Caitlin Johnstone

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Blithering Idiots Express Fear That Putin Will Rig 2020 Election For Trump

“Putin” is the number one USA trend on Twitter as of this writing, which is always a reliable sign that something very stupid is happening in American media. “Putin” is once again the hysterical shrieking buzzword of the day because Donald Trump openly boasted at a press conference of having had an hour-long phone call…

Caitlin Johnstone
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“Putin” is the number one USA trend on Twitter as of this writing, which is always a reliable sign that something very stupid is happening in American media.

“Putin” is once again the hysterical shrieking buzzword of the day because Donald Trump openly boasted at a press conference of having had an hour-long phone call with the Russian president, in which he claims the two leaders discussed nuclear de-escalation, Venezuela, North Korea, and the discredited “collusion” narrative. When asked whether he’d told Putin not to meddle in the 2020 US elections, Trump replied, “We didn’t discuss that.”

“Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin of Russia,” the president tweeted. “As I have always said, long before the Witch Hunt started, getting along with Russia, China, and everyone is a good thing, not a bad thing. We discussed Trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, Nuclear Arms Control and even the ‘Russian Hoax.’ Very productive talk!”

So of course everyone is now in garment-rending apocalyptic DEFCON 1 catastrophe mode.

“It bears repeating: We have been given no indication that Trump or his re-election campaign will hesitate to take advantage of Russian help again in 2020, in whatever form it might take,” warned the Wall Street Journal’s Dustin Volz.

“President Trump today continues to belittle Russian election interference in the 2016 presidential election, as well as continued election interference,” CNN’s Jake Tapper solemnly warned today. “The president went on to tell reporters later that he did not tell Putin to stop engaging in election interference which remains, according to Trump’s own top national security officials, a continuing threat to the United States. Based on the president’s public statements, and apparently his private one with Vladimir Putin, the man who led and continues to lead cyber-attacks on the United States, the president’s more concerned with underlining that Special Counsel Robert Mueller was unable to find sufficient evidence that any member of his team was involved in criminal conspiracy with Russia.”

“The simple fact is this: Trump remains — despite all available evidence — a skeptic about both Russia’s past attempts at interference in the 2016 election and, therefore, the country’s attempts to target future elections,” warns CNN’s Cris Cillizza. “That skepticism could have far reaching consequences when it comes to just how much (or little) the administration prioritizes dealing with these threats from foreign powers heading into the 2020 election. And that is a truly scary reality.”

“The 2020 campaign is already in full swing and Trump just told Putin, the man behind the most serious cyber attack on our democracy ever, that he believes it was all a hoax,” tweeted Congressman and virulent Russiagater Adam Schiff. “Once again, he betrays our national security and for what? Nothing more than his own vanity and delusion.”

“Exactly what Putin wanted and expected,” tweeted MSNBC’s Clint Watts. “This is why Russia backed Trump, elevate politicians to achieve what Russia wants – to subvert and weaken democracy, surrender the world to authoritarians, like the Kremlin.”

So the narrative in mainstream liberal circles today is that Putin is going to interfere in the 2020 elections, and, because that interference will surely advantage Trump, there will be no resistance to that interference.

Only blithering idiots believe this narrative.

To begin with, the public has still seen not one single shred of evidence that Russians interfered in the 2016 election in any meaningful way, and, in a post-Iraq invasion world, only idiots believe on faith the unsubstantiated claims made by government agencies about rival governments. We’ve seen the Mueller report cited as “evidence” of this interference, but the Mueller report contains nothing but assertions, and assertions are not evidence. People have tried to argue with me that Mueller would never make assertions about Russian interference without having seen copious amounts of hard, verifiable evidence, but that is exactly what Mueller did with WMDs as FBI Director in February 2003. Daniel Lazare for Consortium News documents that there are in fact some major plot holes in Mueller’s timeline, making it entirely possible that a bogus narrative is being advanced.

So there’s no reason to accept on faith that Russian election interference happened in 2016, let alone that there’s any risk of it happening in 2020. But even if you do accept the establishment Russia narrative regarding 2016, you can be certain that Moscow won’t be interfering in 2020 for Trump’s benefit.

You can be absolutely certain that Russia won’t be interfering to re-elect Trump because Trump has proven to be the most hawkish president against Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union, by a very wide margin. For all his rhetoric about “getting along with Russia”, Trump has greatly escalated tensions with the nuclear superpower by staging a coup in Venezuela, implementing a Nuclear Posture Review with a much more aggressive stance against Russia, withdrawing from the INF treaty, bombing and illegally occupying Syria, arming Ukraine, and many, many other hawkish actions taken against the interests of the Russian Federation which his predecessor Obama never dared to take.

Even if Putin were the brilliant omnipotent mastermind with tentacles in every international affair as he is consistently depicted in western mainstream media, it would make no sense whatsoever for him to help re-elect an administration that has been undermining and threatening Russia at every opportunity. That will not happen.

But of course, this obvious fact will not stop the Russia conspiracy theories, because Russia conspiracy theories have nothing to do with facts. We can expect to see fact-free allegations that Russia is planning to help Trump win in 2020 getting louder and louder as the election grows nearer. We can expect to see these fact-free allegations bolstered and amplified by western government agencies who need to manufacture support for further escalations against Russia, by the mass media who need ratings, and by the Democratic Party who need to keep their base fixated on insubstantial nonsense while they force an establishment loyalist through their fake primary.

