Trump

[Vengeful Glutton]

[rowan]

Even in an election year as shot through with conspiracy theories as this one, it would have been hard to imagine a bigger bombshell than Russia intervening to help Donald Trump. But that’s exactly what the CIA believes happened, or so unnamed “officials brief on the matter” told the Washington Post.

While Russia had long been blamed for hacking email accounts linked to the Clinton campaign, its motives had been shrouded in mystery. According to the Post, though, CIA officials recently presented Congress with a “a growing body of intelligence from multiple sources” that “electing Trump was Russia’s goal.”

Now, the CIA hasn’t made any of its evidence public, and the CIA and FBI are reportedly divided on the subject. Though it’s too soon to draw conclusions, the charges warrant a serious public investigation.

Even some Republicans who backed Trump seem to agree. “The Russians are not our friends,” said Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, announcing his support for a congressional probe. It’s “warfare,” added Senator John McCain.

There’s a grim irony to this. The CIA is accusing Russia of interfering in our free and fair elections to install a right-wing candidate it deemed more favorable to its interests. Yet during the Cold War, that’s exactly what the CIA did to the rest of the world.

Most Americans probably don’t know that history. But in much of the world it’s a crucial part of how Washington is viewed even today.

In the post-World War II years, as Moscow and Washington jockeyed for global influence, the two capitals tried to game every foreign election they could get their hands on.

From Europe to Vietnam and Chile to the Philippines, American agents delivered briefcases of cash to hand-picked politicians, launched smear campaigns against their left-leaning rivals, and spread hysterical “fake news” stories like the ones some now accuse Russia of spreading here.

Together, political scientist Dov Levin estimates, Russia and the U.S. interfered in 117 elections this way in the second half the 20th century. Even worse is what happened when the CIA’s chosen candidates lost.

In Iran, when elected leader Mohammad Mossadegh tried to nationalize the country’s BP-held oil reserves, CIA agent Kermit Roosevelt led an operation to oust Mossadegh in favor of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The shah’s secret police tortured dissidents by the thousands, leading directly to the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

In Guatemala, when the democratically elected Jacobo Arbez tried to loosen the U.S.-based United Fruit company’s grip on Guatemalan land, the CIA backed a coup against him. In the decades of civil war that followed, U.S.-backed security forces were accused of carrying out a genocide against indigenous Guatemalans.

In Chile, after voters elected the socialist Salvador Allende, the CIA spearheaded a bloody coup to install the right-wing dictator Augusto Pinochet, who went on to torture and disappear tens of thousands of Chileans.

“I don’t see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people,” U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger purportedly said about the coup he helped orchestrate there.

And those are only the most well-known examples.

I don’t raise any of this history to excuse Russia’s alleged meddling in our election — which, if true, is outrageous. Only to suggest that now, maybe, we know how it feels. We should remember that feeling as Trump, who’s spoken fondly of authoritarian rulers from Russia to Egypt to the Philippines and beyond, comes into office.

Meanwhile, much of the world must be relieved to see the CIA take a break from subverting democracy abroad to protect it at home.


http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/12/15/ ... his-feels/

[Coco]

As if anything these overpaid dancing monkeys said prior to the election made a difference. I thought they were all moving to Canada anyway? Actors. These are the arrogant narcissistic idiots who make a very lucrative living by memorizing and acting out lines written by other people. They take themselves way too serious.

[BBD]

As if anything these overpaid dancing monkeys said prior to the election made a difference. I thought they were all moving to Canada anyway? Actors. These are the arrogant narcissistic idiots who make a very lucrative living by memorizing and acting out lines written by other people. They take themselves way too serious.

........aaaaaand CUT!, take 5 everyone.....Coco, can you try that line again? This Time really let the audience know how much you despise these actors, really cut loose and go for it.....oh and I'm wondering if the props department has some kind of weapon for you to brandish, something dark and malevolent?

[Coco]

tumblr_mvxju6x54v1rdutw3o1_400.gif

[morepork]

Is that one from your collection of antique sex toys?

[WaspInWales]

Another dubious appointment by Trump:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38337108

Not a fan of the two-state plan and happy for Israel to continue building settlements at will.

Another champion of the people.

[Coco]

Is that one from your collection of antique sex toys?

Sigh, do you always have to turn everything sexual? And, yes... Yes it is.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

No, but you see, Clinton...

Every single thing that she's been accused of, he's worse. She might justifiably be accused of being too close to business - though pretty much all american politicians are - but to think that the solution to that is to elect a billionaire businessman who refuse to release his tax returns is beyond cretinous.

