The inevitable end result of our last 56 years

[Benjamin Cole]

3 minutes ago, Bob Ness said:

No, I don't put Ben in that category .

To put another way: He's an oasis in the desert of real and perceived grievance. Trump can only appeal to people in that way because it's not possible for him in any other way. His followers function as if they're battered children fearing his disapproval because any slight deviation from the bargain they receive from worshipping him is instantly retracted and they get punished.

Trump knows all this - it's not done unconsciously.

Bob-

 

Well, thanks.

I regard you are perceptive and highly intelligent. You do not consume M$M and simply agree. 

We may disagree as we try to pull back the curtain, and that is fine. 

Hey, I may make mistakes. That is what happens when one starts scrambling around in the bushes looking for truth. Along the way, you meet a lot of gadflies, cranks, oddballs and misfits. The disaffected are always the first to distrust authority and party lines. 

But just because a crackpot thinks the CIA murdered JFK, does not exonerate the CIA. 

So it goes. 

 

[Benjamin Cole]

3 minutes ago, Bob Ness said:

This is the easiest claim to make without any shred of real evidence. In fact, any evidence needed is better created with innuendo (please see Hunter). That doesn't have the nasty connotation of actually having to be true. It only requires a wink and a nudge. Everyone gets it who is disposed to get it.

I dunno. The Hunter Biden story is beginning to take form. 

Stay tuned.

 

 

[Guest]

27 minutes ago, Benjamin Cole said:

I am not a socialist, as I have lost faith in big government, and I am wary of big government abuses. See China for pointers. 

But I sometimes say, "Marxist diagnosis is right 95% of the time, but Marxist medicine is poison."

This is a fascinating take on the modern Donks, by socialists: 

"The CIA takeover of the Democratic Party"

Patrick Martin

13 March 2018

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/03/13/pers-m13.html

The is the World Socialist Web Site. 

A CIA takeover of the Donks...explains a lot. 

 

 

 

Little to disagree with in that read. You won’t find much support here on the forum for that POV, some people would prefer to stare at Plato’s cave wall and watch a series of distractions. The CIA is an octopus, its tentacles strangling the state. Plenty have spelled this out. 
 

 

[Bob Ness]

2 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Bob-

 

Well, thanks.

I regard you are perceptive and highly intelligent. You do not consume M$M and simply agree. 

We may disagree as we try to pull back the curtain, and that is fine. 

Hey, I may make mistakes. That is what happens when one starts scrambling around in the bushes looking for truth. Along the way, you meet a lot of gadflies, cranks, oddballs and misfits. The disaffected are always the first to distrust authority and party lines. 

But just because a crackpot thinks the CIA murdered JFK, does not exonerate the CIA. 

So it goes. 

 

Hahaha you do know I wasn't referring to you as the oasis? I meant Trump but you got to it before my edit. 

And yes, I enjoy our back and fourths. It's a fun challenge as with the other posters here. Bright group to discuss things with in spite of my occasional (or not so haha) frustrations!

[Benjamin Cole]

59 minutes ago, Bob Ness said:

Hahaha you do know I wasn't referring to you as the oasis? I meant Trump but you got to it before my edit. 

And yes, I enjoy our back and fourths. It's a fun challenge as with the other posters here. Bright group to discuss things with in spite of my occasional (or not so haha) frustrations!

I will accept all compliments, even if directed at someone else. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by Benjamin Cole

[Matt Allison]

uh, wow. Holy cow. Well, I guess this will put to rest any doubts about who's playing for which team lol

 

 

[Steve Thomas]

Donald Trump's newest lawyer is a poet. They've known each other since Military Academy days.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trumps-new-lawyer-peter-ticktin-has-been-fawning-over-him-since-high-school?ref=home

-  Peter Ticktin -

At last the market place has brought / A toy that causes lasting thought / Of life and sex and puzzled joy, / A chopped up mess of Miss Playboy. / A jig sawed copy of past releases, / The poor girl has gone to pieces, / Cut apart by some contraption / As she longed for loving action,” reads the poem, “A PLAYBOY PUZZLE.”

Um...

No comment.

