CIA: Our Trump-Russiagate Claims Were Corrupt, Our Claims On Iran Are ...
The CIA has published a 'tradecraft review' of the 2016 'Intelligence Community Assessment' which had claimed that Russia had interfered in the 2016 presidential election.
The review found what had been obvious to anyone. The 2016 assessment had not followed the normal process for such papers but had based its conclusions on no or insignificant evidence.
Or, as the NY Post headlines: Obama’s Trump-Russia collusion report was corrupt from start
A bombshell new CIA review of the Obama administration’s spy agencies’ assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help Donald Trump was deliberately corrupted by then-CIA Director John Brennan, FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who were “excessively involved” in its drafting, and rushed its completion in a “chaotic,” “atypical” and “markedly unconventional” process that raised questions of a “potential political motive.”Further, Brennan’s decision to include the discredited Steele dossier, over the objections of the CIA’s most senior Russia experts, “undermined the credibility” of the assessment.
At that time the ICE was leaked to various media outlets. It was finally published shortly before Trump's first inauguration.
Up to today there is no public evidence that Russia hacked the Democratic National Council and/or released DNC material to Wikileaks. After today's new intelligence report (pdf) there is still no such evidence. ... There are rather wild assertions and a lot of conjecture but zero facts that could be accepted as proof.
When I wrote the above on January 6 2017 I tried to set it the story into the bigger picture:
When Hillary Clinton was defeated in the U.S. presidential election the relevant powers launched a campaign to delegitimize the President elect Donald Trump.The ultimate aim of the cabal is to kick him out of office and have a reliable replacement, like the Vice-President elect Pence, take over. Should that not be possible it is hoped that the delegitimization will make it impossible for Trump to change major policy trajectories especially in foreign policy. A main issue here is the reorientation of the U.S. military complex and its NATO proxies from the war of terror towards a direct confrontation with main powers like Russia and China.
The cabal consists of President Obama, the defeated candidate Hillary Clinton, neoconservatves like the State Department's cookie dispenser Victoria Nuland, the Republican senators McCain and Lindsay and the military-industrial complex. (One of the few neocons planted near to Trump, former CIA director James Woolsey, threw the towel today and left the Trump transition team.)
A major role in directing the plot has fallen to Obama's consigliere John Brennan, the current director of the CIA. Another role has been delegated to the various military and NATO think tanks like the Atlantic Council and the British RUSI and reliable proxies within the media.
The current emphasis of the campaign is on the release of emails and papers from the Clinton campaign through Wikileaks. It is alleged that some releases were gained through hacking, planned and executed by the Russian government. Trump had announced that he plans to seek good relations with Russia, the power that the cabal had earlier chosen as the new enemy de jour.
But there is a problem. There is no real evidence that a "hack" ever happened. There is no evidence that Russia is involved. None at all.
The whole scheme, supported by the made up 'Intelligence Community Assessment', was used to, more or less, sabotage Donald Trump's first two years as president.
It also helped to create negative sentiment against all things Russia. This was revenge for Russia's disruption of U.S. plans for Ukraine. It had taken Crimea, the big prize the 2014 coup plotters had hoped to gain, off the table. The negative sentiment against Russia, especially from Democrats, has prevailed since.
That the CIA, under Director John Ratcliffe, is now condemning the 2016 Intelligence Community Assessment as shady does not mean that he is willing to apply the lessons learned from its faulty creation to today's intelligence products.
He will, just like then CIA Director John Brennan, fake anything that is needed to support his and his presidents policies. Just look at this from the day before Trump ordered bombing Iran:
CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly told the White House that Iran is nearing the technical threshold for a weapon. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt echoed this, saying Iran needs only a political decision to begin building a bomb, which could take as little as two weeks.Some US officials cite “Israeli” intelligence, particularly Mossad’s estimate that Iran is just 15 days away from producing a bomb.
However, others within the American intelligence community challenge that timeline, maintaining that Iran would likely need several months to a year to complete a functional weapon.
Ratcliffe was clearly bullshitting when he repeated the Mossad claims in the White House. Just like he was bullshitting when he later asserted that Iran's program has been set back for years.
All claims made by 'Intelligence Agencies', independent of having been made in 2016, 2025 or in the future, have be taken with huge loads of salts. Intelligence claims are made to support policies, not because they are truthful.
Posted by b on July 4, 2025 at 14:05 UTC | Permalink
next page »I get such a headache talking to people who still believe the Trump/Russia nonsense
Posted by: Chris N | Jul 4 2025 14:21 utc | 2
"Intelligence claims are made to support policies, not because they are truthful. "
So what's new?
The intelligence communities primary function is to generate propaganda.
The part of the story that it was designed to remove Trump from office or prevent him from getting elected a second time is obviously not the truth.
Posted by: jinn | Jul 4 2025 14:27 utc | 3
At this point I'm fully convinced Trump was in on it the whole time.
Posted by: Duck n cover | Jul 4 2025 14:21 utc | 1
Not just in on it, Trump was the mastermind behind. Trump was the only one who could make this scheme work.
"The negative sentiment against Russia, especially from Democrats, has prevailed since" is exactly right. Trump has more control over Democrats than Republicans. Trump says he gets along very well with Putin and instantly every Trump hater becomes a Putin hater.
Posted by: jinn | Jul 4 2025 14:36 utc | 4
The Most Retarded Post I Have Read Today Award goes to Duck n cover for this drivel:
"Trump is enacting the policies of the ruling class. Russiagate was an attack on the US public, not Trump. At this point I'm fully convinced Trump was in on it the whole time."
Posted by: canuk | Jul 4 2025 14:37 utc | 5
Steele dossier originated with what party to serve whose campaign? I should stop expecting to hear the name Bush dropped. Must never be the case.
Posted by: Not Ewe | Jul 4 2025 14:39 utc | 6
Posted by: jinn | Jul 4 2025 14:36 utc | 4
You are another forlorn, TDS Sheeple that believes this nonsense.
Posted by: canuk | Jul 4 2025 14:43 utc | 7
Posted by: Not Ewe | Jul 4 2025 14:39 utc | 6
Thank you for pointing out the obvious; Hillary controlled the Democratic party in 2016 and the Dem party paid for the now totally debunked 'Steele Dossier'.
Posted by: canuk | Jul 4 2025 14:45 utc | 8
"... claims on Iran are..."
This part is apparently still operative, even after the debacle which was the attack on Iran by Israel. I was surprised to see Scott Ritter on the Judge forum yesterday using strong words against Iran's continuing insistence on a high level of uranium enrichment, to the effect that it was a red flag to the bull that is US dominence over this issue.
Maybe it is, but that bull is standing on very wobbly legs at present. Time for it to be out in a field under a shady tree smelling the daisies, like Ferdinand.
Posted by: juliania | Jul 4 2025 14:49 utc | 9
Pompeo ~ "Lie, cheat and steal.'
It's the first one, also the easiest with a compliant media. People forget the the Russiagate and Steele Dossier initiatives began with Jeb Bush's campaign and were turned over to Clinton after Trump won the nomination.
There has never been clearer evidence of the Uni-party operating together than that.
Which gets us to a forward looking position... will Elon Musk's initiative to start a new political party gain any traction?
