Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
What's the Big Deal With the Don Trump Jr. Email? Why Not Ask a Veteran Russian Spy?
Jack Barsky was a sleeper agent for the Russians living in the U.S. under a manufactured identity. After he came clean he worked as an FBI expert on Russian espionage and was rewarded with American citizenship. Barsky has a pretty clear idea of what was behind the controversial Don "Fredo" Trump Jr. email.
Well, Anyong, payback, as they say, is a bitch. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall we've been rolling the Russians back eventually parking our tanks right up on their border. We engineered the coup in Ukraine and Russia pushed back by seizing Crimea. We've forward positioned NATO forces in the Baltic, ostensibly for self-defence, and Putin has countered by deploying nuclear-capable missile batteries in Kaliningrad.
Putin is shrewd and dangerous. He wants to reclaim Russian influence in the "near beyond" and into the Middle East. Part of that entails taking every opportunity to exploit differences between Europe and the US, an opportunity that Trump has served up on a platter. The more he can weaken that link the easier it is for him to advance Russia's interests closer to home. The more he can foment unrest and division within the US the less he has to worry about on his side of the Atlantic.
Beijing is doing something vaguely similar across East and South Asia and the Asia Pacific. The Road & Belt policy seeks to re-establish a modern day Silk Road providing China an overland route to the oil fields of Iran.
Bit by bit Russia and China's aspirations come to pass. Trump is out of Putin's league and Trump may not even be able or willing to recognize his glaring disadvantage.
So, yes, Putin is getting his way. His future prospects at home would be in jeopardy if he passed up these made-in-America opportunities.
The commentator in that clip, Jack Barsky, is, I think, quite correct: the goal of Russia was to create chaos in the U.S. political scene (not necessarily elect Trump).
A few days ago, I was reading (from a Republican-dominated congressional committee letter to the Treasury department) about how the Kremlin may be behind some major funding of certain U.S. environmental and left-wing political think tanks. The Russian government supported RT network also heavily pushes certain environmental stories and theories. (Anti-GMO, anti-frakking).
I am not arguing that there is nothing to be said for some considered opposition to those environmental issues, but note that the more polarized the opposition to frakking and GMO in the U.S. and Europe, the more Russia can benefit by selling its gas and its wheat.
Anyong.....Thanks for your reply. Anyone with half a brain knows that Putin is clapping his hands every night before he goes to bed saying...don't let anything happen to Trump, "I have use of him".
Anyong....Putin is getting his way.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWell, Anyong, payback, as they say, is a bitch. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall we've been rolling the Russians back eventually parking our tanks right up on their border. We engineered the coup in Ukraine and Russia pushed back by seizing Crimea. We've forward positioned NATO forces in the Baltic, ostensibly for self-defence, and Putin has countered by deploying nuclear-capable missile batteries in Kaliningrad.
Putin is shrewd and dangerous. He wants to reclaim Russian influence in the "near beyond" and into the Middle East. Part of that entails taking every opportunity to exploit differences between Europe and the US, an opportunity that Trump has served up on a platter. The more he can weaken that link the easier it is for him to advance Russia's interests closer to home. The more he can foment unrest and division within the US the less he has to worry about on his side of the Atlantic.
Beijing is doing something vaguely similar across East and South Asia and the Asia Pacific. The Road & Belt policy seeks to re-establish a modern day Silk Road providing China an overland route to the oil fields of Iran.
Bit by bit Russia and China's aspirations come to pass. Trump is out of Putin's league and Trump may not even be able or willing to recognize his glaring disadvantage.
So, yes, Putin is getting his way. His future prospects at home would be in jeopardy if he passed up these made-in-America opportunities.
The commentator in that clip, Jack Barsky, is, I think, quite correct: the goal of Russia was to create chaos in the U.S. political scene (not necessarily elect Trump).
ReplyDeleteA few days ago, I was reading (from a Republican-dominated congressional committee letter to the Treasury department) about how the Kremlin may be behind some major funding of certain U.S. environmental and left-wing political think tanks. The Russian government supported RT network also heavily pushes certain environmental stories and theories. (Anti-GMO, anti-frakking).
I am not arguing that there is nothing to be said for some considered opposition to those environmental issues, but note that the more polarized the opposition to frakking and GMO in the U.S. and Europe, the more Russia can benefit by selling its gas and its wheat.
Chris, really, Lamar Smith wrote that letter and he's about as post-fact as they come. Sort of in the "tail gunner Joe" league.
ReplyDeleteAnyong.....Thanks for your reply. Anyone with half a brain knows that Putin is clapping his hands every night before he goes to bed saying...don't let anything happen to Trump, "I have use of him".
ReplyDelete