W. Niederhut

It's a truly historic disgrace for the GOP, the Gas-lighting Old Party. They're all staying carefully on message with their false narratives -- i.e., that the articles of impeachment aren't based on clearly established evidence of Trump's extortion scam in the Ukraine, (and blatant obstruction of the Congressional inquiry) and that his impeachment is merely a partisan attempt to reverse the results of the 2016 election. The conduct of Trump and his GOP Goon Squad in Congress this week (and in the mainstream media) is simply nauseating-- unwatchable. My question. Why are so many people in this country willing to lie and enable Trump's sociopathic, blatantly illegal conduct? It's hard to believe that these are some of the same dishonest GOP goons who spent years "investigating" the Clintons-- including Kenneth Starr's five year, open-ended "White Water" investigation, Benghazi-gate, Email-gate, etc.-- and impeached Bill Clinton for trying to cover up details of a private, consensual sexual affair that had nothing to do with affairs of state! The best article I have read all year about the absurdity of the Trump GOP in 2019 was a piece published by Amanda Marcotte at Salon.com entitled, "How the GOP Trained Their Base To Ignore Trump's Criminality." It should be required reading in classrooms across the country. https://www.salon.com/2019/02/20/numb-to-corruption-how-republicans-trained-their-base-to-ignore-trumps-criminality/?curator=MediaREDEF

I'm in Texas this week, and I'm looking forward to visiting Dealey Plaza for the first time ever. (I'm a late comer to the JFKA research literature.) I noticed that Dealey Plaza is, apparently, the #1 tourist attraction in Dallas, but it sounds like the TSBD museum has been organized as a PR exhibit for the false Warren Commission narrative. Any advice for a Dealey Plaza pilgrim?

Just when we thought Trump and Bill Barr's fictional Deep State conspiracy alibis couldn't get any more ridiculous... 🤪 Who is William Barr? https://whowhatwhy.org/2019/12/06/william-barr-a-lawyer-fit-for-a-king/ December 6, 2019 "...Barr first met Bush in the CIA. In 1976, having shifted to the agency’s legislative office, he helped write the pap sheets that director Bush used to fend off the Pike and Church committees, the first real embodiments of Congressional oversight of the CIA. Intimates say the experience was for­mative for Barr, turning him into an impla­cable enemy of congressional intrusions on executive prerogative."

One of Trump's most bizarre Trumpaganda mantras since 2017 has been, "The world respects us again," (now that the black guy is out of the White House, etc.) Apparently, his Confederate cult members actually believe this is true. Yet, Trump's approval rating in parts of Western Europe has fallen to less than 10%, while Obama continues to be held in high esteem, with approval ratings of 80%.

I read Camus' autobiographical novel, Le Premier Homme, when it was finally published by his family in the mid 90s-- which was, apparently, found in the wreckage of the motor vehicle accident that killed him. He was, certainly, sympathetic toward the plight of the oppressed Algerian Arab population and the working class French "colonials"-- hoping that they could peacefully co-exist as co-equal citizens in Algeria. In some ways, his position on race relations in Algeria was analogous to liberals in the nascent civil rights movement in the U.S. at the time. His growing distrust of Soviet totalitarianism paralleled that of the Yugoslavian dissident Milovan Djilas-- one of the "godfathers" of democratic socialism in Europe. Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago was first published in Italy in 1957, at a time when Western intellectuals were only dimly aware of the horrors of the Stalinist gulags.

Barr’s handpicked prosecutor tells inspector general he can’t back right-wing theory that Russia case was U.S. intelligence setup https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/barrs-handpicked-prosecutor-tells-inspector-general-he-cant-back-right-wing-theory-that-russia-case-was-us-intelligence-setup/2019/12/04/17e084dc-16a9-11ea-9110-3b34ce1d92b1_story.html

Robert, It sounds like you're still wearing your MAGA Vision Goggles... 🤪 MAGA-Vision Goggles! They’re the only protection against the persuasive power of reality.

