The Russian Connection

[Imagine20]

I think this deserves is own thread. I've seen it mentioned in other, and thought it would be nice to have a discussion solely about this. Is this a big deal? Is it nothing? Is this something that should just be expected? 

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_582475f5e4b0d9ce6fc0e5f4

 

[GreyhoundFan]

I saw this earlier today and it made me ill. I'm in no way surprised. The FBI could "examine" Hillary's emails time and again, yet when a foreign power has blatant contact with potential decision-makers, they don't actually do anything about it. I plan to write my Senators and U.S. Representative (all Democrats), asking them why Congress isn't doing a formal inquiry, both into the Russian connection and into James Comey.

[Childless]

It's because Republicans like to talk a good game about democracy, but they really don't support it.  The like authoritarianism and restricting rights so long as it isn't rich white men's rights.  They long for a ruling class in this country.  They don't care for undesirables (women, other races, non-Christian religions, LGBTQ community) having a say in how things are run and what laws should be passed.  That is why they like Russia and Putin and consider both an example of leadership.

[Miranda]

I remember Bill Clinton being endlessly raked over the coals for visiting Moscow as a student. What's changed? I honestly don't get it.

[Mercer]

For what it's worth, a relative-by-marriage of mine is former Navy intelligence, still working in the national security field - and he is very concerned about this and has been stating that quite openly on his (normally barely active and completely apolitical) social media. Frankly, if he's that worried about it, so am I. It's just his personal opinion rather than a professional position on the issue, but I feel like he would know what he's talking about.

[Howl]

Yeah, the MSM seems like they are in a daze on real news.  Yeah, you generated some drama from the  Pence/Hamilton incident and Trump's tweet, but you should really be clutching your damn pearls over Trump's lack of transparency on his finances.  I'm starting to believe Trump sees the presidency as just one major marketing opportunity for the Trump brand. 

I'm personally boycotting CNN and every body else, except TalkingPointsMemo.com and I'm actively looking for other decent news sources.  That may come as searching for long-form articles here and there.  The Washington Post is also decent. 

@Mercer, thanks for your post.  Starting with Paul Manafort, the Russian/Ukraine entanglements are intensely concerning.  At least the Manafort connection this summer put this on the radar of anyone paying attention.  And Russian hackers?  Don't get me started on the extent to which Americans are oblivious to the damage that has and can be done. Putin is  dangerous, brutal, corrupt  and a very, VERY scary man who started in Russian intelligence.  I don't think it's a stretch to believe that he kills journalists and political enemies; you don't have to do that often for people to get the idea. Excellent Washinton  post article here titled How censorship works in Vladimir Putin’s Russia

One article I read a few months ago discussed Trump's and Clinton's past visits to Russia.  These types of visits are used by Russians to gather intelligence for kompromat files.  Wanna bet Team Clinton team was on super high alert with a protective protocol in place and Trump was oblivious?

From the Wiki on Kompromat files: 

Quote

Kompromat (Russian: компромат, short for компрометирующий материал) is the Russian term for compromising materials about a politician or other public figure. Such materials can be used to create negative publicity, for blackmail, or for ensuring loyalty. Kompromat can be acquired from various security services, or outright forged, and then publicized by paying off a journalist. Widespread use of kompromat has been one of the characteristic features of politics in Russia and other post-Soviet states.

One recent development has been the creation of specialized kompromat websites, most famously the Russian Компромат.Ru (compromat.ru), that will, for a fee of several hundred dollars, publish any piece of kompromat on anyone. Consequently, such websites are occasionally temporarily blocked by Russian ISPs and their owners harassed by government agencies.

google "Russian kompromat files" and there are some interesting results

[RoseWilder]

1 hour ago, Howl said:

Yeah, the MSM seems like they are in a daze on real news.  Yeah, you generated some drama from the  Pence/Hamilton incident and Trump's tweet, but you should really be clutching your damn pearls over Trump's lack of transparency on his finances.  I'm starting to believe Trump sees the presidency as just one major marketing opportunity for the Trump brand. 

I'm personally boycotting CNN and every body else, except TalkingPointsMemo.com and I'm actively looking for other decent news sources.  That may come as searching for long-form articles here and there.  The Washington Post is also decent. 

I read an opinion piece on Daily Kos that said "this should be the biggest news story since 9/11." And I agree. Yet, the MSM is ignoring it. There have multiple different, well-researched articles on Newsweek, Slate and Mother Jones about Trump's ties to Russia and yet crickets from the rest of the media. It's maddening. 

I'm also avoiding most TV news sources. Although, there is one show that is doing a good job of holding Trump accountable, and that's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell. I'm going to make a point to watch that show as often as possible and then email MSNBC to let them know that this is the only show I'm watching on their channel. Ratings are the only thing that is going to make the MSM actually do their job better, so in addition to boycotting the bad shows, I want to also throw my support behind the good ones. It's so sad that I can only name 1 good show. 

[louisa05]

Then there is this: 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-jr-held-talks-on-syria-with-russia-supporters-1479920753

I think this deserves some investigation as well. 

Something tells me that it will be giving inappropriate power and information to his kids that takes down Trump. I'm not sure even the GOP congress will continue to let that go. 

Of course, I thought the people of Iowa and New Hampshire would vote for experienced leaders in February and Trump would go away promptly so the grown ups could run for president. 

[Howl]

@RoseWilder, Thanks for the tip on Lawrence O'Donnell.  I'll record him on my DVR.  Also like Rachel Maddow. 

I'm a child of the Sputnik era and experienced "duck and cover" nuclear attack drills in my elementary school.  My dad's military assignment to Alaska in the 1950s meant we lived with the perceived threat of nuclear attack.  And remember when the Ed Sullivan Show aired The Short Vision, scaring the crap out of us and scarring young minds forever? We couldn't see Russia from our house (thanks, Sarah Palin!), but it was close in our minds and Russia definitely stood for post-apocalyptic dystopia, if we survived at all.  The younger generation (can't believe I'm typing that!) has no particularly negative experience with Russia, so Trump's ties there don't resonate or have any particular significance.

There is already so much Trump malfeasance that is is hard to say what will bubble to the surface.  Trump not wanting to live in the White House full time? Trump deciding that his finances and conflicts of interest are nobody's business but his own?  Trump's kids and their spouses? Trump flip-flopping all over the place? Trump's appointment of Erik Prince's sister as Secretary of Education? Trump's hatred of the press?  Hard to see how Trump's financial entanglements with Russian financiers and the Putin connection will get traction, unless something dramatic happens (and I'm convinced there are Trump sex tapes out there somewhere). 

I can see how Trump would admire Putin's autocratic ability to suppress and defeat the press. It will be disheartening to see how much groveling will be going on to get press access to Trump and how much fluff will be generated as a result.