Steve Thomas

 

[Steve Thomas]

5 hours ago, Matt Allison said:

uh, wow. Holy cow. Well, I guess this will put to rest any doubts about who's playing for which team lol

 

Matt,

Now I know that Donald Trump will run for President in 2024.

He's asked Vladimir Putin for help.

Steve Thomas

[W. Niederhut]

10 hours ago, Steve Thomas said:

 

 

  Yes, Putin and Russia are fascist – a political scientist shows how they meet the textbook definition

https://theconversation.com/yes-putin-and-russia-are-fascist-a-political-scientist-shows-how-they-meet-the-textbook-definition-179063

March 30, 2022

Edited March 30, 2022 by W. Niederhut

[Kirk Gallaway]

Let's face it, now that a war has started there's a lot of BS going on from each side about what is truly happening. If Ukraine was marginally losing the War, I would expect our side to only emphasize facts to support they are winning. 

Over a month ago, before the invasion. Chris posted an article here, and maybe it was Paul who recommended it, so I read it. The author was Scott Ritter who I liked because he was at the forefront of exposing Bush's War in Iraq and asking questions about WMD. I was interested on how he'd weigh in.

He said Nato would do nothing if Putin invaded and that NATO was a broken power with each country serving their own selfish interests. I believe he pointed out the noted example of Germany needing that pipeline from Russia and so the sanctions will  do absolutely no good at all. And he acknowledged that the the West has no intention of a ground war with Russia in Ukraine, so Nato is stuck, and Putin will deliver a fatal blow to Nato as any sort of deterrent in the future. I thought that was an interesting opinion. But Ritter's attitude was sort  "Attaboy Vlad! Which told me he could probably justify a Putin invasion. Putin's invasion, surprised many people, and it caused some in the anti Nato community , like Matt Taibbi to change his mind about Putin and declare he was wrong. It's pretty obvious Ritter's conclusion about Nato's response was 180 degrees off. But I wondered where Ritter would stand now given this brutal invasion.

As it turns out Ritter is apparently a military strategist and is definitely a Russian partisan. He said Russia has played this perfectly. He notes that Russia has only 200,000 troops engaged and says they are out manned by Ukraine with 600,000 (where did he get that figure, how can anyone know?). He says Russia has engineered a feint, which I didn't know what it meant but in essence it is creating a diversion that could sacrifice some troops in order to misdirect the Ukrainians and Ritter says it's been hugely successful, and will give Putin and Russia a victory.

People did skeptically respond in the thread that the loss in troops and tanks was much greater than any military would accept in a feint, and echoed the story line we've been hearing that the Russians expected Kiev to fall in 3 days, and have greatly miscalculated Ukraine resistance. Currently, with the civilian bombing and destruction of Maripol, the Russians are building a bridge down to Crimea and will benefit at solidifying that bridge if any temporary cease fire takes effect. But the latest western  feed is that Putin surrounded himself with "yes men' and wasn't aware how miserably his military campaign in Ukraine has gone, and so will have to re calibrate. So what ultimately, is the truth?

It's become apparent to me that there are a number of right wing westerners who've accepted Putin's invasion and are cheering it on, such as Ritter. This has all became great sport to them and there's no mention at all about depth of human suffering and displacement.   Another one such right winger is Glenn Greenwald, who sarcastically says, "Watch how the West will spin this as a great victory, when Ukraine concedes Crimea, Donbass to  Russia and agrees to not join Nato!"  I then found out that Ritter writes for RT. A fact I didn't know, and one poster offered that  Ritter was convicted in a sex charge  with a minor in 2011, which I also know nothing about.

I see this related article in the NYtimes. I'm always being asked to subscribe. Maybe some day I will.  I understand there's a way for third parties to send articles by which they won't be blocked. If anybody know how, and could send this article to me. I would greatly appreciate it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/opinion/putin-culture-war.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220330&instance_id=57094&nl=the-morning&regi_id=61798350&segment_id=86957&te=1&user_id=48552702f942aacb0810b9de5ca41c55

. 