GREAT MOMENTS IN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL STATESMANSHIP-- 1961-2019 "Ich bin ein Berliner!" / JFK (1961) "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" / Ronald Reagan (1988) "Would you like us to send some nice ISIS fighters to France?" / Donald Trump (December 3, 2019)

Well, I finally read Tom O'Neill's Chaos book this week, then went back and re-read this entire, fascinating July-to-September Forum thread-- including the DiEugenio review of the book. Better late than never. (Ron Bulman's posts about Jolly West finally prompted me to buy the book.) I have a few thoughts and observations about the "forest" of Chaos in relation to the "trees." Most of the debate here is about various trees. My impression is that O'Neill was striving during the past 20 years to synthesize his numerous discoveries about Manson, the LAPD, LASO, the two Smiths, Jolly West, Reeve Whitson, the CIA, et.al., into an integrated explanatory theory of the Family and the Tate/La Bianca murders. As he, himself, admits in the epilogue, he didn't get there. BUT, he has, certainly, unearthed a number of pieces of a putative puzzle. 1) One of the most compelling cases he presents is the astonishing history of Charles Manson and the Family being repeatedly ignored and excused by law enforcement authorities (LASO and LAPD) after committing multiple serious felonies. This would include Manson's curious transfer of parole to Roger Smith in Haight-Asbury, auto thefts, drug trafficking, and even murders (e.g., the Tenerelli case.) The police suppression of the info about the Beausoliel phone call to the Spahn Ranch after the Hinman murder is, perhaps, the most shocking example, especially since no one had been arrested for the Tate/LaBianca murders at the time that Beausoliel's phone call from San Luis Obispo was taped. O'Neill presents a convincing case, IMO, that Manson and the Family were being protected from law enforcement on a high level. Why? 2) O'Neill also presents a compelling case, from the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute archives, that Dr. Jolyon "Jolly" West was a long-term contractor with Dr. Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA's MK-Ultra program-- with a specific mandate (and funding) to study techniques of mind control, automatic obedience, and the induction of amnesia and mental illness. The Lackland AFB Shaver murder case and Jack Ruby's acute-onset psychosis in April of 1964 (after a visit by Jolly West) were truly shocking to read about, and I'm a psychiatrist! I know a lot about psychotic disorders, and the Jack Ruby/Jolly West case strikes me as highly unusual, clinically anomalous. It, certainly, sounds like West must have given Ruby a psychoto-mimetic drug of some type. Has anyone studied the history of the medical staff who "treated" Jack Ruby in prison? 3) O'Neill also presents compelling circumstantial evidence of higher-level U.S. government involvement (including Jolly West's office!) in the Haight-Asbury free clinic frequented by Charles Manson and the Family, where Manson was in frequent contact with the mysterious, tight-lipped Roger Smith. (The staff psychiatrist at the clinic, Dr. Dernberg, told O'Neill that the Tate/LaBianca murders were a case of an MK-ULTRA experiment that worked!)

So, first Trump and his GOP Congressional Goon Squad complained that the Ukraine-gate impeachment inquiry was not public. They even attempted to crash and obstruct the initial, closed door hearings (which always included GOP members on the committee.) Then they complained when the inquiry became public, and even walked out of Dr. Fiona Hill's testimony en masse. Next, Trump and the Goon Squad complained that there was no "due process." Now, Trump is complaining about the due process, and boycotting the proceedings. 'Getting, But Waiving, Due Process': Despite Cries of Unfairness, Trump Refuses Impeachment Hearing Invite "If he has a defense, we on House Judiciary—along with the American people—are eager to hear it," said. Rep. Pramila Jayapal. https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/02/getting-waiving-due-process-despite-cries-unfairness-trump-refuses-impeachment

Voila! WaPo will be publishing some of these illustrated Mueller Report graphics this month. (I can't picture WaPo and the Company performing a similar public service for an illustrated Destiny Betrayed.) https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/politics/mueller-report-illustrated/

Not sure about the DuPonts, but "the Lowells talk only to the Cabots, and the Cabots talk only to God." (I think the DuPonts talk to the Bushes.)

President Andrew Johnson was also quite vulgar, and a drunkard to boot. Johnson was, allegedly, as drunk as a skunk during his Vice Presidential inauguration in 1865. And, of course, Nixon's private speech was notoriously vulgar. In his memoir, A Time of Turbulence, Alan Greenspan mentioned that the first time he attended a private meeting with Nixon and his Cabinet officials he was shocked by Nixon's filthy language, and thought, "Something is terribly wrong here." LBJ was, evidently, more "barnyard" than Donald Trump, but both sociopaths engaged in frotteurism and serial sexual assaults.

