Putin was the best of a huge population that specialized in cruelty and espionage, to their own people. Propaganda is his game and it is a way of life in Russian society.T hey know it is junk, but pretend to believe it, except for the authoritarians who buy into it wholeheartedly. It wasn't difficult to figure out who to play, in our country. They have the same prejudices the authoritarians in Russia do.
That is what he could conceivably do. I've been swinging back and forth on my speculations as to what really motivates William Barr. I did suppose at first that he's just a Trump-appointed flunky, truckling, obsequious, unprincipled, if a bit superior to the rest in his ability to at least pretend, in public and under questioning, to have dignity. (Most of them can't even maintain an appearance of self-control and dignity when they're the ones doing the questioning.) Then, after reading an opinion piece in -- I think it was The Daily Beast -- I started to wonder if he's a bit more than another Trump sycophant, and more dangerous. If perhaps he's a zealot and ideologue who wants to increase and centralise presidential power, and reduce the oversight function of Congress until it barely exists and Congress can no longer investigate to any effect. I was thinking it's possible.And recently I've been swinging back to my original view, that he's just a bought, corrupt flunky who'll do whatever his boss says to occupy the position and wear the title of U.S. Attorney General. Betray, literally, the function of that office to keep the favour of a rotten man and laughable excuse for a President.He's helping Trump corrupt the justice system. He's helping Trump pursue his political enemies and not even raising an eyebrow as Trump accuses them of treason. Not by the way, but significantly, the context in which Trump uses the word proves that he doesn't even know how treason is defined under the U.S. Constitution and U.S. law. I'm a bloody foreigner and I've taken the trouble to find out that much! Trump still wants to convict Comey, probably Mueller, and would absolutely love to convict Hillary Clinton of -- something or other. Maybe Uranium One? Barr, answering a question from the New York Times in 2017, said he'd be okay with a president using the Department of Justice as a weapon against a political enemy, so long as the charges were "warranted." Barr even expressed the opinion that evidence against Hillary Clinton (meaning, it appeared, over Uranium One) was stronger than any evidence of wrongdoing by President Trump.So who decides what's warranted? A President notorious for his lack of self-control and petty, childish vindictiveness? His abject tool of a nominal Attorney General?I'm scared too. For the U.S.A. But I'm hoping that in the end this will boomerang so badly on Trump and Barr that they both face major charges.I still think that Barr is doomed. Donald Trump is overconfident and a lousy, lousy tactician who doesn't listen to advice. I still think he will instruct Barr to do something so outrageous, so wholly illegitimate, that sooner or later Barr will have to say reluctantly, "Boss, I can't. Even we couldn't get away with that. Or not yet. Every judge, including conservative Supreme Court justices, would rule against it, and I'd be indicted and sent to the big house even if you weren't."Whereupon the next words he hears will be, "You're fired."God do I hope so.
I'm praying -- not that have the least idea who might hear me -- that the CIA warns this asset of theirs, whoever it is, gets him out to safety, and then he testifies. To Trump and Barr's immense dismay. That'd be the beautiful outcome, but this is the real world, so more likely he'll go the way of Magnitsky and Donald never-to-be-sufficiently-damned Trump will get one more reprieve.
So Bill Barr thinks it's a winning strategy to piss off The FBI The CIA The NSA DOJ and Democrats in congress 'cuz what-are-they-gonna-do? HE'S THE ATTORNEY GENERAL!
always knew Cheeto was several ants short of a picnic but, if for one nanosecond, he actually believes that career spooks are gonna fuckin’ give it to some lame-assed bullfrog appointee @ DoJ, then he REALLY doesn’t know how anything works.
It's been long reported that the CIA had a mole deep in the Kremlin who told them that Putin personally oversaw the election fuckery. Sure, Comey, McCabe, Page, et al. have a lot to worry about, but not as much as said mole.
Putin was the best of a huge population that specialized in cruelty and espionage, to their own people. Propaganda is his game and it is a way of life in Russian society.T hey know it is junk, but pretend to believe it, except for the authoritarians who buy into it wholeheartedly. It wasn't difficult to figure out who to play, in our country. They have the same prejudices the authoritarians in Russia do.
Thank you, that noise was getting old.
