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PREVIEW: SUBSCRIBE TO READ IN FULL! Trump's Pathetic Kneepads DiplomacyTrump is no student of history because he's ignoring Putin at democracy's peril
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Imperial Japan launched a surprise military strike on an important U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, targeting the Pacific Fleet in Hawaii. In just a few hours, five of eight battleships, three destroyers, and seven other ships were sunk or severely damaged, and more than 200 aircraft were destroyed. Two Thousand Four Hundred Americans were killed and One Thousand Two Hundred were wounded, many during their attempts to fight back against the surprise attack that ultimately catapulted the U.S. into World War II. It was a deliberate, unprovoked attack meant to cripple American power and force the U.S. out of Japan’s expansionist dreams. Just one day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared before a joint session of Congress and declared, “[y]esterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” President Roosevelt then (properly) asked Congress to approve a war resolution that passed the Senate by a vote of 82 to 0, and the House of Representatives by a vote of 388 to 1. [Sidenote: of course Convicted Felon Donald Trump doesn’t understand how things work and has yet to get Congressional approval for his war moves against Venezuela.] But back in 1941, no one sat around debating who the enemy was. And yet today, somehow, we’re living through another era where the villain is just as obvious, just as aggressive, just as explicit about his intentions and a shocking number of Republicans and Felon Trump insist on turning a blind eye. Before Pearl Harbor, the U.S. was busy convincing itself that Japan wouldn’t dare take on the United States. Despite years of Japan invading neighbors, Americans basically treated the escalating aggression by Japan like background noise. Then the bombs fell. And suddenly, everyone got clarity shoved down their throats. Japan wasn’t “just protecting its interests;” Japan was the aggressor, the danger, the enemy. Fast-forward to 2025 and we’re watching Russian President Vladimir Putin rewrite European borders with missile strikes, cluster bombs, and force. He repeatedly invades Ukraine, kidnaps kids, assassinates dissidents, shuts down independent media, commits war crimes, and threatens retaliation when someone looks at him cross-eyed... |
Dispatches of alarm and hope, on politics and society, democracy and justice. Because silence is not an option. We may read and write alone, but we drive change together. Trump and Putin's Unholy AllianceThe guy who claims he cares about "America First" heads to Alaska this week where he'll likely bow to the interests of the Russian president
I will never get over July 16, 2018, when a beaten-looking Donald Trump emerged from a private meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki and betrayed America. He did so by siding with the Russian dictator over the findings of our nation’s 17 intelligence agencies concerning Russian interference in the 2016 election. "President Putin says it's not Russia,” Trump said. “I don't see any reason why it would be.” Unsurprisingly, the White House occupant who’s currently engaged in a cover-up of his involvement with child rapist and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, made sure that no interpreter’s notes from that Helsinki meeting would ever see the light of day. In fact, while it was widely reported that Trump confiscated his interpreter’s notes after a meeting with Putin in Hamburg, Germany in 2017, that was just one of five one-on-one encounters with Putin from which there’s no detailed record even in classified files. As the Washington Post reported in 2019, this was “part of a broader pattern by the president of shielding his communications with Putin from public scrutiny and preventing even high-ranking officials in his own administration from fully knowing what he has told one of the United States’ main adversaries.” (Asked about this by a reporter, Trump said dismissively that his talks with Putin are “none of your business.”) I would add that this tracks with Trump’s consistent pattern of never publicly criticizing Putin, adding weight to the still-alarming assertion that he is a long-time asset of Russia, dating back to his first visit to Moscow in 1987 and years and years of laundering dirty Russian money through his real estate operations. There is, of course, much more to say about Trump’s Russian involvements, which he has sought with mind-numbing repetition to cover up as the “Russia, Russia, Russia hoax”—not least of which is how his unholy alliance with Putin belies his phony claim that he’s committed to “America First.” This Friday Trump is meeting Putin in Alaska. He’s billing it as a peace talk concerning the end of the Russia-Ukraine war. But let’s not be lulled into believing that this is not just another self-serving venture for Trump. What kind of peace talks are they when the meeting only involves Trump and Putin, who is responsible for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the deaths of as many as 100,000 Ukrainians? They can fallaciously portray the meeting as a meeting to seek peace but it won’t include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who would be the only one there sticking up for Ukraine and democracy. Nor, by