Robert, Frankly, deference doesn't seem to be your strong suit. But, in any case, I never implied that you are one of the shrunken-brained 53% of Republicans who actually believe that Donald Trump is a better POTUS than Abraham Lincoln. As for "Honest" Abe, Mr. Caddy's references to Donald Trump's habitual, pathological mendacity are on target. No doubt, many Trump supporters are simply ignorant and/or delusional, but a more serious problem with the Trump GOP today, IMO, is dishonesty. Yesterday's cartoon at HearaldNet.com pretty much nails it.

Come now, Robert. Any reasonably perceptive person, surely, knows by now that Donald Trump is a narcissist and a sociopath. Have you studied his legal history? His own former personal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, testified in Congress that "Birther" Trump is, "a racist, a con man, and a cheat." As for comparing Trump favorably to Abraham Lincoln? It's simply absurd. Something is terribly wrong in the U.S. at present.

I wonder if these polls reflect shrinking Republican brains. I find it truly frightening that so many American citizens could actually opine that an amoral, under-educated, sociopath like Donald Trump is a better President than any POTUS in American history, much less Lincoln. Perhaps this bizarre poll is also related to demographic support for Trump in the former Confederate states, where Lincoln is viewed unfavorably.

From what I can tell, this is, essentially, a forum of historians. So, surely, I can't be the only one around here who is horrified by this story at The Hill this morning. It's like reading a page out of George Orwell's 1984. Poll: Majority of Republicans say Trump better president than Lincoln https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/472460-poll-majority-of-republicans-say-trump-better-president-than-lincoln

One of the creepiest things about Dulles and Angleton was their sophisticated grasp of modern propaganda techniques-- controlling the narrative, repeating the lies, and aggressively obstructing public awareness of the truth by any means necessary (including serial murders of witnesses.) It's somewhat surprising that Garrison wasn't murdered by the Company. They probably thought that character assassination would be more effective than his martyrdom.

1) FYI. I don't base my opinions about Trump's paraphasic errors and personality disorder on "mailing lists." I base them on direct observations of his behavior. 2) Huh? Impeachment isn't "working out?" On which planet-- Uranus? Are you implying that Trump hasn't engaged in litanies of daily lies, war crimes, flagrant violations of the Emoluments clause, extortion, bribery, environmental desecration, fraudulent tax policies, and covert sabotage of the public health? As for your Trumpaganda Deep State conspiracy chalupa, where's the beef?

Robert, I have noticed that you almost never respond to any of the references or questions that I post in these forum dialogues-- opting, instead, to post ad hominem slurs and more articles from the GOP Trumpaganda blog-o-sphere. Did you even read the new Who What Why interview with Glenn Simpson about his new book, Crime in Progress? As a guy who has repeatedly denounced the Steele Dossier as "fake," you should find the true backstory interesting-- the flip-side of the Fox News Trumpaganda on the subject.

Not sure, but he, apparently, landed on his golova, survived, and decided not to testify against Putin's oligarchs in that case. Meanwhile, Trump had simultaneously fired the U.S. Federal prosecutor, Preet Bharara, involved in that case.

Robert, Chalupa sounds like something that can be full of beans, beef, or chicken. In your case, I'm guessing it's beans. Meanwhile, any thoughts about Trump's "sock rocket?" 🙄

More like wishful thinking. I've never heard of Ms. Chalupa. As for Trump's fitness for high office, I do have serious concerns. At his most recent rally in Florida, Trump called the stock market the "sock rocket." He is also ranting in increasingly bizarre, grandiose monologues that are virtual word salads. IMO, Trump is exhibiting signs of dementia-- and people suffering from dementia also typically experience an unmasking of their underlying personality disorders, including narcissism. He reminds me of demented, narcissistic old guys in nursing homes who get angry and punch the nurses.

The Trump/Putin body count may have begun with the death of Oleg Erovinkin, one of the alleged sources for the Steele Dossier. Then there was that Magnitsky witness (Gorokhov?) who fell out of a fourth story window in a mysterious bathtub accident.

With Denver buried under a foot of snow for Thanksgiving, people around here won't be driving out to theaters, in any case. The city looks like Lower Slobovia this morning. The good news is that I can stay indoors and watch The Irishman in my living room on Netflix, with as many intermissions as I need. The bad news is that the film, evidently, sucks. Although, I have to confess that I have always liked Martin Scorcese's films-- especially his Bob Dylan documentary, No Direction Home, and The Departed, which caused post-traumatic flashbacks of my medical school/ER experiences in Boston (and Providence.)