It is beautiful, Jasper's dad lives in the town where I used to, which is the next village north from Holly. We even had our own glacier.
From your lips... these assholes are traitors and deserve everything that can be done to them.
Or he makes it all up, as Republicans have been doing this entire time.
Oleg Deripaska comes to mind. Or even better, his (ex)wife.
That is what he could conceivably do. I've been swinging back and forth on my speculations as to what really motivates William Barr. I did suppose at first that he's just a Trump-appointed flunky, truckling, obsequious, unprincipled, if a bit superior to the rest in his ability to at least pretend, in public and under questioning, to have dignity. (Most of them can't even maintain an appearance of self-control and dignity when they're the ones doing the questioning.) Then, after reading an opinion piece in -- I think it was The Daily Beast -- I started to wonder if he's a bit more than another Trump sycophant, and more dangerous. If perhaps he's a zealot and ideologue who wants to increase and centralise presidential power, and reduce the oversight function of Congress until it barely exists and Congress can no longer investigate to any effect. I was thinking it's possible.And recently I've been swinging back to my original view, that he's just a bought, corrupt flunky who'll do whatever his boss says to occupy the position and wear the title of U.S. Attorney General. Betray, literally, the function of that office to keep the favour of a rotten man and laughable excuse for a President.He's helping Trump corrupt the justice system. He's helping Trump pursue his political enemies and not even raising an eyebrow as Trump accuses them of treason. Not by the way, but significantly, the context in which Trump uses the word proves that he doesn't even know how treason is defined under the U.S. Constitution and U.S. law. I'm a bloody foreigner and I've taken the trouble to find out that much! Trump still wants to convict Comey, probably Mueller, and would absolutely love to convict Hillary Clinton of -- something or other. Maybe Uranium One? Barr, answering a question from the New York Times in 2017, said he'd be okay with a president using the Department of Justice as a weapon against a political enemy, so long as the charges were "warranted." Barr even expressed the opinion that evidence against Hillary Clinton (meaning, it appeared, over Uranium One) was stronger than any evidence of wrongdoing by President Trump.So who decides what's warranted? A President notorious for his lack of self-control and petty, childish vindictiveness? His abject tool of a nominal Attorney General?I'm scared too. For the U.S.A. But I'm hoping that in the end this will boomerang so badly on Trump and Barr that they both face major charges.I still think that Barr is doomed. Donald Trump is overconfident and a lousy, lousy tactician who doesn't listen to advice. I still think he will instruct Barr to do something so outrageous, so wholly illegitimate, that sooner or later Barr will have to say reluctantly, "Boss, I can't. Even we couldn't get away with that. Or not yet. Every judge, including conservative Supreme Court justices, would rule against it, and I'd be indicted and sent to the big house even if you weren't."Whereupon the next words he hears will be, "You're fired."God do I hope so.
I'm praying -- not that have the least idea who might hear me -- that the CIA warns this asset of theirs, whoever it is, gets him out to safety, and then he testifies. To Trump and Barr's immense dismay. That'd be the beautiful outcome, but this is the real world, so more likely he'll go the way of Magnitsky and Donald never-to-be-sufficiently-damned Trump will get one more reprieve.
What could go wrong?
So Bill Barr thinks it's a winning strategy to piss off The FBI The CIA The NSA DOJ and Democrats in congress 'cuz what-are-they-gonna-do? HE'S THE ATTORNEY GENERAL!
Vey iz mir.
Donald Trump William Barr and Devin Nunes really think they're smarter than the people running the intelligence agencies. PRICELESS
Remember what Bernie Madoff said about why more and more money:"It's a way of keeping score."
always knew Cheeto was several ants short of a picnic but, if for one nanosecond, he actually believes that career spooks are gonna fuckin’ give it to some lame-assed bullfrog appointee @ DoJ, then he REALLY doesn’t know how anything works.
It's been long reported that the CIA had a mole deep in the Kremlin who told them that Putin personally oversaw the election fuckery. Sure, Comey, McCabe, Page, et al. have a lot to worry about, but not as much as said mole.
Since Rafael Cruz (Ted's alleged father) is still alive, I think Mr. Barr should be afraid - vewy, vewy afraid.