Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow, 1812
The full route may take a few more months, but I think it’s finally begun. Even the staid Business Insider is reporting that Trump is a “controlled spy.”
By now it’s clear that Trump was utterly gobsmacked by the reaction to the “surrender summit.” He probably still doesn’t understand what he did wrong. But he seems to think he fixed everything with his non-correcting correction yesterday, not noticing that nobody but his most besotted followers believed him. It certainly hasn’t stopped the criticism and speculation that Trump is working for Putin.
The Financial Times, also not exactly a left-wing rag:
Senior Republicans need now to step out of the shadow of Mr Trump — and remember their party’s honourable role in crafting the bipartisan foreign policy that saw the US through the cold war. The party of Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan should recoil at President Trump’s behaviour in Helsinki. It needs to rediscover its soul, before it is too late.
The Financial Times op ed is headlined “Trump, Putin and the betrayal of America.” Do read the whole thing.
Today, Captain Oblivious has gone back to bragging about his great success in Moscow. But now Moscow is sending out press releases about a “military agreement” reached in Helsinki. Say what?
Russia announced it was ready to pursue agreements reached by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump “in the sphere of international security,” though the White House and Pentagon would not confirm any agreements had been made or offer any details. …
… “The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is ready for practical implementation of the agreements reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in the sphere of international security achieved at the Helsinki summit,” Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a Russian military spokesman, said in a statement Tuesday.
The Russian military “is ready to intensify contacts with the US colleagues in the General Staff and other available channels to discuss the extension of the START treaty, cooperation in Syria, as well as other issues of ensuring military security,” Konashenkov said.
Since nobody but Trump, Putin and the interpreters know what was said in the closed-door summit, nobody has any idea what the Russians are talking about. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen wants the U.S. translator to testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on what was said. Any senator who doesn’t support that proposal is a Russian tool, just like Trump. And Roy Blunt.
“Um…,†Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said, pausing when asked if he wants to know what Trump said in the meeting. “I don’t understand the value of that two-hour meeting, but that’s the president’s decision to make not mine.â€
You’re a senator, Senator. The Constitution says you have something to say about the president’s conduct of foreign policy. Remember?
Blunt, Devin Nunes, and some other obvious tools to the contrary, it’s clear the GOP establishment is shaken to its core by what happened in Helsinki. They may be more reluctant to cover Trump’s ass going forward.
Speaking of bare asses — A judge denied Paul Manafort’s request for a change of venue. More interesting, yesterday Bob Mueller asked a judge to grant immunity to five potential witnesses against Manafort so that they can’t plead the Fifth.
Manafort’s trial starts next week.
I'm not able to access the Financial Times article.
Yeah, it's behind a paywall, and my usual tricks to get around such things don't seem to be working.
And the library only has through mid-June 🙁
The plot thickens!
The GOP won't do anything as long as Trump's approval w/in the ranks of GOP voters is +80%. I mean Republicans in Congress will do NOTHING! Trump's approval ratings went up slightly last week, above 40%.
We will have to see Iowa farmers going bankrupt, and Wall Street tanking before voters will start to move away. I think both will happen, because Trump won't admit defeat in the trade wars and we're gonna be stuck with products grown for overseas markets we will wind up eating.
Trump has positioned his puppet as the number-three in DOJ, not by accident. I think the plan was/is to remove Rosenstein and put Mueller under the control of Trump, almost directly. The report Mueller will make CAN be suppressed by Trump in those circumstances, The attempts to impeach Rosenstein are the excuse for Trump to fire Rosenstein.
Trump's performance in Helsinki makes it awkward for Trump to fire Rosenstein. The better play would have been to harshly criticize Putin so that firing Rosenstein didn't look like an extension of protecting Putin. I think Trump will do anything to suppress the Mueller Report, so it's a question of timing – Rosenstein is toast. With the firing, Trump completes the case against him for Obstruction. If democracy survives Trump, he will be tried in court for that crime.
Also an interesting read – Trump's Treason by Father Complex:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/07/17/trumps-treason-by-father-complex/
Great photo on the Business Insider piece; it should be put on every Democratic campaign poster this Fall. Putin has his sly half-smirk and Toddler Trump looks like he lost his keys or maybe soiled his pants.
