KremlinGate

The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has subpoenaed the Trump Organization to turn over documents, including some related to Russia, according to two people briefed on the matter. The order is the first known time that the special counsel demanded documents directly related to President Trump’s businesses, bringing the investigation closer to the president.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/15/us/politics/trump-organization-subpoena-mueller-russia.html?smid=pl-share

Quote:

"The scapegoating of Russia has taken on an air of bigotry and ugliness..."

Can you recommend another country to scapegoat?  One that "real" progressives would scapegoat?  Responsible for all the ills of the world, and suchlike?

TRNN: Threats Facing Humanity, Russiagate & the Role of Independent Media

https://youtu.be/1lZRT62Y4GA

"In this interview with the senior editor and founder of The Real News Network Paul Jay, acTVism examines the threats facing humanity today, Russiagate and what issue, independent media outlets should be prioritizing..."

NDPP wrote:

Trump Promotes Longtime Russia Hawk Just as Russiagate Loses Momentum

https://consortiumnews.com/2018/03/14/trump-promotes-longtime-russia-haw...

"The fact-free and logic challenged allegations of Trump-Russia collusion have further lost credibility with the appointment of a virulently anti-Russia hawk to replace Security of State Rex Tillerson, Caitlin Johnstone says..."

Even if you do not think that Russia is innocent -- and I don't I think that it is as I believe this is somethign a number of coutnries are engaged in, choosing people that will aggravate makes things worse.

Russia is a country that could have had better relations with other countries but it was badly treated when it tried to. I think that the hostility Russia has to a number of other countries has been well earned. So while I do not defend Russia saying it is innocent, I am aware of the provocation it faced and how we got to this point.

Nobody should imagine that the US does not play the same games either.

US AG Sessions Fires Ex-FBI Deputy Director McCabe

https://on.rt.com/919u

"US AG Jeff Sessions has fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, effective immediately. The abrupt termination could cost McCabe, who is accused of mishandling Hillary Clinton's email probe, much of his pension. The termination was recommended by the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility. It comes after a still-classified report from the Department of Justice (DOJ) inspector general found that McCabe mishandled the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State..."

What If There Was No Collusion?

http://www.counterpunch.org/2018/03/16/what-if-there-was-no-collusion/

"The worst possible thing would be the toppling of Trump due to alleged Russian ties, followed by a Pence administration committed to confrontation with Russia..."

Trump launches twitter attacks this morning on Mueller, Comey and McCabe.  Becoming clear that he intends to take the ultimate act of obstruction and try to shut down the investigation.  Although it might not be that easy.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/12/19/why-trump-cant-fire-mueller-at-least-not-directly/?utm_term=.dc02daa9111e

Very curious why you posted the twitter comment from former Bush speechwriter and all around nitwit David Frum on this thread.   You agree with David on this?

"Once you realize that "deep state" is code for "the rule of law," you can translate their jibberish into something more like English"

But here's another rightwing nitwit with the other side of the story:

http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/03/19/media-fail-60-trouble...

"The Deep State, which is correctly defined in the polling question as “a group of unelected or appointed government officials who have too much influence in determining federal policy,” has been a national issue since the rise of President Donald Trump. Ever since this conversation started, though, the media have been slashing away at the discussion as a fevered conspiracy ginned up by conservatives." ...

"Moreover, only 21 percent think the Deep State does not exist.  While 47 percent say it “probably exists,” 27 percent believe it “definitely exists.”   As far as “unelected or appointed government officials hav[ing] too much influence in determining federal policy,” 60 percent agree. This includes 59 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of Republicans, and 62 percent of independents.  Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians believe more strongly in the existence of a Deep State. While 35 percent believe it “definitely exists,” only 23 percent of whites agree."

"A whopping 80 percent believe the government spies on American citizens. A majority of 53 percent believe this is widespread. Only 18 percent believe this spying is justified."

