Watching George Stephanopoulos, God bless him, trying to get a straight answer out of Tom Cotton four different times, kinda reminded me of that one "Key & Peele" football-sketch where a frustrated, valiant reporter tries to interview Ozmataz Buckshank:
Now that Trump has "clarified" his defense of Putin to suggest that Putin's smarts and savvy weren't the point, but rather how "our leaders" are "dumb, so dumb", let's take a break from mere outrage over a former President rooting for the bad guy. Because most of us, if we're being honest, would probably have to acknowledge feeling a bit pathetic expressing such angst if we thought he might actually be right. But for better or worse, one of the things that makes "TDS" such a chronic yet manageable condition is that you rarely have to worry about Trump being right.
And in this case, his analysis is another laughable example of how Trump struggles to comprehend the relevant parameters of real-world situations outside of his gilded fiefdom. Like how he clearly never understood that a President's power is not absolute like the owner of a private business. Or how, as a supposed expert negotiator, he comprehends little beyond the strong-arming and schmoozing he gets by on in the forgiving world of old money, and doesn't realize when he's surrendering leverage or getting played.
Now he hails Putin as a genius and calls Biden "dumb" because Putin concocted an alleged justification for an invasion that clearly nobody in the world actually believes. In fact, nobody can even pretend to believe it because Biden has kept the world informed of Russia's intentions with American intel for months, effectively countering Putin's narrative at every turn. Which Trump would know if he were paying attention to what was actually going on, which he probably wasn't. Instead, Putin's "peacekeeping" claim fooled nobody, and only further reinforced his mendacity (for anyone who still needed proof at this point).
But Trump apparently thinks this matters, as if Putin is somehow accountable to a legal body which would have to accept his alibi as reasonable doubt, rather than the judgement of world leaders who have no obligation to feign naivety for the sake of presuming innocence. He slobbers over Putin's pathetic manifesto as if it convinces anyone other than Candace Owens, and delights in Biden "not having a response", by which he probably means that Biden didn't take to Twitter and pop off with some infantile provocation.
Meanwhile, Biden has quietly but skillfully led virtually the entire democratic world in a united political and economic front, something Donnie Rotten couldn't have pulled off if his life depended on it. And so far, it's working. Time will tell if it ultimately succeeds, but it's hard to imagine how anything else could yield a better chance of a good outcome. And of course, Trump has nothing to say about what he would have done in Biden's position, not that it would bear any relation to reality or be anything more than convenient bluster if he did.
Sorry Donnie, but only *some* of our "leaders" are dumb. So dumb.
I agree with you. BUT it's not helping. Trumpy is still considered a "stable genius" and do believe his garbage. And the R's in Congress who could/should acknowledge that Biden is doing the right things refuse to say anything. It's still Trump, Trump, Trump! Go look at the articles and comments on The American Conservative, which supposedly the sane opposition. Van Buren saying Durham is right, and it's the Dems in Putin's pocket! And Dreher is still in the Putin's really a good guy for opposing WOKE, etc., but he's acting bad now. The stupidity, the blindness of the so-called sane right makes me want to strangle some of them. Or ship them off to Putin's Russia and see how long they last!
Yeah, the "National Review" is supposed to be sane opposition too, but they still host Trump fluffers like Conrad Black. "The American Conservative" leans isolationist as I understand, so I wouldn't expect them to be holding up a lighter at this display of global free world unity. Sure, AC might have gotten a reputation as being "sane" because of its origins in opposing the Iraq War. But one of its founders was Pat Buchanan, whose opposition to Iraq caused a lot of liberals at the time to forget that he's still Pat Buchanan - Mr. Culture War 1992. So as far as entirely "sane" right-leaning publications that don't tolerate wingnuts, for me it's pretty much the Bulwark and the Dispatch.
And as an aside, this Van Buren guy sounds like a moron. Durham has hardly said anything - he's charged some lawyer who represented both the Clinton campaign and a cybersecurity firm for alerting the FBI to suspicious contacts between Russian phones and Trump Tower (alleged representing the security firm in doing so). The security firm had access to Obama era White House data and was under a federal contract to examine it for evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election (which has morphed into the Right's made up claim that Clinton hired someone to infiltrate Trump's White House). Durham's claim is that the lawyer was lying to the FBI because he "didn't really believe what he was saying". Yeah. Seriously. I mean, set aside the fact that we're supposed to think there was a conflict of interest with the Clinton campaign even though the election was over and Trump was already in office, or that the FBI ignored the info anyway because they didn't think it was relevant. He's charging someone with lying over a matter of professional opinion. I'm no lawyer but I'm betting he's going to have a pretty hard time even getting a conviction out of this trifling charge. So this is the only bone that this heralded bloodhound has produced after years of digging up the FBI's backyard. That tells you a lot.
