tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post1648732559862823942..comments2024-03-22T05:20:44.167-07:00Comments on The Disaffected Lib: Drip, Drip, Drip The Mound of Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-85115417003847797092017-03-03T15:31:09.083-08:002017-03-03T15:31:09.083-08:00http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/trump...http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/trumps-ties-to-russia-amount-to-treachery-to-the-republic.html<br /><br />Danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12465953801145126160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-86489679916527693952017-03-03T13:50:54.104-08:002017-03-03T13:50:54.104-08:00Not saying that's a politics you have to embra...Not saying that's a politics you have to embrace. Just saying that since it's a politics that I <b>do</b> embrace, lying for the Democrats doesn't help my cause much.<br /><br />Even well short of my particular radicalism, the US Democrats are a worthless formation for, say, the purposes you espouse such as saving the planet. Much like Trudeau, they are destined to talk a mediocre game and deliver nothing, and their commitment to empire is largely a by-product of their commitment to an elite-controlled status quo for whom any environmentally useful change to the way the economy works is anathema. So it may be convenient for the Dems to pick the terrain for their fight as "Evil Russkies" so as to avoid having to grapple with any real issues, but lining up behind them on that particular line is unlikely to be any handier for the politics you normally advance than for mine.<br /><br />But even if you decide no, this is too important, it's worth it to parrot dubious claims that will strain international relations and push the American political agenda towards their insane foreign policy and away from domestic issues such as the economy or climate change, as long as it's the best shot at bringing down Trump . . . that's fine for you, but I have no motivation to pretend along. I'm willing to offer the Dems a "Good show, good show, well lied that man!" but not to pretend I believe what they're saying or agree with their egregious perspective on foreign relations.Purple library guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01930984683714519212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-21434675950503032052017-03-03T13:04:47.806-08:002017-03-03T13:04:47.806-08:00Sorry, PLG, I don't accept that you have to ab...Sorry, PLG, I don't accept that you have to abandon one for the other. That's your construct, not mine. Then again there are many areas on which you and I agree to disagree.<br /><br />I understand you want to be egalitarian and "empower the masses" but, absent some clear means of achieving that, your wishes are merely sentiments, visions to nowhere.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-49281732167994984012017-03-03T11:18:13.976-08:002017-03-03T11:18:13.976-08:00That's a point, but there's "The Figh...That's a point, but there's "The Fight" and there's "The Truth". If this blog is primarily part of "The Fight", to the point where "The Truth" will be an acceptable casualty if it isn't convenient to "The Fight" then I should adjust my expectations accordingly. Blurring those lines is a good way to end up believing one's own propaganda.<br />On the other hand, if this blog is more about telling things like they are, then sure, celebrate Trump going down however it's accomplished, but let's not pretend it's on a legitimate basis if, as it happens, it isn't.<br />Finally there's that "you're" part. The United States Democratic Party hate Trump. Many portions of the United States Mainstream Media hate Trump. I also hate Trump. Nonetheless, I am not part of the US mainstream media, much less the US Democratic Party. I am not on their side, and they most assuredly are not on my side. To the contrary, the process of emphasizing Russian scares and individual peccadilloes tends to focus attention away from the politics of climate change or the ravages of neoliberalism, as well as increasing international tension between nuclear powers. So it is not my uppercut, it is their uppercut, and its action simultaneously tosses an elbow to the gut of my side. So I'm willing to give a few golf claps if it hinders Trump, but I'm not willing to adopt its propaganda as my own and pretend like things are so when they ain't.<br /><br />Anyway, IMO, the politics of lying actually pretty much always turns out to be toxic to my side--usually in the short term, pretty much invariably in the medium to longer term. For an egalitarian who wants to, like, empower the masses, lying to 'em by definition disempowers them, and then requires maintaining structures that will allow lies to stand--ie ones that defeat my purposes. Works fine for the Dems because they're a bunch of scumsucking corporate weasels in the first place, so no contradictions of purpose there.Purple library guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01930984683714519212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-71135624963922943362017-03-03T11:17:05.518-08:002017-03-03T11:17:05.518-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Purple library guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01930984683714519212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-80133133812865336852017-03-03T10:52:31.584-08:002017-03-03T10:52:31.584-08:00There's a logical disconnect, NPoV. Is someone...There's a logical disconnect, NPoV. Is someone suggesting that Sessions, Flynn et al should have been given a pass. Politics is a blood sport and if you're not set up for a killer hook but the uppercut is available, you take it. That's how fighting works whether it's on a battlefield, in politics, in a courtroom or in a boxing ring. Unfortunately "our side" often forgets that.<br /><br />So, sure, there are other reasons to be worried about Flynn, Sessions and the rest. You fight "in the moment" with everything you can throw. Or, you lose. The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-80072785090298674062017-03-03T09:57:00.767-08:002017-03-03T09:57:00.767-08:00https://thebuckleyclub.com/the-russia-connection-b...https://thebuckleyclub.com/the-russia-connection-bd406a5eebf1#.bjosya9soDanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12465953801145126160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-14946210609504139502017-03-03T09:18:46.724-08:002017-03-03T09:18:46.724-08:00more grist for the mill
"A Trump official’s ...more grist for the mill<br /><br />"A Trump official’s least egregious quality ends up being portrayed as his most egregious quality. There were any number of reasons to be highly worried about the presence of Mike Flynn in the Trump administration, from his bellicose posture toward Iran, to his outlandish views on the alleged threat posed by Islam. Conversing with the Russian ambassador about reducing tensions would very clearly not have been on the “reasons to be worried about Flynn” list. Likewise, Jeff Sessions is a troubling figure for a whole host of reasons, ranging from his hawkishly retrograde attitude about Drug Prohibition to his dicey history on racial matters. That he spoke to the Russian Ambassador in September 2016 would not be on the “reasons to be worried about Sessions” list."<br /><br />https://medium.com/theyoungturks/the-basic-formula-for-every-shocking-russia-trump-revelation-e9ae390d9f05#.ctg4tmf01<br /><br /> Northern PoVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04670080478290108536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-1238045550051039762017-03-02T22:02:23.892-08:002017-03-02T22:02:23.892-08:00The Pandora's box reference reminds of this re...The Pandora's box reference reminds of this reflection by John Dean in discussing the Bill Clinton perjury trap and impeachment:<br /><br />"If truthfulness about extramarital affairs had been a requisite for everyone in Congress to hold their seats before they voted to oust Clinton, neither the House nor the Senate could have formed a quorum."John B.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-10514604755538159792017-03-02T19:22:40.537-08:002017-03-02T19:22:40.537-08:00RE,
John I suspect the House committee members wa...RE,<br /><br />John I suspect the House committee members want inside the FBI investigation because they're worried about how vulnerable Trump is but also how this is going to impact themselves.<br /><br />This rings bells.<br />Politics aside; any investigation into Trumps business dealings and taxes would likely open a pandora's box of tax evasion and bad business practice by most US politicians.<br /><br />TBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-45978303781588299292017-03-02T18:21:26.893-08:002017-03-02T18:21:26.893-08:00Trump said this afternoon that he had “total” conf...Trump said this afternoon that he had “total” confidence in Sessions. My money says Jefferson Beauregard's gone by Sunday.<br /><br />CapAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-56376734276924547852017-03-02T17:17:38.472-08:002017-03-02T17:17:38.472-08:00PLG might be right, NPoV. I only hope we get to fi...PLG might be right, NPoV. I only hope we get to find out if that's so.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-34048027203971655082017-03-02T16:26:18.725-08:002017-03-02T16:26:18.725-08:00imho. Purple library guy nailed it today!imho. Purple library guy nailed it today!Northern PoVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04670080478290108536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-29878878948164446832017-03-02T14:28:07.539-08:002017-03-02T14:28:07.539-08:00John I suspect the House committee members want in...John I suspect the House committee members want inside the FBI investigation because they're worried about how vulnerable Trump is but also how this is going to impact themselves. If you were Comey would you trust congressmen, Republican or Democrat, with details of an active investigation of this magnitude before it was complete? I wouldn't.<br /><br />What they really want to know is how far they should go in defending their president. They're after political information - or ammunition. And so they're trying to put the squeeze on the FBI. The CIA will probably be next.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-46693048659674730922017-03-02T14:21:39.806-08:002017-03-02T14:21:39.806-08:00PLG - I'm not brave enough to contend that I k...PLG - I'm not brave enough to contend that I know what any of Trump's policies actually are. From what I've seen that's a cluttered field of moving targets. Recalling the legendary Groucho Marx who said, "those are my principles and, if you don't like them ...well, I have others."The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-194596174471530042017-03-02T13:49:53.967-08:002017-03-02T13:49:53.967-08:00Ah, yes. That familiar face from upper levels of ...