Appears that Guccifer may have been a Russian intelligence agent:

https://amp.thedailybeast.com/exclusive-lone-dnc-hacker-guccifer-20-slipped-up-and-revealed-he-was-a-russian-intelligence-officer?source=twitter&via=desktop&__twitter_impression=true

In a court filing Tuesday night special counsel Robert Mueller alleges Rick Gates, a close associate of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, knew the two were working with a former Russian intelligence officer during the 2016 election.

http://www.newsweek.com/mueller-tells-court-paul-manafort-partner-rick-gates-knew-they-were-dealing-ex-862897

"LOL - The Ukrainian 'magnate' is Victor Pinchuk, mega donor to the Clinton Foundation, the NATO-backed Atlantic Council, and the NATO-backed government in Kiev. Russiagate gets sillier and sillier by the day."

https://twitter.com/MaxBlumenthal/status/983556994521968640

https://pinchukfund.org/en/projects/20/events/17654/

Not only the manner, but the timing of the raids is extraordinary, coming as the Trump administration is preparing to launch a major military operation against Syria. If anything, the raids seem likely to push Trump into a more aggressive military strike, which would serve to push his legal problems off the front pages. Such action would also placate his opponents within the military-intelligence apparatus, who, backed by virtually the entire Democratic Party and some prominent Republicans, have been clamoring for a more confrontational policy towards Russia.

I'm not clear what connection WSWS is trying to posit here between the raids and Trump's foreign policy. The FBI conducted the raids because they know that it will encourage Trump to be more aggressive against Syria as a way of distracting from the raids? Or are the raids meant as a threat: "You can expect more of this, golfer-boy, if you don't dispense with the kumbayah shit and start bombing Syria"?

Isn't it just as easy to believe that the FBI raided Cohen's office because they thought there might be evidence of criminal activity there, and that Trump is bombing Syria because that's what the foreign-policy bigshots are telling him to do?  

Well, if the WSW article above were saying the raids happened now because the Deep State wanted to push Trump to a more aggressive foreign policy in Syria, then I would agree with you.   I think if you read it fairly it's making a smaller claim -- that the effect of this raid is likely to make Trump 'wag the dog' to make his legal problems go away.   I agree that the claim that the raid was timed this way on behalf of the Deep State is unlikely and conspiratorial, but I also think the smaller, actually made claim in the article is obviously true.  

The overarching narrative presented by the WSW article above is also true, in my mind, best expressed by this:

"As reactionary as Trump and his administration are, there is nothing progressive or democratic about the mobilization of the intelligence and police agencies of the state against him. The campaign against Trump being spearheaded by the Democratic Party, based on concocted claims of Russian “meddling” and “fake news,” is aimed at whipping up a war hysteria against Russia and justifying Internet censorship. The escalating political warfare in Washington is a struggle between opposed factions of the same corporate-financial elite, largely over US imperialist foreign policy issues."

Michael, curious do you agree with the second part of your bolded sentance ?  ... "is aimed at whipping up a war hysteria against Russia and justifying Internet censorship."     Even if it were conceeded that RUssia did meddle and fake news was a problem, do you think the reaction of the mainstream media is proportional or moderate?

To me the war hysteria against Russia and internet censorship dwarf  Russian meddling and fake news in importance.   I think the threat of escalating war is real, and near, and seeing the left and right media marching in lockstep on it is terrifying.

Well, we have a fundamental disagreement on that one Josh.  

Mobo2000 wrote:

Michael, curious do you agree with the second part of your bolded sentance ?  ... "is aimed at whipping up a war hysteria against Russia and justifying Internet censorship."     Even if it were conceeded that RUssia did meddle and fake news was a problem, do you think the reaction of the mainstream media is proportional or moderate?

To me the war hysteria against Russia and internet censorship dwarf  Russian meddling and fake news in importance.   I think the threat of escalating war is real, and near, and seeing the left and right media marching in lockstep on it is terrifying.

To keep this as short as possible, I am generally in agreement with Chomsky's position on most of these matters, because I consider him the most reliable source of information about these issues, and I also agree with his anti-authoritarian approach to social, economic and political issues.

In that light, I would say that this warmongering is nothing new. It justifies huge transfers of wealth from the U.S. population to the capitalist elite. Russia happens to be the enemy du jour, just as in 2002 it was Iraq. In this regard, there are no serious disagreements amongst the oligarchs, even though some, like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett at least show a little shame, while others, like the Kochs and Mercers, feel nothing but triumph at their crushing of the masses.

As far as the press is concerned, they act as the they always do, in the interests of the capitalists who own them. Have you read Necessary Illusions? It discusses the behaviour of the MSM during the Reagan administration, but in my opinion not much has changed, except that the concentration of media ownership into fewer and fewer hands has proceeded apace.

