen Miller, Mike Pompeo, William Barr, Mike Pense, etc. – but, the sad reality is Vladimir Putin has permeated America’s government, apparently, far further than most of us who are trying to figure all this out can know. I’m just finishing Rachel Maddow’s “Blowout” – one of the best books I’ve read in the past year or two – a book which clearly lays out both the danger posed by Putin and the futility of what he’s doing to his own country which falls into the category of countries suffering the “Resource curse.”
The Russian economy is predicated, almost exclusively, on the oil and gas industry and, of course, Vladimir Putin controls it with an iron fist. Along with Igor Sechin, Putin makes sure that “competition” is a “dirty word” in Russia. Those who have dared to challenge the mafia-like rule Putin has on virtually all of Russia’s enterprises either ends up in prison or, well, I’m sure you can guess the alternative – DEAD. There have been some Russian dissidents who’ve managed to escape the country, but it’s hard to escape Putin’s “reach.” For example, just last year Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned while in excile in Great Britain – Skripal being a former double agent who ended up in Britain via a “spy swap.”
It really should make American’s nervous the more we learn about Putin with the realization he’s very likely responsible for individual 1 being in the “White House” – and, by now, seeing how much Putin apparently “has” on our so-called president. When you read Maddow’s book (along with others I’ve read) it’s apparent Putin is busy attempting to recreate the “former Soviet Union” and he’s working with a “weak hand” – in regard to Russia’s economy which is smaller than that of Italy. However, Putin doesn’t work like someone with a conscience, because he doesn’t have one. And, Americans – including the cult-like supporters of individual 1 – would do well to beware of what Putin “has up his sleeve.”
Whether or not individual 1 is working WITH Putin or whether he’s simply a “useful idiot” (in the terms of the Russians) he’s doing the “bidding” of the Russian president and helping to spread the neo-Nazi movement across Europe – putting America’s long standing role as the leader of NATO and the United Nations at risk. America’s traditional allies, like Germany, France, (maybe) Britain (it remains to be seen what the election of Boris Johnson actually means), and other members of NATO are in a “holding pattern” right now – probably as anxious for the next American election as I am (and, of course, MILLIONS of other Americans). November of 2020 will decide the future of this great nation.
I’m not so naive that I believe all will be solved once individual 1 is voted OUT of office – God help us if he somehow manages to CHEAT his way into another four years – because he’s taken a racial divide in America and done everything he can to exacerbate it. I was reading in the Washington Post today a column by Dana Milbank, a journalist I’ve been aware of for many years, who shared some of the “Christmas cheer” he’s received lately from a bunch of individual 1 supporters. The stuff he’s getting in his inbox is hate filled, bigoted, nasty, rude, and full of “four letter words” threatening violence to him.
And, this seems to be the “norm” coming from the cult which calls themselves today’s republican party. It’s not just Milbank who’s getting this garbage in his inbox, but virtually anyone who’s a public figure and speaks out against individual 1 gets lambasted by his supporters – and, of course, he’s right there cheering them on. He uses VULGAR language at his rallies NO American president prior to him would EVER have allowed himself to use and he gins up his base overtly suggesting violence, on their part, as a way to “defend” him is appropriate. They’re now referring to democrats as “snowflakes” – apparently because democrats aren’t willing to commit violence in this FIGHT for the soul of our nation.
His pathological LYING and his regular use of derogatory slurs in reference to his “enemies” – which are anyone who doesn’t agree with him – has become the rule of the day in the republican party. And, sadly, the republican party has bought in “hook line and sinker.” In addition, individual 1 has “news” outlets who are more than willing to participate in the pathological LYING! Of course, first and foremost, I’m talking about Fox “news” but also outlets like Breitbart and the “Daily Caller.” It’s “alt right” unapologetic White Nationalism. Here’s the scary part to me – and that is some of the so-called “liberal media” aren’t so “liberal.” To me, considering anything which might be looked upon as “mainstream” – there are too many outlets which aren’t as “liberal” as the right wing propagandists propose.
