b, doesn’t a similar dynamic operate in your nation?

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 28 2017 17:44 utc | 3

Salon’s latest appears to blame America ennui and cynicism on deliberate putin ploys … I suspect he’s soon to be blamed for the rising “despair suicide epidemic” (amazed he’s been spared blame for the opiate, fentanyl, epidemic)
Salon: Russia’s cyberwar against America isn’t over — and the real target is democracy — The Soviet Union never attacked America as blatantly as Putin has — and we’re in danger of losing democracy. It would be funny if they weren’t deadly serious and if Gessen were not getting thumbs-up retweets and endorsements all over the place from folks who should be wiser.

The autocratic Russian president, his oligarch allies and his intelligence services, including the Federal Security Service (or FSB) and the GRU, recognized an emerging perfect storm in America that included a convergence of the following:

1. A distrust in institutions and the news media.
2. The emergence of almost universal social-media usage.
3. The willingness to repeat outrageous rumors or fake news to help boost personal social-media branding.
4. Political polarization and the accompanying emergence of information bubbles, confirmation bias and echo chambers.
5. The metastasizing of the post-Watergate misconception that anyone can or should be president, leading to the candidacy of a reality-show celebrity named Trump. (Today’s folksy “have a beer” qualification nearly supersedes other qualifications.)

It rained today but I wanted sun … the cynicism-inducing effects of the “revealed” Obama and Clinton over the last decade not.worth.mentioning.

Posted by: Susan Sunflower | Mar 28 2017 17:54 utc | 5

The thing I find so insidious in this Russian conspiracy mongering is the underlying helplessness, even defeatism, suggesting that — “self evidently” — Putin has already won and we’ve already lost — it suggests some upcoming apocalyptic (“which side are you on”) day-of-reckoning … which I (perhaps erroneously) doubt reasonates with most folks who long-ago turned off the fear-mongering press .. perhaps in favor of savoring the present and being surprised when the end comes.

Posted by: Susan Sunflower | Mar 28 2017 18:33 utc | 7

It’s always fun to hear Right-wing Cranks/Wannabe Masters Of The Universe blaming someone else when one, or more, of their half-baked plots collapses under the weight of the bullshit which made it seem like a good idea.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Mar 28 2017 18:51 utc | 9

@ Susan Sunflower | 5
“Salon’s latest appears to blame America ennui and cynicism on deliberate putin ploys …”
_____________________________
Whether it’s genuine Russophobia, or fake Party Line Russophobia, I’ve noticed that it includes this thread of cultural “soft criticism”.
That is, the US/EU/NATO infoganda artists– Elected Misrepresentatives and state mass-media consent manufactories– have made “hard” allegations, albeit based on insinuations and innuendo, that Russia’s state-security apparatus has directly and overtly “tampered with” election results, sponsored or colluded with hackers, cultivated “fifth column” sympathizers and de facto operatives to nefariously influence Western public opinion, etc.
But they also work in the “charge(s)” that the evil, pernicious Russkies have also sought to undermine the public’s faith and confidence in government and the electoral process. The charlatans utter this indictment with the gravest, Churchillian high dudgeon and self-righteousness.
How dare some “outsider” cast aspersions upon the paragons of Modern Democracy represented by the US and EU hegemony! Surely, any radical criticism of these governments and their policies and actions is implicitly false and meritless, and can only be understood and explained as an attempt to undermine and destroy appropriate faith and trust in their political leadership!
Any discerning observer can see that this impassioned cri de cœur, stripped of its high-flown rhetoric, amounts to whining, “Hey! Those damned Russkies are making us look bad!” It is to laugh!
This phenomenon induced a feeling of déjà vu. Of course, this complaint isn’t novel. Conservative Elders have traditionally excoriated iconoclasts for supposedly encouraging social decay and “anarchy” by refuting Panglossian exceptionalism and exposing political leaders’ feet of clay.
Among other precedents, it reminds me of the 1970s reactionary criticisms of writers like Kurt Vonnegut. Indignant wingnuts chastised writers like Vonnegut and Joseph Heller for impermissibly “teaching Youth to be cynical about patriotism and democratic institutions”.
It’s no surprise that “Salon”, a progressive-liberal lite bastion, echoes this “soft” authoritarian-submissive doctrine.

Posted by: Ort | Mar 28 2017 19:15 utc | 11

Lavrov’s recent lecture at Russia’s Military Academy for the General Staff provided some insights in to how Kremlin leaders view the Outlaw US Empire and its “slanderous” campaign against Russia. Here’s the passage most relevant to the current discourse:
“Question: Recent experience shows that, in terms of the damage they cause, aggressive actions in the media at times have consequences similar to the use of weapons of mass destruction. In your opinion, isn’t it time, at the UN, in the format of bilateral ties with other states, to move forward with drafting and signing a comprehensive treaty in this field, similar to strategic arms limitation treaties?”
“Sergey Lavrov: We’ve been working on this for several years now. Russia put forward an initiative that became known at the UN as International Information Security [Initiative]. It has been a subject of independent resolutions at a number of UN General Assembly sessions. While initially these resolutions were rejected by some of our Western partners, in recent years resolutions related to the UN contribution to international information security have been adopted unanimously.
“Several years ago, a group of government experts was set up. It drafted a report that was approved by consensus at the UN General Assembly. The General Assembly expressed support for continuing this effort in the context of identifying specific cyberspace risks at present. Another government expert group was also formed, which is beginning to work. It is meant to prepare specific proposals in one and a half years.
“I’d like to say right away that despite the apparently constructive participation of all states in this discussion, we are aware of the desire [of certain states] to limit themselves to discussions and not reach practical international legal agreements. So, alongside the work that I just mentioned, Russia and its partners, in particular in the SCO, have drafted a document entitled Code of Conduct for Cyberspace. It was also distributed at the UN and is designed to promote targeted dialogue on the legal aspects of this problem. Overall, we believe (and we have already submitted this proposal) that it is time to draft an international convention on cyber security, including the elimination of threats and risks related to hacking. We were the first to propose penalising and banning hacking within the framework of international law. We will see how those who are accusing Russian hackers of seeking to blow up the world in the style of James Bond will respond to this.
“There is another important topic related to these issues. It concerns internet governance. For several years now a discussion on the democratisation of the internet and internet governance has been ongoing at the International Telecommunication Union. A very serious ideological struggle, if you will, is under way. Some people are upholding free market principles but there are also those who believe that farming out the internet to the free market is tantamount to giving it away to just one country. In this context, serious debate lies ahead.
“We see all these problems. The majority of countries agree on the need to enforce some generally acceptable order. Focused work is under way but it is too early to expect any results yet.”
There are other points within the Q&A where this topic gets discussed further, although within a somewhat different context than the above. Relative to Hybrid War, Lavrov says: “An information war is underway when slander becomes a mandatory condition for the media. This is an objective fact.” Later in response to another question regarding the defense of national interests, Lavrov replies:
“It’s amazing to see how the media in the countries you mentioned and other EU countries come up with absolutely fictional and, most importantly, inept, clumsily written articles and reports about Russia’s widespread influence on their electoral processes. I would say they should be ashamed of having election systems they cannot even protect from external interference. I am referring to such major countries as Germany and France, not some small countries. Second, they do not offer a single fact. We constantly remind them about it; President Vladimir Putin regularly communicates with German politicians and business leaders. My German counterpart, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, has visited Russia recently. He met with President Putin and they had a frank discussion of these issues. When you talk to them at our regular meetings, they show no such fanaticism. But obviously, someone really wants this fanaticism to be artificially maintained and whipped up. I could never imagine that these self-respecting media outlets could sink so low – to flagrant slander without even bothering to provide facts.”
As noted above, I again emphasize this lecture is a must read, http://www.mid.ru/en/press_service/video/-/asset_publisher/i6t41cq3VWP6/content/id/2702537

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 28 2017 20:14 utc | 13

hang on?
So he is the one to start world war three? I thought that was the one no one could vote for?
Surely, one day Trump is gonna be all presidential and bring peace to all of us, together with Russia. xoxoxox
And can anyone tell us what Jared! and Ivanka! are doing? Nepotism, or is that only for countries that are not US American and Russa?
fuck me, but seriously this post is bullshit.

Posted by: Sabine | Mar 28 2017 20:33 utc | 15

@14 karlof1.. thanks for sharing that and the link.. very good!

Posted by: james | Mar 28 2017 21:20 utc | 17

I wrote this earlier today:

WHAT IS HYBRID WAR?
Hybrid war is somewhere between diplomacy and war. It is like being half-pregnant. Hybrid war is never all-out war. Instead it tries to limit escalation into a real war.
NATO’s definition of Russian hybrid war arises from the short appearance of polite people or the 50 or so unmarked green men at the Simferopol airport on February 28, 2014. Russia could naturally have sent in a whole tank division or moved its 15,000 troops on Crimea from their bases, but that could have resulted in a formal state of war existing between the Russian Federation and the Maidan regime in Kiev. By leaving out national identification markings Russia allowed Kiev to ignore the incident and to maintain diplomatic ties.
The “Little Green Men” caused huge alarm and hysteria in NATO headquarters. They were suddenly seen as a Russian miracle weapon that could threaten the security of Western Europe. This of course is bullshit!
The window for the use of “Green Men” and other methods of hybrid warfare arises from the internal weaknesses and conflicts of the target country. These by definition cannot exist in an open society like the democratic West purports to be. The clear exception is the Baltic apartheid states of Estonia and Latvia. They are not democracies but more like ethnic dictatorships and U.S. protectorates.
Someone more informed on the NATO side wrote an article two years ago debunking the whole narrative. He said that the “hybrid” threat of domestic insurrection as seen in Estonia and Latvia cannot be countered by NATO security guarantees or international intervention, but must be handled by local police and security forces locally.
Western security looks different if one rejects the notion that Western democracies are open societies and instead sees them as semi-dictatorships controlled by the Anglo-American “Deep State” and by the the fake news and false narratives of the mainstream media. In this scenario the election of Trump as president becomes an act of Russian hybrid war. It was the result of hostile elements of Russian information influence entering the U.S. information space. If one lives in a hybrid war mentality, then everything the “enemy” does or may have done becomes and act of hybrid war.

The link given by Susan Sunflower @5 proves the point. Bob Cesca of Salon is totally delusional!

Russia’s cyberwar against America isn’t over — and the real target is democracy
Russia declared war on the United States last year, and it’s a war that continues to be waged today…
Millions of our own people, millions of American voters on both sides of the aisle were manipulated into acting as unwitting foot soldiers for Vladimir Putin’s invasion…
Trench by trench, Facebook group by Facebook group, Americans executed Putin’s attacks for him…
Trump was placed in office by Putin. But it only happened because millions of Americans unknowingly volunteered to serve as enemy combatants, undermining and betraying their own country and their own democratic elections. Make no mistake: Putin’s attack was less about electing Donald Trump and more about turning Americans against America. Whether you were suckered by Putin or voted for Trump based on fake news, we all suffer from a skewed view of U.S. elections today. We’re all more suspicious about whether our elections are on the level, and we should be. Putin’s goal was to goad us into asking the perpetual question: How can we possibly trust the outcomes of future elections knowing that Russia preselected our president years ago and then set about guaranteeing that outcome by turning our people against us?
This is the next colossal problem to solve. Once we weed out Putin’s quislings inside the White House…

Posted by: Petri Krohn | Mar 28 2017 22:22 utc | 19

maningi @19–
That’s an excellent example of Cultural Imperialism. Russia is trying to rid itself of those deemed detrimental to its sociocultural being. And Russia is far from the only victim of such.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 28 2017 22:35 utc | 21

Everyone seems to present this as a Putin v. U.S. war when, in fact, the Brits have been much more vicious against Putin than the U.S. media. The real war here is Putin v. the Rothschild cabal in its City of London. The U.S. and the CIA (CIA has no real U.S. connection, works directly for the cabal) are just the present kneecappers for the cabal.

Posted by: Tony B. | Mar 28 2017 22:50 utc | 23

For some readson i read all of that in Dany Devitos voice which made it all the more funnier. But seriously their Focus on the russian “allegations” is just going to strengthen Trump when the whole thing just blows up in their faces. It kind of reminds me of the Situation back in 2008 when Obama was First elected and panicing republicans called him a commie and claimed that he wad going to fuck up the country. I mean sure they were right, but they could not have possibly known that then. The point is this “ressistance” is a joke, and Trump will probably deliver the punchline soon enough

Posted by: Frank | Mar 28 2017 23:00 utc | 25

TRUMP: increases sanctions on Russia.
TRUMP: expands wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and Syria
TRUMP: dismantles environmental regulations.
TRUMP: kills worker protection, lowers billionaire taxes.
TRUMP: launches nuclear war with North Korea.
DEMOCRATS: sh*t … Trump did our homework … “Trump’s a russki-commie-pinko-faggot!”
whenever the demoblicans loose to the republicrats they make an end-run around them on the right. only now that requires going out of bounds completely, over the edge and into mccarthyism, jingo, fascism and … shrill irrelevance.
confusing the democrat party with an opposition to the neolibraconians?
at this late stage in the ‘game’?
there may be less than a dime’s worth of difference between the repbublicrats and demoblicans … but the salaries of hundreds of thousands / millions of neolibraconian hacks are on the line here … and trump ain’t hirin’!
what we need to do … sez i … is to organize and seriously start firin’ … there are only 546 of them (537, the supremes are not yet elected)! there are 313 million of us!
replace all the elephants and jackasses with ordinary americans chosen from among ourselves.
it’ll take a decade. no time like the present to begin.
no citizen denied her/his vote* for any reason => federal recall, referendum, initiative.
* we citizens register ourselves, authorize and authenticate ourselves, run our paper-ballot polls ourselves, count and store the results ourselves.

Posted by: jfl | Mar 29 2017 0:33 utc | 27

@16 Sabine

fuck me, but seriously this post is bullshit.

What is bullshit about it? The fact that Trump is a fraud and dismantling America while rattling sabers at all and sundry abroad, or the fact that the DNC and its sycophants blame Russia and Putin for, well, everything they dislike?

Posted by: Temporarily Sane | Mar 29 2017 2:03 utc | 29

@30
You have to ask? They’re two corrupt sides of the same coin. I’ve been repeating this for months now and getting nothing but abuse around here for it. Trump is a CON, a snake oil salesman, i.e. a LIAR, a narcissist i.e. megalomaniac and everything is unfolding as I was convinced it would.

Posted by: Circe | Mar 29 2017 2:32 utc | 31

It’s important to maintain perspective. The “big news” today was that Dick Cheney called Russian meedling in the 2016 Elections an “act of war”. McCain had said the same in December but for Cheney to repeat that now – after little, if any, evidence of such interference only shows (again) how much the establishment despises Trump.
Trump hate is a blind alley. Purposely so. Promoting such thinking does a disservice. We see to think about what comes after Trump (ike jfl above). IMO, a successful Movement that returns power to the people is one that unites the principled left and principled right. I think direct democracy can do that. I encourage everyone to explore the Pirate Party, a Party that provides a form of direct democracy that makes a good start.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 29 2017 3:07 utc | 33

I hope that today’s offering indicates “b” has let the scales fall from his eyes regarding Trump and sees the guy for the nefarious danger he and his junta and Goldman Sachs/corporate raider administration are to the United States and the world.
Anyone who looks into Steve Bannon’s background and reads his public comments and still thinks the Chump administration stands for peaceful trade and ending American imperialism is a fool or an idiot.

Posted by: Temporarily Sane | Mar 29 2017 3:31 utc | 35

Historical traditions should also be mentioned among the factors that determine a nation’s role in world politics. “History is the memory of States,” said Henry Kissinger, the theoretician and practitioner of international relations. By the way, the United States, whose interests Mr Kissinger has always defended, did not aspire to be the centre of the liberal world order for a greater part of its own fairly short history, and did not see that role as its preeminent mission. Its Founding Fathers wanted its leadership and exceptional nature to derive from its own positive example. Ironically, the American elite, which emerged as freedom fighters and separatists anxious to cast off the yoke of the British crown, had transformed itself and its state by the 20th century into a power thirsting for global imperialist domination. The world is changing, however, and – who knows – America might yet purify itself and return to its own forgotten sources.

Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions during a lecture for senior officers of the Military Academy of the General Staff, Moscow, March 23, 2017
Link [use at your own risk]: http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/2702537

Posted by: stumpy | Mar 29 2017 4:01 utc | 37

Hmm; is this true? If so, about time.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-28/dnc-asks-entire-staff-resignation-letters

Posted by: V. Arnold | Mar 29 2017 4:44 utc | 39

Throughout America’s adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations. To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people. Any failure traceable to arrogance, or our lack of comprehension or readiness to sacrifice would inflict upon us grievous hurt both at home and abroad.
Progress toward these noble goals is persistently threatened by the conflict now engulfing the world. It commands our whole attention, absorbs our very beings. We face a hostile ideology-global in scope, atheistic in character, ruthless in purpose, and insidious in method. Unhappily the danger it poses promises to be of indefinite duration. To meet it successfully, there is called for, not so much the emotional and transitory sacrifices of crisis, but rather those which enable us to carry forward steadily, surely, and without complaint the burdens of a prolonged and complex struggle-with liberty at stake. Only thus shall we remain, despite every provocation, on our charted course toward permanent peace and human betterment.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address, January 17, 1961.

Posted by: stumpy | Mar 29 2017 4:48 utc | 41

@42
Oh yeah Ike was a real authority on peace in the world, he only threatened the Chinese with nuclear weapons and ordered the CIA to overthrow the democratically-elected leader of Iran at the time to install the Shah and conspire with the U.K. to steal Iranian oil and commit atrocities against the people of Iran. From wiki:

He therefore authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to overthrow Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.[174] This resulted in an increased strategic control over Iranian oil by U.S. and British companies.[175]

Such a nice guy! It’s like I always say: actions speak louder than silver-tongued words.

Posted by: Circe | Mar 29 2017 5:11 utc | 43

Quote:

Evidence suggests it was a contract killing that, by all indications, was meant to send a message. As soon as the media reported this assassination Moscow hoped that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies would be able promptly to solve this crime and identify the masterminds behind it and of course its perpetrators, without any politicisation[sic] and based on objective data. However, after Ukrainian President Poroshenko announced that this assassination was “an act of terror perpetrated by Moscow,” naturally, there was no more hope left that the investigation would be impartial or objective. We have no doubt about that. By all indications, this time as well the “killer regime” (as it is already being referred to) will do its best to make sure that no one will ever know the truth about what happened in Kiev.

Posted by: stumpy | Mar 29 2017 5:27 utc | 45

Trump haters don’t talk about what comes after Trump.
A BIG clue as to what motivates them.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 29 2017 5:32 utc | 47

@44, Circe — yup, hoisted on his own petard. He was the last one who could get away with it being halfway credible. Every president gets more rotten.

Posted by: stumpy | Mar 29 2017 5:35 utc | 49

Trump haters don’t talk about what comes after Trump.
A BIG clue as to what motivates them.
Here’s a big clue: A jackass who doesn’t have to pretend he’s not one ergo we can all rally to kick his ass. The thing about Trump is that those who used to fight on the good side moved to the dark side when they were reeled in by Trump.
So who cares who comes after Trump as long as we all go back to fighting in solidarity the enemy that Trump represents and his successor from the right or left aisle will surely represent as well.

Posted by: Circe | Mar 29 2017 6:10 utc | 51

Re: Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 29, 2017 1:32:00 AM | 48
It’s interesting isn’t it. Trump haters logically want to see President Mike Pence.
But why this yearning for Pence? On the face of it it would appear that given their complaints about Trump Pence would be even more odious to them, but yet – Pence is exactly what they want!
Strange isn’t it Jack.

Posted by: Julian | Mar 29 2017 6:20 utc | 53

– The Democrats are looking more and more stupid every day. Keep in mind, I don’t get the impression that Trump has the best in mind for the US Joe sixpack as well.

Posted by: Willy2 | Mar 29 2017 6:29 utc | 55

Circe you throw tantrums without putting up alternatives. Much like my daughters when they were in a huff.
Sniff some salts, fan your face, you’ll be right.

Posted by: Peter AU | Mar 29 2017 6:47 utc | 57

Miss/Mrs Circe… by your username I take it you identify as female?
Address Julian’s questions. Who would you prefer as head warmonger
A) Clinton
B) Trump
C) Pence
Easy peasy. No other options at present time. Put up or shut up.
For me, I would like to see the US and its culture of manifest destiny totally destroyed. I cannot see that happening in the foreseeable future unless they initiate mutual assured destruction.

Posted by: Peter AU | Mar 29 2017 7:13 utc | 59

Posted by: Circe | Mar 29, 2017 3:14:57 AM | 61
Well that was a rational and well thought out reply.
Reminds me of Wile E Coyote looking down into the chasm, just before he drops.
One thing I have to say about earlier pre political correctness US. They had some great cartoons.
Perhaps you are auditioning Circe?

Posted by: Peter AU | Mar 29 2017 7:30 utc | 61

Re: Posted by: Circe | Mar 29, 2017 2:32:19 AM | 57
Re: Posted by: Circe | Mar 29, 2017 3:14:57 AM | 61
D eh. Once again you fail to answer a simple question. Your response is pointless. It lacks a basis in reality.
There is no D option. Are you the D option. You seem to think so.

My point is that its better to fight the system together than divided by a worthless shit like Trump!

And how exactly are you fighting this system? Writing a few sentences on someone’s (admittedly GREAT! Blog) ain’t going to get you very far.
Thanks for the support Peter. I don’t think anyone here who supported Trump (over Clinton) was under the illusion Trump was going to be a “Great” President by any stretch of the imagination.
But it was fairly simple – do you want the proven warmongering maniac, or the egotistical narcissist?
Easy choice for mine – and like you Peter, I don’t get to vote in US Elections so I could hardly make my voice heard at a US ballot box.
For the record, speaking as someone with libertarian leanings, Rand Paul was my initial choice in the US Primaries Republican/ Democrat. Rand seems eminently sensible on foreign policy issues. Stop expanding NATO, leave the Middle East. Of course Rand (like his father) is roundly ignored by the MSM most of the time.
Rand even jumped on Tulsi Gabbard’s Stop Arming Terrorists Act! Good move for your credibility Rand, bad move if you want higher office.
Re: Posted by: Lozion | Mar 29, 2017 3:32:11 AM | 63
I assume D means none of the above as well, but provide the alternative then – a realistic alternative. As far as I can see – there is no D alternative being offered at the moment in reality.

Posted by: Julian | Mar 29 2017 7:56 utc | 63

In the mean-time we have the Ecuador run-off Presidential Election this week. Sunday April 2, 2017.
Pro-Assange
Lenin Moreno
Anti-Assange
Guillermo Lasso
Easy choice for mine. Go Lenin.
Then we have the French Election (April-June 2017). Viva Le Pen (Destroyer of the EU).
The German Elections (September 2018). A total non-event. Schulz v Merkel – both as bad as each other.
The Russian Elections (March-April 2018). Putin to be re-elected assuming he stands.
The Italian Elections (By May 2018). Can Beppe Grillo win and take Italy out of the Euro and thereby destroy the Europeon project? Perhaps, but I don’t trust Grillo as much as Le Pen.
Unfortuntely, if Le Pen loses, Grillo might be the last hope for a sane resolution to all that ails the world (The West) at the moment.
If things continue going to plan I foresee Russia/Putin shutting down all gas supplies to the EU either Winter 2018/19 or Winter 2019/20.
At that point, the election season is completed, and why bother extending chance after chance for the Europeons to wise up? Plus, the TurkStream and pipes to China will be completed by then.
That’s my estimate of when Russian patience with the EU runs out anyway.
The only question then becomes, does the West collapse economically before then?
Perhaps, but I see no reason they can’t just continue with the tricks of the last decade for another 2 years.

Posted by: Julian | Mar 29 2017 8:03 utc | 65

@40
Democratic_National_Committee

The DNC is composed of
1. the chairs and vice-chairs of each state Democratic Party’s central committee,
2. two hundred members apportioned among the states based on population and generally elected either on the ballot by primary voters or by the state Democratic Party committee,
3. a number of elected officials serving in an ex officio capacity, and
4. a variety of representatives of major Democratic Party constituencies.

1. public enemies of the jackass persuasion numbers 1 through 100 …
2. like to see the breakdown of ‘elected’ / appointed … even when elected, elected by their cronies, no one else knows who they are …
3. political hacks given sinecures … the ‘grateful dead’ …
4. lobbyists for wall street, the military industrial complex, the prison industrial complex, the medical industrial complex, the ‘intelligence community’, enemies of the people in general …
don’t imagine these folks will be resigning. they’re just killing off the hired hands … they’re the ones who ‘ate our homework!’ … right … the hh’s will be replaced by interchangable clones. the dnc are dead men and women walking. and talking, of course.
@43
probably a false-flag by the googleplex itself, an alibi for discontinuing ‘extremist’ postings. ‘hey, it’s not us! it’s our advertizers … it’s just bidnez, g-o-i …’

Posted by: jfl | Mar 29 2017 8:11 utc | 67

Oh Where art thou Circe?
Three choices. A, B, or C. Easy peasy. Or do you have X held back in secrecy?