I don't think internet censorship of the sort practiced in China or Russia is a particular threat right now. It might become one if the so far successful techniques for "manufacturing consent" seem to be failing, which could happen in the near future. Even in that case, I don't think the Russia meddling/fake news issue will have much effect on the process.

Michael Moriarity wrote:

 I am generally in agreement with Chomsky's position on most of these matters, because I consider him the most reliable source of information about these issues

[quote=NDPP]

Noam Chomsky - Russian Meddling in US Elections

https://youtu.be/edC5OjBK5zU

"That has most of the world cracking up with laughter. It's just a joke. This is just making the US a laughing-stock in the world, even if every charge were correct. And most of them have no basis."

^ And as I've said before, the issue from the perspective of Americans is that laws may have been broken. Just like, when Germany arrested some of its citizens for spying on behalf of the US during the Obama years, the issue was the actions of those citizens in relation to German law. Germany's own record on the international scene, spotless or otherwise, was neither here nor there.  

The Democratic 'Deep State' Takeover and the Moribund State of American Politics

https://blackagendareport.com/democratic-deep-state-takeover-and-moribun...

"...The takeover of the Democratic Party by the so-called 'Deep State' (The Real State) is a product of both the crisis of imperialism and the bankruptcy of American politics. All indices point to the 2018 midterm elections being a breeding ground for the CIA's entrance into the realm of electoral politics. This confirms a trend rooted in the endless clamors for war against Russia based on intelligence assessments that Russia 'interfered' in the 2016 election campaign. Russia is but one example where the crisis of American imperialism has reached its most desperate stage. The American ruling class is in a panic over its waning global influence..."

Looks like Trump’s attorney lies as blatantly as his client.

http://amp.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article208870264.html?__twitter_impression=true

VOTD, re post 987, yes agree --  fair comment, I think the author was happy to have the implication of a conspiracy there without committing to it.   And your original post on the WSW article noted this too, and I thought was a fair reading of it.

Michael, re your comment/question to me:

"As far as the press is concerned, they act as the they always do, in the interests of the capitalists who own them. Have you read Necessary Illusions? It discusses the behaviour of the MSM during the Reagan administration, but in my opinion not much has changed, except that the concentration of media ownership into fewer and fewer hands has proceeded apace."

Thanks for the comment and reply -- I have read Necessary Illusions in undergrad (years ago now).   I agree it is very similar media environment to the Reagan years and in some ways what we are seeing now in the MSM is to be expected and naturally comes from their structure and ownership.   There are a few things that feel new about it now to me, one of which is how thoroughly the right wing is attempting to adopt anti-war /anti-empire rhetoric.    And the other is the retreat of mainstream liberal/left media from the foreign policy sphere (largely by looking at foreign policy issues through an exclusively "humanitarian" lenses).   Perhaps this is happening now because the necesary illusion of the benevolent US globalcop is so much harder to maintain.  

When I compare to my memories of the media in the build up to the Iraq War II, I recall open skeptism of the chemical weapons claims on the Daily show, among other places, and while the consensus for war in the press was present and real and a problem, it somehow did not feel as overwhelming or total as it does now.   

But it's snowing in Toronto and we've had 3 days of freezing rain and it's the middle of April, so perhaps it's just weather induced pessimism or pathetic fallacy.

There's been snow and freezing rain in Windsor, for cripes sake. I certainly agree with Chomsky that, at least since the Second World War, no power has interfered more in the affairs of other states than the US. (Beforehand, the UK was certainly handy at that stuff).  And I'm including Soviet domination of its Central and Eastern European neighbours and crushing the Hungarian Revolution and the Poznan revolt in that sorry balance-sheet. Monroe Doctrine and all that.

Not that I'm excusing the Russian Empire or Stalinism for their crimes, as well as such powers as France, and the micro-countries Belgium and Netherlands for their exactions against and plunder of their huge colonies. The horrors the Belgian king played a part in, in the Congo, certainly merit a dishonourable mention.

Democratic National Committee has sued President Donald Trump’s campaign, his son, his son-in-law, the Russian Federation and WikiLeaks, saying they conspired to help Trump win the 2016 presidential election.

The DNC filed the lawsuit Friday in federal court in Manhattan. It seeks unspecified damages and an order to prevent further interference with DNC computer systems.

https://apnews.com/65be518886e94da1ad8df46cebf857d4?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP