I would like it if more people contributed to this thread, because a lot of intersting things are happening. Several of the people who were close to Trump are under investigation and have pleaded guilty, two of them for meddling with Russia (Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulus). So far nothing has involved the president personally, but Muller looks like a patient man.
Will the election coming up really be a referendum on impeachment?
If he is impeached I hope it's not on a tecnicality like having paid off a porn star. If that happens US politics will just sink further into the mud and many of his followers will believe even more strongly in "deep state" conspiracy theories.
I was thinking of the mid-term election in november. Unless the Democrats win that an impeachment is out of the question. Unless Mulleer finds something truely horrendous, I guess ….
I'm certain Trump has done enough to warrant impeachment, but how well hidden has it been? I suspect buried so deep muller won't uncover it. Trump seems to have delivered in certain areas but long term I think it's a retrograde step ie the coal burning etc, he also has polarised opinion and is well on the way to creating an un-united States of America
Muller seems to be very methodical and patient, clearly following the money Watergate-style first. It will be very interesting to see what more he'll dig up. An investigation of this type was nearly bound to happen given Trump's personality, style and lack of political experience. I mean, who else would stand i front of cameras and ask a hostile inteligence service to dig up dirty on the other candidate? )
I'm certain Trump has done enough to warrant impeachment, but how well hidden has it been? I suspect buried so deep muller won't uncover it. Trump seems to have delivered in certain areas but long term I think it's a retrograde step ie the coal burning etc, he also has polarised opinion and is well on the way to creating an un-united States of America
They tried to impeach Bill Clinton over a spunky dress - we already know Trump has done far, far worse but for whatever reason very right wing figures get a pass on a lot of behaviour. It's the same in the UK. Boris Johnson has skeletons hanging out of his closet in full public view: illegitimate children and rank incompetence being only the first two that spring to mind. Still he's an internal Tory Party coup away from being British Prime Minister
Having sex with an intern does not make you husband of the year, but it's not illegal or make you a bad president. They tried to find a financial scandal, but nothing struck. While paying off a porn star to stay silent to avoid problems in the election may be illegal, I hope that's not what this will be about.
It's just incredible. You would have thought that the American state would do something to protect itself from such a clear threat as Trump.
I get why it's so hard to dislodge a sitting president. Plenty wanted to get rid of Obama just for the crime of being black and Clinton had prolonged impeachment proceedings against him for a financial 'scandal' that appeared utterly unimportant and impossible to understand.
At least Minister of Justice (US terminology? ) Jeff Sessions has a spine and knows the constitution. He knows he can't and shouldn't stop Müller.
And I don't think most Republicans would agree their main problem with Obama was his skin colour.
America has a major racism problem. Trump made absolutely no secret of his racism during the election campaign but still Republican voters turned out for him. They knew exactly who Trump was and are complicit in what is happening now.
I'm weirdly interested in how the Bond pictures are going to handle a world in which the USA is not automatically the good guy. Some of the best material in Quantum of Solace came from confronting this conundrum. I want to see Felix Leiter come back so we can see what's going on at the CIA in the Bond universe.
The money needed to buy a chicken in Venezuela. Or at least least it was, before they cut five zeros on the Bolivar and started printing money again...
President Trump just met some Evangelical leaders. In the meeting he said the up coming mid-election will be not just a referendum on him, but "on your religion, it's a referendum on free speech and the First Amendment".
Can you imagine Reagan, or both president Bush say anything like this? Can you imagine any other president in the West talking like this? A president spreading these ideas about the oposition is dangerous and extreme ly worrying
I think the vocal Russian protests to Putin's pensjon reform is very understandable. He wants to raise the retirement age for men from 60 to 65, but their average life expectancy is only 66!
The US cuts 300 million dollars in military aid to Pakistan because of their "failure to take action against militant groups". It's nice to see the current US president doing something right.
This week it's the Swedish election. The Military Research Institute (not as scary as it sounds) has noticed a sharp rise in automatic Twitter-accounts about Swedish politics that spread videos, memes and discussions. One party (SD) is over-represented among these automatic accounts. SD is the type of party Russian inteligence tend to support.
Are you planning to read Bob Woodward's book on the Trump White House?
I didn't read Michael Wolff's "Fire and fury" because I don't think the author seemed particularely trustworthy.
