"Russia is prepping the battlefield in the United States for what comes next"

[MelissaB]

Trump Handed Putin a Stunning Victory

From his speech in Poland to his two-hour summit in Hamburg, the president seemed determined to promote Russia’s dark and illiberal view of the world.

By Molly K. McKew

July 07, 2017

President Donald Trump needed to accomplish two things this week during his visits to Poland and the G-20 Summit in Hamburg. First, he needed to reassure America’s allies that he was committed to collective defense and the core set of values and principles that bind us together. Second, he needed to demonstrate that he understands that the greatest threat to that alliance, those values, and our security is the Kremlin.

Trump delivered neither of these. In very concrete terms, through speech and action, the president signaled a willingness to align the United States with Vladimir Putin’s worldview, and took steps to advance this realignment. He endorsed, nearly in its totality, the narrative the Russian leader has worked so meticulously to construct.

... snip

And this only assesses what we know was discussed. What about what wasn’t discussed? Did Trump raise expanded Russian intelligence activities inside the United States? How about attempts by Russian agents to target U.S. military members with disinformation and for recruitment? What about whether or not Russia has been involved in cyberattacks on critical U.S. infrastructure, including nuclear facilities? And these are just pressing issues of U.S. national security. How about escalating fighting in eastern Ukraine, or how Russian forces moved forward the occupation line in Georgia, again? Was King Abdullah right that getting a solution on Syria will mean making concessions on Ukraine? No one knows—because no one asked. “Move on.”

Former director of national intelligence James Clapper put the matter well this week: Russia is prepping the battlefield in the United States for what comes next. It is clear the president does not believe this—and it is increasingly clear that his definition of who and what we are as a nation is problematic and dark. If we choose to ignore these warnings—as a government and as a society—we all bear responsibility, and we will all pay the price.

More: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/07/07/trump-handed-putin-a-stunning-victory-215353

[Catmusicfan]

1. Scary.

[BigmanPigman]

2. Just now on MSNBC the former Russian ambassador made a good point.

He said that Putin may not always side with Repubs in the future and could just as easily help them Dems for whatever reason. Therefore both parties need to get on this ASAP and not just with elections but all hacking. That would be perfect Karma for the Rupubs (especially the alt-right base) that love him so much now.

[Quanta]

3. VERY important point-

Ole Vlad doesn't really give a shit whether it's a R or a D, he just wants instability and confusion...

[Crash2Parties]

7. It would behove him to play both sides if the DNC takes the bait.

[LakeVermilion]

11. Who is to say that China will want to put their candidate into office

I have to believe the Chinese would be more capable than the Russians. The Russians have already been caught, so the Chinese might do a better job than the Russians.

[Initech]

4. This election was an act of war.

We have got to get our voting systems fixed before 2018.

[lastlib]

5. AND get our cybersecurity defenses fixed before tomorrow morning!

Putin understands our vulnerability here, and will ruthlessly exploit it. Drumpf is stupidly naive to think that "good ol' Vlad" is going to be our friend ever.

But Drumpf is going Obama one better*--he is doing LESS than nothing about it, he is aiding and abetting it.

(*I'm being sarcastic on that--I don't believe for a second that Obama "did nothing.&quot

[Crash2Parties]

8. Apparently the USA and Russia are going to work on it together.

Putin: "Give me the security codes. All of them. Logns, passwords, 2-factor...everything"

Trump: "Okay. And I get to sell my name for those new Trump Towers in Russia, right?"

Putin: "We'll see, Donny. We'll see. Now be a good boy."

[keithbvadu2]

6. Today's republicans: "Russia is our friend".

Today's republicans: "Russia is our friend".

"... retired Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis said in May 2015 that among world threats “in the near term, I think the most dangerous might be Russia.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/6/donald-trump-james-mattis-differ-on-vladimir-putin/

[ancianita]

9. Agreed. To appease Putin or tolerate Russian mafia-style business here is suicide.

A massive crime has been committed against the US.

To keep America great means to make it independent of The Bear. Bullying, blackmail, land maneuvers, military games are our future, unless we join the EU to stop Putin. I'm glad Jerry Brown showed up at the G20.


The Robert Mueller FBI of Pan Am 103 Lockerbie days has always gone for the most sweeping indictments and prosecutions it can, because the FBI learned from its Cosa Nostra days in the 70's the reach these mafia networks can have.

When the FBI's fifteen lawyers and their indictments hit the courts, the real draining of the swamp begins.

[orangecrush]

12. +1

[hedda_foil]

10. Another hugely important paragraph

"Both leaders also refer to the need to “defend civilization”—but they mean a very specific concept of civilization defined not by values or governance, but by history and religion. This is the “blood and soil” nationalism of the 19th century—not the postwar liberal internationalism that American presidents of both parties have embraced for the past 70 years. Trump repeatedly spoke of souls and God—neither standard references in his speeches—going so far as to say: “We put faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, at the center of our lives.” Putin frequently refers to spiritual tradition as a core part of identity, and of the importance of the “ideals of family” as a bulwark against Western decadence. Trump’s diss of “bureaucracy” was an unmistakable code word for the European Union—the institution Putin seeks to dismantle—as was his reference to sovereignty as a core tenet of how he thinks the world should be ordered."

[elmac]

13. tRump and the republicans are a very dangerous terrorist organisation

that will work with russia to destroy us.

[C Moon]

14. I think Putin chose Trump to be his chump, but also as someone who could

get the U.S. behind him.
He has failed in that second very important part.
I believe there's a lot Russia doesn't understand about American culture—that goes beyond tv and the internet. Just like any other country.

[WinkyDink]

15. This is getting to be very frightening. That NO MATTER WHAT Mueller finds, "We the People"

will have been persuaded that IT'S OKAY THAT RUSSIA HAS OVERTAKEN US!!!

No big deal!

[Amaryllis]

16. We don't ALL bear the responsibilty. Not those of us who have been franitically doing whatever we

think of to do and sounding the alarm bells where ever we can.