[Guest]

5 hours ago, Kirk Gallaway said:

Let's face it, now that a war has started there's a lot of BS going on from each side about what is truly happening. If Ukraine was marginally losing the War, I would expect our side to only emphasize facts to support they are winning. 

Over a month ago, before the invasion. Chris posted an article here, and maybe it was Paul who recommended it, so I read it. The author was Scott Ritter who I liked because he was at the forefront of exposing Bush's War in Iraq and asking questions about WMD. I was interested on how he'd weigh in.

He said Nato would do nothing if Putin invaded and that NATO was a broken power with each country serving their own selfish interests. I believe he pointed out the noted example of Germany needing that pipeline from Russia and so the sanctions will  do absolutely no good at all. And he acknowledged that the the West has no intention of a ground war with Russia in Ukraine, so Nato is stuck, and Putin will deliver a fatal blow to Nato as any sort of deterrent in the future. I thought that was an interesting opinion. But Ritter's attitude was sort  "Attaboy Vlad! Which told me he could probably justify a Putin invasion. Putin's invasion, surprised many people, and it caused some in the anti Nato community , like Matt Taibbi to change his mind about Putin and declare he was wrong. It's pretty obvious Ritter's conclusion about Nato's response was 180 degrees off. But I wondered where Ritter would stand now given this brutal invasion.

As it turns out Ritter is apparently a military strategist and is definitely a Russian partisan. He said Russia has played this perfectly. He notes that Russia has only 200,000 troops engaged and says they are out manned by Ukraine with 600,000 (where did he get that figure, how can anyone know?). He says Russia has engineered a feint, which I didn't know what it meant but in essence it is creating a diversion that could sacrifice some troops in order to misdirect the Ukrainians and Ritter says it's been hugely successful, and will give Putin and Russia a victory.

People did skeptically respond in the thread that the loss in troops and tanks was much greater than any military would accept in a feint, and echoed the story line we've been hearing that the Russians expected Kiev to fall in 3 days, and have greatly miscalculated Ukraine resistance. Currently, with the civilian bombing and destruction of Maripol, the Russians are building a bridge down to Crimea and will benefit at solidifying that bridge if any temporary cease fire takes effect. But the latest western  feed is that Putin surrounded himself with "yes men' and wasn't aware how miserably his military campaign in Ukraine has gone, and so will have to re calibrate. So what ultimately, is the truth?

It's become apparent to me that there are a number of right wing westerners who've accepted Putin's invasion and are cheering it on, such as Ritter. This has all became great sport to them and there's no mention at all about depth of human suffering and displacement.   Another one such right winger is Glenn Greenwald, who sarcastically says, "Watch how the West will spin this as a great victory, when Ukraine concedes Crimea, Donbass to  Russia and agrees to not join Nato!"  I then found out that Ritter writes for RT. A fact I didn't know, and one poster offered that  Ritter was convicted in a sex charge  with a minor in 2011, which I also know nothing about.

I see this related article in the NYtimes. I'm always being asked to subscribe. Maybe some day I will.  I understand there's a way for third parties to send articles by which they won't be blocked. If anybody know how, and could send this article to me. I would greatly appreciate it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/opinion/putin-culture-war.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220330&instance_id=57094&nl=the-morning&regi_id=61798350&segment_id=86957&te=1&user_id=48552702f942aacb0810b9de5ca41c55

. 

I think what is happening here is the same with anything else, Hilary, Trump, 9/11, JFK, Iraq WMD’s, C19 etc. The water’s become so muddied that nobody knows what to think and nobody is certain of anything. Such a good job of flooding the media sphere is done around such events that it just tires everybody out until the next drama reinvigorates us. Each topic splits us in two, with arms of the media pulling at our sensibilities and toying with us. 
 

I am at this point certain that none of the super-powers are virtuous. I am certain that they’re all playing a fiddle and using a familiar tune that our ears want to hear. Whilst telling us the other super-powers are playing awful music. All of these super powers have some things in common; their ruling class like to rule, they like to profit and they don’t mind sacrificing the poor and middle classes to achieve their goals. 
 

