US Under Attack – That’s OK with Republicans
During a congressional hearing yesterday, director of national intelligence Dan Coats testified that the “United States is under attack by the Russians to meddle in the 2018 elections after their successful meddling in the 2016 election. The White House and congressional Republicans are silent on any action that could prevent (or at least disrupt) these efforts. Why? That’s easy. The Russians are working to help the Republicans stay in power even though their voter base is shrinking. You can be sure that if a foreign country, say Kenya, was conducting regular cyber attacks on the US to help Barack Obama stay in office, we would be bombing Nairobi right now. Since this unprecedented attack on US sovereignty is helping them, Trump and Republicans are more than happy to allow it to continue.
That’s called, at the minimum gross negligence. What it really is? Treason.
Thank you for stating the ugly truth. All of the news commentators think Trump & the Repugs won’t acknowledge the Russian attack on our election because it delegitimizes his presidency and their choke hold on Congress.
1Wrong. The reason is that it is in their best interest to have Russia do it again to assure they stay in power. They are all colluding with the Russians in that they will nothing to stop the attacks on our democracy. TREASON!!!
Sorry, the Democrats have this “Eeek! The Russians!” bit of misdirection to avoid facing up to their own complicity in producing Trump. That’s right, as horrible as Trump is, Obama and Hillary assisted him (as the congressional Democrats are continuing to do).
For example, Obama legitimized criminality as a governing principle. Not only did he not prosecute the war crimes of Bush / Cheney, he promoted the torturers and prosecuted the whistleblowers (more than all previous administrations combined).
Obama was handed what was arguably the largest theft in human history–the subprime/derivatives scandal. The previous biggest-ever bank scandal was the Savings & Loans. Regulators during Reagan / Bush 41 filed 30,000+ referrals for criminal prosecution, and prosecuted 1200+ cases with a 90% conviction rate. They got really big fish, too (e.g. Charles Keating).
Fast forward to the subprime/derivatives scandal… which is 70 times larger than the S&Ls … Care to guess how many referrals for criminal prosecution the Obama administration’s regulators filed?
Zero. Count ’em. Zero.
They prosecuted roughly a dozen cases, all small fish, settling with the biggest malefactors for dimes on the dollar from what they looted.
Add to that Bill Clinton’s end of welfare as we know it (something the Republicans had been wanting to do forever), and the Democrats are no longer the party of the poor of the middle class. Just ending welfare threw a half million adults off of food stamps. Before that “end,” 76% of those needing public assistance got it. After: 26%.
So take those Russkies and stick ’em where the sun don’t shine. The problem is that corporate Democrats run the party, and nominate abominations like Hillary. The Democrats have abandoned the poor, the working man and the ordinary middle class person.
Heck, in only one of the ten recoveries from recession following World War two did the bottom 90% end up worse off than before the recession. That’s in the Obama recovery.
The sooner you stop blaming Russians for these losses and take responsibility for the malfeasance of the Democrats, the sooner ordinary people can count on political victories that are meaningful.
2Say, what’s in that Koolaid you’re drinking?
3We’ve got our own Russian troll.
4All those people who died for the flag and democracy? Too bad, so sad, Hair Furor’s KKKGOP is here now, won’t be needing that democracy anymore.
5I just had something to eat so I am doing better now. What the heck was that rant? Showing off by throwing around a spate of history is not going to help us now. Now we are facing a one word disaster, namely Treason. Yes, I know that it is usually and correctly used only in a time of open warfare, but hey if the skunk stills stinks whether its or war time or not, its still Treason.
6I think that poor commentator got lost, confused, and ended up here.
7Where is the ghost of old Joe McCarthy when we need him? And when he could finally do some good? After years of waving an empty piece of paper over his head ruining the careers of alleged Russian sympathizers, he could finally point to some real live ones in his own Republican Party.
In this case the quieter they are, the more complicit they be.
8Article III, Section 3. ” [1]Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or, in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.”
There will be no treason indictments unless and until (1) an American levys war against the United States, or (2) Russia (or some other nation) is officially declared to be an Enemy, and (3) someone adheres to Russia or another nation (after Russia or another nation is declared to be an Enemy) and gives Russia (or another Enemy) aid and comfort.
If there is really any chance of the stench of Treason being actually in the air, it would be connected to the fact that armed conflict between US and Russian military is actually taking place in Syria’s local. One would think that having Russian military shooting at US military would fit the description of waging war, making Russia an enemy. Focus on that, as a first step.
Adam Eran may well be a Trump or Russian operative, but I think it would be more helpful if he were to be challenged on the accuracy of what he has posted, instead of name calling.