It’s so interesting how each mainstream side of this is doing exactly the opposite of what they claim to be doing: Trump claims to want to work with Russia, but in term of action his administration is attacking Russia’s interests in many hugely significant ways to an extent that is unprecedented in a post-USSR world. Democrats claim to be opposing Trump’s pernicious inclinations, but in practice they fully support all his most pernicious agendas, including the potentially world-ending escalations between two nuclear powers, and including the Venezuela regime change operation which is getting more aggressive by the day. Even the supposedly progressive wing of the Democratic Party has been mostly flowing along with this, with Alexandria Occasio-Cortez reportedly saying “I defer to caucus leadership on how we navigate this” when questioned on Trump’s Venezuela coup attempt.

The gap between reality and the dominant narratives about reality is getting wider and wider. Something’s going to have to give.

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38 responses to “Blithering Idiots Express Fear That Putin Will Rig 2020 Election For Trump”

  1. Dutch Avatar
    Dutch

    CNN is nothing but the sound of one hand clapping. Vague, incomplete and pointless. Add to that the fact that one hand attempting to clap looks a lot like a jerking off motion. If this isnt a perfect summary of CNN, there isn’t one.

  2. Dutch Avatar
    Dutch

    CNN is the sound of one hand clapping. Vague, incomplete and pointless. Add to that the fact that one hand attempting to clap looks a lot like a jerking off motion. If this isnt a perfect summary of CNN, there isn’t one.

  3. Ishkabibble Avatar
    Ishkabibble

    What’s finally going to unite US voters is what has always united them – wars and identifying new enemies. THIS is the real reason for the INTERNATIONAL Deep State’s crusade against Agent Orange. When AO talked about making nice with Russia during his presidential campaign and then, after his taking office, he went to Singapore and Helsinki for “summits” with Kim and Mr. Putin, that INTERNATIONAL Deep State’s Coup against AO shifted into high gear.
    ..
    Why do I say this? Because the US economy LITERALLY CAN NOT AFFORD to let peace break out! VIP George Kennan explained exactly why just a few short years before the end of the Soviet Union. (What he said is even more true today.)
    ..
    “Were the Soviet Union to sink tomorrow under the waters of the ocean, the American military-industrial establishment would have to go on, substantially unchanged, until some other adversary could be invented. Anything else would be an unacceptable shock to the American economy.”
    ..
    The situation Kennan described has grown infinitely worse during the last 30 years. For at least the last 18 years, China and Russia have been rising economic and military powers. The very serious problem for the transnational US Elite is that USD hegemony is now being seriously challenged by those and other nations’ economies and their currencies AND their weapons. Things are no longer going completely the Superpower US’s way. China’s economy is perhaps even now larger than that of the US.
    ..
    To boil it all down, we are living in the competition of all tribal competitions and the outcome of this “contest” will determine the role of the US economy in the world, as well as the ultimate fate of the Fed’s hundreds of trillions, perhaps quadrillions of printed-out-of-thin-air USD.
    ..
    The US’s imposition of all these tariffs and “sanctions” and wars are absolute proof of the transnational US Elite’s and their Deep State’s flailing desperation to do only one thing –maintain USD hegemony in order to prevent Kennan’s “unacceptable shock to the American economy”. These measures will ultimately fail and, therefore the only really important question that remains is whether the increasingly-desperate US Elite will “go gentle into that good night” and develop a peace-based economy amidst near-certain economic/political/social chaos, or will this insane Elite “false-flag” the rest of the world into a no-win nuclear shootout at the OK Corral. The US Secretary of the Interior’s recent threat to perhaps use the US navy to blockade Russian exports, the US ambassador to NATO’s recent threat to “take out” Russian missiles on Russian soil, and the US’s decision to pull out of the INF treaty indicate that the shoot-out is being seriously considered.
    ..
    Therefore, the one and the only “idea” that can possibly “unite the nation” is not only the MAINTENANCE of Russia and China as enemies, but the INTENSIFICATION of the PERCEPTION of these nations as enemies in the minds of the US bewildered herd of voters. Google “governmentcontractswon”; go to that site and see that in 2017, “private” businesses in the state of Virgina (population 8.4 million) were awarded 61,576 contracts worth $43.1 billion and that there are 17,165 “private” DoD contractors in Virginia, and that from 2000 to 2017 “private” DoD contractors in Virginia were awarded over $683.5 billion for 619,034 contracts. Therefore, no majority of voters in Virginia is EVER, and I do mean EVER, going to vote for a candidate who promises to destroy Virginia’s war-based economy and destroy many good-paying jobs. They’re going to vote for warmongers!
    ..
    Virginia is not alone in the war business. Check out what “private” DoD contractors in other states such as California receive annually. It’s mind boggling.
    ..
    Therefore, the US will NEVER, and I do mean NEVER, be politically capable of changing it’s “foreign policy” unless and until, once again with feeling, Virginians (Americans) are given an alternative to their present “war way” of making a living and no D or R candidate is spelling out such an alternative.
    ..
    Again, IMO, we are going to see and INTESIFICATION of the already-intense anti-Russian rhetoric which may lead to a rabid anti-Russian candidate being elected president. Of course Mr. Putin will be watching what transpires in the US. What is he going to do if he sees a rabid anti-Russian elected president – say one who promises to force Russia and China to “come to heel” by the even-more-aggressive use of the US military power?
    ..
    Americans’ choice is simple. Either somehow organize / design a peace-based economy, and that right soon, or suffer nuclear devastation.

  4. B cope Avatar
    B cope

    Just on the face of it…..We must believe either the rogue “journalist” with a network of zero intelligence analysts who entices her readers with a come hither wink and talk of sex slaves in the pizza parlor and while I have zero evidence of my own to make such a claim Russia could not possible have tried to influence the ’16 election because Uncle Vlad says so of course, and who then extends her hand saying ooooh please just one bit coin is all I’m asking, or…….the combat decorated Marine who’s made it his life’s work putting bad guys in jail who it just so happens HAS an intelligence network and who contradicts everything trump toady Barr has to say as well as refuting everything Uncle Vlad toady Caitlin Johnstone has to say. Who oh who can we believe? Thank God Caitlin is there to guide us as she attempts to sway us by yelling squirrel and telling all kinds of tales about what Mueller did or didn’t do. There’s plot holes she says. Dear dear Caitty…..there only plot holes when you’re the one writing the script and reality doesn’t mesh with your fantasy world.