[Digby]

Not sure it's fair to call Trump a businessman, he inherited money, and used bankruptcy to avoid paying for his foul ups, and then used the bankruptcy to avoid making his contribution to society through taxes. There are some decent people in business, Trump isn't one of them.

[Vengeful Glutton]

As if anything these overpaid dancing monkeys said prior to the election made a difference. I thought they were all moving to Canada anyway? Actors. These are the arrogant narcissistic idiots who make a very lucrative living by memorizing and acting out lines written by other people. They take themselves way too serious.

[Vengeful Glutton]

No, but you see, Clinton...

Every single thing that she's been accused of, he's worse. She might justifiably be accused of being too close to business - though pretty much all american politicians are - but to think that the solution to that is to elect a billionaire businessman who refuse to release his tax returns is beyond cretinous.

[morepork]

He is accompanied by one of his American Psycho children in everything he does, the gurning mutant orange roughy. It's fucking comical. Someone should give them matching white shell suits and they can form a reality TV counter to the nepotism of the Worker's Party of Korea (fuck you Han Blix!). There will be enough material over the next four years to support the career of stand up comedians the world over for a decade.

ivanka-trump-abe.jpg

Shinzo: "Donald, who the fuck is the white girl?"

Orange cockwomble: "That's my daughter"

Shinzo: "What does she do".

Orange cockwomble: "She wears clothes".

[morepork]

Any chance of Katie Hopkins becoming PM then?

[kk67]

Any chance of Katie Hopkins becoming PM then?

I'd prefer Rufus Hound or Owen Jones.
No sexism involved,......I just don't think Louise Mensch or Katie Hopkins understand what Humanity entails.
Glenda Slagg is supposed to be a caricature.

[Mellsblue]

Any chance of Katie Hopkins becoming PM then?

I'd prefer Rufus Hound or Owen Jones.
No sexism involved,......I just don't think Louise Mensch or Katie Hopkins understand what Humanity entails.
Glenda Slagg is supposed to be a caricature.

Have you heard the theory/rumour that these extreme characters such as Katie Hopkins and Joey Essex are a group of comedians playing an incredibly long practical joke - TV's incarnations of Glenda Slagg. I hope it to be true but, sadly, I doubt it.

[Sandydragon]

Any chance of Katie Hopkins becoming PM then?

I'd prefer Rufus Hound or Owen Jones.
No sexism involved,......I just don't think Louise Mensch or Katie Hopkins understand what Humanity entails.
Glenda Slagg is supposed to be a caricature.

Have you heard the theory/rumour that these extreme characters such as Katie Hopkins and Joey Essex are a group of comedians playing an incredibly long practical joke - TV's incarnations of Glenda Slagg. I hope it to be true but, sadly, I doubt it.

Unfortunately, whilst some idiots in the gutter press give them the oxygen of publicity, they will continue. It is apparently possible to earn a decent living off no discernible talent other than being famous.

[kk67]

Any chance of Katie Hopkins becoming PM then?

I'd prefer Rufus Hound or Owen Jones.
No sexism involved,......I just don't think Louise Mensch or Katie Hopkins understand what Humanity entails.
Glenda Slagg is supposed to be a caricature.

Have you heard the theory/rumour that these extreme characters such as Katie Hopkins and Joey Essex are a group of comedians playing an incredibly long practical joke - TV's incarnations of Glenda Slagg. I hope it to be true but, sadly, I doubt it.

Yeah,...sadly there really are people who are that thick.
Katie is ex-military so her brainwashing was state sponsored and in that respect it's at least understandable.

No offence, Sandy.

[rowan]

& this is why I regarded him as the lesser of 2 evils:

A Pentagon memo outlining the incoming Trump administration’s top “defense priorities” identifies defeating the Islamic State, eliminating budget caps, developing a new cybersecurity strategy, and finding greater efficiencies as the president-elect’s primary concerns. But the memo, obtained by Foreign Policy, does not include any mention of Russia, which has been identified by senior military officials as the No. 1 threat to the United States.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/12/20/ru ... -dod-memo/

[WaspInWales]

& this is why I regarded him as the lesser of 2 evils:

A Pentagon memo outlining the incoming Trump administration’s top “defense priorities” identifies defeating the Islamic State, eliminating budget caps, developing a new cybersecurity strategy, and finding greater efficiencies as the president-elect’s primary concerns. But the memo, obtained by Foreign Policy, does not include any mention of Russia, which has been identified by senior military officials as the No. 1 threat to the United States.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/12/20/ru ... -dod-memo/

Haven't clicked the link but did it mention North Korea? Some of of Trump's new buddies seem convinced that North Korea are the most bigly-est threat to the US at the moment.

