A man steps on a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a Moscow protest over the Russian government's decision to increase the retirement age. July 29, 2018. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin
John Lloyd, Reuters: Picturing a post-Putin Russia
It’s not the week to say it, but Donald Trump has a point. It isn’t original and what it proposes will be hard to do, yet when he says that “getting along with Russia is a good thing,” as he did before his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki last month, he isn’t wrong.
Russia isn’t a country whose enmity to the West should be shrugged off. Rather than copy its aggressive attitudes, democratic countries should remain vigilant and tough on its egregious moves on Ukraine and its intimidation of the NATO members in the Baltic states. But they should also try harder to promote cultural links, open debates with Russians of all opinions, promote educational exchanges and give platforms to Russian commentators, intellectuals and politicians.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I see the biggest desire for change among the young (those who are younger than 35). They are not hostile towards the West, and in fact see their future with Europe. And while the young may not be in power today, in 20 years (or less) they will be, and that IMHO is when a new renaissance within Russia will take place. But for now .... Russia is Putin, hostile relations with the West, an economy that should be growing more than what it is today, and being involved in numerous conflicts around the globe.
So looking forward to have good relations with Russia. This cold war between the west and Russia is unfortunate. There's zero appetite for any conflict from our side and we just hope that Russians feel the same, no matter what age.
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Russia election meddling fears expand to other countries
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ReplyDeleteIn 2014, political spending at Trump properties was $35K. In 2018, it’s $3.5M
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ReplyDeleteAides expect Trump to go rogue on Manafort pardon
The president's comments are being read as a signal that he wants to ignore his lawyers and exonerate his former campaign chairman.
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ReplyDeleteDAN RATHER:What Robert Mueller Knows About Manafort and Cohen Will Make This Week 'Pale In Comparison'
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ReplyDeleteThe Trump White House Doesn't Want Untainted Elections
It opposes the Secure Elections Act because it's not interested in secure election
BREAKING: A total of five GOP sources have now confirmed to @TheDemCoalition that GOP Reps Nunes and Rohrabacher are both under federal investigation. GOP staffers have been instructed to stay away from them. Listen to @Funder’s #DworkinReport on it below.
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ReplyDeleteThis Day in Trump History: Trump defends Trump University by calling the lawsuit against it a "Liberal Witch Hunt." It was indeed a sham, and he later agreed to a $25 million settlement. In exactly the same way, Trump continues to use the term "Liberal Witch Hunt" to defend against Mueller.
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Tired of winning?
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ReplyDeleteTrump and Melania escape Washington after learning that the CFO of the Trump Organization has been granted immunity in Michael Cohen probe - as prosecutors close in on the president's inner circle
Weisselberg has worked for Trump for decades
He was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury investigating Michael Cohen, it was reported last month
Began working for Trump's father, Fred, in the 1970s
Cohen spoke to Weisselberg about negotiations with former Playboy model Karen McDougal
Cohen's attorney identified Weisselberg as the person Cohen sent invoices to
After paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 Cohen submitted invoices as a lawyer on 'retainer' with the company
News comes after National Enquirer CEO David Pecker was revealed to have gotten an immunity deal
Cohen's plea raieed the possibility that he, too, may cooperate
Cohen's fees were 'grossed up' for tax purposes so he wouldn't see them diminished, and he got an additional $60,000 bonus
Charging document mentions an 'Executive-1' as well as 'Executive-2' who signed off for approval
The company inaccurately put them down as 'legal expenses'
Weisselberg runs the Trump Organization with Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump
Trump blasted the ways prosecutors get witnesses to 'flip' in an interview that aired Thursday
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ReplyDeleteThe strategy here seems to be to throw everything the government has at someone. When pretty much anyone has this kind of government scrutiny thrown at them, pretty much anyone will be guilty of a felony of some type. This government has so many rules and regulations that one can afoul of it and do absolutely nothing wrong. Once presented with a "felony" and "jail time" the subject of the investigation is then granted "immunity," if they will "flip" and tell the prosecutor what he/she wants to know about another target they can then have immunity and avoid the "felony" and "lengthy prison time."
ReplyDeleteIn this situation, most will probably "flip." Given the options, "flip" or go to jail for a very long time, many will tell the prosecutor what he/she wants to know. This is similar to battlefield torture. It's long been argued, perhaps correctly, that such techniques are not effective as the tortured will tell the torturer anything the torturer wants them to say. The same principle will apply here. Such "flips" are of questionable credibility.
I've seen this technique used a number of times. It works well against low level individuals or mid level personnel that no one likes. I've never seen it used against a sitting POTUS before. To sum up, such a person is not going to have much credibility but all the prosecution needs is to get twelve jurors to buy into it and the prosecution has unlimited resources.
Now my next post will be back to the topic at hand that the editor initially posted on which is what a post-Putin Russia will look like. I will read the article but POTUS and the first lady could vacate DC for any number of reasons. As president of a very large nation, he is no doubt very busy. Any leader of a large corporation will travel at least 40% of the time. The US is larger than most organizations. As such, we would expect the leader to travel a great deal and we would expect his spouse to accompany him regularly.
