And what did Republicans say about Trump's extortion of Zelensky? "Gee, not good, but not impeachable." Or of Trump's incitement of an insurrection to violate a Constitution he took an oath to protect? "Gee, not enough to convict on impeachment." So, Trump is correct. If he murdered someone in broad daylight on the streets of Manhattan, he'd get away with it. Why are Republicans allowed to serve in government? They are the real threat to our society. The communists they keep whining about don't even exist.
Quoth Yogi: deja vu all over again. Just saw Trump on TV from East Palestine. He's saying that if he were president he'd straighten out the Russia Ukraine War in one day.
Trump's extortion of Zelensky was never investigated by DOJ and not pursued but remains viable.
Trump's first impeachment alleged that he solicited foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election to help his re-election bid and then obstructed by telling his administration officials to ignore subpoenas for documents and testimony. Although John Bolton, an eyewitness would have testified against Trump before the senate, but was precluded.
Trump should have been placed under oath at that time. And Garland should be pursuing it. Double jeopardy does not apply. Maybe another special counsel should be appointed to investigate.
Re your first paragraph: Trump would likely simply hand Ukraine to Putin. February 20, 2023 was the ninth anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity, when Ukrainians were killed driving Russian puppet Viktor Yanukovych from power, after which they elected a pro-western president. That motivated Putin to annex Crimea and instigate Russian separatists in the Donbas to insurrection against the Ukrainian government. Crimea remained under Russian control and the fighting in the Donbas continued throughout Trump's term as president. So, Trump had four years to solve the Ukraine-Russia issue, and all he did was exploit it to serve himself. It doesn't take courage or grit or competence to stand in a solidly Republican outpost and bluster about what he might do.
By the time of impeachment Giuliani allegedly used "evidence" obtained from Russian sources. Bolton said recently that Trump made it "that much easier" for Putin to invade Ukraine by spreading conspiracy theories during the 2020 elections about the Democratic National Committee servers and Hunter Biden profiting in Ukraine. https://www.axios.com/2022/03/02/bolton-trump-deterred-russia-ukraine
IMHO everyone involved, especially Giuliani, Ron Johnson and Rick Perry, should be investigated.
Daniel, isn't it interesting how easily it has been for Republicans to jump on board to support a dictator? They are still moving in that direction. They love Orban and are working hard to love Putin against Ukraine. That is just so wrong, but alas, Republicans seem to have lost any semblance of appreciation for democracy, yet still claim to be so patriotic. That's just crazy!
I heard the Mayor of East Palestine say days ago that he didn't want Biden to come because it would cost a bundle to pay for security and he didn't think a visit would be productive.
What he said yesterday is an inconsistent statement.
I'm sure that the mayor wants nothing but the best for East Palestine. But who, what, why, when and how. The spill occurred Feb 3. Fire consumed many of the damaged rail cars and flames and smoke hovered over the crash site for days after the crash and officials warned of the risk of a major explosion. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered the evacuation on Feb. 6 of any remaining residents so the railroad could execute a controlled release of the rail cars' chemicals.
The train was about 150 cars long and some 50 were impacted in the derailment.
The National Transportation Safety Board, says 20 of the 150 cars contained hazardous materials, and 11 of those were involved in the derailment.
Investigators say a mechanical issue with a rail car axle caused the derailment.
Norfolk and Southern detonated several of the tankercars.
In a press conference the mayor stated that he has spoken with Norfolk Southern every day after the derailment and that the railroad has been working “tremendously” with the locals, “but they should, because they’re the ones who screwed this up.”
The mayor is otherwise employed, as a mine foreman at East Fairfield Coal Company. According to the internet, it has 4 employees. .There is no information what his election platform might have been. I did discover that East Palestine has a city manager.
I think the media are remiss in finding out whether the mayor is a MAGat, whether he bought the Big Lie, etc.
Peter, you're right about Heather Cox Richardson's piece being fascinating. It is so hard to understand how Republicans are still on stage when they have had so little to offer anyone but the very rich and themselves for more than 40 years. False narratives have let a bunch of scared white people buy the BS and keep putting Republicans into office while they whine they are struggling and that they will never reach "the American Dream." They have sabotaged themselves on that score but have no clue because they choose to have none. How sad for all of us!
Yes, and some analysts believe that the January 6, 2021 Trump Republican attack on our Capitol made our country look weak in Putin's eyes and was a major factor in his decision to further invade Ukraine in February 2022.
It is plausible to me that had * been able to seize power on 1/6 that Putin would have Zelinsky's head on a spike and American troops would be on the move to Veracruz. At home things would start to resemble The Terrors of the French Revolution.
To be crude, ol' Yam Tits is full of orange bullshyte.
Oh yeah...the part that Dumpie doesn't say is that he "could straighten out the Russia/Ukraine War in one day" and that he would do so by handing it over to his pal, Mad Vlad.
If there were any sort of justice, Biden and his troupe of neocons would be burning in hell with Trump, how many Ukrainians, and Russians, are dead or severely injured because of this proxy war?
It was a totally unprovoked attack by Russia on Ukraine for the purpose of grabbing territory & resources & annihilating Ukrainians & replacing them with Russians in their never ending multi-centuries quest to expand empire. NATO countries tried to prevent the invasion to no avail.
Now let's just examine that for a moment, the US has been involved in ~250 military conflicts in the past 40 years, NONE of which posed a threat to any US territory and is still occupying and stealing resources from Syria while Russia has been involved in putting down US sponsored uprisings in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Ukraine.
Interestingly, the US is supporting a rebranded part of al Qaeda in Syria, but then, they have been doing that for a decade now. Doesn't it just give you warm, fuzzy feelings and a sense of pride to know you and your government support radical Islamic terrorists?
I have protested against the vast majority of military involvements by the US, including Afghanistan, Iraq & Yemen, but you're making some of these up. You're either a Putin apologist who faithfully accepts whatever line the Russian propaganda machine feeds you or you are hallucinating & whatever Russia does you fantasize that it's the US doing it instead. The US sponsored uprisings in Chechnya & Georgia? Really? How delusional can you get? I haven't even heard MAGAts claim that & they are renowned for asserting the most ludicrous notions. You bring up 4 of the most brutal Russian attacks on nations in which they committed atrocities & you have the gall to blame them on the US. What chutzpah!
(1) The DOJ didn't have sufficient evidence to establish Trump's guilt or innocents with respect to Russian collusion. If they could have established his innocents, they would have.
(2) Trump could be prosecuted (impeached) for obstruction of justice but it was up to Congress to do so. DOJ policy prohibits indicting a serving President.
Republicans waged a successful disinformation campaign to obscure these conclusions.
Innocence. If they had established his innocence Barr would have made sure of that fact.
Actually it proved that Putin helped Trump in the 2016 election but that more evidence was needed.
Mueller’s team indicted or got guilty pleas from 34 people and three companies during their lengthy investigation. 6 former Trump advisers, 26 Russian nationals, three Russian companies, one California man, and one London-based lawyer. Seven of these people (including five of the six former Trump advisers) have pleaded guilty.
If you also count investigations that Mueller originated but then referred elsewhere in the Justice Department, you can add a plea deal from one more person to the list.
Now we know that Durham’s team spent long hours combing the C.I.A.’s files but found no way to support Trump's allegation that the Russian investigation was a miscarriage of justice. Barr and Durham traveled abroad together to press British and Italian officials to reveal everything their agencies had gleaned about the Trump campaign and relayed to the United States, but both allied governments denied they had done any such thing. Top British intelligence officials expressed indignation to their U.S. counterparts about the accusation, three former U.S. officials said
What they did find is another allegation against Trump, derived by the Italian CIA, which neither Barr or Durham disclosed.
Actually nothing proved Trump did anything, and the information Matt Tiabbi is finding in the files Twitter made available shows the Democratic part is about as corrupt as it gets, Biden is making Trump look like a clumsy piker.
The Twitter people were called by the Gym Jordan committee and nothing was proven. In fact, the revelations about Barr/Durham include the revelation that Derispaska had corrupted the FBI investigation to get HRC .What was proven is that the only government official that tried to compromise Twitter was Trump.
Trump's modus operandi is extortion. With the power of the presidency he had a ball. The Raffensberger extortion attempt is only one. Zelensky is another. Extortion distortion and distraction. So far he has not hit the wall- amazingly. Three plus years on we are still looking to prosecute this destructive person on the loose.
Couldn’t agree more. Fellow Americans turned terrorists are also a big part of the problem. Egomaniacs. I find it curious if someone can be a traitor, a terrorist, and not realize it. Thank you God for my lack of ego.
Why are Republicans allowed to serve in government? Because how do we disqualify them other than legally and avoid being partisan which encourages retaliation- some of which we see now ( McCarthy extorted, MT Greene elevated). The current GOP are usurpers that have taken over the hull of the former Republican party whose decent members have left.
It was a rhetorical question. Although, a House UnAmerican Activities Committee would be fun, chasing MAGAs like “fellow travelers”. I dissent from your view that decent Republicans have left. Plenty of Larry Hogans and Charlie Bakers still wear that label, and nearly all of the congressionals vote in blocs to obstruct and deny justice.
Plenty? No, not plenty at all. In fact, they are very rare among office holders. In Congress, you could make an argument that Romney is decent, but you'd be hard-pressed to find another among the 270 Republicans in Congress.
Not every decent Republican, but many have. I think those who remain have false hopes...or are like those who remained with Trump thinking they could change him, thinking they can change the party. I assume many Republicans feel this way, or cannot bring themselves to bow out in a two party system. Baker had a lot of support here in MA, a blue state that often votes for Republican governors... even Democrats vote for R gov's- they must. Somehow people must think that OUR Republicans are different or this disease will blow over.
I can understand why it's difficult to tolerate someone still calling themselves a Republican. I make excuses I suppose for those who still hope--like Whitman, Baker and some others. Romney is hard.
Why not follow the 'democracy' you are supporting in Ukraine, they outlawed opposition parties, they persecute/prosecute those against the proxy war and the outlaw independent media? Hell, you could even politicize the FBI so they could arrest/kill those that don't like what you are doing like in Bucha, remember all those people that were tied up with their white armbands identifying them as having worked with the Russians, before they were killed? You have to ask why the Russians would have killed people that had worked with them.
I guess though, maybe its like the Russians blowing up a $6-7B investment when it would have been much easier to just turn iff a valve.
When a nation is facing an attack that threatens their very existence, they are rarely very tolerant with traitors.
You russofascist Putin apologists blame Ukraine for doing what every other nation in its position would do & call them "Nazis", when it's the cross between Hitler & Stalin named Putin & other powerful Russians that epitomize Nazism.
You choose to believe the most notorious liars & expert disinformational propagandists on Earth & promulgate the nonsense that these imperialists propagate while they continue to perpetrate their neverending obsession of expanding empire, exterminating their neighbors & displacing their populations. That you would support such monsters says a lot about you, & none of it good.
I'm happy to see that you agree that when a nation is facing an attack that threatens their very existence, they have a right to defend themselves, Russia was in that position and so they are now fighting the US proxy. Article 51 of the UN Charter is justification. But then the US prefers to use the 'international rules based order' when legal means don't get them what they want and because they set up the rules, they can make the ones they want and everyone but them must follow their rules.
BTW, you should understand, but probably don't, that only 13% of the world's population supports the US/NATO proxy war and DO recognize that Ukraine is NOT a democracy.
As for your last paragraph, something you might consider is that the US has 800+ military bases around the world, has overthrown ~50 democratically elected governments to install right wing authoritarian governments, that you support such monsters says a lot about you, & none of it good.
