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ismnotwasm
ismnotwasm's Journal
ismnotwasm's Journal
July 23, 2016
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/07/clinton-trump-putin-nato/492332/
It's Official: Hillary Clinton Is Running Against Vladimir Putin
The Republican nominee for president, Donald J. Trump, has chosen this week to unmask himself as a de facto agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a KGB-trained dictator who seeks to rebuild the Soviet empire by undermining the free nations of Europe, marginalizing NATO, and ending Americas reign as the worlds sole superpower.
I am not suggesting that Donald Trump is employed by Putinthough his campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was for many years on the payroll of the Putin-backed former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych. I am arguing that Trumps understanding of Americas role in the world aligns with Russias geostrategic interests; that his critique of American democracy is in accord with the Kremlins critique of American democracy; and that he shares numerous ideological and dispositional proclivities with Putinfor one thing, an obsession with the sort of strength often associated with dictators. Trump is making it clear that, as president, he would allow Russia to advance its hegemonic interests across Europe and the Middle East. His election would immediately trigger a wave of global instabilitymuch worse than anything we are seeing todaybecause Americas allies understand that Trump would likely dismantle the post-World War II U.S.-created international order. Many of these countries, feeling abandoned, would likely pursue nuclear weapons programs on their own, leading to a nightmare of proliferation.
Trumps sympathy for Putin has not been a secret. Trump said he would get along very well with Putin, and he has pleased Putin by expressing a comprehensive lack of interest in the future of Ukraine, the domination of which is a core Putinist principle. The Trump movement also agrees with Putin that U.S. democracy is fatally flawed. A Trump adviser, Carter Page, recently denouncedto a Moscow audienceAmericas often-hypocritical focus on democratization, inequality, corruption and regime change. Earlier this week, Trumps operatives watered down the Republican Partys national-security platform position on Ukraine, removing a promise to help the Ukrainians receive lethal aid in their battle to remain free of Russian control.
Now, in an interview with Maggie Haberman and David Sanger of The New York Times, Trump has gone much further, suggesting that he and Putin share a disdain for NATO. Fulfilling what might be Putins dearest wish, Trump, in this interview, openly questioned whether the U.S., under his leadership, would keep its commitments to the alliance. According to Haberman and Sanger, Trump even called into question, whether, as president, he would automatically extend the security guarantees that give the 28 members of NATO the assurance that the full force of the United States military has their back. Trump told the Times that, should Russia attack a NATO ally, he would first assess whether those nations have fulfilled their obligations to us. If they have, he said, he would then come to their defense.
I am not suggesting that Donald Trump is employed by Putinthough his campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was for many years on the payroll of the Putin-backed former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych. I am arguing that Trumps understanding of Americas role in the world aligns with Russias geostrategic interests; that his critique of American democracy is in accord with the Kremlins critique of American democracy; and that he shares numerous ideological and dispositional proclivities with Putinfor one thing, an obsession with the sort of strength often associated with dictators. Trump is making it clear that, as president, he would allow Russia to advance its hegemonic interests across Europe and the Middle East. His election would immediately trigger a wave of global instabilitymuch worse than anything we are seeing todaybecause Americas allies understand that Trump would likely dismantle the post-World War II U.S.-created international order. Many of these countries, feeling abandoned, would likely pursue nuclear weapons programs on their own, leading to a nightmare of proliferation.
Trumps sympathy for Putin has not been a secret. Trump said he would get along very well with Putin, and he has pleased Putin by expressing a comprehensive lack of interest in the future of Ukraine, the domination of which is a core Putinist principle. The Trump movement also agrees with Putin that U.S. democracy is fatally flawed. A Trump adviser, Carter Page, recently denouncedto a Moscow audienceAmericas often-hypocritical focus on democratization, inequality, corruption and regime change. Earlier this week, Trumps operatives watered down the Republican Partys national-security platform position on Ukraine, removing a promise to help the Ukrainians receive lethal aid in their battle to remain free of Russian control.
Now, in an interview with Maggie Haberman and David Sanger of The New York Times, Trump has gone much further, suggesting that he and Putin share a disdain for NATO. Fulfilling what might be Putins dearest wish, Trump, in this interview, openly questioned whether the U.S., under his leadership, would keep its commitments to the alliance. According to Haberman and Sanger, Trump even called into question, whether, as president, he would automatically extend the security guarantees that give the 28 members of NATO the assurance that the full force of the United States military has their back. Trump told the Times that, should Russia attack a NATO ally, he would first assess whether those nations have fulfilled their obligations to us. If they have, he said, he would then come to their defense.
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/07/clinton-trump-putin-nato/492332/
July 22, 2016
https://medium.com/welcome-to-the-scream-room/im-with-the-banned-8d1b6e0b2932#.mdzsqtce2
I’m With The Banned by Laurie Penny
Great read..creepy and intense
What my evening with Milo told me about Twitters biggest troll, the death of reason, and the crucible of A-list con-men that is the Republican National Convention.
Milo Yiannopoulos is a charming devil and one of the worst people I know. I have seen the death of political discourse reflected in his designer sunglasses. It chills me. We met four years ago, before he was the self-styled most fabulous supervillain on the internet, when he was just another floppy-haired right-wing pundit and we were guests on opposing sides of a panel show whose topic I dont remember and cant be bothered to look up. Afterwards we got hammered in the green room and ran around the BBC talking about boys. It was fun.