What goes through the mind of a guy like Cotton at a time like that, and how does his brain keep from splitting into two lobes and flying to opposite corners of the room? You know how badly he wanted to acknowledge the truth looming over him like a piano. Yet the fear and cowardice was a stronger force.
For Cotton and so many others, it feels like water has been building up behind a dam for 5+ years now and is flowing over the top. Yet it still holds.
Three predictions if the Russian / Ukrainian conflict ends in a manner favorable to the Ukraine and the west;
1) Biden will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. (Cue gif of Donald Trump's head exploding)
2) NATO will realize it can effectively end conventional war for good and publish a formal plan to use overwhelming joint economic sanctions against any country (including those that attack non-NATO members) that initiates unjustified wars of aggression against any other country.
3) As in WW2 when it became obvious that Battleships had been made obsolete by Air power / Carriers, modern military organizations will realize that Armored Divisions have been made obsolete by drones and masses of civilians armed with anti-tank weapons. When NATO can effectively arm an entire civilian population with missiles requiring invaders to devastate every square foot of the civilian population centers to win a war, the cost of winning (economically and politically) will outweigh the benefits.
To suppose Trump and Putin did not discuss the two most important things each wanted from the other, but nevertheless took extraordinary measures to prevent any information about what was discussed from reaching any other American ears (obviously the FSB would have been debriefed, and possibly even had it in real time), is to stretch the plausible into an unrecognizable shape.
It is very possible Trump does not think of himself as an intelligence asset of a foreign power, but instead as a very stable genius making brilliant business deals.
During 2020 Trump campaign events, there were photos of attendees wearing T-shirts that said “Better Russian Than Democrat”. I think there’s a new breed of Republican out there who doesn’t see Russia as an enemy, but maybe even something to emulate. It all fits, with the Republican drift toward authoritarian ideology and legislation.
Things keep happening so fast that commenting outruns Charlie's morning shots, although this could be shoe-horned into "Accountability".
With some major Chinese banks refusing to finance any purchase of Russian goods (Bloomberg via Economist), Switzerland freezing probably $10-15 billion in Russian deposits (firms, oligarchs, politicians), and both the US and the EU working to keep Vlad's $600+ billion nest egg from being used, one could think that some of that ill-gotten gain should be used to rebuild the Ukraine when the madness stops.
JVL discussed that possibility. However, the longer it takes for it to dawn on him that he has no way out, the less likely such an order would be obeyed. But, no, given that it is Vlad the Mad, I am not willing to bet my pocket change on that, although, if I am wrong, who will try to collect and how ;-)?
I agree. But good luck finding a teacher or school board brave enough to pursue that, in today’s climate of academic paranoia due to the right wing assault on difficult truths.
Principles (F)first. What a novel idea. Hope it catches on.
Don't know whether Rachel Vindman wears glasses / contacts IRL, but her vision vis a vie RonJon (and those like him) is perfect 20 / 20, calling him exactly what he is, indeed more suited to occupy the lower level of a latrine rather than anyone's foxhole.
How about thinking of him as an "execrable poltroon" instead? More elegant, and he'd have to look it up. Or perhaps recreant lickspittle or cringing quisling. These miscreants are so numerous and disgraceful that hardly any appellation of contumely the rich English language affords would not justly apply.
Although I fear this would contravene JVL's program of promoting civility and comity. Maybe just sticking to a few carefully deployed anglo saxon nouns and adjectives is best.
He’s a greedy coward as so many of these GOP are, which equates to POS as so many of these GOP are. Hopefully that becomes more unacceptable to American voters.
I do think we should specify GOP Politicians rather than lump all GOP in it. It also irritates me when politicians purport to speak for America or Americans. They never do. They speak usually for their own self-interests.
This clusterF**k is not hot enough. If and only if russia invades the US and tries to reclaim Fort Ross in california will I get off my ass.
It should be scary for Arkansans to ponder whether Cotton is the best senator they DESERVE.
Watching George Stephanopoulos, God bless him, trying to get a straight answer out of Tom Cotton four different times, kinda reminded me of that one "Key & Peele" football-sketch where a frustrated, valiant reporter tries to interview Ozmataz Buckshank:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_fiCr2wHY8
Now that Trump has "clarified" his defense of Putin to suggest that Putin's smarts and savvy weren't the point, but rather how "our leaders" are "dumb, so dumb", let's take a break from mere outrage over a former President rooting for the bad guy. Because most of us, if we're being honest, would probably have to acknowledge feeling a bit pathetic expressing such angst if we thought he might actually be right. But for better or worse, one of the things that makes "TDS" such a chronic yet manageable condition is that you rarely have to worry about Trump being right.