Looking in the rear view mirror and saying, "we told you so', while satisfying the ego, solves exactly nothing.
Posted by: Fool Me Twice | Jul 4 2025 14:52 utc | 10
thanks b..
aside from using bullshit to prop up all sorts of wacky ideas, the question remains who 'gains' from any of it?? that is where the possible answers become very interesting.. different leadership - different bullshit - different agendas... whether the public is savvy enough to pick up on any of it remains to be seen.. what is without doubt is the medias role in maintaining this bullshit as a form of legitimacy for anyone gullible enough to believe any of it.. their is a sucker born every minute.. this seems to sustain late stage capitalism and many of the nutjobs who continue to tell us what a great thing it is..
Posted by: james | Jul 4 2025 14:53 utc | 11
A question for the bar, something that I don't understand at all.
Trump's CIA releasing this report makes perfect sense. But, why then is Trump's FBI still fighting the FOIA for Seth Rich's laptops in court? If Seth really was Wikileaks' source for the DNC emails Trump has every reason in the world to order the FBI to make the contents of the two laptops public.
It would show pretty conclusively that there never was any Russian hacking and that Crowdstrike and the DNC had fabricated the entire story. It would also strongly imply that Hillary (the dems, DNC, CIA, deepstate, etc.) had ordered his murder so that could get ahead of the story with the Russian hacking bit.
Even if Seth wasn't the source and his death was in fact a botched robbery, there's no reason for Trump's FBI to be blocking the FOIA for the laptops.
So, why is the FBI still trying to block this in court?
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17211651/huddleston-v-federal-bureau-of-investigation/
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 15:02 utc | 12
"Intelligence claims are made to support policies, not because they are truthful."
Absolutely true whether good cop or bad cop party is in the white House. I think this critique of Brennan's CIA is ultimately due to, first, it's impact on Trump.
Secondly, it's based on the fact that this particular batch of false "intelligence" has ultimately led Imperialism a very real and painful defeat in Ukraine, not to mention accelerating the destabilization of the US and compromising the credibility of the US government in ways previously unheard of.
The "good cops" thought they were so cute and clever with Russiagate at the time. In hindsight, their little trick taken to its logical conclusion ended up precipitating a real decline in the power and stature of Imperialism at home and abroad.
But don't think the mad Imperialists have learned any lessons. As you point out, Trump's intelligence will go full retard in just the same way for Israel. Within five years this phoney intelligence backing idiotic policies of the moment will damage Imperialism so severely it will make the ass whipping in Ukraine look like a picnic.
Finally, a shout out to the founding fathers of the US on the day of their rebellion against the Imperialists of their day! Their struggle was real, noble and should be studied today, even though they were unable of preventing their own creation from turning into another, stupider world Imperialism.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness… it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
It's not just your right, but your duty to a abolish this Zionist/Imperialist government masquerading as a government of the wage slaves of the west.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 4 2025 15:05 utc | 13
@ team10tim | Jul 4 2025 15:02 utc | 12
good question and worthy of much speculation.. i am curious too..
Posted by: james | Jul 4 2025 15:09 utc | 14
Hey canuk, this is a bar!
So could you please stop jerking off on Trump in public and do that in your home or at least in the MoA bathroom?
Thank you for your understanding.
Posted by: Zet | Jul 4 2025 15:09 utc | 15
How many years from "The Mighty Empire of Lies" to the "Pitiful Shithole of Bullshit"?
Sic transit gloria mundi...
Posted by: Asian Frog | Jul 4 2025 15:10 utc | 16
Hey canuk, this is a bar!
So could you please stop jerking off on Trump in public and do that in your home or at least in the MoA bathroom?
Thank you for your understanding.
Posted by: Zet | Jul 4 2025 15:09 utc | 15
He's totally justified in attacking any poster who attempts to push the lie that the only problem with Imperialism is Trump or the Republican party. The good cop, bad cop narrative should be smashed whenever it raises its pro Imperialist head! The genocide, Imperialist Dems are not by any stretch of the imagination a lesser evil. Obsessing on Trump to the exclusion of the bloody crimes of both parties and all authorities in the US government is the conduct of "left" posing agents of US Imperialism. In fact, it's the most insidious form imperialism takes.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 4 2025 15:22 utc | 17
"The review found what had been obvious to anyone."
Not anyone. Anyone not suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome" perhaps, but scores upon scores of millions of people suffered a severe fracture from reality on the evening of November 8, 2016. Many of them remain seriously damaged by that event even to this day, such that any reference to Trump, no matter how oblique, results in reason-destroying psychological distress that they attempt to assuage by clinging to absurd nonsense.
Our host says: "The whole scheme, supported by the made up 'Intelligence Community Assessment', was used to, more or less, sabotage Donald Trump's first two years as president," which seems to imply that the TDS sufferers had recovered enough to come to their senses within two years of the onset of their illness, but not only was the mass hysteria continuing until the end of Trump's first term, with pleas of "Wait for Mueller!", but it continues even now. Just note the number of otherwise intelligent people who remain incapable of seeing the absurdity of their faith that Trump plotted his own assassination attempts. To people whose minds descend into fugue state whenever their thoughts stray near Trump, ridiculous nonsense then makes perfect sense.
I am afraid the conclusions of the review are not obvious to anyone. TDS victims will continue to refuse to acknowledge their mental infirmity was created and maintained by immersion in untruths.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 4 2025 15:28 utc | 18
Yes, a decade later “wrong, my bad”
There’s a pattern there.
Meanwhile all damage is done
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 4 2025 15:33 utc | 19
Certainly I agree with b’s conclusions as expressed in the last two sentences. However, the nature of the lie around Iran and time to a nuclear bomb needs clarification. It is a fact that Iran had and still has a religious prohibition against constructing a nuclear bomb. It is also a fact that Iran itself believes it has everything in place to construct a bomb WITHIN WEEKS IF IT EVER DECIDED TO ABANDON ITS RELIGIOUS PROHIBITION. How do we know this?
1. Because further concentration of U235 from 60% to bomb-grade over 90% requires only days of centrifugation. MIT weapons expert and former Defense Department expert and now critic Ted Postal explained this fact with slides on Daniel Davis’ show within the last two weeks. Basically it takes a long time to enrich to 60% but little time for the final purification.
2. Iran’s top nuclear scientist also said so. In a video I watched two days before Israel launched its attack and killed him, he said the final steps in constructing a bomb once you had sufficient enrichment were technologically well-known, the problem of perfectly timing a circular implosion of an enriched core “was technically trivial.” He implied Iran already had the necessary parts and design. However, Iran would not abandon its beliefs and would not complete these steps. [I’ve looked in my history but can’t locate the short video of the scientist that I watched.] The scientist was correct—building a bomb has been an open secret, as proven by a U.S. high school student who described in the Progressive magazine how it was done 30 years ago, from unclassified sources.
3. Yesterday, on Judge Nap’s ‘security round table’, Scott Ritter said Iran told the US last October at the start of talks that it could build the bomb within weeks to months but chose not to. Ritter loudly criticized Iran’s making this claim as a huge mistake.
