General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTPM - Marshall "We've Got a Problem. A Big Problem."
(be sure to read this all - I think it encapsulates lots of what we here are feeling and thinking)
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/weve-got-a-problem-a-big-problem
There are certain frameworks and situations in the law in which it does not matter why something happened, it simply matters that something has demonstrably happened, to establish the point, making the finding or act. I have thought for some time that we face a similar situation with the man who currently holds the U.S. Presidency. Over the course of 16+ months, President Trump has acted consistently and with some success to destabilize and break up the western alliance (both its formal manifestation in NATO) but also its less formal dimensions in trade and other partnerships. He has also worked consistently on really every front to advance the interests of Russia.
Less obviously to many Americans, hes been doing something similar in East Asia. The U.S. alliance with Japan and South Korea, which in recent years weve taken steps to extend to other states on the periphery of the East Asian landmass (which is basically to say, China) is not simply to protect against North Korea. It is to build a series of security relationships with countries on that periphery to act as a counterweight to the regional (perhaps world) great power, China. Allies in the region are closely watching President Trumps apparent desire to remove U.S. troops from South Korea for that reason, among others.
The last twenty four hours of attacks on our closest allies capped by President Trumps seemingly out of the blue demand to bring Russia back into the G-7 (making it again the G-8 which it was for most of the post-Cold War era until Russia was expelled over the annexation of Crimea) simply brings the matter into a newly sharp relief. If candidate Trump and President Putin had made a corrupt bargain which obligated President Trump to destabilize all U.S. security and trade alliances (especially NATO, which has been Russias primary strategic goal for 70 years) and advance the strategic interests of Russia, theres really nothing more remotely realistic he could have done to accomplish that than what he has in fact done.
Take a moment to let that sink in. I need to take a moment to let it sink in. Its shocking to me. Its shocking to me whats happening. Now I said above remotely realistic. A critic of what I wrote above might note that Trump could, in fact, have taken steps to abrogate the NATO treaty commitments. He might have said publicly that the U.S. would not aid the Baltic states or Poland against a Russian invasion. We can also note that he has approved very limited sale of weaponry to Ukraine, which is of course still battling Russian proxy forces in the eastern part of the country. But the things he could have done but has not done really to me fall into the category of things that are unnecessary and probably still beyond what the President could remotely get away with.
snip
(going to put the last paragraph in - it is really so relevant)
Back to the main point. We have a President who clearly got a great deal of assistance from Russia in getting elected. We can argue about how important it was to his victory. But the reality of the help is not in any real dispute. His campaign at a minimum had numerous highly suspicious contacts with people either in the Russian government or acting on behalf of the Russian government while that was happening. That is a very generous interpretation. Hes doing all the stuff hed have been asked to do if such a corrupt bargain had been made. At a certain point and Id say were clearly at or past that point it really doesnt matter whether we can prove such a bargain was made. Im not even sure it matters whether it was explicit or even happened. The bank robber helped the teller get the job and now the teller just wont seem to lock the safe or even turn on the alarm. We can debate forever whether the teller is just absent-minded or has some odd philosophical aversion toward locks. The debate may be unresolvable. It truly doesnt matter.
strangedaysindeed
(226 posts)and great analogy with the robber and the teller.
calimary
(81,320 posts)How apt your screen name is! Because that's certainly what these are.
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)BobTheSubgenius
(11,564 posts)Actually, the adjective that came to mind was "bleak," but I suspect it's just my mood that's bleak. The very next article. or any subsequent article, could easily be bleak, though. Or even worse.
kimbutgar
(21,162 posts)Last edited Fri Jun 8, 2018, 01:52 PM - Edit history (1)
All the bad things about America are amplified and increasing. Corporate Monopolies controlling our government, racism, poverty,and being a pariah in the world are back with vengeance. I weep for what we lost in November 2016. I never thought it would be so bad.
renate
(13,776 posts)And even then, I had no idea of just how bad it would get. Because even though it's reality, it's still unimaginable. Like you, I never thought--never could have imagined in a million years--that it would be so bad.
BobTheSubgenius
(11,564 posts)Off and on for two days. Not just for what this meant in the big picture, but because two of her granddaughters are mixed ethnicity, and look more Puerto Rican than not, and one "acquired" granddaughter that is 100% AA.
She cried for everyone, and she cried for them. She is sick at heart about their possible futures.
pazzyanne
(6,556 posts)and sick to my stomach. Every so often there is a glimmer of hope but within minutes there is a new Breaking News story that puts me back in the perpetual illness symptoms. I really don't think I can continue this much longer. I, too, spend a lot of time crying.
Proud Liberal Dem
(24,414 posts)His poll numbers are rising because of the economy that he isn't even responsible for creating. Unf**ingbelievable!
kentuck
(111,103 posts)It has already happened?
Whiskeytide
(4,461 posts)... known this for more than a year. It is awkwardly - and painfully - obvious that Trump is carrying Putin's water and pushing his agenda. The evidence, both direct and circumstantial, is overwhelming.
So WHEN is the rest of the country going to catch up to where we are?
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)kentuck
(111,103 posts)Just like this morning when he was almost insistent that Russia should be part of the G7...
He is totally operating in the public sphere but using his base to protect himself politically. Like when he said that he could shoot someone on 5th Ave and they would still support him. He knows that to be true.
We can debate about it all we wish but it has already happened. Our election system was attacked by cyber means. We have alienated almost all of our allies around the world. We can all remember his very first phone call, when he entered the White House, to the Prime Minister of Australia. He was insulting.