And in this case, his analysis is another laughable example of how Trump struggles to comprehend the relevant parameters of real-world situations outside of his gilded fiefdom. Like how he clearly never understood that a President's power is not absolute like the owner of a private business. Or how, as a supposed expert negotiator, he comprehends little beyond the strong-arming and schmoozing he gets by on in the forgiving world of old money, and doesn't realize when he's surrendering leverage or getting played.
Now he hails Putin as a genius and calls Biden "dumb" because Putin concocted an alleged justification for an invasion that clearly nobody in the world actually believes. In fact, nobody can even pretend to believe it because Biden has kept the world informed of Russia's intentions with American intel for months, effectively countering Putin's narrative at every turn. Which Trump would know if he were paying attention to what was actually going on, which he probably wasn't. Instead, Putin's "peacekeeping" claim fooled nobody, and only further reinforced his mendacity (for anyone who still needed proof at this point).
But Trump apparently thinks this matters, as if Putin is somehow accountable to a legal body which would have to accept his alibi as reasonable doubt, rather than the judgement of world leaders who have no obligation to feign naivety for the sake of presuming innocence. He slobbers over Putin's pathetic manifesto as if it convinces anyone other than Candace Owens, and delights in Biden "not having a response", by which he probably means that Biden didn't take to Twitter and pop off with some infantile provocation.
Meanwhile, Biden has quietly but skillfully led virtually the entire democratic world in a united political and economic front, something Donnie Rotten couldn't have pulled off if his life depended on it. And so far, it's working. Time will tell if it ultimately succeeds, but it's hard to imagine how anything else could yield a better chance of a good outcome. And of course, Trump has nothing to say about what he would have done in Biden's position, not that it would bear any relation to reality or be anything more than convenient bluster if he did.
Sorry Donnie, but only *some* of our "leaders" are dumb. So dumb.
I agree with you. BUT it's not helping. Trumpy is still considered a "stable genius" and do believe his garbage. And the R's in Congress who could/should acknowledge that Biden is doing the right things refuse to say anything. It's still Trump, Trump, Trump! Go look at the articles and comments on The American Conservative, which supposedly the sane opposition. Van Buren saying Durham is right, and it's the Dems in Putin's pocket! And Dreher is still in the Putin's really a good guy for opposing WOKE, etc., but he's acting bad now. The stupidity, the blindness of the so-called sane right makes me want to strangle some of them. Or ship them off to Putin's Russia and see how long they last!
Yeah, the "National Review" is supposed to be sane opposition too, but they still host Trump fluffers like Conrad Black. "The American Conservative" leans isolationist as I understand, so I wouldn't expect them to be holding up a lighter at this display of global free world unity. Sure, AC might have gotten a reputation as being "sane" because of its origins in opposing the Iraq War. But one of its founders was Pat Buchanan, whose opposition to Iraq caused a lot of liberals at the time to forget that he's still Pat Buchanan - Mr. Culture War 1992. So as far as entirely "sane" right-leaning publications that don't tolerate wingnuts, for me it's pretty much the Bulwark and the Dispatch.
And as an aside, this Van Buren guy sounds like a moron. Durham has hardly said anything - he's charged some lawyer who represented both the Clinton campaign and a cybersecurity firm for alerting the FBI to suspicious contacts between Russian phones and Trump Tower (alleged representing the security firm in doing so). The security firm had access to Obama era White House data and was under a federal contract to examine it for evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election (which has morphed into the Right's made up claim that Clinton hired someone to infiltrate Trump's White House). Durham's claim is that the lawyer was lying to the FBI because he "didn't really believe what he was saying". Yeah. Seriously. I mean, set aside the fact that we're supposed to think there was a conflict of interest with the Clinton campaign even though the election was over and Trump was already in office, or that the FBI ignored the info anyway because they didn't think it was relevant. He's charging someone with lying over a matter of professional opinion. I'm no lawyer but I'm betting he's going to have a pretty hard time even getting a conviction out of this trifling charge. So this is the only bone that this heralded bloodhound has produced after years of digging up the FBI's backyard. That tells you a lot.
So Charlie,When is The bulwark going to make Charlie is always right tee shirt!? Dave Y
What goes through the mind of a guy like Cotton at a time like that, and how does his brain keep from splitting into two lobes and flying to opposite corners of the room? You know how badly he wanted to acknowledge the truth looming over him like a piano. Yet the fear and cowardice was a stronger force.