    Yes, Boss Tweed. Americans are old pros at rigging elections. The notion espoused by cotton candy brained Caitlin that why there’s no possibility that Putin would ever ever do that is almost comical. She even goes as far to say why would Putin help trump as his admin has opposed him at every turn. Are you drunk? trump was a lap dog in Helsinki. Harsher sanctions because of the poisoning in Britain? Yeah, oooh they used really harsh words. Then what happened? The date that those “we’ll show you who’s tough” sanctions were to go into effect….came and went. Caitin’s world renowned for running her mouth, but not really all that interested in history. trump always….let me repeat….always talks tough and then he always settles. He always talks tough and ultimately he knuckles under like the second rate con man that he is. How many examples do you want me to give you? His university? He settled. Housing discrimination? They settled. Tenants intimidation? He settled. And if I’m a blithering idiot for what I can surely is can see is a big ol’ Bill Barr lie, then surely Caitlin is a vapid bimbo ready to regurgitate any lie that Uncle Vlad and his flunkies will feed her.

    1. Doggrotter Avatar
      Doggrotter

      B Cope, You really have a limited imagination, is that the best you got, sort of angry rant cobbled together out of random opinions not supported by common sense or evidence. Go find another website to bother. Your not adding anything useful to the conversation.

      1. b cope Avatar
        b cope

        Doggotter…..and yet you don’t refute or deny anything I said. Hmmm. Always the case with “you people”. Always willing to fire a shot but never understanding or caring where it might land down range. Always willing to poke the bear and then be ever so offended with someone standing up and asking tough question that you’d rather not answer. Maybe you should just let the adult talk now ok? Provide evidence? What exactly did I say that was not based in evidence?

    2. jmg Avatar
      jmg

      B. Cope wrote: “… zero intelligence analysts …”

      You could be shocked when you know how completely different are the views of many intelligence analysts from those of cold war propagandists John Brennan, etc.

      For example, Ray McGovern was a CIA analyst from 1963 to 1990, and in the 1980s chaired National Intelligence Estimates and prepared the President’s Daily Brief. Now he is a member of the objectivity-promoting group Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).

      Ray McGovern – Russia-gate: Can You Handle the Truth?

      1. b cope Avatar
        b cope

        JMG…..Ray’s a good man. I met him once at the tv station I work at. Very approachable and patiently answered all the questions I threw at him. That being said……one guy that you and Caitlin pin your hopes? One guy? Oh, there’s more? Lots more like 2 or 3? So now the question is who to believe the current members of the intelligence communities or…..from the very agencies that McGovern and others worked at, who were train to analyze data and information just like the ones before and the ones after them…..or believe members of VIPS. Ok, so you’re saying if you’re in VIPS you can’t believe in IP address and MAC address evidence leading you directly to the GRU and IRA? This is very black and white stuff….someone criminally trespassed and stole from the DNC server. Mueller says….along with 17 other agencies….says he not only knows where the computers were assigned to IP addresses but the humans that were operating them. Rather specific detailed accusations while you, Ray, and Caitlin make the assertion that trump wanted better relationships with Russia but quoting Ray here at 1:00:00 in the video “…the blood soaked arms traders….” can’t allow that so this world is created to counter you know …the evidence. About the :35 minute mark Ray starts talking about emails. Says it wasn’t Russia based on IP addresses and packet assembly and so forth. So lemme get this straight, you can, based on evidence, say who it isn’t but you can’t using the same evidence say who it is? No JMP, I’m completely stocked up on crazy go try and sell that next door thanks. Not so strange at all Caitlin doesn’t really delve into the Mueller report not so ironically just like trump himself. Caitlin writes extensively about what Mueller did or didn’t do about WMD…..becuase if you can’t defend against the message the first thing you do is kill the messenger or at the very least smear a thick coat of mud and suspicion on him. Well done Caitlin (and JMG) textbook move. And really I thought I’d seen it all in just this one hour clip until I get to the part where Ray is using scummy fuck Devin Nunes saying that Ol’ Devin is really holding people’s feet to the fire? Nunez? The guy who went to the White House to get information to then go out and then go back in to “brief” the staff? That guy? With complete clarity I can assert there was only one subject that the trump lied about and lied consistently about. Russia. Oh you and ray and bimbo Caitlin say what the hell is wrong with having good relations with Russia? I respond by saying nothing. Now answer me this if you and Boss Donny are so resolute in that foreign policy goal why are they constantly lying about meetings lying about conversations lying about secret back channels lying about the first lie with another? You say it’s better relations with Russia. Why can’t they…..or Caitlin or you or the trumps stop lying about interactions with said Russians. Nobody not Caitlin, Ray or you have answered that rather important question. Why?

        1. bcope Avatar
          bcope

          When you cherry pick your information you get dirty fingers and never get the complete story. What ray says and what Malcom says are totally different. Someone here is either completely off base or just a bald faced liar. So far, everything Nance has said or written is coming true. That kinda limits your options JMG. Choose carefully.

      2. jmg Avatar
        jmg

        B. Cope wrote: “along with 17 other agencies”

        That was refuted during congressional testimony by James Clapper, former Director of National Inteligence: “As you know, the ICA was a coordinated product from three agencies — CIA, NSA, and the FBI — not all 17 components of the intelligence community, those three. (…) The two dozen or so analysts for this task were hand-picked, seasoned experts from each of the contributing agencies.”