Since that day, there is absolutely nothing I have been able to say to Milo to persuade him that we are not friends. The more famous he gets off the back of extravagantly abusing women and minorities, the more I tell him I hate him and everything he stands for, the more he laughs and asks when were drinking. Im a radical queer feminist leftist writer burdened with actual principles. He thinks thats funny and invites me to his parties.
Feminism is cancer is one of Milos signature slogans, and yet it took him only seconds after learning wed both be at the Republican Convention in Cleveland to offer me a lift to his Wake Up! rally, billed as the most fabulous shindig at the end of America. This timegod help me and the things I do for journalismI said yes.
So here we are at the Convention, where howling psychopath Donald Trump has just been confirmed as the presidential nominee, to the horror of half of the party and every remaining moderate conservative in America as well as the 15,000 members of the international press who flocked to see the circus in realtime. Milo is loving every second of it. He lost no time climbing on the back of the clown car of the billionaire demagogue who, with ghoulishly oedipal glee, he calls Daddy.
Milo Yiannopoulos is a charming devil and one of the worst people I know. I have seen the death of political discourse reflected in his designer sunglasses. It chills me. We met four years ago, before he was the self-styled most fabulous supervillain on the internet, when he was just another floppy-haired right-wing pundit and we were guests on opposing sides of a panel show whose topic I dont remember and cant be bothered to look up. Afterwards we got hammered in the green room and ran around the BBC talking about boys. It was fun.
Since that day, there is absolutely nothing I have been able to say to Milo to persuade him that we are not friends. The more famous he gets off the back of extravagantly abusing women and minorities, the more I tell him I hate him and everything he stands for, the more he laughs and asks when were drinking. Im a radical queer feminist leftist writer burdened with actual principles. He thinks thats funny and invites me to his parties.
Feminism is cancer is one of Milos signature slogans, and yet it took him only seconds after learning wed both be at the Republican Convention in Cleveland to offer me a lift to his Wake Up! rally, billed as the most fabulous shindig at the end of America. This timegod help me and the things I do for journalismI said yes.
So here we are at the Convention, where howling psychopath Donald Trump has just been confirmed as the presidential nominee, to the horror of half of the party and every remaining moderate conservative in America as well as the 15,000 members of the international press who flocked to see the circus in realtime. Milo is loving every second of it. He lost no time climbing on the back of the clown car of the billionaire demagogue who, with ghoulishly oedipal glee, he calls Daddy.
https://medium.com/welcome-to-the-scream-room/im-with-the-banned-8d1b6e0b2932#.mdzsqtce2
July 15, 2016
https://goodblacknews.org/2016/07/14/editorial-what-i-said-when-my-white-friend-asked-for-my-black-opinion-on-white-privilege/
EDITORIAL: What I Said When My White Friend Asked for My Black Opinion on White Privilege
Yesterday I was tagged in a post by an old high school friend, asking me and a few others a very public, direct question about white privilege and racism. I feel compelled not only to publish his query but also my response to it, as it may be a helpful discourse for more than just a handful of folks on Facebook.
Heres his post:
To all of my Black or mixed race FB friends, I must profess a blissful ignorance of this White Privilege of which Im apparently guilty of possessing. By not being able to fully put myself in the shoes of someone from a background/race/religion/gender/ nationality/body type that differs from my own makes me part of the problem, according to what Im now hearing. Despite my treating everyone with respect and humor my entire life (as far as I know), Im somehow complicit in the misfortune of others. Im not saying Im colorblind, but whatever racism/sexism/other -ism my life experience has instilled in me stays within me, and is not manifested in the way I treat others (which is not the case with far too many, I know).
So that I may be enlightened, can you please share with me some examples of institutional racism that have made an indelible mark upon you? If I am to understand this, I need people I know personally to show me how Im missing whats going on. Personal examples only. Im not trying to be insensitive, I only want to understand (but not from the media). I apologize if this comes off as crass or offends anyone.
Here's my response;
Heres his post:
To all of my Black or mixed race FB friends, I must profess a blissful ignorance of this White Privilege of which Im apparently guilty of possessing. By not being able to fully put myself in the shoes of someone from a background/race/religion/gender/ nationality/body type that differs from my own makes me part of the problem, according to what Im now hearing. Despite my treating everyone with respect and humor my entire life (as far as I know), Im somehow complicit in the misfortune of others. Im not saying Im colorblind, but whatever racism/sexism/other -ism my life experience has instilled in me stays within me, and is not manifested in the way I treat others (which is not the case with far too many, I know).
So that I may be enlightened, can you please share with me some examples of institutional racism that have made an indelible mark upon you? If I am to understand this, I need people I know personally to show me how Im missing whats going on. Personal examples only. Im not trying to be insensitive, I only want to understand (but not from the media). I apologize if this comes off as crass or offends anyone.
Here's my response;
https://goodblacknews.org/2016/07/14/editorial-what-i-said-when-my-white-friend-asked-for-my-black-opinion-on-white-privilege/
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Gender: Do not displayMember since: Mon Aug 23, 2004, 10:18 PM
Number of posts: 41,978