Cont: All things Trump + Russia Part 2

[dudalb]

What IS it with this administration and Russia!? The excuse is always that they are seeking friendlier relations with Russia, but Russia doesn't appear to be doing anything particularly friendly for us. The opposite is occurring at almost all levels. It is increasingly difficult to not conclude that Putin either has a very effective method of blackmailing Trump, or that Trump has truly and deeply fallen in love with Putin and has no clue he is bing played. I assume that Tillerson, who otherwise is probably reasonable, ultimately has to do what Trump insists on.

Or maybe Trump just owes a lot of money to Russian bankers or has big business interests in Russia.......
one thing is sure: Most politicians would have moved away from Russia by now with it's huge and perhaps fatal political cost.

 

[dudalb]

Well, maybe now we know why it took Trump so long to sign the sanctions bill:

https://twitter.com/joncoopertweets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

You know my low opinion of Trump. But I would like to see solid evidence before accepting this.

 

[Childlike Empress]

Russian PM Medvedev on New Sanctions: 'US Declares Full-Fledged Trade War'

The signing by the US President of a new sanctions law against Russia creates several consequences: firstly, the hope of improving our relations with the new US administration is dead. Secondly, US declared a fully-fledged trade war on Russia. Thirdly, the Trump administration demonstrated complete impotence by humiliatingly transferring executive powers to the Congress, which changes the balance of power in US political circles.

Hope you're feeling better now.

 

[Tommy Jeppesen]

Russian PM Medvedev on New Sanctions: 'US Declares Full-Fledged Trade War'




Hope you're feeling better now.

Yes, I am feeling better. Thank you

 

[NoahFence]

Or maybe Trump just owes a lot of money to Russian bankers or has big business interests in Russia.......
one thing is sure: Most politicians would have moved away from Russia by now with it's huge and perhaps fatal political cost.

According to the person who got Maginski involved, William Browder, there are no "Russian banks or big business interests" in Russia anymore. There's only Putin.

There's an awful long article here that goes into details.


Basically Putin kept cracking down on oligarchs until he got to the last, biggest one. And then he became the last biggest one. Much laundering of money follows. I can't imagine anyone in the US contributing to that...

 

[d4m10n]

Russian PM Medvedev on New Sanctions: 'US Declares Full-Fledged Trade War'

Hope you're feeling better now.

**** yeah trade war! We were promised a trade war during the campaign, but with a global economic superpower rather than a fossil fuel kleptocracy. This is certainly an improvement in my book.

 

[dudalb]

**** yeah trade war! We were promised a trade war during the campaign, but with a global economic superpower rather than a fossil fuel kleptocracy. This is certainly an improvement in my book.

Don't get too happy.Trump is perfectly capable of starting trade wars with both Russia and China at the same time.........

 

[Bob001]

Here's someone who thinks the recent antics in the White House were a deliberate, successful effort to distract attention from Bill Browder's damning Senate testimony:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...committee-hearing_uk_597ee55ce4b02a4ebb7675a6
https://www.theatlantic.com/politic...ony-to-the-senate-judiciary-committee/534864/

 

[NoahFence]

Here's someone who thinks the recent antics in the White House were a deliberate, successful effort to distract attention from Bill Browder's damning Senate testimony:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...committee-hearing_uk_597ee55ce4b02a4ebb7675a6
https://www.theatlantic.com/politic...ony-to-the-senate-judiciary-committee/534864/

I trust Mueller and his group aren't very impressed by the antics. Those are the guys that matter, not the American public. The public can stay distracted all they want. It's not going to change the outcome.

 

[Babbylonian]

Here's someone who thinks the recent antics in the White House were a deliberate, successful effort to distract attention from Bill Browder's damning Senate testimony:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...committee-hearing_uk_597ee55ce4b02a4ebb7675a6
https://www.theatlantic.com/politic...ony-to-the-senate-judiciary-committee/534864/

Since his testimony doesn't mention Killary, it is obviously devoid of any truth.

 

[dudalb]

Actually, it seems like the signing was accompanied by standard Trumpesque whining. Quelle surprise.

George Will, commenting on Trump's Boy Scout speech, had a perfect comment which fits here:

"The Alpha Male as Crybaby".

 

[P.J. Denyer]

The failing Amazon Washington Post (owned by sad Jeff Bezos who is so much poorer than President Donald J Trump who had the greatest election victory and biggest inauguration crowd in history) makes the false claim that President Trump dictated Jr.'s statement when in fact all that happened is that he weighed in on his son's statement - as any father does when their son is asked to account for their actions which appear very much like collusion with a foreign power to interfere with an election.

Something about the way the statement was phrased made me feel like it should have been delivered by Marlon Brando (or at least a good impersonator).

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

And yet another Russian operative that was one of Trump's insiders was revealed as Kelly got rid of him when Trump/Kushner/Ivanka wouldn't.

The Deeper Story on Cohen-Watnick

With the big news this evening that Gen. H.R. McMaster was finally allowed to fire Flynn protege Ezra Cohen-Watnick, let me refer you back to what I explained back in April: Cohen-Watnick likely had dirty hands in the Russia cover-up. Specifically, his ‘review’ of intelligence which led to the ‘un-masking’ charade was likely an effort to monitor and perhaps interfere with the on-going Russia probe. ...

...Moreover, the kind of snooping around that Cohen-Watnick was apparently doing could very plausibly be interpreted as an attempt to monitor or interfere with the on-going counter-intelligence probe of Trump associates’ ties to Russia.

The Hill: Senior director Ezra Cohen-Watnick out at National Security Council

Cohen-Watnick's departure is the latest in a string of exits from the National Security Council under H.R. McMaster, who has reportedly sought to purge Flynn appointees.
Another Flynn hire, retired Army intelligence officer Derek Harvey, was ousted from the NSC last week. He had been working as a senior Middle East adviser.

Cohen-Watnick's removal is the second significant personnel change at the White House since Retired Gen. John Kelly took over as chief of staff.

Hard to keep up.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Trade war with Russia?
How would you be able to tell, economically, if all trade between Russia and the US would cease to?

 

[Darat]

You know my low opinion of Trump. But I would like to see solid evidence before accepting this.

I've certainly heard that's what some people are saying...

 

[Henri McPhee]

I reckon the Congress is in the pay of Israel and Saudi Arabia. It prevents any American president carrying out his proper duties, even though he might be hare-brained. Personally, I'm all for gas and oil pipelines and I don't see why there has to be terrible wars over the matter.

 

[Trebuchet]

Trade war with Russia?
How would you be able to tell, economically, if all trade between Russia and the US would cease to?

Oil prices might go up a little? Or not.

According to the US Census Bureau, we export around half a billion dollars worth to Russia and import around three times that. We export 20 times that to China and import about 25 times. Drop in the relative bucket.

ETA: Russia is 30th among US Trading Partners.

 

[Crossbow]

Russian PM Medvedev on New Sanctions: 'US Declares Full-Fledged Trade War'




Hope you're feeling better now.

As for me I do not care what some Putin lackey and/or some Putin propaganda rag has to say about the matter.

 

[sackett]

People call various Trumple antics attempts to distract the public from his serious troubles. Why? Nobody's distracted; everybody can follow multiple stories with attention, comprehension, and glee.

 

[timhau]

People call various Trumple antics attempts to distract the public from his serious troubles. Why? Nobody's distracted; everybody can follow multiple stories with attention, comprehension, and glee.

Everybody else can.