        That is, analysts hand-picked by Obama appointees Brennan, Rogers, and Comey.

        B. Cope wrote: “One guy? Oh, there’s more? Lots more like 2 or 3?”

        More like the following:

        – William Binney, former NSA Technical Director for World Geopolitical & Military Analysis; Co-founder of NSA’s Signals Intelligence Automation Research Center (ret.)

        – Richard H. Black, Senator of Virginia, 13th District; Colonel US Army (ret.); Former Chief, Criminal Law Division, Office of the Judge Advocate General, the Pentagon (associate VIPS)

        – Bogdan Dzakovic, former Team Leader of Federal Air Marshals and Red Team, FAA Security (ret.) (associate VIPS)

        – Philip Giraldi, CIA, Operations Officer (ret.)

        – Mike Gravel, former Adjutant, top secret control officer, Communications Intelligence Service; special agent of the Counter Intelligence Corps and former United States Senator

        – James George Jatras, former U.S. diplomat and former foreign policy adviser to Senate leadership (Associate VIPS)

        – Larry C. Johnson, former CIA and State Department Counter Terrorism officer

        – John Kiriakou, former CIA Counterterrorism Officer and former senior investigator, Senate Foreign Relations Committee

        – Karen Kwiatkowski, former Lt. Col., US Air Force (ret.), at Office of Secretary of Defense watching the manufacture of lies on Iraq, 2001-2003

        – Edward Loomis, Cryptologic Computer Scientist, former Technical Director at NSA (ret.)

        – David MacMichael, Ph.D., former senior estimates officer, National Intelligence Council (ret.)

        – Ray McGovern, former US Army infantry/intelligence officer & CIA analyst; CIA Presidential briefer (ret.)

        – Elizabeth Murray, former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East, National Intelligence Council & CIA political analyst (ret.)

        – Todd E. Pierce, MAJ, US Army Judge Advocate (ret.)

        – Peter Van Buren, US Department of State, Foreign Service Officer (ret.) (associate VIPS)

        – Sarah G. Wilton, CDR, USNR, (ret.); Defense Intelligence Agency (ret.)

        – Kirk Wiebe, former Senior Analyst, SIGINT Automation Research Center, NSA

        – Ann Wright, retired U.S. Army reserve colonel and former U.S. diplomat who resigned in 2003 in opposition to the Iraq War

        See for example:

        VIPS: Mueller’s Forensics-Free Findings – Consortiumnews
        https://consortiumnews.com/2019/03/13/vips-muellers-forensics-free-findings/

        Also many interviews with former NSA Technical Director William Binney, etc.

        1. b cope Avatar
          b cope

          An impressive list I’ll look into that. Now, answer my question. Why. Why is it that if all they wanted to do is just create a better world where we could all live in peace and harmony by just having a better relationship with the Russians do they bald faced lie about meetings with the Russians. You, Caitlin, Ray…and the long list of what I can only say impressively credentialed men and women haven’t, can’t, and won’t want to answer….why. For that matter, each time you and Caitlin and your ilk give me another rabbit hole to chase another rabbit into it just leads to more questions. Why is it that it’s as plain as the nose on my face you and Caitlin and the VIPS tell me, does the President commit and asks others to commit obstruction of justice on things you say never happened? If there was no relationship between trump and Uncle Vlad why then would you need to try or get others to try to commit obstruction in order to stop an investigation into it. Why? House Judiciary sends impeachment charges to the Senate….perhaps then in an effort to oust a duplicitous agent of a foreign power hey, maybe that would be the time to bring out the defense evidence that here’s your forensic evidence that A) the russians didn’t hack anyone and B) since they didn’t hack they didn’t have anything of value that the trumps needed to win the election. Maybe it might save us all a little time you know …if that information was presented to authorities a little earlier than that huh? Why hasn’t it been uncovered more? Or maybe your VIPS currently hold a big bag of bupkiss. Oh yeah, back to Ray analogy of the blood covered arms dealers. The President is about to be hoisted by his rather large petard and you have exculpatory evidence that says they didn’t do it and by association that he didn’t do it. Although questions abound why would anyone that didn’t do it try to squelch the very investigation that would prove their innocence? You’d think that if the 2 guys with 60 years of NSA computer experience had the nuts surely Fox news would want that. Believe me when I tell you that when reputations are made with earth shaking news stories and the egos are as big as they are….someone wants this story. And I don’t need your 2 guys with umpty squat years of experience or not to try to piece together something with only the data they read in the NYT. We do know this: data was stolen. Who could we ask that would know. The Russians? Hmmmm….maybe they wouldn’t answer truthfully you know admitting criminal activity and all. Hey, I know let’s ask Julian. I bet he knows who sent him those stolen emails. He could lie and pin it on Seth Rich….whom Caitlin is and if I’m not mistaken has been more than happy to pronounce as the fall guy. But after reading your very….underline….very informative consortium news piece your two guys with 60 years of NSA computer expertise didn’t say dick about that. So let’s tell bimbo Caitlin to check that off her list…and you check it off yours too how abouts. Why did they lie about the meetings? Why did they try to obstruct an investigation into the meetings? Meetings with Russians. Once again and no I don’t get tired asking you and Caitlin…..why?

        2. b cope Avatar
          b cope

          What I like most about these little chats are not the words said but the words unsaid. Here’s a case in point. Yes, there are 4 main intel agencies. Here’s the chocolate gooey center inside the ball of candy. Are there 17 intel agencies? Yes. Did any one of them disagree with the report put out by the 4? No. So you write ….B Cope says there were 17 but that was debunked and it was only 4. Ha I told you so. Better luck next time and you froth at the mouth and pat yourself on the back all the while never once refuting the crux of the issue. Was it 4 or 14 or 4000? What difference would it make if the premise was true?