4. So two opposite things are true—Iran could have a bomb in a very short time, and Iran will not build one. The US in pushing the narrative that it was necessary to destroy the enrichment facilities, is gaslighting the population once again. Iran’s history of following international law means the following would need to occur before a bomb would be built: a)Fatwah withdrawn b)one year withdrawal period from the Nonproliferation Treaty, as stipulated in its terms; b)Detonate a test bomb—as every other nation with nuclear weapons has done.
Only by belittling Iran’s religious beliefs and history of compliance to international agreements to which it is party can the US gaslight its public and the world to ‘justify’ its unprovoked attack.
Posted by: mjh | Jul 4 2025 15:33 utc | 20
Steele dossier originated with what party to serve whose campaign? I should stop expecting to hear the name Bush dropped. Must never be the case.Posted by: Not Ewe | Jul 4 2025 14:39 utc | 6
Yes, the Steele dossier was commissioned by mainstream Republicans to derail the Trump campaign in favor of one of the other idiots, like Marco Rubio. Only later did the Democratic party pick up the dossier. Trump himself fed into the message of Russia collusion by loudly inviting Russia to hack the Democratic Party email server. And Julian Assange played his own part by using Wikileaks to distribute the hacked/leaked Democratic National Committee emails (whose source remains unclear but was most likely a Democratic insider). Assange despised Hillary Clinton because she openly intended to prosecute him for Wikileaks' prior exposure of documents showing US efforts to destroy Libya while she was Secretary of State. Since the source of the leaked emails was unknown, it was easy to blame Russia. And since there was no love lost between Putin and Clinton, who blames Russia for everything wrong in the world, Putin basically sat back with a bowl of popcorn and watched the fireworks.
All of which reminds me to watch once again the Bad Lip Reading video of the First Republican Candidates Debate of 2015 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufGlBv8Z3NU
Posted by: Clever Dog | Jul 4 2025 15:42 utc | 21
How soon before we know if these squirrels are Russian or Iranian sleeper cells?
https://www.newsweek.com/us-nuclear-missile-base-swarmed-squirrels-2092907
Chinese? Did I hear Chinese ?
Posted by: Newbie | Jul 4 2025 15:44 utc | 22
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 15:02 utc | 12
#######
You're assuming that government, specifically, the American government, is rational. It is not.
These are child killing psychopaths and rapists.
Their minds do not work like your mind (I am making assumptions about your character).
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 4 2025 15:47 utc | 23
Posted by: mjh | Jul 4 2025 15:33 utc | 20
The Iran Nuclear program is just a catspaw; what is really significant for the West is that Iran new trade routes to China and Russia are all on land and therefore cannot be indicted by the West on the oceans-that is what the West is trying to disrupt not the nuclear program.
Posted by: canuk | Jul 4 2025 15:48 utc | 24
"The review found what had been obvious to anyone."Not anyone. Anyone not suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome" perhaps,
...
I am afraid the conclusions of the review are not obvious to anyone. TDS victims will continue to refuse to acknowledge their mental infirmity was created and maintained by immersion in untruths.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 4 2025 15:28 utc | 18
Agreeded. If you try to lookup 'Russiagate' on Wikipedia it redirects to this:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_interference_in_the_2016_United_States_elections
Which states as unambiguous fact that Russia interfered in the election to help Trump and hurt Clinton.
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 15:56 utc | 25
@ team10tim | Jul 4 2025 15:02 utc | 12
Perhaps Hunter Biden’s laptop no longer exists.
When the going gets tough, destroy evidence.
Posted by: malenkov | Jul 4 2025 16:00 utc | 26
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 4 2025 15:05 utc | 13
Best post I have read today-thanks.
Posted by: canuk | Jul 4 2025 16:06 utc | 27
Michael Hudson on Nima's blog Dialogue Works(as Richard Wolff and he talk about Zohran Mamdanis victory in New York):
"...shows that the Democratic Central Committee's attempt to fight Bernie Sanders, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and all those who defend the interests of workers, public health, public spending, instead of military spending, will divide the party, and that will obviously affect how American foreign policy responds to the Middle East.
And the leadership of the Democratic Party, which is the same as in the 2016 presidential election, preferred to lose with Hillary Clinton, rather than win with Bernie Sanders. Their opposition to what they call... socialism, which used to be called liberalism or social democracy, their opposition to that, their support for Wall Street, the financial class, the landlord class, the military and the budget, the military-industrial complex, has been responsible for Donald Trump's victory, the voters stopped voting for the Democratic Party.
You can look at the New York mayoral election as a microcosm of what the fight is about for the voters of the Democratic Party."
Posted by: Northern Eve | Jul 4 2025 16:09 utc | 28
Posted by: Zet | Jul 4 2025 15:09 utc | 15
Your adolescent crudeness is only matched by the paucity of your non existent counter argument.
Posted by: canuk | Jul 4 2025 16:14 utc | 29
The Iran Nuclear program is just a catspaw; what is really significant for the West is that Iran new trade routes to China and Russia are all on land and therefore cannot be indicted by the West on the oceans-that is what the West is trying to disrupt not the nuclear program.
Posted by: canuk | Jul 4 2025 15:48 utc | 24
---
An interesting Indian perspective with regard to the greater implications for the Indian Ocean ==> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnsLM2CBQPU
The little games played in the West have less significance with each passing day.
Posted by: too scents | Jul 4 2025 16:27 utc | 30
In fact, it's the most insidious form imperialism takes.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 4 2025 15:22 utc | 17
You tell that to me? LOL, I think I was one of the first here to point out that Trump is an elementary part of Empire.
I've even gone so far to claim that if Trump wouldn't exist, he would have to be invented because it's the best psyop ever seen...
Posted by: Zet | Jul 4 2025 16:29 utc | 31
...counter argument.
Posted by: canuk | Jul 4 2025 16:14 utc | 29
What counter arguments? It doesn't make sense to waste time talking to idiots. That's the reason I left MoA – it's just a honeypot to keep people in front of their screens arguing about the same crap every single day. There's zero progress, zero conclusions here.
Posted by: Zet | Jul 4 2025 16:31 utc | 32
Huzzah! I've been waiting for a proper debunking like this!
Posted by: Ben Trovata | Jul 4 2025 16:31 utc | 33
" That's the reason I left MoA.."
Posted by: Zet | Jul 4 2025 16:31 utc | 32
But you haven't left MOA, obviously; perhaps you should attempt to organize your mind properly before posting?.
Posted by: canuk | Jul 4 2025 16:41 utc | 34
Steele dossier
This was a uk operation MI6.
The brit establishment hates trump and hated him back then, apart from anything else he was too chummy with Russia ! We cant have that can we.
Post berlin wall the brit establishment banks wanted Russia to fall just like the Soviet Union.
Remember this was the same perord as the fake Skripal poisoning by MI6, MI5. Picking a fight out of nowhere with Russia. Steele and Pablow Miller, As now it was then... trump is the loose cannon. Unpridictable and not one of the establishment club.
Vance had it right with his speech in Munich,
The brits are scaming america by useing america to fight Russia.
Its profitable.
Ticks all the box's now.
Posted by: Mark2 | Jul 4 2025 16:44 utc | 35
@ malenkov | Jul 4 2025 16:00 utc | 26
That's definitely occured to me. But then it would make sense for the Trump admin to cry about the deep state deep sixing the data. That's not what has happened.