the way, do Trump and Putin show the slightest interest in involving NATO or the European Union. And what kind of peace talks are they when Trump henchman and the regime’s NATO ambassador, Matthew Whittaker, goes on national TV Sunday and declares, “No big chunks or sections are going to be just given that haven't been fought for or earned on the battlefield." Really? Illegally invade a country, commit war crimes on a mass scale, and then Trump’s operative talks about the invader “earning” a sovereign nation’s land? Let’s not forget that candidate Trump boasted he’d end the war in 24 hours. Nearly seven months into this arsonist’s destruction of America—the kind of destruction that even Putin couldn’t have dreamed possible—Trump has proven himself unable to motivate the Kremlin’s murderous thug to stop the killing and go home. Trump already declared on Friday that there would need to "be some swapping of territories" for Russia and Ukraine to reach a settlement. Talk about the “art of the deal.” But Zelensky wasn’t having it. "We will not reward Russia for what it has perpetrated," he replied. "Any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace." Moreover, Zelensky insisted any conclusions reached without Kyiv’s input would amount to “dead decisions.” He also said a deal that involved Russia taking control of seized regions is “against our Constitution.” So we are left to wonder what Trump is really after in hosting Putin on American soil, which in an alternate world would be an opportunity to act on the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for his deadly actions in Ukraine. Yes, last month Trump uncharacteristically told the BBC that he was "disappointed by Putin.” He then set an August 8 deadline for the Russian president to agree to an immediate ceasefire or face more severe US sanctions. In a clear sign of how seriously Putin takes Trump’s demands, Russia has expanded its drone and missile attacks in Ukraine, resulting in record civilian casualties. Trump can claim that his special envoy Steve Witkoff had “highly productive” discussions with Putin in Moscow this week, but don’t count on this meeting leading to an agreement that genuinely paves the way toward peace. Given Trump’s ridiculous obsession with winning a Nobel Peace Prize, he may have an actual desire to see an end to the bloodshed. But we have no reason to assume that he would risk crossing Putin to get there. It’s always sensible to consider the worst motivations for Trump’s actions. So let’s not doubt the possibility that he’s looking at his unholy alliance with Putin as an opportunity to get his support if Trump emulates him by invading a sovereign territory such as Greenland or Panama and then demanding peace only after seizing control of the desired region. I hope I’m wrong. But we are unlikely to know what exactly Trump does arrange with Putin, since his backroom dirty dealings are always “none of your business.” That’s what he thought in 2019, and it’s surely what he thinks now as his so-called presidency is primarily focused on self-dealing, retribution and cover-ups. I would still like to know what kompromat—compromising information useful for blackmail—Putin is successfully holding over Trump. If Trump emerges Friday looking anything like he did after his private session with Putin in Helsinki, you can be sure that Mr. America First is still focused on serving Russia first. COMMENTS: And now those 17 agencies seem to be fully on the side of Trump and Putin. It's no longer a rogue President; it's a betrayal the magnitude of which we did not imagine, just six years ago. True, many of us are outraged. But the outrage is muffled, when it needs to be deafening. Why was he allowed to launder Russian money for decades with no consequences? Why are known Russian assets in our government? Kompromat. Hmmm. As Heather Cox Richardson offered in one of her newsletters this week, perhaps Putin has proof of Trump's actual involvement with Epstein's girls. If the Russians were able to hack Hillary's emails, what makes us think that they haven't hacked the Epstein files, or any of the surveillance cameras throughout Epstein's many residences? We know that world leaders work up detailed profiles of other leaders so that they know what they are dealing with in any negotiation or meeting. It's likely the US intel community has such a profile on Putin but Trump can't read and Tulsi wouldn't dare give him bad news. I'm not a conspiracy freak, but I don't think it's a stretch to conclude Putin definitely has kompromat and that Trump is terrified of it getting out. And as for any "peace" deal regarding Ukraine, it is only right and proper that Zelensky says to those two evil autocrats: go fuck yourselves. U.S. BANKS stopped lending to TRUMP after the CASINO fiascos in which he overspent & had no personal commitment in violation of NJ GAMING REGULATIONS. RUSSIA subsequently bailed TRUMP out, paid a premium for real estate money laundering schemes. (Now Trump is going after banks for discriminating against him?). Note that RUDY GHOULiani made his reputation by prosecuting 'organized crime,' but ignored the Russian Mafia. David Cay Johnston wrote 2 well researched books about TRUMP'S CASINOS. SENATOR RON WYDEN has reported on the TREASURY WIRE TRANSFERS to one EPSTEIN account. Those need to be investigated. excerpt: There are specifics: Banks flagged more than $1.5 billion in transactions involving Epstein. They included “thousands of wire transfers for the purchase and sale of artwork for rich friends, fees paid to Mr. Epstein by wealthy individuals, and payments to numerous women.” Very intriguing. The Republican Party’s Assault on Democracy: From George W. Bush to Donald Trump https://www.craigunger.com/books ALTHOUGH WE'D NEVER PURCHASE FROM AMAZON, THEY OFFER REASONABLE INFORMATION ABOUT CRAIG UNGER'S BOOK - SURELY AVAILABLE FROM YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY Craig Unger https://www.amazon.com/stores/Craig%20Unger/author/B001H6EMQO THIS BOOK WAS RIVETING! Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to Russia’s underworld will be explored in new book excerpt: Two weeks after the death of disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, publisher Dutton announced a new book that will explore his connections with the Russian underworld. Journalist Craig Unger, author of “House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia,” will release a new book about Russian connections to public figures, including Epstein, U.S. Atty. Gen. William Barr and President Trump, the Penguin Random House imprint revealed Tuesday. The publisher said the book, due for release in 2020 and as yet untitled, “will contain deeply reported, explosive newsbreaks that shed new light on Russian ties to powerful politicians and financiers.” The Department of Justice did not respond to request for comment about Unger’s book. Amanda Walker, Dutton’s publicity director, said the book was in the works before Epstein died in custody on Aug. 10 while awaiting trial on new sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. “In light of Jeffrey Epstein’s recent suicide, Unger will pursue the story behind his death as the news unfolds and will continue to research his connections using the civil suits against his estate and the prosecution of his co-conspirators,” the Dutton announcement said. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2019-08-27/jeffrey-epstein-russian-ties-craig-unger Excerpt from CRAIG UNGER's book indicates PUTIN has EPSTEIN's VIDEOS.... American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery READ Craig Unger's book(s) available from your public library: American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery Hardcover – January 26, 2021 by Craig Unger (Author) RUSSIA HAS THE VIDEOS! • How John Mark Dougan, a former deputy sheriff in Mar-a-Lago’s Palm Beach County, says he acquired 478 videos confiscated from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, fled to Moscow, became only the fourth American to win asylum in Russia, and immediately gained access to Putin’s inner circle, showing the ongoing power that comes from kompromat and how its value is highest before it is “used.” ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Most importantly, is the story of Deputy Sheriff John Mark Dougan. He was a former Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy and was “under investigation by the FBI for allegedly collaborating with Russian military intelligence to spread misinformation about Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign. (25 WPBF News, written by Malcolm Shields, October 25, 2024) Before his arrest, Dougan snatched from the Evidence Room all 478 videos from Epstein’s files. He then drove to Toronto and caught a plane to Moscow.” According to Craig Unger, “Dougan was only the 4th American to receive asylum in Russia.” He presented the Russians evidence - known in Russia as Kompromat - to be used against worldwide leaders - including Donald Trump. FLIGHTS have been documented: Jeffrey Epstein’s island: What really happened there? Accusers say billionaire’s private paradise of Little St James in U.S. Virgin Islands was centre of international sex trafficking ring https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/jeffrey-epstein-island-where-virginia-giuffre-visitors-b2740242.html THE GUARDIAN PANNED UNGER'S BOOK: American Kompromat review: Trump, Russia, Epstein … and a lot we just don't know This article is more than 4 years old A new book on the old president is titillating but scattershot, a compendium of wild stories and salacious accusations https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/07/american-kompromat-review-trump-russia-epstein-craig-unger The FBI cleaned out EPSTEIN'S ISLAND - where's the information? This is a history of EPSTEIN'S ISLAND https://youtu.be/WkVFLjB6lDQ?si=xdFtwe2N-xw8xjr4 These meetings are the laughingstock of the world now even as they are equally as dismaying. We and the world look on in disgust, as these performative coffee klatches appear by design to continue to solidify the mutual financial benefit between the two of them. But why Alaska? Do they still have their sights set on Greenland? Is that Trump’s ‘finger in the eye’ to Lisa Murkowski? I still can’t wrap my mind around four long years of this fox cleaning out the open hen house through a door left wide open by congress and the Supreme Court. Where does this end? With ICE-retained retirees and young thugs roaming the streets looking for illegal immigrants because they can’t find other employment? With a Justice Department rounding up “the usual suspects” because Trump can’t abide criticism or admit that he WON the 2016 election with a “little help from his friend”? The path always seems to end at Russia’s door…and that scares the hell out of me. |
+ 2,400 COMMENTS WORTH READING!