Woodward's is different. He is an award-winning journalist legend who has written books on president administrations like Nixon, Clinton, Bush jr and Obama. I'm sure not all were please with the result, but they seemed to respect him. Trump calls Woodward a liar, something that tell us he didn't like the book.
I think I'll read it eventually, perhaps in paperback or from the library.
The Skripal case, along with the many " hacking" cases
Means we're back to the good old days of the cold war.
Such a shame Russia could have been a great country,
When it first got freedom. Before Putin and his Gangster
Mates, decided to divide it up between them.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
This case is very serious. Personally I believe the British authorities when they claim Russia is behind the Skripal poisonings. I don't think the British authorities have any believe motivation to do this other than what they say. It als fits with Russia's previous behavior.
What is happening is serious for the relationship between the UK and Russia, but also between Russia and the West. I think the Putin regime is dominanted by ex-KGB officers. To some extent they rely on the idea that the outside world wants to harm Russia and Russians and the Putin regime is needed to protect them. I think the backlash has been tougher than the regime expected.
I remember the last part of the cold war, I live in a country with a border to Russia. This is deeply sad.
I think Putin does indeed see himself as the "Iron man of Russia".
Increasing military spending, and flexing the military muscle
Especially in Ukraine and Syria.
Really sad to think that Russia could have been a successful
Modern democracy, sadly under the decades of Putin and his
Corrupt regime, it is far from that dream.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
The press is speculating who wrote the anonymous letter to NYT. Among the more entertaining suggestions are Kellyanne Conway, Ivanka Trump and Melania Trump )
Comments
- Rudy Guiliani
Will the election coming up really be a referendum on impeachment?
If he is impeached I hope it's not on a tecnicality like having paid off a porn star. If that happens US politics will just sink further into the mud and many of his followers will believe even more strongly in "deep state" conspiracy theories.
They tried to impeach Bill Clinton over a spunky dress - we already know Trump has done far, far worse but for whatever reason very right wing figures get a pass on a lot of behaviour. It's the same in the UK. Boris Johnson has skeletons hanging out of his closet in full public view: illegitimate children and rank incompetence being only the first two that spring to mind. Still he's an internal Tory Party coup away from being British Prime Minister
Video emerged of Trump shooting JFK from the grassy knoll.
He'd still get elected
I get why it's so hard to dislodge a sitting president. Plenty wanted to get rid of Obama just for the crime of being black and Clinton had prolonged impeachment proceedings against him for a financial 'scandal' that appeared utterly unimportant and impossible to understand.
And I don't think most Republicans would agree their main problem with Obama was his skin colour.
I'm weirdly interested in how the Bond pictures are going to handle a world in which the USA is not automatically the good guy. Some of the best material in Quantum of Solace came from confronting this conundrum. I want to see Felix Leiter come back so we can see what's going on at the CIA in the Bond universe.
Steve Bannon (2016)
Can you imagine Reagan, or both president Bush say anything like this? Can you imagine any other president in the West talking like this? A president spreading these ideas about the oposition is dangerous and extreme ly worrying
As they honour their Queen and kill their unemployed!
Yikes! You can tell that old duffer was never on the dole!
I didn't read Michael Wolff's "Fire and fury" because I don't think the author seemed particularely trustworthy.
Woodward's is different. He is an award-winning journalist legend who has written books on president administrations like Nixon, Clinton, Bush jr and Obama. I'm sure not all were please with the result, but they seemed to respect him. Trump calls Woodward a liar, something that tell us he didn't like the book.
I think I'll read it eventually, perhaps in paperback or from the library.
Means we're back to the good old days of the cold war.
Such a shame Russia could have been a great country,
When it first got freedom. Before Putin and his Gangster
Mates, decided to divide it up between them.
What is happening is serious for the relationship between the UK and Russia, but also between Russia and the West. I think the Putin regime is dominanted by ex-KGB officers. To some extent they rely on the idea that the outside world wants to harm Russia and Russians and the Putin regime is needed to protect them. I think the backlash has been tougher than the regime expected.
I remember the last part of the cold war, I live in a country with a border to Russia. This is deeply sad.
Increasing military spending, and flexing the military muscle
Especially in Ukraine and Syria.
Really sad to think that Russia could have been a successful
Modern democracy, sadly under the decades of Putin and his
Corrupt regime, it is far from that dream.
Like " Deep Throat " ?