The 'traitors' are just saying that maybe a genocide against their fellow countrymen isn't the way to go.
Russia has never been in the position you describe since WWII. No country has threatened to invade them. Russia is the only country threatening & actually invading other countries. Its attack on Ukraine was totally unprovoked. Every country from Ukraine to European nations to the US tried to persuade Russia not to invade Ukraine, but Russia is utterly obsessed with building empire. It wants to grab Ukraine's territory & resources, & subjugate, deport or annihilate its people & replacing them with Russians, their tried & true method for centuries.
They have to be stopped here & now. How can you be on the side of tyranny, imperialism & genocide & against liberty, democracy, independence & sovereignty?
That's a ludicrous statement. In early 1990's when the US/NATO was negotiating with Gorbachev to dissolve the USSR, there were multiple statements from US officials and NATO vassal states that NATO would not expand past the German border, ample evidence is in the National Security Archive at George Washington University, and the CIA director at the time, Robert Gates stated that expanding to Ukraine and Georgia would be Russian red lines and would start a war. Clinton, Dubya, Obama, Trump and then Biden continued the push to Russia's borders with predictable results. Who could have imagined?
As for everyone trying to persuade Russia not to invade, that's a BS comment, there were two Minsk Accords that were negotiated and neither guarantor, Germany or France, made any attempt to enforce them and just prior to the beginning of the SMO, Russia made numerous proposals for peace, and, contrary to Gates' warning, Ukrainian neutrality was summarily dismissed. Maybe your confirmation bias told you to 'forget' that.
Frankly, the country that has been responsible for an estimated 10 million needless deaths since the dissolution of the USSR, has been involved in 200-250 extraterritorial military engagements and has 800+ military bases around the world and spends more money on their military than the next 10 countries combined, has overthrown democratically elected governments to install right wing authoritarians is the one that needs to be stopped. Doesn't it give you the warm fuzzies to know that you are collectively responsible for those 10 million deaths? If there were a god, you and Madeline Albright, the one that said, 'yes, the deaths of the half million Iraqi children was worth it' in a war based on lies, would end up the same place.
And next time, the Republicans will do the same and try to pin it on the Democrats, America has a uniparty where the only difference is there are two faces so the plebs can fight about who screws them the most.
FWIW, I'm Canadian and we have three major faces to our version of the uniparty and they are all the same, for the same reason, the choice gives the illusion that your vote actually means something.
I have great trouble comprehending why you choose to support the most mendacious, fascist, tyrannical, imperialistic & dangerous regime in almost 90 years. This is the most critical conflict since WWII for democracy to prevail.
We should never have invaded Afghanistan or Iraq or been involved in most if not all conflicts we've been involved in since WWII. But this is a totally different kind of conflict that is an existential threat to world peace & democracies throughout the world, & failure to stop Russia here & now would mean that no nation will be safe from being attacked by imperialist bullies from now on.
Ukraine is doing favors for those of us throughout the world who value democracy, liberty, independence & sovereignty, by being willing to fight for these principles while defending their homeland, saving us from having to fight later. Because if Russia succeeds in Ukraine, they will surely proceed further by taking over other neighboring countries, eventually getting to the Baltics, Poland & the rest of Europe in thir neverending obsession to expand empire. They even want Alaska. And if they see Russia succeed, China will invade Taiwan, & international peace & order will break down completely.
The US got into the Korean War based on lies, the US got into the Vietnam war based on lies, the US/NATO got into the Iraq War, TWICE, based on lies, TWICE, the US/NATO got into the Libyan War based on lies, the US/NATO got into the Afghan war based on lies, it's been responsible for millions of needless deaths, it's overthrown many democratically elected governments to install right wing authoritarians. I have great trouble comprehending why you choose to support the most mendacious, fascist, tyrannical, imperialistic & dangerous regime in history. This is the most critical conflict since WWII for freedom to prevail, if the totally UNdemocratic Ukraine and US/NATO fails, there might yet be light at the end of the tunnel.
FWIW, Russia has shown no inclination to take over anywhere, that's just more neocon propaganda. Where in hell did you come up with the idea the Russians want Alaska, this conversation is getting more weird by the post, have you been into the street drugs again?
'The paper' is where you get the misinformation/disinformation, that's why I read or watch it so little except for a laugh and to see where it's leading the fools. Do some critical thinking, question what you are told, question what you THINK you know. As for the posts here being convincing enough, I haven't seen anything that is factual, just ideology and you seem to be really good at that.
Why don't you for once question what you think you know? You are so gullible as to automatically accept the lies & propaganda from the most notoriously mendacious & sophisticated propaganda machine in history.
I actually DO question what I know on a regular basis, from your posts, it's apparent you don't as your facts don't comport with reality in many instances, the US uniparty government lies to you repeatedly and you still, slavishly, believe them. Curious, isn't it?
Kerry, I wonder the same thing about how Republicans are willing to accept all kinds of criminal activity while they whine about everything Democrats want to do to actually make things better for the people of this nation. They call Democrats and anyone who is not WITH them Communist when they have no idea what that even is and also know it will scare their Republican white constituents and the Cuban-American contingent In Florida and Texas into doing almost anything their governors and congressional leaders want them to do and support, like the January 6th insurrection. McCarthyism is alive and well in the Republican Party and they use it to keep their followers in line. Joe McCarthy as Kevin McCarthy was a self-seeking ignorant hater who believed in cruelty and causing as much harm to people he didn't like or was just afraid of, as possible. K. McCarthy won't generally do the deeds himself because he is such a coward, but will get others to do the deeds for him, like when he gave video documents to Tucker Carlson, a lying fool of Fox Not Nearly News that should either have been given to all major media, or to no one. He is hoping Carlson will pick snippits of the material to use as right-wing propaganda against all comers and put our Congress at risk of future attacks. That should be seen as treason, but Republicans don't seem to be able to be held accountable for anything they do. They are child-adults that no one seems to want to discipline. A few Republicans (5 now that Virginia has chosen a Democrat in the special election), to oust McCarthy from Speaker and put a reasonable person in the office, maybe Jeffries or Benny Thompson. I can't think of an appropriate Republican. It could and should happen.
McCarthy is trying to outMcCarthy McCarthy. Kevin is very dangerous & can do a lot of harm to this country, & appears fully intent on doing so, & apparently nobody's going to stop him.
Biden is a leader for democracy? Is that why he instigated a proxy war with a totally UNdemocratic Ukraine and Russia? Biden is a neoliberal/neocon, look at the troupe of neocons he has directing foreign policy, Blinken, Nuland and Sullivan. To be fair though, that ugly bunch were inherited from that paragon of democracy, Obama. Funny isn't it, how little light there is between the neoliberal/neocon Republicans and the neoliberal/neocon Democrats.
Seems to be that you ought to move to Russia, you apparently revere Putin and his puppet, Trump. Ironic, isn't it, how those most opposed to democracy claim to sing its praises constantly? People like you turn my stomach.
Yes, some Americans are still in the thrall of the fascistic liars and opportunists who manipulate the mentally vulnerable for their personal benefit. A sad commentary on human frailty.
The fact that you make such absurd assumptions says something about your critical thinking skills, and it's not good.
Ironic though, isn't it, how those constantly singing the praises of democracy will support a country that has outlawed opposition parties(Ukraine), allows/tells it's -SBU- secret police they can/should have summary executions of those deemed to be traitors(that's illegal in ANY court, ANYWHERE, apparently except Ukraine) like in Bucha and would be involved in a genocidal war against an ethnic minority(Ukraine)? But then, if you live in a country that outspends the next ten countries on it's military, has 800 military bases around the world, has invaded or supported coups to install right wing dictators, has NEVER, out of the 250-300 wars it's fought in the last 150 years, fought a defensive war, meddles in every other country in the world and is arguably responsible for 6 million needless deaths in the past 3 or 4 decades, I suppose it's understandable.
FWIW, your revulsion is misplaced, the people that support the depravity of that kind of a society are to be pitied, most are basically good people but political propaganda is ubiquitous and the weak, whether educated or not, are susceptible
How ironic that you are now calling names, making personal accusations when in previous remarks you criticized someone for exactly that. It tends to diminish your more substantive comments. Consider this.
Silly comment, where did I call anyone a name, maybe you are posting in the wrong thread? I can back up what I'm posting but I've seen nothing here but old, recycles tropes and unsubstantiated ideological, and quite frankly, tribal rhetoric.
FWIW, I used to be like you and accepted the bull$hit and lies but I've seen what really happens. I've seen the lies the US pumps out and the MSM just passes on and recognize it for what it is. Do I take all my information from echo chambers like this? No, I use multiple sources from all sorts of ideological backgrounds, cross check them and make a judgement on who is telling the truth, DO YOU??
Just as a matter of interest, have you read the article by Seymour Hersch, have you read the things Matt Taibbi has found about Twitter or have you just accepted that they MUST be lying because they don't fit the narrative? Have you read anything about what Julian Assange published? Do you agree with the US government persecuting and prosecuting Assange for showing the world how corrupt the US is? Show me where you stand, no more rhetoric, just the facts.
The genocide in Bucha was perpetrated by the Russians. It is very well-documented, & that you choose to believe the lying butchers instead shows either an absurd level of gullibility or a huge amount of malevolence.
Bull$hit, explain why all the victims were tied with their white armbands and how they were killed by the Russians AFTER they left. You are just repeating US/Ukrainian propaganda, there are videos of the SBU killing and torturing people they deemed not quite Nazi enough. And then you have to consider that the Ukraine had, prior to the Russians entering Ukraine, been waging a genocidal war against the ethnic Russians who didn't want to live under the rule of the US installed coup. You do know the definition of a genocide, don't you? One of the basic criteria would be if, maybe, they would say something like the Donbass has one and a half million superfluous people that should be exterminated(and yes, they did say that, is from Ukrainian TV)
This IS a US proxy war and the US has lied to you and the rest of the world, they've done it for all their previous wars, how many times do they have to lie to you before you stop believing them?
Maybe YOU ought to consider a little bit or introspection and then determine who shows either an absurd level of gullibility or a huge amount of malevolence, genocidal wars are generally not acceptable but then, if your government and people will economically and militarily support an apartheid government that is also involved in a 70+ year long, ongoing genocide, how could you have a problem?
Is there someone monitoring this comment section? This "LaVerne Karras" appears to be a Russian troll or bot that simply parrots Russian disinformational propaganda with no regard for the truth, or more precisely, claiming to be true what is patently false, with virtually everything she says being the opposite of reality.
The rebellion against Ukraine was instigated by Russia. That is generally 1 of their first acts against the nation they choose to invade. They then "aid" the insurgents, send troops to "defend" the insurgents, then "recognize" the autonomy or "independence" of the rebels, before long annex the region held by the rebels & invade the rest of the country to take over its territory, plunder its resources, subjugate the citizens, deport them or exterminate them, & replace them with Russians in order to make sure that they have a pretext in the future should they ever lose that territory to invade again so they can "defend" the Russians & claim it because Russians live there. It's been their tried & true method of expanding empire for centuries! That's why their territory is so much larger than any other country. And they are never satisfied. They just keep taking more & more territory until someone finally stops them.
No truth of that at all. Why do you keep on insisting on propagating russofascist lies? This is wholly on Putin. His invasion of Ukraine was completely unprovoked. Biden has nothing to do with it. You want the West to hand over to Putin whatever territory he wants? Of course, you do, because you're antidemocratic & anti-American.
So let me get this straight, you're suggesting that the US/Nuland and the rest of the neocons DIDN'T stage a coup? You must be one of a very small group if you believe that! Well no, there are a lot more very gullible people on here that are quite happy to ignore inconvenient facts.
