Whats Worse: If Trump and Putin Get Along, Or If They Dont?

[applegrove]

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/07/06/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-presidential-summits-215336

"SNIP...........


Trump and Putin have much in common, too, beyond their obvious authoritarian bent. Both came to power without the support of a political party establishment. Both seem to understand capitalism (in words used by Russia analysts Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy about Putin) as “wheeling and dealing,” as “about finding and using loopholes in the law, or creating loopholes.” Both rely disproportionately on small inner circles of close advisers. Both use profanity to mobilize the masses. These similarities help to account for their mutual attraction.

But other parallels portend mutual enmity and may have already begun to drive them apart. In contrast to Reagan and Gorbachev, Trump and Putin both believe in what the New Yorker writer Ken Auletta once summarized as the philosophy of Trump’s mentor, lawyer Roy Cohn: “Everyone lies, smears, covers up protects their friends. The rules of the game don’t count as much as winning.” And Putin’s grade school teacher’s description of him seems to fit Trump, as well: “Volodya never forgives people who betray him or are mean to him.”

If Trump and Putin get along too well in Hamburg, that could come at the expense of American allies in Ukraine and Syria. If they don’t, and if each man blames the other for their split, their tendency to lash out at those who betray them could eventually lead to a dangerous confrontation.

.............SNIP"

[SHRED]

1. Why is this even a question...

. .when juxtaposed against the backdrop of what Russia has done to our democratic process?

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. This is a fucking OUTRAGE, that they would meet at all, but Trump did work WITH Putin

to steal the election.

So there is that.

We went from a country of alleged patriots who had every reason to dislike and distrust Putin, to half of us wanting to be him.

We are badly in need of correction.

[emulatorloo]

3. Schiff: Putin Aims To Take Down Liberal Democracy. To Put America First, Trump Must Stand Up To Him

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016188788