For Cotton and so many others, it feels like water has been building up behind a dam for 5+ years now and is flowing over the top. Yet it still holds.
Is the bottom of the GQP cesspool as deep as the orbit of Jupiter? Please inform.
- Perplexed in Paducah
Three predictions if the Russian / Ukrainian conflict ends in a manner favorable to the Ukraine and the west;
1) Biden will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. (Cue gif of Donald Trump's head exploding)
2) NATO will realize it can effectively end conventional war for good and publish a formal plan to use overwhelming joint economic sanctions against any country (including those that attack non-NATO members) that initiates unjustified wars of aggression against any other country.
3) As in WW2 when it became obvious that Battleships had been made obsolete by Air power / Carriers, modern military organizations will realize that Armored Divisions have been made obsolete by drones and masses of civilians armed with anti-tank weapons. When NATO can effectively arm an entire civilian population with missiles requiring invaders to devastate every square foot of the civilian population centers to win a war, the cost of winning (economically and politically) will outweigh the benefits.
I love this. It's my sane corner of the world =:-). Thank everyone at the BW and all you letter writers.
Me too, but too much sanity in a world gone crazy can torture one to madness.
To suppose Trump and Putin did not discuss the two most important things each wanted from the other, but nevertheless took extraordinary measures to prevent any information about what was discussed from reaching any other American ears (obviously the FSB would have been debriefed, and possibly even had it in real time), is to stretch the plausible into an unrecognizable shape.
It is very possible Trump does not think of himself as an intelligence asset of a foreign power, but instead as a very stable genius making brilliant business deals.
Great take.
To me the GOP support of Putin should be the thing that wakes voters the heck up. No tax cut is worth their agenda for America.
Didn't Newt's "agenda for America" kind of sink him, in its cruelty?
During 2020 Trump campaign events, there were photos of attendees wearing T-shirts that said “Better Russian Than Democrat”. I think there’s a new breed of Republican out there who doesn’t see Russia as an enemy, but maybe even something to emulate. It all fits, with the Republican drift toward authoritarian ideology and legislation.
Things keep happening so fast that commenting outruns Charlie's morning shots, although this could be shoe-horned into "Accountability".
With some major Chinese banks refusing to finance any purchase of Russian goods (Bloomberg via Economist), Switzerland freezing probably $10-15 billion in Russian deposits (firms, oligarchs, politicians), and both the US and the EU working to keep Vlad's $600+ billion nest egg from being used, one could think that some of that ill-gotten gain should be used to rebuild the Ukraine when the madness stops.
Within all the sanctions, I hope diplomats are imagining a face-saving way out of this for Putin. Cornered, he could become more dangerous. Nukes.
JVL discussed that possibility. However, the longer it takes for it to dawn on him that he has no way out, the less likely such an order would be obeyed. But, no, given that it is Vlad the Mad, I am not willing to bet my pocket change on that, although, if I am wrong, who will try to collect and how ;-)?
"This is why memory is so important; because the alternative to genuine accountability is not only amorality, but also amnesia."
You are right about this regarding Trump, of course, but you also have explained in one sentence why we still need education about the Holocaust.
I agree. But good luck finding a teacher or school board brave enough to pursue that, in today’s climate of academic paranoia due to the right wing assault on difficult truths.
Principles (F)first. What a novel idea. Hope it catches on.
Don't know whether Rachel Vindman wears glasses / contacts IRL, but her vision vis a vie RonJon (and those like him) is perfect 20 / 20, calling him exactly what he is, indeed more suited to occupy the lower level of a latrine rather than anyone's foxhole.
"Also, he's a piece of shit." How many times has this thought popped into my head over the last six years?
How about thinking of him as an "execrable poltroon" instead? More elegant, and he'd have to look it up. Or perhaps recreant lickspittle or cringing quisling. These miscreants are so numerous and disgraceful that hardly any appellation of contumely the rich English language affords would not justly apply.
Although I fear this would contravene JVL's program of promoting civility and comity. Maybe just sticking to a few carefully deployed anglo saxon nouns and adjectives is best.
He’s a greedy coward as so many of these GOP are, which equates to POS as so many of these GOP are. Hopefully that becomes more unacceptable to American voters.
I do think we should specify GOP Politicians rather than lump all GOP in it. It also irritates me when politicians purport to speak for America or Americans. They never do. They speak usually for their own self-interests.
Race and gender are very real things in the US and have a tangible impact on the lives of people. The idea that they have no impact is really silly.