Actually, the people who comment here are by & large among the wisest, wittiest, most thoughtful, most decent, most honest group of people I've ever had the pleasure of discussing politics with. It is you who is the odd one out, who doesn't fit in with such an honorable group of people.
That, from someone in an echo chamber, is the most glaring example of either confirmation bias, the Dunning-Kruger effect or both! Have you EVER questioned the propaganda you get from an administration you are ideologically aligned with, have you ever NOT questioned an administration you are not aligned with? Think about how you answer that question and whether you CAN answer it honestly, if you can't, you are only lying to yourself.
Yes, I question authorities all the time (I am very anti-authoritarian, so that's part of my nature). There is nobody, politician or otherwise, with whom I agree all the time. I agree with Dr. Reich most, but not all, of the time.
There is no US President with whom I've agreed a high percentage of the time. Rarely has the presidential candidate for whom I've voted ever won. Barack Obama was the only one I voted for in the primary who eventually became President, & I've voted in every primary from 1972, when I cast my first vote for Shirley Chisholm, to 2020, when I voted for Elizabeth Warren. I even have voted in Republican primaries. I switched to Republican so I could vote for Richard Lugar in 1996 & didn't have to vote for Clinton. I think I remained Republican & voted McCain in 2000, but voted for Gore in the general election, of course. Never voted for a Republican for President in the general election, although I have voted 3rd Party on occasion.
You're the one supporting a tyrannical, imperialist regime attacking & invading its neighbors with impunity. It is clear that you would've also supported Hitler & Mussolini back in WWII because you prefer authoritarianism to democracy & freedom.
No Sunshine, I DON'T support the US and its imperialist, warmongering policies, that has been involved in 200+ military interventions and at least seven wars since 1990, ALL based on lies. How many times do they have to lie to you before you at least start questioning what they tell you?
You unquestioningly support an empire that throughout its existence over many centuries has been all about seizing territory from its neighbors, annihilating their inhabitants, committing atrocity after atrocity, currently led by a lying tyrant far more evil & dangerous to world peace than those you condemn.
I am as far left as you can get and I agree that the U.S.in engaging a proxy war to support its own interests and mounting a massive propaganda campaign. Remember weapons of mass destruction? Viet Nam? Someone said the first casualty of war is truth.
No question that we aren’t without fault but in the case of Ukrainian defense against Russian aggression, I think our support of the people of Ukraine is justified.
Indeed this is the most important conflict the world has faced since WWII. I'm not sure that it was necessary for us to get involved in any of the others, but it's crucial for the survival of Western sovereignty & democracy that the Russians be stopped here & now.
It isn't only Vietnam, they lied about the reasons for getting into Korea, they lied about the reasons for going into Yugoslavia, they lied about the reasons for going into Iraq TWICE, they lied about the reasons for going into Afghanistan, they lied about the 'moderate rebels' in Syria, and they are lying about the reasons they want to start a war with China, how many times do people have to be lied to before they stop believing the lies?
Yes. I am surprised how many of my friends are buying into the U.S. narrative on Ukraine. I guess we still cling to the belief that America has some sort of superior morality, all evidence to the contrary.
All the tropes and ad hominems aside, do you actually believe any of what you posted? Biden, and numerous other American politicians and their NATO vassals have stated that the goal is 'regime change' after the US/NATO pushed to the Russian border, if you don't consider that extreme provocation, then I suppose you will be willing to state that the US was wrong to THREATEN NUCLEAR WAR during the 1963 Cuban Missile Crisis and show how the situation is any different. I suspect not.
FWIW, I have watched about ten minutes of Faux News, but that's what you do, accuse others of being as gullible, narrow minded and ideologically rigid as yourself.
The US has repeatedly lied to you, how many times do they have to lie to you before you stop believing them or at least have the courage to question the propaganda they feed you?
What's incredible is that you might believe any of the bunk you post or that you think others might, especially a well-informed group of people such as you find at this site.
So far, I have yet to find one of those well informed people, just those that believe the BS they get from the MSM, reality paints a far different picture than most of the posts here.
Are you QAnon? MAGA? OANN viewer? Breitbart devotee? Alex Jones or Tucker Carlson fan? Just curious where you get all your misinformation that gives you such wacky ideas.
My news sources are diverse, ranging from Common Dreams to Newsmax, & many more in-between, to the side & even more extreme. I don't automatically accept or reject information from any source. I recognize each source's bias (a corporatist bias is probably the most widespread), & I use critical thinking skills to judge the validity & soundness of the information I receive.
Ok Braniac, what were the lies? Remember, just your say so means less than nothing, show evidence or even logic to prove your point instead of an idiotic rant.
Can I assume that's the best argument you have, ad hominems? You do recognize that by the time one starts calling names, EVERY adult understands that you've lost the argument.
Frankly, I have concerns as to whether this comparison will matter much to ordinary people by the millions who do not believe the ruling class in this country is addressing their interests, who don’t believe in what goes on in Washington anymore, and who question why they should believe in democracy when life expectancy in their communities is actually going down while billionaires become richer. My point is not to diminish the comparison, but to suggest we remain vigilant of the host of factors that will affect the outcome of future elections.
One of the most effective techniques the GQP has employed for decades now is to say the same lie over and over and over and over - until it becomes part of the national culture. It becomes an "alternative fact". It becomes their truth. And if you poke real factual holes in it, the response is that "all politicians lie".
So what if....we told the truth over and over and over and over again. Like this story. How a President of the United States blackmailed another President for his own political purposes - undermining US foreign policy that supports democracy and freedom?
Robert Reichs story - as presented - is brilliant. THIS is what a con man does. And this is what a real leader does. It is critically important writing.
You are right. Millions of "ordinary" people won't care. But I do believe there are millions more who we can remind, educate and sway to the side of true patriotism. I hope so, anyway :)
Exactly Bill. They don't have to be the brightest bulbs on the string, they just have to hear, repeatedly the real truth. There is another problem however. Most of us, liberal progressives live in urban/suburban areas and we naturally concentrate on things of importance to us. We need to recognize the problems in rural areas are not the same, find out what those real problems are (not the GOP racist ones, the real ones) and include those in our rhetoric..
I think we thought their concerns were around issues of jobs, healthcare, etc. And they are. But...I think they think those issues can't be solved. Especially by government. In the meantime, they are worked up into a fever with issues of culture. And I don't know how we address that. We used to rely on churches and pastors to teach tolerance and love. Now, too many preachers teach hate.
How do you hear the 'real' truth, isn't there only one? How do you hear the real truth when the government and all of mainstream media is blaring the 'not so real 'truth'? How, if you only access an echo chamber, do you find the only one, honest truth instead of the one your confirmation bias makes you feel comfortable with? The only real way to find that one truth is to go to sources you AREN'T comfortable with as well as the ones you are and question ALL sources of information, even the ones you trust. Think about how many wars the US and the US/NATO and a compliant media have gotten us into based on lies and then ask yourself, how many times do they have to lie to you, before you stop believing them?
Reading and watching a wide variety of sources would seem to be the best approach. There is one to avoid, of course. It's recent exposure (Dominion) as the "lying channel" closes the prosecution on that one. That in itself should shut it down.
And yes, the government has lied. Over the years, it was usually about the reasons for war making and then the conduct of the war. And of course, we recently had the biggest liar and con man in our national history leading a chorus of liars. The government lied about wars and was reasonably convincing - until they weren't. The con mans lies were (and are) so blatantly obvious, it's hard to believe there were more 12 people in the country who went along with him. Nobody who knew him in NYC believed him. Least of all: contractors and bankers.
The current liar and con man is not as blatant in his lies, ok, let me rephrase that, the MSM doesn't point out that he's a liar and a conman, he IS a neoliberal and his foreign affairs policy is being set by neocons, Blinken, Nuland and Sullivan, and HE support them and implements their policies. HE provoked the current proxy war in Ukraine and he's lining up to start one with China, as repugnant and vulgar as Trump was, he didn't start any wars.
Bill, While I agree that repeatedly amplifying the contrast is necessary, I don’t believe it is any where near sufficient. In my view, if we’re serious about preserving American democracy, government has to deliver for people, who, for example, can’t afford healthcare, can’t afford to send their kids to college, don’t have any paid family and medical leave, nor the resources to contend with the cost of housing that continues to rise, schools that are inadequate, and so forth. And in order for government to deliver for working people, our elected representatives must have the guts to take on the ruling class of this country, which today has enormous economic power, political power, and media power.
As important, our elected representatives have to go where the trouble is in this country, the trouble GOP extremists are stoking, the trouble said extremists are making worse. Democrats must go there and meet with the people who doubt that Democrats care about the wreckage of their dreams and show they can work on legitimate issues and grievances.
Absolutely! I was thinking about the broader issue of messaging and campaign platforms.
But your last line is key. We have too often "flown over" these regions and the people who have been ignored for so long. Time to meet them face to face. And tell them the truth. It isn't the government that has taken away your jobs. It's the Oligarchs who own the companies that sent your jobs overseas for cheap labor. The government could help, if you let it. Like expanding Medicaid. Like electing legislators who work to get businesses back to their states rather than hunting for Hunter's laptop.
It reminds me of living in Western MA. The only time you saw the governor and other bigwigs from Boston was just before the elections. I grew up thinking we should have been a separate state.
Bill, As for my last sentence, while I might not have stated it directly, my intent, in large part, was to encourage listening as much if not more than speaking.
@kdsherpa, I very much appreciate your affirming response, particularly because of the importance I attach to letting others know they are being listened to and respected even when we disagree.
Hitler said that a lie, told three times, becomes the truth. Ivana said that the only reading material she ever saw on the Orange Sadist's bedside table was "Mein Kampf". Guess the O.S. must have actually read one book.
One thing we need is for the mainstream, “liberal” media to start treating the truth as news. When rightwing media get to keep treating Hillary’s emails or Hunter Biden’s laptop as the most important news, and the mainstream media keeps giving that kind of nonsense as much coverage or more as real news like Ivanka and Jared’s financial ties to Saudi Arabia, China and Russia and Trump’s theft of classified information and his lies about it, even people who pay some attention to real news tend to feel like there isn’t much difference between the parties.
I agree Catesby, but the problem at the heart of your post is there is no more liberal media. We sat by and allowed every single National Television network to be bought by right wing tycoons. So we now have 2 minutes of truth, between 30 minutes of commercials 20 minutes of republican lies and 8 minutes of preening anchors telling us how great they are during every one hour not news show.
It is hard to focus on just a few outrages perpetrated by the Republicans when they spray us with innumerable outrages at a time. Where to start? This is their strategy. Hit us with too many things to keep track of, while they can concentrate on a few weaknesses on our side, & pound it over & over for years, like Benghazi, Hillary's e-mails & Hunter's laptop.
Sadly, I have to agree that those Americans who get their “news” from right wing media will be convinced that helping Ukraine means failing Americans, and that the Republicans who are cheating them at every opportunity are somehow their benefactors.
Catesby, In my view, your comment justifies the response I just posted to Bill Alstrom, included in this thread. Part of what I wrote is that our elected representatives have to go where the trouble is in this country, the trouble GOP extremists are stoking, the trouble said extremists are making worse. Democrats must go there and meet with the people who doubt that Democrats care about the wreckage of their dreams and show they can work on legitimate issues and grievances.
I agree that far too many Americans have not actually looked at our President. And I agree that we must be resolved to stand vigilant and keep working toward "a more perfect union.
But I am over 70 years old, and I have never been so proud of the American president. I don't want to lose the real solid sense that Joe Biden is what our president ought to be. No one is perfect but this man makes my heart swell with pride; I think I finally understand how my parents felt about FDR.