The hammering is from the judiciary is going to intensify, with multiple people (Manafort, others) heading to trial soon. Arresting and jailing Mariia Butima, a Russian spy working through the NRA is a big deal – I'm personally very hopeful it will sink Dana Rohrabacher's re-election this fall (the LA Times says his contest is a dead heat).
I don't know how soon Congress recesses to meet with the folks back home, but I'd be willing to bet this is going to rattle a lot of them.
This goes out to Uncledad.
https://youtu.be/7NYhTwLCT-Q
goatherd — I like the song. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it.
grannyeagle,
More like 'the plot sickens.'
Yeah, BRILLIANT retreat!
"I meant 'wouldN'T,' not 'would.'"
Yeah, right.
We "normal's," of course, laughed our asses of at this, his latest lamest bullshit excuse.
"Sure, Donald. That's like when you're telling us that your dog ate your homework – Again! – We believe you. Why wouldn't we?."
His "dain-bramaged" lemming followers, rabid GOP Congress-twit's, and fan-boy/girl feckin' eedjits in the MSM, lapped this up like kittens at a bowl full of warm milk.
I'm very happy to hear that you liked the song, Maha. Mark Knopfler has so many of the musical qualities that I completely lack, so I admire his work. Emmylou Harris certainly blends her voice in beautifully, without distracting at all from his vocal.
Napoleon is a difficult historical character for me. I used to dismiss him as one in a long line of men who sought power, who "marched roughshod over the ruins of mankind." But, despite some of the tragic costs, he seems to have shaped the French social and political identity on the level of someone like Louis XIV. (Vagabonde, if you're "listening" please feel free to tell me that I am completement plein de merde. I won't be offended.)
Trump is another who is willing to crush whatever falls under his feet, but, without offering anything in return, "like a brute beast without understanding."
Goatheard. So much to recall in French history that we had to learn by heart – let me see, Napoleon created the Legion of Honor, the French Senate (1799) the National Archives, the Civil Code also called the Napoleonic Code or légal code on the family, property and individual rights (1803) the Penal Code (1810) the Bank of France, French universities, building of major roads and ports, retirement for gov employees, driving code (1804), vaccinations, made the Louvre Palace into a museum, the gaz lights in Paris that made it the City of Lights, freedom of religion (1799) the French Flag as we know it (bleu, blanc, rouge) as we saw 1000s of them after the World Cup (allez les Bleus,) and a lot more. Napoleon was a great general, of course, but also a great administrator. He changed the archaic Roman laws so they could be uniform and used by everyone. He used Civilian laws based on research and sanctioned by the legislative branch rather than the laws here in the US that are based on English common law (apart from Louisiana and Quebec) which are based on precedent. Napoleon was brilliant apart from being an outstanding battlefield tactician, strategist and operational commander – no comparison to your comrade leader at the moment in the US.
Arresting and jailing Mariia Butima, a Russian spy working through the NRA is a big deal
Yeah, moonbat. It is going to be a big deal. It's sort like doing a jigsaw puzzle when you find that much needed piece that helps you connect groupings of previously assembled pieces, and leaves you with a satisfying feeling that it's all coming together.
Federal prosecutors have some pretty damning communications that she has sent back to her handlers in Russia. I guess the next step will be to see who the unlucky american christian missionary in Russia is who gets arrested for espionage so that Trump can affect a trade to win the hearts of the Christian right. Whoever that poor soul might be, I hope they come back in better shape the Otto Warmbier.
"They may be more reluctant to cover Trump’s ass going forward"
I'm not so sure. First every GOP'er in congress is a grovelling ass-kissing fool, as long as tRumps racist mouth-breathers (the base) are supporting him, rank and file GOP'ers will get in line, they are deathly afraid of being mentioned by der-furur at one of the hate rallies. Second almost every GOP'er much like the rest of the base live in the wing-nut media bubble, FAUX, Breitbart, Drudge they have all either bought the "wouldn't revision" or never thought sucking up to Putin was bad from the jump. I agree the Financial Times is no lefty rag, but to a tRumper it might as well be the New York Times.