<br />Ah, yes. That familiar face from upper levels of the security establishment. <br /><br />https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-03-02/house-committee-accuses-fbi-of-withholding-information-about-russia-probe <br /><br /> “I would say at this point we know less than a fraction of what the FBI knows. ...<br /><br />“I appreciate we had a long briefing and testimony from the director today, but in order for us to do our investigation in a thorough and credible way, we’re gonna need the FBI to fully cooperate, to be willing to tell us the length and breadth of any counterintelligence investigations they are conducting. At this point, the director was not willing to do that. ...<br /><br />"Those walls are going to have to come down if we are going to do our job. And we're better off getting that through the voluntary cooperation of the FBI than having to contemplate whether we need to subpoena the FBI."<br /><br />- Adam Schiff<br /> <br /><br /> http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/graham-to-meet-with-comey-on-russia<br /><br /> “Somebody is leaking this crap, and it’s putting people like me in a terrible spot. So, I’m going to meet with the FBI director today, and I’m going to look him in the eye and he’s going to tell me there’s an investigation or there’s not.<br /><br />“And if he doesn’t tell me, he’s going to have a hard time.”<br /><br />- Lindsay Graham<br /><br /><br />Why don't they just ask Rudy?<br /><br />When I listened again to the question that Franken posed and reconsidered the response that Sessions gave, the thought that came to mind was, "He who excuses himself accuses himself."John B.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-6274556637199923762017-03-02T13:28:58.494-08:002017-03-02T13:28:58.494-08:00If Trump goes down over the Russia thing rather th...If Trump goes down over the Russia thing rather than the racism thing or the economy thing (when in the end his touted economic stuff ends up just siphoning more money to his buds) it will be just one more piece of evidence that the US polity is dying. Russia is the only area where Trump's policy is sane, so of course that's what will bring him down in the US, where nuts and evil is OK but a glimmer of sanity is what will turn out to be beyond the pale.Purple library guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01930984683714519212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-48361469708044921392017-03-02T13:22:36.240-08:002017-03-02T13:22:36.240-08:00Rumley, I think the report was completed and, as I...Rumley, I think the report was completed and, as I recall, both Obama and Trump were in attendance when it was presented. Trump angrily denounced the findings as untrue.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-90367868102818927592017-03-02T13:16:27.997-08:002017-03-02T13:16:27.997-08:00Hi, Owen. Do you recall how the Watergate scandal ...Hi, Owen. Do you recall how the Watergate scandal unfolded. I remember being in a newsroom the day Nixon announced his resignation. I landed my first job as a reporter the year before and so Nixon and <br />Woodward and Bernstein were the biggest thing in my eyes. At first it was just some burglary in D.C. and then it grew and grew and spread in this direction and that, dragging in this whole cast of miscreants - Nixon, Mitchell, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Dean, Liddy and then the Pentagon Papers. What a mess. I'm wondering if we're witnessing the early onset stage of another massive scandal capable of taking down a sitting president?<br />The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-61793165122134849902017-03-02T13:05:03.658-08:002017-03-02T13:05:03.658-08:00Thanks for the link, Dana. That was an insightful ...Thanks for the link, Dana. That was an insightful article. I think he's at least pretty close to right.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-68180896550546340182017-03-02T12:11:08.161-08:002017-03-02T12:11:08.161-08:00Didn't Obama, in November, tell the FBI , CIA ...Didn't Obama, in November, tell the FBI , CIA etc. to have a report on the Russian connection on his desk before Jan.20 ? I guess they declined and this is how it was handled. Maybe the upper levels of the security establishment will also be tarred by this brush. rumleyfipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03346146988416679423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-58384492107589092312017-03-02T11:54:24.159-08:002017-03-02T11:54:24.159-08:00There is talk of Republicans eager for President P...There is talk of Republicans eager for President Pense. It would be no surprise if he is not caught in the ol Russian drift net as well. That leaves Ryan and we know how ineffective he has been.rumleyfipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03346146988416679423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-44100625550560712332017-03-02T11:27:11.891-08:002017-03-02T11:27:11.891-08:00In the end, Mound, it's all going to catch up ...In the end, Mound, it's all going to catch up to Donald.Owen Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-29068943766950711402017-03-02T10:28:20.681-08:002017-03-02T10:28:20.681-08:00Are you familiar with Josh Marshall?
http://talk...Are you familiar with Josh Marshall? <br /><br />http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-gravity-is-strongDanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12465953801145126160noreply@blogger.com