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A Brief Period Of Relief As Trump Leaves The Country

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Sleep, blessed sleep.  It’s easy to forget how necessary it is to our well being until we are forced to go without it – an experience many of us have been suffering through since the election of this current Russian-aligned occupant of the White House.

Thanks to Robert Mueller and the FBI,  responsible and patriotic adults are once again asserting control over the federal government through the rule of law, and many of us can once again get a little sleep.   The kind of deep sleep your body needs.   The kind that helps you heal the wounds, both psychic and physical, that life regularly inflicts.  Particularly so, when there is no doubt that our government is under attack by a foreign power, determined to tear down our democratic institutions brick by brick.

This morning, as Donald Trump boarded Air Force One for a trip to Asia, I was reminded of Richard Nixon’s departure for Egypt in 1974, as the weight of accountability for the Watergate break-in and cover-up was approaching its inevitable conclusion.    Two months later, Nixon would resign.

Real or imagined, it just feels better when people like Nixon or Trump get on a plane and get out of the country.   And Trump will be gone for eleven days.   Like Nixon, he must have really needed to get away.

True, they can do a whole lot of damage overseas, but somehow it just feels better, not being on the same continent with those who stand in opposition to all that is pure and best about America.

Even now, while writing this, it occurs to me that it may be unfair, comparing Nixon to Trump, as Trump is so much worse than Richard Nixon ever was, simply by reason of Trump’s inability to be anything resembling “presidential,” or his obvious inclination to dance with the devil, in a constant waltz with Vladimir Putin and his fascist state.   I’m fairly certain Nixon, would never have gone there.  He simply couldn’t have.  The Republican base, at that time, simply was not gullible enough to fall for a Russian-loving commander in chief.

As with Richard Nixon, the truth will eventually prove to be Donald Trump’s nemesis, as the FBI investigation continues into this current Administration’s ties to Russia and their possible collusion with the Russian Government.   We will get to the truth, because we are a free people with a system that is stronger than any one person or party.    That is to say, we should be allowed to get to the truth.

Should any one person or party attempt to shut down the investigation, then that one person or party will be more than suspect.  That one person or party will be signaling that they are, in all likelihood, guilty of committing treason against the United States by their effort to cover up the Trump Administration’s ties to the Russians.  Ties that are becoming all the more apparent with the passage of time.

Certain parties are already suspect by their obvious and disgusting determination to stop congressional investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election from moving forward.

Let’s hope the Mueller investigation is allowed to run its course.  That it is permitted to reveal the truth to the American people, and that Donald J. Trump doesn’t drag the nation into another war as the ultimate diversion, before Mr. Mueller and the FBI are able to complete the task before them.

Until then, we do at least have hope, and along with it, the ability to once again get a decent night’s sleep as Robert Mueller and the FBI, follow the money.    Adults dealing with what’s true and real as opposed to the alternative reality of Mr. Trump and his childlike supporters, who live in a world of disinformation, misinformation, delusion and denial.    A world increasingly influenced by Vladimir Putin and his oligarch friends, none of whom desire Democracy.

Blog, Politics

Putin, Trump, And The Death Of American Credibility

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There was no English word for “disinformation” until sometime in the 1980’s, when it was derived from a Russian term meaning misinformation “intentionally disseminated in order to deceive.”  It can include, “forgery, subversion and media manipulation,”  and would be needed only if efforts to kill the truth at its source through the co-option of government officials and (or) persons in the media, had failed.  Arnaud De Borchgrave and Robert Moss  wrote a wonderful novel about the media manipulation thing back in 1980.   The book’s title is “The Spike,” and it’s worth a read.

In plain English, disinformation can take many forms but basically it involves hiding facts behind a giant smokescreen, so high, wide and thick that no one can possibly see through it.  The common term for it here in  America is BS, although this would be BS taken to a level rarely seen in everyday life.

By one account, the Russians have been using disinformation as a weapon since the 1920’s.  Under the former Soviet Union and its secret police/intelligence arm, the KGB, disinformation was developed into an art form possibly not seen since the days of master manipulator Angelo Machiavelli, which may or may not be something to be proud of, depending upon your predilection for the “art” of deception.

Any way you cut it, the KGB was said to be very good at it.  Based upon current affairs, they still are, keeping in mind that those who ran the KGB, like Vlaidmir Putin, and certain other billionaire crime bosses, are now running all of Russia.  That’s not to say their techniques have changed.   Take for example, Donald Trump’s recent “attack” on an airbase in Syria.  Talk surrounding the attack could be true, or some of it could be disinformation.

We were first told, repeatedly, by Mr. Trump himself,  that  he would never telegraph his intentions to an enemy,   Then, in what was only his second big military decision, what did he do?   He called Syria’s ally Russia, and told them of his intentions to bomb an airfield in Syria, ensuring the Syrians would be told about the attack, giving both the Russians and the Syrians ample time to get their people and equipment out of harm’s way.

According to the release from the Pentagon, “Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using the established deconfliction line. U.S. military planners took precautions to minimize risk to Russian or Syrian personnel located at the airfield.”