@bluedurham, I write not to dispute your perspective of our President, but to amplify the exponential strength of corporate lobbying in shaping federal policy, including its impact particularly on workers’ rights consistently subsumed in the name of corporate profit and also on healthcare for the most vulnerable communities in this country.
In sector after sector, whether it’s Wall Street, transportation, the pharmaceutical industry, or media, the increased concentration of ownership in this country has produced more income and wealth inequality in America than we have ever had. Accordingly, if we are serious about preserving American democracy, our elected representatives, in order to deliver for people, must have the guts to take on the ruling class of this country, which today has enormous economic power, political power, and media power.
“That was the biggest slap in the face that tells you right now he doesn’t care about us,” East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, a Republican, said of Biden’s trip to Ukraine earlier this week on Fox News. “I found that out this morning in one of the briefings that he was in the Ukraine giving millions of dollars away to people over there and not to us and I’m furious.”
I wrote about this the other day. I heard Railway Act whistlelower cases. IMHO the primary evidence on liability rests with OSHA. The NTSB report is due, but so far this has not been investigated to see whether criminal activity is involved.
My home town is 20 miles from East Liverpool. Once upon a time I represented a township on the Pa/Ohio border and people there claim they still smell it and the cloud was visible.
Once upon a time, I was involved in a pollution case involving a nuclear reactor, not far from there. Allegations were made at that time that the entire region is "hot" for cancer and other illnesses. The old Shippensport reactor is 11 miles down river from East Palestine. An internet search shows a 2015 incident involving the "new" reactor probably affected East Palestine. https://www.wfmj.com/story/28828503/firstenergy-shuts-down-nuclear-reactor-near-east-liverpool
Daniel, Having also heard the Mayor’s statement, as mentioned to others in this thread, I believe it critical that our elected representatives intently and repeatedly go where the trouble is in this country, the trouble GOP extremists are stoking, the trouble said extremists are making worse. Democrats must go there and meet with the people who doubt that Democrats care about the wreckage of their dreams and show they can work on legitimate issues and grievances.
JaBier, The 80s, indeed, aside from so-called tax reform that produced record income and wealth inequality in America, also accelerated the strength of corporate lobbying in shaping federal policy, particularly impacting workers’ rights that consistently were subsumed in the name of corporate profit. Accordingly, I repeatedly have contended, that if we are serious about preserving American democracy, our elected representatives, in order to deliver for working people, must have the guts to take on the ruling class of this country, which today has amassed enormous economic power, political power, and media power.
Yes. When nearly 50% of voters have been convinced that school teachers, scientists and actual journalists are a despised class of elites, and billionaires are just poor oppressed people like them, and that the only reliable sources of news are propaganda organs of the rightwing, we are in deep trouble.
We may SAY we are a classless society but that is BS. We definitely have classes, as does every nation in the world including those who 'claim' to be communist but are in reality a totalitarian dictatorship. Do you think for one minute that Putin and pals, or Xi and pals live like paupers? Take off the rose colored glasses.
Agreed, but it is really difficult to maintain a classless society. The best we have done was up to the 1980's when people with intelligence, ambition, and industry could move up, The difference between caste and class is in a caste system there is no upward mobility while there are a lot of shifts both up and down among classes. The republicans since the 1980's have been pushing more toward a caste system. And yes, they have enabled an abetted the WASPs at the top to become more and more exclusive. Part of the problem is with American worship of celebrity and wealth, neither of which has any intrinsic value.
Hale, I would note in sector after sector, whether it’s Wall Street, transportation, the pharmaceutical industry, or media, we have witnessed accelerated concentration of ownership in this country that has produced greater income and wealth inequality in America today than we have ever had. Accordingly, I have maintained, that if we are serious about preserving American democracy, our elected representatives, in order to deliver for people, must have the guts to take on the ruling class of this country, which today has amassed enormous economic power, political power, and media power.
Yet over the last 40 years we've become more & more a class-based society, with the billionaire class practically untouchable with so much power over the rest of us. That American ideal to which you refer has become a long forgotten fantasy.
I finally get it. The Republicans are holding a grudge against Ukraine. First, Republicans were angry at the Ukrainian people who elected the man they trusted to bring Democracy to their country by ending corruption. Then they were angry when Trump made a fool of himself, by trying to corrupt the new Ukrainian president. Now, they're angry because the Ukrainian people are laying down their lives to remain at their president's side.
If Trump was still president, I bet he would have gotten revenge on Zelensky, and a pat on the back from Putin, by sending American troops to help Russia "keep the peace" while they invaded Ukraine.
We are a long ways away from securing Democracy in America and we better stay alert and active.
Trump would have "negotiated" peace with Putin and claimed that he saved lives. Zelensky would have been disappeared. A Putin puppet installed. Plans for invading Moldova would be in place. Georgia would be "annexed". All for starters with Trump claiming credit for saving lives.
And China would probably already have started their invasion of Taiwan. I'm actually surprised that Russia & China didn't make their moves during Trump's lame duck session. I'm sure they now regret that they didn't.
I’m sick of people downplaying Biden’s efforts in all aspects of US policy, domestic and foreign.
Sure I don’t approve of all decisions made but so many great things have been accomplished by his administration in the midst of unbelievable Repug corruption that credit is deserved where due.
I keep thinking of Biden’s resolve, as so well written by R Reich herein...so much for the BS cries by so many that we need someone younger as President. Who among the ‘youngest’ has the breadth and depth of understanding history and politics that Biden has?
I see his trip to Kiev as extraordinary, his subsequent speeches as well. Solid. Eloquent. Honorable.
Now time to get on with killing chemical agriculture killing all of us, allowing the fossil fuel industry to pollute our waters, land and air for massive profits with impunity, with acknowledging the true history of race relations in the US leading to economic disparity, and keep autocrats like DeSantis from gaining leadership on the federal level!
You've laid out major differences between a deranged con man who was in government service just to serve himself and his own narcissistic ego, and a true statesman who is working constantly for the safety, security and well-being of America and every single one of us. Thank you for that, Professor Reich.
What a stark contrast between the two. One seeking political favor from an ally about to be invaded, the other representing a united front supporting a nation fighting not only for its survival but for the survival of freedom itself.
If Ukraine falls to Russia, which it will without our continuing support and the support of our allies, China and North Korea will know we are a toothless tiger. I can only imagine what will happen next. Yet Kevin and his band of 8 crazies are threatening to withhold further support. Why? Because they are Republican’s and the ‘job’ of the Republican Party is to say “no” to Democrats. I fear not for our country but for the entire world.
“Biden is the first president since Abraham Lincoln to venture into a war zone not under the control of American forces.”
I have to dispute the above: wherever Trump is, wherever he goes, wherever he’s been, turns into a war zone. He truly is the First Horseman of the Apocalypse, not war, itself, but Fear.
Trump was inadvertently testing Zelensky as he does everyone he needs and Zelensky was not going to be corrupted. Trump finds so many who are corruptible- which is how he got to be president and is still around making trouble appealing to ignorance and resentment.
PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR RECORDINGS. They have glitches. Words are garbled. Can’t you get that fixed? It’s been happening for awhile.
It wasn’t just that Trump wanted help getting re-elected. He wanted to DISH DIRT on his political opponent, and it was nasty stuff. He also wasn’t helping Ukraine.
Biden should also stop building up NATO. It’s been setting up US military bases that threaten Russia, and that provoked the war, even though the invasion of Ukraine was unjustified. Biden should also stop picking fights with China.
Could somebody please explain the conflict of 2014, the US role in it, and why some people are calling Zelenskyy fascist?
By the way, I believe “Kyiv” is pronounced “Keev.”
If only we could get the Russians to invade Flint Michigan for a bit so that maybe the European High Commission can fix their water supply once and for all.
What I have my eye on - moore cynically is the trillions of dollars worth of infrastructure that the Russians have destroyed (in Ukraine) and Ukraine's "Need" to switch from Russian hardware (military and otherwise) to NATO approved systems and European / American mega contracts and associated projects. Germany AND the US "Lend" Tanks and other systems to try out and become addicted to before the Ukrainians finally place an order for sufficient hardware that will prove decisive against the Russians. + Ursula Van der Leyen (European High "Commision") rubbing her hands together to see how many decades of crippling debt they can they get Ukraine into...
War is big business "baby" ~ Biden didn't want to get scooped by those "Euro" "Types" ;-)
Where is the resolve the US Justice Department? Why are we not able to formulate official policy that
follows the facts? Where is the breakdown in our system that allows those responsible for extortion and lies to continue a false dialogue? Why must we rely on "hearsay" conversations that should incriminate Giuliani, Cruz, Rubio, Trump and all liars? Biden's foreign policy has been cutting edge accurate, prompt, nimble judgement. Truth and courage are winning popular support for Biden. We must not give ( Putin )or Trump anything. Trump will always capitalize on court delays, he will blame others while offering NOTHING of substance to lead. Are there no lawyers in Washington smart enough to use existing laws to discredit Trump in court using he 14th Amendment?
And what did Republicans say about Trump's extortion of Zelensky? "Gee, not good, but not impeachable." Or of Trump's incitement of an insurrection to violate a Constitution he took an oath to protect? "Gee, not enough to convict on impeachment." So, Trump is correct. If he murdered someone in broad daylight on the streets of Manhattan, he'd get away with it. Why are Republicans allowed to serve in government? They are the real threat to our society. The communists they keep whining about don't even exist.
Quoth Yogi: deja vu all over again. Just saw Trump on TV from East Palestine. He's saying that if he were president he'd straighten out the Russia Ukraine War in one day.
Trump's extortion of Zelensky was never investigated by DOJ and not pursued but remains viable.
Trump's first impeachment alleged that he solicited foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election to help his re-election bid and then obstructed by telling his administration officials to ignore subpoenas for documents and testimony. Although John Bolton, an eyewitness would have testified against Trump before the senate, but was precluded.
Trump should have been placed under oath at that time. And Garland should be pursuing it. Double jeopardy does not apply. Maybe another special counsel should be appointed to investigate.
Re your first paragraph: Trump would likely simply hand Ukraine to Putin. February 20, 2023 was the ninth anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity, when Ukrainians were killed driving Russian puppet Viktor Yanukovych from power, after which they elected a pro-western president. That motivated Putin to annex Crimea and instigate Russian separatists in the Donbas to insurrection against the Ukrainian government. Crimea remained under Russian control and the fighting in the Donbas continued throughout Trump's term as president. So, Trump had four years to solve the Ukraine-Russia issue, and all he did was exploit it to serve himself. It doesn't take courage or grit or competence to stand in a solidly Republican outpost and bluster about what he might do.
You're probably right Carolyn.
By the time of impeachment Giuliani allegedly used "evidence" obtained from Russian sources. Bolton said recently that Trump made it "that much easier" for Putin to invade Ukraine by spreading conspiracy theories during the 2020 elections about the Democratic National Committee servers and Hunter Biden profiting in Ukraine. https://www.axios.com/2022/03/02/bolton-trump-deterred-russia-ukraine
IMHO everyone involved, especially Giuliani, Ron Johnson and Rick Perry, should be investigated.
Daniel, isn't it interesting how easily it has been for Republicans to jump on board to support a dictator? They are still moving in that direction. They love Orban and are working hard to love Putin against Ukraine. That is just so wrong, but alas, Republicans seem to have lost any semblance of appreciation for democracy, yet still claim to be so patriotic. That's just crazy!
In "Letters from an American" Heather Cox Richardson wrote today:
"Since the 1980s, Republicans have relied on a false narrative to win voters." It's a fascinating read.