For example, over the past few years I’ve subscribed to the Washington Post and NY Times because I feel an obligation to support their investigative journalists, but, today, I read an opinion piece in a weekly newsletter the Post sends me which was written by a right wing pundit and it was titled “The 10 best things (individual 1 – he used the name I can’t bring myself to type) has done this year. (In my mind, he’s done NOTHING which would merit a “best” list) Among those things were the tariffs, the pulling out of the Iran deal, undermining Planned Parenthood, and judges, judges, judges.
My first reaction as I read the piece was “why am I sending money to the Post if they’re going to print this garbage” without real-time fact checking? Evidently, the Fox mantra (which like EVERYTHING Fox is a LIE) of being “fair and balanced” has permeated the Post. There were several parts of this piece which were misleading at best and, of course, the low unemployment rate which is something – meaning the economy which is slowly trudging along and has been for this entire decade – individual 1 INHERITED from President Obama and Timothy Geitner was listed as an accomplishment. The way I see it, it’s an accomplishment the one significant economic thing he’s INHERITED which he hasn’t destroyed just yet. (And, by the way, I believe all pieces should be “fact checked” and I understand “spin” but, let the right wing pundits do their “spinning” on right wing media)
My point here is that I don’t want the Post leading a newsletter they send to me with a column by a right wing sycophant of our so-called president. Yes, it’s true, there are reasons why his “conservative Christian base” continues to support individual 1, but much of those “reasons” people like me don’t consider accomplishments. The reality is individual 1 just got IMPEACHED and I have to wonder if the Post isn’t attempting to move the needle a bit as we’re preparing for, at some point in time, the TRIAL in the Senate. As far as I’m concerned, the Post’s lead “opinion piece” should be the “10 reasons why individual 1 should be convicted in the Senate and removed from office” – which would FINALLY end this national nightmare!
It’s not a surprise that most of the opinion pieces in the Post don’t make individual 1 at all happy, but at this point in time it doesn’t seem like, to me, to be the appropriate time to be putting articles by his defenders as the lead in anything. The DAMAGE being done to America by this so-called president may take a generation, or more, from which to recover – and, that’s if “we the people” can vote him out of office in 2020. And, while it seems that should be “likely,” the reality is the reason he just got IMPEACHED is because he’s a CHEATER and the republicans will CHEAT right along with him in order to “win” the next election.
Can you imagine how all these republicans would have responded had Barack Obama solicited help from Russia or Ukraine or ANY foreign nation in order to “win” either of his elections? Can you imagine how they would have responded had Obama refused to send ANYONE to testify in Congress, even with a subpoena? Or how about if Obama would have refused to turn over a single document requested by Congress, including his tax returns – even after Congress had issued subpoenas? How about if Obama had OBSTRUCTED Justice even ONCE let alone over 10 times? Would a republican Congress have said “That’s OK?” (Yes, there were occasions where the Obama administration balked at some of requests coming from the divisive republican Congress, but he NEVER refused to send ALL of anything to any Committee)
Let’s go a bit further. What if Obama had a couple affairs, one with a porn star, and then paid them off to keep them quiet right before either of his elections? Would republicans turn the other way on that one? Or what if Obama was credibly accused of sexual assault by close to 20 women – especially if he admitted on video he did that because he was famous? Would republicans have ignored that one? What if Obama had DOUBLED the annual deficit in just two years? Would republicans have been OK with that? Well, you know, the answer to all of that is Obama would have been IMPEACHED multiple times and republicans would be YELLING at democrats if they voted to acquit him?
The hypocrisy of these republicans is unmistakable and everyone, even the republicans, knows this. I can’t bring myself to believe, for example, that Lindsey Graham doesn’t understand that he’s now seen as the lead hypocrite by a large segment of the population. Somehow, he manages to sleep at night, but the reality is he’s defending ALL the stuff I just listed which he’d be up in arms if Obama or ANY other democrat chose to do even one of them.