Trump, totally telegraphed his intentions to the enemy.   He phoned it in.  Still, this has nothing to do with what may have been disinformation.   That came later, and not from Trump, but from one of his sons, with backup from Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

Pundits (and a couple of “surrogates” who will support Trump regardless of his words or actions and who should not be given access to credible news programs) had already been sending out rumblings that the airfield attack was ample evidence against any collusion between Trump and the Russians.   Later, Trump’s son Eric, would parrot this same line, possibly being unintentionally dragged into a broadening ripple effect of disinformation.  What the Russians would call “a useful idiot.”

Then, even as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Moscow for talks with the Russian hierarchy,  Russian President Vladimir Putin belched forth what may have been another enormous cloud of truth-hiding smoke, making the pronouncement that what the Americans were saying about the missile attack on Syria, was comparable to earlier American lies about WMD’s in Iraq.

Accuse the accuser.  One of the oldest tricks in the book.  But this was carrying the weight of coming from the President of Russia. Whoa.  Now that’s sure to confuse the issue.  If you can even remember what it was.

It’s similar to having an American president who doesn’t understand he is no longer campaigning and that his words now have a far more serious meaning to the world, except that Putin understands what he’s doing and Trump hasn’t a clue, even while he’s being heralded by his supporters for building greater credibility in the eyes of the world by launching what was essentially a phony attack against Syria.  Credibility?  Incredible.

Even if the bogus attack on an all but abandoned airfield wasn’t enough to prove that Trump hasn’t been colluding with the Russians, the angry  Response from Mr. Putin would have to convince those few remaining doubters that no collaboration between Putin and the Trump political machine could be possible.

How’s that for disinformational smoke?   Or maybe not?  Can’t prove it’s there, so maybe it isn’t.  Or maybe it is?  Confused yet?

It’s entirely possible that Trump telegraphed his intentions on the attack to avoid hitting Russian targets and starting World War III.  It’s also entirely possible that Eric Trump is right,  that his father’s decision to hit the abandoned airfield was to send a message to the Syrians that they must stop using chemical weapons, and further, that Mr. Putin’s pronouncement against Trump and the United States comparing the attack to lies about WMD’s in Iraq, was made solely to bump up Putin’s standing in the Russian press.

Why are apparently official announcements about our government coming from the mouths of the President’s children?   Then again, maybe everybody’s telling the truth.  Or perhaps not.  Perhaps it’s really about money, power and disinformation.  Or perhaps Donald J. Trump is simply and hopelessly incompetent.

The thing about dealing with the Russians and their disinformation and Donald Trump, who is currently without credibility is that we really don’t know what to believe.   Especially with former Exxon CEO and current Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Moscow, where there are sure to be discussions about dropping U.S. sanctions against Russia, opening up all those Exxon owned oil fields for development.

Even if Trump’s actions were heartfelt as his children claim, and the attack on the airfield was a genuine effort to deter the Syrians from using chemical weapons, and Eric Trump’s words were authentic and Putin is genuinely angry at Donald Trump, even if all this is what’s really happening,  how can we tell from behind this giant cloud of smoke?   Do you believe anything Putin says?   How about Trump?

The FBI needs to kick its investigation into high gear while the public can still remember what they are investigating and why.   One good war could make it all go away.

 

 

 

 

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The Feds Can’t Crack An iPhone?

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And now comes the big iPhone hacking controversy.   I find it terribly curious and even funny that the FBI and presumably even the recently formed NSA can’t get into an iPhone without Apple’s help.   It would be funny, except that – according to our newest unimpeachable source, Wikipedia – the monolithic National Securty Agency, which that brilliant tactician and critical thinker, George W. Bush put together in his big push for smaller government,  has an estimated annual budget of $10.8 billion.

And they can’t get into an iPhone?    Or maybe they’re unhappy with the FBI and just don’t want to share their resources?   Or maybe hacking into terrorist’s cellphones isn’t their thing?   Or pherhaps Apple is just that good and the federal government is really that bad?

If the United States Government can’t get into an iPhone,  if their radar-equipped blimps, which apparently don’t work anyway despite costing billions,  float away and need to be shot down by local law enforcement before they crash into houses, just how safe are we?

According to one report, local cops used shotguns to bring down the wayward JLENS blimp before it floated away and did any more damage.   How analogue is that?    The Baltimore Sun reports that “After 17 years of research and $2.7 billion in funding, the system has been hobbled by defective software, poor reliability and vulnerability to bad weather.”

It seems strange that with all the technology at our command, be it satellites and ground-based or naval radar, the best our government can do to protect the east coast from incoming threats is to revert to putting blimps in the air, a defense technique that dates back to at least 1908?   A system that failed to detect a protester flying into DC airspace on a gyrocopter?

Is it possible that some things simply cannot be anticipated and therefore defended against, unless we all go live in a cave?

The problem now you see, is that the government had better get those blimps back up in the air, because if they don’t, and if there’s another attack on the east coast, those who supported the program will surely condemn those who did not, and will cry out loudly that “if only we had our blimps up there this woudn’t have happened!” 

So go ahead honorable members of Congress, cover your  backsides and  provide more funding for the failed blimps.   While you’re at it, maybe you can come up with enough money to build a better biplane?