Krugman: "Donald Trump, the Siberian Candidate"

[emulatorloo]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/22/opinion/donald-trump-the-siberian-candidate.html

Donald Trump, the Siberian Candidate
Paul Krugman JULY 22, 2016

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If elected, would Donald Trump be Vladimir Putin’s man in the White House? This should be a ludicrous, outrageous question. After all, he must be a patriot — he even wears hats promising to make America great again.

But we’re talking about a ludicrous, outrageous candidate. And the Trump campaign’s recent behavior has quite a few foreign policy experts wondering just what kind of hold Mr. Putin has over the Republican nominee, and whether that influence will continue if he wins.

<snip>

Then came Mr. Trump’s interview with The New York Times, in which, among other things, he declared that even if Russia attacked members of NATO he would come to their aid only if those allies — which we are bound by treaty to defend — have “fulfilled their obligations to us.”

<snip>

But is there more to the story? Is there some specific channel of influence?

We do know that Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, has worked as a consultant for various dictators, and was for years on the payroll of Viktor Yanukovych, the former Ukrainian president and a Putin ally.

And there are reasons to wonder about Mr. Trump’s own financial interests. Remember, we know nothing about the true state of his business empire, and he has refused to release his taxes, which might tell us more. We do know that he has substantial if murky involvement with wealthy Russians and Russian businesses. You might say that these are private actors, not the government — but in Mr. Putin’s crony-capitalist paradise, this is a meaningless distinction.

At some level, Mr. Trump’s motives shouldn’t matter. We should be horrified at the spectacle of a major-party candidate casually suggesting that he might abandon American allies — just as we should be horrified when that same candidate suggests that he might welsh on American financial obligations. But there’s something very strange and disturbing going on here, and it should not be ignored.

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More at link...

[greatlaurel]

1. Thanks for the link.

Those are some very concerning observations from Dr. Krugman. I hope this gets more attention very soon.

[emulatorloo]

5. See also Josh Marshall @ Talking Points Memo

Trump & Putin. Yes, It's Really a Thing- Josh Marshall

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=2281795

[Haveadream]

9. Huge

The TPM article shows just how contrary to US interests Trump's base of support really is. No wonder he has been so negative about NATO. No wonder he said he will patch things up with Putin and Amahdinejad. Why he is hostile to the EU and wants to profit from their failure. Trump won't just be an inept clown in office; he will be actively using it to manipulate foreign policy to profit at the expense of our country's security.

[cynzke]

21. YEAH, WHO IS THE CLEAR TRAITOR HERE?

DONALD TRUMP! And who were the RUBES at the RNC calling a traitor? WHAT A JOKE! Supporting a candidate who is clearly selling the US and allies in Europe up the River so he and buddy Puttie can profit. HOW TREASONOUS CAN YOU GET? HELLO! AND we are about to give this TRAITOR classified reports!!! Wonder how much money Trump will make selling those?

[MADem]

2. Prime Minister of the American Sector of the Russian Empire, reporting directly to President for

Life Putin....

When pigs fly, though! We're not having THAT crap!

[UCmeNdc]

3. Trump is incompetent

[L. Coyote]

4. Does Trump owe mobsters a billion dollars?

That is the type of question to ask!

[PJMcK]

29. I don't believe that is a rhetorical question (n/t)

[Mc Mike]

6. Thanks, bookmarked. rec, nt.

[randome]

7. Some have an ego so large they will do anything to avoid admitting error.

Assange betrayed his financial backers and ran to the Ecuadorian embassy rather than admit to his 'indiscretions' in the bedroom.

Trump, rather than admitting to his failure as a businessman, and his inability to get funding from American banks, ran to Putin.

People like this would rather die than be exposed for what they are.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A 90% chance of rain means the same as a 10% chance:
It might rain and it might not.[/center][/font][hr]

[dhill926]

8. will be interesting to see...

if this begins to percolate through the media....

[lark]

10. Come on Hills, make this real for the American public.

She could make a great ad out of this and should do it right after the convention.

[MohRokTah]

11. You know shit is fucked up when Krugman is attacking Trump FROM THE FUCKING RIGHT!!!!!

[Hekate]

24. Are you saying Krugman, author of Conscience of a Liberal, is a Right Winger?

You are confusing me, Moh.

[fishwax]

12. k/r

[Shandris]

13. Amazing how there's something to the effect of 20 Putin articles, all ready to go at a moment's...

...notice.

Reminds me of GamerGate.

Can't imagine why.

[rbrnmw]

17. why is that a problem for you?

[Hekate]

25. Why is this a problem for you? Democratic presidential elections have been actively sabotaged before

Watergate was not the only instance. The hostage crisis was another.

When it happens, there's always GOP fingerprints and a Democrat always loses. It's not a fucking joke.

[L. Coyote]

30. Absolutely and unquestionably unfathomable, isn't it.

[RonniePudding]

14. Maybe RT will cover it

That seems to be the threshold for some in this thread.

[floppyboo]

27. You want to talk about legitimacy of sources?

Krugmann has been completely de-legitimatized. I can't believe no one has alerted this thread. The man shredded Sanders' economic policy, allowed to be published every where, and then laughed off his analysis - ha ha - just kidding! I was relying on a completely bogus model. And yet, he is still being allowed on this site???

Edit - No one should put up with shit from any source with out fact checking. The FBI haven't hardly begun to look at this Russian tie. propaganda until someone comes up with some real facts - real - like verifiable and not just neatly fitting a pre-scripted outcome. Don't become the 'smear' party. One is enough!

[RonniePudding]

28. Righhhhhhht

I'm SURE you believe all of that.

Another wonderful addition to my iggy. Buh-bye!

And on edit: FUCK RT

[SunSeeker]

15. K & R

[Hortensis]

16. “We joke in Ukraine that it is a bad sign for Trump that he hired Manafort,”

Oleg Kravchenko, a Ukrainian political analyst, told PolitiFact in May. “Because his client, Yanukovych, was ousted and fled to Russia, to the city of Rostov. So Trump could also end up in Rostov.”

From a NY Times opinion piece 4 days ago that sniffs around suspiciously but obviously didn't have the information Talking Points Memo put together.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/20/opinion/campaign-stops/is-trump-obsessed-with-putin-and-russia.html

[Poiuyt]

18. Trump's income taxes

Any good trial lawyer will tell you not to ask a question unless you know the answer. Getting Trump to release his tax returns may or may not reveal any Russian connection and could end up being embarrassing to the Democrats if they show him to be innocent of impropriety.

OTOH, I'd be willing to bet there's something in there that would be damaging for him. And probably a lot.

[greymattermom]

19. The Russian connection is probably in financing a real estate project or 3

and they may be pulling the strings by threatening to pull the money and force another "chapter". The Trump kids are probably also involved.

[cynzke]

22. JUST BUSINESS GUYS!

The "art of the deal". Give them something they want to get something you want. Quid pro quo, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Trump thinks he is just playing one of those under the table business deals, prime the pump. He HAS NO CLUE that he is selling the US and our allies down the river. Trump has NO IDEA the damage he is causing. To Trump this is how you do business, NO BIG DEAL. The White House is not a TOOL to advance your personal wealth. Trump is a traitor.

[Angry Dragon]

20. Is the Donald a Russian plant??

[Hekate]

26. More like Manafort

[auntpurl]

23. Good good good, this story is getting traction.

Russian interfering in American elections should be the biggest story since Watergate.