9I might have, but I deal with people like that every day. Every. Damned. Day.
10Adam Eran, the sooner you stop deflecting the fact that one of our parties is turning the the USA into a Vassal State to Russian oligarchs, the sooner we can stop their racist treason and get back to trying make the Democratic party better. Nobody wants to criticize the democrats when the Republicans are selling us out to Russia and Nazis, you dotard.
11Mr. Eran
You make many valid points about the Obama 8 years, but hardly a word about George W.
And you seem very eager to give the Ruskies a free walk.
How about it? Rehabilitate yourself on this site.
Tell us what you have done recently to “take responsibility for the malfeasance of the Democrats, (so that) the sooner ordinary people can count on political victories that are meaningful.” How are we to take responsibility for the malfeasance of Democrats? Most of us here are probably located in Texas, where a Democratic vote just don’t count for much.
12George in Lee County: Mr. Eran will tell you he voted for Bernie in the primary, but hates Hillary too much to vote for her in the general, despite what Bernie told his followers.
It’s also possible he secretly hates women, and now his little secret is out.
13Mr. Eran: Poppycock. Not only will your dog not hunt, it’s lying on the rug in front of the fire jerking its legs as it dreams about hunting, and it’s tick-fat with the bad food you feed it. It’ll never hunt.
14Adam Eran:
15Project much, comrade?
Misdirection? The failure to prosecute the perps for the subprime/derivatives/deregulation fiasco was huge, no doubt. But it was over by the time Obama came along.
Let that sink in a minute or two.
The attacks on our elections are ongoing. Now.
And apparently for as long into the future as the Russians want to keep doing it. And who’s trying to stop them? Politicians in the Democratic party, and the men and women of the intelligence, and federal law enforcement agencies, of ALL parties. Repugnantcan politicians? Notsamuch.
And your Clinton example? I’ll go ahead and respond briefly in the manner you seemed to have been hoping for. To quote Butthead “uuuggh,,,, huh huh,,,,, don’t make me smack you”.
Welfare policy, right or wrong, was and is determined by us. Politicians that Americans voted for. Not by Russians, or politicians allowing Russians to interfere with our elections, whether that be classified as treason or not. It’s GOT to be illegal. And if not, then nefarious. And for damn sure unAmerican.
Also, what Elizabeth Moon said.
@Adam Eran
Please take the meds your real doctor prescribed. Take a step away from the bong. Careful now, up the stairs from Granny’s basement. See, the sun came out today. There’s new grass agrowing. Time to live in the real world.
16Trump’s Wikileaks buddy, Julian Assange, chats were leaked by an ex-employee. Assange posited that Americans advocating equality for it’s citizenry forced Russia to become repressive and authoritarian. Again we witness how violent bullies/assholes insist they are forced to being an so…If it weren’t for those whiny victims… predators would be fluffy cuddly pookie kins?
The chat leak: https://theintercept.com/2018/02/14/julian-assange-wikileaks-election-clinton-trump/
17@Adam, get your head out of your arse and google DEF CON Voting Village.
The hackers convention picks a subject every year for their meeting. Last year it was voting machines. A 16 yo kid registered himself to vote in Va using an 8 year old decommissioned Diebold machine.
If you are too lazy to read all of it, CSPAN has a video of a meeting where they told a little about the machines and how easy it is to play with them. Pay attention to the Scandinavian.
18Mr. Erin, let’s assume, arguendo, that everything you said was true.
How does that change the fact that the Russians are attacking our right to vote?
19George in Lee County cites the Constitution’s narrow definition of treason. So what DO we call it when another country interferes in our electoral process to tip the odds toward a presidential candidate that favors them, and the party of that winning candidate thinks this is just fine and is okay with letting them do it next time too? Also, what do we call it when said president ignores a law passed overwhelmingly by Congress to place sanctions on that country to punish it for interfering in our election? It may not be “treason” but both cases for damn sure need to be corrected and punished, or the Constitution is just a piece of paper in an expensive glass case!
20We are in a cyber war with Russia whether Trump and the Rethugs are willing to acknowledge it or not.
21Rhea, if Barack Hussein Obama was still in office, you can bet there would be impeachment going on, with Gitmo being the preferred destination.
Ditto Clinton 1 and 2. Anything the Repugs hate, they hate with every fiber of their being. Hate Obama? Impeach and incarcerate. Hate Billary? Same. Doesn’t matter if there’s any “There,” there, they hate’em and that’s enough.
However, when it comes to their own? Lets just say Trump was right when he said he could shoot someone dead in Times Square and nobody would care. At least, no repug would.
22Treason’s Greetings!
23