Michael Winship: We need answers. Now!
A tip of the hat to Raw Story for pointing us to this Michael Winship editorial at BillMoyers.com.
As the old saying goes, if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit. It easily distracts us from the real issues, diverting our eyes from those important things that have to be closely examined and resolved if we’re to continue trying, at least, to behave like a free nation.
One of those burning issues is Russia, which largely seemed to go off the scope in the days immediately before and after Trump’s mini-inauguration, even though around the election and in the weeks after we heard a great deal about Russia’s hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the release of emails aimed at defeating Hillary Clinton — allegations that were backed by the US intelligence community. With the FBI, those spy agencies also have been investigating intercepted communications from Russian intelligence. And then there’s that infamous “dossier,” compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele, filled with thus far unverified allegations about President Trump’s business dealings with Russia as well as certain salacious tales of his purported extracurricular activities there.
But with the resignation of Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn, in the wake of news reports about his December phone calls with the Russian ambassador to the United States, and word that US intelligence has confirmed some of the information in the Steele dossier, interest in Russia has rekindled, and a good thing, too.
…
[I]n an interview pre-taped for Super Bowl Sunday… Trump said he respected Putin and O’Reilly noted that the Russian leader is a killer: “There are a lot of killers,” Trump replied, sounding more like a two-bit Al Capone than the leader of the free world. “We have a lot of killers. You think our country is so innocent?”
This is way beyond troubling, so it merits noting some of the other news about Russia that has transpired in the last few weeks, news that might have flown under your radar while Trump’s fusillade of executive orders and tantrums was bombarding your every waking moment.
All of it is serious business, specifically when it comes to figuring out just why Trump is so deeply enamored of Vladimir Putin and how much Russia interfered with our election, and more broadly for what it says about Trump and his chief strategist Stephen Bannon’s vision, God help us, of a world divided and dominated by white nationalists.
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Copyright 2017 Liberaland
By: dave-dr-gonzo
David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.
* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.
16 responses to Michael Winship: We need answers. Now!
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mea_mark February 14th, 2017 at 10:55
From the Moyers article
” Asked about support for Putin and Russia from France’s National Front and Britain’s United Kingdom Independent Party (UKIP), Bannon replied, “One of the reasons is that they believe that at least Putin is standing up for traditional institutions, and he’s trying to do it in a form of nationalism — and I think that people, particularly in certain countries, want to see the sovereignty for their country, they want to see nationalism for their country. They don’t believe in this kind of pan-European Union or they don’t believe in the centralized government in the United States.” ” — Those ‘traditional institutions’ is what is undermining the world. As a society and a world culture we need to remove those institutions so we can move forward into the future.
Larry Schmitt February 14th, 2017 at 11:10
And one of the things old Russians miss about the Soviet era is the full employment. Everyone had a job. It may have been sweeping the street with a push broom for a few kopecks, but everyone had a job that would earn enough to buy enough vodka in the state-run co-op to make you forget your miserable life. That’s the “good old days” that Putin promises, when Russia stood for something and the world was afraid of them. That’s the same kind of world trump/Bannon promise for us.
Foundryman February 14th, 2017 at 11:09
If Flynn, with Trumps knowledge and support, told the Russians they will drop the sanctions in return for their interference in the election, not only Trumps entire administration needs to go to prison, but Chaffetz and most of the corrupt republicans need to go as well. By running interference and refusing to investigate Trump, they are culpable and complicit.
Trumps own words during the campaign suggests he knew he russians were behind it, he knew then. The truth is going to come out and when it does, trump will be gone.
mea_mark February 14th, 2017 at 11:17
I’m starting to wonder if tRump will resign or commit suicide. His ego is going to tear him apart as this house of cards collapses around him.
Foundryman February 14th, 2017 at 11:20
I think he’ll have to be forced out. he’ll go kicking and screaming more than Nixon did.
mea_mark February 14th, 2017 at 11:23
I think he dislikes the job too much for that. He might sabotage things first though because he’s mad.
Foundryman February 14th, 2017 at 11:24
That is true!! He has some deep mental problems, it’s hard to say what a deranged person can or will do…
Mike February 14th, 2017 at 13:47
You two are talking about Trump like he’s a sane individual that makes choices … the Emperor has no clothes, he’s Chauncy Gardner, the right has truly elected an insane person as president and if no one is going to start telling the truth, we’re headed for a serious crash. Trump is insane …
mea_mark February 14th, 2017 at 14:24
tRump knows nothing about gardening …
robert February 15th, 2017 at 01:20
The trumpster needs to tick off Putin and he’s handy when it comes to eliminating people who know too much
This is playing out like a James Bond movie
crc3 February 14th, 2017 at 12:11
Rump must be FORCED to release his tax returns. No ifs, ands, or buts. He is definitely hiding information and this needs to be made public NOT some behind closed doors whitewashing bullsh*t from Repulsives in Congress. This needs to be done NOW….
Mike February 14th, 2017 at 13:40
Normally congress would take control of something like this. But with our congress and senate in the hands of Russian collaborators and sycophants, we’re basically screwed until we can vote them out ….
Here’s to hoping we still have free elections in 2018 …
robert February 15th, 2017 at 01:17
Better hope more Dems show up at the polls
Plenty to worry about
amersham1046 February 14th, 2017 at 15:25
Trump & Associates are taking dirty politics to a whole new level
AnotherToohtpick2 February 14th, 2017 at 16:09
The one thing putty and trumpee have in common, lining their pockets.
Foundryman February 15th, 2017 at 01:53
Putin of course is biding his time and waiting for his chance to show Trump what real “friends” are for. Just wait until he tells the world how Trump approached him with a plan to get as much dirt on Hillary as possible.
The thing is, Putin knows it doesn’t even have to be true. He holds all the cards over poor Donny Boy, to give Trump some of his own erratic ego driven assholery, Putin is the “Only one who can do it”!!…