Posted by: Peter AU | Mar 29 2017 8:33 utc | 69

@ 35
the reason i consdier this post to be a load of bullshit is simple.
the democratic party is so diminised it has not effect on anything the orange turd and his henchmen do.
So they can whinge about what ever they want to.
secondly: in general the US American Jane and Joe Do don’t give a flying fuck about war. Its the only thing they have going for the, the million plus peoples army of the US and the weapons manufactures. If they don’t have the army and the weapons company US unemployemnt would be through the roof and there would be rioting in the streets. Can you imagine the orange turd bringing home his troops from anywhere in Europe if they ‘don’t pay his bill for Nato”?
thridly: many of us predicted precisely that. Namely that the orange turd will do as any other US president did before him, war oversees and weapons selling. But oh noes, he is gonna be besties with Putin (who will win the election cause anyone else running will be dead by the time people get to put their fingerprints on a piece of paper)
fourth: i find it funny how many here over the years are ok with foreign influence in the US election, obviously its ok now to just delegitimze the last little bit of ‘influence’ people get to have in their countries.
fifth: i no more rejoice in the forth coming misery for the US American women and children then i do in the ongoing misery for the women of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Gaza, Westbank, Somalia.
and as another poster said above, there was no real choice for teh US, there was Hillary with all her faults, and then there was the orange turd.
as for ‘sabine’ i have used my name as a handle since the time of billmon. and frankly this blog is going to shite. Sadly so.

Posted by: Sabine | Mar 29 2017 8:50 utc | 71

Sabine.
D is not an option.
D more likely refers to duh
The only option is destruction of the US which can only be put plainly and not as duh, as in imbecile.

Posted by: Peter AU | Mar 29 2017 9:07 utc | 73

Lavrov’s speech to the military academy sits in nicely behind Putin’s speech to the UN Assembly a couple of years ago. Writing the global script with openness, clarity and integrity.
Makes a great sequel due to the ease and detail of which Lavrov breaks down each and every question. Nothing mealy mouthed as you might expect from a US state department press outing…from the top down the Russians’ believe in what they say, mean what they say, and do not mince words because its so much easier to give quick, detailed and direct answers when they are guided by truth and not a forked tongue.
From him you get a sense that today’s Russia has very much evolved from a deep appreciation of it’s history and, in a typically strong yet understated fashion, very much understands it’s place within it. All the while the west embarrasses itself under the weight of repeatedly failing realities.
…the difference between a politician and a statesman.

Posted by: MadMax2 | Mar 29 2017 10:09 utc | 75

aaaa 13
“It’s still rock and roll to me.” – Billy Joel
In the case of the DEMs, it’s all about politics and winning. (and not much diff to the GOP). For FDR and the DEMs in 1932 it was more important to let more of the economy (and banks) fail to have a more spectacular loss for Hoover and the GOP. (The Roosevelt Myth) And now the DEMs and the media sycophants are more shrill. Their one-trick pony obsession is Putin (riding a horse without his shirt – ha ha). If they cannot stand up for anything else, it’s about time those in the party notice and change things.
The surprise of FDR was to find out he had no real ideology and simply took on people whose ideas sounded good. Otherwise it was the political machines of NYC, Chicago, and the unions (some dominated by Communists) that propelled him into higher office. He wanted to win and that was all that counted.

Posted by: Curtis | Mar 29 2017 13:14 utc | 77

Sometimes it occurs to me that what some of the writers(the Salon piece in particular) need is a good ass whipping. Pardon my French please.
Come to think of it, I feel the same way about some of these anti-Trump protestors.

Posted by: Morongobill | Mar 29 2017 13:25 utc | 79

@2 The long term effects of recruiting self funding non entities are at play too. Many of these Democrats were recruited at lower levels because they were bland enough to not offend local interests and had the money to upfront the funding for their campaign. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders wasn’t entrusted with the budget and veteran committee select spots because he is such a shining star or has leverage with the caucus, he’s not joining the GOP. He holds those positions because the Democrats don’t have people interested or even capable of those jobs serving in Congress. Russia is a convenient refrain. They know voters want answers, and a good portion of the elected Democrats know so little about policy they can’t possibly offer answers.