Great tune Goat, Emmylou is GOLD!
Great tune GOAT, Emmylou is GOLD! I saw her years ago, best show ever!
Thank you so much for your response, Vagabonde. As part of my French studies, (which seem hopeless most of the time.) I've read some French history periodicals, like Geohistoire and L'Histoire, which struck me as being very high quality, and a French school history textbook. I came away with an opinion of Napoleon that matches what you wrote, very closely. The primary difference would be that my opinion is based on far less knowledge of French history and culture, than yours.
One observation from the history book that struck me, although my translation might have its faults, is that Napoleon believed that the law should protect everyone equally and that everyone should fear it equally. That is an admirable goal. Of course, this puts far more distance between him and the current occupant of the White House. Napoleon was one of the major architects of France, very different from the mindless destructor that we are saddled with.
The only "comparison to (y)our comrade leader at the moment" would be the distorted one that Trump might make himself. I'm sure he fancies himself similarly gifted.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us.
Thank you so much for your response, Vagabonde. As part of my French studies, (which seem hopeless most of the time.) I've read some French history periodicals, like Geohistoire and L'Histoire, which struck me as being very high quality, and a French school history textbook. I came away with an opinion of Napoleon that matches what you wrote, very closely. The primary difference would be that my opinion is based on far less knowledge of French history and culture, than yours.
One observation from the history book that struck me, although my translation might have its faults, is that Napoleon believed that the law should protect everyone equally and that everyone should fear it equally. That is an admirable goal. Of course, this puts far more distance between him and the current occupant of the White House. Napoleon was one of the major architects of France, very different from the mindless destructor that we are saddled with.
The only "comparison to (y)our comrade leader at the moment" would be the distorted one that Trump might make himself. I'm sure he fancies himself similarly gifted.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us.
UD- Emmylou Harris is great. I have a solo CD of hers somewhere, I think it's called "Red Dirt Girl." It a very ambitious CD. The title song is simple, lyrical and poignant. Besides any song that has both a blue tick hound and an Indian motorcycle in the lyrics can't miss with me.
I'm curious about something more relevant to the discussion. I have some friends who are very fond of Glenn Greenwald. He's pretty slick, but, I see him more and more as a gaslighter. Does anyone else have a similar view?
As to Trump seeing himself as gifted as Napoleon, that is an understatement. He sees himself as a messianic figure. The more he gets away with allows him to sink deeper into his delusions. I think it was Swami that made a comparison to Mueller and Jesus. More and more I see Trump as an antichrist figure but not in the traditional view of the Christian beliefs. I always try to look for the metaphysical view of events and beliefs, sort of like seeing the writing on the wall. I won't go further because like Swami I don't want to be labeled a kook but this is something to think about. It's okay if y'all think I'm a nut, some in my family have expressed that opinion.
I think it was Swami that made a comparison to Mueller and Jesus.
Well, not exactly It was more to comparing a reaction to a similarity in their actions. Nothing to do with them personally. Although I'm starting to see a "savior" element developing as Mueller's investigation inches closer into the oval office. But, as far as I'm concerned, Mueller can walk on water.
Deliver us, O Mueller, from the orange tufted scourge that has settled upon our land.
"More and more I see Trump as an antichrist figure."
When I first saw a video of evangelicals describing Trump as being "chosen by God," and watched them drift closer to calling him a second coming, I thought precisely that.
I'm at a point where I am not sure of my spiritual beliefs. So, I wouldn't consider myself a Christian. I find it fitting to see Jesus as someone who had discovered his Buddha nature, and that discovery compelled him to act, regardless of the consequences. I have a high regard for what I consider the highest, most refined essence of what Jesus taught. I don't see him as a singular part of the divine plan, because I think we all have the capacity to find and follow that modest spark of divinity within us. Most of us must be content to manifest it on a much smaller scale.
The tragedy is that Jesus was a teacher who might help many discover the "better angels" of our being, and I sincerely hope that those who follow Jesus will be successful in their search. But, "no man can serve two masters," and Trump is clearly perverting their spiritual search and shifting it to corruption and ruin. He is the Trickster, the one who shifts the gaze from the truth to the illusion.
Pearls before swine, indeed.