          “We noted then that the 17 separate agencies did not independently declare Russia the perpetrator behind the hacks; however, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence speaks on behalf of the group.

          We asked experts again this week if Clinton’s claim was correct or not.

          “In the context of a national debate, her answer was a reasonable inference from the DNI statement,” Cordero said, emphasizing that the statement said, “The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident” in its assessment.

          Aftergood said it’s fair to say the Director of National Intelligence speaks for the intelligence community, but that doesn’t always mean there is unamity across the community, and it’s possible that some organizations disagree.

          But in the case of the Russia investigation, there is no evidence of disagreement among members of the intelligence community.”

          that sound you hear…..the mic being dropped.

          https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/jul/06/17-intelligence-organizations-or-four-either-way-r/

        3. jmg Avatar
          jmg

          B. Cope wrote: “What I like most about these little chats are not the words said but the words unsaid. (…) Are there 17 intel agencies? Yes. Did any one of them disagree with the report put out by the 4? No.”
          .
          Of course, because they didn’t investigate it. As admitted by Clapper, only the small group hand-picked by Obama appointees Brennan, Rogers, and Comey.
          .
          B. Cope wrote: “there is no evidence of disagreement among members of the intelligence community.”
          .
          There is indeed disagreement among a long list of members of the intelligence community, as you have seen.
          .
          B. Cope wrote: “You’d think that if the 2 guys with 60 years of NSA computer experience had the nuts surely Fox news would want that.”
          .
          Yes, Tucker Carlson of Fox News did interview former NSA Technical Director William Binney on this issue a couple of years ago:
          .
          Former NSA Official: Dems’ Russia Hacking Story Likely Bogus | Fox News Insider
          https://insider.foxnews.com/2017/08/14/russian-hacking-2016-election-nsa-member-says-trump-story-false
          .
          B. Cope wrote: “Why did they lie about the meetings? Why did they try to obstruct an investigation into the meetings? Meetings with Russians. Once again and no I don’t get tired asking you and Caitlin…..why?”
          .
          Well, Caitlin is a progressive, like for example myself, and she is not especially interested in defending Trump. However, she does care about truth and peace, and about not promoting a new cold war with absurd lies. Many true progressives and conservatives agree about this.
          .
          Anyway, if after the very long investigation Mueller could not indict anyone for those meetings with Russians, but only for unrelated matters, this means he just didn’t have a case, even when he tried really hard. Probably those were normal meetings like the many they had with people from a large number of countries, which are normal today. For example, if Flynn didn’t say to FBI’s Strzok all the details of his talk with the Russian amabassador, that was silly of him because it was his job as a member of the new elected administration to talk with officials from many countries, as he did.
          .
          “My gut sense and concern is there’s no big there there.”
          — Peter Strzok, FBI
          .
          And about WikiLeaks, as they have repeated many times:
          .
          “Craig Murray, the former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, who is a close associate of Assange, called the CIA claims ‘bullshit’, adding: ‘They are absolutely making it up.’
          “‘I know who leaked them,’ Murray said. ‘I’ve met the person who leaked them, and they are certainly not Russian and it’s an insider. It’s a leak, not a hack; the two are different things.’”
          — The Guardian, 2016-12-10

          1. b cope Avatar
            b cope

            So they actually had Binney on Tucker’s show a couple of years ago? Two years to build up traction on a major news network this should be the lead every day. Solid gold get out of jail free iron clad evidence, JMG says so. And yet, that ‘s not the lead every day. Maybe I”m a little more jaded, or a little more skeptical, maybe I”m just a little more discerning than you JMG but you say you’ve got the nuts and had them for going on two years. Two years Mueller has produced a report. Two years the House has changed hands and now they’re doing their own investigations. Two years and Tucker is just sitting on the biggest pile of news dynamite ever? Maybe you’re source isn’t so iron clad or solid gold. If it was little scummy fuck Devin Nunes he would have had that info on display for all the world to see. So yeah, not buying that one. ……..Then I have to sit and read yet another “progressive” moan about how “I’m not especially interested in defending trump….” Oh really? Seems like that’s exactly what you’re doing. If not defending you’re running cover for him when you ask so what’s the big deal with the meetings Geez. Uh……they fucking lied about the totally “innocent” meetings. Which would lead me to ask if it was so totally innocent why do you need to lie about it? Did it have to do with adoption, or was it emails, or was it building a big ass hotel in Moscow? It sure the fuck wasn’t number one now was it. Big daddy trump came up with that idea on the flight back to the US. He conjured that “truth” out of thin air. Unless you have some other specious theory that leaves coordination of emails (stolen), or well into the campaign the nominee being compromised by a foreign power in order that he might get his big hotel built. Interested in truth are you? I’d like to find out about what they actually talked about. Extensive reporting, subsequent admissions, and special counsel Mueller’s indictments and report have revealed at least 251 contacts between the Trump team and Russia-linked operatives, despite repeated denials….and I’m the blithering idiot? Oh sure somebody met with a russian to get an authentic recipe for borsch. Ok, scratch that one off the list. Now it’s 250. How come they lied about the other meetings? Being the progressive truth warrior and all aren’t you the least bit curious? Then comes your pièce de résistance….well, see….Mueller didn’t indict so that means he didn’t have a case. (Palm into forehead ) Ok, you and Caitlin do realize that DOJ guidelines state that no sitting president can be indicted right? You know that means I’m not making shit up am I? No, I’m not. So when you know that he can’t indicted but you go ahead and say see he didn’t indict so that means it never happened I have to ask you are you just being obstinate or you think yeah they’ll never figure this one out. You and Caitlin are the shinning examples of progressive-ism? I hope not because it’s not all that hard to figure out. Numerous…..I’ll repeat …..numerous examples of obstruction and they didn’t indict….becuase they couldn’t….not until he’s out of office. But the fact….the truth that they attempted to obstruct the very investigation that would clear their names….they being so incredibly innocent….and you whistle past that graveyard like you haven’t a care in the world. You should be shaking in fear.