I continue CHOOSING to be an optimist, so I have to believe there are people in South Carolina who don’t think it’s OK for our president to be soliciting campaign aid from foreign nations – and there’s people there who DON’T want our president BREAKING the law. And, Graham is up for re-election this year. (We can hope – and, by the way, among other lawbreaking – holding up the aid to Ukraine was ILLEGAL. Once Congress appropriates the money the president has to release it or communicate to Congress why it’s being held up – which didn’t happen in this instance) Should the people of South Carolina choose to vote Graham out of office it would send a resounding message to republicans everywhere. Even in a solidly conservative state this LYING and embarrassingly open HYPOCRISY will not be tolerated!
So, why are all these republicans continuing to support individual 1? Well, sadly, I’ve come to the conclusion there are more of them than we would think are supporting him because he’s a White Nationalist. I keep struggling with the definitions here and, I agree with people who say if you support a RACIST you’re supporting RACISM – pure and simple! When you look at the intense reactions of individual 1’s supporters toward anyone who challenges him – like the journalist I mentioned above, Dana Milbank – it really gets ugly. Individual 1 publicly ATTACKS anyone who challenges him and his sycophants follow suit – his rhetoric causes them to believe it’s OK to threaten people like Milbank – as if they’re doing their patriotic duty
Unfortunately, I believe the instances of mass shootings which have happened on individual 1’s “watch” by people who have published internet screeds mimicking individual 1’s language right before their DEPLORABLE act of violence are not totally a thing of the past. When you listen to the messages people like Milbank get – and, I have to believe more journalists should publish some of the garbage they’re finding in their inboxes to help people in the “middle” to understand the gravity of the situation – you know danger is lurking. It only takes one deranged person to convince him/herself their “patriotic duty” is to follow their leader. Every day I pray to God there will be no more mass shootings – but, reality says…………………………
The hope for those of us who are having difficulty stomaching even one more day of individual 1 being our so-called president is that “we the people” will vote in massive numbers next November to counter the VOTER SUPPRESSION which has already begun in various states and that democratic primary voters will choose a nominee who is up for the FIGHT ahead – because, we KNOW the name calling and the character assassination – coming from the MOST corrupt president in U.S. History – will start forthwith and will be intense. (It’s already begun in some quarters and to a degree which is surreptitious via Facebook, etc.) If you’re an actual “conservative” or, if you consider yourself an independent (as I do, personally) I believe you’re obligated to vote AGAINST individual 1 (in November’s election) – regardless of who the democrats choose to be their nominee.
Final Thought: Presently, I’m reading a book titled “Mindf*ck” by Christopher Wylie who was a foundational participant in the forming of “Cambridge Analytica” – the company which was originally funded by Robert and Rebekah Mercer and, essentially, commandeered by Steve Bannon. I’ve got a few chapters still to read but, so far, what I’ve read seems to confirm my earlier suspicions that the Russian “meddling” in the 2016 election was funneled through the data they received from CA (Cambridge Analytica). What I’ve read, so far, while not surprising is startling – if that makes sense. In essence, it’s confirming my worst suspicions about what Bannon did with the data STOLEN from MILLIONS of Facebook users in a brazen attempt to do what the Russians were also attempting to do – which is to turn Americans against each other.
My next post, I’m fairly certain, will be motivated by what I’m reading in this book. While CA has been “shuddered” I have no doubt Bannon still has access to all the data and the processes they discovered as they were attempting to prove they could change the way people think. In essence they believed they could create a cult – and, it appears, with the election of individual 1 they, along with the Russians, succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. I’ve often mentioned I believe individual 1 will end up in the History books right next to Benedict Arnold – and, I’ve added Fox “news” will be right there along with William Barr – and “others.” Well, as I’m reading this book, Steve Bannon will definitely be standing right with all of them.