The court ordered the FBI to either produce the laptops (or digital image) or a Vaughn index that characterizes every single file on the device. The FBI opted for the Vaughn index, then complained that there are hundreds of thousands of files on modern computers and it would take a lot of effort. The court said tough, do it. The FBI then produced a Vaughn index with roughly a thousand files per laptop (work and personal) several of which they declined to categorize to protect Seth's privacy, despite the court previously saying that the public interest outweighs the dead man's privacy.
It makes perfect sense for the Biden admin to drag things out like this, but why is Trump's FBI doing it?
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 16:45 utc | 36
"I've even gone so far to claim that if Trump wouldn't exist, he would have to be invented because it's the best psyop ever seen..."
Posted by: Zet | Jul 4 2025 16:29 utc | 31
You are a moron as well as a plagiarist.
Tolstoy in his, 'War and Peace", wrote in 1868: "If Napoleon hadn't existed , France would have had to invent him"
In the future please give credit to the original author.
Posted by: canuk | Jul 4 2025 16:45 utc | 37
In fact, it's the most insidious form imperialism takes.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 4 2025 15:22 utc | 17
You tell that to me? LOL, I think I was one of the first here to point out that Trump is an elementary part of Empire.
I've even gone so far to claim that if Trump wouldn't exist, he would have to be invented because it's the best psyop ever seen...
Posted by: Zet | Jul 4 2025 16:29 utc | 31
I tell it to everyone. That the genocide, Imperialist Dems are every bit as bad or worse than the Republicans should be repeated relentlessly until the population (quite large at MOA) that refers to them as an alternative to Trump or worse still "left", no longer exists or is at least ashamed to speak. The Trump obsession is a critical part of the Dem rehabilitation effort currently underway.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 4 2025 16:47 utc | 38
Zet
You know your over the target by the amount of flack.
Your right.
Posted by: Mark2 | Jul 4 2025 16:48 utc | 39
This is why so many people read MoA instead of the msm.
Dude in Germany gets it right, at the time of the propaganda blitz.
MSM in the US still doesn't get it right, 8 years later, except for the NY Post.
Posted by: wagelaborer | Jul 4 2025 16:56 utc | 40
18 U.S.C. § 2381 - U.S. Code - Unannotated Title 18. Crimes and Criminal Procedure § 2381. Treason
Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
Posted by: john | Jul 4 2025 17:03 utc | 41
Shout out to Seth Rich, murdered almost 9 years ago for leaking the DNC documents, and to Julian Assange, who spent years of his life in solitary for publishing them. (Also the Podesta emails, along with helpful FBI pedophile symbols).
The Wikipedia version of Seth's death features multiple reports of people sued for talking about it. Our rulers went out of their way to stomp out all speculation from us plebes. Leave it to the authorities, peasants.
The authorities? They still haven't solved the case, 9 years later. It is a mystery, my son.
All they know is that the DNC was not involved, and anyone talking about it is a dirty conspiracy theorist.
And that's all you need to know, also.
Posted by: wagelaborer | Jul 4 2025 17:05 utc | 43
The corrupt, exceptionally selfish heads of the DNC suffered two very big policy defeats--the 2014 failure of their initial attack on Russian speaking Ukrainians followed by the defeat of H Clinton. However, Trump continued the wars in Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan while also giving the top 10% a massive bonus which was just made permanent. Meanwhile, all supposed attempts at MAGA in any form are set up for failure while supplying various political-economic sectors with huge subsidies. As determined during Trump's first term, he's a confirmed Neoliberal and part of the Class profiting from Financial Capitalism. As Hudson and Wolff continue to show and support with evidence, the Outlaw US Empire's elite know their Empire's declining and doing all they can to gather the last remaining riches before the next financial crisis occurs. The geopolitical design to attempt to force other nations to pay what amounts to tribute is easy to see, while the resort to the long-established institution of terrorism via the Terrorist Foreign Legion because the military's a failure is also easy to see for those paying close attention.
So, of course the "intelligence" is made to fit policy so the masses are deceived. But outside the Collective West there's plenty of discussion about what's happening and what to do in response. This report, "South Korean President pledges early improvement of relations with China; China ties crucial for Seoul amid trade uncertainties: expert" and another in Chinese that echoes it are just one aspect of the reshaping of relations that's happening. Some are downplaying the expectations for the upcoming BRICS Summit in Rio, but nonetheless progress will be announced and another series of Summits that follow the next week will reinforce what emerges from Rio. Right now a major effort's being made by China with the EU as this report, "'China is not US': Chinese FM calls on Europe to adopt pragmatic, rational view on China at China-EU strategic dialogue" shows. As Hudson and Wolff note, Trump's policies are isolating the Empire, and the Duopoly is right there with him as its owners are only concerned with milking the golden cow until its udder runs dry.
Posted by: john | Jul 4 2025 17:03 utc | 41
#######
Laws are only as good as the enforcement.
Who is going to enforce laws against treason?
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 4 2025 17:07 utc | 45
Suprise, surprise... or not really. In the Iran / Russia context what does strike me is Azerbaijan currently ruled by Aliev.
There was some big hugging between the reformist (blind goal keeper) Pezeshkian and Aliyev at the ECO event.
Azerbaijan had a military base as well as its airspace used by Israel to bomb Iran from the north during the "12 day war". A number of empty fighter jet fuel tanks shored up on the Iranian Caspian coast and the only country in that region that can be culpable is Azerbaijan. It's unlikely the fuel tanks were planted.
Azerbaijan has an ongoing diplomatic spat with Russia. Supposedly because some high profile Azerbaijan mafia gangs were rounded up. Or maybe it's because Russia bombed at least 3 oil refineries that were partially owned by Azerbaijan and processed Azeri crude. As always very little information actually reaches the surface.
Maybe the stupid Azeri accusation that Russia is anti-muslim is what prompted Russia a little sooner to acknowledge Taliban rule.
Either way, Aliev is a strategic threat to both Russia and Iran.
Posted by: xor | Jul 4 2025 17:11 utc | 46
b: no public evidence that Russia hacked the Democratic National Council and/or released DNC material to Wikileaks.
It is widely understood (and acknowledged by Craig Murray) that DNC IT insider (and Bernie Bro) Seth Rich provided a thumb drive to Wikileaks.
Seth of course was murdered. And the two guys who are alleged to have made the hit, were themselves found dead a few days later. And there…. The trail runs cold, because no law enforcement has any interest in solving those deaths….
Posted by: Redrum | Jul 4 2025 17:13 utc | 47
Posted by: Redrum | Jul 4 2025 17:13 utc | 47
Excellent!
Thank you for the reality check; unfortunately, those whom are in the utter depths of TSD do not cannot and do not recognize reality.
Posted by: canuk | Jul 4 2025 17:24 utc | 48
Just throwing out some test-theories as a mental exercise...
Who knows how much if any enrichable uranium Iran has and how long do they need to make a deliverable weapon?
The western alliance spearheaded by the occupiers in Palestine seem to be going to a lot of trouble to neutralize the alleged threat posed by the nuclear capability of Iran's industry.
Imagine an alliance formed with Turkey, Zionist entities, and Russia to do away with Iran's current government and grab the complete east-west north-south transportation nexus away from China.