  5. Boss Tweed Avatar
    Boss Tweed

    Americans are old pros at rigging elections, with over two centuries of experience. Americans need no help from foreigners to hold a crooked election. My impression from 2016 was that Hillary’s primary whine was “Hey, I already stole that election fair and square! Trump couldn’t have won.”

    1. Helmut Beintner Avatar
      Helmut Beintner

      All the politions that are critising Trump for what he does and Rays,well get Off your BUTT and you come up with Solutions and answers
      I personally would Not Want for all die Money in the world,be the the Captain of the sinking TITANIC namely the USA.
      SO if you like to be crucified throw your Name in the trink.
      And good luck..you will NEED it!

  6. jmg Avatar
    jmg

    President Obama (October 17, 2016):

    “There is no serious person out there who would suggest somehow that you could even, you could even rig America’s elections. In part because they’re so decentralized and the numbers of votes involved. There’s no evidence that that has happened in the past or that there are instances in which that will happen this time.

    And so, I’d advise Mr. Trump to stop whining and go try to make his case to get votes. And if he got the most votes then it would be my expectation of Hillary Clinton to offer a gracious concession speech and pledge to work with him in order to make sure that the American people benefit from an effective government. And it would be my job to welcome Mr. Trump, regardless of what he’s said about me or my differences with him on my opinions, and escort him over to this Capitol, in which there would be a peaceful transfer of power.

    That’s what Americans do. That’s why America is already great. One way of weakening America making it less great, is if you start betraying those basic American traditions that have been bipartisan and have helped to hold together this democracy now for well over two centuries.”

    Obama: American elections can’t be rigged

    1. Boss Tweed Avatar
      Boss Tweed

      LOL … that is hilarious remembering that Obama is a CHICAGO politician. One of the more famous cases of rigging an American presidential election involves the Chicago Democrat political machine and a Mayor Daley in the JFK election. I doubt that Chicago has held an honest election in a 100 years.

  7. Edward Avatar
    Edward

    Someone has pointed out that Mueller is not acting in good faith, because he did not take the opportunity to question 11 Russians accused in the Russigate affair, despite the opportunity to do so. I don’t think the Russians reduce American politics to personalities, i.e. Trump vs. Clinton, but rather see institutions, and so the election of some candidate “X” isn’t decisive for them.

    What is frustrating about Russiagate is that there is copious evidence that everyone except the Russians are interfering. Israel is interfering. Saudi Arabia is interfering. The banking lobby is interfering. The U.S. press is interfering. And on and on.

    1. Doggrotter Avatar
      Doggrotter

      It would be easy to argue that any non US citizen or media outlet that makes any comment regarding US elections is interfering. The Guardian/BBC being two good examples..
      The whole Russiagate thing has been bullshit from the beginning.
      Seriously the CIA/FBI/NSA has evidence Trump works for Putin?
      Russia is in command of the USA?
      Are you sure it’s not lizard people running the show?

  8. Tom Welsh Avatar
    Tom Welsh

    I really don’t know why Mr Putin wastes his time listening to what anyone from Washington says. They lie whenever their lips move, and whenever they write.

    My best guess is that Mr Putin is trying to do roughly what a psychoanalyst does. He listens to the deranged ramblings of psychotics, trying to get some kind of understanding of what twisted thought processes may be going on in the dark recesses of their minds.

    Also, perhaps he has some slight hope that, if he listens to Trump’s stream of consciousness for long enough, Trump may talk himself back into some distant connection with reality.

    1. John McClain Avatar
      John McClain

      Your ideas are likely right, that is what most people try to do, when talking to “blithering idiots”, not necessarily hospitalized, but certainly needing help. All politicians have to do that to some degree, only those dead determined for personal reasons, to be honest, and having the power and authority to survive being such, are capable of being completely open and honest about intent.
      Trump had little idea what he was getting into, he carried some heavy baggage with him, sort of un-noticed by the press at the time, or noted, and ignored, because it was connected to Israel, but I doubt he knew how powerful “deep state” truly is.
      I suspect he knew, from the perspective of an international business man, the world really needs the Nations to choose diplomatic means to engage, and intended to make it come about, and I expect he knew he would face an uphill battle. I doubt he knew the depth and breadth of “deep state”, nor expected the CIA, FBI and NSA to do their utmost to prevent his actual election, try to hide the innumerable crimes of the DNC, and actually try to pull him down, having been elected, but some small segment of Americans have paid money to see the whole show, continue paying, for the lawsuits, and court actions that have exposed deep state, and exposed the greatest conspiracy of treason, America has ever known, which has been critical in deflecting efforts against Trump, even as he continues to play along with his “masters”.
      I have high hopes, we have done enough, gone enough, spent enough, we can’t extend our power both in Europe, to counter real issues there, continue in the middle east, aimed at Iran, and focus on Venezuela, and succeed in throwing over their government, every empire fails, because they never know they’ve gone too far, until they lose.
      When one has not very rational people, governing, rational people with long history of ruling from behind the scenes, and newcomers, learning the twisted, distorted ways, it has to look like a scene from a looney bin. We were fortunate to get Mr. Trump, despite all his warts, he’s not HRC, and she isn’t tainted, she’s one who taints. I have no love for Mr. Trump, but I have no hate either, and have damn good cause to hate HRC, the DNC, as well as the RNC, and their own machinations. Trump was never anticipated, once arrived, never had a chance, and only the hubris of both parties, demanding we choose from between evil and looking a bit more evil, made it possible for Mr. Trump to win, even with both parties manipulating the election.
      Any honest person could end the confrontation, the stand off, and begin dialog with both Russia, and China, could make arrangements to both work with Venezuela, in conjunction with Russia and China, making a profit, not a killing, and leaving Venezuela independent, able to choose their own destiny. All our “adventurism” could be ended, with little damage beyond what has been done, only Israel would feel a great shift, because we can’t ignore that state’s “Apartheid” with any honesty at all, nor the current state of attack on the Palestinians, who’s existence we’ve sort of denied since 48.
      The only problem is such a way would leave us as “merely a country”, possibly a Nation, if we also looked inward, and fixed our own problems, and we couldn’t claim “the exceptionalism of America”, because we wouldn’t have enough guns aimed around the world, to make everyone accept the lie, and nod.
      There is a group of families who couldn’t care less where they live, because they’ve historically controlled world banking, and always rise, with no ties to any nation or flag, only to power. They will continue while we, The world, worship money, love it, rather than note it as merely a tool to get actual needed things, food, water, housing and community. If we don’t worry about them, we can avoid being manipulated by them, and continue to work to keep some of the profit from ever leaving the “working hands”.
      Semper Fidelis,
      John McClain
      Vanceboro, NC