Posted by: NotTimothyGeithner | Mar 29 2017 13:37 utc | 81

US have just accepted Montenegro as a coming member of NATO, you guys think that Nato will come to formally accept Montenegro on the Nato meeting on 31 of march?

Posted by: Anon1 | Mar 29 2017 14:56 utc | 83

I’ve given up complaining about Circe. Maybe he works for Soros, or is Soros’ grandson. Or something. Nearly constant single complaint, no alternatives discussed.
It’s just another of those nutty things.

Posted by: blues | Mar 29 2017 15:32 utc | 85

Here’s the acceptable viewpoints as near as I can tell,
1) it’s infallible truth that there’s no substance to the awful rumors that the Trump team and the Putin team may have colluded prior to the election.
2) Putin has been a beacon of integrity and forthrightness with no desire for anything but the nations of the world to live in harmony.
3) Trump is really on the same page as Putin but the evil forces of the deep state try mightily to derail his plans for our betterment
4) any attempt at free trade is inherently evil, the machinations of that cabal that seeks to rule the world
5) we should accept Trump simply because there’s nobody that can do any better.
If you stick to these the no one will flame you. If you don’t then you work for Soros. Yeah, fucking right, Trump’s the man. we should learn to love him.
1) love how he’s pouring troops and assets into the ME
2) accept that climate change is bullshit and cheer the deregulation that is currently taking place
3) accept that the bankers aren’t so bad and realize that the regulations placed on them had to go because they were really hurting business and consequently their plans for making America great
4) accept that Latinos are the root of many of America’s problems and cheer the zeal with which they are being rounded up
5) accept that the poor have only themselves to blame and applaud the way their safety net is being dismantled
Because Trump likes Putin and Putin likes Trump and that’s all that really matters. Well suck me dry and call me Dusty, how could anybody not see that?

Posted by: peter | Mar 29 2017 17:10 utc | 87

Circe @86
Circe did post his preference.
IIRC, he/she supports Kucinich (Democratic Party) as next President.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 29 2017 18:05 utc | 89

@54
It is worse than just Pence. It goes Pence, Speaker Ryan, president pro tempore box turtle McConnell, and then Exxon Sec. State Tillerman. And eventually in the cabinet, you would get to Ben Carson. Jesus wept…

Posted by: Tom in AZ | Mar 30 2017 2:21 utc | 91

@76 fast freddy
IMO Pence will be an order of magnitude worse than Trump. He will be piously waving his bible while screwing the people of the US more than can be imagined, as he knows all the crazies in Congress and agrees with the most disgusting views of the right wing. He will be more effective in our destruction.

Posted by: Tom in AZ | Mar 30 2017 2:38 utc | 93

@73
if you fill out none of the cases in a form, which one will you have choosen?
you have choosen the one that you left out.
D. None of the above fuckwits.
thanks

Posted by: Sabine | Mar 30 2017 4:39 utc | 95

Hey, thanks, Paveway IV.

Posted by: dumbass | Mar 30 2017 5:39 utc | 97

Look, I don’t like Clinton/Obama, neoliberalism, “free trade” agreements etc. BUT I don’t like Trump either. If you thought Obama was bad how can you like Chump? He’s a fucking liar and an über-capitalist piece of shit who takes his orders from Darth Bannon. Fuck em’ all I say. I am not a Soros agent btw. (but if I was I probably wouldn’t tell ya…heheheheh)
I also think Trump is “better”, or at least less terrible, than Pence, McCain/Graham, Hillary or any of the demented fanatics and war mongers waiting in the wings. So while I don’t like the guy or his junta/corporate raider administration impeaching him is not cool. And the “Russia did it” crap is seriously insane and there is no evidence Putin “threw” the election.
The people holding a candle for Chump are like the morons who still maintain O’Bomber did good things for America and the world. You are the other side of that particular coin. That’s what you get when you meed a hero figure to worship.

Posted by: Temporarily Sane | Mar 30 2017 18:23 utc | 99