Like I say, just a mental exercise to test whatever perceived decision-making frameworks exposed by actions on the ground.
Helluva firework show in Kiev last night, thanks Vladimir Vladimirovich!
Posted by: Stumpy | Jul 4 2025 17:25 utc | 49
xor | Jul 4 2025 17:11 utc | 46--
Agreed, Aliev and Azerbaijan are becoming a problem along with Armenia.
Well hearsay and conjecture are kinds of evidence... ?
Posted by: Lionel Hutz | Jul 4 2025 17:28 utc | 51
@ malenkov | Jul 4 2025 16:00 utc | 26That's definitely occured to me. But then it would make sense for the Trump admin to cry about the deep state deep sixing the data. That's not what has happened.
......
It makes perfect sense for the Biden admin to drag things out like this, but why is Trump's FBI doing it?
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 16:45 utc | 36
An agency with ~38,000 people (according to its website) will likely contain pockets of resistance to a new presidential administration, and these might be difficult or time-consuming to identify and remedy.
But I have concerns even about the FBI leadership. Patel and Bongino have declared that they are convinced that Epstein's death was a suicide, despite the missing video footage and other curiously timed irregularities. It seems to me that the most optimistic rational stance on the cause of Epstein's death would be to reserve judgement. Is the FBI leadership hiding something?
Posted by: David Levin | Jul 4 2025 17:29 utc | 52
Ahenobarbus | Jul 4 2025 15:05 utc | 13
Declaration of Independance Force in civil and criminal law
AI OverviewThe Declaration of Independence, while a foundational document outlining the reasons for the American colonies' separation from Great Britain, does not have direct legal force in civil or criminal law. It primarily serves as a statement of ideals and philosophical principles rather than a source of specific legal rules. However, the ideals expressed in the Declaration, such as equality and unalienable rights, have significantly influenced the development of American law and continue to be invoked in legal and political discourse.
Elaboration:
Not a Legal Code:
The Declaration of Independence is not a legal code like the Constitution or statutes. It doesn't outline specific laws or procedures to be followed in courts.
Gemini actually took some fractions of a second on that one. :)
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 4 2025 17:44 utc | 53
Re the Russiagate hoax, I never thought it had more to off that the Obama-Birthergate nonsense. But I was and am impressed by the number of silly people who WANT to believe it!
Posted by: lester | Jul 4 2025 17:47 utc | 54
Advertisers leverage emotions about one item to sell another. Like using celebrities or placing hot wimmin in ads to sell beer and cars.
The emotional anchor might be negative. To market a Long War against Russia and against China, hypothetically agitation advertisers marketed two pairings to two different demos:
1. To an audience at least somewhat horrified by US aggression in the ME and elsewhere and thus more reluctant about buying new wars, advertisers possibly created a monster named “Trump” and told them he was “brought to you by Putin(tm)”. For anything Trump did/does bad, the target demo hates Russia more.
2. To an audience that’s historically marginally more willing to buy wars, advertisers possibly told them traitors like “Creepy Joe” are “in Xi’s pocket”. For anything Biden/Clinton/Obama did/do bad, the target demo hated China more.
Once they shape majority opinion within a significant demo, advertisers maintain these opinions even after the irritants (Trump, Biden) leave office and even after a limited hangout. Like any enduring ad campaign, the initial ads require more investment and tend to run longer. Initially, they show us a gecko talking for 30 seconds about how a simple 15-minute phone call can save you 15% on your car insurance. Eventually, they flash us a gecko and our brains do the rest.
As for a claim implying that the Russiagate hoax was designed to primarily target Trump, superficially it helps sell to a sympathetic flock that:
- Now that “the new we” are in charge, we’re cleaning up. Starting with “setting the record straight”.
- Direct your anger not at the institutions for whom I speak but at the other party or individuals.
- Your vote made a difference. Keep the faith.
At least, this is how some of us Uranians perceive these meme wars on little old earth.
Posted by: I forgot | Jul 4 2025 17:47 utc | 55
The US Intelligence Community is corrupted in the same way as the American MSM. In theory, narratives are derived from facts, in practice, facts are derived from narratives.
Posted by: Bydlo | Jul 4 2025 18:08 utc | 57
I remember when the former NSA tech guy who used to be interviewed all the time by Russiagate critics such as Aaron Mate, Tucker Carlson..etc (I’m drawing a blank on his name at the moment) said that he went to meet with Trump during his first term and explained to him in detail how to debunk the whole email hacking story by using his presidential power to force the release of the metadata concerning where the download occurred, which he said was in the US and could easily could be proved. He said Trump listened to his detailed description of how to do this and apparently wasn’t interested. This as well as well as Trump’s many statements where he seems to play along with the hoax such as calling for Russia to releases Hillary’s emails always left me thinking Trump was always in on the whole thing. Very similar to the way Trump tries to pretend he would like to make peace with Russia while he constantly chooses to accelerate the war effort have always left me with a sense that he plays the bad cop role quite willingly. I actually have always thought Trump and Giuliani’s speeches on January 6 showed very subtle signs that they were aware of what the FBI was going to stage that day as well.
Posted by: James C | Jul 4 2025 18:08 utc | 58
@ team10tim | Jul 4 2025 16:45 utc | 36 about the Seth Rich story...thx
I see it like the Epstein story.....maybe a little too much dirt about both sides to let truth see the light of day.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 4 2025 18:11 utc | 59
The Washington redskins and the Dallas Cowboys are on the same team.
It's called Team NFL.
And they cheat and plot against each other.
I hope Ahenobarbus and Canuk can grasp the sports analogy. Beside the fact that Bill Clinton and Trump are best friends.
Lawfare is the easiest show to put on in human history.
Posted by: duck n cover | Jul 4 2025 18:14 utc | 60
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 4 2025 17:07 utc | 45
Who is going to enforce laws against treason
The Swamp Fox.
Posted by: john | Jul 4 2025 18:19 utc | 61
I see it like the Epstein story.....maybe a little too much dirt about both sides to let truth see the light of day.Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 4 2025 18:11 utc | 59
I can see that as plausible, but I would put it differently. The rot runs so deep that saving it is basically the same as destroying it and starting over.
I'm not sure that that is the whole story, but at least that makes sense.
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 18:23 utc | 62
Posted by: I forgot | Jul 4 2025 17:47 utc | 55
Bravo. Sounds like you have worked in the ad business. I can't agree more.
Here's one for the bar.
The Adverts - Gary Gilmore's Eyes
Posted by: lex talionis | Jul 4 2025 18:24 utc | 63
In regards to my comment above: William "Bill" Edward Binney Is the name I was thinking of. Interestingly his Wikipedia now says:
“He later disputed Russia interfered with the 2016 US election. He espoused an alternative theory that the CIA hacked the DNC server, not the Russian government. After re-examining the data with investigative journalist and forensic expert Duncan Campbell (journalist), Binney changed his position and said "there is no evidence to prove where the download/copy was “
Perhaps he was talked to by some people. Also interesting is Wikipedia’s claim here that he said the hack was done by the CIA, I’m pretty sure he always said there was no hack, but a release by an insider. Wikipedia has become such a tangle of lies and obfuscations though, it resembles the intelligence agencies’s reports.