  9. Erronius Avatar
    Erronius

    If I were Vladimir, I’d put aside the kind of money that’ll buy you a second hand car to promote whoever will end up being the mainstream Blue candidate for 2020. Just for TEH LULZ.

    1. Boss Tweed Avatar
      Boss Tweed

      Don’t forget that Democrat consultants were caught faking “Russian involvement” in the Alabama Senate special election in an attempt to smear the Republican candidate.

  10. Jim KABLE Avatar
    Jim KABLE

    It’s a bubble of media and political meatheads who drive this Russia/Putin fear-mongering in the US – plus the dreadful education system which lessens the ability of US citizenry to downright laugh in the face of their gravelly-voiced political commentators. (And it’s happening of course from Howard/Greiner days onwards in NSW/Australia – with reduced funding for state schools and TAFE and university systems.) As I have long noted – most if not all – political figures and even many media personnel – have never travelled independently as a young person on their own finances on their own passports – to see the world as it truly is – to understand the desire of most of us (weapons of mass destruction manufacturers aside) for a world far more peacefully aligned. No “them” and “us” – simple us/we! No these people travel on the coin of their bosses or with the security of official visits – all accommodation on the public purse – with delegations hosted by counterparts in those other countries. That was certainly John HOWARD’s background – the father of the ugliness now abroad in Australia.

    1. John McClain Avatar
      John McClain

      You must be talking about the state of education in the U.S. when I was in school, I’ve raised to kids into their forties, they have “an education” solely because I insisted they read, not watch t.v., just as my parents did, and my wife and I agreed, a bit of difficulty for her at the start, the education was far more important than any other aspect of their life, as children.
      I was raised a “navy brat”, moved three times before age 1, moved to Spain, got eye surgery, giving me two eyes, my left having been skewed inward, blind, the doctor inventing the surgery, “practicing” down the street from the apartment we chanced to take.
      Both my parents were born and raised in “coal country”, they met at college, and connected, because both, independently, had decided “not to raise children in coal country”, and they both used education to escape the mountains of West Virginia.
      Almost all actually “educated Americans” are people who chose to be educated, I spent four years between Spain and Italy, our librarian Mom walked us through all “western history in the Mediterranean region, reachable by public transportation, (kids ride free), and taught my elder sister and myself the history of the culture, translated all the inscriptions, to the other languages of the region, knowing some three foreign languages fluently, and teaching herself ancient Latin, Aramaic, and learning Greek, and Ancient Greek, as she taught us.
      I read my father’s childhood books, overseas, and was utterly shocked at six, arriving back in the States, and seeing very little of what was supposed to be true about America. I found the school text books, full of blatant lies, our monetary system completely corrupt, and very little thought ever shown by adults, regarding the state of the nation, and moving to make things change.
      This was no more than British Empire, redux, the American way. I have a natural talent with machines, and all things mechanical, electrical, and pursued that myself, getting birthday and Christmas presents being kits or booklets, telling how to build something, sometimes with parts, often just the instructions, and I had “old books”, and began building a library of my own. It is now larger that our town’s library, not counting our fiction.
      I only wish there were a better, more descriptive word than “blithering”, somehow, it just doesn’t seem to reach the “gravitas” of the actual idiocy.
      I’ve lived here, in North Carolina since 77, my first permanent duty station, chose the second day, this would be where I retired, having left Chicago, knocking the dust of it off my sandals, as I left, and I’ve voted in lots of elections since 76.
      To scam this state’s voting, one would have to have control of precincts, either complete privacy with the scanned, collated ballots, boxed, taped, signed across, and control the electronics of the scanners or the computer which holds all the data.
      None of this is “on line”, all is tabulated locally, precisely to prevent “wire tapping”, as has been done for over a century, nothing new here, folks, so either everyone in the electoral collective process would have to be in the conspiracy, or they would all have to be completely fooled, kept in the dark. We don’t have such level of corruption here, we’ve not reached down that far.
      Most states are similar, can’t speak for Kalifornia, Chicago, or New York, all of which are manipulated and usually fraudulent, but again, only accessible to “government”, not foreign government, or “the internet”.
      I came here in 62, having left in 58, at one, and my schools were all using corrupt, lying text books, particularly regarding history, I memorized “the Charge of the Light Brigade” for some class or another, but was never taught what it was for, about, all the teacher cared about was “the wonder of the poetry, its imagery, juxtaposing war, with beauty, fear with duty, no point actually putting the piece in perspective, in real history, Brits, French and others, doing their utmost to steal the Crimea, from Russia, to deny Her access to blue water ocean.
      This B.S. about Russia, a place I’ve studied since my teens, is no more nor less than a continuation of “keeping down the competition”, which all the empires have played at, during Russia’s rise out of the dark ages.
      Once nations get aligned, establish trade and enemies, friends and foes, truth is no longer a useful tool, a virtue, but becomes a stumbling block for access to power, and any “rising people” are a threat to status quo.
      We’ve reached a point, any power, increasing anywhere in the world, is a threat, because we’ve left no portion, untouched. Those who climb the highest, will fall the furthest, if they haven’t established sound, solid foot holds, at every step. We aren’t good at establishing “solid foot-holds”, our word’s not worth shit, and that evaluation was true a century ago.
      The world will be better off when our power is gone, our debts our primary concern, assuming we don’t “throw all care to the winds” and take down the whole world, rather than lose hegemony. It’s kind of hard to imagine something more evil, wrong, criminal, than that notion.
      Semper Fidelis,
      John McClain
      Vanceboro, NC