I heard the Mayor of East Palestine say days ago that he didn't want Biden to come because it would cost a bundle to pay for security and he didn't think a visit would be productive.
What he said yesterday is an inconsistent statement.
I'm sure that the mayor wants nothing but the best for East Palestine. But who, what, why, when and how. The spill occurred Feb 3. Fire consumed many of the damaged rail cars and flames and smoke hovered over the crash site for days after the crash and officials warned of the risk of a major explosion. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered the evacuation on Feb. 6 of any remaining residents so the railroad could execute a controlled release of the rail cars' chemicals.
The train was about 150 cars long and some 50 were impacted in the derailment.
The National Transportation Safety Board, says 20 of the 150 cars contained hazardous materials, and 11 of those were involved in the derailment.
Investigators say a mechanical issue with a rail car axle caused the derailment.
Norfolk and Southern detonated several of the tankercars.
In a press conference the mayor stated that he has spoken with Norfolk Southern every day after the derailment and that the railroad has been working “tremendously” with the locals, “but they should, because they’re the ones who screwed this up.”
The mayor is otherwise employed, as a mine foreman at East Fairfield Coal Company. According to the internet, it has 4 employees. .There is no information what his election platform might have been. I did discover that East Palestine has a city manager.
I think the media are remiss in finding out whether the mayor is a MAGat, whether he bought the Big Lie, etc.
Peter, you're right about Heather Cox Richardson's piece being fascinating. It is so hard to understand how Republicans are still on stage when they have had so little to offer anyone but the very rich and themselves for more than 40 years. False narratives have let a bunch of scared white people buy the BS and keep putting Republicans into office while they whine they are struggling and that they will never reach "the American Dream." They have sabotaged themselves on that score but have no clue because they choose to have none. How sad for all of us!
they're "republicans"
in Name only: they
HATE Democracy
and LOVE them
Dicktators.
Yes, and some analysts believe that the January 6, 2021 Trump Republican attack on our Capitol made our country look weak in Putin's eyes and was a major factor in his decision to further invade Ukraine in February 2022.
It is plausible to me that had * been able to seize power on 1/6 that Putin would have Zelinsky's head on a spike and American troops would be on the move to Veracruz. At home things would start to resemble The Terrors of the French Revolution.
That could still happen. Nothing has occurred since then to prevent such a fate, or even to reduce its probability.
To be crude, ol' Yam Tits is full of orange bullshyte.
Oh yeah...the part that Dumpie doesn't say is that he "could straighten out the Russia/Ukraine War in one day" and that he would do so by handing it over to his pal, Mad Vlad.
Trump under oath? He has never ever and never will tell the truth. He has no moral compass. May he burn in hell very soon.
Perjury is easy to prove.
Fifth Amendment.
If he takes the Fifth, which if I were his lawyer I'd recommend, his side of the story will never be told.
Unfortunately, we already know his side of the story.
Sure it will. He already has many times over. All lies, of course. The truth is damning.
If there were any sort of justice, Biden and his troupe of neocons would be burning in hell with Trump, how many Ukrainians, and Russians, are dead or severely injured because of this proxy war?
How's the weather in Vladivostok?
It was a totally unprovoked attack by Russia on Ukraine for the purpose of grabbing territory & resources & annihilating Ukrainians & replacing them with Russians in their never ending multi-centuries quest to expand empire. NATO countries tried to prevent the invasion to no avail.
Now let's just examine that for a moment, the US has been involved in ~250 military conflicts in the past 40 years, NONE of which posed a threat to any US territory and is still occupying and stealing resources from Syria while Russia has been involved in putting down US sponsored uprisings in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Ukraine.
Interestingly, the US is supporting a rebranded part of al Qaeda in Syria, but then, they have been doing that for a decade now. Doesn't it just give you warm, fuzzy feelings and a sense of pride to know you and your government support radical Islamic terrorists?
I have protested against the vast majority of military involvements by the US, including Afghanistan, Iraq & Yemen, but you're making some of these up. You're either a Putin apologist who faithfully accepts whatever line the Russian propaganda machine feeds you or you are hallucinating & whatever Russia does you fantasize that it's the US doing it instead. The US sponsored uprisings in Chechnya & Georgia? Really? How delusional can you get? I haven't even heard MAGAts claim that & they are renowned for asserting the most ludicrous notions. You bring up 4 of the most brutal Russian attacks on nations in which they committed atrocities & you have the gall to blame them on the US. What chutzpah!
What the Mueller report actually concluded is:
(1) The DOJ didn't have sufficient evidence to establish Trump's guilt or innocents with respect to Russian collusion. If they could have established his innocents, they would have.
(2) Trump could be prosecuted (impeached) for obstruction of justice but it was up to Congress to do so. DOJ policy prohibits indicting a serving President.
Republicans waged a successful disinformation campaign to obscure these conclusions.
Innocence. If they had established his innocence Barr would have made sure of that fact.
Actually it proved that Putin helped Trump in the 2016 election but that more evidence was needed.
Mueller’s team indicted or got guilty pleas from 34 people and three companies during their lengthy investigation. 6 former Trump advisers, 26 Russian nationals, three Russian companies, one California man, and one London-based lawyer. Seven of these people (including five of the six former Trump advisers) have pleaded guilty.
If you also count investigations that Mueller originated but then referred elsewhere in the Justice Department, you can add a plea deal from one more person to the list.
Now we know that Durham’s team spent long hours combing the C.I.A.’s files but found no way to support Trump's allegation that the Russian investigation was a miscarriage of justice. Barr and Durham traveled abroad together to press British and Italian officials to reveal everything their agencies had gleaned about the Trump campaign and relayed to the United States, but both allied governments denied they had done any such thing. Top British intelligence officials expressed indignation to their U.S. counterparts about the accusation, three former U.S. officials said
What they did find is another allegation against Trump, derived by the Italian CIA, which neither Barr or Durham disclosed.
Actually nothing proved Trump did anything, and the information Matt Tiabbi is finding in the files Twitter made available shows the Democratic part is about as corrupt as it gets, Biden is making Trump look like a clumsy piker.
The Twitter people were called by the Gym Jordan committee and nothing was proven. In fact, the revelations about Barr/Durham include the revelation that Derispaska had corrupted the FBI investigation to get HRC .What was proven is that the only government official that tried to compromise Twitter was Trump.
Trump's modus operandi is extortion. With the power of the presidency he had a ball. The Raffensberger extortion attempt is only one. Zelensky is another. Extortion distortion and distraction. So far he has not hit the wall- amazingly. Three plus years on we are still looking to prosecute this destructive person on the loose.
On the nose! Cult worship enabled by the latent paranoia of white Christian nationalists unleashed a celebrity sociopath.
And don't forget: projection.
Ain’t that the truth? Blaming Biden for train deregulation/safety issues is only the latest. Shameless POS’s.
Yes, they do the Devil's work for him.
Yeah, go figure !!!!!!
Couldn’t agree more. Fellow Americans turned terrorists are also a big part of the problem. Egomaniacs. I find it curious if someone can be a traitor, a terrorist, and not realize it. Thank you God for my lack of ego.
Why are Republicans allowed to serve in government? Because how do we disqualify them other than legally and avoid being partisan which encourages retaliation- some of which we see now ( McCarthy extorted, MT Greene elevated). The current GOP are usurpers that have taken over the hull of the former Republican party whose decent members have left.
It was a rhetorical question. Although, a House UnAmerican Activities Committee would be fun, chasing MAGAs like “fellow travelers”. I dissent from your view that decent Republicans have left. Plenty of Larry Hogans and Charlie Bakers still wear that label, and nearly all of the congressionals vote in blocs to obstruct and deny justice.
Plenty? No, not plenty at all. In fact, they are very rare among office holders. In Congress, you could make an argument that Romney is decent, but you'd be hard-pressed to find another among the 270 Republicans in Congress.
Not every decent Republican, but many have. I think those who remain have false hopes...or are like those who remained with Trump thinking they could change him, thinking they can change the party. I assume many Republicans feel this way, or cannot bring themselves to bow out in a two party system. Baker had a lot of support here in MA, a blue state that often votes for Republican governors... even Democrats vote for R gov's- they must. Somehow people must think that OUR Republicans are different or this disease will blow over.
I find the term "decent Republicans" to have become oxymoronic.
I can understand why it's difficult to tolerate someone still calling themselves a Republican. I make excuses I suppose for those who still hope--like Whitman, Baker and some others. Romney is hard.
Why not follow the 'democracy' you are supporting in Ukraine, they outlawed opposition parties, they persecute/prosecute those against the proxy war and the outlaw independent media? Hell, you could even politicize the FBI so they could arrest/kill those that don't like what you are doing like in Bucha, remember all those people that were tied up with their white armbands identifying them as having worked with the Russians, before they were killed? You have to ask why the Russians would have killed people that had worked with them.
I guess though, maybe its like the Russians blowing up a $6-7B investment when it would have been much easier to just turn iff a valve.
When a nation is facing an attack that threatens their very existence, they are rarely very tolerant with traitors.
You russofascist Putin apologists blame Ukraine for doing what every other nation in its position would do & call them "Nazis", when it's the cross between Hitler & Stalin named Putin & other powerful Russians that epitomize Nazism.
You choose to believe the most notorious liars & expert disinformational propagandists on Earth & promulgate the nonsense that these imperialists propagate while they continue to perpetrate their neverending obsession of expanding empire, exterminating their neighbors & displacing their populations. That you would support such monsters says a lot about you, & none of it good.
I'm happy to see that you agree that when a nation is facing an attack that threatens their very existence, they have a right to defend themselves, Russia was in that position and so they are now fighting the US proxy. Article 51 of the UN Charter is justification. But then the US prefers to use the 'international rules based order' when legal means don't get them what they want and because they set up the rules, they can make the ones they want and everyone but them must follow their rules.
BTW, you should understand, but probably don't, that only 13% of the world's population supports the US/NATO proxy war and DO recognize that Ukraine is NOT a democracy.
As for your last paragraph, something you might consider is that the US has 800+ military bases around the world, has overthrown ~50 democratically elected governments to install right wing authoritarian governments, that you support such monsters says a lot about you, & none of it good.
The 'traitors' are just saying that maybe a genocide against their fellow countrymen isn't the way to go.
Russia has never been in the position you describe since WWII. No country has threatened to invade them. Russia is the only country threatening & actually invading other countries. Its attack on Ukraine was totally unprovoked. Every country from Ukraine to European nations to the US tried to persuade Russia not to invade Ukraine, but Russia is utterly obsessed with building empire. It wants to grab Ukraine's territory & resources, & subjugate, deport or annihilate its people & replacing them with Russians, their tried & true method for centuries.
They have to be stopped here & now. How can you be on the side of tyranny, imperialism & genocide & against liberty, democracy, independence & sovereignty?
That's a ludicrous statement. In early 1990's when the US/NATO was negotiating with Gorbachev to dissolve the USSR, there were multiple statements from US officials and NATO vassal states that NATO would not expand past the German border, ample evidence is in the National Security Archive at George Washington University, and the CIA director at the time, Robert Gates stated that expanding to Ukraine and Georgia would be Russian red lines and would start a war. Clinton, Dubya, Obama, Trump and then Biden continued the push to Russia's borders with predictable results. Who could have imagined?
As for everyone trying to persuade Russia not to invade, that's a BS comment, there were two Minsk Accords that were negotiated and neither guarantor, Germany or France, made any attempt to enforce them and just prior to the beginning of the SMO, Russia made numerous proposals for peace, and, contrary to Gates' warning, Ukrainian neutrality was summarily dismissed. Maybe your confirmation bias told you to 'forget' that.