Remind me, who is among North Korea's biggest friends on the international stage? Putin by any chance?

I'm sure Trump and co fucking with Kim Jong-un will have no knock-on effects with relationships with Russia.

[morepork]

& this is why I regarded him as the lesser of 2 evils:

A Pentagon memo outlining the incoming Trump administration’s top “defense priorities” identifies defeating the Islamic State, eliminating budget caps, developing a new cybersecurity strategy, and finding greater efficiencies as the president-elect’s primary concerns. But the memo, obtained by Foreign Policy, does not include any mention of Russia, which has been identified by senior military officials as the No. 1 threat to the United States.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/12/20/ru ... -dod-memo/

as if that sweaty orange glans understands any of this. "Defeating the Islamic State". OK reality TV man. That narrows it down. Nice and granular.

[Digby]

as if that sweaty orange glans understands any of this. "Defeating the Islamic State". OK reality TV man. That narrows it down. Nice and granular.

His secret plan remains an odd one, he has made some attempts to say he'll give the generals 30 days to come up with a plan rather than do it himself, but he was also quite clear he knew more than the generals and he had a plan himself. It's going to take some doing seeing as he's only got until 8 weeks after Christmas mind.

If he actually does have a plan which is both actionable and not massively illegal then fair play to the fat lad, but I'd tend to think Gats will lit upon an idea to beat NZ before the chubby orange one thinks of anything.

[rowan]

& this is why I regarded him as the lesser of 2 evils:

A Pentagon memo outlining the incoming Trump administration’s top “defense priorities” identifies defeating the Islamic State, eliminating budget caps, developing a new cybersecurity strategy, and finding greater efficiencies as the president-elect’s primary concerns. But the memo, obtained by Foreign Policy, does not include any mention of Russia, which has been identified by senior military officials as the No. 1 threat to the United States.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/12/20/ru ... -dod-memo/

Haven't clicked the link but did it mention North Korea? Some of of Trump's new buddies seem convinced that North Korea are the most bigly-est threat to the US at the moment.

Remind me, who is among North Korea's biggest friends on the international stage? Putin by any chance?

I'm sure Trump and co fucking with Kim Jong-un will have no knock-on effects with relationships with Russia.

Trump's already doing what we hoped he would do - making things more blatant than ever. The mask has slipped. Clinton would have got away with it all under a feminist smokescreen, her critics dismissed as sexists, just as Obama has got away with bombing 7 countries because he's the first African-American president. With Trump the focus can only be on his politics, the punches won't be pulled, and no all-purpose human rights card will be played to silence his detractors. Trump is the true face of American politics. The fact he is likely to abandon the mess his country has made of Syria, and avoid confrontation with Russia, is also in his favor.

[morepork]

"her critics dismissed as sexists".

Balls. No individual is that fucking simple. Not even orange smeg face. You've taken the focus of media on Trump's in your face sexism (grab them by the pussies fat white men of the world!) and conflated that to some grand evil master plan founded mainly on some laughable sexist smokescreen. I'm no fan of Clinton but, again, she fucking lost, so lets try and move on shall we. Obama has not got away with anything based on the colour of his skin either. He has bitched out on a lot of things but at least he has risen above being called a foreginer/muslim (Trump saying he has nothing against coloured people because "my president is one of the blacks") in his time in office. You are swallowing some double-irony reverse counter non-PC is the new PC bullshit like a muthafucker.

Trump is an unmitigated fuckwit and your continued attempts to make Clinton look bad by measuring her up against him are just tragic. Yes, Clinton is a ruthless money grubbing bitch. She is not in power, so do what any sane person would do given the current context and mock that jowled used prophylactic sheath of a man like a ginger step child.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

"her critics dismissed as sexists".

Balls. No individual is that fucking simple. Not even orange smeg face. You've taken the focus of media on Trump's in your face sexism (grab them by the pussies fat white men of the world!) and conflated that to some grand evil master plan founded mainly on some laughable sexist smokescreen. I'm no fan of Clinton but, again, she fucking lost, so lets try and move on shall we. Obama has not got away with anything based on the colour of his skin either. He has bitched out on a lot of things but at least he has risen above being called a foreginer/muslim (Trump saying he has nothing against coloured people because "my president is one of the blacks") in his time in office. You are swallowing some double-irony reverse counter non-PC is the new PC bullshit like a muthafucker.

Trump is an unmitigated fuckwit and your continued attempts to make Clinton look bad by measuring her up against him are just tragic. Yes, Clinton is a ruthless money grubbing bitch. She is not in power, so do what any sane person would do given the current context and mock that jowled used prophylactic sheath of a man like a ginger step child.

Preach brother.