Posted by: James C | Jul 4 2025 18:29 utc | 64
#37 Canuk
More about inventions.
Nearly a century before that Voltaire wrote (originally in French): "If God didn't not exist mankind would've invented God."
Also: "God created Man in Its own Image but man fully reciprocated." (... returned the compliment).
Posted by: kpax | Jul 4 2025 18:42 utc | 65
Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 4 2025 17:06 utc | 44
>>>>
The Fed just bailout the repo market -- first time since 2019 and prior to the release of the corona psyop to avoid a systematic bankruptcy.
Although the size was not that significant in relative terms it is the start of the vicious cycle again than poses a threat to the world wide web system, human capital and resources.
Is the Outlaw US of A showing signs of real economic and financial stress again?
I think so.
In the mean while, the SMO continues until the root causes are fully eradicated.
Posted by: pepe | Jul 4 2025 18:42 utc | 66
Great interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U--V2Mo7W_o
But why dont they discuss the fact that if Israel owns the Protestant evangelicals such as Trump and his gang it is primarily because the Bible is part of the foundation myth of the US. No Bible, no pilgrims.
Add to the mix identity politics and that those same politicians cannot get elected without the help of local 'churches' and associations and you get a much clearer picture.
Posted by: Minaa | Jul 4 2025 18:44 utc | 67
@46 xor
Keep reading "The U.S. Embassy in Baku has urged all American citizens to leave Azerbaijan immediately, without stating a reason" and without obvious official corroberation at embassy site. First last night and moreso today. E.g.
https://x.com/Terror_Alarm/status/1941083010587328865
https://x.com/SilentlySirs/status/1941130798486171791
This could be part of a disinfo, or it could be hearsay based on private govt advice to US citizens there etc.
Just odd.
Also, a latest twist from US being the pres. phonecall which USpres says was dissapointing and saying that Rupres does not want to end the war in Ukraine.
Posted by: Ornot | Jul 4 2025 18:58 utc | 68
Posted by: lex talionis | Jul 4 2025 18:24 utc | 63
Great song!
I feel obliged to again recommend my favourite geopolitical rock album: John Cales "Sabotage/Live". On "Mercenaries", Cale starts out with a quote from Machiavelli. Then it gets worse, as his protagonist falls into the abiding fever dream of conquering Russia: "I'm just another soldier boy, looking for work . . . I did some work in Zaire, the jolly old Belgian Congo, Went back to Geneva to get paid. . . Let's go to Moscow, find the back door to the Kremlin, push it down and walk on in and say 'How dee ya dee do da'" Relentless and frightening.
Posted by: Cherrycoke | Jul 4 2025 19:03 utc | 69
Remember Donald Rumsfeld to Stephen Colbert on The Late Show of January 25, 2016? "If it were a fact, it wouldn't be called 'intelligence.'" Meet the new B-S; same as the old B-S. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
The courtier class is rearranging the chairs on the sinking ship. There's profit to be had while it lasts.
Is there too much "Amazing Grace" self-righteousness in America? The vanity of "I once was blind but now I see"? Aren't we always blind, just a little less if we're lucky? Doesn't real seeing take awareness, humility and the sort of openmindedness that seeks out those who will make me know I am wrong?
Is it time to reread Gilles Deleuze' Postscript on the Societies of Control? <https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/gilles-deleuze-postscript-on-the-societies-of-control>
Posted by: David Levin | Jul 4 2025 17:29 utc | 52
I don't know if Patel and Bongino were crooked going into this, but they are certainly covering things up now.
I can understand the Trump admin punting on the Epstein files and prosecutions. Maybe Epstein (and by extension his handlers in Mossad/MI6/CIA) has dirt on Trump and co. or maybe the rot runs so deep that it would take everything down, government, media, banks, etc.
But I can't understand why Trump wouldn't push like crazy for the Seth Rich files. It would be mana from heaven. He would expose a corrupt deep state and the complicit media, basically kill the democratic party on the national level for at least a generation, and it would hand him a 'national security' card to bludgeon his enemies with giving him a lot more freedom to go poking around every corner that is ostensibly under the executive department, and many that aren't.
Or at least I thought that. I can see psychohistorian's (Jul 4 2025 18:11 utc | 59) point that it's not just some deep state anti Trump one off. Digging into Seth Rich would uncover far, far too many bodies.
I'm not convinced that that is the full answer, but it at least makes sense.
|
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 19:10 utc | 71
team10tim @71: "But I can't understand why Trump wouldn't push like crazy for the Seth Rich files."
Trump doesn't want to destroy the government or the Democrats (he was a Democrat and only swapped parties to play the heel in The Democracy Show). Trump's intention is to clean up the government because a country cannot be "Great" with a corrupt and dysfunctional government.
It is certainly naive, but Trump thinks he can fix things for America without breaking too much. Trump doesn't have a problem with the FBI continuing to exist, or even the CIA continuing. He just wants them to be less dysfunctional and less malignant. Revealing what really happened to Seth Rich would destroy the FBI, the Capitol Police, and a number of other alphabet agencies. That is not his goal.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 4 2025 19:31 utc | 72
canuk | Jul 4 2025 16:45 utc | 37
"I've even gone so far to claim that if Trump wouldn't exist ..."
No comparison. Variations on a popularized literary device are customary. Next: Your plaigarist "is only matched by" your precociousness. Still waiting for that Iran new trade routes indictmment.
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 4 2025 19:45 utc | 73
William Gruff | Jul 4 2025 19:31 utc | 72
Absence of evidence is not proof of intention. (: At least, we can say kayfabe should have limits when it comes to TLAs.
Posted by: Laurence | Jul 4 2025 20:08 utc | 74
But I can't understand why Trump wouldn't push like crazy for the Seth Rich files.|
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 19:10 utc | 71
########
When someone doesn't behave as expected, that is an invitation to examine the first premises more closely.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 4 2025 20:26 utc | 75
Trump gets a tap on the shoulder and hey presto he falls into line over arming ukraine, within hours !
Nothing to see here move along please.
For those of us with a questioning mind questions have been answered or opinions confirmed. In these last hours.
Who owns american presidents ?
Mi6 》 international rothchild banking family 》 israel aswell as the jews.
Latest.... zelensky is pleased with the result of a long phone confersation with trump.
Mmm. That was quick.
Posted by: Mark2 | Jul 4 2025 20:32 utc | 76
The secret service is always a tool of the ruling class, with differences within the class also being reflected in the secret service. Just as imperialism succeeded in planting agents in the secret services of socialist countries, the socialist camp has naturally also succeeded in planting agents in the opposing secret services. But this fact doesn't change the course of history.
Applying the analysis of Marx, Engels, and Lenin to Ukraine, one can see that Putin is dictating to the oligarchs what they should andshould do not do. The most powerful of these oligarchs, Khodorkovsky, was sent to prison as a warning to the others.
In Ukraine, the oligarchs, whether Jewish (Kolomoisky), Tatar (Akhmetov), or ethnic Ukrainian (Chocolate Bunny Poroshenko, Gas Princess Tymoshenko), are dictating to Zelensky what he should do, naturally dependent on the EU and the US.
In this respect, Russia represents the more progressive social order and will emerge victorious from this conflict.