Frankly, the country that has been responsible for an estimated 10 million needless deaths since the dissolution of the USSR, has been involved in 200-250 extraterritorial military engagements and has 800+ military bases around the world and spends more money on their military than the next 10 countries combined, has overthrown democratically elected governments to install right wing authoritarians is the one that needs to be stopped. Doesn't it give you the warm fuzzies to know that you are collectively responsible for those 10 million deaths? If there were a god, you and Madeline Albright, the one that said, 'yes, the deaths of the half million Iraqi children was worth it' in a war based on lies, would end up the same place.
And next time, the Republicans will do the same and try to pin it on the Democrats, America has a uniparty where the only difference is there are two faces so the plebs can fight about who screws them the most.
FWIW, I'm Canadian and we have three major faces to our version of the uniparty and they are all the same, for the same reason, the choice gives the illusion that your vote actually means something.
You must be really disappointed not to have a truly authoritarian government like Russia.
I have great trouble comprehending why you choose to support the most mendacious, fascist, tyrannical, imperialistic & dangerous regime in almost 90 years. This is the most critical conflict since WWII for democracy to prevail.
We should never have invaded Afghanistan or Iraq or been involved in most if not all conflicts we've been involved in since WWII. But this is a totally different kind of conflict that is an existential threat to world peace & democracies throughout the world, & failure to stop Russia here & now would mean that no nation will be safe from being attacked by imperialist bullies from now on.
Ukraine is doing favors for those of us throughout the world who value democracy, liberty, independence & sovereignty, by being willing to fight for these principles while defending their homeland, saving us from having to fight later. Because if Russia succeeds in Ukraine, they will surely proceed further by taking over other neighboring countries, eventually getting to the Baltics, Poland & the rest of Europe in thir neverending obsession to expand empire. They even want Alaska. And if they see Russia succeed, China will invade Taiwan, & international peace & order will break down completely.
The US got into the Korean War based on lies, the US got into the Vietnam war based on lies, the US/NATO got into the Iraq War, TWICE, based on lies, TWICE, the US/NATO got into the Libyan War based on lies, the US/NATO got into the Afghan war based on lies, it's been responsible for millions of needless deaths, it's overthrown many democratically elected governments to install right wing authoritarians. I have great trouble comprehending why you choose to support the most mendacious, fascist, tyrannical, imperialistic & dangerous regime in history. This is the most critical conflict since WWII for freedom to prevail, if the totally UNdemocratic Ukraine and US/NATO fails, there might yet be light at the end of the tunnel.
FWIW, Russia has shown no inclination to take over anywhere, that's just more neocon propaganda. Where in hell did you come up with the idea the Russians want Alaska, this conversation is getting more weird by the post, have you been into the street drugs again?
'The paper' is where you get the misinformation/disinformation, that's why I read or watch it so little except for a laugh and to see where it's leading the fools. Do some critical thinking, question what you are told, question what you THINK you know. As for the posts here being convincing enough, I haven't seen anything that is factual, just ideology and you seem to be really good at that.
Why don't you for once question what you think you know? You are so gullible as to automatically accept the lies & propaganda from the most notoriously mendacious & sophisticated propaganda machine in history.
I actually DO question what I know on a regular basis, from your posts, it's apparent you don't as your facts don't comport with reality in many instances, the US uniparty government lies to you repeatedly and you still, slavishly, believe them. Curious, isn't it?
Kerry, I wonder the same thing about how Republicans are willing to accept all kinds of criminal activity while they whine about everything Democrats want to do to actually make things better for the people of this nation. They call Democrats and anyone who is not WITH them Communist when they have no idea what that even is and also know it will scare their Republican white constituents and the Cuban-American contingent In Florida and Texas into doing almost anything their governors and congressional leaders want them to do and support, like the January 6th insurrection. McCarthyism is alive and well in the Republican Party and they use it to keep their followers in line. Joe McCarthy as Kevin McCarthy was a self-seeking ignorant hater who believed in cruelty and causing as much harm to people he didn't like or was just afraid of, as possible. K. McCarthy won't generally do the deeds himself because he is such a coward, but will get others to do the deeds for him, like when he gave video documents to Tucker Carlson, a lying fool of Fox Not Nearly News that should either have been given to all major media, or to no one. He is hoping Carlson will pick snippits of the material to use as right-wing propaganda against all comers and put our Congress at risk of future attacks. That should be seen as treason, but Republicans don't seem to be able to be held accountable for anything they do. They are child-adults that no one seems to want to discipline. A few Republicans (5 now that Virginia has chosen a Democrat in the special election), to oust McCarthy from Speaker and put a reasonable person in the office, maybe Jeffries or Benny Thompson. I can't think of an appropriate Republican. It could and should happen.
Treasonous for sure, maybe not legally treason. This I hope is pursued.
McCarthy is trying to outMcCarthy McCarthy. Kevin is very dangerous & can do a lot of harm to this country, & appears fully intent on doing so, & apparently nobody's going to stop him.
You are 100% correct, sir!
If the republicans want to find communists, all they have to do is look in the mirror.
True, as I've said many times, the Republican Party is a subversive organization whose members should not be allowed in government.
Yes! I agree completely.
Only if the only witnesses were Republicans, could he shoot people.
Unfortunately, with the whole world watching, he has escaped accountability for his crimes and misdemeanors.
Patience: https://youtu.be/E126iRmY4ns
This is telling it like it is. Trump remains Putin’s hand puppet. Biden is a leader for democracy.
Biden is a leader for democracy? Is that why he instigated a proxy war with a totally UNdemocratic Ukraine and Russia? Biden is a neoliberal/neocon, look at the troupe of neocons he has directing foreign policy, Blinken, Nuland and Sullivan. To be fair though, that ugly bunch were inherited from that paragon of democracy, Obama. Funny isn't it, how little light there is between the neoliberal/neocon Republicans and the neoliberal/neocon Democrats.
Seems to be that you ought to move to Russia, you apparently revere Putin and his puppet, Trump. Ironic, isn't it, how those most opposed to democracy claim to sing its praises constantly? People like you turn my stomach.
Yes, some Americans are still in the thrall of the fascistic liars and opportunists who manipulate the mentally vulnerable for their personal benefit. A sad commentary on human frailty.
The fact that you make such absurd assumptions says something about your critical thinking skills, and it's not good.
Ironic though, isn't it, how those constantly singing the praises of democracy will support a country that has outlawed opposition parties(Ukraine), allows/tells it's -SBU- secret police they can/should have summary executions of those deemed to be traitors(that's illegal in ANY court, ANYWHERE, apparently except Ukraine) like in Bucha and would be involved in a genocidal war against an ethnic minority(Ukraine)? But then, if you live in a country that outspends the next ten countries on it's military, has 800 military bases around the world, has invaded or supported coups to install right wing dictators, has NEVER, out of the 250-300 wars it's fought in the last 150 years, fought a defensive war, meddles in every other country in the world and is arguably responsible for 6 million needless deaths in the past 3 or 4 decades, I suppose it's understandable.
FWIW, your revulsion is misplaced, the people that support the depravity of that kind of a society are to be pitied, most are basically good people but political propaganda is ubiquitous and the weak, whether educated or not, are susceptible
How ironic that you are now calling names, making personal accusations when in previous remarks you criticized someone for exactly that. It tends to diminish your more substantive comments. Consider this.
Silly comment, where did I call anyone a name, maybe you are posting in the wrong thread? I can back up what I'm posting but I've seen nothing here but old, recycles tropes and unsubstantiated ideological, and quite frankly, tribal rhetoric.
FWIW, I used to be like you and accepted the bull$hit and lies but I've seen what really happens. I've seen the lies the US pumps out and the MSM just passes on and recognize it for what it is. Do I take all my information from echo chambers like this? No, I use multiple sources from all sorts of ideological backgrounds, cross check them and make a judgement on who is telling the truth, DO YOU??
Just as a matter of interest, have you read the article by Seymour Hersch, have you read the things Matt Taibbi has found about Twitter or have you just accepted that they MUST be lying because they don't fit the narrative? Have you read anything about what Julian Assange published? Do you agree with the US government persecuting and prosecuting Assange for showing the world how corrupt the US is? Show me where you stand, no more rhetoric, just the facts.
The genocide in Bucha was perpetrated by the Russians. It is very well-documented, & that you choose to believe the lying butchers instead shows either an absurd level of gullibility or a huge amount of malevolence.
Bull$hit, explain why all the victims were tied with their white armbands and how they were killed by the Russians AFTER they left. You are just repeating US/Ukrainian propaganda, there are videos of the SBU killing and torturing people they deemed not quite Nazi enough. And then you have to consider that the Ukraine had, prior to the Russians entering Ukraine, been waging a genocidal war against the ethnic Russians who didn't want to live under the rule of the US installed coup. You do know the definition of a genocide, don't you? One of the basic criteria would be if, maybe, they would say something like the Donbass has one and a half million superfluous people that should be exterminated(and yes, they did say that, is from Ukrainian TV)
This IS a US proxy war and the US has lied to you and the rest of the world, they've done it for all their previous wars, how many times do they have to lie to you before you stop believing them?
Maybe YOU ought to consider a little bit or introspection and then determine who shows either an absurd level of gullibility or a huge amount of malevolence, genocidal wars are generally not acceptable but then, if your government and people will economically and militarily support an apartheid government that is also involved in a 70+ year long, ongoing genocide, how could you have a problem?
Is there someone monitoring this comment section? This "LaVerne Karras" appears to be a Russian troll or bot that simply parrots Russian disinformational propaganda with no regard for the truth, or more precisely, claiming to be true what is patently false, with virtually everything she says being the opposite of reality.
The rebellion against Ukraine was instigated by Russia. That is generally 1 of their first acts against the nation they choose to invade. They then "aid" the insurgents, send troops to "defend" the insurgents, then "recognize" the autonomy or "independence" of the rebels, before long annex the region held by the rebels & invade the rest of the country to take over its territory, plunder its resources, subjugate the citizens, deport them or exterminate them, & replace them with Russians in order to make sure that they have a pretext in the future should they ever lose that territory to invade again so they can "defend" the Russians & claim it because Russians live there. It's been their tried & true method of expanding empire for centuries! That's why their territory is so much larger than any other country. And they are never satisfied. They just keep taking more & more territory until someone finally stops them.
No truth of that at all. Why do you keep on insisting on propagating russofascist lies? This is wholly on Putin. His invasion of Ukraine was completely unprovoked. Biden has nothing to do with it. You want the West to hand over to Putin whatever territory he wants? Of course, you do, because you're antidemocratic & anti-American.
So let me get this straight, you're suggesting that the US/Nuland and the rest of the neocons DIDN'T stage a coup? You must be one of a very small group if you believe that! Well no, there are a lot more very gullible people on here that are quite happy to ignore inconvenient facts.
Actually, the people who comment here are by & large among the wisest, wittiest, most thoughtful, most decent, most honest group of people I've ever had the pleasure of discussing politics with. It is you who is the odd one out, who doesn't fit in with such an honorable group of people.
That, from someone in an echo chamber, is the most glaring example of either confirmation bias, the Dunning-Kruger effect or both! Have you EVER questioned the propaganda you get from an administration you are ideologically aligned with, have you ever NOT questioned an administration you are not aligned with? Think about how you answer that question and whether you CAN answer it honestly, if you can't, you are only lying to yourself.
Yes, I question authorities all the time (I am very anti-authoritarian, so that's part of my nature). There is nobody, politician or otherwise, with whom I agree all the time. I agree with Dr. Reich most, but not all, of the time.