I am certain that a detente is required here. As it was in 62. I am certain that isolating Russia will be fuel for the Russian government to push the % of people against the west back up to Soviet era levels. I am certain that it puts Europe and the world on a knife edge. I am certain China is sat thinking that it plays into their hands, just like WW2 played into the hands of the US as they sat hiding behind a non aggression pact profiting from conflict, only to take the spoils at the last. 
 

Nobody likes or condones the Russian invasion or the ongoing humanitarian crisis thats going on in Ukraine, people outside of government want it to stop. The trouble is as always, the armaments guys and fossil fuel lot love a crisis, a war, its opportunity for them to profit from the misery of others. 
 

I am also certain Russia and its enemies in the west have a responsibility here, blood is on their hands. Our way out of this isn’t to keep putting the blame on one party. The solution is to break bread and organise a withdrawal (where possible), a deescalation and a rapprochement. Quit the posturing and incitement. 
 

Russian doesn’t have the capacity to dominate Europe or the world, the west doesn’t need to dominate every square of the globe in the name of safety or national security. 
 

I am sure barely any of you watched the video of this eminent international relations and geopolitics scholar from 2015:

It’s a very good listen IMHO, there is wisdom here. 
 

If public sentiment is; lets goto war with Russia, it will surely happen. If public sentiment is to find peace, it will surely happen, as our politicians cannot move ahead without the consent of the masses. Lets not forget, these Russians remember the 50 million plus dead at the hands of communism, I am certain the average person like you and I doesn’t want or need that again. Don’t make them desperate.

[Benjamin Cole]

"Inside Hunter Biden's multi-million dollar deals with a Chinese energy company

A Washington Post review confirms...."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/30/hunter-biden-china-laptop/

CEFC China Energy, which has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and People's Liberation Army, paid entities controlled by the then-cash-strapped Hunter Biden or his uncle James Biden $4.8 million over the course of 14 months beginning in 2017, according to The Washington Post.

As far as I can tell, this is separate from about $750,000 the CCP gave to Joe Biden, rather obviously laundered through the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement.

If Trump is guilty of various charges, I hope he goes to prison.

But Biden is president now. Do we have a seriously compromised President? Or, is that a rhetorical question concerning any establishment party candidate?  

[Matt Allison]

Hunter Biden made money after his dad left office. So what? Nothing illegal. If you don't understand how legal influence works in DC, you might want to learn. Check out the hundreds of millions Ivanka and Jared made while Trump was still in office. 

Sorry, but this is an attempt at inventing a scandal to distract from the MAGA coup attempt.

And there's nothing "muddy" about what's happening in Ukraine. At all.

Putin lies about everything, everyone already knows that, but Russia is losing and has been forced to retreat. Ukraine will never submit to Russia. Not in a thousand years. The sooner ignorant people accept that, the easier their life will be.

And Scott Ritter was always trash, at best, on his good days.

[Matt Allison]

https://eand.co/what-does-putin-want-a-worldwide-fascist-apocalypse-f54f40362594

[Benjamin Cole]

10 minutes ago, Matt Allison said:

Hunter Biden made money after his dad left office. So what? Nothing illegal. If you don't understand how legal influence works in DC, you might want to learn. Check out the hundreds of millions Ivanka and Jared made while Trump was still in office. 

Sorry, but this is an attempt at inventing a scandal to distract from the MAGA coup attempt.

And there's nothing "muddy" about what's happening in Ukraine. At all.

Putin lies about everything, everyone already knows that, but Russia is losing and has been forced to retreat. Ukraine will never submit to Russia. Not in a thousand years. The sooner ignorant people accept that, the easier their life will be.

And Scott Ritter was always trash, at best, on his good days.

"Sorry, but this is an attempt at inventing a scandal to distract from the MAGA coup attempt._--Matt.

I dunno. You know the WaPo is an establishment-Donk mouthpiece, right? I would say the WaPo felt compelled to run China-Biden money story as it became too obvious, and even then they are downplaying the ramifications, trying to limit damage and control coverage. 

I advise not turning every story into a blue-red kool-aid contest. 

If Trump goes to prison, fine by me. If Biden goes to prison, fine by me. 

We really need a new party.