Israel, a capitalist and secular entity, is vastly superior to Iran and the Arab states with their feudal-capitalist and partly theocratic structures and will emerge victorious from this struggle.
Neither the arch-capitalist Trump, nor the Russian national democrat Putin, nor the Chinese-style socialist Xi Jinping, who still (rightly) invokes Stalin, have an interest in Israel losing the war. Azerbaijan and, to some extent, Turkey under Erdogan (albeit for different reasons) are also among them.
Otto Kern
DE-37412 Herzberg - the Esperanto City
Posted by: Otto Kern | Jul 4 2025 20:35 utc | 77
Seth Rich is old news. America has slaughtered thousands of Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians, Yemeni, and Iranians since Seth was killed.
Trump is no more interested in Seth Rich than he is in exposing the Epstein List. He is no more interested in Seth Rich than in assassinating the Ayatollah.
The investigation is the cover-up. That is always the case in American politics, whether it's the Church Committee, the Warren Commission, or the 9/11 Review Commission.
The Mueller Special Counsel Report. It is the same thing every single time.
Every.
Single.
Time.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 4 2025 20:37 utc | 78
Laurence @74: "...kayfabe should have limits when it comes to TLAs."
And indeed it does have limits. The TLAs have gone batshit over Trump winning because he was supposed to lose. Kinda like (exactly like, actually) the Mob going apeshit over a boxer who is supposed to throw a key fight they have lots of money riding on, but that boxer wins anyway. It doesn't matter if his opponent keeled over with a heart attack after stepping in the ring with only a single puffball punch being thrown. The Mob (Establishment, in the case of the Trump-Hillary contest) will still freak out on the guy they arranged to lose, but who failed to lose. Trump stayed in his agreed heel character in the kayfabe. He fulfilled his side of the deal. It wasn't Trump's fault Hillary couldn't beat a guy who went out of his way to look and sound as abrasive and offensive as possible. It was the Establishment (media, deep state, and alphabet agencies) that broke character in the kayfabe and exposed themselves like a degenerate flasher in a playground full of children.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 4 2025 20:38 utc | 79
The Washington redskins and the Dallas Cowboys are on the same team.
It's called Team NFL.
And they cheat and plot against each other.
I hope Ahenobarbus and Canuk can grasp the sports analogy. Beside the fact that Bill Clinton and Trump are best friends.
Lawfare is the easiest show to put on in human history.
Posted by: duck n cover | Jul 4 2025 18:14 utc | 60
Truly one of the worst analogies I've heard.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 4 2025 20:44 utc | 80
Remember this was the same perord as the fake Skripal poisoning by MI6, MI5.
Posted by: Mark2 | Jul 4 2025 16:44 utc | 35
Skripal collaborated to the Steele files. And when he wanted to go back to Russia with a lot of "ammunitions", he had to be eliminated.
But why is Russia not asking about the fate of Yulia?
Posted by: Naive | Jul 4 2025 20:56 utc | 81
When someone doesn't behave as expected, that is an invitation to examine the first premises more closely.Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 4 2025 20:26 utc | 75
I'll bite. Trump should be pushing to release the Seth Rich files, and the details about the Trump shooters, Ryan Routh and Thomas Crookes. But there hasn't been any action on the shooters and his FBI is actively fighting the release of the Seth Rich files.
So, what? Is he waiting until he has fully consolidated control before going after the big fish or an October Surprise in the midterms? Or are there just too many bodies, if he starts digging it will inevitably result in finding bodies that he would rather stay burried? Or is his real problem with the deep state that he doesn't control it and he wants to keep it more or less intact until he's found a way to establish some loyalty?
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 21:05 utc | 82
Otto Kern @ 77:
There's some mystery over Julia Tymoshenko's family background, on her father's side at least. Her maiden name is Hryhyan. Her biological father was apparently Latvian, according to his Soviet passport. His father's name was Abram Kapitelman. (This information comes from the Gas Princess's Wikipedia entry.)
Poroshenko's paternal origins are also shrouded in conjecture. Internet rumour is that Poroshenko is not the original family name, and that his father or grandfather changed the name from Vaisman or Valtsman to Poroshenko.
Posted by: Refinnejenna | Jul 4 2025 21:05 utc | 83
@28
" their support for Wall Street, the financial class, the landlord class, the military and the budget, the military-industrial complex, "
Wasn't this the main point of the Democrats' pivot to the "third way" under Bill Clinton?
Posted by: Jane | Jul 4 2025 21:10 utc | 84
Naive @ 81
Sometimes the truth can just be banal and unintesting.
Yulia did'nt matter. To anyone. Just inocent road kill.
Sad but often the case on all sides.
Posted by: Mark2 | Jul 4 2025 21:11 utc | 85
So, why is the FBI still trying to block this in court?
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 15:02 utc | 12
Right now it's just the steel dossier its still deniable. We got sold bad info......
The laptops prove the seth/crowdstrike/dnc collusion?
Posted by: Tannenhouser | Jul 4 2025 21:20 utc | 86
Posted by: Otto Kern | Jul 4 2025 20:35 utc | 77
In Kees van der Pijl's book on MH 17, he framed Maidan wrote about the oligarchic interests in Ukraine, and their influences on Maidan. He said that under Kuchma the lines were drawn with Kiev, Dniepropetrovsk, and Donetsk oligarchs. Tymoshenko, Pinchuk, Kolomoiski, Poroshenko - Dniepropetrovsk. Medvedchuk - Kiev. Donetsk - Akhmetov.
It seems the Dniepropetrovsk crew saw Maidan as an opportunity to seize power.
At least that's how I understand it.
Posted by: lex talionis | Jul 4 2025 21:21 utc | 87
Otto Kern @ 77(again):
Also, in case you've not looked closely, Israel is as much a theocracy and a feudal-capitalistic society (over 60% of its economy controlled by as few as 20 families and individuals) as the Arab oil sheikh kingdoms in its neighbourhood.
On the other hand, much of Iran's industrial development has been financed by charitable organisations (bonyads). These are entities set up to enable individuals, groups and organisations to donate monies for the purpose of supporting families and providing employment. I don't fully understand what bonyads can or can't do but they seem to have the combined nature of pension funds, trade unions and community service organisations. The IRGC operates a bonyad and Grand Ayatollah Khamenei has a bonyad as well.
Posted by: Refinnejenna | Jul 4 2025 21:22 utc | 88
Trump stayed in his agreed heel character in the kayfabe. He fulfilled his side of the deal. It wasn't Trump's fault Hillary couldn't beat a guy who went out of his way to look and sound as abrasive and offensive as possible.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 4 2025 20:38 utc | 79
While this explains 2016, and to a much lesser extent 2020 along with the Butler assassination attempt, it by no means explains 2024. Unless you mean that the mob will go out of its way to grant unlimited power and wealth to a contender who betrayed their expectations utterly, because what other choice did they have?
It doesn't make sense by its own internal logic.
Posted by: They Call Me Mister | Jul 4 2025 21:22 utc | 89
Naive @ 81:
AFAIK the Russian embassy in London pushed for more information about Julia Skripal's whereabouts for a long time. It may be that the embassy is still interested but in a low-key way, possibly to avoid being shut down.