There is no US President with whom I've agreed a high percentage of the time. Rarely has the presidential candidate for whom I've voted ever won. Barack Obama was the only one I voted for in the primary who eventually became President, & I've voted in every primary from 1972, when I cast my first vote for Shirley Chisholm, to 2020, when I voted for Elizabeth Warren. I even have voted in Republican primaries. I switched to Republican so I could vote for Richard Lugar in 1996 & didn't have to vote for Clinton. I think I remained Republican & voted McCain in 2000, but voted for Gore in the general election, of course. Never voted for a Republican for President in the general election, although I have voted 3rd Party on occasion.
You're the one supporting a tyrannical, imperialist regime attacking & invading its neighbors with impunity. It is clear that you would've also supported Hitler & Mussolini back in WWII because you prefer authoritarianism to democracy & freedom.
No Sunshine, I DON'T support the US and its imperialist, warmongering policies, that has been involved in 200+ military interventions and at least seven wars since 1990, ALL based on lies. How many times do they have to lie to you before you at least start questioning what they tell you?
You unquestioningly support an empire that throughout its existence over many centuries has been all about seizing territory from its neighbors, annihilating their inhabitants, committing atrocity after atrocity, currently led by a lying tyrant far more evil & dangerous to world peace than those you condemn.
We will agree to disagree.
I am as far left as you can get and I agree that the U.S.in engaging a proxy war to support its own interests and mounting a massive propaganda campaign. Remember weapons of mass destruction? Viet Nam? Someone said the first casualty of war is truth.
No question that we aren’t without fault but in the case of Ukrainian defense against Russian aggression, I think our support of the people of Ukraine is justified.
Indeed this is the most important conflict the world has faced since WWII. I'm not sure that it was necessary for us to get involved in any of the others, but it's crucial for the survival of Western sovereignty & democracy that the Russians be stopped here & now.
It isn't only Vietnam, they lied about the reasons for getting into Korea, they lied about the reasons for going into Yugoslavia, they lied about the reasons for going into Iraq TWICE, they lied about the reasons for going into Afghanistan, they lied about the 'moderate rebels' in Syria, and they are lying about the reasons they want to start a war with China, how many times do people have to be lied to before they stop believing the lies?
Yes. I am surprised how many of my friends are buying into the U.S. narrative on Ukraine. I guess we still cling to the belief that America has some sort of superior morality, all evidence to the contrary.
Love your post!
All the tropes and ad hominems aside, do you actually believe any of what you posted? Biden, and numerous other American politicians and their NATO vassals have stated that the goal is 'regime change' after the US/NATO pushed to the Russian border, if you don't consider that extreme provocation, then I suppose you will be willing to state that the US was wrong to THREATEN NUCLEAR WAR during the 1963 Cuban Missile Crisis and show how the situation is any different. I suspect not.
FWIW, I have watched about ten minutes of Faux News, but that's what you do, accuse others of being as gullible, narrow minded and ideologically rigid as yourself.
The US has repeatedly lied to you, how many times do they have to lie to you before you stop believing them or at least have the courage to question the propaganda they feed you?
What's incredible is that you might believe any of the bunk you post or that you think others might, especially a well-informed group of people such as you find at this site.
So far, I have yet to find one of those well informed people, just those that believe the BS they get from the MSM, reality paints a far different picture than most of the posts here.
Are you QAnon? MAGA? OANN viewer? Breitbart devotee? Alex Jones or Tucker Carlson fan? Just curious where you get all your misinformation that gives you such wacky ideas.
My news sources are diverse, ranging from Common Dreams to Newsmax, & many more in-between, to the side & even more extreme. I don't automatically accept or reject information from any source. I recognize each source's bias (a corporatist bias is probably the most widespread), & I use critical thinking skills to judge the validity & soundness of the information I receive.
Ok Braniac, what were the lies? Remember, just your say so means less than nothing, show evidence or even logic to prove your point instead of an idiotic rant.
Can I assume that's the best argument you have, ad hominems? You do recognize that by the time one starts calling names, EVERY adult understands that you've lost the argument.
Pull your head out LaVerne
Very adult reply, you seem to fit this forum.
Frankly, I have concerns as to whether this comparison will matter much to ordinary people by the millions who do not believe the ruling class in this country is addressing their interests, who don’t believe in what goes on in Washington anymore, and who question why they should believe in democracy when life expectancy in their communities is actually going down while billionaires become richer. My point is not to diminish the comparison, but to suggest we remain vigilant of the host of factors that will affect the outcome of future elections.
One of the most effective techniques the GQP has employed for decades now is to say the same lie over and over and over and over - until it becomes part of the national culture. It becomes an "alternative fact". It becomes their truth. And if you poke real factual holes in it, the response is that "all politicians lie".
So what if....we told the truth over and over and over and over again. Like this story. How a President of the United States blackmailed another President for his own political purposes - undermining US foreign policy that supports democracy and freedom?
Robert Reichs story - as presented - is brilliant. THIS is what a con man does. And this is what a real leader does. It is critically important writing.
You are right. Millions of "ordinary" people won't care. But I do believe there are millions more who we can remind, educate and sway to the side of true patriotism. I hope so, anyway :)
Exactly Bill. They don't have to be the brightest bulbs on the string, they just have to hear, repeatedly the real truth. There is another problem however. Most of us, liberal progressives live in urban/suburban areas and we naturally concentrate on things of importance to us. We need to recognize the problems in rural areas are not the same, find out what those real problems are (not the GOP racist ones, the real ones) and include those in our rhetoric..
I think we thought their concerns were around issues of jobs, healthcare, etc. And they are. But...I think they think those issues can't be solved. Especially by government. In the meantime, they are worked up into a fever with issues of culture. And I don't know how we address that. We used to rely on churches and pastors to teach tolerance and love. Now, too many preachers teach hate.
How do you hear the 'real' truth, isn't there only one? How do you hear the real truth when the government and all of mainstream media is blaring the 'not so real 'truth'? How, if you only access an echo chamber, do you find the only one, honest truth instead of the one your confirmation bias makes you feel comfortable with? The only real way to find that one truth is to go to sources you AREN'T comfortable with as well as the ones you are and question ALL sources of information, even the ones you trust. Think about how many wars the US and the US/NATO and a compliant media have gotten us into based on lies and then ask yourself, how many times do they have to lie to you, before you stop believing them?
Reading and watching a wide variety of sources would seem to be the best approach. There is one to avoid, of course. It's recent exposure (Dominion) as the "lying channel" closes the prosecution on that one. That in itself should shut it down.
And yes, the government has lied. Over the years, it was usually about the reasons for war making and then the conduct of the war. And of course, we recently had the biggest liar and con man in our national history leading a chorus of liars. The government lied about wars and was reasonably convincing - until they weren't. The con mans lies were (and are) so blatantly obvious, it's hard to believe there were more 12 people in the country who went along with him. Nobody who knew him in NYC believed him. Least of all: contractors and bankers.
The current liar and con man is not as blatant in his lies, ok, let me rephrase that, the MSM doesn't point out that he's a liar and a conman, he IS a neoliberal and his foreign affairs policy is being set by neocons, Blinken, Nuland and Sullivan, and HE support them and implements their policies. HE provoked the current proxy war in Ukraine and he's lining up to start one with China, as repugnant and vulgar as Trump was, he didn't start any wars.
I had no idea. What was the provocation? How did this happen? Also, please include your sources so we can read more. Thx.
Bill, While I agree that repeatedly amplifying the contrast is necessary, I don’t believe it is any where near sufficient. In my view, if we’re serious about preserving American democracy, government has to deliver for people, who, for example, can’t afford healthcare, can’t afford to send their kids to college, don’t have any paid family and medical leave, nor the resources to contend with the cost of housing that continues to rise, schools that are inadequate, and so forth. And in order for government to deliver for working people, our elected representatives must have the guts to take on the ruling class of this country, which today has enormous economic power, political power, and media power.
As important, our elected representatives have to go where the trouble is in this country, the trouble GOP extremists are stoking, the trouble said extremists are making worse. Democrats must go there and meet with the people who doubt that Democrats care about the wreckage of their dreams and show they can work on legitimate issues and grievances.
Absolutely! I was thinking about the broader issue of messaging and campaign platforms.
But your last line is key. We have too often "flown over" these regions and the people who have been ignored for so long. Time to meet them face to face. And tell them the truth. It isn't the government that has taken away your jobs. It's the Oligarchs who own the companies that sent your jobs overseas for cheap labor. The government could help, if you let it. Like expanding Medicaid. Like electing legislators who work to get businesses back to their states rather than hunting for Hunter's laptop.
It reminds me of living in Western MA. The only time you saw the governor and other bigwigs from Boston was just before the elections. I grew up thinking we should have been a separate state.
Bill, As for my last sentence, while I might not have stated it directly, my intent, in large part, was to encourage listening as much if not more than speaking.
Excellent distinction.
@kdsherpa, I very much appreciate your affirming response, particularly because of the importance I attach to letting others know they are being listened to and respected even when we disagree.
Hitler said that a lie, told three times, becomes the truth. Ivana said that the only reading material she ever saw on the Orange Sadist's bedside table was "Mein Kampf". Guess the O.S. must have actually read one book.
Yep, but I think that quote came from Goebbels, Hitler's minister of propaganda. not that it matters they were all nazis
Yes, & the book that Trump kept at his bedside was a book of Hitler's speeches, which he has emulated to the best of his ability.
Probably more useful than "Mein Kampf" -- and certainly easier reading. Thanks to you, as well, for the correction.
You're right. I remember that now. Thanks.
One thing we need is for the mainstream, “liberal” media to start treating the truth as news. When rightwing media get to keep treating Hillary’s emails or Hunter Biden’s laptop as the most important news, and the mainstream media keeps giving that kind of nonsense as much coverage or more as real news like Ivanka and Jared’s financial ties to Saudi Arabia, China and Russia and Trump’s theft of classified information and his lies about it, even people who pay some attention to real news tend to feel like there isn’t much difference between the parties.
I agree Catesby, but the problem at the heart of your post is there is no more liberal media. We sat by and allowed every single National Television network to be bought by right wing tycoons. So we now have 2 minutes of truth, between 30 minutes of commercials 20 minutes of republican lies and 8 minutes of preening anchors telling us how great they are during every one hour not news show.
It is hard to focus on just a few outrages perpetrated by the Republicans when they spray us with innumerable outrages at a time. Where to start? This is their strategy. Hit us with too many things to keep track of, while they can concentrate on a few weaknesses on our side, & pound it over & over for years, like Benghazi, Hillary's e-mails & Hunter's laptop.
You are right Jaime, they have intimidation down to an art form. We have to find the strength to take them down piece by piece.
Sadly, I have to agree that those Americans who get their “news” from right wing media will be convinced that helping Ukraine means failing Americans, and that the Republicans who are cheating them at every opportunity are somehow their benefactors.
Catesby, In my view, your comment justifies the response I just posted to Bill Alstrom, included in this thread. Part of what I wrote is that our elected representatives have to go where the trouble is in this country, the trouble GOP extremists are stoking, the trouble said extremists are making worse. Democrats must go there and meet with the people who doubt that Democrats care about the wreckage of their dreams and show they can work on legitimate issues and grievances.
I agree that far too many Americans have not actually looked at our President. And I agree that we must be resolved to stand vigilant and keep working toward "a more perfect union.
But I am over 70 years old, and I have never been so proud of the American president. I don't want to lose the real solid sense that Joe Biden is what our president ought to be. No one is perfect but this man makes my heart swell with pride; I think I finally understand how my parents felt about FDR.