  11. Ron Campbell Avatar
    Ron Campbell

    The ” main stream media ( and whomever is pulling their strings )” have an agenda that they are ruthlessly following!! The ” Democratic Party ” is wholeheartedly on board with this agenda!! Meanwhile President Trump and the Republican Party are hellbent on going after every Obama official possible to ” lock them up ” for their illegal actions while they ran the United States government!! I am just one old man but it looks to me like very serious American Chaos is right around the corner!! Fasten your seat belts folks because there is absolutely no way of telling just how insanely rough this ride is going to be!!!

    1. Anarcissie Avatar
      Anarcissie

      At this point I don’t see how the left wing of the Democratic Party can forgive how they’ve been treated by the Cold Warrior – McCarthyite – Deep State party leadership, nor what ‘centrist’ candidate they would accept, so my guess is they will walk, leading to a three-way or four-way election in 2020. (The Republican Party is also split, although not as visibly as the Democrats; the breakup of one major party might well lead to the breakup of the other. The situation is reminiscent of the elections of 1856 and 1860, not a very auspicious reminiscence.

      1. Ron Campbell Avatar
        Ron Campbell

        Anarcissie, you are very astute!! For the next two years President Trump is going to go after some government people to lock up!! This scenario is a prelude to the next dis-United States Civil War!!!

  12. Roberta Avatar
    Roberta

    Its amazing how much the Democrats fear any potential progressive advancement in society. The smart thing for them to do politically would be to pass many bills like Medicare-For-All, Forgiveness-of-Student-Loans, Green New Deal (on steroids), Free College for all who can do the work for as long as they can. After all, the Senate would never pass such a bill, and Trump would veto them and curse them. So, it is completely safe for the Democratic House to pass all sorts of such bills. These bills would all be popular and give the party a great platform for the next elections. They’d all be lies, of course. But since they could be sure the bills would not advance further, it would be completely safe for even the most corporate-loving, banker-loving Democrats.
    ——————
    The only reason not to do the smart thing politically is that they are afraid that some of these proposals might catch fire and become unstoppable. Thus, the Democrats act as if all such ideas and proposals must be killed on sight, and they seem very afraid. There is no other reason for them to pass up what would otherwise be a golden opportunity to make themselves very popular.

  13. Nylene13 Avatar
    Nylene13

    Well the U.S Government has to blame Russia. Otherwise the attention will turn to Seth Rich and Hillary.
    Can’t have that!
    That is why they are so desperate to make an example of Assange.
    Freedom of the Press is a THREAT to today’s U.S. Government.

    “Without a Free Press, there can be No Democracy”
    Thomas Jefferson

    It’s up to you Australia-to bring Julian Assange Home!
    Meanwhile here in the U.S. We the People will try to get Bernie Elected.

    1. Spanky Avatar
      Spanky

      And Bernie will do what, exactly?

  14. Spanky Avatar
    Spanky

    Have you ever considered, Caitlin, that the folks pushing these narratives are so willfully ignorant they couldn’t find the floor if they fell out of bed?
    .
    Thanks, I needed another good laugh…

  15. mike k Avatar
    mike k

    Was anyone expecting sanity from the deranged Mafiosi fighting over who will rule the world? Every tool possible is used in this final war of the power deranged “elites”. You can expect anything goes in this free for all – no one can say how deranged it will become. The lid could blow off any day now…….

  16. Joel Walbert Avatar
    Joel Walbert

    I don’t think the blithering idiots truly believe it. Its probably more a psy-op prepping the sheeple for declaring the election invalid should trump win again.

    1. RC - Garrs Avatar
      RC – Garrs

      I donno. I think the establishment, at least the Dems side, has told the lie(s) over and over enough times that they have convinced themselves it’s all factual.
      Yes, it took them three years but they have finally driven themselves bat-shit crazy.
      Like you know : https://youtu.be/kgBxfHdb4OU

    2. LSJohn Avatar
      LSJohn

      I dunno either. We shouldn’t underestimate their capacity for cold-hearted lies, OR their capacity to believe what they prefer to believe. Self-delusion seems to be getting more powerful daily on BOTH sides of the alleged binary state.

      1. RC - Garrs Avatar
        RC – Garrs

        Two plus two equals five (Orwell’s 1984). Keep repeating.

        At one time, not so long ago, you could get put to death for believing that Earth was not the center of the universe.
        Even before that, the flat Earth believers.
        [ I hear some of those folks are still around ].

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