He has divided this country in every possible way.
peggysue2
(10,832 posts)This was in response to the Trumpster's parting comments on allowing Russia to re-enter the G-7 summit. Without, of course, mentioning the reason they were banned.
We have a traitor and a mobster sitting in The White House. He was installed with the help of the Russians, the Chinese and now there's a curious and disturbing link to Israel, a network of mobbed-up politicians, lobbyists and business entities that decided that Trump was a good bet to keep the dirty money flowing while irrevocably damaging the Western Alliance.
The implications are huge as is the criminality, all for the sake of money and covering their tracks in their investments in human misery. When the Trumpster is exposed, his partners in crime and mayhem will be exposed. That's why they're spinning their wheels so hard. Because the walls are closing in and orange jumpsuits were decidedly not on their wishlist.
Trump is the orange face of a very nasty but well-planned global coup. We need to vote these craven assholes out and support Mueller and his team throughout their investigations.
We will win this battle but we won't come out unscathed because the on-going damage is very real.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)That is what bothers me so much. He acts like a person who believes he will never suffer any consequences for what he has done. He is absolutely shameless. I tend to believe he is extremely stupid and cocky, but my fear is that he has an ace up his sleeve.
Eyeball_Kid
(7,432 posts)Someone ought to ask him.
AwakeAtLast
(14,130 posts)Is this why he won't talk to Mueller?
Crutchez_CuiBono
(7,725 posts)You may be on to something there.
spanone
(135,844 posts)sandensea
(21,639 posts)As long as they do, Cheeto will probably continue to enjoy impunity (and those emoluments!).
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,007 posts)So the US market has risen in no small part because the rest of the world sees the stocks as cheap because of the cheap dollar.
world wide wally
(21,744 posts)Looks like.
Blue_Adept
(6,399 posts)They've got a sports mentality about it and it really is just that simple.
KelleyKramer
(8,969 posts)I have seen that first hand. They don't care about the details or what it means, they just want a 'win'.
Crutchez_CuiBono
(7,725 posts)Well, it's testimony that you can be really dumb and get the idea of an us vs them mentality. Alternatively, it takes a lot of thinking, and problem solving to know the policy and fit our actions and direction as a country, into that framework. They don't get it. People like to think they are extra smart getting all they need to know about politics, from fox and friends. 3 people on a couch.
pangaia
(24,324 posts)But, my goodness, I had this figured out almost as soon as trump was 'elected.'
We need to spread the BIG PICTURE(s) of what is happening OUTSIDE of DU.
--The destruction of western liberal democracy and all that means...
--An authoritarian regime
--destruction of the individual seen as 'the other.' Or hell, anybody not 'rich.'
--death from no healthcare
--bigotry like we, living now, as a group, have never seen in this country
--destruction of a free press
--destruction of the court system
-- take over of the military
-- NO WATER! !!!
-- poison air and food
-- HELL----NO FOOD
-- un-affordable or NO HOUSING
-- no work
And for pete's sake STOP ASKING WHY and HOW !!
OK. that's my 2 cents.. Love ya all... well.. not all of ya, all the time.. LOL... but....
WhiteTara
(29,718 posts)When a person is drowning, they don't ask how they got in the situation, they seek to get out of the water.
When are we going to start the National Mall Sit In?
pangaia
(24,324 posts)But, first one must realize that one is drowning.
THAT is the problem. Most live in a state of sleep. Literally.. A waking, walking sleep.
How to WAKE UP ??
lanlady
(7,134 posts)-if not a full-blown Russian intelligence asset. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. HE IS TOTALLY COMPROMISED AND HAS BEEN FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
Moscow has him 10 ways to Sunday - evidence of his sexual escapades, his criminal ties, his money-laundering, his current red sparrow wife, and gawd knows what else.
Were in a life-and-death for the soul of this country. I truly believe that if Trump and his entire clan of low-lifes are not run of town, tarred and feathered, and either locked up or too ashamed to show themselves in public, the United States will descend into a state of perpetual partisan warfare, too riven by internal strife to lead the Western democracies.
Cha
(297,317 posts)Westcoast52
(34 posts)Remember that Putin's trained seal is a marked man. Maybe not impeached. Maybe not indicted. But too many nations/leaders/citizens/women/contractors who worked for him/Trump University suckers/Trump condo suckers/banks stiffed by him and out billions--have motive to act against him in some way. This doesn't include the intelligence agencies he antagonized or the FBI he has demeaned. As far as I can see, he has Rudy Guiliani, John Bolton, Hannity, Ivanka, and Jared on his side. Not enough firepower in my opinion. If, God forbid, Comrade Trump were found lifeless on the floor, the suspect list would be the Western Hemisphere. Who would want to risk the Republic investigating too closely? My point is not to entertain assassination, but to show just how isolated Trump really is. His fantasy empire can crumble anytime Putin decides he's done with him, the intelligence community decides to drop what it has, or his wife and him have a public row over Stormy. Lot's of ways to get to him.
LudwigPastorius
(9,155 posts)He is advancing Putin's agenda and destroying the institutions and the global standing of the United States.
He's a traitorous thug with delusions of dictatorship.
DeminPennswoods
(15,286 posts)President of the United States is a Russia "asset", wittingly or not. But that is what the facts of his actions show.
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)I suspect that many who voted for him don't have half a brain. They've been hypnotized by FOX ..quite literally.
Renew Deal
(81,861 posts)Hes acting like a Putins puppet