@bluedurham, I write not to dispute your perspective of our President, but to amplify the exponential strength of corporate lobbying in shaping federal policy, including its impact particularly on workers’ rights consistently subsumed in the name of corporate profit and also on healthcare for the most vulnerable communities in this country.
In sector after sector, whether it’s Wall Street, transportation, the pharmaceutical industry, or media, the increased concentration of ownership in this country has produced more income and wealth inequality in America than we have ever had. Accordingly, if we are serious about preserving American democracy, our elected representatives, in order to deliver for people, must have the guts to take on the ruling class of this country, which today has enormous economic power, political power, and media power.
I must say you've posted several really good comments here!
Jamie, I deeply appreciate your affirming reply. Thank you for writing.
Roger That!
Thank you 😊.
E.G. Biden in Ukraine.
“That was the biggest slap in the face that tells you right now he doesn’t care about us,” East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, a Republican, said of Biden’s trip to Ukraine earlier this week on Fox News. “I found that out this morning in one of the briefings that he was in the Ukraine giving millions of dollars away to people over there and not to us and I’m furious.”
GOPFox are masters at taking advantage. Optics and lies. They pass over the fact that under Trump RR regulations were rolled back https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-donates-trump-branded-water-to-east-palestine-2023-2.
I wrote about this the other day. I heard Railway Act whistlelower cases. IMHO the primary evidence on liability rests with OSHA. The NTSB report is due, but so far this has not been investigated to see whether criminal activity is involved.
My home town is 20 miles from East Liverpool. Once upon a time I represented a township on the Pa/Ohio border and people there claim they still smell it and the cloud was visible.
Once upon a time, I was involved in a pollution case involving a nuclear reactor, not far from there. Allegations were made at that time that the entire region is "hot" for cancer and other illnesses. The old Shippensport reactor is 11 miles down river from East Palestine. An internet search shows a 2015 incident involving the "new" reactor probably affected East Palestine. https://www.wfmj.com/story/28828503/firstenergy-shuts-down-nuclear-reactor-near-east-liverpool
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/10/26/trumps-labor-secretary-is-a-wrecking-ball-aimed-at-workers
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/exclusive-number-osha-workplace-safety-inspectors-declines-under-trump-n834806
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedknutson/2020/04/01/worker-dangers-up-as-trump-osha-cuts-come-home-to-roost-say-afl-cio-exec-ex-dol-official/?sh=3c9f6cb8bf5e
Daniel, Having also heard the Mayor’s statement, as mentioned to others in this thread, I believe it critical that our elected representatives intently and repeatedly go where the trouble is in this country, the trouble GOP extremists are stoking, the trouble said extremists are making worse. Democrats must go there and meet with the people who doubt that Democrats care about the wreckage of their dreams and show they can work on legitimate issues and grievances.
Barbara, that is wisdom I will remember.
raffey, Thank you for writing. I appreciate your affirming comment.
Yeah, you could pretty much “thank” RWR for that when he cut taxes on the wealthy and corporations in the 80s.
JaBier, The 80s, indeed, aside from so-called tax reform that produced record income and wealth inequality in America, also accelerated the strength of corporate lobbying in shaping federal policy, particularly impacting workers’ rights that consistently were subsumed in the name of corporate profit. Accordingly, I repeatedly have contended, that if we are serious about preserving American democracy, our elected representatives, in order to deliver for working people, must have the guts to take on the ruling class of this country, which today has amassed enormous economic power, political power, and media power.
I still remember Reagan’s stupid quote when he said “imagine if I come up to you and say I am from the government and I’m here to help”…
Ruling class? This is the United States not Britain. We are against a class caste based society.
That's the popular theory. We say we don't have a caste system. We shouldn't have one. But we certainly do. And that is the battle.
The US is run by nobles who buy elections and write the laws. The rest of us are the peasants.
Yes. When nearly 50% of voters have been convinced that school teachers, scientists and actual journalists are a despised class of elites, and billionaires are just poor oppressed people like them, and that the only reliable sources of news are propaganda organs of the rightwing, we are in deep trouble.
We may SAY we are a classless society but that is BS. We definitely have classes, as does every nation in the world including those who 'claim' to be communist but are in reality a totalitarian dictatorship. Do you think for one minute that Putin and pals, or Xi and pals live like paupers? Take off the rose colored glasses.
No kidding. We should be striving to be classless or a caste society. The Republicans want to maintain castes.
Maybe I am not explaining myself well. Since Reagan this has become worse in this country. Rich white guys trying to stay at the top.
Agreed, but it is really difficult to maintain a classless society. The best we have done was up to the 1980's when people with intelligence, ambition, and industry could move up, The difference between caste and class is in a caste system there is no upward mobility while there are a lot of shifts both up and down among classes. The republicans since the 1980's have been pushing more toward a caste system. And yes, they have enabled an abetted the WASPs at the top to become more and more exclusive. Part of the problem is with American worship of celebrity and wealth, neither of which has any intrinsic value.
Hale, I would note in sector after sector, whether it’s Wall Street, transportation, the pharmaceutical industry, or media, we have witnessed accelerated concentration of ownership in this country that has produced greater income and wealth inequality in America today than we have ever had. Accordingly, I have maintained, that if we are serious about preserving American democracy, our elected representatives, in order to deliver for people, must have the guts to take on the ruling class of this country, which today has amassed enormous economic power, political power, and media power.
Yet over the last 40 years we've become more & more a class-based society, with the billionaire class practically untouchable with so much power over the rest of us. That American ideal to which you refer has become a long forgotten fantasy.
I finally get it. The Republicans are holding a grudge against Ukraine. First, Republicans were angry at the Ukrainian people who elected the man they trusted to bring Democracy to their country by ending corruption. Then they were angry when Trump made a fool of himself, by trying to corrupt the new Ukrainian president. Now, they're angry because the Ukrainian people are laying down their lives to remain at their president's side.
If Trump was still president, I bet he would have gotten revenge on Zelensky, and a pat on the back from Putin, by sending American troops to help Russia "keep the peace" while they invaded Ukraine.
We are a long ways away from securing Democracy in America and we better stay alert and active.
He wouldn’t have sent troops, he would just have let Ukraine fall, which is one of the things Putin was grooming him to do all along.
Trump would have "negotiated" peace with Putin and claimed that he saved lives. Zelensky would have been disappeared. A Putin puppet installed. Plans for invading Moldova would be in place. Georgia would be "annexed". All for starters with Trump claiming credit for saving lives.
And China would probably already have started their invasion of Taiwan. I'm actually surprised that Russia & China didn't make their moves during Trump's lame duck session. I'm sure they now regret that they didn't.
Michelle, you're probably right.
Amen, Judith!!!
I’m sick of people downplaying Biden’s efforts in all aspects of US policy, domestic and foreign.
Sure I don’t approve of all decisions made but so many great things have been accomplished by his administration in the midst of unbelievable Repug corruption that credit is deserved where due.
I keep thinking of Biden’s resolve, as so well written by R Reich herein...so much for the BS cries by so many that we need someone younger as President. Who among the ‘youngest’ has the breadth and depth of understanding history and politics that Biden has?
I see his trip to Kiev as extraordinary, his subsequent speeches as well. Solid. Eloquent. Honorable.
Now time to get on with killing chemical agriculture killing all of us, allowing the fossil fuel industry to pollute our waters, land and air for massive profits with impunity, with acknowledging the true history of race relations in the US leading to economic disparity, and keep autocrats like DeSantis from gaining leadership on the federal level!
Biden and Zelensky: Presidents that actually act like presidents! Bravo!
You've laid out major differences between a deranged con man who was in government service just to serve himself and his own narcissistic ego, and a true statesman who is working constantly for the safety, security and well-being of America and every single one of us. Thank you for that, Professor Reich.
What a stark contrast between the two. One seeking political favor from an ally about to be invaded, the other representing a united front supporting a nation fighting not only for its survival but for the survival of freedom itself.
Trump looks at everything as transactional: "how can i gain from this?". And the Rs were cowed into submission.
Yes! Cowed. As in cowards!
Joey Kaempfer: I continue to admire and support our exceptional President and to be thrilled that the vile weakling Trump is gone.
It almost seems absurd to have to compare these two, like a busy gnat and a human being.
If Ukraine falls to Russia, which it will without our continuing support and the support of our allies, China and North Korea will know we are a toothless tiger. I can only imagine what will happen next. Yet Kevin and his band of 8 crazies are threatening to withhold further support. Why? Because they are Republican’s and the ‘job’ of the Republican Party is to say “no” to Democrats. I fear not for our country but for the entire world.
“Biden is the first president since Abraham Lincoln to venture into a war zone not under the control of American forces.”
I have to dispute the above: wherever Trump is, wherever he goes, wherever he’s been, turns into a war zone. He truly is the First Horseman of the Apocalypse, not war, itself, but Fear.
Trump was inadvertently testing Zelensky as he does everyone he needs and Zelensky was not going to be corrupted. Trump finds so many who are corruptible- which is how he got to be president and is still around making trouble appealing to ignorance and resentment.
First, thank you for your observations, Robert.
PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR RECORDINGS. They have glitches. Words are garbled. Can’t you get that fixed? It’s been happening for awhile.
It wasn’t just that Trump wanted help getting re-elected. He wanted to DISH DIRT on his political opponent, and it was nasty stuff. He also wasn’t helping Ukraine.
Biden should also stop building up NATO. It’s been setting up US military bases that threaten Russia, and that provoked the war, even though the invasion of Ukraine was unjustified. Biden should also stop picking fights with China.
Could somebody please explain the conflict of 2014, the US role in it, and why some people are calling Zelenskyy fascist?
By the way, I believe “Kyiv” is pronounced “Keev.”
Thanks again, Robert.
There is reason to possibly think that. I suggest President Biden’s advisors should be aware of the this.
We can not abandon certain areas, but we should be wary about the placement of ALL bases on foreign soil.
Our presence in Europe (at least) doesn’t have to sit right on Russia’s doorstep.
If only we could get the Russians to invade Flint Michigan for a bit so that maybe the European High Commission can fix their water supply once and for all.
FYI. The water system in Flint Michigan has been 100% corrected since we got a new Democratic governor in the state of Michigan.
What I have my eye on - moore cynically is the trillions of dollars worth of infrastructure that the Russians have destroyed (in Ukraine) and Ukraine's "Need" to switch from Russian hardware (military and otherwise) to NATO approved systems and European / American mega contracts and associated projects. Germany AND the US "Lend" Tanks and other systems to try out and become addicted to before the Ukrainians finally place an order for sufficient hardware that will prove decisive against the Russians. + Ursula Van der Leyen (European High "Commision") rubbing her hands together to see how many decades of crippling debt they can they get Ukraine into...
War is big business "baby" ~ Biden didn't want to get scooped by those "Euro" "Types" ;-)
You are not wrong when you say “war is big business”…
Yes, Kyiv is pronounced “keev”. And Zelenskyy has two “y’s” at the end.
something I regrettably failed to do in my other post.
Where is the resolve the US Justice Department? Why are we not able to formulate official policy that
follows the facts? Where is the breakdown in our system that allows those responsible for extortion and lies to continue a false dialogue? Why must we rely on "hearsay" conversations that should incriminate Giuliani, Cruz, Rubio, Trump and all liars? Biden's foreign policy has been cutting edge accurate, prompt, nimble judgement. Truth and courage are winning popular support for Biden. We must not give ( Putin )or Trump anything. Trump will always capitalize on court delays, he will blame others while offering NOTHING of substance to lead. Are there no lawyers in Washington smart enough to use existing laws to discredit Trump in court using he 14th Amendment?