Posted by: Refinnejenna | Jul 4 2025 21:27 utc | 90
pepe | Jul 4 2025 18:42 utc | 66--
Thanks for your reply. I recall one of the first Geoeconomics podcasts with Desai and Hudson stating that the US financial system has never been in balance--destabilized is the term they used--moving from one crisis to the next, some caused by the business cycle, others caused by lack of systemic liquidity prior to WW1, and Neoliberal financialization from 1920 onward, most of which were overseen by the rent seekers--the Rentiers. It's that Class the world and 90% of Americans need Independance from.
The only importance then and now of the skripals is they were used to kick start the Russian hatred that deliberatly was spread sucssesfully around Europe, america and beyound.
Anything else is a distraction fron that key fact.
On the back of that fake psyc-op.
The west ramped up it's military presence on Russias borders including funding the banderite nazi thugs. And persistent provocation against Pro russian's in Ukraine.
'Make it happen on purpose'
By trumps folding on helping ukraine today, we can deduce the dirt on trump is a fact.
And as a freand of epstian ther was surly never any doubt. Except by the blind trump supporters.
And ther's none so blind as those who will not see.
Posted by: Mark2 | Jul 4 2025 21:49 utc | 92
Well, there are those intelligence "assessments" that are published/publicized and those that aren't. I would imagine that a brilliant MIT graduated analyst or two within the innards of the intelligence community beast has made the relevant probability calculations in order to determine, with a significant measure of scientific rigor, the likelihood that the Israeli regime was entirely ignorant, as opposed to compartmentalized ignorance, of the specific date of the Oct 7 Hamas attacks, and that said probability is very low indeed.
Posted by: Ludovic | Jul 4 2025 21:51 utc | 93
The laptops prove the seth/crowdstrike/dnc collusion?Posted by: Tannenhouser | Jul 4 2025 21:20 utc | 86
The official story is that Russia hacked the DNC and gave the emails to Wikileaks. But, there are reasons to believe that Seth Rich stole the emails from the inside, the data transfer rate was too high for a remote connection, a USB stick is more likely, Seth was gunned down outside his home but none of his valuables were taken, Julian Assange offered a reward for info leading to his murder(s), the FBI denied even having his laptops for years, and they're still fighting to block the release of the data, etc.
If Seth was the DNC emails source, then the Russian hacking was made up by TLAs and repeated by a complicit media, meaning the entirety of the Russiagate fiasco was a sham created to thwart Trump. It also strongly implies that Seth was assassinated when the DNC figured out what had happened so that they could spin a fake narrative. If Seth hadn't been killed he could have contradicted the bs and produced the original files to prove it.
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 21:54 utc | 94
It doesn't make sense by its own internal logic.
Posted by: They Call Me Mister | Jul 4 2025 21:22 utc | 89
I think love mentioned this, but looking for logical behavior from crisis Imperialism is ridiculous. They're desperate. This turd keeps himself popular and they couldn't kill him, so they decided to go with it.
And why not? He's proven totally subservient to Israel, hasn't really shit on Ukraine yet (lotta talk though), carries out billionaire friendly domestic policy...
The real question is why did it take them so long to just accept him as their agent? My guess: if this blowhard can do it, then all their bullshit feelings of superiority are just that: bullshit. Even a caveman can do it!
His domestic'opposition" is just a bunch of butt hurt courtesans convinced that only they had the brilliance to lead an empire. They use the media to psyop the lumpen minorities, women and gays into thinking without the Dems they'll all be hunted in the streets by white workers who are uniformly painted as just a bunch of pocket Hitlers. Et viola! You get an army of retards screaming for war with Russia and trans operations for toddlers.
Or as a wise guy once sang: "This is the end...my only friend, the end...of all elaborate plans..the end!"
Imperialism is grasping on for dear life. There's no logic. It's nothing but desperate improvisation at this point.
Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jul 4 2025 21:56 utc | 95
Nice in fact very aposite
On substack for eg other social media
"History teacher explains psychology of the Trump cult".....all about his identity how he manipulates etc. 5 mins or so
Posted by: Jo | Jul 4 2025 21:58 utc | 96
They Call Me Mister | Jul 4 2025 21:22 utc | 89--
It's rather simple: In 2014, Trump beat the more profoundly corrupt liar and in 2024 lied his way back into office promising Peace and MAGA. Some observers have looked at the past 40 years of policy continuity and concluded Trump fits in with the overall domestic plan while the geopolitical side gets tripped up by that Domestic plan--no industry to enable the winning of industrial wars leaving economic and terrorist means as the Empire's only tools. 2026 will mark 50 years since Carter began the Neoliberal Revolution and escalated the already nascent deindustrialization of America and little will remain by then to be gutted. What sort of Narrative will be conjured up then to sell the next POTUS candidates?
145 years ago the People's Enemy was given a name--The Money Power--and that's what the American Populist Party fought to unseat and they almost succeeded and would have if one of two things had been present: Women able to vote in national elections and/or the lack of racism used to divide white and black. The Money Power knew just how they narrowly squeaked by and adopted some of the populists' reforms in what was termed the Progressive Era, which Kolko correctly saw and called a "Triumph for Conservatism." The People's Enemy remains the same, but its control is much greater to the point where revolt is the only likely solution.
Two points about 'Russiagate' that should be held in mind:
1. the whole fiasco where Russia meddled in all thing american was the (non)brain-child of Hillary Clinton & Co. She needed to convince voters that a vote for the Trumpet was a vote for Russia. She had nothing else of substance to run on; and
2. the 'Russiagate' BS was an effective way to scare or coerce the american population into acquiescing to continuing fiscal expenditures - that keep ever growing - on what is laughably called 'defence spending'.
'Defence' employment is roughly 10 percent of the labour market in america. Approximately 34 million employees/voters. Cut back on that and you start to lose votes. A lot of votes. This is why senators fight tooth and nail to keep production alive in their prospective states. Bring spending down to a reasonable level, and a lot of politicians would be out of office.
All those war toys america builds need to be expended in order to be replaced and keep the conveyor belt running. This is a very big reason why america fights wars all over the planet. america would be an entirely different animal if 'defence' spending actually concerned itself with the actual defence of america.
Posted by: rgl | Jul 4 2025 22:08 utc | 98
In 1988 the USSR withdrew from Afghanistan. In 2025 Russia formally recognizes the Afghan Taliban government.
This fills me with hope that, somewhere around 2075, relations between NATO countries and Russia will be normalized.
Posted by: Passerby | Jul 4 2025 22:08 utc | 99
I'll bite. Trump should be pushing to release the Seth Rich files, and the details about the Trump shooters, Ryan Routh and Thomas Crookes.
Posted by: team10tim | Jul 4 2025 21:05 utc | 82
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Don't take this personally, it is how my mind works.
Why should he release the files?
If/when he does, what will happen?
Always examine your premises.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jul 4 2025 22:13 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
Trump is enacting the policies of the ruling class. Russiagate was an attack on the US public, not Trump. At this point I'm fully convinced Trump was in on it the whole time.
If not, ruling class members fight with each other. That's not news.
Trump's only agenda is that of the ruling class. Just like every person you name in another of your silly articles about the Trump agenda.
Posted by: Duck n cover | Jul 4 2025 14:21 utc | 1