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ReplyDeleteI must say this has been an interesting thread on the back and forth between Aizino and Fred. Keep it up fellows.:-)
ReplyDeleteWhat will a post-Putin Russia look like? Essentially POTUS was correct when he said getting along with Russia is a good thing. There is no "bad week" to state the obvious. After all this the country with the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal in the world, top defense systems against a nuclear attack, the best Intel personnel on the planet, some of the best cyber warriors, along with some of the best trained, best led, and most motivated military personnel on the planet. So, yes, getting along with them is a great idea, captain obvious as has been said.
Obviously we are not going to agree with them on everything. We may even need to fight them. If so, it better be a very good reason. Fantasies about electoral collusion or electoral interference simply aren't good enough. Such claims are extraordinary for which extraordinary proof needs to be supplied. It hasn't and it can't be as it does not exist or we would have seen it by now. The American people are not pawns to be used on the chessboards of a disgruntled electoral loser.
The second paragraph of the article actually describes the Trump approach to how Trump is currently dealing with Russia. If this author were intellectually honest, he would be fully supporting the Trump approach. He just described perfectly the approach Trump is using in his article!! Due to lack of intellectual honesty and perhaps under pressure from his employer he just can't quite figure it out!!
In his third paragraph he describes the Summit as a disaster stating how good Trump made Putin look and how bad Trump looked. In my considered opinion, he misreads. Again, I think his biases are clouding his judgment. First of all Putin is one of the most powerful men in the world. He doesn't need a POTUS to make him appear the ways the author says he does. He already is these things. Actually being on the stage with him elevates the American position and that of Trump. I think this is why many in the media have gone insane over this. It's a twofer. POTUS looks good and steps are made to making peace with the media's and certain unscrupulous elements in US leadership's arch foreign enemy.
The author cites the Russian media. We have been told that the Russian media never speaks badly about Putin. As such, why cite them. Answer, the author is desparate to find flaws in Trump's sound policies and approaches towards Russia as he essentially telegraphs in his first paragraph.
The author goes on to point out the problems that Putin is having. It would be rather ironic if the Trump approach that the author describes in paragraph two which is actually what Trump is using actually worked out to be just the thing that led to the changes that we all want with regards to Russia. For those in Russia wanting to continue Cold War 2, it is looking as though the Mueller Commission and its ultimate success may be there best hope!! Truly ironic!!
The previous post ran long and I did not fully address the issue of what a post=Putin Russia will look like. Anything can and does happen. There may be a number of twists and turns along the way and any number of "black swans" may come.
ReplyDeleteIf Putin stepped down now, one of two things would likely end up being the case. 1.) Putin's handpicked successor would come to power and policies and approaches would pretty much continue along the same path. While I would expect the new leader to take a tougher approach to America and the "west" along the margins than Putin currently does, I would not anticipate any big changes. 2.)Someone more "hardline" and hostile towards America and the "west" assumes power and fills important positions with people who have his approach.
In my considered opinion, there really is no third opinion, at present, that has any realistic chance of occurrence. As such, the best approach within the framework of reality is to try and work with the current Russian leadership in ways that we can, respect them and respect Russians, stand our ground when we need to, and be ready to fight if and when we must. Essentially reckless policies that inflame conflict unnecessarily are unwise in the extreme. In fact, such policies only increase the chances of scenario two taking place which experiential common sense would suggest we do not want.
Then again, there is the possibility that the Trump approach with the author described perfectly in his second paragraph might work better than we ever imagined it could. In this second paragraph he did just describe perfectly to the so called t exactly the approach that Trump and his team are currently taking towards Russia and he doesn't even seem to realize it!!
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ReplyDeleteTired of winning
ReplyDeleteActually the economy is doing quite well for ordinary Americans. For welfare flunkies perhaps not so much perhaps.
ReplyDeleteAs for government employees and university professors whether retired or not they always do fabulously no matter how the economy as a whole does.
Americans are seeing their biggest increases in income in decades both in absolute and relative terms. The tax cuts and regulatory reforms under Trump, as the only new variable, are primarily responsible. This is only the down payment.
I could go on but gotta go. Family duties are calling. Ultimately it comes down to does one believe the media propagandist or their increased spending power that is right in front of them.
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ReplyDeleteYou are a bore
ReplyDeleteI could see where an bigotted, innumerate (math ignorant) person would find me a bore.
ReplyDelete"You... only know... half "The Force"... Vader...! You perceive its full power... as little as a spoon... perceives the taste of food!"
―Obi-Wan Kenobi
Fox News' Summer of Mistakes and Apologies
ReplyDeletehad you any friends, they too would find you an utter bore
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ReplyDelete51 posts was quite suprising. Until I saw the major source.
What's changed Fred? You used to put in your own 2 cents.
I was surprised to... Like dam comments blew up.
ReplyDeleteFred's new old tactic. .hiding behind links he posts.. every link is a statement by you, Fred. You cannot hide behind them but have to take part responsibility for all this trash you disseminate. We won't forget
ReplyDeleteLet's get to 100 comments everyone! !! We can do it. Fred, I count on you to dig deep into your democratic email folder and pull out more unproven statements (=lies). All to poisen the discussion in America ..you can do it single handedly, Fred. I believe in you, comrade!!
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AZINO SMITH IDENTITY REVEALED
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