Trump has removed sanctions against Russia - we have no idea if he returned the RUSSIAN OLIGARCH's yachts or CASH.
CHINA is leading! CHINA is promoting CHEAP CLEAN ENERGY, making friends, building roads & their economy is prospering...while TRUMP unites the World against the US. BLEACH BLOND KAROLINE LEAVITT is BRAIN DEAD & confirms it each day. STUPID doesn't begin to describe her. TRUMP is broke & his debts to PUTIN are due. In order to IMPEACH Trump again, he would have to be charged in the MAGA GOP HOUSE & convicted in the SENATE. Even were that successful (which is doubtful), we would be stuck with the INCOMPETENT JD VANCE.
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Trump has always been owned by PUTIN since the Russian Oligarchs paid INFLATED PRICES for his real estate.
Trump even appointed a RUSSIAN SPY. Trump is broke & Putin is calling in his debts. American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery Hardcover – January 26, 2021 by Craig Unger (Author) **THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** Kompromat n.—Russian for "compromising information" This is a story about the dirty secrets of the most powerful people in the world—including Donald Trump. Based on exclusive interviews with intelligence officers in the CIA, FBI, and the KGB, thousands of pages of FBI investigations, police investigations, and news articles in English, Russian, and Ukrainian. American Kompromat shows that from Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, kompromat was used in operations far more sinister than the public could ever imagine. The book addresses what may be the single most important unanswered question of the entire Trump era: Is Donald Trump a Russian asset? The answer, American Kompromat says, is yes, supporting that conclusion with the first richly detailed narrative on how the KGB allegedly first “spotted” Trump as a potential asset, how it cultivated him, arranged his first trip to Moscow, and pumped him full of KGB talking points. Among its many revelations, American Kompromat reports for the first time that: • According to former KGB major Yuri Shvets, Trump first did business over forty years ago with a Manhattan electronics store co-owned by a Soviet émigré, triggering protocols through which the Soviet spy agency began efforts to cultivate Trump as an asset, launching a decades-long “relationship” of mutual benefit to Russia and Trump, from real estate to real power. • Trump’s 1987 invitation to Moscow was billed as a scouting trip for a hotel, but according to Shvets, was actually initiated by a high-level KGB official. These sorts of trips were usually arranged for "deep development." • Before Trump’s first Moscow trip, he met with Natalia Dubinin, who worked at the United Nations library in a vital position usually reserved as a cover for KGB operatives. • In 1987, according to Shvets, the KGB circulated an internal cable hailing the successful execution of an active measure by a newly cultivated American asset who took out full-page ads in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe promoting policies promoted by the KGB. The ads had been taken out by Donald Trump, who, Shvets said, would become a “special unofficial contact” for the KGB. In addition to exploring Trump’s ties to the KGB, American Kompromat also reveals: • How Jeffrey Epstein and Trump jostled for influence and financial supremacy for years. Epstein became a millionaire in part with the help of Ghislaine Maxwell’s father—media tycoon Robert Maxwell, who allegedly served as a spy and likely gave Epstein a sum between $10 and $20 million before his death in 1991. • How the Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking operation provided a source and marketplace for sexual kompromat. • How the Epstein-Maxwell ring helped enable young women with possible ties to Russian intelligence to gain access to the highest levels of Silicon Valley and the worlds of artificial intelligence, supercomputers, and the internet. This, at a time when Vladimir Putin has asserted, “Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere [artificial intelligence] will become the ruler of the world.” • How John Mark Dougan, a former deputy sheriff in Mar-a-Lago’s Palm Beach County, says he acquired 478 videos confiscated from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, fled to Moscow, became only the fourth American to win asylum in Russia, and immediately gained access to Putin’s inner circle, showing the ongoing power that comes from kompromat and how its value is highest before it is “used.”
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