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Demovictory9

(32,423 posts)
Tue Jul 17, 2018, 12:05 AM Jul 2018

The Crisis Facing America - David Frum

The Crisis Facing America
The country can no longer afford to wait to ascertain why President Trump has subordinated himself to Putin—it must deal with the fact that he has.

DAVID FRUM

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/07/trump-putin/565310/


The reasons for Trump’s striking behavior—whether he was bribed or blackmailed or something else—remain to be ascertained. That he has publicly refused to defend his country’s independent electoral process—and did so jointly with the foreign dictator who perverted that process—is video-recorded fact.

And it’s a fact that has to be seen in the larger context of his actions in office: denouncing the EU as a “foe,” threatening to break up nato, wrecking the U.S.-led world trading system, intervening in both U.K. and German politics in support of extremist and pro-Russian forces, and his continued refusal to act to protect the integrity of U.S. voting systems—it adds up to a political indictment whether or not it quite qualifies as a criminal one.

America is a very legalistic society, in which public discussion often deteriorates into lawyers arguing whether any statutes have been violated. But confronting the country in the wake of Helsinki is this question: Can it afford to wait to ascertain why Trump has subordinated himself to Putin after the president has so abjectly demonstrated that he has subordinated himself? Robert Mueller is leading a legal process. The United States faces a national-security emergency.

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The Crisis Facing America - David Frum (Original Post) Demovictory9 Jul 2018 OP
National-security emergency Bayard Jul 2018 #1
Try on this thought for size: Old Crow Jul 2018 #4
I am hoping that the Finns had the room mic'ed jmbar2 Jul 2018 #5
Interesting thought. I really hope you're right. (N/T) Old Crow Jul 2018 #6
We wouldn't be in this situation if the republicans would act. BadgerMom Jul 2018 #2
Yes! "Every last one of them." nt Duppers Jul 2018 #7
What we have to do is CALL and protest NON STOP! BigmanPigman Jul 2018 #3
+100 Duppers Jul 2018 #8
Numbers on Speed Dial. Totally Tunsie Jul 2018 #9
I see by your bdamomma Jul 2018 #11
For sure. At least (thank God), we're a solid blue state. Totally Tunsie Jul 2018 #12
I called my Senators yesterday afternoon bdamomma Jul 2018 #10

Bayard

(22,011 posts)
1. National-security emergency
Tue Jul 17, 2018, 12:37 AM
Jul 2018

Heard that from a number of learned people on MSNBC this evening. I don't see how we can wait till the Nov. elections at this point, especially if they will certainly be hacked.

Emergency means Act NOW. What's our plan?

Old Crow

(2,212 posts)
4. Try on this thought for size:
Tue Jul 17, 2018, 02:43 AM
Jul 2018

What Trump said in the joint press conference was positively alarming; now, consider what he may have said to Putin in his one-on-one meeting. What did the two of them have to say that required such privacy that Trump didn't want John Bolton or his other ego-strokers in attendance? Was Trump letting Putin know which nations he could annex with impunity? Was Trump taking instructions as to which politicians should be promoted, and elected, in the midterms? Who the hell knows, but whatever it was, it was probably more outrageous than what took place publicly.

Someone suggested elsewhere that Trump's translator--assuming it was an American and not someone appointed by the Kremlin--should be subpoenaed, and I agree.

jmbar2

(4,865 posts)
5. I am hoping that the Finns had the room mic'ed
Tue Jul 17, 2018, 03:13 AM
Jul 2018

And that they will share with NATO intelligence services. They will know who can be trusted in our own services.

BadgerMom

(2,770 posts)
2. We wouldn't be in this situation if the republicans would act.
Tue Jul 17, 2018, 02:29 AM
Jul 2018

The fact that they won’t taints every last one of them.

BigmanPigman

(51,569 posts)
3. What we have to do is CALL and protest NON STOP!
Tue Jul 17, 2018, 02:38 AM
Jul 2018

Every single day call....make it part of your routine. It takes 2 whole minutes. DO IT, AND START NOW!

bdamomma

(63,803 posts)
10. I called my Senators yesterday afternoon
Tue Jul 17, 2018, 02:06 PM
Jul 2018

we need action and not words. Or name McConnell and his band of thugs that they are accomplices in this. The repigs knew all along. and McConnell is up to eyeballs in this.

also those children who were taken away from their parents this should not be forgotten either.

This regime has committed numerous crimes, we can list them lack of help for Puerto Rico, Immigrants, Innocent Black kids getting killed, and list goes on and on.

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